The Debate On Pornography Media Essay

The Debate On Pornography Media Essay The circumstances surrounding the debate on pornography cross ethical, social, religious, psychological, and cultural boundaries. It is argued that pornography decreases the desire and appeal for long-term traditional relationships. Judaism requires women to dress modestly while the ancient Hindu text, the Kama Sutra, depicts sexual behavior in ways considered today to be porn. Feminists argue that it is a violent exploitation of women and promotes chauvinism, and that it leads to abusive relationships and makes men more likely to rape women. This essay will discuss possible answers to the posed question by illustrating the arguments for and against pornography. Pornography is often defined pejoratively: words like violent, degrading, and humiliating may be used with no acknowledgement that such descriptions are subjective and contextually relative (Ciclitira 286). A common view is that pornography is degrading to women. This statement is an opinion. Ones perception of pornographys depiction of sex is related to their own sexual experiences and their views on sex. Some women might say that porn is degrading if their own sexual experiences have left them feeling objectified or used or if they have been sexually assaulted. In this case, the idea of sex itself might be the issue and therefore the depiction of sex might remind that woman of her own negative experiences. Other women who have had positive sexual experiences and frequently enjoy sex might be excited by porn and see the depiction of sex as a reminder of their own positive and satisfying experiences. Not all pornography portrays females as being passive participants or simple sex objects. In many cases, the woman is not just giving pleasure, she is receiving it. The presentation of women enjoying sex and orgasming shows sex to be natural, healthy, and pleasurable not something to be ashamed of. Pornography can depict sex as something romantic and emotional or as an act between adults who love each other. The view that pornography is degrading to women disregards the views of women who create porn whether by writing it, producing it, or acting in it. It also disregards the pornography that illustrates a womans perspective of sex and porn that is aimed at female audiences. Many women willingly participate in the production of pornography whether for mass distribution or for private viewing. Many women also enjoy watching pornography alone or with their partner(s). Pornography is harmful to relationships is another view. The Flood article (393-394) states, US studies find that a consistent minority of female partners of male regular pornography users find it damaging both for their relationships and themselves. They see their male partners pornography use as a kind of infidelity, feel betrayal and loss, feel less desirable, and describe other negative effects on their relationships, sex lives and themselves (Bridges et al., 2003). First, this is a minority of females and the article does not state how low that minority is. The minority could be 10% of Latino or 3% of Caucasian females. A perception of porn use harming a relationship may point to fundamental flaws in the relationship that are only made more visible through porn use but do not exist because of the porn use. For example, the woman might believe her sex life is floundering because her partner is using porn rather than her to satisfy his sexual needs, but the man might be using porn because he is dissatisfied with the woman or disinterested in her. In this case, it is not the porn that is harming the relationship; it is the lack of communication between the partners: the man isnt open about his dissatisfaction so the woman sees the porn as causing the mans disinterest in her rather than being a result of the disinterest. On the other hand, the man may be interested and sexually attracted to the woman, but pornography offers a form of arousal that cannot be found elsewhere. A relationship could be sexually vibrant but the introduction of pornography may illicit unique sensations that overwhelms the male and makes the woman feel less valuable. Pornography may benefit relationships, as sex can be a very important aspect of a relationship establishing and maintaining closeness, giving each other pleasure, satisfying each others sexual desires, expressing affection, etc. A couple (married or dating) might watch porn in order to get aroused prior to engaging in intercourse. But one may argue why a healthy couple would need to watch something to illicit arousal. Pornography can be used to spice things up for the couple giving them ideas of new positions to try or inspiring role-playing scenarios. The statement that porn harms relationships is too broad. The information available on the harmful effects of pornography on relationships seems to be focused on heterosexual relationships while ignoring homosexual relationships. Another view is that pornography makes men more likely to rape women. The Flood article (393) talks about studies that show a correlation between teenage boys frequency of consumption of porn and their agreement with the idea that it is acceptable to hold down and force a girl to have sex. However, the ability of parents to block their children who are minors from viewing porn on the internet or TV while at home may diminish the frequency of porn. Even though minors can acquire pornography from outside the home (from friends, on a different computer, etc), if adults teach children starting from a young age about sex, its need to be consensual, its consequences, and the importance of respecting women and people in general, then young boys attitudes toward sex and females may very well be unaffected by pornography. Nevertheless, even if all young boys were taught in this way, they would not all absorb the important lesson. Other factors such as peer or media influences play large roles in young boys attitudes towards sex and the treatment of women and those would need to be controlled as well. Flood (392) also states that men who frequently use violent or rape porn are more likely to report that they would rape a woman if they could get away with it. This does not necessarily mean that the porn is planting the desire to rape a woman. Perhaps the man who would rape a woman watches the porn in order to see a fantasy that he cannot realize. In this case might the porn be somewhat satisfying the mans desire to rape and preventing him from doing so in reality. However, violent porn can give violent or sexual offenders venues to act out their fantasies. The watchers of violent porn may gain inspiration to go and act out their fantasies on innocent women. Flood cites Malamuths writing that men at high risk for sexual aggression are more likely aroused by it and more likely influenced by it (392). But what percentage of men are at high risk for sexual aggression? Does the predisposition to sexual aggression guarantee that the man will rape or assault a woman ONLY if he watches porn? Or does watching porn create sexual aggression and violent feelings towards women? This view is also strewn forth in the media. Barongan and Hall conducted a study where males listened to neutral or misogynous rap music before viewing sexually violent and neutral vignettes (196). They would then choose a vignette to show to a female. Their reasoning for the study is that misogynous messages appear in the media and they can contribute to negative attitudes or behaviors towards women. And pornography has been defined, by some, as sexually explicit materials that can evoke sexually abusive and degrading treatment of women. Some men may believe that their own sexual aggression against women is justified because it is seen or heard in the media, and if so, their actions are not wrong because they are common. The study showed that of males that listened to misogynous rap music 30% showed the violent vignette to their female. Surprisingly only 7% of the males who listened to neutral rap music showed the assaultive vignette. Viewing pornography that glorifies sexual coercion is particularly degrading and harmful. Is sexual coercion degrading to women? If you use random association with this statement, it can easily lead you to agree with the statement. Coercion is to force, compel, or persuade. If women are coerced into sex in pornography, it seems easy. Who is persuaded easily? Unintelligent people? Children? Therefore, women are stupid or as ignorant as a child for being coerced into sex. Non-normative sexual activities falling into the sexual coercion category such as BDSM (Bondage/Domination/Sadism/Masochism) are practiced by both women and men. To say that depiction of sexual coercion is degrading and harmful is to pass judgment on those people who participate in BDSM. Why shouldnt people with non-normative (but still legal) sexual desires have pornography available to them that is suited to their desires? BDSM can be viewed as strange or weird. Why not judge them for being weird? If only a small ma jority of people participate in BDSM, why are their views of sex important to the rest of the population. Sexual coercion and even rape are common themes of sexual role-play among consenting sexual partners. To depict sexual coercion in pornography is to depict a real life scenario within consensual sex. I believe that pornography has beneficial effects for some and harmful effects for others. Do I believe that pornography is degrading to women? Generally speaking, no. However, films that are violent or disturbing in nature, depicting women enjoying these acts that probably no one would enjoy taking part it, I feel is degrading to women. I think that sexually there are things that no woman would want to be involved in, and to show that some people would do so can humiliate and lessen the value of such person. Pornography that that simply depicts intimate and erotic acts, I do not think is degrading. As for pornography creating a prevalence of violence in men or having influences that compel someone to commit rape, I think it is very possible, but it is a person to person issue. I think men who through watching porn think it is okay to force intercourse upon someone will eventually think that regardless of if they have viewed porn. Some people are predisposed to being violent towards women in many other ways than pornography, and although pornography is not the route cause, it can definitely attribute. Non-violent men who respect women and have had meaningful relationship will not have suddenly commit rape after seeing pornography. I think it could evoke thoughts or fantasies similar to acts depicted in the porn they watch, but they will not go out and rape or take a life. I do believe that pornography can damage relationships, but once again, it can have the opposite effect depending on the individuals. I have heard of problems that pornography has caused in friends relationships. I have seen it stem from the fact that women in pornography have physical attributes that are exaggerated to increase sex appeal. I understand that women can feel subpar to the women in the films because they dont look a certain way or compare to these women in societys opinion. I believe the adult entertainment industry can be a contributor to self-esteem or image problems of young women today. Moreover, self-esteem and confidence issues play a huge role in the successfulness of a relationship. On the contrary, I have heard of pornography helping relationships by adding something new to a fading love life. Pornography can spice up a love life, or ruin one. It can illicit arousal for intimacy or to commit a sexually violent crime. Pornography involves acts that are very instinctual to us and therefore can evoke strong judgment towards both ends of the spectrum. Similar to abortion or euthanasia, it is important to find middle ground, and to encourage imaginative thinking where people will not rush to say pornography destroys relationships or causes rape, but it can destroy relationships and may give someone the idea to rape.

Pretty Woman

The film Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy set in Los Angeles, California which takes place just following the 80’s era. The story of Pretty Woman centers on a Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward who gets hired by a very wealthy businessman, (Edward Lewis), to be at his beck and call or escort for several business and social functions. During that time, they gradually begin to develop a relationship over the course of Vivian’s week-long stay in his suite. Edward then takes his lawyer’s exotic Lotus S4 Esprit and heads down Hollywood Boulevard where he took a detour to ask for directions.He has no other choice but to ask a nearby beautiful prostitute by the name of Vivian, who is willing to help him reach his point of destination. Edward hires Vivian to stay with him for an entire week as an escort for his social meetings and events. Vivian then makes a point that â€Å"it is going to cost him,† so in agreement he offers her three thousand dollars and acc ess to all his credit cards. He then tells Vivian that she needs to dress more appropriately so he sends her shopping on Rodeo Drive, only to be snubbed by saleswomen who disdain her because of her immodest clothing.Vivian runs into the hotel manager and he happily helps her buy a dress because she is with Mr. Lewis. When Vivian’s week is up, Edward tends to her and tries convincing her to stay. Vivian heads home with her friend Kit. Edward then travels to Vivian’s apartment and climbs up the fire escape, despite his fear of heights, with a rose between his teeth, to convince her. The film ends as the two of them kiss on the fire escape with a visual urban romantic metaphor being displayed.

Slavery - 1305 Words

Slavery has been in the United States early as 1619. Slaves were brought to America for one thing and one thing only, money. Tobacco took a great amount of work to harvest, but with the slaves help it all got completed. Slaves cost at least three more times than a regular servant for the reason that slavery was their life, it was their job. Regular servants finished their ‘slavery’ time in about 4 years. Slavery really got across the whole country as time passed, and in 1670 the crop, tobacco, took over the nation. In fact, slavery didn’t really come into play in the laws until the 1660s. In the early 1680s Virginia wanted to alter what a slave was, earlier defined by the House of Burgess. The Europeans saw African Americans as human†¦show more content†¦Later, with the times of the Revolution the concept of the full citizenship was born in the minds of those who fought for freedom. The first goal – the abolition of slavery - was officially ratifie d in 1863, while the second – the granting of the citizenship - was documented only five years later. In reality, the fight for the real freedom and equality had just begun. The end of Reconstruction in 1877 signified the return to the inequality and racial prejudice, making basis for the later emergence of the Civil Rights Movement that signified further notion of freedom for the African Americans. The fight for slavery abolition resulted in the emancipation of the huge portion of the American inhabitants and the change of attitude to humans that are all â€Å"born free and equal†, according to the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution. The abolition of slavery was a dream for the African Americans that were brought to the America as slaves or born into it for many generations. Slavery in the United States was forced by enormous economic challenges, backed by country official legislation and the connivance of the church. The United States were destined to realize the meaning and the price of freedom largely due to the African Americans’ active fight for their basic human and civil rights. Thousands of people were depleted of their basic freedomsShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The Slavery Of Slavery Essay2080 Words   |  9 PagesThere has been an ongoing debate on whether Christianity condoned or condemned slavery. In this essay, I will discuss how slave owners used biblical context to uphold the institution of slavery. I will begin analyzing scriptures in the bible that pertain to slavery. It is in my belief that the Bible did not condone slavery in the way that slave owners upheld slavery. I do not argue against that there were not slaves by bondage but they were not enslaved against their will but through the will ofRead MoreSlavery And Its Effects On Slavery Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pages This was the period of post-slavery, early twentieth century, in southern United States where blacks were still treated by whites inhumanly and cruelly, even after the abolition laws of slavery of 1863. They were still named as ‘color’. Nothing much changed in African-American’s lives, though the laws of abolition of slavery were made, because now the slavery system became a way of life. The system was accepted as destiny. So the whites also got license to take disadvantages and started exploitingRead MoreSlavery And Its Effects On Slavery999 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch and taking the Slavery footprint quiz I realized just how much my life and lifestyle depended on slavery. I, like most people, do not think about where my clothes came from or where the diamond in the engagement ring came from; subsequently, I alone depend on 43 slaves. 43 individuals somewhere in the world are being forced to work or work for little to nothing. I cried after reading about prese nt time slavery because like most people in today’s age, I believed slavery ended in President Lincoln’sRead MoreSlavery And The Slavery Of Slavery933 Words   |  4 Pages Slavery, up to this point has progressively gotten weaker. In 1787 slavery is made illegal in the northwest territory. In 1793 Eli Whitney made the cotton gin making the demand for slaves increase. In 1820 the missouri compromise was written to ban slavery in all states above the northern missouri border. In the year 1831 Preacher Nat Turner starts a rebellion that is known to be the largest slave uprising in American History. also that year William Lloyd Garrison started publishing the LiberatorRead MoreSlavery And The Slavery Of Slavery Essay1742 Words   |  7 Pagesto resist their masters, and the institution of slavery in a subtle or a suicidal way. The visions of freedom varied throughout time periods and regions; in 1739, you have the Stono Rebellion, people used laws to argue their cases o f injustice, such as Emanuel Pieterson and Dorothy Angola, who fought for the freedom of their child and David Walker, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacob who used literature to speak against the institution of slavery. Another aspect was that freedom had a differentRead MoreSlavery And The Abolition Of Slavery1166 Words   |  5 Pagesmain issue of controversy that contributed to the split of the Union: slavery. Lincoln explicitly expressed that slavery should be abolished for several reasons, recognizing the practice as an extreme violation of human rights and American republicanism. Despite his advocacy for abolishment, Lincoln’s politics on racial justice were still problematic. While Abraham Lincoln recognizes basic human rights, and advocates that slavery is an obvious violation of these basic principles, I argue and characterizeRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Slavery1128 Words   |  5 PagesSlavery is one of the most inhumane acts the world has ever known. African s were kidnapped and forced into slavery by Europeans; they were separated from their families and forced to work on plantations. They were placed in unbearable conditions and the prevalent racism attached onto this system fueled the mistreatment and oppression of black people for years to come. The origins of the widespread African slavery in America as we know today started in early colonial America when people needed cheapRead MoreSlavery, Racism, And Slavery Essay1779 Words   |  8 PagesSlavery began before racism in North America. To prove this I will provide an analysis of chronological events that displayed acts of slavery and racism. With that being said, Initially I will be delving into the earliest implementations of slavery in North America. That being Jamestown Virginia 1619. Secondly, analysing an extract from 1655, where an African man named Anthony Johnson claimed to own another black individual, John Casor as his property. Subsequently, moving onto Winthrop D Jord anRead MoreThe Slavery Of Slavery And Slavery944 Words   |  4 Pagescondemn slavery. The South also used religion as their argument, but instead, they used the Bible to argue that slavery was an acceptable part of life. People have questioned whether it was right or wrong of the South to use the bible to support their beliefs in slavery. Some would say that pro-slavery southerners had every right to use the Bible to support their beliefs. When Northerners began to use the Bible against slavery, southerners used this same argument to support it. Slavery was a practiceRead MoreSlavery : Slavery And Slavery901 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery in America started in 1619 when settlers brought over African Americans to Jamestown, Virginia. The slaves came to Jamestown to work on the tobacco plantations. The slaves were also sent to other colonies such as South Carolina to work on the cotton plantations. Slaves were people who worked for no pay. This caused the land owners to make more profit from their plantations because they didn’t have to pay their workers. Southern slave owners, specifically in South Carolina, relied on slavery

Bridging The Theory To Practice Gap - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3189 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Dissertation/Project Overall Aims and Objectives The globalisation of markets have led to increased opportunities for Domestic Companies (DCs) to flourish into Multi-National Companies (MNCs) and to penetrate new economies thus expanding their operations into foreign markets. Albeit, there are significant benefits associated with this, there are also a number of inherent risks which are associated with such business enterprises. The author seeks to demonstrate that political risk is often misunderstood and therefore ineffectively managed and incorporated into a companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Business Strategy. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Bridging The Theory To Practice Gap" essay for you Create order Consequently, companies are at risk as a result of this when they venture into Foreign Direct Investment (FDI.) Within the international business arena much reference is made to country risk to signify the risk of operating in foreign economies. Country risk and political risk are frequently used interchangeably however Clark and Marois (1996) assert that the former term is unrepresentative of the true extent of political risks (Clark and Marois, 1996.) The author will make reference to these cross-border risks as political risks and examine the background literature on how the management of political risk potentially has a place within a Corporate Risk Management framework, and how DCs classify, manage and analyse these political risks, in the context of a survey of the actual political risk management issues and practices which they currently face. Within the authorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s short proposal it was noted that the main theme of the dissertation sought to explore the political risks which are inherent in all foreign markets and which pose major risks for Foreign Direct Investors (FDIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s.) This dissertation proposal expands upon the former with the author seeking to examine whether businesses that enter foreign countries incorporate these risks in their Business Strategy to enable them to mitigate the risk(s) and therefore, making FDI a more feasible and profitable strategy. Within the literature review, the author will examine current literature on the perception of risk, with particular emphasis on political risk, and the universal approaches that DCs adopt in their business strategy towards the management of political risk. This will enable the author to provide a focus on the research proposal and develop the research question. In the methodology section, the author will demonstrate the various techniques that will be applied to this proposal, in addition to the data collection and analysis; the data analysis will provide the author with the answers to the research question. The author has a firm interest in this field of research and the decision to focus upon risk, for this dissertation proposal, arises from a number of reasons. Firstly, the author has prior working experience in risk assessment whilst employed in the public sector and has undertaken formal training in risk assessment and analysis as well as Root Cause Analysis (RCA.) There is evidence which suggests that a number of Domestic Companies have a great deal of potential to expand and make their presence felt within the global arena however, what does appear apparent is that the recognition and understanding of political risk per se, within DCs, is not evident thus, this limits the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s potential, and can lead to its demise. Moreover, the author seeks a future career in management consulting/business solutions, with a main focus on risk analysis and management. Theoretical Framework Political risk, when managed effectively, provides a firm strategy for companies to safeguard their investments, whether domestic or foreign, and to take advantage of new opportunities; consequently this will improve business performance, globally. However, this requires companies to fully integrate political risk management into a systematic process which is entrenched in their business strategy. When it comes to improving global business performance, Price, Waterhouse Cooper (2010) describes, in their recent study, that managing political risk helps in two fundamental ways. First, it protects new and existing global investments and operations by helping management anticipate the business risk implications of political change or instability. Prepared and aware, management is more likely to be able to exit markets that are in danger of growing too unstable. Where short-term instability does not dampen the appetite to pursue long-term opportunity, companies can implement risk mitigation and operational oversight to control against shocks. Second, for a company constantly on the lookout for new opportunities and wishing to expand in the global market, monitoring political risk within target regions or foreign economies is beneficial for companies as this will enable them to potentially gain a competitive advantage (Price, Waterhouse Cooper, 2010.) In defining political risk, a number of studies, particularly that of Jarvis, (2009) demonstrate that this is an indefinable task when approached as a deductive typological exercise, because its genealogy is discursive, its epistemology situated between disciplines rather than within a singular discipline, and because the generative agents of political risk are heterogeneous (Jarvis, 2009). The major theories that relate to political risk sit within political science, development studies, international relations, international business, economics, and economic geography. Jarvis further asserts that political risk might be more austerely applied as a social science method for understanding political events and their effects upon commercial and strategic activities (Jarvis, 2009). Literature Review Research into the field of political risk is not new; the author seeks to explore the current themes on the management of political risk and examines previous research which, over the past thirty years, has identified a number of factors relating to foreign investment; this also includes the politico-economic factors, and Brink (2004) asserts these as having an influence the level of FDI; political risk is one of them, especially in emerging economies and developing countries (Brink, 2004.) Political risk has engaged many attempts at a conservative definition. Dickson (1989) provides a more generalised definition as being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the identification, analysis and economic control of those risks which can threaten the assets or earning capacity of an enterprise (Dickson, 1989.) However, there are a number of attempts to provide a more all-encompassing agreement. Hood and Nawaz (2004) assert that a further complication in the definition of political risk is that most approaches a re predicated on the notion that such risk is invariably negative and that such approaches fail to recognise that political developments can have a positive effect (Hood and Nawaz, 2004.) This is echoed by Butler and Joaquin (1998) who conclude that companies should take into account the positive features of political risk especially in the context of FDI. An exploratory study undertaken by Hood and Nawaz (2004) examined the context of political risk and its management within MNCs by designated Corporate Risk Managers or by specialists external to the company. Hood and Nawaz demonstrated generalisations could not be made about the approach and management of political risk by MNCs. However, the study did reveal some interesting insights into an under-researched area, and which would benefit from further research. Albeit this research study was undertaken six years ago, at that time, the researchers left an open gap in the research field, which the author, from his own preliminary research, has been unable to attest whether this à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"theory to practice gapà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ has been filled. The author believes that imperative to a globalised economy and consequently, the level of FDI which is taking place from DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, the responsibility for the management of political risk, in the DC, is an area which remains ove rlooked. Hood and Nawaz concluded that, whilst larger-scale research is needed, their findings echoed those of Burmester (2000) and Levinsohn (2000) and their criticisms of the political risk management strategies and systems of MNCs, and that those companies which have embraced corporate, business, and enterprise risk management have found it difficult to incorporate political risk into their operation (Hood and Nawaz 2004: Burmester, 2000: Levinsohn, 2000.) The author has found that most of the existing research into political risk focuses on the paradigm of political risk, in the context of globalisation in international business. Through the literature review, the author has investigated many however, five distinct research studies, each of which falls under the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"political riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ umbrella have been particularly relevant to the authorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s research subject. The first study review was an empirical research into political risk as a parallel to economic risk and that both factors should be considered prior to any FDI. The assumptions drawn from this empirical research demonstrated that the measurement of political risk, per se, produced quantitative data only and that this data, was unreliable as pure causative factors measuring political risk. The study failed to include qualitative data based on the economic factors but concluded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“further research needs to be undertaken.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Other research studies have focused on trend analyses of FDI; here the researchers examined the factors which influenced the flows in FDI, and concluded that both aspects of macro-economic and firm strategy factors should be combined in order to explain the changing trends of FDI flows. This empirical research produced a significant amount of statistical information (quantitative data.) (Sethi, Guisinger; Phelan and Berg, 2003.) Thirdly, a study on country corruption, as a sub-system of political risk was undertaken; this study examined the impact country corruption has upon the fluctuating levels of FDI, for example, the higher the level of FDI, the higher the incidence of corruption in that country. Country-risk analysis was undertaken and measured this using the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI.) The information was extrapolated from data sets and hence, produced quantitative data (Robertson and Watson, 2004.) Another research study, undertaken by Khattab, Anchor and Davies (2007) examined political risk and the effect this has on international projects. Here, the researchers conclude that future research might use a multi-method of data collection since validity is raised as a quality data issue with regard to the use of quantitative methods (Khattab et al, 2007.) Whilst the researchers, here, did not explicitly examine the role responsibility for managing political risk in MNCs, they concluded that it was important to; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“not only describe, but also to understand, the managerial perceptions of political risk within the firm-specific business strategy.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Khattab, Anchor and Davies, 2007.) Further research has been undertaken into political risk assessment and management and its connection with globalisation. Howell (1998) supports this and asserts that political risk needs to be measured as early in the investment and development process as is possible (Howell, 1998.) For DCs, this would appear relatively straightforward however, what is evident is that there is a gap in this research field and the questions which need to be addressed relates to whom manages political risk in the DC and is there a clear understanding of what are the main factors of political risks facing DCs which ultimately affects FDI? Shapiro (1996) identifies them as: expropriation; currency and trade controls; changes in tax and labour laws; regulatory restrictions; and the requirements for additional local production (Shapiro, 1996.) However, it remains unclear whether Shapiroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s inclusions are definitive. There are a number of scholarly arguments which infer that political risk analysis is not undertaken effectively and this is supported by Burmester (2000) who asserts that no academic discussion of political risk is complete without a complaint about the generally low standard of political risk analysis undertaken by domestic and international business firms (Burmester, 2000.) The author believes that there is sufficient existing evidence and primary data, to support a larger-scale research to be undertaken, in this under-researched area. Research Methodology, Data Collection and Analysis It is not the authorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s intention to replicate research already undertaken; for the methodology approach to the research area, the research will be a descriptive study since the author seeks answers to the questions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"who, what, where, when and how.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ The author will access secondary data to form a bridge between where the previous researchers left off i.e. bridge the gap. Indeed, the author will explore the concepts relating to political risk but merely as a demonstration of breadth and depth of knowledge in the research subject. The author will use primary data through the design of the survey questionnaire; and proposes a mix of questions from which qualitative and quantitative data can be extrapolated and ultimately analysed. The author will primarily use secondary data from the various studies and literature available. Secondary data is an important component of research and relates to the collection and processing of data by other r esearch studies rather than the primary sources from the researcher. Secondary data has many benefits but also limitations. Secondary data is time saving for the researcher and does not involve new data collection; secondary data provides a larger  database  as opposed to primary data and if existing data is available then researchers should take advantage of this thus preventing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"reinventing the wheel.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Secondary data allows the researcher to explore research questions and formulate hypotheses to test. However, the limitations associated with secondary data are that reliability is not guaranteed; data may be outdated and may not have been collected long enough to enable the researcher to detect trends. Furthermore, neither does it permit progression of formulating research questions to designing methods for answering the research question. Moreover, the secondary researcher is disengaged from observational studies and developing concepts . The author will draw conclusions which infer that much of the research into the measurement of political risk lends itself to being more quantitative than qualitative in nature, as previous research into this area, establishes that purely quantitative data raises a degree of uncertainty and the impact this subsequently has upon political risk management in the DCs. Furthermore, the author will explore alternative ways in which political risk can be measured à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" those differing to the traditional models of risk measurement for example, country-risk i.e., purely quantitative. The backbone of the research will be an empirical study whereby the author will undertake a survey of a number of DCs, chosen randomly, and which are representative of the wide-ranging, larger domestic companies, in the UK. The author recognises that potentially there could be barriers to entry into individual companies however, the author proposes to make explicit that all responses will be held in confidence and that companies will not be identified by name, only by the industry sector in which it operates. Data Collection and Analysis The author proposes that that the dissertation will encompass the concepts of a combination of deductive and inductive theory, given that this is a combination of quantitative and qualitative data. Deductive theory is usually associated with quantitative methods whilst inductive theory is associated with qualitative methods. The author is aware that, traditionally, research is one or the other however, there is a spectrum of research which encompasses both methods and that each crosses these traditional demarcations. Burney (2008) simplifies these concepts à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" deductive theory has the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"waterfallà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"top downà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ effect whereby the researcher follows the theory, through to hypothesis; observation and confirmation; this is more specific and conclusions are drawn from available facts. Conversely, inductive theory, as simplified by Burney, is informally called the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"bottom upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ effect where the researcher begins with observation, through to pattern; a tentative hypothesis and theory. Burney also refers to this as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"hill climbingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and that inductive theory is based upon broad generalisations and involves a degree of uncertainty. The secondary data used for this dissertation proposal will be sourced from the Economist Intelligence Unit (at https://www.eiu.com/) and Transparency International (at https://www.transparency.org/). These provide a substantial amount of information and intelligence on political risk in a particular country/region. This will enable the author to correlate the major countries where risk is high. Further data will be obtained from the Organisation for Economic and Co-operative Development (OECD) (at https://www.oecd.org/home/) risk rating agencies, such as the Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI) (at https://www.beri.com/), the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG), the Multiagency Investment Guarant ee Agency (MIGA) (at https://www.miga.org/) and the World Bank, and substantial literature reviews and studies. Primary data will be collated from a survey questionnaire which will be sent to a random sample of UK companies. This will enable the author to analyse responses given which will determine who, at what level, and how political risk is analysed; the level of understanding of political risk and whether this is integrated into the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business strategy. Essentially, this will determine the theory to practice gap à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" what many companies say they do, and whether this is this put into practice. Many of the information sources for identifying political risk also provide information on its measurement. Fundamentally, most sources have illustrated a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques for example, expected utility forecasting (de Mesquita et al, 1985) in order to provide a single rating value. Comprehensive reviews of such measurement techniques can be found in Erb et al (1996), Butler and Joaquin (1998) and Monti-Belkaoui and Riahi-Belkaoui (1998.) However, much of the literature does not demonstrate how companies integrate this information into their risk management strategy. Considering Burmesterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s criticisms of the quality of political risk analysis by companies, it could be argued that the extremely quantitative nature of much of the risk measurement information is ambiguous. Consequently, this level of ambiguity can have a significant impact on risk management; however, there are a number of techniques which companies do employ to miti gate the impact of negative political risk (Shapiro, 1999) and the author will provide an overview of these to correlate results in total. Data will be obtained from DCs represented by the standard industrial classification, across a broad range of businesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" these will include the following sectors: finance/banking; IT services; communications and media; retail; utilities and transport. The purpose behind this is to establish perceptions of political risk across a range of business sectors. There are no ethical issues which will need to be considered. Hypotheses and Research Questions The author proposes the following hypotheses and related research questions. These are coded as follows: Hypotheses, H0 , Research Question, R0 .) H01: There is a level of ambiguity regarding the importance of political risk. R01: How important is political risk? R02: What are the different types of political risk? R03: Is there sufficient knowledge, training and guidance on political risk to adequately match the extent of the environment? H02: Companies do not integrate political risk into their business strategy. R01: Who is responsible for managing political risk? R02: Are political risk strategies and techniques appropriately formulated? R03: Are political risk management strategies and techniques flexible enough to cope with a rapidly changing environment? H03: Companies are not able to react and anticipate problems associated with political risk. R01: What mechanisms are available for anticipating potential political risk problems? From the research questions, the author will determine whether the hypotheses are accepted or rejected. It may be necessary for the author to perform data triangulation in order to validate the research, and potentially develop alternative interpretations of the research data, especially since this research is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Dissertation Timescale The author will conduct his research from June 2010 to September 2010. For the purposes of this dissertation proposal, the author is not required to produce a time-line, as advised by the Universityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s module lecturer. It is expected that the author will communicate and check-in with his allocated tutor on a regular basis. This will primarily be via email, since the author intends relocating to Spain in July 2010. However, arrangements can be made for the author and personal tutor to have one-to-one meetings, as required.

Manifest Destiny Essay - 1119 Words

The United States of America has never been content with stagnation. The landmass of the Thirteen Colonies was enough to rival that of the Mother country from which they separated. The forefathers believed that it was the manifest destiny of this nation to eventually claim the expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. By 1890, nearly a hundred years following the original claim of Manifest Destiny, the land that was once open, was now under American control. But no sooner was the Great American Frontier closed, than was the door to East Asian expansion opened with the great gold key of American diplomacy. In a world where imperialism was contagious, and cartographers had to work around the clock to keep up with an ever-changing†¦show more content†¦This was the ultimate continuation that can be witnessed in the expansionism of early America and of later dates. Another great catalyst for expansion early on and then again in the late nineteenth century was a heightened sense of nationalism. This was a prevalent idea when the nation was young and a worldwide norm during the era of Taft and Roosevelt. In 1885, Josiah Strong penned the words, which were at the very heart of this sense of American power and intrinsic worth in his work Our Country: Its Possible Future and Potential Crisis. His thoughts concluded that the United States was a people of unequalled majesty and energy. His belief was that the United States was a people destined for nothing short of unsurpassed greatness. Those early expansionist philosophers of the United States would also share this sentiment. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Though the two periods of expansionism shared some very similar motives, there were undeniable differences, most specifically with regards to the world at the time of these two crusades. Thomas Nast illustrates beautifully the world of Taft and Roosevelt expansionism in â€Å"The World’s Plunders.† Illustrating the pillaging of the eastern hemisphere by the three dominate powers of Germany, Britain and Russia, inferences can be made to the fact that the world was literally being overrun by a healthy appetite for expansion. The United States of America was in the turmoil of Civil WarShow MoreRelatedEssay On Manifest Destiny1709 Words   |  7 Pagesone of many seminal events in the history of the United States. However, it began the debt we are still in today; the Louisiana Purchase gave us the land that began the Manifest Destiny. â€Å"The term Manifest Destiny originated in the 1840’s when John L. O’Sullivan said in an article that it was the American colonist’s Manifest Destiny to spread over the continent and that God had given them the land for the sole purpose of multiplying and free development.† (History.com staff). It was this philosophyRead MoreThe Manifest Destiny Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pagesfull swing by the 1840s. Which evidenced that the continued expansion of the states was an issue and the idea of a Manifest Destiny was of major importance. John L. O’Sullivan once stated, â€Å"Our Manifest Destiny is to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions† (America: A Narrative History). The idea of a Manifest Destiny originated in the 1840s by the Anglo-Saxon Colonists to expand their ideal civilization and institutions across NorthRead MoreManifest Destiny : Ideal Or Justification Essay883 Words   |  4 PagesManifest destiny: Ideal or Justification The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of U.S in 1803. But it is not enough for ambitious Americans, we are not satisfied, we wanted more territory. So western expansion did not end, it actually keep moved. Westward Expansion is a very significant part in U.S history. It operated perfectly based on the ideology called manifest destiny. However, the creation of this theory is on purpose. It was used to push U.S territory to further west. When the idea of manifestRead MoreManifest Destiny Is An American Philosophy Essay2281 Words   |  10 Pages Manifest Destiny is an American philosophy with which it is to justify how that country has understood their place in the world and how to relate to other people. It is a doctrine, phrase or idea that expresses the belief that the United States is destined to spread to the four winds as supports the idea that is, to expand on the territories conquered North America and, in general, on the Western Hemisphere. This doctrine was not free of racism, considering that the American people wereRead MoreManifest Destiny Research Paper :1382 Words   |  6 Pages2014 Manifest Destiny Research Paper: The 1840’S were years of unprecedented growth for United States; in a mere four years, the national domain more than doubled with an additional 1.2 million miles being added to the country. (PBS) This was due to a movement called Manifest Destiny that suggested that the United States was â€Å"destined† to stretch from coast, sea to shining sea, uninterrupted by anything or anyone. (History.com) However, complex and underlying motives guided Manifest Destiny advocatesRead MoreManifest Destiny And Westward Expansion Essay1447 Words   |  6 Pages1) OUTLINE: I. Topic sentence. Manifest destiny and westward expansion was a tremendous key component to the growth of the nation economically because of the impact it had on native americans, women empowerment, and expanding the population of the country. II. Significance of topic. Americans looked towards the western lands as an opportunity for large amounts of free land, for growth of industry, and pursue the manifest destiny. III. List of evidence related to topic. The railwaysRead MoreManifest Destiny: Term or Reality Essay1315 Words   |  6 PagesThe three authors that describe Manifest destiny have very different beliefs but all use one person with vastly different views on Manifest Destiny and his beliefs on the term. The person that first used the term in any form of writing was John O’ Sullivan and is accredited with coining the phrase but much of this time had this strong belief in expanding the territory and states of the United States. Their views on this term were different because some believed that the United States should expandRead MoreExplain The Background, And Repercussions Of Manifest Destiny1956 Words   |  8 PagesExplain the background, and repercussions of, Manifest Destiny. In 1845, John O’Sullivan wrote an Article in the ‘United States Magazine and Democratic Review’ in favor of the annexation of Texas. In this article the term ‘Manifest Destiny’ was created. O’Sullivan wrote â€Å"the fulfilment of our Manifest Destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.† Thus supplying the American people with the idea that it was their God-givenRead MoreManifest Destiny, By John L. Sullivan1491 Words   |  6 PagesIt is hard to read anything about the history of the United States without coming across the term â€Å"Manifest Destiny†. Manifest Destiny is a term, which was first coined by John L. Sullivan in the summer 1845 issue of the Democratic Review. â€Å"Hence it was carried into the debate on the Oregon question in the House of Representatives and proved to be such a convenient summing up of the self-confident nationalist and expansionist sentiment of the time that it passed into the permanent national vocabularyRead MoreInsight about the Mexican War and the Manifest Destiny Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Mexican War and how did it begin? or What is Manifest Destiny and who came up with it? Those are all very good questions, so let me take the time to give you some insight about the Mexican war and Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined to expand from coast to coast. It was the concept that which heavily influenced American policy in the 1800s. Americans supported the manifest destiny because the Southerners wanted more land and Northerners

Kingdom By the Sea Free Essays

And loving young boy named Harry who Is a very Intelligent person who has to go through different situations and as he does we learn more and more about his character as it unfolds throughout the book. We learn that he can easily adapt to problematic situations and learn new and vital skills quickly and easily for his journey of survival. Harry lost absolutely everything after his house got bombed during World War Two. We will write a custom essay sample on Kingdom By the Sea or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through this we learn more and more about his character. As Harry was lying on the beach, a dog came up to him. Harry looked on the collar and the address read, 12 Lauderdale Terrace and the name read, Don. Lauderdale Terrace had been bombed about three weeks ago; the poor dog was in the same situation as Harry, homeless, nowhere to go. Harry has now got a companion to be with, he Is now no longer lonely. Harry relationship with Don shows us that Harry Is a caring person ready to help and Is not selfish. Harry and Don continued their journey of survival together and became closer and closer through the different situations they went through together. The obstacles that Harry encountered and his relationship with Don vastly affected his personality. As Harry lay on the beach thinking about what he would do for money he embedded his father’s voice, â€Å"Don’t flap around like a wet hen. Think! â€Å". Then he remembers he did have some money, 17 pounds and 10 shillings, in the Trustee Savings Bank. He came across a problem, where was the bankbook? He soon realized that it was In the attach © case he had been carrying around with him. He got the bankbook out of the case and soon felt terribly guilty, he was never allowed to look inside the case. Harry quickly grabbed his bankbook and slammed the case shut. This shows us that Harry respects his Mum and Dad even though they are dead. Harry is a respectful boy. Harry uses his money wisely so it will last him longer. This tells us that Harry is a wise person who is very cautious in making the money last. When Harry and Don spent a night in a farmer’s barn and the farmer attacked Harry in a vicious and inhumane way, Don bit the farmer to help Harry escape. This indicates Don’s undying love for Harry, which means they have developed a strong bond. When the farmer attempted to shoot Don with his shotgun, Harry retaliated and hit the farmer very hard on the back with a fence post. The farmer said â€Å"Christ, kid†¦ I think you’ve broken me back†. The farmer was In excruciating amounts of pain and was asking Harry to help him In a desperate manner. Harry turned his back and said â€Å"Get Lost†. This shows us a completely different aspect of Harry character, in defensive over Don, which indicates that they have formed a very strong relationship with each other. In order to survive Harry has to lie to other people because otherwise he will get caught and most likely be taken to an orphanage of some sort. Lying was not part of Harry character before the war but he had to forfeit some of his strong values to survive in this new world of mayhem. Earlier in the book when Harry was in the chip shop he had to lie to the man at the counter because if he had told him that he was homeless and did not have any parents, the shopkeeper would probably alert the police and Harry would be taken away. When he was in the chip shop he cried as well so he would gain sympathy from people around him. This is shown when a woman in the chip shop says â€Å"Leave the poor brain alone, for God’s sake, what’s he ever done to you, Jim†. This indicates that Harry is aware that anything that he says or does will affect him in a big way. It also shows that Harry plan is working and he’s on the right track. Even though his dad had told him not to cry or lie, tears and lies seemed to be the only things that were effective nowadays. Since the explosion Harry has had to learn independence and to mature quickly, he has applied skills that he had learned in school to look after himself. He used sand to clean his body and used salt to clean his teeth. This shows us that Harry listened in class time because he has been able to apply these simple survival strategies. It also indicates that Harry is aware that he has to keep his hygiene up to date so he will be accepted in the local towns, nobody liked a dirty, scruffy kid. Harry found himself in need if shelter. He was walking along the beach thinking hard when he found himself upon an upturned boat. He walked up to it and realized that it could be his new home for the meanwhile. This shows us that Harry was inventive and resourceful. Harry confidently befriends an adult, named Artier, who is part of the army. Harry and Artier become close friends however Harry still has to lie about his homeless status. Harry becomes popular amongst the beaches soldiers and then becomes the Sergeant’s errand boy. This tells us that Harry has grown in confidence, as he is able to develop bonds with the surrounding adults. The events since the explosion, have shaped Harry character in diverse ways. Harry has been forced to learn many new skills during his Journey of survival. He has developed valuable character traits through his strong bond with Don, he has had to mature quickly and become his own parent. Harry character is developed in various situations and learn new and vital skills for his Journey of survival. Harry is a very intelligent young boy and we find out more and more about him as the novel moves How to cite Kingdom By the Sea, Papers

Global Franchising Operations Management †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Global Franchising Operations Management? Answer: Introduction Guzman Y Gomez is a restaurant chain operating in Australia. The restaurant chain specializes in foods such as nachos, quesadillas, burritos and other traditional dishes. The model of the business is a franchise and it has more than 64 stores operating in Australia. The franchises also operate several outlets in Singapore and some in Japan. The company has an aggressive expansion strategy that has helped the company to expand in Australia over the years and also outside Australia. The first outlet was opened in the year 2006 in Newton, Sydney. Within a year of opening the first restaurant, two more followed closely with Bondi Junction and the Kings Cross branches opening. The first Guzman and Gomez branch in Melbourne was opened in the year 2012.The businesses strategic plan is to expand to all the major urban areas in Australia while at the same time expanding internationally. The local market has a lot of potential for growth and therefore, the company is dedicated to committing it s resources to enable expand. The aim of the expansion plan is to help increase the profit margins while at the same time growing their brand name. The company has five restaurants in Singapore which are performing extremely well. The restaurants are gaining a lot of customers in Singapore due to their specialization in Tex-Mex dishes. The business began with 15 staff in its Newtown and currently, it has more than 100 staff. The initial investment by the company was about $450,000. Currently, the business has annual revenues in excess of $4 million (Perritt, Henry 2016). This case study analyzes the history of the company, the ownership model and the strategies that the business has employed to become successful in the market. The case study report also identifies the Analysis of the literature review of Guzman Y Gomez In its expansion plan. The business needs to put into consideration the various factors that could have an impact on the business. The first idea is the changing in the form of business to make it a franchise. The factors such as the effect on the ownership forms and the financing method need to be discussed before making important financing decisions. Currently, Guzman and Gomez have been the fastest growing brand in Australia for the past one year. The restaurant serves Mexican food and it has an eye for good customer relationship and service. The literature review evaluates the mission and vision of Guzman and Gomez. The mission of the company is to become a global leading restaurant chain specializing in Mexican dishes. The vision of GYG is to expand and reach customers both locally and abroad while fulfilling the needs of consumers and giving customers value for their money. The literature review also signifies the importance of specialization in the growth of Guzman. The compan ys specialization in the Mexican dishes has helped GYG to cut a niche for itself in the competitive restaurant chain. The case study mainly focuses on the companies` expansion plans. The study analyzes the core factors that are important for the company to expand successfully. These factors are the potential of the new market, the marketing mix of the company, communication plan, promotion strategies and the resources available to finance the expansion. The management of the company intends to expand the company because of the increased demand it has witnessed from customers. The ability of the company to meet the needs of the customers has endeared it to many customers in different locations in Australia. The standards of service at the Guzman Y Gomez also make it an attractive restaurant for many customers who love Mexican dishes. Due to this demand, the ownership of the company saw it fit to adopt the franchise model in order to help reach the unexploited market. Failure to exploit this market may lead to competitors taking advantage of the gap and hence the company will lose an important investm ent opportunity. The franchisee model will allow a new strategic investor to inject capital into the business in exchange for a share of the company. The new capital will be used to open new branches for the company and hence reaching more customers and making the brand more popular. The management of the restaurant believes that there are two kinds of customers. The first type of customer is the one who prefers fresh guacamole and the second one is wrong (Ritzer, 2011). The restaurant aims at offering customers fresh food and of the best quality without compromising anything. This has been important in retaining existing customers and in attracting new customers. The literature review also explains the benefits of expanding the Guzman and Gomez. The main purpose of franchising the business is to help expand the geographical coverage of the company. The franchising is meant to help the company open many more branches in various locations locally and abroad. The expansion will also help the company to hire new personnel and hire more facilities to open up new branches. The other importance of expanding the business is that the business to increase its customer base. The increase in the number of customers will help the company to increase its sales volumes. This, in turn, will help to increase profits for the company. The expansion of Guzman and Gomez will help the company to expand its brand to other countries and the brand value of hence the company will become more valuable. The literature review also explains that the transformation of the business will give the company a solid financial base. This is important in ensuring the business impr oves standards and maintains a good liquidity position. The financial muscle will be useful in helping the company to take advantage of new opportunities that may arise (Plunkett, 2017). The relocation of the business to foreign countries will help the company to tap into the markets especially in South East Asia where the Mexican dishes may be popular. The literature review does not adequately address the costs that the expansion will incur to the business. The literature review in this section only discusses the positives that will come as a result of this expansion and fails to explain the disadvantages that may come as a result of the franchise. Guzman and Gomez need to analyze and weigh the decision to expand the business using franchising model. In order to evaluate this decision, it is important to use the business expansion strategies. These strategies aid in assessing the impact of each of the factors that may have an impact on the business. The strategies will help Guzman Y Gomez to access the risks that exist in this business. The strategies also help to identify the trends in this industry. In addition to these, the expansion strategies will aid the company in assessing the policies and legislation that are significant for this business to open new branches in other countries (Plunkett, 2007). Franchise agreements need to be carefully analyzed in order to help the owners get the best deal out of negotiations. Expansion of the business regionally poses a big challenge to the management since it requires a lot of dedication and traveling to ensure that the new branches are keeping up with the standards set by the compa ny (Allen Albala, 2007) The understanding of foreign markets may need Guzman Y Gomez to reach an agreement with partners who will help to make the operations of the company in the foreign countries. The policies and industry trends for Thailand, for instance, are not the same as those of Australia. It is therefore crucially important for Guzman Y Gomez to understand the complexities and the trends in the new country it is starting operations. This has to start with the company authorizing a market research to be carried out. The market research shall focus on the food and restaurant industry in general. This is important to help the company gain insight on the entire industry and understand know the competitors. Another study should be initiated with the aim of understanding the needs, tastes, and preferences of consumers. The consumers are becoming more and more complicated and therefore before venturing into the new market, it is important for the business to understand the consumer. The new markets may not be so much into Mexican dishes and therefore, It is very important for the business to understand what the consumer in the new market prefers. This will help the restaurant chain to offer services and products that are suitable for this market. To understand the legal requirements and handles in expanding to new countries, the restaurant chain needs to identify a legal company to help it in acquiring the right documentation to help start the business (Mcmurray clendon, 2011). In its expansion efforts, Guzman Y Gomez needs to identify ensure that they have ample supply of raw materials. The restaurant needs to identify potential suppliers who will supply them with the materials that are needed to start the business. For the sake of quality and standards, it is very crucial for the company to contract farmers who will be able to farm to and sell to the company at an agreed. The contracted farmer's agreement can be very helpful for the Guzman Y Gomez since it will help the company to ensure a constant supply of raw materials and hence assuring a constant supply of meals to the customer. Lacking reliable suppliers for the hotel industry can be very disastrous since it will result in a situation where the supply is less than the demand.(Chan Zakkour, 2014 )At the end of the day, customers will go back home dissatisfied and disappointed since they will not have fulfilled their needs. When this continues for a while, customers will run away and buy from other re staurants. The loss of customer loyalty leads to loss of revenue for the company and reduction of sales. This will also hurt the image and brand name of the company. The absence of a proper agreement with the suppliers who in this case are the farmers of farm produce required to prepare this meals may lead to a decline in the standards set by Guzman Y Gomez. The quality of the farm produce supplied may be poor and this may scare away customers and therefore the company will end up losing a lot of revenue. The literature review also discusses the benefits and reasons why Guzman Y Gomez is choosing the franchising model over other models that would have helped the company achieve its expansion plans. The author argues that the franchising model is the safest of all the options available. He argues that the model is free from any potential risks. Franchising model has benefits to both sellers and to the buyers of the franchise. The franchiser mainly benefits by getting financial assistance from another person, the franchise. Through this funding, the franchiser is able to expand his/her business and therefore increase their returns. The franchise model will also enable the company to initiate new training and employee development scheme. This will help to improve customer service and efficiency of employees. The selling power of Guzman Y Gomez will also be enhanced through the franchising agreement. The agreement will help to provide extra funds which can be used to market the brand name of the restaurant and the business. This, in turn, results in increased customers hence increase in sales. Some of the most successful franchising enterprises include McDonald`s and Panera Bread.(Alon,2012) Both of these companies operate in the fast food and restaurant industry. Despite the many benefits indicated on the franchising enterprise, there are many disadvantages of the franchising model. One of the disadvantages of the models is that it requires the company to use colors of the company it has entered into an agreement with. This means that the Independence of the brand will be interfered with and this may confuse customers. The franchising model will interfere with the profit and loss sharing margins. Even thou the franchise will help to grow the franchiser's business, the franchise needs to recover the invested money and this can only happen by them gaining a substantial portion of the profits generated over the years(Gagnon Gagnon, 2011). Another major shortcoming that is associated with the franchising model is that the franchise has the power to make decisions and is involved in the management of the business. In a case where the visions and ideas of the franchiser and the franchisee are not in line, the company may be mismanaged and this may lead to failure of the business. It is therefore very important for both parties to be in agreement to understand the goal s and objectives of one another in order to prevent failure of the business. There exist various different models of franchises for restaurant chains. These models include the fast casual, fast food and full service. The fast food model is also known as quick service restaurants which do not specialize in table service. Fast-casual is considered to be on between the full restaurant and the fast food restaurant and it may include cafes` and take-away hotels. The third model is the full service. These usually offer a complete selection of menus and also offer table service. The Guzman Y Gomez is under the full-service model where customers have to make choices on the dishes and also have table service. The expansion of Guzman Y Gomez will also be very appropriate through the franchise model since the model will give the franchiser to focus on products and research on the market and hence help to meet the needs of the customers better. The ownership of the restaurant chain does not change and therefore, the franchiser will remain motivated to become successful and to increase the profit margins. It is advantageous for Guzman Y Gomez to seek a franchise since the franchisees will help the business to expand at a fast rate. The fast expansion of the business leads to an increased customer base and increased revenues (Perritt Henry, 2016). In a case where the company decides to expand on its own effort, it may take very many years for the company to expand beyond the boundaries and this leads to loss of opportunities and revenue. Since there is a lot of competition in the market, it is very necessary for the company to adopt an expansion strategy to help the company become the market leader before the competitors take over the market. Market leadership in this niche market will help Guzman Y Gomez to have a competitive advantage over its rivals, the competitive advantage may be in form of financial resources or human resources as well as experience in the market. The financial resource advantage can be helpful to the company to help it begin differentiated products and services which the competitors are not able to finance. The company can also attract and recruit highly qualified and experienced staff who will contribute significantly to the growth of the company. The literature review on Guzman Y Gomez does not clearly explain the marketing plans that the company has in order to ensure that the expansion is met with enthusiasm from customers. The review also fails to identify Analysis of competitors Guzman Y Gomez (GYG) is a fast food chain of restaurants specializing in Australian dishes. The restaurant chain has taken Australia by storm and everyone is excited about the products of the company as well as the services it offers. The company is about to become one of the most popular takeaway outlets in Australia. The company is operating in an industry where there are many competitors. The competitors include direct and indirect competitors. The main competitors of GYG are the popular fast food joints such as MacDonald`s, Pizza Hut Australia, Subway and Yum restaurants Australia (Jou, 2017). Thou MacDonald`s does in not specialize in Mexican dishes, it is seen as the main competitors to GYG since they are both in the fast food industry and the products offered to customers are almost similar. This section will, therefore, analyze MacDonald`s as the main competitor of GYG. The section analyzes the products that the competitors offer and how these products relate with those of GY G. It also evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the competitor in order to identify their competitive advantage. This also helps to understand the weaknesses of the competitors which can be taken advantage of by GYG and exploited to become good business opportunities for the company (Pilcher,2014). This section also identifies the trends in this industry as well as the industry drivers in the fast food industry in Australia. History of the company MacDonald`s is a fast food company which was formed in the USA in the year 1940. It was operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald in California. The company grew in the USA and later expanded to other countries such as Australia. Currently, MacDonald`s Australia is the market leader in the fast food market in Australia. The company has grown over the years to the point of almost dominating the fast food market in Australia. Over the past few years, competition has been increasing from companies such as GYG, subway, and Dominos Products offered by McDonald`s MacDonald`s has a wide range of products and brands. Some of these brands include; Hamburgers, chicken, French fries, soft drinks, salads, desserts, coffee, breakfast, and milkshakes. The company has a wide product portfolio which helps to increase its revenue. MacDonald`s has received a lot of criticism from consumers and other stakeholders due to the unhealthy nature of its products (Walker, 2008). This criticism resulted in a change in McDonald`s strategy and the company introduced new products such as fish, salads and fruits. Business model Most of McDonald`s restaurants are operated by a franchisee. The company owns all the land on which the restaurants are located. Most of the companys revenue in Australia comes from rental payments from franchisees. The company also has a few outlets that are operated and directly managed by the company itself. Strengths and weaknesses of MacDonald`s Australia Just like every company, MacDonald`s has many strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of the company are the factors that have given the company a competitive advantage hence helping the company to become competitive over all those years. The weaknesses are the challenges that the business is facing or the loopholes which can be corrected to make the company competitive. One of the biggest strength of MacDonald`s is that it is the second biggest chain of fast food restaurants in the world. The company operates more than 36,000 restaurants globally including franchised outlets. The company operates in more than 120 countries globally (Hayes Laudan, 2009). This helps to give the company a competitive advantage over the competitors. This is because the company is able to obtain revenue from different streams and in case one of the outlets s not performing well, this can be offset by the good performance of the other restaurants. The location of the restaurants across many locations helps McDonald`s to spread risk and to reach a higher number of customers. McDonald`s records the highest yearly sales. In the 2017 financial records, the company announced sales revenue of US$24.622 billion. Due to the huge size of the business, McDonald`s is able to enjoy economies of scale. When this is compared to the size of GYG, McDonald is a very big giant in the industry. The fixed costs of the company are shared across all the branches that it operates hence helping to minimize costs for the company. Another strength of McDonald`s is that the company has operated since 1940 and hence has over 70 years of experience in this industry. GYG has been in operation for barely 11 years now. The long stay in the industry helps the company to understand the industry trends and tricks and hence be able to manage risks better and to design more effective strategies (Best, 2017). McDonald`s has a capacity to attract more skilled and highly qualified employees compared to its rivals such as GYG. This is because the companies` brand is more attractive and recognized and they have better remuneration terms than many other competitors in the industry. MacDonald`s can also use its market power over suppliers to influence them to reduce price which helps the company to reduce the costs of production. This can be transferred to the final consumer and the companys products are cheaper and affordable to the customer hence attracting more customers. Another strength that McDonald`s possesses that makes it enjoy a competitive advantage over rivals is that the company is the most recognizable brand internationally. In the year 2015, McDonald`s was ranked as the 9th most valuable brand globally by Forbes magazine (Best, 2017). The brand awareness helps in the introduction of new products to existing and new customers. Despite the many strengths indicated of the business, there are also various weaknesses of McDonald`s. The biggest weakness is that the companys products are viewed mostly as unhealthy and therefore customers are being cautious on what they consume. The increasing health concern for customers has brought about a decline in companies` sales. The market share of McDonald`s has been declining in the recent past. This has been mainly due to their unhealthy products or due to increased competition from companies such as KFC GYG and Subway (Dempster, 2010). This stiff competition has eaten into the market share of McDonald`s. There has been a challenge of disgruntled franchisees. The challenge has been brought about due to the tough restrictions and conditions put by the company while negotiating the deals. The franchisees are dissatisfied because they are not able to gain the profit share they targeted. The new product development has been very slow in McDonald`s. The company has introduced very few new products with products like salads being introduced just recently due to pressure from various stakeholders. This has really affected the standing of the company in the industry which is becoming ever competitive by the day. McDonald`s has an opportunity to expand even further and exploit new emerging markets such as China and India. The company also has an opportunity to enter into Joint Venture with retailers like supermarkets. This would help in distribution of the companies` products. There is the need and opportunity for the company to respond to social change through innovation. The company should focus on developing products that are healthier and change the positioning of the company in the industry. There is an opportunity for the company to use CRM and database marketing in order to market more accurately to the desired target group. This will help the company to reduce the costs of marketing. There is a threat of the industry becoming mature soon rather than later. This, therefore, means that the declining stage is about to begin and it will be characterized by decreasing sales and declining profit margins. The threat of competition is also very huge and real. Smaller companies` have become even more competitive in the recent past. They have been on the mission of developing new products and expanding rapidly to various countries globally. Such companies include the GYG which specializes in Mexican dishes and Subway as well as KFC. This company threatens to eat into the market share of the McDonald`s. The changing demographics mean that the consumer tastes and preferences have changed and hence there is need to understand what the consumers want. The emergence of more health-conscious customers has become a threat to most of the companies in this industry since most of the products are viewed as contributing to being overweight and other health complications. The global combined revenues of the companies in the fast food industry are over $570 billion. In the United States alone, the revenues were estimated to be slightly above $200 billion in the year 2015. This is a huge growth from the 1970s overall revenues of about $6 billion. The global fast food industry is expected to grow at a rate of 2.5% per year for the next five years. The consumers in this industry mainly focus on tastes, prices, and quality of products being offered. Customers also focus on the quality of service, consistency of customer experience, affordability as well as speed. Fast food restaurants and fast casuals make up a significant portion of the industries` market share. The restaurants have a reputation for consistency, simplicity, good feel and music. Customers order and pay at the counter and then take the food out or grab a tray to sit and enjoy the meal. There is no table service in this model. The Mexican food has been slowly eating into the market share of hamburgers which were the most popular fast food in the restaurant. This has contributed to the growth of outlets such as the Guzman Y Gomez. Challenges facing the industry There are a variety of challenges facing the global fast food industry. These challenges include: Perceptions of unhealthy menus. The fast foods have a reputation for being unhealthy and this has been challenged since the tastes of the customer are shifting more to healthy food. The other challenge is that of poor working relations and low wages. The workers in the fast-food restaurant are paid so poorly and this affects their morale. A study conducted in the United States in the recent past indicates that the workers are paid so poorly that more than half of them depend on public assistance programs. The industry has also suffered cultural degradation with the introduction of Taco Bell which is not real Mexican food. Trends in the industry and responses to the challenges There has been a trend where consumers are so concerned about their health and what they eat. To deal with this challenge, many companies in this industry have introduced healthier foods such as salads and fruits. Mexican dishes are also becoming increasingly popular. The consumer is also very considerate of the prices. This has prompted many of the industry players to come up with ways in which they can minimize costs in order to offer more competitive pricing. New micro franchising cuisines are becoming increasingly popular. This includes chicken and burger franchises as well as the Mexican and Chinese dishes franchises. The location of the restaurants is also changing. Drive-thru and stand-alone stores are becoming unpopular with counter service becoming more accepted. Conclusion This case study has been able to thoroughly review the literature review conducted on Guzman Y Gomez. It contains a detailed critical analysis of the Guzman Y Gomez expansion plan through franchising. The paper identifies and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of franchising to both the franchiser and the franchisee. In addition to this, the review helps to identify the important trends and factors that the company needs to understand when expanding to new countries. This paper also contains an in-depth analysis of McDonald`s Australia which is one of the biggest competitors of Guzman Y Gomez. The final section of the paper is an analysis of the industry to identify the new trends and the challenges facing this industry. References Alon, i. (2012). Global franchising operations management: Cases in international and emerging markets operations. Upper saddle river, n.j., ft press/pearson. Allen, g., albala, k. (2007). The business of food: Encyclopedia of the food and drink industries. Westport, conn, greenwood press. Best, a. L. (2017). Fast food kids: French fries, lunch lines, and social ties. Chan, s., zakkour, m. (2014). China's super consumers: What 1 billion customers want and how to sell it to them. Dempster, l. (2010). The australian veg food guide 2010/2011. Brunswick, vic, aduki independent press. Hayes, d., laudan, r. (2009). Food and nutrition. New york, marshall cavendish reference. Jou, c. (2017). Supersizing urban america how inner cities got fast food with government help. Chicago, united states, university of chicago press. Http://lib.myilibrary.com?Id=1003353. Gagnon, r., gagnon, e. (2011). Appetite for acquisition: The we sell restaurants guide to sell a restaurant. Mustang, oklahoma, tate publishing enterprises. Mcmurray, a., clendon, j. (2011). Community health and wellness: Primary health care in practice. Chatswood, n.s.w., elsevier australia. Http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?Direct=truescope=sitedb=nlebkdb=nlabkan=448468. Perritt, j., henry h. (2016). Employment law update 2016. [place of publication not identified], wolters kluwer law bus. Pilcher, j. M. (2014). Planet taco a global history of mexican food. Cary, oxford university press, usa. Plunkett, j. W. (2007). Plunkett's food industry almanac 2007: Food industries market research, statistics, trends leading companies. Plunkett research ltd. Plunkett, j. W. (2017). Plunkett's restaurant, hotel hospitality industry almanac 2017. [place of publication not identified], plunkett research. Ritzer, g., ritzer, g. (2008). The mcdonaldization of society 5. Los angeles, calif, pine forge press. Ritzer, g. (2011). Globalization: The essentials. Http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?P=645003. Smith, a. F., smith, a. F. (2012). Fast food and junk food: An encyclopedia of what we love to eat. Walker, j. R. (2008). The restaurant: From concept to operation. Hoboken, n.j., john wiley sons. Http://www.123library.org/book_details/?Id=7571.