Market Oriented Development Strategy for Niger Delta

Market Oriented Development Strategy for Niger Delta ADOPT MARKET-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT. PURPOSE: To provide you with advice on policy strategy for market-oriented development for Niger Delta development and a recommended course of action. BACKGROUND: Conflicts in Niger Delta have generated domestic and international concerns. For more than 20 years, Niger Delta has experienced recurring conflicts often followed by violence which have been inspired, largely, by broad range of economic factors (for example, increased sense of marginalization, exploitation and injustice by the Niger Delta people, and increased poverty and inequality), political factors (for example, long-lasting corruption, mismanagement of allocated resources, and insensitivity of government to the needs and concerns of the Niger Delta people), environmental factors (for example, land degradation and other environmental disasters) and socio-cultural factors (for example, poor value orientation, particularly amongst the youth). Conflicts in Niger Delta have revealed a paradox in the economic development of the region. Niger Delta has remained the driving force of Nigerias oil and gas wealth, having the second highest recognized oil reserves in Africa and being the eight largest oil exporter in the world. Despite the abundance of natural resources, particularly oil and gas, in Niger Delta, and the huge amount of financial resource allocations from the federal government to, and financial investments by oil companies and donor agencies in, the region, Niger Delta has continued to produce disappointing economic development results. There has been a complete disconnection between the level of socio-economic developments in Niger Delta and the amount of financial resources that government, donor agencies, and oil companies operating in Niger Delta have invested in the region. These huge financial resources do not reflect in the living standards of the Niger Delta people; hence they have had insignificant impact on economic development in the region. The paradox in the economic development of Niger Delta has stimulated difficult development challenges, most especially as the conflicts between communities and oil companies, and government, as well as amongst communities, over resource allocations continue to manifest. Though the past governments have adopted many intervention programmes, through various government agencies, which have, indeed, helped to stabilize security situation in the region and created opportunity for economic development engagements, however, the fundamental causes of conflicts have not been tackled. The fundamental causes of conflicts reside in chronic poverty and inequality in Niger Delta. These are still largely deep-rooted in the regions checkered history of marginalization and deprivation, and are connected very much with the continuing forms of instability in the region. ISSUES: The key issue is the paradox in the economic development of Niger Delta. Development results in Niger Delta have been disappointing, despite the abundance of natural resources in the region, and huge amount of financial resources that government, oil companies and donor agencies have invested in the region (See Attachment A in the Appendix). Another issue is the continued difficult development challenges in Niger Delta, for example, administrative oversight, deteriorating socio-economic infrastructures, increasing poverty, inequality and unemployment, declining value orientation amongst young people, and long-lasting conflicts, despite governments interventions. These development challenges have continued to undermine intervention programmes by various government agencies. As a result, the fundamental causes of conflicts in Niger Delta have remained unsolved. These issues have revealed the imperative for a market-oriented economic development strategy. This is particularly important now that the security situation in the region has been stabilized to a large extent. The premise is that for the economic challenges in Niger Delta to be solved, development strategy needs to capture what the Niger Delta people perceive to be their interests, concerns and needs. The precept is that the federal government should focus on providing co-dependent elements of market-oriented development, for example, creating enabling environment for private sector participation in infrastructure development, while the private sector and donor agencies should assist the government in building the capacities of the Niger Delta people and strengthening the policymaking environment. ANALYSIS: Conflicts in Niger Delta have, historically, been framed on resource allocations. In all the conflicts, government has always been blamed for not returning to Niger Delta the proceeds that are derived from the sale of resources produced in the region. In recent years, as part of governments intervention programme to develop the region, government has set up agencies, for example, the Niger Delta Development Commission (in 2000), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (in 2009), the Presidential Amnesty Programme (in 2009), and the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (in 2012). Through these agencies government has channelled funds for the development of the region. Available data shows that between 2010 and 2014, federal government has allocated about NGN7.4 trillion to Niger Delta. This amount came from different sources, for example, statutory oil revenue allocation, federal allocations to Niger Delta states, budgetary allocations to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme, and Ecological Fund, Pipeline Security Contracts for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, allocations from the Millennium Development Goals, financial contributions from international oil companies, and financial support from development donors (See Attachments A B). What these mean is that the fundamental problem with the development of Niger Delta is not lack of agencies to implement development plans, or allocation of funds to the region, but managing the funds allocated to the region. The processes for managing the funds allocated to Niger Delta have been deficient in transparency and accountability. The issues with the management of funds allocated to the region speak volumes about the poor governance structures and processes of various development plans. Findings from the reports published by the National Bureau of Statistics and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative between 2010 and 2013 have shown that there is presence of overlap and duplication of projects amongst agencies that are involved in Niger Delta development. The overlap and duplication are as a result of absence of a coherent development plan that is shared by the agencies. This has created inefficiency in project delivery, as resources are unevenly distributed. For example, while many projects are abandoned for lack of funds, other projects are duplicated. Other findings from studies done on states and local governments in the Niger Delta region have shown that there is lack of community engagement in the design and implementation of development programmes, as well as in budgeting processes for infrastructure projects. Many development projects do not include the preferences of the communities; hence the projects are often not tailored to the needs of the people. OPTIONS: There are three options to consider: Option A: Adopt a coherent market-oriented economic development strategy for Niger Delta development. Option B: Review the effectiveness of all the existing development plans that have been developed by various government agencies involved in Niger Delta development, and integrate the relevant initiatives into the strategy in option A. Option C: Recommend to Mr President to mandate all the relevant government agencies involved in Niger Delta development to collaborate and consolidate efforts towards developing the strategy in option A. RATIONALES: The current development plans for Niger Delta do not work for the vast majority of the poor people in the region because of the reasons (and more) stated in the analysis above. Therefore, the region needs a coherent market-oriented economic development strategy that will focus largely on tackling the fundamental issues poverty and inequality. Niger Delta development requires market-based systems that benefit the people, include the people in policy/decision making processes, have efficient governance structures and processes for managing funds allocated to the region, and can be sustained. The proposed strategy is not a new plan, rather an operational instrument, with a unified governance framework that is shared by all agencies involved in Niger Delta development, for implementing the existing development plans. To support Option A, the following cases are made: Case 1: Market systems must be beneficial to the poor: This makes the case that the market systems must be all-inclusive; well-organized; represent the interests of the poor; and sustainable in order to work for the poor. Case 2: Markets are integral part of peoples livelihood: The underlying principle here is that poor people rely largely on the market systems for their means of livelihood. Thus, peoples lives can be improved significantly through functional and sustainable market systems. Case 3: Social inclusion is essential for reducing poverty and closing inequality gap: This presents the case that the key to reducing poverty and closing inequality gap facing Niger Delta is enhancing the opportunities for people to participate in policy/decision making processes. Case 4: Access to the market systems: The guiding principle here is that access to the market systems creates an economic virtuous circle, where peoples standard of living is improved, productivity is enhanced, incomes are increased, food security is strengthened, and hunger and poverty are reduced. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The activities that will be carried out in respect of Options A and B will be funded from the budgetary allocations of the government agencies that will be involved in the processes. There is enough scope within their budgets to undertake the activities. Option C has no financial implications. RECOMMENDATIONS: The Honourable Minister is graciously invited to: Agree to adopt the strategy proposed in this brief to ensure consolidation of the gains from the stabilized security situation in, and development of, Niger Delta. Note that the proposed strategy is not a new plan, but an operational instrument, with a unified governance framework, for implementing the existing development plans. Agree to direct for a review of all the existing development plans developed for Niger Delta development. Agree to recommend to Mr President to direct all the relevant agencies involved in Niger Delta development to collaborate and consolidate efforts towards developing the proposed strategy.

University of Manila

Organizational Framework This Chapter consists of History of the company, mission and vision of the company, Nature of the company, size of the company, organizational chart, strategic trust and program, critical business and system management as well as strategic concern and IT used. Name of the company / school: The University of Manila Proposed System : Payroll System and Employees Information System History of the SchoolNinety one years ago there were five visionaries whose dreams where for the Filipino youth. Their collective vision: to establish institution of learning which would mold the minds of the youth and ultimately shape the destiny of this country? Undaunted by the challenge s that lie ahead and an incurable optimist that they were, they pursued the realization of their dreams with unflagging devotion and unflinching courage. Armed with hard rock determination, steely idealism and unparalleled dynamism, they tenaciously blaze the trail.The men behind such grand dream, dream a rainbow coalition of sort four men and woman of diverse interest yet united in a single purpose of establishing an institution geared towards excellence: Apolinario de los Santos, Mariano de los Santos, Maria de los Santos, Buenaventura Bello and Manuel Montilla. From these giants, the INSTITUTO DE MANILA was born on October 5, 1913, with Dr. Apolinario de los Santos as its first president. The INSTITUTO’S doors first opened in school year 1914-1915.The forerunners of this institution, offered only elementary and high school courses in a leased building on the corner of Madrid and Penarubia Streets. Binondo District. Effective school year 1919-1920 however, the INSTITUTO conducted its burgeoning populace and to provide better education facilities. Before embarking on a more ambitious program of expansion to meet the growing needs of the country, the INSTITUTO perforce had to undergo internal changes.Its original incorporators unanimously agreed, on the occasion of the eight anniversary of the founding of the institution, effect massive reorganization geared towards the attainment of a universities status. The decision was subsequently followed by the reincorporation of the INSTITUTO as THE UNIVERSITY OF MANILA on November 3, 1921 under the provision of act 1459 of the former Philippine Legislature. Right after its re-incorporation, the university progressed by leaps and bounds. The development marked the turning point of these democratic and progressive institutions, which has withstood the ultimate test of time.It fortunately survived two world wars and bewildering variety of changes – ideological, social, economic, and political. From being an institution which offered only elementary and high school programs, the university crescendo dramatically, with its building reaching for the sky. The mustard seed that was THE UNIVERSITY OF MANILA continue to grow throughout the years. Its genesis of growth was meteoric. In March 1919, the Colleg es opened in 1922-1923 namely: College of Philosophy and Letter, College of Education, College of Business administration.The Department of Graduate Studies (LIM) opened in 1941-1942. The College of Engineering opened in December 1945. In 1946, the Academy on Music and the school of Foreign Service were born. In 1949, M. A. in Political Science was offered in the Department of Graduate Studies followed by M. A. in History in 1951. Bachelor of Science and Elementary Education was offered in 1951. Then from 1963-1966, the College of Criminology and penology, School of Secretarial and Master’s degree in Public Administration was opened.The fruition of these labors was products of the highly innovative, creative and brilliant mind of those who occupied the reign of the presidency. Dr. Apolinario de los Santos headed this seat of higher learning since its inception until 1927 when he was succeeded by his brother, Dr. Mariano de los Santos. Dr. MVDLS assumed the presidency at the a ge of 29 and it is a matter of record and source of pardonable pride that he held the distinction of being the youngest president until his untimely demise on October 13, 1959.The unfinished task of leading the University was continued by Madame Helen de los Santos, who was later described by Dr. Mariano as a life partner in his book, Education and Life, as one â€Å" who has shared with me all the tribulation of life but cared so little for its vainglories†, was a complete Filipino women. She held presidency with the distinction from 1959 up to 1981. Another chapter of U. M’s history unfolded when the incumbent president, Dr. Virgilio de los Santos (from the second generation of the de los Santos’s) took over the reign of presidency in 1981.With Dr. Virgilio de los Santos the helm, the University continually strives to strengthen its resolve and commitment for total academic excellence. It has remained true to its trilogy: Patria, Sciencia ET Virtues. Under Vir gilio’s stewardship, the University has placed to a higher level of credit and standard. In line with the thrust of the government and in order to cope up with the tempo of the times, the University offered courses in Tourism, Hotel and restaurant Management and Computer Technology in the later part of the 80’s.The University of Manila has come of age. In response to the clarion call of the 90’s. It has another string of new course to offer: Doctor of Education, Doctor of Public Administration, and Master of Business Administration to provide administrators, Businessmen, educators, Analyst Researcher with the board theoretical and conceptual background and the specialized technical skills needed for the planning, implementation, management, supervision, and evaluation of public policies, in a developing country like the Philippines.These three new programs are design with the board purpose of developing competent government managers, strengthening executive lead ership and raising standards of administrative performance in the public and private service. The Elementary and High School department is presently undergoing expansion. The elementary building in Turtuosa St. has been demolished to give way for the contraction of the University hospital. The presidentVirgilio, who is endowed with a thousand and one ideas declared: â€Å" I have plans in the future to open medical courses like Nursing, Medical Technology, Physical Therapy, Midwifery, Dentistry and even Medicine. â€Å" Under a workaholic president who refused to understand the word rest, the University is headed towards a glimmering future ahead. These are positive proofs that the University continue to grow throughout the years.The complete composite and all around education of the youth is the major reason why the University exists. It is concerned with the making of man, the search for academic knowledge, the development of technical and vocational skills and most importantly, instilling and inculcating on the learners mind lasting and far reaching spiritual and moral values such as deep reverence of God, patriotic fervor and love of country and benevolent good will and peaceful co-existence with his fellowmen.The University of Manila aims to give the young men and women, who posses requisite talents, aptitude and moral fitness, a convenient opportunity to acquire a well rounded education and the necessary training for any of the various professions needed to cope with the complex demands and requirements of the present age. Mission StatementThe University of Manila, an institution of higher learning aims to create an atmosphere of academic excellence and competence, that is firmly anchored with love of country, science virtue where citizens, deeply concerned and truly committed to respond to the socio-cultural, psycho-spiritual and politico economic challenges of the contemporary Filipino community are formed, fully empowered with modern scientific tech nological skills with which to brave the challenges of the global society. Vision StatementThe University of Manila envisions a dynamic community that is deeply steeped in the trilogy of UM ideals; love of country, love of science, and love of virtue; fully equipped with human conceptual and technological skills, firmly determined to make life for changes, better brighter, lighter, and more livable by making quality education accessible to all. Nature of the school The University of Manila is one of the oldest and prestigious private universities in the Philippines. It is located in the center of commerce, industry and education.It is right in the heart of Sampaloc District Manila. Bigger challenges and opportunities face the University of Manila as it approaches the 21st century in pursuit of world class research. With its newly-acquired computer and Engineering equipment, UM is preparing itself to become one of the â€Å"Leading institutions in the Philippines and in the Asia Pac ific region. With its growing culture of research in all its colleges particularly in the Graduate School and with the infusion on high-tech devices. UM gains an advantage in undertaking project of scientific merit and excellence.For eighty years, the University of Manila has served not only the Filipino youth of the land but also other Asian who have hosen this institution as their second home in their educational pursuit. UM is headed towards the year 200 and beyond with the goal of rendering better service through the quality of education. The University of Manila is totally committed to academic excellence, which is the benchmark to its revered founders would continue to live throughout the ages as history unfolds. Size of the School University President – 01Executive Vice – President & Registrar – 01 Senior Vice President & Chief Academic Office – 01 Treasurer – 01 Executive Officer & Dean of the College of Liberal Arts-01 University Comptroll er & Consultant -02 College of Law – 01 College of Business Administration & Accountancy -01College of Criminology -01 College of Engineering -01 College of Education – 01 College of HRM 7 School of Foreign Service -01 ROTC Commandant – 01 Head, Computer Department -01 University Physician -01 University Dentist – 01 Executive Assistant, Office of the Senior Vice President – 01Executive Secretary College of Criminology – 01 Executive Secretary College of Engineering – 01 Chief, Record Section II, Registrar Office – 01 Chief Librarian – 01 Assistant Chief Librarian – 01 Security Guard – 04Maintenance – 06 HR Department – 06 Total: – 39 Strategic Thrust and Program of the School Another building has been constructed to be able to meet the demands of the changing time and the growing population of the school. Other laboratories have been erected and modified for the convenience of the stud ents and to be able to make learning easier but knowledgeable.The university administration has been complying with all CHED and DECS requirements to be able to provide added knowledge for the students. The Revised Audio-Visual Learning Resource Center has been added to help the student to improve their learning process, thus, teaching become more innovative, creative and effective. The New Physical Education Building was also created the construction of these new physical education building in a manifest sign of their vibrancies and relevance as an educational institution attuned to the needs of the new millennium.The University of Manila is home to the winning’s basketball team of the decade not only in the Philippines but all throughout the Asia. Also the newly-erected UM Gymnasium was renovated as sign of UM’s growth and progress as it moves toward the next millennium. The University of Manila also held some programs like dancing, beauty contest, and etc. every fou ndation day in order to help the students to enhance their skills, powerful and amazing talents as well as their abilities. In this research, the researcher found that there is no existing format information about the salary of their employees.The system software proponents has conducted study and developed systematically designed payroll system. This proposed system makes the work easier, faster, effective and less human effort through computerized system that the user or authorized personnel are the first beneficiaries of this proposal. In the long term the company will benefit from having less expenditure because of the latest version and automated system that can make payroll transaction accelerated and accurate. As part of this system, it limits the number of Information that only certain user responsible to know and getting information to the epartment not allowed to know the information of anybody. Critical Business and System Management Basically, the school used a system wh ich is not secured, intruders might access and resulted into a tampered of inputs because there is no Database Management System. The computation of the wages of their employees is manually done. The authorized personnel of this institution encountered some different problem like the computation is time consuming. The information of their employee is not secured because there is no Database Management System in Storing data.The computation of the total hours of employee is also manually done as well as the computation of deduction such as SSS, tardiness and withholding taxes are also manually computed. Strategic Concerns for IT used Stated here are the possible problems that will need information technology as possible solutions. 1. School’s employee records can be edited without anybody noticing if it is not secured. 2. Deleting, editing and storing new employee records may become a hard task if records are nowhere to be found. 3.The computation of the wages of their employe es is manually done. Based on the problems encountered, the following solutions are: 1. School’s employee records should be secured by passwords to avoid accidental editing and maintenance of privacy. 2. Editing, deleting and storing new employee records will be easier to do if the records for their employees are intact. Creating databases will help make the task easier. 3. Computerized payroll system should be developed for faster transactions and efficient in payments.

Special Education Assessments of Functional Abilities

Mobile Apps Innovation Driving The New Found Prosperity...

Cell phone apps are the innovation driving the new found prosperity and independence of small-scale farmers in underdeveloped countries. Agricultural apps are currently creating a platform for small-scale farmers to competitively compete in world markets. Punching a few buttons on a cell phone that cost about $10 is yielding a higher rate of return for farmers in Kenya. Apps are putting vital information at the fingertips of farmers: information concerning weather, markets, pest control, and planting information. These apps are also connecting small-scale farmers to agriculture experts.to further help them increase their production. Many of the farmers are also getting monthly or weekly text messages to help them maintain their farming practices. iCow is a subscription based app that is making a pivotal mark for small scale dairy farmers in Kenya. Farmers are receiving agriculture information that will raise their milk production, thereby increasing their income potential. â⠂¬Å"Small holder farmers are estimated to sell an average of three to five liters per day, calculations show 15 liters per day is the required production to bring a family over the poverty line.† (Five Ways Cell Phones are Changing Agriculture in Africa | FoodTank.com, 2015) Through iCow farmers receive individualized tracking for each cow along with a gestational calendar, animal nutrition, information concerning calf illnesses and disease, and immunization calendars. These are just a few of theShow MoreRelatedConsumer Lifestyle in Singapore35714 Words   |  143 Pages........................................................................... 56 Attitudes To Gardening ........................................................................................................... 57 Chart 22 Number of Home Owners and New Dwellings Completed 2006-2011 ....... 57  © Euromonitor International CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SINGAPORE Passport III Chart 23 Regional Ranking of Home Owners as a Proportion of Total Households 2011 ............................................Read MoreMarketing Management 14th Edition Test Bank Kotler Test Bank173911 Words   |  696 Pagesmanufacturers, and plumbing industries. A) marketspace B) latent market C) need market D) metamarket E) geographic market Answer: D Page Ref: 9 Objective: 2 AACSB: Analytic skills Difficulty: Moderate 22) Automobile manufacturers, new car and used car dealers, financing companies, and insurance companies are all part of the automobile ________. A) marketplace B) marketspace C) metamediary D) marketportal E) metamarket Answer: E Page Ref: 9 Objective: 2 Difficulty: Moderate Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:

Innocence or Freewill A critique of Milton’s Theodicy...

As young students, we are often oblivious to what is going on throughout the world. We are more focused on getting ready for upcoming Prom, participating in sports all weekend, hanging time with our friends, and spending a lot of time on social networks. Because we are so caught up in our average teenage lives, most aren’t able to identify the current wars being fought in different countries, civil conflicts, and other issues. At the same time, many of the positive actions that people make go without praise too. This just shows that we are ignorant to both good and bad happenings in the world, and the reasons behind it all. In Paradise Lost, by John Milton, he attempts to present the reasoning behind all the actions on Earth, positive and†¦show more content†¦Satan is such a good seducer he â€Å"made intricate seem straight, to mischief swift.† (Book 9, line 632) He uses flattery to trigger the narcissism already present to get her to take a bite of the forbid den fruit, causing the first disobedience. Upon eating the fruit, Eve becomes a different person. All five senses in her become aroused. She now becomes an object of praise and desire. Eve is no longer innocent, but filled with knowledge. She then takes the fruit to Adam for him to eat from. Although he knows it’s the wrong thing to do to sin, he eats it anyway because he loves Eve. He says, â€Å"Much pleasure have we lost, while we abstain’d from this delightful Fruit, nor known till now true relish, tasting; if such pleasure be in things to us forbidden, it might be wish’d for this one Tree had been forbidden ten. But come, so well refresh’t, now let us play.† (Book 9, lines 1022-1028) From here on, carnality emerges from the Garden of Eden. The topic of free-will then comes into play. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and eat from the Tree of Knowledge, even when they knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. Because they were disobedient to God’s rules, the two are sent out of Paradise to Earth. From then on, women would now face painful childbirth and would be ruled by their husbands. Men would then have to labor the rest of their lives to make a living. Finally, God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden forever. In the version of the Bible, the expulsion is

Night Creature Dark Moon Chapter Thirty-Five Free Essays

Embrace the power. Complete the quest. The answer lies in you. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Creature: Dark Moon Chapter Thirty-Five or any similar topic only for you Order Now The words came out of the darkness, in a voice I didn’t recognize. I awoke to a whole new world – a beautiful place, full of color and light and scent. People and animals meandered about, enjoying the sun that sparkled on clear water. The lion with the lamb, black people with white, I even saw a coyote resting his head on the feathered breast of a chicken. â€Å"Where am I?† â€Å"You are in the Land of Souls.† A woman separated from those lounging near the water and walked toward me. Tall, slim, her hair was flowing black with only a trace of silver. Her face defied time; her eyes were dark, clear, and honest. Her white T-shirt was tucked into a long colorful skirt. She wore a ring on each finger and on two of her toes. Three earrings hung from each ear and bracelets jangled around her slim wrists. â€Å"Am I dead?† â€Å"No.† Her smile was gentle. She took my hand. â€Å"But I am.† â€Å"You’re Cora.† Her brows lifted. â€Å"Will spoke of you.† Her expression became both fond and sad. â€Å"He’s a good boy, and I miss him. Tell him all that I have is his.† â€Å"He’ll like that.† I considered the beautiful, dead old woman. â€Å"You engineered everything, didn’t you?† â€Å"Lydia told me what she had planned.† Cora shrugged. â€Å"I planned better.† â€Å"You gave me strength.† â€Å"No. The strength was always yours. The talisman was merely an instrument that allowed you to access it.† She brushed her hands together. â€Å"Now, I promised you the truth.† â€Å"You did?† â€Å"Embrace what you are, discover the secret you seek.† â€Å"That was you?† She nodded. â€Å"Why didn’t you just tell me who the bad guys were?† â€Å"The Land of Souls doesn’t work that way. Only through accepting yourself could you ever become whole and learn the truth.† I wasn’t sure I could handle any more truth. â€Å"Because you defeated the one who ended my days, I can grant you the answer to a single question. All you need do is ask.† There was only one question I’d ever wanted the answer to. â€Å"What is the cure for lycanthropy?† â€Å"You don’t wish to know how to cure yourself?† â€Å"Isn’t it the same thing?† â€Å"The cure for one will not cure the other. You are different. You must choose.† Myself or all the werewolves? Once the decision would have been easy. I had loathed what I was, would have done anything to remove the curse, cure the virus. But I’d learned a lot in the past few days. Edward might hate me, but that was his problem. I no longer did. I could help people, save lives. Nic hadn’t run screaming. Yet. However, he could when he discovered I might never be cured. I paused to think, but I didn’t really have to. I couldn’t choose an easy life over hundreds, thousands of deaths. I just couldn’t. â€Å"Them, not me,† I said. â€Å"You wish to have the power to remove the demon and make werewolves human again?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"A sacrifice,† Cora murmured. â€Å"For the good of mankind. In the end, you will be blessed.† She took me by the hand. When she released me, a pentagram remained, stark black against the pale of my palm. â€Å"Mark of the wolf,† she told me. â€Å"The power to heal.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"The gift was always in you. You fought what you were. You refused to embrace the beast. Relying on science to turn back the tide of magic.† Cora shook her head. â€Å"There is no cure that comes from a bottle.† â€Å"But science made the monsters. Or at least some of them.† â€Å"Hate makes monsters. Those who worshipped the sign of the beast attempted to bring about Doomsday, and they failed.† â€Å"Nazis? The swastika?† â€Å"No one should call forth powers they do not understand.† â€Å"I’ll be able to cure werewolves now?† â€Å"You are woman and wolf – human and inhuman. Only you can touch them and make them whole.† The Land of Souls shimmered, faded, and was gone. â€Å"Elise?† I opened my eyes. Either the sun was setting or a storm was coming. The ravine was shadowed, cool, a bit spooky. I could smell blood, a lot of it, along with wolves, people. How long had I been – Where had I been? Nic, who was on his knees at my side, leaned over and kissed me. A thorough kiss, both sweet and seductive. I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck. â€Å"Can we save the pornographic video for later? I got questions.† That was Jessie’s voice. When had she gotten here? Nic lifted his head, touched my cheek. There were shadows in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. â€Å"What’s wrong?† I asked. â€Å"You were dead.† â€Å"Was not.† â€Å"You didn’t have a pulse.† Jessie leaned over and put her finger to my neck. â€Å"You do now.† I slapped her hand away. â€Å"I saw Cora in the Land of Souls.† Everyone went silent. Jessie and Nic exchanged glances. I could tell by their expressions they thought I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. I’d been hit hard enough to jiggle my brain. â€Å"Cora,† I began, but stopped when Jessie pointed her .44 at my head. â€Å"What’s on your hand?† I blinked at the black pentagram glistening starkly in the half-light. The Land of Souls hadn’t been a dream after all. â€Å"Cora touched me and there it was.† â€Å"Last time there was a tattoo like that it was on a Weendigo,† Jessie said. â€Å"I hate those guys.† Nic slid in front of Jessie’s .44. â€Å"Put the gun down.† â€Å"Hey!† I tugged on his arm. â€Å"She isn’t going to shoot me.† â€Å"Damn straight I will, Doc. I’m not going through that Weendigo shit again, even for you.† â€Å"A pentagram with one point ascendant represents good.† Edward’s voice – my grandfather’s voice – drifted across the ravine. â€Å"Two points ascendant means evil.† Jessie leaned in close, squinting at my palm. â€Å"One up – guess you aren’t Satan’s handmaiden after all.† I rolled my eyes, wincing at the pain the movement caused in my head. Struggling to sit, I glanced in Edward’s direction. All of the werewolves from the basement, save one, were on the ground, dead bodies still smoking. Edward guarded the remaining lycanthrope, rifle nearly touching the guy’s nose. â€Å"How did you manage to arrive in the nick of time?† I asked Jessie. â€Å"Will had a bad feeling.† She shrugged, kicked the ground. â€Å"His feelings come true a lot. When he went to talk to the wigwam guy, I headed here.† She lifted her gaze to mine. â€Å"Lucky I did.† The witchie wolves surrounded what was left of Billy. Even though he’d deserved what he got, my eyes still shied away from the remains. Wait a second. Someone was missing. â€Å"Where’s Lydia?† â€Å"Poof,† Jessie said. â€Å"We got a little busy with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her nod indicated the werewolves, Billy, me. â€Å"When we looked, she was gone. Though Edward did find something interesting in her pocket before she left.† Jessie held out her hand. In it lay a set of dentures and a bottle of clear liquid. â€Å"Okay, I’ll bite.† Jessie snorted at my pathetic pun. â€Å"What the hell is that?† â€Å"We couldn’t figure out how the bodies were being bitten by a werewolf in human form when Damien said there was no evidence of a werewolf in Fairhaven.† â€Å"How were they?† â€Å"They weren’t – not really. We think Lydia made an impression of Billy’s teeth, collected his saliva, then did the deed herself.† â€Å"Why Billy?† â€Å"The usual reason, most likely, power. He was loaded with it. I figure Lydia didn’t want to release him if she didn’t have to. That guy was whacked.† â€Å"But the compound blew up, he got out, came here, and she had no choice but to work with him.† â€Å"Great minds,† Jessie agreed, and glanced at the bloody grass. â€Å"Guess we’ll never know the truth for sure, but it all fits.† â€Å"Lydia’s going to try and rule the world again,† I said. â€Å"They always do. But we’ll be here to stop her. Unless I have to shoot you in the head. Tell the tale, Doc.† Quickly I explained my journey to the Land of Souls. â€Å"You’ve been wasting your time and the government’s money? All you had to do was touch them, and they’d be human?† â€Å"Not exactly.† I frowned. â€Å"I’ve touched a few werewolves. Got a headache. Never cured one.† â€Å"So what’s special now. The mark?† â€Å"No.† As my mind cleared, everything Cora had said began to combine with all that I’d learned, all that I knew. â€Å"Not the mark, but what it represents. Embracing my power, the magic, and my beast gave me strength and led me to the truth.† â€Å"I guess that makes as much sense as anything,† Jessie said. â€Å"So why don’t we find out if that brand-new fashion accessory works?† I followed Jessie’s gaze to the werewolf Edward held under the gun. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Wait.† Nic put a hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Maybe you should rest first. Who knows what might happen?† â€Å"Exactly, G-man. Who knows what might happen? She’s the most powerful werewolf now. I don’t know about you, but that makes me mighty nervous.† â€Å"She was the most powerful werewolf all along,† Nic said. I glanced at the witchie wolves. â€Å"He’s right.† Jessie aimed her gun and so did Edward. No moss on them. â€Å"What the hell?† Nic asked. â€Å"She commands the witchie wolf army,† Edward murmured. â€Å"They are indestructible.† â€Å"So if I’m of a mind to rule the world – â€Å" â€Å"You can,† Jessie finished. However, I’d never been big on world domination. â€Å"Wait for me in the Land of Souls,† I said. Before the last word left my mouth, the witchie wolves began to fade. Flesh and bone became ghost, ghost became shadow, and then they were gone. â€Å"Oookay,† Jessie muttered. â€Å"They can’t be killed, but they can be commanded to wait in heaven. Works for me.† She lowered her gun. â€Å"Let’s move on. I want to know if that pentagram is good or evil – â€Å" â€Å"She just proved she’s not evil,† Nic said. â€Å"She got rid of the witchies.† â€Å"That proved she’s the most powerful. I don’t like it.† â€Å"I’m not wild about it myself,† I murmured. â€Å"And if she’s evil, you shoot her?† Nic asked. Jessie merely turned a bland gaze in his direction. Stupid question. â€Å"I won’t let you.† â€Å"You won’t have anything to say about it.† Nic’s hand crept toward his gun and I put mine on his. â€Å"I’m not evil. She won’t kill me. And this is going to work. Watch.† I got to my feet, managed not to wobble. This day, this week, hell, this life, was taking a lot out of me. I crossed the ravine, skirting the mess that had been Billy. The last werewolf from the basement, Jack Mc-Grady, stared at me in fear. â€Å"No!† He tried to skitter back. Edward thrust him forward. â€Å"Do it.† â€Å"I don’t want to be human,† Jack shouted. â€Å"Would you rather be dead?† Edward shoved the barrel of a rifle into Jack’s ear. Jack was just a kid. He’d had his whole life ahead of him – in 1955. Since then, he’d made a career of ending other kids’ lives. I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt over using him as my guinea pig. Reaching out, I placed my tattooed palm against his forehead. How to cite Night Creature: Dark Moon Chapter Thirty-Five, Essay examples

Marketing and Customer Engagement Price of Tesla Model

Question: Describe about the Marketing and Customer Engagement for Price of Tesla Model. Answer: Marketing Plan Assessment: Tesla Model 3 Tesla Motors is an established brand name in the market of electronic vehicle and is known to be a leader in innovation. The brand Tesla is not widely known in Singapore and very few citizens of the country know about it. The price of Tesla Model 3 cost about US$ 35,000 and based on the exchange rate of Singapore Dollars, it would be around S$47,000 as the base price (Tesla.com, 2016). Including the taxes like GST, excise duty and additional registration fee, the car would cost about S$ 118,000 in Singapore. No dealer of Tesla has been assumed to be in Singapore while estimating the price of the car and including one would further raise the tag to up to S$ 135,000, including the dealer margin (Channel NewsAsia.com, 2016). Considering these factors, this assignment aims to design a marketing plan for Tesla Model 3 to be launched in Singapore and a SWOT analysis will be performed for the same. Customer Behavior Analysis Considering our stringent budget of $ 50,000, we will begin with the customer behavior analysis as it plays a pivotal role in determining the future of the car in the market. Although Tesla 3 has been declared as an affordable model by the makers, considering its appearance price in Singapore, it can be called a luxury car in the market as the price is in alignment with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class vehicles. Therefore, the consumer behavior for luxury cars in Singapore is important as they not only buy a symbol of social status, but also the unparalleled experience of ownership that is unavailable for the car buyers of the mass market (Winter Heil, 2016). The segment of the luxury car market in Singapore is increasing with the increasing affordability of the financing options and the people getting richer. Luxury cars are getting within reach of many who desired to own a luxury car since a long time. Existing users of luxury cars have to be considered as after the launch of the model, many will be switching brands as it will be easy without much entrenchment of the loyalties (Atwal, 2014). The global car market is indicative of the fact that the overall experience of the user matters the most and the service enjoyed by him should be personalized and truly different for recognizing him for the social status that is enjoyed by him. Therefore, while designing the marketing plan, the customer satisfaction aspect has to be considered that includes user-friendly options for the internet buyers. Considering the CEVS (Carbon Emissions Vehicle Scheme), Tesla 3 is an energy efficient and environment-friendly vehicle and is entitled to a maximum discount of S$30,000 (Woo, 2015). That does not significantly change its segment of luxury cars but makes it a bit more affordable for the ones, who desire to own a luxury car with the assistance of financial schemes. 93% of the consumers of the luxury cars in Singapore choose to finance their automobile with the confidence of their sustained power of earning in future. This trend of the customer behavior can widen the market for Tesla 3 is alignment with the government policy for the rebate (Melo, Beng Massier, 2014). The consumers of luxury cars in Singapore has to pay a heavy deal for the registration and excise duties that extends up to 150% of the market value of the vehicle. In addition, the government policies like COE (Certificates of Entitlement) tend to increase the car price to about S$ 30,000 higher (Lta.gov.sg, 2016). Considering 95% of the Singaporean families are middle class, the marketing plan should aim at including them as well apart from the richer families to extend the market of Tesla 3 by giving out easy financial assistance in the form of loans and easy monthly installments. The buyers of luxury cars look out for the special needs and essential commodities in the vehicle (Chow Dula, 2015). While some look out for the essentials like horse power, acceleration rate and maximum speed, others look out for the special need like the brand or the country of origin of the brand. Tesla 3 will be able to satisfy both the types of consumers in Singapore as ranked 5 globally in the car brand and is an impressive feat owing to its product quality and marketing strategies. This factor will help to smooth the launch of Tesla 3 as many of the potential consumers would be ready to spend a few extra dollars for owning a world class product in Singapore. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used for evaluating the four elements of a business venture or a project. The four elements include strengths, threats, opportunities and weaknesses and it is carried out for a person, industry, product, place or a company (Kwok et al., 2013). The SWOT analysis of Tesla 3 in Singapore will provide a visual overview of the situation and strength of the market regulation of luxury cars in Singapore prior to the launch of the vehicle. Table 1: SWOT analysis of Singapore market regulation of luxury cars Strengths Low political violence and terrorism Easy for starting new business Stronger ability of consumption Good environment of business Weaknesses Limited island size Frequent involvement of government Global orientation Opportunities Tourism favoring country Foreign expansion and emerging markets Cheaper business costs Increased lands Threats Multi lingual nation Rising levels of sea Incomplete supply chai Strengths Singapore is a country with a peaceful political environment without any threat of wars. Tesla can easily launch its model 3 in such an environment and focus on the investment for the growth of the business. The per capita income of the country is increasing and this can aid to robe in the middle-class people in the luxury cars segment, thereby increasing the market for the car. The regulations for starting a new business in Singapore are easy and the registration can be done online (Sundarakani, De Souza Goh, 2012). Singapore belongs to the category of high income and ranked high in the business topics which is a facilitator for the sales profile of Tesla 3. Weaknesses Since the island of Singapore is small, the market for Tesla is also restricted. The government of Singapore poses constant intervention which is harmful to the business investments and hampers the market by imposing strict procedures and regulations for conducting business. Since the economic growth of the country is export oriented, therefore, the market of Tesla will be fluctuated by the global business environmental changes (Sundarakani, De Souza Goh, 2012). The economic growth might get reversed if the developed nations are severely affected and this may consecutively affect the business of Tesla 3. Opportunities Since Singapore is a tourism based country, buyers can be expected from foreign countries as well apart from the advertisement opportunities. Business changes and areas are increasing in Singapore which will increase the marketing opportunities of Tesla in the country. The business cost in the country is cheaper when compared to the other neighboring countries and this will add to the profit margin of the company (Sundarakani, De Souza Goh, 2012). Resolving the disputes of land with Indonesia and Malaysia will increase the territory of Singapore and therefore, increase the market of Tesla 3. Threats Since Singapore has four different official languages, therefore the marketing of Tesla 3 has to be done in four different languages to attract customers from all segments or else they will get ignored. The sea level is rising globally and this will perish many of the islands and make them useless (Sundarakani, De Souza Goh, 2012). This will further decrease the land resources which are already limited and reduce the market for Tesla 3. The supply chain of Singapore is not fully developed and the parts for Tesla 3 has to be imported for after sales service as the country is dependent on import of the raw materials instead of manufacturing. This will affect the profit margin of the company in the long run. With a stringent budget, the preferred market plan can be online and media marketing. Prior to the marketing, a survey can be conducted to know about the potential customers for Tesla 3 and help for the advertisement of the car. The environmental friendly policy of the government will further help in the promotion of the electric vehicle in the island country. References Atwal, G. (2014).Luxury brands in emerging markets. Springer. Certificate of Entitlement (COE) | Vehicle Quota System | Owning a Vehicle | Roads Motoring | Land Transport Authority. (2016).Lta.gov.sg. Retrieved 4 September 2016, from https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/roads-and-motoring/owning-a-vehicle/vehicle-quota-system/certificate-of-entitlement-coe.html Chow, C., Dula, C. (2015). Kheng Keng Auto: A Global Business Selling Scrapped Cars and Car Parts from Singapore. Kwok, H. Y., Low, Y. P., Tong, G. Q. H., Lee, M. K. Y., Yong, J. Y. P. (2013). SWOT analysis of maritime Singapore. Melo, D. F. R., Beng, G. H., Massier, T. (2014). Charging of electric vehicles and demand response management in a Singaporean car park. InPower Engineering Conference (UPEC), 2014 49th International Universities(pp. 1-6). IEEE. Model 3 | Tesla. (2016).Tesla.com. Retrieved 4 September 2016, from https://www.tesla.com/model3 New Tesla 3 could get maximum CEVS rebate of S$30,000: Khaw. (2016).Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 4 September 2016, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-tesla-3-could-get/2770054.html Sundarakani, B., De Souza, R., Goh, M. (2012). A Case Study of Singapores Automotive Supply Chain: Preliminary Analysis and Findings.Cases on Supply Chain and Distribution Management: Issues and Principles: Issues and Principles, 200. Winter, J., Heil, O. P. (2016). THE SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY OF LUXURY AUTOMOBILES. In2016 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong(pp. 215-216). Woo, J. J. (2015). Singapores policy style: statutory boards as policymaking units.Journal of Asian Public Policy,8(2), 120-133.