Gender inequality

As such, considerations of occupational segregation and human capital theories are together not enough to understand the continued existence of a gendered income disparity. [6] The glass ceiling effect is also considered a possible contributor to the gender wage gap or income disparity. This effect suggests that gender provides significant disadvantages towards the top of Job hierarchies which become worse as a person's career goes on. The term glass ceiling implies that invisible or artificial barriers exist which prevent women from advancing within their Jobs or receiving promotions.These barriers exist in spite of the achievements or qualifications of the women and still exist when other characteristics that are Job-relevant such as experience, education, and abilities are controlled for. The inequality effects of the glass ceiling are more prevalent within higher-powered or higher income occupations, with fewer women holding these types of occupations. The glass ceiling effect al so indicates the limited chances of women for income raises and promotion or advancement to more prestigious positions or Jobs.As women are prevented by these artificial barriers, from either eceiving Job promotions or income raises, the effects of the inequality of the glass ceiling increase over the course of a woman's career. [10] Statistical discrimination is also cited as a cause for income disparities and gendered inequality in the workplace. Statistical discrimination indicates the likelihood of employers to deny women access to certain occupational tracks because women are more likely than men to leave their Job or the labor force when they become married or pregnant.Women are instead given positions that dead-end or Jobs that have very little mobility. [4] In Third World countries such as the Dominican Republic, female ntrepreneurs are statistically more prone to failure in business. In the event of a business failure women often return to their domestic lifestyle despite t he absence of income. On the other hand, men tend to search for other employment as the household is not a priority. [11] The gender earnings ratio suggests that there has been an increase in women's earnings comparative to men.Men's plateau in earnings began after the 1970s, allowing for the increase in women's wages to close the ratio between incomes. Despite the smaller ratio between men and women's wages, disparity still exists Census data suggests that women's earnings are 7 percent of men's earnings in 1999. [7] The gendered wage gap varies in its width among different races. Whites comparatively have the greatest wage gap between the genders. With whites, women earn 78% of the wages that white men do.With African Americans, women earn 90% of the wages that African American men do. With people of Hispanic origin, women earn 88% of the wages that men of Hispanic origin do. There are some exceptions where women earn more than men: According to a survey on gender pay inequality b y the International Trade Union Confederation, emale workers in the Gulf state of Bahrain earn 40 per cent more than male workers. [12] Professional education and careers[edit] The gender gap also appeared to narrow considerably beginning in the mid-1960s. Gender Inequality 11. ‘Women will never enjoy the same rights as men. ‘ Do you agree? We live in a world full of changes. In the past, women have been disgraced and were treated as lower class. A woman had no authority, no say and no rights to make a decision. Their duty at home was just cooking meal, cleaning the house, taking care of children and many things like these. However in today's world, the status of women is at a high level not only in the family aspect but also in the business area when compared to the past.I believe that women have progressed in their status quo but to a larger extent, but it is true that women will never enjoy the same rights as men as in many societies, women have yet to achieve gender equality as men are still generally dominant. Some basic right women should receive, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right t o food, the right to work, and the right to education have been achieved but not all, especially not when compared to men.In some workplace, wage discrimination still exists as women are not allowed the same pay as men who are of similar ranks to them. The root of this problem is to society, a woman should be at home, taking care of children and not out there in the working world. The income difference maybe expected to serve as a deterrence to women, encouraging them to remain as housewife. However, this mindset is starting to change. Vice versa, men are starting to accept the fact that they too, do play a role in bringing up and caring more for their children and this gives rise to a new role named ‘househusbands'.Statistics have also proven so. Worldwide, women work two thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of the world’s food yet women only earn 10 percent of the world’s income and own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. Moreover, in Forbes 2009 top richest people in the world, the only female that came close to the top ten was Alice Walton whose wealth was not even earned by herself but an inheritance from her family. It is clearly illustrated that although women have been given economic rights, the playing field in the workplace is still not level.People still think that a woman’s role is ultimately as the housewife and not the one with a successful career or the one who is able to help the company advance. Therefore, women have enjoyed more rights than before but women will never enjoy the same rights as men as society has been structured such that women are tasked as caregivers of the family. In many countries, the issue on gender inequality still exists. Many women were not given their even dignity.While 2012 ended with the death of the 23-year-old paramedic student, who died fighting wounds sustained fighting off her rapists in a moving bus in the Indian capital of Delhi, it has invoked the issue of gender inequality in India. The outcry over the Delhi gang-rape has sparked a furious debate on the horrors that confront women in India. While the debate has put a spotlight on the inadequacies in India’s rape laws and policing, and exposed misogynist Indian â€Å"leaders†, the deep-rooted sexual inequality in the country that lies at the root of the misogyny and sexual violence has not received the attention it deserves. Gender Inequality I chose to write Toulmin Essay proposal about gender inequality in the work place. The Toulmin Essay next week will be about gender inequality in society. Gender inequality in the work place is a small component of the larger picture of com/is-patriarchy-the-main-cause-of-gender-inequality/">gender inequality in society. There are several ways in which women have been discriminated against in the workplace over the years. From the very start of the hiring process women have had to face animosity and repression in the corporate world.Women had to have more experience and better credentials than equivalent male applicants if they hoped to even get a second glance. And though there has been significant improvement in some areas, the job market still remains prejudice toward women in various forms. One of the things that have changed some since women first became part of the work force is the willingness of employers to hire female employees. Women used to have to fight much harder to pr ove their competence, and, even then they rarely secured high level positions.It is becoming more common to see women in some of these high level positions now, but they still have to sacrifice much more than the men do to get to the top and have to work harder to stay there. The most predominate way in which women feel the inequality of gender discrimination is the gross difference in the pay they receive compared to men. Women in every industrialized society around the world are paid far less for performing the same tasks as their male counterparts. The gap is profound –â€Å"on average, women in the United States earn only 68% of what men are paid (206),† and that number has remained consistent throughout the years.Although some of the gap is due to the type of fields’ men and women choose to pursue, discrimination also plays a huge role. It used to be societies view that men should support their families and women should be at home care for the house and the kids. That concept carries over into the business world in a few ways. Employers feared hiring women for long term positions out of fear they would leave once they got married and had children, or the affect that caring for children would have on job performance (â€Å"the child penalty)†.Because of these outside responsibilities women were seen as being less committed to their careers, so employers saw them as more of a liability to the company than an asset. This, along with the idea that men have better leadership skills, and women were better in â€Å"support services like human resources or public relations,† women were rarely offered promotions to top ranking positions (especially those positions like sales and marketing that affect the bottom line and are stereotypically male).Once they reach a particular point on the corporate ladder they hit the glass ceiling and are stuck where as the men seem to have no limits whatsoever. More frustrating than the limitatio ns women face in the â€Å"male† job market is the biased treatment they receive even within the fields that are considered to be famine (such as nursing, teachers, librarian, etc. ) When men pursue careers in these types of areas, they are not met with a criticizing stigma,and their capabilities are not questioned like women’s are.Men never experience hitting the glass ceiling whatever their career choice might be. In fact, they experience the exact opposite! Even in traditionally female dominated jobs, men are shown favoritism. They get more offers for higher level positions and higher salaries to start, and they are given better benefits, hours, and work assignments, and they move up the lines faster than their women coworkers on what is called the glass escalator. Even though the inequality between genders is gradually decreasing, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.Women are becoming the sole source of income in many homes because of the dynamics of the changing society. Shrinking the wage gap and continue to dispel the stereotypes that surround women is necessary. Encouraging our young women to pursue education and training is one solution. By encouraging our young people to do this, and the more qualified females there are out in the job market to fill these high level positions, the more pressure employers will feel to hire them and society’s views and beliefs will slowly begin to evolve with the times. Gender Inequality 11. ‘Women will never enjoy the same rights as men. ‘ Do you agree? We live in a world full of changes. In the past, women have been disgraced and were treated as lower class. A woman had no authority, no say and no rights to make a decision. Their duty at home was just cooking meal, cleaning the house, taking care of children and many things like these. However in today's world, the status of women is at a high level not only in the family aspect but also in the business area when compared to the past.I believe that women have progressed in their status quo but to a larger extent, but it is true that women will never enjoy the same rights as men as in many societies, women have yet to achieve gender equality as men are still generally dominant. Some basic right women should receive, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right t o food, the right to work, and the right to education have been achieved but not all, especially not when compared to men.In some workplace, wage discrimination still exists as women are not allowed the same pay as men who are of similar ranks to them. The root of this problem is to society, a woman should be at home, taking care of children and not out there in the working world. The income difference maybe expected to serve as a deterrence to women, encouraging them to remain as housewife. However, this mindset is starting to change. Vice versa, men are starting to accept the fact that they too, do play a role in bringing up and caring more for their children and this gives rise to a new role named ‘househusbands'.Statistics have also proven so. Worldwide, women work two thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of the world’s food yet women only earn 10 percent of the world’s income and own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. Moreover, in Forbes 2009 top richest people in the world, the only female that came close to the top ten was Alice Walton whose wealth was not even earned by herself but an inheritance from her family. It is clearly illustrated that although women have been given economic rights, the playing field in the workplace is still not level.People still think that a woman’s role is ultimately as the housewife and not the one with a successful career or the one who is able to help the company advance. Therefore, women have enjoyed more rights than before but women will never enjoy the same rights as men as society has been structured such that women are tasked as caregivers of the family. In many countries, the issue on gender inequality still exists. Many women were not given their even dignity.While 2012 ended with the death of the 23-year-old paramedic student, who died fighting wounds sustained fighting off her rapists in a moving bus in the Indian capital of Delhi, it has invoked the issue of gender inequality in India. The outcry over the Delhi gang-rape has sparked a furious debate on the horrors that confront women in India. While the debate has put a spotlight on the inadequacies in India’s rape laws and policing, and exposed misogynist Indian â€Å"leaders†, the deep-rooted sexual inequality in the country that lies at the root of the misogyny and sexual violence has not received the attention it deserves.

Brand management Essay

1) What is the product mix of Trung Nguyen? What are the key attributes of its coffee? How do these attributes help Trung Nguyen to differentiate itself from its competitors? The product mix refers to the total composite of products offered by Trung Nguyen coffee. It consists of different product lines, various product items in each product line and within each item is the product depth. Firstly, the product line is a group of product or service items that are closely related because they are sold to the same consumer groups, are marketed through the same types of outlets, have similar usage or fall within given price ranges. Thus, Trung Nguyen Coffee’s product lines are: Trung Nguyen Coffee, Passiona Coffee and G7 Instant Coffee. The Passiona Coffee targets at consumers looking for low-caffeine coffee and especially women, while the G7 Instant coffees are made for people who are too busy to brew a cup of coffee themselves. Trung Nguyen Coffee has 3 different product items, namely Creative Coffee, Blend Coffee and Espresso Coffee. Passiona Coffee consists of 2 product item, Passiona roasted coffee and Instant Passiona coffee. As for the G7 Instant Coffees, the product items are G7 Pure soluble, G7 Cappuccino and G7 Instant 3-in-1 coffee. Lastly, product depth is the number of variants in a product item. Trung Nguyen’s product depth of Creative coffee includes the Weasel Coffee and Legendee Coffee. Also, some variations of G7 Cappuccino are the Mocha G7 cappuccino and Hazelnut G7 cappuccino. Different sizes of coffees are considered as product depth as well. For example, the G7 Instant 3-in-1 coffee is sold in 3 different sizes: a box of 18 cafe sticks, a bag of 22 sachets or a bulk pack bag of 100 sachets. Table1: Summary of product mix of Trung Nguyen | Product lines| | Trung Nguyen Coffee| Passiona Coffee| G7 Instant Coffee| Product items| -Blend coffee-Espresso coffee-Creative coffee Product depth: Weasel coffeeLegendee coffee| -Passiona roasted coffee-Passiona instant coffee| -G7 Pure soluble-G7 cappuccinoProduct depth:Mocha G7 cappuccinoHazelnut G7 cappuccino-G7 instant 3-in-1Product depth:box of 18 cafe sticksbag of 22 sachetsbulk pack bag of 100 sachets| Key attributes refer to the most important characteristics of a product. Trung Nguyen makes its point of difference through its key attributes like using the best coffee beans, unique brewing style and the new coffee concept. Trung Nguyen has a unique selling point because some coffees offered cannot be found anywhere else. Its coffees are authentically Vietnamese. For example, the Weasel coffee is produced based on the legend in Vietnam. To differentiate itself from its competitors, these key attributes must communicate benefits for consumers. The coffee offered by Trung Nguyen is of a higher quality compared to other coffee brands because they use the best coffee beans sourced from four of the world’s best coffee-growing regions. In addition, Trung Nguyen is awarded with the EureGAP certificate for its good agricultural practices such as having consistently good quality coffee beans and using environmentally friendly technologies. Coupled with their oriental secrets, consumers would prefer Trung Nguyen because their coffee is brewed much more aromatic and rich. Trung Nguyen used their new concept of coffee to set up a â€Å"Creative Coffee House† in order to differentiate itself and gain market share. It is now well-known for the innovative clubhouse whereby customers can enjoy coffee in a beautiful and sentimental ambience while experiencing Vietnamese cultural events and exhibitions. For consumers who value such innovative product services, they will choose Trung Nguyen’s coffee over the other â€Å"grab a coffee to go† coffee styles. 2) What are the roles of branding? What are the benefits of branding to sellers and buyers in the coffee market. The role of branding is to create an identity for the product. The identity created can have some personalities and can gain brand equity. Benefits of branding Some benefits of branding for sellers of the Trung Nguyen coffee are that they are able to accentuate the bases of differentiation from its competitors due to its distinct identity. They can obtain legal protection like trademarks to avoid copycats of their brand. The counterfeit products are capable of stealing Trung Nguyen’s sales when consumers are unsure of how the real packaging of coffee looks like. There is also a chance for the counterfeit coffee to ruin Trung Nguyen’s reputation. Consumers who bought the counterfeit coffee by mistake may view Trung Nguyen to be of a lousier quality instead. All this would be effectively prevented by branding because counterfeiting is an offense. Brand equity is created by branding and careful marketing. Trung Nguyen can in turn earn higher profits as consumers are willing to pay a higher price for this particular brand of coffee. Also, brand equity can lead to higher economic value of the brand, whereby it becomes an asset for Trung Nguyen when it wishes to sell its brand. Last but not least, Trung Nguyen can achieve brand loyalty through creating preferences towards their brand. If Trung Nguyen coffee is able to sustain a consistently good quality coffee product, consumers would remember the brand, spread the word around and continually purchase its coffee. On the buyers end, they may reap the most benefits from Trung Nguyen’s branding. Coffee is a convenience product and it is important to make it easy to find. Consumers will be able to correctly identify the products in a short period of time due to Trung Nguyen’s branding thus becoming more efficient shoppers. Furthermore, consumers may gain assurance of product quality and performance. Employees need to ensure products offered are of consistently good quality and so are specially trained to deliver this promise. Consumers will remain loyal to Trung Nguyen coffee because they are satisfied with this brand and have no need to search for another. 3) What constitutes the brand identity of Trung Nguyen? What is your evaluation of this identity? How can the brand identity be improved? Brand identity is the noticeable elements of a brand and also what the organization wants consumers to perceive the brand as. It constitutes of â€Å"Trung Nguyen† as its name, the logo and its tagline â€Å"Explore creative inspiration† A successful brand name should reflect the personality and values of the brand, be simple, memorable, positive and emotional. A logo is the image that embodies an organization. It is one of the most prominent branding elements that consumers will think of when someone mentions the company. A good brand logo should be memorable, futuristic and consistent and be able to portray the benefits to its target audience. The tagline must be simple and easy to remember. It also needs to remain short since the tagline is always incorporated into many marketing pieces. Evaluation of brand name: Consumers associate Trung Nguyen to â€Å"Central highlands† which refers to Dak Lak, the county capital of coffee where green coffee is grown. This gives an advantageous association between Trung Nguyen and high quality and fresh coffee beans. Also, the brand name represents the uniqueness and richness of the Vietnamese culture. However, the name Trung Nguyen does not hold any meaning for non-Vietnamese. This may alienate consumers from other parts of the world. Another bad point could be that its name is hard to pronounce for non- Vietnamese consumers. Possible improvements: Because the company’s name has been around since 1996 when it was founded, it cannot be changed otherwise the company has to build up brand awareness from scratch all over again. Thus, the company should work hard in educating people and let them understand the positive association between Trung Nguyen and â€Å"Central highlands†. For example, they could use their existing Internet website and include this under the â€Å"learn more† option. People visiting the website can then learn about the association and slowly adopt Trung Nguyen as their favourite coffee. Evaluation of logo In my opinion, the logo might be a little small and insignificant. Psychological influences such as selective exposure and retention affects consumer buying behaviour. For example, the appealing cup of coffee printed on its packaging of Creative coffee may distract the consumers from the brand name. The logo is also unattractive and boring due to the usage of dull and non-contrasting colours. The font used in the logo has little stylistic variations making it rather boring as well. Possible improvements Firstly, the logo should be scaled to a bigger size. Also, the marketing manager of Trung Nguyen can make use of brighter and more contrasting colours to make its logo more outstanding and attention-catching. The font could be changed to something cursive. This can better capture consumer’s attention thus leaving a deeper impression and resulting in better brand memory and recognition. For example Coca Cola, with its logo in a strikingly bright red background and white cursive words, is very successful at making sure that every consumer remembers it. Evaluation of tagline: Trung Nguyen’s tagline â€Å"Explore creative inspiration† consists of only 3 simple words hence should be relatively easy for everyone to remember. However, Trung Nguyen tagline is still quite foreign to people across the globe as they do not use much above-the-line marketing. Possible improvements Through the print media and mass media, Trung Nguyen can improve this aspect of its brand identity. The marketing manager could set up a Facebook page and make it known to people. Maintaining a Facebook page is relatively low-cost as compared to constant TV advertisements. Because millions of people are using Facebook, it is very effective for Trung Nguyen to get their brand identity across. Another point of improvement also through the mass media is through its online website. Perhaps the tagline can be added in the â€Å"history of Trung Nguyen† tab as it is currently not. On top of that, they can make use of emotional branding to elicit a favourable emotional response. Adding emotional words like â€Å"Happy†, â€Å"Healthy† and â€Å"Beautiful† could boost sales of their coffee. As consumers become increasingly aware of health and beauty these days, Trung Nguyen can market more of their Passiona coffee which is enriched with collagen, vitamin PP and other rare oriental herbs through its tagline. 4) What is the branding strategy of Trung Nguyen? What are the advantages and risks of this branding strategy? Trung Nguyen uses an umbrella branding strategy. Different types of coffees have a sub-brand which combines the corporate brand with a new brand. Trung Nguyen’s Passiona Roasted coffee and Trung Nguyen’s Espresso coffee are 2 examples. Advantages of umbrella branding: Capitalizing on the existing brand equity of Trung Nguyen, it can sell newly introduced products quickly. Consumers who have had a good experience with its coffee will transfer this favourable attitude to new items. For instance, Trung Nguyen’s Creative coffee may have been developed earlier than Passiona coffee. Consumers who liked Creative coffee would have a higher chance of buying the Passiona coffee because they are under the same brand and so would also be of an equally good quality. Furthermore, the Passiona coffee can be set at a higher price as consumers are willing to pay more for brand value. This can bring about additional profits for Trung Nguyen. Another advantage of using an umbrella brand is a lower advertising and promotion costs. Trung Nguyen only needs to come up with a single advertisement because its coffees share one identity. Also, because Trung Nguyen is used on all of the products, level of brand awareness is easy to raise. To name an example of a successful sub-branding strategy, Gatorade has developed and introduced Gatorade Frost, Gatorade G2, Gatorade energy bar, etc into the market and stayed popular being the leading sports drink brand in many countries. Risks of umbrella branding: In every marketing strategy there is bound to be a down side. Some risks of umbrella branding are that the failure of one type of coffee may affect the sales of the whole Trung Nguyen branded products. It is inadvisable to put all the eggs into one basket. For instance, if the production G7 Mocha had some discrepancy that caused the coffee to be too sweet, consumers may feel that the rest of Trung Nguyen packet instant coffees are as sweet and so switch over to Nescafe coffee instead. Secondly, sales of one product item may come at the expense of other items offered in the same product line. Lastly, the meaning of Trung Nguyen may also be diluted with an umbrella branding strategy. Apart from coffee, Trung Nguyen also has other product such as Green Tea, Oolong tea, etc. However, Trung Nguyen refers to Dak Lak, the county capital of coffee and so offering tea as an alternative beverage is not so relevant to the brand name.

Responsibilities and Rights of Employees and Employers

1. Know the statutory responsibilities and rights of employees and employers within own area of work.  1.1 List the aspects of employment covered by lawThe law in UK covers the following aspects:Minimum wage, Hours worked, Discrimination, Health and safety, Holiday entitlements, Redundancy and dismissal, Training, Disciplinary procedures, Union rights and consultation, among many others. Labour law covers the deal between employee and employer, Health and safety cover the work conditions, and minimum wage and other law set basic compensation levels. Within our area of work we also have the Disability Act, Manual Handling Operations and Regulations, Data Protection Act, The Medicine Act, General Social Care Council code 2001, RIDDOR 1995 and more.1.2 List the main features of current employment legislation PayBeing paid and payslipsCompany sick pay rightsPerformance-related payEmployment contracts and conditionsContracts of employmentChanges to employment conditionsBreach of contrac tThe National Minimum WageThe National Minimum Wage ratesCalculating the National Minimum Wage: the basicsHelp getting paid the National Minimum WageTime off and holidaysAnnual leave and holidaysTime to train, request time at work to learn new skillsTime off for dependantsWorking hoursWorking time limits /the 48-hour week/Rest breaksOvertimeFlexible workingTe right to request flexible workingWorking form homePart-time workSickness absenceTime off for sicknessStatement of Fitness for Work /fit note/How work can keep you healthyBusiness transfers and takeoversEmployment protection during business transfers and takeovers Transfers of employment contracts1.3 Outline why legislation relating to employment existsTo ensure a more cost efficient and safer working environment. There is an increasing responsibility for employers to protect the health and safety of their employees. To protect workers, to guide, regulate and set standards, to provide rights and restrictions on workers and manag ement though a legal relationship.1.4 Indentify sources and types of information and advice available in relation to employment responsibilities When I need information and advice with regards to employment responsibilities and rights, I can find these within my contract provided by my employer and the start of my employment, or I can find this information written within my staff handbook . There are policy documents available within my work place. I can also ask member of staff if I am unsure of my responsibilities.2. Understand agreed ways of working that protect own relationship with employer2.1 Describe the terms and conditions of own contract of employment With regards to the terms and conditions of my contract it states the date on with my continuous employment began, the Place of work, Duties, Salary per hour, Working hours per week, Holidays, Holiday Pay, Sickness Absence Policy, Pension, Probation Period, Rights to Notice, Smoking, Data  Protection Act 1998, Maternity rig hts; Ante/natal care, Maternity leave, Statutory Maternity Pay, Adoption Leave & Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Parental leave, Time off to care for dependants, Retirement, Right to Search, Short Time Working, Lay Offs & Redundancies, Extended Leave,Variation of Terms and Conditions, Contradiction Between These Terms & Conditions and my Individual Employment Letters, Intellectual Rights, Use of The Internet, Email, Company Rules, Disciplinary Procedures, Principles, Table of Disciplinary Offences and Penalties, The Procedure, Stage One – Verbal Warning, Stage Two – Written Warning, Stage three – Final Written Warning, Stage four / Dismissal, Appeals Procedure, Other Dismissals, The formal grievance procedure, Equal Opportunities Statement, Anti-Harassment Statement, Management’s Responsibility, Additional information, Restrictive Covenants.2.2 Describe the information shown on own pay statement On my own pay slip I have my full name, the name of the compan y that employs me, Tax period, Interval, Date, Staff ID number, NI Number, NI Code, Tax Code, PAYE Reference, Taxable Gross, Gross to Date, Tax to Date, Employer’s NI, Employer’s Pension, NI Gross, Net Pay.2.3 Describe the procedures to follow in event of a grievance If I have grievance relating to my employment, I should attempt to resolve this informally by speaking with your line manager. If, however, I fail to get a satisfactory resolution within a period of 5 days of speaking with my manager of if my grievance is about my manager and I do not wish to discuss it with him or her, the Company has a formal grievance procedure. If I have a complaint, which cannot be resolved, it is essential that I use this procedure in all circumstances.2.4. Identify the personal information that must be kept up to date with own employer Employees personal data should be kept safe, secure and up to date by an employer. Data an employer can keep about an employee includes name, address , date of birth, sex, education and qualifications, work experience, National Insurance number, tax code, details of any known disability, emergency contact details.They will also keep details about an  employee such as: employment history with the organisation, employment terms and conditions (pay, hours of work, holidays, benefits, and absence), any accidents connected with work, any training taken, and any disciplinary action. Each types of personal information must be kept up to date all the time with my employer will be: Change of name, marital status, address, GP, Next of Kin, nationality, change of sex.2.5 Explain agreed ways of working with employerThe Policies and procedures based on sector standards and guidelines and individuals care plans. To implement agreed ways of working I follow the care plan. Duty of care is the obligation I have to exercise a level of care towards an individual, as is reasonable in all the circumstances, to avoid injury to that individual or his /her property. Dilemma can occur when an individual makes a risky choice. They have a right to do this and I must respect and support their choices but I also have a duty to keep them safe.3. Understand how own role fits within the wider context of the sector3.1 Explain how own role fits within the delivery of the service providedMaintain high standards of care and service toward service users. Assist service users in maintaining their personal hygiene, washing and dressing, toileting, shaving male residents, going to bed, promote independence and dignity, and assist in enabling to live their chosen lifestyle. Report complaints directly to the Manager in charge as son as they are made.3.2 Explain the effect of own role on service provisionOur work is on one to one basic. Provide good quality of care, promote independent and dignity, assist in enabling to live their chosen lifestyle, makes clients happy and keep them in good living condition, make them to live longer, by this thing w e can increase peoples confident in the Health and Social Care sector. I work in a care home as a care assistant. My responsibilities includes: assist the residents with personal care, dressing and feeding, helping them to move around, incontinence care, generally assisting with overall comfort, monitoring conditions.3.3 Describe how own role links to the wider sectorI work in a care home where I take care of elderly and mentally ill people suffering from dementia. Old and demented people have problem with loss of short-term memory. I see people as individuals, focus on their strengths, treat them with dignity and respect, and protect the individual from abuse, injury and harm.3.4 Describe the main roles and responsibilities of representative bodies that influence the wider sectorThe main roles of these representative bodies are: to represent the people and be their voice in the senate, to be able assist the people they represent in asserting their humanitarian rights, to ensure tha t their government's financial allocation for the sector they represent is enough basing on their immediate or basic needs.Representative bodies my include: government departments, professional bodies, trade unions, sector skills councils, regulatory bodies, consumer groups. European Union is our representative bodies. The employee must again take all reasonable steps to attend the appeal meeting and will have the right to be accompanied by a trade union representative or fellow employee of his or her choice.4. Understand career pathways available within own and related sectors 4.1 Explore different types of occupational opportunitiesDifferent types of occupational opportunities for example: social worker, specialist, speech therapist, General Practitioner, children social worker, care specialist, Manager, Adult nursing, Child nursing, Mental health nursing, Learning disabilities nursing.4.2 Identify sources of information related to a chosen career pathway Sources of information: i nternet, books, Code of Practice, media /TV, radio, magazines, Newspapers/, individuals, training, Alzheimer’s Society, Supportive care for the Person with Dementia – edited by Julian C. Hughes, Mari Lloyd-Williams, Greg A. Sachs4.3 Identify next steps in own career pathwayI would like to complete the upcoming courses and become a manager in a care home.5. Understand how issues of public concern may affect the image and delivery of services in the sector5.1 Identify occasions where the public have raised concerns regarding issues within the sector Care home abuse and neglect is Britain’s next major scandal. The Panorama footage showed images of aggression and violence against residents at the care home, near Bristol. Staff pinned residents to the floor and forced one into the shower fully dressed and then outside until she shook from cold.5.2 Outline different viewpoints around an issue of public concern relevant to the sector The Government will give greater as surance to families that their complaints or concerns are being properly listened to. Anyone with worries about how their loved one has been treated at the end of their life will have access to an independent assessment of their case.To support this independent assessment, the Government will make available a list of experts to provide local support for patients if needed – and all NHS hospitals will be asked to appoint a Board member with responsibility for overseeing any complaints about end of life care and for reviewing how end of life care is provided.5.3 Describe how issues of public concern have altered public views of the sector The bad practices and scandals in the social and health care sector arouse the public. People lose their confidence and keep their family members away from the care homes.5.4 Describe recent changes in service delivery, which have affected own area of work I like to work with service users alone when the situation and their health condition al lows. My clients are suffering from dementia. They may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason, which may cause a dangerous situation. I make sure to call for help if necessary.

Ogallala Aquifer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ogallala Aquifer - Assignment Example or the irrigation of one fifth of all the croplands in the United States which infers that it adds up to 30% of the water used for the source of groundwater irrigation in America and fueling the crops for their growth. There are many sort of croplands that take a big advantage of the water from the Aquifer which include wheat, corn, cotton and soybean crops. This production of grains and other agricultural products have made it possible for America to emerge as an agricultural state also and fulfill the state needs of grain quantities such as that in Nebraska and Kansas. (Guru, Horne and Kerr Centre 1). This establishes the importance of the Ogallala Aquifer and the water reserve in the irrigation process and its agricultural value in the state economy. Recently, there has been seen a dramatic decline in the water level of the aquifer and this is causing an alarm, because the domestic needs of the American citizens are met with the water drawn out from the underground aquifers and this includes almost all of the rural and half of the United States population in general. There is low water conservation and the decline has also added much to the water pollution which includes mixtures of agricultural chemicals with volume of water that leach into the ground and render the water harmful to drink. The pesticides are responsible to adding more into the source of water pollution. (Guru, Horne and Kerr Centre 2). The impact of the water decline in the Aquifer can mean crop damage, water shortage and many other agriculture related problems since, Ogallala is the largest Aquifer in the American state. Agriculture wise South Dakota and the Texas state side are the most productive agricultural lands that are widely included in the productive agricultural contribution in the world as well (Brambila). The decline in the water level also means that not only the irrigation and agricultural development of the country gets threatened but also the country will see the greatest

This work is about Geopolitics of Energy subject so please look Essay

This work is about Geopolitics of Energy subject so please look assignment criteria for topic - Essay Example However, in 2008 the notions of the impeding scarcity had a reverse effect with the producers wanting to make a large profit before the reserveswere depleted. This saw the prices rise continually. At that rate the country would be spending many billions of dollars on importation of petroleum and natural gas. This would create a distress in the economy because of the increased trade deficit. It is true that Asia is the new ground zero for growth of energy consumption.it is also true that Asia will be responsible for 85% of the energy consumption growth on the planet in the next 20 years. This has seen Russia try to form ties with the east to establish a proper market for its hydrocarbon exports3. The obvious deduction from this would be that Russia would wield more geopolitical power in the next few decades, which is not likely to be the case4. The current technological advancements have enabled rapid expansion of the shale gas industry in the US. In a decade, the industry has grown dramatically with the product now in abundant supply,seeing drastic reduction in prices. The policy debate has snow shifted to how much of the nation’s energy resource should be exported. The strengthening of the US’ geopolitical strength due to the shift in paradigms of the global energy market has greatly hindered China’s attempt to be the global leader. The best way to counter this influence would be to weaken the alliances that the US has with states in the region. The result has been the heightening of maritime tensions in the region with the East China Sea conflict providing a good illustration5. Both China and japan lay claim to a number of geographical features found in the sea. The features that comprise of a few islands and territorial waters could provide energy reserves and fishing grounds6. However, this is not the only reason behind the conflict. The key issue is that the waters are important choke

Sometime in the future oil will become more expensive. investigate the Essay - 1

Sometime in the future oil will become more expensive. investigate the effects of this on the market for oil and the market for oil and the market for other fuels - Essay Example Hubbert (1956) had predicted that the production of oil in America followed a bell shaped graph trend. He stipulated that the peak of oil production was to be attained in 1970 after which production will assume a downward trend. His prediction reigned despite sharp criticisms. He then predicted a global peak to be witnessed in the year 2000. Michael Lynch fronted that the production of oil must be closely tied to oil prices. He argued that Hubbert committed a mistake in assuming that geology is the motivating factor to the discovery, production and depletion of oil. He advocated for supply and demand as the key determinants in the oil industry. "To an economist, the drop in exploration reflects optimal behavior: they do not waste money exploring for something they will not use for decades.† he added. Factors that influence the price of oil. Economic growth is one of the key factors that affect oil prices. A steadfast economic growth will result in an increase in the demand for oil and its byproducts. It thus exhibits a direct relationship with the price of oil. Even as countries seek to experience a rapid economic growth, they need to focus on other sources of energy so that their increased demand for energy can be met adequately. Another factor according to Watson (1987) that affects the price of oil is the seasonal changes. It has been observed that during winter oil prices increases rapidly in Europe and the U.S.A due to the increased demand. Before the beginning of winter, consumers tend to buy excess of oil and its products due to fear of possible. However during

How Chrisianity religion in a way protecting world enivornment (how it Research Paper

How Chrisianity religion in a way protecting world enivornment (how it relate to ecology) - Research Paper Example spiritually and socially bound with God and with each other respectively in a culture where coexistence with nature or the rest of creation on Earth inevitably essential. This simultaneous connection with the environment and God, an entirely unseen supreme entity known to be the Creator and is above all creation, undoubtedly bore huge impact in the process of establishing human civilization. At the dawning of the environmental movement, optimistic attitude by people seemed sufficient in dealing with the issues of the environment so they initiated planting trees, tidying up waterways and various streams, setting up parks, and fixing highways for safety while maintaining some aesthetic value for men to utilize attraction as a means to draw mature concern for the ecosystem. Ideals and sentiments, however, have become affected by factors that are quite significant to industrial advancements and general modernization as well as consumerism which operate at the rate that may not be suppressed even if legislation by authority was imposed. Though scientific endeavor has been considered to remedy ecological problems, the latter’s condition continue to worsen instead. A collection of scientists from different nations with Nobel-acclaimed laureates necessitated a warning to humanity: â€Å"Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society – and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about.† Apparently, even with the collaboration of science, a lack of conviction for something higher than the prevailing cause and something of profound intrinsic value serves to make humanity realize that spiritual

A case study of Manchester United Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A case study of Manchester United - Essay Example Away from the pitch, the club also scores high in financial matters being worth around 1.13 billion pounds (IBN live, 2014, Para 2). The two most valued coaches in the history of Manchester United are sir Matt Busby and the legendary sir Alex Ferguson. Busby was the coach when the Munich air disaster happened, but survived and embarked on an endeavor to rebuild the team back to its competitive form. Busby resigned in 1969 and from then no other coach ever came close to his success until the entry of sir Alex Ferguson in 1986. The club has been successful for building on its strengths and focusing on its competencies for continued growth. The paper in this discussion will look at the strengths of the club, its competencies, a market analysis and strategic options in the next five years. Infrastructure- the theatre of dreams this is one of the largest all seater stadium in the English premier league. It can accommodate over 75,000 people and has been used for other purposes away from football. For a team that has been successful in the history of English football, Manchester United certainly has various strengths built over time. It is through capitalizing on its strengths and competencies that this team has been capable of rising to its current state. Through a SWOT analysis, these are the different strengths that Manchester United has built over time. Manchester United has built a global brand all over the world through creating a wide fan base. The club has over time moved from just a football team to a brand, focusing on consciousness around the world. Asia has long been a proud supporter of the team with the region providing the largest number of fans. Building this brand includes visits to Asia and other regions such as North America as they continue to build the Manchester brand. The club has turned fan’s passion into brand loyalty, and the justifying factor is profits (Kirsten, 2002, 14) The period of 1990-2012 has seen the rise

Hermeneutical Circle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hermeneutical Circle - Essay Example The 'meaning' may be open-ended, but the particular text that is being considered is a close-ended circle because of the self-referentiality of individual parts and whole (Jasper, 2004). Christianity is based upon a number of tenets, including the idea, at least within the Protestant faiths, that the Bible is in fact an "organic whole" rather than a series of contrasting individual texts that have been gathered together over quite a long period of time. Yet on another note, the only way for a Christian to understand many parts of the Bible is to refer to other parts of the Bible for understanding. This is the self-referentiality of the Bible that can be seen as a part of the hermeneutical circle. A central example is the 'nature of God' which has concerned Christians for more then 1900 years. The various manners in which God reveals Himself within the Bible, particularly in reference to the contrast between the Old and New Testaments, might seem to be contradictory. The same God who asks for the first-born to be killed and demands that one of his faithful kill his own son to prove his faith is also the same God who reveals that love, mercy and forgiveness are the central aspects of his nature in the New Testament (Goldsworthy, 2007). It is the closed circle of self-referentiality that is found within the Bible is the answer to that question. Various parts of the Bible, in revealing the nature of God, refer to one another. One cannot understand the God of the New Testament without reference to the Old Testament and visa-versa. One version of the circle of hermeneutics, as expressed by evangelical theology, suggests that it is not merely "word studies" that should be involved in interpretation but rather "Word study" (Goldsworthy, 2007). This is the Word of Jesus Christ which is regarded as being the central focus and prism through which the rest of the Bible, and in fact "all of reality" can be discovered and understood (Goldsworthy, 2007). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the central fulcrum around which the rest of the Bible revolves according to this kind of hermeneutics. Of course this essentially counters the non-hierarchical structure of self-referentiality that exists within the traditional hermeneutical circle. In traditional hermeneutics all parts relate to the whole and the whole relates to all the parts in equal measure. Within a Christian theology that includes hermeneutics the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the focusing structure that involves comprehension. Jesus "communicates" (Brown, 2007) with people through the closed circle of the Bible, and enables them to navigate through the often complex and seemingly contradictory passages that it offers. The hermeneutical circle may appear to be complex, but in fact it is quite simple when seen in terms of revelation. As Brown (2007) suggests, "reading scripture is learning to discern a communicative act initiated by God". That "communicative act" needs to be understood within the context of all the other acts of communication that are contained within the Bible, but for the Christian at least, it is the word of Jesus Christ that offers a complete explanation for how that communication has occurred and what God is intending to mean. To conclude, the hermeneutical circle is one of the largest dilemmas within all philosophy in general and within theology in particular. The self-referentiali

Effect of video games on people Essay Example for Free

Effect of video games on people Essay Video games are frowned upon by parents and seen as time-wasters, and worse, some education experts think that these games corrupt the brain. â€Å" Violent video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some young people become violent or display extreme anti-social behavior. But many scientists and psychologists find that video games can actually have many benefits – the main one is making kids smart,† stated by Rase Smart Kid website. Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future. Video games change your brain, according to University of Wisconsin psychologist C. Shawn Green. Playing video games change the brain’s physical structure the same way as learning to read, playing an instrument, or orientate yourself with the help of a map. Much like exercise can build muscle, the powerful combination of concentration and surges of neurotransmitters can build the brain. Video games are not as bad as many envision them to be. There are many beneficial skills that can be drawn from video games that are not even taught by schools, these skills include strategy, perseverance, accuracy, quick thinking, problem solving and logic, multitasking, taking risks, situational awareness, and management. Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good For You: How Todays Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter, calls this telescoping. Gamers must deal with immediate problems while keeping their long-term goals on their horizon. All gamers know that in order to get to your goal, you must get through everything else which may include traps and enemies. Facing strong enemies also requires a good strategy in order to defeat them whether its persistence or taking a new risk. A lot of games have multiple levels, for example Unblock Me. If a gamer fails one time, they will certainly play again and again to reach their destination or move onto the next level. Focus and planning is required most of the time. Action games, according to a study by the University of Rochester, train the brains of players to make faster decisions without losing accuracy. In today’s world, it is important to move quickly without sacrificing accuracy. Not only first person shooter games require accuracy but also action games. Whether it is tossing an apple in a bucket or swinging a wrecking ball at an abandoned building, both need accuracy to succeed. Sometimes the player makes fast decisions or analyses almost every second of the game giving the brain a real workout. According to researchers at the University of Rochester, led by Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests that playing action video games primes the brain to make quick decisions. Video games can be used to train soldiers and surgeons, according to the study. Importantly, decisions made by action-packed video game players are no less accurate. According to Bavelier, Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference. In strategy games, for instance, while developing a city, an unexpected surprise like an enemy might emerge. This forces the player to be flexible and quickly change tactics. One must hold off on building a unit and train troops instead to withstand the upcoming enemy. Most of the time if there are not enough troops trained, the player sacrifices a lot of their resources and must change to a different tactic once again. When kids play games such as The Incredible Machine, Angry Birds or Cut The Rope, they train their brain to come up with creative ways to solve puzzles and other problems in short bursts. When owning a business and something goes wrong or an unexpected situation occurs, the speed of a single correct decision will make a great impact and may save jobs for a lot of people. Winning in any game involves a players courage to take risks. Most games do not reward players who play safely. Taking risks does not mean that one must play recklessly and lose everything all at once if at the point of losing. Taking risks may very well be cautious as well. Taking risks means moving forward with anything a player can do whether it is making a move in one direction or the other, or even buying an item that may or may not help the player at all. In strategy games, players take different risks depending on the situation. One must analyze the situation prior to taking any risk. By doing so, the chances of winning are great than simply going about a routine. Defense News reported that the Army include video games to train soldiers improve their situational awareness in combat. Many strategy games also require players to become mindful of sudden situational changes in the game and adapt accordingly. Changes in combat require changing tactic or making new decisions. Sometimes they are for the better and sometimes for the worse. If the right decision is made in the right time, that has the potential to change almost everything. The player learns to manage resources that are limited, and decide the best use of resources, the same way as in real life. This skill is honed in strategy games such as SimCity, Age of Empires, and Railroad Tycoon. The way a player uses their resources in the early game will show in the late game how well their decisions really were. As far as video games go, they change a lot of things in the world today. Those that see the true power of video games will say that they do a lot of positive things. Those that do not understand video games, blame them for crimes and see them as very corrupting, often saying that they destroy lives. Video games have many good sides to them. For some people they are fun, for others they exercise the brain. It all depends on how you choose to look at games. The media is often opinion biased and not always true.

Primadelis Beginnings And Its Success Story Marketing Essay

Primadelis Beginnings And Its Success Story Marketing Essay The objective of this report is to discover about the starts of the well-known PrimaDeli that we all know. Well also be touching slightly on how Prima Limited was first established, the challenges it faced and obstacles it went through as a company before eventually making it big in the industry. And most importantly, how did it manage to make a breakthrough even after the undesirable food-poisoning incident. What is Prima Deli? PrimaDeli is a well known pastry shop filled with different types of delicacies. From puffs to cakes other variety of confectionaries to satisfy your cravings. Over the years, they have grown rapidly all over Singapore and providing good quality service to satisfy their customers. With the outlets being conveniently located in major residential estates, commercial districts and shopping areas and more than 30 outlets across Singapore, its no wonder their bakeries are recognised all over the island. Corporate History In 1961, Prima Limited was established when its founder, Cheng Tsang Man, built Southeast Asias first flour mill and the company. Prima was also known as Bai Ling Mai, which means a hundred year old wheat in Chinese. It is to represent the companys vision for corporate longevity. The company made the official listing under both Singapore and Malaysia business registries in 1969. The company not only has flourmill in Singapore but also in other countries like Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Australia. The Prima we know today is more than just involving into flour milling, it is now diversifying into other aspects such as signature restaurants, food manufacturing, baked confectionary products, even in property management and fields of information technology. And PrimaDeli is one of the successful businesses that the company has now. Launched in 1992, PrimaDeli is Singapores first one and only home-grown bakery franchise and also the longest-running Singapore food franchise. With the bakery outlets located in major business, residential and shopping areas, drawing a diverse mix of culture and races to their choice bakery products. PrimaDeli has been managed by the Prima Food Pte Ltd, which is the subsidiary of food and service conglomerate Prima Limited. Setbacks faced by Prima in the early years Just coming into its first few years of operation, the company was already confronted with umpteen financial setbacks which include the struggle of regulating the continual fluctuations uh their profit margins. In their yearly report for 1970, Prima addressed the problem of rapid increase of production costs particularly the vital raw products of wheat grain and also for the logistics of freight transportation costs. Due to the hike of price in production costs, the company had no other choice but to sell their goods and their by-products at higher cost in order to restore their lost and to ensure that their profit margin is maintained. What was done to counter back the problem Due to their concern over production costs, Prima subsequently felt encouraged to purchase majority share-holds in multiple primary industries and firms. The company took a majority stake in Prima Modern Machinery Pte Ltd in 1990 and took over the businesses of Goodman Fielder Wattie (Asia) Pte Ltd, a company that specialises in food and beverage area. These achievements have allowed Prima to widen their portfolio of long-term investment and consequently contributed to the cutback of production costs induced by the company. To further counteract the extreme price increase in market productions, Prima began specializing in export sales within the year itself. These measures paid off munificently allowing the company to restore its lost and claiming a profit of up to S$2.736 million for 1991 as to comparison to the loss attained in the previous year that came up to S$5.124 million. Achievements Over the years, Prima Limited had successfully grabbed a few awards to bring up its name. Some of these awards are Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Singapore Franchise Mark. HACCP which is the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is a systematic and scientific approach in indentifying, processing, production and preparation of food so as to ensure that the food is safe when consumed. By attaining the HACCP award, it shows that Prima Food has a system which is universally recognised. This is especially helpful in allowing PrimaDeli to compete more effectively in the world market and it also open potential markets by increasing confidence in Primas food safety and hygiene standards. With the Singapore Franchise Mark award in hand, it goes to show that Prima is certified for having creditable professional standards in the sectors of business practices, management capabilities as well as business performance. This certainly puts Prima in a advantageous position because on the few top selected companies are rewarded with this award. By being listed as one of the companies, it just goes to show that Prima is one of the few top notch companies in terms of franchising management. Currently, all PrimaDeli retail outlets operate under the franchise system. What this system does is providing franchisees with premium quality products as well as a broad scope of professional training and help that includes outlet concept development and marketing. With this, the system allows for the franchisor to focus on food manufacturing, research and development while partnering like-minded entrepreneurs to operate the retail front. In which, it assures a steady business growth. Prima Deli has also received awards including Franchise Excellence Awards Mark in recognition for its successful franchise system. In 2002, Prima Limited picked up the Superbrand status in a celebration of its corporate longevity and significant contribution to the Singapore economy. This was followed by the 2004 SPBA Heritage Brand Award which recognises the companys market excellence over 40 years. By attaining this award, PrimaDeli is recognised to be one of the top brands in Singapore for market dominance, goodwill, customer loyalty and overall market acceptance. Recent years In 17 may 2007, PrimaDeli being the first home-grown bakery franchise and the longest running Singapore food franchise, has received the Halal food certification from MUIS, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore a first for an established Singapore bakery franchise. It is after 15 years, that PrimaDeli finally decided its time to tap into the halal market and increase its customer base. With the Halal certification, PrimaDeli is now able extend its wide range of freshly-baked pastries, buns, breads and premium quality cakes to the Muslim community at 38 retail outlets islandwide. The Halal certification provides assurance to the Muslim community that the food does not contain any ingredients which they are forbidden to consume, such as alcohol, pork and other meat that have not been prepared according to Islamic rituals. With the Halal certificate in hand, has certainly put PrimaDeli in an advantageous position. Unfortunately, on 19 November of the same year, Prima Limited was confronted with one of its biggest challenges to date. Which is a virulent case of salmonella poisoning that caused all 38 Prima Deli outlets to be closed for a period of up to 3 weeks. The company was fined the maximum of S$5000 for selling contaminated food and for causing more than 200 of its customers to fall ill after consuming cakes purchased from Prima Deli stores. Sales drastically dropped to 15% in the immediate aftermath of the health scare, but were declared to be not as dire as the company had estimated. As a matter of fact, customers eventually returned back to the stores, and the companys overall sales actually rose 10% to 15% higher than their usual records during previous business years. Many new rules and regulations were implemented as a direct result of this case of salmonella poisoning, with all employees now required to undergo not just routine health checks, but also screening for salmonella. The company also implanted more cameras in production areas in order to monitor hygiene more effectively. Companys subsidiaries After looking at the organizations history and the numerous challenges that it faced, lets now look at how the company diversifies its services, not just in terms of producing quality baked products but also in cafeteria operations, fine dining and casual dining. Apart from food beverages, Prima is also into the field of information technology to further increase their profits and make use of it to full benefit. In this section, a list of subsidiaries will be given just to show how Prima Limited has succeeded in expanding their company. List of subsidiaries under Prima Limited Prima Food Pte Ltd -PrimaDeli Asia (M) Sdn Bhd -Confectionery Transformation (M) Sdn Bhd PrimaDeli Franchise (M) Sdn Bhd PFS Pte Ltd Prima Noodle Restaurant Pte Ltd PrimaDelis Vision and Mission The following was extracted from http://www.prima.com.sg/core_biz/Frameset/index_foodsvs_manu.htm http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1458_2009-02-11.html Prima is also known as Bai Ling Mai in Chinese, which means a hundred year old wheat. It is used to represent the companys vision of corporate longevity. PrimaDeli is Singapores first homegrown bakery and confectionery franchise. It was launched in 1992 with the mission to transform the local bakery and confectionery industry by adopting modern production and management techniques, information technology and strong branding. From here, it can be seen that PrimaDeli is living up to its vision of longevity of the company by inducing new ways to prosper their business live attaining a Halal certificate so as to broaden their range of customer in terms of race. Also they are always coming up with different ways to further improve their baking solutions through technology. An In-Depth Look External environment of the company Here were going to look at the competition that PrimaDeli faces against other confectionary shops. The figure below shows which 2 confectionaries customers prefer to than PrimaDeli. These percentages were base on a survey which I have done. Confectionary shop: Percentage (%) Polar puffs cakes 81.8 Bengawan Solo 4.5 Breadtalk 31.8 From here, it could be seen that clearly theres a huge percentage of people which will turn to Polar puffs cakes other than PrimaDeli. Theres a very fierce competition going on between these two popular shops. Lets now look at what consumers feel PrimaDeli should improve on. Again these figures are base on the response Ive gotten from my survey. Percentage(%) More variety in choice of pastries, puffs, cakes, etc 60 Reduction in price 10 Customer service 20 Cleanliness 10 This clearly shows that customers want PrimaDeli to provide more variety of their pastries because they want to see something new, innovative and capture their eyes and taste. Task Environmental Analysis Threat of new entrants is High There are more and more confectionaries sprouting They are mostly located in heartlandsHaving analyzed the potential external threats, it is time to look at the factors directly contributing to a tight competition among confectionaries in Singapore a Porters Five diagram. Bargaining power of buyers is High Theres a vast choice of confectionaries to choose from So, consumer will choose the ones that are cheap has a wide variety of pastries The consumers are the ones that will decide which bakery is the best Supplier Power is average Different confectionaries has different suppliers The quality of products depends on the suppliers There are still a wide range of suppliers to choose from Rivalry is Intense Number of confectionaries in Singapore is high There is an increasing number of pastry shops coming up with new ways to attract consumers attraction ;promotions Product and Technology Development is medium With the constant upgrade of technology, some confectionaries are using this to their benefit This aspect can be used to improve in their food quality Internal Environment Management Here Im going to do a marketing mix to compare both PrimaDeli and Polar. PrimaDeli Product The main product for PrimaDeli is a range of top quality pastries, buns, breads and cakes. Price The range of prices varies depends on the type of confectionary that youre buying. For cakes it starts from $15 and can reach up to $45++ according to the flavour and weight of cake. Outlets Up to date there are 38 outlets in Singapore Polar Product They specialises in mostly puffs and cakes Price Pricing varies to the products bought Cakes starts from $10.80 $45++ Outlets As of now, there are 33 outlets and 70 takeaway counters at petrol stations Observations and Conclusions Critical success factors To determine the critical success factors of PrimaDeli well have to once again look at PrimaDelis mission. Mission To transform the local bakery and confectionery industry by adopting modern production and management techniques, information technology and strong branding Critical success factors They should put in place their management techniques by producing and thinking of ways to further improve on their variety of confectionaries In order to have a strong branding, they should think of new modern production ways to market their products They should also keep up with the market competition and open up more outlets Strategic problem PrimaDeli should start considering in increasing the variation of their pastries because with more pastry shops coming up, they will lose out if they dont change their strategies in pulling in more customers. Also, they will need to have more outlets in order to compete with the various confectionaries out there. Strategic Alternatives and Recommendations PrimaDeli has been doing really well in terms of their diversification in other aspects other than just in selling pastries, like franchising into other countries. However, in the area of marketing of their confectionaries here, they are a bit lacking in putting in more concern. They should come out with different strategies and market plans to pull in customers to boost their income. Although being the first home-grown bakery franchise and the longest running Singapore food franchise, they still have a chance to lose their customers to other shops. For example, Polar puffs cakes. Polar is now gaining a lot of attention and popularity from consumers because they feel that there are more varieties there rather than in PrimaDeli. With the numerous promotions that Polar has and also considering the number outlets it has as compared to PrimaDeli, its only a matter of time before PrimaDeli will lose out their customers. Conclusion In all, PrimaDeli has done Singapore proud by being one of the longest running Singapore food franchise and also first home-grown bakery franchise. It has venture out into other countries and gained the trust of other companies to purchase and use their products. This is something that not many local companies have been able to done. PrimaDeli also have proven that their standards are recognised world-wide and so are their food beverages. However, PrimaDeli just have to step it up and be in pace with the current market. This is to ensure that they wont fall behind.

Marketing Report Of Tesco Marketing Essay

Marketing Report Of Tesco Marketing Essay Aim of this easy focus on Tesco marketing operation and how they control their domestic and international market. The information that use in this report is secondary data and also different techniques, analysis such as PESTEL analysis, SWOT analysis, Marketing mix analysis, market segmentation, targeting analysis etc are used to discover Tescos marketing position in national and international place. Executive Summary 2 The main aim of marketing is to understand customers needs and to develop a right way that can cover all this essential matter. Basically marketing jobs is make sure always and find out about customer requirements. 2 2 Introduction 5 Definitions of Marketing 5 Main Characteristics of Marketing 6 Key elements of market orientation 7 Benefits of marketing approach 7 Cost of marketing approach 8 Market orientation assessment 8 Market segmentation criteria 9 Targeting Strategy 10 Affects of buyer behavior 11 Marketing Mix 13 Different between domestic and international market 15 Different marketing strategy of Tesco 16 SWOT analysis of TESCO 19 http://wc1.smartdraw.com/examples/content/Examples/06_Quality_Control/SWOT_Diagrams/SWOT_Diagram_-_Market_Analysis_L.jpg (access-07-01-2010) 19 Another element of marketing mix 21 Conclusion 23 Recommendation 23 Based on this analysis we can say that TESCO doing vary well retail market in UK. Now they expand their business all over the world and for that TESCO need to care full about there marketing because different country has different type of customer and their needs also no same. 23 Introduction TESCO is top leading retailer in UK. It manages over a thousand supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience store in the United Kingdom, Ireland, central Europe, and Asia. TESCO started life in 1919 when Jack Cohen started surplus groceries from a stall in the East end of London. MR Cohen made profit of 1 from sales of 4 on his first day. TESCO brand first appear five years after in 1942 when he bought shipment of tea from a MR T. E Stockwell. From that time TESCO slowly improve in retail business and now they are take top position in UK retail business. Tesco aim is provide best products for their customer and make sure about customer requirements. Definitions of Marketing The definitions of marketing of marketing can be divided into two categories: Classical (narrow) and Modern (board) The classical definition of marketing has several weaknesses that are overcome in the modern definition. A proper definition of marketing should not be confined to goods and service. It should cover organization (for example, Florida Orange growers), people (political candidates and celebrities), place (Denver, Colorado), and ideas (the value of a college education). Figure 1-1 definition of marketing:- Classical / narrow Modern / board 1. Marketing is the performance activates that direct the flow goods and service from producer to consumer or user. (Ralph S.Alexander (Chairman), Report of the definitions committee, journal of marketing, vol. 12 (October 1948), pp. 202-217) 1. Marketing is the exchange taking place between consuming groups on the one hand and supplying groups on the other. (Wroe Alderson, marketing Behavior and Executive Action (Hoewood, 3 Richard D. Irwin, 1957), p. 42). 2. Marketing is the process in a society by which the demand structure for economic goods and service is anticipated or enlarged and satisfied through the conception, promotion, and physical distribution of such goods and services. (Statement of the Philosophy of the marketing faculty, the Ohio state University, The journal of marketing, vol. 29 (January 1965), pp. 43-44). 2. Marketing is concerned with regulating the level, timing, and character of demand for one or more products of an organization. (Philip kotler, The major task of marketing Management, Journal of Marketing, vol. 37 (October 1973), p. 42). 3. Marketing is human activity directed at satisfying needs and through exchange processes. (Philip kotler, Marketing Management: Planning, Analysis, and Control, fourth edition (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-hall, 1980), p. 19). Main Characteristics of Marketing There are four main characteristics of marketing oriented organization: Production Orientation: This is organizational or values where competitive advantage is attained through increase productivity or volume. Its a traditional orientation that exists in the Henry ford era. In modern times this is practiced in compliment with other orientations. Product Orientation: An organizational culture where competitive advantage gained through the creation of product leadership (high quality features) becomes the sole objective of a business. Sales orientations: An organizational culture where competitive advantage attainted through the creation of superior sales force to generate adequate sales becomes the objectives of a business. Carphone warehouse attained its objectives through telemarketing. Marketing Orientations: An organizational culture where beating competition through the creation of superior customer value is the paramount objective throughout the business (piercy, market led strategic change 2001). Key elements of market orientation The main key elements of market orientation are: Customer orientation: Understanding customer well enough to create superior value for them. Long term profit focus: Having this as strategic focus business objective. Interfunctional coordination: Mobilising all company resource to create value for target customer. Competitor orientation: Awareness of the short and long term capabilities of competitors. Organizational Culture: Management and employee behavior to focus on customer satisfactions a value. These are the key aliments that must be flow in oriented organization. Benefits of marketing approach High customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention Increase sales and market share Growth in profitability Enhanced competitive advantage Improved corporate image Cost of marketing approach Increasing customer expectations Staff training and development needs Technology requirement for customer contact and improved ways of doing business Increase resource demand to providing customer specific marketing Complex customer growing needs and power Market orientation assessment Customer orientation Regular collection of information on customer needs Customer focus corporate policies and objectives Regular customer satisfaction review and improved service levels Responsiveness to customer needs Market offers reflecting the various needs of distinct segments Competitor orientation Regular collection of information on competitor activities Responsiveness to competitor actions Bench marking on competitor offering Differentiating on the basis of customer needs Market segmentation criteria In addition to having different needs, for segments to be practical they should be evaluated against the following criteria: Identifiable: the differentiating attributes of the segments must be measurable so that they can be identified Accessible: the segments must be reachable through communication and distribution channels. Substantial: the segments should be sufficiently large to justify the resource required to target them. Unique needs: to justify separate offerings, the segments must respond differently to the different marketing mixes. Durable: the segments should be relatively stable to minimize the cost of frequent changes. A good market segmentation will result in segment that are internally homogenous and externally heterogeneous, that is, as similar as possible within the segment, and as different as possible between segments. Base for Segmentation in consumer markets: Consumer markets can be segmented on the following customer characteristics: Geographic Demographic Psychographic Behavioralistic http://www.netmba.com/marketing/market/segmentation/ (access-05-01-2010) Targeting Strategy There are several different target-market strategies that may be followed. Targeting strategies usually can be categorized as one of the following: Single-segment: strategy also known as a concentrated strategy. One market segment (not the entire market) is served with one marketing mix. A single-segment approach often is the strategy of choice for smaller companies with limited resources. Selective specialization: this is a multiple-segment strategy, also known as a differentiated strategy. Different marketing mixes are offered to different segments. Product specialization: the firm specializes in serving a particular product and tailors it to different market segments. Market specialization: the firm specializes in serving a particular market segment and offers that segment an array of different products. Full market coverage: the firm attempts to serve the entire market. This coverage can be achieved by means of either a mass market strategy in which a single undifferentiated marketing mix is offered to the entire market, or by a differentiated strategy in which a separate marketing mix is offered to each segment. The following diagrams show examples of the five market selection patterns given three market segments S1, S2, and S3, and three products P1, P2, and P3. Single Segment Selective Specialization Product Specialization Market Specialization Full Market Coverage S1 S2 S3 P1 P2 P3 S1 S2 S3 P1 P2 P3 S1 S2 S3 P1 P2 P3 S1 S2 S3 P1 P2 P3 S1 S2 S3 P1 P2 P3 http://www.netmba.com/marketing/market/segmentation/ (access-05-01-2010) A firm that is seeking to enter a market and grow should first target the most attractive segment that matches its capabilities. Affects of buyer behavior One of the most important parts of marketing is buyer or customer behavior. Because of that TESCO must understand why a customer or buyer makes a purchase. Without such an understanding it is hard for TESCO to respond customers needs and wants. According to Peter Clark, co-editor of the Wise Market and co-author of the loyalty Guide reports series, there are six major factors that play key roles in influencing the loyalty and commitment of customer: http://www.thewisemarketer.com/news/read.asp?lc=w29860tx2320zs (access-05-01-2010) This six factors working when every customer goes to buy something. There for TESCO contain to this factor. Because of customer different needs TESCO has focus to maintain what they want and it also depend on different buying situation. There are two main factors that influence a purchase: Cultural factor: Cultural factors have a significant impact on customer behavior. Culture is the most basic cause of persons wants and behavior. Growing up, children learn basic values, perception, and wants from the family and other important groups. Social factor: A customer buying behavior is also influenced by social factors, such as the groups to which the customer belongs and social status. http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/buying_introduction.asp (access-5-01-2010) This all factor effects on TESCO marketing operation because customer is now king and every business have to make sure about there needs. For example in local market means UK TESCO can sale pork but in Asian market it is not possible to sale pork in every place. Organization duty to make sure about customer requirements and also maintain there cultural and social wants. Marketing Mix The concept of a marketing mix is best described by (1990, 43) claiming that is the set of controllable marketing variables that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market it is compose of 4ps: product, price, place, and promotion. In the context of TESCO, their entry to the Chiness market should significantly adapt to the culture of the consumer in the said location. However, the company should take into keep in mind the basic standards to which their company adheres to. Product: The management of TESCO should set off product development strategies once they have taken control of their shop in China by marketing their existing products, exporting products in different province of the country and in so doing pressing forward on the possible opportunities of boosting the companys market penetration and market share. Tesco should consider restoring or revising models of their product to provide the Chiness customers what they want and what they need. In this way Tesco could develop the stores own brand product which could be marketed strategically within the territory of china. Price: Looking at the situation of Tesco, one way that it could acquire cost advantage is by enhancing process efficiency, expanding exclusive contact to a large supplier of lower cost materials, or steering clear of several costs in general. If rival organizations in the country are incapable to lower their costs by a comparable quantity, Tesco will be capable of sustaining a competitive anchored cost leadership. Place: To develop its success in its retail operations, the Tesco should make multi-million pound investments in store expansion in low-income districts and localities. By getting involved with similar-minded public and private sector groups like local community based associations, colleges, and chambers of commerce, the Tesco will be able to open sites in economically disadvantage districts in china. Targeting these areas will enable the company to gain of local luminaries and gain favor from the local government by providing employment to the locals. Promotion: The Tescos approach should constitute a long-standing strategic plan that centers on generation value to expand the loyalty of their customer which takes account of preserving a well-built central Chinese business, to be as strapping in non-food as food product and services, to develop globally and to set the ball rolling on retailing services like on-line shopping. http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/08/tesco-marketing-mix.html (access-05-01-2010) The bottom-line is that object of the marketing mix is to satisfy the customer and in this analysis we can see place play most important roll in china situation. Because of that Tesco not catch that much success like UK or other place. Other hand tesco product price is contribute to get success of Tesco and for that in UK Tesco is a number one retail company. Different between domestic and international market There are eight main factors which is play the key roles to different between domestic and international market. The factor is below: Market size Market rate of growth Government regulation Economic and political factor Market share Product fit Contribution margin Market support (Marketing Today: Gordon Oliver 3rd edition; (1990) prentice hall Inter. (UK) limited. Hertfordshire) These are the key factor which is making different in global and domestic market. For example: In the case of Tesco, Malaysia, economic development condition, food supply chains are being rationalized according to more complicated major retail and food service consumers who wants to make business with fewer, larger, better-resourced manufacturers, suppliers and farmers. Therefore, power is polarizing the global retail industry. However Tesco has a long term business strategy in order increase profits, the company has three different dimensions in their strategies, and these are: corporate, functional and global or international. In this example we can see that how and why international marketing operation of Tesco deferent from domestic market operation. http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/11/strategic-marketing-tescopestleswotbcg.html (access-06-01-2010) Different marketing strategy of Tesco Tesco brought about o lot of changes in these marketing strategies and has grown to become UKs number one retailer. Today in the UK, the retailer has been dominant force more than 10 years-(Seth, A. Randall G., The Grocers: The Rise and Rise of the supermarket Chains). If we look in Tesco history we can see Tesco always change there strategy within time base and for that they get success constantly. In 1973 Lesile Porter and managing director lan MacLaurin applied one philosophy that is pile it high, sell it cheap which had left the company stagnating and with a bad image. In 1977 Tesco launched Operation Checkout which included the abandonment of green Shield stamps, price reductions and centralized buying for all stores. The result is a rise in market share of 4% in two month. 1990s In 1994 the company took over the supermarket chain William Low, successfully fighting off Sainsburys for control of the Dundee-based firm which operated 57 stores. Tesco introduced a loyalty card, branded Clubcard in 1995 and later an internet shopping service. In 1997 Tesco and Esco (part of Exxonmobil) forged a business alliance that included several petrol filling stations on lease from Esco, with Tesco operating the attached stores under the Express format. Ten years later over 600 Tesco/Esco stores can now be found across the UK. 2000s In October 2003 the company launched a UK telecoms division, comprising mobile and home phone service, to complement its existing internet service provider business. August 2004, it also launched a broadband service. In 2007 Tesco took part in a joint venture with O2 to from the Tesco Mobile virtual network operator in Ireland. In April 2009, Tesco announced that it had created a super tomato doesnt leak. We can see here that how Tesco change their strategy from beginning to until now. Other hand we can see Toscos almost entire relationship marketing strategy based on its Clubcard scheme. It has been able to use the Clubcard very effectively in addressing different customer segments and in attracting customers of all types. PESTEL Analysis http://www.learnmarketing.net/pestmarketing.jpg (access 17-12-09) PEST analysis shows the main external impacts of organization. PESTEL stands for political, economical, sociological, technological, ethical, and legal, in TESCO the following external will have great effects whether negatively or positively. Political: following the European integration and free trade Agreements, the market has opened up for British Companies to invest in Eastern Europe. Tesco already has 60 Hypermarket store in hungry. Economic: the Retail sector is fairly recession prawn and also very sensitive t change in interest rates. Since the events of September 11th the world economics have suffered heavily, stock plummeted and price is at all time lows. The world economy is however, now on the up post September 11th. Sociological: Change in consumer taste and lifestyle represent both opportunity and threats for the industry. Technological: change in retailing methods as such clothes sales via the internet is now a common place in retailing. Paperless operation, the management and administration of the company are undertaken on IT system, which are accessed through secure servers provide flexibility in the running of the business. Environmental: the threats are in terms of legal consequence for livestocks in terms of heath and safety. The renewal source of resource used in production, namely cotton and wool are environmentally friendly. Legal: the legal factor is national legislation for health and safety both in terms of consumer and also in terms of production of own natural renewable resource for making clothes. http://www.universitydissertations.com/Marketing/Tesco-Marketing-Strategy.php (access-07-01-2010) SWOT analysis of TESCO http://wc1.smartdraw.com/examples/content/Examples/06_Quality_Control/SWOT_Diagrams/SWOT_Diagram_-_Market_Analysis_L.jpg (access-07-01-2010) Strengths TESCO have secured commercial standing within the global market place wining Retailer of the Year 2008 at the World Retail Awards this can be used marketing campaigns to drive advantage towards the demographic base for future growth and sustainability. In an environment where global retail sales are showing decline or level performance on a like basis TESCO Group have published sales gain of 13% for UK markets and 26% growth in international markets. As a business looking for continued expansion TESCO have reserve funds of credit coupled with income derived from property portfolio development funds. Weaknesses TESCO finance profit levels were impacted through bad debt, credit card arrears and household insurance claims. TESCOs position as a price leader in UK markets can lead to reduced profit margins in order to retain the key price points on must have commercial items. Grocer outlets are not set up to operate as specialist in specific areas of product which can be capitalized on by other smaller bespoke retailer. Whilst current economic conditions suggest TESCO key value massage will succeeded there is a weakness in nonessential, mind to high ticket price items which will suffer from the rising cost of living and lower disposable incomes. Opportunities Statistics suggest TESCO is the third largest global grocer which indicates a level of buying power to ensure mainstream economies of scale. The acquisition of Homever provides the opportunity to develop the brand through Asia, specifically South Korea and further grow international markets for the group. The development of TESCO Direct through online and catalogue shopping will grow the use of technology, providing the launch pad for large non food based products with moderate to high margin returns and less focus on sale and margin per foot return to space. TESCO mobile have grown  ¼ million customer in 2008 and moved into profitable status suggesting further growth and development within this technological area can be developed. Threats UK and America markets have been affected by economic through the credit crunch Lower available income and strategic focus may need to change to lower priced basic products with less focus on higher priced brands suggesting a switch in price architecture. Rising raw material costs from both foods will impact profit margins overall. Changes to consumer buying behaviors require further analysis as technology develops consumers buying patterns change which will result in product areas requiring evaluation. For TESCO there is a persistent threat of takeover form the market leader Wal-Mart who has both means and motive to pursue such action. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/business-resources/swot-analyis-database/tesco-swot-analysis/(access-07-01-2010) Another element of marketing mix People: People play c crucial role in the production and delivery of products and service. The physical presence of people performing the job is a vital aspect of customer satisfaction. The people mix issue: careful job selection careful policies of selection Institute programmers in staff training etc. Process: process involved the ways in which the markets task is achieved. The process mix: company policies accessibility service feature Capacity levels etc. Physical: The physical evidence relates to those aspects of the service provider that customer can see and fell so as to from an impression of the service or its provider. The physical evidence mix: logos colours equipment company vehicles labels Packaging etc. Three new marketing mixes also create importance in marketing. There fore Tescos marketing operation also effect by this new marketing mix. Conclusion Present time Tesco is the number one retail company in UK. They expand there business all over the world for example: China, India, Malaysia etc. TESCO have to understand that international marketing and domestic marketing both are complex process. Therefore they have to maintain their marketing progress and keep focusing on customer. In this report we try to show that how Tesco operate there marketing system, what is there aim, and what they can do. So TESCOs main objective is to take long term decision to make profit and also full-fill customer needs. Recommendation Based on this analysis we can say that TESCO doing vary well retail market in UK. Now they expand their business all over the world and for that TESCO need to care full about there marketing because different country has different type of customer and their needs also no same.

Biblical Creationism versus Scientific Origin Essay -- Science Religio

Commonly, religious discussion turns to the subject of origins. There are two reasons for this: firstly, there are those with a literal or semi-literal interpretation of the Bible (or other relevant holy book) who remain convinced that the world was created in the recent past looking more or less as it does today. Obviously, this issue must be resolved before the existence or nature of the deity can even begin to be discussed! Secondly, even those with the more common, nonliteral interpretation of the creation story often use arguments that aren't valid to insist on direct interference by a deity at one or more points in the past. And while thanks to its flexibility this "tinkering" God theory cannot be ruled out to the same degree as literal interpretation story potentially can, its proponents should still be aware that there's little justification from the evidence for it, and that the majority of the story of our origins can now be explained in a secular manner. The basic idea: scientific knowledge, as we know it, is not incompatible with a creator. But it most certainly does not require one. I think it would be prudent to define a few terms first. Evolution: The change in life over long time scales by descent with modification through natural selection, except when used in astronomical context (where it refers to slow changes in stars and galaxies.) Creationism: Specifically, I use this to mean Christian young-earth creationism; the belief that Earth was created in 6 literal days as written in Genesis 1. Taxon: a division of life: kingdom, phylum, class, species, etc, or an example of such a division (Animals, Chordates, Mammals, Humans, etc) Geological Epochs: Precambrian (4500-545 Mya): Primordial epoch; from th... ...by not giving it an opportunity to form crystals. Once an opportunity occurs, the water will almost instantly transform into ice, perhaps shattering the container it is contained within as it expands. Something like this happens, but at the quantum level, rather than the chemical bond level: in this case, the so-called strong nuclear force separates from the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces (all three had formerly been the same entity), causing space to exert a fantastically powerful repulsive force that inflates the universe by a factor of about 10^20 in about 10^-32 seconds. This force then dies off, leaving the universe to expand at a roughly constant rate through the present day. That's the outline of the theory, and it agrees very well with the observations above. You're free to form your own philosophical interpretation of the origin of the universe.