History of the Internet Essay -- essays research papers

A very common question that often arises is ‘When was the Internet developed or invented?† That is a good question, one that is hard to define as it has many multiple answers. The Internet, including the World Wide Web (WWW), is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of our time. Without a doubt, it has had a profound effect on almost every aspect of our lives. The formation and implementation of the Internet has changed the way we do business, communicate, entertain, retrieve information, and even educate ourselves. Nevertheless, the Internet might have never materialized if it had not been for some innovated thinkers from the Advanced Research Project Agency, who created "ARPAnet." The Internet began as a proposed plan to interlinked a network of computers at several universities and research laboratories through a project of the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), directed by American engineer Robert Kahn, and American computer scientist Vinton Cerf initially developed protocols for Internet transmission. This network of computers was originally designed in the event of a large-scale nuclear war to protect the information at these institutes. In the beginning there were only 4 computer nodes attached to this fledging network, two years later there were fifteen, and thirty-two in another year. Throughout the '70s, ARPA's network grew. Its decentralized structure made expansion easy. Unlike standard corporate computer net...

Social security policy

Social security policy is a major, convoluted issue in all societies. Millions of people are heavily reliant on social security as a means of support to achieve a basic standard of living. There is thought to be three main welfare regimes, in western society. These regimes are corporate-conservative, socio-economic and liberal. This essay aims to give a brief description of these regimes in action, in relation to the USA, France and Sweden, respectively. Then, go on to compare the regimes, in relation to social security. It will take in to account unemployment, pensions and family policy. Social security is basically the procedure of benefits and transfers in the form of financial assistance as income maintenance which is funded by taxation and/or insurance contributions. (Baldock et al, 1999) There have been three principle types of welfare regime. These are corporatist-conservative, socio-democratic and liberal. The corporate-conservative regime is usually based on individual's contributions, therefore very work-orientated. The socio-democratic regime is usually based on universal values. The liberal regime is usually residualist. This means that the welfare is seen more as a bag-up, only to provide for those who would not manage at all without it. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) France is an example of the corporatist-conservative regime in action. Social security is hinged on solidarity. In this context, it means mutual responsibility, shared risks and common action. It was first brought in to place by the introduction of a regime general for social and health security. This was then expanded. In the 1970's additional measures were introduced to include all ‘excluded' people. The most significant measure was introduced in 1988. This was called the Revenu Minimum d'Insertion. It amalgamated a rudimentary benefit with a personal contract for social inclusion. The French regime is somewhat expensive. The control of expenditure has become the focus of social policy. Pensions play a very prominent part as they are very costly. (www2. rgu. ac. uk/public policy/introduction/wstate. htm) The French regime basically advocates the rights are in accordance status and class. Support comes mostly through private insurance, which is supported by the state. It aims to fortify civil society while limiting the market. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) Sweden is an example of the socio-democratic regime in action. This Swedish model is often judged as the exemplary form of welfare state. One of the integral components is the sense of organised co-operation. (www2. rgu. ac. uk/public policy/introduction/wstate. htm) The socio-democratic regime advocates equality and universalism of high standards. This is through the state. The state is the main way of support; there are high levels of benefits. It aims to amalgamate welfare and work and promote full employment. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) The United States of America is an example of the liberal regime in action. The liberal regime advocates residualism, laissez-faire, individualism and a severe stand on poverty. These are all dominant subjects in USA debates on welfare, yet the USA does not have a unified welfare system. The predominant measures of federal provision came in the 1930's from the Roosevelt administration. (www2. rgu. ac. uk/public policy/introduction/wstate. htm) it was called ‘the new deal'. It was instigated to be a safe-guard against market failures, which was desperately needed after the mass unemployment of the depression years. The main principle behind it was that the state should provide more than just support; it should actually protect the individual. (Miller, 2003) The liberal regime basically has a strong work ethic. Support comes through means-tested assistance. It aims to strengthen the market. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) Unemployment is a very contentious issue. The three countries all have differing ways of dealing with it. France has a twofold system of providing unemployment benefits. One of them is an unemployment insurance scheme. This scheme is when individuals are part of a national collective agreement, which is mediated by the state. This system is financed by contributions. The unemployed are allowed to receive benefits if they are a member of this scheme and it was not their own fault that they lost their job. The provision and duration of these benefits also depends on how long the individual has been part of the scheme. Its payment has two forms. These are either the basic benefits or post-entitlement benefit. (www. eurofound. ie/under. tm) The other system of unemployment benefit is a guarantee supplementary scheme. It is funded by the state and was set up in 1984. its aim is to provide unemployment benefits for widowed or divorced women, young people and other disadvantaged groups, who have not been in the job-market long enough to make substantial contribution. It also helps those who have had been in unemployment for a very long time and are no longe r eligible for the insurance scheme. Its payment comes in two forms, either a work programme allowance or a guaranteed supplementary benefit. (www. urofound. ie/under. htm) This rigid system is in stark comparison to Sweden. Their unemployment insurance benefit (UIB) has been thought to be one of the most generous in the world. It is controlled by the trade unions, finance by the state and administered by 40 voluntary societies. The level of contribution varies as it depends on the likelihood of unemployment. UIB encompasses about 3/4 of unemployed people, the rest rely on social assistance. In the 1990's UIB came under intense pressure because of an increase in unemployment and concern to limit social expenditure. This resulted in that by the late 1990's there was a decreased eligibility and the proportion of previous income received was slashed from 90% to 80%. There is now a far greater pressure on unemployed individuals to join in AMS schemes (Government training schemes) to indicate their availability to work. Involvement in AMS schemes permits the re-establishment of eligibility to UIB. This can be seen as a huge incentive! There is a three year benefit duration limit. Despite this limit, it is still safe to say that it is more generous and less disciplined than that of France. (Cochrane et al, 2001) In comparison to France and Sweden, welfare for unemployment is very complicated. The administration of social assistance is controlled by state or local government agencies, on a decentralised basis, even though funding does come from federal Government. However, USA welfare on employment is mainly through unemployment insurance (UI). Unemployment insurance varies significantly depending on state and local government. However, there are some principles which are relevant to most states. (www. tiss. zdu. uni) Unemployment insurance is not aimed at being long term support for the unemployed. It is designed to be a bridge till they obtain a new job. Unemployment insurance operates under very strict condition for limited periods of time. The number of covered people is relatively low. This is due to the fact that a lot of people are not eligible foe unemployment insurance. (www. law. cornell. edu/topics) Unemployment insurance is not available to the self-employed, domestic servants, farm workers, Government employees and those who have only been briefly employed. (www. buzzle. com) To actually receive unemployment benefits from the state is incredibly complex. The actual law on benefits and who is eligible to welfare schemes is very convoluted. In extreme cases, where vulnerable individuals do not even meet the criteria for schemes of federal support or assistance, may be entitled to state and local or purely state relief. This is called general assistance. (www. law. cornell. edu/topics) It has been found that the population age profile of western societies is changing. We are now living in an increasingly ageing population. The age structure of the population comes from past birth rates, increasing mortality rates, increased longevity and migration trends. This inevitably means an increase in the amount of people who will be eligible for a pension. (Baldock et al, 1999) Therefore, welfare regimes have to account for it. France has a pay-as-you-go system. (www. news. bbc. co. uk) The pay-as-you-go system is basically that the pensions that are being paid out today are being funded by taxing the employed of today. This is in stark contrast to private pension scheme (those favoured in the USA) as these are based on paying pensions out of the contributions an individual made during their entire working life. (Baldock et al, 1999) It is believed that this is going to be unsustainable. This is due to the increasing longevity and the declining birth rates. This means that in the future there will be far fewer workers to pay for the multiplying amount of pensioners. (www. news. bbc. co. uk) This is now worrying the French Government. They are now beginning to take steps to remedy the situation. One example of this can be seen by looking at a bill approved by the French Government, in May of last year. They approved a bill that meant that the amount of time that all Government employees must work in order to get a full pension increases from 37 years and 6 months to 41 years and 9 months. www. telegraph. co. uk) In comparison to Sweden, the French system leaves a lot to be desired. In Sweden, there are two mandatory statutory pension schemes. These are a basic flat-rate payment and a contributory earnings-related scheme (ATP). Both schemes are funded on a pay-as-you-go system. They are paid out of contributions from the current workforce. Every citizen and long-term r esident are entitles to the basic flat-rate pension. To get the ATP pension, they have to have a thirty year history of contribution. However, there is a supplement that can be obtained with the basic pension if an individual has no ATP or a very low level of ATP. For most of the people in Sweden, the two statutory pension schemes, replace or provide around 65% of pre-retirement gross salary. However, these pensions are liable for taxation. Also, 90% of employees in Sweden top-up the statutory schemes by covering themselves with extra occupational pension schemes. These cover various groups of employees and provide up to an extra 10% on replacement income. The extra occupational pension schemes encompass four main schemes and they work on a collective agreement. They cover people employed by local and central government as well as blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. In Sweden, in 1992, only 6. 3% of elderly households were defined as being poor after taxes, this is in stark comparison to the USA as in 1996; just over 20% of elderly households were poor. These are phenomenally different statistics. (Cochrane et al, 2001) There are two public pension schemes in the USA. They are the public flat-rate pension and the public earning related pension. The public pension scheme encompasses both the means-tested, basic-rate pension (Supplementary security income, or SSI) and the earnings related pension (Old-age, survivor and disability insurance, or OASDI). The flat-rate basic pension is financed by general federal Government revenues. However, some states give an additional small state-government supplement. All SSI pensions are subject to income and asset testing. The earnings related pensions (OASDI) are financed through contributions. It is broken down as follows: employee provides 6. 2% of earnings and the employers provide 6. 2% of payroll whereas the self-employed provide 24. % of earnings. The minimum eligibility requirement for OASDI pensions is ten years of contributions. This is also a pay-as-you-go system. However, occupational, private pension schemes are highly recommended. (www. reformmonitor. org) Family policy plays a very significant part in social security. In France, family allowance is assigned to all families with at least two children, under the age of 18, regardless of income. However, there are numerous supplementary means-tested benefits available. There is the family supplement, which is for families with three children, over the age of three. There is also the single parent allowance, adoption allowance, the parental education allowance, the special education allowance for children with disabilities and also the annual school allowance for children between the ages of 6 and 18. There is also the housing allowance; this is calculated by the expense of rent and the families' situation. Additionally, there are also birth payments, maternity benefits and parental leave benefits. These include a means-tested young child allowance; it is available from the fourth month of gestation until the child is three years old. Also, included is a maternity benefit that increases by the amount of children plus if the mother is insured there are even more benefits. There are also paternity leave benefits, where the mother or the father can be on leave up until the child's 3rd birthday. Since 1998, there have been means-tested allowances to decrease the cost of childcare for children under 3 years old. The childcare can be in the home (child minder) or at a registered facility. There are also allowances in childcare for 3 to 6 year olds. (www. reformmonitor. org) Like France, Sweden has a universal child allowance. This is for children under the age of 16 years. This goes up to 20 years, if they are in full-time education. Families, with more that 3 children are entitled to a large family supplement. There is also a family allowance for handicapped children who attend a public school. They also, like France, have a housing benefit. This benefit is also dependant on the expense of rent and the size of family. There are also birth payments, maternity benefits and parental leave benefits but the do not seem as good as France is. There is a paid parental leave for 450 days, which is divided up between the parents. Also, the mother gets special allowances because of reduced work ability. In Sweden, they can also claim a sick child benefit. This is available for a maximum of 60 days, per year, per sick child under the age of 12 years. There is a positive infrastructure of support services to help working parents meet their childcare obligations. It also includes the support of single parents. Since July 2001, childcare expenses were lowered for families with children in subsidised childcare facilities. With this reform came a guaranteed 3 hours a day for childcare for unemployed people. This was so that they could actively seek employment. (www. reformmonitor. org) The USA is completely different from France and Sweden. In the USA, under the temporary assistance for needy families programme (TANF), benefit payments differ widely across states. The TANF programme is to support poor families with low incomes and dependant children. It is often reduced or even stopped after a family has received benefits regularly for 6 to 24 months. This is supposed to help reduce dependence on the state. The main family assistance, which is practically available in most states, is provided through federal income tax. Families with 1 or more children are provided with an ample amount off of income tax and people who earn a very low wage plus have children are given refundable income tax benefits. Unlike both France and Sweden, there are very few employees, who are given paid parental leave, when a child is born or is sick. However, since 1995, unpaid leave for both child birth and child illness has been mandatory. There are 5 states, which do provide income replacements, subject to certain conditions, for up to 52 weeks. Federal employees do benefit from 24 hours of paid leave a year, for child related activities. Some employers, in the USA, do offer subsidised childcare facilities for their staff. However, the majority of employers do not. Federal childcare funding was provided so that states could be flexible in designing inclusive, integrated childcare facilitates, to make it easier for unemployed or single parents to get back to work. (www. reformmonitor. org) To conclude, there are some major differences between each of the welfare regimes. The biggest differences come from looking at unemployment differences and family policy. The USA is probably the most diverse plus the have all had very different consequences. However, there are similarities between some of the aspects. This comes from pensions. All regimes are based on the pay-as-you-go regime, to a certain extent. However, they all have differing success. All in all, it would be hard to say for definite that any one of them would be superior but Sweden would be a definite contender. However, it is safe to say that welfare regimes in the future could benefit from utilising the most successful parts for the present regimes and learning for the unsuccessful parts. Social Security Policy New Labour promised to halve child poverty by 2010 and to eradicate it by 2020, (Walker, 1999). Social security is not merely about poverty relief, as the relief of poverty requires more than just social security reform, it is important to address the position of social security policy at present to see whether Labour can live up to this rather ambitious target it has set. The term ‘Social Security' is used to refer to the range of policies which aim to transfer cash resources between individuals and families. It is concerned with policies which govern the redistribution of resources within society. After coming to power in 1997 the Labour government reviewed the key principles of social security policy. They developed the ‘Welfare to Work' strategy, as they want people of working age to look for employment within the labour market and avoid dependence on the state. The maintenance of a high and stable level of employment was one of the fundamental assumptions of the Beveridge report, and an objective to which all governments were positively committed after 1944 (Lowe, 1993). Hills (1997) argues that since Beveridge, the objectives of social security have never been set out in a way allowing measurement of whether benefit levels are adequate to meet their aims. The original aim of the National Insurance system as introduced following the recommendations of the Beveridge report in 1948 was to set up a system of subsistence level flat-rate social insurance benefits which were intended to cover all the main causes of inability to earn, such as old age, sickness, unemployment, widowhood and orphanhood. It also included virtually the whole body of the populations, whether employed, self- employed or non- employed, as far as possible in the same terms (Sleeman, 1979). Changes in the welfare system have been needed for a variety of reasons, society has changed, and policies need to change to keep in tune with this, these changes include changing families, working women, an ageing society and rising expectations (Giddens, 1998; Hills, 1997). In the UK, the earliest form of social security was the Poor Law which was based around discretionary payments related to individuals' assessment of need, and this continued to play a part in the delivery of many means- tested benefits until the last two decades of the twentieth century (Alcock, 2003). The Elizabethan Poor Law (1598) distinguished between the deserving and undeserving, this is something which is still reflected in Social Security policy; Hewitt and Powell (2002) point out how the use of contracts can be taken back to the deserving and undeserving poor, only now the terms being used are responsible and irresponsible; and this is reflected in the ‘Security for those who cannot' (DSS 1998)- which means no security for those who can but do not. Another similarity between the poor law and the modern welfare state is that Parishes excluded the traveling poor from its boundaries; this is still evident today with the treatment of travelers and the single homeless. This argument is supported by Hills and Gardiner (1997). Within Social Security, Employment policy occupies a crucial position in the post- war reconstruction, and without which the welfare state could not exist. Full employment would both finance the development of the welfare state, and government welfare policy would help to maintain economic growth. Barr (1993) has outlined three social aims of state intervention in income distribution; the relief of poverty in order to protect a minimum income standard was the first. The second is the protection of accustomed living standards to ensure that none has to face an unexpected and unacceptably large drop in their standard of living and the third is, smoothing out income over the life cycle. However, as pointed out by Glennerster and Hills these three interact, the balance between them and the responsibility of the state can differ over time and between countries. The aims of Social Security policy are not merely to be measured in income terms. Social and political participation may be seen as important civic virtues by a broad spectrum of political opinion. Social Security maintains a standard of living that supports inclusiveness (Townsend 1979), the consequences of failure in this respect is ‘social exclusion'. The miseries of unemployment in a work- ethic society are well- documented by Sinfield, (1981). To these are added the harassment and insecurity of dependence on means tested welfare (Bradshaw and Deacon,1983) and the despair of living at a standard of living which steadily falls behind that of the working class in work. (Taylor- Gooby, 1985). Glennerster (1999) has criticized the critics, arguing that paid work brings dignity and respect. Social welfare imposes controls on society, social security regulations distinguish those who do and do not deserve support. As pointed out by Taylor- Gooby (1985) regulations which ensure that a household head is usually responsible for the living standards of family members defined as dependents encourage a certain household pattern. Social Security is traditionally divided into a contributory and a non- contributory sector, the former covers benefits such as sickness benefits, unemployment benefits, retirement pension, widows' benefit- those regarded as the important benefits. In the latter most benefits are allocated to those who can prove that they do through a mean test. Eligibility for social security has two elements, the first being the formal rules and regulations governing provision of benefits and secondly the perceptions of eligibility held by claimants and potential claimants. The contributory principle, whereby National Insurance benefits are linked to earnings established under rules of eligibility which disproportionately excludes those in intermittent or low paid work, those with a higher risk of unemployment as well as recent migrants. The establishment of such policy on the basis of a White, Male norm thereby formally excluded many of those in minority ethnic group from social citizenship rights to such benefits (Amin and Oppenheim, 1992). Post war welfare reforms and immigration legislation have continued to institutionalize racially exclusionary rules which determine eligibility to welfare benefits these include residence tests, rules on ‘recourse to public funds' and sponsorship conditions. This is well documented in the case of asylum seekers in Britain. Compared with some of the other developed industrial countries, Britain has been relatively successful in establishing a general and comprehensive welfare floor. (Sleeman, 1979) As argued by Hills (1997) benefits for those without work may ameliorate their immediate position but they do not solve the problem. A prime aim of social security policy should be for claimants, where possible to find independent sources of income. While the overall level of employment depends on wider economic factors, the social security structure may discourage employment under some circumstances. Under the Conservatives, due to rising unemployment and the recession in the early 1990's changes were made to social security policy with regards to the unemployed. Not only did the costs of paying unemployed people's mortgages reduced, but Income support (IS) payments for mortgages were withdrawn for the first nine months of unemployment. In 1996 Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) was created when contributory unemployment benefit and means- tested Income support were merged. With JSA for the first six months of unemployment there would be a contributory basis and after that it would be means- tested. It was decided that those under the age of 25 would receive a lower rate of benefit and that contract would be introduced between claimants and the benefits agency to formalise job searches and training criteria, as well as establishing availability for work. With regards to means tested benefits, we have all heard politicians expressing their concerns about benefit ‘dependency'. According to Glennerster and Hills (1998) unemployment benefit has been the largest single source of growth in means- tested populations, followed by lone parenthood. A major theme of policy has been to sustain a gap between income and benefits and in work to ensure incentives to work in the face of increasing levels of unemployment, decreasing relative levels of wages for the unskilled, and increased part- time and temporary working, Benefit policy has been changed to both decrease relative value of benefits for the unemployed and to increase use of means testing. This leads to two problems for ensuring incentives to work: one is to ensure that benefit rates are not close to or greater than in- work income and to ensure that those who are working on the margins of benefit entitlement are able to improve their incomes through work. The side- effect of means testing is that benefit is reduced as income rises alongside the incidence of tax and social security contributions on increased earnings. As benefits have fallen relative to incomes over time, the incentives to work, therefore, in general have been improved (Glennerster and Hills, 1998). The main theme of social security policy is ‘work for those who can; security for those who cannot'. Which consist of a rights and responsibilities discourse. Those who cannot work have a right to security. However, for those who can work, the right to benefit is more conditional. The basic philosophy is that work is the best route out of poverty. ‘Making work pay' includes a national minimum wage, tax reform such as Working families tax credits and nursery credits, which increase the return from low paid work and reduce the poverty trap. The government aims to achieve full employment, instead of paying people in poverty more benefit, New labour will redistribute opportunities and take a preventative approach, giving people the skills to escape poverty. Within Social Security policy is employment centred social policy which is based around the ‘New Deal' programmes; which target different groups. For example for young unemployed people there are four choices; education; a subsidized private sector job; a voluntary sector job or an environmental task force; the opportunity for sitting at home on benefits is not an option, as benefits will be reduced. For lone parents there are no penalties for not taking up employment, although they do have to attend work- focused interviews, in order to make them aware of the opportunities available to them. With regards to pensioners; pensions are uprated by prices rather than earning, the poorest pensioners do have a means- tested minimum pension guarantee that ties in with the increase in earnings. This represents a move from Universalism to selectivity. This also means that gradually pensioners will carry on falling behind workers (Powell and Hewitt, 2002). This in itself demonstrates the lack of respect for the elderly, and the fuels the argument that once someone passes working age, they are no longer deemed an integral part of society, and are pushed out of mainstream society. This essay aims to look at the provisions in place for younger people, of working age, for whom the government are trying to move into the labour market. What New Labour is trying to aim for is an active, preventative and intelligent rather than passive welfare state that encourages people to realize their potential rather than being chained to passive dependency (Powell and Hewitt, 2002). The bulk of National Insurance expenditure is on pensions, whereas for sickness and unemployment contributory benefits do still apply. JSA covers unemployment, for the first six months there is non- means tested support for hose who meet the NI contribution conditions and is linked to an agreement by claimants to take steps to secure a return to the labor market. Jobseekers allowance is no longer an Insurance benefit for the unemployed, after six months claimants remain on the benefit, and are subject to the same job search criteria, but their benefit moves onto a means- tested basis, which means any other resources (income from a partner) will reduce one's overall entitlement. In practical terms, means- tested JSA is Income support, given another title, as Income support has for some time been payable to unemployed claimants not covered by National Insurance benefits. It is still available for those out of work, who are not required to seek work under JSA rules, such as lone parents and people with disabilities and Carers. ‘Income support is a minimum income scheme for British citizens' (Alcock, 2003), payable only to those who are out of full- time employment (16 hours a week) and is reduced if there are any earning or any capital above à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3000 in total. Housing costs are not covered, but claimants who pay rent can apply to their local council for housing benefit and council tax benefit, in some cases interest payments on mortgage debts are covered. For children of parents who are in receipt of Income Support or means- tested JSA free school meals are available. A major feature of social security protection was once sickness, but in the 1980's , under the Tories support for short term sickness (up to six months) was shifted to employment, employers were expected to pay workers a minimum level, whilst they were off sick. After six months, claimants with chronic illness or disability move to Incapacity benefit (NI protection) if they meet the contribution conditions with a medical test, which requires they are incapable of ‘all work'. For those who do not satisfy the contribution condition, they are paid Income Support which is means- tested, as long as they can satisfy the conditions for Incapacity Benefit. For those in low wage employment means- tested support is also available through tax credits, payable through employers, administered by the Inland Revenue. Alcock (2003) argues that there has been a significant shift in the operation of means – tested benefits under the Labour government since 1997. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit, made available to a wider range of low- income families. Not only does this act as a supplement to the wages of low income workers with dependent children, it also aims to make low paid work seem more attractive, to encourage labour market participation as part of the governments commitment to promote employment. The most important of the Universal benefits is child benefit which is paid to all parent or guardians to help them with the cost or rearing children. Critics would argue that, like all Universal services, Child benefit is a waste of public resources by paying benefit to wealthy parents, who do not need this money like poorer parents do. The benefit of Universal benefits is that there is no stigma attached to being in receipt of it. Jones and Novak (1999) argue that the whole benefits system operates to control and discipline citizens rather than support and protect them. There are a number of different theories and ideologies of welfare, the main traditional theories are the Classical Liberal theory; Marxist theories and Fabian theories. Classical liberal theories are based around ideas that see freedom as absence of coercion rather than protection from misfortune and hardship. Within classical liberal thinking there are two contrasting views on the state. Traditional or negative liberal defend the individual liberty while challenging what they perceive as the arbitrary misuse of power. Negative liberals say the role of the state should be minimal. On the other hand there are positive liberals who say that the state can adopt a more constructive role in dealing with social problems. Both positive and negative liberal thinking have been influential on the modern British Conservative party. It is important to make the distinction that not all classical liberals are opposed to the welfare state. Classical liberal theory points out that unwarranted state intervention will only amplify social and economic problems since the market system will be less efficient and economic growth will slow. It is also believed that individual freedom is of paramount importance and any attempt by the state to provide fiscal help to the poor compromises that individual freedom, this is said to be done in two ways; the first is by asking those who earn wages to pay extra taxes to support the poor and secondly, by creating the conditions under which poor individuals and the state will have a relationship of dependency. Classical liberals regard the causes of poverty to be personal, rather than structural; poverty is traced to personal feelings rather than to failings of the political or economic systems. They go on to say that individual rights must be preserved at all times, and go as far to say that people have the ‘right' to be poor. Barnett (1986) stated that the welfare state was necessary for a short time, following the problems created by the Second World War; that those who supported it did not take a long term view of the countries economic needs. The welfare state is no longer beneficial. A recurring objection to the welfare state is the belief that services provide benefit to those who do not need it; such as child benefit, which is a universal benefit and it paid to everyone, regardless of earning, some would see this as a waste. Sidney and Beatrice Webb were influential figures in Fabianism, they believed that collective welfare through the state was not only essential, but an inevitable development within British capitalist society. An early example of the influence of Fabian thinking was with regards to the Poor Laws, whereby in 1905 the Royal Commission was set up to review the old Victorian support system. The significance of this was the governments' recognition that it had to implement major changes to the welfare state. Fabianism is a variant of British Socialism. The ‘New Left' is a term used to describe a broad range of differing approaches to social structure and social policy from a Marxist perspective. In general many agreed that the achievement of the welfare state in Britain was neither as desirable nor as successful as had been assumed. Marxists argued that the welfare state had not been successful in solving the social problems or the poor and of the broader working class, in practice the welfare state supported capitalism, as opposed to challenging it (Ginsburg, 1979) The New Left has been criticized for its theoretical assumptions of the assumed desirability of state welfare services, arguing that for many of the working class social security was seen as being oppressive and stigmatizing. Hayek (1944) argues that despite the overwhelming influence of Fabianism within social policy, right wing critics of state welfare had always argued against the interference of state provision with the workings of a capitalist market economy. This neo-liberal thinking was referred to by Fabians and the new left as the ‘New Right; as it was interested in returning to the classic liberal values of a laissez- faire state, which advocated for self- protecting families and communities. The main argument of the new right was that state intervention to provide welfare services, and the gradual expansion of these which Fabianism sought, merely drove up the cost of public expenditure to a point at which it began to interfere with the effective operation of a market economy (Bacon and Eltis, 1976). They claimed that this was a point that had already been reached in the 1970's , where the high levels of taxation needed for welfare services managed to reduce profits, crippled investment and driven capital overseas (Alcock, 2003). Like the New Left, the New Right also challenged the desirability of state welfare in practice, arguing that free welfare services only encouraged dependency and provided no incentive for individuals and families to protect themselves through savings and insurance (Boyson, 1971). Hayek (1982) argued that state intervention involved unwanted interference with the freedom of individuals to organize their own lives. Neo- liberal thinking is opposed to extensive state intervention to provide public services; effectively they are opposed to the ‘welfare state'. They argue that it is undesirable on ideological, political and economic grounds; that is undesirable in theory and impossible in practice. Their ideological objections to it revolve around their concern about dependency culture; by providing welfare through the state, individuals are discouraged from providing these for themselves and their families, which could in turn trap them into relying on others for support. Murray (2002) makes the point that in social security if everyone is going to be provided with a basic standard of living, this makes it an attractive option for individuals to choose this, rather than seeking paid employment. Which applies to means- tested benefits, whereby entitlement is related to an individuals' income level, this means any increase in income means a loss in benefit. Economically speaking, the welfare state is undesirable because it interferes with the free working of the market, leading to failures in markets developing properly. Although neo- liberals argue that the welfare state is not practical, most recent neo- liberal theorists agree that a safety net should be in place, as it may still be needed. Neo- liberalism, therefore still remains within the mixed economy of welfare, which is found in all modern welfare capitalist countries (Alcock, 2003). Marxist theories are based around the idea of Marx (1970) whose claim was that capitalism is an inherently oppressive economic structure in which the working class are exploited by the capitalist class through the labour market. It is argued by Marxists that Socialism or Communism is the logical and desirable alternative to the failures of both capitalist markets and the welfare state. However, they do not provide any explanation as to how this is to be achieved, except that it needs to be done revolutionarily, rather than gradually and involves the overthrowing of the existing democratic governments. This ideology has never attracted much attention in Britain, making its political potential limited here. Marxists believe that the welfare state uses taxes paid by everyone to provide services and to foster the illusion that the state is altruistic and redistributiove, whereas in actual fact the stae is preserving and reinforcing certain norms and structural relationships. Ginsburg (1979) argued that institutions of welfare operated within British society to control and suppress people as well as to provide for them; arguing that the social security system in practice stigmatized claimants and forced them into low waged employment. This criticism of the British welfare state comes from a Marxist perspective. The strength of the Marxist critique of the welfare within Capitalism is its ability to demonstrate the contradictory nature of social policy as providing social control and social protection at the same time. In 1998, New labour developed a ‘third way', Blair argued that both the right wing pro- market approaches and the old left's support from state monopolistic services should be rejected in favour of a new (third way) which would be located between the state and the market. The new labour government was not interested in whether services were best provided by the state (the old, Fabian, left) or by the market (the right) instead it was looking to find the most effective way to meet social needs; which was a practical judgement based on empirical evidence of effectiveness. Hills (1997) has pointed out that some benefits, such as child benefit, state pension and unemployment benefit for some, go to people unaffected by means- testing, and argues that further means- testing would allow spending to be better targeted. Some have argued that elimination of universal benefits would free up sizeable sums of money, which could then be spent on those that need it the most, which would mean for New Labour that they could go a little further to achieve its targeted with regards to child poverty. Eliminating Universal benefits would mean a substantial reduction in the overall cost of welfare spending, meaning the government could put more money into other areas such as the National Health Service. Social Security is the largest element of public expenditure, greater than both health and education, and accounts for 11 per cent of gross domestic product (Alcock, 2003). Social Security is an important aspect of our society, through state intervention individuals are provided with a basic standard of living, and kept out of absolute poverty. An interesting Marxist theory of the purpose of the welfare state states that the state maintains a ‘reserve army of labour' , through which a certain portion of society are kept out of work , but may be asked to join the labour force when needed. By providing these people with benefits (the unemployed, disabled and lone parents) the welfare state is serving capitalism by maintaining these groups who can be called upon at short notice. Marxists would argue that welfare constitutes social control and ‘polices' the state. They claim that the unemployed and other members of the reserve army of labour are treated harshly, to remind others of the consequences of not working. Lowe(1999) points out that the history of postwar social security was riddled with contradictions. The promise of the Beveridge report was to realize the new ideal of social security, through a simplified system of state relief without resort to the unpopular means- test, aroused immense popular enthusiasm and lay at the heart of the new values and perspectives upon which the new welfare state was initially built. Yet within ten years the social security system was no longer popular. The means test did not wither away and the system started to become so complex that it became self defeating. Social Security has both positive and negative connotations, in practice it can be seen as a benefit and by others a cost (Alcock, 2003).

Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where...

Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? explores the consequences that a young girl, Connie, must deal with after garnering unwanted attention through her flirtatious behavior and attitude. Throughout the course of the story, Connie demonstrates that she puts her desires above those of others without regard for the reputation she creates for herself or for how her perception of others results in a negative perception of herself. In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, Connie creates a dual persona to satisfy her seemingly perpetual need for approval, attention, and feed into her self-absorption. In the story, Connie is constantly seeking attention and approval in a number of ways. The first way in which Connie seeks attention and approval is through her physical appearance. Oates describes Connie as having a nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other peoples faces to make sure her own was all right (Oates). This narci ssistic tendency, and the reaction that she received from others including her mother, fed into Connies self-absorption. Despite her mothers chastisement, Connie would raise her eyebrows at these familiar old complaints and look right through her mother, into a shadowy vision of herself as she was right at that moment: she knew she was pretty and that was everything (Oates). Furthermore, Connies narcissistic focus leads her to criticize her sister, who appears to be theShow MoreRelated An Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been1902 Words   |  8 PagesAn Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Joyce Carol Oates is one of the most productive writers of our time. Between 1971-95, Oates published twenty-five novels, eighteen short story compilations, three collections of novellas, five volumes of poetry, six editions of plays, eight books of essays, and countless more umcollected works (Kellman 487). As the format for her writing varies, so does her subject matter. Her creations cover a wide range of genresRead MoreShort Story Analysis: Where Are You Going Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1375 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Introduction Joyce Carol Oatess short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? was first published in the literary journal Epoch in 1966. The story is about beginnings and the rites of passage. This work is an illustration of a coming of age story, also known as an initiation story. In such stories, the protagonist undergoes an important rite of passage, transformation, an experience of transition, usually from childhood to adulthood, or fromRead MoreAnalysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Essay1018 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish Comp II 30 April 2011 Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates In 1966, Joyce Carol Oates published her short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?†. Oates was inspired to write this story after reading about a serial killer that was referred to as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson†. Oates was disturbed by the number of teenagers that this killer was able to persuade to help him and keep his secrets (Oates 1). Oates uses irony, imagery, and symbolismRead MoreThe Journey to Adulthood in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1119 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Analysis In the American society, when individuals reach adolescence, they begin to search for their identity by exploring their interests and opening their mind to new notions and ideas. This is the psychological and physical human development that ultimately leads them to their adulthood. Joyce Carol Oates short story depicts a fifteen year old girl with typical teenage concerns. She has to face the realization of the meaning of maturity in the AmericanRead MoreSummary Of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?854 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause had Connie and her mother communicated better, Connie, who is still a child, would have be protected from the evil of the world. Barstow also points out that the modern American is unable to distinguish evil from good. Evaluation: This article is useful to me because Barstow effectively shows the theme of loss innocence by using thorough examples to show Connie’s carelessness. Barstow seems to enjoy Oates’ use of childish aspirations, violence, and suspense and relates most of her main pointsRead MoreJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?651 Words   |  3 PagesJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Every person comes face to face at some point in life with vital decisions. Some of the decisions are minor ones, while others can bring turning points in life. In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? she displays a particular instant in the main characters life. This character, Connie was caught in the difficult transition from her youth and innocence to a doubtful future. Throughout the story Connie alternatesRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates990 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Reality: An Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates has kept her true inspiration behind â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† in order to create a willing suspension of disbelief between realism and fantasy. The short story by Oates was released soon after the newspaper published the murders committed by Charles Schmid Jr. in 1966. The story displays numerous resembling details that match the real-life murder case involving â€Å"TheRead MoreEssay about Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been1290 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,† written by Joyce Carol Oates is an unsettling and incredibly formidable story of a young woman’s loss of innocence during a time of social change and turbulent times. The story’s protagonist is Connie, a self-absorbed, yet beautiful fifteen year old girl, who not only is at odds with her family but also the conservative values handed down by her family. She, unknowing to her parents, spends her evenings explo ring her independence and individuality as wellRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?723 Words   |  3 PagesPsycho, Demon, Dreams, Oh My! â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates is a short story about a 15-year old girl named Connie that falls in the trap of Arnold Friend. There are many interpretations to this short story, and many arguments have fought back and forth to find out the true inside meaning to find out what the reason was for Joyce Carol Oates to write this story. There are hundreds of analyses for this story out there, but I am going to just be talking about three;Read More Criticisms of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Oates1950 Words   |  8 Pages A short story by Joyce Carol Oates called â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† reflects the writer’s point of view of the way society looked to women in the sixties. The story takes place in the 1960’s when almost everything reached a turning point at that time. It talks about a teenager who wanted boys’ attention, but she ended up leaving her family house with a stranger. Connie represented most teenage girls, and their destiny at that time. The story can be looked at from many different

Reasons for Colonial Migration were Gold Glory, and God

Migration from one place to another place has many causes and many effects. The main reasons for migration are gold, glory, and god. Gold, because people wanted to make money. Glory was in order to get positions in government in the new place. God was to escape religious persecution. Another area of migration was also slaves to go work the land. Many groups migrated to the New World from many different places, for many different reasons, and had many effects on the New World. Two groups of migration are the Pilgrims, and the Quakers. Both groups came to the New World mainly for god, although they were probably motivated by other things. The Pilgrims came to the New World because they wanted to worship freely, something they could not do in England. In England, there was no religious tolerance. Religious tolerance is a country’s willingness to understand a religion that is not their own. They felt that the Anglican Church could not be purified, or made better, so they decided to look for another place to practice their religion. They also migrated because they were having economic difficulties. So, in 1620, a group of Pilgrims got on a boat called The Mayflower, sponsored by the Joint Stock Company, a company that sponsored voyages to America in exchange for 4/5 of the gold supposedly found in the colonies, and set sail to the New World. On the ship, the Pilgrims decided to make a pact to create unity, pledge loyalty to the king, establish just and equal law and setShow MoreRelatedHow The Environment Impacted The Political Structure Of One Pre Columbian Society2426 Words   |  10 PagesAPUSH Summer Period 1 Key Concept 1 Identify and briefly explain how the environment impacted the political structure of ONE pre-Columbian Society: Although the Mayans are often thought of as one entire civilization, the Mayans were never united as a single empire. 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Analysis Of The Swimmer By John Cheever - 1143 Words

The Swimmer by John Cheever tells the story of a man journeying to retain his youth but in the end, loses more than he realises. Ironically enough, this is similar to what the protagonist in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, (written by Joyce Carol Oates) experiences. Both characters have an established goal yet never quite reach it. Imagery and symbolism are used to adeptly express this throughout each piece which creates an unsettling mood following the resolution. Imagery to infer the inevitable passing of time begins to appear in the form of rapidly changing seasons. At the beginning of the story, Cheever establishes that it is summer: â€Å"â€Å"It was one of those midsummer Sundays when everyone sits around saying, â€Å"I drank too†¦show more content†¦It is in the small act of disrespect that represents what Neddy has been refusing to accept all along - people disliking him for some undiscovered reason that has potentially left him as a shell of his form er self. Notions of sympathy are also strong hints regarding Neddy’s blissful and unaware state. In the middle of the story, friends comment on feeling terribly sorry for his misfortunes (which he is oblivious to) and â€Å"poor children† (31). In response to this, he affirms that he had not sold his house and his daughters are at home. Mrs. Halloran’s voice is then described as having an â€Å"unseasonable melancholy† (31) which would not be in the sense of total agreement with this declaration. His willing oblivion is finally unhindered when Neddy returns to his house, seeing that it had been long forgotten by the â€Å"rusted garage door handles† (34) and the emptiness within, which might also relate to the emptiness inside himself as well. The story ends with this cruel realisation, giving very little closure. This contributes to the unsettling and shocking mood that said conclusion portrays. The imagery in Where Are You Going, Where Have You B een? is fairly pivotal in relation to the climax and resolution, but it is portrayed in a way that centres around physicality as opposed to the metaphorical mind. Connie seeks individualism as much as she is confident and is willing to challenge parentalShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of the Swimmer by John Cheever1694 Words   |  7 Pages201330) 26 April 2014 An Analysis of The Swimmer by John Cheever Most stories can have an emotional impact on people, but once in a while certain stories can take the reader to the edge of reality. The Swimmer is a fascinating story with primary use of a setting and amazing characters that engages readers and can move them to experience life in an unfathomable way. Cheever was born May 27, 1912, in Quincy, Massachusetts, to Frederick Lincoln Cheever and Mary Liley Cheever. His father owned a shoeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Swimmer By John Cheever1925 Words   |  8 PagesBook Award in 1958 for his debut novel The Wapshot Chronicle, John Cheever was highly acclaimed as a novelist, but he may be best remembered for his array of short stories. In the words of the acclaimed novelist Philip Roth, Cheever was an â€Å"enchanted realist† who had â€Å"as rich and distinctive [voice] as any of the leading voices of postwar American literature.† This ‘voice’ was in full display Cheever’s stories, especially in â€Å"The Swi mmer,† which is about a man named Neddy Merrill who embarks on a ‘voyage’Read MoreAn Analysis Of John Cheever s The Swimmer 1385 Words   |  6 Pages Snigdha Sama Mrs. Hurtado English I H 9 March 2016 A Tale of Riches to Rags in â€Å"The Swimmer† The character and intelligence of a person is truly shown when he or she is forced to face reality. This is clearly established in â€Å"The Swimmer†, a story about a man thrown off his high horse. The story starts with Neddy Merrill and his group of wealthy socialites conversing at the Westerhazys’ house. Flashing back to his Olympic days, Neddy decides to swim through bodies of water to reach hisRead MoreJohn Cheevers Personal Connection to The Swimmer1483 Words   |  6 Pageslearn, John Cheever is the master. By researching Cheever, I was able to understand his background, read his short story â€Å"The Swimmer† closely, and make a personal connection. Author Biography Known for writing about the world of the American suburbs, John Cheever is one of the greats. It is not because he wrote many great stories, was very rich, and had a fantastic life. He may have been some of those things, but not all of them like he had hoped. 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Mouth and Product Quality Disagreement †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Mouth and Product Quality Disagreement. Answer: Introduction Sustainability is the key factor for gaining competitive advantages for the contemporary business organizations. This is more applicable for the startup organizations. They are introducing sustainable business approaches in order to have differentiated effect in the market. In addition, in the current market scenario, the more sustainable will be the business operation of the organizations, the more will be the competitiveness of them in the market (Joyce Paquin, 2016). In the recent time, there is a boom being witnessed in the growth of the startup organizations in different business sectors. One of the major business sectors impacted by the new business approaches is the agricultural and farming sector. The traditional way of farming is getting changed with the inflow of the new sustainable technologies. Pure Ponics is one of the leading startup organizations based in Australia. They are leading in initiating new and sustainable way of farming and agriculture. Their approach to the innovation and sustainability is helping them to create distinctive image in the market. This report will discuss about the business model followed by Pure Ponics in initiating sustainable farming. Furthermore, the critical success factors and the issues faced by them in their daily operations will also be discussed in this report. Pure Ponics is based in Victoria, Australia and founded a few years ago. They are mainly in the farming and agriculture sector. However, their approach to the agricultural practices is their source of gaining competitive advantages. This is due to the fact that Pure Ponics follows the aquaponics approach farming (www.pureponics.com.au, 2018). This refers to the sustainable use of the water for both fish and vegetables productions. In addition, they offer organic vegetables without the use of any chemicals or other artificial substances. This allows them to provide fresh and natural vegetables to the customers. Thus, their approach of aquaponics is changing the existing trend of agriculture and creating disruption in the food market. Currently, they are only having their operations in the Australian market and supply their products in small quantities in the Australian market only. Business canvas model of Pure Ponics The nine building blocks of business canvas model of Pure Ponics are having some major relationship between them. The major relationship being identified is between the key partners of Pure Ponics and their revenue stream (Chikoto Neely, 2014). It is identified from the above business canvas model that major revenues are being generated for Pure Ponics is through their key partners. It is identified that the key partners of them are the retail stores, through which they sell their products. On the other hand, these retail stores are helping them to generate major portion of the revenue. Another relationship is identified between the value proposition of Pure Ponics and key activities of them. It is evaluated that the key activities of Pure Ponics are the research and development of organic vegetables and fishes (Bocken et al., 2013). This helps them to enhance their value proposition in the market by offering more diverse organic vegetables. The more updated will be the technology; the more productive will be the farming process of Pure Ponics. Determination of the critical success factors Entering in different markets other than the existing market of Pure Ponics in Victoria will help them to cater to more number of customers. Currently, the market and business opportunities along with the brand value of Pure Ponics are limited only in the Victorian market (Laufs Schwens, 2014). Thus, entering in different markets will help them to reduce their business risk generating from one sector. This will also help in having more sales volume, which will in turn increase the revenue for them. Online mediums are widely used in the present time by large section of the population. Thus, having online marketplace for Pure Ponics will help in targeting more customers effectively. It will also enable them to cater to the regions where currently they are not having their presence (Nagle Riedl, 2014). It will increase the target customer segments for them along with increase in the sales volume. The area of farming should also be increased by them in order to maximize the production. It will enable them to attain the economies of scales by having mass production process (Drew, Kortt Dollery, 2014). Thus, the average cost of production will get lowered with the initiation of the larger area of farming. Determination of the downside risks Market still limited for Pure Ponics due to the fact that premium pricing of their products is restricting the larger portion of the market to buy them. This is also restricting their market enhancements and exposure. Furthermore, offering of more affordable organic vegetables by other players will reduce the market for Pure Ponics (Gottschalk Leistner, 2013). Environmental issues such as global warming will have negative impact in the future (Wheeler Von Braun, 2013). Change in the environment will reduce the productivity of the farming activities and may also change the nutritional value of the vegetables. Huge cost is involved in organic and aquaponics farming. This cost will further get increased in the future. The more will be the cost, the less will be the profitability for them (dos Santos, 2016). However, price of the vegetable cannot be increased due to the fact that they are already selling at a premium cost. I will if given the role of leadership in this organization first change the retailing process from the existing business model. The target premium customer segments are having access to the online mediums. On the other hand, they may not be comfortable in going the offline stores for shopping. Thus, I will concentrate more on the initiating the online marketplace for selling of the organic vegetables and fishes. Another change that will be initiated by me is the training of the farmers regarding the concept of aquaponics (Harrison et al., 2013). This will equip the farmers and will reduce the dependency on the skilled employees. This will also save a huge amount of money for the organization. I will also initiate the customer awareness activities in apart from customer service. This will help in creating awareness among the customers regarding organic foods and will increase the sales volume. Conclusion Thus, this report concludes that the sustainable approach of farming activities initiated by Pure Ponics is helping them to create distinctive image in the market. This is helping them to offer fresh, organic and natural vegetables to the customers. However, this report identified some risks for them and also discussed some critical success factors. These factors will help in gaining competitive advantages for them. The identified risks should be effectively mitigated in order to enhance the potentiality of their business. A few changes are also discussed, which can be done over the existing business model of Pure Ponics. Reference Bocken, N., Short, S., Rana, P., Evans, S. (2013). A value mapping tool for sustainable business modelling.Corporate Governance,13(5), 482-497. Chikoto, G. L., Neely, D. G. (2014). Building nonprofit financial capacity: The impact of revenue concentration and overhead costs.Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly,43(3), 570-588. dos Santos, M. J. P. L. (2016). Smart cities and urban areasAquaponics as innovative urban agriculture.Urban forestry urban greening,20, 402-406. Drew, J., Kortt, M. A., Dollery, B. (2014). Economies of scale and local government expenditure: evidence from Australia.Administration Society,46(6), 632-653. Gottschalk, I., Leistner, T. (2013). Consumer reactions to the availability of organic food in discount supermarkets.International Journal of Consumer Studies,37(2), 136-142. Harrison, J. A., Gaskin, J. W., Harrison, M. A., Cannon, J. L., Boyer, R. R., Zehnder, G. W. (2013). Survey of food safety practices on small to medium-sized farms and in farmers markets.Journal of food protection,76(11), 1989-1993. Joyce, A., Paquin, R. L. (2016). The triple layered business model canvas: A tool to design more sustainable business models.Journal of Cleaner Production,135, 1474-1486. Laufs, K., Schwens, C. (2014). Foreign market entry mode choice of small and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic review and future research agenda.International Business Review,23(6), 1109-1126. Nagle, F., Riedl, C. (2014, January). Online word of mouth and product quality disagreement. In Academy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2014, No. 1, p. 15681). Academy of Management. Wheeler, T., Von Braun, J. (2013). Climate change impacts on global food security.Science,341(6145), 508-513. www.pureponics.com.au. (2018).Pure Ponics Commercial Aquaponics. Retrieved 27 March 2018, from https://www.pureponics.com.au/

Milkshakes Understanding the Job

Introduction This analysis will review the efficacy of Clay Christensen’s milkshake analogy in marketing products that are commonly used by an average American. For this purpose the review will look at how the concept works in the marketing of a brand of dry cells (Energizer batteries). In this regard, the basic functions of the product and why individuals would buy it, before applying the theories of Christensen’s analogy on it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Milkshakes: Understanding the Job specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Basic utility The Energizer brand of dry cells is commonly used to power small electronic gadgets such as digital cameras, flashlights, microphones, wall clocks and portable radios. Energizer Holdings, the company that manufactures the Energizer batteries, realized from a very early time that the buyers of dry cells usually go for the brand that will last the longest. With thi s knowledge in mind, they rolled out a marketing campaign that presents their products as one of the best in its line. The broadcast and print advertisements for the Energizer brand always emphasize the message that their batteries last longer than those manufactured by their competitors. Their main intention is to get the customer to view Energizer as the brand that gives them value for their money. Christensen’s approach and Energizer batteries Using Christensen’s milk-shake analogy, the job of Energizer batteries is to power the specific gadget that it has been installed in, so that the user can get the service he expects from the particular gadget. For instance, when used on a flashlight, the Energizer batteries are hired to provide the power needed to give illumination. Depending on the gadget being powered, the substitutions for Energizer are other brands of dry cells and main-grid electricity. Proper definition of the Energizer market will help the product incre ase its customer base by putting in place methods to attract individuals that have been using competing products/substitutions without taking into consideration the added benefits they can get. For instance, there are customers who purchase batteries to use in disposable cameras. These individuals are usually not interested in batteries that last longer than their disposable cameras and would, therefore, pick any brand to use they find in the shops. To target this particular market, Energizer holdings can come up with special batteries, which do not necessary last as long as those used in portable radios. These batteries can be branded Energizer Light and should be mainly indicated for usage in light photography.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Re-marketing the product will create a new market segment for the Energizer brand of batteries. This will come in the form of indivi duals buying batteries that are tailored for their needs. If customers know they can get a pair of batteries that will handle their specific needs without having to pay as much as the person who wants a pair that will last longer. The main risk of using Christensen’s approach would be that it may end up not paying off as fast as is expected. In some markets, customers are used skeptical of new advancements and there is a chance that segmentation of the products might end up cutting down on the sales from the original line and distributing it to the new releases (Christensen and Raynor, 2011). Conclusion By using Christensen’s approach in the assessment of the market of consumer products, companies can come up with strategies for further tapping into the market. This analysis had set out to illustrate how the milk-shake analogy can be applied to the dry-cell market. Appropriate exemplification has been provided to show how the Energizer brand can be improved upon by tak ing into consideration the needs of the customer. Reference List Christensen, C.M. Raynor, M.E. (2011). The Clayton Christensen Innovation  Collection. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Press This essay on Milkshakes: Understanding the Job was written and submitted by user Eleanor Rutledge to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.