Saturday, August 31, 2019

Grand Metropolitan PLC Essay

Company Background and Issues Grand Metropolitan PLC was a multinational holdings company that faced a hostile takeover threat in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The company specialized in wine and spirits. The headquarters for operation was in London, England at the time of this case. The major dilemma at hand is avoiding a takeover. The economy was bad at the time, and the company’s stock price was thought to be undervalued, as their low P/E ratio of 13.3 indicated. Management needs to find out why their stock price is so undervalued. A new strategy of Grand Metropolitan’s was to capitalizing brand value on the balance sheet. Another strategy of management was to divest in low growth areas and invest heavier in projects that meet a certain growth criteria. The CEO stated, â€Å"In addition to brewing, we have continued to exit those businesses whose failure potential earnings do not meet our growth criteria†¦ All those decisions were driven by a thorough analysis of income growth prospects†. Senior management is committed to reducing debt. In 1991 alone the debt to capital ratio fell by 9%. Management has shown to be committed to these goals into the future. One of the issues management will have to face is how to tell which business units are outperforming others. Despite the great performance of Grand Metropolitan as a company during the 1980’s, the stock was undervalued in the early 1990’s. This is the immediate issue management must address to avoid a takeover. Financial Analysis Cost of Capital: Our estimate of the pound-based weighted average cost of capital for Grand Metropolitan was 16.433862%. We used the weights from exhibit 6. The tax rate was given as 35%. We used the weighted average costs of debt and preferred stock from exhibit 7. We then discounted the flow of future dividends to find the cost of common equity. We also used the three strategic business units to find the approximate weighted average cost of capital for each unit. We found that WACC for Restaurant-Retailing came to 12.8876%. The WACC for Food Processing came to 12.12%. And the WACC for Drinks came to 11.5513%. We used exhibit 8 to find the average cost of equity and debt for the comparable companies in each business segment and forecasted it on to Grand Metropolitan. We noticed a high cost of equity for Grand Metropolitan. This comes at a time when the company is trying to reduce its debt. The cost of equity was found to be 16% in the U.S. and about 18% in Great Britain. Cost of Debt: To find our cost of debt we took the market value of debt to capital ratios for each segment, found on exhibit 8, for our weights. Our assumptions to find the cost of debt, since it was not explicitly given, were as follows; we used the bond ratings given under each segment, we then used the yields by rating category chart on exhibit 9 to find the appropriate rates and found an average of the ratings assigned for each segment. Now having found our weights and rates we are able to with the tax rate found within each segment find our cost of debt. Currency rate risk: Due to the diversity of markets that Grand Metropolitan operates within, the company is inherently exposed to currency conversation rate risk. The majority of the subsidiaries of Grand Metropolitan operate within the United Kingdom and the United States markets, which utilize the Great Britain Pound and the U.S. Dollar respectively. With Grand Metropolitan’s headquarters in London, England, they have a large number, 77%, of their Debt currency in U.S. dollars. We think this is due to their ability to access a much lower debt rate within the U.S. market, so they can finance their projects with the cheapest debt available. Market Analysis: Grand Metropolitan’s P/E ratio is noticeably lower when compared to the other companies within its segmented segments. We found that these low P/E ratios combined with increased profits made Grand Metropolitan a potential target for corporate raiders, i.e. takeover risk. RONA: During our analysis of individual segments, exhibit 2, we found that the RONAs for the Retailing and Food were lagging behind that of the Drinks segment. Furthermore, the Drinks segment only has 26% of total net assets, yet it provides 46% of operating profits. Comparing this to the Retailing segment, which utilizes 40% of net assets while only contributing 24% of the total profits, shows a great disparity. The Food segment represents 34% of net assets and 30% of the total profits. EVA: When calculating EVA, our early indications that Retailing was a drain on the company’s profits and growth were further confirmed. Retail had a negative EVA of -137.70. Drinks were clearly the main most efficient segment with an EVA of 135.83, and Food had a -44.04 EVA. We calculated these EVA’s using our segment WACC’s and using Net Assets as a measure of Capital. Tax Rates for each segment were given in exhibit 8, which were applied to operating profit for a NOPAT of each segment. These results show how mismanaged and inefficient the Retailing segment, and to a smaller degree the food segment are. Environmental Analysis: Strengths: The strength of Grand Metropolitan is its drink segment. The operating profit in the United States has been grown from $185 to $517. The UK and Ireland are using only 30% of net assets, but contribute 36% of the operating profit. Weaknesses: Retailing appears to be a weakness for Grand Metropolitan. The return on net assets and operating profit has been consistently lower than the other segments. The company’s capital structure is set up with a heavier than average amount of debt. Grand Metropolitan carries 43% debt to capital, while the average for comparable companies is between 28-34% depending on the segment. Opportunities: Grand Metropolitan has an opportunity to increase profits by investing in current successful brands. The brands that fall under drinks have proven to give the highest return on net assets. Recommendation: From our results we can conclude that the Retailing and Food segments are not adding value to the firm and are bringing down the value being added by the Drinks segment. While Food’s EVA of -44.04 isn’t nearly as bad as Retail’s -137.70, both are bringing down the company’s growth opportunities. These segments are either ripe for a selloff or restructuring. The food segment especially seems like it needs just a management change since it’s close to being positive EVA but return on net assets has dipped in the last few years, leading to the low EVA.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Seventeen

The four of us moved as silently as we could into the forest, from the place where Gretchen had seen Magdy, Enzo and their two friends go into the tree line. We listened for their sounds; none of them had been trained to move quietly. It wasn't a good thing for them, especially if the creatures decided to hunt them. It was better for us, because we wanted to track them. We listened for our friends on the ground, we watched and listened for movement in the trees. We already knew whatever they were could track us. We hoped we might be able to track them, too. In the distance, we heard rustling, as if of quick, hurried movement. We headed that direction, Gretchen and I taking point, Hickory and Dickory fast behind. Gretchen and I had been training for months, learning how to move, how to defend ourselves, how to fight and how to kill, if it was necessary. Tonight, any part of what we learned might have to be used. We might have to fight. We might even have to kill. I was so scared that if I stopped running, I think I would have collapsed into a ball and never gotten up. I didn't stop running. I kept going. Trying to find Enzo and Magdy before something else did. Trying to find them, and to save them. â€Å"After Gutierrez left, Magdy didn't see any point in keeping our story quiet anymore, so he started blabbing to his friends,† Gretchen had told me. â€Å"He was giving people the idea that he'd actually faced these things and had managed to keep them off while the rest of us were getting away.† â€Å"Idiot,† I said. â€Å"When you parents came back without the hunting party, a group of his friends came to him about organizing a search,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Which was actually just an excuse for a bunch of them to stalk through the forest with guns. My dad caught wind of this and tried to step on its head. He reminded them that five adults just went into the forest and didn't come out. I thought that was the end of it, but now I hear that Magdy just waited until my dad went to go visit yours before gathering up some like-minded idiots to head off into the woods.† â€Å"Didn't anyone notice them heading off?† I asked. â€Å"They told people they were going to do a little target practice on Magdy's parents' homestead,† Gretchen said. â€Å"No one's going to complain about them doing that right about now. Once they got there they just took off. The rest of Magdy's family is here in town like everyone else. No one knows they're missing.† â€Å"How'd you find out about this?† I asked. â€Å"It's not like Magdy would tell you this right now.† â€Å"His little group left someone behind,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Isaiah Miller was going to go with him, but his dad wouldn't let him have the rifle for ‘target practice.' I heard him complaining about that and then basically intimidated the rest of it out of him.† â€Å"Has he told anybody else?† I asked. â€Å"I don't think so,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Now that he's had time to think about it I don't think he wants to get in trouble. But we should tell someone.† â€Å"We'll cause a panic if we do,† I said. â€Å"Six people have already died. If we tell people four more people – four kids – have gone off into the woods, people will go insane. Then we'll have more people heading off with guns and more people dying, either by these things or by accidentally shooting each other because they're so wired up.† â€Å"What do you want to do, then?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"We've been training for this, Gretchen,† I said. Gretchen's eyes got very wide. â€Å"Oh, no,† she said. â€Å"Zoe, I love you, but that's loopy. There's no way you're getting me out there to be a target for these things again, and there's no way I'm going to let you go out there.† â€Å"It wouldn't just be us,† I said. â€Å"Hickory and Dickory – â€Å" â€Å"Hickory and Dickory are going to tell you you're nuts, too,† Gretchen said. â€Å"They just spent months teaching you how to defend yourself, and you think they're going to be at all happy with you putting yourself out there for something to use as spear practice. I don't think so.† â€Å"Let's ask them,† I said. â€Å"Miss Gretchen is correct,† Hickory said to me, once I called for it and Dickory. â€Å"This is a very bad idea. Major Perry and Lieutenant Sagan are the ones who should deal with this matter.† â€Å"My dad's got the whole rest of the colony to worry about at the moment,† I said. â€Å"And Mom's in the medical bay, getting fixed from when she dealt with this the last time.† â€Å"You don't think that tells you something?† Gretchen said. I turned on her, a little angry, and she held up a hand. â€Å"Sorry, Zoe. That came out wrong. But think about it. Your mom was a Special Forces soldier. She fought things for a living. And if she came out of this with a wound bad enough for her to spend her night in the medical bay, it means that whatever is out there is serious business.† â€Å"Who else can do this?† I asked. â€Å"Mom and Dad went after that hunting party on their own for a reason – they had been trained to fight and deal with experiences like that. Anyone else would have gotten themselves killed. They can't go after Magdy and Enzo right now. If anyone else goes after them, they're going to be in just as much danger as those two and their other friends. We're the only ones who can do this.† â€Å"Don't get angry at me for saying this,† Gretchen said. â€Å"But it sounds like you're excited to do this. Like you want to go out there and fight something.† â€Å"I want to find Enzo and Magdy,† I said. â€Å"That's all I want to do.† â€Å"We should inform your father,† Hickory said. â€Å"If we inform my father he'll tell us no,† I said. â€Å"And the longer we talk about this the longer it's going to take to find our friends.† Hickory and Dickory put their heads together and clacked quietly for a minute. â€Å"This is not a good idea,† Hickory said, finally. â€Å"But we will help you.† â€Å"Gretchen?† I asked. â€Å"I'm trying to decide if Magdy is worth it,† she said. â€Å"Gretchen,† I said. â€Å"It's a joke,† she said. â€Å"The sort you make when you're about to wet your pants.† â€Å"If we are to do this,† Hickory said. â€Å"We must do it on the assumption that we will engage in combat. You have been trained with firearms and hand weapons. You must be prepared to use them if necessary.† â€Å"I understand,† I said. Gretchen nodded. â€Å"Then let us get ready,† Hickory said. â€Å"And let us do so quietly.† Any confidence that I had any idea what I was doing left me the moment we entered the forest, when the running through the trees brought me back to the last time I raced through them at night, some unknown thing or things pacing us invisibly. The difference between now and then was that I had been trained and prepared to fight. I thought it would make a difference in how I felt. It didn't. I was scared. And not just a little. The rustling, rushing sound we had heard was getting closer to us and heading right for us, on the ground and moving fast. The four of us halted and hid and prepared ourselves to deal with whatever was coming at us. Two human forms burst out of the brush and ran in a straight line past where Gretchen and I were hiding. Hickory and Dickory grabbed them as they passed by them; the boys screamed in terror as Hickory and Dickory took them down. Their rifles went skidding across the ground. Gretchen and I rushed over to them and tried to calm them down. Being human helped. Neither was Enzo or Magdy. â€Å"Hey,† I said, as soothingly as I could, to the one closest to me. â€Å"Hey. Relax. You're safe. Relax.† Gretchen was doing the same to the other one. Eventually I recognized who they were: Albert Yoo and Michel Gruber. Both Albert and Michel were people I had long filed away under the â€Å"kind of a twit† category, so I didn't spend any more time with them than I had to. They had returned the favor. â€Å"Albert,† I said, to the one closest to me. â€Å"Where are Enzo and Magdy?† â€Å"Get your thing off of me!† Albert said. Dickory was still restraining him. â€Å"Dickory,† I said. It let Albert go. â€Å"Where are Enzo and Magdy?† I repeated. â€Å"I don't know,† Albert said. â€Å"We got separated. Those things in the trees started chanting at us and Michel and I got spooked and took off.† â€Å"Chanting?† I asked. â€Å"Or singing or clicking or whatever,† Albert said. â€Å"We were walking along, looking for these things when all these noises started coming out of the trees. Like they were trying to show us that they had snuck up on us without us even knowing.† This worried me. â€Å"Hickory?† I asked. â€Å"There is nothing significant in the trees,† it said. I relaxed a little. â€Å"They surrounded us,† Albert said. â€Å"And then Magdy took a shot at them. And then things really got loud. Michel and I got out of there. We just ran. We didn't see where Magdy and Enzo went.† â€Å"How long ago was this?† I asked. â€Å"I don't know,† Albert said. â€Å"Ten minutes, fifteen. Something like that.† â€Å"Show us where you came from,† I said. Albert pointed. I nodded. â€Å"Get up,† I said. â€Å"Dickory will take you and Michel back to the tree line. You can get back from there.† â€Å"I'm not going anywhere with that thing,† Michel said, his first contribution to the evening. â€Å"Okay, then you have two choices,† I said. â€Å"Stay here and hope we come back for you before these things do, or hope that you make it to the tree line before they catch up with you. Or you can let Dickory help you and maybe survive. Your choice.† I said it a little more forcefully than I had to, but I was annoyed that this idiot didn't want help staying alive. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"Good,† I said. I picked up their rifles and handed them to Dickory, and took his. â€Å"Take them to the tree line near Magdy's homestead. Don't give them back their rifles until you get there. Come back and find us as soon as you can.† Dickory nodded, intimidated Albert and Michel into movement, and headed off. â€Å"I never liked them,† Gretchen said as they left. â€Å"I can see why,† I said, and gave Dickory's rifle to Hickory. â€Å"Come on. Let's keep going.† We heard them before we saw them. Actually, Hickory, whose hearing goes above human range, heard them – trilling and chirping and chanting. â€Å"They are singing,† Hickory said quietly, and led Gretchen and me to them. Dickory arrived, silently, just before we found them. Hickory handed over its rifle. In the small clearing were six figures. Enzo and Magdy were the first I recognized. They knelt on the ground, heads down, waiting for whatever was going to happen to them. The light was not good enough for me to see any expression on either of their faces, but I didn't have to see their faces to know that they were scared. Whatever had happened to the two of them had gone badly, and now they were just waiting for it to end. However it would end. I took in Enzo's kneeling form and remembered in a rush why I loved him. He was there because he was trying to be a good friend for Magdy. Trying to keep him out of trouble, or at the very least to share his trouble if he could. He was a decent human being, which is rare enough but is something of a miracle in a teenage boy. I came out here for him because I still loved him. It had been weeks since we'd said anything more than a simple â€Å"hello† at school – when you break up in a small community you have to make some space – but it didn't matter. I was still connected to him. Some part of him stayed in my heart, and I imagined would for as long as I lived. Yes, it was a really inconvenient place and time to realize all of this, but these things happen when they happen. And it didn't make any noise, so it was all right. I looked over at Magdy, and this is the thought I had: When all of this is through, I am seriously going to kick his ass. The four other figures†¦ Werewolves. It was the only way to describe them. They looked feral, and strong, and carnivorous and nightmarish, and with all of that was movement and sound that made it clear that there were brains in there to go along with everything else. They shared the four eyes of all the Roanoke animals we had seen so far, but other than that they could have been lifted right out of folklore. These were werewolves. Three of the werewolves were busy taunting and poking Magdy and Enzo, clearly toying with them and threatening them. One of them held a rifle that it had taken off of Magdy, and was jabbing him with it. I wondered if was still loaded, and what would happen to Magdy or the werewolf if it went off. Another held a spear and occasionally poked Enzo with it. The three of them were chirping and clicking at each other; I don't doubt they were discussing what to do with Magdy and Enzo, and how to do it. The fourth werewolf stood apart from the other three and acted differently. When one of the other werewolves went to poke Enzo or Magdy, it would step in and try to keep them from doing it, standing between the humans and the rest of the werewolves. Occasionally it would step in and try to talk to one of the other werewolves, gesturing back to Enzo and Magdy for emphasis. It was trying to convince the other werewolves of something. To let the humans go? Maybe. Whatever it was, the other werewolves weren't having any of it. The fourth werewolf kept at it anyway. It suddenly reminded me of Enzo, the first time I saw him, trying to keep Magdy from getting into an idiotic fight for no reason at all. It didn't work that time; Gretchen and I had to step in and do something. It wasn't working now, either. I glanced over and saw that Hickory and Dickory had both taken up positions where they could get clean shots at the werewolves. Gretchen had moved off from me and was setting up her own shot. Between the four of us we could take all of the werewolves before they even knew what had happened to them. It would be quick and clean and easy, and we'd get Enzo and Magdy out of there and back home before anyone knew anything had happened. It was the smart thing to do. I quietly moved and readied my weapon, and took a minute or two to stop shaking and steady up. I knew we'd take them in sequence, Hickory on the far left taking the first of the three group werewolves, Dickory taking the second, Gretchen the third, and I the last one, standing away from the rest. I knew the rest of them were waiting for me to make the shot. One of the werewolves moved to poke Enzo again. My werewolf hurried, too late, to stop the assault. And I knew. I didn't want to. I just didn't. Didn't want to kill it. Because it was trying to save my friends, not kill them. It didn't deserve to die just because that was the easiest way to get back Enzo and Magdy. But I didn't know what else to do. The three werewolves started chittering again, first in what seemed like a random way, but then together, and to a beat. The one with a spear began thumping it into the ground in time, and the three of them started working off the beat, playing against each other's voices for what was clearly a victory chant of some sort or another. The fourth werewolf started gesturing more frantically. I had a terrible fear of what was going to happen at the end of the chant. They kept singing, getting closer to the end of that chant. So I did what I had to do. I sang back. I opened my mouth and the first line of â€Å"Delhi Morning† came out of it. Not well, and not on key. Actually, it was really bad – all those months of practicing it and playing it at hootenannies were not paying off. It didn't matter. It was doing what I needed it to do. The werewolves immediately fell silent. I kept singing. I glanced over to Gretchen, who was not so far away that I couldn't read the Are you completely insane? look that she had on her face. I gave her a look that said, Help me out please. Her face tightened up into something unreadable and she sighted down her rifle to keep one of the werewolves squarely in target – and started to sing the counterpoint of the song, dipping above and below my part, like we had practiced so many times. With her help I found the right key to sing and homed in. And now the werewolves knew there was more than one of us. To the left of Gretchen, Dickory chimed in, mimicking the sitar of the song as he did so well. It was funny to watch, but when you closed your eyes it was hard to tell the difference between it and the real thing. I drank in the twang of his voice and kept singing. And to the left of Dickory, Hickory finally came in, using its long neck to sound off like a drum, finding the beat and keeping it from then on. And now the werewolves knew there were as many of us as them. And that we could have killed them anytime. But we didn't. My stupid plan was working. Now all I had to do was figure what I had planned to do next. Because I really didn't know what I was doing here. All I knew was that I didn't want to shoot my werewolf. The one, in fact, who had now stepped off entirely away from the rest of his pack and was walking toward where he thought my voice was coming from. I decided to meet him halfway. I set down my rifle and stepped into the clearing, still singing. The werewolf with the spear began to raise it, and suddenly my mouth was very dry. I think my werewolf noticed something on my face, because it turned and chattered madly at the spear carrier. The spear went down; my werewolf didn't know it, but he'd just saved his friend a bullet in the head from Gretchen. My werewolf turned back to me and started walking toward me again. I kept singing until the song was through. By that time, my werewolf was standing right next to me. Our song was finished. I stood there, waiting to see what my werewolf would do next. What he did next was point to my neck, to the jade elephant pendant Jane had given me. I touched it. â€Å"Elephant,† I said. â€Å"Like your fanties.† He stared at it again and then stared at me again. Finally it chirped out something. â€Å"Hello,† I said back. What else was I going to say? We had a couple more minutes of sizing each other up. Then one of the three other werewolves chirped something. He chirped something back, and then tilted his head at me, as if to say, It would really help me if you actually did something here. So I pointed to Enzo and Magdy. â€Å"Those two belong to me,† I said, making what I hoped were appropriate hand signals, so my werewolf would get the idea. â€Å"I want to take them back with me.† I motioned back in the direction of the colony. â€Å"Then we'll leave you alone.† The werewolf watched all my hand signals; I'm not sure how many of them he actually got. But when I was done, he pointed to Enzo and Magdy, then to me, and then in the direction of the colony, as if to say, Let me make sure I've got this right. I nodded, said â€Å"yes,† and then repeated all the hand signals again. We were actually having a conversation. Or maybe we weren't, because what followed was an explosion of chittering from my werewolf, along with some wild gesticulating. I tried to follow it but I had no idea what was going on. I looked at him helplessly, trying to get what he was saying. Finally he figured out I had no clue what he was doing. So he pointed at Magdy, and then pointed at the rifle one of the other werewolves was holding. And then he pointed at his side, and then motioned at me as if to take a closer look. Against my better judgment, I did, and noticed something I missed before: My werewolf was injured. An ugly furrow was carved into his side, surrounded by raw welts on either side. That idiot Magdy had shot my werewolf. Barely, sure. Magdy was lucky that his aim continued to be bad, otherwise he'd probably already be dead. But even grazing it was bad enough. I backed up from the werewolf and let him know I'd seen enough. He pointed at Enzo, pointed at me, and pointed back to the colony. Then he pointed at Magdy and pointed at his werewolf friends. This was clear enough: He was saying Enzo was free to go with me, but his friends wanted to keep Magdy. I didn't doubt that would end badly for Magdy. I shook my head and made it clear I needed the both of them. My werewolf made it equally clear they wanted Magdy. Our negotiations had just hit a really big snag. I looked my werewolf up and down. He was stocky, barely taller than me, and covered only in a sort of short skirt cinched up with a belt. A simple stone knife hung from the belt. I'd seen pictures of knives like it from history books detailing the Cro-Magnon days back on Earth. The funny thing about the Cro-Magnons was that despite the fact that they were barely above banging rocks together, their brains were actually larger than our brains are now. They were cavemen, but they weren't stupid. They had the ability to think about serious stuff. â€Å"I sure hope you have a Cro-Magnon brain,† I said to my werewolf. â€Å"Otherwise I'm about to get in trouble.† He tilted his head again, trying to figure out what I was trying to say to him. I motioned again, trying to make it clear I wanted to talk to Magdy. My werewolf didn't seem happy about this, and chattered something to his friends. They chattered back, and got pretty agitated. But in the end, my werewolf reached out to me. I let him take my wrist and he dragged me over to Magdy. His three friends fanned themselves out behind me, ready if I should try anything stupid. I knew outside the clearing Hickory and Dickory, at least, would be moving to get better sight lines. There were still lots of ways this could go very very wrong. Magdy was still kneeling, not looking at me or anything else but a spot on the ground. â€Å"Magdy,† I said. â€Å"Kill these stupid things and get us out of here already,† he said, quietly and fast, still not looking at me. â€Å"I know you know how. I know you have enough people out there to do it.† â€Å"Magdy,† I said again. â€Å"Listen to me carefully and don't interrupt me. These things want to kill you. They're willing to let Enzo go, but they want to keep you because you shot one of them. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?† â€Å"Just kill them,† Magdy said. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"You went after these guys, Magdy. You were hunting them. You shot at them. I'm going to try to keep you from getting killed. But I'm not going to kill them because you put yourself in their way. Not unless I have to. Do you understand me?† â€Å"They're going to kill us,† Magdy said. â€Å"You and me and Enzo.† â€Å"I don't think so,† I said. â€Å"But if you don't shut up and actually listen to what I'm trying to say to you, you're going to make that more likely.† â€Å"Just shoot – † Magdy began. â€Å"For God's sake, Magdy,† Enzo said suddenly, from Magdy's side. â€Å"One person on the entire planet is risking her own neck for you and all you can do is argue with her. You really are an ungrateful piece of crap. Now would you please shut up and listen to her. I'd like to get out of this alive.† I don't know who was more surprised by that outburst, me or Magdy. â€Å"Fine,† Magdy said, after a minute. â€Å"These things want to kill you because you shot one of them,† I said. â€Å"I'm going to try to convince them to let you go. But you're going to have to trust me and follow my lead and not argue and not fight back. For the last time: Do you understand me?† â€Å"Yes,† Magdy said. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"They think I'm your leader. So I need to give them the idea I'm angry with you for what you did. I'm going to have to punish you in front of them. And just so you know, this is going to hurt. A lot.† â€Å"Just – † Magdy began. â€Å"Magdy,† I said. â€Å"Yeah, all right, whatever,† Magdy said. â€Å"Let's just do this.† â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Sorry about this.† Then I kicked him in the ribs. Hard. He collapsed with a whoosh and fell flat to the ground. Whatever he was expecting, he wasn't expecting that. After he had gasped on the ground for a minute I grabbed him by the hair. He clutched at my hand and tried to get away. â€Å"Don't fight me,† I said, and gave him a quick punch in the ribs to make the point. He got it and stopped. I pulled his head back and yelled at him for shooting the werewolf, pointing at his rifle and then the wounded werewolf and back and forth several times to make the point. The werewolves seemed to make the connection and chittered among themselves about it. â€Å"Apologize,† I told Magdy, still holding his head. Magdy reached out to the wounded werewolf. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. â€Å"If I had known that shooting would mean Zoe got to beat the crap out of me, I would never have done it.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said, and then let go of his hair and smacked him hard across the face. Magdy went down again. I looked over to the werewolf to see if this was sufficient. He didn't look like he was quite there yet. I loomed over Magdy. â€Å"How are you doing?† I asked. â€Å"I think I'm going to throw up,† he said. â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"I think that would work. Need any help?† â€Å"I got it,† he said, and retched all over the ground. This got impressed chirps from the werewolves. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Last part, Magdy. You really have to trust me on this one.† â€Å"Please stop hurting me now,† Magdy said. â€Å"Almost done,† I said. â€Å"Stand up, please.† â€Å"I don't think I can,† he said. â€Å"Sure you can,† I said, and wrenched his arm to give him motivation. Magdy inhaled and stood up. I marched him over to my werewolf, who eyed the both of us, curiously. I pointed at Magdy, and then to the werewolf's wound. Then I pointed to the werewolf, and made a slashing motion on Magdy's side, and then pointed at the werewolf's knife. The werewolf gave me yet another head tilt, as if to say, I want to be sure we understand each other, here. â€Å"Fair's fair,† I said. â€Å"You're going to let him stab me?† Magdy said, his voice rising dramatically at the end of that sentence. â€Å"You shot him,† I said. â€Å"He could kill me,† Magdy said. â€Å"You could have killed him,† I said. â€Å"I hate you,† Magdy said. â€Å"I really really really hate you now.† â€Å"Shut up,† I said, and then nodded to the werewolf. â€Å"Trust me,† I said to Magdy. The werewolf drew his knife, and then looked back at his companions, who were all chattering loudly and beginning to chant what they were chanting earlier. I was all right with that. The difference now was that it was my werewolf who would do whatever violence would be done. My werewolf stood there for a minute, soaking in the chant of his fellow werewolves. Then without warning he sliced at Magdy so quickly that I only got him moving back, not forward. Magdy hissed in pain. I let him go and he fell to the ground, clutching his side. I moved in front of him and grabbed his hands. â€Å"Let me see,† I said. Magdy moved his hands and winced preemptively, expecting a gush of blood. There was only the thinnest red line on his side. The werewolf had cut Magdy just enough to let him know he could have cut him a lot worse. â€Å"I knew it,† I said. â€Å"You knew what?† Magdy said. â€Å"That I was dealing with a Cro-Magnon,† I said. â€Å"I really don't understand you,† Magdy said. â€Å"Stay down,† I said. â€Å"Don't get up until I tell you.† â€Å"I'm not moving,† he said. â€Å"Really.† I stood up and faced the werewolf, who had put his knife back on his belt. He pointed to Magdy, and then pointed to me, and then pointed back toward the colony. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, and gave the werewolf a little nod of my head, which I hoped would convey the idea. When I looked up again, I saw him staring at my jade elephant again. I wondered if he'd ever seen jewelry before, or if it was simply because an elephant looks like a fantie. These werewolves followed the fantie herds; they would be a main source of food for them. They were their lives. I took off my necklace and handed it to my werewolf. He took it and gently touched the pendant, making it twirl and glitter in the dim light of the night. He cooed at it appreciatively. Then he handed it back to me. â€Å"No,† I said. I held up a hand, and then pointed to the pendant, and to him. â€Å"It's for you. I'm giving it to you.† The werewolf stood there for a moment, and then uttered a trill, which caused his friends to crowd around him. He held up the pendant for them to admire. â€Å"Here,† I said, after a minute, and motioned to him to hand me the necklace. He did, and I – very slowly, so I wouldn't surprise him – put it around his neck and fastened it. The pendant touched his chest. He touched it again. â€Å"There,† I said. â€Å"That was given to me by someone very important, so I would remember the people who loved me. I'm giving it to you, so you'll remember that I'm thanking you for giving me back people I love. Thank you.† The werewolf gave me another of his head tilts. â€Å"I know you don't have any idea what I'm saying,† I said. â€Å"Thank you anyway.† The werewolf reached to his side, pulled his knife. Then he laid it flat on his hand and offered it to me. I took it. â€Å"Wow,† I said, and admired it. I was careful not to touch the actual blade; I'd already seen how sharp it was. I tried to return it but he held up his hand or claw or whatever you want to call it, in a mirror of what I did for him. He was giving it to me. â€Å"Thank you,† I said again. He chirped, and with that he returned to his friends. The one holding Magdy's rifle dropped it, and then without looking back they walked to the nearest trees, scaled them at an unbelievable speed and were gone almost instantly. â€Å"Holy crap,† I said, after a minute. â€Å"I can't believe that actually worked.† â€Å"You can't believe it,† Gretchen said. She came out of hiding and stalked right up to me. â€Å"What the hell is wrong with you? We come out all this way and you sing at them. Sing. Like you're at a hootenanny. We are not doing this again. Ever.† â€Å"Thank you for following my lead,† I said. â€Å"And for trusting me. I love you.† â€Å"I love you too,† Gretchen said. â€Å"It still doesn't mean this is ever going to happen again.† â€Å"Fair enough,† I said. â€Å"It was almost worth it to see you beat the crap out of Magdy, though,† Gretchen said. â€Å"God, I feel horrible about that,† I said. â€Å"Really?† Gretchen said. â€Å"It wasn't just a little bit of fun?† â€Å"Oh, all right,† I said. â€Å"Maybe a little.† â€Å"I'm right here,† Magdy said, from the ground. â€Å"And you need to thank Zoe you are,† Gretchen said, and bent down to kiss him. â€Å"You stupid, exasperating person. I am so happy you are still alive. And if you ever do anything like this again, I will kill you myself. And you know I can.† â€Å"I know,† he said, and pointed to me. â€Å"And if you can't, she will. I get it.† â€Å"Good,† Gretchen said. She stood up and then held out her hand to Magdy. â€Å"Now get up. We've got a long way to go to get home, and I think we just blew all our dumb luck for the year.† â€Å"What are you going to tell your parents?† Enzo asked me, as we walked home. â€Å"Tonight? Not a thing,† I said. â€Å"Both of them have enough to worry about tonight. They don't need me coming in and saying that while they were out I faced down four werewolves who were about to kill two more colonists, and defeated them using only the power of song. I think I might wait a day or two to drop that one. That's a hint, by the way.† â€Å"Hint taken,† Enzo said. â€Å"Although you are going to tell them something.† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"We have to. If these werewolves are following the fantie herds then we're going to have problems like this every year, and every time they come back. I think we need to let people know they're not actually murdering savages, but we're all still better off if we just leave them alone.† â€Å"How did you know?† Enzo asked me, a minute later. â€Å"Know what?† I said. â€Å"That those werewolf thingies weren't just murdering savages,† Enzo said. â€Å"You held Magdy and let that werewolf take a shot at him. You thought he wouldn't stab Magdy to death. I heard you, you know. After it did it, you said ‘I knew it.' So how did you know?† â€Å"I didn't,† I said. â€Å"But I hoped. He had just spent God knows how long keeping his friends from killing the two of you. I don't think he was just doing it because he was a nice guy.† â€Å"Nice werewolf,† Enzo said. â€Å"Nice whatever he is,† I said. â€Å"Thing is, the werewolves have killed some of us. I know John and Jane killed some of them trying to get our people back. Both of us – the colonists and the werewolves – showed we were perfectly able to kill each other. I think we needed to show that we were capable of not killing each other, too. We let them know that when we sang at them instead of shooting them. I think my werewolf got that. So when I offered him a chance to get back at Magdy, I guessed he wouldn't really hurt him. Because I think he wanted us to know he was smart enough to know what would happen if he did.† â€Å"You still took a big risk,† Enzo said. â€Å"Yeah, I did,† I said. â€Å"But the only other alternative was to kill him and his friends, or have them kill all of us. Or all of us kill each other. I guess I hoped I could do something better. Besides, I didn't think it was too big a risk. What he was doing when he was keeping the others away from you two reminded me of someone I knew.† â€Å"Who?† Enzo asked. â€Å"You,† I said. â€Å"Yes, well,† Enzo said. â€Å"I think tonight marks the official last time I tag along with Magdy to keep him out of trouble. After this he's on his own.† â€Å"I have nothing bad to say about this idea,† I said. â€Å"I didn't think you would,† Enzo said. â€Å"I know Magdy gets on your last nerve sometimes.† â€Å"He does,† I said. â€Å"He really, really does. But what can I do? He's my friend.† â€Å"He belongs to you,† Enzo said. â€Å"And so do I.† I looked over at him. â€Å"You heard that part, too,† I said. â€Å"Trust me, Zoe,† Enzo said. â€Å"Once you showed up, I never stopped listening to you. I'll be able to recite everything you said for the rest of my life. Which I now have, thanks to you.† â€Å"And Gretchen and Hickory and Dickory,† I said. â€Å"And I will thank them all, too,† Enzo said. â€Å"But right now I want to focus on you. Thank you, Zoe Boutin-Perry. Thank you for saving my life.† â€Å"You're welcome,† I said. â€Å"And stop it. You're making me blush.† â€Å"I don't believe it,† Enzo said. â€Å"And now it's too dark to see.† â€Å"Feel my cheeks,† I said. He did. â€Å"You don't feel especially blushy,† he said. â€Å"You're not doing it right,† I said. â€Å"I'm out of practice,† he said. â€Å"Well, fix that,† I said. â€Å"All right,† Enzo said, and kissed me. â€Å"That was supposed to make you blush, not cry,† he said, after we stopped. â€Å"Sorry,† I said, and tried to get myself back together. â€Å"I've just really missed it. That. Us.† â€Å"It's my fault,† Enzo started. I put a hand up to his lips. â€Å"I don't care about any of that,† I said. â€Å"I really don't, Enzo. None of that matters to me. I just don't want to miss you anymore.† â€Å"Zoe,† Enzo said. He took my hands. â€Å"You saved me. You have me. You own me. I belong to you. You said it yourself.† â€Å"I did,† I admitted. â€Å"So that's settled,† Enzo said. â€Å"Okay,† I said, and smiled. We kissed some more, in the night, outside Enzo's front gate.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Constructivist Learning and VLEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Constructivist Learning and VLEs - Essay Example As the essay stresses learning theories are the basis of instructional-design theories. Reigeluth comments that the relationship between a learning theory and an instructional theory could be equated to that of a house and its foundation. Problem-based learning (PBL), is a constructivist learning model, which is fundamentally an instructional-design theory. Reigeluth observes that a theory is considered to be an instructional theory if it â€Å"offers explicit guidance on how to better help people learn and develop.† From the report it is clear that constructivist theories are based on the assumption that students must construct their own ideas through the guidance of a teacher. Here the teacher is a mere guide and the student shoulders the responsibility of unravelling knowledge for themselves. In constructivist model of education, there is no memorising of theory and data. Students have to reach upon their conclusions and have to develop knowledge by themselves. As Miller suggests, if the learner is to acquire specific knowledge, then the instruction must employ the correct instructional strategy for promoting the acquisition of that kind of knowledge. Cognitive Constructivism propounded by Piaget believes in the supremacy of mind in learning process and considers the organization of information around concepts, problems, and the interrelationships of associated subjects and ideas.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Employment Relations - Trade Unions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employment Relations - Trade Unions - Essay Example of unions in the industrial sector relate to regulation of employment relations, collective bargaining, enforcement, and starting new demands for the members. These unions may be in the form of company unions, general unions or craft union (Frege & Kelly, 2004). However, trade unions have been affected by a declining number of members, political interference and the legislative base over time. This has led to their declining power and reduced commitment leading to their ineffectiveness. The need to refresh their capacity is necessary, and various approaches have been suggested and used to revitalize trade unions. Among them are union organizing, partnerships and corporation campaigns. This paper explores the current nature and structure of labour union movement in the United States, and the evolvement of such unions to date. It also highlights the reasons that have caused the inactive states of industrial unions as well as the measures taken to revitalize the unions. Besides this, the paper gives an evaluation of approaches of revitalization in the US and the most significant when it is to addressing the issues of the employees towards improvement of industrial relations. The industrial labour movement in the United States dates back to the 19th century, and has evolved since then to include hundreds of employees with most of the workers joining in the 1930s (Freeman, 2005, p.286). It is during this period that organizations were formed to bring together workers for the aim of fighting for their rights at work and radical tactics were formulated to achieve this end such as the use of sit-down-strikes. The contemporary unions formed were to the conservative American Federation of Labour (AFL) which had come into place in the early 18th century to fight for proper treatment of the knights (Kelly & Frege, 2003, p.93). After the Second World War, routine was established, and interactions between the state, the employers, and the labour movements AFL and Congress

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Analysis of code of ethics in testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of code of ethics in testing - Essay Example The Code relates widely to assessing in education that is, educational assessment, student placement, admissions and educational diagnosis. This means that the code is related to usual paper and pencil tests, performance tests and computer based tests. However, it isn’t intended to cover certificate testing, employment testing or other forms of testing outside the educational field. The Code is mainly directed at tests that are professionally developed that are used in programs that are officially administered testing. Since the Code does not cover tests prepared by teachers, teachers are persuaded to make use of the procedures so as to develop their testing performances. The Code does concentrate on the functions of test users and test developers separately. Test developers are mainly organizations and people that set up policies and construct tests. Test users are agencies and people that decide on tests, order test improvement services, make decisions on the tests illustrated and administer tests. Test users and developers roles may overlie, for instance, when a local or state education agency takes charge of test development services, setting up policies that manage the test development process as well as making decisions based on the test score. Several statements in the Code submit the use and selection of tests that have existed. The Code must provide guidance in cases where new test are developed, when the administration of a test is put into order or when modification is done to an existing test. The Code isn’t aimed to be compulsory, definitive or exhaustive and it may not be relevant to every circumstances. Alternatively, the Code is projected to be inspirational and not aimed to take superiority over the ruling of those who are competent in the subject addressed. The Code offers assistance independently for tests users and developers in four vital areas: selecting and developing suitable

Monday, August 26, 2019

Personal Debt Crisis In the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Debt Crisis In the UK - Essay Example Seeing how things have gone south economically worldwide, one can only hope that governments, the global financial industry and more importantly, the private individual had better get their acts together. Citizens Advice Chief Executive David Harker cited the CAB statistics as "worrying evidence" that a large and growing number of people will continue to pay the price, and will become overwhelmed by serious debt impacting adversely on their lives. He further stressed that even more worrying are the "signs that people are struggling not only to repay credit, but also to afford day-to-day essentials" (CAB, 2007). According to a study that analyzed the impact of debt advice in the UK, there seemed to be three different types of debt that can be attributed to the following causes: changing circumstances, poor money management, and creditor behaviour. Changing circumstances typically included unemployment or a change in employment, illness, bereavement and/or separation from a partner. Although the factors which brought about these changes varied, the changes were commonly interlinked and their effect was generally the same: the difficulty interviewees experienced having to manage on a reduced income caused them to fall into debt or exacerbated an existing debt (Pleasence, P. et. al, 2006). Poor money management on the other hand is largely due to a complacent attitude towards financial literacy. Finally, the so-called "rogue" creditor behavior or the unscrupulous and borderline-usurious terms and policies that take advantage of the financially disadvantaged sectors of society. Even then, no si ngular universal definition as to how the explosive debt problem came to be can be arrived at by financial experts in both the government and private sectors. Thus, the challenge in coming up with the best strategy for reliving and controlling the debt crisis continues to be a heavily-contested area of study to date. Rising Interest

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Art of Watching Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Art of Watching Films - Essay Example But this is not as simple as it apparently looks like. Time and again in the history of cinema, the chemistry of success has eluded the most talented of filmmakers and producers. It’s been seen an umpteen number of times that films that had promised sensational performances fell flat on their faces upon release. On the other hand, many films that had initially been panned by critics managed to generate remarkable following later on. Despite this ambiguous analogy with no particular frame of reference to success, cinema is widely acknowledged to be a potent aesthetic medium, much in the same league of painting, music, literature, and drama. In defense of cinema as a visual medium of singularity, Boggs and Petrie (1999) argue that films are different from literature or other art forms in that they capture the essence of good, old-fashioned private reading just as much as the tokens of mass culture. In a way, motion pictures are compendiums of all the aesthetic and technical details associated with other independent art forms. It compounds within a single unit narrative of the novel, interplay between the audio and the visuals of the drama, synchronization of music, and textures of painting. The final outcome of such a blending is quite unique to say the least. This is because motion pictures allow for a freedom of watching as well as interpreting. There is always a mobility of expression and sense of displacement involved with films, which are conveyed through the deployment of light, sound and dialogs (p. 2). Moreover, the use of space can be regulated at will by using rapid camera movements. This also allows for alterations in perspectives for the viewers (Manchel, 1990, p. 98).  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 31

History - Essay Example One of the adherent causes named by many historians is the political conflict that existed at that time. This was the conflict between the monarchy and the nobility over the reform of the tax system that led to paralyses and bankruptcy. This was caused by the enormous amount spend on previous wars, particularly the financial upheaval caused by the French participation in the American revolutionary war. It increased the national debt to between 1000 and 2000 Livres. Secondly, the French revolution was caused by the social burdens caused by the war. This included the huge debt caused that was made worse by the loss of France’s colonial possessions in North America and the increasing dominance of Great Britain. At the time, France had an inefficient and antiquated financial system that was unable to manage the national debt. This was partially caused partially by the burden of inadequate system of taxation. This caused the king to call for an assembly of nobles in 1787. Another cause was the indecisiveness’ of the King of France at that time. He was known as King Louis XVI. It was perceived by the residents of France that the royal court of Versailles was sequestered from and unresponsive to the hardships of the lower classes. King Louis monarchy was an absolute monarchy and this accelerated the revolution, as citizens were unsatisfied with the administration. Stiff resistance from the nationals and the parliament faced this. He reduced the government spending while the parliament successfully thwarted his attempts to enacting the much-needed reforms. The forth cause of the revolution was resentments and aspirations that were given focus by the rise of enlighten nobles. These included the resentments of the royal absolutism. It aimed at eliminating the absolute monarchy system of government. There were also some upheavals that were caused by the peasant farmers, laborers and the poor people from that country.

The Work of Michel Foucault in Contemporary Criminology Research Paper

The Work of Michel Foucault in Contemporary Criminology - Research Paper Example The works of Michel Foucault, who is considered to be an influential thinker during the 20th century, have proved to be relevant in contemporary criminology. The field of criminology is based on two clear approaches. The first approach mainly focuses on what causes crimes, singles out criminogenic social conditions and examines criminals. The second approach, which is current, deals with analyzing forms of penalty and checking for any faults so as to observe the degree of state encroachment on personal rights and liberty. One of Foucault’s works, Discipline and Punish, which was a book he wrote in 1975, examines punishment in its social context. It changed the way people viewed the prison system. The book clearly reveals how he came about with his main theme of power and domination. In his book, he talks about how prisons came about and clearly reveals its history. He also points out the growing number of prisons despite the fact of them not being successful. The rise in the n umber of prisons and criminals in the US and Britain proves his point. The book reveals his thoughts on how elite people in the society have power and control over everyone. According to Foucault, prisons subjected people to live their lives according to the disciplines that were imposed by the government. He adds on that there have been no improvements in the society since Renaissance and that the only thing that has developed is the technology that has been employed to enslave the spirits of people in our societies.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Poverty in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poverty in America - Essay Example In addition to the system, racial discrimination has always played a major role in determining individuals allowed to hold a certain value of property. This has affected the economic state of certain races, as they are unable to have equal opportunities as other fellow citizens. However, it is worth mentioning that this has recently taken a different shift, as all races are now being embraced by the state. The ethical issue involved is that the system favors the economically strong personalities in the US community, yet the country strives for evenness among citizens (Davis, 1991). It is extremely unethical for the system to support the wealthy, yet the ones (poor) who need the support most are denied. If such a situation continues, the country would face serious consequences. The country may end up being divided into two, the poor and the wealthy (Gordon, 1965). This may eventually cause unrests and maybe war in the quest to achieve fairness. The most workable solution to the situation faced by the US is by adopting a different type of economical and social system (Iceland, 2006). The country should adopt a system that would treat both the poor and wealthy as equal. Moral principles encourage the treatment of every individual as equal. However, this is the opposite in the economic system adopted by the US (Iceland, 2012). The country’s economic system tends to lean in favor of the rich thus making the poorer and thus an unequal member of the society. 1. The existence of poverty in the US clearly depicts how the country’s socioeconomic system is unjust. The capitalistic system has made the richer acquire more wealth and left the poor languish more in a dire situation (Kowalski, 2003). Moreover, the unjust social situation of discriminating races has also tremendously contributed to the poverty situation experienced in the US. 2. It is undoubtedly evident that various reasons contribute to the poor economic state of some citizens in the United States.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

To bring about its downfall Essay Example for Free

To bring about its downfall Essay The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 17th century. Salem is a very religious village, with life being centred around the church. Everyone was expected to go to church, and to learn the Ten Commandments off by heart, and always to dress modestly. Sinning was not tolerated at all! Rules were very strict. Everyone feared the devil, this was one of the religious codes. This leads to the whole town becoming very superstitious, believing in witchcraft and servants of the devil. This view shows how narrow minded people can be, and it is this fear of the devil which sets the scene for the prejudice we see during the play. The story has two different meanings which help it to function on two different levels. It shows how a community can live in fear of God and will admit to anything when faced with a death threat. This shows how weak people can be and how people can use their own deceptive minds and power to get what they want. It shows one good man fighting back against a narrow minded judicial system that believes in demons and that sins are unacceptable. It shows good strong men have weaknesses too and that they can be exploited. That everyone is human and unless you stand by what you believe in, it can lead to the downfall of us all. The Crucible shows a good man die when he shows weakness! Abbey Williams is one of the main characters in The Crucible. She is an evil child who twists evidence and words to murder her way through the people she does not like. She must get what she wants at all costs. Abbey seems to have a sexual power which she exploits over John Proctor, but she seems to use it on others in the town to get what she wants. She has power over the girls in the village and threatens them for example; I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it. This exhibits what a nasty girl Abbey is, and the girls in the town are scared rigid of her and will do whatever she says. This demonstrates the kind of power she has over the girls. She uses the forcefulness of her personality on the girls of the town, this leads them to do whatever she says. John was in love with Abbey and she uses this against him, she exploits it over him to get him to do what she wants for example; She is blackening my name in the village. You sweated like a stallion whenever I came near. These quotes show how Abbey uses what power she has over John to get him to do what she wants. It shows that Abbey knows what power she has and when to use it. This sexual power is her main power and she uses it over everyone she can. Abbey Williams is a very cruel and arrogant person she insults the judges and is aggressive towards Danforth for example; Ill have no such looks! If I have to answer that I will leave and never come back again. This shows that she can say this to the judges and get away with it, and that Abbey even seems to have power over the judges and court officials. Abbey Williams pretends she was taken by the devil in order to get power over the people of Salem and to get what she wants, this shows how evilly twisted she is. On the other hand the Putnams have a totally different kind of power. They have the power of their material possessions. They are very wealthy, but they are greedy and they have a habit of claiming land that is not theirs for example; Your grandfather had a habit of calling land that never belonged to him. This leads the Putnams to be disliked in the town. The Putnams do have a lot of land most of it swindled from their neighbours and because the rest of the people in Salem arent as rich, lots of them are resentful towards the Putnams. All the Putnams sons have died; we learn this during the play When Mrs Putnam says; Reverend Parris, I have laid seven babies unbaptised in the earth. Believe me sir you never saw more hearty babies born. And yet they would wither in my arms the very night of their birth.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Eliminative Materialism

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Eliminative Materialism Eliminative Materialism puts forward serious arguments that are worth into consideration and ultimately embracing. It is viable and holds very valid arguments that can shape the course of philosophy in order to slot it within the modern thought that is driven by empiricism. It has its weaknesses and strengths even though its effects have cut across the world within the platforms of both formal and informal philosophical debates. Of great influence is the view that the much celebrated folk psychology is a distasteful idea whose existence will ultimately be cut short in the wake of cognitive science (also dubbed as neuroscience). The hope that folk psychology will be done away with by neuroscience is not guaranteed considering that many people and philosophers still have a soft spot for the folk psychology. The argument to embrace eliminative materialism views is propelled by the realization that folk psychology invokes ideas from a weird and ghostly world that are based on extra-fiction creatures that no modern science can authentic. The inherent transformation of many of folk psychologys ideas into the epiphenomenalism puts it at a more precarious condition. Eliminative materialism appreciates the fact for philosophy to continue making any sense, it must take note that folk psychology merely leads us to admitting that our mental content is influence by factors out of the head or otherwise; this sidesteps the power of the human mind which has the power to coalesce all the two instances and more While eliminative materialism is valid and should be upheld, the notion that there are no beliefs, desires and that philosophical contributions should shun discussions to the opposite of this claim remains a matter of discourse. Discussion From as early as the 16th century when Descartes invited other thinker to query the complexities and conflicts of body and soul, the obscurity on the scope of body-soul conflict has remained elusive. The biggest challenge has remained what actually the body and the mind are. The mind that is attributed to be the source of human thoughts, regarded as the second public and the drive of many of the human actions, has been investigated by many scholars to understand what gives the human mind commands. From the16th century numerous view points have been served on the academic table of philosophy with a majority of them being less compelling or even too obfuscated to explain the obvious problem. In an attempt to unravel the mystery that makes the body and the mind complex, Paul Churchland and other proponents of the eliminative materialist approach have presented a number of arguments that are blatant shots at the folk psychology. According to philosophers who argue along the grains of eliminative materialism, the only way out in understanding the complex but practical nature of the body and mind will be embraced when we do away with the greatest stumbling block which is the folk psychologys concept of mental states. In his spirited fight to knock sense in the heads of folk psychologists, Churchland argues that it is impossible match physical states with their corresponding mental states and the nation propounded by folk psychology should be eliminated from the human ontology; a view that justifies the name eliminative materialism. This view becomes the materialistic approach towards the human mind which Churchland claims eliminates. The culture of individualism is also referred to as Capitalism. In philosophy, the notion that all facts concerned with the human way of thinking are dependent on physical process that the body is involved in. some families can be considered materialistic due to their metaphysical understanding. These theories can be best defined as those that almost resemble paradigmatic opinions. This is also referred to as the mechanical opinion. These opinions or theories are of different types. Most of them are covered in this article.          Many researches conducted come up with the opinion that use of concepts can reveal what state a persons mind is. Based on Nigel Warburtons comment, it is noted that philosophers can become more knowledgeable from neuroscience. This pushes them to revise some of the words mostly used by folks. This is unlike Pat Churchlands opinion that there is absolutely no need to interfere with words used by folks. It states that they should not be replaced with neurobiological words. This is true to the fact that use of neurobiological words would really shut many people out. This would work in league with their economy and the culture that they follow in their whole life.       It is still argued that most of the issues concerning human beings are mainly neurological cases. It can also be noted that a human being are built by the occupations that they hold in life. They are also built up of the objectives that they share and the kind of relationships they are involved in. many philosophers recognize Pat Churchlands opinion as an attempt to bring out the clear meaning of materialism. Her beliefs are quite different from all other ones associated with the issue. It is agreeable that the words used by folks really need to be revised. This is in further support of Churchlands opinion. This is however, objected by noting that neurological words are not necessarily the immediate options. This makes philosophers wonder if humans are really, what they think they are or they are creatures in human forms.  Ã‚   There are some problems and weaknesses associated with the eliminative materialism. Most notable is its approach to the body and mind that out rightly ignores the significance of material culture and its obvious effects on human beings daily encounters. This puts the credibility of the proponents of the eliminative materialism at an awkward position considering the fact some philosophers like Bruno Latour argues that it not possible for a reductionist scientist to be essentially reductive. It is argued that the thin line walked by Churchland and crew is one that does conform to critics view that eliminative materialism disregard for material culture makes positions it wrongly for amending the folk psychology and like any other dream becomes unreachable just like it is not possible to be alive without a body. Unlike the disregard that eliminative materialism holds against material culture, this notion is very impactful in discussing the body and the mind. In the notion of material culture, the term qualia defines anything that could not be any more familiar; it is the way we view things according to how we have been experiencing them. Philosophically, speaking, it is easier to understand terms accompanied by examples than the crude manner in which we would want to define them. As such our states of mind are far influenced by issues that our bodies have experienced in the past than mere talk of facts that our bodies have not yet experienced. When we view images like a cup of tea simmering our future references on cups maybe influenced by this qualia. Again when we experience sounds we like or dislike they become our auditory qualia. There can never be anything that is more vivid than an individuals qualia. An individuals qualia is made of different conscious and unconscious properties that constitute ones sole view of the world. Even if the rest of the world is an illusion defined by utmost obscurity, our qualia becomes the solace in understanding the world since what we know and have experienced can never change in our minds.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Low Retail Price Strategy

The Low Retail Price Strategy INTRODUCTION: Environment of United Kingdom retail Market: The trading atmosphere in the UK is very challenging, and different corporations are using various methods to stay in business. In order to understand how corporations manage to remain in the competition with low prices Strategy this information will center on a particular area, which has all the time occupied our attention. The low price Strategy is a possible environment. In order to take action to this matter we are going to carry some retailing companies those are well reputable or well known for their deal opportunities in the UK market such as Poundland and Primark in the last 5 years. The UK market is very challenging, due to the variety of the residents, and also the significance of the currency which is dissimilar from other countries in Europe. Furthermore the economy of UK develops faster than regular throughout the Europe. (ec.europa.eu/economy) This is a situation where cost is going up due to the boost of the not only VAT in the kingdom, and where a few companies are leaving the industry due to the no profitability of their business. The UK marketplace keep on to battle against slump, as a result fears over job safety, tax increases and slash in government expenditure are the main issues. The retail surroundings go on to see numerous come to an end, as Woolworths; and some companies are ongoing by using unification or an acquisition. On the other hand Iceland has purchased about fifty stores with Bargain Madness, 99p stores, and Poundland is also acquiring a number of Woolworths stores. Furthermore, the market is at price wars; this takes place as a result of the slump. Waitrose, Asda and Tesco all expanded and extended their reduction lines in order to challenge the growing share of discounters such as Lidl. (Supermarkets Business Analysis 2011, UK). If we talk to any regular customer and discus with them about some of excellence, leading big super stores. The probability is far above the ground that one of the initial words they will say will be costly. Not outstanding service, wonderful variety or level cooperative employees. On the other hand costly but attractive, or You get what you pay for, but in the minds of normal customers, cost is approximately for eternity a mean aspect. A pricing strategy is a strategy where a business proposes a comparatively low price to rouse stipulate and increase market share and to attract more customers to offer them good prices and quality products. It is individual of 3 broad marketing strategies that could be able to implement by any super store. Therefore these are generally engaged where the manufactured goods have little or no cutthroat benefit or where financial system of level is attainable with advanced manufacture quantity. Also called low price strategy. In United Kingdom low pricing strategy is used as well and often by several super stores. Therefore it fallout in pricing their goods or services too near to the ground. Many super stores consider that containing the lowest cost in the marketplace will create them unbeaten. It believes that super stores can obtain business from their rivals cleanly by circulating the lowest price. The Poundland Story: The Poundland is the Europes largest only price cut rate seller and won the officially year 2011 Discount Retailer of the Year honour. It has more than 400 outlets across the United Kingdom, also together with Northern Ireland and it trade a broad variety of very quality top product and hold brand goods all for the only price end of  £1 only, as long as offering the consumers with remarkable price each day. This store serve up to Four million regular customers each week, It is an appealing shopping familiarity where customers are certain to purchase more than 3 thousands value goods and up to on thousand Top product, crosswise 17 shopping classes together with groceries and drink, health and beauty, domestic, crop growing, DIY, Animal food, Stationery, books, movies and Toys. Among a expansion policy of at slightest Sixty new outlets each year, Poundland is just the once yet again on way to generate more than Two thousands new employments. Till 2012 the 22 new outlets are have by now opened as well as Four in the Republic of Ireland. Last April, Poundland accomplish one more landmark by building its 400th outlet in Haringey, in the London city. Poundland has opened a new 200,000 four-sided figure in the south eastern delivery centre this month Huddleston, Hertfordshire area. The stockroom will sustain Poundlands expansion policy and also will become as a provincial competence to overhaul its outlets all through the England. The United Kingdom customers hang about underneath heaviness as for consequence of the continuing hard financial circumstances that feat in the United Kingdom and in the rest of the Europe. The goods are of growing value to dare consumers from all socioeconomic crowds. Despite the confront of the financial system and the aggressive atmosphere, Poundland is predictable to carry out strongly in the near-term time. Jim McCarthy, Poundlands CEO, states: Poundland carry on to present astonishing value to more than Four million consumers each week. Our well-built trade and volume boost show that consumers distinguish the outstanding worth for cash that our outlets propose. The Story of the Primark: The Primark is a clothing dealer; it is widely running in the Ireland, the Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom and Germany. It runs a whole of 1986 outlets with 38 in Ireland, 138 in the United Kingdom, 14 in Spain, 2 in Germany, 1 in Belgium 2 in Portugal and 1 in the Netherlands. On the other hand the corporation major center of operations are situated in Ireland while its operate as Penneys, the string is a contributory of Associated British Foods plc (ABF), and therefore eventually handled by the Weston family from side to side Wittington Investments. The corporation location itself as selling stylish clothing at cutthroat cost. The Low Price Promise of Primark: Primark can meet the expense of to put forward our consumers low cost by make use of a number of price saving policy. Primark has no promotion costs. Therefore it as an alternative relying on its customers doing the discussion about its products. in addition, Primark purchase and put up for sale in mass size. The Primark have more than 229 outlets in Ireland, and in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Spain, , Belgium, Portugal and Germany. The Primarks purchasing power tolerates to purchase in mass size and it bypass the price reserves support to the purchaser. Therefore it remain outlay low where on earth is possible. Through modern supply pact to its outlets to have updated current style, as it appears in the open fashion market. Meanwhile the Primark has attain this in add up to of traditions together with heartbreaking into urban area, high streets position in larger, in additional prosperous position. It no more aim exclusively the near to the ground income consumer and therefore this is the primary target marketplace is youthful, style conscious less than 35s those who wish the stylish clothing at cutthroat cost. It helps these customers and is no more self-conscious to be distinguishing wearing low-cost garments trademarks. Primark is been mark in fashion magazine Vogue, as well as famous person were also seen wearing its clothing many times. Major fundamentals of Primark: Primark has continuous hurried expansion through cautious variety of locality in most important areas in the cities. Primark has enhanced outlets layouts which are further good-looking and customer forthcoming. Primark has trade the most up-to-date style goods at cutthroat cost from contractors from across the world. Primark has an managerial ethnicity that seats a much better importance on good customer services. Primark has draw soaring excellence workforce with a variety of trading ability and awareness. Primark has attained financial system of level as quantity of supply raise. Primark has advertising characteristic celebrities wearing Primark products Factor that contributed to successful research questions:- Being in such a competitive market, poundland and Primark are still in good business and it prompts questions that how can a super store manage to get profit and can survive for longer period of time by adopting a low cost strategy. Factors that need to be researched are whether they are managing their business by keeping low profit margins or by keeping the low quality of products or only by focusing on target marketing strategy and cheap labor rates. Our research will identify and investigate, what is the strategy that works out for them and what is the reason that makes them successful by keeping a low price strategy. Research Question: How a super store can earn Profit when it reduces its prices to beat the Rivals? Why are some Companies trying to include a low retail price strategy? Why Customers do attracted more towards the Low Price instead of Quality? Research Objectives: Conclude how Poundland and Primark can be capable of applying a low price strategy and stay Profitable? Which strategies or methods the companies must apply, to achieve a low cost strategy? Research Hypothesis: The low price Strategy will facilitate a business to catch the attention and keep hold of customers. Reason for the research: The Main reason of this research is to find out why Low Price Strategy is Important and how one super store can work on it for a long time and how it can earn profit as compared to its rivals. Moreover, what will be the impact of this strategy in the UK market and what methods and strategies can be used to keep it continue. Aims: To reduce the price of the items mostly sell at the stores to increase the sales and to attract more customers, to increase the market share as compared to the rivals. And to keep the good will of the super store. Objectives: This is to understand the future responsibility for improvement of productivity level. It has to analyze its sales Strategy and the prices as compared to rivals. The pricing is an important factor because its related to the sales of the products and also affects the other marketing mix elements such as products features, channels decisions and promotions etc. The super store just need to develop a marketing strategy, for that it has to perform marketing analysis, segmentation targets and locations of the stores, defining the products, distributions and promotional tactics. Meanwhile it has to include fixed and variable costs associated with the product. And to focus the likely competitors policies. After collecting the all information the super store needs to selects the pricing methods to develop the pricing structure and define the discounts and offers on the products. Literature review: Low price Strategy is a pricing strategy in which a super store suggests a comparatively low price to motivate demand and gain market share. (Business dictionary, 2011), The link among low price and profitability is not as simple; the analysis of some writings on the subject will be prepared in order to have an understandable idea of the topic; which is determinant for companies to stay challenging, and make bigger or increase their market share. (Web-Books, 2011) The Porters Generic Strategies: The Porters Generic Strategies is the best suitable tool to study the role and need of low price strategy for the selected companies, following is the brief review this strategy. The Cost Leadership: This strategy works on the super store by engaging market share to tempt to price-sensitive consumers. It can be attain by offering the lowest cost in the key market region, or having the lowest cost to cost ratio. Therefore to be thriving at offering the lowest price as still achieving profit and a soaring return on plan, the super store has to be able to work at a lesser cost than its rivals. (Web-Books, 2011) The first move is attaining a high asset return. It will involve manufacturing of high quantity of production. These come up to mean the fixed costs are spread over a bigger number of units of the products, ensuing in a lesser unit expenditure. Higher intensity of output both need and result in soaring market share, and generate an entry barrier to possible rivals, who may not capable to get the scale required to go with the firms low costs and prices. (Web-Books, 2011) Also it is important to attain low direct and indirect working costs. This is attaining by offering high level of standardized goods, offering necessary basic products and restrictive customization and personalization of service. The Manufacturing expenses are kept lowest by using fewer components or equipments, and also by using standard components or the equipments, and by avoiding the amount of form produced to make sure larger produced run. Expenses are reserved low by paying low salary, locating building in low rent areas, setting up an economical background, etc. (Web-Books, 2011) The Differentiation Strategy: The differentiation strategy is appropriate where the target shoppers are not caring about the prices of the products. On the other hand the market is cut-throat and shoppers have very precise needs and choices and which are perhaps under-served, and mean while the store has perfect resources and prospective which let them to fulfil their needs in ways that are tough to copy. (Web-Books, 2011) The Alternative on the Differentiation Strategy: The Strategy that extends a large base of resources that gives out the store to survive against the rivals by using a differentiation strategy. A super store with larger resources can manage threat and sustain income more simply than one with less resources. This deep-pocket strategy gives a short-term benefit only. If a super store requires the capability for frequent improvement, it will not carry on its competitive place in sector. (Web-Books, 2011) The Focus or Strategic Scope: A focused strategy must target market sector that are not as much of vulnerable to alternative or where a rivalry is weakest to produce above-average return on asset. By assuming a broad spotlight level and the standard is unaffected and the store must set up the requirements for the mass market, and to battle either on low cost or differentiation (feature, product name) depending on its income and skill level. (Web-Books, 2011) The Low Pricing Strategy: The Pricing strategy depends on three major faces: cost and profit objectives, customers requirement and competition. Meanwhile to patch up the price, primary add all the expanses and deduct any other cause of income in this way the least amount of profit will be accessible, On the other hand it will provide least amount of the price. At this time it can be measured as customers and the demand for any product to determine the upper limit selling price. In the last part, once having the price choice, and to use revenue objectives in a sequence about the competition to decide the best price. (Dana Griffin, 1999). The most frequent pricing strategies are: Price it Below the Competition. If Primark and Poundland, the two major market companies, It is possible that this thing could happened that when these two companies adopt this policy therefore deliberately and in a marketplace whose formation and consumers make the lowest-price approach feasible These tow companies will have to a based on cutthroat improvement for themselves. And if they dont, then there will be a possibility that there will be a price war that will put down and their rivalry with minor Profits and minor cost earlier than. The Low Pricing is the most key mechanism of marketing and sales policy, which is a part of a complete business preparation. Conveying manufactured goods cost is a strategic action. The price which these tow companies will allocate will show how customers analyze their manufactured goods and whether they will buy it. Cost also helps distinguish the manufactured goods from the other rivals. Though, the cost that set should be in stroke with the other marketing policy and the manufactured goods characteristic. Meanwhile these two companies introduce a proper marketing arrangement, creating some of the examiner essential for a marketing map earlier to influential the pricing policy it will execute and is significant. The information achieve from the study will assist in turning over suitable cost to the goods or services. The Pricing Strategy: The Pricing Strategy is principally based on the Cost, the based on the Demand or the based on the Competition Consequently the cost-based price, the cost are simply planned on producers costs and the mandatory profit inclusive of bearing in mind the requisite. On the other hand the demand-based pricing, customers study helps to determine the suitable price choice, after that it can be conclude profit and cost. While the competition-based pricing, the prices are stand on the rivals. After all depending on consumers devotion, or brand differentiation. (Dana Griffin, 1999). The 4 Key Pricing Strategies: There was a time when most of the companies used to suggest the prices for their every product and wholesaler minimally charged that prices. Any differentiation then was simply on convenience, environment, manufactured goods diversity and value of service of the seller at that time. Here are the 4 main policies: Hi-Lo Pricing Strategy: To commence a diverse factor of differentiation, a big figure of seller going ahead dropping the cost of means goods, in command towards grasp the awareness of consumers keen on their stores, therefore they would purchase erstwhile produce as fine as the reduced-prices. Therefore Hi-Lo pricing was happening, and in the mean time it swiftly became the model everywhere. The seller earned little income or even a faced loss but on the other hand; on the price-reduced produce revert to the income in the better sales of other useful lines. The Hi-Lo pricing also found an aspect of fervour into shopping for consumers and the customers felt good when they had experience the excellent good deal, and this would be able to persuade them to revisit the same store. Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) The Every Day Low Pricing Strategy: This strategy is used to attract to the even more straightforward customers, and to make easier and helpful shopping for those customers who dont have enough time for shopping. Meanwhile on the other hand other retailer gears this pricing policy so they could incriminate a realistic, but low-as-possible cost for all products they offer inside the store to sell. It is very popular these days. For those customers from whom shopping is an unpleasant task to be handle as easily and swiftly as possible, This strategy is the best solution. There is no need to shop here and there and there is no need to collect the vouchers, also there is any need to waste the time. Meanwhile, this approach shows the face up to the retailer; therefore within the nonexistence of further differentiators of some dependability demonstrates is to the cost charged, not to the selling. So the customers force desert to a rival who start to incriminate somewhat lesser cost. The Profit Up Front Strategy: About 3 decades ago, Hi-Lo pricing and EDLP were transformed into a new strategy which was known as Profit-up-front pricing. In this strategy customers were bound to get the unique membership and they were privileged to get special discount on products at extremely at very low price as known as whole sale price. All they had to pay some fixed annual or monthly price. It also depends on super store to super store how much they charge or whether they charge their customers on monthly basis or annual basis. Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) The Access Pricing Strategy: The main aspect of the Strategy is to offer to differentiate the prices on necessary items among regular and irregular customers in an open and noticeable way. Consequently it is tough for the superstores to propose higher prices to the habitual customers and low prices to the irregular customers within the similar market. But in few developed countries there was a problem that why a poor people should pay more than rich regular customers? Currently this strategy is available in most store and business outlets as a points-based loyalty card one the example is Nectar Card. Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) Generic approach and business Forces: Industry Force Generic Strategies Cost Leadership Differentiation Spotlight Entry Barriers Capability to slash cost within reprisal prevents possible entrants. Shopper trustworthiness is able to discourage possible entrants. The focus increase center competencies that can take act as an entrance barrier. Buyer Power Capability to propose minor price to powerful buyers. Great consumer has fewer influences to agree because of few close substitutes. The large buyer has less influence to bargain as of little substitutes. Supplier Power Enhanced protect from commanding suppliers. To able to exceed on providers price increase to the consumers. The retailer has authority of low quantity, other than a differentiation-focused is well again nurture to avoid on provider price as increases. Threat of Substitutes Be able to use low cost to defend beside alternate. Customers turn into close to distinguish quality, reducing risk of substitutes. Meanwhile particular supplies core competencies support against the alternates. Rivalry Improved able to battle on price. Product authenticity to keep consumers from rivals. Competitor cannot collect differentiation-focused customer requirements. (Quick-mba, 2011) As given above there is a plain clarification that how to stay or attain a low price strategy and being the existing super store and it can use cost leadership strategy to create barriers to entry of new rivals. The key strategy which is motivating for the reason of this report is the price direction. This facilitate business not only to boost their market share, but also to avoid competitors from concern the same strategy, as there is a difficulty from entrant as their price is low. Low price Strategy is based on the ability of the super store to create and bring products of competitive quality at lower cost. This figure expresses as well that to make it in the low cost Strategy, the need to have strong relationships with supplier. According to Alagse.com website on customer focused low cost leadership strategy, one vital point as well to succeed in the low cost Strategys to construct a strong relationship with supplier; as they have control over their inbound supplies and logistics . Therefore, business can make sure suppliers of the stability of the command; as for the suppliers, it is the promise of supplies on a habitual basis which introduce mainly. (Alagse.com) Research Methodology: Definition: Pattron (2009, online) defined research methodology as a very intellectual human action used in the examination of nature and issue and deals distinctively with the way in which facts is collected, analyzed and interpreted. The reason to execute the study to find out answers of the questions from side to side the use of logical measures. The key aim of this research is to discover out the accuracy which is unseen and that has to uncover. Approach to the research scope:- The span of my inspection is to examine the issue that make the low cost strategy successful in retail business in the United Kingdom Market. The research objectives and questions are designed in a way so that they first explore how companies in retail industry are making profits by adopting low cost strategy. This research will also examine why customers get attracted by low cost products more and can do negotiation on feature and factors while they make a purchase. Also in this research, descriptive technique of research has been used and investigation questionnaires was spread among the random people with the help of social networking websites like facebook, and linkedin to get the response that inspect the research questions. I have carry out a preliminary literature review to investigate what other authors write about my research topic. All findings in this literature review are meant to serve as a bottom for with the consequences of my prime data collection. The comparison between the two will help to either prove or disprove my research hypothesis. Deductive Research Approach the Targeted Participants: The subsequent information will center on 2 companies successful in the United Kingdom retailing market, as they are famous for using a low price Strategy (Primark Poundland). The use of the survey sample (see appendix) that have been published online among males and females; feedbacks established by discussing with customers around selected retailing business; report from chosen companies; and finally information found in some particular reports and books will help to review the facts and figures composed, this in arrange to have a improved plan of the low price Strategy. Research Techniques: This report will be using 2 types of process together and analyze information. However data will be gathered from secondary and primary data or through quantitative and qualitative. Qualitative research methods are a mixture of balanced, explorative and spontaneous. (Van Maanen, 1983; Strauss and Corbin, 1990). Quantitative research technique is associated with collecting individual data and aggregates are to study organization. Hence they are linked with any measurable thing or figure; providing the examiner with range of numbers, which are available in figures, graphical forms, and tabulations. Data Collection: The Data was collected primarily and secondarily. Total number of 10 questionnaire samples was used to obtain primary data from Customers; I had used an online survey. I built and an online survey with the help of free online survey web site and then I share the link online and via email and via social networking website and soon I stated receiving the responses. All the people were targeted who were mostly visiting the Primark and Poundland very often. They have had specified the clearer opinion about their shopping behavior. This survey will help me to find out the root level reality about the low price strategy and how it works and affect the common people. It will also help me to make the decision that is the people are really enjoying the offers of low price strategy or not. And is it beneficial to the selected companies or not. While secondary data taken from books, and helpful websites. This helped me to be familiar with the role of Low Price Strategy in any organization espec ially in Poundland and Primark. To start with, a survey plus informal debate with 30 customers was used to have a common view; to determine to what level they are worry with the low price strategy (low cost as well according to the business glossary) used by whichever Poundland or Primark; and on the selling market in common. Secondly, data is provided by the 2 companies through their websites (www.poundland.co.uk, and www.primark.co.uk) Along with the help of book (Michael E, Porter) and information was helpful to have an improved accepting of the low price Strategy Population Sample: For the reason of this study convenience sampling will be considered. A sample of 40 Customers approximately was considered from different areas. To rush the collection and response, questionnaire was circulated through social networking websites like facebook and email. A total amount of more than thirty one filled questionnaires were returned and rest was not completely filled. ANALYSES OF RESULT: The reason of this research is to find the role of Low Retail Strategy in the market of UK and I have the perfect examples of the two giving stores which help me to study about this strategy. And with the help of this survey it is very easy to understand the that the customers do appreciated the low prices of the products they need and if this strategy is followed by other giants of the market then there will be a big price war. But only those companies will be successful who will not only reduces the prices but will also focus on their quality of products as well as their customer services. Questionnaire and its outcomes: Here it will be discussed that how the questionnaire is analyzed. The report used a convenience sampling by distributing a total number of 97 people and the questionnaires was containing 10 questions but only 66 people had return the filled Questionnaire and I consider the 66 filled questionnaires. For this survey I had build a survey on a free online survey website which is www.instant.ly/survey and I had share the link via my email and over the facebook communities. The following grid shows the entire history of the survey performed by the people who were involved in this survey Londoners in the first column stands for the people I hit were random customers lived in the London city and their ages were from 20 to 35. They were contacted through emails and a survey website. The 39 people had opened the link of survey and out of 30 of them had completed it. The second column show they survey link I distributed through web email and got the responses email was sent to 46 and 26 had completed successfully. The last shows the facebook contacts these people helped to performed 10 surveys out of the 12. The total number of 97 people was touched and 66 were the successful responses. Your Gender is? The first question of the survey is about the gender, it was essential to ask and to know the trend that how many make and female are more attracted to this strategy. Therefore according to the result 53% males likes the lows price retails and purchasing the item on low price from Primark and Poundland as compare to Females which were just 47%. Q2: What time did you last shop? (Whichever clothes from Primark or Grocery from Poundland). Gender proportion categorization according to the super store: In the next question of the survey it was asked to the people that when they shop last time on the two specified stores. They were gives the few options to choose which were, did they shop this week? Last week or more than a week ago? In the result 30% people said they shop this week, while 18% had shop last week and nearly 52% people had shop more than last week. Below the graph is a table grid which distinguished the males and females who shop according to the question 2. According to that 30% male and 25% female shop from the two given stores during the current week. This makes the total number of