How to be a Successful Oligopolistic Firm in the Long Run :: essays papers

How to be a Successful Oligopolistic Firm in the Long Run It is a well-known fact that every firm wants to be successful in its business. Sometimes it is difficult to decide what kind of actions to take in order to achieve it. Especially, it is hard on oligopoly market because this is one of the most complicated market structures. Oligopoly includes many models and theories such as duopoly where are just two producers and which pricing decisions remind monopoly, kinked demand curve, which decreases economic profit, and cartel, which brings economic profit just for the short-run. However, to be a successful oligopolistic firm in the long run, managers should include in the planning process such economic theories and models as producer interdependence, the prisoner’s dilemma, price leadership, nonprice adjustments, and correct using of barriers to entry. The essential factor of an oligopolistic firm is interdependence. Oligopoly involves few producers, which means more than one producer as it is in pure monopoly but not so many as in monopolistic competition or pure competition where it is difficult to follow rival firms’ actions. Therefore, due to small number of producers on oligopoly market, the price and output solutions are interdependent. As a result, firms can cooperate or come to an agreement profitable for everyone. Therefore, they can increase, as it is possible, their joint profits (Pleeter & Way, 1990, p.129). Further, oligopoly is divided on pure, which is producing homogeneous products, and differentiated, producing heterogeneous products (Gallaway, 2000). Economists Farris and Happel insist that the more the product is differentiated, the more firms become independent, and the more the product differentiation, â€Å"the less likely joint profit maximization exists for the entire group† (1987, p. 263). Co nsequently, it is worth to be interdependent. Another factor on the way to success on oligopoly market is understanding and using with advantage the game theory, in particular, prisoner’s dilemma. Game theory, a mathematical approach to strategic behavior, was stated by John von Neumann and Oscar Morgenstern in 1944 (Farris & Happel, 1987, p. 267). Game theory is useful in analyzing the actions in any strategic situation, from a game of chess to the pricing and output decisions of oligopoly firms where firms cooperate or conflict. The classic game is the prisoner’s dilemma: Numbers are years in prison for each arrested player considering different behaviors of each prisoner.

Money Cant Buy Happiness Essay -- Happiness Essays

â€Å"The Seven Social Sins are: Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Worship without sacrifice. Politics without principle." -- Mahatma Gandhi   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Kingdom of Bhutan is pursuing a bold new social experiment. They want to demonstrate that a spartan rural society join the high-tech world without surrendering its soul. [1] Bhutan is an extraordinary place; seemingly untouched through the course of time. Resting in the heart of the Himalayas, it has remained in self-imposed detachment for centuries, apart from the rest of the world. "Since its doors were cautiously opened in 1974, visitors have been mesmerized: the environment is pristine, the scenery and architecture are awesome, the people are hospitable and charming, and the culture unique in its purity." [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Despite the huge potential of its natural resources, Bhutan emerged as one of Asia's poorest countries, shunning the 'profit at all costs' mentality of the rest of the world. With one foot in the past and one in the future, it strolls confidently towards modernization, on its own terms, fiercely protecting its ancient culture, its natural resources and its deeply Buddhist way of life." [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the most part, the Kingdom of Bhutan has had remarkable success with its transition to becoming a relatively technological society. It is a nation which has also retained it culture and way of life in the process. Some scholars feel that in the United States, we have lost the more positive aspects of our culture, and thus, our "gross national happiness." This loss, apparently, is the cost of being a highly technological and consumption driven society. Americans are, by many measures, the most successful people ever known. Our enormously productive economy affords us luxuries beyond the wildest dreams of previous generations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, this prosperity brings evidence of a different story. Our rising standard of living has not always resulted in a higher quality of life. Indeed, in many ways there has been an erosion in our sense of well-being, both for us as individuals and for us as a people. Our wealth has come with unforeseen costs: personal, social and environmental. We must ask ourselves, "Is this really the American dream?"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The traditional American dream of opportunity, progress, ... ...ow Much is Enough," in Lester R. Brown et al,  State of the World 2010 (New York: W.W. Norton and Co. Inc., 1001) 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alan L. Otten, "Young Adults Now Are More Pessimistic," Wall Street Journal, September 27, 2014. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Cunniff, "Would You Believe These Are the Good Old Days?",   Seattle Times, September 19, 2014. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social Problems on Rise, U.S. `Health Check' Shows," Seattle Post - Intelligencer, January 14, 2014. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Barbara Benham, "Why Have We Lost Confidence?". Investor's Business Daily, June 12, 2014. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2014 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014) p. 2. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Richard R. Wilk, Emulation and Global Consumerism, in Paul C. Stern, Thomas Dietz, Vernon W. Ruttan, Robert H. Socolow, and James L. Sweeney, editors, Environmentally Significant Consumption (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2012) p. 110. 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wackernagel et al. National Natural Capital Accounting with the Ecological Footprint Concept, Ecological Economics, Volume 29, Number 3, June 2014, pp. 375-390. 13.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ramon C. McLeod, "Baby Boomers Seek `Meaning'," San Francisco Chronicle, February 13, 2014.

Models of Organized Crime Executive Summary Essay

An organized crime is a group of three or more people of a formalized structure and the main object is to obtain money through an illegal activities. This definition is one of many for organized crime, there are five types of organized crime, and there are two models that are used to describe the structure of organized crime and even though both of these are models of organized crime, they are both different. These models are: 1. Bureaucratic or Corporate Model 2. Patron-client or Patrimonial Model The Bureaucratic model is different than Patron-client for the following reasons: * Bureaucratic model is efficiency is the prime factor for large operations or activities. * This model follows the characteristics of Weber’s and Taylor’s model. * Once activities expand, the bureaucratic structure becomes necessary to control the enterprise with rules, hierarchy, specialization, and means of communication. * Some examples of this structure are Colombian cartels and the outlaw biker groups. * A more susceptible to law enforcement efforts The Patron-client model is different than the Bureaucratic Model for the following reasons: * Patron-client is based on bonds that tie organizations together * Provides aid and protection while clients become a loyal member. * Offers the advantage of continuity. * This model is less centralized and has more control over subordinates. * It requires more of a complex law enforcement effort. * Often uninvolved in actual criminal activity and only provides information on targets for the client to rob or steal. Both models are similar in the following reasons: 1. Benefit law enforcement, researchers, society, and professionals 2. Supporting Research, statistics, facts, and convincing arguments 3. Information presented on organizational structure, purpose and cause, members, and clientele 4. These models are tools that provide answers to questions 5. They offer an explanation to why people engage in illegal activities 6. How criminal organizations develop 7. Why most criminal organizations are successful. The models are important for understanding organized crime because each provides a wide range of beneficial information. Models can display what geographical locations are more prone to the development of criminal organizations. It allows us law enforcement the ability to implant methods that will deter, prevent, detect, and apprehend people involved with illegal organizations. There are two different models in an organized crime with both having their differences and similarities, they are both important for understanding an organized crime. References Lyman, M. D., & Potter, G. W. (2007). Organized Crime (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Mallory, PhD, S. L. (2007). Understanding Organized Crime. Sandbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publisher, Inc.

The Importance of Ethics

Ethics is a major part of any profession that involves the well being of others. When someone has an influence on another individual’s life, ethical judgment is always involved. In the profession of social work, the people that one serves are the â€Å"raw material† of the organization (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) The social worker is there to serve the people that rely on their assistance. I have always had a strong desire to help others in making their lives better. I strive to make ethical decisions while keeping the clients best interest and the best interest of the community in mind. With my personal ethics to guide me, as well as the guidance of my coworkers and other available resources, I will be successful in helping others while staying ethically and professionally correct. Social workers shape and change the lives of the people that need them. Anyone who works with people is doing ethical work, but social workers and human service workers are especially important, because they have a major impact on the lives of the people that they assist. Because of this, people who choose to work in that field must have solid ethics. According to Markkula Center for Applied Ethics 2010, Ethics are well rounded standards of right and wrong. It is important for social workers to have good judgment of right and wrong, while always having the best interest of the client in mind. The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) Human service organizations function to protect, maintain and enhance the well being of individuals through services that defines, shape, and alter their personal characteristics and attributes (Hasenfeld,1983. The social worker must have strong ethics and morals and also follow professional codes and obey the law. I have wanted to be a social worker and work in the human service field for as long as I can remember. I love helping other people and making a positive influence on their lives. I think my strong moral and ethical standing will take me a long way in the human service field and assist me in becoming a caring and dedicated social worker. I have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong and tend to think things out rather than make rash decisions. I think my biggest weakness is possibly having too big a heart. I tend to become emotionally and personally attached very quickly. I have trouble turning people who need help away and think about the people that I help even after my work day is done. As a human service worker, I know this is something that I need to work on. It is not good to become personally involved with the client. I know that if I continue to use to good ethical judgment, follow professional rules and the law, I will be ok. My plan for ensuring good ethical decisions in my career is to make good moral decisions, ask for guidance from my leaders and co-workers, follow the NASW code of ethics and keep the best interest of the client and community in mind. Self regulation is essential to professional ethics and professional leadership (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) Using both internal and external regulation is imperative in the human service field. Internal regulation is our conscious. I will listen to my conscious when making ethical decisions, because I know those decisions will affect the lives of others. The external regulation or (code of ethics), is equally important. The National Association of Social workers or NASW code of ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) By following the code of ethics, as well as listening to my own ethics and reasoning, I will be able to assist the client to the fullest while keeping the organization and community’s best interest in mind. I am sure I will face ethical dilemmas along the way, but if I follow code and use my morals and personal discretion, I am sure that I will make solid ethical decisions. Being a social worker is something that I have wanted to do since I was a child. I realize that by making the commitment to help and serve those that need assistance, I am agreeing to make good ethical decisions. It is important that I stay morally true to myself as well as be professional. I will strive to be the best social worker that I can while following procedure and always looking out for the clients well being.

Heroes Speech

When I was a kid, my super hero was Superman, I kind of admired him because I thought it would be cool to be able to fly and to have super-human strength, but the main reason why I liked Superman is because he helped people, no matter what. According to Times Magazine, we have become a society that is centered on self, self-gratification, self-motivation, self-indulgence, and it has been a driving force in developed countries since decades now; and as a result, we are witnesses to the slow death of the Hero.Today I want to tell you a little bit about how we define what a hero is , what it takes to be a hero, and how you and I can help refresh the effects of heroisme. So lets start with how we define what a heroe is. The definitions of a hero, according to â€Å"El Libro de los Heroes† says that â€Å"A hero is a person noted for feets of courage and ability of purpose, specially the one who risks or sacrifices his or her life†, but it goes on to say that its a person no tused for special achievement on a particular field, such as the heroes of medicine.Basically, agreeing with the â€Å"World Hero Association† a hero is someone who for whatever reason or reasons does something for somebody else without thinking about themselves, personal gane, and in some cases personal endangerment . So who are these heros? I mean where are they? For real, where are they? Well, we see them everyday. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, they are doctors, and nurses, and soldiers, firefighters and police officers, but they are also teachers, and mothers, and fathers, and care-givers, and social-workers, and YOU, that’s right, YOU.You have the potential to be a hero, you have what it takes to be a hero. You see, comic books mostly represent exagerated heroes in capes with symbols, and give them super human powers to make them larger than life, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t really need the cape, its just for show, and you don†™t really need the symbol. We watch movies like The Lorf of The Rings, where, you know, we see all the action going on with the sword play; but sometimes we miss the hidden messages within that say â€Å"you can be a hero even if you think your weak and powerless, you don’t have to jump over tall buildings†.The news only highlights the tramatic acts of heroism like Hurricane Katrina or September 11th, this implies that in order for you to be a hero you must put yourself in danger. But that could not be farther from the truth. The turth is that ANYONE has the potential to be a Hero all you need are two factors One, you need opportunity. And two, you need initiative. So lets say that all of us in this room go out and start looking for those opportunities, and we start noticing things where we can give help, and then we start taking that initiative.We could start the chain reaction that spreads the sparks of heroism. Heroism is a powerful thing. Anyone at anytime and ha s the potential to be a hero anywhere. They can be that person who helps that lady carry her grocers to her car, or the employ who stays late to help a coworker get something done. These are the characteristics of a hero that we should all embrace and be willing to make our own. We need to encourage heroic traits because it will benefit society as a whole, but ourselves as well in the process.At the Berkeley â€Å"THDM† there is an article called â€Å"We can be Heroes† and they wrap it up by saying â€Å"If we loose the ability of imagine ourselves as heroes, our society will be cored for, but if we can re-connect with this ideals, we can create a connection with a hero within ourselves. † So to sum up, the â€Å"Urban Dictionary† defines a hero as someone admired for their achievements and qualities, but what is a hero for you?For me a hero is someone who touches our lives in a personal way and does not do it for themselves. Now more than ever we need h eros, we need to be those heros. And if we start looking for those opportunities and start stepping forward and taking that initiative. We can make the difference. Heros come and heros go, heros die and some heros have grown old, for someone you know and someone you don’t be that hero.

Comparing and contrasting two characters from The Handmaids Tale

Sexual slavery and feminism are two of the main themes in Atwood’s dystopian book The Handmaid’s Tale (1986), in which she portrays a society called Gilead in which women are deprived of their civil liberties. In Atwood’s dystopian society most women have become infertile and the few ones who can still bear children are turned into handmaids, i. e. sexual servants who are brainwashed for the mere purpose of breeding healthy children for the elite. This novel is an account of Offred’s musings and her fragmented perception of reality. It is Offred who introduces two antithetical characters: rebellious Moira and submissive Janine. Although these characters employ different strategies to either escape or accommodate respectively, they end up being subdued by Gilead’s regime, metaphorically losing control over their own body. I will outline both characters’ personalities, their subjugation to Gilead and the loss of connection with their own bodies. Moira is a rebellious lesbian who is admired by the Handmaids, but as the story unfolds, she subdues to Gilead. Moira’s boisterous behavior is displayed by her actions and speech, which is highly colloquial, as when she states, â€Å"I’m borrowing five bucks off you, okay? † (Atwood, THT, p. 32) and when she refers to the Red Center[1] as a â€Å"Loony Bin† (THT, p. 61). She constantly defies the Gilead system and even tries to escape twice succeeding on her second attempt and as a result of this Moira never becomes a proper handmaid. Even when Moira has disappeared from the scene, she makes a dramatic impact on the Handmaids, who admire her: â€Å"Moira was our fantasy (†¦) she was with us in secret, a giggle† (THT p. 17). But her power over Offred seems to cease when Moira appears in scene at Jezebel’s, a place in which improper Handmaids such as Moira are forced into prostitution: â€Å"I am shocked by them (the women in Jezebel’s) I recognize them as truant. The official creed denies them, denies their very existence, yet they are here † (THT p. 213). There, Moira lets herself be used by men once and again in order to accommodate to this new reality, even minimizing the gravity of the situation: â€Å"it’s not so bad, there’s lots of women around. Butch paradise, you might call it† (THT p. 28). Thus, her once rebellious identity fades as she loses control of her body. In this way, it can be deduced that even the most rebellious personality subdues to Gilead. Unlike Moira, Janine is seen as a straight-laced, submissive character who is constantly trying to accommodate to Gilead, but in the end, she gets subdued as well. Her submissive behaviour is clearly displayed when, at the Red Center, she blames herself for having been gang-raped in the pre-Gilead society, as a strategy for accommodation: â€Å"It was my fault, she says. It was my own fault. I led them on. I deserved the pain† (THT p. 62). Soon, the aunts consider Janine an â€Å"example† (THT p. 62) for the rest of the Handmaids. But whereas Moira is admired for her courage, Janine is depicted by the handmaids in a derogatory sense, calling her a â€Å"whiny bitch† (THT p. 98), and even â€Å"sucky† (THT p. 98). Their hatred for Janine grows when she becomes a spy for the Aunts: â€Å"We (the handmaids) avoided her when we could (†¦) She was a danger to us†. Similar to Moira, Janine ends up working for Gilead, although Janine does it legally. She is able to bear a child for her Commander’s wife, but soon after the birth the baby dies: â€Å"(The baby) was a shredded after all (†¦) My God, (†¦) to go through all that, for nothing. Worse than nothing† (THT p. 192). As a result, Janine becomes insane as she cannot tolerate the loss: â€Å"she’s (Janine) let go, totally now, she’s in free fall, she’s in withdrawal† (THT p. 252). But her insanity is also due to the loss of connection with her body she gets â€Å"legally† raped, which comes as a revival of her pre-Gilead’s traumatic experience. For her, losing the relationship with her body implies losing her mind as well. In conclusion, Janine had done everything to accommodate to this society: she pleased the Aunts, she became a spy, and she even bore a child; but she never accomplished her purpose of becoming accepted and, as compared to Moira, she is subjugated to Gilead, metaphorically losing both mind and body. As I have already stated, Moira and Janine present both differences and similarities. The boldest differences between them are their personalities and their strategies to either escape or accommodate to Gilead. But even these antithetical characters have a similar destiny: their subjugation to the society and the metaphorical loss of connection with their own bodies. The implication that arises from this comparison is that were a society like this be established, women would not only be morally affected, but they would also lose their own identity. Another line of research worth pursuing further is to study the effect that a society like this could have on today’s world.

Explorations of Tessellated forms for Architecture Application Essay

Explorations of Tessellated forms for Architecture Application - Essay Example The design principles upon which the urban landscape depends touch every aspect of modern life, from the aesthetics involved in fashion or jewellery, to the functional tools developed for mechanical or surgical work. Similar design elements and technological solutions are applied which can inform urban design and architectural theories that shape our living environments. Design, architecture, and art embrace the new advances described during the course of this analysis to create potential for a new dimension of design techniques applicable not only in architecture, but throughout a wide range of disciplines. This study will explore a possible future of architecture made available through the adaptation of two relatively novel scientific concepts: 3-D printing and tessellation. In a broad sense, the theories of tessellation will be explored at length, combined with the new possibilities inherent in 3-D printing. The theoretical principles of tessellation are extremely applicable to the technology of 3-D printing, due to the ability to repeat the same procedures many times to make perfect copies of the design. This investigation will explore possible developments of this design system for use in architecture. In terms of current trends in Australian architecture, it is necessary to remain cognizant of the after effects of the recent global financial crisis, though these issues have affected Australia somewhat less than other countries. Regardless, it is inevitable that an interconnected global economy will still impact every other economy, especially in developed countries. Markets affecting new buildings and home design are strongly influenced by the electronic dissemination of information about new technologies around the world, and as a result, demand exists for structural flexibility as well as quality 1. Adaptation of new technologies can meet