Analyse the reasons why GBK can achieve higher levels of added value than McDonalds Essay

Customers are more concerned with eating healthier; and have also become increasingly more interested in the quality of food they are eating. Although they want to enjoy a burger they also want to know it’s of good quality. Unlike fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Gourmet burger Kitchen (GBK) offers this higher quality food. By offering this higher quality food it attracts customers, it also allows them to charge more as people are more willing to pay more for a better quality product than a low quality product, this therefore results in GBK achieving higher levels of added value than McDonalds due to this higher quality product. GBK offers a smarter environment than traditional fast food restaurants. This means that the level of service offered is much higher. This allows GBK to achieve a higher level of added value as they are offering something McDonalds isn’t. This is one of their unique selling points. By offering this service it allows them to charge more because the environment people are eating in is smarter, this therefore means an increase in there added value. Robert Tame, founder of fine burger company believes that â€Å"it’s not just about the product. It’s also about the environment you are presenting the burgers in† Food at GBK is considered to be healthy in comparison to the food sold at McDonalds. Customers are more concerned about eating healthier than they have been before, and GBK offers a more varied and less calorie menu. This means that GBK can achieve a higher level of added value than McDonalds because customers don’t mind paying more for something if it’s more beneficial to them than another product on the market. This therefore means that they can achieve this higher level of added value than McDonalds.

Production function

No matter the objective of any business organization, achievement of efficiency in production or cost minimization for a given production activity appear to be one of the prime concern of the managers In the manager's effort to minimize production costs, the fundamental questions he or she faces are: (f) How can production be optimized or costs minimizes? (g) What will be the behavior of output as inputs increase? (h) How does technology help In reducing production costs? 0) How can the least-cost combination of Inputs be achieved? J) Given the technology, what happens to the rate of return when more plants are added to the firm? The Theory of Production Production theory generally deals with quantitative relationships, that is, technical and technological relationships between inputs, especially labor and capital, and between inputs and outputs. An Input Is a good or service that goes Into the production process. As economists refer to It, an Input Is simply anything which a firm bu ys for use In Its production process. An output, on the other hand, is any good or service that comes out of a production process.Economists classified inputs as (I) labor; (II) capital; land; (iv) raw materials; and, (v) time. These variables are measured per unit of time and once referred to as flow variables. In recent times, entrepreneurship has been added as part of the production Inputs, though this can be measured by the managerial expertise and the ability to make things happen. Inputs are classified as either fixed or variable Inputs. Fixed and variable inputs are defined in both economic sense and technical sense. In economic sense, a fixed input is one whose supply is inelastic in the short run.In technical sense, a fixed input is one that remains fixed (or constant) for certain level of output. A variable input is one whose supply in the short run is elastic, example, labor, raw terrestrial, and the like. Users of such inputs can employ a larger quantity in the short run . Technically, a variable Input Is one that changes with changes In output. In the long run, all Inputs are variable 3. 1 The Production Function Production function is a tool of analysis used in explaining the input-output relationship. It describes the technical relationship between inputs and output in physical terms.In its general form, it holds that production of a given commodity depends on certain specific Inputs. In Its specific form, it presents the quantitative relationships between Inputs and outputs. A production function may take the form f a schedule, a graph line or a curve, an algebraic equation or a mathematical model. The production function represents the technology of a firm. An empirical production function is generally so complex to include a wide range of inputs: land, labor, capital, raw materials, time, and technology.These variables form the Independent variables In a firm's actual production function. A firm's long- run production function Is of the form: where Old = land and building; L = labor; K = capital; M = materials; T = technology; and, t = time. For sake of convenience, economists have reduced the number of variables used in a reduction function to only two: capital (K) and labor (L). Therefore, in the analysis of input-output relations, the production function is expressed as: Q = f(K, L) (3. 1. 2) Equation (3. . 2) represents the algebraic or mathematical form of the production function. It is this form of production function which is most commonly used in production analysis. As implied by the production function (equation (3. 1. 2)), increasing production, Q, will require K and L, and whether the firm can increase both K and L or only L will depend on the time period it takes into account for increasing production, that is, whether he firm is thinking in terms of the short run or in terms of the long run.Economists believe that the supply of capital (K) is inelastic in the short run and elastic in the long run. Thus, in the short run firms can increase production only by increasing labor, since the supply of capital is fixed in the short run. In the long run, the firm can employ more of both capital and labor, as the supply of capital becomes elastic over time. In effect, there exists two types of production functions: The short-run production function; and, The long-run production function

New Technology

New technologies that are being developed by the minute provide great convenience to today’s people. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine going about one’s daily tasks without the help of new technologies. Thus, every aspect of modern living, such as transportation, education, banking, manufacturing, and communication depend on modern technologies. Aside from the conveniences brought about by newly developed technologies, there is a host of opportunities that come along with these technologies.However, alongside the various technologies that make modern living easier, serious dangers and threats are also being developed, either consciously or otherwise. These threats are often posed against the security of information, and commonly consist of viruses and worms. Certain criminal and immoral acts that have been committed as a response to new technologies, such as information theft, also pose a threat to the safety of data.These threats come in various forms, and can range f rom simple delays and additional cost to graver consequences such as theft of money and other property. Worse, the dangers brought about by new technology could lead to blackmail and revelation of trade secrets. These dangers pose serious threat, not only to individuals, but more importantly, to institutions, businesses, and the government. Confidential information that is obtained without authority from government sites could produce dire consequences.The government, because of its role in society, necessarily keeps loads of information about its citizens, its agencies, and its national security. These data are kept by the government to serve its various roles as protector of society and provider of basic needs and services. These data are also made available to the government because of its unique position, and are not meant to be made available to everyone. If vital information is leaked or brought into the hands of the wrong people, there is no limit to the kind of damage that c an arise.Those individuals and organizations that are concerned with keeping their files private should take steps to protect their computer systems. Thus, there should be systems or individuals whose task it would be to protect computer systems and files from unauthorized access or from viruses.These reasons are the primary reasons why new courses are being offered in colleges and universities nowadays, which courses aim to train people on the business of ensuring the safety of computer information. One such field of specialization is called information assurance.The recent developments in information and computer technology and the resulting negative effects in the safety of businesses, institutions, and governments give rise to various opportunities to information assurance professionals. The field of information assurance involves people, policies, procedures, and computer equipment and programs that aim to protect information and computer systems.The development and proliferati on of new viruses and worms and the discovery of new techniques of obtaining information without authority challenge information assurance professionals to similarly develop new ways of dealing with the risks and threats. Moreover, there is a continuing challenge to professionals in this field to evolve as fast as the other side is evolving. Information assurance professionals must always be prepared to counteract whichever step is taken by people who want to destroy existing computer infrastructure.Thus, there is always a challenge to information assurance professionals to be able to provide information as they are needed by the end users, maintain the integrity of the information, ensure the authenticity of information through verification methods, maintain the confidentiality of information, and provide proof of the integrity and origin of data.The growing complexity of computer infrastructure and the increased use and dependence on computer systems all over the world made inform ation assurance a necessity.   The duties of an information assurance, consisting mainly of closing loopholes that may be used by unscrupulous hackers, are exciting and interesting.Thus, it has become my heart’s desire to study information assurance so that I may learn the fundamentals of computer infrastructure. I want to learn how to create, develop, and maintain a system of checks and quality controls that could help organizations protect their valuable and confidential data. I want to be at the forefront of the fight against dishonorable abuses of the computing technology. I want to be an expert in detecting and controlling any unauthorized intrusion to an organization’s computer infrastructure. This way, I am able to serve a vital role in society, that of protecting privacy and integrity of valuable information. New technology New technologies that are being developed by the minute provide great convenience to today’s people. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine going about one’s daily tasks without the help of new technologies. Thus, every aspect of modern living, such as transportation, education, banking, manufacturing, and communication depend on modern technologies. Aside from the conveniences brought about by newly developed technologies, there is a host of opportunities that come along with these technologies.However, alongside the various technologies that make modern living easier, serious dangers and threats are also being developed, either consciously or otherwise. These threats are often posed against the security of information, and commonly consist of viruses and worms. Certain criminal and immoral acts that have been committed as a response to new technologies, such as information theft, also pose a threat to the safety of data.These threats come in various forms, and can range f rom simple delays and additional cost to graver consequences such as theft of money and other property. Worse, the dangers brought about by new technology could lead to blackmail and revelation of trade secrets. These dangers pose serious threat, not only to individuals, but more importantly, to institutions, businesses, and the government. Confidential information that is obtained without authority from government sites could produce dire consequences.The government, because of its role in society, necessarily keeps loads of information about its citizens, its agencies, and its national security. These data are kept by the government to serve its various roles as protector of society and provider of basic needs and services. These data are also made available to the government because of its unique position, and are not meant to be made available to everyone. If vital information is leaked or brought into the hands of the wrong people, there is no limit to the kind of damage that c an arise.Those individuals and organizations that are concerned with keeping their files private should take steps to protect their computer systems. Thus, there should be systems or individuals whose task it would be to protect computer systems and files from unauthorized access or from viruses.These reasons are the primary reasons why new courses are being offered in colleges and universities nowadays, which courses aim to train people on the business of ensuring the safety of computer information. One such field of specialization is called information assurance.The recent developments in information and computer technology and the resulting negative effects in the safety of businesses, institutions, and governments give rise to various opportunities to information assurance professionals. The field of information assurance involves people, policies, procedures, and computer equipment and programs that aim to protect information and computer systems.The development and proliferati on of new viruses and worms and the discovery of new techniques of obtaining information without authority challenge information assurance professionals to similarly develop new ways of dealing with the risks and threats. Moreover, there is a continuing challenge to professionals in this field to evolve as fast as the other side is evolving. Information assurance professionals must always be prepared to counteract whichever step is taken by people who want to destroy existing computer infrastructure.Thus, there is always a challenge to information assurance professionals to be able to provide information as they are needed by the end users, maintain the integrity of the information, ensure the authenticity of information through verification methods, maintain the confidentiality of information, and provide proof of the integrity and origin of data.The growing complexity of computer infrastructure and the increased use and dependence on computer systems all over the world made inform ation assurance a necessity.   The duties of an information assurance, consisting mainly of closing loopholes that may be used by unscrupulous hackers, are exciting and interesting.Thus, it has become my heart’s desire to study information assurance so that I may learn the fundamentals of computer infrastructure. I want to learn how to create, develop, and maintain a system of checks and quality controls that could help organizations protect their valuable and confidential data. I want to be at the forefront of the fight against dishonorable abuses of the computing technology. I want to be an expert in detecting and controlling any unauthorized intrusion to an organization’s computer infrastructure. This way, I am able to serve a vital role in society, that of protecting privacy and integrity of valuable information.

Physiology and pharmacology for nursing practice Essay

Physiology and pharmacology for nursing practice - Essay Example The assortment of processes by which the body controls the internal environment making it constant is jointly known as homeostasis. In a bid to ensure that the body’s internal environment is stable, the conditions of the body must be continually monitored and adjusted through homeostatic regulation (Lenford and Johnson, 2015). It engages the receptor, the control center, and the effector. The receptor detects information about changes that occur in the environment (Norris & Carr, 2013). They then send the information to the control centers, which interpret the information as either being below or above the homeostatic range (Clancy & McVicar, 2009). The control centers send commands to the effectors that correct the disturbance by either opposing or enhancing a stimulus thus reinstating homeostasis (Clancy & McVicar, 2009). This is a continuous process to ensure the continuity and maintenance of homeostasis. An example is where the temperature receptors in the skin detect a change in temperature; communicate this to the control centers which are in the brain, then to the effectors in the blood vessels and sweat glands facilitating the required adjustments (Lenford and Johnson, 2015). When disturbances in the physiological balance occur, the system reacts to two forms of feedback. These include the positive and negative feedback. The majority of the homeostatic control mechanisms operate on the principle of negative feedback (Lenford and Johnson, 2015). It involves the system responding so as to reverse the direction of the change. An example of this principle is blood sugar regulation in the body. An increase in blood glucose higher than the homeostatic range triggers the processes that reduce it. Still, when blood glucose levels are below homeostatic range, the processes that increase the glucose levels will be triggered. Both instances result in the blood sugar level being maintained at a constant level

Reflection of Class International Marketing Essay

Reflection of Class International Marketing - Essay Example that this is one of the best courses I have ever taken as it opened my eyes on how culture plays an important factor in business operation, choose between standardized or localized approaches in marketing, conduct country and market analysis, and understand entry strategies. The most interesting lesson presented in the class has been how culture contributes to and hinders the success of a business organization opting to expand in other countries. This course opened my eyes why there is no â€Å"one size fits all† strategy for different markets. It stressed the importance of business organizations’ adaptation to the economies where they operate. I believe that these points are very much important to the growing me-economy where customers demand highly unique products in order to address their individual needs. After the course, I believe that a company’s success hinges on its ability to evolve and recreate itself in order to suit the needs and preferences of the market. After all, this is what marketing is all about. I also have to mention that I enjoyed all the aspects of world culture presented in the class. It is exciting to note the differing consumer perceptions around the globe. I highly appreciate the professor’s strong encouragement for us students to participate in the class activities. I should also say that I have not been as active as my classmates because of my quiet personality. However, even for a silent and shy person like me, I have to admit that my colleague’s participation really made the class a fun experience. Participation makes learning more engaging and easier. Honestly, I have built friendships in the class which is very uncommon as I always find it very hard to open up myself and ideas to other individuals. Our class has truly provided a fertile ground for academic and social development. I know I have a lot to thank my professor

Demand and supply Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Demand and supply - Essay Example These factors have been pointed out and discussed by several authors (Stiglitz and Walsh (2002), Pindyck and Rubinfeld (2004), Mansfield (1992), Reynolds (1988), Colander, (2004) etc.). Stiglitz and Walsh (2002) demarcate these factors into economic and non-economic factors. Below is an elaboration of these ‘other factors’. An increase or decrease in the income of consumers may lead to a rise or fall in the demand for a product. This change by and large depends upon the nature of the commodity; i.e., inferior good or normal good. In case of an inferior good, an increase in the income of consumer will lead to a fall in the demand of that particular commodity and vice versa, because consumer will then shift to a product much better than the previous commodity in his/her perception. On the contrary, in case of a normal good, an increase in the income of the consumer will cause the demand for that commodity to rise shifting the demand curve to the right and vice versa. This is another economic factor responsible for bringing about a shift in the demand curve. A change in demand of a particular product can be effectuated by a change in price of its close substitutes. The demand for a product will rise if the price of its substitute commodities increases, shifting the demand curve to the right and vice versa. For instance, the demand for coffee for some people will increase as the price of tea rises and vice versa. On the other hand, more tea-consumers would shift to coffee if the price of coffee declines in the market, because a rational consumer will mostly opt for a cheaper substitute, once the price of any of the product rises. Complements are the products that are used or preferably used with another product. Any change in the price of complements will also lead to a change in the demand for the product. For instance if the price of milk increases, the demand for tea or coffee will also fall down, causing a leftward shift to the demand curve. It

Hsa 520 week 7 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hsa 520 week 7 - Coursework Example In the purview of HIS, every patient’s healthcare record is maintained punctiliously while ensuring that confidential information is secure. Health care information professionals endure the responsibility of keeping, updating and ensuring that the healthcare information of the patient is safe. Physicians, medical laboratories, use this information and the management of the healthcare organization in their bid to ameliorate the services provided (Maria 2012). HIS exist in a myriad of ways, such as patient care applications, management and enterprise systems, e-health applications and strategic decision support applications. Each of these applications has specific benefits to health care organizations. Technology presents opportunities of providing health care in an effective and efficient manner. The advent of smart phones and tablets has made the use of patient care applications possible. Mobile technology makes use of Patient Care Applications to manage the information of patients. By 2017, mHealth’s market is postulated as $26 billion. In a hospital setting, the Patient Care applications are important since Physicians and nurses have time constraints and these applications present caregivers with relevant patient information at the point of care provision. In effect, this encourages collaborative decision-making process and errors are reduced (Skidmore 2013). With this information system, caregivers do not frustrate patients with similar questions from time to time. The patients have a heightened quality of services and experiences in the health care organization. In surgery, the Patient Care Applications play a key role. During surgeries, doctors often need to access information, both prior to the operation and during the operation. Some applications can help the surgeon monitor and guide his actions during the operation

Lessons 13-16 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lessons 13-16 - Essay Example The winds should also be a light wind with an approximate of under 15 knots. Additionally, the water needs to be of lower temperatures, which are some of the ideal conditions for surfing. The 9.0 Japan earthquake of March 11, 2011 was indeed a surprise to many. Scientists, despite having predicted the earthquakes occurrence, never expected its large size. Additionally, the earthquake resulted in the death of approximately 18,000 people, even though warnings were issued especially in people’s cell phones. The earthquake also shifted the earth from its normal axis of rotation through the redistribution of mass. Question 2: Looking at the Ring of Fire, name 8 other countries, besides Japan, that are familiar with frequent earthquakes. Tell me about 1 of them that made headlines in the news within the past year. In the ring of fire, other countries familiar with frequent earthquakes besides Japan include Canada, United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, and Russia. One of the nations that has made headlines in the past year is Costa Rica, in which a powerful earthquake of a magnitude of up to7.6 shook the nation and a wide swath of Central America early in the morning in mid-2013, making substantive news headlines. Pacific Ring of Fire refers to an area with frequent occurrences of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, contributed to by tectonic shifts in the earth’s plates. Because of such factors, the pacific ring of fire experiences an increased number of tsunamis considering the frequent movement of the earth’s plates. There exist three major types of tides, semidiurnal tides, mixed tides, and diurnal tides. Semidiurnal tides involve the existence of two high tides of equal heights and two low tides of equal heights. Mixed tides on the other side have two periods of high water and two periods of low water each day; however, the tidal heights are not equal.

Global Trends in Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Global Trends in Crime - Research Paper Example These crimes have more or less infiltrated all corners of the globe, making the apprehension and prosecution process difficult and complicated to carry out. This paper shall discuss the current global trends in crimes, paying particular attention to the infiltration and increased rates of internet crimes and the remedies which have been set forth by the different governments of the world. This paper is being carried out with the hope of establishing a clear and comprehensive discussion of the subject matter and its impact on the governments and the general population. Discussion With the advent of information and communication advancements, the geographical borders of countries have become virtually penetrable (Rosenau, 1995). The porosity of our borders as well as the anonymity of transactions in the internet has created opportunities for criminals and violent groups, as well as for terrorist groups to expand their operations in the international scene. Government-supported cyber-te rrorism groups in some regions and hackers have strengthened their skills further in the digital world (Comite Europe’en Des Assurance, 2004). With the coordinated processes between organized crimes and the digital world, the general security of the global landscape has been made vulnerable (Williams, 2001). The Federal Bureau of Investigation sets forth that cyber criminals have launched attacks on many Fortune 500 corporations. In fact, based on reports by the International Data Corporation, about 39% of Fortune 500 companies have been attacked in the digital world via security breaches. Hackers have also been known to attack the Pentagon, the White House, and NATO (Lunev, 2001). Attacks on Microsoft have also led to the theft of their secret source codes; and credit card numbers from various banks have also been accessed illegally by these hackers. About 20 years ago, terrorist activities had to be carried out with much bloodshed and physical contact among combatants, and now, the digital world has made it possible to achieve the same ends of terrorism without the necessity of physical contact among combatants (Verton, 2002). Consequently, terrorism has become an even more dangerous practice and the FBI and other law enforcement authorities have recognized the dangers it poses to the general population. Through the rapid digitization of businesses and other political and social establishments, thieves and other criminals have also gone digital with the manner of their commission of crimes (Carblanc and Moers, 2003). These organizations and corporations have been prompted by these attacks to worry and protect the security of their digital networks. But these crimes seem to evolve as the digital technologies are also evolving. Some of these crimes shall be discussed in this paper. Cyber crimes or cyber attacks are simply defined as crimes which are carried out with the use of a computer network (Kshetri, 2005). In general, cyber crimes include critical infrastructure attack, fraud, online money laundering, criminal uses of Internet communications, identity fraud, use of computers to carry out traditional crimes and cyber extortions (Kshetri, 2005). Other cyber crimes include cyber-stalking and cyber bullying. Other cyber crimes are traditional crimes which are carried out with the use of computer networks. Some of these crimes shall be discussed below. One of the current concerns in the world of crime is the fact that it has become even more difficult to estimate the

Iran Nuclear Deal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Iran Nuclear Deal - Essay Example In as much as the Iran nuclear deal has raised a lot of debates on the implications of the deal on international platform, it is evident that the deal is a great milestone achieved regarding international relations and diplomacy. America and the international community have for many decades put measures including international sanctions and freezing of the Iranian assets as a means of averting the Iranian intention of making nuclear weapons, but only with immense level of failure. It is thus obvious that the Iran nuclear deal framework is a diplomatic way of solving the nuclear issue (Bremmer, 2015). With the agreement towards the Iran nuclear deal, the deal would help in the reduction of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. This is an important step since uranium is one of the major nuclear elements required in the manufacture of an atomic bomb. A reduction in the stockpile of uranium is thus a peaceful means of ensuring Iran does not manufacture the bombs. Additionally, the deal through the limit of the nuclear facilities in Iran would increase the time required for Iran to process a nuclear bomb from two to three months to at least one year. The increase in duration is very crucial as it gives the international community time to monitor Iranian nuclear activities ensuring Iran does not manufacture a nuclear weapon. Being that Iran agreed to international monitoring of its nuclear activities with robust level of transparency, it would be difficult for the country to use its nuclear stockpile for military purposes;

Interactive and Digital Marketing Research Paper - 1

Interactive and Digital Marketing - Research Paper Example 636-645). Furthermore, in this age, both interactive as well as digital marketing is highly used in order to enhance the bonding within the customers and the organization. It is the bonding or relationship that acts as a catalyst for the organization of today’s age to improve its presence and sustainability in the market. However, in order to retain such type of relationship with the customers, it’s extremely essential to offer all sort of essential information or details regarding the products and services of the organization in an effective way. This report mainly deals with the information available within the web-sites of two retailers named Primark and marks and spender (M&S). It also describes the difference present within the websites of the two mentioned retailers along with the traditional bricks and mortar shops. According to Kotler (2008), marketing acts as a tool that may be used to identify, anticipate, and gratify the requirements and demands of the customers in an effective way. Moreover, in today’s age, marketing is essential to identify the target customers of the products or services of an organization. However, in this age of digitalisation, it might be possible only if an organization becomes successful in developing an online presence. Online or digital sites helps an organization to present its products or services to a wide range of customers of varying income profiles, age-groups and standards in a very short period of time as stated by market segmentation theory. Along with this, with the help of online or digital websites, an organization may immediately fulfil the queries of its target customers and develop the customised products that might prove effective in increasing its profitability and loyalty in the market among other rival brands (Keegan. 2002, pp. 456-467). Due to these underlining reasons, the level of preference of digital or online websites is quite high as

Internet gambling Essay Example for Free

Internet gambling Essay Gambling online is growing exponentially, without the protection of reliable regulatory structures that ensure age and identity verification, the integrity/fairness of the games, or that responsible gaming features are included on a site. In a poorly regulated Internet environment, this study investigates gambling on twenty online sites. Content analysis was utilised to evaluate whether the sample displayed responsible gambling features. In the absence of established, agreed, regulatory evaluation criteria, the researchers constructed their own, based on examples of good practice on available websites and following the recommendations of the Gambling Review Report 2001 and the Gambling Act 2005. The primary findings suggest that most online gambling sites are responsible and most show elements of good practice, which is of interest given the unregulated environment and absence of policing. While some features are derived from conventional gambling policies and regulatory influences, some are unique to the special ethical risks of gambling on line. Web designers and commissioning organisations appear to have anticipated social criticisms by incorporating guards against unethical outcomes before regulatory controls have been imposed. As the impossibility of regulating/controlling the Internet is a common cliche in many commentators’ analysis, this self regulation and willingness to refrain from taking revenue from vulnerable punters, is intriguing. The authors recommend further research to establish an accurate picture, including the size and characteristics of the UK online gambling market. Secondly, to study and compare online gambling with more traditional forms of gambling in terms of underage and problem gambling. More studies need to investigate which forms of responsible gambling are most effective in reducing underage and problem gambling. Lastly, the response of the industry to legislation and micro regulation would be a guide for policy makers and responsible industry practitioners. Introduction Since the increased popularity of Internet access into homes and workplaces in the early nineties, Internet gambling opportunities have expanded at a surprisingly swift pace and more people are gambling online (Wood, Williams and Lawton, 2007). The unregulated nature and uncontrollability of the Internet, with low or no tax gambling, have created a perfect environment for the proliferation of gambling (Crist and Yeager, 1998). Anyone, anytime, anywhere with a computer, a connection, and a credit card can gamble at hundreds of different online gambling websites. Recent statistics state there are as many as 2,500 gambling websites currently operating; consisting of 1,083 online casinos, 592 sports and race-books, 532 poker rooms, 224 online bingo sites, 49 skill game sites, 30 betting exchanges, 25 lottery sites and 17 backgammon sites (Casino City, 2006). Gamcare (2008) state that the number of Internet gambling websites is approximately 3,000. By 12 September 2007, the Gambling Commission had received only 146 applications for operating licences that include provision for online gambling, a minute proportion of the 2,500 sites worldwide. Internet gambling revenues in a single year were $651 million in 1998, more than double the estimated $300 million from 1997 (Sinclair,1999). Further, the global Internet gambling industry is forecast to grow from about $9,000 million in 2004 to $25,000 million in 2010 (European Commission, 2006). If the estimated figures are accurate, then the importance of Internet gambling will continue to rise. Gambling presents a large set of negative social consequences and online gambling has its own challenges beyond those of gambling in general; introducing many new potential problems and rekindling many old ones (Griffiths,1999). Internet and land based casinos have problems detecting and deterring addicted gamblers. Even with the opportunity presented to physically verify age in conventional gambling outlets, no gambling jurisdiction is 100% effective in keeping out underage gambling (Gambling Online Magazine, 2004). It is feared that the anonymity offered by the Internet will exacerbate this problem. Computer-based systems allow gamblers to self-exclude or establish loss limits and may stand a better chance of being effective than the current systems in most conventional casinos. Whilst a determined gambler can move from site to site, reports of players’ activities can be made readily available with contact details for bodies that aim to assist those with problem gambling issues. However, offline and online operators other than those regulated in the UK, do not collect information about a customer’s financial situation, spending or habits, for both practical and protection of privacy reasons. A person who has developed a problem must identify it themselves and take their own constructive steps to deal with it. Operators only train staff to help those who believe they have a problem and approach customer services. Presently there is no comprehensive research or definitive standard as to how to identify someone who has developed a gambling problem. The prevailing view is that it is the minority of players who develop gambling problems. The current regulatory response to this issue is influenced by this perspective (EGBA, 2007). The Growth of Internet Gambling Several factors have contributed to the growth of online gambling. †¢ Internet access has increased globally and technologies that drive the Internet have improved. Confidence in conducting financial transactions online has increased and some governments have licensed online operators within their borders. †¢ The personal computer extends the range of choice. Land-based casinos dictate which games are available to players. Online gambling lets players move through cyberspace to play the games they prefer. †¢ The Internet provides the highest level of anonymity for conducting gambling. The more pervasive concern has been that the Internet attracts people away from person-to-person contact, fostering alienation and real-world disconnection (Boase, 2006). †¢ The costs of establishing online sites are considerably less than those of land-based gambling operations. Flatt (1998) has estimated as little as $135,000. Problem Gambling The ability to gamble anonymously provides problem gamblers with a safe haven without physical scrutiny or surveillance (Scharf and Corrin, 2002). Problem gambling is categorised as an addiction. A severe disorder characterised by obsessive thoughts of gambling, a loss of control, often involving lying and stealing in order to recover gambling losses. As well as other negative consequences (Netemeyer,1998). Specific to Internet Gambling is the role that technology contributes to alteration in gambling habits (Griffiths, 1999). There are no regulated opening times, as exercised by terrestrial operations. It has been argued that there is an ‘exodus from reality’, in the sense that gambling online does not involve ‘real cash’. A gambler may lose control as he or she cannot see a money balance and does not suffer a physical loss. Online gambling loses the social aspect of gambling creating the disadvantage that there are no friends or peers to discourage a gambler from going too far (Griffiths, 1999). Underage Gambling. There is a high priority of protecting children from online gambling, considered more addictive than conventional forms of gambling, because of young people’s familiarity with and access to computer-based technologies (Conway and Koehler, 2000). They have a perception of control resulting from their skills honed playing PlayStation or interactive video games, and may have a false sense of security boosted by their fluency (Mackay, 2004). Another concern is that underage gamblers have easy access to sites and to forms of gambling, from which they otherwise would be excluded by conventional outlets. Many sites offer a ‘demo’ mode, i.e. play without wagering money. It is suspected that ‘demo’ games may give very good odds. Adolescents who are successful on these games could develop a habit which continues when they reach adulthood and are legally permitted to gamble for money, when the odds are no longer so favourable (Mackay, 2004). Regulation Gambling in its various forms is often seen as a deeply-rooted trait of the human activity, which although a source of gratification for many and not innately immoral, can cause harm to individuals. Gambling has long been subject to regulation by governments, reflecting moral, religious and political mores. A pragmatic motivation for such regulation is to generate revenue, which might result in a conflict of interest in regulatory regimes, as the industry grows. The objective of regulation can vary from protecting consumers by ensuring the probity and integrity of the gambling operators and the purging of fraud and abuse of criminal activities, such as money laundering, to reduction of the social cost of problem gambling. There is a gap in the literature concerning the efficacy of regulation. Regulation of online gambling is a comparatively new phenomenon and it is too early to measure its effectiveness. There are debates about appropriate licensing frameworks, legal and technical standards for operators and cover issues, such as protection of customer funds, continuous and repetitive play and intervention to tackle problem gambling. Methodology Content analysis, adopted for this study, has been defined as a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding (Krippendorff, 1980). Content analysis has four key advantages: †¢ it is unobtrusive †¢ it is flexible and applicable to unstructured materials †¢ it is context sensitive. †¢ it can be applied to large amounts of data. The lack of research applying content analysis to websites is partially a result of the complexity of Internet information, in particular; the definition of a website, the unit of analysis and the method of sampling. A major problem in conducting Internet content analysis is related to defining the term ‘website. ’ With a large volume of information on a website, it becomes unworkable to analyse the whole website. Therefore, parts of the website, the units of analysis, must be chosen for evaluation. In addition to size, websites differ in purpose, structure and content, therefore selecting a unit of analysis consistently across all samples is highly problematic (Ha and James, 1998). Coding an entire website is difficult and can introduce bias based on size. Selecting the unit of analysis is not an easy task as the volume of data can overwhelm the researcher. In this study the first step was to decide on the sample. The sample consisted of the top twenty most popular online gambling sites visited in Britain, according to: †¢ www. gambling. com, †¢ www. cam-orl. co. uk. Internet-betting-online. html and †¢ www. ukcasinoguide.org. uk . The sites were accessed and coded during a period of three days, in February 2006. The term website was applied on a general level, defined as a collection of pages or files linked together and available online. The unit of analysis was the homepage, plus drill downs. The study attempted to limit the analysis to the homepage. However, it was decided that the content available on a homepage was too limited and did not necessarily reflect the breadth and scope of content available on the whole website. The study experimented with gambling sites. A commonality of approaches indicated prima facie industry norms. The study observed evidence of good practice. The content of the websites was evaluated by characteristics providing factual information and of responsible gambling. The coding template was based on possible features associated with each of the two categories and was used to record the content of each website, within the unit of analysis. Ratings were based on how difficult it was to locate information. More drill downs meant the information was harder to find and scored a lower rating. It was believed that the more easily located and extensive the information, the more an online gambling operator was committed to responsible gambling. Reliability and Validity The reliability of a study involving content analysis refers to the stability and reproducibility of the results (Stemler, 2001). Stability requires researchers to code the data consistently. According to Weber (1990), concerns regarding reliability often stem from the ambiguity of word meanings, category definitions, or other coding rules. The validity of a study involving content analysis is determined by the extent to which the definitions (included in the tool) reflect the sub-categories. The validity of categories is enhanced by the inclusion of many words to arrive at the same judgment. For example, the words gambling and betting were considered interchangeable. One of the primary reasons to conduct content analysis is to collect objective information. Therefore, the study ensured that the procedure was clearly laid out and defined. It was consistently applied to the sample. The following three steps were taken to enhance the reliability and validity of the study’s findings and to ensure that the information gathered was objective. First, to enhance the reliability of the results, after the tool was applied to the website, the coder re-coded the website on the same day to ensure accuracy. Second, the coding scheme was tested to ensure the suitability of the categories and the overall reliability of the tool. It was important that the list of variables was exhaustive and mutually exclusive in order to avoid any confusion. Lastly, to improve the validity of the results, the definitions were reviewed and expanded to ensure that there was an exhaustive list of words for each sub-category where applicable. For example, for the sub-category ‘Addiction Help,’ words such as ‘problem gambling,’ ‘concerns about gambling,’ were included in the coding guidelines to broaden the category, allowing the coder to capture the data. Findings Considering the large amount of data collected, only the criteria of responsible gambling were analysed intensively. These are illustrated in Table 1. The key areas of concern, underage gambling and problem gambling are expanded in Tables 2 and 3 respectively. Sample characteristics Security Online gambling security is as good as most other e-commerce sites. There are no reported any security-related fraud (Turner, 2002). Online gambling sites know that cheating their customers is bad for business and therefore tend to be honest. The market is so competitive that the reputation of market leaders is paramount. Players are likely to switch to rival sites if practices are questionable. Payment systems are critical to the success of any online business and online gambling operators have their own particular challenges to face. The integrity of systems must be assured. [pic] Table 1 Voluntary Initiatives Systems must be secure from hackers and crackers, from both outside and from within. There are readily available codes to ensure security such as the use of encryption and digital signatures. These technologies are already in use. All sites accessed displayed secure transaction information. The ‘dot com boom’ followed by the ‘dot com crash’ has had Internet gambling casualties. Several Internet gambling operators have gone bankrupt. For example Netbetsports and Luvbet folded owing their customers money (Barker, 2007). These firms had a relatively high profile within the industry. Luvbet was one of the first bookmakers to promote an Internet site offering tax free betting. Netbetsports offered Internet customers high bet limits and tax free betting, when UK tax rates were still nine per cent. Internet gambling is expanding in ever-changing and unregulated websites (Hartman, 2007; Holahan, 2006). It is uncertain whether as an unintended consequence of domestic regulation; risk taking clients might be challenged to gamble with unscrupulous vendors. This could represent an extra excitement factor, perhaps generating worse personal consequences, than in an unregulated environment. Responsible gambling The concern with responsible gambling is the rationale of this study. It was intended to measure how online sites recognise that gambling can cause problems for customers and to investigate and record the measures to offer checks. The websites were evaluated according to how helpful responsible gambling information was. The study found no consistency in the responsible gambling information. British legislation requires mandatory procedures promoting socially responsible gambling. This should be clear and prominent on their homepage, if it is to be effective. Eleven sites displayed responsible features on the home page or easily accessible links. Most of the remaining sites contained these features, but access was difficult, hence their lower rating. Fair Gaming and Independent Audits Fair gaming refers to sites operating honestly and responsibly, ensuring monetary deposit safety and winning bets paid in a timely manner. Fifty-five per cent of sites accessed contained information stating that they were independently audited. Independent audits confirm the percentage of payouts of games, review the output and validity of the software, that it consistently produces random results and fair outcomes of games. For example Price Coopers Waterhouse at www. roxypalace. com. The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends that online gambling software systems must be random-operated and tested by the Gambling Commission. Online sites must make payments only to the credit card used to make deposits or by cheque to the player. The study looked for evidence of these recommended features. Security and honesty of transactions are as important to the supplier as the customer. A bad reputation for online gambling sites could be commercially crippling (Griffiths, 2003). Therefore the responsible features recorded here do have an economic payoff. Ethical Statement An ethical code was a key criterion to be assessed when visiting each site. Only one ‘ethical code’ which covered policies on compliance and data protection, measures restricting minors and the risks of compulsive gambling, was observed. This might be seen as a ‘narrow’ interpretation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) focussing on legal/rule based elements. Legal safeguards are problematic, since any Internet relationship questions which law should be complied with. Smeaton and Griffiths (2004) found two-thirds of the sites they visited displayed no evidence of social responsibility and concluded that social responsibility was a low priority for online sites. Problem Gambling Social responsibility can be evidenced by attempts to offer services in a way that does not encourage repetitive play or by supporting a client with a problem. Sixty per cent of the websites provided problem gambling information. InterCasino UK |Ethics drill down finds the website is committed to detecting and reducing compulsive gambling with |Med | | |procedures including monthly deposit limits and analysis of gambling patterns (this information was not | | | |verifable for the study). | | |Coral Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|High | | |accounts. | | |Platinum Play Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods, access to customer accounts and filtering programmes. | | |Spin Palace Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facility self exclusion periods. |Med | |City Club Casino |Link to a statement of encouraging sensible gambling and link to Gamblers Anonymous. |Low | |Roxy Palace Online Casino |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |32 Vegas Red |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |Victor Chandler |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Crazy Vegas Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods and filtering programmes. | | |English Harbour |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |Casino Tropez |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Vegas Red Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Ruby Fortune Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods, access to customer accounts and filtering programmes. | | |Eurobet Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|Med | | |accounts. | | |UK Casino Club |About Us link leads to a Responsible Gaming Policy which offers a self-assessment test, cooling off |Med | | |periods and exclusion options. | | |Golden Riviera |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |William Hill Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|Med | | |accounts. | | |Hammers Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |King Solomons Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |www. 888. com |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | Table 3 Problem Gambling Information UK legislation requires training of gambling operators’ employees to identify problems and to have procedures to sensitively deal with these. Fifteen sites had problem gambling information. Five linked to the Gamblers Anonymous website. Four sites offered assessment tests. It was not within the parameters of this study, to determine if online gambling sites follow up on tests, when a result indicated a problem. Three of the sites accessed provided information relating to filtering programmes, which can block underage users. These could be found through links to other sites and there was a free trial download facility available. Self-exclusion and Deposit Limits A player who feels that he or she is losing control of play and requires help in restricting access to online gambling were served by eight sites in this study that provided the facility for self-exclusion. This option was never located on the homepage and accessed only through drill downs. The study could not determine if applications were processed immediately or if self-exclusion from one site meant exclusion from multiple sites. It was unclear if these schemes required the gambler to undergo counseling assessments prior to re-admission, or if after the self-exclusion period had lapsed; the player automatically was included again. The study was also not able to clarify if players who request self-exclusion were given information about problem gambling counseling services. Computer-based systems can allow gamblers to self-exclude or establish loss limits and may stand a better chance of being effective than the current systems in most conventional casinos today. Whilst a determined gambler can move from site to site, reports of a player’s activities can be made readily available, with contact details for bodies that aim to assist those with problem gambling issues. Internet gambling operators are equipped to collect adequate data and information to be able to identify patterns of problem gambling (DCMS, 2006). There is the technological ability for operators to collect enough data to be able to identify patterns of problem gambling. This is a requirement of the 2005 Act. However, this is a prescription only for operators with a British licence and the position of the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA, 2007) is that it is extremely difficult to monitor and identify when someone has begun to gamble irresponsibly. Therefore according to EGBA, offline and online gambling operators should not collect information about a customer’s financial situation, spending or habits, for both practical and privacy issues. Operators that act on this aim to establish a responsible reputation and may see it as a competitive advantage factor. Yet they may infringe the principle of privacy. An issue for regulators is whether to acquire the power to compel operators to intervene in the event of identifying a problem gambler. The technical provisions in Britain for socially responsible Internet gambling have been drafted and are in the process are being applied. Assessment of the effectiveness of regulations in curbing problem gambling has yet to be done. Some sites permit customers to limit the amount of money that they are able to deposit into their account on both a daily and/or a weekly basis. It was noted that amounts may be revised downwards at any time, but increases are implemented after twenty-four hours. The online gambling operators are unable to override limits set by customers. Some sites allow access to a player’s full history of transactions, withdrawals and deposits. The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends online sites should be required to set up facilities that enable players to set maximum stakes, limits and to self-ban. Protection of Underage Gamblers In order to ensure child safety online sites were evaluated for identity verification and exclusion facilities, such as the use of filtering software. The Gambling Review Report (2001) offers guidelines to ensure that identification standards are comparable to those of off-line casinos. It asserts that all players who register to play online should be properly identified before they are permitted to play. Age Verification Most sites studied required a prospective gambler to only complete a registration form in order to play. These sites rely on the player to disclose their correct age and do not verify the accuracy of the information. Underage gamblers can use their parents’ credit cards or even their own to register and set up accounts (Schroeder and Versch, 1998). The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends that players who register online should be properly identified, before they are permitted to play. All sites displayed an age warning on their homepage. 32 Vegas Red alone stated it had taken steps to ensure that their site did not attract young people and used software that stops the underage from joining. Smeaton and Griffiths (2004) have investigated underage gambling and found poor standards of verification. The concern is that many sites are not employing identity verifications systems to check the age of players and therefore allow underage play. Verification systems work by searching available government and financial databases, to find evidence to support the personal information supplied by the player. For example, credit ratings or inclusion on the electoral roll can verify that the player is of the required age. However such searching again might threaten individual privacy. InterCasino UK |Logo displayed on homepage. Ethics drill down reveals site requires customers to declare that |Low | | |they are of legal age. | | |Coral Casino |Logo linked to statement that the company reserves the right to request proof of age. |Med | |Platinum Play Casino |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult and sane as per laws of country of |Med | | |residence. | | |Spin Palace Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |City Club Casino |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be adult as per country of residence. |Low | |Roxy Palace Online Casino |Terms Conditions drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |32 Vegas Red |About Us drill down leads to Responsible Gaming drill down stating it is illegal for anyone |High | | |under 18 to open an account or to play and that they have taken steps to ensure that the website| | | |does not attract young people and our website uses software that stops under 18s joining (this | | | |could not be verified by the study). Also requests responsible parenting. | | |Victor Chandler |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult as per laws of country of residence. |Med | |Crazy Vegas Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |English Harbour |Terms Conditions drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Casino Tropez |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Vegas Red Casino |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Ruby Fortune Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |Eurobet Casino |Logo linked to statement stating the company reserves the right to request proof of age. |Med | |UK Casino Club |Responsible Gaming drill down leads to downloadable Children Protection Software and urges |High | | |responsible parenting. | | |Golden Riviera |Terms Conditions drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |William Hill Casino |Responsible Gaming drill down leads to statement that the company reserves the right to request|Med | | |proof of age. | | |Hammers Casino |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be adult as per country of residence. |Low | |King Solomons Casino |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult and sane as per laws of country of |Low | | |residence. | | |www. 888. com |Link leads to statement that it is illegal for anyone under 18 to play and that they have taken |High | | |steps to discourage and track young people (this could not be verified by the study). Website | | | |recommends software supporting responsible parenting. | | Table 2 Age Verification Telephone Betting The Gambling Review Report (2001) states that aspects of online gambling should be more heavily regulated than conventional gambling. However, the Internet’s characteristics make it more difficult to regulate. This study looked for evidence of telephone betting and considered implications of this facility. The three sites that offer the player the facility of telephone betting have a UK High Street presence. It could be argued that the reason why these organisations have added online sites to their operations is to expand opportunities. Using the BCG Matrix, the shops could be considered ‘cash cows,’ well-established with high market share. The new online sites could be ‘stars. ’ The prospect of growth is exciting as are the opportunities (McDonald, 2002). Land-based operators provide an online presence, giving extra services for the player, the anonymity of play compared to their shops, higher levels of usibility, and possibly even more security, simply to grow their businesses, rather than to offer player protection in this feature (Johnson, 1997). Ultimately this criterion failed to help evaluate the concept of responsible on line gambling, given the ‘virtual’ existence of most sites. Technical Support All sites provide ‘24-7’ telephone and technical support, with free numbers, player-to-technician online chatroom and email support. Every channel of communication is available to guarantee full access for a player. This measure is clearly very important to the site operators and customers. The sites are very competent in not losing customers through technical problems and offer very many points of contact. Yet the same form of in house supportive ‘counseling’ service is not offered to problem gamblers. Licenses It is not illegal for British residents to gamble online, nor is it illegal for overseas operators to offer online gambling to British residents. However, the Gambling Act 2005 requires an operator to obtain a licence if they site any piece of equipment, for example a database, presentation device, or determining device in the UK, regardless of whether other devices are outside the country (DCMS, 2005). Gibraltar |Canada |Caribbean |UK |Unknown | |5 |7 |6 |1 |1 |. Table 4 Sources of Licenses As an example the City Club Casino is licensed by the Island of Curacao, but displays US and UK freefone numbers, in prominent positions on their website, which may mislead the player into thinking that the site is American or British. Another disingenuous feature is when ‘UK’ appears.

Five Forces Analysis Of The Gresham Hotel Dublin Tourism Essay

Five Forces Analysis Of The Gresham Hotel Dublin Tourism Essay The Gresham Hotel, Dublin, is a four star quality accommodation and service hotel, located on OConnell Street in the heart of city center. At these days are employed 183 employees in the Gresham hotel Dublin, which is included all part time, casual and senior staff, all over the departments. The Gresham Hotel Dublin is part with other 4 hotels of Gresham Group located across Europe; they are situated on the city center of Hamburg, London, Brussels, Cork and Dublin. Type of business The Gresham Hotel is a Public Limited Company, means that all the debs of the business are cleared by the business and money is not taken out of the owners ´ personal funds. The Gresham Hotel is a separate legal entity from the owners. The company is permitted to offer shares to the public and must include the words Plc as part of company name. The Gresham Hotel, OConnell Street, is a four star hotel and this kind of business is based in service. They provide a wide range of facilities where all customers are well welcome with four star services. They also organize events such as weddings, parties and type of business nature. In each department of this organization is a Wide Span of Sontrol, the Manager/Supervisor is in charge of a large number of employees. It is also a Tall structure as the company has many levels of hierarchy. My duties in this company has the same standard as an employee which any reporting has to be made to the manager/supervisor ,following the manager/supervisor reporting to Duty Manager and this one reporting to Human Resources and finally the Human Resources to Director. This company is divided in many departments which are; Toddys bar-food and beverage, where I am present doing my work experience, my duties is mainly customer care. This department works fourteen people which two of them are supervisor. Writers bar-the main bar of the hotel which also serve food Kitchen department- this department runs all department involving food. Catering and Banqueting department- this department is responsible for all events Accountancy department Gallery restaurant- where at present is used for breakfast as this restaurant have been closest. External influence on organisation PEST The PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding market growth or decline, this method is used to scan for the external, macro environment, factors that influences on any company. PEST analysis stands for; Political factors- include government regulations Economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customers and the firms cost capital Social factors- include the demographic and cultural aspects Technological technology is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. On The Gresham Hotel analysis, the external factors that may affect the company are; Political Opening and closing times this regulation set up the opening and closing hours in a business. Smoking ban -it is forbidden smoking indoors by law and affects the company in certain way. Economic Interest rate- due the economic situation nowadays, the interest rates defines people of spending or saving money. Unemployment levels- due the economic situation turndown, a number of customers decrease derived to increased of unemployment levels. Sociological Lifestyle change- nowadays the people pay more attention to product/service ´s price (cheaper option), drinking at home and also they start going later and spending less time in pub. Cultural- Drinking alcohol is an everyday part of adult life in Ireland. Nowadays customers spend less on drinks, drinking more at home. Technological Nowadays the technology more than ever is vital for competitive advantage. The technology has an impact on any company, such as tillà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Provide a quicker a efficient service to a customer Some duties as stocktaking can be changed by technology, saving time and money Technology offer to customer other facility ways such as booking a room, purchase vouchers, etc. The labor can be switched by technology PORTER FIVE FORCES Five Forces Analysis assumes that there are five important forces that determine competitive power in a situation.These are: Competitive Rivalry Majority of competitors have the similar strategies , indicating high competitive rivalry Differentiation between their main products/service is low, indicating high competitive rivalry. There are no substitute products available to customers, indicating high competitive rivalry. Many competitors have more or less the same size. Bargaining power of suppliers We realize, the fewer suppliers choices we have, more power they are over the company, and how easy it is to drive their prices up. Uniqueness product-The Guinness is an example of a powerful brand; the Guinness is supplied by a unique supplier, Some product based on food is supplied for a few choices companies where provide a unique service to a company. Bargaining power of customers Here we can see how easy it is customers to drive the prices down. The customer may have bargaining power when; When there is no substitute or a little differentiation over the product/service food and beverage is similar to those of someone else. switching to another product/service is not costly Price sensitive at this days, more than ever the customers are more sensitive to a product/service prices. Threats of new entrants A threat of new entrants is high if; Low barriers to entry economies of scale government legislations to encourage them to enter the industry differentiations on their product/service capital Threat of substitute products The treat of substitute is high when the product/service substitutes offer benefits similar and also when it is ease at customers can switch with low or no cost. Product/Service when a substitute product/service falls Cost of change no cost/low cost of switching a product/service Internal External influence on organisation SWOT The SWOT analysis is very important tool for carrying out a good strategic planning, and it is a powerful tool of the marketing. When it is a matter of companies that compete in a same market target, it is important that they detect the threats and opportunities in the company, by studying the external environment. It is also of fundamental importance that they evaluate the weaknesses and strengths points of the company, studying of its internal environment. During the analysis, when a strong point is realized, they must be emphasized to the utmost, and when a weak point is realized, the organization must act to control it or, at least, to minimize its effect. This technique is interesting, that means change, which very often contributes to the growth or not, it would be depended on the performance to correspond to the objectives of the organization. Strength Brand name this brand is well know national and international Location- located in city center 4 star hotel- this hotel provides a 4 star service and accommodation Wide range of facilities- Writers Bar, Toddy ´s Bar , fitness studio, SPA and restaurant 23 Business facilities Complimentary WIFI access in all conference rooms, Quadriga interactive TV systems in all rooms provides PPV movies, internet, music. 288 tasteful bedrooms, containing everything the discerning traveller would need, including spacious work desk Dedicated butler service for the meeting rooms Registration Lobby Fully air conditioned A range of audio visual equipment for hire Secreterial services www.gresham-hotels.com/dublin-city-hotels/business_facilities.asp Weaknesses Restaurant 23 remain closest, as the only restaurant available and considering a 4 star hotel, it creates a high impact on customers expectations. High cost product/service- nowadays, customers are more sensible to product/service prices, discontentment has been expressed by customers relating to product/service price to high. Poor employee ´s motivation- employee are unhappy with the management style, consequently will have impact on their organization Technology no updated- it causes a slower service and sometimes misunderstands between employees and customers because of it. Lack of marketing expertise ´s Opportunities New technology arrivals- nowadays there is a need of new technology, it means modernization to make the company more efficient. Marketing department- would be a great opportunity for growth and profit. Restaurant -reopen the restaurant in the hotel. New ways of advertising and promoting (radio, TV,Internet)- would let the people know about their offers and promotions for short and long term. Threats New regulations/tax- there is a threat of more regulations and higher taxes. World economy recession- would affect directly the hospitality economy and consequently the competition becomes higher between competitors. Price wars with competitors-the hospitality ´s competition is very high and price wars may become a huge threat. Strikes- the Gresham Hotel like other companies are minimizing their spending, changing their behavior with employees, consequently would be a threat for this organization. The Swot analysis above may help The Gresham Hotel growth by capitalizing on opportunities using their strengths and eliminating their weaknesses and threats. CONCLUSION This Environment Analysis was based on the Gresham Hotel, overall the company in many aspects has competitive advantage over their competitors. At the end of environment analysis where was scanned internally and externally by Swot, Pest and Porter Five Forces analysis we can understand better the Gresham Hotel ´s position facing to its competitors. Some disadvantages such as no restaurant available, heavy environment between managements and employees are in my opinion huge weak provoking a high impact on their company. The company has a good reputation among their customers and it has resources and vantages to face to its competitors if they capitalize on opportunities using their strength and eliminating their weaknesses and threats it would contribute for company ´s growing. RECOMMENDATIONS I would recommend more investment on marketing resources and also in technologies, which I truly believe they are main keys for company growth. It is essential that there is a good team spirit at work, therefore I believe that the management should reach an agreement between staff and managements interests.

The History Of Manufactured Bicycles Economics Essay

The History Of Manufactured Bicycles Economics Essay Brompton Bicycle is a  bicycle  manufacturer based in  Brentford,  London, in the  United Kingdom and largest volume bicycle manufacturer in Britain by Andrew Ritchie in 1976. Models are named using a code containing two letters either side of a number to describe the handle bar type, number of gears and factory attached fixtures. An optional suffix is appended to show the inclusion of titanium upgrades. In Britain the clubs membership is changing, with 35-40% of Brompton customers now women. The average riders age has also dropped below 40. Its getting profit in uk . Brompton Bicycle is a  British  company that specialises in  folding bicycles, commonly known as Bromptons. Bromptons are popular among  bicycle commuters, especially in the UK, the  Netherlands, and  Japan. Fast and compact folding is seen as the Bromptons key competitive advantage. The Brompton design has remained fundamentally unchanged over three decades, although it has been steadily refined. The Brompton was conceived as a product that increases peoples  independence  and  freedom,  means peple can use this cycle wherever they can use. Approximately 22,000 bicycles are produced by the company each year of which 70 percent are exported to asia and Europe. The compact dimensions of most folding bikes allow easy transport in public transport where travelling with a normal bike can be difficult or forbidden. We can this cycle in different style handlebar like c type handlebar, m type handlebar, s type handlebar and p type handlebar. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brompton_Bicycle PEST ANALYSIS OF BROMPTON BICYCLE: Political factor: The number of people cycling on Londons major roads has nearly doubled since 2000 and Transport for London (TfL) is targeting a 5% mode share for cycling by 2025. South West Trains, part of Stagecoach Group, has joined forces with Brompton Bicycle in a bid to encourage passengers to cycle as part of a fully integrated low carbon journey combining bike and train. Every one like this bikes because it is efficient to ride but can be quickly folded into a package smaller than an average suitcase, so people can take wherever they like. Economic factor: Though exports account for around 75 per cent of its output, it continues to manufacture all of its   bikes in the UK. Its getting profit here. Social factor: Brompton bike got a award, Mr Ritchie, who was awarded the prize that recognizes a lifetime contribution to design, has spent 21 years perfecting the Brompton, which is manufactured in Britain and sells around the world. At a reception celebrating 50 years of British design genius at Buckingham Palace. Technological factor: When transporting a Brompton Bicycle, for instance by Plane, Train, Car or boat it would be beneficial to have a protective case-like product that would protect from typical transit damage and be used to store the bike in any of its likely environments. There is a need for such a protective case to also double as a fully functional bike trailer that will attach to the rear of the bike and be used to transport light to moderate loads. -http://www.stagecoachgroup.com SWOT ANALYSIS OF BROMPTON BICYCLE: strength: Brompton bicycle is Generally  travel free  and without booking restrictions on rail, bus, underground, ferry or air services. Its that freedom to travel anywhere with your bike that gives folding bikes a magic quality. A folding bike can open up entirely new ways of travelling. Its have many colour with extra tall frame to fit tall riders. From 1976, Brompton was in business, although growth was infuriatingly slow. Today, the Brompton Bicycle Ltd turns out 100 precision-crafted bikes a day from its cosy, familial factory in Kew. It sells them in 27 international markets, as well as servicing the needs of the 200,000 passionately dedicated Brompton users already on the road. Bromptons have been ridden from  London  to  Cape Town  and around the  South Pole, but theyre at their most perfectly useful in an urban environment. Brompton is the last major manufacturer making bikes in London a true, two-wheeled, capital success story. It has succeeded, according to managing director Will Butler-Adams, by focusing on its roots. Brompton remains in London because the business is the staff and the staff are here. They make something fashionable. People like the Brompton because its fun and it fits into their lives. In London, the bike is moving from being an issue of personal choice to being a corporate and political city solution. On the corporate side, Brompton already leases a fleet of bikes to South West Trains at Waterloo, and Mr Butler-Adams has plans to provide package deals including bikes, training, storage and insurance to other companies. Bromptons nearby neighbour in west London. The British Design Council, which annually awards the prize for the respective designers lifetime achievement, argued that the foldable Brompton bike manufactured by the engineer in the UK and sold throughout the world won for its lightness, portability, smoothness of ride, and the sense of freedom it bestows. Brompton Bicycle should produce 25,000 bikes this year, achieving sales of  £7m-  £8m, and Ritchie expects it to grow 25% a year under the leadership of managing director Butler-Adams. Exports to markets such as the Netherlands, America, Germany, Japan and Scandinavia account for about 60% of its sales. weakness : All seat pillars are available in both steel and aluminium versions. With the standard seat pillar, the Brompton and Brooks saddles can be up to 995mm from the ground. If your inside leg is more than 33/84cm, you will almost certainly need either of the longer seat pillars; the telescopic pillar is suitable for an inside leg of more than 35/89cm, or for a taller rider wishing to minimise the height of the folded bike. So for the shorter people it can be difficult for ride. Its not adjustable as other bigger cycle.The merits and drawbacks of small and large wheels alike can be argued into the late hours. Opportunities: The Brompton is the only bike in the world to combine such ready portability with a first-class ride, and it creates countless new opportunities for using a bicycle. Malcolm Shepherd, Chief Executive of Sustrans said: Cycling England has  been a crucial conduit for funding which has touched the lives of millions of people by making it possible for people to cycle for everyday journeys. And Brompton bikes are suitable for the every journey. Here are so many bike company competitor for the Brompton bikes. Alldays Onions, Bickerton- folding bikes. Boardman bikes, british eagle, claud bulter, dawes, etc.. bicycles are here. Like Brompton bickerton is also a folding cycle. It can be a main competitor. The  Bickerton, also called the  Bickerton Portable, was a portable, aluminium  folding bicycle  designed by Harry Bickerton and manufactured in the UK between 1971 and 1991. The bicycle was entirely made of aluminium profiles. Its riding properties were poor, partly as the aluminium parts could never be properly locked in place. In its weight and folded package size it broke new ground  and it is cited by  Andrew Ritchie  as one of his inspirations in creating the highly successful  Brompton bicycle. So the Brompton is better than any cycle thats why70% Brompton bike are exporting to asia and Europe. Threats: The iconic UK folding bike maker Brompton is a curious company.   Though exports account for around 75 per cent of its output, it continues to manufacture all of its   bikes in the UK. Brompton bicycles many parts are custom made which may bring delays and extra costs for repairs from other than authorized dealers. The bike may be less suited to long rides as most models have restricted gears. Brompton manufacture the basic frame in one size only. Riders requiring a bottom bracket to saddle top height of more than 715mm/28 can select an extended seat post to give a maximum saddle height of 775mm/30.5 . There is also a telescopic seat post option which gives greater height still and does not compromise the size of the folded package, although it adds substantial weight. -http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/folding-bikes/brompton.html Before doing any business first we have to do pest analysis in that country which is following PEST ANALYSIS OF BANGLADESH: Political environment Bangladesh is a densely populated and poor nation in South Asia. Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971, following Indias intervention in a rebellion against West Pakistan .In the years since independence, Bangladesh has established a reputation as a largely moderate and democratic majority Muslim country. The Bangladesh National Party and the Awami League traditionally have dominated Bangladeshi politics, with the AL in government since January 2009. Bangladesh was ruled by a military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed for approximately two years prior to the return to democracy that was ushered in by the December 2008 election. The current Hasina government came to power in free and fair elections with an overwhelming majority in parliament. Economic environment The  economy of  Bangladesh  is constituted by that of a  developing country.Its  per capita income  in 2008 was est. US$1,500. According to the  International Monetary Fund, Bangladesh ranked as the  48th largest economy  in the world in 2009, with a gross domestic product of US$256 billion. The economy has grown at the rate of 6-7% p.a. over the past few years. Most Bangladeshis earn their living from agriculture.  Although rice and jute are the primary crops, maize and vegetables are assuming greater importance Social environment Roughly 80% of its population lives on less than $2 a day. Its population is largely Muslim and its geography is dominated by its low-lying riparian aspect. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken throughout the region. The dialect spoken by those in  Chittagongand  Sylhet  are particularly distinctive. In 2009 the population was estimated at 156 million. Religiously, about 90% of Bangladeshis are  Muslims  and the remainder are mostly  Hindus. Technological environment The  Bangladesh  Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation operates remote sensing facilities using both French and American satellites and applying meteorological and geographic data to such basic problems as water management, soil fertility, forecasting, and agricultural census work. In 1986 it became the first non-American organization ever to receive an award for excellence from the  United States  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which provided training for Bangladeshi scientists and grants of equipment and technical assistance. The  Bangladesh  Atomic Energy Commission operates an experimental nuclear reactor and also conducts important agricultural research on seeds, parasites, storage of harvested crops, and irradiation. http://www.traderscity.com/board/countrytargetedleads/Bangladesh.html PEST ANALYSIS OF INDIA: Political environment After Indias independence on August 15, 1947, India received most of the subcontinents 562 widely scattered polities, or princely states, as well as the majority of the British provinces, and parts of three of the remaining provinces. Muslim Pakistan received the remainder. Pakistan consisted of a western wing, with the approximate boundaries of modern Pakistan, and an eastern wing, with the boundaries of present-day Bangladesh. India is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary form of Government. The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th November 1950. India exported US$21.8 billion worth of merchandise to the United States in 2006, up 16.1% from 2005 and up 84.7% in just 4 years.Indian imports from the U.S. rose 26.3% to $10.1 billion in 2006, up 146% since 2002. Economic environment The  economy of India  is the  eleventh largest  economy in the world by  nominal GDP  and the  fourth largest  by  purchasing power parity. Following strong economic reforms from the socialist inspired  economy  of a post-independence Indian nation, the country began to develop a fast-paced economic growth, as  free market  principles were initiated in 1990 for international competition and foreign investmenIndias  per capita income  is $1,030, ranked  139th  in the world,  while its per capita (PPP) of US$2,940 is ranked  128th. Indias large service industry accounts for 55% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the industrial and agricultural sector contribute 28% and 17% respectively. Social environment Current Population of India in 2010 is around 1,150,000,000 (1.15 billion) people. Hinduism  accounted for 80.5% of the  population of India.  Islam  (13.5%),  Christianity  (3.0%) and  Sikhism  (2.3%) are the other major religions followed by the people of India. There are 29 language in india. Technological environment The Indian  software industry has grown from a mere US $ 150 million in 1991-92 to a staggering US $ 5.7 billion in 1999-2000.  Ã‚  No other Indian industry has performed so well against the global competition .The annual growth rate of Indias software exports has been consistently over 50 percent since 1991.   Indias software exports would be around $ 6.3 billion, in addition to $ 2.5 billion in domestic sale. -http://www.stylusinc.com/business/india/business_india.htm PEST ANALYSIS OF NEPAL With thousands of readers from over fifty countries visiting the Nepal Home Page every week, it is an excellent platform to promote your Nepal related businesses. political environment An isolated, agrarian society until the mid-20th century,  Nepal  entered the modern era in 1951 without schools, hospitals, roads, telecommunications, electric power, industry, or civil service. Import and export  is encouraged by the government in order to promote good business and encourage growth which will hopefully result in a higher employment rate, higher salaries and a better standard of living for all in time The export-oriented carpet and garment industries have grown rapidly in recent years and together now account for approximately 70% of merchandise exports. Nepals merchandise trade balance has improved somewhat since 2000 with the growth of the carpet and garment industries. Economic environment Agriculture  remains Nepals principal economic activity, employing 80% of the population and providing 37% of  GDP. Only about 20% of the total area is cultivable; another 33% is forested; most of the rest is mountainous. Rice and wheat are the main food crops. The lowland Terai region produces an agricultural surplus, part of which supplies the food-deficient hill areas. Social environment Nepals current population is 28,563,377. According to the 2001 census, 80.6 percent of Nepalese are Hindu, 10.7 percent are  Buddhist, 4.4% are  Muslim[1], 3.6 percent are  Kirat  (an indigenous religion with Hindu influence), 0.5 percent are  Christian, and 0.4 percent are classified as other groups such as  Bà ¶n  religion. Technological environment Nepal has been a late starter in modem science and technology. In pursuance of self- reliance, it developed technological capabilities in some specific areas such as agriculture, civil engineering, architecture, metallurgy, water management, medicine, textile and paper manufacture, dyeing and food technology. by (http://www.visitnepal.com/business) PESTEL ANALYSIS IN SRI LANKA POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT Socialistic predilection in Sri Lanka was unswerving, but as time passed by it gave room for investment overseas in 1978. Board of Investment operates as a sovereign legal bureau with investment in foreign countries as a focus. BOI is authorized to yield grants to organizations that meet the basic eligibility standards on minimal investment, employment and exports. When the organization fails to meet the standards then its projects have to be sanctioned by the respective departments of the government. BOI also deals with the 10 zones of free trade, which is known as the export-processing zones. BOI possess the authorization to relieve any confinements on the FDI Eleven huge privatizations were accounted for 34% of the FDI. Nevertheless due to the instable political conditions and conflicting ethnicity the advancement on this issue is been decelerate for years. The president sketched out regarding anti-privatization economical scheme in his electoral pronunciamento known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Mahinda Chintanaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Various enterprises of the state which designing itself to be privatized were not approved, this includes the airports and banks. Privatize. Organization was planned to be regulated by the government which will turn the loss into a profit-making organization. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT Sound rates of growth has been steady in Sri Lanka despite if its intense violence on ethnicity. Rich private demand of requirements, core industrialization, primarily the intensive labour textile industry and the advancement of domestic tea manufacturing hiked the growth rate of the economy. The well-disposed FDI policy of the government ensued the zooming inflows of capital. The deceleration in the global issues activated an acute condensation in the activities of the economy in the year 2001. Subsequently there was a recuperation in the sectors of the industries that is impelled by a firm external demand and an increased growth rates in the sectors relating to service resulted in a sizeable enlargement of economical activities though the tsunami that hit the sectors of agriculture was critically damaged. Deficits in the fiscal aspects are an important issue to the government, which has been diminishing in the years past. The current fiscal obligates to cut back deficits. There are many industries that imparts in great value to the GDP that engages greater population of the manpower, this comprises of the industry in tourism, and the service industries. When taking industries into consideration, it is the textile industry that yields greater sum of revenues in export. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Sri Lanka holds a populace of 20,238,000, of which Sinhalese constitutes about 74%, Sri Lankan Moors constitutes about 7.2%, Sri Lankan Tamils constitutes about 3.9% and the Indian Tamils constitutes about 4.6%. When religions are taken into consideration the Buddhists comprise a major share of 69.1%. Sri Lanka is prominently a rustic area that holds 79% of the population. The populace medial age is 30 and 7.8% constitute for an age group of 65 and over. The health index of Sri Lanka is fairly good when compared to other countries in Asia. The government has an expenditure of 46.3% from the 4% of the aggregate GDP for medical expenses of the country. The expected life span is 73.4yrs of the aggregate populace. TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT The telecom sphere was improved to an incredible extent in terms of liberalizing right in the 90à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s. Act of Sri Lankan Telecommunication of 1991 founded the Sri Lanka telecom also known as the SLT, it awarded the permit to function in the global system. -http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/srilanka.html After analyzing the market we have found out that there is huge market opportunity in Sri Lanka to sell folding bikes. Due to low price there are more chances that Brompton folding bikes can become the market leader successfully after some time because of many reasons such as low cost, already operation exist in Sri Lanka and due to climate condition. If we talk about local competition, it is very less. The local players get the help by the government also where the government has distributed a project to provide good cycle facility supply to those households. Im a manager of this product and i want to make profit thats why Im going to launch this product in south asia. I will launch this product in sri lanka and will export in 3 other countries, they are Bangladesh, india and Nepal. It will be better to launch this product in south asia because there labour cost will be low and we can sell this cycles in low cost. Brompton bicycles cost in uk is  £600 and over. Here, labour cost is expensive than south asia so we cant export from here. In south asia there is a scope for this product. There is a great number of people who are using bicycle but they arent like Brompton they cant fold, they are difficult for their journey. so it will be a new kind of cycle in south asia. I can make a profit. It will be cheaper so most of the people will buy it. I can make a market over there. Here are different types to entering new market they are: Export Joint venture FDI Strategic alliances Among these methods im going to use joint venture method because it will be better for my profit if i will export from here it will cost expensive. First i will go sri lanka and will talk in srilankan embassy, i will choose one cycle company as my partner over there and i will do good business over there and will make profit. 4PS ABOUT THE PRODUCT: Product: my product is folding bicycle. Price: labour cost will be low so per cycle it will cost  £90. Place: i will open my company in Colombo kingdom of sri lanka because there i can gget more facility than other place. Promotion: The literacy rate is 92% in Sri Lanka which is considered as a good rate. To sell the Brompton folding bikes every company more emphasizes on direct marketing such as event or trade show and personal selling. We will give this news first all over in sri lanka later 3 other countries by tv news and international news paper. MARKETING PLAN: Our product have made plan for Brompton folding bicycle for next five yrs. To increase our sale and profit we will spend half of our advertisement budget on personal selling because by this only we can aware consumers about our products and persuade consumers to buy the products. PRODUCTION CAPACITY: During the first year, product will be imported to Sri Lanka And later the demand of the product goes 3 other countries to have a manufacturing Unit can also be considered. This will result in better pricing of the product will result in more sales and Profits. BUDGET: Selling expenses: Staff salaries, Sales support and distribution staff expenses are included. The total expenditure is  £ 1210000.00 Sales and advertisement: For radio advertisement = £5000 Newspaper/magazine = £6000 Tv ad = £25000 Sales promotion = £250000 including customer awareness program Customer oriented = £200000 Trade oriented = £750000 Support line = £600000

Understanding the Modern Consumer Culture :: BTEC Business Marketing GCSE Coursework

Understanding the Modern Consumer Culture In The Rise of Consumer Society in Britain, John Benson identifies consumer societies as those "in which choice and credit are readily available, in which social value is defined in terms of purchasing power and material possessions, and in which there is a desire, above all, for that which is new, modern, exciting and fashionable." For decades research on the history of consumerism had been winding the clock up to the nineteenth century as the starting point of a culture of consumption that fits Benson’s description. For societies like these to exist, there needed to be a fair portion of the population with enough money to purchase goods beyond daily necessities; there needed to be powerful productive forces to make enough goods available and allow for new strategies of marketing and selling; there also needed to be a tendency among people to start investing social meanings and emotions in the acquisition of goods. Industrialization, these histories tell us, prepared the grou nd for a consumer culture to develop thanks to malleable markets, large production lines, rise of shopping, advertising, marketing, etc. In Consumer Culture and Modernity, Don Slater argues against a "productivist bias" which misleads into believing that production is the "engine and essence of modernization" (p. 16). Through a brilliant overview of the literature of revisionist historians, he traces the development of consumer culture from the present day to the early modern period. A consumer revolution, with the characteristics Benson suggested, was emerging as early as the sixteenth century. A new ‘world of goods’ deriving from colonial exploitation led to a wide penetration of consumer goods into the lives and homes of more social classes. Towards the eighteenth century a growing consuming public bred a desire for the new and created new demands and new styles. Contemporary features of consumer culture existed in the early modern mind, but they were recognizable in different forms. Under the disguise of commerce and trade, not production or consumption, the early modern man came to contact with a new ideology of free exchange, not only of goods and services, but of ideas, opinions, and meanings as well. Consumer culture, according to Slater, is not a reference to a recent phenomenon: it is rather part of a new terminology that came to replace the notion of civil society, which itself is born to modernity. The ideal of autonomous individuals rationally pursuing their interests in a free market – a notion so much cherished within consumer culture – stands at the heart of the project of modernity in the eighteenth century.