Challenges in Managing Innovation Across Supply Chains â€Evaluation and Implementation

[pic] Business Major-Minor Supply Chain Management Course Assignment Challenges in Managing Innovation across Supply Chains —Evaluation and Implementation Student: Ying Deng Student ID:1205690 Course Number: 07 14511 Teacher: Professor Dr Victoria Hanna Date: 10/01/2013 Acknowledgement This research paper is written for the subject: â€Å"Global Marketing† in the University of Birmingham. Firstly, we would like to thanks Almighty Lord to give us knowledge and keep us healthy during the whole period of our research work.Secondly, we are greatly indebted to our lecturer and advisor-Professor David Walker for his valued opinions and expert advice in the preparation of this thesis. Thirdly, we would like to express our appreciation to the convenient internet that greatly helped us to find whatever information that we needed. Finally, we want to express our gratitude to the Fujifilm Corporation for its kind assistance and support throughout the writing progress of this thesi s.We have also managed to collect some important information from the relative journals and books. All group members of the assignment University of Birmingham, April 2012 Table of contents Acknowledgement Abstract Importance of supply chain innovation Innovation and its source and types Challenge of innovation management—evaluation of innovation Effect of buyer-supplier power relations Example cases of success and failureChallenge of innovation management—implementation of innovation Implementation’s detailed challenges in different types of industry—service and physical goods Implementation’s detailed challenges in different types of industry—emerging and mature industries More challenges in innovation management REFERENCES Abstract Title of course: Supply Chain Management Program: Various. Authors: Ying Deng Supervisor: Dr Victoria Hanna Date: Sep 2012 to Dec 2012 Background: The complexity and scale of any firm’s supply chain has made the management of supply chain innovation difficult and full of uncertainty.However the fast developing market requires the supply chain to innovate as fast and efficient as possible. There are amounts of successful and failed cases of innovations across supply chain from the last centuries, yet it is a big challenge to successfully manage the innovations. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate what Fujifilm did and is doing to develop in the global circumstance and with all the internal and external factors’ impacts, also what it probably will or should do in the future to maintain its current status and to improve.Conclusion: After evaluating Fujifilm’s history and current situation along with its recent marketing feedback data, also referring to abundant marketing theories and books, we will suggest Fujifilm to take various acts and strategies to remain competitive and maintain & increase its market share. Keywords: Supple chain, Innovation, Manag ement, Evaluation, Risk, Implementation, Buyer-supplier power, Product life cycle, Pre- and Post-contractual, service and physical goods, emerging and mature industriesThe â€Å"18 months law† (Gorden E, Moore, 1965) had suggested and been proved that the electronic market doubles its product’s function while halves its prices. The other industries, while maybe slower than the electronics but similarly fast changing, suggests, that the businesses innovate in every possible aspects within and related to themselves, to fit into the fast pace of today’s dynamic world with the information explosion, to catch up with the increasing globalization, savage price competition, increased customer demand for enhanced quality and reliability.Studies and experiences show that R&D spending is strongly positively associated with the probability of introducing a new product, and most of the businesses are willing to invest in the R&D activities to create the internal innovations (BRDIS data, NSF 11-300). However, apart from the internal R&D, the innovation can also be gained both from the supply chain itself such as by re-organizing resources or enhancing distribution systems, and the other ends across the supply chain, such as improvement from end-users’ feedback. One of the well-known examples is P&G's Continuous Replenishment Planning (CRP).The company Proctor & Gamble changed the entire value chain by driving orders based on DC withdrawal and sales data that successfully improved its service and reduced costs across the supply channel (Roger C. Vergin, & Kevin Barr, 1999). The direct customer input derives innovation, such as the overall product concept, and the timing of the launch to packaging and delivery (Kevin O'Marah, 2005). Other typical examples including innovations caused by improved assembly line such as the Ford Company in the early 1910s, and advanced technologies and processes such as the enhanced Ocean shipping container by Malcom Mclean in the 1956, etc.According to Porter’s five forces theory, the business is affected by its suppliers, customers, new enchants and new substitutes (Micheal E, Porter, 1979). Supply chain as it stands for, is usually regarded as the flow of resources and products from the supplier, through the firm, to the customers. Supply chain links the supplier, the business and the end-users (customers), as one of its key natures. The other features include its complexity caused by the fact that businesses’ product manufacturing or service providing usually involves more than one supplier and customer.These facts lead to the high possibility of innovations from the supply chain. Not only has the physical goods’ flow in the supply provided opportunities of innovation, but also the information flow from the opposite direction of the physical goods. The sources of innovation are mainly concluded as â€Å"push† and â€Å"pull† (Clegg, Juliana & Pilkington, 2 011). The â€Å"push† stands for technological opportunities that breed the innovation. The â€Å"pull† stands for market needs that urge for innovation. Also, there are more than the two sources, such as regulation change, users’ feedback, staff, etc.Innovation across supply chain can be from both to the â€Å"pull† and â€Å"push† fact just as the examples of Ford and P&G respectively. As stated above, the vast source of innovation of supply chain and from the supply chain provides a great pool of ideas and potential. However, accordingly, the variety also raises the problem of whether a specific innovation actually suits the business and the industry, and whether it can actually fulfill the aim of innovation—to make the profit rise, to satisfy stakeholder’s interests better by changes such as reduced cost or added value.The scale of supply chain raises the uncertainty of an innovation. This brings us to the discussion of challenges in managing innovation. How to evaluate the suitability of a supply chain innovation to an firm? Will there be any potential constraints to the innovation in the supply chain? How to deal with the timing issue of the evaluation? Will this innovation be risky in any part of the supply chain, from the supplier to the customer? Innovation can mainly be sorted into four types: Product, Process, Position, and Paradigm (4P’s).Whichever it is sorted into, innovation can be defined as a new idea, or the recombination of old ideas, or a scheme than challenges present order, or a formula, or a unique approach (Van de Ven, 1986:591). Most examples of the simple innovation are R&D departments’ new product design. This type of innovation are usually based on careful market research, built after detailed study of profitability and potential risk, released into the market after thorough limited-scoop test and trial. model) During all this process, the staff of the firm can gain full understanding of the design, and the design can be changed at any stage of the process to fit into the firm’s expectations and the market’s current trends. Also, as this type of innovation origins within the firm, the main timing issue of it will lay on the dynamic need and technology of the external market environment, while the consideration of competitors’ imitation/substitute can be comparatively lower as all the details could be kept in house or by patenting.On the other hand, innovations from the supply chain could be different. As the innovation can lay in any part of the supply chain, such as a enhanced information exchange system, or the distribution system’s transformation, the innovation will need thorough evaluation process to decide its suitability, such as the Farbey et al. (1993) and  Farbey & Finkelstein (2000) IS implementation’s evaluation framework. The effect of the innovation might not fit into the firm’s market envir onment and its current situation’s strategy.One of the most important aspects of the supply chain management is to study the buyer-supplier power relation, to reduce cost and increase value of the supply chain. Innovations across the supply chain, whether it is an information update or system reform or use of new technology, they can influence the power relation of the supply chain, desirably or undesirably. Positive changes to the power relation can help the firm gain a favorable position in or after the process of purchase/signing of contract.Taking the consideration of buyer-supplier power shift before an innovation is adopted is vital to the success of its implementation. The power relations, affected by information, scarcity and utility, can actually decide the profitability of the production and risk distribution between the firm itself and its suppliers & buyers. If the innovation to the supply chain lowers the liability to specific supply of materials, for example, th en the firm’s buyer power towards its supplier increases, with a possibility to bargain for lower prices on the materials.If, however, the liability is increased by the innovation, the supplier’s power increases, giving them the power to increase the selling price. The innovations, bringing changes to the current buyer-supplier relations, have the risk of lowering the buyer/supplier power of the firm, hence putting the firm in a unfavorable position in the supply chain, with the consequence of new or increased cost paid to suppliers, or reduced price to the buyers. It may also cause a decline in quality or efficiency as a series consequence.The wrong evaluation of the changes an innovation can bring to the supply chain and its buyer-supplier relations can be disastrous. Let us have a look at the Aris Isotoner’s 1994 sourcing calamity case. Trying to lower the cost, the executive of the company replaced the in-house production with outsourcing from suppliers in o ther Asian locales. However, this approach did not reduce the cost but raised it around 10-20%. Also, the responding speed was found slower, and the quality of the product was plummeted.As a series result, the company’s sales halved, causing more than $100 million loss and long lasting effects that required more investing to maintain the company. The Aris case is a clear example of how important it is to accurately evaluate the suitability and risk level of an innovation. The idea of outsourcing needs to be considered together with the current difference between in-house production and buying from suppliers. Not only the cost need to be considered, but also the quality of the product, and the speed of product supply.Taking it a little further, the communication process with the supplier can incur unexpected costs, for example, the lawyer fee. The matter of unemployment to the old plant’s employees could possibly cause HR problems that need time and effort to solve. The financial situation of the company may go through cash flow issues since the purchase of product can be much more expensive than raw materials. If the case is the other way around, that a company wants to bring the components’ production in-house, there can be multiple considerations, too.Apart from the problem of cost, location and quality, there can be human resource (suitable staff for the new plant, for example) and technology problems. As the production technology is comparatively new to the firm’s staff, it could be difficult to build up efficiency with the same cost at the beginning. Before an innovation to the supply chain is brought into practice, it is crucial to consider every possible impact that this innovation can have. Based on the scale of even the tiniest company, this could be difficult not to miss any aspect.In fact, supply chain innovation is more than difficult to go over restricted-scale test as there are actually no samples of supply chain. Eith er put the innovation into practice to observe the result after a while, or â€Å"simulate† it in imaginary models that cannot be perfectly detailed and has considerable mistake rates. Even if the suitability and risk level of an innovation can be accessed, can the response of the whole supply chain be quick enough and accurate enough? Will the integration of changed resources, information, the staff’s thinking and supplier updating be in time?Will there be â€Å"distortions† within the communication between the ends of supply chain? Is there any demand or idea conflict in the different fraction of the supply chain? These can all be the challenges that an innovation in the supply chain can meet. Also because of the innovation across the supply chain can hardly be kept in house, the firm’s competitors can get access to the ideas and the two firms may enter the situation that whichever introduces the new idea into the market first gains more advantage.Thus the innovation from the supply chain might end up as low or even no profit after evaluation, adoption, development and testing. This brings us to the challenge of proper implementation method and speed of the innovation. Based on different types of the supply chain, natures of different industries and the different environment of the market, the concerns and priorities of the implementation can actually be completely different. We will look into the difference between service and physical goods supply chain, and the difference between mature and emerging industries’ supply chain in the following paragraphs.All the challenges mentioned above can be seen in both service supply chains and physical good’s supply chains. These two types of supply chains share many same challenges, such as cost management, resource allocation, etc. They both need to be more dispersed, digitized and dynamic to catch up with the market trends. Unless the physical goods industry can successfull y digest the brought-innovation to gain its own patents, the two types of industries will both face the challenge of competitors’ imitation and timing.They will have differences of challenges, such as () but the major ones are usually the same as mentioned above. However, their priorities could be totally different. Though the service and physical goods supply chains face the same challenges mentioned above, there are some major differences between these two types of supply chain innovation. The difference is not shown by challenge’s types, but by the importance or significance of the same challenge.For example, service supply chain face the challenge of updating their staff’s knowledge of the new innovation as human resource is vital to the business and they actually face more intangible innovation than tangible ones, while physical goods supply chains might need to focus more on updating the plants and materials to follow up the new innovation’s require ments. Service, as an intangible product, focus its value more on technologies, techniques and human resource that accomplishes the service, and customer interaction level is generally higher.This implements that the service industry will focus more on intangible equities than tangible ones. When an innovation is in operation, for example, a new set of service, the service supply chain may suffer huge losses if its human resource and technology cannot follow the change, which may even lead to complete failure on the innovation. Also, the tight relation between service and customer participation requires the supply chain to be highly agile (Narasimhan, et al, 2006) to deal with changing demands.On the other hand, the physical goods supply chains are less strained to keep their staff on the trend. After evaluation of innovation, they are more affected by the problems related to physical production, such as material’s moving, location, distribution, etc. In emerging markets and mature ones, there can be difference of priorities to manage challenges, too. See it from the product life cycle theory (PLC), the mature markets’ products have stabilized consumer base, and the strategy of the firm is set and focused.The mature industries tend to have more incremental innovations either on process or on the product, thus they might need more time to evaluate the innovation based on existing products, and the consideration of cost and stuff/culture conversion. The strategies such as cost leadership, focus strategy, or differentiation give specific demand of innovation—lower the cost, or quicker delivery, or advanced function, etc. The human resource is well equipped with needed knowledge and technique, whereas the thinking of staff is harder to change.The priority of innovation management could be stabilizing, maintaining, improving, thus call for incremental innovation. The challenges are featured as trying not to affect existing value creation activi ties. Opposite to it, the emerging industries are going through fast growth, and demands radical innovation that has the potential to largely increase revenue or significantly reduce cost. The emerging industries have more possibility to encounter major breakthroughs and the radical innovations. There may be tense competition for market share. The market is unstable and the corporate strategies could change every day to follow market trends.Based on the emerging market, the supply chain’s innovations need to be fast responding and competency-building. The difference of innovation’s requirements can result in different evaluation standards and different methods to carry out the innovations. What’s more, we can see from the buy-supplier relation perspective. The emerging industries’ supply chain may hold more possibilities of communicating with new suppliers for new resources, so there need to be thorough consideration of the pre-contractual power relations . Wrong estimation of power relations may cause unnecessary costs.This requires more work on cost management and balancing benefits between different parties. In some of the cases, emerging industries face less competition, so the challenge of timing could be minor, but a few other cases mainly on service industries show that the emerging business could face even more severe competition and their profitability can vary significantly according to the introduction time. The suitability of innovation could be even harder to decide, because they will need to evaluate by speculation instead of looking for existing experience.They can consider less on the culture/staff conversion, though, as the thinking mode has not been set up yet. While for mature industries the existing pre-contractual relations are relatively stable because the information and resource of the buyer and supplier, no matter whether they are new entrants or existing firms, will actually be more stable. They will need to consider post-contractual power relations carefully, though, when the supply chain innovations are related to the replacement of suppliers. The transaction cost economy (TCE) shows that any changes to existing contracts can raise uncertainty hence raise risk to the supply chain.Based on individual industries’ difference, the challenges of managing innovation across the supply chain can be different in importance, significance and difficulty to settle. The nature of the industry, for example, whether it is national or international business, determines the priorities of challenge management. This is more specific to the individual differences, and requires experience and thorough research and careful design to successfully manage the innovations. The above mentioned challenges of evaluation and implementation are just two aspects of the challenges that innovation across the supply chain might encounter.There are also other challenges, such as managing conflicting requirements between the innovation’s development and the existing system, managing long term human resource and culture in relation to the innovation, developing the proper strategy to achieve win-win situation with the new innovation, etc. The last two mentioned above link to the features of the supply chain—more than one party is involved. The difference of staff and culture between the source party of innovation and the receiver party of it leads to the need of change in minds for the new innovation.The fact of involvement of the multiple parties leads to the possibility of win-win situation. However, this possibility could be a challenge because this could be a scenario of the game theory. Innovations can be the source of huge breakthrough and greater success to a firm’s supply chain. It can also be the source to risk and failure of the firm. Managing the challenges of supply chain innovation, though it is complex and require great efforts, can reduce the risks of the innovation. References: Watson, G. and Lonsdale, C. (eds. ) (2003) Managing the Supply Base within Business Networks, chapter 4Allwright, A. and Oliver, R. (1993) Buying Goods and Services, chapters 12-14 R Verma and K K Boyer, (2010) Operations and Supply Chain Management: World Class Theory and Practice, South-Western Dong Won Cho, Young Hae Lee, Sung Hwa Ahn, Min Kyu Hwang, (2012)A framework for measuring the performance of service supply chain management, Soft Computing for Management Systems, 62(3), Pages 801–818 A. 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J. Caniels, Cees J. Gelderman,(2007) â€Å"Power and interdependence in buyer supplier relationships: A purchasing portfolio approach†, Industrial Marketing Management, Volume 36, Issue 2, Pages 219-229, ISSN 0019-8501, 10. 1016/j. indmarman. 2005. 08. 012. http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S001985010500132X) (28/12/2012) J M Tuazon, (2011)†The top three reasons supply chain transformations fail† [online], available from: enterprise innovation, http://enterpriseinnovation. net/whitepaper/top-three-reasons-supply-chain-transformations-fail (31/12/2012) â€Å"Procter & Gamble: Finding the Right Business Model† [Online], available from: https://dspace. ist. utl. pt/bitstream/2295/141516/1/AOSI-2007-CASOH. pdf (26/12/ 2012)

“A Study on the Relationship between Overpopulation and Depletion of Natural Resources that Affects the Economic Status of the Philippines” Essay

In the year 1990, there were approximately 60.70 million people living in the Philippines. Population increased from 1990 to 2000 by approximately 15.81 million people. In 2012, the Philippines total reaches 103.78 million compared to the 2000 population of 81.16 million. The size of the human population is changing at an extremely high rate in the last years which makes the state the 12th most overpopulated country in the whole world. According to U.S. Agency for International Development (2000), it is foreseen that in the year 2030, the population growth will be unstoppable and will be doubled. Population matters in country’s economy. The rapid population growth is revealed to have both affirmative and undesirable impact on economy and financial system of a country depending on how it is utilized. An overpopulated country is said to produce great number in terms of human resources. Villegas (2010) stated that large population is â€Å"both a source of manpower and as a base for a domestic market on which the economic growth of a country can be sustained, despite periodic ups and downs in the global market.† It also points positive impact on economies of scale and specialization, the possible spur to favorable motivation caused by increased dependency. However, overpopulation and rapid population growth hinders economic development. Theoretical analysis contends that high population growth creates pressures on limited natural resources. If population grows at 2% a year, supplies of housing, food and other goods must increase that much just to maintain the current standard of living. Water Resources Water is a basic economic resource which is a natural endowment to man. Nowadays, it is becoming a scarce resource with the ever-growing demand for household and industrial consumption. As an economic resource, pricing of water is largely determined by the cost of extraction from its natural water supply source and the cost of distribution. Water is likewise a basic need for the survival of individuals and family households. Many health and morbidity problems are associated with the quality and availability of water for human consumption. With the ever increasing population, the demand for potable water in urban areas has also increased, while the water sources began to decline over time. Water pollution is a major reason for the decreased availability of and access to clean potable water. This was the observation made by Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow Dr. Danilo Israel whose review imputes poor management of freshwater water resources, particularly in the area of water pollution. He says that while freshwater is abundant in the country, estimates show that only 39 percent of classified inland surface water bodies are potential water sources for domestic use. Based on further estimates, he also said that only 1,907 cubic meters (the second lowest among Southeast Asian countries) of freshwater are available to every Filipino annually. This predicament, according to Israel, is further exacerbated by water pollution. Access to clean and adequate water remains an acute seasonal problem in urban and coastal areas in the Philippines. The National Capital Region (Metro Manila), Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and Central Visayas are the four urban critical regions in terms of water quality and quantity. If this trend continues, more Filipinos will not have enough access to safe-drinking water especially since demand for clean water constantly increases with population growth. As a consequence, the country may not attain the Millennium Development Goal that at least 86.6 percent of the population should have adequate access to potable water by 2015. Cleanfreshwater is a vital natural resource and without its ample supply, the lives and health of people could be put to risk. Specifically, there is a positive relationship between water pollution and water-borne diseases. The World Bank, for instance, has estimated that exposure to water pollution and poor sanitation accounts for one-sixth of reported disease cases, and nearly 6,000 premature deaths per year. Additionally, just over a third or 36 percent of the country’s river systems are classified as sources of public water supply. Up to 58 percent of groundwater sampled is contaminated with coli form and needs treatment. Land Resources Land resources refer to a delineable area of the earth’s terrestrial surface, encompassing all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or below this surface, including those of the near-surface, climate, the soil and terrain forms, the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps), the near-surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater and geohydrological reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and physical results of past and present human activity (terracing, water storage or drainage structures, roads, buildings, etc.) (FAO/UNEP, 1997). Arable land (suitable for growing crops) covers just three percent of the world’s surface. Based on historical data arable land decreases by 25 million acres annually – it is estimated that one hectare (one hectare equals 2.47 acres) of productive land is lost every 7.67 seconds. The greatest causes of lost productive land are desertification and urbanization. New deserts are growing at a rate of 51,800 square kilometers per year. As the dwindling forest cover, logically increases rainfall runoff, which favors the floods, soil erosion and reduces the amount that seeps into the ground to recharge aquifers. Wetlands often disappear in bits and pieces as developers fill in small ponds or parts of swamps and deltas. The cumulative effect, however, can be devastating for wildlife and people. In some states, more than 90 percent of wetlands have vanished. Wetlands not only support wildlife but also filter the drinking supply humans rely on. Half of the planet’s plant and animal species live in rainforests. Less than 2.5 billion acres of tropical forest remain from the four billion acres on Earth just a few hundred years ago. That translates to a huge loss of habitat, and the likely extinction of untold species. Most of the deforestation has occurred in the last few decades. There are many causes of habitat destruction, including logging, mining, oil drilling, and exploiting other natural resources; clearing land for agriculture and cattle ranches; development for residential areas; and roads for people to do all these activities. If the present rate of destruction continues, today’s forests will be gone by the year 2081. The total land area of the Philippines is about 30 million hectares, half of which is classified as forestlands, 47% as alienable and disposable lands, and the remaining 3% as unclassified forestlands. Logging has seriously depleted forest cover since the early 20th century. And there are more problems arising from the reduction of forest cover, as they will facilitate access to forest roads to pick up lumber, etc., They become drier and more susceptible to fires, which further reduces more wooded area and this, in turn, makes less rainwater to seep into the ground. Agricultural Resources As human population expands, the damaging effects on the environment multiply. Fast depletion of natural resources is just one of the effects of overpopulation. In our relentless effort to quench our never ending needs, we have destroyed the habitat of so many flora and fauna that this planet had nurtured to near perfection, through billions of years of evolution. The central issue for us over the next few decades is not climate change or the global financial crisis – it is whether humanity can achieve and sustain the enormous harvest we need from this planet to feed ourselves. The earth is only capable of sustaining a certain amount of life. As the population continues to rise, the supply of food will continue to dwindle. We can only produce a fixed amount of food with the resources we have. The rising number of humans also necessitates further land for them to use as habitation. Therefore, the more land used for us to live on, the fewer land is available for farming. It is a vicious circle which has no end if the population growth is not curbed. The food consumed by human is influenced by wide range of cultural and individual differences, mainly due to ecological as well as personal reasons. The source of much of the food consumed by man is terrestrial agricultural, which represents the most manipulated of all the non-urban ecosystems. There are two main types of agriculture (1) Crop agriculture in which plant production is harvested for use by man and (2) Animal agricultural where a crop from highly manipulated ecosystem is fed to domesticated animals. Food consumption pattern is different in different regions. The most important feature is that rice to the staple food for most Asians. In general a strong and healthy human consumes about 1.4 kg of food every day. Such a food serves as a source of energy and replacement of uses. Statement of the Problem The study focused on the relationship between overpopulation and depletion of natural resources that affects the economic status of the Philippines. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions: 1. How does overpopulation affects our natural resources such as: a. Water b. Land; and c. Agriculture 2. How the environmental impacts due to overpopulation do affects the economy of the Philippines? Objectives of the Study The study intended to investigate and to improve the understanding on the relationship between overpopulation and depletion of natural resources that affects the economic status of the Philippines. More specifically, the objectives are: 1. To evaluate the effects of overpopulation on natural resources such as water, land and agriculture. 2. To determine the effects of depletion of natural resources due to overpopulation on economy of the Philippines. Significance of the Study The basic definition of economics is choice under scarcity. Economists like to study how scarcity of resources and the differences in the distribution of these resources affect decisions made by the people. This concept can be applied and is significant to a single person, a family or a country. Natural resources are not only in the Philippines, but also in the whole wide world are limited and scarce. Water, for example, a lot of people need it but there is a limited amount of it, and so they see a market develop for it. In addition there are things like land and labor. If people could all have whatever they wanted, there would be no need to ration or trade, and therefore, there will be no Economics. Another, the management of natural resources is one of the most critical challenges facing the developing countries of today. The exploitation of high-value natural resources, including oil, gas, minerals and timber has often been cited as a key factor in triggering, escalating or sustaining violent conflicts around the globe. Furthermore, increasing competition and conflict for diminishing renewable resources, such as land and water, is on the rise. This is being further aggravated by environmental degradation, population growth and climate change. The mismanagement of natural resources is contributing to new conflicts and obstructing the peaceful resolution of existing ones. This study is substantial to all the sectors of the economy, may it be the government, the private firms or the commoners and the residents of every country. This will give them the proper knowledge about how population affects the limited natural resources. Aside from being an informed citizen, this study aims and is significant to make a difference. This research is a qualitative research and not an action. There will be no particular question to be asked and no certain acts to do. But due to this paper, the readers will think and give ideas within themselves on how to preserve the natural resources and not ruining it. This is important to give standing to the issues concerning different aspects of the economy. Definition of Terms Economics – A social science that studies how individuals, governments, firms and nations make choices on allocating scarce resources to satisfy their unlimited wants Macroeconomics – concentrates on the behavior of the aggregate economy Microeconomics – focuses on individual consumers. Overpopulation – is a term that refers to a condition by which the population density enlarges to a limit that provokes the environmental deterioration, a remarkable decline in the quality of life, or a population collapse. Population density – denotes the number of inhabitants dwelling in a specific area, for example: 100 inhabitants per square Kilometer. Natural resources – is resources occurring in nature that can be used to create wealth. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – is the total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports. Gross National Product (GNP) – is the total value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a particular year, plus income earned by its citizens (including income of those located abroad), minus income of non-residents located in that country. Desertification – is the conversion of grassland or an already arid land into a desert through indiscriminate human actions magnified by droughts. Resources depletion – an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region Chapter II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK This chapter provides a framework for understanding the relationship between overpopulation and the natural resources. Figure 1.1 The Variable and its Relationship Economics deals with the efficient allocation of limited resources to satisfy the unlimited consumption of the citizens. Governments intervene on balancing scarce resources through mechanisms such us price rationing system. They can facilitate economic activity in certain geographic regions. There is a direct relationship between population and resources. Figure 1.1 shows different variables in the study, population as the independent and natural resources such as land, agriculture and water as dependent variable. This study will provide sufficient knowledge on the effects of great population in the Philippines to the limited and scarce resources that the country is facing. Moreover, it will suggest some solutions on how it will be efficiently allocated to the citizens of the country. Philippines, as one of the developing countries, contributes on the worldly economic activities, thus, making its own economy create a great impact on the economy of the world. Chapter III RELATED STUDIES The Philippines is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea, on the south by the Sulu and Celebes seas, on the west by the South China Sea, and on the north by Luzon Strait. The Philippine Islands lie off the southeastern coast of the Asian mainland, across the South China Sea from Vietnam and China. The shortest distance to the mainland, from the northern Philippines to Hong Kong, is about 805 km (500 mi). The Philippine Islands extend about 1,850 km (1,150 mi) from north to south (between Taiwan and Borneo Island) and about 1,100 km (700 mi) from east to west. Malaysia and Indonesia, which each hold territory on Borneo, are the republic’s closest political neighbors. The Philippines covers a total area, not including its extensive coastal waters, of 300,000 sq km (116,000 sq mi). More than 7,100 islands and islets are included in the Philippine archipelago. The 11 largest islands make up more than 90 percent of the total area. Only about 460 islands are larger than 2.6 sq km (1 sq mi), and about 1,000 are populated. The Philippines has extensive mineral deposits of copper, gold, silver, nickel, lead, and chromium. Other important, but less plentiful, deposits of zinc, cobalt, and manganese also exist. Copper has been mined extensively and is the leading mineral product, but many of the country’s mineral resources remain unexploited. The Philippines has limited offshore petroleum and natural gas reserves. About 19 percent of the Philippines is forested. Logging has seriously depleted forest cover since the early 20th century. The Philippine waters are abundant with many varieties of fish, which are an important natural resource as a staple of the Philippine diet and an export commodity. Johnson (2012) stated that one thing all humans on this planet need to survive is resources. Resources like food and water are bare essentials for life. The countries that are experiencing the highest growth rates are all developing countries, with the exception of the United States. This countries lack the technology that other developed countries have and therefore things we consider basic they have never used. We watch our televisions everyday while they may have never seen a TV before. They also lack the basics that we take for granted like indoor plumbing. Some countries water supply is the same as their sewage. India has one of the fastest growing populations in the world and the Ganges River shows their lack of resources available to the people of India. The Ganges is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. It supports over 400 million people with a population density of 1,000 people per square mile. India is an example of developing country that has a rise in its population growth rate. It cannot support its population now; many of the people in India are forced to bathe in the Ganges because they have no access to any other water source. If this population continues to grow the river will continue to get more and more polluted making it unsafe for the millions of people that rely on it. This is not the only place in the world that the larger populations are supported by limited resources. Along with the people in India relying on the Ganges over three fifths of people in developing countries lack basic sanitation, one third have no access to clean water, and a quarter lack adequate housing. More often than not the places where the population growth rates are the highest are the places least able to support the rise in population. Only the United States can continue to support one of the world’s largest populations because we are a developed country and the increase comes mostly from immigration. These countries that continue to grow, despite being limited in resources, are the biggest areas of deforestation and depletion of natural resources. These areas lack strong government and are unable to enforce the depletion of resources. The United Nations predict that currently 1 billion people lack the basic needs that we take for granted every day. With a lack of technology developing countries will continue to destroy resources at an alarming rate while many struggle to survive every day. Freshwater is the most fundamental of finite resources. It has no substitutes for most uses and is expensive to transport. But freshwater sources are dwindling or becoming contaminated throughout the world. Chronic or acute water shortage is increasingly common in many countries with fast-growing populations, becoming a potential source of conflict. However, existing technologies offer great potential for improving on the efficiency of its use. Based from the study of Walden Bello, the state of the economy, even some of the administration’s friends have pointed out, is a thin reed on which to rest. In a recent article, Peter Wallace, an influential consultant, deconstructed the 7.3 per cent growth rate recorded for the Philippines in 2007, showing that the figure is actually a statistical fluke that stems from the way the measure Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is computed. The figure actually masks something negative: the fall of imports by 5.4 per cent. â€Å"So because we had less imports, GDP looked good,† Wallace says. â€Å"From where I sit, that does not indicate a strong, growing economy, the best in 31 years.† With no less irony, the World Bank agrees: â€Å"Remarkably, weaker import growth made the largest 1arithmetical contribution to the growth acceleration in 2000-07 compared to 1990-99.† It added that this was not â€Å"consistent with sustained fast growth in the longer term.† The reality, Wallace points out, is indicated by the same brutal numbers: more poor people in 2007 than in 2000, more people without jobs, a real decline in average family income, the shrinking of the middle class as more people jump ship and swim to other shores. â€Å"Notwithstanding higher growth,† the World Bank chimes in, â€Å"the latest official poverty estimates show that between 2003 and 2006, when GDP growth averaged 5.4 per cent, poverty incidence increased from 30.0 to 32.9 per cent. This level of poverty incidence is almost as high as it was in 2000 (33 per cent). Indeed the magnitude of poor Filipinos rose to its highest level in 2006: of a population of 84 million in 2006, 27.6 million Filipinos fell below the national poverty threshold of P15, 057.† If you pop the famous â€Å"Ronald Reagan† question to most Filipinos—â€Å"Do you feel better off now than four years ago†Ã¢â‚¬â€there is no doubt about how they would answer. For many people, the main problem confronting the economy is spelled G-MA. But for those who have spent time studying the Philippine economy, Arroyo is not the problem, but part of a bigger problem that extends far into the recent past. The collective responsibility of the last five administrations for our economic malfunctioning becomes stark when viewed in a comparative context. According to the latest Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with the growth in GDP per capita averaging 1.6 per cent per annum in the period 1990 to 2005, the Philippines’ economic growth record was the worst in Southeast Asia, with even all the so-called lower-tier ASEAN countries significantly to outstripping it. Chapter IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The world’s population reached over 6.60 billion in July 2007 and will reach 6.68 billion by July this year and 7.00 billion by July 2012 (according to CIA estimates). Countries with large populations and few food resources or poor food distribution programs could end up becoming desperate refugees moving to their neighboring countries. One out of every seven people alive, go to bed hungry. Every day, 25,000 people die because of malnutrition and hunger-related diseases. Almost 18,000 of them are children under 5 years old. Figure 4.1 Population in the Philippines The figure above shows the increasing population of the Philippines. From approximately 80 million, the population increases up to 100 million. As population increases, natural resources also get used up faster than they can be replaced. This can result on economic pressure and interrelated web of global environmental problems such as resources depletion. Problem no. 1 How does overpopulation affects our natural resources such as water, land and agriculture. Population and Water Resources Population influences the freshwater resources, its quality and supply, in both rural and urban areas through demands for water and human activities such as irrigation. One major consequence of overpopulation has been the outstanding usage of freshwater, thus leading to a major freshwater crisis that will definitely affect the future of our planet. It is also domineering to see the whole issue in perspective and how the increasing number of people in the surface of the Earth is relative to the amount of waste being produced. Hence, the constant pollution of the environment, along with bodies of water has exponentially decreased the quantity of usable water for the future of our generations. This has critically been an issue because the oceans are mistaken for available water, but in actuality, the Earth has a finite supply of fresh water which in order to be converted from saline water to potable water, the amount of energy needed is prohibited. Thus water has become quite a scare commodity that few countries and civilizations seem to take into consideration. The National Water Resources Board under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Philippines is responsible for ensuring the optimum exploitation, utilization, development, conservation and protection of the country’s water resource, consistent with the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management. The country is endowed with rich natural resources – including water – which are essential for the country’s economic development and in meeting its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Water resources of the Philippines include inland freshwater (rivers, lakes, and groundwater), and marine (bay, coastal, and oceanic waters). Overall, there is sufficient water but not enough in highly populated areas, especially during dry season. Citing the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Israel explains that the number of monitored freshwater bodies which failed the standard in terms of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) has been increasing significantly at average annual rates of 22.90 percent and 22.30 percent, respectively, from 2000 to 2007. Likewise, he explains that many freshwater bodies, especially those in urban areas, have been contaminated with suspended solids, heavy metals and other harmful chemicals. Population and Land Resources According to Higgins (1982), carrying capacity presumes that there are critical levels of population that any given land area can support. This level is determined by soil and climatic conditions. The carrying capacity and population has a direct relationship. When population increases in a given area, the increased demand on production can induce stress and consequent degradation of the land resource. As population grows continuously, the space in a given place remains constant, thus, making it limited. Land resources can also be limited because of land problems and imbalance. In the past 100 years the world has lost almost half its forest area. And, as indicated by reports of the FAO (Food and Agriculture) the Earth is losing on net every year 11.2 million hectares of virgin forest. This is reportedly the World Wildlife Fund, mainly due to its use as an energy source (about 2000 million people worldwide depend on wood as fuel) of agricultural and livestock expansion and mining and logging companies activities, often beyond control. Population and Agriculture Some theories propose that population growth would outrun the ability to produce food, thus, leading this to famine, disease, and other disasters. The use of land, specifically in agriculture, is an essential part of humanity. We depend on agriculture to supply us with food, fiber and biofuels. Without a highly efficient, progressive, and productive agricultural system, our society would collapse and cease to function. As the population grows and grows continuously, we are demanding more and more from the agricultural systems, pushing them to their limits. At this rate, we would have to double, or triple the agricultural production in our economy. The rapid increase in population, urbanization, and industrialization has also adversely affected the quality of water, especially in densely populated areas and regions of industrial and agricultural activities. The discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater and agricultural runoff has caused extensive pollution of the receiving water-bodies. Problem no. 2 How the environmental impacts due to overpopulation do affects the economy of the Philippines? As the population grows, it pushes the GDP per capita of a nation down. While the government tries to meet the needs of its people, with increase in population, the demand for resources keeps growing. With not enough food to take care of its men, such countries can’t even think of producing surplus to export and with this starts the vicious cycle of relying on foreign debt. With more people and less resources, there is unemployment that leads to poverty and increased crime rate. Shrinking habitat is giving rise to increased conflict between man and animals. As the borders between forests and human settlements gets blurred by the day, human beings are being exposed to viruses that are carried by wild animals who have the immunity that we lack. This is precipitating in newer and more virulent strains of microorganisms causing serious diseases in human beings. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION The human population has been increasing at an extremely high rate in the last century and unfortunately, not much has been done to slow down this process. Undoubtedly, overpopulation is a global issue. It is global because it pertains to all of humanity, but global also means that it affects the whole world, i.e. the environment. Almost all human activities impact negatively the environment in one form or another, and as human population expands, the damaging effects on the environment multiply. As the population grows, it pushes the GDP per capita of a nation down. While the government tries to meet the needs of its people, with increase in population, the demand for resources keeps growing. With not enough food to take care of its men, such countries can’t even think of producing surplus to export and with this starts the vicious cycle of relying on foreign debt. This puts the country in debt at stretches the government’s already meager resources. Furthermore, when a country is overpopulated, there is a high rate of unemployment because there just aren’t enough jobs to support the population. This results in a high level of crime because the people will need to steal things in order to survive. As natural resources become scarce, the production is bound to decrease. However, in a crowded society, demand remains strong. This causes the prices of goods increase, in order to balance supply and demand. However, a price change cannot suddenly reduce the need for a large population of. Therefore, prices remain high and continue to grow even as people consume expensive products. The depletion of natural resources is one of the most critical problems of the global community is facing, especially after the sharp increase in world population over the last century. Each person has a number of vital (food, drink, clothing) and non-life (education, employment, recreation) needs, which all require the consumption of Earth’s resources. When the number of people applying to these needs becomes extremely high, the shortage becomes a critical problem in extreme cases can cause a â€Å"Malthusian catastrophe† According to the theory of overpopulation advanced by Enlightenment demographer Thomas Robert Malthus, Malthusian catastrophe is an event which results from a period of unchecked population growth. Many determining factors build the success or demise of a country. Our forefathers have created that successful nation with blood and sweat, through trials and tribulations. It is up to this generation to ensure the advantageous outlook of this country for our future offspring. This population difficulty casts an impending downfall for our country and must be stopped. Research and analysis need to be performed, consequently summarizing the most favorable actions to be taken. These actions then need to be embraced by state and federal governments, who in turn need to be aggressive in enacting firm and dynamic policies to thwart this crisis. Food shortage will be prevented or lessened if we quickly stabilize population and find some as-yet-discovered agricultural advancement. Overpopulation causes rural farming people to outgrow their lands, so the grown children move to cities. Urbanization eats up farmland, reducing crop production. Also growing seasons are becoming hotter, so many crops fail due to heat and drought. Overuse of the soils caused by overpopulation leads poor nourishment for crops and eventually desertification. Overpopulation draws on available water to the point that there is not enough to water crops. REFERENCES Herrin, A. Population and Development Research in the Philippines: A Survey. Retrieved from: http://www.pids.gov.ph/index2.php?pr=81 Trade Chakra.(2008).Water Resources in Philippines. Retrieved from:http://www.tradechakra.com/economy/philippines/water-resources-in-philippines-267.php Candelaria,A.P.(1996). Assessing the Potable Water Consumption in the Urban Barangays of Sto. Domingo, Albay Province, Philippines. Retrieved from: http://www.arsa1996.org/pictures/pdf/ARSA_IV_PRCDGS_VOL1/SOCIAL%20CHANGE%20AND%20TRANSFORMATION/13_Candelaria_429-443.pdf Food and Agriculture Organization.(1997). Land Resources, Management, Planning and Use. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/nr/land/lr-home/en/ Countries Quest. Land and Resources, Natural Resources. Retrieved from: http://www.countriesquest.com/asia/philippines/land_and_resources/natural_resources.htm Wills,R.(October 2012). Resource Scarcity and Population Growth. Retrieved from: http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/richard-mills/resource-scarcity-and-population-growth Environmental and Global Health. (2011). Depletion and Destruction of Natural Resources (III). Retrieved from: http://www.environmedia.com/depletion-and-destruction-of-natural-resources-iii.htm Macnevin,S.(2008).Climate Change, Food Shortages and Overpopulation. Retrieved from: http://environmental.lilithezine.com/Climate-Change-Food-Shortages.html Institute for Population Studies.(2009-2010) . Overpopulation: Environmental and Social problems. Retrieved from: http://howmany.org/environmental_and_social_ills.php Johnson, B. (2012). Overpopulation Problems; Lack of Resources. Retrieved from http://blogs.longwood.edu/johnsonba/2012/02/24/overpopulation-problems-lack-of-resources/ Countries Quest. Land and Resources. Retrieved from: http://www.countriesquest.com/asia/philippines/land_and_resources.htm Bello,W. In the Shadow of Debt. Retrieved from: View as multi-pages

Rome’s Via Dei Fori Imperiali

Via dei Fori Imperiali Millions of tourists flock to the eternal city every year to look at the many beautiful and grandiose sites of Rome. What many might not realize is that in the 18th century Mussolini had a plan to restructure, and tear down many of important monuments that define Roman heritage, and he did just this. Benito Mussolini built the road known as Via dei Fori Imperiali in 1931-1933. Mussolini wanted a way to brand Rome with his distinct Fascist ideals.Via dei Fori Imperiali was first built with the idea that it would house many triumphal marches or parades. Mussolini also wanted to form a physical and symbolic link between Piazza Venezia, the headquarters of the fascist movement to the Roman Forum, the epitome of Roman power and strength, and all the way to the Colosseum. Many obstacles lay in Mussolini’s way, to start with many important and historic monuments but also little villages and houses that housed 746 of Rome’s poorest families.The dense amou nt of poor Romans living in the once- Alessandrino neighborhood, could not argue or protest against the tearing down of there homes precisely because they had no political power or even money to make any objection at the time. Apart from kicking thousands of people out of their homes, Mussolini also managed to destroy many millennia- old structures. To name a few Mussolini demolished the churches of San Lorenzo ai Monti and Santa Maria degli Angeli in Macello Martyrum. He also partially eradicated the forums of Caesar, Augustus, Trajan, Vespasian and Nerva.By building this road Mussolini completely changed the landscape of Rome, cutting completely the Forum area in two. Like many overbearing leaders Mussolini had the vision of creating a â€Å"new† Rome, one that had rid itself of the domineering aura of history. Mussolini wanted to make new open spaces that were not cluttered by history. He wanted to leave his own mark on the Country, and in his opinion the only way to do th is was to tear down thousands years of historic monuments and to displace thousands of people.Mussolini modeled himself on Julius Caesar, yet his role model was the first emperor Augustus. Mussolini admired the rulers of the ancient Roman Empire and strived to be like them yet with his arrogance he felt he needed to build bigger, better buildings than the Romans had built, he needed to make Rome the grandest it had ever been. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. heritage-key. com/rome/dei-fori-imperiali-mussolinis-fascist-route-through-rome

Manufacturing Industry Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Manufacturing Industry Evaluation - Essay Example As a result, the larger firms keep acquiring other small firms as they continue dominating in the markets, effectively reducing competition in this industry (Lynn, 2002). The Envelope industry is such other industry of the US that has low competition. The larger firms control most of the US markets for this industry. Oligopoly refers to a market condition, where the market has many buyers and very few sellers. In an oligopolistic market, just a few firms, mostly the larger ones, dominate the market (Elmer, 1999). Since there are few sellers in such a market, every firm operating in that market has the chances of knowing the moves and the trends that the other firms are making in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. Consequently, the firms operating in an oligopolistic market conditions are most likely going to make their decisions based on those decisions made by other firms. Thus, in an oligopolistic market, the decision made by one firm affects the other firms and vice versa (Case, Fair, and Oster, 2009). The characteristic oligopoly market involves the firms producing and selling their products at the quantities and prices they feel are suitable to grant them the profit margin they require. Thus, oligopolies set the market prices for their products, other than selling their products at the existing market prices (Elmer, 1999). In the US, the Envelopes and the Fluid Milk industries qualify as oligopolies. The Fluid milk industry in the US is an example of an oligopolistic market condition, where the market in the industry is dominated by few firms. The dairy cooperative of the country called the Dairy Farmers of America have effectively established close alliances with the other players in the industry, notably the Dairy Market services, which has on its side collaborated with the US major milk manufacturers (Lynn, 2002). This

High Powered Money Multiplier to Credit Creation Essay

High Powered Money Multiplier to Credit Creation - Essay Example The high power money multiplier is based on some assumptions, partial fulfillment and non-fulfillment which impact on income generations. Some of the assumptions include; the supply of goods should be adequate, level of investment should be maintained, the economy should be closed and unchanged marginal propensity to consume. High power multiplier has both advantages and limitations to the economy. When money is deposited into the bank by clients, the money is usually given out to other people in need of loans. The bank ends up getting interests in return. The rule associated with banking usually allows them to set aside some money referred to as reserve. The capital set aside by the bank is important in ensuring the daily cash needs of the bank are met (Steindl, 2010). It also ensures the depositors who come back to the bank to withdraw their money are accounted for. Such kind of banking is known as fractional reserve banking. Due to the reason of loaning out that the depositors’ funds by the company, a money multiplier effect usually result. To an individual the benefits are also withstanding. Through money multiplier an individual is able to acquire a loan from the bank for the purpose of expanding his business. The bank also offers protection and security to the deposited money. The high power money multiplier can aid in capital leverage. It ensures for example, the bank is able to make a lot of money out of the little money spent at the start. The individuals too are able to benefit (Bomhoff, 2008). If 10% is the reserve requirement, a bank may lend out $90 of $100 deposited by the customer. The $ 90 can also be lent to someone else who deposits the same amount to the next bank. The bank in receivership can lend out $81 dollars of the am ount deposited. The initial deposit of $100 can be expanded through the banking system as the process proceeds.  

Sale Of Goods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Sale Of Goods - Coursework Example He also found that the books in another container were about gardening instead of politics. The books in the third container conformed to the terms of the contract of sale. There are some statutes that favor David in respect of the books that were about gardening. S 13(1) of Sale of Goods Act 1979 states that, â€Å"Where there is a contract for the sale of goods by description, there is an implied condition that the goods will correspond with the description.†1 According to the given facts, David made a contract for goods that fit a particular description i.e. the books entitled How to win votes. There was an implied condition that the books must have been the same. Books about gardening were unrelated to the terms of the contract. ... He also has a right to reject the books because there has been a breach of condition. The contract between David and Obama is a non-severable contract. This means that S 11(4) is applicable which states that, â€Å"Where a contract of sale is not severable and the buyer has accepted the goods or part of them, the breach of a condition to be fulfilled by the seller can only be treated as a breach of warranty, and not as a ground for rejecting the goods and treating the contract as repudiated, unless there is an express or implied term of the contract to that effect.†3 One of the containers had the books that were in perfect condition and were in conformity with the contract. David cannot reject those books. However, when he rejects a part of books, he would have to treat the breach of condition as a breach of warranty and would not be able to treat the contract as repudiated. He would be entitled to claim damages from Obama for the loss that he has sustained due to the delivery of wrong books. Obama’s view that David can easily on-sell the books based on gardening is of no consequence because the delivery of those books was not a part of the contract. Their contract was made through emails. This means that a written record of their conversations can be obtained easily. David discovered that the entire contents of one container were badly damaged. Obama is denying any responsibility for that and the Jardine Carriers, with whom Obama had contracted for the carriage of the books, say that it has â€Å"nothing to do with them† because there was no contract between JC and David. The contract between Obama and David was made on CIF terms. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) means that the seller delivers when the goods

Speedo Environmental Analysis and Marketing Mix Essay

Speedo Environmental Analysis and Marketing Mix - Essay Example Speedo has emerged as the distinct and recognisable brand name for swim wear all across the globe especially for more athletic crowds. Innovative technologies have been in use at Speedo to improve drag characteristics for swimmers so that the use of Speedo swim wear has become extremely popular with athletes and sports fans. Speedo is already actively operating in the United States, Australia, most of Europe and Great Britain. Speedo has been sighted as the â€Å"leading player in the highly fragmented swimwear market† (Qumer, 2009). Given emerging challenges in the swim wear and sportswear markets there is constant need to evaluate the business environment so that a fitting marketing strategy can be developed and implemented. This study will concentrate on the market for Speedo available within the geographical limits of Great Britain. The investigation will proceed first through an analysis of the environment in which Speedo is operating, competitor analysis, followed by an analysis of targetable market segments. Two prominent market segments will be selected and defined after which a fitting marketing mix will be developed for each market segment identified. The study will corroborate its ideas using secondary sources while taking note of their credibility and chronological importance. Furthermore, the investigation presented below will attempt its best to delineate actual market conditions and practice but this study cannot be considered as a holistic solution in itself. Products In general, Speedo has been associated with swimwear due to its traditional branding style and due to the marketing strategy that focuses on swimwear more than on other Speedo products. However, Speedo has a differentiated product range that can be broadly classified as swimwear, sportswear, accessories, footwear, underwear and digital products (Horovitz, 2005). Though it is not common knowledge but both Speedo International and Speedo Australia offer a lineage of underwear that is sold at select David Jones retail stores only (Speedo, 2012 a). Swimwear Speedo is primarily a swimwear manufacturer and distributor. The bulk of the company’s business relies on swimwear. Speedo creates two particular forms of swimwear – professional for athletes as well as simple swimwear for the average swimmer. The specialised swimwear market of Speedo has long distinguished the company from other brands and competition. Speedo’s specialised swimwear has always been highly popular with professional athletics teams around the world. For example, 13 out of 15 swimming records broken at the Sydney Olympics (2000) were broken using Speedo swimsuits. In a similar manner, Speedo sponsored Michael Phelps was able to score eight medals in Athens in 2004 (Speedo, 2012 e). This performance by Speedo’s swimsuits was exceeded at the Beijing Olympics where Speedo’s regular brands and the specialized LZR Racer were able to take 92% of all medals (Spe edo, 2012 f). Speedo relies in large part on its specialized swimwear market to distinguish itself from other brands. This distinction allows Speedo to capture the regular swimwear market as well since its sports victories make it particularly attractive to the average swimmer. Speedo’s overall specialized swimwear market is small with an overall volume of $200 million as of 2008 (Qumer, 2009) but it is speculated that this market segment is vitally important for the overall business model. The swimwear offered by Speedo concentrates on two prime objectives – speed and style. The swimwear is offered not only for adults but for children alike. One of the more distinguishing characteristics of Speedo