Operating A Stick Shift Transmission Essay

Driving is a part of everyday life for a majority of adult Americans, but many of them have not experienced driving a standard stick shift transmission. Driving a stick seems more complicated than driving an automatic, but it makes driving more exciting. There are also many advantages to driving a stick transmission rather than automatic transmission, such as the transmission will last longer, less gas will be wasted, and the car will go faster more easily. A car that has a stick shift transmission has an extra pedal called a clutch, and five different speeds found on the shifter. Driving a five-speed transmission places the most emphasis on being able to control your left foot, and timing your left foot to hit the clutch at the precise time. To get started driving a stick shift the learner should be accompanied by a person who already knows how to operate a stick transmission. The best place to practice and learn how to drive a stick transmission is in a large, open vacant parking lot.The learner should next familiarize themself with the differences between a stick shift transmission and an automatic transmission. In the parking lot with the vehicle’s engine turned off, apply the right foot to the brake pedal, and practice getting a feel of the clutch pedal by pushing it in and out with your left foot. Then the learner should view the shift pattern shown on the top of the shift knob. First gear is usually located by pushing the shift lever forward. Then, with the clutch pedal pushed all the way down, move the gearshift lever through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and reverse gears a few times and then put the gearshift lever into neutral. Neutral is located in the middle of the shift pattern. Next you are ready to start driving. With the transmission in neutral, start the engine and then press the accelerator lightly to get the feel of the accelerator pedal. Next, take your right foot off of the accelerator completely and let the engine just idle. Push the clutch pedal in completely, hold it in, and place the gearshift into 1st gear. Now is the moment of truth, showing that you can drive a stick shift. Continue to keep your right foot off of the  accelerator, but very slowly let out the clutch until the vehicle just begins to creep forward. This is accomplished by moving the clutch pedal in and out just a little bit, about a half-inch, to get the vehicle to begin rolling forward. Work on slowly letting the clutch pedal out until you can get the vehicle to move forward at a couple miles per hour in 1st gear without touching the accelerator. If the vehicle stalls, it is no big deal. Just push the clutch pedal in and restart the engine. The vehicle stalling usually becomes a big problem, and especially frustrating for the learner because it occurs so frequently. The next thing for the learner to do is just keeping the ride smooth. Your goal is to be able to smoothly let the clutch pedal out and have the vehicle move ever so slowly forward. The purpose of this step is to allow you to focus solely on training just your left foot for smooth controlled clutch movement. Once you are comfortable with releasing the clutch at the right time, you can practice pressing the accelerator lightly and letting out the clutch. After you are able to drive the vehicle in 1st gear, practice releasing the accelerator, pushing the clutch in all the way, moving the gearshift in to 2nd gear, and letting out the clutch, which usually occurs around fifteen miles per hour. Then the learner will soon be able to easily shift into each other gear, and be driving all around the streets. Those are the simple steps for being able to easily operate and control driving a car with standard stick shift transmission. Cars with stick shift transmission are more affordable because less people drive them and are more cost efficient for the driver. Learning to drive a stick shift transmission is not as complicated as others may make you believe, a person just needs to have patience and good coordination. Hopefully this paper may have taught you some new things about driving a standard stick shift transmission.

Pregnant Women Essay

In my opinion, pregnant women should be punished for partaking in legal behaviors such as taking fertility medication, smoking, and drinking, all of which can cause harm to the fetus. I think a woman should subordinate her right to control her life when she decides to become pregnant or does become pregnant. Anything which might possibly harm the developing fetus should be prohibited and all things which might positively affect the developing fetus should be mandated under penalty of law, be it criminal or civil. Since anything which a pregnant woman does or does not do may have an impact, either positive or negative, on her developing fetus, any act or omission on her part could render her liable to her subsequently born child. While such a view is consistent with the recognition of a fetus’ having rights which are superior to those of its mother, such is not and cannot be the law of this state. A legal right of a fetus to begin life with a sound mind and body assertable against a mother would make a pregnant woman the guarantor of the mind and body of her child at birth. A legal duty to guarantee the mental and physical health of another has never before been recognized in law. Any action which negatively impacted on fetal development would be a breach of the pregnant woman’s duty to her developing fetus, Mother and child would be legal adversaries from the moment of conception until birth. If a legally cognizable duty on the part of mothers were recognized, then a judicially defined standard of conduct would have to be met. It must be asked, by what judicially defined standard would a mother have her every act or omission while pregnant subjected to state scrutiny? By what objective standard should a jury be guided in determining whether a pregnant woman did all that was necessary in order not to breach a legal duty to not interfere with her fetus’ separate and independent right to be born whole? In what way would prejudicial and stereotypical beliefs about the reproductive abilities of women be kept from interfering with a jury’s determination of whether a particular woman was negligent at any point during her pregnancy? Nevertheless, some argue that the drug-addicted pregnant woman should be treated as if her drug use is the same as child abuse and at least one state Supreme Court has apparently accepted that view. The Supreme of South Carolina, distinguishing itself from courts in twenty-four other states, has declared that at least inside the borders of South Carolina a viable fetus is a person and a pregnant woman who endangers its health can be found guilty of child abuse. The South Carolina court could not fathom the difference between a stranger who attacks a pregnant woman and the woman herself. The court argued if the fetus is not treated as a child under the law, then, â€Å"there would be no basis for prosecuting a mother who kills her viable fetus by stabbing it, by shooting it, or by other such means, yet a third party could be prosecuted for the very same acts. † The truth is that we do not have to pit the woman against the fetus to promote healthy pregnancies or to value life. In fact, creating fetal personhood hurts both women and the possibilities for healthier pregnancies. We could treat addiction for what it is, a health problem. We could fund programs designed to meet women’s needs not only during pregnancy, but throughout their lives because we value women as whole persons. We could respect people’s different values regarding fetuses without creating the legal fiction that fetuses are separate persons.

History of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Essay

In 1996, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted to improve availability and continuity of health insurance coverage, combat fraud and abuse in health care delivery, provide access to long term care services and simplify administration of health insurance by standardizing information exchange between healthcare organizations. This act primarily protects the privacy and security of an individual’s health information in response to the rapid grown of health insurance and information systems (Questions and Answers on HIPAA). Transmission standards and code sets were included in HIPAA to standardize health-related information and to facilitate faster electronic data interchange (EDI) which allows exchange of information from computer to computer. The transactions and code set standards apply to patient-identifiable health information transmitted electronically. Without the need for human involvement or intervention to complete the process, the practitioner will be able to cut costs by eliminating third party clearing houses, administrators or billing services (Kibbe, 2001, p. 8). With the standardized information exchange, availability of patient information electronically can be obtained with ease. To protect the security and confidentiality of this information, Privacy Rule was issued to implement the requirement of HIPAA. The major goal of the privacy rule is to assure that an individual’s health information is protected from unauthorized access and disclosure while still allowing the exchange of information through EDI to facilitate payments and to provide high quality health care. Individually identifiable health information, called Protected Health Information (PHI) is any data that contains the individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health, provision of health care to the individual, and the payment of such in the past, present or future. It is the Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) responsibility to ensure that the Privacy Rule is enforced and implemented with respect to voluntary compliance activities and civil money penalties (Office of Civil Rights, 2003). There are some instances, however, when disclosure of PHI is needed or permitted. Covered entities (health care providers, clearing houses, etc. ) may disclose protected health information to the public health authorities when public health and safety are at risk. This happens when an individual contracted a communicable disease that raises public concern. If an employee developed a work-related illness or injury and the employer requests for the employee’s PHI in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other similar state law, the covered entities may release information about the individual. Likewise, information for treatment procedures requiring historical information and provided for by several health care services is granted to the health service providers, including consultations and referrals between providers regarding a patient. Protected Health Information of abused, neglected or domestic violence victims may also be disclosed to appropriate government authorities (such as reporting suspected domestic abuse to social welfare agencies) as long as the individual gives consent to disclosure, or the disclosure is authorized by law (Office of Civil Rights, 2003). The passage and implementation of HIPAA definitely improved the conditions of health care services. Uniform transmission and code sets standards paved the way for more efficient processing system, standardizing the way physicians, health insurance and health care providers handle and exchange information. With increased efficiency, costs are decreased. As Kibbe (2001) puts it in his article, â€Å"If there’s a silver lining to the HIPAA regulations, it’s here. These standards can save your practice time and money. † Although accessibility of information is one benefit of HIPAA, Privacy Rule protects the individuals from unauthorized disclosure of their Protected Health Information ensuring confidentiality and security of data exchanged in the process.

How Collaborative is Collaborative Writing Personal Statement - 17

How Collaborative is Collaborative Writing - Personal Statement Example Having read the writings of both professionals and fellow students, I reached the conclusion that writings vary in their genre and accordingly style and extent of formality in language. While scholarly writings sound very professional and are very formally written, essays and articles written by my fellow students reflected the sort of language we speak in daily life with each other. I learned that vocabulary has a very important role to play in making an assignment-sound professional. One of the quickest ways that can be employed to supply more information with basic sentence patterns is writing phrases (Jones and Fairness 118). These days, it has become relatively easier to choose weighty words as MS Word gives the option of selecting synonyms for words. The less common a word is spoken in routine language, the more suitable it becomes for inserting in academic writings given it does justice to the context and projects the intended meaning as accurately as possible. Peer and collaborative work were very enjoyable and great learning experience. Collaborative writing can be defined as activities related to the creation of a document by at least two authors. Collaborative components include pre-draft discussions and post-draft debates (Dillon). I learned that people’s ideas and thoughts about a subject are influenced by, and often determined by their cultural and religious affiliations and ethnic origins. Collaborative work is of immense value particularly in the contemporary increasingly multicultural work environment because it encapsulates ideas and opinions coming from a variety of backgrounds and origins. Some assignments required us to review each other’s work and respond accordingly.  

Political Climate in the 1950s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Political Climate in the 1950s - Essay Example The political scenario suffered in the shape of the communist opposition party dwindling into insignificance. With their downfall, America lost the institutional network that had created a public space where alternatives to the current workings of the government could be presented and be challenged. By late 1950s, thousands of men and women had lost their jobs, hundreds had been deported or sent to prison, and two had been executed. Most, but not all, of these people had once been in or near the American Communist Party. [6] [7] Also the social policy reforms including national insurance policy supported by the leftist also fell apart. McCarthyism further contributed to the attenuation of the reform impulse by diverting the attention of the labor movement, the strongest institution within the left-liberal coalition, from external organizing to internal politicking. [5] [6] America's cultural and intellectual life in the 1950s also suffered from McCarthyism. TV and radio offered a bland menu of quiz shows and Westerns during late 1950s so that no relation could be made to communism and its views. Similarly the film industry cautiously restrained itself from indulging into controversial social or political issues. On the international political front, an opposition to the Cold War had been so thoroughly identified with communism that it was no longer possible to challenge the basic assumptions of American foreign policy without incurring suspicions of disloyalty. [5] [6] What Is Meant By The Term Politics Of Consensus Politics of consensus means common frameworks and policies agreed between all political parties that are adopted by the government. During the years 1945 to 1979, this practice was observed by the government of Britain. The Conservative Party and Labour Party, which were the two major political parties in Britain at that time, were in consensus over certain basic government policies. All the political scientists and media commentators agreed with the policies introduced in the decades after World War II. Changes in the government responsibility such as the welfare state, the National Health Service (NHS), and widespread nationalization of industry, were some of the policies that were agreed unconditionally by both parties. [2] During the late 1970s, the political consensus eventually started to break up. The Conservative Party and the Labour Party were getting at odds over each other. With the sudden rise in oil price in early 1970s, drew a new economic experience of 'stagflation', where high inflation was combined with high unemployment. The Conservative Party challenged the political consensus of the use Keynesian economics by the government. The increasing differences of economic opinion between the two parties finally ended the consensus that was agreed in previous decades. [2] Why Did The Civil Rights Movement Begin In The 1950s After the end of World War II, the blacks (Negro) became increasingly active socially. Discrimination in the military services and in the work force challenged them from getting any important positions. In the South, Blacks had been put to near slavery conditions with the Black Codes and the Jim Crow Laws. As a result many left southern farms for northern cities in search for better jobs. When they found crowded and discriminatory conditions

Writing assingnment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing assingnment - Research Paper Example Utility maximization is a process or goal of obtaining the maximum utility from the consumption of goods and services on the basis of rational behaviour of human beings. The utility maximization is associated with the theory of decision making. Utility is an economic term which is defined as satisfaction received by individuals from the consumption of goods and services. â€Å"In 1957, Simon proposed the notion of Bounded Rationality as that property of an agent that behaves in a manner that is nearly optimal with respect to its goals as its resources will allow† (Bounded Rationality: A Response to Rational Analysis, n.d). A search refers to a psychological process related to instinct of a person which helps him to find solution for a problem. The searches can be of different types like search for job, search for home, and search for other aspects of professional and personal life of human. The decision outcome of an individual is affected by his search as the decision made depends on the search process. Decision making is considered as a major activity in any organization. Decision making is important in any activity of an organization as it helps to choose the best course of action in carrying out any task, helps to find solution to any problem or to solve conflict within an organization. If a needle to sew a jean is of 4 inch and is along with other 1000 needles of different size in a haystack, then it will take more time in seeking the needle. So a satisficer would stop looking as soon as a needle is found which can sew the jeans. Every individual satisfice in their life during those situations when time is limited. â€Å"Congressional budget decision-making in the U.S., where the usual questions considered about a given (existing) agency might typically range from whether to cut 4 or 5 percent from its budget to whether to tack on a 5 or 10% increase. Congress very seldom stops to think seriously

Global Environment of Business. The Saudi Stock Market (2009-2011) Research Paper

Global Environment of Business. The Saudi Stock Market (2009-2011) - Research Paper Example Factors such composition of sectors; investors as well as regulations also have dominant impact on the performance along-with world indices impact. Moreover, being in infancy stage the research as also made certain recommendations based on the research conclusions. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Background To The Problem 5 Role And Importance Of Stock Market 5 Importance Of Saudi Stock Market 5 Origin And Growth 6 History 6 Regulator 6 Tadawul (The Saudi Stock Exchange) 6 Current Statistics In Comparison With GCC Countries 7 Problem Statement 10 Research Objectives 10 Overview of Research Methods 11 Analysis and Findings 12 Performance Of Tadawul 12 Overall Performance Of Tadawal 12 The Collapses And The Peaks In TASI 14 Analysis Of 2011 16 Factors 17 Oil Prices 17 Investors Composition 17 Regulation 18 Comparison With Other International Markets 18 Conclusion 20 Recommendations 21 Limitation to the Research Study 22 Limitations in the research study can greatly influence the findings and analysis of the research. Therefore it is significant for the researcher to identify and comprehend the limitations of the research. This research study also has some limitations and these limitations can influence the findings of the research study. ... In addition to this, if the researcher had collected primary data and used it to analyse the findings then it would have further improved the findings of the research study. So, these limitations have influenced the findings of the research study. 22 Background To The Problem Role And Importance Of Stock Market Stock market is considered as the main component of every economy for playing multi facet role. On one hand, stock markets are reflective of economic condition in terms of growth or otherwise; while on the other hand, stock markets contribute to the economic growth with attracting local and foreign investments. Stock markets are also important as they provide an important fund raising avenue to corporate; ensuring the prices of stocks based on their value while leading profitable companies to generate considerable returns (Lamin, 1997). Hence, indentifying and understanding the factors affecting stock market are of immense importance in understanding the current economic state as well as making prediction about future economic prospect of stock market and hence the country. Importance Of Saudi Stock Market Economic status of Saudi Arabia has been regarded as unknown to global financial crises that hit the world in the recent past. This aspect of the strengthened economy has been attributed to the many factors such as increased public investment by government etc. Hence attracted attentions to explore the various components of economy and stock market being one of them and hence, making it an important avenue to explore. It is also important to explore for the fact that Saudi Stock market is the biggest market based on market capitalization among GCC

Battle οf Leyte Gulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Battle ÃŽ ¿f Leyte Gulf - Essay Example The Japanese lost four carriers, three battle ships, six cruisers, together with up to 10000 sailors and number f trained pilots19. The main objective to capture this island was to have an advanced base for the final assault on southern Japan. The American Army and Marines landed at Okinawa on April 1, 1945. The Japanese opened a furious aerial counterattack, which included more than 350 Kamikaze attacks against U.S. ships and ground forces. Consequently, on April 8, 1945 the Allied Air Force began a campaign to destroy the Kamikaze bases in Japan. (Westphal Jr 267-268) However, the enemy attack continued in its intensity and by June 22, about 1,900 suicide planes had struck against Allied forces at Okinawa, sinking 25 ships. All the Kamikaze attack caused extraordinary Allied casualties. The Japanese did not have enough resources left for suicidal attack at the Okinawa bridgehead. The Japanese lost 7800 ac against 763 f allies in Leyte operation20. The good coordination f the joint forces as well as the combined forces was very critical to the allied victory. This could be possible because f the good command and control structure under the able leadership f Gen Macarthur. (Coles 576-577) The Strategic air offensive against Japan by B-29 had been going on for months. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress had been introduced into service in 1944. A successor f B-17, it had a much greater range and payload and a pressurized cabin that allowed it to fly over 30,000 feet. It was heavily armed with remote controlled gun. The new Twentieth Bomber Command was shifted from China and based in the Marianas. Attacks on Japan began on June 14, 194521. Initially the B-29s used to attack the Japanese cities by dropping incendiary bombs. After four month f saturation bombing, Japan had hardly any target left to attack except Hiroshima and Nagasaki22. The U.S political leaders wanted Japan's unconditional surrender. But Japanese had been asking for preservation f monarchy. On 26 July 1945, the western powers issued a final warning and surrender demand to Japan. U.S leadership agreed that if the Japanese refused to accept the unconditional surrender the Atomic Bomb must be used. The Atom Bomb Attack. On 25 July 1945, the Strategic Air Command in the Pacific was ordered to launch the atomic attacks any time after 3rd August. One f the scientists f nuclear weapon test committee, Stimson opined that, the atom bomb should be used in a surprise attack on an important war installation surrounded by housing. A specially trained B-29 group, with planes modified to carry the atom bomb, was based on Tinian. On the morning f August 6, a B-29 dropped a uranium bomb on Hiroshima with a power equivalent to 14,000 tons f TNT. On 09 July 1945, another B-29, being unable to hit Kokura, its primary target, dropped a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki. The Americans would have had a third atomic attack by August 15, but on August 10, President Truman ruled that no more bombs be used until further notice. On August 15, Japan announced its surrender. But final

Performing Arts - Film and Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performing Arts - Film and Drama - Essay Example In the silver screen, the audience, regardless of seat location, has a relatively better view of the presentation. In this regard, the actors may easily convey emotions or thoughts through their facial expression. The multiple cameras used in shooting a movie may zoom in on a particular angle such that the audience may have a good view of what the director and cinematographer intend for them to focus on. On the contrary, the audience of a live drama, especially in large theatres, may have a limited view of actors’ facial expressions. As such, they would have to utilize other non-verbal forms of communication to get their emotions across. With this, stage actors put much emphasis on gestures rather than facial expression to enable the audience to relate. In â€Å"The Constant Gardener†, movie actors Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz have portrayed the characters - British diplomat Justin Quayle and his activist wife Tessa, in a much toned down manner. They played the role a s if in real life, how real people normally react in dealing with the given dilemmas. In contrast, energy level of stage actors Kaleo Griffith and Ruth Eglsaer, who played the role of Jack Tanner and Ann Whitefield are relatively higher. They delivered dialogues and acted out gestures in a manner that electrified the audience and carry the story forward. Since film is recorded and edited prior to actual showing, the shift in the setting is quite flexible. Moreover, in the movies, scenes can be shot on location.

Attack Prevention Article Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attack Prevention Article Evaluation - Essay Example Before attempting to observe the issue, it is essential to understand the focal point of user domain itself. This is a huge focal point in managing security in IT networks. In essence, user domain is defined  as set of objects that allow a user to have controls and permissions. In essence, user domains can overlap. Another element of user domains is the fact that is allows users to possess segregation of duties. Segregation of duties allows users to have separate domains and grant permissions. User domains can range from simple user access accounts or it can be a specific domain such as sales, marketing, and managers.   Unlike traditional firewalls  that only guard the parameters of the traditional IT infrastructure, virtualization  firewalls  provide comprehensive security measures that monitor activity within clients. If one machine is to be attacked by a host, the other machine automatically copies data in almost dynamic time that the user is not aware of the situation. Clearly, that is a huge benefit for organizations since it allows them to have a safety net in case of an attack. The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a critical precautionary tool that monitors the network through monitoring packets that are passed within users. The first and easiest application of virtualization for security purposes is known as application isolation. This is a huge component towards the security aspect because it allows IT managers to gain leverage over application stability and application allocation. One of the worst vulnerabilities for user domains are insider attacks. Insider attacks occur. For instance, denial of service and spoofing are one the most common themes that occur. The problem is the fact that intercepting authentication or other sensitive information can be executed with the current WAN technology since it utilizes the traditional TCP/IP in user domains. A

Did the idea of Manifest Destiny simply mean acquring more terrtory Essay

Did the idea of Manifest Destiny simply mean acquring more terrtory for the United States Why or why not - Essay Example Many Americans began to believe that it was the nation's "Manifest Destiny" to expand westward. Manifest Destiny refers to a concept often used to explain or justify American expansion, especially in the decades preceding the Civil War (1861-65) and again in the late 19th century. While debate over expansion goes back to the beginnings of American expansion in the late 18th century, the phrase "Manifest Destiny" did not come into vogue until the 1840s. In 1845, John O'Sullivan, a democrat leader and editor of the New York newspaper 'The Morning Post, wrote: "Our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty". (O'Sullivan, John L. "Annexation", The United States Democratic Review) To many it seemed inevitable that lands to the west of the Mississippi, once claimed by Mexico, England, and a host of American Indian tribes, should eventually be settled by Americans. John O'Sullivan the editor of the influential 'Democratic Review' and the 'The Morning Post' had coined the phrase "Manifest Destiny" to describe this vision of a United States stretching from Atlantic to Pacific.

The developing awareness of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

The developing awareness of Romeo and Juliet Essay This essay will contain the developing awareness of Romeo and Juliet throughout the play. It will relate to both characters feelings towards each other, it will also show how other characters are portrayed as they relate to one another and to Romeo and Juliet. The essay will describe the levels of society who came to watch Shakespeares plays from the groundlings to the aristocracy. It will also portray Romeo and Juliets reactions to different situations. Shakespeare opens the play with a disagreement between the Montague servants and the Capulet servants, which starts off with a relatively minor insult where Sampson, a Montague, bites has thumb at the Capulet servants, which in those times was a disgrace to them if they bear it. It then went on to develop into a fight. Starting the play in such a profound way would have shown the audience the degree of rivalry between the two gangs. The first mention of Romeo in the play is when Benvolio is telling of the riot to Lady Montague and how has been avoiding him, then Lord Montague speaks of how Romeo prefers night to day. shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, And makes himself an artificial night: Black and portentous must his humour prove This suggests that Romeo is suffering from some form of depression. We then meet Romeo, he is talking about how much he loves Rosaline, and how his love is not returned. This shows the audience a huge part of Romeos personality, how he could be so madly in love with a woman without any hope of that love being returned shows he falls in love very easily. When we first meet Juliet, she is a mere child and her mother talks to her about marriage, Juliet is still ver4y young and is not particulally interested. Ill look to like, if looking liking move; But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly. This quote illustrates Juliets respect for her parents wishes and her obedience and dependance of them at this stage in the play. Little did her parents know just how waywardly Juliet would become.

British Petroleum: PESTEL and SWOT

British Petroleum: PESTEL and SWOT This Report will assess the altering business background of a one of the largest perpendicularly incorporated oil and gas companies British Petroleum, over the last five years. The Micro and Macro business environment of the company have influenced by some main factors and the motive of this report is to focus on them to recognize, analyze and understand. In order to do this, some important tools need to be considered. PESTEL analysis is one of the tools can support the organisations to estimate macro-environmental factors which can have an impact on them. SWOT analysis is another important tool, which assists organisations in additional developing their self consciousness. Introduction Business environment can be defined as a complex of policy, legal, institutional, and regulatory circumstances that administrate industry activities. It is a sub-set of the investment policy and includes the administration and enforcement mechanisms that implement government policy, as well as the institutional activities influence the way key factors operate (e.g., government agencies, regulatory authorities, and business membership organisations including businesswomen associations, civil society organisations, trade unions, etc.). Macro-environment Macro-environment is the uppermost level of the environment, which consists of broad external factors that can influence the business. In this case, PESTEL analysis is a useful tool to identify these factors and this can be based on the analyses of future trends such as political, economic, social, environment and legal etc. Using this tool, managers can categorize the key drivers of modifications and this can be used to build the potential trend to future scenario (Johnson et al, 2009). According to Worthington and Britton (2003), some manners may influence the business; renovate the inputs (resources such as labour force, technology, finance and materials) in outputs such as goods (products that can be touched such as foods, cars, and so on) or services (products that cannot be touched such as insure services). These performances can be used and prejudiced by companies in order to create their policy. Considering that this macro environment is very complex and companies cannot control it, its analysis is very important. Companies need to identify them and understand the negative impacts they can produce, therefore they can be prepared to reduce them (Palmer and Hartley 2009). Political Factors According to Palmer and Hartley (2009), politicians are usually responsible to create and exceed legislation to companies and occasionally they may create direct influence some types of businesses, such as: client defence law, workers protection laws, regulates of effluence and so on. In addition, according to Lancaster (2008) others political decisions as the workforce education, health and environment, and even the economy infrastructure can also influence businesses operations. Economic Factors Economic factors are very significant for an organization because it is directly associated to GDP (gross domestic product), economic development, redundancy rate, inflation rate and so on. Any modification in the economy can influence businesses. One good example is the oil spill at Gulf of Mexico has made BP a huge quantity of financial loss. The increase in the crude oil price affected all the chain such as power charge, oil-based raw material, plastic, synthetic fibres and so on (Lancaster 2008). This example indicates the significance of monitoring the economy, either nationally or internationally, in order to recognize possible opportunities and threats. Social and Cultural factors The socio-cultural environment is possibly one of the most difficult factors to evaluate, considering that is based on people manners changes, such as religion, ethics, priorities, attitudes, philosophy and social changes (Lancaster, 2008). On the other hand, Palmer and Hartley (2009) state that a crucial part for businesses is to understand the cultural value of a society; companies should be monitoring this frequently to better match to customers desires and requirements. Technological Factors According to Lancaster (2008), technology is an important macro-environmental feature which is presented in many products that we use on our daily breathes, as television, calculators, video records, computers and so on. Companies play an important responsibility on generating more technologies due to this some of them has their own research and development department or work in partnership with universities or research institutes, seeking to provide new products or with better excellence to clients. Environmental Factors This factor has been constantly increasing, especially for multinationals, due to the challenging of social responsibility activities and projects with focus on the centre of population and the environment. These corporations have an important function on contributing to the social development (Worthington and Britton 2009). BP, in the last five years, has worked proactively to reduce environmental risks and, as a result, it has improved its indices across the years. In its eco efficiency activities, they have focused on: reducing water consumption, energy, generation of effluents, production of residues solids and pastes. Moreover, it is also preoccupied with the society and develops projects in partnerships with the communities to improve factors such as people education, quality of life, social projects and so on (BP plc, 2010). Legal Factors Companies should work according to the law otherwise they can have important collision on their businesses. Some laws are changing to defend clients (municipal licences, anti-monopoly laws); workers (minimum wage, workers safety) and suppliers (copyright and patent laws which favour business investments). Some of them can manipulate market constitution and performance (Worthington and Britton 2009). Microenvironment Microenvironment, on the other hand, is the internal factors which generally business decisions are made. The internal environment is composed of various components such as employees, suppliers, customers and so on. Therefore, microenvironment can be divided in various small parts inside a company and each part is extremely important for the business. Lancaster (2008) argues that one of the main objectives of marketing is to concentrate the requirements of consumers. In order to achieve this, companies can make use of their internal property and capabilities, their microenvironment, over which they have control, and use this as a foundation of information to create the better policy to please costumers requirements. In addition, the microenvironment is easier to realize than the macro environment because it refers to everything that is part of a company such as suppliers, employee and so on. Everything that is direct or indirect interrelated to the company (Palmer and Hartley, 2009). Customers They are one of the most important parts of the microenvironment. Companies need to focus on monitoring possible changes on consumers trends and on creating an efficient relationship with them. In other words, companies need to be one step ahead, trying to calculate consumers requirements and needs and developing products to concentrate these demands. Moreover, companies must not focus just on this simple replica (creating a good products to customers), but think away from it (Palmer and Hartley, 2009). Intermediaries They correspond to associations between companies and customers. Some companies, mainly large ones, have some complications to attend all final costumers therefore they choose to sell their products through mediators to be present even in small supermarkets. Some companies can fail because they do not recognize this as an important policy (Palmer and Hartley, 2009). Shareholders At the end of 2010, there were 345,581 holders of BP ordinary shares and a further 163,397 holders of American depository shares. One American depository share (ADS) represents six ordinary shares. One of the holders of ADSs represents some 824,700 underlying holders. ADSs can be bought and sold on North American stock markets. The total number of actual shareholders in the US and UK is in excess of 1 million. About 80% of the ordinary shares and American depository shares are held by institutions such as pension funds and insurance companies. For more than 20 years, BP has encouraged its employees to purchase shares in the company on favourable terms, giving them an extra stake in the companys success. Competitors Companies need to keep their eyes on their competitors, monitoring them and trying to expect their next steps. Furthermore, there are two different types of competitors: direct competitor, which sells comparable products; and indirect competitor, which is more difficult to identify, because sometimes competitors can appear in different forms. For example, who is the indirect competitor for a cinema? Is it another cinema? A home rent movie? (Palmer and Hartley 2009) The following companies are some competitors of BP Plc: Chevron Corporation Exxon Mobil Corporation TOTAL S.A. Petrobras (Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.) (Datamonitor, 2010) SWOT SWOT is a tactical development tool, used in management and strategy formulation in order to identify strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of a particular company. It mainly focuses on analysis and understanding the organisations internal and external environment. Strengths are considered internal positive factors within an organization which can add value; Weaknesses, on the other hand, are negative aspects, which can disrupt the business from achieving its goals. Opportunities are external factors which help business and can represent one possibility of acquiring competitive advantage if the company has the ability of identifying them quicker than its competitors. Threats are also external factors but which can affect businesses operations negatively (Campbell and Craig, 2005). SWOT analysis is used as an analytical tool to achieve significant information about the company in order to take suitable actions. A company can do better decision makings when it understands the quarter points of a SWOT analysis. Strength factors can be used as a foundation for constructing advantages, enchanting the opportunities; weakness can be seen as a challenge and used to correct errors (NetMBA, 2010). Applying SWOT analysis on BP, we can see their strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities: (S)trengths Dominant market position Vertically integrated operations Wide geographical presence (W)eaknesses Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Explosion in the Texas refinery Violation of tax laws in Turkey (O)pportunities Acquisition of Devon Energys assets in Brazil, Azerbaijan, and the US deepwater Gulf of Mexico Oil and gas exploration projects (T)hreats Saturation of resources in the North Sea Instability in some oil-producing regions Environmental regulations (Datamonitor, 2010) Company Overview BP is one of the biggest perpendicularly incorporated oil and gas companies in the world. The companys operations principally include the searching and production of gas and crude oil, as well as the marketing and trading of natural gas, power, and natural gas liquids. BP is headquartered in London, the UK and employs about 80,300 people. Case Study The Deepwater Horizon oil spill out (also referred as the BP oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the BP oil disaster or the Macon do blowout) is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed for three months in 2010. The impact of the spill continues since the well was capped. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. The spill stemmed from a sea-floor oil gusher that resulted from the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. The explosion killed 11 platform workers and injured 17Â  others. On July 15, the leak was stopped by capping the gushing wellhead, after it had released about 4.9Â  million barrels (780ÃÆ'-103Â  m3), or 185 million gallons of crude oil. It was predictable that 53,000Â  barrels per day (8,400 m3/d) were evading from the well just before it was capped. It is supposed that the daily flow rate diminished over time, starting at about 62,000Â  barrels per day (9,900 m3/d) and decreasing as the reservoir of hydrocarbons feeding the gusher was gradually exhausted. On September 19, the relief well process was successfully finished and the federal government acknowledged the well successfully departed. Impact on BP and the UK economy BP at the time the United Kingdoms largest corporation and a major business in the UK investment world came under powerful popular, media, and political pressure to terminate its 2010 dividends in their entirety. Media reports state that BP is of such a size and significance in that country, that one pound in every seven of investment and pension fund income in the UK is derived from BP. Local media offered views on what this might mean for citizens. As BP was reported to be offloading billions of dollars in assets in preparation, some estimates suggested the total legal responsibility could amount to as much as US $100 billion (UK Â £67.5 bn) by the conclusion of the tragedy. Financial analysts commented that BP was able of addressing the probable liabilities that might effect, and BP stock rose to some extent on the news that the preliminary US $20 billion compensation fund had been arranged. Political and foreign relations impact The disaster was seen by some as placing stress on US-UK relationships, insofar as BP is a British company. Both US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron were under considerable pressure to comment politically on the matter. Insurance Times reported an open letter from the Chairman of RSA Insurance Group, the head of one of the countrys leading companies, to President Obama (text of letter) that expressed a concern over double standards compared to the sub-prime based banking crisis of 2007-2010 and over prejudicial and personal comments in the media. Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, was also reported to have made a similar comment, and similar concerns related to the tenor of media releases were also expressed by Labour MP and ex-Parliamentary Secretary Tom Watson, Vince Cable the Business Secretary, and the UK Foreign Office. The Department of State stated that the issue will not affect US-UK relationships, calling the UK its closest ally. Cameron stated that sensible dialog was needed and BP would require certainty over its liability for compensation. Obama was later reported to have said that his frustration over the mammoth oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not an attack on Britain and that he had no interest in undermining BPs value, as the two leaders tried to soothe trans-Atlantic tensions over the disaster. Impact on BP due to US tourism On May 25 BP gave Florida $25Â  million to promote the beaches where the oil had not reached, and the company planned $15Â  million each for Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. The Bay Area Tourist Development Council bought digital billboards showing recent photos from the gulf coast beaches as far north as Nashville, Tennessee and Atlanta. The U.S. Travel Association estimated that the economic impact of the oil spill on tourism across the Gulf Coast over a three-year period could exceed approximately $23 billion, in a region that supports over 400,000 travel industry jobs generating $34 billion in revenue annually. On November 1 BP announced plans to spend $78 million to help Louisiana tourism and test and advertise seafood. Other economic consequences On July 5 BP reported that its own expenditures on the oil spill had reached $3.12Â  billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. The United States Oil Pollution Act of 1990 limits BPs liability for non-cleanup costs to $75Â  million unless gross negligence is proven. BP has said it would pay for all cleanup and remediation regardless of the statutory liability cap. Nevertheless, some Democratic lawmakers are seeking to pass legislation that would increase the liability limit to $10Â  billion. Analysts for Swiss Re have estimated that the total insured losses from the accident could reach $3.5Â  billion. According to UBS, final losses could be $12Â  billion. According to Willis Group Holdings, total losses could amount to $30Â  billion, of which estimated total claims to the market from the disaster, including control of well, re-drilling, third-party liability and seepage and po llution costs, could exceed $1.2Â  billion. On June 25 BPs market value reached a 1 year low. The companys total value lost since April 20 was $105Â  billion. Investors saw their holdings in BP shrink to $27.02, a nearly 54% loss of value in 2010. A month later, the companys loss in market value totaled $60 billion, a 35% decline since the explosion. At that time, BP reported a second-quarter loss of $17 billion, its first loss in 18 years. This includes a one-time $32.2 billion charge, including $20 billion for the fund created for reparations and $2.9 billion in actual costs. On October 1, BP pledged as collateral all royalties from the Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Great White, Mars, Ursa and Na Kika fields in the Gulf of Mexico. At that time, BP also said it had spent $11.2 billion, while the companys London Stock Exchange price reached 439.75 pence, the highest point since May 28. By the end of September, BP reported that it had spent $11.2 billion. Third-quarter profit of $1.79 billion (compared to $5.3 billion in 2009) showed, however, that BP continues to do well and should be able to pay total costs estimated at $40 billion. Recommendations Companies should observe regularly for new challenges, by focusing on developing strategies which can allow them to develop them better than their competitors. On this case, BP should do the same and seek for a strategy to become the first company in the world of petroleum industries, selling products with quality and diversity, achieving customers first choice. If the company wants to be competitive, companies should evaluate its products with the ones from foremost competitors. They can also achieve competitive benefit by investing on its employees; looking for joint ventures with other companies in different countries so that they can achieve information from different markets; in search of operational efficiency and cost regulation; seeking for new partnerships, assessing where there are greater opportunities for export. Conclusion The micro and macro business environment of companies are influenced by various factors. They can change them when necessary (such as production, marketing strategy, etc) by taking immediate actions with respect to internal factors. Conversely, companies cannot take action directly on external factors. But in order to minimize their impact they can identify them with appropriate time. Managers decision making capability can be based on the use of these tools and analysis the company can obtain a general overview about the company and aspects what kinds of impacts can happen such as politics, laws and regulations, economy, environment, technology and so on. Due to high competition, with demanding requirement companies should use these tools such as PESTEL or SWOT to build up a successful policy and competitive with the market. BP has developed a variety of strategies by focus on customers, by producing quality products for domestic and international market and it is always doing a great job for the benefit of the society, employees, and environment.

Media Propaganda Hides American Terrorism Essay examples -- September

Media Propaganda Hides American Terrorism    An article in this month's "Stuff" magazine for men, titled "Die American Scum" tells us that the world sucks. It sucks because while Americans have given other countries "Mickey Mouse, burgers and gum, won wars for them, kept the peace and disposed of dictators," all we have gotten in return is terrorism. The article, by John Parrish, goes on to discourage Americans from traveling to 10 "terrorist" countries including Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Colombia and Mexico.    While the article attempts to further the notion that evil terrorists in the rest of the world are out to get innocent Americans, like many other sources of contorted propaganda, it fails to look at why. Through the news, movies and magazines such as "Stuff," we are constantly bombarded with images of Middle Eastern terrorists, Colombian guerrillas or Mexican Zapatistas, all out to hurt Americans. But a look at the United States' own record and at the stereotypes bred by the media reveal that America's actions and policies generate hatred abroad. Furthermore, the image we have of a typical terrorist must be revealed for what it is - pure racism.    Ask any American what country poses the biggest threat to the United States today and most will say Iraq. Even little kids know that Saddam Hussein embodies all that is evil in the world. We see pictures of American flag-burning Iraqis and shudder with fear and confusion. But what do we expect? U.S. sanctions have caused the deaths of millions of Iraqis. How are these deaths different than those caused by so called "terrorists?" Our selfishness gives birth to a dangerous cycle. Sanctions create animosity toward the United States. This hatred may lead to terrorism... ...ontradictory actions that either further or exact terrorism. Obviously, any and all terrorism is bad. But we must open our eyes to America's own terrorist actions and look critically at why countries harbor hatred towards us. I remember watching TV and seeing Serbian youth in the streets last year angrily chanting against Americans as they tore up our country's flag. I felt afraid, but I also felt extremely guilty.    I believe that the citizens of other nations do not want to hate the American people. But when we sit quietly as our government attacks them, either with bombs or sanctions, what can we expect? We must actively resist the stereotypes and untruths that the media have the power to generate. In doing so, we can begin to show the people of other nations that we are on their side and we can decrease some of the hatred that underlies terrorism."   

John Webbs Guide to the Work of Shakespeare :: Plays Literature William Shakespeare Essays

John Webb's Guide to the Work of Shakespeare This page gives a simple introduction to each of Shakespeare's plays, and points out a few of the ideas in each of them. All the plays are presented here, in approximate chronological order [the dates of the plays used on this page are from Bloom's Invention of the Human]. Shakespeare's first 4 plays (Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3, and Richard III) tell the story of a troubled chapter of English history, around 150 years before Shakespreare's own time, known as The War of The Roses. One the most important figures in the action was the Earl of Warwick, whose home, Warwick Castle, is very near Stratford. The complicated historical background to these plays, and Shakespeare's other historical plays, is described on my page Historical Background. Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3 1589-91 In Part 1, Henry VI becomes sovereign while still a child. His title is not secure because his grandfather had stolen the crown from Richard II. Part 2 shows the growing struggle and contention for the crown amongst Henry's nobles. Part 3 tells the story of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker (shown right) who, first supporting the House of York opposed to Henry, deposes Henry. Richard Neville then changes sides, and briefly resores the crown to Henry, before Henry's murder in the Tower of London. Gives not the hawthorn bush a sweeter shade To shepherds looking on their sheep Than doth a rich embroidered canopy To kings that fear their subject's treachery Henry VI was a pious and studious man. He can be described as a contemplative philosopher-king. The plays contrast his spiritual philosophy, with the worldly, materialistic and ambitious nobles beneath him. The contempative philosopher-king reappears in Shakespeare's subsequent plays - as the exiled Dukes in As You Like It and Measure for Measure, as Timon of Athens, and as Prospero. Shakespeare subsequently wrote several further history plays, in all telling the whole story of English history for the 250 years up to his own time.

blurred lines Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blurred Lines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today we live in a world that keeps us on the run. There is a way to get in contact with anyone at any given time. There is no such thing as ‘getting away’ because we have created a society of people that want to be found. But it is also through this technology, the same one that keeps us connected to the outside world, that we can get lost. The simplest video game can help a person escape into a different reality, spending hours on end in front of a computer screen, looking for nothing in particular on e-bay. This gets us lost. We engulf ourselves in things that have nothing to do with our daily lives because we’ve had enough, our life is too much to handle. So we focus on AIM, or video games, anything that can take us out of our life, and into something better. But then where do we draw the line? When does it become okay to spend an entire day on the computer because life was too stressful? Or, still worst, when the life we lead to get away, becomes our daily life. We lie about our lives and retell occurrences that really did not take place. Things that happened on our mental breaks become reality. These lies then have to proceed and grow, because we don’t want to be exposed. That cannot happen because that would add more stress, but what we don’t realize is that by perpetuating the lies we become more and more stressed. The exact reason we needed to get away has come back full circle. In the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the line between truth and illusion has very nearly disappeared. No longer does the reader know when the character is telling the truth or embellishing a lie. Even still is the character himself is being honest to his personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George and Martha have a very tumultuous marriage. In some respects it is obvious that there is some deep rooted love. The simple fact that they have been married for twenty three years shows that although they are high spirited, there is love. What does not match up very w... ...mans, it is in our nature to find an easy solution for a problem. In many cases it is a means of escaping, and finding something better. For these four characters, the illusions they used to get out of the stresses of normal life, become their lives. Instead of dealing with issues with their spouses and getting what they want in life they blur themselves to reality. It becomes a question of when is reality too much to handle? For these characters reality was too much to handle the minute they got scared. The second the future was in jeopardy, or their reputation was on the line. This is not unlike society today. People are desperate for approval and will seek this by any means. Without approval from others we cease to exist or be content. And for many contentment is also something that must be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But for these four characters contentment only came at the expense of others. Their happiness depended on the illusions they concocted. These illusions, the ones that used to just help them escape reality and be happy became their reality. The lies became truths and the truths were no longer evident. Their realities were too much for anyone to handle. blurred lines Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blurred Lines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today we live in a world that keeps us on the run. There is a way to get in contact with anyone at any given time. There is no such thing as ‘getting away’ because we have created a society of people that want to be found. But it is also through this technology, the same one that keeps us connected to the outside world, that we can get lost. The simplest video game can help a person escape into a different reality, spending hours on end in front of a computer screen, looking for nothing in particular on e-bay. This gets us lost. We engulf ourselves in things that have nothing to do with our daily lives because we’ve had enough, our life is too much to handle. So we focus on AIM, or video games, anything that can take us out of our life, and into something better. But then where do we draw the line? When does it become okay to spend an entire day on the computer because life was too stressful? Or, still worst, when the life we lead to get away, becomes our daily life. We lie about our lives and retell occurrences that really did not take place. Things that happened on our mental breaks become reality. These lies then have to proceed and grow, because we don’t want to be exposed. That cannot happen because that would add more stress, but what we don’t realize is that by perpetuating the lies we become more and more stressed. The exact reason we needed to get away has come back full circle. In the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the line between truth and illusion has very nearly disappeared. No longer does the reader know when the character is telling the truth or embellishing a lie. Even still is the character himself is being honest to his personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George and Martha have a very tumultuous marriage. In some respects it is obvious that there is some deep rooted love. The simple fact that they have been married for twenty three years shows that although they are high spirited, there is love. What does not match up very w... ...mans, it is in our nature to find an easy solution for a problem. In many cases it is a means of escaping, and finding something better. For these four characters, the illusions they used to get out of the stresses of normal life, become their lives. Instead of dealing with issues with their spouses and getting what they want in life they blur themselves to reality. It becomes a question of when is reality too much to handle? For these characters reality was too much to handle the minute they got scared. The second the future was in jeopardy, or their reputation was on the line. This is not unlike society today. People are desperate for approval and will seek this by any means. Without approval from others we cease to exist or be content. And for many contentment is also something that must be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But for these four characters contentment only came at the expense of others. Their happiness depended on the illusions they concocted. These illusions, the ones that used to just help them escape reality and be happy became their reality. The lies became truths and the truths were no longer evident. Their realities were too much for anyone to handle.

Swot Ryanair

Miriam Mennen An Analysis of Ryanair’s Corporate Strategy Essay Document Nr. V145623 http://www. grin. com/ ISBN 978-3-640-56879-6 9 783640 568796 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air An Analysis of Ryanair’s Corporate Strategy Executive Summary Ryanair was founded in 1985 as a family business that originally provided full service conventional scheduled airline services between Ireland and the UK.The airline started to compete within the confines of the existing industry by trying to steal customers from their rivals, especially the state monopoly carrier Air Lingus, outlined by Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne (2004) as â€Å"Bloody or Red Ocean Strategy†. Ryanair seemed to follow a â€Å"me-too strategy†; according to Osborne, K. (2005), they â€Å"tried to be all things to all people†. Even they started restructuring; their strategy was not enough differentiated and their cost advantage was too low to be profitable. In 1986, th ey got â€Å"stuck in the middle†, outlined by Porter (1985) as they had a limited cost advantage and no service advantage.Ryanair then created a competitive advantage through the alignment of the three components of business systems; 1) Creating superior value for their customers (outside perspective) 2) Supplying their superior value-adding activities in an effective and efficient manner (which jointly form the â€Å"Value Chain†) 3) Possessing over the resource base required to perform the value-adding activities, (inside perspective) According to Porter (1987), â€Å"corporate strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its business unit parts. It is seen to be concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the organisation and to meet the expectations of major stakeholders. All aspects of Ryanair’s value chain are important to the company and their shareholders as Ryanair’s decisions add value to both. The following re port outlines the three perspectives of shaping Ryanair’s business system. The value creation dimension of Ryanair’s business model will be outlined, considering the theories of Porter and the more recent authors Kim and Mauborgne (2004).Further, the linkages in the airline’s value chain and their resource base will be analysed, considering Hamel and Prahalad’s (1990) core competency model (inside-out approach). 1 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air In section 2, the future challenges of the airline are considered. Ryanair’s strengths and weaknesses will be analysed, internal value creating factors such as assets, skills or resources, to consider how the airline can create alignment to its opportunities and threats, external factors.An stronger â€Å"outside – in† approach for Ryanair’s future corporate strategy will be considered, applying Porter’s five forces model, placing the market, the compe tition, and the customer at the starting point of the strategy process. I An evaluation of Ryanair’s key strategic perspectives 1) Creating superior value for their customers The low cost market segment Ryanair has found a source of leveraging a competitive advantage; the knowledge about the opportunities associated with implementing the low cost strategy, which was created by Southwest Airlines.The Texas airline found a unique approach to the market through reconceptualisation of market segments. In 1990, Ryanair successfully applied their model in the European market, becoming a â€Å"no frills† airline, focussing on short haul destinations and keeping its planes in the air as frequently as possible in a 24 hour period. The new low price market segment, which did not exist before in Europe, could be described as the development of a ‘blue ocean’, uncontested market space through the expansion of boundaries of the existing industry, outlined by Kim and Ma uborgne (2004).Ryanair’s low fares created demand, particularly from fare-conscious leisure and business travellers who might otherwise have used alternative forms of transportation or would not have travelled at all (Case Study, p. 3). The competition became less relevant and allowed Ryanair to develop and sustain high performance in an overcrowded industry. Up to now he airline benefits from the early profitable and rapid growth within the blue ocean and successfully executes the low cost business model, which became obvious when the airline announced that it has beaten its own downbeat forecasts to record a 29 % increase in pre-tax profits and 19 % passenger growth, having carried more than 27. 6 million passengers in the past financial year (Jameson, A. , 2005). 2 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air Ryanair’s position within the industry However, ‘blue oceans’ are not easily protected and Ryanair has been facing competitors that try to copy their low cost approach.Further, Ryanair has always been competing within the ‘red ocean’, by targeting a broad range of customers, e. g. the business segment and â€Å"stealing customer from rivals†. This outlines that Kim and Mauborgne’s strategy approach cannot be seen as exclusive. Competing with new entrants of competitors (and differentiators), Ryanair was able to launch an â€Å"all out war†, lowering prices and remaining profitable whilst increasing the frequency of flights and establishing new routes (Case Study). According to Porter (1980, 1985), the relative competitive position within an industry lies at the core of success or failure of firms.He defined two basics types of competitive advantage; cost leadership and differentiation (and focus). Ryanair set out to be best in the budget market segment, becoming the lowest cost airline in its industry (cost focus), e. g. no paper tickets, no passenger meals, no pre-arranged sea ting, enabling to cope and remain profitable, even on low yields. The airline constantly strives to reduce or control four of the primary expenses involved in running a major scheduled airline; their aircraft equipment costs, personnel productivity, customer service costs, airport access and handling costs.The airline deals successfully with competitive forces and is Europe’s leader in low fares by generating a superior return on investment (Osborne, 2005). This supports Mintzberg’s argument of price leadership being more relevant to competitive advantage than cost leadership. Planning to turn into a â€Å"no-fares-airline† by offering flights for free (Case Study), Ryanair can be argued to follow price leadership as one of the six ways to differentiation outlined by Minzberg.According to Mr O’ Leary (2005), new planes will enable him to drive down average fares by 5% a year causing a â€Å"bloodbath†. We are going to show up in your market and tra sh your yields. † (â€Å"Ryanair rolls out plans for European domination†, 2005). Differentiation through price outlines the superseding of Porter’s generic strategies by the resource/competence-based strategy frameworks. In addition to low prices, Ryanair’s branding emphasises on punctuality and efficiency, which is mainly achieved through operating from secondary airports.According to Ryanair, their success is not just due to their low fares â€Å"but also a winning combination of our No. 1 on-time record, our friendly and efficient people and our new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft† (Ryanair, 2005). It can therefore be argued that in a globalized competitive environment, even cost leaders need to differentiate 3 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air their message (‘hybrid strategy’), contradicting Porter’s original idea of fundamentally different routes to competitive advantage.International expansion Ryan air further constantly created value for customers by following generic growth and internationalisation strategies; they moved their operations into more and more countries, expanding the route system from its primarily Irish-UK emphasis to serve 86 destinations on 133 routes across 16 countries. According to Mr. O’ Leary (2005), they â€Å"will deliver 34m passengers from 12 European bases and have identified a further 48 potential bases. † The airline expanded recently by placing an order for 70 more Boeing 737-800 aircraft to keep growing at 20% a year (â€Å"Ryanair rolls out plans for European domination†, 2005).Ryanair can compete on price, as the airline has besides its low cost product offering an activity system and resource base that match the price positioning, opposite to traditional airlines that seem to get â€Å"stuck in the middle†, as outlined by Porter, when undergoing severe cost cutting which affects their areas of differentiation, e. g. Aer Lingus. 2) Supplying superior value-adding activities in an effective and efficient manner The â€Å"Value Chain† As Ryanair’s low cost/price pproach leads to overlapping value chains, the company is a perfect example of linking its opportunities, as outlined by Campbell and Goold (1998, in Meyer and de Witt, 2004). From a Value Based Management point of view, Porter's Value Chain framework can be seen as one of two dimensions in maximizing corporate value creation, outlining how well a company performs relatively towards its competitors (‘Relative Competitive Position’). Even Ryanair subscribes to a similar basic model compared to e. g. Easyjet, the airline has an entirely different value chain.Ryanair’s low cost/price approach adds value to most of Ryanair’s processes, e. g. clear corporate identity and brand image in addition to limited organisational complexity, increasing the differentiation towards their competitors. Ryanair main tains their efficient, high quality and low cost services through operating from secondary airports and by exploiting the advantages of outsourcing, a strategic management model, transferring the business processes of services to outside firms, e. g. passenger and aircraft handling, ticketing. This allows the 4 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air ompany to achieve competitive rates at fixed prices and to stay focused on its core competencies. Further, outsourcing can improve customer satisfaction (primary activity), mitigate risks, and add value to their reputation, accessed skills and technology, increased overall visibility of accounting and performance (controlled infrastructure), and avoided capital investments. Their strategy is to deliver the best customer service performance in its peer group, having just six staff in their customer care department; one for every two million passengers compared to British Airways which has 10 times the coverage (Ryanai r, 2005).Porter’s Value Chain Firm Infrastructure Support Activities Human Resource Management Technological Development Procurement M g ar in Primary Activities The technology of the company’s Internet booking system allowed to capture more value from its operations, to improve its contact with its customers (outbound logistics) and to increase control over the quality of their services. According to Mr O'Leary (2005), Ryanair saves 15% on the price of every ticket by using direct booking through the internet.For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, Ryanair generated virtually all of its scheduled passenger revenues through direct sales (Ryanair, 2005). All value-creating activities that transform the inputs into the final service of Ryanair are kept extremely lean. Ryanair does not interlink its operations with competitors, avoiding costs of trough service and delays and their Human Resource Management is tailored to continually improving the productivity of its alr eady highly-productive work force whilst controlling their labour costs. 5 M Logistics Logistics ar gi n InboundOperations Outbound Marketing & Sales Service Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air Ryanair focuses on centralised recruitment and training. In the year ended March 31, 2004 productivity calculated on the basis of passengers booked per employee continued to improve by 21% on the year ended March 31, 2003 (Ryanair, 2005). Ryanair emphasizes on modest base salaries and productivity-based pay incentives, including commissions for on-board sales of products for flight attendants and payments based on the number of hours or sectors flown by pilots and cabin crew personnel.Employees can participate in Ryanair’s stock option programs (worth up to 5% of the share of the company, Ryanair 2005). Ryanair even adds value to their low cost reputation through the refusal to recognise trade unions whilst having a competitive advantage over the heavily unionis ed nature of employment of the state owned Aer Lingus. (Ethical considerations, outlined in section 2). Ryanair has extremely low airport access fees by focusing on secondary and regional airport destinations that offer competitive cost terms, e. g. ess expensive outdoor boarding stairs, and allow for higher rates of on-time departures, faster turnaround times, fewer terminal delays, which maximises aircraft utilisation, eases restriction on slot requirements and on the number of allowed takeoffs and landings, adding value to customer satisfaction. Ryanair further added value to their infrastructure, procurement and reputation through negotiating favourable contracts with Boeing (inbound logistics); knowledge that is difficult to codify and replicate for competitors, as it is not only observable facts or data but complex and difficult to specify (core competence).Ryanair is said to be paying less than half the Boeings list price of $66m each (Money Telegraph, 2005). The procurement with Boeing 737-800s allows the airline to benefit from synergies through fleet commonality, limited costs associated with training (Human Resources), maintenance efficiency, and greater flexibility in the scheduling of crews and equipment (inbound logistics). Again, the new aircrafts provide the newest technology; blended winglets that reduce drag and drive down 2% of the fuel cost, driving down the average fares by 5% a year (O’ Leary, 2005).Ryanair’s business model as a whole is distinct, having an entirely different configuration altogether, in relation to their competitors in the airline industry, increasing the barriers to imitation or substitution. According to Teece, Pisano and Shuen (1997, in Meyer and de Witt, 2004, p. 253), â€Å"even if competitors are successful at identifying embedded competences and imitating them, the company with and initial lead can work at upgrading its competences in a race to stay ahead (‘Dynamic capabilities view’).R yanair seems to have â€Å"outpaced† their 6 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air competitors through upgrading its resources, activity system and product offering more rapidly, as outlined by Gilber and Strebel (1989). Ryanair’s unique firm resource; their knowledge of demand for the low cost airlines, made it possible to implement their strategy before others and to benefit from first mover advantage, outlined by Lieberman and Montgomery (1988). ) The resource base required to perform the value-adding activities Ryanair’s resource heterogeneity In general, the airline industry is characterised by supply side similarity (Kay, 1993, in Meyer and de Wit, 2004), as only marginal differences between air carriers can be displayed, particularly in a deregulated environment. Ryanair's business model was designed to challenge the limitations of these constraints. The airline focuses on value-adding process or resources, which give them a superior position relative to its competitors and which seems most appropriate to draw boundaries in the airline industry.Ryanair’s internal characteristics are most relevant in achieving sustained competitive advantage, outlined by Barney (1986, 1991). In contrast to Porter, Barney assumes that firms within an industry or group may develop long-term superior resources that can be protected in their mobility across firms by some form of isolating mechanism. According to the resource based view already outlined by Edith Penrose (1959, in Meyer and de Wit, 2004) and extended by Wernerfelt (1984, n Meyer and de Wit, 2004), Ryanair can be argued to have a sustained competitive advantage, as their competitors in the same segment are unable to duplicate the benefits of their strategy. The â€Å"winner-takes-all† dynamic (Case Study, p. 15) in the low cost segment, seems to have only worked in combination with this first mover advantage. Ryanair’s assets, e. g. their capabilit ies and attributes, are not successfully implemented by any current or potential competitor, e. g. negotiation for airport deals, employee contracts and fleet prices.Budget airlines that attempted to enter Ryanair’s market segment lost money or were taken over, e. g. Go’s foray into Dublin (Case Study). Their main competitor easyJet has carefully differentiated by focussing on different geographical markets and higher value through better transfer situations of main airports, addressing the business segment. However, Ryanair’s external environment, e. g. a saturated market and changing customer demands, can threaten Ryanair’s future growth (outlined in section 2). 7 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan AirRyanair’s Core Competence Approach Ryanair can be argued to follow the core competencies model of Hamel and Prahalad (1990), (inside-out perspective), as they build their strategy around their strength of distinctive competences , which offers an attractive base of competitive advantage, e. g. secondary airport approach. Ryanair competitiveness derives from an ability to build their competences at lower cost and more speedily than competitors. The real sources of Ryanair’s advantage are to be found in O’Leary’s ability to consolidate corporate-wide skills into competencies.Ryanair has strong relationships with their suppliers and a strong corporate identity. The airline can be argued to follow a strategic ‘stretch’ as they are overall resource led and create new opportunities, e. g. ancillary services. Strongly focussing on their core competences allowed for high strategic capability and potential access to a wide variety of markets, making a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end service and limiting the risk of imitation. The corporate centre tightly controls and co-ordinates by enunciating the strategic architecture that guides the compete nce acquisition process, e. . outsourcing. Ryanair’s resources include all means at the disposal for the performance of value-adding activities, e. g. through the acquisition of Buzz in 2003 (Case Study, p. 5), the airline gained a range of resources, e. g. know how, outlined by Preece as learning. The airline benefited from increased infrastructure and value-chain activities (leaning), integrated operations (leveraging), closer co-ordination of their vertical activities (leaping), expanded market opportunities and reduced competitive pressure (locking out). Resources consist of tangible assets, e. g.Ryanair owns all of its aircraft and holds net cash of 286 million euros (Money-telegraph, 2005), leading to the advantages that large firms have from large volumes enabling them to spread their costs (economies of scale), and intangible assets, e. g. the human capital; skills, competences and capabilities. Ryanair’s resource heterogeneity towards their competitors hinders other firms to conceive and implement the cost focus strategy, as outlined by Barney. Ryanair takes advantage of leveraging its resources, e. g. relationships and reputation, which are not readily transferable.They are inheritably attributed to O’Leary and his team and are influenced by the airline’s culture and governance. Ryanair possesses over a range of funny value-adding stories which defined their past, e. g. how Mr O’Leary ‘went to war’, driving in a military jeep to his competitor (Case Study). Personal involvement in battles of O’Leary against lobbying politicians, EU commissioners and competitors are part of the company culture and promote their aggressive 8 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air low cost image.Ryanair’s reputation for commitment to Safety and Quality Maintenance, not having â€Å"a single incident involving major injury to passengers or flight crew in its 20- year operating historyâ₠¬  (Case Study), is another value adding aspect. Ryanair’s distinct activity system provides the base for competitive advantage and raises the barriers to imitation. In conclusion, Ryanair does not follow a linear ‘inside – out’ or ‘outside – in’ approach. On the one hand, the airline continual upgrades its unique resources; on the other hand, it occupies specific market positions to emain competitive, creating superior value by closely fitting their services to customers’ needs and focussing on a relatively limited set of businesses and markets (narrow competitive scope). Ryanair increasingly focuses on exploiting market opportunities in their business environment though, e. g. expansion and horizontal integration, leaving their original organic growth model and benefiting from all aspects of the framework of international strategic alliances, outlined by Preece. External forces, e. g. he industry deregulation in 1997 that allo wed the airline to go continental and the technological advancement of the internet, also strongly influenced the airline’s success story (external value adding activities). Ryanir can be argued to have a discrete organisation perspective, emphasising on competition over co-operation, having high bargaining power and a highly independent approach with distinct firm boundaries. The airline has an essentially logical structure, characterised by planning and control, prediction and forecasting.Especially in relation to the dynamic hostile environment, the airline has a relatively deliberate strategy that is based on rational thinking. The limited complexity of the system is characterised by few organisational levels and centralisation. The airline benefits from the entrepreneurial spirit of O’ Leary who seemed to understand the activities that are likely to have a significant impact on Ryanair and that build valuable internal linkages within the boundaries of their busine ss model (organisational leadership perspective). So far, he was highly successful in understanding the low cost attributes that made Ryanair unique. Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air II An evaluation of the future strategic direction of the company The sustainability of a firm’s competitive advantage is said to be threatened by the development in the market. Customer needs and wants are in constant flux. The SWOT analysis of Ryanair, a tool for analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats (see Appendix), outlined the paradox for Ryanair of creating alignment either from the outside-in (market-driven strategy) or from the inside-out resource driven strategy). So far, Ryanair has been strongly focussing on their core competences. Considering their environment, opportunities and threats, as the starting point when determining their strategy (outside-in perspective), is crucial though; to re-check the fit be tween their competitive advantage and the environment, as outlined by Rumelt, (1980). The model of ‘environmental consonance’ seems of great importance to the airline, outlining the requirement of continual adaptation of the business system to the demands and new opportunities in the market place.As outlined by Leonar-Barton (1995), Ryanair’s core competences seem to be simultaneously Ryanair’s core rigidities, locking them out of new opportunities (in Meyer and de Wit, p. 253), e. g. Ryanair’s â€Å"Dublin saga†, the fight over the desired second low cost terminal at Dublin airport instead of considering the creation of a new lucrative base in continental Europe, threatening easyJet’s. Ryanair should consider market development, outlined by Ansoff, e. g. Greece and Turkey, which have a combined population of around 70 million people and offer extremely profitable market opportunities through year-round and holiday flights.The airline should further initiate additional routes from the U. K. or Ireland to other locations in continental Europe that are currently served by higher-cost, higher-fare carriers. Market opportunities of new domestic routes within EU countries, especially new member countries, and increased frequency of service on its existing routes will allow Ryanair to remain focussed on low cost/price and prolong its unprecedented and high levels of growth without jeopardising their core competences. Rivalry among existing players could be reduced by damaging the package tourism industry, e. . Thomas Cook, Lunn Polly and Neckerman (Porter’s 5 forces). Further acquisitions should be considered in the long-term. Ryanair seems to have enough power to counterbalance the demands of buyers and suppliers, to outperform rival airlines in their market segment, and to discourage new firms from entering the business. Their main 10 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air challenge will b e threatening easyJet in its home market, currently serving Athens, and to fend off the â€Å"Value for money† segment that threatens to substitute Ryanair’s services (Porter’s 5 forces).The industry attractiveness for long-term profitability, outlined by Porter (1985), will have a strong influence on Ryanair’s profitability. Porter had ignored the aspect that differentiation strategies can be used to increase sales volumes rather than to charge a premium price. With negative forecast for the low price market, with growth rates of no more than 20 to 25 % of the total market, market saturation is said to be not far off for budget airlines in Western Europe (Ottink, 2004). Instead of the lowest price, the optimal balance between service and price is seen to be the growth market of the future.Value market share will eventually hover around 60 % of the total market (Ottink, 2004). Regarding this threat, the main challenge will be to respond to changing demand s and at the same time to ensure consistency, effectiveness and the coherence of Ryanair’s low cost strategy. At this stage, Ryanair should not compete on service advantage by entering the value market, turning into a portfolio organisation. They should so far seek for other niches, than compromise their low cost approach by reactively adapting to the unpredictable development in the current market.Retrenchment involves cutting back to focus on your best lines, often referred to this as â€Å"sticking to the knitting†. Ryanair should consider the mistakes of their competitors entering new market segments, e. g. Lufthansa by offering deeply discounted flights to Mallorca and Nice, standing up to easyJet. Ryanair should therefore further engage in market penetration and strengthen their market development approach, rather than diversify their services, as outlined by Ansoff (Product Market Framework).However, Ryanair should be aware that its knowledge is a fluid mix of f ramed experience, values, contextual information and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information, as outlined by Davenport and Prusack. Even the company’s formula has been highly successful in the last decades; Ryanair has to check whether their organisational routines are still valid in the new markets (double or tripleloop learning), e. g. the way Mr O’Leary aggressively promotes the low cost strategy.Especially in the new EU member countries his practices, which are said to threaten industrial peace and put EU ministers at unease, need to be revised. 11 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air The self interest of Ryanair might be best served by developing attitudes to ethical issues before they become acute, as the airline is especially vulnerable to hostile campaigns (Value Chain). Ryanair should consider ethical corporate behaviour and social responsibility, currently facing the para dox of profitability (shareholder value perspective) and responsibility (stakeholder value perspective), e. . policies regarding disabled passengers, employee rights and environmental standards. At the moment, the simplicity inside the company does not seem to match Ryanair’s complex environment. Ryanair has to differentiate its message to fend off competitors, e. g. the airline should consider the co-operation with environmental organisations, offering passengers the possibility to pay the price of competitors in the value segment and paying the difference to the original Ryanair price to an organisation that invests in solar energy to reduce the world emissions.Ryanair’s Boeings could be green and the message should be â€Å"flying cheap and doing good†. Customers that might otherwise have switched to the value segment do not mind the voluntary environmental charge and are likely to accept more difficult transfer situations for the â€Å"feeling of doing good †. This differentiation aspect will add value to the company’s reputation and public relations. Ryanair can become the first mover in an industry that will sooner or later need to address the issue of emissions. Creativity and radical innovation are a strategic orientation to sustained competitive advantage.Ryanair should further consider the involvement of employees in the search for unsatisfied customer demand, as outlined by Kim and Mauborgne (2004). Free exchange and flow of information will foster new creative knowledge and help the airline to continually transform itself, e. g. the contact between flight attendants and management should be increased to foster a climate of openness and trust and to capture opportunities. The concept of organisational learning, as outlined by Senge (1990) and extended by Pedler, Bourgoyne and Boydell (1991) and Wang and Ahmed (2003), is crucial to nurture new and expansive patterns of thinking. 2 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air References Barney, J. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management. Vol. 17, No. 1, p. 99–120 Oklahoma State University. In: De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (2004). 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An International Perspective. 3rd ed. London: Thomson Learning. 14 Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air Appendix: SWOT- Analysis Strength – Quality processes and procedures: features important to the clientele, e. g. punctuality, few cancellations, few lost bags, frequent departures, baggage handling and consistent on-time services. low cost – low fares approach (differentiated service) – Low aircraft equipment costs – Lower maintenance costs and low depreciation costs due to ownership of aircrafts – Fleet commonality – Focus on low cost alternative airports; low airport access and handling costs – Low customer service costs; Internet booking system avoiding costly systems, commissions and sales headcount – Low marketing costs – Revenue enhancing and cost-cutting features, e. g. no seat pockets to allow faster turnaround times – Relationships to suppliers; strong bargaining position with respect to aircraft procurement, e. g. argain price of Buzz acquisition, airport deals and staff recruitment – Concentration on core business through outsourcing – Low labour cost through performance related pay structure; high personnel productivity / staff efficiency ratio – Overall high value and profitability – Location of business; focus on Europe's largest airline market; the UK, in particular the London Area – Increased take-off and landing slots trough acquisition of Buzz, KLM subsidiary – Increased number of seats per plane, enabling lower individual fares but higher per plane income – Short turn-around times increasing the available operational hours per plane. Strong brand and low fare reputation -foreign exchange hedging in transactions invo lving the euro, UK sterling and the US$ Weaknesses – falls in fare yields – Transfer situations from Airports – reputation – no non-essential extras – falling load factors due to continuing decline in unit costs – Decreasing frequency of flights due to need for high load factors, reducing business travel – climate protecting charge on aircraft taking off and landing in the EU, environmental fee might double no-frills operator’s fares, disproportionately greater effect on budget airlines – Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility 15Global Corporate Strategy – A Case Study on Ryan Air Opportunities – initiating additional routes from the U. K. or Ireland to other locations in continental Europe, currently served by higher-cost, higher-fare carriers – Developing European market for budget sector with large population base / expansion into 10 new EU states – New domestic routes within continenta l Europe. Strongly moving into intercontinental business â€Å"using the principle of simplification and cherry picking† – increasing the frequency of service on its existing routes – considering possible acquisitions that may become available in the future, e. . Lufthansa – connecting airports within its existing route network -Exploiting profitable destinations with both a tourist as well as business segment – Conversion from low fares to a no-fares airline – Fall in average ticket price and increased threat of entry for competitors – loosening of regulations – Decreasing competition – Increased ancillary service revenues – Increasing in-flight sales on longer flights – employee loyalty – focus on environmental issues – innovative marketing for differentiationThreats – Limited market in the North of Europe resulting in low occupancy levels and efficiency of usage of planes – To ugher competition from the traditional and charter airlines which offer cheap hard to beat all-in holiday packages in continental Europe. New competitors in home market – Adaptation of Ryanair’s business model by competitors and innovative substitute services – Incumbent airlines selectively copying the tactics of Ryanair’s on competition routes – small potential markets – high speed trains, subsidised by the state in GER and France, – high speed rail plan in Benelux region -good highway connections in the major market around cities in the Middle and Southern Europe – Scarcity of appropriate located, low cost airports around major cities / decreased bargaining power of airlines – Price war – increasing landing charges – Dependency on world jet fuel prices – war and terrorism – epidemics – EU commission decisions – lobbying politicians – formation of a trade union for pilot s – the weakness of sterling against the euro – Mergers between competitors, e. g. Air France and