Microeconomics Module †Supply and Demand

Ice-cream is one of the most popular food products in all parts of the world. In 2001 alone, the worldwide production of ice-cream reached an unprecedented 14.1 billion litres (Clarke, 2004). The United States remains an unchangeable leader of the ice cream market, with the annual consumption of approximately 22 litres per capita (Clarke, 2004). More than 90% of American households buy ice-cream and related products on a daily basis (Clarke, 2004). Two-thirds of ice-cream products are eaten outside home (Clarke, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomics Module – Supply and Demand specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It goes without saying that a multitude of factors affects the supply and demand of Baskin Robbins ice-cream. The main factors of demand include the number of buyers, income and tastes, price of complementary or substitute goods, as well as future expectations (Petroff, 2002). Any incre ase in consumer incomes will inevitably increase the demand for ice-cream. Changes in tastes can increase or reduce the demand for Baskin Robbins products. For example, consumers will buy more ice-cream from Baskin Robbins, if eating ice-cream becomes a matter of prestige. Simultaneously, consumers may easily switch to other ‘entertainment’ foods like popcorn or candies, if their price decreases. Baskin Robbins must be particularly cautious about consumer expectations, as any changes in future prices may cause serious shifts in the demand for ice-cream. Consumers who expect that food prices will grow may choose to stay away from ‘non-critical’ food products like ice-cream. If other food products become cheaper, consumers may choose to spend more money on Baskin Robbins products. The main determinants of supply include the number of sellers, production costs, new technologies, prices of complementary goods, and future expectations (Petroff, 2002). As the num ber of ice-cream manufacturers increases, Baskin Robbins will have to reduce the supply of ice-cream products and focus on selling and marketing the most competitive product varieties. Lower taxes and new technologies will increase the supply of Baskin Robbins ice-cream products to the market. Price always affects the amount of goods and services which consumers are willing to purchase. Quantity demanded is â€Å"the number of units of a good that consumers are willing and can afford to buy over a specified period of time† (Baumol Blinder, 2008, p.57). Price is the main predictor of the quantity of ice-cream demanded by consumers. The growing price of ice-cream will reduce consumers’ willingness to purchase the product. The demand for ice-cream products is extremely elastic, and changes in price may disproportionately affect the quantity demanded. However, price is not the only factor of changes in the supply and demand of ice-cream.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The effects of minimum wages on the market and consumers are well-documented. In 1940, Hagen wrote that any increase in minimum wages would expand the economy’s propensity to consume through changes in income distribution and at the expense of businesses and entrepreneurs. Simply stated, when the government raises the minimum wage, it also increases consumer incomes and the economy’s purchasing power. As a result, consumers will have more money to spend on ice-cream. Simultaneously, any increase in the minimum wage adds to the burden of production costs on firms. Baskin Robbins will have to spend more on wages and salaries for its employees. In this situation, the firm will either have to raise the price of ice-cream or reduce the amount of products supplied to the market. Whatever the choice, Baskin Robbins will have to change its business strategies, to maximiz e its profits under the new market conditions. Conclusion A multitude of factors affects the supply and demand of ice-cream. Price always predetermines the amount of good consumers are willing to purchase. Any increase in the minimum wage will increase consumer incomes and add to the burden of costs on firms. As a result, businesses will have to adjust their strategies, to maximize their profits under the new market conditions. References Baumol, W.J. Blinder, A.S. (2008). Microeconomics: Principles and policy. Boston: Cengage Learning. Clarke, C. (2004). The science of ice-cream. London: Royal Society of Chemistry. Hagen, E.E. (1940). Elasticity of demand and a minimum wage. The American Economic Review, 30(3), 574-576. Petroff, J. (2002). Chapter 1: Demand and supply. Microeconomics. Retrieved from https://www.peoi.org/Courses/Coursesen/mic/fram1.htmlAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomics Module – Supply and Demand specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Microeconomics Module – Supply and Demand was written and submitted by user Neil U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Science Research Paper

Science Research Paper For years consciousness was not researched in the scientific community. The scientific community is very objective and saw the internal mental processes of consciousness as being too subjective to study. Just recently, scientists, philosophers, and psychologists have been rejecting the idea than consciousness is too hard to study and have been attempting to try to understand its true meaning. Consciousness is one of many mysteries in the scientific world that social scientists and neuroscientists presently can’t agree on. Consciousness has been at the center of many discussions in articles and books involving neuroscientists and psychologists. They have been debating over what field will constitute consciousness, psychology or neuroscience. Neuroscience is considered a â€Å"hard science† and Psychology is considered a â€Å"social science.† What do I mean by â€Å"hard science† and â€Å"social science?† A hard science is a science that is completely objective in its research and doesn’t speculate or determine the subjectivity of the area in which it is studying. A social science is a science that deals with the subjectivity of an area of study. Psychology is the science of the human soul. It is the scientific knowledge of the activities and functions of the human soul relating to the brain and consciousness experience. It is concerned with the facts and is objective to a point, but tends to speculate more than a hard science and also develops theories that are not necessarily able to be proven true. Because Psychology uses theories to tie the physical aspects to the psychological ones, it will have a greater role in the near future in explaining the mysteries of consciousness. What is consciousness? Many have tried to define consciousness but none presently have developed a definition that is acceptable to all scientists. Francis Crick, a Professor at Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, defines consciousness as, â€Å"attention and short term memory† (99). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines consciousness as â€Å"immediate knowledge or perception of the presence of any object, state, or sensation or a special awareness or sensitivity.† (174). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language has a more vivid definition of consciousness but neither fully explain all the elements involved in consciousness. Supporters of neuroscience believe that the mystery of consciousness can be solved using technology, and there is no need for social scientists to speculate over why the brain functions in the way it does. They believe in the future they will have the technology to understand all the functi ons of the brain. Psychologists on the other hand believe that technology can’t possibly answer the questions concerning how the brain interprets the things we perceive and what gives rise to subjective experience. David J. Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona, categorizes the questions in consciousness into two types of categories. The â€Å"hard problems† and the â€Å"easy problems† (98). The â€Å"easy problems† are concerned with interpreting how the brain’s functions work. They are very objective questions and will probably be answered by neuroscience in the future. An example of an â€Å"easy problem† would be, how do different neurons in different sectors come together at a precise moment and form a picture in our brain? The â€Å"hard problems† deal with the â€Å"why† questions. They ask how the brain’s processes work to bring us a subjective experience. An example of a hard problem would be, why do we b ecome sad when a certain song is played? Other hard problems are how our eyes perceive things and why these neural pathways are connected to the brain. These questions are all questions that cannot possibly be explained by neuroscience, they may however be able to be explained by theories developed by psychologists. So far only the â€Å"easy questions† about consciousness have been addressed by scientists and neuroscientists, and there hasn’t been a theory devised by either neuroscientists or psychologists completely explaining what consciousness is. David J. Chalmers classifies the views of consciousness into two groups, mysterianism and reductionism (97). The reductionists believe that one day consciousness will be fully explained by the methods used only by the hard sciences. There are two key figures in the area of neuroscience that are considered reductionists. Francis Crick of the Salk Institute of Biological Studies in San Diego and Christof Koch of the California Institute of Technology, propose that â€Å"consciousness comes from certain oscillations in the cerebral cortex that fire neurons that are precisely synchronized with different parts of the brain† (99). In this way two pieces of information in the brain come together to make a whole picture. This hypothesis might in time answer one of the easy questions of consciousness but it doesn’t answer the hard question of why these oscillations give us a conscious experience. This explanation of consciousness and many others like it explain how the functions of the brain carry out functions but don’t touch on why the performance of these functions accompany a conscious experience. David J. Chalmers describes mysterians as â€Å"believing that consciousness will never be explained by either psychology or neuroscience† (97). He believes consciousness is very difficult to understand fully, but in time may be resolved by a new theory from the Psychological world. Such a theory would have to envelop physical laws that tell us about behavior in the physical systems of the brain. The new theory would also have to encompass psychological laws that tell us how those systems are associated with conscious experiences. If these two components are combined they will explain all there is to know about consciousness. This theory will not be conclusively testable because there will be a lot of speculation involved, but if the theory coincides with the data gathered from the physical research in experiments done, then it will be considered a good theory. Consciousness will always be a mystery to the â€Å"hard sciencesâ€Å" and the â€Å"social sciences.† Technology will not advance enough to fully explain consciousness in the near future. It will take a huge breakthrough in neuroscience to even begin to explain all the elements that give rise to a conscious experience. The only way consciousness will be explained presently is by a psychological theory that can tie physical aspects into psychological aspects. To accomplish this, one must do some speculation, and if one has to speculate, his theory will not be acceptable to the hard sciences because it isn’t backed by hard facts. There is no plausible way neuroscience can explain all the elements related to consciousness because its technological resources are so limited. Psychology can theorize about why the brain’s functions operate the way they do, but they will ultimately have no way of proving their theories. Both areas of science have their weaknesses, bu t psychology is much closer to explaining the â€Å"why† questions about consciousness than is neuroscience. Neither Neuroscience nor psychology may ever understand consciousness, but psychology is our best bet in our quest to understand the functions of the brain that make us aware, or conscious.

Multinational Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multinational Management - Essay Example is a market system, which greatly affects the operation of multinational companies, as they have to devolve more resources to the grass root level to satisfy the local consumption (Sage Publications, 2011). Market economic system on the other hand gets characterized by completion as each person does the best to suit the customers. Cumulative change in decisions by individuals seriously affects the operation of multinational companies as this affects the supply and demand of different commodities. In addition, the market economic system is influenced by tastes as preferences of customers, which vary with changing factors. This greatly affects operations of multinational companies. Various religious ethics affects the environment. To start with is the dominion of religions a factor, which guides where to sell a good and what type of good to sell. For instance, the Christian believers use the bible as their references book, which teaches them to be having dominance over the earth. According to western religions, the natural world exists for the benefit of human (Fernando, 2010). This calls for the existence of intrinsic values that affects the business environment. Apart from dominion stewardship, also exist as a dominant business philosophy. Religious people are regulated by their trust which item to buy and where to use it this greatly affect the business environment. The effects of education on multinational strategies are very diverse. To start with is the increased economic cost in implementation of extra education activities. An organization for instance can engage in education systems to create awareness among the employees on the use of computers. This will increase efficiency however the cost of education in such a scenario will be expensive thereby affecting international businesses. In addition, technological business advancements has been a leading factor that is affected greatly many business organizations. For instance, the introduction of e- commerce

International intervention and Pathways to Peace in Kashmir Essay

International intervention and Pathways to Peace in Kashmir - Essay Example In 1947, the British dominion of India came to an end with the creation of two new nations. Each of the 565 Indian princely states had to decide which of the two new nations to join, India or Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir, which had a predominantly Muslim population and a Hindu ruler, was the largest of these autonomous states and bordered both modern countries. Its ruler was the Hari Singh. Hari Singh preferred to remain independent and sought to avoid the stress placed on him by either India and Pakistan by playing each against the other. But under pressure he decided to accede to India which created this dispute. The Indian claim centers on the agreement between the Maharaja Hari Singh, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Lord Mountbatten according to which the erstwhile Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India through the instrument of accession. Even though more than 80% of India's population practices Hinduism, the President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is a Muslim while the leader of the ruling Congress Party is a Catholic. Indians also maintain that Kashmiris would be better off in India because they claim that Muslims are better off in India than in any other non-Muslim nation. India says Kashmir its integral part on the basis of following reasons: 2. 1. For a UN Resolution subscribing Plebiscite monitored by any third neutral party, Pakistan should first vacate its part of Kashmir. 2. India does not accept the Two Nation Theory that forms the basis of Pakistan, rather India says that majority is authority and any nation in India can get power through democratic institutions, hence there is no need of plebscite. 3. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is made autonomous by the article 370 of the Constitution of India. 4. India alleges that most of the terrorists operating in Kashmir are themselves Pakistanis from Pakistan administered Kashmir and that Pakistan has been involved in State sponsored terrorism. First Pakistan should control that cross border terrorism then India would go towards any acceptable solution of the dispute. 5. India regard Pakistan's claim to Kashmir based largely on religion alone to be no longer correct because now India has more muslims than Pakistan. Pakistani view Historically, the Pakistani claim on Kashmir has been based on the fact that the majority of Kashmir population is Muslim and, if given the option, most Kashmiris would vote to join Pakistan or seek independence. Since 1951, Pakistan has been demanding India to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir as agreed by both nations in 1951 at UNO forum. Pakistan claims that Kashmiris took a violent path to independence only when they became hopeless and disillusioned about their future in the late 1980s. Pakistan claims that India is now using excessive state forces to suppress the freedom struggle of Kashmiris and in doing so, is causing severe human rights violations in the disputed territory of Indian occupied Kashmir (Peter 2006). This is also documented by several human rights groups. Pakistan further claims that: 1. According to the two-nation theory by which Pakistan was formed, originally Kashmir should have been with Pakistan, because it has a absolute Muslim majority. Pakistan believes that given a choice, almost all Kashmiris will vote. 2. India has shown disregard to the resolutions of the UN, by not holding a

Mapp v. Ohio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mapp v. Ohio - Research Paper Example In 1957, it was believed by the Cleveland Police Department that Dollree Mapp and her daughter were hiding a wanted suspected bombing fugitive at their home. Upon demanding entrance into her home, Mapp was advised by her attorney to deny them entrance as they did not possess the proper search papers. As time passed, more officers arrived at her home, still demanding entrance. Tired of being denied, they forced a door open and made their way into Mapp’s house. Immediately, Mapp required them to show proof that they had the authority to enter her house at all; in response, the officers procured a warrant, which turned out to be just a piece of paper completely unrelated to a search warrant. Although Mapp was able to grab the â€Å"warrant†, it was pulled from her later, and when confronted in court, the police were unable to show proof that the document had been real. As the officers searched the house for the bombing suspect, they find a trunk in Mapp’s basement that contains a variety of â€Å"lewd and lascivious (Cohen, 2009)† books and photographs. Even though Mapp claimed that the trunk was being held for a friend, police still arrested her, as the possession of these materials were against Ohio law. However, despite what police found, there was never any hint of a fugitive or any wanted person in the house. All the same, Mapp was convicted by the Court of Common Pleas based on the material that had been found in her home. When Mapp tried to appeal to the Ohio Court of Appeals, she was again to be found in the wrong. She took her case to the Supreme Court of Ohio, where her attorney fought that Mapp has no reason to have been brought to trial as the evidence in question was obtained as the result of an illegal search that had been accomplished without the use of a warrant. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled against Mapp, claiming that the items from the trunk had been taken from an inanimate object and not a human being, allowing the

Legal And Ethical Practice For Learning Disability

Legal And Ethical Practice For Learning Disability The drive towards the provision of person-centred services for people with learning disabilities, has acquired a vast amount of policy makers attention in the United Kingdom (Cambridge, 2008). Valuing People (UK Department of Health, 2001) has been the most fundamental government paper that has prompted a change in the way current health and social care services operate. Collaboration can be seen as an important facilitator in delivering quality healthcare and achieving an holistic care service (Xyrichis et al., 2008). However, previous research focusing on teamwork in healthcare has been criticised for lacking a basic understanding of what this concept represents. This assignment aims to address the importance of inter-professional and multi- professional collaboration within the health and social care domain, when working with adults with learning disabilities. The concept of working together originated under the umbrella term mutli-agency team working; this term dominated the discourse of policy and practice in the first years of the 21st Century. Mutli-agency teams were drawn together from distinct agencies for a set period of time and for a particular task whilst other groups of professionals came together as interagency teams simply for a particular project or case (Anning 2006). An example is a group of health practitioners, social workers and carers, reviewing and monitoring service provision and access to person-centred services for adults with learning disabilities. The government have advocated for Learning Disability Partnership Boards to be set up so as to make it a priority that service users dont fall between the gaps and that they receive sufficient support and access to person-centred services. Clark (1993) states that inter-professional and inter-disciplinary practice can be used interchangeably. Inter-Professional working occurs when two or more professionals collaborate together in order to provide patient-centred care and a better quality of care; for instance the interaction between a general practitioner and a nurse. Multi-professional working occurs when professionals from health related occupations and varying backgrounds come together for a particular case. For example a diabetes team, whose primary function could be to assess, monitor and inform all people with diabetes within a particular catchment population. The team would mostly comprise of a consultant endocrinologist, two diabetes specialist nurses, a dietician and podiatrist. The UK Department of Education (2003) conducted research which shows that a person with a disability is likely to be in contact with more than ten different professionals in their lifetime. Throughout this time, issues can arise which may lead to a lack of continuity and co-ordination of care services. This is the main reason why the government advocates for an integrated approach for health and social care provision. This is not limited to healthcare but also outside of the domain, as different organisations have their own role to play. For instance, disparate services such as education, training, housing and employment need to work together and have a certain level of access to information about a client, whist maintaining patient confidentiality. For example the transition from secondary care to tertiary care such as from hospital to a residential home would require varying levels of expertise. An occupational therapist to examine the environment that the patient will be moving to, a medical practitioner to identify the need for the patient to be moved, a nurse to ensure continuity of care and a social worker to ascertain the level of support required on a day to day basis. The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest organisation in Europe, and is recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the best healthcare services in the world (Department of Health, 2000). The Healthcare Act (1999) requires NHS organisations to work together in partnership (Glendinning et al, 2001) yet evidence such as the Lord Lamming report suggests that barriers to inter-professional and multi-professional practice still exist. Lord Lammings findings of the Victoria Climbià © inquiry highlighted that poor co-ordination and a lack of communication between agencies, was central to her untimely death. Since the publication of Every Child Matters (Department for Education and Skills 2003) local authorities are now developing innovative solutions for information sharing known as an Information Hub. Clear and effective communication between all parities is required for this to be successful, with specific reference to learning disability, care providers work and plan in different ways such as PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows With Hope) therefore it is even more important to clearly document and share information freely in order to foster the implementation of care plans and create value in the best interest of service users, service providers and other professionals. Traditionally, the NHS relied on paper records such as patient files, letters and referral forms. This was subject to unauthorised access, loss, a breach in patient confidentiality and a lack of accurate and up-to-date information. However due to the National Programme for Information Technology (UK Department of Health, 2005) and advances in technology, information sharing is more accessible due to the use of electronic databases which has security mechanisms to prevent malpractice and unauthorised access as well as upholding clinical governance. As outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct (2008) quality record-keeping and evidence based policies are necessary for effective communication. However, this can in turn result in inactive collaboration (Daly 2004) with each professional group having a singular input into patient care. Purtilo and Haddad (1996) state that verbal communication is important in sustaining the relationship between patients and healthcare professio nals. Regular meetings of a multi-professional team with a common care pathway can aid the teams collaboration. Professional identity and patient power, is another factor which must be considered. Leathard (1994) points out that the rivalry between professional groups can inhibit collaborative working. Power struggles within society for example between, experienced colleagues and inexperienced colleagues are barriers towards successful inter-professional working. However, new approaches in care provision such as skill-mixing and a drive towards person-centred services utilises the authority of the patient to govern the priorities of an inter-professional team as well as valuing each member of a team and their contribution. A difference in philosophies of care is also a key factor, as different professional groups have different moral and ethical philosophies in care provision. Such as, the paternalistic approach of a medical practitioner versus the approach of a public health advocate (Daly 2004).Recent research suggests that inter-professional working can lead to verbal abuse; professional au tonomy is challenged when professionals work together in groups. A study conducted by (Joubert, Du Rand, VanWyk.., 2005) reported that nurses experienced high levels of verbal abuse by physicians. A tense environment can lead to poor working conditions and a higher risk of errors (Celik et al 2007). Professionals have different pay brackets, which is defined according to their professional group and then their role within the group. Issues that may arise include resource allocation and funding for staff. At present the UK is involved in global crisis and the economy is central to restoration as jobs are at risk and services are being cut which is a hindrance to mutli-professional working. There staff shortages within the NHS, which can damage interaction between groups and see a decline in collaboration. However, Leathard (1994) states that that advantage of inter-professional lies in the more efficient use of staff. Integrated care lies at the heart of health and social care provision and is at the future management of people with learning disabilities. The Care Programme Approach (CPA) was introduced in 1991 as a framework for people who require support from a range of different care service providers. The aim of the approach was to promote personalisation by consolidating services into a single service known as a care co-ordination model (Goodwin, 2010). The concepts of inter-professional and mutli-professional teamwork can promote effective and efficient patient care. A patient is able to receive expertise specific to the individuals problem, and a team can provide co-ordination which can prevent any aspect of the patients care being overlooked. Professionals are able to share knowledge and skills however it is important to understand how professions can work together amicably as ethical dilemmas can arise. Core values such as altruism, advocacy and integrity are important in health and socia l practice and all staff should adhere to professional codes of conduct. Total Word Count: 1,365 Including Headings and References

Women of the Revolution Essay examples -- History, War, Feminism

Women are frequently overlooked when it comes to history in the 18th centuries. They were there in the flesh for all of the historical events, but they are rarely mentioned. Everyone has heard of the â€Å"Founding Fathers†, but students rarely hear about the â€Å"Founding Mothers† in their curriculum. Although women did not directly plan out our government, they still deserve to be given some credit for it. The roles that women played during the Revolutionary War greatly influenced the outcome of the war and the country that resulted from it. Women had all kinds of roles to play when it came to the Revolutionary War. Although their roles might not seem as important to the public as the other women involved, women at home is one of the many factors that helped keep the United States in the war. Many women just kept control of the house and farm and made sure nothing went wrong (Hanafore). Others housed wounded soldiers that were in need of refuge. A few women even started organizations that regularly sent supplies like food and clothing to the soldiers that were fighting (Zitek). There was even a woman who wrote a book to inform the public of the affairs of the war (Pavao). Esther Reed was one such woman who helped start an organization to help the soldiers who were fighting. Her organization was known as the Philadelphia Association. The Association felt sympathy for the soldiers and decided to take action. They raised money to send to the soldiers, however, George Washington did not approve of this. Instead, the women decided to send warm shirts to the soldiers. They each stitched their names into the shirts they made as a little spirit-raiser to the soldiers out in the cold. The soldiers were reminded that everyone was appreciativ... ...-war-women.html>. "Revolutionary War — Central Intelligence Agency." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. . "Women and the Revolutionary War." American History and World History at Historycentral.com the Largest and Most Complete History Site on the Web. MultiEducator, Inc.Ê, 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. . "Women Spies- Miss Jenny." Spy Letters of the American Revolution. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. . Zitek, Carl. "Women in The American Revolution." SCORE History/Social Science. Sunnyslope Elementary School. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. .