Ban on Assault Weapons

In today’s society the topic of assault weapons have been very controversial. From mass shootings to defending oneself, this is a topic that can be very difficult to agree on. In this paper I will be discussing if the federal government should ban automatic weapons. In my opinion, assault weapons should not be banned. With this decision, I consider the implications of the second amendment, public safety, and the fact that weapons will never cease to exist. With these reasons I will explain to show that the federal government should not ban automatic weapons.One of the reasons I stand behind not allowing the federal government to ban automatic weapons because under the constitution, the Second Amendment states â€Å"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed† (Mount, Steve, 1995). Although this can be interpreted differently to other people, this amendment allows people of the United States to have an individual right to keep and bear arms. The people are allowed to be armed, if wanted.I believe it is an important part to consider when banning weapons because this is a part of our rights, and should not be taken away. The Bill of Rights was designed to guarantee individual rights and freedoms. Once you take away a right that is in the constitution, there is no limit on the endless amount of things the government can then take away, including free speech, freedom of religion, and voting rights. So, not following this amendment for the sake of banning weapons does not only risk losing this freedom but also the other rights we as Americans should have.With not taking the second amendment into consideration and banning weapons anyways, people feel that public safety will increase. The opposing side would take this as one of their main reasons to ban weapons. I believe that public safety would not change. Crime will not go down by banning weapons since the majority of criminals have unregistered weapons. If we ban guns, criminals still will get a hold of them, unless we ban them worldwide, make gun making illegal, and destroy every single gun ever.Some of the strictest gun controlled states in the US have the highest crime rates, because normal people have less protection. Guns don’t kill people, people choose to kill others. I believe that if people are able to have guns, they are able to protect themselves when in danger when there is no government, or police to protect them at that moment. People are less likely to attack or commit a robbery if they know that a victim is armed, or able to fight back. Citizens can not only protect themselves, but will feel at peace knowing they are able to defend themselves when a situation calls for it.Public safety is important, and if the government cannot protect its citizens, then it is their obligated rights to do so themselves. Making a law banning assault weapons is something that is ideal for people who want to stop violent acts, or crimes that come from weapon use. But, there are always pros and cons to situations. Weapons will never cease to exist because if it is not an assault weapon it will be something else. Weapons have and will always evolve. Getting rid of weapons from the public will be a very difficult task.In conclusion, the federal government should not ban assault weapons. Banning assault weapons will not make them disappear. In order people to protect themselves, their property, and their own families it is a legitimate right of the citizens to own weapons. As citizens we have the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. These rights were made for the people and should not be interfered with. Public safety should not only be contingent upon assault weapon use but the actual public itself.Weapons will never cease to exist because today, the majority of cases involving firearms used are not legally bought or even registered, but are smuggled or stolen. There has not been much progression at the federal level regardless of nationwide news coverage on the recent mass killings, and not a lot of detail of what will happen in the future of a law that will ban weapons. In my opinion weapons should not be banned, because in reality this nation is not a harmless environment, and to be defenseless in a needed time is not a good situation.

How Far Did Henry VIII’s Reign Go in Beginning a New Era in Tudor Kingship

How far did Henry VIII’s reign begin a new era in Tudor kingship? Henry the eighth and Henry the seventh were very different in many ways, their style of ruling and aims clearly had different intentions. Henry the seventh ruled quite safely and avoided war as much as possible whilst being extremely greedy and obsessive with money. Where as Henry the eighth was young and wanted to bring back the glory days and gain a strong reputation, willing to fight and go to war at all costs, whilst being ruthless in punishments. From the beginning of Henry the eighths reign changes began to take place and perhaps a whole new era.Some aspects did stay the same from Henry the sevenths rule though. One obvious continuity was that the Tudor bloodline had been passed along, keeping the same family ruling England. Which eliminated quite a lot of threat from keen opposition. Henry the eighth was young and healthy which was a promising thought at the time for the public. The position of men and wo men didn’t change either, women still had barely any rights and could night speak their thoughts or argue with men’s views. They were expected to do feminine activities and produce children who were possible heirs to the throne.As Henry the eighth needed to produce at least one heir, he decided to marry Catherine of Aragon, (a Spanish princess) after many years of weighing out other options. He used Catherine just like his father did to stabilise and secure a sturdy relationship with Spain and improving foreign relations. Another factor that was kept the same were the bonds and recognisances between the crown and the nobility, which threatened a fine to the aristocracy if they weren’t to remain loyal to the king and break his trust. These were very unpopular with the nobility, but controlled factions being formed, eliminating threat yet again.A common characteristic with both Henry the eighth and seventh was their irrational behaviour with money as they didnâ₠¬â„¢t control or use it very wisely. Henry the seventh splashed out on parties and extravagant entertainment, to uphold a wealthy reputation. When his son wanted to spend it on war and battles to gain back a strong and glorious reputation, when it wasn’t affordable. Although some aspects stayed similar or the same, the majority of the transition was consistent of change. Henry the eighth was young and feisty, seen as a fresh and slightly ulnerable new face to the thrown bringing out excitement from the public. His attitude was the opposite of Henry the sevenths, he wanted to bring back the glory days and looked up to role models such as, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, to gain back a strong reputation. Unlike his father, Henry became very ruthless and wasn’t afraid to sentence punishments and showed little mercy to those who betrayed his trust. One example of this was the execution of two of his father’s closest advisers, Richard Empson and Edmun d Dudley.They were arrested on fictitious charges of treason, even though little evidence existed. Henry wanted to show he wasn’t taking any prisoners and so he executed them a year later. They were involved in enforcing the bonds and recognisances so Henry soon became very popular with the nobility, as he’d killed two of the people they hated the most. Whilst also maybe giving them the impression that he is more persuadable and naive as he is so young. Henry began changing his advises and councillors to men he could relate to better, like Thomas Wolsey, a very colourful character of the Tudor court and a trusting adviser to Henry.Henry began to rely on his advisers more to do the paperwork side of things and allowed them more independence. Whilst he was extremely active, unlike his father, and participated in sports of all kinds. Some say he was slightly more manipulated and persuaded in his younger years by his advisers compared to his father. One example may be when he was convinced to sign a peace treaty in 1510 with Louis XIII (king of France), by William Warham and Richard Fox. Their reasons were that war or an invasion on France would be too expensive and fruitless, despite Henrys wishes he signed the treaty anyway.Despite this it wasn’t long before plans were made for an invasion; Henry was actively seeking war and action so he was to be viewed as a strong king and willing to fight for his country. Very much unlike his Father who was cautious and avoided war as much as possible. Henry also broke from the church in Rome, against his father’s views and beliefs. Over all I think the transition from Henry the seventh to Henry the eighth was mostly a new era. Although there were elements of persistence and continuity, the majority of Henry the eighths reign was consistence of change and he carried out a completely different attitude to what his father did.Henry the Seventh was greedy with his money, he wanted to be safe and cauti ous, avoiding war and confrontation as much as he could, whilst dealing mostly with paperwork. He was ruthless when absolutely necessary but never exceeded in gaining a strict reputation. He was very unpopular with the public and I believe they were ready for someone feisty and fresh to take over the thrown like Henry the eighth. Who was not at all wanting to hold back from war or confrontation, he constantly looked for opportunities to fight and to bring back ‘the glory days’.Not particularly interesting in doing any paperwork until his later years as he actively participated in sports in his youth. He was ruthless and showed no mercy when coming to deciding people’s fait and punishment. He was also much more popular than his father at the beginning oh his years and his reputation was of a handsome young man, who was quite impressionable. This clearly shows the extent as to how different both Father and son’s attitudes and style to kingship were and how t he new era began to evolve. Aimee Fenton-Fearn

Assignment 1 week 3 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment 1 week 3 - Case Study Example Hardware and software requirements will be required to control the upgraded system. The hardware requirements include; Working with new designs comes with scalability issues. The properties of systems should be able to accommodate the changes in the amount of data input. Scalability issues are addressed mainly if the business anticipates expansion. Investing in such a business management system without anticipating growth remains a loss of the investment. The system should grow with the growth of the business. Paying for extra resources without the anticipation of growth should be considered while implementing the system. For the software requirements, the web server implemented should accommodate for valleys and peaks in user traffic (Tan and Nijholt 35). Multi-stage sampling is a method applicable in the case scenario of Personal Inc. The population at the company is too large to perform a simple random sample. In the case information on the required system comes in various stages. At each stage of sampling, different aspects such as user level, department and shift will generate different

Too Big to Fail, Wall Street, Wall Street 2 Assignment

Too Big to Fail, Wall Street, Wall Street 2 - Assignment Example The movie focuses on Bud Fox, a young broker in Wall Street. Fox’s ambition to succeed in his career is fuelled by his determination to be as wealthy as Gordon Gekko, a millionaire trader, and raider. Gekko rides on the statement ‘Greed is good’. Fox and Gekko meet which results to the young stockbroker working with the millionaire. In no time, Bud Fox rises in the financial ladder. He meets Darien in the process and is able to finance their affair regardless of her being high maintenance. The success is followed by realizing the illegal ways which the millionaire uses to acquire money. Amongst his dark dealings, Fox learned that the company his father is an employee is in jeopardy. Wall Street chronicles the greed in America during the 1980s in form of insider trading. Important companies utilized to tell the scandal stories are the employer to Bud’s father, Blue Star Airlines, Teldar Paper and Anacott Steal. The progression of the movie introduces us to L arry Wildman who wants to buy the latter mentioned company. Teldar Paper is a reputable company which the raider and trader have set his eyes on. The detailed depiction of insider trading which involves stock trading after getting information from the management of a company is the main event of the movie. The young stockbroker is caught in between the will to be rich and prevent Gekko from ruining his father’s career. The movie ends with the imprisonment of Gekko for money laundering, fraud of securities and racketeering.

Assignment 1. Apex Training Company Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 1. Apex Training Company - Coursework Example Thirdly, formation of a sole-proprietorship firm helped Martha to save taxes related to business and professional revenues. Fourthly, setting up a sole-proprietorship business helped Martha gain on profits and revenue solely. She was not obliged here to share the revenues and profits earned with other business partners (Madura 160). Concerns about Sole-proprietorship Sole-proprietorship business, although it does have the above advantages, also has certain grave shortcomings, for which Martha’s accountant related his concerns. The salient disadvantages or shortcomings emanating from sole-proprietorship business can be underlined as follows. Firstly, it would be difficult for Martha, operating as a sole proprietor, to obtain loans from banks and financial institutions. Thus continual stress is imposed on personal finances of the sole proprietor. Moreover, the accountant was further concerned wit that the corporate investors tend to abstain from investing in sole-proprietorship firms owing to a greater fear of loss than in a partnership or other limited liability ventures. Thirdly, the clause of taking decisions in an autonomous fashion by the sole proprietor, though acting as an encouraging factor, can happen to create separate risks owing to possibility of different emergencies. Fourthly, the accountant was also concerned that running a sole-proprietorship firm, though encouraging, invites a large number of uncertainties owing to the possibility of an accident happening to the sole proprietor. At that time it would become difficult to carry on the business operations of the firm in an effective fashion (Williams and Murray 45). Advantages and Disadvantages of Partnership and LLC form of Business Formation of partnership form of business would relate the following advantages for Martha. Firstly, partnerships, being based on the mutual understanding of two or more people, are easy to form and are also supported by state legislation. Secondly, unlike sole-p roprietorship, the partnership form of business has the applicability for gaining loans from financial corporations. Thirdly, the business being formed with the help of two or more people would help Martha in gaining due help pertaining to business and operational expertise. Fourthly, the operation of the firm based on the decision of two or more members would help the business operate flexibly in changing external conditions. Fifthly, partnership form of business is exempted from income tax. The only tax levied is on the personal income of the partnership members. However, the partnership form of business also suffers from certain pitfalls like it makes the individual members liable for the total debt and malpractices irrespective of the conduct. Secondly, loss of mutual consent leads to conflicts among the members. Thirdly, profit sharing in partnership is a difficult affair owing to difference in time and capital rendered. Finally, calculation of a share of a member during his or her exit is a tedious affair in partnership business (Gitman and McDaniel 103-104). Again formation of a Limited Liability Company or LLC would help Martha in defining the limit of liability of the different members in the firm thus reducing the threat of bearing total losses. Secondly, a LLC company has the potential to perpetually exist unlike a partnership or

Organisations and Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 4

Organisations and Behaviour - Essay Example It was found that the enterprises have to design their business outline in such a way that every activity is synchronised and integrated (Hetland et al., 2011). Each and every activity has to be collaborated so that their combined effect is evident in the organisation’s performance (Chen & Huang, 2007; Nyabadza, 2010). The crucial requirements are changes in the corporation’s culture, procedures, policies, infrastructure, Information Technology (IT) and management styles so that they can meet the demands of the current market requirements (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). In order to assess the organisational structure and culture at British Telecom (BT) and Ryanair, the websites of the two corporations have been reviewed in detail. From the analysis of BT’s strategy and management philosophy, it is evident that it has flat organisational structure so that there are less formal levels and hierarchy is simple. The major elements of the flat form of organisation are that all the functions are transparent and every business activity is clear (Mullins, 2010). In order to support the creation of innovative and creative culture, BT has made sure that it provides its employees with sufficient autonomy to make decisions, promotes team working atmosphere so that everyone is willing to make meaningful contribution, encourages risk taking behaviour so that there are new ideas and innovative solutions are implemented and the employees are involved in every vital business decision so that they feel valued and appreciated. However, on the other hand, Ryanair which is a low-cost European airline has a matrix form of organisational structure so that every department works in coordination with the other. The matrix form of corporations provides the departmental heads an opportunity of networking with key employees of other departments and develop strategic

Drama paper- August Wilson's Fences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drama paper- August Wilson's Fences - Essay Example For instance, the Big Bang Theory that was developed by theoretical physicists, and which is still studied up until today, argues that the Earth came about as a result of a gigantic collision of two monumental celestial bodies. There have been rather convincing evidences to this claim. In fact, science has successfully documented many proofs of the theory’s parallel notion to the basic principles of physics. So, in considering spirituality, faith or religion, as against science, evolution, and the old-Earth creation, which way should you go? Personally, I have been through a lot of stern confrontations in the past in so far as my faith, my spirituality is concerned. Due to the fact that religion and Christianity have been made known to man for so many years, there is a sense of inevitability in the way people conceive God. For me, I would not say that I do not personally believe in God, but in the same manner, I have my own questions about life, my existence, and the Creation. The doubts could come from various facets. Firstly, the question about whether the Bible is indeed written by God, or by the prophet who He [God] has provided vision to. Logically, there could be no answer to these questions because before the Bible has been introduced to humanity, there was no pre-existing concept about God. Everything was purely a sight of nature, and even if we go back to the times of the prophets, we could not discern whether these prophets really did exist because the only account we have that tells of their pre-historical existence is the Bible. Hence, the Bible indeed requires faith, a strong faith. Following this argument, sometimes I tried to reconcile science and faith by transporting the findings of science to the accounts found in the Bible. But this is just entirely futile in that science and faith are two contradictory entities: Faith is in the light of faith; science is in the light of evidence. But I believe in both; hence, it places me in a crossro ad where a very difficult decision should be made. If only I intended to be partial at my discernment over this particular matter, it would have been a stumbling upshot for me. No belief needs to be discarded; both can co-exist but they, faith and science, should not be related in all essence. ` Sometimes, since I somehow consider myself a believer, God is rather real to me. In my walk with God, I would not say that everything was a walk-in-the-park or a bed of roses; there were also some stumbling encounters that really shook my little faith and question God’s promises mentioned in the Bible. For instance, God said in John 3:16, â€Å"For God so loved the word that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.† (New International Version, John 3:16). At times, this verse could be very doubtful. Problem has been and will always be part of a person’s life. So, normally for a believer such as I, there is a insti nctive resort to God; but despite all of the confessions and sacrifices that you do, still you do not receive what you asked for. But it is not all sadness and confusion though. I have been through a lot of joyous moments in my walk with God. I know I am not the perfect believer but through time, I have learned to value God’s love to humanity and His unending provision to His people. Sometimes, I also reach lofty heights of faith. In those instances, I have realized that belief in God and His promises are not merely determined by how much logic you have in your

Practice exams Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Practice exams - Assignment Example By analyzing annual balance sheet, one is able to determine the economy-wide Assets, Net worth as well as liabilities. d. Analysis of a country’s international investment position as well as balance of payments- This is where one looks into investments a country has made in other parts of twirled and this forms part of the assets. c. Why do bank orientated financial systems compared to market orientated financial systems tend to have more severe economic downturns (or loss of output and bigger asset price falls) during a financial crisis? (3 marks) Financial systems relying on the banking systems tend to develop their own policies and therefore have their own pricing. On the other hand, market oriented work with tee current trends in the world economy and therefore it is easy for them to prepare for economic crisis. What are the four main supply-side factors that domestic policymakers can target in order to raise the â€Å"potential output/ income† of an economy? (4 marks) Provide a recent policy example for Australia. (1 mark) What are the potential costs and benefits for China to easing restrictions and eventually liberalizing cross-border capital flows between China and the rest of the world? (Pros and cons - 2 marks each = 4 marks) China should involve other participants in the financial markets in regulation and control of its growth credit and deposit rates. This will encourage more international investors into their financial systems. a. The current account surplus of China has reduced from over 10% of GDP in 2007 to a projected surplus of about 2.4% of GDP in 2014. While the US current account deficit has reduced from almost 5% of GDP in 2007 and forecast to be a deficit of about 2.8% of GDP in 2014. What does this indicate? (5 marks) b. A key driver of relatively low global bond yields in recent years has been the â€Å"global savings glut†, whereby many Asian & oil exporting countries ran large

Read this document and after answer this 3 questions Essay - 2

Read this document and after answer this 3 questions - Essay Example Besides the teachers focus on the student thinking and concluding in the same way as they do, he also reports on the how the very teachers oblige their students to conceptualize facts in a snapshot by hinging their concerns on mere raw facts at the expense of understanding the concepts of what is at stake. This he compares with the notorious activity in the lower levels of study when the children are made to recite words before the class; this he says jeopardizes the morale of the students who are not sure of the words they are made to read as they want to avoid making mistakes before the class (Perry 76). This he says has made most of the children to associate reading books with other negatives and thus deem it as a way of punishment. In conclusion, Perry discusses the challenges the student and the teachers face in their endeavors to excel academically. He explores both implicit and explicit factors that are contributing to this and the mitigation that can be employed to curb the contributing factors to the

Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Essay The Globe Theatre is a big circular theatre based on the South bank of the Thames in London. Shakespeare held his newest plays there before he publicly showed them anywhere else. The positions of where people sat varied from, the richer people sitting high up in the stands, and the poorer people who had to stand in the middle. The Globe Theatre was very basic, costumes and properties were kept backstage in the tiring house. The actors were well dressed and there were 3 roofed galleries. All performances took place in the afternoon. The stage itself had a trap door to get on and off, it was also a very high stage. In this essay I will be exploring how Shakespeare uses devices for dramatic affect. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare refers to where people and other objects are positioned on the stage. An example of this is; Romeo: but soft what light from yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun. This phrase implies that Shakespeare is asking the audience to imagine its dark and its night time and all they can see is a bright light appearing from above. This bright light suggests that she is life giving and beautiful, all eyes are drawn up to her in the theatre. Shakespeare uses positional language, such as, Romeo: Thou art as glorious to this night being over his head. This suggests that Juliet is on a balcony high above the stage and Romeo is below her. Also reinforces dark night-time reference with Juliet as shining sun. Shakespeare uses many metaphors in the play as it lets the characters show how they feel about each other. For example, Romeo: Juliet is the sun. He says this as the sun brings happiness and joy to everyone. He is also acknowledging that Juliet and her family are wealthier and have higher social standing than Romeos. He continues to use them later in Act 2 Scene 2. An example of this is, Romeo: O, speak again bright angel. This is because Romeo loves listening to the sound of her voice, he does not want her to stop speaking as he is totally focused on her. In Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare uses words with powerful connotations, as Romeo says, Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou will not, be but sworn my love, and Ill no longer be a Capulet. This suggests that their families may not agree that theyre in love and that even if their families may not get on with each other, they are truly in love. Romeo realises the consequences of his love for Juliet as he chooses forceful words such as deny and refuse. Shakespeare also uses visual imagery, such as, Romeo: two of the fairest stars in all of heaven do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. This quotation shows that Romeo is comparing Juliets eyes to the stars and is saying how her eyes are beautiful. Having the Globe theatre as the stage would draw the attention of the audience towards the twinkling sky. He continues to use visual imagery, for example, Romeo: As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea. This creates the impression that their love is huge, further than the eye can see. Shakespeare uses personification to show the love that Romeo and Juliet have, an example of this is, By love that first led me to enquire lent him eyes. This shows that love is personified, as Cupid the Roman God of Love. Romeo admits his love to Juliet from the first moment their eyes met. Also, Romeo says With loves light wings did I oerpearch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, that dares love attempt. He uses soft words and alliteration loves light. This phrase implies love gave him strength and that he is willing to do anything for her. In addition he says love enabled him to get to her not only by physical strength but with emotional strength. Finally, Shakespeare uses tragic irony, for instance, Romeo says, Hence forth I never will be Romeo. The audience know he is going to die but he doesnt. He is giving out clues to the audience that he will soon die. He is saying he will not be the ladies man anymore and feels Juliet is the only one for him. He continues to use this as Romeo says, Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale with grief. He is saying that the sun is Juliet and the envious moon is her family. This shows a positive with a negative, and shows love then shows what will happen later, death. To conclude, Shakespeare used many different ways to show how Romeo and Juliet felt about each other; he not only used the written word but also used the Globe Theatre as a dimension, especially with the balcony scene. I believe that it would have been very entertaining to have watched one of Shakespeares plays in The Globe Theatre as the actors would have performed right in front of you and around you, you would have felt totally included.

Porters Five Forces Analysis and Strategic Group Analysis

Porters Five Forces Analysis and Strategic Group Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis and the Strategic Group Analysis. The aim of this research is to critically evaluate the combination of two business strategy techniques; Porter’s Five Forces Analysis and the Strategic Group Analysis. The essay will often refer to these terms and it will be therefore pertinent to clarify these at this early stage. Current issues in the business world will also be identified and related to the theory. Limitations of these techniques will be outlined and conclusions drawn. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis is based on the concept that the key objective for any organisation should be to gain advantage over its competitors, it is not the industry that an organisation is in that counts, but where it wants to compete in terms of the nature of the competition. This competition is provided by the nature of the rivalry between existing firms, the threat of potential entrants and substitutes and the bargaining power of both the suppliers and buyers (Lowson, 2002). Strategic groups have been defined by Finlay (2000) as groups of business that are likely to respond similarly to environmental changes and be similarly advantaged/disadvantaged by such changes. Porter (1980, taken from John et al, 1997), suggests that an industry could have only one strategic group if all the firms followed essentially the same strategy. At the other extreme, each firm could be a different strategic group. Evaluation of analysis techniques Porter’s Five Forces model has been identified as a powerful tool for systematically diagnosing the principal competitive pressures in a market and assessing how strong and important each one is (Thompson and Strickland, 2003). Barriers to entry, identified as one of the five forces, presents five structural determinants that affect a company’s ability to enter new markets; economies of scale, product differentiation, government as with taxi licences for example, favourable access and capital requirements (Bowman, 1998). The economies of scale, which is a benefit gained from large scale production will keep costs down and ultimately low prices too. Product differentiation will allow keeping customers loyalty and switching costs and an appropriate example of this would be the new electric car introduced by Toyota. It can also be suggested that advertising campaigns may also be considered as an entry barrier. The existing markets will be able to raise product awareness while new entrants will less likely be able to meet the costs involved in doing so. Backwards vertical integration may also be identified as a possible entry barrier. The bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers and also the threat of substitutes; the extent to which there are products/services which are close substitutes for the product/services of the industry in question, are also considered as part of the five forces. The retail industry, and in particular the food sector, is currently faced with the problem of high power of buyers and the lack of suppliers power. According to Rigby (2005), â€Å"suppliers are receiving insufficient government protection from the market power wielded by supermarkets. The failure of the Code of Practice reflects the market power that consumers have delegated to them en masse†.    Bowman (1998) also suggests that the Five Forces model allows firms to rate the strength of each of the five forces so that they can focus their attention on the main competitive aspects. As noted by Fleisher and Bensoussan (2003), Porter’s fifth force, competitive rivalry, is also an element addressed by the strategic group analysis where it considers competitive rivalry and how this force both impact and it is impacted by other four forces. Porter (1980, taken from Bowman, 1998) suggests that the level of rivalry, the actual competition between existing producers, varies according to a number of factors. The market structure for example will be a major determinant in the intensity of rivalry. In a monopolistic market for example, where one firm has the total control of the market, quality, availability, price but mainly product differentiation will be a priority. In relation to this it must be noted that an article by Business World (2005) suggests that the law concerning the abuse by companies of dominant market positions will be reviewed and ultimately changed in the near future. On the other hand, firms operating under conditions of oligopoly may find cons iderable variation in the identity, number and size distribution of competitors internationally, as for example Burger King and McDonald (John et al, 1997). The slow growth of demand, or a declining demand, the high fixed costs involved that do not vary with the level of outputs, are also factors which will ultimately impact on the level of rivalry. It has been noted that the Strategic Group analysis is a technique used to provide management with information in regards to the firm’s position in the market and a tool to identify their direct competitors. The Five Forces industry analysis will form the first step in this process. After having identified the forces, the major competitors in the industry based on competitive variables will also be outlined. Competitors will then be divided into strategic groups based on similarities in strategies and competitive positions. As suggested by Thompson and Strickland (2003), one thing to look for is whether industry driving forces and competitive pressures favour some strategic groups and hurt others. Firms will most likely try to shift to a more favourable situated group, and how hard such a move proves to be, will depend on whether entry barriers for the target strategic group are high or low. It is also important to mention that although some companies operate in the same marke t they are not necessarily direct competitors as this will be determined by the size or market position for example. Strategic group analysis allows managers to identify direct competitors that are of a similar size and range and focus on remaining competitive in order to survive in the ever changing market. At the same time, BMI British Midland, according to an article by Done (2005), will be entering the long-haul market from London Heathrow for the first time, becoming the third UK long-haul carrier out of Heathrow, intensifying competition with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. These three airlines are competing â€Å"head to head† to win more traffic rights to different destinations and those that are in the same market and not looking at options will more likely be left behind. The Five Forces analysis and Strategic Group analysis are very useful business tools however they both present some limitations that will now be considered. Lynch (2003) suggests that although Porter’s five forces model is a useful early step in analysing the environment, it has been subject to critics. The model assumes a classic perfect market and it assumes that organisation’s own interest come first. This however may not be appropriate if applied to charitable institutions or government bodies. The assumption that buyers and suppliers power is a threat to the organisation might also be incorrect as some companies have recently seen the benefits in working closely with suppliers. The analytical framework is essentially static, whereas the competitive environment in practice is constantly changing. In relation to this, it may be added that a PEST and SWOT analysis may also be useful tools to use when analysing an organisation. PEST analysis considers the external political, economic, social and technological factors that will have an impact on the organisation, encouraging thinking more broadly about environmental influences on the firm, while the SWOT analysis considers the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats (Bowman, 1998).   Ã‚   As also noted by Recklies (2001) the model is best applicable for analysis of simple market structures. A comprehensive description and analysis of all five forces gets very difficult in complex industries however a too narrow focus on particular segments of such industries, on the other hand bears the risk of missing important elements. Another limitation of Porter’s model  is that it assumes that companies try to achieve competitive advantages over other players in the markets as well as over suppliers or customers. With this focus, it dos not really take into consideration strategies like strategic alliances that in today’s market are very common. As suggested by Thompson and Strickland (2003), not only can alliances offset competitive disadvantages or create competitive advantage but they can also allow firm’s to concentrate more on the mutual rivals than towards one another. The strategic group analysis provides a good framework for management to be aware of their direct competitors and one analytical tool that is useful for comparing the market positions of each firm separately or by grouping them into positions is the Strategic Group Mapping. This tool however does not as such, show how in reality an organisation can maintain or even gain competitive advantage over its rivals (Thompson and Strickland, 2003). It would be therefore suggested that Porter’s Three Generic Strategies, whereby organisations can gain competitive advantage over their rivals either by offering lower prices than competitors for equivalent products or providing unique benefits that more than offset a higher price, should also be adopted to complement other organisational analysis. Porter also suggests that firms should pursue a generic strategy and only concentrate on one of these, instead of trying to pursue all of them risking failure (Porter, 1985:3). An example of a successful company adopting cost leadership is Ryanair that has clearly prioritised the strengthening of its strategic position in the market over short-term profit maximisation. It is using its cost leadership position to drive prices even lower so as to increase the financial pain on higher cost competitors (Mattimoe, 2004). The combination of these two strategy techniques is fundamental for a business looking ahead in the future and trying to remain competitive in the ever changing external environment. Other analysis techniques such as PEST and SWOT, Three Generic Strategies could also be used to compliment the two discussed business tools. Conclusion It can be construed that Porter’s Five Forces analysis and the Strategic Group analysis are very useful business tools that allow management to identify their position in the market. It was noted that Porter’s Five Forces analysis assumes that the key objectives for any organisation is to gain competitive advantage over its rivals, while Strategic Groups were defined as groups of business that are likely to respond similarly to environmental changes. The Five Forces presented some structural determinants such as the economies of scale, which are the result of large scale production, government intervention as with patents and licences, and product differentiation. In a monopolistic market, price, quality, availability and product differentiation are the priority, while in an oligopoly market price tends to be the main determinant. It was also noted that these two techniques for analysis are very useful business tools however they both present some limitations. The Five Forces model could be used for simple market structure however a comprehensive description and analysis for complicated markets may not be ideal. The model also regards buyers and suppliers power as a threat for the organisation, however it was noted that companies have recently seen the benefits in working closely with suppliers. It was also suggested that an organisational analysis should include a PEST and SWOT analysis to consider with a broad view the external and internal factors that may affect the business future performance. Finally it was also suggested that a firm, as per Porter’s view, should aim to follow one of the Three Generic Strategy, and in particular either cost leadership as per Ryanair’s example or product differentiation. Bibliography Bowman, C. (1998) â€Å"Strategy in practice†, Harlow: Prentice Hall Business World (2005) â€Å"EU to curb abuses by dominant companies†, 11 Mar, p1 Done, K. (2005) â€Å"BMI enters long-haul Heathrow market†, Mar 10, p1 Finlay, P. (2000) â€Å"Strategic Management: An Introduction to Business and Corporate Strategy†, Harlow: Prentice Hall Fleisher, C. and Bensoussan, B. 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