Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Why Invest in Apple Inc. - 1608 Words

Why invest in Apple Inc.? Daniel A. Martinez MGT 521 March 12, 2012 Diane Hunt Wagner Abstract This paper presents a brief discussion and analysis of Apple Inc. using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) management model as a way of providing the reader an â€Å"at a glance† perspective prior to making a decision to invest in the firm. Some of the company’s financial figures obtained from its recently published 2011 unaudited financial reports such as the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow reports are included in the analysis and will be used as a reference for the explanation of the concepts here reviewed. Internal and external stakeholder identification and the fulfillment of their wants and needs†¦show more content†¦| |Mobile advertising – Provides growth opportunity |Global and socio-economic conditions – European and Asian countries | |Stimulation of customer demand for new products – Maintain product |stagnation and Middle East social unrest could lower international | |innovation. Eg. iPad2 |growth. | | |Company’s reliance on third party software developers | | |Potential failure of outsourcing overseas | (â€Å"Apple Inc. Company Profile,† 2011). Underlined are the key items from the analysis considered to advice investing in this organization. With all elements of the analysis considered, it seems like the potential threats outweigh the strengths and opportunities, however the company’s strong financial performance results positions it as a low risk investment. Revenues, profit and high gross margins combined with a sound control on company expenses and a wealthy cash flow reportShow MoreRelatedApple s Manufacturing Department Work773 Words   |  4 Pagesefficiency of the manufacturing department is very low because of the poor execution sake. For example, Apple and Foxconn case, when the US factories produce the same products as Foxconn, the output of the US factories is only 80 percent of Foxconn and product defective rate is more than twice than Foxconn although Apple invest manpower into US factories. This is why we see â€Å"Designed by Apple in California. As sembled in China† on lots Apple’s products. Supply chain management is inadequate. The explosiveRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Apple Inc. Essay1469 Words   |  6 PagesApple is a leading company in the industry of Technology manufactures mobiles, computers, communications devices and portable devices. The company also sells software computer accessories and network solutions. Apple was said â€Å"the most valuable company in the world† apple earn this value though its creativity and innovation. The company has high values for its stakeholders and it has a sustainable competitive advantage for its shareholder in the industry. Industry Analysis Firm Analysis: AppleRead MoreCase Study : Tech Shield Should Make A Decision1744 Words   |  7 PagesTech Shield should make a decision to invest in Apple Inc. stocks because they are one of the most popular electronics company in the world. This report recommends making an investment in Apple because: †¢ Affordable stock price †¢ Strong business strategies †¢ High market share But Apple Inc. also has a few weaknesses compare to other electronic companies such as: †¢ Higher prices compare to other brands †¢ Nonnegotiable advertising price Research shows that Apple would never lower its premium pricesRead MoreEssay on Case Study #21617 Words   |  7 PagesCase study # 2: The apple of your â€Å"I† This case study will describe why Apple Inc. is a very successful company and has become the second largest public company in the world. It all started  in the 1980s when Apple started producing home computers. This helped those who were full-time students and workers by also producing a particular computer, the Macintosh computer. However, in 1985 Steve Jobs lost against the Apple board, and because of the unfortunate negative outcome of the meeting, SteveRead MoreStock Market Project1448 Words   |  6 Pagestogether on their finance stock market project. We felt that our risk tolerance was different then it normally would be sense we had 500,000 to invest in the stock market compared to our own money. Due to the fact that this was fake money we found ourselves to be conservative as well as risky depending on the situation. We have been given three months to invest money in the stock market as well as with different types of investments such as shorting, limiting, etc and to c ome out with a positive returnRead MoreA Brief History of Apple Inc1441 Words   |  6 PagesBackground: A brief history of the organization â€Å"Apple Inc. founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak was incorporated on January 3, 1977 and its central corporation resides in Cupertino, California† (Apple Inc., 2014). Apple is a world-wide organization that is known for programming, designing, developing, creating and selling consumer electronics. The company is mainly known for their Macintosh line of computers, Mac OS X software, iTunes media application and also the iPhone smartphoneRead MoreUnderstanding Brands as Personalities Essay1395 Words   |  6 Pagesbranding in building a competitive business. Branding is much more than a buzzword - it is, in a sense, a company’s promise to its consumers. When a product, service, or company is well branded, consumers know exactly what they’re going to get when they invest. In another sense, branding is the outward projection of what a business hopes to associate with its name. A brand includes not only a company’s logo and slogan, it also includes the design, personality, and service quality associated with the companyRead MoreThe New Iphone 7 : Stock As Well As The Best Buy ( Bby ) Stock Essay1492 Words   |  6 PagesAs a group we decided to invest in the Apple (AAPL) stock as well as the Best Buy (BBY) stock. After researching their past success around this time of year we have come to the conclusion that investing in their stocks would be a smart financial decision. Focusing more towards Apple, there was recently a new IOS update which led people to purchase new software. Although the new iPhone 7 has been out for a while now, we took into account that people would still be purchasing that item therefore bringingRead MoreMarketing Strategy For Apple Inc.888 Words   |  4 PagesApple Inc. is number one company in personal entertainment. It has been loyal in design and marketing strategy for over 33 years. Apple Inc. has been promoted itself as a worldwide for its innovation and market leading business operation. Whenever A pple Inc. introduces new products to the public; it always attracts the whole world to pay attention to it. A closer look on their finances could somewhat explained why Apple Inc. has a great influence to the business world. Apple was founded in 1976 byRead MoreTrading And Investing Strategies Used For Cypress Semiconductor Corp1485 Words   |  6 PagesThis part of the report will analyze and explain the different trading and investing strategies used for Cypress Semiconductor Corp, CyberArk Software Ltd, Google Inc, and Apple Inc. During the course of the investment time, I’m not only a trader but also an investor. At the beginning of the game, I really did a lot of works for preparation. First step of my preparation is read the textbook carefully and tried to fully understand it. At the same time, I asked help from my classes and friends who

Monday, December 23, 2019

How Effective is The Singer Solution to World Poverty Essay

In â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty,† Singer argues that all households should donate a percentage of their incomes to charity. Majority of the American population is satisfied with donating little to nothing to those in need, but seldom rethink the purchase of the luxury items. It is a commonly accepted fact that those who work for their earnings are deserving of the monies that they receive. Unfortunately, those in third world countries that don’t have the same resources and opportunities are unable to sustain their livelihood. Some children in third world countries suffer from deprivation of food and shelter; while those that are fortunate enough to have jobs are paid only cents a day. (â€Å"Some H-1B Workers Underpaid, Federal†¦show more content†¦The poverty level in America is significantly rising as well as those of other countries. If America’s social safety net programs are barely assisting Americans, how can they allow organizations to donate money to other countries? Yes, it’s true that the foreign countries may not have availability to certain resources, but America must solidify its foundation before helping others. If we do not, the final result will be the downfall of our own country’s well-being. On the other hand, poverty and homelessness are prevalent issues that are global. Americans fortunately have social safety net programs (welfare, unemployment, social security etc.) while other countries do not. Compared to foreign and underdeveloped countries we are more economically sound. Furthermore, Singer’s idea that â€Å"money you’re spending on luxuries, not necessities should be given away† (327) is an extreme idea, but should be weighed to see how it could benefit struggling families. There must definitely be a change that takes place within Americans, and encourages us to donate. But, until a change takes place within the American government there will be no turn in direction. As Singer points out â€Å" Comfortably off Americans who give, say 10 percent of their income to overseas organizations are so far ahead of most†¦ that I [won’t] chastise them.† (326) In contrast to Singer, 10 percent of any income is enough for a household to donate while being able to attain the luxuryShow MoreRelatedSinger s Proposal Of Effective Altruism904 Words   |  4 PagesSinger’s proposal of effective altruism is a combined philosophical and social movement that seeks to apply empirical evidence and human reasoning to find the most effective solution to better the world. The idea of finding the most effective solution to create social change draws similarities to the paramount utilitarian idea of the greatest happiness principle; the principle states that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to promote the reverseRead MoreAnalysis Of Rich And Poor By Peter Singer1052 Words   |  5 Pagesand Poor† We all heard countless solutions on how to solve world poverty. In Peter Singer’s article â€Å"Rich and Poor†, he discusses how he thinks this problem can be fixed. Singer claims that we all have a responsibility to support people who are in extreme need and are suffering from absolute poverty. Singer believes that poverty could be fixed if people give up their luxuries and give the money that they spent on unnecessary things to those who are destitute. In Singer s mind, we all have a duty toRead MoreEssay on Singers Solution to World Poverty1219 Words   |  5 PagesThe writer behind â€Å"Singers Solution to World Poverty† advocates that U.S. citizens give away the majority of their dispensable income in order to end global suffering. Peter Singer makes numerous assumptions within his proposal about world poverty, and they are founded on the principle that Americans spend too much money on items and services that they do not need. Singer uses some extreme methods in order to achieve his goal of getting readers to truly believe in his ideas and change their valuesRead MoreHardin vs. Singer1925 Words   |  8 PagesHardin versus Singer Rhetorical Strategies Picture living in a community where every minute of every day you were hungry, under-clothed, and afraid death because you are poor. A world in which child dies of hunger every 5 seconds. Now imagine waking up and your biggest problem was which sweater to wear with which jeans. Even though this seems hard to imagine, this life of poverty has been a reality for most people for ages. Before the1900s, few wealthy people would ever think about poverty. Two prominentRead MoreGlobal Institutions are the Solution to Global Poverty Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal institutions are seen to be the better solution to help prevent world poverty in developing nations. Indeed, two philosophers, Thomas Pogge and Andrew Kuper, agree with this view that global institutions are more suited to prevent world poverty than NGOs. The reason for this is that global institutions have better defined institutional structures. A global institution â€Å"is an organization with hierarchical structures, having departments and agencies assigned with specific tasks† (WTO). TheyRead MoreAnalysis Of Katherine Boo s Behind The Beautiful Forevers2398 Words   |  10 PagesIt is clear that citizens in impoverished nations are stuck in a poverty trap, where they are unable to escape even with the assistance of aid from well developed nations. Many citizens are contributing money to charities because there is a moral obligation to donate if it does not put us into a state of economic instability. On the other hand, no matter how much aid is being given to nations stuck in poverty, this money is not helping any of the citizens. The money is going directly into the handsRead MoreAnalysis of What Shuold a Billionaire Give and What Should You? by Peter Singers2661 Words   |  11 Pageschildren. We are, Singer convincingly argues, products of our fortunate â€Å"social capital†; therefore, we have an obligation to those who do not have a social capital. Life is priceless. It is God’s greatest gift and should be returned to the Creator through good actions and charity. From this perspective rose philanthropy, with the aim of improving human life quality. Many attempts to â€Å"fight global poverty† were led during this century by some individuals but the core of the solution lies , accordingRead MoreLifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping The Poor - Garrett Hardin What Should A Billionaire Give-and What Should You? - Peter Singer3380 Words   |  14 PagesLifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping The Poor - Garrett Hardin What Should A Billionaire Give-and What Should You? - Peter Singer One of the most important issues facing the world today is the issue of the poor. There are many things that can be done about this issue, however much of the world is torn between wanting to help and not knowing how to go about it. This is the issue that is presented in the two essays - Garrett Hardin’s â€Å"Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping The Poor,† andRead MoreEssay America Must Provide Foreign Aid to Poor Countries2010 Words   |  9 Pagessleeping mat takes him four days to make and sells for as little as four cents, not enough to buy what little food there is in Malawi.   So he relies on handouts.   A few days ago, Diamond picked up his monthly ration of donated U.S. corn from the World Food Programme (WFP) at the Ngodzi distribution center near his village, carrying home the 110-pound bags tied to his bicycle (Harman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Malawi is one of six southern African countries - along with Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, LesothoRead More Foreign Aid - Our Obligation to Help the Less Fortunate Essay2361 Words   |  10 Pages     Ã‚  Ã‚     What is absolute poverty?   According to Robert McNamara it is life at the very margin of existence (Singer 219).   It is a life that, if not ended by early death, causes a kind of misery unseen to those living in the United States.   Compared to the estimated 1.2 billion people, worldwide living in poverty, those of us in developed countries experience a life of luxury.   The things that we take for granted, such as cars, computers, microwaves, and televisions, are extravagant items

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Identifying Individual Preferences in the Airline Industry Free Essays

string(257) " Assume that the budget lines for business and pleasure travellers are equal which can be seen from graph 3 and 4 below; the steeper indifference curves for business travellers show their optimal choices between purchasing airplane tickets and other goods\." Transportation services are becoming more common and broadly used in recent decade, in line with the advancement of technology. Generally, transportation services can be divided into three groups: water transportation, land transportation and air transportation (Gee, Choy, Makens, 1984). Airline industry, which this essay focusing on, is one of the discoveries of newest innovations in the travel services sector. We will write a custom essay sample on Identifying Individual Preferences in the Airline Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now It has been developed so much in recent year to operate more effectively. Not only guarantee a safe journey to the destination place, the airline companies are now trying to create a competition in the market by providing the best services to the travellers and offering competitive prices (Hensher Louviere, 1983). Those strategies are aimed to attract more consumers to travel by their airline companies. This essay will discuss the theories of consumer economics and their applications in the real consumer issues in airline industry, mainly on the factors that changing the consumer demand of airplane ticket, as well as the underlying reasons of why consumers prefer some particular airlines to the others. Furthermore, the behaviour of different types of consumers toward the choice of different airlines will also be discussed here. In observing those issues, this paper will focus on two airline companies: Singapore Airlines and Jetstar. The price data were obtained from a single route from Melbourne to Singapore. The core idea in analysing consumer behaviour in making choices in the economic activity, mainly in the airline industry, is because of their limited incomes and unlimited wants. Those then lead to trade-offs and opportunity costs. Consumers in the airline industry could be divided into two groups, which are business and pleasure travellers. Elasticity is the percentage change in one variable resulting from a 1-percent increase in another (Pindyck Rubinfeld, 2009). When the price elasticity is greater than 1 in magnitude, we say that demand is price elastic because the percentage decline in quantity demanded is greater than the percentage increase in price. If the price is less than 1 in magnitude, the demand is said to be price inelastic. Graph 1. Elastic and inelastic demand (Inelastic demand) (Elastic demand) In this case, elastic demand of airline industry is exceptionally unstable because it depends on the market conditions such as inflation, terrorists attack and price oil. In airline industry, price elasticity demand is considered both elastic and inelastic (Yahoo Voices, 2008). An elastic demand is in relation travel for pleasure. Pleasure travellers are extremely sensitive to the price of the travel. An inelastic demand is in relation for business travel. Business travels have little effect for increase in price of the travel. Income elasticity of demand measures the degree of responsiveness of demand of a good to a change in consumers’ income. It has equation of : EI=[ΔQ/Q]/[ ΔI/I]=[I/Q]*[ ΔQ/ ΔI]. Airplane ticket is normal good as it has a positive income elasticity, which means when consumers’ income increase the consumption of ticket will increase as well. Cross elasticity of demand measures the degree of responsiveness of demand of one good to a change in the price of another good. It is shown in the equation: EQ1P2 = [ΔQ1/Q1] / [ΔP2/P2] = [P2/Q2]*[ΔQ1/ ΔP2]. If airplane ticket and other consumption (i.e. food and cloths) are considered as a group, there will be a positive cross-price elasticity, which tells us that if the price of one good (other consumption or ticket) goes up, the demand for the other good goes up as well. Consumer behaviour analysis attempts to understand the consumers’ allocation of incomes among different goods and services to maximize their well-being. It consist of three distinct aspects: consumer preferences, describing the reasons why people might prefer one good to another; budget constraints, reflecting consumers’ limited incomes that restrict the quantities of goods they can buy; and consumer choices, which are the combination of the consumer preferences and budgets constraints (Pindyck Rubinfeld, 2009). There are some basic assumptions made in observing consumer preferences in the airline industry. First, preferences are assumed to be complete. Complete means that consumers are able to compare and rank all possible market baskets. However, this assumption ignores costs. Second, preferences are transitive or consistent. And third, â€Å"more is better than less† since goods are assumed to be desirable. Indifference curve represents all combinations of market baskets which provide consumer with same level of satisfaction (Pindyck Rubinfeld, 2009). Indifference curve and utility functions (set of indifference curves) are used to analyse the consumer behaviour and preferences in choosing market baskets, in which relate to consumer demand (Gould, 1973). Higher indifference curve is more preferable to the lower one because it represents higher welfare (Telhado, 2007). Moreover, indifference curves cannot intersect and the slope of each point in the indifference curve represents marginal rate of substitution (MRS), which is the maximum amount of a good that consumer is willing to give up to obtain one additional unit of another good. Indifference curves of consumers in the airline industry are assumed to be downward sloping and bowed-inward, reflecting diminishing MRS, since the demand of airplane tickets and comparable goods are both desirable. The shape of the indifference curves is different among group of consumers. Indifference curves of the first group of consumer, business travellers, are steeper than pleasure travellers. Graph 1 below shows that the business travellers’ group is willing to trade more of other consumption (a) to exchange it with an airplane ticket (b), since they need to directly travel to other place establishing business transactions. Graph 2. Indifference map for business travellers While in the graph 2, pleasure travellers is unwillingly trade more of the other consumptions in order to purchase a unit of airplane ticket (a b). It is because they travel to seek pleasure, not urgently need to be done directly. Thus, they are more flexible in the decision making process of which airline company they want to travel with and the time of travel. Graph 3. Indifference map for pleasure travellers Along with indifference curve, there is budget constraints which restraint consumer’s consumptions due to limited incomes (Mary, 2007). Assume that the budget lines for business and pleasure travellers are equal which can be seen from graph 3 and 4 below; the steeper indifference curves for business travellers show their optimal choices between purchasing airplane tickets and other goods. You read "Identifying Individual Preferences in the Airline Industry" in category "Papers" Business travellers seem to purchase more airplane tickets rather than other consumptions because they want to give up more of other consumptions to obtain an additional airplane ticket. Graph 4. Indifference map and budget constraints for business travellers In contrast, for pleasure travellers, the flatter indifference curves will lead them to purchase other consumptions rather than allocating a large portion of income in purchasing airplane tickets. The tangent between indifference curve and budget constraint will be the point of maximum well-being which can be achieved. Area below the optimal point shows that the consumers are not maximising their consumption. Whilst the area above that point means the consumers do not have enough income (budget) to achieve that consumption level. Graph 5. Indifference curve for pleasure travellers In general, when there is a change in consumer’s income, there will be a parallel shift in the budget line, either downward or upward. As shown in graph below, initially, the utility-maximizing consumption choice is at A, at which point he buys X1 units of airplane ticket and Y1 units of other kinds of good. If his income increases, his budget line will shift outward, allowing him to attain the higher utility level associated with indifference curve U2 and then U3. His optimal consumption choice is at B (and then D) now. At this time, the consumer can purchase larger units of tickets (from X1 to X2 to X3). It can be seen in the income-consumption curve that the slope is upward, because as income increase, the consumption of both airplane ticket and other consumption increase. Graph 6. The effect of a change in income level On the other hand, when there is a change in product’s price and income level held constant, there will be an intercept rotation on the budget line. Recent condition in the airline industry is many companies try to attract more consumers to purchase the airline tickets from them by cutting the airfares. This strategy increases the competition level among the airline industry. The reduction in price of the air fares will result in outward rotation in the budget line on the ‘x’ axis, which represents airplane ticket. People can now purchase more airplane tickets due to lower price, representing the increase in consumers’ welfare or utility level. It is associated by the movement of indifference curve from U1 to U3 by selecting point D. At this time, consumption of ticket will increase from X1 to X3. Moreover, the slope of the second budget constraint is now decreasing, represents lower opportunity cost of obtaining a unit of airplane ticket. Graph 7. The effect of the decrease in price level In most cases, consumers would like to buy more airplane tickets as their income increases, but in some cases, the quantity demanded falls as income increases, the income elasticity of demand is negative. As shown in graph below, for relatively low levels of income (between point A and B), both Singapore Airlines and Jetstar flights are normal goods. However, as income rises, some consumers tend to buy less Jetstar tickets and more Singapore Airlines tickets as Singapore airlines has better service, food supply and in-flight entertainment system. At this time Jetstar has become an inferior good, the income-consumption curve bends backward from point B to C, which means its consumption has fallen when income has increased. Graph 8. Jetstar becomes an inferior good as income increases Even though Jetstar has been said as inferior good in some cases, in general, airline ticket is assumed as normal good. Refer to that, a decrease in the price of airline tickets due to the market competition has both income and substitution effect. As shown in the graph below, the consumer is initially at A, on budget line RS. When the price of ticket falls, consumption increases by A1A2 as the consumer move to B. Keeping real income constant, the substitution effect A1E can be got when the price of ticket falls, associated with a move from A to D. If keeping relative price constant but increasing purchasing power, the income effect EA2 can be got, associated with a move from D to B. As airplane ticket is normal good, the income effect EA2 is positive. Therefore, the total effect of a change in ticket price is equal to the sum of the substitution effect and income effect. Graph 9. Total effect of a change in price After discussing the demand curve for individual consumer, market demand curve for airplane ticket will be shown now. It can be derived as the sum of the individual demand curve of all consumers in the market, as stated previously. As shown in graph below, the market demand curve is also slope downward as all the individual demand curves slope downward. However, the market demand curve is not a straight line. When more people choose to travel by airplane, the market demand curve will shift to the right. In addition, if most consumers in the market earn more income, as a result, their increasing demand for airplane ticket will also shift the market curve to the right. If the economic crisis breaks out as what happened several years ago, many people lose their job and the income decreased. Thus, the market demand curve for airplane ticket will shift to the left. Graph 10. The market demand curve for airplane ticket From the actual rates, Singapore Airlines has the higher average price than Jetstar. In the same time, there is a survey about the level of satisfactions of international airlines shown by the graph below. From the graph, it illustrates that Singapore Airlines has the highest satisfaction level figure. From the risk and uncertainty point of view, Singapore Airlines provides superior service and it maintains an eye on rivals’ prices and ensures it stays competitive among other airline companies. The airline cancellations and delays usually provided with explanations and apologies. This airline is also providing advantage on frequent flyer consumers such as â€Å"priority passengers’ service†. This service is suitable for business travellers as it will give them advantage in booking urgently needed flights for important meetings. This airline is also suitable for those high-income pleasure travellers as it offers great entertainment and amusement, such as popular movies with multiple language options, games and dozens of audio channels. In addition, Singapore Airlines catering supply is trying to provide varieties of meals menu which match the likely passengers’ needs. For example, there will be Indian and western food provided for subcontinent flights. Moreover, Singapore Airlines has a modern fleet and the aircrafts have been maintained with the highest standards. Thus, the cost of flights is higher which result in the higher airfares, however, safely of this airline is guaranteed. Comparing to Singapore Airlines, Jetstar offers lower price to the consumers. Their food, beverages and entertainment standard are much lower than Singapore Airlines’. Jetstar is known for having many complaints from its passengers in term of its services, such as frequent delays and cancellations of flight. Those seem to be serious problems for business travellers, as time efficiency is the main factor. However, Jetstar’s network is constantly expanding by opening flights to some new locations in Asia. Thus, Jetstar is more suitable for pleasure travellers which have shorter travel distance and not much concern about the services provided on board. As the theory of equal marginal principle states that â€Å"the utility is maximized when the consumer has equalized the marginal utility per dollar of expenditure across all goods† (Gordon, 2007), the business travellers who are not price prioritize will choose to travel with Singapore Airlines since they prefer in optimal satisfaction. However, for the pleasure travellers that prioritize the price factor will choose to travel with Jetstar which provide low price for consumers rather than best satisfaction. Graph 11. Satisfactions with International Airlines 2009-2010 Even with a high level of satisfaction, Singapore Airline has experienced a decline in market share over the last five years, as shown in Graph 13. Low-cost airlines such as Jetstar have contributed to the lack of growth for more premium airlines. Additionally, Peter von Moltke stated that â€Å"the low cost sector is a major influence in sustaining a steady growth trajectory for the global aviation industry.† (PR Newswire, 2011). Graph 12. Market share of Top 10 Airlines in Australia (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012) So far, it has assumed that people’s demands for airplane ticket are individualized. That enables us to obtain the market demand curve simply by summing individuals’ demands (Kris, 2007). In real-life, however, one person’s demand always depends on other people’s demand. That is a network externality, which can be positive or negative. It is a good chance for airline companies to attract more passengers by using bandwagon effect of a positive externality. As shown in the graph below, when consumers believe more people have purchased the product, the demand curve shifts further to the right (D1 to D5). The market demand curve is found by joining the points on the individual demand curves, which can be seen that it is relatively more elastic. Suppose the ticket price falls from P1 to P2. Without bandwagon effect, the quantity demanded will increase from Q2 to Q2’. However, as more passengers choose to fly with Jetstar or Singapore Airlines and think it is worth to be the first-flying choice as it is trustworthy, the bandwagon effect increases quantity demanded further to D4. Therefore, airline companies use bandwagon effect to increase the response of demand in relevance with price change. To obtain this effect, the airline companies could target its potential segment and use advertisement to build up their brand image and reputation among the market. For example, Singapore Airlines could use ‘comfortable, quick and always on-time’ image to attract its business travellers. And for Jetstar, the image of cheap and flexible could help the company to obtain its bandwagon effect in pleasure travellers’ market. Graph 13. Bandwagon effect To conclude, the consumers’ demand of airplane ticket is affected by their income, ticket price, and the demand elasticity. Business travellers prefer to travel with Singapore Airlines, even with a higher airfare. They concern more on punctuality and the service provided and their price elasticity of demand is low. In contrast, pleasure travellers are less concerned with the quality of service provided, focusing on reaching their destination with the lowest cost. Their price elasticity of demand is high, thus, Jetstar is preferred in this case. In the intense market competition, Singapore airlines and Jetstar could use the bandwagon effect to attract more passengers by building up their own brand image. How to cite Identifying Individual Preferences in the Airline Industry, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Activated Chicken Eggshells as Novel free essay sample

A recent report highlighted the difficulties which the disposal of eggshells presents to egg processors. In the report, it was estimated that some 10-11,000 tons of egg shell has to be disposed of each year by egg processors and producers of hard cooked eggs. The vast majority of this is produced by comparatively few businesses. The chicken eggshell is 95-97%  calcium carbonate  crystals, which are stabilized by a protein matrix. Without the protein, the crystal structure would be too brittle to keep its form and the organic matrix is thought to have a role in deposition of calcium during the mineralization process. Role of extracellular matrix molecules in shell formation and structure (Arias, and Fernandez, 2006) have been done over the years, and as some have both failed and succeeded, we also hope to succeed in this study to help lessen pollution. 1 An imbalance in the natural functioning of the ecosystem is due to the chelation potential of metal in aquatic bodies. We will write a custom essay sample on Activated Chicken Eggshells as Novel or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The most important feature is that distinguishing heavy metals from other pollutants are known for their non-biodegradability. Research on eggshell structure and quality: an historical overview   (Hunton, 2005). The commonly used procedures for removing metal ions from effluents include chemical precipitation, lime coagulation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and solvent extraction, respectively. These techniques apart from being economically expensive have disadvantages like incomplete removal, high reagent and energy requirements, and generation of toxic sludge or other waste products that require disposal. Efficient and environmentally friendly methods are thus, needed to be developed to reduce heavy metal content. Hence, the study is focused on activated chicken eggshell extract as energy sufficient and a cost efficient process for the removal of zinc ion in aqueous solution. Based on the above review of related, there is a need to conduct the study about activated chicken eggshells as novel chelating agent for zinc ions in aqueous solution, because it has still not been tested as a chelate for heavy metals, especially zinc ion. Objectives of the Study The study aimed to find out if activated chicken eggshells have chelation potential for the removal of zinc ions from aqueous solution. Specifically, the study 1. determined the effect of different doses of activated chicken eggshell extract on the concentration level of zinc ion from aqueous solution after chelation as to exposure time. 2. determined the removal efficiency by zinc ion by activated chicken eggshells from aqueous solution as to exposure time. 3. found out the zinc ion accumulation in activated eggshells from fixed concentrate of zinc ion as to exposure time. 4. determined the amount of zinc ion remained in the residual solution after twelve(12) hours exposure time. Hypothesis of the Study The following hypotheses were put forward: 1. There is no significant difference on the effect of different doses of activated chicken eggshells on the concentration level of zinc ion from aqueous solution after biosorption as to exposure time. 2. There is no significant difference o n the removal efficiency of zinc ion by activated chicken eggshells from aqueous solution as to exposure time. 3. There is no significant difference on the zinc ion accumulation in activated chicken eggshells from fixed concentration of zinc ion as to exposure time. 4. There is no significant difference on the amount of zinc ion remained in the residual solution after twelve (12) hours exposure time Scope and Limitations of the Study This study focused only on activated chicken eggshells as novel chelate for the removal of zinc ions from aqueous solution. It will be conducted at the Physics/Chemistry Laboratory of Antique National School, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique from April 3, 2012 to June 3, 2012. The variables evaluated will be the effect of different doses of activated chicken eggshells at fixed concentration of zinc ion after chelation; removal efficiency of zinc ion by activated chicken eggshells at different concentration level and exposure time; zinc ion accumulation, and zinc ion remaining in the residual solution after twelve(12) hours exposure time. The experiment will use 5 tre atments and 3 replicates. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used as a statistical tool to identify the significant differences among treatments measured and their interactions at 0. 01 and 0. 5 levels of significance. Significance of the Study The results of the study will be a great help to be a significant solution to heavy metal disposal problems in different bodies of water, specifically the industrial areas. This would enhance considerable interest in developing cost effective and environment-friendly innovative technology that would help in the chelation of soil and waste water polluted with toxic trace elements since this is an indigenous material thus, a convenient way of minimizing environmental hazards in the country caused by heavy metals as pollutants. Review of Related Literature 4 Eggshells have the ability to become a chelate for the removal of some metals such as zinc ions in aqueous solution. The outer covering of an egg, that is the egg shell, is composed of 93%  Calcium Carbonate. In addition to the calcium, it contains about 1% nitrogen, about a ? %phosphoric acid, and other  trace elements  that make them a practical fertilizer. The removal of lead by crab shell extract was found to be pH dependent, with optium sorption occurring at pH6. The process of lead biosorption was rapid with an initial concentration of 500mg/L. Also, a possibility of desorption and subsequent reuse of crab shell extract was attempted using 0. 1M HCI as aelutant. It exhibited more than 99% elution efficiency. Surface area and contact time also played an important role for the adsorption of heavy metals in prepared chitosan. Biosorption with acid washed crab shells (AWCS) is very sensitive with a solution to pH. Change of solution pH not only affected the charged functional groups non AWCS but also on the specification of the element in solution (Gray, 2005). Biosorption capacities of crab shell for lead was studied at different particle sizes, biosorbent dosages, and initial metal concentrations on pH values in batch mode. The data obtained at different initial metal concentrations which indicate that the biosorption rate was quick, and that most of the process was completed within two (2) hours, followed by slow attainment of equilibrium (Menotti, 2005). The removal efficiency of lead with crab shell Portunussp. depends on pH value. Biosorption of chitin and chitosan showed different results. It showed that both chitin and chitosan absorb with the best capacity at pH 4. . Chitosan has higher sorption than chitin (Muhaemin, 2005). In recent years, biosorption by biologically originated materials in removing heavy metals have drawn more and more attention, largely due to the unique properties of these biomaterials being environmentally benign, low cost, effective at low metal concentrations and easily reusable (Rhazi et al. , 2002; De Cas tro Dantas et al. , 2001). Chitin and chitosan are natural, biodegradable and are a sort of polysaccharide polymer which serve as a major structural component of exoskeleton of crustaceans and insects (Bittelli et al. , 2001).