Reading Level of Grade Three Pupils at Luis Mirasol Memorial School Essay

The current issue being faced today by most educators is that during enrolment, some pupils who are promoted in Grade Three are still considered as non-readers. According to Arnold Peralta (2006), enabling the child to read in Grade 1 and 2, the primary grade is very necessary. It is in this stage that the habit of reading should be developed. If a child will not be able to read, understand what he reads and developed the habit of reading, he/she can hardly make it in the higher grades. According to Businessdictionary. com, reading grade level means number assigned to the level of complexity of a reading material, it equates to a given level of schooling, For example, a reading grade level of seven means the reading material is intended for a seventh grade student. In the field of education, this concept is very important in determining pupils’ progress in reading. According to Juan Miguel Luz (2007), Grade Three (10 years old) is a critical year in terms of formal schooling. Before School Year 2012-2023 preschooling is neither compulsory nor part of the package of free public education guaranteed by the Constitution, Grade Three marks the third full year of basic education for children who attend public elementary school and the year when the facility to read, write, and do the four operations of arithmetic with competence is expected. (Less than 20 percent of those who go to public elementary school actually attend a full year of preschool education). Dropping out before this grade level thus becomes a major contributor to the lack of functional literacy, which in turn has a negative impact on adults and their eventual work productivity. This is assuming, of course, that by the end of Grade 3 (or the third year of formal full-time schooling), the children’s competence in the three ‘Rs are being honed fully. But seeing it, that may not be happening in far too many schools. Furthermore, since they learned the basic skills in reading during their previous grades, they are expected to be a good reader when they reach Grade Three. However, there are many pupils who are still considered as non-readers. Stothard & Hulme (1996) described reading as the interaction of two distinct processes, decoding and comprehension. For skilled readers decoding is a highly automated task. Skilled readers can focus their attention on comprehension of the novel material. Low ability readers typically have difficulties studying and learning from expository textual material (Helwig, Almond, Rozek-Tedesco, Tindal, & Heath, 1999). Readers with robust verbal ability skills are more likely to analyze new information and draw inferences than their peers with low verbal ability. DepEd intensifies reading literacy in schools by enforcing the policy called â€Å"Every Child A Reader† (the Education Post Vol. 21, No. 1). Undersecretary Bacani said the new policy aims to make every Filipino child a successful reader at the end of Grade 3. The undersecretary is expecting that no pupil will be promoted to higher grades unless he or she manifests mastery of the basic literacy skills in a particular grade (Arnold Peralta,2006). The researchers presupposed factors to consider in eradicating or minimizing non- readers in every school. Among this are children who have spent less time in reading, their father and mother educational attainment, type of pre-school attended whether in public or private, and monthly family income. This is caused by the influence of the modern world, and parents’ inability to monitor the child’s progress because they are preoccupied with their chosen job. Some children choose to hang around malls, play computer or video games, or watch cartoons and consider reading as part of school activities that need to be forgotten during their spare time. (Arnold Peralta,2006) On the other hand, this is maybe caused by parent’s low educational attainment, and the absence of any reading and educational materials in their homes. According to Arnold Peralta (2006), the parents’ role is very important in helping increase their children’s habits. They must be involved in any activity to improve their children’s reading ability. That is why, in relation to this, the researchers aim to conduct a study that shall determine if such factors have indeed some kind of influence with the Reading Level of Grade Three pupils of Luis Mirasol Memorial School. Statement of the Problem This study will be conducted to determine the Reading Level of Grade Three Pupils at Luis Mirasol Memorial School. Specifically, this study aims to: 1. Describe the respondent’s socio-economic characteristics in terms of educational attainment of the father , educational attainment of the mother, and the monthly family income,type of pre-school attended, and number of hours spent in reading; 2. Determine the reading level of the respondents; 3. Determine if there is a relationship between the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics such as: educational attainment of a father, educational attainment of mother, monthly family income, and type of pre-school attended and number of hours spent in reading of the respondents. Research Hypotheses 1. There is no significant relationship between the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics such as: educational attainment of a father, educational attainment of mother, monthly family income, and type of pre-school attended, time spent in reading and the reading level. Theoretical Framework This study is based on various theories on reading level: According to the theory of reading as defined by (Henry,1986) that it must deal with wide range of issues and account for a wide range of behaviors and capabilities. Reading occurs when a child has developed sufficient decoding skills. Decoding is the ability to decipher printed words into meaningful spoken language. More specifically, decoding refers to the skill at which one is able to recognize sound, individual phonemes in a printed or written word and then length and those phonemes to form the sound of the word by (Adams 1990)NRP,2000;National Researcher Council,1998) Philip Gough and Wesley Hoover (1990) describe a theory called simple review of reading, a theory that supported that decoding is necessary for reading level success. This view asserts that weaknesses in reading decoding will result in weak reading. According to (Moats 1999, p5). Reading is the fundamental skill upon which all formal education depends. Research now shows that a child who does [not] learn the basics early is unlikely to learn them at all. Any child who does learn [not] to learn to read-early and will not easily master other skills  and knowledge and unlikely to ever flourish in schools or in life. According to (Kantawala, 1980) states that, the higher the socioeconomic status the better the reading attitude, according to him students of small size family had a more favourable reading attitude than those of large families. Due to the lack of independent reading student may not have developed the positive attitude towards reading. Conceptual Framework Reading level is one of the problems of teachers and parents with regards to their pupils and children. As parents become worried on the reading level of their sons and daughters many of them are unaware of the factors which may significantly affect such occurrence. These pupils on the other hand, who have delayed reading level, frequently, consider reading a task for them to study. In this study, Monthly family income, Preschool last attended, Time spent in reading serves as the Independent Variables while Reading level serve as the Dependent Variable. In terms of Monthly Family Income the researcher believe that those respondents with a higher monthly family income are expected to have a high reading level. In terms of Pre-school last attended, researchers believe that those pupils who obtain schooling in private pre-school than in public are expected to a have high reading level. In terms of Time spent in reading, the researchers believe that those who spent much time in reading are expected to have high reading level. Independent variable 1. Socio-economic characteristics * Educational attainment the father * Educational attainment the mother * Monthly family income 2. Type of school where pre-school education was obtained * Public * Private 3. Time spent in reading Dependent variable Reading Level Figure 1. A Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the Independent and Dependent Variables. Definition of Terms To establish a frame of understanding for both the researchers and readers to facilitate correct interpretation of the results of the study, the following term were defined: Educational Attainment of Father – this pertains to the highest level of instruction, obtained in an institution of learning by the father. It is classified as elementary, high school or college. Educational Attainment of Mother – this pertains to the highest level of instruction, obtained in an institution of learning by the mother. It is classified as elementary, high school or college. Monthly Family Income. This refers to the total gross income of the pupils family per month and is further classified into High (Php 5000 and above), Average (Php2500 and above), Low (1500 and below). Pre-school last attended. Type of school where pre-school education was obtained whether it is in Day Care Center or Pre-Elementary Public School. Time Spent in Reading. This refers to average time not less than 80 to 100 minutes of independent or shared reading per week by the pupils. Reading Level- reading will be measured by using the IRI assessment and the respondents will be ranked through Frustration level, Instructional Level, Independent Level. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study aims to determine the factors related to the Reading Level of Grade 3 pupils at Luis Mirasol Memorial School during the School Year 2012-2013. This study will be conducted at Luis Mirasol Memorial School for convenience of both the researchers and the respondents. The Grade 3 pupils were selected as respondents of this study. The information needed in this study will be gathered using a self-administered questionnaire structured by the researchers. Furthermore, the interview and questionnaire will use to test the reliability of the research instrument. This study would be more reliable if it covers a larger scope and if more respondents will be involved. But this will also mean more effort, time and money that the researchers despondently lack. Significance of the study. The results of this investigation are expected to be highly beneficial to the following: Central Philippine University—College of Education. As an educational institution that hones every individual to become successful professionals in the future, the problem would be beneficial to the College of Education for the outreach center in the field study, to plan out certain programs, and strategies for the Luis Mirasol Memorial School as a partnership of Central Philippine University. Luis Mirasol Memorial School. If this study proves to be beneficial as a means of basis and standards, teachers will be able to find new ways and strategies on how to improve the reading level of their pupils. Parents. As the legal guardians of the children, the results of this investigation would serve as a stimuli towards their awareness on the factors that affect the reading level of their children. Furthermore, this study would initiate them to be more involved to follow up their children at home with partnership to the teacher and open line communication for the development of their children. Elementary Pupils. Whenever proven that the mentioned factors have something to do with the Reading Level of the pupils, the pupils themselves can learn and even do something to counteract negative impact caused by such factors as to their reading skills. Researchers. The outcome and conclusions drawn from this study will be beneficial to other researchers as a guideline for future studies. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Educational Attainment of both Parents and Reading Level Research on parenting also has shown that parent education is related to a warm, social climate in the home. Klebanov et al. (1994) found that both mothers’ education and family income were important predictors of the physical environment and learning experiences in the home but that mothers’ education alone was predictive of parental warmth. Likewise, Smith et al. (1997) found that the association of family income and parents’ education with children’s academic achievement was mediated by the home environment. The mediation effect was stronger for maternal education than for family income. Thus, these authors posited that education might be linked to specific achievement behaviors in the home (e. g. , reading, playing). Preschool Attended and Reading Level Preschool helps children to use their minds by knowing where the child means also knowing how his mind deals with the activities of the curriculum and other experiences in the early years. Mental operation most relevant for early education can be grouped into 3 major areas: perception, memory and problem solving. According to Maria Montessori, early education has an indispensable role in the whole personality of the child. The stage of human development from 0-6 years is the stage of the most absorbent mind and the critical period of a child. This stage is the most sensitive period in the life of the child that needed a wholesome, healthful and rich background. If a child fails in reading during the primary grades, his chances for success in any other academic area are greatly reduced. It is therefore essential that a pre-school program for children do all it can to ensure that the children will succeed in reading when they enter school. (http://onlineacademics. org/ReadingDiagnosis. html) Preschool improves children’s problem solving abilities for elementary school. Educational advocates recognize early childhood education, during the preschool years, as among the most enduring and beneficial services a community can provide for its children. Some parents choose to delay formal education until kindergarten, instead instructing their children in reading readiness tasks and offering enrichment classes at home. Children who aren’t offered these opportunities, whether at home or in a formal school setting, perform below their kindergarten classmates in reading and social readiness. (W. Steven Barnett; January 2006). According to a study by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, children who attended preschool scored at a higher reading level than children who did not attend preschool. Even if they couldn’t read, exposure to reading, books and listening to stories resulted in higher levels of letter and number recognition. When introduced to numbers and letters during kindergarten, children who attended preschool already had conceptual and visual familiarity, making it easier for them to make sense of written words. This advantage in reading comprehension and ability continued through age 15. Time Spent in Reading and Reading Level. (U. S. Department of Education, 1986) have recently reiterated the assertion that time spent reading at school and at home is an important facet of a reading program. Despite the perceived importance of time spent reading, a number of studies have found that intermediate grade students spend relatively little time reading at school or at home. It has been well documented that, in general, the amount of time that students are engaged in academic tasks during the reading period at school is positively correlated with gains in reading achievement (Brophy & Good,1986; Fisher et al. , 1980; Stallings & Kaskowitz, 1974). At the same time, however, many activities besides silent reading occur during the reading period (Anderson et al. , 1985). Consequently, studies on general student engagement during the reading period do not provide direct evidence of a meaningful relationship between time spent on silent reading and reading achievement. A few studies have supported the assertion that time engaged in silent reading is an important determinant of elementary students’ reading achievement. Greaney (1980) found a positive relationship between the amount of time spent reading at home and the reading achievement of elementary-age children. In effect, the assertion that time engaged in silent reading at school and at home is important for children’s reading growth has little empirical support; the literature contains surprisingly few studies that have actually found significant relations between time engaged in silent reading and gains in reading achievement for intermediate grade students. In fact, Wilkinson et al. (1988) and Anderson et al. (1988) have recently bemoaned the paucity of evidence. Thus, in the present study we focus on the relationship between reading and achievement gains. We attempt to provide data directly relevant to the policy question of whether or not elementary teachers and administrators should advocate students devoting more time to silent reading at school and at home. Synthesis of Review of Related Literature The Related Literature presented above revealed that there are certain existing factors related to the Reading Level of the pupils in an educational institution. It was mentioned by Klebanov et al. (1994) that education of parents and family income were important predictors of the physical environment and learning experiences in the home. Likewise, Smith et al. (1997) found that the association of family income and parents’ education with children’s academic achievement was mediated by the home environment. The pre-school program for children do all it can to ensure that the children will succeed in reading when they enter school (Maria Montessori). This serve as a foundation to their basic learning during their elementary grades. The time spent on reading has been beneficial to children who read during their free time. It has been well documented that, in general, the amount of time that students are engaged in academic tasks during the  reading period at school is positively correlated with gains in reading achievement (Brophy & Good,1986; Fisher et al. , 1980; Stallings & Kaskowitz, 1974). Chapter III METHODOLOGY This chapter presents a description of the Research Design, locale of Study, Sampling Population, Research Instrument, Data Gathering Procedure and Data Analysis. Research Design The non –experimental Design, Specifically the One shot survey was used in this study since it is the most appropriate approach in collecting the prescribed data. This design is suitable for the collection of descriptive information about the population or subjects of the study. Moreover, the design requires data to be collected once and it also utilized when the objective is describe a situation or condition of a study population as it exist. Locale of the Study The data and information needed in this study was obtained at Luis Mirasol Memorial School, for the convenience of both the respondents and the researchers. The locale is also appropriate, as it can accommodate all the respondents of the study. Respondents of the Study. All of the Grade III pupils from Luis Mirasol Memorial School will be taken as respondents of this study. Census of the total population from the mention institution will be formally obtained with proper permission from the School’s Principal with the total 70 respondents. Data Gathering Instrument The information needed in this study will be gathered using self-administered questionnaire and to be structured by the researchers. It consists of four parts: The first part of the instrument will asks about the Educational Attainment of both Parents, the second part pertains to the  Family Income of the respondents, the third part will asks about the Type of Pre-school the respondent attended, and the fourth part is the number of hours that the respondents spent in reading. Data Processing and Analysis The data in this study will be subjected to computer processed statistics using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Program. A coding manual was prepared for easy facilitation of the data. In order to achieve the goals of the study, Descriptive Statistics which included the mean and Inferential Statistics which included the frequency count and percentage of the results was used. CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The following are the results of our study conducted during the summer of 2012. We interviewed 53 students and the results show that when the respondents are grouped according to educational attainment of the father, the results are: Table 1. Distribution of Respondents According To Educational Attainment of the Father EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE FATHER| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| | Elementary| 4| 7. 5| 7. 5| 7. 5| | High School| 15| 28. 3| 28. 3| 35. 8| | College Level| 6| 11. 3| 11. 3| 47. 2| | College Graduate| 28| 52. 8| 52. 8| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100.0| 100. 0| | In table 1, out of the 53 respondents, majority of their fathers are college graduate, 28 in total which comprise 52. 8% of the total population, followed by fathers who are high school graduates 15 in total, which comprise 28% of the total population. College level fathers and Elementary graduate are the bottom two, 6 and 4 in total respectively and comprise 11. 3% and 7. 5% of the total population. The data shows that the degree of educational attainment of mother does not affect the reading level of the pupils. Table 2. Distribution of Respondents According To Educational Attainment of the Mother  EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE MOTHER| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | Elementary| 6| 11. 3| 11. 3| 11. 3| | High school| 15| 28. 3| 28. 3| 39. 6| | College level| 11| 20. 8| 20. 8| 60. 4| | College graduate| 21| 39. 6| 39. 6| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | In table 2, the data shows that out of the 53 respondents, majority of their mothers are college graduate, 21 in total which comprise 39. 6% of the total population, followed by mothers who are high school graduates 15 in total, which comprise 28. 3% of the total population. College level mothers and Elementary graduate are the bottom two, 11 and 6 in total respectively and comprise 20. 8% and 11. 3% of the total population. The data shows that the degree of educational attainment of mother does not affect the reading level of the pupils. According to____________________________________________? Table 3. Distribution of Respondents According to Monthly Income MONTHLY INCOME| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | 5000 and above| 23| 43. 4| 43. 4| 43. 4| | 1501-4999| 20| 37. 7| 37. 7| 81. 1| | 1500 and below| 10| 18. 9| 18. 9| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Out of the 53 respondents, majority of them have monthly net income above 5000, 23 in total which comprise 43. 4% of the total population, followed by those who have monthly income ranging from 1501 to 4999, 20 in total, which comprise 37. 7% of the total population, and lastly those who have monthly net income higher than 15000 comprised 18. 9% of the population, or 10 respondents. This data shows that According to Table 4. Distribution of Respondents According Type of Preschool Attended PRESCHOOL ATTENDED| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | Public| 51| 96. 2| 96. 2| 96. 2| | Private| 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Out of the 53 respondents, majority of them have finished their preschool in public schools, which comprise 51 respondents or 96. 2% of the entire population. The remaining 2 or 3. 8% went to private schools. This data shows that? __________________________ According to_______________________? Table 5. Distribution of Respondents According Time Spent in Reading TIME SPENT IN READING| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | one hour a day| 26| 49. 1| 49. 1| 49. 1| | two hours a day| 5| 9. 4| 9. 4| 58. 5| | three hours a day| 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 62. 3| | one hour in a week| 5| 9. 4| 9. 4| 71. 7| | three hours in a week| 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 75. 5| | Less than one hour a week| 13| 24. 5| 24. 5| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Out of the 53 respondents, majority of them spent one hour a day in reading, 26 in all or 49. 1%, followed by those who read less than an hour a week, 13 in all or 24. 5%. Those who read two hours a day and one hour a week are both tied which comprise 9. 4% of the population or 5 respondents in all. Same is in those who read three hours a day and three hours a week, both 2  respondents’ responds positively comprising 3. 8% of the population. This data shows that? __________________According to_______________? When grouped according to the raw scores in Filipino reading comprehension test we get the following results: SCORES IN FILIPINO| | Valid| 53| | Missing| 0| Mean| 78. 58| Median| 80. 00| Mode| 80| Std. Deviation| 4. 050| Minimum| 59| Maximum| 83| The range of the scores in Filipino exam is from 59 to 83, 59 being the lowest and 83 the highest, with a mean score of 78. 58, mode and median at 80 and with a standard deviation of 4. 050. (Complete table is shown in Appendix A Table 1) When grouped according to the raw scores in English reading comprehension test we get the following results: SCORES IN ENGLISH| | Valid| 53| | Missing| 0| Mean| 42. 21| Median| 44. 00| Mode| 43| Std. Deviation| 5. 749| Minimum| 17| Maximum| 49| The range of the scores in English exam is from 17 to 49, 17 being the lowest and 49 the highest, with a mean score of 42. 21, mode at 43 and median at 44 and with a standard deviation of 5. 749. (Complete table is shown in Appendix A Table 2) To test for correlation for father’s educational attainment in correlation to the respondents core in Filipino we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 093 with the significance of 0. 508. In terms for correlation between the mother’s educational attainments in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get the Spearman’s Rho to be -0. 21, with the significance of . 440. In terms of parents net monthly income in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get Spearman’s Rho of -. 013 with significance of . 464. In terms preschool attended in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get the Spearman’s Rho to be . 066, with the significance of . 321. In terms of time spent in reading in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get the Spearman’s Rho to be -0. 131, with the significance of . 176. To test for correlation for father’s educational attainment in correlation to the respondents score in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 086 with the significance of 0. 269. In terms of mother’s educational attainment in correlation to the respondents core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 030 with the significance of 0. 415. In terms of monthly income in correlation to the respondents core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be .015 with the significance of 0. 456. In terms of preschool attended in correlation to the respondent’s core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 088 with the significance of 0. 265. In terms of time spent in reading in correlation to the respondent’s core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be -. 114 with the significance of 0. 209. (complete table of correlation see Appendix A table 3. ) CHAPTER V CONCLUSION Based on the findings of the study the following conclusion was drawn: 1. Parent’s educational attainment, both mother and the father have no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the level educational attainment of the parents does not affects the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 2. Parent’s net monthly income has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the net monthly income of the parents does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 3. The pre-school attended by the pupil has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the preschool attended by the pupil does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 4. The pre-school attended by the pupil has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the preschool attended by the pupil does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 5. The time spent by the pupil reading has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the time spent by the pupil reading does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the foregoing findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are generalized: 1. Central Philippine University must take action and do more research as of what is the cause of the low reading level among Luis Mirasol Memorial School’s Grade III pupils. 2. Since there are no significant relationship between parent’s educational attainment, net monthly income and the reading level of a pupil, the parent’s must get involve in other ways in the pupil’s academe aside from the given two. 3. Researchers are recommended to find other factors that have probable relationship to reading level aside the factors given in this research. REFERENCES http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/reading-grade-level-RGL. html , Date retrieved: April 28, 2012 http:// indigo. ie/-sdblang/personal/papers. htm, Date retrieved: May 8, 2012 http://www. buzzle. com/articles/private-achools-vspublic-schools. html, Effects of Low Family Income on Children I eHow. com http:www. Ehow. com. /list _6195251-effects-low-family income children. html #ixzzluWkeyqBZ, Date retrieved: May 9, 2012 http://onlineacamemics. org/ReadingDiagnostisis. html, Date retrieved: May 11, 2012 The Philippine Journal of Education, Arnold Peralta (2006), Volume No. LXXXV, p. 243. Christian perspectives in education, Vol. 2, No. 2 Spring 2009.

Inditex Report Essay

Introduction The aim and objectives of writing this report is to analyse the business strategies or models adopted by the Inditex Group and to review whether this strategies will support its operation in accomplishing their future obligation. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate the strategic option of the organization in either from a corporate strategy view or strategic business unit (SBU) perspective that could be adopted by the Inditex Group. This report will also highlight the vision, mission and objectives of the Inditex Group Company. In addition, the report will go further by accessing the group human resources and management in order to clearly pinpoint any management changes in the organization, if there is any, and to know who the management are and their position in the decision making process of the company. In order to achieve the principle objectives of this report, the report will be categorised into Internal and External analysis. This is done in order to fully analyse the current po sition of Inditex Group in the market from all perspectives, also to access if Inditex is a healthy company to invest in, and also accessing the current strategic adopted by the company. The company Internal analysis will be based on the following; Financial Analysis: This will focus on all the financial aspect of the company. Human resources and Management Analysis: focus on the management system of the company. Market Analysis: This will focus on the company’s current market position. Operations Analysis: This will focus on how and where the company perform it day-to-day activities. Prioritized Strength: This will analyse the strengths of the company internally. Prioritized Weakness: This will analyse the internal weakness of the company that can hinder them from achieving their goals. The company External analysis will be based on the following; Pestel Analysis: this will analyse the possible influence of the failure or success of the company strategies. Porter 5 forces: this will help in analysing the way of attractiveness of the Clothing Industry. Critical Success Factors (CSF’s): This will focus on some unique resources that make the company  successful. Prioritized Opportunity: Prioritized Threat: Company: Inditex Group. The Inditex Group Company, a textile design Industries is a Spanish Multinational clothing company. Inditex have its headquartered based in Arteixo, Galicia in Spain. The Inditex Group was founded and created by Amancio Ortega Gaona the wealthiest man in Spain and third richest man in the world in 1985 and by 2001 they went public and listed on the Bolsa de Madrid stock exchange market1. The Inditex Group which is now considered as the world’s largest clothing apparel company in terms of sales is made up of over 100 companies operating in textile designs, manufacturing, and distributions. Inditex currently have 8 strategic business units operating in four geographical market segments2 which includes Spain. These strategic business units includes; Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Uterque, Zara, and Zara Home. Inditex strategic business units collectively occupied about 6249 stores in 86 markets. Company Vision: Good Faith, Dialogue, and Transparency. Company Mission: Is to respond with agility to the demands of the market. This means that Inditex focus highly on the customers’ needs and combines these needs with high degree of vertical integration across all their business area. Internal Analysis Financial Analysis: The key profit driver for Inditex Group Company is Zara, contributing 66.11% of the total net sales and 68.5% per square metre in 2012, while Bershka comes 2nd with 9.31% of total net sales in 2012. In terms of geographical region, the Europe (excluding Spain), and Spain accounted for 45% and 21% of the total net sales respectively. While the Americas and Asia (Including rest of the world) represents a significant lower amount of 14% and 20% respectively. In 2012 saw Inditex Group stores increases massively from 4264 stores in 2008 to 6009 stores in 2012. This shows an increase of 40.92% in  stores from 2008 to 2012. Inditex Group Profitability, Liquidity and Efficiency Net sales increases year over year from 2008 to 2012. This shows an increase of 10.3% from 2007-2008, 6.2% increase from 2008-2009, 13.40% from 2009-2010, 10.2% from 2010-2011, and 15.61% from 2011-2012. This is boosted by the increase of sales, higher profits margin and numbers of new stores opened3. Overall, net sales show an increase of 53.22%. While the Net profit soared by a massive 87.26% between 2008-2012. Prior to this, Inditex growth rate has maintained an average of 16% sales growth and net income of 12% for the past 10 years. The decreasing pattern of ROCE from 2008-2009, and also in 2011 is due to a proportionate increase of operating expenses. The Gross Profit Margin (GP%) has seen a slow increase from 2008-2012. This is due to the slower increase of cost of sales (COS). EBITDA increases by 20% when compared to the previous years and EBIT also increased by 24% when compared to the previous years. Debts A very low geared company, as Inditex Group Company managed to pay back some substantial amount of debts through cash reserves. The Group has 0.08% of debt to capital ratio which means that the company pay little attention when it comes to using debts to finance projects. Investors Related Market Capitalization of 66.883 bn euro. Share price 106 euro as at 06/03/14 Earnings per share has been increasing significant from 2008-2012. Dividend per share increased by 12.5% from 2011 to 2012. Inditex Group Company has a slow increase of sales volumes over the years; while some of the key ratios reported a decline pattern during some period. Inditex mostly depends on the Europe excluding Spain and Spain market, however, with an optimistic future growth in the Asia market. The company also has a low gearing ratio which gives them more financial edge in terms of future expansion. Funding Inditex Group Company funds for its company through the issuing of ordinary  share equity, debt financing, credit facilities and self-financing. The company have been profitable over the year which makes them assumed reasonable responsibility of not securing enough debt to finance its operations. So therefore, in terms of liquidity, the company is not exposed to any significant liquidity risk as it maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalent which meet the outflows of its daily operations. More so, the group are not as concerned about credit risk as they have a policy in place that cover any sales franchises and as their majority of revenue is made from retail sales, so they make use of cash collections or credit payment. Inditex Group Company also funds its business by investing in marketable securities which includes short and long term debts with a maturity of 90 days and 12 months respectively. This helps the Group in meeting its short term obligations. The group also have cl ose to 50% stakes in each of the five Economic Interest Groupings they invest in, these groups are involves in leasing of assets. Human Resources and Management Inditex is a multi-cultural and multi-racial company with 120,314 employees and also created about 10,802 jobs in 2012. 82% of Inditex staffs works under an indefinite contract.  In terms of its multi-cultural pedigree, Inditex employees are of over 130 nationalities and 45 working languages. Inditex has a young workforce with an average age of 31 years old and 78.7% of its employees are females. Pablo Isla Alvarez de Tejera is the Chairman and Chief Executive Chairman of Inditex Group Company along with his Deputy Jose Amau Sierra has transformed the fashion industry and created the world’s largest clothing and apparel company in terms of revenue, and the also developed a strong distribution model which helped the group to minimise their design to distribution process within a week. Overall, the Inditex board consist of 9 directors which include 4 executives’ directors and 5 non-executives directors. Inditex Group Company operates a multidivisional structure which helps them in supporting their global operations. At Inditex, the board of directors are the highest decision maker; they supervise and control the body of the company apart from the matters that were reserved to the general meeting of the shareholders. Inditex board of directors are also entrusting with  direction, administration, management and representative of the company and management of the day-to-day activities of the company to the executives. They also manage the team and focusing its efforts on general supervising function which include directing Inditex policy, making relevant decisions and acting as a link with the shareholders of the company. Market Analysis Markets and segment Most attractive market segment is Asia market Market segment by age. Young and middle age group. Products Inditex have constant changes to its products lines. They have identical products in all market segments. Inditex maintain health and safety products standard4. Customers’ orientation: they analyse customers’ feedbacks in order to be able to identify customer trends. Price Inditex has a standard price in all markets segments. The pricing could be different in terms of exchange rate factors due to globalization. It also gives seasonal discount5 like December sales. Inditex price is considered to be medium with an exception of Massimo Dutti. Inditex Amongst Competition. Promotion Inditex has a strict policy and zero advertisement. Online website for each business unit which systematically updates It has an Affinity card for customers: this influences customers’ loyalty6. It communicates with its customers through social networks. Place Location: All of Inditex stores all located at the main shopping streets. A unique design which is influence by the culture of the markets. A display tailored of the product They have excellent customers service Online stores for all its 8 business units available in some major country7 The key strategy of the Inditex marketing departments are performed through customers’ orientation and satisfaction. Inditex main sale-point is where managers received feedbacks from customers, the managers then report to the design departments in order to identify and carried out what the customers’ value. Another factor that did the trick for Inditex is their glamorous stores, where customers’ access its latest products which are always updated four times in a month. The product lifecycle and BCG matrix as you can see on the charts indicates an accurate balancing position within the Inditex portfolio. However, since just one business unit is placed on as a Cash Cow, so therefore, numerous investments might be needed so as to transform the Question Marks into Stars. Inditex Product Lifecycle. Inditex BCG MATRIX. Operation Analysis: Value Chain- Primary Activities Approximately 1000 designers are responsible for recognising any changes in fashion and they are in charge of developing new models to satisfy customers’ desires. Most of the production takes place in the Group’s own factory. The group take full responsibility control of fabrics supply, marking and cutting of the fabrics till the finish goods. Over 50 percent of Inditex manufacturing is carried out by local suppliers. By the end of 2012, Inditex already had a total of 1434 suppliers and all suppliers must agree to adhere to Inditex Code of Conduct. The cost of merchandise includes the cost of raw materials and consumables8. The Inditex Group has its own logistic centre, where all production is received and carried out, and then distributed to various stores worldwide9. Inditex operates 8 logistic centres, at least one for each brands and all of which are in Spain. Stores play significant roles in Inditex business model10. Value Chain- Secondary Activities Research and Development using advanced technology11. Operates manufacturing and procurement12. Research and Development of eco-efficiency13. Human Resources and Management14. Firm Infrastructure15. Corporate Social Responsibility16. Joint ventures and Strategic Alliances17. Inditex unique management business model is based on flexibility and innovation, and its vision of fashion along with quality design and creativity, together with a rapid response to customers demand has resulted in Inditex fast international expansion and an excellent performance of its commercial formats. Inditex business model is centred to its customers, stores, design/production, teams, and logistics. However Inditex group adopted a high degree of vertical integration business model when compared to its competitors. This allows Inditex to cover all phases of its fashion process which includes design, manufacture, logistics and distribution. The group also incorporated a degree of flexibility structure with a strong focus on customers’ demands in all its business areas. Inditex views social and environmental variables as a strategic factor for growth and sustainment for customers demand. The key to Inditex model is its ability of attending to customers desires in a shortes t amount of time possible. This is a key value added activities of the Inditex group Company. Inditex Business Model Structure. Inditex Logistics Centres Prioritized Strengths Inditex is the world largest clothing and apparel company in terms of revenue. Inditex has a great organization knowledge and expertise. This stands for unique resources and core competences of the company. It also has a strong business model (core competence) It has strong brand (unique resource) Inditex has a diversifying marketing strategy (core competence) Prioritized Weakness Inditex depend on one global brand (Zara which generate 66.11% of its total revenue). It also depends on two geographical regions (Europe excluding Spain and Spain). Inditex is exposed to commodity inflation, It has a centralized logistic centre which may cause some problems in future expansion. High training cost. External Analysis P.E.S.T.E.L Analysis Political Global trade agreement18 National trade relationship19 Value added tax (VAT) and foreign taxation policies. Change in government. Pressure group20. Economical Exchange rate: related to GBP, Us dollars, Japanese Yen: As the crisis in Europe area might cause the Euro to be weaker than the Yen, so the company is likely to have exchange loss. Year on year change in GDP21. Financial market uncertainty. Unemployment Commodity price inflations: for instance, the fuel price increase in the Middle East due to the civil unrest may affect the company margins and also increase the cost of transportation. Inflation22 and Interest rate23. Socio-Cultural Social dimension, corporate social responsibility24 and reputations. Consumers’ complaints. Changes in consumers preferences. Changes in lifestyles and trends. New trends among the younger generation in Europe and America. Technology Spending on research and development Information system Eco-efficiency25 E commerce26 Environmental Kyoto protocol Waste and Recycling: more focus on the attention of areas such as sustainable development. The effect of global climate to the production of organic cotton. Toxic chemicals: this includes carbon footprint. Legal Employment law: this has something to do with Child labour and rules and regulations that relate to labour. Consumer law: this regards law and regulation which relates to fashions and clothing Patents and trademarks Supplier rights Health and safety law European companies will be assisted by the abolition of textile and clothing import quotas (ATC) in order to enter into the emerging market of Asia which undoubtedly counted for a huge significant amount of the population of the world. However, due to the uncertainties associated with political and economic situations, this could increase the risk of further expansion strategies. Although the price of cotton has increases by more than $5 over the years while unemployment has risen high especially in Greece and Spain with 28% and 26% respectively which force textile companies to potentially increase their market prices, while disposable income on clothing has decrease because the ongoing problem in the Eurozone consumer gives negatives signal to consumers which affect their confidence, but the confident level in the emerging market (Asia) is optimistic. However, the price deflation of cloths which has been dated back to the 1990s till the start of the financial crisis, the reversing t rends now after the financial crisis have an effect on the overall productivity of the apparel industry positively. Porters 5 Forces Threats of New Entrants There is economic of scales It involves large capital investment There is a brand loyalty in the industry There is a product differentiation Patent and protection tariffs Moderate force which can be overcome Threat of Substitute Price/performance ratio Inditex other brands There is zero switching cost Weak force The Bargaining Power of Buyer Decentralized and Centralized Buyer There is a low switching cost There is zero buyer competition threat Moderate force The Bargaining Power of Buyer There is fewer supplier in the industry There is a low supplier competition threat Suppliers of textile and raw materials Weak force Competitive Rivalry There is existing retailers equally sized Slow growth in the apparel industry Great differentiation Moderate force Three moderate forces and two weak forces make the clothing and apparel industry unattractive for new competitors to break into the industry. However, changes to substitute depends on the consumers’ preferences according to their perception of taste, style and budget, therefore it is high to switch to other providers. Competitive rivalry is the strongest force assisted by the slow growth of the market. Prioritized Opportunity There is still room to grow in the emerging market in this industry. The abolition of quotas Organic market development Technological Innovation New strategic Alliance Prioritized Threats There is high competitive rivalry in the industry There is slow market growth in the industry Increase in commodity inflation Changes in consumers’ taste or trends Exchange rates. CORPORATE STRATEGY Strategic Position Zara which is Inditex main source of revenue because of the amount it generated in terms of sales is ranked on the 4th option of the Bowman strategic clock, it implement a broad differentiation strategy. It offers products to customers at an affordable and reasonable price or a little higher because of its good perception of quality, enriches customers’ satisfaction and loyalty. However, the excellent deployment of its unique resources and its core competences assist Zara to considered as the first mover in the industry27. One of its key value added activities is its focus on customers’ needs and a constant change in its product lines whilst maintaining the same level of price allows Zara to achieve a competitive advantage. Inditex has expanded and grown, according to the Ansoff matrix. By product development: (EcoFootDesign) Systematic changes in products line and innovation. Market penetration: it has increase shares of its key existing markets. Market development: in 2010 saw Uterque one of Inditex business unit opens its first store in Russia which also pave way for Zara home and Zara to follow through. By related and unrelated Diversification: Zara and Massimo Dutti entered into the Indian market in 201028 and 201329 respectively and Inditex enters the furniture retail industry30 through unrelated diversification. Inditex method of pursuing its strategies. Organic development: Inditex continuous performance and innovation is acquired through their knowledge and experience according to their existing  resource and capabilities. Through Acquisition and Takeover: in 1995-1996, Inditex acquired the whole of Massimo Dutti in a 100% acquisition. Form a Strategic Alliance: A Joint Venture with the Tata Group to open the first Massimo Dutti stores in New Delhi, India. Inditex license to other companies: production of finished goods through external suppliers. The Inditex Group Company adopted a parenting role by providing a clear vision of its company objectives, it also assists employees by providing continuous training and facilitating, and enhancing through synergies. Improvement in all Inditex departments is as a result of a great focus in performance evaluation and monitoring. Inditex adopted different portfolio management for each of its business units. According to the results of the strategic analysis, financial analysis, and SWOT analysis above, it has been well documented that the Inditex Group Company has a strong portfolio which make the company likely to overcome any future uncertainties, as it was evidence in its financial performance that they keep growing even during the financial crisis of 2008-2009, they still achieve a significant increase in revenue. However, the problem which the Inditex Group could be facing regarding their adopted strategies will be the over dependence of its other seven (7) business units which includes Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Uterque, and Zara Home over Zara which is the unit that generates over half of its total sales (66.11%). The Group should also find a way to increase the percentages of sales to geographical region like America which is has the lowest sales geographically and also in Asia which is an emerging market other than Europe. FUTURE STRATEGIES Proposed strategy for the strongest SBU (Zara) Product development: the company should produce better quality of future product lines. Market development: the company should go on with further expansion in Europe market and the US market. Diversification: the company should enter into the apparel sport wear industry. Market penetration: the company should enter into the Australian market. Corporate Market penetration: further expansion in the Asia market. Backward integration: to acquire a fabric supplier Consolidation: weaken business units should be strengthen Forward integration: manufacturing and logistic process should be decentralised. Do Nothing: continue with the current operations. References Inditex SA, Bloomberg Market, [Online] Available at: http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/ITX:SM Accessed on 20th of February, 2014. H&M (2014), â€Å" H&M Opens first store in East Asia† [Online] Available at: http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-about-hm/people-and-history/history.html Accessed on 23rd of February, 2014. Inditex, (2008) Inditex annual report 2008, annual report 2008, A Coruna: Inditex. Inditex, (2009) Inditex annual report 2008, annual report 2008, A Coruna: Inditex. Inditex, (2010) Inditex annual report 2008, annual report 2010, A Coruna: Inditex. Inditex, (2011) Inditex annual report 2008, annual report 2011, A Coruna: Inditex. Inditex, (2012) Inditex annual report 2008, annual report 2012, A Coruna: Inditex. Index Mundi, [Online] Available at: http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=cotton Accessed on 20th of February 2014. Unemployment Statistics, [Online] Available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics Accessed on 20th February, 2014. Textile and Clothing, [Online] Available at: http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/MarketInsight/Textiles-and-Clothing/Global-Apparel-Industry/NI7468 Accessed on 22nd of February, 2014. The Economics Times, [Online] Available at: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-04-29/news/38904773_1_brand-massimo-dutti-foreign-investment-promotion-board Accessed on 24th of February, 2014.

Fiji Water and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Nova School of Business and Economics 2nd Semester 2011/2012 Marta Andre Lopes n º10265 International Management – 4th Case Study Summary – Fiji Water and Corporate Social Responsibility: Green Makeover or†Greenwashing†? 1. Introducing the Case The case traces the establishment and subsequent operation of Fiji Water LLC and its bottling subsidiary, Natural Waters of Viti Limited, the first company in Fiji extracting, bottling and marketing, both domestically and internationally, artesian water coming from a untouched ecosystem in the main of Fiji Islands. It takes us through the growth and market expansion of this highly successful company. The company has grown rapidly over the past decade and a half, and now exports bottled water into many countries in the world from its production plant located in the Fiji Islands. In 2008, Fiji Water was the leading imported bottled water brand in the United States. Despite of a great marketing success of the Fiji brand, particularly in the U. S. market, the case shows us how the company has responded to a number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues, including measuring and reducing its carbon footprint, responsibilities to key stakeholders, and concerns of the Fiji government with regard to taxation and transfer pricing issues. It also leads us to think of CSR challenges that may jeopardize the sustainability of a great marketing strategy. In this case, Fiji Water faces CSR issues such as the carbon footprint on its production, responsibilities to stakeholders, relations and legal issues with the Fiji authorities on tax incentives, export duty claims and transfer price that may jeopardize an otherwise successful marketing strategy. . Challenges Ahead The firms’ strategies should not only focus on the stakeholders’ or the employees’ interests, they should also take care of the outsiders’ interests affected by the firms’ business since every firm, irrespective of its business or size, must have an obligation to satisfy the social interests when it does the business in the sake of the stakeholders. The case showed that a corporation’s marketing and ethical strategies should not only focus on the interest of the stakeholders and the legal compliance of that corporation’s business, but also center on the moral and social responsibilities. A corporation with a more socially responsible practice would consider itself as responsible corporate citizen of the entire society for every course of business actions. Also, if a corporation fails to maintain a good CSR practice, it exposes the business to various green nterests groups which may trigger the corporation’s sustainability. Given this, it is very important that corporations and their marketers care about CSR practice to ensure the sustainable strategy, which help to ensure the achievement of the stakeholders’ interests by managing economic, legal, social, cultural, and environmental risks. Fiji Water LLC showed a great contribution in Fiji with respect to tax revenue, jobs for local workers, foreign currency collection from export sales and so on. These factors ensure that the production facilities in Fiji can be sufficiently operated and expanded over the years to meet the increasing demand from consumers. I think that the company could develop a comprehensive program on measurement, tracking, reporting, and audit on corporate commitments and responsibilities on environment protection of itself and its vendors, which could help to Fiji Water LLC and its vendors to improve its environmental credibility in certifying that Fiji Water LLC is carbon negative. Also, the company should start paying more corporate taxes to demonstrate that it is a good corporate citizen by revisit its transfer pricing practice. As a consequence, it should review and optimize its business operations to be more efficient and effective by reducing its costs,balancing the interests of its stakeholders and Fijian government.

Analysis of Business Continuity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Business Continuity - Assignment Example Similarly, the â€Å"what† question is with regards to which aspects of the firm or business entity/organization will be impacted upon and directed in the result of an emergency response. Further, the â€Å"how† question delves into the actual mechanics of emergency response and the means by which these will be carried out. Additionally, the â€Å"where† question refers to the actual physical location in which emergency response and business continuity operations will be affected. By engaging each of these respective considerations, firms are universally able to engage in emergency response preparation and planning as a function of effecting business continuity in the face of a disaster or emergency of some size. Although the preceding list is not an exhaustive discussion of the way in which a business or organization should affect the responsibility, it helps to give a brief overview of some of the key considerations that must be made prior to any business conti nuity operations being delineated. Similarly, the second phase of business continuity is necessarily crisis management. It is at this particular stage that many firms and organizations have evidenced a distinct weakness. Whereas it is relatively obvious that emergency response should be considered and engaged within the firm, the actual implementation of crisis management is oftentimes ignored up until the moment in which it is required. As a function of their understanding crisis management and delineating key compliments, the following section will be concentric upon analyzing the importance of timely, organized, structured, and planned crisis management. With respect to timing, the current era has witnessed a drastic change in the way the information is disseminated; oftentimes new stories can travel the globe engage with stakeholders within a matter of  moments.

Company critical analysis - AT&T Research Paper

Company critical analysis - AT&T - Research Paper Example Launched from New Haven, Connecticut in 1878, AT&T, working under the aegis of the American Bell Company gradually spread its business into all major towns of the country and acquired the assets in their totality from the Bell Company on December 30, 1899. Background of the company (AT&T) and its problem with competitors AT&T partnered with the Western Electric Company during its initial years in business and made innovative discoveries in the field of telecommunications which allowed it to spread the business to all parts of the American Continent. Its innovations and discoveries allowed it to make transcontinental telecommunication feasible. When the Bell Company’s patent expired in 1894, thousands of other operators’ jumped into the fray triggering intense competition and causing a spurt in the number of telephone connections in the US. AT&T has never looked back since then and after decades of monopolistic rule in the American telecommunications industry, it till re mains the market leader by foraying and diversifying into technologies which changed with signs of the times. AT&T spread out throughout the world and established offices and manufacturing facilities in major cities of the developed countries. The company has many inventions’ in telecommunication technology credited to its scientists, seven amongst them even winning the Nobel Prize in Physics (Web, AT&T). The invention of the transistor, the telephone dial, push-button telephony, the coaxial cable, mobile telephony, cellular telephone and demonstration of the first television are credited to the company, technologies that revolutionized the electronics industry. The company played pioneering role in the launch of the first telecommunications satellite in the world and the implementation of 911 as a direct emergency helpline within the United States. The first major issue which AT&T faced during its century long dominance in the United States was the settlement of its first fe deral anti-trust lawsuit in 1913, when it established itself as government sanctioned monopoly by signing a document called the Kingsbury Commitment, divesting itself of the control of the Western Union telegraph company, and paving the way for non-competing independent telephone companies to establish interconnectivity with AT&T services. The company was being directed during this period by its President, Theodore Vail, whose innovative strategies set the trend for the company’s operations for the next seventy years (Web, AT&T). Another anti-trust suit was filed against the company in 1974 when it had to divest itself from local telephone operations in favor of lifting of restrictions on the company as envisaged in the 1956 Consent decree (Web, AT&T). The parent Bell System ceased to exist in 1984 and the company acquired a new logo and renamed itself as AT&T. It forayed into computer business by acquiring NCR computers, which subsequently established itself as an independen t company after a decade long liaison. Competition in the telecommunications sector intensified in 1996 after President Bill Clinton signed the telecommunications Act into law which endeavored to eliminate legal and regulatory barriers prevalent in the industry. The company directors reduced subscription rates in populist endeavors to sustain itself,

China and tibet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

China and tibet - Essay Example Tibetans say that China has snatched their independence making their culture, language and religion sink. Moreover, they say that Chinese troops have killed thousands of Tibetans since 1950. â€Å"The groups also claim Tibetans have gradually become the minority population in their own homeland† (Armstrong). Tensions went high in 2008 when a protest led by Tibetans in Lhasa turned into violent riots. Tibetan mobs started burning shops, buses and assets of ethnic Chinese. The government of China ordered its security forces to handle the situation. A clash occurred between Tibetans and the security forces, which resulted in a number of deaths. Tibetan exiles claimed that Chinese forces killed nearly 200 Tibetans, whereas the government denied this by saying that only 22 people were killed in the incident and most of them were Chinese civilians. Since then, the tensions have been high in China. The present situation is that Tibetans have contacted the international community to put pressure on the government of China. However, the government of China does not seem to listen to the concerns of Tibetans at all. Armstrong, Paul. â€Å"Whats behind Chinas Tibetan unrest?.† CNN.com, 31 Jan. 2012 Web. 02 Apr. 2012.

Research an aircraft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research an aircraft - Essay Example raft is a combination of advanced aeronautics, electronics, and is the pinnacle of maritime multirole fighter aircraft; which is why I have chosen the F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18 Hornet was developed by McDonald Douglas in order to fulfill the US Navy’s requirement of an advanced carrier borne multirole fighter. The ageing fleet of the US carrier aircraft consisted of the F-14 Tomcat, A-4 Skyhawk, A-7 Corsair and the F-4 Phantom II; these aircrafts were unable to adapt to the fast paced developing world of maritime warfare.2 This was evident from the casualties that were suffered in the Vietnam War at the hands of the MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters. Furthermore, an aircraft with longer range, higher payload and better avionics was needed to complement and replace the ageing F-14 Tomcat.1 This is where the F/A-18 Hornet was introduced. The development of the F/A-18 was brought about as a result of pressure from the congress to attain carrier aircrafts to supplement the F-14 Tomcat. The US Navy initiated the experimental Naval Fighter-Attack (VFAX) program to seek the desperately required aircraft. However, in August 1973 the congress urged the Navy to pursue a low cost alternative to the F-14.2 The United States Navy consulted with the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation and McDonnell Douglas for proposals. Both proposed aircrafts that were as expensive as the F-14. Alongside these developments, the air force was filtering companies to design aircrafts for their Light Weight Fighter (LWF) program. The Air Force for its LWF program decided upon two companies; the Northop and General Dynamics. Both companies lead on to manufacture YF-17 and YF-16 respectively. The US Congress and Senate and House of Representatives of Armed Forces Committees insisted that the Navy chose the YF-16 from the Air Forces LWF program; just as the Air Force had done. However, the Navy was keener towards designing and manufacturing of their own aircraft, which would be tailored for their

Article # 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article # 1 - Essay Example The article shows that fixed annual financial subscriptions are capable of sustaining HIE and at the same time ensure financial gains are realized to all the participants. From the findings of the article, it is notable that the HIE pricing approaches and recommendations will always depend on the characteristics of the study. The modeling approach can be effective and applicable to different populations. This offers useful insights for the pricing policies and the implementation guidelines to promote recommendations for proper financial allocations. The article explore an analytical approach to ensure the societal savings have been quantified for effective health information exchange thereby making it applicable in designing policies and best incentives for a sustainable HIE. The study is effective because it offers effective approaches and knowledge of the major ideas and concepts that can be adopted towards the realization of the best health information exchange. This will help to promote the best health financial allocations and decisions thereby making the process successful. The quality of the information is significant towards better health coordination and financial management. Different societies can find the discussion in the article relevant for effective financial management and better HIEs. Sridhar, S., Flatley, P., Wright S. & Robinson, S. (2012). Optimizing financial effects of HIE: A multi-party linear programming approach. Journal of American Medical Information Association. Available at

3 researches Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

3 researches - Research Paper Example paper though is the solid inter-relationship between two components that complete each other for their existence like matter and antimatter; black and white photography and genes and inheritance. Matter and antimatter forge a particular chemistry in asymmetry and bonding because one hardly exists without the other, because they both share similar masses. A positron that is positively charged is an antiparticle to the electron that is negatively charged. They are always produced as a pair. Genes and inheritance is also a working pair because a chromosome pair contains characteristics from both parents hence these traits are passed to the children as inheritance. Black and white photography tops it all because it is the most beautiful chemistry in basic visual arts or photography because where one color is involved there can never be any photography the two contrasting color element of black and white have to co-exist in a similar setting to capture the aspect of photography. Perhaps the best hero myth to explain the Joseph Campbell hero’s journey model of delving into the special or imaginary world from the ordinary world and back to the ordinary world in history of myths with famous heroes is one Hercules (BBC). Hercules or Heracles as the Greeks call him is a Greek hero as a son of Zeus, a god and Alcmene the granddaughter of Perseus. Hercules grows up to become a warrior hero. Hercules or Heracles hero starts in the ordinary world when Hera the jealous wife of Zeus made him temporarily insane so that Hercules killed his very own wife and children. As a punishment by the king Eurystheus of Tiryns he was sent to travel for twelve years and perform twelve different gruesome tasks. These tasks seem to capture the special world context because one of the tasks which is killing an evil character by the name of Lernean Hydra who has snake like hydra and nine separate heads shows the difficult tests Hercules had to undergo in dealing with the creatures from the

Quest For Vengeance And Distorted Personalities Essay

Quest For Vengeance And Distorted Personalities - Essay Example This essay examines the adverse effects vengeance has had on the central figure of Paulina in Death And The Maiden, and Claire Zachanassian in The Visit. Death And The Maiden, combining effortlessly elements of suspense, mystery and morality, intertwines them with highly interesting insights into the psychological recesses of a victim, forced to live with the open wounds of her persecution. The play, taking place in an unnamed country, is set in the times when the country has just escaped from a brutal fascist regime. Paulina lives with her husband Gerardo, who was once an activist working against the dictatorship and is now a member of a committee assigned to investigate human-rights violations. A few years back, Paulina was kidnapped and brutally raped and tortured while blindfolded, by a sadistic doctor who played Franz Schubert's quartet "Death And The Maiden." She believes that the stranger that her husband has now brought into their home is the doctor responsible for her traumatic experience. She imprisons the doctor, extracts a forced confession from him and yet, instead of killing him, lets him go in the end. The play provides the reader with ample chances to look inside the tortured soul of Paulina and understand the extent to which her personality has been distorted by her past experiences. Paulina insists fiercely that the prisoner be put on trial and adamantly refuses to hear the moderate voice of her husband, showing that she has lost all rationality and reason and is blinded by a terrible rage. By depicting this, Dorfman has shown how thirst for revenge remains dormant, hiding beneath the layers of a victim's, in this case Paulina's, personality creating an illusion of normalcy, lulling the victim's loved ones into a false sense of complacency. However, when Paulina is shown to be reliving a traumatic experience from her past, her hatred resurfaces again with such violence that it shocks. When Paulina binds the doctor to a chair, she gags him using her panties. This action of hers is highly insightful as it shows that the doctor's total degradation is her main aim and nothing else, and only the most humiliating treatment meted out to her prisoner will satisfy her. She does this because unconsciously she desires the doctor to go through the same mental and emotional torment that she went through. Seeing him helpless, physically bound and gagged, writhing in agony and even unable to feed himself, gives her a deep, perverse satisfaction. Keeping her secret activities against the fascist regime of her country and her courage during her captivity in view, we can safely to assume that Paulina is a decent human being with a high moral sense and belief in lofty ideals such as freedom and justice, but when it comes to Dr. Roberto Miranda, she remorselessly throws all those ideals to the wind and becomes a tigress, thirsty for blood. Dorfman effectively highlights the inner turmoil of Paulina's soul by juxtaposing her tormented psyche with physical proof of how much she suffers. The reader can actually feel her nerves taut with tension due to her clipped dialogues and her equally explosive diatribes. The following tirade of hers, serves as a clear indication of her suffering under a spell of hatred, as she says, "And why

Oliver Twist- Development Phase Essay Example for Free

Oliver Twist- Development Phase Essay In our drama class, our teacher Mrs. Oteng had asked us to develop on our performance of Oliver Twist. We had previously performed the response phase which was a role play with the main scenes of the novel by Charles Dickens. In the topic of crime in society, in which we were covering, the novel of Oliver Twist had allowed the class to have an insight of crime in the olden periods compared to today. By seeing the angle in both perspectives, it allowed the class to realise the consequences today and before and how crime affected lives. The development phase was all based on developing the performance with the use of light, props, tone, levels and music. The change in the play would allow the audience to see how these strategies changed the emotion in a play and how it bought life to it. The people who I decided to work with were Vishna, Daanish and Moshgan. We worked well together and everyone in the group had imaginative ideas. With the idea of bringing out a different side to each character we enhanced the performance by taking on the role of just a few of the characters and showing a complete opposite to what they are really like. Bill Sikes was played by Daanish in the first scene. He played the usual murderer who killed without mercy and who never looked back. However, I played a homosexual and sensitive Bill Sikes who was the complete opposite to him. In this case I was his conscience and I was playing the same way he was but in my own version. This allowed the audience to see what a different personality of Bill would have done to the real play of Oliver Twist. Similarly, Vishna played Nancy as the gentle and kind-hearted woman we knew, while Moshgan played the cold-hearted, stuck-up complete opposite to the real character to Nancy. By doing this we could keep to the same storyline but we allowed the audience to see what it was like if the characters had a little change in their personality. We also focused on the relationship between Nancy and Bill Sikes. In the novel, they had a loveless and tactless relationship, while in our play we took it from the real angle and in a real, loving relationship. This created a contrast in the play which allowed the audience to see both perspectives. This was the aim of our play and I believe the audience easily understood that. I believe that our group did extremely well and the audience enjoyed it. It was one of the most complicated plays to put together because of the changes in the scenes and the change of characters as a group. However, the use of props allowed each of the characters to be distinguished easily and the audience understood who each one of us was; more efficiently. I wore a tight shirt, which showed my homosexual character and the way in which I was holding my body was convincing. Daanish wore a puffy jacket which showed his authority and toughness. Moshgan wore a tight pink top which showed of her body which showed that she was a prostitute while Vishna wore neutral clothes which did not need to reveal much. The use of props really helped to enhance our drama. Towards the end of our drama, Mrs. Oteng played a piece of sad and somber music which really enhanced our drama when Nancy was getting beaten by Bill Sikes which lead to her death. The music made the audience feel more connected to the drama and the music added emotion to the drama and bought sympathy for Vishnas character. We did not use light in our performance as we found it was unnecessary. However, we used different tones in our voices and we used different levels on stage and even off stage. We used the explorative strategies well enough for top marks. On a whole, our class had many individual thought-tracks which showed how I characters felt which was equally as important. My thought-tracks were very comedic which made the audience laugh after all the violence and upsetting scenes which were to follow. By saying things like, I shave the hairs on my chest, made the audience laugh. I believe that a little humour would ease the audience a little bit and that is why I was the only comedic character as we had to keep to the topic of crime. Under the topic of Crime in Society, I believe that our play showed domestic violence the most and this was our main focus. Domestic violence occurs a lot in todays society but also in the olden days. The points we were conveying were that it was as bad then, then as today. On a whole, I was pleased with my groups performance and I enjoyed working with them. I was now told to observe another groups performance and comment on the way in which they developed their drama. The group that I decided to observe was with Louise, Mohammed, Aiman, Sumhar, Anthony and Maya. This group had six people and I believed that they worked very well together to come up with a performance which included everybody. They changed Sumhars role as Oliver Twist to Olivia Twist. Each character kept in role and they used the drama equally as well. Each of the characters thought-tracked and they used levels and tones in their voices to enhance their drama. Their play was based on the scene where Olivia gets kidnapped by Fagin and Bill Sikes for Nancys pleasure. Nancy played by Maya had also changed her role from being a nice, kind-hearted woman to a frail, evil woman. This was similar to our groups idea and this was effective as only one of the characters had changed personality. I loved watching this performance, each character was in role and I understood the story line very well. The aspect of Crime in Society in this play was based on kidnappings, people owing money, poverty and how this all leads to deaths in society. On a whole, I believe that by developing the play of Oliver Twist, I learnt the consequences of crime in the olden days. I t also taught me how to enhance a play by taking a simple idea from a particular scene and by working on it to show the audience something they might not have realised or understood as much. I enjoyed working on the development phase and I believe that by developing the performance we encounter more. I would like to work on developing a performance in the future and I liked this part of the workshop the most.

Alcohol and Teens Essay Example for Free

Alcohol and Teens Essay Amber Valley Primary School was closed 6 months ago by Amber Borough Council (ABC), the local education authority, which owns all the land and buildings. The school has been standing empty while ABC attempts to find a buyer for the site. Although ABC placed fencing around the site, local residents reported that youths had broken into the site on a number of occasions. Last week a group of youths from a nearby young offenders institution, operated by Chigley Services Ltd (CS) under contract to the Home Office, broke into the disused school and set fire to it. The youths had been clearing rubbish from a neighbouring stream and were supposed to have been under the supervision of Justin and Jason, both of whom are CS employees. However, Justin and Jason had gone for a cigarette break and left the youths unsupervised at the time the break-in occurred. The fire caused damage to neighbouring property including a bakers shop owned by Mark. It is likely to be many weeks before the business can reopen and Mark stands to lose many thousands of pounds in lost profits. It later transpired that the fire would not have had time to spread to neighbouring property had the Fire Brigade acted more swiftly. The Amber Valley Fire engine was unavailable at the time and another engine had to be dispatched from Leicester. The crew got lost on the way because they put the wrong address in the sat-nav (satellite navigation) device. Advise Mark in respect of any claims he may have (if any). In this question, we are asked to advise Mark as to the possible claims he might have. On the facts, the defendants are Justin and Jason, Chigley Services and the Fire Brigade. Several issues must be taken into consideration, we must determine on the facts whether there can be any possible claims on the economic loss that Mark has suffered due to the fire. Also, we must decide whether the fire brigade’s omission and Justin and Jason’s act would amount to negligence. Besides, whether Chigley Services would be vicariously liable will be discussed below. On the facts, Justin and Jason who were supposed to be supervising the youths had gone for a cigarette break which ended up in the break-in of the school which later caused a fire to Mark’s shop. Based on this, Mark can try to sue Justin and Jason for negligence in tort. The test of negligence was formulated by Lord Atkin in the landmark case of Donoghue v Stevenson1. For a successful claim of negligence to be established, four elements have to be proven. The four elements are duty of care, breach of duty of care, causation and remoteness. Thus, the first thing the courts need to do is to prove negligence in establishing a duty of care. As the law evolves, the current test for duty of care is now in the case of Caparo v Dickman2. The Caparo test is a threefold test which requires three elements to be satisfied. The first requirement is that at the time of the negligent act, it must be reasonably foreseeable that damage or injury would be caused to the particular defendant in the case, or to a class of people to which he or she belongs, rather than just people in general. 3 Thus, foresight is always a critical factor and it will be objectively assessed. A good example of this can be seen in the case of Palsgraf v Long Island 1 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 2 Caparo v Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605 3 C Elliott F Quinn, Tort Law (8th edn Pearson, Gosport 2011) 22 Railroad4 where it was held that it could not reasonably be foreseen that pushing a passenger would cause harm to someone standing a few feet away thus there is no duty of care. However, in the case of Bhamra v Dubb5, the Court of Appeal (COA) held that a duty of care is owed because a reasonable man would have foreseen that his act is likely to result in harm. Similarly, in our question, Justin and Jason who were in charge of supervising the youths did not carry out their duty properly. Moreover, the fact that the youths here are from an offenders institution further strengthens the likelihood of them carrying out offences while unsupervised. Thus, it is highly likely that a reasonable man would have foreseen damage or injury could have occurred following his acts. The second requirement is that there must be a legal proximity, meaning that there must be in law a relationship between the claimant and defendant. However, we must be clear that the defendant does not necessarily have to know the claimant, this is explained in the case of Muirhead v Industrial Tank Specialities6 by Goff LJ. He pointed out that it is the situation they were both put which determines whether the defendant could reasonably be expected to have foreseen that damage to the claimant could result from his or her actions. In the case of Watson v British Boxing Board of Control7, there was held to be 4 Palsgraf v Long Island Railroad 162 NE 99 5 Bhamra v Dubb [2010] EWCA Civ 13 6 Muirhead v Industrial Tank Specialities Ltd [1986] QB 507 7 Watson v British Boxing Board of Control [2001] QB 1134 sufficient proximity to give rise to a duty of care because the Board was the only body in the UK which could license professional boxing matches and thus giving them full control and responsibility for a situation that is highly likely to result in harm if reasonable care was not exercised. Lord Atkin quoted Lord Esher in Le Lievre v Gould8, ‘If one man is near to another, or near to the property of another, a duty lies on him not to do that which may cause a personal injury to the other, or may injure his property’. 9 As per the facts on our question, in that situation it is highly likely that it could reasonably be expected the youths might break into or cause damage to any of the property nearby, without the need of identifying the owner of the property. Moreover, Justin and Jason had complete control and responsibility of the youths’ performance. From here, it is very possible that the courts would be able to establish proximity between Justin and Jason with Mark. The third requirement is that it must be just and reasonable to impose a duty on the defendant. This requirement often overlaps with the first and second requirement. For example, arguments relating to proximity could also be seen as arguments relating to justice and reasonableness. However, when the third requirement is specifically referred to, it normally means the foreseeability and proximity requirement are met but the claim could be denied based on public 8 Le Lievre v Gould [1893] 1 QB 491 9 From a speech made by Lord Atkin in Donoghue v Stevenson at 508 in producing the concept of neighborhood. policy grounds. In the case of McFarlene v Tayside Health Board10, a duty of care was denied on the grounds that it was not just and reasonable to give compensation for birth of a healthy child. It is also established in Jain v Strategic Health Authority11 that it is not fair and reasonable to impose a duty when it conflicts with another duty owed to another party. As per the facts, it is fair and reasonable because Justin and Jason were hired to supervise the youths but they didn’t carry out their duty, thus resulting in damage to Mark’s bakery. It doesn’t make sense for there to be public policy reasons for denying a claim of duty of care on Justin and Jason. Thus, if the three elements of the Caparo test could be satisfied, a duty of care towards Mark can be established. Assuming that a duty of care is established, we then need to prove breach in order to establish negligence. Breach of a duty arises when the defendant’s conduct has fallen below the reasonable standard expected of a reasonable man in that particular situation. The ‘reasonable man’ test is seen in the case of Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks. 12 This essentially means that it would not be relevant even if the defendant thinks that his conduct is fine. In our question, it must be shown that the standard of Justin and Jason’s conduct was unreasonable owing to the failure in supervising the youths. Here, two 10 McFarlene v Tayside Health Board [1999] 4 All ER 961. 11 Jain v Strategic Health Authority [2009] 2 WLR 248 12 Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks [1856] 11 Exch 781 questions must be asked, namely, what is the required standard and whether the conduct has fallen short of the standard. In terms of the first question, the legal standard is to take such care as would be taken by a reasonable man in that circumstances. This is explained in the case of Paris v Stepney Borough Council13 and is determined objectively. For the second question, Mark should be advised that the standard needed becomes whether Justin and Jason acted with the level of skill and competency that is expected from someone in their position. According to common sense, the main purpose that Chigley Services hired Justin and Jason is to ensure that they supervise the youths and prevent them from doing damage or harm to others. On the facts, the break-in of the school occurred because Justin and Jason had gone for a cigarette break when they were supposed to be supervising. Since they defeated the main purpose of their recruitment, it is unlikely that they have acted according to a reasonable standard. If breach can be found, we need to establish causation next. This means that Justin and Jason’s breach must have caused damage to Mark’s baker shop. The first issue we have to deal with is whether the damage would have resulted but for the breach of the duty, this is known as the factual causation or ‘but for’ test. A clear example can be seen in the case Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee14, it was held that the defendants did owe a 13 Paris v Stepney Borough Council [1951] AC 367 14 Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee [1968] 1 All ER 1068 duty of care and had breached it, but causation could not be established because the claimant would still have died even though the duty of care was not breached. To establish factual causation, we must be satisfied that damage would not have occurred but for Justin and Jason’s breach of duty. On the facts, it is clear that Mark’s baker shop would not have caught fire if Justin and Jason had been supervising the youths and preventing them from setting the fire. However, this will be determined on the balance of probabilities. There is still a very small possibility that even if Jason and Justin had been supervising the youth all the time, the youths might still act beyond their control. Nevertheless, this is quite unlikely thus it is highly likely that the but for test can be satisfied. Regarding the last requirement of negligence, even though Justin and Jason were the factual cause of damage to Mark’s baker shop, they must also be the legal cause. It means that the damage must be a type that could reasonably be foreseen and not too remote. This is explained in the case of Wagon Mound No. 115 where a test of remoteness was applied. This test requires that the damage is foreseeable and if so, the defendant would be liable to the full extent of the damage even though that extent might not be foreseeable. On the facts, it is arguably foreseeable that any damage could arise if the youths were left unsupervised. The damage to Mark’s baker shop is 15 Wagon Mound No. 1 [1961] AC 388 also unlikely to be remote. Therefore, it appears that Mark has a valid claim of negligence against Justin and Jason. However, Mark should also be advised that he has an alternative of pursuing his claim against the Home Office and Chigley Services under the doctrine of vicarious liability. This would be more desirable because there is better guarantee of compensation if won. This doctrine renders employers legally liable for the acts of their employees. This is justified because employers normally have better insurance and also benefits from their employees’ action, it is acceptable for them to run the risk of taking responsibility for actions of their employees. However, as per the facts, Chigley Services was under a contract to the Home Office. Applying the principle stated by Lord Widgery in the case of Salsbury v Woodland16, Chigley Services had been employed by the Home Office as independent contractor that does work on its behalf, therefore the Home Office will not be liable for any tort committed by the contractor in the course of employment. Whereas, Chigley Services and Justin and Jason had a contract of services which renders themselves vicariously liable for their acts. Therefore, a claim against Chigley Services would be more likely to succeed than a claim against the Home Office. In order to establish vicarious liability, the person who committed the tort must be an employee of the defendant. 17 As per the facts, it is 16 Salsbury v Woodland [1970] 1 KB 191 17 Available at http://www. lawteacher. net/free-law-essays/vicariousliability. php accessed 17 January 2014 clear that Justin and Jason are employees, so the first hurdle is cleared. The issue here is whether the tort is committed in the course of employment. In the case of Century Insurance v Northern Ireland Road Transport18, Lord Wright held that the negligent act was done for the employee’s own purposes but that doesn’t prevent the employer from being vicariously liable because it was nevertheless part of his job, even though not done in the way the employer had wanted. 19 Applying this on our facts, Justin and Jason were performing their job by supervising the youths, but they went for a cigarette break on their own convenience. According to case law, this is nevertheless to be considered to be done in the course of employment even though not in the way intended by the employer. Another case which bears a similar facts of failing to supervise is the case of Dorset Yatch Company Ltd v Home Office20. The Home Office in this case was liable and therefore responsible for the damage caused. Therefore, it is highly likely that Chigley Services would be vicariously liable for the tort on the same grounds, Mark can choose to sue them directly. Furthermore, there’s a possibility that Chigley Services might argue that their employees were acting on the ‘frolic of his own’ and thus not within the course of employment. However, this is probably harder to be proved although it would eventually be decided by the court. Lastly, because vicarious 18 Century Insurance v Northern Ireland Road Transport [1942] 1 All ER 491 19 Hepple and Matthews’, Tort Cases and Materials (6th edn OUP, New York 2009) 1079 20 Dorset Yatch Company Ltd v Home Office [1970] AC 1004 liability is a form of joint liability, Mark can also try sueing Justin and Jason at the meantime even though in practice usually only the employer is sued. Besides, the Home Office might want to use the fire brigade as defence, by trying to argue negligence on the part of the fire brigade. On the facts, the fire would not have had time to spread to neighbouring property had the fire brigade acted more swiftly. The issue to be discussed here is whether negligence can be established on the fire brigade. Thus, the first step in establishing negligence is to determine the existence of a duty of care. However, the issue here is that there has been no positive acts on the part of the fire brigade. In the case of Smith v Littlewoods Organisation Ltd21, Lord Goff held that the general rule in negligence is that a duty to act will not be imposed in relation to a failure to act. 22 However, there are a number of exceptions in which the judge held that there is a positive obligation to act and could give rise to breach of duty if not acted upon. In our question, the fire services is involved. There have been a number of case laws regarding this aspect, we need to look into it in deciding whether a duty of care is owed. Mark might want to argue that by answering the call, the fire brigades have assumed responsibility and thus have a duty of care. However, the court is likely to reject this idea on the grounds that Mark 21 Smith v Littlewoods Organisation Ltd [1987] AC 241 22 S Deakin, A Johnston B Markesinis, Markesinis And Deakin’s Tort Law (7th edn OUP, Hampshire 2013) 178 could have at least taken some precautions to prevent the fire from spreading while the fire brigade was on its way. Moreover, in the case of Capital Counties PLC v Hampshire County Council23, Stuart-Smith LJ held that the fire brigade is not under a common law duty to answer calls for help and is not under a duty to take care to do so either. Furthermore, the common law has never really accepted the existence of a common law duty to go, proactively, to the assistance of needy members of the general public. 24 In the case of Kent v Griffiths25, a distinction between public services, namely the ambulance and fire brigades, was drawn. It was argued that the ambulance service generally owes a duty of care, unlike fire brigades that generally do not owe a duty of care. This is on the basis that for ambulance service normally the number of casualties and extent of injury is known or predictable, and thus a duty of care should be upheld. In the case of firefighting, it is agreed that fire spread very fast and the number of people and property that might get affected is uncertain and unpredictable, thus imposing a duty of care on fire brigades is unfair and would lead to a floodgate of litigation. 26 Nevertheless, In the case of Capital Counties PLC v Hampshire County Council which was mentioned above, a duty of care was found, but it could be 23 Capital Counties PLC v Hampshire County Council [1997] QB 1004 24 M Vranken, ‘Duty to Rescue in Civil Law and Common Law’ (1998) 47 Intl Comp. L. Q. 934-942 25 Kent v Griffiths, Roberts and London Ambulance Service [2000] 2 WLR 1158 26 Available at http://www. johnhardcastle. co. uk/2013/09/02/the-duty-of-care-owed-by-a-fire-service accessed 18 January 2014 distinguished with the other cases. It was held that a duty of care could be imposed in certain circumstances, for instance when additional danger was created by the negligence of the fire brigades. 27 As per our facts, the fire brigades were late because not enough vehicles could be dispatched at that time and the vehicle from Leicester lost its way hence causing the delay in arrival. As opposed to Kent v Griffiths, here there’s a good reason why the fire brigade was late. Besides, there is no evidence of the fire brigades causing additional danger. Lastly, there are policy reasons28 why a duty of care should not be owed in general, this was shown in the case of John Munroe v London Fire and Civil Defence Authority29. It was argued that imposing a duty of care on fire brigade will not improve its efficiency but instead it may lead to defensive firefighting. In the case of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Great Britain) v West Yorkshire Fire and Defence Authority30, it was held that imposing a burden of emergency services will only distract it from the proper task of fighting fire. Above all these, one should also look at the ‘value of the activity’, when it involves cases of fire services. This was found in the case of Watt v Herdford 27 Available at http://www. independent. co. uk/news/people/law-report-no-duty-owed-to-owner-by-atte nding-and-fighting-fire-1266268. html accessed 18 January 2014 28 Available at http://sixthformlaw. info/01_modules/other_material/tort/1_duty/5_duty_fair_just. htm accessed 18 January 2014 29 John Munroe Ltd v London Fire and Civil Defence Authority [1997] QB 983 30 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Great Britain) v West Yorkshire Fire and Defence Authority [1997] 2 All ER 865 County Council31 which argues that duty should not be imposed because of public benefit that is involved in the activity. Moreover, it can be argued that there is no sufficient proximity between Mark and the fire brigade because firstly the fire brigade is not a local one and secondly, in contrast with the case of Capital Counties PLC v Hampshire County Council, the fire brigade were not negligent in making the situation worse. Hence, applying all these on our question, it is highly likely that a duty of care could not be found. Since a duty of care could not be found, there won’t be a breach of duty. Accordingly, the third and fourth element of negligence could not be established, meaning that it is impossible for negligence to be established on the part of the fire brigades. Now the last issue is whether Mark can have any redress on the economic loss which was incurred through the negligent act of Justin and Jason. With regards to economic losses, it is a matter of policy. The position is clearly represented in the case of Spartan Steel Alloys Ltd v Martin Co32. It was decided that only physical damage to property and economic loss arising from damage to property can be recovered. Pure economic loss cannot be recovered in tort. Applying this on our case, the losses that Mark might want to recover are probably losses he is expected to suffer before his baker shop gets back into business. 31 Watt v Herdford County Council [1954] 1 WLR 835 32 Spartan Steel Alloys Ltd v Martin Co [1973] 1 QB 27 This is considered as pure economic loss as it is losses that does not directly result from personal injury or damage to property. However, as confirmed in the case of Londonwaste v AMEC Civil Engineering33, pure economic loss is not recoverable. Pure economic loss is speculative and thus tort does not protect speculative interest. There are two reasons why the law of negligence is reluctant to allow claims for pure economic loss. Firstly, this would open the floodgate to litigations. Moreover, the possible economic loss may be astronomical and incalculable. Secondly, contract was the means by which economic loss is to be compensated and the courts are unwilling to interfere with this. Nevertheless, Mark should be advised that he might also try recovering losses arising from the damaged bread and the profit for the damaged bread. This is probably recoverable as the damage is the kind that is foreseeable. Thus, it is highly likely that Mark will be able to recover his losses except for pure economic loss. In conclusion, it is highly possible that negligence can be established on the part of Justin and Jason. However, because of the doctrine of vicarious liability, Mark is also able to sue Chigley Services which is vicariously liable. In practice, normally only the employer is sued but it is still possible for Mark to pursue his claims from both. As for the fire brigade, it is unlikely that a duty of care is owed, thus negligence will not be established. Lastly, although pure economic loss 33 Londonwaste v AMEC Civil Engineering [1997] 83 BLR 136 is not recoverable, he can still bring a claim against Justin and Jason and Chigley Services for other economic losses he suffered. Bibliography Books Elliott C Quinn F, Tort Law (8th edn Pearson, Gosport 2011) Deakin S, Johnston A Markesinis B, Markesinis And Deakin’s Tort Law (7th edn OUP, Hampshire 2013) Hepple and Matthews’, Tort Cases and Materials (6th edn OUP, New York 2009) Articles Vranken M, ‘Duty to Rescue in Civil Law and Common Law’ (1998) 47 Intl Comp. L. Q. 934-942 Electronic Sources Hardcastle J, ‘The Duty of Care Owed by a Fire Service’ http://www. johnhardcastle. co. uk/2013/09/02/the-duty-of-care-owed-by- a-fire-service accessed 18 January 2014 O’Hanlon K, ‘No Duty Owed to Owner by Attending and Fighting Fire’ http://www. independent. co. uk/news/people/law-report-no-duty-owed-to -owner-by-attending-and-fighting-fire-1266268. html accessed 18 January 2014 Mike Souper, ‘Fair Just Reasonable or Policy Considerations’. http://sixthformlaw. info/01_modules/other_material/tort/1_duty/5_duty_ fair_just. htm accessed 18 January 2014 Law Teacher, ‘Vicarious Liability’ http://www. lawteacher. net/free-law-essays/vicariousliability. php accessed 17 January 2014 Table of Cases United Kingdom Cases Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee [1968] 1 All ER 1068 Bhamra v Dubb [2010] EWCA Civ 13. Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks [1856] 11 Exch 781 Capital Counties PLC v Hampshire County Council [1997] QB 1004 Caparo v Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605 Century Insurance v Northern Ireland Road Transport [1942] 1 All ER 491 Dorset Yatch Company Ltd v Home Office [1970] AC 1004 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 Jain v Strategic Health Authority [2009] 2 WLR 248 John Munroe Ltd v London Fire and Civil Defence Authority [1997] QB 983 Kent v Griffiths, Roberts and London Ambulance Service [2000] 2 WLR 1158 Le Lievre v Gould [1893] 1 QB 491 Londonwaste v AMEC Civil Engineering [1997] 83 BLR 136 Muirhead v Industrial Tank Specialities Ltd [1986] QB 507 McFarlene v Tayside Health Board [1999] 4 All ER 961 Paris v Stepney Borough Council [1951] AC 367 Palsgraf v Long Island Railroad 162 NE 99 Salsbury v Woodland [1970] 1 KB 191 Smith v Littlewoods Organisation Ltd [1987] AC 241 Spartan Steel Alloys Ltd v Martin Co [1973] 1 QB 27 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Great Britain) v West Yorkshire Fire and Defence Authority [1997] 2 All ER 865 Wagon Mound No. 1 [1961] AC 388 Watson v British Boxing Board of Control [2001] QB 1134 Watt v Herdford County Council [1954] 1 WLR 835.