Marketing Audit of TESCO, UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Audit of TESCO, UK - Essay Example This paper examines Tesco's UK strategic unit. From the 2011 Annual Report, four distinct component represent Tesco's UK strategic unit: Food Sales, Retail, Brands and Service Unit. The Food sales unit involves sourcing food from farmers and other providers in the UK and selling them to consumers. The Retail unit involves the malls and stores which are outlets for the sale of non-Tesco brands to consumers. Brands involve the manufacturing of distinct Tesco products for consumers in different categories. The Services unit includes the financial services and Tesco mobile. This paper declares that  Tesco is the largest supermarket retailer in the UK and the fourth largest in the world. Tesco started as   modest entity in 1924 and became a successful food retailer in the 1960s before going global in the 1980s. As of 2003, Tesco had approximately 1,700 stores and outlets in the UK as well as some 1,300 stores internationally.  In carrying out this analysis, we will apply important tools to identify the strategic business position of Tesco, UK. This is done by identifying the internal strengths, weaknesses and issues in Tesco as well as the industrial issues that faces Tesco currently. Also, the important concerns in the external environment are discussed. This is done through the use of popular strategic management tools and models.  Internal attributes that help to assess the strategic position of an organisation include the resources as well as the hard and soft elements that define the organisation's systems and scope.

Social Policy Essay Example for Free

Social Policy Essay Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and ideological developments of UK social policy, identifying the underpinning principles and values. Social policy is defined as actions aimed at promoting social well being (Alcock). It is not just about state legislation but also about what the government does to support and interfere with the well being of citizens. Policies can be regarded as embodying ideas about society, the economy and views about justice, equality and individual responsibility (Alcock). Social policy as a whole looks at the rules and procedures made by the government to keep the publics best interests at heart. The social policy that is being focused on is Healthcare. In the early 1940s a report was written by a man called William Beveridge, highlighting problems in society. Ever since then, this social policy has been subject to changes and reforms made by each political party in their time of running. Healthcare as a whole has a huge impact on its service users as well as its service workers and I believe it to be one of the most important social policies. In 1942, Beveridge published a report recommending ways that the government could improve post war Britain. He stated that they should begin by tackling the 5 Giant Evils : Want, Squalor, Disease (Health), Ignorance and Idleness. This led to many social reforms and in 1945 when the labour party was elected into power, Clement Atlee was made priminister. This proved to be beneficial for the country and resulted in over 200 acts being passed from 1945 to 1948. One of the acts passed was the National Health Service act passed by the minister for health Aneurin Bevan. He wanted to make sure that every citizen could access the best medical care when they needed it and for it to be free at the point of use. The aim of the NHS was to reduce ill-health and promote good health in all citizens. Between high infant mortality rates and general poor health of the public he knew actions had to be taken. Before the NHS, the 2,700 hospitals were either run by charities or local authorities with only those in employment entitled to free treatment. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7405526.stm). Prior to the actual start of the NHS, many of the working doctors shared a conservative and neoliberal  ideology about this new act. They believe that a government run health service would take away the individuality of their profession and make them ‘puppets of the state’. The conservative party shared these views as well as the British Medical Association, who started a survey voting against the NHS. Conservative politicians had a very right wing approach to things, believing in social hierarchy and believed social inequality to be inevitable. The labour party adopted a collectivist way of thinking. They focused more on those who were disadvantaged and devised ways to improve it which resulted in the introduction of the NHS in 1948. On the 5th July 1948 the NHS was introduced and resulted in free healthcare for UK citizens. In addition it created a mass amount of jobs in the healthcare sector. The Election of Clement Atlee in 1945 proved to be beneficial and resulted in over 200 acts being passed from 1945 to 1948 as well as the NHS act. In 1979 Margaret Thatcher led the conservative party into power. The conservative party shared right wing, neoliberal ideas about the way things were being run. As an individualistic ideology neo liberalism was very much pro market and against public provision and involvement of the state. Thatcher and the conservatives believed that collectivism and free welfare services encouraged lazy people to become dependant on the government.

The Pharmaceutical Industries Facing Challenges Commerce Essay

The Pharmaceutical Industries Facing Challenges Commerce Essay In last few years pharmaceutical industries facing challenges because of economic downturn, increased healthcare cost, rise development cost, pharmaceutical sales in the market, increased competition for generic drug products, regulatory pressure cause weak US pharmaceutical growth. Few blockbuster drugs come to the market Because of decreased New Chemical Entities (NCE) research, development marketing. Pharmaceutical manufacturing sector plays serious role in US economy. Manufacturing and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) for pharmaceutical drug products decreases as compare to last few years. But at the same time, Chinese share increases up to 17%. It is important part of US economy, but manufacturing is no more prevailing part of US economy. Finally some industries adapted few solutions to overcome problems. Analyst focuses on commercial view of the companies and gives some advice that will use in current market and successful future. Objective Small scale large scale manufacturing companies have to think about their production in growing global market. The main object of topic is to evaluate and observe future of the manufacturing practice in global market by creating model. Due to growth of market, companies have to reduce manufacturing cost to stand in competition, raise profits and market share on expanding goal audience. They create new drug products in the market and maintain required quality of the drugs with low cost to hold their regular customer and attract new customers. Figure 1 Frame Work Diagram Global Environment Companies are going to preplan before any outsider affect the manufacturing process of the drug product. Company can aware of market economy, globalization, latest technologies develop in manufacturing field, demographics etc. Strategic Responses Strategic response in pharmaceutical manufacturing is used in production flexibilities, create design of new drug product, new manufacturing process with newly discover drug products, connection with internet which gives good communication between employees and data. SME Recommendations In last step, more focus on prescription information then description information. Main focus of prescriptive strategy is on customer satisfaction, market scenario, newly develop technologies in the pharmaceutical field and networking. Business Strategy First of all companies are aware of market, competition, relative drug manufacturing, material and employment costs, governments legal policies as per countries rules. Create a plan and criteria to achieve successful marketing, saving money and revenue, highly trained staff new technologies with freshly set goals in business sector. It includes financial investigation, business fact, material sourcing, stock management, manufacturing, in process management, distribution, promotion and marketing management. Changes in the global market is very quick so by using metrics and management guidelines to improves business strategies, add and improve necessary information in business. Management can give change to every employee for their individual suggestion to improve business strategy. [1] Growing Environment Manufacturing of one drug product is difficult task to do. Because it to difficult to understand demand of the drug product in coming few years. Company may invest millions of dollars for new drug manufacturing, its approval, marketing and promotion. If drug cannot pass in clinical trial because of its undesired adverse effects more than its benefit, so company has to spend money and time to solve this problem. Company spent 3 to 4 years and billions of dollars for building facility for particular type of drug product and there is no security that the new product is à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“cost effectiveà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and capable enough to fit in companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s criteria profitable enough for the company. [2] Generic drug companies do not face these types of problems and also the margin of profit is less as compare to the Brand Name Drug Company. Just in Time (JIT) in manufacturing Just in time is a pull method of production. Just in time is applied in drug manufacturing process which is used to decrease in process methods and time. JIT is suitable production arrangement when: [3] Specific number of the products prepared by manufacturing process Drug products with high value Less time setup for drug on machine Highly trained staff and flexibility in work Standard product with stable production Quality of the product can be ensured Just in time is used to improve drug product quality and effectiveness. Particular level of the raw material which is specified by the company is decrease at the particular level then company can order new raw materials in the company so it helps to save space in warehouse and reduce to check physical and chemical test of the raw materials. Firstly it was used in ford motor company by Henry Ford. [4] It basically focuses on management and how to implement supply chain in to the specific manufacturing process. JIT gives clear increase in liquid asset of the company by creating tax free and cash flow. Company launch new drug product in to the market at that time low output time is beneficial for unexpected increase in drug requirement. Long output time is normally making detail list of all the items in  stock of the drug product before increasing the demand of product. If we can use JIT in pharmaceutical manufacturing which is not good decision because company has to spent more money to create sturdy method. So we can say that if generic drug product companies use JIT approach is beneficial to them as compared to Brand Name Drug Company. Margin of the saving money by the generic drug product companies are less then Brand Name Drug Company. [5] Weakness of JIT JIT normally used in highly automatic drug production but not in custom made item. Every one relies on others because they are mutually dependent to each other. Weakness of JIT affects on supply chain and it become more costly. It causes drug market fluctuation, improper stock, lack of communication in every stage and also may leads to decrease drug production. [6] Sometime small quantity of material has been used to overcome defective drug product result. If supplier is not going to supply raw material in time to the company, it cause delay in production and distribution. Particular space is used for finished product so surprising order creates problems in finished product department. Global Pharmaceutical Market Figure 2 Global Pharmaceutical Industry Nowadays growth of pharmaceutical markets in the world is 4 to 6% expected value is $825 billion. As per the experts review, growth of pharmaceutical market is increase up to 4 to 7 % by 2013. And expected value of the market increase up to $975+ billion by 2013. In recent scenario, pharmaceutical markets are growing fast in the region of Asia-Pacific. It is because of very low cost and favorable environment with contract manufacturing and generic drug production. Increased in Reach and Development market in this region was helped to gain money up to US $187 billion in 2009. Now limited companies are involved in R D program. Sometime Research Development takes more time as expected so budget increases but company cannot increase product cost due to government policies. As a result companies are not spending time for new drug Research Development. Most recent growing pharmaceutical companies are in India, China, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia due to less cost of the drug prod uct, less labor cost, good health insurance strategies as compare to the US market and it is beneficial to the company for its growth. China possibly becomes biggest pharmaceutical market in the world. India is the 3rd largest manufacturer of pharmaceutical drug product in the world. Expected growth of the pharmaceutical industries in global market in coming years is in China and Russia because they have strong support of government. [7] Demographic in pharmaceutical market With the help of research we can know the demographic review, macroeconomic indicators, disease analysis etc. It is used to know the strategies in the market and successful possibilities in the global pharmaceutical market. Some topics which helps in demographic survey such as: Analyst View Basically analyst checks all details of clinical research study, evaluate them if any problem in machine, human error, quality control system, in process methods etc, arrives in the study, in that case they can overcome the problem and improve with the help of specific method. It helps to save money by increasing product quality. [8] Control in operating cost How to improve quality with less cost of the drug product is very challenging in pharmaceutical market. Understanding cost approach is used to increase margin of the drug manufacturing. Pharmaceutical industries have to take active steps in order to control cost. Cost of Research and Development increases upon discovery of new blockbuster in the market. Attracting and holding skilled workers In pharmaceutical industries, experience and knowledge in the employees is very important. People who are working in the industries are skilled with good knowledge about market, excellent communication skill, Professional behavior, unity, able to manage work load etc. affect the growth of company. Labor cost of the United States is very high as compare to China India. [9] Pharmaceutical Companies facing Challenges Pharmaceutical companies are facing challenges to develop high quality of drug product with less cost due to increase population in the world. To create quality of the drug products give less yield and high market cost, as a result consumer may not use drug product. To solve this problem company has to create new production formulas. They spend billions of dollars for its research; developments, approval, advertisement and marketing with less drug cost without compromising gross send on R D. Companies have to face some geo-political situation. For example; AIDS is major problem in the world. Governments are demanding strict attention on AIDS and give pressure to pharmaceutical companies to search develop new drug product which is used to cure AIDS. Brand Name Drug Company has to face some challenges because after the patent expiry they are allowed new product in to the market, so other companies create same drug which are equivalent to brand name drug in all aspects is called as Ge neric Drugs. Generic manufacturer do not have to get time and money for R D, as a reason generic drugs are less costly. Market share of Brand Name Drug is declines due to generic drug. Health insurance promotes the generic drug use among the consumers for saving bills as a result less research on new drugs. Following are some solution which helps to overcome some challenges facing by pharmaceutical companies. Figure 3 Some Solution stack Alignment with Pharmaceutical Trends Aspirations Pharmaceutical solution provides new and unique method for solubility profile based on drug properties and modifying some process for drug development. These solutions provide management capabilities through various processes leading to progress in work for high level of efficiency. It is very flexible and applies enough in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, DP and Biotechnological drug manufacturing. With the help of true SOPs, we can check manual errors done by employees evaluate it and create a new process how to solve this problem. ISA-95 and ISA-88 is used to define challenges face by clients in management, process analysis, in its data, in schedule etc. Conclusion As per my opinion JIT is very useful system for manufacturing company with wide consignment, suitable material with quality, employees, and different types of equipments can always accessible when required. JIT decreases product waste and provides good quality of products which is prepared by manufacturer, supplier and consumer. In short, JIT is a one of the Ladder with continuous stages of loyalty to do job in proper way in growing global market. Nowadays pharmaceutical industries face many challenges of surviving in this global market. Generic manufacturer are facing competition for generic products, force for restrict drug price due to government policies and increase RD cost due to governmental demands. Active pharmaceutical Ingredients production began in china and India before few years.

CHINAS RESPONSE TO OVERPOPULATION :: essays research papers

Introduction Today so many children and people in the world suffer from poverty and starvation. In so many third world country's families are going without food or good water. Never before have we seen so many children die before the age of five. It is impossible to feed all of these mouths and clothe all of these backs. The world is full of natural resources at our disposal. These resources are taken for granted and not preserved the way they should be. As a result, fossil fuels will not be available in a matter of years. Nature is missing links due to the extinction of many species, many we don't ever get a chance to learn about. More people means more products made in factories, more jobs needed, and more consumption of this earth's precious resources. Were are overcrowded! We are overpopulated. Not to mention all of the disease that is spread through the poverty stricken slums that the malnourished live in."We are already living with the consequences of human population growth. Ther e are now so many people, that we were probably pretty much forced to modernize and give up smelly outhouses in favor of the more convenient and practical flush toilet. Sanitation workers are paid to collect the trash that huge cities of people generate, as large populations need proper sanitation."(Garrett Hardin) We try to regulate this epidemic by using birth-control and other devices, but we see what good all of that is doing. We ourselves are setting up for extinction. There must be a way to control the overpopulation. We should not be a disease to this planet. Do we not see the connections between science and society!? Gaylord Nelson was quoted as saying, "The number one environmental problem facing the earth today would have to be population. Where on Earth Are We Going? He said the answer is: "It's all up to us. The level of human population and the scale and intensity of human activity has reached a point where we are literally affecting the very conditions o n which human life and well being depend. "The first major effect of overpopulation is consumption of valuable resources. This is one of the major causes of depletion of our natural resources. When mentioning consumption, we are referring to all the products we buy and use. In the United States, Americans consume far more than what is necessary.

Canadian same sex marriage Litigation Individual Rights Community Strategy Essay

This essay summarises and analysis a literature material in the form of an article namely â€Å"Canadian Same-Sex Marriage Litigation: Individual Rights, Community strategy written by Christine Davies.’ The author Christine Davies is a Student of Law at Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP in Toronto. With the assistance and guidance of Professor Lorraine of the University of Toronto in the Faculty of Law, Douglas Elliott and Cynthia Petersen, Christine is able to come up with the article and published it in 2008. This essay addresses the issue of marriage, the legal status and definition of marriage. It goes further clearly to outline the historical overview of the same-sex marriage litigation in Canada also bringing to light further future expected developments on the same (Davies, 2008. P. 32). The relationship or correlation between the law and the social change is quite close, a constitution can be well described as ‘mirror’ reflecting the nation socially and therefo re it needs to protect and recognize the values of the society at large. The constitution is also as a living tree and thus it must grow or evolve in a manner consistent with the evolving social attitudes and policies. The author of the article ‘Canadian same-sex marriage litigation’ seeks to explore the relationship that exists between the law and social change as it is evidenced in the changing judicial, political and also social approaches to the exciting issue of the same-sex marriage in Canada. The article surveys in details the litigation history of same-sex marriage in the common law within the jurisdictions of Canada. Cases involving the same were pursued over a span of thirty years before litigants finally succeeded in the year 2003 (Davies, 2008: P.2). These cases were well chosen, well strategized, coordinated and applied. The most recent cases just before the litigants won involved use of a multi-pronged approach to them utilizing both the common law and the Charter arguments and thus increasing chances of reaching the best possible results. Humanizing the issue and also contextualizing the legal phenomenon by mostly relying on the plaintiff`s feelings and words combined wi th the use of social science evidence put the litigants a notch higher in their struggle. The lessons brought to the surface by this article in terms of a flexible, Outcome-focused strategies and the much emphasis on unearthing the true nature of LGBT identities and nature will be very key in the future cases on LGBT rights litigation (Davies, 2008. P. 23). The institution of marriage both a social and a legal concept which has mostly been based upon traditionally religious views and opinions based on heterosexuality. With the current changes of certain social values and emergence of groups such as, the LGBT community, over time this concept has been actively debated and has been subject to much controversy and contention. The controversy and contention surrounding this subject originates from the conflict which is evident between long-established traditional or religious beliefs which in turn have helped to shape the country, against the now growing heterogeneous environment which does not conform to these views. The paper presents the deeply rooted tension and controversy regarding the institution of marriage versus the equality rights of the same sex couples or the gay and lesbian couples. This paper goes further to outline the key issues surrounding the recent social changes towards the same-sex marriages and its relationship with equality rights and the social role and function of the institution of marriage. The question of whether legal rules regarding marriage does, in a way, achieve the right balance between equality rights and the social role and function of this institution of marriage (Davies, 2008. P. 10). This contentious and controversial issue is worthy of examination since with time marriage has become a polarizing and complicated entity which in many key ways consequently affects the lives of many people in the country and world at large. The legislative framework and approach to same-sex marriage in Canada addresses the merits and demerits of legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada and also the issue of civil unions for same-sex couples. In addition, the article determines the best option for balancing equality rights while at the same time not compromising the social role and function of the institution of marriage. Several scholarly articles and both past and current jurisprudence, existing legislation, and a few other secondary materials such as, surveys and public opinion polls are used in the analysis of this article. In accordance with the Constitution Act of 1867, the federal government of Canada has exclusive control over â€Å"marriage and divorce,† while the provinces or provincial governments have control over the â€Å"solemnization of marriage† implying that the power to enact laws concerning marriage is within their jurisdiction. Despite the fact, this responsibility concerning marriage was quite clear there was still no proper or distinct legislative document or law that properly defined marriage. The only one piece of legislation that came close to defining it came from an interpretation of a particular clause found in the referred to as Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act which states that â€Å"For greater certainty, the amendments done by this Act do not affect the interpretation and meaning of the word marriage which is, the lawful union between one man and only one woman to the exclusion of all others.† It was clearly held that â€Å"Marriage is clearly understood throughout time and different cultures as an institution well designed to meet the unique and specific needs, capacities or abilities and circumstances of opposite sex couples and their children and thus regarded as an institution that brings together or unites the two complementary sexes thus providing a supportive and proper environment for the procreation and rearing of successive and future generations† (Davies, 2008. P. 14). The above state of affairs in regard to marriage meant that gay couples seeking to be legally united were propelled to take their claims to the courts of law. Christine Davies article clearly brings out the issue of the legalization of same-sex marriage, first by giving out a well laid out surveyed out litigation of same-sex marriages within the common law jurisdictions of Canada. It has in an exemplary manner assessed the developments and the shifts in the litigation strategies from the trial-level strategies, which were quite multi-prolonged and both utilized common law and Charter arguments narrowing much thinner to emphasis on the violations of Charter rights (Davies, 2008. P. 2). The article clearly outlines to us how the claims or strategies are selected and applied in order to achieve the maximum best possible results. This article is different from the one adopted and advanced by Nicholas Balla in his article, â€Å"Controversy over couples in Canada, the evolution of marriage and together with other adult interdependent relationships in that Balla surveys the evolution of the current debate concerning four types of intimate adult relationships that fall outside the known traditional definition of marriage that is common-law marriage, polygamy, same-sex partnerships, and non-conjugal interdependent relationships while Christine concentrates on the developments in the litigation process (Balla, 2014. Para. 2). The above mentioned articles together with â€Å"Losing the Feminist Voice article by Claire Young and Susan Boyd. All the three articles provide a good platform for proper studying and understanding the relationship between law of any country and the social change with the Christine David`s article amplifying this the more as shown below.The first leading claim or case regarding same-sex m arriage was: North v Matheson also referred to as First Wave                      In this case or claim, it was expected that the courts could rely on the judgments arising from Hyde v. Hyde & Woodmansee that happened in 1866 to arrive at the conclusion that, for the known Christian religious reasons, any union between two gay men is obviously unlawful and that marriage is an exclusive legal union between one man and one woman (Davies, 2008. P. 9). Corbett v Corbett also referred to as second wave                      The second leading claim which, in a way, added on to the common law was in regard to the definition of marriage as was with clarity established in North v Matheson. The case of Corbett was a case that brought a challenged in regard to the issues around the marriage of a transgender individual (Davies, 2008. P. 11). In this case, the judge had a conclusion that when it comes to defining marriage the issue of building a family is a very essential component and, therefore, natural heterosexual intercourse is of importance and a key requirement in regard to the institution of marriage. Layland v Ontario also referred to as the third wave                      The third case regarding same-sex marriage was that of Layland v Ontario and the argument was against the common law definition of marriage. The argument or claim was successfully acknowledged accepted by at least one judge out of three which was a very timely achievement for those in support of same-sex marriage (Davies, 2008. P. 2). In Layland v Ontario case although the majority judgment still alluded to and supported the decisions made in North and Corbett, the dissenting opinion had a conclusion that the current jurisprudence regarding same-sex marriage is outdated or rather not fashionable in regard to the changing social values, and, therefore, as judges of the common law it is their prime duty to expand the definition of marriage so that it can meet the society`s changing and expanding needs or so as to reflect and mirror the values of the society and what is taking place by that time in the society. In addition to the case above there was also a dissenting assertion as a direct resultant of the enactment of the Charter of Human Rights and freedoms. This made a change thus to be a necessity so as to conform to the Charters of Rights and Freedoms demands and requirements and that pursuant to s.15 of the Charter. The common law`s definition of marriage was, therefore, insufficient, unreasonably and unequal or discriminatory in its treatment towards gay and lesbian couples. Halpern v Canada also known as the fourth wave                      The fourth case was known as Halpern v Canada which brought about the current approach towards same-sex marriage in Canada and thus bringing to a halt the debate to whether gay and lesbian couples were allowed to unite legally or to marry. The verdict or decision from this fourth case concluded that the current common law in the place definition of marriage was to a great extent unconstitutional given the fact that it violated an individual’s inalienable fundamental right to equal treatment without discrimination. As a result of this realization or decision, the federal government thus proposed a bill to that effect to the Supreme Court of Canada. The bill, Bill C- 38, became the center of the debate and thorough discussion for the case referencing to or in regard to Same-Sex Marriage (Davies, 2008. P. 15). The verdict or ruling in that decision led or prompted the federal government to come up with a new piece of legislation referred to as t he Civil Marriage Act. This Act is the current legislative authority governing the institution of marriage in Canada. This act broadens or expands the definition of marriage to also include gay and lesbian couples by stating that â€Å"Marriage, for civil reasons, is the lawful union of only two persons to the or thus exclusion of all others.† This removed the part that the union had to be between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. Given the fact that the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act, and the social developments and changes which fostered the considerations of the advantages, as well as the demerits in which this act brought about or created is worth highlighting and noting. As was elaborated by the Law Commission of Canada, who support same sex marriage, it felt that an individual right to marry is a fundamental inalienable personal choice in which each Canadian citizen should enjoy and thus denying them their rightful access to be allowed to marry was an outright rejection in recognizing their personhood as human beings and of their personal aspirations. This argument that was greatly advanced by same-sex marriage supporters clearly demonstrated a direct form of human rights and freedoms violation through unequal treatment, which in turn points or allude towards possible consequences in which this outright denial of key rights could lead (Davies, 2008. P. 26). A good example of such a consequence in re gard to continue this unequal treatment is that it could promote or lead to a very strong justifiable critiques towards the very obvious legitimacy of our most sacred law in the Constitution namely the Charter of Rights and Freedoms document, To be more specific the section regarding our very fundamental right to equality. Further in support of those supporting same-sex marriages came the article. Losing the feminist Voice, debates and deliberates on the legal recognition or realization of same sex Partnerships in Canada that argued in support of the same that denying homosexuals and lesbians the right to marry would in turn add more weight and greatly reinforce the ongoing justification behind the existing disadvantages towards the minority groups, and thus create further future justification in the denial of other fundamental rights for these same minority groups. The article goes further on to note that broadening or extending the definition of marriage to solve the contentious issues and do away with the underlying controversy to allow same-sex couples to marry will, in fact, strengthen the institution of marriage and family by bringing down the burden of the state. The most prevalent arguments of all in relation to the demerits of same-sex marriage mostly focused on to a large extent, the perceived presumptions and misconceptions towards the gay and lesbian lifestyles, as well as the resultant effects in which the same will have both directly and indirectly on marriage. The opponents of same-sex marriage further focused on the importance of clearly maintaining the nature of marriage, as well as combating the future risks in which changing the definition of marriage was likely to bring on board. An opponent of same-sex marriage namely Gwen Landolt, strongly believed and held a very strong comment for the gay and lesbian lifestyle, stating with clarity that infidelity, separation and divorce are more prevalent in same-sex unions given that â€Å"their skill compatibilities are different†, and thus they cannot complement one another. Drug use is thus a very serious and recurring matter for such as these individuals. The above comments allude through suggestion that that allowing homosexual couples to unite legally and marry could pose as a threat and an insult on the sacred institution of marriage. In addition to the above claims, Landolt also insisted that marriage should not just be treated as mere social construct and that it will be detrimental to simply change in an endeavor to respond to the changing society needs and values. She held firmly to the assertion that a marriage is a concept which has remained consistent through and through thousands of years, through many different cultures and hence its value in society at large is deeply rooted. These arguments regarding the future implication in which changing the definition of marriage could foster and bring on board, the opposition or those opposing same-sex marriages argued that the inalienable fundamental equality right, in which the gay and lesbian groups have relied upon to in furtherance of their claim, has been interpreted so broadly or beyond the necessary extent according to s.15 of the Charter and could by implication create a very slippery slope for the sacred institution of marriage. This will in turn lead to a polygamous and probably to incestuous relationships being made legal in the country (Russell, 2008. 38). Conclusion                      As a wrap up this essay has clearly analysed the article ‘Canadian same-sex marriage litigation’ highlighting the key points in the article such as the social developments in regard to same-sex marriages, how the issue of same-sex marriages relate with the equality of human rights and freedoms while at the same time being keen not to affect the social role of the marriage institution negatively. The same-sex marriage litigation needs to be assessed in terms of their impact and sustenance of the LGBT rights in regard to equality ensuring that they are not discriminated (Balla, 2014. Para. 4). This litigation from the analysis of the article can be termed as quite successful although this does not imply that legal cases involving LGBT in days to come will necessarily be successful. It is therefore true that the constitution or the law is like a living tree that grows in accordance to changes in the society and should reflect the social values, practices and attitudes of the society. These kinds of alternative forms of relationship have been recognized by the laws of different countries in the world success in the cases in the Canada litigation can to an extent be attributed to this trend although other countries still continue to strictly oppose them. References Controversy Over Couples in Canada: The Evolution of Marriage and Other Adult Interdependent Relationships. (n.d.). by Nicholas Bala. Retrieved June 13, 2014, from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=481003 Davies, C. (2008). Canadian Same-Sex Marriage Litigation: Individual Rights, Community Strategy. Canada: Crc Press. Russell, P. H. (2008). The Court and the Constitution: leading cases. Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications. Source document

Impact of Transnational Corporations Essay

A transnational corporation (TNC) is a firm that has the power to coordinate and control operations in more than one country, even if it does not own them. There has been a movement of industrial activity from Developed Countries (DCs) to Less Developed Countries, due to the lower production costs in LDCs, allowing TNCs to maximize profits. Less Developed Countries can be further categorized into two different types, namely Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs) such as China and India, and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). TNCs have the ability to take advantage of geographical differences and to switch and re-switch its resources and operations between locations at an international, or even a global, scale. Thus, it is undeniable that TNCs have great economic, social and environmental impacts on the host country. However, whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks depends on the level of the development of the country. TNCs bring about more economic and social benefits to NIEs but cause more environmental and socio-economic harm to LDCs, where there is a lack of legislative powers to protect workers and the environment from exploitation. TNCs provide economic stimulus and create employment in host countries through the multiplier effect and theory of cumulative causation. The injection of capital widens the economic base of the host country. TNCs often help LDCs climb the ladder of economic development. When the host country receives new investment, the economy is able to develop, increasing demand for labour. Increased personal income not only increases standard of living and quality, but it generates higher purchasing power for consumer goods which can lead to the growth and development of service industries as well. TNCs invest in China due to its labour ‘controllability’, competitiveness and the cheap labour of about US$0.60 per hour for long working hours of about 12 hours. Only one-third of the corporations in China are state-owned enterprises, showing the huge amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by TNCs in China, which has benefitted them positively as investments of TNCs have helped to lift more than 200 million Chinese out of poverty due to the opportunities for growth. The large scale investments in  the research and development industries also lead to a lateral technology transfer to the local population. Tetra Pak, a Swedish packaging firm, used to send an â€Å"army† of Swedes around the world to open and manage its factories. But now it is encouraging more local executives to step up into important roles and build up talent and experience in local â€Å"clusters†. Thus, there is training and skill acquisition for the locals, leading to technology tra nsfer. As such, TNCs bring about economic and socio-economic benefits for the host countries. However, the above scenario may just be a wishful thinking. Highly skilled managerial positions are often still dominated by expatriates, leaving only menial jobs for the locals, which are low-paying yet labour intensive. Also, many manufacturing plants are capital incentive so few jobs are provided in reality. Even if they do employ locals, they only employ low grade cheap labour. TNCs often ignore human rights too, exploiting labour. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated too. One 1981 study of an electronics firm in Asia employing 85 percent women showed that after one year of work, 80 percent of women suffered from chronic conjunctivitis, and the women who assemble microchips often lose their sight after four years. Similarly in China, the working conditions of the cheap migrant labour is poor as many are cooped up in rooms of high temperatures like those involved in the casting to iron to produce small metal parts. In addition, the lack of intervention of and enforcement of policies by the government of China will result in more harms than benefits for the country. These harsh conditions will definitely outweigh the economic benefits brought about by TNCs to the host countries, and thus TNCs does not necessarily improve the standard of living and quality of life for citizens in the host countries despite the increase in salary. TNCs can also cause significant environmental damage to host countries where environmental laws are not enforced. In order to attract TNCs to invest in their countries, there would be a reverse auction among host countries, where they try to be less restrictive on TNCs’ operations. Environmental laws are often relaxed despite being present, resulting in over-extraction of natural resources in the host country. In China, there is urban-bias to economic development and a large portion of the land use for farms is being taken over to build factories and  facilities. Another example would be in Nigeria, Africa’s leading oil producer. Deforestation, the clearing of land to produce oil and gas for Shell had greatly reduced the local forests used to supply foodstuffs and fuels in Nigeria. Furthermore, Shell uses gas flaring, a practice which burns gas that cannot be collected, leading to huge air pollution. Before 2008, legislation to eliminate this practice is non-existent. There were also 4000 recorded oil spills since 1960, which exemplifies the little regard for the environment. These negative environmental impacts are also worsened as Nigeria has an oil-based economy, and the large oil TNCs such as Shell had considerable power and influence in this politically unstable country. Therefore, it can be seen that TNCs like Shell bring much environmental damage to host countries, which lack governmental support in terms of negotiating with TNCs for FDI to be tied together with environmental protection practices. TNCs can help to generate wealth and provide jobs for the host country, as the injection of FDI is an economic stimulus for economic development. However, TNCs may still bring more harm to LDCs which do not have the political clout to establish firm legislative frameworks to protect their workers and environment from exploitation. On the other hand, more advanced economies such as NIEs are more adept in the negotiation process with TNCs and thus bring about maximum benefits for the country. Hence, whether the benefits of TNCs operating in Less Developed Countries outweigh the negative impacts depends on the level of development of the host country.