What is the role of institutions according to North How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era Essay Example

What is the role of institutions according to North? How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era? Essay What is the role of institutions according to North? How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era? By Justifiedcause What is the role of institutions according to North? How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era? Maddison (2006) stated that he would characterise the whole period 1000-1820 as protocapitalist. He believes the transition from pre-modern to modern economic growth took place at around 1820. This will set the stage for this discussion. Within that period, there were two groups of countries which were differentiated by their deviation in economic growth. They were the Group A nations, which included Western Europe, Western Offshootsl and Japan, while the rest of the world made up the Group B nations. The contours of world development in this era, largely shaped by Douglass Norths theory of institutions, can be categorise into two main subsets which are Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and population demographics, for the purpose of this essay. North (1990) defines institutions as the rules of the game n a society or, more formally, are the humanly devised constraints that shape human action. Institutions exist in every economy, in the form of either formal or informal constraints, developed to define the choice sets, within which individuals and organisations make their decisions. Economic growth is heavily dependent on the productivity of an economy, which in turn is affected by the costs involved. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the role of institutions according to North? How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is the role of institutions according to North? How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is the role of institutions according to North? How far does this theory go towards explaining the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the neoclassical world of complete information, the gains of trade are only negated by the costs of production, also known as the transformation costs. Norths theory of xchange takes into account the transaction costs, which are the costs of exchange that will also reduce the benefits of trade. Institutions affect these costs which determine the profitability and feasibility of economic activities. The role of the theory of institution is to deal with the issue of cooperation. In the real world of incomplete information and uncertainty, institutions are devised to create conducive conditions, where there are incentives and disincentives, to facilitate cooperative behaviour. In order to maximise private benefit, individuals and organisations will seek to cooperate. As a result, the behaviour of the community will become predictable and certain, since the behaviour of the community is the sum of the behaviour of parties within it. In other words, institutions establish a stable structure for economic, political and social interactions. With increased certainty, and therefore, lower costs of exchange, gains of trade can be reaped at a higher margin which would foster economic growth. The diagram below shows the dead-weight loss, represented by Area ABC, in a situation where there is a price increase in real terms, due to the risks involved, and decrease in quantity traded because of the ncertainty on the arrival of the goods. This highlights the importance of efficient institutions in reducing the costs of exchange. Prlvate, Instead 0T soclal, DeneTlts are oTten tne Tocus wnen aevlslng sucn rules, formal institutions in particular. Coupled with the fact that the relative bargaining power of different parties is a major determinant of the structure of the rules, it explains the persistence of inefficient institutions, a distinctive characteristic of Group B nations. It is precisely the form of institutional framework that determines the path of development a particular economy will take, either towards growth, ecline or stagnation which eventually shaped the contours of world development. Maddison (2006) noted that Group A nations had their average per capita income grew nearly four times as fast as the average for the rest of the world. Nations Annual Average Compound Growth Rate Average Group A 0. 13 Average Group B 0. 03 World 0. 05 Table : Rate of Growth of GDP Per Capita, 1000-1820 A. D. Different forms of institutions developed in areas like trade, scientific learning and social behaviour resulted in the divergence of the rate of growth of GDP per capita. During the 1200s, he Venetian Republic experienced sharp economic growth through institutional frameworks which promoted merchant capitalism and fostered entrepreneurism. Legal and political institutions were devised to protect property rights. In addition, the development of accountancy assisted in enforcing contracts and financial institutions gave access to credit and insurance. These greatly reduced the uncertainty of transactions and incentivise productive-enhancing activities like large scale international trade, which led to increased income per capita and economic growth. Contrastingly, in Morocco, the tribal chiefs found it profitable to protect merchant caravans but they lack the military might and political structure to devise and enforce property rights. The lack of development of informal rules into permanent institutional framework to cater for a larger market forestalled the expansion of any form of credible trade and this halted any increase in GDP per capita and economic growth. Institutions of intellectual tolerance played a significant role in Western Europe in setting a foundation for the educational system which was alrectea Dy sclentlTlc learning. By 1 500, tnere were approxlmately seventy acaaemles and universities of secular learning. The productivity of these learning centres and their willingness to accept new ideas were amplified after Johannes Gutenberg first developed printing for Europe in 1455. Techniques in book production were then revolutionised and, by 1483, productivity had increased by two hundred folds. In addition, European publishing was competitive and there was a presence of international trade in books which led to easy access to new ideas to a larger proportion of the population. These factors significantly incentivise the Europeans owards literacy and education, cultivating creativity and innovation. Although printing was available five centuries earlier in China than in Europe, the access to new information for the Chinese population was nothing close to that of the Europeans. China was a centralised state and its bureaucracy was able to exercise thought control by means of censorship and restriction of books available to the general population. This difference in intellectual institutions had significant implications, particularly on knowledge diffusion, which steered the Western Europeans towards scientific empirical research and experiment, making possible echnological process and human capital development through education; they in turn increased income per capita and economic growth. Social behaviour was also shaped by the highly contrasting political and religious institutional framework put in place in different regions of the world in the pre-modern growth era. In Europe, Christianity was adopted as a state religion as early as 380 AD. This resulted in contrasting characteristic of marriages, kinship and inheritance, especially that of the Islamic World. The Church broke down past links to tribes and clans and encouraged individualism and wealth accumulation. This promoted entrepreneurism which became founding steps towards more productive activities and exchange, increasing the standard of living in the long-run. On the other hand, Kuran (1996, 2003) suggested that the ethical and charitable requirements in Islamic law bind potentially productive resources into unproductive social-service organisations. In this case where redistributive, rather than productive, behaviour was incentivise, the economy stunted. Such behaviour would allocate labour resources inefficiently and increase the price of labour in productive sectors, which eventually led to an increase n transformation costs that would negate the gains of trade. This had adverse effect on per capita income and economic growth. Population demographics are another contour of world development. During the pre-modern growth era, the difference in life expectancy stood out between the Group A and B nations. Maddison (2001) also pointed out that deviation in life expectancy, as depicted in the following table. Nations Average Life Expectation (years at birth; average for both sexes) 1000 A. D. 1820 A. D. 24 Average Group 26 Table 2: Average Life Expectation, 1000-1820 A. D. Education institutions which facilitate technological advancement in Netherlands, for example, introduced inventions like water and canal management for agriculture. Additionally, electrical power generation was made possible by windmills which intensify productivity in the sector. The improvements, albeit slow, in agriculture increased food availability and led to a decrease in hunger crises, which were one of the key factors of high mortality before this era. This increase in human welfare, which in turn helped to lower the mortality rate, contributed to the climb in average life expectation in the Group A nations by 12 years. However, the same cannot be said for the Group B nations. The Europeans implemented extractive institutions in their colonies in Latin America while Africans were forced into slavery. In Asia, Indias state did little to educate its people to boost the agriculture sector, epitomised by the lack of use of their sacred cows dung as manure. Coupled with its social institutions like the caste system, there was little incentive and ability to produce food to curb shortages. Group B nations experienced little improvements in human welfare, which provides an explanation for the stagnation in life expectancy. Cameron and Neal (2003) said that The interrelationship of population, resources, and technology in the economy is conditioned by social interactions, including values and attitudes. While we cannot undermine the roles that the other three factors play in shaping the contours of world development, it is evident, from the examples given throughout the essay, that it is the underlying institutions applied that determined their growth, utilisation, and eventually, impact on the societies. Cameron and Neal (2003) summed up the importance of institutions by, coming into ag reement with North, uggesting that institutional change is perhaps the most dynamic source of change in the whole economy. The sum of the impacts coming from population growth, resources management and technological advancement, which are heavily influenced by the nations institutional structure, determined the contours of world development in the pre-modern growth era. (1484 words) ReTerences Cameron, R. , Neal, L. (2003). A Concise Economic History Of The World: From Paleolithic Times To The Present. New York: Oxford University Press. Carden, A. (2007). Christian Ethics, Formal Instiutions, and Economic Growth. American Review of Political Economy, 34-53. Harreld, D. J. (2010, February 4). The Dutch Economy in the Golden Age (16th-17th Centuries). Retrieved January 5, 2012, from EH. Net Encyclopedia: http://eh. net/encyclopedia/article/Harreld. Dutch Hodgso, G. M. (2006). What are Institutions? Jornal of Economic Issues, Vol. 40, No. 1. Kuran, T. (1996). The Discontents of Islamic Economic Morality. Economic Review Papers and Proceedings 86(2), 438-442. Kuran, T. (2003). Why the Middle East is Economically Underdeveloped: Historical Mechanisms of Institutional Stagnation. Working Paper: Mercatus Center and University of Southern California. Maddison, A. 2005). Growth Interaction in the World Economy: The Roots of Modernity. Washington, D. C. : The American Enterprise Institute Press. Maddison, A. (2006). The Contours of World Development. In A. Maddison, The World Economy: Volume 1: A Millennial Perspective Volume 2: Historical Statistics (pp. 29-50). Paris: Development Centre Studies, Organisation for Economic Co-operaton and Development (OECD). North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. North, D. C. (1991). Institutions. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 5, NO. 1. ,97-112.

body modification essays

body modification essays Dictionary definitions are always helpful in making things more clear. The definition of mutilate is: to make imperfect by excising or altering parts. Mutilation is making imperfect. There are a few listed definitions of art. The first is: human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. The second definition is: the conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium (American Heritage...). Here is the loophole. Altering what is natural is part of a definition for both mutilate and art. Therefore, mutilation is art. However, art is not making imperfect. Why is body mutilation viewed so differently than many other art forms? Body mutilation is a form of art that should be accepted, as so many others are. Before one can make a judgment on this subject, a good bit of knowledge is needed. Fear of the unknown can sometimes lead people to form harsh opinions, or to even hold them back from doing things they really want to do. Here is a clear explanation of how these basic types of body modification are actually done, and how the human body is transformed into a beautiful work of art. Tattoos: A Tattoo is a body modification in which the skin is permanently colored by ink being placed under the skin in a desired pattern. Traditionally, tattoos were merely done with a small sharp object that had been placed in ink and then pierced into the skin. This method is commonly used by amateur tattoo artists and often only used on themselves and their close friends. Professional tattoo guns are built on the same concept except that they are normally powered by a small motor and controlled by a foot pedal (Tattoo Information). Tattooing is an expressive, dramatic, and diverse art, whose only limitation is imagination. Tattoos can take up to any amount of tim...

Resumes and LinkedIn for Relaunchers The Essay Expert Interviewed on BlogTalkRadio

Resumes and LinkedIn for Relaunchers The Essay Expert Interviewed on BlogTalkRadio I was interviewed about resumes and LinkedIn topics on March 22, 2011 by LeeAnn Dance. Her project, Back In Force Productions, is a blog and radio show for stay-at-home parents reentering the workforce. For your listening pleasure! The interview is full of great tips not just for relaunchers but also for any job seeker. Find out about how long your resume should be; whether to include dates; and what the current trends are for the Objective statement (or not). And learn some absolute musts for your LinkedIn profile. This is my first experience embedding a BTR player into a blog post. Check it out! Listen to internet radio with Back in Force on Blog Talk Radio

Public Enemy' Film Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Enemy' Film Review - Essay Example The playwright portrays Joan, Mae Clarke and Jean as persons who can fight in order to achieve high lifestyle through prostitution (Greatest Films n.d.). Tom has an intense desire for wealth. The urge pushes him to steal items and sell them to raise money. By comparison, Putty-Nose buys things from the boys in order to settle his bills. The acts are aimed at acquiring wealth and fitting into a lucrative class in the society. Mike is conscious of his future. He works throughout the day and attends school at night in pursuit of his career objectives for a better future. He goes to war as an army man to earn a living and reputation in the society. Wealth pushes Tom and Matt to accept Putty Nose’s offer to rob a fur warehouse (Aquila 26). Initially, Tom and Mike are seen seeking other opportunities in life. They become truck drivers with the aim of making money. The owner of a liquor store decides to sell all his liquor before midnight following the prohibition of the product. All vessels get filled with bottles of beer. The prohibition is perceived by many as an avenue into multi-billion dollar profits arising from illegal bootleggers. Paddy lures Tom and Matt into the lucrative liquor business. Paddy uses Tom and Matt to loot liquor and buys it from them. They sell the looted beer making huge profits. The film glorifies wealth to the extent that people steal in order to acquire money and positions in the society. The two boys on acquiring wealth change their lifestyle. They change their clothes to smart looking tailor made clothes and as well as enjoy the pleasures of life. They become conscious of their class as they acquire flashy roadster cars and make merry at profligate nightclub. In the club, they dance with the most attractive women. Tom and Matt continue with their criminal escapades and become even more conscious of their class. They acquire a new boss, who not only sell

Business Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Business Decision Making - Assignment Example Secondary and primary data will be used to gather the data which will help in making the decision of opening a new branch of the restaurant. The restaurant is very successful and in a short span of time it has earned the company big profits. The taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the top priority because of which it gathers the attention of more and more customers. In addition to it, the price of the food is not very high and it is easily affordable by many. The success of the first restaurant and the increasing number of restaurants in London has encouraged the owners to open a second branch of this restaurant. It is expected that the second branch of the restaurant will also be successful and will also contribute in the profits of the company. Taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the two most important factors that influence the decision of a person to go to a restaurant and these factors will be determined by a market survey of restaurant goers. Financial effectiveness of the plan that will be made will be determined through Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). From the articles of Chen et al. (2015) and Stroozas (2014) it is extracted that the ambience of the restaurant has a big impact on the minds of the customers. The ambiance of the restaurant influences a person to opt for a better restaurant. The customers are more attracted towards a restaurant which have a good quality environment, this factor increases the profitability of the restaurant. It is also observed that the emotions and loyalty are also connected with the ambiance of the restaurants which allows a person to come again and again to the same particular place (Chen et al., 2015; Stroozas, 2014). According to Ivanova et al. (2012), a healthy nutrition environment of the restaurant plays an important role in gaining the attention of people. The tourists are also attracted towards the restaurant where there is a healthy

Economic globalization Essay Example for Free

Economic globalization Essay Economic globalization has changed the concept of crime and justice from being unique to one area to now knowing no boundaries. Terrorism is the most recent issue brought before the world and knows no boundaries. Is terrorism a crime that screams for justice? Or a declaration of war? If we use traditional meanings we cannot use the term war because war is started by a state and the terrorist acts of today are by small groups with fundamental ideas. The United States has declared war on terror calling for justice after 911. The world was outraged and shocked. The terrorist attacks were intended to destroy the foundation of western society. The events did not change the world order, but did change the world none the less. Technology that has helped business to go global also enhanced criminal networks to go global also. Global crime begs for global justice. The increase in global crime needs a global response. There has been progress towards global law such as the international criminal tribune that began in the 1990’s for Rwanda and The International Criminal Courts, ICC, created in 1998 in Yugoslavia. These organizations created treaties that were recommended for use by the European Parliament (Delmar-Marty, 287). But the reluctance of the United States to acknowledge a need for global justice has prevented the concept from developing to its fullest potential. How the U. S. defines terrorism conflicts with international interpretation and this fact won’t help to end global crime. International criminal law, on the other hand, would help in global crime. The creation of these global courts would â€Å"guarantee the independence and impartiality of judges, for it recognizes that they represent different legal traditions, including that of Muslim states† (Delmar-Marty, 291). The concept of crime or what is deemed a crime varies from culture to culture, so that fact alone calls for an international court that can accomplish more than relying on each countries law for justice. In the article â€Å"Global Crime Calls for Global Justice†, the author suggests instead of using the word terrorism to decide criminality the term â€Å"crime against humanity† should be used. Giving recognition of universal values that would ensure not only protection of human rights but also dignity of human beings around the globe (2002, 292). So when looking at 911 one should consider it a terrorist act, but instead as a crime against humanity. The global war on terrorism is constricting the flow of financial support to terror groups through Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. To circumvent these measures, transnational terrorist organizations are moving deeper into organized criminal activity. This transition poses a tremendous challenge to states struggling with a threat that has changed significantly since September 11. As terror groups transform into hybrid criminal/terror entities and partner with criminal syndicates, the threat to the United States increasing every day. Over the past few years and increasingly in recent months, leading intelligence and national security minds have noted the growing threat created by the transformation and convergence of transnational organized crime and terrorist groups. While there is some debate as to whether these groups are converging or transforming, it is clear that this growing threat is complex and increasingly difficult to counter with standard law enforcement and military counter-measures. As the United States and other nations adjust to the post 911 world of stubborn problems such as the Iraqi insurgency, Afghanistan, and Al Qaeda, the nexus of organized crime and terrorism, especially between the tri-borders of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil could prolong these challenges and lead to further disruptions and threats to global security and prosperity. Impediments to wholesale cooperation between the two parties remain, but the merging of transnational organized crime and international terrorism in these countries is nonetheless on the rise (Sanderson, 2007). Global economics has truly been the core of crime that is called terrorism. There has been a connection to terrorism and money from oil. In an article by D. Ekman Kaplin he suggests billions of dollars in oil money goes to fund global terror and their networks. The article in U. S. News and World Report showed that I the 1980’s Saudi Arabia’s somewhat official charities became the primary source of funding for the jihad movement that spanned some 20 countries. The money was used to run paramilitary training camps, buy weapons and recruit new members. The charities the Saudi’s had started was in hopes of spreading their fundamentalists ideas globally. The money that was raised went to build hundreds of radical mosques, schools and Islamic centers that supported networks for the jihad movement. This is despite the fact that the United States had knowledge of this since 1996. The U. S. felt that foreign terrorism outweighed fighting terrorism at that time. In 1998, when terrorist struck two U. S. Embassies in East Africa officials in the White House felt a better picture of just how much money and where this money was coming from was needed. This was where the connection was found and it was shocking. The White House enlisted the help of the CIA to answer questions into the funding of Al Qaeda and of the leaders, Osama Bin Laden’s personal finances. Most of the money Al Qaeda had was a direct source of fundraising by Saudi Arabia. An ally to America and the world’s largest producers of oil. Many believed and probably still do today, that Osama Bin Laden’s personal fortune and businesses in Sudan was the source of this funding. William Wechsler, director of the task force NSC (responsible for the investigation), stated that, â€Å"Al Qaeda was a constant fundraising machine† (Kaplan, 18). U. S. officials did not confront the Saudi’s about this fact until after Sept 11, 2001. In 25 years the Saudi’s have been â€Å"the single greatest force in spreading Islamic Fundamentalism. † (20). The Saudi’s unregulated charities have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to Al Qaeda cells and jihad groups globally. U. S. Ambassadors, CIA station Chiefs and Cabinet secretaries were encouraged by Saudi’s using billions of dollars in contracts, grants and salaries, to turn a blind eye. When Washington refused to confront the Saudi’s on their part of the terrorist’s network. This was the failure point in sounding the alarm of the rising of the jihad movements globally and of the events of 911. The Saudi’s argued that their charities have done an enormous amount of good work and blames the problems on what they call â€Å"renegade offices† (22). Foreign advisor to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia promises that steps are being taken that will ensure that it never happens again. The fear is that some of the Saudi’s charities played more of a role in terrorist activities. These charities helped to make the more primitive jihadists and insurgents into a more sophisticated global movement. It seems that individuals that were spreading the Wahhabist doctrine, a doctrine held by the Saudi royal family, turned out to be the most radical of the believers in the holly wars. They poured huge sums of money into the newly formed Al Qaeda network. According to a 2002 report Al Qaeda and others jihadists received $300 million and $500 million from Saudi Charities and private donors (Kaplan, 2003). To fund the mujahideen in Afghanistan. Washington and Riyadh helped with some $3. billion to aid in the fight with soviets. Bin Laden personally helped gain millions from clerics in the Muslim world to aid in this cause. The Saudi charities were able to operate in some of the hottest spots around the globe. There was no control on how the money was spent, U. S. officials said. The charities were perfect front’s organizations. They provided safe houses, false identities, travel documents and arms. All the organization were able to dispense large amounts of cash with little or no documentation. The private foundations were not what Americans would call charities. At the time terrorism was not views as a threat and the link of Saudi Arabia with terrorism was not deem as important and kept on the back burner (Kaplan, 2003). In 1998 the CIA began an investigation in Chicago which led them to over $1. 2 million terrorist gained from a local chemical firm. The money had been sent t Hamas and the source of the money came from a Saudi charity. Saudi’s spread the money through-out Washington by the millions that helped to buy friends and influences. One group, Carlyle Group in particular, made huge amounts of money dealings with the Saudi’s. Top advisors for the group included former President George H. W. Bush, James Baker, his secretary of state and Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of Defense. Saudi investment in America was as much as $600 billion in U. S. banks and stock markets. In 1998 attacks on the U. S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania changed all of that. A Task force on terrorist’s finances was formed and in 1999 the charities were even closer linked to the jihad movement. In June of 2003 Saudi officials finally admitted something had gone very wrong and felt they were not at fault for their shortcomings on how funds from the charities were handled. But in 2003 a lawsuit was filed by the 900 members of families of the victims of 911 totaling over $1 trillion dollars and names Saudi princes, businessmen and charities that handled terrorist responsible for the 911 attacks. Reform for the Saudi’s society will be the ultimate test (Halloran, 2006). Presidents Bush’s military tribunal system is another way of the U. S. is attempting to control crime and terrorism. The system is struggling with issues that range from questions that arise such as, what would qualify an individual as a combatant and are the same rules for war applicable to the war on terror (Waldman, 2006). The United States government has come to another problem with the war on terror. In recent years U. S. anti-terrorism units has been slowly decreasing the assets that were frozen stating the effort to â€Å"lack of urgency† as the reason. President Bush disagrees and believes that in order to stop terrorism the flow of money must stop (Johnson, 2007). Since it is clear that terrorism is here for sometime and funding is a key force to keeping them active and needs to eliminated, it is still clear that international laws governing terror is still another key focus the globe needs to address.

Melba Patillo and the Arkansas Nine :: Racial Segregation Integration

Melba Patillo changed history by enduring one of the first high school integration in history. Without Melba's bravery and endurance we would not have black people and white people together in the same building, much less in the same schools. Melba and the other eight black students spent one gruesome year at Central High, which is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. They not only tried to socialize and study, they had to go to press conferences concerning integration and were forced to ride in a car driven by soldiers. They had to be alert every second for the entire year in order to survive. These nine kids, also known as the Arkansas Nine, have showed the world that they can beat segregation. Nineteen hundred fifty seven was a horrible time in Little Rock, Arkansas. Segregationists were opposed to the blacks having any power and threw racial words at black people. There was a large lawsuit about integration in Little Rock in 1952 that wanted to have black students attend an all white school. Unfortunately, a petition was filed opposing black kids going to an all white school. Miraculously ,May 17, 1954 was the surprising day that the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Their ruling stated that segregating public schools made them unequal and was illegal. Segregationists did whatever it was necessary to stop the integration in Central High School. Gov. Faubus tried to stall the integration by having two hundred witnesses testtify in opposition. Fortunately with the help of the NAACP, the court decided to make the integration work in 1957. The school year was exhausting for the Arkansas Nine. The white students had to be mean to the Arkansas Nine or be threatened by segregationists if they helped the Arkansas Nine. Melba, One of the Arkansas Nine, was a strong warrior even as a baby. She was born on Pearl Harbor Day with a scalp infection. The nurse did not tell Mother Lois how to get rid of had the infection, because she said “We do not coddle with n---------s.” If it was not for the janitor eavesdropping on the doctor telling the nurse about the cure, and telling Mother Lois, Melba would not have lived to become a warrior at the school.

As Fast as Food Essay

Fast food restaurantA fast food restaurant, also known as a quick service restaurant (QSR) within the industry itself, is a specific type of restaurant characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service. Food served in fast food restaurants typically caters to a â€Å"meat-sweet diet† and is offered from a limited menu; is cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot; is finished and packaged to order; and is usually available ready to take away, though seating may be provided. Fast food restaurants are usually part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation, which provisions standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. [1] Arguably the first fast food restaurants originated in the United States with A&W in 1916 and White Castle in 1921. [2] Today, American-founded fast food chains such as McDonald’s and KFC are multinational corporations with outlets across the globe. Variations on the fast food restaurant concept include fast casual restaurants and catering trucks. Fast casual restaurants have higher sit-in ratios, and customers can sit and have their orders brought to them. Catering trucks often park just outside worksites and are popular with factory workers. HistorySome trace the modern history of fast food in America to July 7, 1912, with the opening of a fast food restaurant called the Automat in New York. The Automat was a cafeteria with its prepared foods behind small glass windows and coin-operated slots. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart had already opened the first Horn & Hardart Automat in Philadelphia in 1902, but their â€Å"Automat† at Broadway and 13th Street, in New York City, created a sensation. Numerous Automat restaurants were built around the country to deal with the demand. Automats remained extremely popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The company also popularized the notion of â€Å"take-out† food, with their slogan â€Å"Less work for Mother†. Some historians and secondary school textbooks concur that A&W, which opened in 1919 and began franchising in 1921, was the first fast food restaurant (E. Tavares). Thus, the American company White Castle is generally credited with opening the second fast-food outlet in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece from its inception and spawning numerous competitors and emulators. What is certain, however, is that White Castle made the first significant effort to standardize the food production in, look of, and operation of fast-food hamburger restaurants. William Ingram’s and Walter Anderson’s White Castle System created the first fast food supply chain to provide meat, buns, paper goods, and other supplies to their restaurants, pioneered the concept of the multistate hamburger restaurant chain, standardized the look and construction of the restaurants themselves, and even developed a construction division that manufactured and built the chain’s prefabricated restaurant buildings. The McDonalds’ Speedee Service System and, much later, Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s outlets and Hamburger University all built on principles, systems and practices that White Castle had already established between 1923 and 1932. The hamburger restaurant most associated by the public with the term â€Å"fast food† was created by two brothers originally from Nashua, New Hampshire. Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a barbecue drive-in in 1940 in the city of San Bernardino, California. After discovering that most of their profits came from hamburgers, the brothers closed their restaurant for three months and reopened it in 1948 as a walk-up stand offering a simple menu of hamburgers, french fries, shakes, coffee, and Coca-Cola, served in disposable paper wrapping. As a result, they could produce hamburgers and fries constantly, without waiting for customer orders, and could serve them immediately; hamburgers cost 15 cents, about half the price at a typical diner. Their streamlined production method, which they named the â€Å"Speedee Service System† was influenced by the production line innovations of Henry Ford. By 1954, The McDonald brothers’ stand was restaurant equipment manufacturer Prince Castle’s biggest purchaser of milkshake blending machines. Prince Castle salesman Ray Kroc traveled to California to discover why the company had purchased almost a dozen of the units as opposed to the normal one or two found in most restaurants of the time. Enticed by the success of the McDonald’s concept, Kroc signed a franchise agreement with the brothers and began opening McDonald’s restaurants in Illinois. [3] By 1961, Kroc had bought out the brothers and created what is now the modern McDonald’s Corporation. One of the major parts of his business plan was to promote cleanliness of his restaurants to growing groups of Americans that had become aware of food safety issues. As part of his commitment to cleanliness, Kroc often took part in cleaning his own Des Plaines, Illinois outlet by hosing down the garbage cans and scraping gum off the cement. Another concept Kroc added was great swaths of glass which enabled the customer to view the food preparation, a practice still found in chains such as Krispy Kreme. A clean atmosphere was only part of Kroc’s grander plan which separated McDonald’s from the rest of the competition and attributes to their great success. Kroc envisioned making his restaurants appeal to suburban families. [4] At roughly the same time as Kroc was conceiving what eventually became McDonald’s Corporation, two Miami, Florida businessmen, James McLamore and David Edgerton, opened a franchise of the predecessor to what is now the international fast food restaurant chain Burger King. McLamore had visited the original McDonald’s hamburger stand belonging to the McDonald brothers; sensing potential in their innovative assembly line-based production system, he decided he wanted to open a similar operation of his own. [5][6] The two partners eventually decided to invest their money in Jacksonville, Florida-based Insta-Burger King. Originally opened in 1953, the founders and owners of the chain, Kieth J. Kramer and his wife’s uncle Matthew Burns, opened their first stores around a piece of equipment known as the Insta-Broiler. The Insta-Broiler oven proved so successful at cooking burgers, they required all of their franchises to carry the device. [5] By 1959 McLamore and Edgarton were operating several locations within the Miami-Dade area and were growing at a fast clip. Despite the success of their operation, the partners discovered that the design of the insta-broiler made the unit’s heating elements prone to degradation from the drippings of the beef patties. The pair eventually created a mechanized gas grill that avoided the problems by changing the way the meat patties were cooked in the unit. After the original company began to falter in 1959, it was purchased by McLamore and Edgerton who renamed the company Burger King. [7] While fast food restaurants usually have a seating area in which customers can eat the food on the premises, orders are designed to be taken away, and traditional table service is rare. Orders are generally taken and paid for at a wide counter, with the customer waiting by the counter for a tray or container for their food. A â€Å"drive-through† service can allow customers to order and pick up food from their cars. Nearly from its inception, fast food has been designed to be eaten â€Å"on the go† and often does not require traditional cutlery and is eaten as a finger food. Common menu items at fast food outlets include fish and chips, sandwiches, pitas, hamburgers, fried chicken, french fries, chicken nuggets, tacos, pizza, and ice cream, although many fast food restaurants offer â€Å"slower† foods like chili, mashed potatoes, and salads. CuisineModern commercial fast food is highly processed and prepared on a large scale from bulk ingredients using standardized cooking and production methods and equipment. It is usually rapidly served in cartons or bags or in a plastic wrapping, in a fashion which reduces operating costs by allowing rapid product identification and counting, promoting longer holding time, avoiding transfer of bacteria, and facilitating order fulfillment. In most fast food operations, menu items are generally made from processed ingredients prepared at a central supply facilities and then shipped to individual outlets where they are cooked (usually by grill, microwave, or deep-frying) or assembled in a short amount of time either in anticipation of upcoming orders (i. e. , â€Å"to stock†) or in response to actual orders (i. e., â€Å"to order†). Following standard operating procedures, pre-cooked products are monitored for freshness and disposed of if holding times become excessive. This process ensures a consistent level of product quality, and is key to delivering the order quickly to the customer and avoiding labor and equipment costs in the individual stores. Because of commercial emphasis on taste, speed, product safety, uniformity, and low cost, fast food products are made with ingredients formulated to achieve an identifiable flavor, aroma, texture, and â€Å"mouth feel† and to preserve freshness and control handling costs during preparation and order fulfillment. This requires a high degree of food engineering. The use of additives, including salt, sugar, flavorings and preservatives, and processing techniques may limit the nutritional value of the final product. Value mealsA value meal is a group of menu items offered together at a lower price than they would cost individually. They are common at fast food restaurants. Value meals are a common merchandising tactic to facilitate bundling, up-selling, and price discrimination. Most of the time they can be upgraded to a larger size of fries and drink for a small fee. The perceived creation of a â€Å"discount† on individual menu items in exchange for the purchase of a â€Å"meal† is also consistent with the loyalty marketing school of thought. [8] TechnologyTo make quick service possible and to ensure accuracy and security, many fast food restaurants have incorporated hospitality point of sale systems. This makes it possible for kitchen crew people to view orders placed at the front counter or drive through in real time. Wireless systems allow orders placed at drive through speakers to be taken by cashiers and cooks. Drive through and walk through configurations will allow orders to be taken at one register and paid at another. Modern point of sale systems can operate on computer networks using a variety of software programs. Sales records can be generated and remote access to computer reports can be given to corporate offices, managers, troubleshooters, and other authorized personnel. Food service chains partner with food equipment manufacturers to design highly specialized restaurant equipment, often incorporating heat sensors, timers, and other electronic controls into the design. Collaborative design techniques, such as rapid visualization and parametric modeling of restaurant kitchens are now being used to establish equipment specifications that are consistent with restaurant operating and merchandising requirements. [9] Business Consumer spendingIn the United States alone, consumers spent about $110 billion on fast food in 2000 (which increased from $6 billion in 1970). [10] The National Restaurant Association forecasts that fast food restaurants in the U. S. will reach $142 billion in sales in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. In comparison, the full-service restaurant segment of the food industry is expected to generate $173 billion in sales. Fast food has been losing market share to so-called fast casual restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines. Major international brandsMcDonald’s, a noted fast food supplier, opened its first franchised restaurant in the US in 1955 (1974 in the UK). It has become a phenomenally successful enterprise in terms of financial growth, brand-name recognition, and worldwide expansion. Ray Kroc, who bought the franchising license from the McDonald brothers, pioneered many concepts which emphasized standardization. He introduced uniform products, identical in all respects at each outlet, to increase sales. At the same time, Kroc also insisted on cutting food costs as much as possible, eventually using the McDonald’s Corporation’s size to force suppliers to conform to this ethos. Other prominent international fast food companies include Burger King, the number two hamburger chain in the world, known for promoting its customized menu offerings (Have it Your Way). Multinational corporations typically modify their menus to cater to local tastes and most overseas outlets are owned by native franchisees. McDonald’s in India, for example, uses chicken and paneer rather than beef in its burgers because Hinduism traditionally forbids eating beef. In Israel some McDonald’s restaurants are kosher and respect the Jewish Shabbat; there is also a kosher McDonald’s in Argentina. In Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Singapore, all menu items are halal. North America Animal fries from In-N-Out Burger’s secret menu Many fast food operations have more local and regional roots, such as White Castle in the Midwest United States, along with Hardee’s (owned by CKE Restaurants, which also owns Carl’s Jr., whose locations are primarily on the United States West Coast); Krystal, Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, Cook Out, and Zaxby’s restaurants in the American Southeast; Raising Cane’s in Louisiana; Hot ‘n Now in Michigan and Wisconsin; In-N-Out Burger (in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Texas) and Original Tommy’s chains in Southern California; Dick’s Drive-In in Seattle, Washington and Arctic Circle in Utah and other western states; Halo Burger around Flint, Michigan and Burgerville in the Portland, Oregon area. Also, Whataburger is a popular burger chain in the American South and Mexico, and Jack in the Box is located in the West and South. Canada pizza chains Topper’s Pizza and Pizza Pizza are primarily located in Ontario. Coffee chain Country Style operates only in Ontario, and competes with the famous coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons. Maid-Rite restaurant is one of the oldest chain fast food restaurants in the United States. Founded in 1926, their specialty is a loose meat hamburger. Maid-Rites can be found in the midwest – mainly Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri. International brands dominant in North America include McDonalds’s, Burger King and Wendy’s, the number three burger chain in the USA; Dunkin’ Donuts, a New England based chain; automobile oriented Sonic Drive-In’s from Oklahoma City; Starbucks, Seattle-born coffee-based fast food beverage corporation; KFC, a part of the largest restaurant conglomerate in the world, Yum! Brands; and Domino’s Pizza, a pizza chain known for popularizing home delivery of fast food. Subway is known for their sub sandwiches and are the largest restaurant chain to serve such food items. [11] Quiznos a Denver based sub shop is another fast growing sub chain, yet with over 6,000 locations it is still far behind Subway’s 34,000 locations. Other smaller sub shops include Blimpie, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Mr. Goodcents, Jimmy John’s, and Firehouse. A&W Restaurants was originally a United States and Canada fast food brand, but is currently an International fast food corporation in several countries. In Canada the majority of fast food chains are American owned, or were originally American owned but have since set up a Canadian management/headquarters location in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver such as Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Five Guys, Carl’s Jr. and Chili’s. Although the case is usually American fast food chains expanding into Canada, Canadian chains such as Tim Hortons have expanded into 22 states in the United States, but are more prominent in border states such as New York and Michigan. Tim Hortons has started to expand to other countries outside of North America. The Canadian Extreme Pita franchise sells low fat and salt pita sandwiches with stores in the larger Canadian cities. Other Canadian fast food chains such as Manchu Wok serve North American style Asian foods; this company is located mainly in Canada and the USA, with other outlets on US military bases on other continents. Harvey’s is a Canadian burger restaurant chain. The United KingdomIn the United Kingdom, many home based fast food operations were closed in the 1970s and 1980s after McDonald’s became the number one outlet in the market[citation needed]. However, brands like Wimpy still remain, although the majority of branches became Burger King in 1989. JapanTraditional ramen and sushi restaurants still dominate fast food culture in Japan, although American outlets like Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and KFC are also popular, along with Japanese chains like MOS Burger. NigeriaIn Nigeria, Mr. Bigg’s, Chicken Republic, Tantalizers, and Tastee Fried Chicken are the predominant fast food chains. KFC and Pizza Hut have recently entered the country. PakistanFast food In Pakistan varies. There are many international chains serving fast food, including Nandos, KFC, McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, Pizza Hut, Hardees, Telepizza and Gloria Jean’s Coffees. In addition to the international chains, in local cuisine people in Pakistan like to have biryani, bun kebabs, Nihari, kebab rolls etc. as fast food. South AfricaKFC is the most popular fast food chain in South Africa according to a 2010 Sunday Times survey. [12] Chicken Licken, Wimpy and Ocean Basket along with Nando’s and Steers are examples of homegrown franchises that are highly popular within the country. McDonalds, Subway and Pizza Hut have a significant presence within South Africa. China and Hong KongIn Hong Kong, although McDonald’s and KFC are quite popular, there are 3 major local fast food chains providing Hong Kong Chinese style fast food. These 3 major chains are Cafe de Coral, Fairwood Fast Food, and Maxim MX. In recent years, they have also been extending their operations to Mainland China. IsraelIn Israel, local burger chain Burger Ranch is popular as are McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC. Domino’s Pizza is also a popular fast food restaurant. Chains like McDonalds offer kosher branches. Non-kosher foods such as cheeseburgers are rare in Israeli fast food chains, even in non-kosher branches. There are many small local fast food chains that serve pizza, burgers and local foods such as falafel. New ZealandIn New Zealand, the fast food market began in the 1970s with KFC (opened 1971), Pizza Hut (1974), and McDonald’s (1976),[13] and all three remain popular today. Burger King and Domino’s entered the market later in the 1990s. Australian pizza chains Eagle Boys and Pizza Haven also entered the market in the 1990s, but their New Zealand operations were later sold to Pizza Hut and Domino’s. Two fast food chains were founded in New Zealand: Georgie Pie and Hell Pizza. Georgie Pie opened in 1977, and was based around the Australian and New Zealand meat pie. They went through a failed expansion attempt in the mid-1990s and became economically unviable, resulting in the chain being sold to McDonald’s in 1996; the last Georgie Pie restaurant was closed in 1998. Hell Pizza was founded in 1996 in Wellington, and is known for its satanic marketing. Today, it has 64 stores in New Zealand, and also has stores in the UK, Australia, Ireland and Canada. TrendsHealth concernsSome of the large fast food chains are beginning to incorporate healthier alternatives in their menu, e. g. , white meat, snack wraps, salads, and fresh fruit. However, some people see these moves as a tokenistic and commercial measure, rather than an appropriate reaction to ethical concerns about the world ecology and people’s health. McDonald’s announced that in March 2006, the chain would include nutritional information on the packaging of all of its products. [14] Consumer appealFast food outlets have become popular with consumers for several reasons. One is that through economies of scale in purchasing and producing food, these companies can deliver food to consumers at a very low cost. In addition, although some people dislike fast food for its predictability, it can be reassuring to a hungry person in a hurry or far from home[citation needed] In the post-World War II period in the United States, fast food chains like McDonald’s rapidly gained a reputation for their cleanliness, fast service, and a child-friendly atmosphere where families on the road could grab a quick meal, or seek a break from the routine of home cooking[citation needed]. Prior to the rise of the fast food chain restaurant, people generally had a choice between greasy spoon diners where the quality of the food was often questionable and service lacking, or high-end restaurants that were expensive and impractical for families with children[citation needed]. The modern, stream-lined convenience of the fast food restaurant provided a new alternative and appealed to Americans’ instinct for ideas and products associated with progress, technology, and innovation. [citation needed] Fast food restaurants rapidly became the eatery â€Å"everyone could agree on†, with many featuring child-size menu combos, play areas, and whimsical branding campaigns, like the iconic Ronald McDonald, designed to appeal to younger customers. Parents could have a few minutes of peace while children played or amused themselves with the toys included in their Happy Meal. There is a long history of fast food advertising campaigns, many of which are directed at children. In other parts of the world, American and American-style fast food outlets have been popular for their quality, customer service, and novelty, even though they are often the targets of popular anger towards American foreign policy or globalization more generally[citation needed]. Many consumers nonetheless see them as symbols of the wealth, progress, and well-ordered openness of Western society and therefore become trendy attractions in many cities around the world, particularly among younger people with more varied tastes. [citation needed] Impact of fast food restaurant availabilityOver time, fast food restaurants have been growing rapidly, especially in urban neighborhoods. According to US research, low-income and predominantly African-American neighborhoods have greater exposure to fast food outlets than higher income and predominantly white areas. [15] This has put into question whether urbanized neighborhoods were targeted, which causes a more unhealthy group of people compared to people from a higher socioeconomic status. It has also been shown that there is a lower chance of finding a fast food restaurant in a suburban neighborhood. In a study of selected US locations, Morland et al. (2002) found the number of fast food restaurants and bars was inversely proportional to the wealth of the neighborhood, and that predominantly African-American residential areas were four times less likely to have a supermarket near them than predominantly white areas. [16] Innovations timeline 1872: Walter Scott of Providence, RI outfitted a horse-drawn lunch wagon with a simple kitchen, bringing hot dinners to workers[17] 1902: First Horn & Hardart Automat opened in Philadelphia 1912: Horn & Hardart opens a second Automat in Manhattan 1916: Walter Anderson built the first White Castle in Wichita, KS in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant[17] 1919: A&W Root Beer took its product out of the soda fountain and into a roadside stand[17] 1921: A&W Root Beer began franchising its syrup[17]. 1921: White Castle opens its first restaurant 1926: Maid-Rite opened its first restaurant in Muscatine, Iowa. 1930s: Howard Johnson’s pioneered the concept of franchising restaurants, formally standardizing menus, signage, and advertising[17] 1948: In-N-Out Burger begins drive-through service utilizing call-box technology 1967: McDonald’s opens its first restaurants outside the U. S. [1] 1971: McDonald’s begins serving breakfast, test-marketing the Egg McMuffin in the U. S. [2] 1971: The first Starbucks store opens in Seattle, Washington in Pike Place Market to sell high-quality coffee beans and equipment 1980: 7-Eleven introduces the 32-US-fluid-ounce (950 ml) Big Gulp 1981: Arby’s offers nutritional information 1987: Howard Schultz leads purchase of the Starbucks brand from its founders (who adopted the name Peet’s) and begins offering coffee drinks modeled after those sold in Italian coffee bars 1994: McDonald’s begins â€Å"supersizing† Extra Value Meals. 1994: Arctic Circle becomes the first fast food restaurant to sell Angus beef exclusively. 1994: Arby’s is first fast food restaurant to implement a no-smoking policy 2002: McDonald’s cuts back on the amount of trans fat by 48 percent on french fries 2006: Arby’s begins elimination of trans fat oils in french fries Criticisms Hot Dog The fast food industry is a popular target for critics, from anti-globalization activists like Jose Bove to vegetarian activist groups such as PETA. In his best-selling 2001 book Fast Food Nation, investigative journalist Eric Schlosser leveled a broad, socioeconomic critique against the fast food industry, documenting how fast food rose from small, family-run businesses (like the McDonald brothers’ burger joint) into large, multinational corporate juggernauts whose economies of scale radically transformed agriculture, meat processing, and labor markets in the late twentieth century. While the innovations of the fast food industry gave Americans more and cheaper dining options, it has come at the price of destroying the environment, economy, and small-town communities of rural America while shielding consumers from the real costs of their convenient meal, both in terms of health and the broader impact of large-scale food production and processing on workers, animals, and land. The fast food industry is popular in the United States, the source of most of its innovation, and many major international chains are based there. Seen as symbols of U. S. dominance and perceived cultural imperialism, American fast food franchises have often been the target of Anti-globalization protests and demonstrations against the U. S. government. In 2005, for example, rioters in Karachi, Pakistan, who were initially angered because of the bombing of a Shiite mosque, destroyed a KFC restaurant. [18] Legal issuesIn 2003, McDonald’s was sued in a New York court by a family who claimed that the restaurant chain was responsible for their teenage daughter’s obesity and attendant health problems. By manipulating food’s taste, sugar and fat content, and directing their advertising to children, the suit argued that the company purposely misleads the public about the nutritional value of its product. A judge dismissed the case, but the fast food industry disliked the publicity of its practices, particularly the way it targets children in its advertising. [19] Although further lawsuits have not materialized, the issue is kept alive in the media and political circles by those promoting the need for tort reform. [20]. In response to this, the â€Å"Cheeseburger Bill† [21] was passed by the U. S. House of Representatives in 2004; it later stalled in the U. S. Senate. The law was reintroduced in 2005, only to meet the same fate. This law was claimed to â€Å"[ban] frivolous lawsuits against producers and sellers of food and non-alcoholic drinks arising from obesity claims. † The bill arose because of an increase in lawsuits against fast food chains by people who claimed that eating their products made them obese, disassociating themselves from any of the blame. Fast foodFast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating,[1] or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations History. Pulling wheat dough into thin strands to form lamian See also: Fast food restaurant history The concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In Ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread, sausages and wine. Pre-modern EuropeIn the cities of Roman antiquity, much of the urban population living in insulae, multi-story apartment blocks, depended on food vendors for much of their meals. In the mornings, bread soaked in wine was eaten as a quick snack and cooked vegetables and stews later inpopina, a simple type of eating establishment. [3] In the Middle Ages, large towns and major urban areas such as London and Paris supported numerous vendors that sold dishes such as pies, pasties, flans, waffles, wafers, pancakes and cooked meats. As in Roman cities during antiquity, many of these establishments catered to those who did not have means to cook their own food, particularly single households. Unlike richer town dwellers, many often could not afford housing with kitchen facilities and thus relied on fast food. Travellers, as well, such as pilgrims en route to a holy site, were among the customers. [4] United Kingdom Fish and chips with mushy peas In areas which had access to coastal or tidal waters, ‘fast food’ would frequently include local shellfish or seafood, such as oysters or, as in London, eels. Often this seafood would be cooked directly on the quay or close by. [5] The development of trawler fishing in the mid nineteenth century would lead to the development of a British favourite fish and chips, and the first shop in 1860. [6] A blue plaque at Oldham’s Tommyfield Market marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain. [6] British fast food had considerable regional variation. Sometimes the regionality of dish became part of the culture of its respective area. The content of fast food pies has varied, with poultry (such as chickens) or wildfowl commonly being used. After World War II, turkey has been used more frequently in fast food. [7] As well as its native cuisine, the UK has adopted fast food from other cultures, such as pizza, Chinese noodles, kebab, and curry. More recently healthier alternatives to conventional fast food have also emerged. United States. Neighboring fast food restaurant advertisement signs in Bowling Green, Kentucky for Wendy’s, KFC, Krystal and Taco Bell As automobiles became popular and more affordable following World War I, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents each. [8] Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant. [9] Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. Franchising was introduced in 1921 by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson’s first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising. [9] Curb service was introduced in the late 1920s and was mobilized in the 1940s when carhops strapped on roller skates. [10]. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. [11] On the go McDonald’s first two-lane drive-thru was at the Rock N Roll McDonald’s in Chicago. Fast food outlets are take-away or take-out providers, often with a â€Å"drive-through† service which allows customers to order and pick up food from their cars, but most also have indoor and/or outdoor seating areas in which the customers can eat the food on-site. Nearly from its inception, fast food has been designed to be eate.

Entrepreneurship the purist most challenging application of the art and science of business. Essay

Corporate America repeatedly cites the ‘lack of entrepreneurial skills’ as the single biggest deficiency in MBAs – something that we fix in this course. Entrepreneurial skills and knowledge are mandatory for creating your own venture (for-profit or non-profit) , creating a new business unit within an existing enterprise, creating a new product or service offering and  launching it, or for just being a much more inventive and creative desk jockey in a lumbering, bureaucratic human cesspit of non-productive activity. The conception and start-up stage of a new organization is a critical stage of the company’s life-cycle. It is the time for the venture to pull itself together and get up and running in time for ‘opening day’. It is an extremely busy time in the venture’s life, requiring a thorough understanding, application, and execution of your MBA concepts skills. In this capstone course we examine the idea of entrepreneurship, its symbiotic existence with Corporate America, the origin of new (company) concepts, setting up the new legal entity, raising funding from outside investors or donors, developing and writing a comprehensive business plan, and pitching your concept to a panel of seasoned investors or potential donors. Some key topics include: (1) demographics for small businesses, (2) conceiving and understanding a sound ‘business model’, (3) financial forecasting and modeling for new start-ups, (4) cash flow management in start-ups, (5) term sheets, (6) the venture capital business, (7) multiple funding rounds, (8) start-up company valuations, (9) liquidation preferences, (10) leveraging strategic alliances, (11) the role of the Board of Directors, (12) restricted stock, stock options, and 83(b) elections, and (13) creating and leveragor) presentation that will be delivered to a panel of professional investor/donors at the conclusion of the course. CAP5802 will be delivered as a combination of lecture and discussion. The instructor demands active participation from the class members. COURSE OUTLINE Important note: The detailed descriptions of all assignments along with all exercises are found on the (new) Moodle course site. Session 1: Monday, 26 August 2013 Introduction and Orientation How the course will be conducted Classification of businesses Small business demographics What is entrepreneurship and why should you be highly interested in this subject? Major assignments and due dates †¢ Concept Description Abstract – Due on 23 September 2013 †¢ Business Plan Outline – Due on 7 October 2013 †¢ Interview with Entrepreneur Write-Up – Due on 14 October 2013 †¢ Prospectus – Due on WEDNESDAY by NOON, 4 December 2013 †¢ Final Business Plan – Due on MONDAY, 9 December (in class) 2013 †¢ Live PowerPoint Presentation – 9 December 2013 [No class on Monday, 2 September – Labor Day] Session 2: Monday, 9 September 2013 The Entrepreneurial Mind and Process Entrepreneurial Resilience during Challenging Times How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work Apple’s Core Case Study Iggy’s Bread of the World Case Study Session 3: Monday, 16 September 2013 Recognizing and Screening the Opportunity Background Note: Note on Business Analysis for the Entrepreneur ZOOTS: The Cleaner Cleaner Case Study Session 4: Monday, 23 September 2013 The Business Plan HBR Article: How to Write a Great Business Plan Business Plan for Room for Dessert Case Study Your Concept Description – Abstract Due Session 5: Monday, 30 September 2013 The Founder and the Team – HR Matters NanoGene Technologies, Inc. Case Study Session 6: Monday, 7 October 2013 Legal Matters & the Start-Up Ecosystem Background Note: Legal Matters and Entrepreneurship †¢ Corporate law firms †¢ Intellectual property (IP) law firms The Start-Up Ecosystem †¢ Certified public accountants (CPAs) †¢ The Board of Directors †¢ The Advisory Board †¢ Key business partners Smartix(A): Dancing with Elephants Case Study Smartix(B): The Last Dance Smartix(C): Rethinking the Negotiations Smartix(D): Reflections from the Other Side of the Table Business Plan Outline Due Tonight Session 7: Monday, 14 October 2013 Financing the Venture PunchTab Inc. Case Study Interview with Entrepreneur – Write-Ups Due Fall Break is 15 – 18 October 2013. Session 8: Monday, 21 October 2013 Capitalization of the Start-Up, Part 1 Session 9: Monday, 28 October 2013 Capitalization of the Start-Up, Part 2 Session 10: Monday, 4 November 2013 Capitalization of the Start-Up, Part 3 Session 11: Monday, 11 November 2013 Growing the Business What Entrepreneurs Get Wrong Facebook Case Study Gordon Biersch Case Study Gordon Biersch – New Challenges and Opportunities Case Study Session 12: Monday, 18 November 2013 Investment Decision Making Walnut Venture Associates (A): RBS Group Investment Memorandum Walnut Venture Associates (B): RBS Due Diligence – Customers Walnut Venture Associates (C): RBS Due Diligence – Market Size Walnut Venture Associates (D): RBS Deal Terms Thanksgiving Week break is 25 – 29 November 2013. No class on 25 November. Session 13: Monday, 2 December 2013 Documentary (movie): â€Å"Start-Up.com† Session 14: Monday, 9 December 2013 Final Presentations COMMENTS ON CAP5802 – ENTREPRENEURSHIP IMPORTANT: YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN HARD COPY IN CLASS ON THE SPECIFIED DUE DATE. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE MARKED DOWN—SEE GRADING POLICY BELOW. Your workload in this course will be ‘above average.’ That we meet only one time per week for three hours implies that you will have a week’s worth of homework to do in between class meetings – unlike the homework load that you would receive in a course that meets multiple times per week. Specifically, †¢ I expect you to attend all of our classes. †¢ I expect you to arrive on time and remain in class until we are finished with the session. †¢ I expect you to arrive with your material fully prepared – this requirement is critical. †¢ I expect you to participate actively and effectively in class. †¢ I expect you to demand of yourself and your fellow class members complete fidelity to high personal ethical standards. †¢ I expect you to keep your cellular telephone out of our classroom – or with you, but powered off. †¢ I do not expect you to ever leave the classroom to accept or return a telephone call. †¢ I expect all team work and responsibilities to be evenly distributed among the team members. †¢ I expect all individual-specified exercises to be completed by you independently with no assistance received from anyone else. CAP5802 GRADES There is no final exam in CAP5802. Instead, we have the final presentations from each start-up concept. Four factors play into your grade computation in CAP5802: (1) your homework scores – watch those tricky computational problems, (2) your write-up of your interview with an entrepreneur, (3) your completed business plan – which should be sufficiently tantalizing to cause the general partners of Kleiner Perkins & Caulfield (who successfully funded Genentech, Amazon, and Google, among others) to salivate, and (4) a stunning live presentation during our final class meeting – which should convince even the most risk averse grandmother to allocate a chunk of her retirement stash to fund your promising venture. (1) CLASS PARTICIPATION We have 23 articles/case studies that we use to supply some of the vital content to this course. I expect you to give every one of them a thorough read and analysis. I encourage you to discuss them with your team members. I will call on you in class – whether or not you raise your hand – and ask you to answer questions or to explain concepts/situations in the assigned readings. I will score your response on a three-point scale as follows: 3: brilliant 2: adequate 1: needs improvement (2) HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS Your home work assignments are due in class in hard copy on the specified due date. I will penalize you for late homework assignments. That is how the real business world works. If you are going to be out of town, always complete and turn in your assignment EARLY. When you are LATE with your homework assignments, you lose points in the computation of your final grade. No appeals allowed. The point value for each homework question is noted in (*) next to the question. You will find all of the homework assignments on the course site. (3) INTERVIEW WITH ENTREPRENEUR Each team will find an authentic entrepreneur – someone who has started their own business/organization and currently is running the business or non-profit organization. The business/organization can be anything ranging from an ice cream truck to a non-profit social service organization that provides outplacement services to displaced investment bankers. I will provide you with the list of questions for the interview. You only need to find the willing entrepreneur (they generally love to talk about their businesses) and complete the interview – then write it up. (4) COMPLETED BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOUR VENTURE Each team will compose a comprehensive, professional-quality business plan for their business concept. There are two important milestones/due dates for the business plan assignment: (1) the brief plan outline due date, (2) the completed plan due date – the last class meeting. (5) CORPORATE OVERVIEW PRESENTATION OF YOUR VENTURE Your team will present your ‘corporate overview/launch plan’ during our final class meeting. You will be graded on the originality, content, and delivery of your concept. We expect to have a judging panel present – comprising demanding, unreasonable investor-types – to critique your concepts CAP5802 GRADE COMPUTATION There are five sources of points that are used in your final course grade computation: (1) Class participation points – as noted above. I will tally up your points, and normalize your grand total over 50 possible points. (2) Homework Assignment points – as noted with each HW assignment question. I will add up your total homework points, divide this total by the total possible homework points, and arrive at a final percentage score for your homework. (3) 50 points for your entrepreneur interview write-up (4) 100 possible points for your business plan, distributed as follows: Quality of idea = 10 pts Compelling market opportunity = 10 pts Organization of plan = 10 pts Clarity of plan = 10 pts Financial analysis = 10 pts Marketing plan = 10 pts Sales and distribution plan = 10 pts Competitive analysis = 10 pts Sales/revenue forecast = 10 pts Surviving CAP5802 = 10 pts (5) 100 possible points for you final presentation, distributed as follows: Originality and cleverness of the presentation = 20 pts Running within the allotted time = 20 pts Richness of content = 20 pts Presentation delivery = 40 pts Note that your presentation scores will be a compilation of our guest judges’ scoring. History indicates that the judges are rather severe scorers. I will assign final course grades based on your final total point tally: Total possible participation score (%): 50 points Total possible homework (%): 100 points Total possible interview with entrepreneur: 50 points Total possible written business plan: 100 points Total possible live presentation: 100 points A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

World Is Flat Essay

World Is Flat Essay World Is Flat Essay The world is flat To be totally honest with you Bill I had to re-read these chapters over and over again to understand it and hopefully I understand it. He is showing us a world moving faster than most can keep up. â€Å"America’s place in the fast-evolving world economic platform, Friedman presents not only the problems we face, but preventative measures and possible solutions.† What it all comes down to is the world of business and the technology is going far and beyond advance then most people in business can keep up with. Friedman warns of the forces that could seriously harm or slow the flattening of the world, particularly the threat posed by terrorist networks such as Al-Qaeda. His perspective is refreshing in a media driven largely by scare tactics and fear mongering as he encourages a realistic and objective approach to this threat. Friedman gives us a list of â€Å"the ten forces† which are: 1. Collapse of Berlin Wall- Friedman explains that this symbolized the end to cold war and it also allowed people on the other side of the wall to come join the economic mainstream. 2. Netscape- made the audience bigger for the internet from its roots as a communication medium mostly used by geeks to something that can be used by everyone around the world. It wouldn’t matter how old you are or if you’re good with computers or a computer geek, everyone can use the Web. 3. Work flow software- This as Friedman explained is the ability of a machine to communicate to another machine without an actual human being involved or part take in this. 4. Uploading-Communities collaborating and uploading on online projects. Friedman considers the phenomenon "the most disruptive force of all." 5. Outsourcing- Has allowed companies to split service and manufacturing activities into components, with each component performed in most efficient, cost-effective way. 6. Offshoring- Offshoring just means manufacturing’s version of outsourcing. 7. Supply-Chaining-Friedman compares the modern retail supply chain to a river, and points to Wal-Mart as the best example of a company using technology to streamline item sales, distribution, and shipping. 8. Insourcing- Friedman uses UPS as a prime example for insourcing, in which the company's employees perform servicesbeyond shippingfor another company. For example, UPS itself repairs Toshiba computers on behalf of Toshiba. The work is done at the UPS hub, by UPS employees. 9. In-forming- Google and other search engines are the prime example. "Never before in the history of the planet have so many people-on their own-had the ability to find so much information about so many things and about so many other people", writes Friedman. 10. â€Å"The steroids†- Our own personal devices like cell phones, iPods, personal digital assistants, instant messaging, and voice over Internet Protocol Friedman believes these first three forces have

A Reaction Paper on Personal Protection Equipments

The gloves should be worn at all times to avoid contact with fluids and other specimens or samples of interest that may pose risks to our safety and health. Proper removal and disposal of used gloves is as important as having them worn. Taking them off the right way minimizes contact with specimens, samples, or chemicals and reagents that must be present on the contaminated outer or exposed side of the gloves. Although students have been spending a lot of laboratory classes, it is still noticeable how some do not know how to dispose their gloves correctly.Hence, showing the video on how to properly remove the gloves is very helpful. It is evident that students are mindful about contamination, which makes them cautious during the experiments and observations. However, towards the end of classes, some may be too tired or lazy causing them to be careless when taking off their gloves. This happens without them knowing that they sometimes touch the part that has been exposed throughout their work. The video was a good reminder to always be concerned not only during working hours but also afterwards.Nevertheless, it would also be ideal to find and review other sources to constantly be reminded of the essential information. Important points in the video showing the proper clean-up of blood spill include wearing the PPE during the whole time, securing first aid for any injured person, use of tongs or other lab materials that are safe for picking up sharp or broken objects, use of disinfectant, and proper disposal of the spill and other materials used for the clean-up. When it comes to individual safety, the video discussed the routes by which we may get exposed to the microorganisms.Therefore, we must ensure that we wear the proper protective gear at all times. Moreover, it is not only in equipment that we may guard ourselves. It was suggested that vaccines are received and these must be done as soon as possible even before working in the laboratory. Symptoms of commonly acquired diseases were also mentioned thus giving us an idea of what we may or may not experience in the future. This could serve as a good reference for us to know if we are experiencing a condition that needs to be addressed. In addition to this, it was mentioned that there should not be any lack of judgment in the laboratory.

Computers and Construction Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 22500 words

Computers and Construction - Dissertation Example Importantly, the literature review will give the study a rather vital starting point and framework, especially for an incisive comparative analysis of the current, past and future status of BIM and other technologies in the construction industry. Generally, the last three decades have seen a tremendous upsurge in the number of literatures written on BIM and other computer technologies applied in the construction, architecture and engineering sectors. In some of the old and even recent literary materials, BIM is also portrayed as a comparatively new subject, serving the interests of the AEC sciences and the construction industry (Wong & Wong, 2010). These literatures also emphasise the role of BIM in availing excellent opportunities for academics, researchers and practitioners to significantly contribute to the development and further implementation of BIM across AEC sectors of economy. Among the most popular topics in the reviewed literatures include BIM implementation in architectur al and construction practice, the influence of BIM on construction management, the changes that BIM creates to the cost estimation, virtual construction development and collaborative technique in construction industry. ... While countries such as England, Canada, Scandinavia, Australia, Singapore Slovenia, the USA and Hong Kong have reported considerable progress in the development of BIM, accompanied by adequate and valuable case studies, surveys, publications and researches, other regions such as Africa, South America, Ireland and Russia are lagging behind in BIM adoption and implementation (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2009). Similarly, big construction firms such as AutoDesk, Bentley and McGraw-Hill Construction have made tremendous steps in BIM adoption and implementation while their smaller counterparts such as those involved in building residential homes lag behind in this regard. The following sections review some of the literatures and studies related to BIM and the economic importance of its implementation. Past Publications and Results If the evidences from past and current studies and literatures on Building Information Modelling are anything to go by, BIM can be said to have immense economic value not only to its designers, owners and constructors but also to the users of the built structures (Rice & Gerber, (2010). The achievement of this project’s objectives is likely to be dependent on the information that will be assembled from past studies and literatures on the subject of the economic value of BIM. Although individual writers and researchers have also covered the subject of BIM in general and that of the economic impacts of the technology in particular, most of the authors and researchers are corporate organisations in the construction, engineering and architectural industries (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2009). One such authors and researchers is McGraw-Hill Construction. One publication by this organisation, which touches on the economic importance and impacts