Main Factors Affecting Product Pricing in the UK Essay

Main Factors Affecting Product Pricing in the UK - Essay Example These factors are sometimes specific to products whereas at times they run across all or many products. (DBIS, 2011) Factors determining product pricing in UK One interesting factor that determines product pricing in the UK is gender. It might not affect all products but it does affect some products. According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) research on â€Å"use of gender in insurance pricing†, gender plays a significant role in determining the price of insurance products. The researchers also report that there was, however, no patterned discrimination against either gender in this pricing. However, use of gender to determine the price of insurance commodities is conspicuous. For instance, ABI reports that young female drivers parted with less for insurance coverage as compared to their male counterparts. This is attributed to the lower chance of the female drivers having accidents in relation to male drivers. In another example, women gain more in matters of lif e insurance due to lower premiums because they have a longer life expectancy. Men, on the other hand, benefit from lower medical premiums between age thirty-five and fifty-five. This is due to the medical risks involved between the ages .i.e. women have higher medical risks. (ABI, 2010, pp. 4-10). Product differentiation is another determinant of product pricing in the UK. Product differentiation is bettering a commodity by making it different and of unique qualities as well as adding newness to the market. Product differentiation could bring with it advantages that include product variety which would result in lowered prices for consumers. Many differentiated products, therefore, are advantageous to the consumer. (Randall, 2009, pp. 17-19). Similar products by different companies lead to substitution by customers in case of price changes. Highly differentiated products, on the other hand, have lower price competition regardless of the number of companies that are competing. Example s of such products include cigarettes, beauty products and service industries like hotels among others. In such products, there is a monopoly in terms of pricing for the marketers since customers do not seem to look at pricing. British American Tobacco has not had a significant change in their number of customers despite an increase in its products’ prices. Therefore the less differentiated a product is, the higher the chance of its customers shifting to other competing products as a result of changes in pricing. (Wiley, 2005, pp. 2-5) Holcombe’s concept of an advantageous product differentiation has been employed in the UK by several departments, among them, the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The department conducted a research to establish how an introduction to this strategy could make medicine more accessible to patients. (Yadav, 2010, pp. 5-10). Government interventions and strategies, for instance, increase in interest rates, also tend to aff ect product pricing especially on financial assets like shares. The Bank of England is charged with the responsibility to regulate these rates and therefore the bank’s decision on the rates affects the prices of these assets. Increase in interest rates on these assets leads to increase in prices of the related commodities. (Bank of England, 2011).

Business in India Essay Example for Free

Business in India Essay In order to do business in India, it is necessary ensure that the business is set under the required procedures and regulations of industrial undertaking.   The goods to be manufactured should fall within licensed, relicensed or small scale sector.   A license allows a company to use the property of the licensor.   The properties could either be intangible items like trademarks, patent rights and production techniques. To get the license, one is required to fill an application with the Ministry of Industry. Starting a company in India for the aforesaid involves assessing the commercial opportunity for self, managing business, obtaining legal requirements, money, business premises, obtaining workers and developing the marketing schemes for the products to be produced and the services to be offered. In this case Roger Smith at Prime Pumps has suggested that Maddock Inc and Governor Inc enter the Indian market as a joint venture.   It will be a great idea to take since a joint venture business has the advantage of sharing risks, sharing of technology to increase and improve production and it is possible to conform to government’s regulations.   Also, in a joint venture business internationally, there are quick political connections and distribution channels. Having done business together, it means that the two business associates will experience the converging of their strategic goals while diverging their competitive goal.   In this they will only operate to improve their business by influencing market power and learning from one another while restraining admittance to their personal proprietary skills. Advantages of early entry into a foreign market The company enjoys monopoly since there could be no other companies producing the same products. This increases the profits and hence the company can expand its operations in a very short time limit. A company enjoys reduced labor cost as there are no other firms to compete with in determining wage packages.   The workers will not have options to choose which companies to work for in regard to the pay accorded. Ability to secure a wide market in the absence of other competing companies hence increased sales will be experienced. Disadvantages of early entry into a foreign market Lack of competition could lead to poor production quality of goods or services that a company is dealing with. Poor quality goods could pose a health hazard situation to the consumer and this could also lead to a crisis in the economy A company might not have the power to confront the government when its operating alone in a foreign market pertaining the rights of foreign companies and this could cause oppression on the side of the company for lack of bargaining power. Peter should be careful to consider what the targets are for the business to be set up in India, where to locate the business and the manner in which it should be established.   He should outline how ready is the business to give back to the community in terms of employing the local citizens in India, producing quality services and products.   They should also investigate and learn the interests and requirements of the people of India and provide possible solutions to the same. Peter will have to estimate the potential correctly to avoid underestimation of India’s complexity or overestimation of the probabilities in India. Overestimation or Underestimation may lead to failure and it is necessary to give a due consideration to the factor of the inherent difficulties and uncertainties of operating in the Indian system.   It is worth noting that India is has a large economy in the world and it offers high prospects for development in practically all areas of business. Also the inefficient bureaucracy of the Indian government is moving slowly which calls for reforms. Since Melanie has limited knowledge regarding international law, it will not be appropriate for Peter to share with her what other companions have suggested because she might not even understand.   Lack of knowledge on international law means that Melanie will not have an idea of how to deal with any occurrence in the international field. Conclusion For a business to thrive in a foreign country, the owners should ensure that they comply with federal regulations so that there will be a smooth running of the business without disturbance from the local authorities.   For the joint venture business, the partners should sign up the partnership deed to ensure they conduct themselves as per the requirements. It is important that individual also have a general knowledge of international law and business operations to avoid any inconveniences.

Marketing plan for a driving instructor business

Marketing plan for a driving instructor business Introduction Our e-business task was assigned by James Hill of Driving Pass Ltd. Driving Pass is a well-established driving instructor company that was set up in 1970 by James Hill. James has since then employed 7 more instructors to keep the business competitive and to allow more flexibility with lessons thus achieving higher sales. Driving Pass has a great success rate hence the company name Driving Pass that was adapted in 1984. The creation of Driving Pass was very successful as the company name and identity is strong. James has hired me to investigate and report on their e-business venture that will lead to future growth and increase competitive advantage. 1 in every 2 driving students, pass the driving test in Wexford. The pass rate for March 2009 to March 2010 was at 48.5%. Industry Analysis The driving instructor industry services the needs of customers who require training on how to drive. The majority being new provisional license holders with the aim to pass their test or the odd customer that may only require a refresher course. The demand for more driving instructors is increasing year on year throughout the world. The driving instructor industry is very competitive in major counties of Ireland. Due to the increase of more drivers on the road and more accidents occurring, this has changed regulations in order to make Irelands roads safer. The driving instructor industry from the prospective of e-business has great potential if created and aimed correctly. Web sites nowadays is a must have tool in order to reach new and existing customers as the driving instructor market is very competitive. Driving instructors are based all around the world and the location of the driving instructor is restricted to the local geographical areas in which the instructor besides. Industry Size, Trends, Outlook The size of the driving instructor industry is massive and has started to become excessive in relation to the supply of instructors. Trends are changing and the youthful approach is becoming more and more successful on the e-business side of things. It is hard to distinguish which driving instructor is the right one for the customer looking at web sites, each customer will react differently by looking at the different web sites out there. Main focus is based on the attractiveness of the web site. Does it have the wow factor? Does it hook people in to explore the site? Is it easy to explore the site? This will be looked at in more detail throughout this report. Product/Service We are selling a service to customers who want to learn and become successful in passing their driving test. We provide hourly sessions for a fee in return we teach the customer the rules of road, techniques and how to drive. Driving Pass started off with teaching learner drivers to drive cars only up until 1992 when the introduction of rigid and articulated trucks which proved to be successful. The initial introduction of these new services was very expensive due to the price of the vehicles, but has significantly diversified what Driving pass has to offer compared to other local instructors. What we offer online The products and services listed below are provided on www.drivingpass.ie to ensure that the customer has all the correct information and is attracted to our company by first impressions and professionalism: Home page Qualification Information About us Information Contact us Details Site Map Guidance Rigid Articulated Truck Driving Information Gift Vouchers Sales Promotions Useful Links Information Downloads Rules of the Road (PDF) Statistics Pass Rates Games Parking Games Amusement Customers View Quotes of Customers Advertising Mini Ads (Car Insurance) Target Market The target market must be large enough to enable Driving Pass to succeed. By having an online presence to attract this market, it is entirely dependent on the web site design. The size of the market is determined by how many potential customers and also the number of competitors within our market. To segment our market we will look at the following factors: Geographical The geographical location that our target market is in will be Co. Wexford. The population of Co. Wexford was in the region of 132,000, based on the last census in 2006. Demographic The demographics of our market are the younger generation aged between 17-26 years old and also the mature generation aged between 27-40 years old. Target Customers Our target market is aimed at ambitious people of all ages who need or want to pass their driving test whether it is for a job or for independence. Driving Pass also target commercial customers that require rigid truck or articulated truck licences. Regulatory Environment Driving instructors regulations are included in the Road Traffic Act 1968. Driving instructors must be on the RSAs register of approved driving instructors or otherwise face a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,000 fine or six month imprisonment. These driving regulations are in place to standardise the quality and skills of driving instructors in Ireland. http://www.rsa.ie/Utility/Driving-Instructors1/Regulations/ Six Goals for business Success Mission statement for drivingpass.ie is to teach people how to drive in an effective and a professional manner whilst providing accurate information in the preparation for success. Driving Pass have six goals that we feel are critical in the setting up of their e-business venture and to achieve success. Youthful image of website Instant message of success Easy to use and navigate Useful information and contacts made clear Rules of the road free download Theory test online and fun games Prepare presentation to sell website idea and what the outcome would be An e-business website can be a simple homepage, but to attract and interest our market it must be lively and vibrant in order to encourage customer return. An e-business website gives Driving Pass a new tool to promote, inform, sell and will enable Driving Pass to reach out the customers in every area within the target market and also outside. An effective e-business website makes it easy for customers to do business with you as they can attain information about Driving Pass 24hrs a day. Value Proposition Driving Pass is fully committed to helping their customers gain the knowledge of the rules and techniques of driving. Customers will choose Driving Pass over our competitors because we are reliable, successful and have the best pass rate in Wexford. Driving Pass not only caters for the category B but also provides the same tuition for categories C1, C, D1, D, EB, EC1, EC, ED1 and ED which has broadened our market and filled the gap that most other instructors have not done. Advantages of e-business reduced costs, time and effort to make and process sales better customer service attract new customers Benefits to your customers are: 24-hour access, accurate and fast information, convenience can do some things not possible or easy to do elsewhere a way to find information about you and your product or service http://www.business.vic.gov.au/busvicwr/_assets/main/lib60208/sbv_infosheet_setting_up_an_ebusiness_website.pdf Business Models Affiliate Revenue Model This provides purchase opportunities, by offering a referral fee to affiliated partner sites. This will only generate money if the affiliates purchase. If an affiliate does not generate sales, then no money is transacted. This model is very popular on the web and the variations of these are banner exchange and (PPC) pay-per-click Advertising Revenue Model This is critical to a new e-business, which Driving Pass effectively is, as getting the name out there informs customer of your presence and what you have to offer. For a small online based company there are several options for advertising which would involve a small budget. The ones which will be considered are the use of Click Through advertising on Google, the ability to advertise on Facebook and point of sale advertising. What Driving Pass offer online www.drivingpass.ie is a vibrant and youthful website that has plenty of information, offers, tests and games to keep our customers interested. This is what our website has to offer: Vital information including the rules of the road free download. Practice theory tests online Useful links regarding the success of passing Mini parking games online Up to date statistics on all of our customers pass/fail Gift vouchers online Special offers online Maps of test routes to study Identification of target markets Based on the lifestyle of individuals or past driving experience, our customers needs may differ. Young learner drivers usually take longer and require more attention to the physical driving aspect. The more mature learner drivers are usually on tight schedules around work and home and have to take lessons during lunch or evenings. The main attention is drawn to the rules of the road and refresher course for the mature learners. For our more intense lessons, is the commercial learner driver, who requires more technical and detailed training. Within our industry we have divided them into segments as follows: Beginner Drivers Mature Drivers Commercial Drivers http://wsj.miniplan.com/spv/3166/4.cfm Competitor analysis rank 3-5 indirect direct Direct comeptitors John Bail Owen Doyle Dane Tyghe Martin Scallan Stephen Murphy Lorcan Merrigan Joe Long Margaret Cunningham Seamus Murphy Craig Healy Indirect Competitors Family members Driving simulators Competitor analysis grid Competitors Website Analysis These websites will be analysed by looking at the following: The Home Page. The Purchase Portal a sense of security. Ease of Navigation. Differentiating Factors. Availability of Contact Information and ease of use. John Bail (http://johnbailschofmotoring.vpweb.ie/default.html) This website is very bland and does not utilise the full width of the page. John Bail could use this extra space for advertising of insurance companies or useful links. There is no inclusion of approved driving instructor logo and really just pushes the fact that they are in business for over 30 years. On this site John used a picture of a customer after their first lesson along with a quote stating how brilliant the instructor was. This website only had three tabs which were home, about us and contact us. There was not a great deal of information put onto these pages and was not very appealing or eye catching with regards to layout and information provided. Dane Tyghe (http://www.letsdrive.ie/) The first good thing that stood out was that he has a section on the home page about what the customer thinks. This is always a good idea as a potential customer will like to see what other customers think of the service provided. In the introductory paragraph Dane clearly outlines the type of vehicles he will provide driving lessons in and then also provides contact information for a driving instructor that will provide lessons for the ones he does not cater for. I dont necessarily think this is a great point to put in the introduction as he should be trying to sell his service and information about him as opposed to praising another instructor. Half of the paragraph is about another instructor and I think this space would be better utilised by either leaving it blank as sometime too much text can be off putting for people to read or else fill in more info about his business. On the home page at the bottom there is an eye grabbing section in red print which states that not all of hi s offers are on the website but if a customer would like to find out more about them that they should ring the number supplied. This is a good idea as it will encourage a potential customer to ring and enquire about the offers and once they make contact with him they might be more likely to book a lesson. The home page also states that within the website you will find free information and advice on the driving test. There are 9 tabs that are available on the website. Also put in about approved driving instructor which gives the customer confidence in their service. Owen Doyle (http://www.owendoyleschoolofmotoring.com/): This website really stood out with the ig logo for approved driving instructor. By mentioning that the car is dual control might give more confidence to the more nervous learner. The website also states that cars are available for the driving test. This is a very important point to include as many new learner drivers will not possess or be able to attain a car for their driving test. Also it is a good idea as if a learner is getting lessons in the same car they will be more comfortable to do their test in the same car as they will be familiar with the overall manoeuvring of the car. Good use of slogan gets going with Owen. Also states on home page that they offer gift vouchers which stand out. People might just specifically be researching driving instructors with the intention to purchase gift vouchers for a family member friend so immediately they can see on the home page that this offer is available. The word contact is in bright red and does draw your attention to this sentence. I t also states that he is qualified RSA driving instructor which is something which should be included in the website as it gives the customer confidence in his teaching abilities. The website also says that he is very patient and conducts his lessons in a friendly manner. This will make the customer feel more relaxed as some learner drivers may feel a bit anxious about the instructor perhaps being a bit aggressive if theyre having difficulties and also knowing that he is patient will reassure them. It states that his school of motoring covers the whole of county wexford so is covering a wide geographic area compared to some instructors which may only cover areas in wexford town. Maintenance Website maintenance is really only required for larger businesses and not for small businesses like driving instructors. The reason for this, is driving instructors, do not really have to update their websites as much as corporate companies. To maintain a website for a driving instructor, you could outsource this for around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20 per hour or monthly contracts for around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100 which will also compare your website against your competitors to achieve greater advantage. This may not suit some driving instructors if business is not good and may have to revert back to maintaining their websites in house. Domain Name The name Driving Pass is still available and would be a great opportunity for the company to use this name as it is the name of your company and the major objectives of the website must be to increase the ranking on Google, specifically in Ireland. This is difficult to achieve and subject to a lot of speculation. The easiest way to achieve this is by paying for it also known as click through advertising, whereby every time the link is clicked a sum must be paid to stay high in the rankings. www.drivingpass.ie Conclusion Recommendations training facebook Facebook have a facility where your advertisement is only delivered to the profile you determine. The advantage of this is the ability to reach out to your audience. An advert can be tailored and delivered to the target audience based on keywords in the demographic profile and geographic location. If this is carefully done and the profile which is being aimed for is well known then this can have high success. Executive Summary Driving Pass is a successful school of motoring company and their main purpose is to ultimately make Irish roads safer by carefully teaching and coaching learner drivers. The location of the business is set up in Co. Wexford. As driving instructors is a highly competitive profession, it is imperative that Driving Pass utilise the web as a means of communicating to potential customers all the benefits their company can provide them.

The Catcher In The Rye 3 :: essays research papers

'Sometimes characters can allow a strong feeling or emotion to dominate their lives.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden allows the strong feelings and emotions of death, society, school and innocence to dominate his life. Holden is a very sensitive boy who can not ignore his problems, instead he dwells on them. These feelings and emotions are dominant because Holden believes strongly in them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The strong negative feelings that Holden has for his school and it's community are present because of it's concern for an image. When students do not put in they are expelled to keep the schools high academic rating, This is represented when Holden says 'I got the axe. They give guys the axe quite frequently at Pencey.'; he does not like this as it does not allow students to be individuals and be who they really want to be. Another reason Holden dislikes school so much is because the way teachers have an unfair authority over their students. Mr Spencer used his authority when he read out Holden's paper. holden thought this was rude and said 'I don't think I'll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud. I wouldn't've read it out loud to him if he'd written it - I really wouldn't.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden is not fond of the society that he lives in. It is a superficial society that worships the movies and actors because they portray a type of living that seems wonderful, although it is very false. Holden does not like the movies, he views them as a world that people wish they could be in. An example of this is when Holden says 'If there is one thing I hate, it's the movies.'; Holden also dislikes the actors. He feels that they do not act like common people instead they act 'more like they knew they were celebrities'; and that annoyed him because he can not understand why people admire them so much. He thinks that actors are shallow and create an even bigger misconception on life. Holdens way to cope with society is to wear his red hunting hat in public. This is a way for him to demonstrate that he is different and that he will not conform to the way society and people want him to. This is shown when he calls his hat 'a people shooting hat';. Holden feels that society is too concerned with materialism and appearance and he does not want to bee a part of it and this is why he wears his red hunting hat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The death of Holden's bother has effected him tremendously.

Music in Jane Austens Persuasion Essays -- Austen Persuasion Essays

Music in Jane Austen's Persuasion      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Persuasion Jane Austen tells the story of Anne, a young woman who suffers terrible losses yet does not let these losses embitter her.   But the death of her mother during Anne's youth and the loss of her true love in her early adulthood certainly leave their mark on Anne.  Ã‚   She survives with great strength of character, yet she withdraws from life.   But Anne does not withdraw alone; she takes her music with her.   Music has been called the language of the heart.   It has an enduring quality, and it can cross barriers and build bridges.   Music moves us.   Words, too, can cross barriers, build bridges, and touch our hearts; and like beautiful music, a good story is timeless.   In Persuasion, Austen uses music to define Anne's character, to show her connectedness to people or her lack of it, and to show her gradual reawakening to life and to love.    Anne's great depth of character is illustrated by her appreciation of books and music, two things that give her deep and lasting pleasure.   When confronted by Mary for being tardy in coming to her, Anne mentions that she had "a great many things" (41) to do in getting ready to leave Kellynch Hall.   Most of her preparations are for her father and Elizabeth, but when talking about preparing her own possessions to be moved, the only items she mentions specifically are her "books and music" (41).   Anne's regard for books and music is also seen as Anne compares herself to the Miss Musgroves.   The Miss Musgroves use music, but for purposes other than the purely artistic appreciation of it.   They have a "grand piano forte and a harp," but their time is not invested in playing them, but in arranging the piano and harp, along with "flower stands ... ...e pattern.   Anne, like Cinderella, is a young woman who is mistreated by her own family and who has lost her only true love because of their interference.   Yet, like a fairytale heroine, Anne triumphs over adversity and is reunited with her Prince Charming.   Austen uses the timelessness of music to develop this story. She weaves together two parallel interactions, Anne's relationship with Captain Wentworth and Anne's relationship with music, just as a musician weaves together the melody and harmony in a song.   Each of these relationships enriches and mirrors the other; they are "instrumental to the connexion" (235).   Tales of romance are tales of the heart, and Austen desires to stir our hearts.   What better way to communicate Anne's story than with music, the language of the heart.        Work Cited Austen, Jane.   Persuasion. 1818. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1990.

Geographic Greece :: essays research papers

Geographic Themes of Greece LOCATION o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolute -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Latitude: 3900 North -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Longitude: 2200 East of the prime meridian Relative Location o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spatial: -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  borders the countries Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Borders the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea Relative Location o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Direction and Distance -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6241 miles NE of Dallas, Texas -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  324 miles S of Sofia, Bulgaria -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  457 miles SSW of Bucharest, Romania -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  646 miles ESE of Rome, Italy Size: Greece = Alabama Mercator Map of Greece ca. 1598 Conic Map of Greece o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Equidistant Conic Projection Planar Map of Southern Europe o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using azimuthal equidistant projection PLACE Physical Characteristics Physical Characteristics o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  LAND USE -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8% permanent crops -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  41% permanent pastures -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  20% forest and woodlands -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19 % arable land -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12% other use Vegetation o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Olive Trees o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capers o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grapes o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grasses o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fig Trees o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lemon Trees o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cypress Trees o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eucalyptus Trees Vegetation o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Orange Trees o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Orange Grove Plants o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Palm Trees Climate o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mild, wet winters o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hot, dry summers o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Average Temperature 64 degrees Fahrenheit Year-Round Average Temperatures & Precipitation Soil o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fertile o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Volcanic o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Greek legend claims that God distributed all of the available soil through a sieve and used the stones that remained to build Greece. Bodies of Water o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Corinth Canal in Greece joins the Ionian and Aegean Seas o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Mediterranean Sea borders southern Greece Natural Resources o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bauxite o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lignite o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magnesite o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Petroleum o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hydro Power o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pumice o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marble o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Parthenon on the Acropolis was built with solid Greek marble Landforms o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mostly mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands Islands o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over 3000 islands and outcrops surround the Greek mainland, including Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, and Mykonos Mountains o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mount Parnassus near Delphi Earthquakes in Greece o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On February 24, 1981, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurred in the Eastern Gulf of Corinth region of Greece, followed a few hours later by a magnitude 6.3 aftershock in the same region. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March 4 another shock of magnitude 6.2 occurred 25 kilometers to the northeast, causing loss of lives and extensive damage to towns on the Perachora Peninsula and along the Saronic and Gulf of Corinth coasts. Island of Thera o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This island is often racked by earthquakes Human Characteristics Population Distribution Population Characteristics o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  98% Greek, 2% other o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Population growth rate: 0.21% o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Birth rate: 9.82 births/1000 population o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death rate: 9.64/1000 population o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life expectancy: 78.44 o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Official Language: Greek o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literacy: 95% Settlement o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total population: 10,601,527 o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5 million live in Athens Occupations o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Services 59.2 % o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agriculture 19.8% o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Industry 21% Occupations More Occupations Island Occupations o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fishing, sponge-fishing and handicrafts are important occupations on many Greek islands Recreation o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greeks enjoy music, dancing, snow skiing, sailing, water sports, eating and smoking. On the Beach and On the Slopes Olympics o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The original Olympic Games were first held in Greece in 776 B.C., and they will host the next Olympics in 2004 Beliefs and Ideas o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many ancient cultures created Evil Eye charms to mimic the eyes of the gods, believing that the charms could ward off evil spirits and deflect the Evil Eye, a belief still popular in the Mediterranean today.

Implement a strategy to overcome communication barriers Essay

Barriers to communication can present themselves in many diverse forms. Barriers to communication must be anticipated and avoided, by though-out communication strategies . Evaluating past communication helps see where improvement can be made. If I want to others to be open to me , I have to open myself at first. Moreover ,I have to ensure that the person I am communicating with not only hears but understands the statement I am going to make. To climate barriers in communication I have to be able to identify them and take adequate action . In case of time barriers –I am trying to spend required time for active communication without shearing all of my information hurriedly . Distraction barriers –I am fully attentive to my talk, Language barriers-I am making sure that my message is clear without too much medical words or jargon and is comprehensible . Staffing shortage –(is the most common problem in Health Care setting) as a Manager I have to ensure that right number of staff is provided for every shift . In case of lower number of staff on duty different way of communication to be used- board ,communication book ,correct handover to be given with relevant information. With the respect of cultural barriers-we are aware that everybody is different ,the care staff have to understand condition (reading care plans) and culture of the client. We are making sure that our policies are up to date and the staff received appropriate training with regard to awareness cultural and religious differences ,holistic and person –centred approach . There are many different strategies which can be used to overcome barriers to communication. One of the important one is a proper relationship with people who use the service it involves listening skills together with appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication:- -smiling –looking eye contact, gentle tone of voice, showing interest ,nodding head slightly when talking â€Å"I see†, â€Å" I understand†, â€Å"I agree†. I t is very important to build an understanding of people we work with in Social and Health Care . People very often will let you know about their preferred way of communication. All the skills of recognising and overcoming barriers to communication will be useful to avoid situation such as aggression . Reflecting listening skills  are vital in order to make the other person feel included . Empathy may come very useful. Try communicating without judging ,instead view situation and responses from the other person perspective. Make people feel welcome ,wanted and valued and appreciated in communication . If you let others know that are valued ,they are more likely to give you their best. Do not say the first thing that comes into your head but instead take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and how you say it. Focus on what you want to communicate. Always aim to communicate on an equal basis and avoid patronising people . Do not talk about the others behind their back and try not to develop favourites, by treating people equally you will build trust and respect. Encourage open and honest feedback from the receiver to ensure your message is understood . If confidentiality is an issue ,make sure its boundaries are known and ensure is maintained. Learn to troubleshoot and resolve problem and conflict as they arise . Learn how to be effective mediator and negotiator. Encourage and facilitate people to talk to each other. Try not to be judgmental but instead easy the way for conflict resolution. Maintain positive attitude and smile when things do not go to plan, stay optimistic and learn from your mistakes. Some communication scenarios ,by their nature are stressful . Stress can however be a major barrier to effective communication ,all parts should try to remain calm and focused. As often as possible speak face-to-face ,it will convey much more meaning than over the phone or through e-mail. In this busy world we are rapidly losing the art of conversation ,and mainly because we are using the wrong channel for communicating. Very crucial part of management activities are meetings . Meetings are multipurpose actually . They aim at discussing feedback and receiving feedback on the spot. Meetings involve all people working for the company as well as service users and their relatives . A successful and effective meeting is well planned if about its time, venue and agenda. They are very productive and creative ,they are giving the opportunity to everyone to present their view. Overcoming the communication barriers requires a vigilant observation and thoughts of potential barriers in a particular instance of communication . Strategies to overcome these barriers will be different in different situation depending upon the barriers present. â€Å"To listen closely and replay well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation â€Å"-La  Rochefoucauld.