What is family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is family - Essay Example With a stable relationship within the family setting, a healthy generation is created to develop the aspect in future generation. The family is formed based on the family values that accord roles to the members within the family. Each of the members is given defined roles to lead to a healthy relationship within the family. When the roles are completed and duties assigned according to the desired provisions, the members are accorded the opportunity to develop positive virtues towards future developments. The younger members of the family are accorded the opportunity to present similar fete to their own creations within the future generation. The stronger members of the family are accorded tougher roles as compared to the other members who are considered vulnerable to harsh environmental presentation. Pauline Erera in her writings explains these relationships in her book Family diversity to accord the family structure and the definition of the entity based on the contemporary values. Erera explains that the family setting and definition has changed in the modern society due to the changed roles of the members. The other aspect that has contributed to the change has been in the varied diversity evident within the setting. She lists that the families that have been developed have observed the role of protection of the members. The article lists the varied family types that have been created from lesbian families to single parent families (Erera 133). However, the article is based on the argument that the family should be based on the traditional values that had been noted to promote peaceful correlation and discipline. Through supportive evidence of the family values and the explanation of the changes in the family structure since the 1970s, Erera supports her claim of the growth within the family value. She explains that families with married couples had been diminishing from the 1970s due to the challenges of the society (Erera 118). The

The Roman Colosseum Essay Example for Free

The Roman Colosseum Essay The Roman Colosseum has had a major influence on many buildings and structures through-out our history. Even to this day it is possible to find its architecture in many different forms. One of todays structures which seems to closely resemble it, is the modern football stadia. Like the Roman Colosseum, many are built in a large oval form,  this is mainly the case in Scotland, whilst in England they tend to be rectangular. The oval shaped stadiums also have the advantage of fitting in a slightly larger crowd, due to the curved sections at each end. The seating arrangements in the modern football stadium are similar to the ones in the Roman Colosseum. They were designed to accommodate thousands of spectators. Most stadiums now are mainly all-seaters, which seems to have been adopted from the Colosseum. The modern football stadium also pays attention to the ease of entry and exit, which played a big role in the plan and structure of the colosseum from the beginning. Both of theses structures were also built with fireproof building materials .This was highly important for the safety of both these constructions, as they were constantly dealing with huge crowds of spectators. Like the colosseum, modern football stadiums are also equipped with shelters. There are also many differences between these two structures, mainly because the football stadium is an evolved version of the Roman Colosseum, and therefore uses different construction methods, for example, the football stadium is made out of steel or reinforced concrete with cantilevered roofs, whilst the Colosseum was built using brick and stone with concrete vaults. Some of the main changes in todays stadium seem to be of increasing size and  improving facilities. Most now have shops, bars, restaurants, extensive car parks and various other means to make the spectators visit comfortable. This was not available in the Colosseum. The modern football stadia no longer speak the classical language of architecture, however, they are all large enough to have a major impact on the areas in which they are built, which is a similar architectural gesture to that of the Colosseum.

Defining Rural Tourism And Farm Tourism Tourism Essay

Defining Rural Tourism And Farm Tourism Tourism Essay India is sitting on the blitzkrieg of becoming a super power and it is the Indian rural sector that is going to drive that super growth. The Government of India has made rural economic development in general, and rural infrastructure development in particular, is a key priority. India has launched the Bharat Nirman (Building India) program, which entails investing over US $ 40 Billion, equivalent to 5 per cent of FY2005 GDP, in six critical areas of rural infrastructure over four years starting from 2005. A part of this project aims at improving the tourism and recreation in these areas. Jafari and Ritchie (1981) defined tourism as an interdisciplinary study which integrates a variety of subjects, disciplines and focuses and can be seen from numerous points of views and approaches. The tourism as a central study can be studied from many focuses and created into a new form tourism development model as pictured below. (3) A consequential element resulted from the two preceding elements which is concerned with effects on the economic, physical and social subsystems. Some external variables such as rising earnings, mobility increase, level of education increase, and desire to escape from pressure of day-to-day urban living generate effective demands on tourism which stimulate the rise of various forms of tourisms such as recreational tourism, cultural tourism, health tourism, conference tourism, historical tourism, eco tourism, etcetera (Wall and Mathieson, 1982). Defining rural: Definitions of rural vary both in scale and philosophy. They tend to express cultural differences between and functional requirements within, regions and countries, the varying parameters of which supranational overviews have attempted to grapple. While national governments use specific criteria to define rural often based on the population density of settlements there is no universal agreement on the critical population threshold which distinguishes between urban and rural populations (Boedewes, 1981). OECD defines rural area as At a local level a population density of 150 persons per square kilometre is the preferred criterion. At the regional level, geographic units are grouped by the share of their population that is rural into the following three types: predominantly rural (50%), significantly rural (15-50%) and urbanized rural (15%) (OECD, 1994). According to National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) rural areas in India are defined as those areas which have a population density Defining rural tourism and farm tourism: A variety of terms are employed to describe tourism activity in rural areas: agritourism, farm tourism, rural tourism, soft tourism and several others which have often been used interchangeably. The term agri/farm tourism often used to describe all tourism activities in rural areas more frequently related to tourism products which are directly connected with the agrarian environment, agrarian products or agrarian stays: staying on a farm or near the fields, educational visits, meals, recreational activities and such ( Sharpley and Sharpley, 1997). Agrotourism is businesses conducted by farmers whose working agricultural operations for the enjoyment and education of visitors. In extensions meaning, agrotourism presents the potential generating farm revenues and increasing profitability. Additionally, visitors of agrotourism contact directly with farmers and support the increase of agriculture products indirectly (Jolly and Reynolds, 2005). Farm tourism is largely considered as a subset of rural tourism and is quite often based on an active working farm and farmer (Nilsson, 2002). Clarke (1996) elaborates that in farm tourism, the core essence of farming, its scenic beauty, accommodation and activities such as farming, riding a tractor, picking produce are preserved and involves tremendous experience in its activities. Activities on farm offer experience and opportunities to learn about the rural life and agriculture technique of the country, to understand and experience the preserved tradition, calmness, peace, clean fresh environment, contact with animals and traditional farm meals (Nilsson, 2002 and Fleischer and Tchetchik, 2005). Key elements of pure farm tourism (Lane 1994): Located in rural areas Functionally rural: built upon rural worlds special features of small scale enterprise, open space, contact with nature and the natural world, heritage, traditional societies and traditional practices Provides personalized contact Rural in scale-both in terms of buildings and settlements and therefore usually small scale Traditional in character, growing slowly and organically and connected with local families. It will often to be largely controlled and developed for the long term good of the area Of many different kinds, representing the complex patterns of rural environment, economy, history and location. A high percentage of tourism revenue benefiting the rural community. Tourism versus Farm Tourism: According to Shaw and Williams (2004), there have been various definitional issues regarding what tourism is. They indicate that a broad outlook of tourism allows for the identification of tourism between countries and also tourism within a country. Vanhove (2005) sees tourism is seen as any activity related to momentary movement of people to a place outside their normal places of residence and employment, and the activities they engage in during the stay. Farm tourism began in earnest after World War II, although its beginning is rooted in the concept of social tourism that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s (Pearce, 1990). Farm tourism as used by Roberts and Hall (2001) refers to stays in rural homesteads where farming is practiced either full-time or part-time. Farm tourism is often used interchangeably with agritourism (Oppermann, 1997). Farm tourism is a sub-division of agritourism. It involves activities carried out on working farms where the working environment forms part of the product from the perception of the consumer (Roberts and Hall, 2001). Farm tourism involves engaging the farm more than the primary production of food, fibre and raw materials. It may sometimes involve activities off the farm in addition to accommodation on the farm (Roberts and Hall, 2001). A number of studies on farm tourism consider it as an economic alternative for farmers who are facing decreased profits and difficulties generated by the agricultural crisis and restructuring. The opportunity to engage in activities that are negatively correlated with farming and the prospect of increasing farm income by spreading costs is probably the greatest advantage of incorporating tourism into the farm business. Because of the problems in agriculture, diversification has been viewed as a means of survival for farm business, with tourism thought to be an attractive and feasible option open to farmers (Glenn et al. 1997). There has been a discussion on the livelihood assets of farm households in the context of human (i.e. skills and knowledge), economic (i.e. land, capital and labour), environmental (i.e. landscape features, clean air and water), social (i.e. networks and social interaction), cultural (i.e. include history, tradition, folklore and cultural heritage) and political (i.e. decision making power and influence on policies) that are available for and that can be exploited in the diversification process. In essence, when farmers utilize the potential opportunity for farm tourism and diversify, they shield themselves against the constraints of the cost-price squeeze and income decline (Barlett, 1993). Significance of farm tourism: Various estimates suggest that tourism in rural areas make up 10-20% of all tourism activity. Lane (1994) survey pointed out that there is absence of any systematic source of data on rural tourism, since neither the World Tourism Organization(WTO) nor the Organization for economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has appropriate measures. Several constraints on accurate and comparatively meaningful data relating to rural tourism and recreation therefore persist: Differences in national definition and enumeration: one country may include only farm and nature tourism, while another will consider many economic activities outside of urban areas to be a part of rural tourism; Many rural tourists and recreationalists are excursionists (day visitors) rather than those who make overnight stays (the extend of whom can to be some extent be measured in terms of bed-nights) Rural tourisms very diversity and fragmentation whereby tens of thousands of enterprises and public initiatives are active across the world. Rural environments have a long history of being managed for recreation purposes and this symbiotic relationship has had important impacts on both environment and activity. Farm tourism is one area under rural tourism, which is a sub-division of rural tourism that can help generate income and employment (Novelli and Robinson, 2005 and Sharpley and Sharpley, 1997). Hence, farm tourism is becoming widely seen as a means to tackle the socio economic problem of rural and agricultural sector (Sharpley and Vas, 2005). As farm tourism has the potential to offer experiential service to tourist, understanding this experience proves beneficial to improve service (McIntosh and Bonnemann, 2006), also as farm tourism takes places in rural setting offering traditional service; understanding tourist motivation seems important. Range of tourism and recreation activities in rural areas ( Thibal 1988) modified Touring Hiking Cycling Nature parks Bird watching Rural heritage studies Local industrial, agricultural or craft enterprises Courses in crafts Artistic expression workshops Folk groups Cultural, gastronomic and other routes Water related activities Fishing Swimming Boating Hallmark events Rural sporting events (eg, Jallikatu sport in Tamil nadu) Agricultural shows Business related Small scale conventions Incentive tourism short brakes Passive activities Relaxing holidays in a rural milieu Nature study in outdoor settings Photography Landscape appreciation Embacher (1994) identifies the contributions of farm tourism to the farming sector. The first recognition is that farm tourism provides more economic income for farmers, thus the farmers are able to cope and remain self employed in times of negative changes in the prices of agricultural produce/commodities. The second is that farm tourism provides an avenue for the direct sale of produce from farm. The third is that farm tourism contributes to the economic survival of farmers experiencing the effects of stiff competition, and changes in agricultural and trade policies. Impacts of farm tourism: Although tourism continues to be viewed by some as a panacea for the economic and social ills of the countryside it: Is essentially an economic tool Needs to be part of a portfolio of strategies contributing to successful rural development Is not appropriate in all rural areas, but opportunity costs and factors for its comparative advantage will vary considerably from one type of rural area to another. Economic factors reducing tourisms effectiveness as a rural development tool include income leakages, volatility, a declining multiplier, low pay, and imported labour, the limited number of entrepreneurs in rural areas and the conservatism of investors. Rural tourism is better suited to act as a complement to an existing thriving and diverse rural economy (Butler and Clark 1992). Tourism plays an increasingly important and diversified role in local development, especially in revitalizing and reorganizing local economies, and improving the quality of life. Tourist flows can be generators of at least supplementary income in farming, craft and service sectors. Rendering the possibility to realize the economic value of specific, quality based production of food stuff as well as of unused and abandoned buildings, unique scenery, space and culture. Despite often being characterized by host-guest differences, rural tourism can open up the possibility of new social contacts, especially in breaking down the isolation of more remote areas and social groups. Opportunities to revaluate heritage and its symbols the environment and the identity of rural places is also promoted by rural tourism. Rural tourism development strategies should assist policies of environmental and social sustainability (Cavaco, 1995). Farm tourism generates a significant contribution to the rural development process in rural areas and does indeed do so in many cases (Busby and Rendle, 2000). The contributions could be in the forms of income increase and job opportunities, exchange between rural and urban areas, multiplier effects particularly for small-scale direct investments, strengthening local or regional structures by creating networks and the like, stimulating physical infrastructure developments, increasing the diversity of economic activities, raising awareness of the value of an area, such as its landscape, nature and culture, and the economic potencies, as well as improving the infrastructure which enable to provide opportunities for other economic developments. The negative impacts of agrotourism development will occur when the development ignores the development principles and ethics. The potential negative impacts which may occur such as degradation of environment and local culture qualities, and economics gaps among the regions (Henegan, 2002) Concept of Farm Diversification Fundamental processes of restructuring, the decline in farm income and a dwindling farm population have characterized the agricultural sector of industrial society. Tapping into opportunities such as farm tourism can have significant potential for farmers. The identification and promotion of farms as a result of their location, natural attraction and tourist-oriented facilities is essential in the process of diversification. The key feature of diversification is that it seeks to encourage investment in sectors that are usually different from those in which recent hardships have befallen (Lobao, L. and Meyer, 2001). There are three common means of farm diversification (The Centre for Rural Research (2003). The first is agricultural diversification which is the use of farm resources to produce new sources of income (e.g. crop products, animal products, and farm woodland). The second is structural or business diversification. In this case, farm households have a variety of income from business activities (e.g. tourism, and value added activities) that are run on the farm or are partly dependent on the farm based land and capital assets. The third is passive diversification which includes leasing of agricultural land and buildings. Factors that Determine Diversification into Farm Tourism Shaw and Williams (2004) shed light on the factors that influence the decision of farm households regarding diversification and what types of alternative enterprise to diversify into. These factors according to Wheelen and Hunger (2004) are the external and internal stimuli. The external stimuli stems from the external environment. They refer to the opportunities and threats that the farm household is exposed to (e.g. external capital sources, legal frameworks, market trends, change in technology, and sociocultural trends). The internal stimuli refer to strengths and weaknesses that are likely to determine if the enterprise will be able to take advantage of opportunities. These internal stimuli include profitability, availability of time, and family life course. More apparent farm tourism activities include accommodation, (e.g. bed breakfast, farm accommodation, ranch) and recreational activities (e.g. wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding) (Clarke, 1996). Others include educational activities (e.g. garden or nursery tours, historical agricultural display tours, and agricultural technical tours), direct farm product sales (e.g. on the farm sales of farm produce, pick your own operations, and sale of agricultural related crafts), entertainment activities (e.g. barn dances, harvest festivals and hunting) (Matthews, 2004). Motivation : Tourists opting for rural tourism such as farm tourism do so in order to satisfy their needs, wants and are likely to chose destinations that are not just rural in physical features but also stimulate them psychologically through the image it portrays (Frochot, 2005 and Bramwell and Lane 1994). Sharpley (1996) stresses that tourist opting for tourism in rural areas are in fact trying to seek peace tranquillity, space, authenticity, tradition, simplicity all of which would help urban dwellers relieve stress. According to study conducted by Hopkins (1998) revealed that the motivational factors for tourist to respond to rural tourism advertisements was because it satiated the desire to escape to different environment in order to enjoy experience of different quality and authenticity. Another study conducted by Huang and Tsai (2003) reports that the prospects of socializing and interacting, participating and experiencing novel situations, escape from stressed life were some underlying mo tives for travel to rural destinations. These motives could also be applicable for farm tourists. Hence, it can be assumed that evidently urban dwellers are motivated to opt for farm tourism to escape from the stressful, mundane life. In order to understand tourist travel behaviour Crompton(1979) mentions that identifying motivation is the key factor. Motivation surfaces the reason behind travel and participation in travel activities (Jang, Bai, Hu, Wu, 2009). The literature constantly mention that motivation is the driving force that make individuals take actions( Park and Yoon, 2009). Hence, it is crucial that study be conducted on tourist motivation as it would aid point out elements that could be promoted inorder to entice tourist to particular destination that match their motivation to travel(Kozak, 2001). Motivation is the key to create attitude for opting a destination and also generating expectation which when fulfilled, all ultimately forms the bases that influences the image of a destination (Rodriguez del Bosque, San Martin, Collado and Garcia de los Salmones,2009). Though motivation reveals the key question why people travel, it also helps understanding the psychological factors ( Gnoth, 1997, Goossens , 2000). Moutinho (2000) mentions motivation as the dominant component that influences human behaviour. It also serves as a driving force to satiate individuals physiological and psychological needs ( Berkman, Lindquist and Sirgy, 1997). According to Cohen (1974) studies undertaken to understand the motives behind travel help realize the social and psychological facts of tourism. Thus motivational reasons can be seen as a psychological need that cause disequilibrium and is satiated through travel experience( Crompton, 1979 ; Kim, Crompton and Botha, 2000). In other words, the motivation to travel arises when individuals desire to fullfill their need deficiency ( Mill and Morrison, 2002). Maslows theory of needs seems to be widely adapted in literature, however researcher also point out the theory weakness and mention that motivation to fullfill ones needs, need not start from bottom to up but multiple needs could arise in random order in Maslows hierarchy( Goebel and Brown, 1981). Criticism of Maslows hierarchy of needs theory also includes that the concepts are generalized and posses a barrier to be tested, as precise measuring to understand the flow of needs is not possible( Schniffman and Kanuk, 1997). The earliest study on identifying motives behind travel were put forth by Lundberg(1971), by identifying assumed 18 motivation factors. Later on bases on indepth interview Crompton(1979) based on this study put forth 9 motives that influence people to travel and were based on sociopsychological and cultural motives or push and pull motives. Sociopsychological needs or push factor are internal and influence individuals to travel and pull factor are external that influeces individual to travel to a particular destination because of its influencing attraction on the pull factor(Oh, Uysal and Weaver, 1995). For example the desire to escape for a stress life could be considered as the push factor and with farm tourism capable to offer scenic calm uncrowned environment could be considered a pull factor that might satiate an individuals need to escape. Understanding motivation has also interested studies related to decision making, market segmentation and destination choice(Jang, Bai, HU an d Wu, 2009). These factors were then generalized by Goeldner and Ritchie(2003) under the typology such as (a) physical (b) cultural (c) interpersonal (d) prestige. Authors commonly accept Cromptons model when it comes to the study of tourist motivation as it helps understand tourists intangible intrinsic motive behind choice of destination ( Kozak, 2001 and Bansal and Eiselt, 2004). Several studies have gone about adapting Cromptons theory to find motivational factors of nationalities, senior citizens, influence of motivation on satisfaction, motives to select particular destination ( Yuan, McDonald, 1990; Zhang and Lim 1999; Yoon and Uysal, 2005; Jang and Wu, 2006). Though studies on motivations have been carried out extensively, few studies have been undertaken to understand motivation in rural settings (Park and Yoon, 2009). For this research, which will be undertaken in India, the researcher would adapt Cromptons theory to understand motives of tourist in farm tourism. From the literature, it suggests that quite evidently the motives by Crompton seem to form the backbone to understand motives of tourist to opt farm tourism. Experience: Rural tourism is know for its diversity and versatility and is commonly used as a subsititute to farm tourism, ecotourism , nature tourism or wildlife tourism; however in reality the above terms are specific to tourism with distinct activities, however with a common underlyning factor that all these forms of tourism take place in a rural setting( Sharpley, 1996). Previous researches have concentrated heavily on service delivery and service performance, however now there is growing need to have an understanding of experience derived from service industry such as tourism( Schmitt, 1999 and Pine and Gilmore, 1999). This suggests that academia lacks the study on experience derived by customers. In todays world of service industry, the importance for understanding experience has gained momentum (Miranda, 2009). Experience can be defined as events that engage individuals in a personal way ( Bigne and Andreu, 2004,p692) or the subjective mental state felt by participants during a service encounter ( Otto and Ritchie, 1996, p 166). Tourist perceive their own experience based on personal motivation and underlying reason they wish to fullfill whilst participating in activities( MacIntosh and Prentice 1999). Experience involves intermingling of various elements that fuses and influence tourist senses (Shaw and Ivens, 2002).Experience occurs when conscious state of mind is stimulated through thoughts and feeling. ODell ( 2005) mentions experiencescape as a space where individuals have the control and freedom to interact with the environment and enjoy feeling of pleasure and entertainment. Such a feeling could also be derived when engaging in farm tourism. Experience can be studied either from a marketing approach or social science approach(Mosseberg, 2007). For the study of farm tourism the researcher finds social science approapriate for farm tourism. Since from the social science perspective tourist are keen to derive experience that is different from the normal daily experiences and wish to participate is new and different activities ( Quan and Wang, 2004). This seems similar to tourist opting farm tourism as they would wish to derive a completely different feeling. The experience derived by customers from services can be generalized however experience depends on the level of participation of tourist into experiential activities offeredPine and Gilmore(1999). It is likely that tourist though would be motivated to enjoy different experience would rather not be through active participation but by passive unplanned activities (Ryan, Hughes and Chirgwin, 2000). This suggests that it is likely for tourists wanting to consume the experience of the activities in the farm, to participate either actively or passively. Service industry offering such experiential service need to concentrate and put in efforts to understand the experience perceived by consumer participating in such activities ( Schmitt, 2003). In order to do so Schmitt(2003) divided experience under sense experience that aids consumer satiate the need for scenic and tranquillity. The need for fun and pleasure as experience to feel, the desire to acquire knowledge and understand novelty as t hink-experience, Act-experience that would enhance ones lifestyle, and lastly the relate- experience that enhances ones connection and relation with others providing a feeling of importance and belonging. Xu and Chan(2010) in their discussion on experience in tourism acknowledge the dimensions of experience put forth by Otto and Ritchie, 1996 has been proved to be of value and valid for the study of experience. Hence the dimensions of experience can also be applied to understand the experience derived from the experiential services offered in farm tourism Tourists whilst consuming the experience from activites or services, could be influence with the environment the physical feature that surround the activity and this has an impact on perception of experience (Bitner, 1992). Business sectors are now focusing on studying and understanding experience and are trying to constantly create the environment in business that would provide better unique experience that would help attract more consumers. Consumers now are in the look out of activities which can be self controlled and also provide unique valued experience( Mossberg, 2007) Tourist business are putting in efforts to create such services and circumstances that could provide experience that customers are looking for and are also trying to develop strategies to attract tourist(Gilmore and Pine 2002). However, farm tourism is undoubtedly full of natural experiential activities that have the potential to offer consumers with unique experience and by understanding the experience that tou rist go through whilst indulging in farm activities, which is also the focus of this research would help in promotion that is more effective and attract more tourists. As tourism in rural settings such as farm tourism has tremendous opportunity to offer varied experience, this would positively attract to the market and could also serve as a motive for tourist to opt for such tourism (Getz and Page, 1997). When tourist consume experience, it could also be in tangible form such as the purchase of artifacts, which serves as a reminder and rejuvenation of the experience derived( Onderwater, Richards and Stam, 2000). Hedonic consumption, related to desires to undergo varied experience and when certain products are able to provide such desired experience it appeals and attracts consumers and could be considered to be a motivational factor fulfilling the desire ( Mowen and Minor, 1998). Hence, the study might help understand the experience that tourists undergo on farms and if this has been an influence on motivational factor. Bansal and Eiselt (2004) mention that experience or hedonic components of an activity are incorporated in the motive for travel. Which is also supported by Foster(1999) as he considers experience as a critical part in tourist motivation. The satisfaction of experience also directly relates to realization of motives to travel (Ross and Iso-Ahola, 1991). Thus if experien ce offered by activities in farm tourism and experience that tourist wish to seek are know it would also help satisfy the motives and in turn attract more market wishing to seek similar satisfaction. Studies examining the experiences provided at attraction to tourist is increasing( McIntosh and Siggs, 2005 ; Schanzel and McIntosh, 2000). Thus offering knowledge on the important relation tourism encounters have on visitor and their impact on providing unique benefits and satisfaction. Hence Pearce 1990 recognises the fact that tourist opting for destinations such as farm tourism have more mature motives and also expect for personal and meaningful experience above all. This suggests that apart from understanding the motives to travel to farm it is also vital to understand experience offered by farm activities.

Letter to State Official On Gay Rights :: essays research papers

Dear Mr. Governor: Since I was in third grade, I have learned that there are certain "inalienable rights", the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all of which the United States government is committed to protecting for every human being. I understand that you will soon have the opportunity to look at a bill which would allow gay marriage to be legalized, and I ask you to not veto this bill, but to support these inalienable rights to which every American is due. Whatever happened to all men are created equal? It seems to me that the people of America have a certain standards to the â€Å"all men† part of that statement, which is, that they need to be heterosexual in order to be considered for being treated equal. Americans are so proud of their freedom and their liberty, yet they are so anxious to take that same freedom away from someone else. Why can’t we take that statement for what it is, and start treating everyone equally regardless of his or her race, gender, or sexual preference? Homosexuals should be entitled to all the same rights as heterosexuals have. They are no different than the rest of us, they simply choose to practice there intimate life in a different way. What is marriage? Recently, people argue with respect to the definition of marriage. To get married is a very important event for almost everyone, it is often considered to be one of the single most important decisions and days of ones life. However, what would you do if you could not get married to the person that you loved because it was socially unacceptable and the law would not allow it? Sometimes it seems as if we are reverting back in history when interracial marriages were the topic of discussion, people were against interracial marriages because they did not understand. Now, people are against same-sex marriages for the same reasons. The United States is denying two people who love each other the right to legally be married. Gays and lesbians are just like heterosexuals, they want there marriages to be recognized by the law. They are like any normal couple and want a marriage to prove and show their love for one another. They want that simple document that the government gives to heterosexuals which binds two people into a marriage.

Benefit and compensation system of Google Essay

Google Inc. is an American international organization that provides internet related products and services. Cloud computing, advertising technologies, and their search engine are among the most popular services that they offer. Google recently ranked 46th on the 2014 Fortune 500 companies and 1st on Fortune 500’s best places to work for. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin who met at Stanford University and is based out of Mountain View, California. Google began in a garage sixteen years ago and now has over 48,000 employees and is one of the world’s technology leaders. CNN Money has it ranked as number 1 on list of most popular employers by business and engineering majors. â€Å"College students worldwide dream of starting their careers at Google† (cnn.com). A large part of the reason that Google ranks so highly among lists of popular employers is due to their competitive compensation strategy. Google is known not only for their innovative technology breakthroughs but also their innovative compensation policies. Google Human Resources performed a survey to determine what type of pay is preferred by its employees such as base pay or bonuses. â€Å"We’ve heard from your feedback on Googlegeist and other surveys that salary is more important to you than any other component of pay (i.e., bonus and equity). To address that, we’re moving a portion of your bonus into your base salary, so now it’s income you can count on, every time you get your paycheck† (ibtimes.com). Managing Human Resources and compensation strategies effectively is vital to organizations within the modern and fast paced business world. Google had created a strategic compensation that gives them a competitive advantage among their competitors by attracting, retaining, and motivating highly talented employees. Google’s compensation system has all the benefits you would expect from a Fortune 500 organization such as health insurance programs and retirement plans. Google sets itself apart from the competition by offering services and discretionary benefits that are not standard. These services include perks such as employees are allowed to bring their pets to work and  transportation services that pick up and drop off employees at home. Google believes in a fun informal environment because it leads to more engaged, happy, and productive personnel and they have implemented many practices that reflect this ideology. Liane Hornsey, the Google VP of operations, believes that the work life balance is important to their employees and implements policies to ensure that workers keep a healthy balance. â€Å"Liane explains that the company is outcome focused, not detail focused. In other words, they don’t monitor what time employees arrive or keep track of sick days† (centerforworklife.com) Google offers flexible work hours, part time work options, and telecommuting for certain jobs to allow employees freedom to have a social and home life. Google has set a strategy to provide a workplace that people want to work at and have gave substantial effort to achieve this goal. Their HR and compensation practices produce impressive results of the organization’s approach which increases employee productivity. Core compensation is very important and has a large impact on employee’s attitude and performance. Google focuses on rewarding exceptional performance as well as training in weak areas for underperformers. Performance management is performed quarterly and Google puts extensive focus on this area because they are performance driven. Performance appraisals are important because Google uses pay-for-performance bonuses as a large part of their compensation strategy. Much like most other organizations there is an increase in total compensation in accordance to the levels of responsibilities and leadership. Individual incentives, group incentives, and profit sharing programs are used at Google which gives employees a financial reward when their profit goal is achieved. Payscale.com reports that Google Inc. typically pays their employees 11% above the market pay line. This is 3% higher than their direct competition in the market. Paid time off is one type of discretionary benefit that Google offers benefits above the standard in the market. They offer unlimited sick leave due to the fact that they are focused on performance and production and rely on performance reviews to determine an employee’s contributions. Google also provides employees with 27 days of paid time off after one year of  employment. They also recognize the importance of child birth and offer 18 weeks of maternity leave for an employee that has a child. Google also offers paternity leave to fathers which allow male employees to use up to 7 weeks of leave to spend with their newborn. During this time off employees receive their full annual base pay while they are at home with their child. Google offers employees health insurance programs that cover employee dependents as well. â€Å"Its health care plan is unusually generous and even pays for gender-reassignment surgery including facial feminization for transgender women† (forbes.com). Google also has a physician on site at headquarters in Mountain View, CA. This allows for employees to simply walk across the campus to see a doctor if they are not feeling well. This eliminates employees having to miss work and make a special trip to a physician when they are not feeling well. Some physical therapy services and chiropractic services are offered as well for the convenience of the employee. Google also offers employer sponsored retirement programs such as 401K and IRA. Google matches employee donations to their defined contribution plans at a rate of up to 50%. This is well above the average as many organizations only match up to 6% of contributions. Google’s HR department sends emails to employees to encourage them to set aggressive savings goals. â€Å"If you implore an employee to contribute $8,000 to his retirement rather than, say, $2,000, he’ll tend to save more, even if he can’t afford $8,000† (rd.com). This allows employees to feel secure in their future retirement income as Google helps to ensure that they will have a satisfactory retirement benefit plan. Protection programs are another form of discretionary benefit that Google offers in innovative and unprecedented ways. In addition to standard life insurance that employees are able to receive, they also receive additional life insurance benefits from directly from Google. If an employee passes away Google has created a policy that the deceased employee’s spouse will receive half of their salary for the next ten years. If the deceased employee had a child then Google will compensate that child in the amount of $1000 per month until the age of 19 or the age of 23 if they are a full time college student. The type of benefit that Google is most known for are services. This type of discretionary benefit helps companies create a competitive advantage in the market by giving perks to employees which helps attract and retain quality employees. They offer transportation services in the bay area with Wi-Fi enable trollies that pick up employees to take to work and drop them off at their residence after work is completed. Another service they offer are nap pods for the ability to relax and take brief naps at work so they are reenergized for work. Google also provides tuition reimbursement services that encourage employees to continue their education at the expense of their employer. This will continue to improve employee production and continue to increase the value of the worker which benefits the employer and employee. There is also an on-site fitness center that is complete with weights, personal trainers, and yoga instructors so that employees have the time to exercise and relieve stress while at work. The fitness center is also equipped with a full size lap pool and rock climbing wall for alternative exercise methods. There are also free recreational game rooms where employees can play games such as pool, foosball, Ping-Pong and arcade games. This promotes a social atmosphere and strengthens the team concept while relieving stress and improving morale as well. Google has Segways that are available for employees to use at any time which allows them to travel around the campus atmosphere quicker and in a more entertaining way. They also have beach volleyball games and roller hockey in the parking lot twice a week. Hair salons with beauticians and barbers are readily available any time an employee would like a haircut at work. One of the most popular services that Google offers is a free cafeteria for all employees. Workers are able to enjoy quality gourmet food for lunch at their convenience and it does not cost them anything. Google is also offers free oil changes, car washes, legal consultation among many more services that are available to any employee. These services are a unique compensation strategy that proves core compensation is not always the most important benefit to an occupation. Google has a unique vision and has implemented unique compensation strategies that have been met with overwhelming success of attracting and retaining the highest quality employees available in the market. Most employers can learn  from the strategy used by Google by making the work environment as fun and friendly as possible because that is an environment that produces highly motivated employees that will want to perform to the best of their abilities. The bottom line is directly affected by employee turnover and employee production and a compensation strategy such as Google Inc.’s has proven to affect those areas in a positive way. Works Cited â€Å"Average Salary for Google, Inc. Employees.† _Google, Inc. Company Salary Data, Average Employee Salaries_. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. â€Å"America’s Top Companies For Compensation And Benefits.† _Forbes_. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. Emerson, Ramona. â€Å"Google’s Best Benefits: The Top 7 Perks Google Offers Employees.† _The Huffington Post_. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google.† _Fortune_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google’s HR Practices Explained.† _Google’s HR Practices Explained_. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google – Overview, Company Culture And History.† _About_. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google’s 10% Salary Increase, $1000 Cash Bonus Part of Company’s ‘competitive Compensation Plan'† _International Business Times_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. â€Å"How Google Became the Best Place to Work.† _Readers Digest_. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 214. â€Å"How Google Motivates Their Employees with Rewards and Perks.† _HubPages_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Work Life Balance Elephant Theory, Logic Based Discussion on Work Life.† _Center For Work Life_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

E-Retail Industry – The Uk Internet Grocery Market

This study aims to understand the competitive environment of some of the main retailers within the UK market and to demonstrate the different elements of the e-environment that impact on the retailer's business and marketing strategy. Furthermore this study will assess the impact of many factors and constraints surrounding the e-retail industry and specifically the grocery sector of the retail industry. It is known globally that the UK has the most developed grocery e-tailing sector in the world and that is increasingly appearing specially after the failure of many business models which have adopted the internet for distributing and selling there products This study will exclude B2B sector and will focus on B2C sector in the retail market I will be focusing on the online grocery market and the main British players leading this market. I have selected this industry because recently, it has caused a noise globally, and many interested people are wondering whether this industry has reached the mature level or it is still growing or it is only a noise which will lose its importance later. The UK Grocery Market it is estimated that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½105 billion of groceries are sold in Britain each year, (MINTEL Nov, 2002) , that shows a noticeable increase in sales over the period since 1999 until the end of 2002. The Total retail sales through specialist and non-specialist food retailers were worth some à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90 billion in 1999 and many specialists predict this market to continue growing to reach 120 billion by 2005 (MINTEL, Nov. 2000) Within the food market itself, fruit and vegetables represent the largest market, with high demand within the sector for fresh produce. Convenience foods – fresh and frozen ready meals – are also highly demanded, as are products which generally fit well with the needs of the much maligned ‘cash rich and time poor' consumer. Key debates within the market surround the use of genetically modified (GM) produce, and this has helped to create niches in the retail market for suppliers of GM-free or organic ranges. The major supermarkets have been moving quickly into the organic sector, in which higher margins can be found. (Key Note) The UK grocery market is driven by economic factors, population structures, household size employment pattern and lifestyle patterns whose impact is shown below as macroeconomic factors: Economic factors – Although consumer expenditure is predicted to continue to grow by 12.6% to 2004, with personal disposable income expected to also grow steadily, it is unlikely that this will impact strongly on spending on food for in-home expenditure; As personal wealth has grown, spending on food has decreased as a proportion of total expenditure, with leisure activities, including eating out, taking most of the surplus. Some premium categories of food, such as organic produce, will benefit. As a result the focus of promotional strategy is moving away from price competitiveness towards other aspects of the retail offer. The population structure – Food expenditure and the overall market size is directly related to the size of the population but the long-term outlook for the British population is for very low growth, implying that the food retailing sector is likely to find domestic profits hard to grow. Household structure – Over the period 1999-2004, an increase of 830,000 (3.4%) (MINTEL, Nov 2000) household is anticipated. This is due to factors other than an increase in population; the growth is coming from one- and two-person households, due to rising divorce and separation rates, getting married later or not at all and the elderly living longer These trends disrupt the economic logic of the superstore model which is designed to offer large families convenient means to buy large volumes of food in one place, relatively infrequently, during the daytime, and to transport that shopping home by private car. Yet only 20% of adults have children under 16 living at home with them. All the major grocery retailers are competing to grow their share of this crucial segment of the population. Smaller households equate to more frequent shops for a few items at a time, often at unsociable hours, a considerably more expensive retailing proposition. Changing employment patterns and practices, with increasing frequency of part-time working, mean there are fewer families in which one partner has the time to shop at relative leisure during the day, and more for whom shopping is a shared duty, carried out whenever busy schedules will allow. In turn, time-pressured shoppers will often want to use a variety of shopping patterns according to circumstance, with retailers being required to offer more channels to market in order to compete. This cannot be done without cost implications. Changes in consumer tastes and lifestyles have an influence on grocery demand patterns. Healthy-food fashions and food-safety scares cause people to change what they eat, while there is a strong trend towards snacking and convenience eating – which involves an increasing proportion of food being bought through channels other than grocery retailers.(MINTEL) Internet adoption in the UK retail Sector Retailers generally begin on-line activities by providing information and interactive communication. Their site may develop into an electronic shop almost mirroring their offline activities A study by the department of trade and industry (DTI) called, ‘E-Commerce Impact Study: Retail Overview' (www.dti.gov.uk 29 July 2002) shows that: More than 75% of retailers are adopting e-business technologies, Nearly a quarter of retailers surveyed, and more than 56% of micro firms in the convenience store sector, have not thought about the benefits of the e-commerce. This report provides a detailed look at a number of key retail sector, and shows how UK retailers are getting to grip with e-commerce and that modern technologies are helping to change the way they do business. The report mentioned that: – 77% of companies are adopting e-commerce technologies – 71% of businesses use external e-mail – 53% of firms have a website More British food shoppers have converted to online grocery shopping than in any other country. However, Internet sales still represent a tiny, although growing, percentage of the overall UK grocery market. Most people use the Internet as a way of gathering information on products and making price comparisons before visiting their local store.(Key Note) Despite these statistics are showing quite positive numbers, some experts and specialists state that this field needs further research to determine the extent to which the web is likely to promote long term changes in the retail sector . Table 1 A classification of online retail activit 1 Food and consumables: Grocery, including supermarkets and hyper-markets 2 Convenience stores 3 Specialists food retailers, e.g. bakers and confectioners 4 Alcohol retailers, including off-licences 5 Clothing and accessories: Clothing retailers, including female, male and children 6 Footwear retailers, including fashion and work wear 7 Jewellery retailers, including accessories 8 Home: Furnishings retailers, including hard and soft furnishings and Textiles 9 Electrical goods, including brown and white goods and Computers 10 DIY, including gardening 11 Leisure and entertainment: Sports retailers, including sportswear and equipment 12 Toys retailers, including games, hobbies and crafts 13 Books, music, stationery and video retailers 14 News, including newsagents and CTNs 15 Health and beauty: Health and beauty, including chemists and opticians 16 Home shopping: Home shopping, including catalogues and mail order Directories 17 Mixed stores: Mixed stores, including department stores and variety retailers Source N.F. Doherty, F. Ellis-Chadwick and C.A. Hart. 1999 .Cyber retailing in the UK: the potential of the Internet as a retail channel Online Grocery UK Market In the UK online market there are four main grocery retailers dominating the market those are (Tesco, J Sainsbury, Asda, and Iceland.co.uk) According to the researchers the UK leads the world in online grocery shopping. â€Å"Chains like Tesco and Iceland have been much faster than their US counterparts in exploiting the immense potential of new virtual shopping markets.† They estimate that the online grocery market is already worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200m a year and will reach à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1bn within two years.(Guardian Friday February 4, 2000 ) The online grocery market is characterised by many of the features of the traditional grocery market. Big supermarkets have woken up to the Internet as a distribution channel and are gearing up to dominate the market. Smaller suppliers, using the Web as another side of their portfolio, are sure to lose out in this area. Smaller niche suppliers make up a large element of the market in terms of numbers of firms. In fact, there are so many companies, many of which operate on a very local delivery basis, that it is almost impossible to calculate their actual number. MARKET SIZE Online shopping grew 19 times faster than traditional brick-and-mortar retailing in December 2002, and increased a further five percent in January 2003 to represent six percent of all UK retail .(www.nua.com) Various reported predictions suggest the online grocery market will be worth around up to 10 % of 120 billion which is the predicted grocery market size by 2005 (MINTEL Nov, 2000) The current size of the UK online grocery market has been estimated to be worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.2bn. (Key Note 2001), while Tesco reported 446 million sales during 2003. Sainsbury's the second market leader announced annual sales of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½110 million during 2002 (MINTEL Mar 2003) More than half the UK population will have bought something online by the end of 2003. Online shopping will represent 7% of all retail sales in the UK, accounting for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 billion a month.(MINTEL Apr 2003) The total size of the UK grocery market has been estimated at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100bn per year. To support the market, the UK has 5.9 million online shoppers, growing to a predicted 8.5 million over the next 5 years à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500m of turnover, that suggests that average spending per user in 2000 was in the region of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½83 per head, suggesting that the Majority of users are not regular consumers of online services.(Key Note) Market size is difficult to determine, as figures for turnover from Internet sales are often included in total sales figures. Companies that are struggling to perform in the market may be taking a rather flexible view in how they present figures that may disappoint shareholders. However, Key Note's assessment is that the size of the true online market is currently à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½465m (lower than many estimates suggest). Within this, Tesco claims 64.5% of the market, Sainsbury's 9%, ASDA 7.5%, Iceland 4.7%, , with the balance held by a range of independents, small suppliers and niche companies. Table:2 The UK Online Grocery Market by Online Sales by Supermarket (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m and %), 2000 Online Sales (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m) % of Total Tesco 300 64.5 J Sainsbury 42 9.0 ASDA Wal-Mart 35 7.5 Iceland.co.uk 22 4.7 Others 66 14.2 Total 465 100.0 Source: Key Note Macro Environment To understand the macro-environment a technique called a PEST (Political, Economical, Socio-cultural, and Technological) analysis is usually undertaken. The PEST analysis identifies all external factors that affect the way a business can operate. What follows is a PEST for the E-grocery industry PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS The UK government sets itself as the target of making the UK the world's best place for e-commerce by developing public internet access and e-commerce awareness among UK businesses To trade in the UK there are 40 different laws that a company may be subject to (chaffey) Stephen Timms, e-commerce Minister, said: â€Å"The UK's retailers are making progress in adopting e-commerce and developing e-business solutions. But there clearly is room for improvement, and we cannot afford to be complacent. â€Å"E-business technologies offer a wealth of benefits. In order to exploit these we must help create the right culture throughout the business community so that UK firms of all sizes can seize the competitive advantage. â€Å"UK online for business is leading the way in getting business online, and the Government's aim to make the UK the best place in the world for e-commerce.†( http://www.gnn.gov.uk) The first Annual Report on the strategy was launched in September 2000. The UK strategy for online development is laid down in the UK Online Action Plan, which details 94 recommendations for action in 25 areas of priority. One specific goal is to develop the UK as the world's best environment for electronic trading by 2002. This, it is stated, will be achieved in four specific ways: * Encouraging competition in Internet access markets * Establishing a new regulatory framework for converging telecommunications and broadcasting markets * removing regulatory obstacles to electronic ways of working * Co-operating with international partners to develop a ‘global framework for e-commerce'. Oftel (Office of Telecommunications) is one of the tools for achieving this strategy, and, as such, has been charged with driving competition in the areas of dial-up access and delivering high-speed access routes to the Internet , specifically the encouragement of adoption of Broadband technology, and NPD (new product development) in the mobile-phone and fixed-wireless markets. Government strategy is to put as many UK consumers as possible online. Those responsible for driving this strategy are aware of consumer concerns about the Internet that must be addressed if the Government's objective is to be secured.(Key Note) ECONOMICAL FACTORS The innovation in information technology (IT) and new business practices facilitated by IT are forming a â€Å"new† economy, Electronic commerce and the IT innovations fuelling it are supposed to be fundamentally changing the logics of business practice, forming new social realities, and new business models. Traditional â€Å"old economy† firms and organizations are busy building bridges to the new economy. A stable rate of economic growth is one way in which the Government hopes to guarantee macro-economic stability, which can assist firms when assessing the risks associated with innovative practices. This, combined with the factors outlined below, has an influential effect on the rate of growth of the online grocery market. Low Cost of Internet Access One of the main drivers encouraging the use of Internet access and e-grocery in the UK is the relatively low cost of time spent online. The UK is the cheapest off-peak location in the world from which to surf the Internet, peak rates have has been dropped. This advantageous position benefits consumers, and the state of competition within the market is strong, with a large number of good quality Internet service providers (ISPs) available and eager to serve the public demand. Levels of Disposable Income The greater the levels of PDI consumers have, the more likely they are to be tempted towards higher margin products. Such high-margin products can make the difference between a profitable online transaction and a loss-making one. Table: 3 Index of Personal Disposable Income (1995=100 and %), 1995-2001 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Disposable Income index 100 106 113 116 122 127 132 % change Year-on-year – 6.0 6.6 2.7 5.2 4.1 3.9 Source:National Statistics Table 3 shows that levels of disposable income are rising, and have risen by 32% since 1995. The indications are that the upward trend will continue to apply, suggesting that this economic indicator will contribute to growth within the market in the short term. Rate of Change of Prices The change of prices gives a good sign of the stability of the economy. The UK has a low rate of inflation, and this is confirmed by an assessment of the RPI in Table 4 Table 4: Retail Price Index for All Items and Food(1995 =100 and %), 1995-2000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 RPI (all items) 149.1 152.7 157.7 162.9 165.4 170.0 % change Year-on-year _ 2.4 3.3 3.3 1.5 2.8 RPI (food) 151.4 154.9 160.5 166.5 169.4 175.2 % change Year-on-year – 2.3 3.6 3.7 1.7 3.4 RPI – retail price index Source: National Statistics It can be seen from Table: 4 that the rate of change in the price of food between 1995 and 2000 has been roughly in line with the general rate of change in the RPI. Similarly European Currency and Simplification O European Trading Laws The advance of the European currency and the simplification of European trading laws will mean that Consumers will find it increasingly easy to trade with European retailers. The Internet offers International retailers a great opportunity to attack the UK marketplace. British shoppers are already prepared to go Euro to get what they want online. â€Å"Big brand names are in the best position to immediately exploit e-commerce but if they don't start moving soon the threat from foreign competition is real.† (Jolanta Pilecka, E-commerce Marketing Manager, Hewlett-Packard). In future a number of important factors might affect the economic state of the UK and inevitably supermarkets. The first is the possible introduction of the Euro. The Euro has been introduced in various European countries, but most notably France. The introduction of the Euro in France has pushed up weekly shopping bills for the average French household by 10 per cent. Could the same be expected to happen in Britain should the Euro SOCIAL FACTORS To know the barriers to consumer online purchasing adoption it is useful to understand the different factors that affect the level of internet access. Value proposition ease, Security and fear of unknown are the main factors affecting the internet adoption (Chaffey) Over the period July to September 2002 an estimated 11.4 million households in the UK could access the internet from home, that amount 46 percent of all households. This is over twice the number three years earlier and is an increase of 7 percent from 39 percent reported in the third quarter of 2001. (www.nua.com ) Evidence suggests that household formation will continue to grow, but that the profile of home size as mentioned at the first of this paper will stay strongly biased towards homes with one or two people. Table 5: Changing Household Numbers in the UK (million and %), 2000 and 2005 2000 2005 Million % of Total Million % of Total One person 7.3 29.1 8.0 31.1 Two persons 8.9 35.5 9.0 35.0 Three persons 3.7 14.7 3.5 13.6 Four persons 3.5 13.9 3.5 13.6 Five or more persons 1.7 6.8 1.7 6.6 All households 25.1 100.0 25.7 100.0 Source:National Statistics An estimated 62 %of adult in the Great Britain have accessed the internet some time according to figures from the October 2002 national omnibus survey. This is equivalent to approximately 28.6 million adults in Britain having accessed the internet. In the month prior to the survey 52 per cent of adults had accessed the internet. Differences between the countries and regions of the UK Levels of access vary greatly between different parts of the UK. In October 2001 to September 2002 the proportion of households with access was lowest in Northern Ireland (30%), Wales (31%) and the West midlands (34%). It is noticeable that the proportions were highest in the East of England (52%), London (50%) and the South East (50%) were around half of households had access to the internet. Table:6 Households with home access to the Internet by Government Office Region & UK country: October 2000 to September 2001 and October 2001 to September 2002 Oct 2000 Oct 2001 to to Sep 2001 Sep 2002 Per cent North East 26 36 North West 35 41 Yorkshire and the Humber 32 39 East Midlands 40 46 West Midlands 35 34 East 40 52 London 46 50 South East 46 50 South West 38 41 England 39 44 Wales 27 31 Scotland 30 40 Northern Ireland 26 30 United Kingdom 37 43 Source: national statistics According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (www.itu.int ) it is shown that in the UK 36.62 per 100 own a PC Table 7: Internet Estimated PCs Hosts total 2002 Hosts per 10`000 inhab. 2002 Users (k) 2002 Users per 10`000 inhab. 2002 Total (k) 2002 Per100 Inhab. 2002 2`865`930 485.03 24`000.0 4`061.74 22,00 36.62 table 7 , shows that a large proportion of the UK population own a PC that makes accessing the internet easer than going to the work place or other places Legal and ethical concerns It is argued that people do not change as quickly as may be believed. They still do not like parting with personal details, especially to those that they do not trust. Firms that request data from consumers need to make supplying information optional and allow users to change and delete the information provided. Crucially, they need to convince consumers that they will treat all information confidentially. Firms that are recognised as ‘good citizens' and with a high reputation in this regard are well placed to ease the anxieties of consumers scared of fraudulent use of details. Smaller companies with an Internet-only presence will find it hard to build up this trust. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS E-retailing can be seen as an innovation in retailing that in turn is built around a technological innovation Many reports have summarized technological problems as: The complexity of the user interface bandwidth restrictions and access connection speeds and security concerns A wide range of new technologies have enabled companies to create better and more efficient relationships with consumers as e-retailers: – provide more information in the pre-shop experience; – increase the number of access points to meet customers needs; – offer a wider choice of products than can be held in-store; and, – improve the overall service provision, for example through better stock management. www.gnn.gov.uk Technological breakthroughs are some of the key drivers in building the right conditions for online grocery to thrive. The main technological factors influencing the market include: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The expansion of broadband Internet à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The introduction and growth of DTV (digital television) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ M-commerce (mobile-commerce) and WAP (wireless application protocol) phones à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Automated reordering systems à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Systems offering defence against fraud à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Automated customer service. (Key Note 2001) Broadband Internet One of the problems many consumers have when dealing with the Internet is the speed of access. Many consumers connect using 56K modems, although the majority never achieve this speed, perhaps because they live a great distance from the central phone-exchange routes or because their phone lines are too old. Broadband connections can alleviate this problem. Broadband connections come in two basic types: digital subscriber line connections (DSL) and cable modem connections In the first quarter of 2001, the number of DSL lines grew by 90% in the UK This market is likely to experience high growth in the coming years.(www.itu.int) Digital Television Advancements in television are running parallel to other Internet-enabled technologies 4.4 million households had DTV in 2000, and the figure is now probably in excess of 5 million. Not all DTV services are fully Internet-enabled, but there are plans to achieve this. The growth rate in subscription to DTV services is believed to be higher than the rate of new subscribers to ISPs. It has been suggested that more than 45% of homes will have digital satellite TV by 2008 (generating revenues for the communications companies of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.4bn per year). One of the major barriers to e-grocers is the high costs charged to the suppliers by the DTV companies. Tesco reported to have found Open Digital's charges too expensive to make a venture worthwhile, however, the majority of the large supermarkets are signing up to the service may have very severe consequences in the long term. M-Commerce and WAP Phones M-commerce for all markets in Europe is forecast to reach levels of around $38bn by 2004.(Key Note) with over half of European companies planning to offer some form of service via mobile phones (particularly in the banking and service sectors). Major multiples are increasingly active in the service sector, and their online successes in other areas could well spill over into m-commerce activities, Mobile communications company Ericsson has estimated that, by 2004, there will be more than 600 million people using mobile Internet services in Europe. In 2000, the market for subscriptions to mobile-phone services grew by 67% and by 84% in 2002 .(www.itu.int ) However, WAP phones, currently the only method of accessing Internet via a mobile, have been relatively slow to catch on in Europe and make up only 15% of overall handset sales globally. Automated Re-ordering Systems All the technologies so far discussed require a conscious effort on the behalf of the consumer. In the future, it is possible that automated re-ordering systems will mean that the retailer is automatically notified when products are being used up within the home and need replenishing. There are two enabling technologies currently under development that may make this less fictional and more everyday. Vendor managed inventory (VMI) is one of these technologies. Another enabling technology in the same area is radio frequency identification technology, also known as RFID. This improves on VMI by using radio waves to scan all products in the fridge at any one time. Those kinds of technologies build and grow up the relationship between the consumer and the supplier learns more about the consumer behaviour to satisfy his demand Also they can create a competitive advantage for the business Systems Offering Defence Against Fraud Concern over fraud continues to scare many consumers away from using the Internet as a route for purchasing items and services. Credit-card companies are already making changes to their services to ease these concerns, but longer-term solutions may be found in encryption technology. Technology is being developed that adds digital signatures to a purchaser's Web browser which may help fight fraud. Such services can only be developed and provided by strategic partnerships between online retailers and Web security corporations such as Inktomi, Ariba, Broadvision, Vignette and Verisign (all leaders in secure-payment processing solutions). INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT Porter's 5 forces analysis Michael Porter's five forces is The model that widely used for competition analysis in business strategy formulation, states that an organisation exists within an industry. To succeed it must deal with the competitive forces that exist within that industry: (1) Entry of new competition. (2) Threat of substitute products. (3) Bargaining power of buyers. (4) Bargaining power of suppliers. (5) Rivalry amongst existing competitors. THE GROCERY E-TAILING MARRET As an industry in the early stages of its life cycle, the online grocery market is currently very fragmented, with a growing number of competitors. The reasons for this fragmentation lie in several factors: relatively low entry barriers, high transportation costs, the perish ability of grocery items, nontradable goods and services industry, and the ability to specialize in geographic regions and reap the benefits of economies of scale. Much like traditional bricks-and-mortar supermarkets, online grocers are highly localized except for a few that operate nationally or internationally by delivering only non-perishable goods. (Success factors) Barrier to entry Compared to building traditional supermarkets, the barriers to entry in the online grocery market are relatively low, since most online grocers are localized. Set-up costs include establishing the computer system, creating logistics and warehousing capabilities, building brand awareness, and having the necessary alliances with local grocers in place. Many online grocers have already established partnerships or alliances. Entry into the industry is currently relatively easy, because no one has inherent advantages. Innovation and competitive moves, which can be easily replicated, have not prevented new firms or substitutes from entering the market. However, entry barriers may rise in the future as consolidation likely occurs. Market such as groceries, barriers must be built on differentiation through brand recognition by achieving superior customer service and responsiveness. One attraction for the recent surge of Internet startups in the grocery business is that online grocers require less capital and have lower variable costs than bricks-and-mortar stores. Fixed costs are high, but the potential for big returns is great if a large sales volume can be generated. Exit barriers can be moderate to high, depending on the amount invested in logistics and warehousing, the Web site, computer systems, and marketing. PPOWER OF SUPPLIERS Retailers have high bargaining power when they purchase a large volume of goods from their suppliers. Unlike huge supermarket chains, the smaller online grocers typically possess a lower level of bargaining power than their suppliers. But traditional grocers that decide to branch out onto the Net have the advantage in this regard, buying in bulk and enjoying established relationships with suppliers and customers. This allows them to price their goods competitively, deterring new entrants or forcing inefficient incumbents out. POWER OF BUYERS The bargaining power of buyers or consumers is very high in this industry. With many substitutes and competitors to choose from, dissatisfied customers can simply switch to a competitor. Groceries are commodities, so consumers can be sure to purchase the exact same products elsewhere. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS The threat of substitutes is undoubtedly high for two reasons: Firstly, the products and services offered online to customers are extremely similar. So similar in fact that supermarket' often have to lower their prices to give them more appeal. Secondly although there is a certain degree of brand loyalty, it can't be relied on, as customer loyalties tend to change when they find they can obtain better value for money elsewhere. E-grocers understand that the threat of substitutes is high, and this then is the main reason for supermarkets branching out and pursuing a broader product line, as a means of calming the intense competition with their competitors. However, in pursuing broader product line grocers open themselves up for further competition from experienced players in other non food retail markets. RIVALRY AMONGST EXISTING COMPETITORS Competitors will do everything in their power to increase their market share. Supermarkets also have high fixed costs due to the sheer number of stores they have open. They must make a sufficient amount of sales to cover their costs and generate profit. As discussed earlier there are a variety of substitute products and services that are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate thus custom is very much determined by price. This situation is further aggravated because switching costs are difficult to impose, as food is an everyday necessity, many customers will happily forget any loyalties if they really need to obtain it. Conclusion The environment in the online grocery industry is growing more and more competitive as new firms continue to enter. Grocers which established its online purchasing site first is gaining the benefits of the first-mover advantages such as Tesco.com E-grocery has become a considerable industry sector each main player in this industry is trying to create a competitive advantage to attract more numbers of spoiled customers trying to satisfy there demands. The UK e-environment is one of the best e-environments globally that ease the entrance to this industry and generate the potential for more and more customers to buy grocery on line. This industry sector is a quite new industry that makes the flow of information about its success and pitfall factors relatively not enough to know every factor influences this industry We can't say that e-grocery sector has reached the mature level since there are more and more numbers of customers and rivals are entering this sector.

Complete Guide How Much Does College Cost, Really

Complete Guide How Much Does College Cost, Really SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're thinking about going to college, you probably know by now that an education is, well, expensive. It's not just tuition you're worried about - there are so many other costs associated with forging out on your own, especially if you'll be living away from home for the first time. The best way to tackle these expenses? First, you have to educate yourself about the reality of college costs.In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through all the expenses you'll need to consider when you go to college, both obvious and not-so-obvious. Then, I'll discuss factors that affect how much money you and your family actually pay out-of-pocket - it's not as hard as you think to get a first-rate education for a bargain. Major Costs These are the expenses you probably already know about. They're the big costs associated with getting a college education, and they'll make up the bulk of your expenses. College Tuition and Fees Your tuition charge is what you pay for actual academic instruction and class credit. Students are often billed per semester, credit hour, or quarter. Fees are often for mandatory student service charges and are tacked on to the tuition sothat they're reported together. For the 2014-2015 academic year, the average cost of tuition and fees was: $31,231 at private colleges $9,139 for state residents at public colleges $22,958 for out-of-state residents at public colleges Remember that this is just for one year of college - 4 years at private colleges can cost you well into thesixfigures. As you can see, there's a lot of variation in the sticker price of an education at different types of schools. What really matters, though, is the net price - what you actually end up paying. I'll discuss that more later in this post. As you might have noticed, there's a huge difference in the average public school tuition cost for residents and non-residents: a $13,819 difference, to be exact. You'll see an even more significant discrepancy in cost at certain schools. I've put togethera list of some of the largest public schools in the country so that you can see the difference in price based on residency: School Resident tuition Non-resident tuition University of Central Florida $6,368 $22,467 DeVry University (IL) $18,270 $18,270 Liberty University (VA) $20,300 $20,300 Texas AM - College Station $3,486 $12,782 Ohio State - Columbus $10,037 $27,365 Penn State - University Park $17,502 $30,452 UT Austin $9,798 $33,842 Florida International University $6,108 $18,508 Arizona State University - Tempe $10,957 $29,421 Michigan State $14,334 $36,934 Public universities can offer great educations at a great bargain for residents, but what about private schools? They're notorious for their higher sticker prices, which can scare off prospective students and parents. But remember, what actually matters is your net cost at a particular school.As it turns out, a lot of excellent private universities also have some of the most generous financial aid programs because of their larger endowments - they can afford to give more money to students, especially to attract high-caliber students who may not otherwise be able to afford to goto their school. This effectively lowers the net cost for many students. I’ve come up with an example to demonstrate cost differences for a student at an in-state public university, an out-of-state public university, and a private university with a generous financial aid program. My example student lives in NY state with a family income of $60,000/year, and an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $3,970, which I calculated using the FAFSA4caster (learn more here). Take a look: Resident: University at Buffalo Nonresident: Penn State Private: Harvard University Tuition only $8,871 $31,346 $45,278 Cost of Attendance (Tuition, room, board, fees, books, transportation, personal expenses) $24,916 $48,900 $64,700 Net Price (before student loans work study) $18,430 $45,875 $4,600 Net Price (after student loans work study) $9,708 $40,375 $1,600 Notice that the student's lowest net cost is at the school with the highest sticker price.Now, not all private schools will have financial aid programs as good as Harvard’s, but many prestigious private schools strive to meet 100% of their students' need (need = total cost of attendance - Expected Family Contribution). My ultimate point? Don't discount pricier schools just because you don't think you could afford them; your net price could be more reasonable than you think. I'll talk more about estimating your net price at the end of this post. College Room and Board Costs Room fees cover your housing and utilities, whereas board fees include your meal plan. Some schools offer customizable meal plans and housing options, so you can select room + board combinations that better fit your budget. Many students choose (or are required) to live on campus, especially their freshman year. Room and board charges are often lumped together. You may be able to pick and choose among room and board services if you move off-campus, assuming your school allows you to live outside of their dorms. Off-campus living expenses will vary by geographical area; it may be cheaper to live in an apartment if you attend a more rural college, but you may end up paying more if do the same at a more urban school.Getting a 1-bedroom apartment near Georgetown University will cost you around $2,000/month, for example, whereas a similar apartment near Arizona State University might only cost you $800. For the 2015-2016 academic year, the average cost of room and board was: $,516 at private 4-year colleges $10,138 at public 4-year colleges If only board fees paid for pizza like this in the dining halls. Hidden College Costs These are less obvious expenses associated with attending school but are just as important when it comes to budgeting for school and preparing adequately. When you come up with your own budget, try to be honest and realistic with yourself about how much you think you'll spend in each category. College Books Costs The average student spends about $1,200 per year on textbooks; it's easy to see how this adds up when some individual books can cost upwards of $200. You may end up spending less than this each year if you: Purchase used textbooks Rent course materials Share books with friends or classmates Check out textbooks from the library Purchase electronic copies of textbooks Travel Costs Travel expenses usually include travel between home and school, and travel while you’re at school. This will vary widely across students, for obvious reasons.To calculate your travel costs between home and school, consider: How often you plan on going home The average cost of a round trip (budget more if you’re traveling via plane/train/bus during the holidays) You’ll most likely incur some travel expenses while you’re at school as well, especially if your campus is scattered. To calculate these expenses, consider: How often you’ll be doing any sort of traveling (not on foot). Whether you’re bringing a car with you. If yes, include gas/parking costs in your travel calculation. Whether your school offers students discounted or free public transport passes. If not, research the cost of monthly public transport passes. Maybe you'll factor some more exotic expenses into your travel budget. Lab Fees Supplies If you’re not a science major, chances are you won’t have to pay many (if any) lab fees. These average about $50/class. Schools usually lump these in with textbook expenses, but since these numbers are just averages, expect to pay more in this category if you’re a science major. Personal Expenses in College These expenses include things like clothing, laundry, toiletries, haircuts, and entertainment. The average student might spend about $2,000 per academic year on these things. This amount might sound like a lot, but if you’re in school eight months out of the year, it comes out to about $60/week. If you tend to spend more money on things like fine dining, concerts, etc., you may want to work out your own personal expenses budget to keep track of how much you’re spending while at school. Estimating Your Total College Cost, With Financial Aid This guy doesn't know anything about college expenses, but he'll feel much better once he learns how to calculate his net price. The numbers above look large - sometimes amounting to over $50,000 per year - but don't fret just yet.A huge factor affecting what you’ll actually pay for school - your net price - is your family financial situation. Generally, the lower your family's income, the more financial aid you'll be eligible for, which translates to a lower net price. This has implications in two related (but separate) domains: Federal aid School-specific aid Scholarship money can also affect your net price - I'll touch on that at the end. Federal Aid Federal aid, which comprises grants like the Pell and loans like the Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized, is usually pretty standardized and easy to predict. Students who are interested in federal financial aid have to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year (learn more about the submission process here). The information generated by the FAFSA not only informs federal aid awards, but also institutional awards and even private grants and scholarships. The most important figure generated by the financial information you enter into the FAFSA is called the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. If your EFC is at or below certain thresholds, you’ll be eligible for different federal programs. For example, if your EFC is at or below $5,081 for the 2015-2016 academic year, you'll be eligible to receive the Pell Grant. Again, because federal aid is so standardized, you can predict with good accuracy what grant and loan programs you’ll be eligible for using the FAFSA4caster. You can get step-by-step instructions on calculating your federal aid using our Pell Grant Calculator guide. School-Based Aid If schools award their own institutional aid, they’ll use your FAFSA information (specifically, your EFC) to calculate need-based aid eligibility. The amount of aid schools award will vary widely based on their financial aid budgets. It’s pretty easy to estimate your net price at almost any school, especially if you know your EFC. Just Google â€Å"[school] net price calculator† - that’s what I did to estimate the cost for the schools in the chart above. Scholarships Outside of federal and school-based aid and scholarships, you might also consider looking into private scholarships. Scholarships can be awarded based on financial need, merit, or both. There are countless scholarship options out there, with many meant for students of different races, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, sexualities, and academic interests. You may want to start by checking out the National Merit Scholarship, or scholarships based on your standardized test scores. Putting it All Together: Calculate Your Net Price for College 1. Visit the FAFSA4caster to estimate your EFC. The FAFSA4caster will also estimate your eligibility for the Pell Grant and some federal loans. Get step-by-step instructions here. 2. If you have a list of specific schools you're interested in, visit their net price calculators (most schools have calculators available through their financial aid websites). Try Googling "[school name] net price calculator" for results. If you're not sure where you'd like to apply, try using the net price calculators at different types of schools (e.g. public vs. private). You may have to enter your EFC. Make a note of whether the calculators include estimates school-based aid, federal aid, or both. 3. Subtract aid that you think you're eligible for based on the calculations you did in Steps 1 and 2 from the total cost of attendance. If you anticipate any scholarship earnings, subtract that amount from the CoA as well. Voila - you have a net price! Keep in mind, though, that this is just an estimate; you won't have an official net price until you receive financial aid packages from schools. What's Next? Want to learn more about federal financial aid, which can bring down your net price? Check out our guide comparing Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, as well as our Pell Grant guides to eligibility criteria and limits. Interested in strengthening your applications to schools that offer those generous financial aid packages? Get the best score possible on your SAT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Francesca Fulciniti About the Author Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. 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The role of Inspector Goole in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Essays

The role of Inspector Goole in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Essays The role of Inspector Goole in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Essay The role of Inspector Goole in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Essay Essay Topic: Clueless Literature In this essay I will be discuss the role of the inspector in An Inspector Calls and evaluating his important to the play. An Inspector Calls was written by J.B Priestly in 1945 but was set in Capitalist England during 1912 during this time Socialism was beginning to catch onto society. The play depicts the story of the Birling family and how each member discovers his or her involvement with the death of a girl called Eva Smith (who also called herself Daisy Renton). An Inspector visits them while the family are having dinner, celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald, Sheila being the daughter of the wealthy, prosperous and capitalist businessman Burling. His wife, Sybil is a cold woman and her husband’s social superior. Their children are Eric; a shy but assertive young man, and Sheila; a pretty young woman who is pleased with life. Gerald Croft, her new fiancà ©, is an attractive, easygoing man who is excited about his new engagement. Their celebration is interrupted by Inspector Goole, a man who creates an â€Å"impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness†. Soon, the story unravels and we discover how each member of the household is responsible for the suicide of Eva Smith. Between 1912 and 1945, many important events occurred, including; both World Wars, the Holocaust, the sink of the Titanic and the Wall Street Crash (resulting in hyperinflation and the great depression). The overall message of the play is to be more socially responsible by taking care of your community as a whole body of people, and to accept that there are other people who are different, or are of a lower class. Priestly wrote the play in 1945, it was set in 1912 however, as a way to reflect on how capitalists neglected their responsibilities as members of a society to care for others. Between the setting of the play and the time it was written, three major world events occurred; the sinking of the Titanic and both World Wars. Priestly set the play in 1912 to enable him to speak out as a socialist about how the capitalists should have changed their ways, almost warning them that if they did not, such events like war would occur. I know this because the inspector says â€Å"if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught in blood, and fire, and anguish†. Priestly makes Arthur Birling’s views seem foolish, and writes him to be an ignorant and stupid character that is clueless about society and how the community can work together. Birling says â€Å"†¦the Titanic†¦unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable† and by this, I can recognise how commanding Birling is. I can also identify by how he speaks that he thinks his word is final, and that his decision means everything, even about the sinking of the Titanic. We know that the Titanic did sink, therefore making Birling seem foolish and arrogant. It is a brilliant example of dramatic irony, because the audience know that everything that Birling said would not happen, eventually did happen, and even causes a stir of inner hate at his socialist arrogance and his lack of care for society. This would have been important when this play was written, because England at this time was a Socialist country. We can tell from the stage directions on page eleven that the inspector gives an â€Å"impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness†. By directing the Inspector to seem purposeful, the audience begin questioning his true role in the play is he more important than just a police inspector? What exactly does he represent? We question this because of his behaviour towards the family; any traditional or ‘normal’ inspector of the time would’ve been empathetic towards the Birling’s situation and may have been capitalist too. When addressing people, the inspector stares them down and they begin explaining their encounter with Eva Smith. He has a â€Å"disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking†. This could scare or worry the family members into unfolding the story of how they all played a part in Eva Smith’s death. Either that or maybe his purposefulness may exist only in his gaze, which he uses to unravel the story to the family. The stage directions show the inspector’s authority with simple phrases like â€Å"cuting in, with authority†. This implies his voice is the most important, he is speaking out for the dead girl and needs to be heard above the family. This also has a political context; the socialists, who at the time the play was set, were only just getting any kind of authority. Also, as this play represents, socialists grew a voice and soon were beginning to be heard above the capitalists. Birling makes a strongly capitalist speech about how people should look after themselves and that society doesn’t matter. He says â€Å"communityand all that nonsense.† This is a perfect example of how Birling views the community as unnecessary and stupid. He deeply believes that a man should look after himself and his own, and he shows no empathy for the dead girl. Also, Birling’s focus in life is his money and class, which relates to capitalism. Birling’s speech is interrupted by the family’s maid, Edna, who introduces the Inspector. Birling welcomes him but immediately becomes defensive and boastful. The Inspector, however, is not phased. The emphasis on the Inspector’s determination and confidence shows how in control he is. He hushes the family so he can speak by â€Å"cutting in massively†, another portrayal of how commanding he is and his authority over the family. This is also represented by his knowledge, and the way he unnerves Sheila and Eric with his understanding of the whole situation. After leaving the room during Sheila and Gerald’s talk, the Inspector asks â€Å"Well?, showing the audience he already knows about Gerald’s affair to Daisy Renton. During his enquiries, the Inspector remains entirely in control; at times, he is able to â€Å"massively take charge†. Sheila regards him â€Å"wonderingly and dubiously†, later she realises no-one told him anything that he didn’t already know. Through his creation of the powerful, all-knowing nature of the character of the Inspector, and through the revelation of the incredible but very real chain of events in which every character is involved, Priestly successfully moves his audience beyond the bounds of naturalism. It is the unreal quality of the Inspector and his final prophecy of â€Å"fire and blood and anguish† referring to World War One which would start only two years after this play was set that successfully imbues the Inspector with an almost supernatural intelligence. To the Inspector, Eva Smith represents all the ‘lower class’ socialists of the time. The surname ‘Smith’ was very common at this time, again representing a vast quantity of people who were finding working life difficult. It is this that again makes us question the Inspector’s existence was he simply a voice for the lower, working class citizens of England? He says â€Å"there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us†¦intertwines with our lives†. He is explaining that by the family realising the consequences of their actions towards Eva Smith, they should reform themselves and treat everyone with respect. The Inspector’s timing is almost perfect, both upon arrival and when leaving. He arrives during Birling’s capitalist speech, representing how socialism would soon overpower capitalism. Also, the lighting changes, emphasising the Inspector’s important and authority in the play. The Inspector leaves at the end of his speech, which of course completely contrasts with what Birling was talking about in the beginning. The Inspector leaves just before Gerald’s return, who explains t the family that Inspector Goole is not a real inspector. This magnifies the Inspector’s mysterious character and leaves the family and the audience questioning his existence and purpose in the play.