International law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

International law - Assignment Example aw was catalyzed by international trade, which required merchants from one state to be protected against the activities of other merchants of another state. With the increase in international trade, warfare and exploration the need for international law became essential. Treatises between nations became useful as they were intended to be binding between the nations. The proliferation of treatises, practices, rules and customs became complex and scholars started to compile them into systematic treatises. Hugo Grotius provided the first comprehensive conception of international law in his treatise â€Å"De Jure Belli Ac Pacis Libri Tres† (Schmitt 2008). Grotius’s conception of international was grounded on natural law, human reason and custom. His argument in respect to natural law is that relations between nations should be governed by an international body based on divine justice and morality. The law between nations should be governed by the law of the people, established through the consent of the nations and founded on commitment and observance. In his view, things were either good or bad by their nature. According to Grotius, law is not derived from above but from principles which include maxims that promises must be honored and restitution is required for harm to others. These two values have served as the foundation for international law. Additionally, Grotius took a positivist view of international law. In his perspective, emphasis should be given to what is done as opposed to what ought to be done. It is noteworthy that although Grotius based his perspective of international law on natural law, he also posits that nations can create binding rules between themselves. Grotius was instrumental in the formation of the concept of international society. In this respect an international society is a community held together by believes that nations have rules that apply to all of them. Written agreements and customs form the basis of the law that governs this

Two versions of Macbeth act 5 scene 1 Essay Example for Free

Two versions of Macbeth act 5 scene 1 Essay I have studied two versions of Macbeth act 5 scene 1, otherwise known as the sleepwalking scene. They are the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the BBC productions. I have watched several productions but I am going to focus on these two versions in particular. I want to examine the significance of the scene and analyse how it has been produced and directed. This scene is extremely important because it occurs just after Macduff has swore to avenge the killing of his family and just before we see Malcolms army getting ready to fight against Macbeth. The scene is situated in an important part of the play also, because Shakespeare traditionally places the finale of the play in act 5. It is the first time we have seen Lady Macbeth since the banquet and the scene is used to tell us what has been happening to her in the meantime. It is there to allow the viewer to enter the mind of Lady Macbeth and to realise the nightmare she is living in. It is there to show how she is coping with recent events and it will be the last time we ever see her. She is not alone in this scene; a doctor and a gentlewoman are also there. Their roles are to observe Lady Macbeth discreetly and to comment on what she is saying and doing. We find out about her insecurity and that she is afraid of the dark. We also learn that guilt has taken over and that she is extremely unhappy. As one of the major characters in the play, Lady Macbeth has been involved in some of the main events. For example, she was in alliance with her husband in Duncans murder, and even persuaded Macbeth to go through with the murder after he had decided to leave things to chance (Act 1 Scene 7). She organised the whole murder by laying out the daggers and she drugged the possets of the grooms. She also helps Macbeth after the murder by distracting others when she fainted so her involvement was very significant. At that stage she is the dominant partner in the marriage. She has seen a chance to make her husband king and is determined not to let it slip away. She asked evil spirits to unsex me here and for any natural feelings to disappear so she would not hesitate in carrying out the murder. This seems to have worked because when she is persuading her husband her language is very forceful and she conjures up images of horror. Her wish for the evil spirits to fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty has been granted. Manhood is a frequent theme in this early scene. Lady Macbeth sees it simply as a man should have courage to act and to face danger but Macbeth says that he dares to do anything that is suitable to a man; to do more would be unmanly. She knows how to manipulate her husband and this is clearly shown when Macbeth gives in to his wifes demands and decides to go ahead with the murder after the questioning of his manhood. Her ruthless determination has made Macbeth overcome his doubts. These early characteristics have all but disappeared by the sleepwalking scene. She is no longer the ambitious, determined, moral blackmailer. Instead she is a broken woman, emotionally drained and a shadow of her former self. The banquet scene has fully taxed her resources and resulted in her total collapse. She is now guilt-ridden as her soliloquy discloses. She knows about the other murders and this has taken its toll on her mentally and physically too. The significance of sleepwalking is that her guilt is depriving her of any comfort, even sleeping. The gentlewoman and the doctor open the scene. The doctor is questioning the gentlewoman about lady Macbeths condition. She responds by telling the doctor about her sleepwalking but when he asks the gentlewoman what Lady Macbeth has said, she replies that sir, which I will not report after her, explaining that she has no witness to confirm her speech. This suggests that knowing what Lady Macbeth has said could be dangerous for her. While the doctor is trying to persuade her, Lady Macbeth appears whilst holding a candle, this is interesting because it symbolises the good that is still inside her. In both productions she is lit in a way to imply that she is possessed by the supernatural. The mist and darkness reminds us of Banquo and Macbeth before they met the witches on the moor. It also brings back memories of the witches (act 1 scene 1) when they talked about the fog and filthy air. Lady Macbeth is seen to be rubbing her hands frantically and talks about the blood on them. She mentions a spot that she cannot remove; this could be the mark of the devil or maybe it is symbolising the guilt within her. She cannot wash away her murderous deeds. She goes through a roller coaster of emotions as she receives flashbacks from when she and her husband were plotting to kill Duncan. She says one; two: why, then tis time to dot. This is her remembering the ringing of the bell when Duncan was about to be murdered. She continues, Hell is murky! She has said this because she knows what her fate will be and understands the consequences of her actions. She is in complete despair at this stage. She also reveals that she knows about Macduffs family when she says the thane of fife had a wife: where is she now? She is no longer innocent of this knowledge. She constantly rubs her hands and states will these hands neer be clean? and heres the smell of blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. This is quite ironic because it is her who says to Macbeth after the murder of King Duncan, that a little water will clear us of this deed (act 2 scene 2). The contrast is no more evident than here, this is where Lady Macbeth takes charge of the situation after Macbeth had forgot to plant the daggers on the grooms. She takes the daggers to do it herself and reassures Macbeth. If you compare this to the sleepwalking scene you can see the difference. Not only has she got the guilt of Duncan, Banquo and Macduffs family but also she has now realised that Macbeth does not need her and doesnt confide in her anymore. This once strong woman is now worthless. Near the end of the scene the doctor recognises that she needs a priest more than a physician. Compare the state of their relation at these two points as well. What once was a strong solid relationship is now left in tatters. The two productions differ in certain ways. In the BBC version, the stage is misty and it is set inside a castle. Archways and stonewalls are clearly visible. There are steps leading to Lady Macbeths bedroom and the scene starts with the doctor and gentlewoman talking to each other in the middle of a large room. Jean Lapotaire is playing Lady Macbeth and she tends to over act her part. She moves about a lot more than Judi Dench in the RSC production. She appears almost as a ghost figure. She is illuminated and I think the director does this to make us aware of a supernatural presence. The camera focuses in on her and she is lit from the back which I believe adds to the effect. Both actresses walk by the doctor and gentlewoman, which suggests that Lady Macbeth is completely oblivious to what is going on around her, this quote supports that theory, aye, but their sense is shut. Lady Macbeth is constantly changing the tone of her voice and facial expressions from being joyful to afraid. This helps illustrate the utter despair she is feeling and contributes to the dramatic effect. Her delivery is breathy and exaggerated, I believe that her performance is over dramatised but on the other hand she is trying to convey the state of mind that Lady Macbeth is in. The doctor is quite old and is convincing. He is startled and shocked at what he hears. The gentlewoman is emotional and her tone of voice varies to help express her emotion In the RSC production, the most obvious difference is the lack of props. It is a very dark stage and there is only a table and chair. The director has created the illusion that a candle is lighting up Lady Macbeths face but it is more likely due to the lighting department. This helps to create a sense of evilness. Judi Dench acts very differently to Jean Lapotaire. When she enters her eyes are swollen to give the effect of her crying. The Gentlewomans delivery is monotonous and the Doctor is quite young. The delivery of the words and facial expressions are very important in this production due to the lack of visual effects. Judi Dench does not move very much and opts to sit down at the table instead. The camera remains focused on Lady Macbeths face. The candle/lighting helps the audience to see her facial expressions more clearly. She is very convincing and her tears seem to be genuine. When the death of Banquo is mentioned the camera looks at the Doctor to show his shock. Neither the Doctor nor the Gentlewoman are dressed in clothing from that period. Judi Dench lets out a huge cry, this cry is heavily exaggerated but I think it helps to convey the pent up emotion that she has been feeling. The light of the candle can be seen fading away as Lady Macbeth leaves, this is the last time we will see her. All in all, I preferred the RSC production I thought Judi Denchs performance was excellent. Jean Lapotaire was sometimes slightly comical because of her over exaggeration but this may be more appealing to people who are not familiar with Macbeth. Jean Lapotaires delivery was interesting. She almost sang the line the thane of fife had a wife: where is she now? like a nursery rhyme, this is somewhat ironic considering that it was tragic. I think the RSC caught the real significance and emotion of the scene well. I think an older Doctor could improve it and I believe the Gentlewomans delivery could be more passionate.

OBrien and Fossie in The Things They Carried Essay -- essays research

When many think of a great, memorable story, they will probably remember an inspirational or coming of age novel, or Bildungsroman. In many ways, The Things They Carried is an exemplary Bildungsroman as it carries the reader through the lives and problems of every soldier within its pages. Each man is witnessed as he goes through his own maturation and personal times of struggle and hardships. Some are focused on more than others, but each man has a story to tell, each a moral to teach. Throughout The Things They Carried, both Tim O?Brien and Mark Fossie experience a significant amount of personal maturation by gaining new knowledge about themselves, the Vietnam War, and the world around them. There are very few times when a person goes through an experience that changes the way he or she thinks about themselves. Drastic things like war, deaths, and tragic incidents can change a person?s life and shape the way they live. In ?The Man I Killed,? Tim O?Brien describes his life changing event when he killed the Vietnamese soldier crossing his path when he was on duty. The reader learns that O?Brien is endlessly sorry for the poor soldier, whom he thoroughly describes in his mind. It is the first time he had ever killed, and it is known that O?Brien continues to remember the soldier throughout his entire life, making him change the way he thinks about himself as both a soldier and a human being. Mark Fossie realizes that life, especially his relationship with Mary Anne, is not as simple as he expected when Mary Anne takes a soldierly turn in Vietnam and turns out to not be the girl Mark had wanted to spend the rest of his life with. In most cases, an occurrence that shapes the way one thinks about their current predicament, su... ...ng that nobody wants to know. When his first and only love, Mary Anne, comes all the way from the United States to be with Mark and explore the soldiers? way of life, the girl becomes lost in a Vietnam that she finds so wonderful that she becomes hungry for more. Mary Anne becomes seduced by the Green Berets? way of life and leaves Mark, their love, and her entire life behind her. Only then does Fossie see that the world is a cruel place that can take wrong turns at all the wrong times. By gaining knowledge about themselves, the Vietnam War, and the world around them, O?Brien and Fossie become completely different soldiers. Though these two soldiers see and experience things that they could never imagine, Tim O?Brien and Mark Fossie manage to recognize themselves, the war, and the world for what is really is and undergo an amazing amount of personal maturation.

Communicable Disease Essay

Communicable diseases, also known as infectious diseases or transmissible diseases, are illnesses that result from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic (capable of causing disease) biologic agents in an individual human or other animal host. Infections may range in severity from asymptomatic (without symptoms) to severe and fatal. The term infection does not have the same meaning as infectious disease because some infections do not cause illness in a host. Disease causing biologic agents include viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multi-cellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions. Transmission of these biologic agents can occur in a variety of ways, including direct physical contact with an infectious person, consuming contaminated foods or beverages, contact with contaminated body fluids, contact with contaminated inanimate objects, airborne (inhalation), or being bitten by an infected insect or tick. Some disease agents can be transmitted from animals to h umans, and some of these agents can be transmitted in more than one way. Non-Communicable Disease: A non-communicable disease, or NCD, is a medical condition or disease, which by definition is non-infectious and non-transmissible among people. Tuberculosis: Signs and Symptoms: A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer. Pain in the chest. Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs) Weakness or fatigue. Weight loss. No appetite. Chills. Fever. Causes: Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread from person to person through microscopic droplets released into the air. This can happen when someone  with the untreated, active form of tuberculosis coughs, speaks, sneezes, spits, laughs or sings. Although tuberculosis is contagious, it’s not easy to catch. You’re much more likely to get tuberculosis from someone you live with or work with than from a stranger. Most people with active TB who’ve had appropriate drug treatment for at least two weeks are no longer contagious. Prevention: If you test positive for latent TB infection, your doctor may advise you to take medications to reduce your risk of developing active tuberculosis. The only type of tuberculosis that is contagious is the active variety, when it affects the lungs. So if you can prevent your latent tuberculosis from becoming active, you won’t transmit tuberculosis to anyone else. Measles Signs and Symptoms: A high temperature, sore eyes (conjunctivitis), and a runny nose usually occur first. Small white spots usually develop inside the mouth a day or so later. †¦ A harsh dry cough is usual. Going off food, tiredness, and aches and pains are usual. Causes: Measles is caused by a virus. It is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food or drinks. The measles virus can travel through the air. This means that you can get measles if you are near someone who has the virus even if that person doesn’t cough or sneeze directly on you Prevention: Measles vaccination has markedly reduced the incidence of measles throughout the developed world. However, measles cases still occur in low-incidence countries via importation by travelers. Therefore, maintenance of immunity is important even in countries with a low incidence of measles, since a single imported case can result in large measles outbreaks in the setting of waning immunity. Chicken Pox Signs and Symptoms: Fever (temperature), aches and headache often start a day or so before a rash appears. Rash. Spots appear in crops. They develop into small blisters and are itchy. They can be anywhere on the body. Several crops may develop over several days. †¦ Dry cough and sore throat are common. Causes: Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. You catch it by coming into contact with someone who is infected with the virus. It’s a very contagious infection. About 90% of people who have not previously had chickenpox will become infected when they come into contact with the virus. Prevention: The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is the best way to prevent chickenpox. Typhoid Fever Signs and Symptoms: fever that can reach as high as 104 °F (40 °C) feeling achy, tired, or weak. constipation. diarrhea. headache. stomach pain and loss of appetite. sore throat. Causes: Typhoid fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. It can also be caused by Salmonella paratyphi, a related bacterium that usually causes a less severe illness. The bacteria are deposited in water or food by a human carrier and are then spread to other people in the area. Prevention: Preventing typhoid fever is to get vaccinated against the illness. Two  vaccines are available: a shot that contains killed Salmonella typhi bacteria and a vaccine taken by mouth containing a live but weakened strain of the bacteria. Avoiding risky foods and beverages (especially when traveling in the developing world) is another way to reduce your risk. MUMPS Signs and Symptoms: Fever. Headache. Muscle aches. Tiredness. Loss of appetite. Swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides (parotitis) Causes: The mumps are caused by a virus called the paramyxovirus. It’s spread from one child to another through direct contact with discharge from the nose and throat. Infected droplets in the air from a sneeze or close conversation can be inhaled and may cause infection. Prevention: Use of mumps vaccine (usually administered in measles-mumps-rubella [MMR] or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella [MMRV] vaccines) is the best way to prevent mumps. Children should be given the first dose of mumpsvaccine soon after their first birthday (12 to 15 months of age). Hepatitis Signs and Symptoms: fatigue. flu-like symptoms. dark urine. pale-colored stool. abdominal pain. loss of appetite. unexplained weight loss. yellow skin and eyes (may be signs of jaundice) Causes: Hepatitis can be caused by liver damage from excessive alcohol consumption. This is sometimes referred to as â€Å"alcoholic hepatitis.† The alcohol causes the liver to swell and become inflamed. Other toxic causesinclude overuse of medication or exposure to poisons. Autoimmune Disease. Prevention: The hepatitis A vaccine can prevent infection with the virus. The hepatitis A vaccine is typically given in two doses — initial vaccination followed by a booster shot six months later. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following individuals receive a hepatitis A vaccine Malaria Signs and Symptoms: Fever. Chills. Headache. Sweats. Fatigue. Nausea and vomiting. Causes: Malaria is caused by the plasmodium parasite. The parasite can be spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Prevention: Malaria can often be avoided using the ABCD approach to prevention which stands for: Awareness of risk – find out whether you are at risk of getting malaria. Bite prevention – avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs and using a mosquito net. Check whether you need to take malaria prevention tablets – if you do, make sure you take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose, and finish the course. Diagnosis  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ seek immediate medical advice if you have malaria symptoms, including up to a year after you return from travelling. Whooping Cough Signs and Symptoms: runny nose. sneezing. mild cough. low-grade fever. Causes: Whooping cough is caused by an infection with a bacterium known as Bordetella pertussis. The bacteria attach to the lining of the airways in the upper respiratory system and release toxins that lead to inflammation and swelling. Prevention: Preventing whooping cough. In the UK, whooping cough is now rare due to successful vaccination against it. The 5-in-1 vaccine. The whoopingcough vaccine is given as part of the 5-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib), which also protects against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b). Dysentery Signs and Symptoms: nausea. vomiting. abdominal pain. fever and chills. Causes: Bacterial infections are by far the most common causes of dysentery. These infections include Shigella,Campylobacter, E. coli, and Salmonella species of bacteria. Prevention: Washing one’s hands after using the toilet, after contact with an infected person, and regularly throughout the day; Washing one’s hands before handling, cooking and eating food, handling babies, and feeding young or elderly people; Keeping contact with someone known to have dysentery to a minimum Tetanus Signs and Symptoms: Headache. Jaw cramping. Sudden, involuntary muscle tightening – often in the stomach (muscle spasms) Painful muscle stiffness all over the body. Trouble swallowing. Jerking or staring (seizures) Fever and sweating. High blood pressure and fast heart rate. Causes: Tetanus is a condition caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, a cousin of the bacteria that cause gangrene and botulism. Prevention: You can easily prevent tetanus by being immunized against the toxin. Almost all cases of tetanus occur in people who’ve never been immunized or who haven’t had a tetanus booster shot within the preceding 10 years. Flu Signs and Symptoms: A 100oF or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever) A cough and/or sore throat. A runny or stuffy nose. Headaches and/or body aches. Chills. Fatigue. Causes: The flu is actually very different from a cold. While more than 100 different viruses can cause a cold, only influenza virus types A, B, and C cause theflu. Type A and B viruses are responsible for the large flu epidemics. Type C flu virus is more stable and usually causes milder respiratory symptoms. Prevention: If you are healthy but exposed to a person with the flu, antiviral drugs can prevent you from getting sick. The sooner you are treated with an antiviral, the more likely it will prevent the flu. Antiviral drugs are 70% to 90% effective at preventing the flu. Intestinal Parasite Signs and Symptoms: Abdominal pain. Diarrhea. Nausea or vomiting. Gas or bloating. Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus) Rash or itching around the rectum or vulva. Stomach pain or tenderness. Causes: Intestinal parasites are usually transmitted when someone comes in contact with infected feces (for example, through contaminated soil, food, or water). In the U.S., the most common protozoa are giardia and cryptosporidium. Parasites can live within the intestines for years without causing any symptoms. Common Cold Signs and Symptoms: Sore throat. Mucus buildup in your nose. Difficulty breathing through your nose. Swelling of your sinuses. Sneezing. Cough. Headache. Tiredness. Causes: The common cold is a self-limited contagious illness that can be caused by a number of different types of viruses. The common cold is medically referred to as a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Symptoms of thecommon cold may include cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Prevention: No vaccine has been developed for the common cold, which can be caused by many different viruses. But you can take some common-sense precautions to slow the spread of cold viruses Pneumonia Signs and Symptoms: Nausea/vomiting Rapid breathing. Rapid heartbeat. Shaking chills Causes: Bacteria-like organisms, such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which typically produce milder signs and symptoms than do other types of pneumonia. Bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Prevention: Get a flu shot every year to prevent seasonal influenza. The flu is a common cause of pneumonia, so preventing the flu is a good way to prevent pneumonia! Get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia if you are at high  risk of getting this type of pneumonia. Hypertension Signs and Symptoms: Causes: A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain because a blood vessel is blocked by a clot or burst open. A stroke is sometimes called a â€Å"brain attack.† Prevention: A heart-healthy lifestyle can help you prevent high blood pressure. These changes are especially important for people who have risk factors for high blood pressure that cannot be changed, including family history, race, or age. Anemia Signs and Symptoms: Fatigue. Pale skin. A fast or irregular heartbeat. Shortness of breath. Chest pain. Dizziness. Cognitive problems. Cold hands and feet. Causes: Iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is caused by a shortage of the element iron in your body. †¦ Vitamin deficiency anemias. †¦ Anemia of chronic disease. †¦ Aplastic anemia. †¦ Anemias associated with bone marrow disease. †¦ Hemolytic anemias. †¦ Sickle cell anemia. Prevention: Many types of anemia can’t be prevented. However, you can help avoid iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficiency anemias by choosing a diet that includes a variety of vitamins and nutrients Asthma Signs and Symptoms: Frequent cough, especially at night. Losing your breath easily or shortness of breath. Feeling very tired or weak when exercising. Wheezing or coughing after exercise. Feeling tired, easily upset, grouchy, or moody. Decreases or changes in lung function as measured on a peak flow meter. Causes: Asthma triggers are different from person to person and can include: Airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, mold, cockroaches and dust mites. Respiratory infections, such as the common cold. Physical activity (exercise-induced asthma) Cold air. Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke. Prevention: You need to know how to prevent or minimize future asthma attacks. If your asthma attacks are triggered by an allergic reaction, avoid your triggers as much as possible. Keep taking your asthma medications after you are discharged. This is extremely important. Migraine Signs and Symptoms: a headache that lasts anything from four up to 72 hours. pulsating or throbbing pain, often just on one side of your head. a headache that gets worse when you’re active or stops you from being active. feeling sick or vomiting. increased sensitivity to light and noise. Causes: Hormonal changes in women. Fluctuations in estrogen seem to trigger headaches in many women with known migraines. †¦ Foods. Aged cheeses, salty foods and processed foods may trigger migraines. †¦ Food additives. †¦ Drinks. †¦ Stress. †¦ Sensory stimuli. †¦ Changes in wake-sleep pattern. †¦ Physical factors. Prevention: Not all migraine headaches can be prevented. However, identifying your headache triggers can help to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Cardiovascular Signs and Symptoms: Chest pain (angina) Shortness of breath. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms, if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed. Causes: Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause of cardiovasculardisease, and it’s often caused by an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking. All of these are major risk factors for developing atherosclerosis and, in turn, cardiovascular disease.

Airline Industry

The absorbtion of a company is often a difficult task. Critical issues to consider, include organizational culture, technology, socio-culture, brand equity, and profitability of the firm. Organizational culture is the most important issue to consider when acquiring another company. While some cultures differ from others, that doesn’t necessarily make them weak cultures. Key questions to ask are; how well will the companies cultures mix with each other? If changes to either culture occur, what implications does this have on productivity and efficiency?Technology is and has been a key part of business and will continue to be. Technology increases productivity, efficiency, and in many times lowers the cost of making products. When looking to acquire another company one must compare the technology of that company to its industry. How much will a company have to invest in a company to get the technology updated and personnel trained on those machines? How much would the company gai n by implementing this new technology? Socio-cultural factors are a mindset of customers and they play a major role in whether or not a customer purchases a product and how much of it they will purchase.Grapefruit, for example, was a very popular item during the craze of the Hollywood Diet. Carbohydrates were in low demand when the Adkins Diet was trendy, and now it’s no transaturated fats that are becoming the next style of diet. Fast food companies had to change their menus to fit some of these trends due to their popularity! The lesson to take away from this is that a company needs to look into current as well as future trends that occur before making the decision to make an investment into an absorption.Brand equity is an essential part of acquiring a company. For example, a customer enters a pharmacy and sees both Tylenol and the generic brand of acetaminophen at the same price; the customer will most likely pick the Tylenol because it has proven itself to be a strong br and. The same can be said with companies in other industries. A company must research the customer’s perception of the products and service that the potentially acquired company offers in order to insure that they are making a good investment.Since the nature of business is to make profit, a shrewd to examination into the current profitability of the company being acquired as well as speculate future profitability is required. It’s also essential for a company to forecast the impacts that this merger will cause for their own company and determine if the results are desirable before the merger takes place. Part II. Barriers to entry—moderate: Sometimes a company will be able to enter the market but only for a short time; however this still causes competition and causes a reduction in fares.Part of what keeps barriers high are that airlines that are already in business there have planes already purchased as well as partnerships with other companies established. Th is leads to a potential entrant having diseconomies of scale. The two major things that deter customers from choosing a competitor are cost and past experience. These don’t contribute much to switching costs so when a new competitor enters the industry margins decrease even more. Since startup costs are so huge in the commercial airline industry, the threat of potential entrants is rather low.Rivalry among existing firms—high: Since JetBlue has entered the global market there are several more airlines worldwide that JetBlue has to compete with, as well as domestic and startup airlines to compete with. They must keep their prices/margins low not only to deter customers from other competitors but also to compete with close substitutes. There isn’t a firm that controls a large portion of the market so in turn companies receive low return due to competitive pricing structures. Finally there is very little differentiation in the airline industry.Services that JetBlue offers like free WiFi and XM radio are small things that help them differentiate their service for customers to buy. Threat of close substitutes—high: There are several substitutes to air travel, these being things like a car or a train. When going overseas there really isn’t a good substitute unless you are going on a cruise which in my opinion is an entirely different plan for travel. Sometimes if a group of people want to travel to the same place they will carpool for a cheaper rate, but this is getting less popular than it once was.In summary the shorter the distance, the more likely an airline is going to lose to close substitutes like a car or train. Bargaining power of suppliers—high: This is due to the fact that the suppliers are in an oligopoly. There isn’t much competition in the supplier market so those companies can keep their margins rather high. If a company decides to purchase a different brand of airliner then they would need to face trai ning and maintenance costs associated with buying that new brand. Now there are things like beer and peanuts, uniforms and the like.The airline industry has potentially high bargaining power against these suppliers but those items don’t affect the profit margin like equipment does. Bargaining power of buyers—low/moderate: The price of an airline ticket is set and doesn’t really change except over time through competition. Buyers get to use technology like the internet to compare prices of different competitors which lowers prices; however that only affects prices over time. Since there are many airlines to choose from as well as low switching costs buyers enjoy a moderate amount of bargaining power.However, with few exceptions like companies that use economies of scale to negotiate rates for you there is very little a buyer can do to bargain with an airline immediately. Overall competition in airline industry is very intense. There are several competitors in the airline industry, and since the industry is low growth competitors try to differentiate their service to get people to switch to them. In poor economic times people look for lower cost alternatives and airfare is no different—people will look for lower cost means of transportation. Airliners also face an overall moderate bargaining power which limits their profit margins. Airline industry This is considerably larger than some 620 countries, estimated similarly to the same size as Switzerland. (ATAG, 2012). It is orecast that by 2026, the industry will contribute $1 trillion to world GDP (ATAG, 2012). Despite the fact there is over 2000 airlines, each airline generally relies upon either one of the two-airline manufactures. These are Boeing or Airbus, both that are extremely wealthy companies. Boeing & Airbus are extremely competitive against each other and often have court disputes against each other.The most recent dispute was dated in May 2011, where both companies claimed victory after the World Trade Organisation overturned the ruling in which saw Airbus receive billions of Euros in illegal subsidies. BBC News, 2011). The US complained to the WTO as they thought the $18 billion subsidiary was deemed to 'cause serious prejudice' to US interests (BBC News, 2011). Growth Rate The Airline Industry woes are expected to continue, with humble profits produced mainly by l imiting capacity.Both Boeing & Airbus already have a backlog of orders due to carriers deferring their orders due to the poor growth in clientele and falling flight prices. (The Economist, 2012). Other factors that are damaging the threat of growth in the Airline industry are the threat of terrorism & increase in fuel prices. Are these factors putting people off? In 2009, there was an immediate decline in air travel by 30% (ehow) after the attack on the twin towers. The drastic decline maybe explained by the fact many feared there could be another terrorist attack in the nearby future.Rising fuel prices in 2012 are set to have an enormous impact on the industry and set to shrink profit margins awfully tight. The industrys global trade body nas warned that annual profits nave been cut by $500m (Financial Times). Due to the Increase in fuel prices, many airlines have decided to provide the A380 aircraft, hich carries roughly 500 people depending on the configuration. This has helped a chieve economies of scale for many companies. Market Share The Airline Industry is incredibly competitive and diverse globally so it is difficult to summarise market share of companies.However, because of this reason returns are usually lower than expected. This can result in difficultly at times of economic recession. The supply in airline industry is very limited and dominated by Boeing & Airbus, which means there is very little aggressive competition. It is very unlikely to ee a supplier vertically integrated. This means it is highly unlikely that Boeing or Airbus would start offering flight services. The bargaining power of airline companies is surprisingly very low.