Telstra

Background Telstra is a descendant of the Post Master General's (PMG) Department of the Australian Commonwealth Public Service. In 1975 telecommunications and postal functions were divided into two statutory commissions: Telecom Australia and Australia Post. Telecom Australia, the government-owned communications carrier, later merged with a much smaller government body, OTC, then responsible for international calls. Telecom rebranded itself as Telstra in the early 1990s. Telstra has faced competition since the late 1980s from competing providers.It retains ownership of the fixed-line telephone network, as well as one of two competing pay-tv and data cable networks. Other companies offering fixed-line services must therefore deal with Telstra. Competing telecommunication companies have constantly accused Telstra of overcharging for wholesale access to their networks the ACCC has often agreed but decisions by the regulator are slow. [1] Current Situation Australia’s leading tele communications and information Services Company, Telstra Corporation Ltd is well poised to deliver a high level of service in the highly competitive communications market in Australia and abroad.Telstra’s service offerings include: – Local, long-distance and international telephony services – Mobile telecommunications services – Data, Internet and online services – Wholesale services to other carriers – Telephone directories – Pay television services Telstra employs approximately 40,000 staff and generates revenues of some US$18 billion in its most recent fiscal year. [2] SWOT Analysis After careful deliberation, a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities & threats) analysis was developed that was reflected in a selection of OB (Organisational Behaviour) Theories that demonstrate the general abilities and framework of Telstra.All of these theories will be explored further with regard to how they shape policies, provide direction or lim it growth in relation to the SWOT analysis (Ref. to Appendix A). Issue Analysis Competition â€Å"Competitors use tactics like price reductions, new product introductions, and advertising campaigns to gain advantage over their rivals. Competition is most intense when there are many direct competitors, when industry growth is slow, or when the product or service cannot be differentiated in some way. † [3]Competition is only a recent challenge for Telstra as it had government protection and maintained an effective monopoly of telecommunications in Australia for many years. However, with the recent deregulation of the market and the increase in players, Telstra has increasingly been threatened with higher competition from competitors. The increase of players in this market will surely cause customers to go ‘shopping’ for the best deals, hence Telstra is being and will be forced further in the future to improve its’ image and offers so as to retain an effectiv e market share.Thus said, the telecommunications industry has changed as global sentiment towards telecommunications has turned negative in recent years, and has come to the stage where the market currently rewards commercial discipline and conservatism within the industry. [4] In the corrections that has followed these events, plus the collapse of the dotcoms and tier 2 Telcos, and the investment rebalancing post the millennium bug era, an estimated 3 trillion US dollars has been wiped off the value of Telco stocks worldwide in the last two years.The Australian industry has not escaped this market reaction, or the pressure that accompanies a sudden slowdown in revenue growth from the exciting ride of the nineties. But in this reporting period so far, the Australian telecommunications industry sees a number of carriers earning reasonable revenues and showing some signs of profit improvement, and many are experiencing growth in customers and market share. Most significantly, the firs t five years of open competition in Australia have delivered considerable benefits for consumers: lower prices, better service, more investment and innovation, and more choice. 5] According to Telstra staff, five years of open competition has also made Telstra a better company, a better competitor and a better servant of their customers. Telstra had to change and adapt, which they have – and they’re now seeing the benefits. Still, Telstra must retain some level of strength and influence over the telecommunications market as several of Telstra’s competitors complain that Telstra as a company is too large. Supposedly, they cannot compete against Telstra due to its size, range of services, and nationwide coverage.Telstra is too powerful, and its’ competitors are calling for ‘structural separation’, and dismantling Telstra into smaller companies that would run the wholesale network and serve retail customers. [6] Cost Competitiveness Cost competi tiveness is best described as keeping costs low in order to achieve profits and prices that are attractive to customers, in which Telstra can offer low prices by managing their costs and keeping them down. This means being efficient, accomplishing their goals by using their resources wisely, and minimizing waste. 7] With regard to cost competitiveness, Telstra is able to compete with the best in the market, although deregulation and the increase in telecommunications companies such as Optus and Vodafone are proving themselves as potential threats to Telstra’s dominance of the telecommunications market in Australia. Telstra continues to deliver on cost control. The cost performance of the company has been disciplined and underpins revenue performance. It is a prerequisite for success in providing value for their customers.Telstra also needs to take into consideration the challenge that sustained technological change creates for Australia’s telecommunications system. In additions, as a geographically vast country with a highly dispersed population, located at a great distance from its trading partners, Australia depends more heavily than other countries do on the quality, efficiency and innovativeness of its telecommunications system. As new technologies expand the benefits telecommunications can bring, Australians in particular, stand to gain from an environment that promotes prompt adoption and widespread use.Within three to five years, it is estimated the process of convergence will offer the greatest opportunities in this respect. â€Å"Convergence†, viewed from a technological perspective, refers to the process by which services that were previously supported over distinct communications infrastructures are integrated around a common, high capacity, digital platform. This brings with it the blurring of boundaries between once-distinct services and the entry of suppliers from previously separate markets into a now combining and necessari ly wider market place. [8]From the consumer perspective, convergence brings clear gains. Reliance on a common infrastructure allows efficiencies to be obtained, reducing costs and charges. That infrastructure’s high capacity allows new services to be offered, extending the range of content and applications that consumers can access. At the same time, the merging of markets brings previously separated suppliers into head-on competition – with all the benefits that competition yields. Although potentially a threat for Telstra as it may lose market share in particular areas, it is also an opportunity if it can take dvantage of lowering prices to attract more customers. This will depend on the strength of Telstra’s innovations in drawing customer’s attention, but also on way Telstra can uphold profits while lowering prices without staff cutbacks or branch closures. [9] It is against this backdrop that the impact of regulation needs to be assessed. By adding u ncertainty to what is already a highly uncertain environment, the current regulation of access discourages investment both by Telstra and by Telstra’s competitors.At the same time, the bias – in the direction of trying to set ever lower charges for access seekers, regardless of costs – that has emerged in ACCC decision-making distorts price signals and expectations in ways inimical to efficient investment and to technological change. This lack of any internally consistent, rigorous approach by the ACCC to decisions such as these is, in Telstra’s view, unjustifiable. It is no defence to say, as the ACCC does in its most recent submission to the Commission, that overall Telstra’s PSTN is profitable.Even putting aside the absurdities evident in the manner in which the ACCC has reached this assessment, the ACCC’s argument seems to imply that so long as Telstra is not â€Å"going under†, access pricing decisions can be taken without proper regard to their consequences for Telstra’s ability to recover costs and finance investments. No doubt, this decision comes as a huge threat to Telstra’s competitiveness in the communications industry and Telstra is set to potential lose a large slice of the market share or shareholder confidence, depending on how the company responds to the announcement.The reality is that at the margin, Telstra must allocate its funds among competing uses in the light not of the short term or immediate profitability of the grouping of services they support, but of their return over the lifetime of the assets being acquired. Even if it were the case that Telstra’s PSTN was â€Å"profitable† in some economically relevant sense today, it is the future profitability of the service that counts; and the ever strengthening competition in this area, combined with continued heavy-handed regulatory intervention, hardly makes investment in the CAN attractive when ompared to altern atives. No less importantly, the fact remains that the ACCC’s decisions, by setting access charges below cost, cannot but distort and depress investment in regulated assets, as the return on that investment to Telstra is reduced below the return it yields to consumers and service suppliers as a whole. It is these impacts at the margin, rather than aggregate comparisons of costs and revenues, that are economically relevant. Quality Quality can be measured in terms of performance, additional features, reliability (failure or breakdowns), and conformance to standards, durability, serviceability, and aesthetics. † In addition,† the excellence of a product, including such things as attractiveness, lack of defects, reliability, and long-term dependability. † defines the expectations that many people these days have of companies and consequently, the kind of service that Telstra endeavours to deliver. [10] The importance of quality, and standards for acceptable qua lity, has increased dramatically in recent years.Firms cannot get by offering poor quality products as they could a few years ago. Customers now demand high quality and value, and generally will accept nothing less. [11] Telstra’s performance in regional and rural Australia is constantly under scrutiny. Telstra welcomes this scrutiny because the level of improvement in service levels and performance in regional, rural and remote Australia over the past two years has been dramatic. [12] In recognition of the special needs of regional customers, Telstra Country Wide â„ ¢ was established in June 2000.According to Telstra, it was one of the best business decisions they ever took. Telstra Country Wide today services three million customers who account for more than $3 billion in revenue to Telstra, no doubt a strength in revenue for Telstra, although raises questions as to whether service is being reduced to make way for increased revenue. [13] Even so, remote customers can now make untimed local calls to community service towns hundreds of kilometres away, which better reflects the reality of life in rural Australia. Mobile coverage now reaches 97% of the population.To achieve this, Telstra has been working with the Federal Government to establish mobile services to smaller towns and to improve the quality of mobile connections nationwide. [14] Speed In the Information Age, speed is everything to nearly everyone, which makes it a priority for Telstra to deliver the kind of services that people expect. While Telstra’s services in rural Australia are often reported to be lacking in terms of connection times for phone and internet, as well as the ability of Telstra staff to respond to customer requests or complaints, new technologies are being sought that can reduce these problems.Hence, how fast can Telstra develop and get a new product to market? How quickly can they respond to customer’s requests? Telstra is far better off if they are faste r than the competition and if they can respond quickly to their competitors’ actions. [15] Therefore, Telstra has seen an opportunity in this to respond to people’s needs and increasingly has promoted ‘broadband’ as a viable, effective and efficient way of ensuring speed in communications.Broadband is growing across Australia because people are attracted to faster download times and having a permanent online connection. [16] Broadband enables a high-speed permanent Internet connection. It’s about faster Internet speeds, increased capacity and capabilities and more compelling content. A modem is needed, but there are no dial in access numbers to connect to. [17] Innovations Whether it is a change in technology; a departure from previous ways of doing things or introduction of new products, innovation is something that most uccessful companies possess and use to further either market share or consumer satisfaction. Depending on Telstra’s compet itiveness and creativity, innovation can be a huge opportunity in grasping larger market shares and customers, or it can be a threat if other companies are more innovative. Telstra has managed to use innovative ideas to shape its’ success and satisfy consumer demands, some of the latest innovations being the Homeline Plans, Telstra Rewards Options, Homelink ® 1800 and Telstra Mobile CDMA. 18] Homeline plans allows the customer to select options that best suit them, whether they have friends and family close by, in another state or another country and whether they make lots of calls every day or just a few each week, in order to bring about maximum savings. [19] Telstra Rewards Options gives the customer the chance to save 5% or 10% on their phone bill by combining their Telstra home phone, Telstra Mobile and Telstra BigPondâ„ ¢, as well as having the added convenience of only one bill.Homelink ® 1800 makes it easy for a family member to call home – and they don' t need cash or special cards. [20] Telstra Mobile CDMA is used particularly in rural regions of Australia and offers: call clarity and security; network security lock; background noise suppression; and call clarity and security. Because CDMA uses a more sophisticated system of transmitting voice signals, the phone is not dissimilar to talking on a normal phone. What's more, CDMA signals are almost impossible to decipher if they are intercepted by eavesdroppers, which means conversations are more secure.Increasingly, more of Telstra’s revenues will come from their operations overseas. They will continue to see popular innovations, both overseas and in Australia, that will change the way people work, learn, communicate and receive information and entertainment. [21] In international growth, Telstra’s focus is on business mobiles, data and Internet, particularly in the Asia and Pacific Region, which is where it is felt that a good commercial history and experience there w ill help in realising opportunities for shareholders.Telstra’s investments in Asia have provided them with a platform for regional growth. [22] Downsizing Put simply, downsizing is the planned elimination of positions or jobs, and has caused its fair share of controversy surrounding companies in recent times that are laying off large numbers of workers and sacrificing customer service at the expense of large profits and boosting investor confidence. [23]Although historically, layoffs tend to affect manufacturing firms and operative level workers in particular, the most recent cycle of downsizing has focused on delivering and eliminating bureaucratic structures, and hence, â€Å"white collar† middle managers have been those chiefly affected. [24] Hence, firms such as Telstra should avoid excessive (cyclical) hiring to help reduce the need to engage in major or multiple downsizings.Beyond that, firms must avoid common mistakes such as making slow, small, frequent layoffs ; implementing voluntary early retirement programs that entice the best people to leave; or laying off so many people that company’s work can no longer be performed. [25] Therefore, caution must be sought when laying off any amount of workers, as the company must maintain job satisfaction as a strength as well as be focused on customer service in order to avoid customer dissatisfaction and hence customers going to competitors. 26] Recommendations After reviewing Telstra and comparing what they do with other business similar to theirs, I have put together a new and innovative way for Telstra to revitalise and recreate their business, this will not only improve customer service but also improve productively as this will allow many processes to be completed much faster by not needing to deal with the usual misunderstandings and confusion associated with some of their services.At present Telstra could be said to be in two worlds that of the typical bureaucratic society, which oft en is seen in public sectors, and that of new technology where by Telstra is highly involved with the introduce of new technology, yet in many ways these changes have results in more issues relating to people not understanding how to use the new technology correctly, this not includes both employees as well as their clients. Such issues as these are common when new technology is introduced, yet with a business such as Telstra which already has a variety of customer service problems, this new technology has added to their worries.The only way that Telstra can overcome these issues is by combining them, to create new innovated ideas that not only still allow human to human interaction but also makes better use of technology to not only improve customer service but also to speed it up. After considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to Telstra with regard to it, it is fair to comment Telstra is well poised to continue to play a large part in the Australasian tele communications market. While Telstra is by many standards a very successful company, much of that success lay behind government protection.However, with the deregulation of the telecommunications market, the future is less certain for Telstra and more competition may threaten its market share and cause the company to improve its services. However, this should be viewed positively as an opportunity for Telstra to move forward, in particular expanding into Asia, and be seen as a company that can support itself. This increased competition will in time show Telstra’s true strengths and weaknesses in the field of telecommunications and if the company can hold its place in the Australian telecommunications industry. Reference List Interview Five Telstra Employees (They want to remain anonymous) Books – Bateman & Snell, Management: Competing in the New Era, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2002 – Kelly, J. (1969). Organizational Behaviour, USA: Irwin – McShane, S an d Travaglione, T. (2003). Organisational Behaviour On The Pacific Rim, Sydney, McGraw-Hill – Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter (2003). Management, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education Australia – Robbins, S. P. , Waters-Marsh, T. , Cacioppe, R. , and Millet, B. (1994). Organisational Behaviour. Leading and Managing in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: Prentice Hall – Organisational Behaviour.Leading and Managing in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: Prentice Hall – Sayles, L and Strauss, G. (1966). Human Behaviour In Organizations, USA: Prentice Hall Websites – Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. – Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23/ 9/05]. – Glossary Terms, Available: http://www. ots. treas. gov/glossary/gloss-m. html [24/09/05] – Marketing Strategy, Available: http://www. tutor2u. net/business/gcse/marketing_strategy_introduction. htm [24/09/05] à ¢â‚¬â€œ Telstra Facts – http://www. absoluteastronomy. om/encyclopedia/t/te/telstra. htm [24/09/05]. – Telstra Just Too Good. Available: http://www. telstra. com. au/regulatory/docs/lr-104969Ziggy_ope_ed_struct_sep. doc [25/09/05] – Telstra Options. Available: http://www. telstra. com. au/telstraoptions/ [26/09/05] – Telstra Corporation Ltd, History – http://www. telstra. com. au/corporate/index. cfm? tR=1 [23/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are driving growth to build shareholders. Available: http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – 4 Key Strategic Areas 2001.Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_3. html [ 29/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – Chairman and CEO’s Message – 2001. Available:http://www. conect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_5. htm [24/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporaton Ltd – Domestic Reta il – 2001. Available: http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_8. htm [24/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are Driving Growth to Build Shareholders. Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23/09/05] – Wikipedia Encyclopaedia, Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Marketing_research [24/09/05]E – Journals – Brenner, O. C. , Singer, Marc G. Management Quarterly. Washington (1984). Vol. 25, Iss. 2, pg. 14 , 7 pgs (ProQuest database, ANU) – Cooper, R. C. C. C. L. (2002) Does privatization affect corporate culture and employee wellbeing? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17, 21 – 49 (ProQuest database, ANU) – Dotson, L. (2004) 10 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service – E. C. Pasour, J. (1983) Privatization: Is it the Answer? The Freeman – Lovata, Linda M. MIS Quarterly. Minneapolis. Jun (1987). Vol 11. Iss. 2, pg. 147, 3 pgs (ProQuest database, ANU) – Wettenhall, R. Privatization in Australia: How Much and What Impacts? Canberra, Uni of Canberra. – Simintiras, Antonis C. , Lancaster, Geoffrey A. Management Decision. London (1991). Vol. 29, Iss. 4, pg. 22, 6 pgs (ProQuest database, ANU) Note: Assortments of lectures and tutorial notes have been used from Organisational Behaviour G. Appendixes SWOT Analysis of Telstra |Strengths |Weaknesses | | | |Competitive Pricing |Rural Services | |Global Nature of Competition: competing overseas eg. South-East Asia |Mobile Phone Coverage / Quality | |Internet Access – BigPondâ„ ¢ Home available across Australia for the cost|Broadband Access / Quality | |of a local call. Broadband ADSL | | |CDMA Network Coverage 97. 1% of Australian pop. Largest cellular | | |mobile coverage in Australia | | |Options to suit everyone: Combining Phone/Mobile/ Internet Bills | | |Phone Range (Landline / Mobile) | | |Directories – White & Yellow Pages (standard / electronic) | | |Opportunities |Threat s | | | | |New / Innovative Products |Increase in Competition (Optus, Vodafone, Transact etc) | |Extend services & the market share of Telstra into other counties |Lose of employment due to technology or cut cost measures | |Improving and Expanding product and service offerings in Australia |The government selling the rest of Telstra (privatisation) | ———————– [1] Telstra Facts – http://www. absoluteastronomy. com/encyclopedia/t/te/telstra. htm [24/09/05]. [2] History, Telstra Corporation Ltd – http://www. telstra. com. au/corporate/index. cfm? tR=1 [23/09/05]. [3] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, p. 53 [4] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [5] ibid [6] Telstra Just Too Good.Available: http://www. telstra. com. au/regulatory/docs/lr-104969Ziggy_ope_ed_struct_sep. doc [25 September 2 005]. [7] Bateman & Snell, Management: Competing in the New Era, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2002, Glossary (G-2) [8] ibid [9] ibid [10] ibid p. 12 [11] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, Glossary (G-7) [12] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [13] ibid [14] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – Domestic Retail – 2001. Available: http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_8. htm [24 September 2005]. [15] Bateman & Snell, op. cit p. 12 16] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [17] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are Driving Growth to Build Shareholders. Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23 September 2005]. [18] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, Glossary (G-4) [19] Telstra Options. Availa ble: http://www. telstra. com. au/telstraoptions/ [26 September 2005]. [20] ibid [21] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available: ,- !† ? ?  µ  ¶  · E  § ? I I c ) * + – L M N ocUcUcUcEUcEc · iPiPiPiPiPiPi1hchttp://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [22] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are Driving Growth to Build Shareholders. Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23 September 2005]. [23] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, Glossary (G-3) [24] ibid p. 283 [25] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – Chairman and CEO’s Message – 2001. Available:http://www. conect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_5. htm [24 September 2005]. [26] Cooper, R. C. C. C. L. (2002) Does privatization affect corporate culture and employee wellbeing? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17, 21 – 49 (ProQuest database, ANU) Telstra Background Telstra is a descendant of the Post Master General's (PMG) Department of the Australian Commonwealth Public Service. In 1975 telecommunications and postal functions were divided into two statutory commissions: Telecom Australia and Australia Post. Telecom Australia, the government-owned communications carrier, later merged with a much smaller government body, OTC, then responsible for international calls. Telecom rebranded itself as Telstra in the early 1990s. Telstra has faced competition since the late 1980s from competing providers.It retains ownership of the fixed-line telephone network, as well as one of two competing pay-tv and data cable networks. Other companies offering fixed-line services must therefore deal with Telstra. Competing telecommunication companies have constantly accused Telstra of overcharging for wholesale access to their networks the ACCC has often agreed but decisions by the regulator are slow. [1] Current Situation Australia’s leading tele communications and information Services Company, Telstra Corporation Ltd is well poised to deliver a high level of service in the highly competitive communications market in Australia and abroad.Telstra’s service offerings include: – Local, long-distance and international telephony services – Mobile telecommunications services – Data, Internet and online services – Wholesale services to other carriers – Telephone directories – Pay television services Telstra employs approximately 40,000 staff and generates revenues of some US$18 billion in its most recent fiscal year. [2] SWOT Analysis After careful deliberation, a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities & threats) analysis was developed that was reflected in a selection of OB (Organisational Behaviour) Theories that demonstrate the general abilities and framework of Telstra.All of these theories will be explored further with regard to how they shape policies, provide direction or lim it growth in relation to the SWOT analysis (Ref. to Appendix A). Issue Analysis Competition â€Å"Competitors use tactics like price reductions, new product introductions, and advertising campaigns to gain advantage over their rivals. Competition is most intense when there are many direct competitors, when industry growth is slow, or when the product or service cannot be differentiated in some way. † [3]Competition is only a recent challenge for Telstra as it had government protection and maintained an effective monopoly of telecommunications in Australia for many years. However, with the recent deregulation of the market and the increase in players, Telstra has increasingly been threatened with higher competition from competitors. The increase of players in this market will surely cause customers to go ‘shopping’ for the best deals, hence Telstra is being and will be forced further in the future to improve its’ image and offers so as to retain an effectiv e market share.Thus said, the telecommunications industry has changed as global sentiment towards telecommunications has turned negative in recent years, and has come to the stage where the market currently rewards commercial discipline and conservatism within the industry. [4] In the corrections that has followed these events, plus the collapse of the dotcoms and tier 2 Telcos, and the investment rebalancing post the millennium bug era, an estimated 3 trillion US dollars has been wiped off the value of Telco stocks worldwide in the last two years.The Australian industry has not escaped this market reaction, or the pressure that accompanies a sudden slowdown in revenue growth from the exciting ride of the nineties. But in this reporting period so far, the Australian telecommunications industry sees a number of carriers earning reasonable revenues and showing some signs of profit improvement, and many are experiencing growth in customers and market share. Most significantly, the firs t five years of open competition in Australia have delivered considerable benefits for consumers: lower prices, better service, more investment and innovation, and more choice. 5] According to Telstra staff, five years of open competition has also made Telstra a better company, a better competitor and a better servant of their customers. Telstra had to change and adapt, which they have – and they’re now seeing the benefits. Still, Telstra must retain some level of strength and influence over the telecommunications market as several of Telstra’s competitors complain that Telstra as a company is too large. Supposedly, they cannot compete against Telstra due to its size, range of services, and nationwide coverage.Telstra is too powerful, and its’ competitors are calling for ‘structural separation’, and dismantling Telstra into smaller companies that would run the wholesale network and serve retail customers. [6] Cost Competitiveness Cost competi tiveness is best described as keeping costs low in order to achieve profits and prices that are attractive to customers, in which Telstra can offer low prices by managing their costs and keeping them down. This means being efficient, accomplishing their goals by using their resources wisely, and minimizing waste. 7] With regard to cost competitiveness, Telstra is able to compete with the best in the market, although deregulation and the increase in telecommunications companies such as Optus and Vodafone are proving themselves as potential threats to Telstra’s dominance of the telecommunications market in Australia. Telstra continues to deliver on cost control. The cost performance of the company has been disciplined and underpins revenue performance. It is a prerequisite for success in providing value for their customers.Telstra also needs to take into consideration the challenge that sustained technological change creates for Australia’s telecommunications system. In additions, as a geographically vast country with a highly dispersed population, located at a great distance from its trading partners, Australia depends more heavily than other countries do on the quality, efficiency and innovativeness of its telecommunications system. As new technologies expand the benefits telecommunications can bring, Australians in particular, stand to gain from an environment that promotes prompt adoption and widespread use.Within three to five years, it is estimated the process of convergence will offer the greatest opportunities in this respect. â€Å"Convergence†, viewed from a technological perspective, refers to the process by which services that were previously supported over distinct communications infrastructures are integrated around a common, high capacity, digital platform. This brings with it the blurring of boundaries between once-distinct services and the entry of suppliers from previously separate markets into a now combining and necessari ly wider market place. [8]From the consumer perspective, convergence brings clear gains. Reliance on a common infrastructure allows efficiencies to be obtained, reducing costs and charges. That infrastructure’s high capacity allows new services to be offered, extending the range of content and applications that consumers can access. At the same time, the merging of markets brings previously separated suppliers into head-on competition – with all the benefits that competition yields. Although potentially a threat for Telstra as it may lose market share in particular areas, it is also an opportunity if it can take dvantage of lowering prices to attract more customers. This will depend on the strength of Telstra’s innovations in drawing customer’s attention, but also on way Telstra can uphold profits while lowering prices without staff cutbacks or branch closures. [9] It is against this backdrop that the impact of regulation needs to be assessed. By adding u ncertainty to what is already a highly uncertain environment, the current regulation of access discourages investment both by Telstra and by Telstra’s competitors.At the same time, the bias – in the direction of trying to set ever lower charges for access seekers, regardless of costs – that has emerged in ACCC decision-making distorts price signals and expectations in ways inimical to efficient investment and to technological change. This lack of any internally consistent, rigorous approach by the ACCC to decisions such as these is, in Telstra’s view, unjustifiable. It is no defence to say, as the ACCC does in its most recent submission to the Commission, that overall Telstra’s PSTN is profitable.Even putting aside the absurdities evident in the manner in which the ACCC has reached this assessment, the ACCC’s argument seems to imply that so long as Telstra is not â€Å"going under†, access pricing decisions can be taken without proper regard to their consequences for Telstra’s ability to recover costs and finance investments. No doubt, this decision comes as a huge threat to Telstra’s competitiveness in the communications industry and Telstra is set to potential lose a large slice of the market share or shareholder confidence, depending on how the company responds to the announcement.The reality is that at the margin, Telstra must allocate its funds among competing uses in the light not of the short term or immediate profitability of the grouping of services they support, but of their return over the lifetime of the assets being acquired. Even if it were the case that Telstra’s PSTN was â€Å"profitable† in some economically relevant sense today, it is the future profitability of the service that counts; and the ever strengthening competition in this area, combined with continued heavy-handed regulatory intervention, hardly makes investment in the CAN attractive when ompared to altern atives. No less importantly, the fact remains that the ACCC’s decisions, by setting access charges below cost, cannot but distort and depress investment in regulated assets, as the return on that investment to Telstra is reduced below the return it yields to consumers and service suppliers as a whole. It is these impacts at the margin, rather than aggregate comparisons of costs and revenues, that are economically relevant. Quality Quality can be measured in terms of performance, additional features, reliability (failure or breakdowns), and conformance to standards, durability, serviceability, and aesthetics. † In addition,† the excellence of a product, including such things as attractiveness, lack of defects, reliability, and long-term dependability. † defines the expectations that many people these days have of companies and consequently, the kind of service that Telstra endeavours to deliver. [10] The importance of quality, and standards for acceptable qua lity, has increased dramatically in recent years.Firms cannot get by offering poor quality products as they could a few years ago. Customers now demand high quality and value, and generally will accept nothing less. [11] Telstra’s performance in regional and rural Australia is constantly under scrutiny. Telstra welcomes this scrutiny because the level of improvement in service levels and performance in regional, rural and remote Australia over the past two years has been dramatic. [12] In recognition of the special needs of regional customers, Telstra Country Wide â„ ¢ was established in June 2000.According to Telstra, it was one of the best business decisions they ever took. Telstra Country Wide today services three million customers who account for more than $3 billion in revenue to Telstra, no doubt a strength in revenue for Telstra, although raises questions as to whether service is being reduced to make way for increased revenue. [13] Even so, remote customers can now make untimed local calls to community service towns hundreds of kilometres away, which better reflects the reality of life in rural Australia. Mobile coverage now reaches 97% of the population.To achieve this, Telstra has been working with the Federal Government to establish mobile services to smaller towns and to improve the quality of mobile connections nationwide. [14] Speed In the Information Age, speed is everything to nearly everyone, which makes it a priority for Telstra to deliver the kind of services that people expect. While Telstra’s services in rural Australia are often reported to be lacking in terms of connection times for phone and internet, as well as the ability of Telstra staff to respond to customer requests or complaints, new technologies are being sought that can reduce these problems.Hence, how fast can Telstra develop and get a new product to market? How quickly can they respond to customer’s requests? Telstra is far better off if they are faste r than the competition and if they can respond quickly to their competitors’ actions. [15] Therefore, Telstra has seen an opportunity in this to respond to people’s needs and increasingly has promoted ‘broadband’ as a viable, effective and efficient way of ensuring speed in communications.Broadband is growing across Australia because people are attracted to faster download times and having a permanent online connection. [16] Broadband enables a high-speed permanent Internet connection. It’s about faster Internet speeds, increased capacity and capabilities and more compelling content. A modem is needed, but there are no dial in access numbers to connect to. [17] Innovations Whether it is a change in technology; a departure from previous ways of doing things or introduction of new products, innovation is something that most uccessful companies possess and use to further either market share or consumer satisfaction. Depending on Telstra’s compet itiveness and creativity, innovation can be a huge opportunity in grasping larger market shares and customers, or it can be a threat if other companies are more innovative. Telstra has managed to use innovative ideas to shape its’ success and satisfy consumer demands, some of the latest innovations being the Homeline Plans, Telstra Rewards Options, Homelink ® 1800 and Telstra Mobile CDMA. 18] Homeline plans allows the customer to select options that best suit them, whether they have friends and family close by, in another state or another country and whether they make lots of calls every day or just a few each week, in order to bring about maximum savings. [19] Telstra Rewards Options gives the customer the chance to save 5% or 10% on their phone bill by combining their Telstra home phone, Telstra Mobile and Telstra BigPondâ„ ¢, as well as having the added convenience of only one bill.Homelink ® 1800 makes it easy for a family member to call home – and they don' t need cash or special cards. [20] Telstra Mobile CDMA is used particularly in rural regions of Australia and offers: call clarity and security; network security lock; background noise suppression; and call clarity and security. Because CDMA uses a more sophisticated system of transmitting voice signals, the phone is not dissimilar to talking on a normal phone. What's more, CDMA signals are almost impossible to decipher if they are intercepted by eavesdroppers, which means conversations are more secure.Increasingly, more of Telstra’s revenues will come from their operations overseas. They will continue to see popular innovations, both overseas and in Australia, that will change the way people work, learn, communicate and receive information and entertainment. [21] In international growth, Telstra’s focus is on business mobiles, data and Internet, particularly in the Asia and Pacific Region, which is where it is felt that a good commercial history and experience there w ill help in realising opportunities for shareholders.Telstra’s investments in Asia have provided them with a platform for regional growth. [22] Downsizing Put simply, downsizing is the planned elimination of positions or jobs, and has caused its fair share of controversy surrounding companies in recent times that are laying off large numbers of workers and sacrificing customer service at the expense of large profits and boosting investor confidence. [23]Although historically, layoffs tend to affect manufacturing firms and operative level workers in particular, the most recent cycle of downsizing has focused on delivering and eliminating bureaucratic structures, and hence, â€Å"white collar† middle managers have been those chiefly affected. [24] Hence, firms such as Telstra should avoid excessive (cyclical) hiring to help reduce the need to engage in major or multiple downsizings.Beyond that, firms must avoid common mistakes such as making slow, small, frequent layoffs ; implementing voluntary early retirement programs that entice the best people to leave; or laying off so many people that company’s work can no longer be performed. [25] Therefore, caution must be sought when laying off any amount of workers, as the company must maintain job satisfaction as a strength as well as be focused on customer service in order to avoid customer dissatisfaction and hence customers going to competitors. 26] Recommendations After reviewing Telstra and comparing what they do with other business similar to theirs, I have put together a new and innovative way for Telstra to revitalise and recreate their business, this will not only improve customer service but also improve productively as this will allow many processes to be completed much faster by not needing to deal with the usual misunderstandings and confusion associated with some of their services.At present Telstra could be said to be in two worlds that of the typical bureaucratic society, which oft en is seen in public sectors, and that of new technology where by Telstra is highly involved with the introduce of new technology, yet in many ways these changes have results in more issues relating to people not understanding how to use the new technology correctly, this not includes both employees as well as their clients. Such issues as these are common when new technology is introduced, yet with a business such as Telstra which already has a variety of customer service problems, this new technology has added to their worries.The only way that Telstra can overcome these issues is by combining them, to create new innovated ideas that not only still allow human to human interaction but also makes better use of technology to not only improve customer service but also to speed it up. After considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to Telstra with regard to it, it is fair to comment Telstra is well poised to continue to play a large part in the Australasian tele communications market. While Telstra is by many standards a very successful company, much of that success lay behind government protection.However, with the deregulation of the telecommunications market, the future is less certain for Telstra and more competition may threaten its market share and cause the company to improve its services. However, this should be viewed positively as an opportunity for Telstra to move forward, in particular expanding into Asia, and be seen as a company that can support itself. This increased competition will in time show Telstra’s true strengths and weaknesses in the field of telecommunications and if the company can hold its place in the Australian telecommunications industry. Reference List Interview Five Telstra Employees (They want to remain anonymous) Books – Bateman & Snell, Management: Competing in the New Era, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2002 – Kelly, J. (1969). Organizational Behaviour, USA: Irwin – McShane, S an d Travaglione, T. (2003). Organisational Behaviour On The Pacific Rim, Sydney, McGraw-Hill – Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter (2003). Management, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education Australia – Robbins, S. P. , Waters-Marsh, T. , Cacioppe, R. , and Millet, B. (1994). Organisational Behaviour. Leading and Managing in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: Prentice Hall – Organisational Behaviour.Leading and Managing in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: Prentice Hall – Sayles, L and Strauss, G. (1966). Human Behaviour In Organizations, USA: Prentice Hall Websites – Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. – Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23/ 9/05]. – Glossary Terms, Available: http://www. ots. treas. gov/glossary/gloss-m. html [24/09/05] – Marketing Strategy, Available: http://www. tutor2u. net/business/gcse/marketing_strategy_introduction. htm [24/09/05] à ¢â‚¬â€œ Telstra Facts – http://www. absoluteastronomy. om/encyclopedia/t/te/telstra. htm [24/09/05]. – Telstra Just Too Good. Available: http://www. telstra. com. au/regulatory/docs/lr-104969Ziggy_ope_ed_struct_sep. doc [25/09/05] – Telstra Options. Available: http://www. telstra. com. au/telstraoptions/ [26/09/05] – Telstra Corporation Ltd, History – http://www. telstra. com. au/corporate/index. cfm? tR=1 [23/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are driving growth to build shareholders. Available: http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – 4 Key Strategic Areas 2001.Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_3. html [ 29/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – Chairman and CEO’s Message – 2001. Available:http://www. conect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_5. htm [24/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporaton Ltd – Domestic Reta il – 2001. Available: http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_8. htm [24/09/05]. – TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are Driving Growth to Build Shareholders. Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23/09/05] – Wikipedia Encyclopaedia, Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Marketing_research [24/09/05]E – Journals – Brenner, O. C. , Singer, Marc G. Management Quarterly. Washington (1984). Vol. 25, Iss. 2, pg. 14 , 7 pgs (ProQuest database, ANU) – Cooper, R. C. C. C. L. (2002) Does privatization affect corporate culture and employee wellbeing? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17, 21 – 49 (ProQuest database, ANU) – Dotson, L. (2004) 10 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service – E. C. Pasour, J. (1983) Privatization: Is it the Answer? The Freeman – Lovata, Linda M. MIS Quarterly. Minneapolis. Jun (1987). Vol 11. Iss. 2, pg. 147, 3 pgs (ProQuest database, ANU) – Wettenhall, R. Privatization in Australia: How Much and What Impacts? Canberra, Uni of Canberra. – Simintiras, Antonis C. , Lancaster, Geoffrey A. Management Decision. London (1991). Vol. 29, Iss. 4, pg. 22, 6 pgs (ProQuest database, ANU) Note: Assortments of lectures and tutorial notes have been used from Organisational Behaviour G. Appendixes SWOT Analysis of Telstra |Strengths |Weaknesses | | | |Competitive Pricing |Rural Services | |Global Nature of Competition: competing overseas eg. South-East Asia |Mobile Phone Coverage / Quality | |Internet Access – BigPondâ„ ¢ Home available across Australia for the cost|Broadband Access / Quality | |of a local call. Broadband ADSL | | |CDMA Network Coverage 97. 1% of Australian pop. Largest cellular | | |mobile coverage in Australia | | |Options to suit everyone: Combining Phone/Mobile/ Internet Bills | | |Phone Range (Landline / Mobile) | | |Directories – White & Yellow Pages (standard / electronic) | | |Opportunities |Threat s | | | | |New / Innovative Products |Increase in Competition (Optus, Vodafone, Transact etc) | |Extend services & the market share of Telstra into other counties |Lose of employment due to technology or cut cost measures | |Improving and Expanding product and service offerings in Australia |The government selling the rest of Telstra (privatisation) | ———————– [1] Telstra Facts – http://www. absoluteastronomy. com/encyclopedia/t/te/telstra. htm [24/09/05]. [2] History, Telstra Corporation Ltd – http://www. telstra. com. au/corporate/index. cfm? tR=1 [23/09/05]. [3] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, p. 53 [4] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [5] ibid [6] Telstra Just Too Good.Available: http://www. telstra. com. au/regulatory/docs/lr-104969Ziggy_ope_ed_struct_sep. doc [25 September 2 005]. [7] Bateman & Snell, Management: Competing in the New Era, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2002, Glossary (G-2) [8] ibid [9] ibid [10] ibid p. 12 [11] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, Glossary (G-7) [12] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [13] ibid [14] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – Domestic Retail – 2001. Available: http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_8. htm [24 September 2005]. [15] Bateman & Snell, op. cit p. 12 16] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available:http://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [17] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are Driving Growth to Build Shareholders. Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23 September 2005]. [18] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, Glossary (G-4) [19] Telstra Options. Availa ble: http://www. telstra. com. au/telstraoptions/ [26 September 2005]. [20] ibid [21] Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Ex Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited. Available: ,- !† ? ?  µ  ¶  · E  § ? I I c ) * + – L M N ocUcUcUcEUcEc · iPiPiPiPiPiPi1hchttp://www. telstra. com. au/newsroom/speech. cfm? Speech=22001 [23 September 2005]. [22] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – How we are Driving Growth to Build Shareholders. Available:http://www. connect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_6. htm [23 September 2005]. [23] Bateman & Snell, op. cit, Glossary (G-3) [24] ibid p. 283 [25] TLS, Telstra Corporation Ltd – Chairman and CEO’s Message – 2001. Available:http://www. conect4. com. au/ar/01/tls01_5. htm [24 September 2005]. [26] Cooper, R. C. C. C. L. (2002) Does privatization affect corporate culture and employee wellbeing? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17, 21 – 49 (ProQuest database, ANU)

Literacy Autobiography Essay

I have come a long way down my road of knowledge and learning of English throughout my life and it has taken me places and shown me things I would have never expected when I first started out on this long journey, and it includes things that most other student’s do not. I have learned so much, so fast and it has taken me far from home and around the world. While most of the people I know have traveled the same road their whole lives and have grown up in very similar ways, my experiences tell a whole different story. I was born and raised as a child in Beijing, China and grew up around people that spoke mandarin Chinese all the time. Mandarin was my primary language growing up as a child, I learned how to read and write when I first started school and I have been speaking Mandarin for twenty years now. This was my first challenge I faced about learning because it takes so much memorization and practice to learn such a vast language and there were times when I thought I couldn’t do it but I got help from my parents and my teachers. At times I wanted to give up because my teachers would get mad at me for saying or writing the wrong thing. I remember a certain memory in third grade of being called to the board to spell the word â€Å"student†, but I spelled it incorrectly and I’ll never forget because the whole class laughed at me and the teacher was very disappointed. But I knew I couldn’t give up and with enough time and effort I began to get good at writing essays and reading books in Chinese. As I progressed in school they started teaching English along with Mandarin because it is such an important language to the world and widely used and this just added to the challenge of being a successful student. With more help from my parents and teachers I started to learn enough English to read my first book, which was Forest Gump, which I really liked and it also became one of my favorite movies. I continued on through school learning more and more of both languages and in high school things got even more complicated. I went to a very competitive high school and the teachers were very hard on us so many more hours of studying were required in order to meet the grades I was expected to reach. It was when I was in high school that I finally decided what I wanted to do with my life and it was to pursue a career in business in the United States of America. My father was a successful military man in China but I knew that was something I did not want to follow. Growing up I heard so many great things about America and saw many things on TV and I knew that was where I wanted to find a career and become successful. But in order to meet such a large goal I knew I had to strengthen my English and work much harder. So I looked at all my options available to me and I found a program at the University of Texas at Austin called, English as a Second Language (ESL), where I could learn English and also learn its culture at the same time. Uninterested in a future in the military, like my dad, and high hopes for a future in business, I decided to give the ESL program a try and move to America where so many more opportunities would be available to me and be given a chance to become a lot more successful. My mom also played a big role in my decision because she too chose to move to America and she had so many great things to say about it. Moving to Austin, TX and being at UT was a huge change for me and opened my perspective to a lot new things that I had never even known before. The school there was like nothing I’d ever experienced before and I had to learn a whole new language in a short amount of time, while at the same time adapt to a whole new culture. The ESL program was the most drastic change in my life because it changed many things for me including my culture, literature, interests, and personality. I had to learn a whole new set of guidelines of learning but I worked hard and it paid off and I continue to use everything I have learned these past few years in order to succeed at UTPA and return to UT Austin where I can pursue a future in business. Although I’ve spent years studying English, I still feel like I’m a step behind everybody else because of the difficulty I have with reading and writing. It’s not as difficult for the people that have English as their primary language, but as they talk and write they also comprehend the meaning behind everything that is being communicated. But growing up in a different country this is a huge obstacle for me because even though i have learned to read and write like all the others, I can’t comprehend the meanings behind it as fast as other people can. This has proved to be a big challenge for me at the university level and I’ve learned that even though the students are given the same materials as me and the same opportunities, it takes me longer than the other students to figure out what to do with the materials. I have been exposed to the culture here long enough to learn things that will help me to adapt more to my surroundings and make it easier to reach success, such as music. I have always loved music but I have only recently discovered that I can use it to my advantage as a literary device. Once I got to America I fell in love with the pop culture and the music it creates and it became a big part of my life so I started incorporating it into my daily habits. But I found that if I focus rather than just enjoy the rhythm and words, I can learn from the music at the same time. For example, Kanye West is one of my favorite artists and I love the music he makes, but when I focus in more on what he is singing about I can learn things like important subjects in society, grammar they use, current events, and the different meanings and contexts of words I have never heard. I learned many things when moving from China but one of the most useful things I have come to learn is that there is more than what meets the eye and music is more than just music to me now, it is a useful literary device. So I started looking out for more things that could prove to be useful to me and I noticed more helpful things that most students do not even think could benefit their English learning abilities. Like the media for example, people think TV is a waste of time and will not teach you anything more than useless reality TV and lies, but if you focus in more you can learn anything from spelling to new words people use, also called â€Å"slang†. In short, readers construct meaning by building multifacted, interwoven, representations of knowledge. The current text, prior texts, and the reading context can exert varying degrees of influence on this process, but it is the reader who must integrate information into meaning. † (Haas & Flower 168). Haas and Flower explain how it depends on the reader to interpret the text and construct meaning from it and that different people may interpret the meaning differently. And with the varying degrees of influence that texts may have on people has more influence on me because simple things like music and media continue to teach me things that most kids do not even recognize. Education has a whole new meaning to me than other students may have because of all the other obstacles that come with studying in a different culture than the one raised in. Students have little to worry about in my opinion because all they have to worry about is school and how hallenging there classes are, but a student like me has so much more to worry about because even outside of the classroom I am still faced with learning challenges even when it comes to talking with friends. Do I have the same chances as the other students to succeed even though things are more difficult for me? The answer to this question depends greatly on your teacher. â€Å"In a similar fashion, asking to teach â€Å"academic writing† begs the question: which academic writing – what conte nt, what genre, for what activity, context, and audience? FYC teachers are thus forced to define academic discourse for themselves before they can teach it. † (Downs & Wardle 556). I agree with Downs and Wardle by saying that not all teachers are the same, some teachers are more intelligent and more qualified than some of the others out there and that they might define their view of academic discourse differently than others. And if a student is lucky enough to get a teacher with a loose definition of academic discourse and does not ask much of their students then the student has a better chance at success. There are many things that affect a student’s chance at success in the classroom but my question is, does a student in my situation still have a chance at the same opportunities as the other students despite the other student’s head start? In reading the essays and writing this paper I have developed a theory that a student in my situation with a late start in their learning abilities has to go the extra mile in order to adapt to the culture and the learning styles that come with it so that they have the same opportunities as the other students. And I have found that we do have the opportunity and the same chances of success as the other students do, we just have find the tools that will take us that extra mile. In order to find those tools you have to find the patience, determination and will inside yourself to take on the challenge ahead of you, but without these characteristics you will surely fail along the way only to find out that all your time and effort were for nothing. You have to expect that taking on such a challenge is a very difficult task and you have to expect that there will be many bumps along the way. Thinking it will be an easy road to follow and not anticipating any trouble will also bring you failure in the end. So not only do students in my situation have to physically work harder by studying and devoting their time to learning, but they also have to mentally prepare themselves for the challenge and any bumps you may find along the way. With time I have learned some things that help my literature and help me to become a better writer and student of English just by simply listening to music or watching what’s on TV. I knew I needed as much practice and help as I could get and I also knew how much I loved music and reality TV, so with my theory of my new literacy practices in mind I put the two together and practice this all the time to sharpen my skills. I can’t say this solution will work for everybody in a situation similar to mine but I do know that if you keep an open mind it will be easier to develop practices that fit your specific style of learning just as I did. There’s something out there that will fit your certain learning style but you just have to be patient and it will come to you eventually. I will close my theory with a question, if a student grows up in a different culture with a different way of learning things, can he still achieve the goals he sets for himself even though he is adapting to a different culture and way of learning at the same time?

Makeup Essay

How to put on makeup Many women in the world use make-up for many different reasons. Here is a fast method for women and girls who have never put on makeup. If you are interested in a more casual look this would be the perfect method to use. The method consists of putting on eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow, bronzer, lip stick, lip gloss and body sparkles. First off, put liquid eyeliner directly on top of eyelashes right where the eyelid and eyelash meet. Then after you do that, put a 1/2-inch line of liquid eyeliner on outer sides of eyelids to make your eyes look fuller and wider.After that make sure the lines are equal. Next apply mascara to upper and lower eyelashes, but make sure you don't put too much cause your eyelashes might end up clumpy. Also make sure you applied enough eyeliner and mascara so your eyes look wide and bold. Then, apply a matching eyebrow pencil to eyebrow to make them look sharper and more elegant. After you complete that step, then take a dark brown eyeshadow and place it right above the eyeliner with an eyeshadow brush. Make sure you do not cover up the eyeliner with the eyeshadow.After that, take the eyeshadow brush and add a light pink eyeshadow directly beneath your eyebrow. Once you have done that take a small blending brush and blend both of the eyeshadow together. It should make a pinkish brownish color once completely blended. Make sure your eyebrows and eyeshadow look even and match the color scheme. Lastly, get a bronzer that matches your skin tone and lightly brush it over your cheekbones with a medium sized buffer brush so your cheeks look shinier than the rest of your face. Next apply a reddish pinkish lipstick to your lips.Making them bright and elegant. Then add a sparkly pink or red lip gloss to make the final touches on your makeup. Make sure that you do not have too much bronzer on. Finally, dab an even amount of body glitter all over your body. In conclusion, many women and girls use makeup for many di fferent reasons. The method above is great for a casual look. This method is also great for women and girls who have never put on makeup. list of the things you will need to put on your make up consists of, eyeliner, mascara,eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow, bronzer, lip stick, lip gloss and body sparkles.

How may genetic and epigenetic phenomena influence cardiovascular risk Essay - 1

How may genetic and epigenetic phenomena influence cardiovascular risk by altering the pathophysiology of plasma lipoproteins - Essay Example An important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases is dyslipidemia, whereby the plasma concentrations of different lipoprotein fractions, in particular, HDL and LDL, are deviated from the norm (Hegele, 2009, p. 111). Since approximately half of the variations in the plasma levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol are heritable (Kathiresan, et al., 2008, p. 1241), it is postulated that genetic influences play a significant role in the determination of plasma lipoprotein levels, especially HDL and LDL, which in turn are strongly correlated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and outcomes. Similarly, recent literature has also unveiled several epigenetic mechanisms whereby concentrations of different lipoproteins are altered. This paper discusses the relationship between the levels of different lipoproteins found in the human bloodstream and the risk for cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the focus of this paper is to elucidate how genetic and epigenetic phenomena infl uence cardiovascular risk by altering the pathophysiology of plasma lipoproteins. The relationship between plasma lipoproteins and the risk for cardiovascular diseases: As discussed previously, CVDs are the leading preventable cause of death globally. It has been found that these diseases account for approximately 50% of the deaths in the developed world and are the most common cause of death in both developed and underdeveloped countries (Ebesunun, Agbedana, Taylor, & Oladapo, 2008, p. 282). In the United States alone, cardiovascular diseases have been shown to claim almost 1 million lives each year (Eichner, Dunn, Perveen, Thompson, Stewart, & Stroehla, 2002, p. 490). The domain of cardiovascular diseases encompasses various ailments such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke and peripheral arterial disease (Brunzell, et al., 2008, p. 811; Eichner, Dunn, Perveen, Thompson, Stewart, & Stroehla, 2002, p. 490). There are severa l established risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, both modifiable and non-modifiable, including and not limited to age, sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity (in particular, central obesity) and dyslipidemia (Rizzo & Berneis, 2006, p. 1; Ordovas, 2009, p. 1509). Dyslipidemia, which is defined as an alteration in the plasma levels of lipids and lipoproteins, is an important risk factor for CVD (Hegele, 2009, p. 111). Lipoproteins are transporter macromolecules that are present in the human bloodstream and tend to serve the function of transporting insoluble plasma lipids, including cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream (Hegele, 2009, p. 109). There are several different types of lipoproteins present in the plasma, which have been classified according to their density, particle size and the substances that they transport (Hegele, 2009, p. 110). Several studies have revealed that the most important determinants of cardiovascular risk are the levels of two impor tant lipoproteins, viz. HDL and LDL and alterations in the levels of these lipoproteins can lead to several pathologies. While elevated LDL is found to increase CVD risk, elevated levels of HDL are found to confer protection against the likelihood of developing CVD. For example, it has been found that a 1mmol/l reduction in the plasma levels of LDL cholesterol leads to a 21% decline in the risk for

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 48

Assignment - Essay Example s as breeders and argues that the proposal would make the parents take care of their children and women will be looked at like investments especially when expectant. The idea is absurd and does not solve the problem of poverty in Scotland. The essay presents the proposal to be cannibal and employs irony with the focus being on the reduction of the number of children born at all cost. The use of rhetoric in presenting the idea of cannibalism is effective and presents the idea in a broad and accurate perspective. In fact, rhetorical presentation of the proposal makes the essay interesting and fun. However, the critical evaluation of the proposal indicates that the proposal is absurd and non-operational because it proposes what cannot be done or implemented in life. The essay presents the challenge of family planning by presenting children as an investment for the family rather than a dependent. In brief the essay is simple with a lot of rhetoric

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Personal Statement Example Until now, I can still recall the exact time I fell in love with numbers and its analysis. I was in middle school, and an excellent teacher had been showing us how to tackle numerical problems. Imagine my delight with the adeptness I possess in following problem-solving techniques; after that memorable moment, I am hooked for life. The obsession I had helped me go through high school and college experience. As I passed entrance exam in secondary level with flying colors, I had been bombarded with different mathematical concepts, from geometry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus. Yet, another event marked my interest towards a specific course. When I took the class in Computer Science, we were introduced to C++ and FoxPro, deviating my interest towards analytical systems involved in computer processes. At 12th grade level, I had the honor of passing the course, with a Certificate to prove it. My interest in analytical mathematics led me to computer science programming, and the fascina tion had come to stay. In pursuance with numerical passion, it became the basis for my course selection Babes-Bolyai University, an excellent university in Cluj-Napoca. I took a program involving the combination of mathematics analysis and computer programming, Mathematics and Computer Science course, where I pored over a variety of concepts: Numerical analysis, Differential equations and Dynamic systems, Affine geometry, and Numerical solving of equations, Object oriented programming, Applications for mobile, Analysis and administration of complex computers systems, and Evolved programming methods. It may sound intimidating for others, but in my case, it had been like enjoying a favorite pastime. To top it all, I could get to share my enthusiasm with younger minds; I volunteered as tutor to students from grade 5-12. Giving my students a part of my analytical fixations with numbers is indeed a pleasurable episode for all of us. As much as I love my country, it seems that I am destin ed to go on a global scale. As I approached my fourth year in university, I was able to visit my relatives in Portland, Oregon for the summer. Unbeknown to me, I would meet the guy for me, Dan, who had been based in Seattle, Washington. We got on well together, as we both share an abundant love for life and adventure. Even though I went back to finish my course, we maintained constant contact. However, our love for each other had been adamant, and Dan proposed when he came to see me during my winter break--we got hitched summer that year. Forced to halt my studies in Romania, I relocated to follow my husband in Seattle, Washington. My need for mathematical challenges hunted me, and after thorough search for an outstanding university, I know what I am meant to do. I have to apply for degree on Applied Computational Mathematical Sciences in your top-rate institution, University of Washington. Only you have the competency to nurture my creative talent with numbers. Career Goals A few m onths after my marriage, I got pregnant, delaying my academic aspirations for a while, but was able to proceed years after. Unfortunately, my first attempt in the University of Washington had been denied. Thus, I channeled my energy towards another course in Bellevue College on Relational Database Developer, and this summer, I will have my certificate for the 45 units that I might accomplish. I am optimistic that this time, I will be given the chance

Nursing theory application paper Parses Human Becoming Theory Essay

Nursing theory application paper Parses Human Becoming Theory - Essay Example The parent of bay AB was distraught of the news. The next couple of days were a time to observe the patients reacting from the different procedures to keep her alive. But the baby got worse and even developed subclinical seizures on continuous encephalagram and was decided to be placed under a pentabarb coma. After a week, physicians attending to the baby saw progress because of adjusted medicines and a more positive eeg results. The team of physicians attending to baby AB decided based on the positive results of the eeg and brought the baby out of the coma. During the patients rest towards recovery in the open heart unit, the neuro and airway status was continuously monitored. One realization during the case is that the patient’s family is another set of patients to be looked upon. Baby AB, given her sensitive and delicate case must be given all the necessary attention and care. The family must is taught of the feeding techniques through g-tube and how to monitor the signs of seizure and respiratory distress of baby AB. Fortunately the family has a very strong faith and believed in the approach if giving utmost importance to baby AB’s condition. Philosophical underpinnings of the human becoming theory Palliative care focuses on quality of life and the life of both the patient and his or her family. Given the sensitivity and serious condition of the patient, giving care to the patient does not only rely on the attending physicians and nurses on the case. But rather the medical team must also encourage support and assistance to the family who will be taking care of the patient and giving their 24 hours care for the patient. In relation with the case specified about, the theory under study that analyzes and is connected with this case is Parse's human becoming theory which focus on the humanly experiences of health that constitutes a process of becoming one with the universe and other entities in it. Parse's human becoming theory has its roots used as a nursing theory in the continental human science tradition. As a resolved theory that uses Parse's own experiences as a nurse, influence of Roger's conceptual system of nursing, and other tenets of existential phenomenology, the theory provides a theoretical system that explains how human beings is viewed as the expert and knowledgeable of his or her own health. The human becoming theory is an alternative theory that is presented by both conventional bio-medical approaches with biological, psychoanalytical, social and spiritual aspects. The theory focuses the personal quality of life as a goal in the nursing practice. The assumptions of this theory were synthesized from the works by European philosophers, Heidegger, Sarte and Marleau- Ponty together with American nurse theories influenced by Rogers.(Cody) Concepts and propositions of the theory The human becoming theory has three main themes or concepts. The first one is meaning. Meaning being the first principle of the theory relates that structuring multidimensional meanings is co- creating reality through the expression of value and image.(Parse, 1998) To simplify this concept, there is the principle that people participates in creating what is real for them through choices and self-expression of the values in their life and how they will implement the

Key Issues in Customer Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Key Issues in Customer Service - Essay Example Apart from a point-by-point analysis, the research intends to warn the practitioner of the many pitfalls of customer service as well as the rewards that exist for its correct implementation. In today’s increasingly competitive business environment, seemingly few techniques help differentiate one firm from another. For years, the study of business has focused on the Four Ps: Price, Place, Promotion, and Product; however, as each and every firm has become acutely aware of the power to differentiate their products based upon this rubric, it has become increasingly difficult to edge out the competition based on these factors. As such, companies and firms all over the world have turned to redefining and perfecting customer service as a way to endear current customers as well as work to win over new ones because of superior attitudes, trends, ethics, and values related to customer service. This brief paper will analyze some of the basic customer service tools that businesses/firms e mploy to boost their standing with their customers and a few examples of how each of these might be employed in any given company. As is easily noticed by walking into any of a handful of local retail stores in the United States, a greeting by a sales clerk or associate has become a standard practice. These are performed for a couple of reasons, the first and the most important reason being to instantly remind the customer that the second he or she sets foot into the retail outlet he or she is in an establishment that puts a focus on personal interaction and is willing and able to help the customer fulfill his or her needs. Although this is a subliminal understanding, it has a powerful effect on shopping and buying habits, which has been verified through a number of marketing studies which analyzed it. Interestingly, a secondary reason for the smile/acknowledgment that customers receive when entering a store is that it has been determined that shoplifting rates are massively reduced when employees acknowledge individuals whose intent might be less than honorable. Thieves usually want to be unnoticed, faceless, and non-recognizable entities. When they are greeted with a â€Å"good day† and a question concerning if they can be assisted in any way, they realize that they must respond to this question and that their face is more likely to be remembered should they decide to proceed with their shoplifting. Therefore, the most common and easiest practice of customer service – the greeting – serves multiple purposes: it increases sales and customer satisfaction, helps the customer verbalize any questions he or she may otherwise have not asked, and discourages would-be shoplifters. Many firms struggle with the way through which to make sure that the customers get what they are seeking. Some firms assume that a carefully displayed and well thought out store design will ensure painless customer navigation without the need to have employees answer an y little questions the customers might have. Still others assume that the customers do not prefer to do shopping undisturbed, and hover over the customers, asking continuously if they can assist them in finding something. Unfortunately, neither of these approaches utilizes the right mixture of technique and tact. While the customers may not want to figure it all out for themselves, they are equally disinterested in having an associate breathing down their necks as they are trying to make informed decisions as to which product they should purchase. In many ways, the latter approach often works to drive customers away as they become so frustrated by the hovering tactics of

The Hypocrisy of Civilized Society as a Major Theme in Huckleberry Research Paper

The Hypocrisy of Civilized Society as a Major Theme in Huckleberry Finn - Research Paper Example It's also where he gained a lot of the experience he would need to create The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Although these were essentially children's stories, Twain had a tendency to create stories with a much deeper meaning underneath the charm and the humor. He encouraged his readers to plunge the depths of their understanding and adapt their behavior to a more accurate reflection of their inner beliefs (Railton, 2007). In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain blatantly criticizes the hypocrisy of 'civilized' society as he ridicules religion, satirizes education, criticizes slavery, and exposes aristocratic characters. Twain Ridicules Religion Religion was a particular sore spot with Twain and he expresses his disdain of it through the characters of the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. These poor ladies remain obediently devout through everything, without seeming to realize that their belief structures are almost entirely contradictory. Huck sums it up when he's out thinking i n the woods, "I judged I could see that there was two Providences, and a poor chap would stand considerable show with the widow’s Providence, but if Miss Watson’s got him there warn’t no help for him any more" (23). ... Even though the families sit calmly together in church, the feud begins again the moment they step foot off of church property: "The men took their guns along, so did Buck†¦The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching- all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness;† (129), but the families don't hear any of it. Even with the church pleading with them to put aside their fight, it is the feud rather than the church that has the greatest influence on them. â€Å"Worse than the mindless, inherited pattern of the feud, however, is the fact that it serves no purpose, since the original cause of the conflict long has been forgotten.† (Wright 90). This experience has a profound effect on Huck's later decisions. When it comes time for Huck to decide whether to turn in his friend Jim as a runaway slave, Huck decides it would be better to go to hell. â€Å"I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever , betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’- and tore it up† (223). â€Å"Huck's justly celebrated crisis of conscience, which culminates in his resolve to free Jim, even if doing so condemns him to hell† (Smith 8) is made a bit easier by his understanding of how others observed their religion. Twain Satirizes Education It is an indication of his depth of satire that Twain uses Huck, an almost completely uneducated narrator, to point out the depth of society's corruption including its failures within the educational system. He doesn't see much use for it in any of his interactions with others. For example, Tom

Sainsbury Resourcing strategy Literature review

Sainsbury Resourcing strategy - Literature review Example Out of these, 32% are on full-time, and 68% are part time. Additionally, 60% of its workers are women, indicating an impartiality of opportunity. Sainsbury’s values deliver the outline of how business is carried out in the organization. They direct all the activities the organization does from important corporate decisions to everyday activities. According to J Sainsbury’s Plc. (2015), the values of Sainsbury are aimed at making a difference to the society by improving its facilities. Secondly, Sainsbury makes sure that its activities respect every employee and individual within the organization. Thirdly, is sourcing with integrity, the company seeks to be honest in all its activities so that customers can have trust in them. Additionally, the company aims at providing healthy, tasty, fresh, and safe food to its consumers that will assist them to live a healthy life every day. Lastly is ensuring that their workplaces are a great place for employees to work so that they can be capable of offering efficient services to the consumers. Sainsbury has a long-term and clear strategy to deliver their vision of becoming the most trusted vendors where individuals love to shop and work. The business priorities of the organization are aimed at making Sainsbury better again, which is the main concern of the organization and emphasis of their business strategies. Sainsbury’s attempts to get feedback from colleagues and customers and then use the data to relate the products existing in the stores and recognize what is the method of delivery to consumers and what obstacles or issues must be fixed (Joseph 2012). Sainsbury is dedicated to dealing with the fundamentals that can aid to improve the services by becoming greater every day to accomplish the objectives. Their main agenda was to reconstructing universal consumer appeal by providing the customers with an enriched shopping experience. This means

The Theme of Conflict in the First Six Chapters in Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

The Theme of Conflict in the First Six Chapters in Lord of the Flies Essay The novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, is the book I have read recently. At the beginning Ralph and Jack like each other, but Jack’s aggressive and domineering nature makes him unable to accept Ralph’s leadership. Ralph is unable to understand Jack’s obsession with hunting and is furious with him when he lets the fire go out. Ralph is horrified by Jacks increasing savagery and is baffled and frustrated by the way he doesn’t care about the fire and rescue. He ends up screaming at Jack that he is â€Å"a beast and a swine†. When everybody meets each other for the first time they have a vote on who will be the leader. Ralph was chosen and I think when Jack realised he hadn’t been picked he changed into a different person, wanting to rule everyone on the island. I think that there only can be one leader as with any more it will be impossible for them to get along and agree with each other. Especially if the two are not very similar like Jack and Ralph. It’s almost like my mum and dad, as I think my mum has more control over me when really they should be the same. At the beginning Jack says that they should have rules and if anyone breaks them they will be punished. Later on in the book he is contradictory because he doesn’t obey the rules, â€Å"bollocks to the rules†. This civilisation verses savage causes many problems between Jack and Ralph. They both want fire but for different reasons. Ralph wants it for rescue and the one thing that Jack cares about is for cooking the meat. On the other hand it was ironic that the officer came to the island because of Jack, as he set the island on fire. Ralphs view of Piggy changes. At first, Ralph doesn’t take him seriously and makes fun of him like the others, but he gradually comes to realise Piggys’ good qualities. When Jack realises Ralph is friends with Piggy the conflict between them increases and it drives Jack mad. Ralph learns to respect Piggy’s intelligence which Jack couldn’t handle. This again emphasises the fact that they both can’t be leader as they don’t think the same and are not very similar. Ralph represents order and composure in society. Eventually Jack grew tired of Ralph being in charge. He let the barbarism inside of him transform him into a savage-like creature and he went on a rampage, destroying the makeshift civilization the boys worked so hard to create. This made it hard for everyone to stay civilized and it caused a lot of arguments between Jack and Ralph. So they are both completely different characters and I think they will never get along.

Kraft Foods Essay Example for Free

Kraft Foods Essay They offer delicious foods and beverages for every lifestyle on the go. While exploring the website of Kraft seems to define their product mix as foods that are geared more towards the people on the go. I would define their product mix as health/wellness foods, quick fix meals, snacks and beverages as well as offering a Premium line of foods. In their health/wellness foods they offer products in a â€Å"light† form such as things like Philadelphia light cream cheese and reduce fat cookies. For meals on the go or quick fix meals Kraft have designed meals like the Kraft Mac Cheese Cups, frozen meals and sandwich kits. They offer a wide variety of snack foods including everyone’s favorite cookie Oreo’s and Splendips. The Premium line that Kraft offers includes foods like DiGornio Pizza and Oscar Myer bacon. Kraft offers 8 product lines with over 50 different brands. Kraft’s product mix is the offering of their premium foods, such as DiGornao Ultimate Pizza which is made as a higher quality pizza then the standard. Tombstone Mexican Style Pizza is offered as a convenience food as a favorite food of teenage boys. It was designed for the ease of cooking a easy, quick, healthy meal. Tang is real fruit goodness of oranges. Everyone will surely love its sweet, refreshing flavor plus the added nutrition it gives. It is also instant drink mix offering the convenience food again. South Beach Diet foods are part of their healthy yet, convenience foods. The line offers alternatives to other popular diet fads. South Beach Diet foods play on wholegrain and the correct or right fats like canola oil and olive oil. In this line they also offer bars for a fast way to fill a craving during the day.

Racial Bias in the Premier League

Racial Bias in the Premier League Racism in Football – Will We Ever Kick It Out?   An Econometric Evaluation of Racial Biases in the Premier League Abstract Racism and discrimination have unfortunately played a major role in football, essentially since the creation of the sport due to social, political, and economic reasons. Although racism is not as prevalent as it was before the 21st  century, there are still issues with the subject that exist to this very day. Various types of discrimination occur within the sport and despite attempts from the FA alongside institutions such as FARE and Kick It Out, the issue and the effect it has on many players, does not look like disappearing anytime soon. Therefore, the aim of this essay will be to introduce and analyse the different types of discrimination that occur within British football, with the assistance of literature reviews and critical evidence, and delve deeper into the problem at hand using a fixed effects linear regression model. This model will investigate whether racial bias is at play when it comes to disciplinary sanctions given out by referees.   I will be analysing the pheno menon of racism as an issue in football, with a specific focus on British football and its biggest competition, the Premier League, with my hypothesis stating that: Darker skinned players are more likely to be booked than lighter-skinned players, which was proved to be false. The results found show no considerable evidence that referees exhibit racial bias against any form of skin tone, with this conclusion seen as a credit to training and anti-racism institutions. 1. Introduction The primary purpose of the following paper is to introduce and analyse the topic of racial biases within a high-profile team sport worldwide, and in this context, test for the presence of racial discrimination in the application of disciplinary sanctions in British football and the Premier League. Regarding other pieces of work, this specific type of issue has been the subject of only two other studies to date in the context of a professional team sport, with Price and Wolfers (2010) providing an application to professional basketball in the US and Witt and Reilly (2011) providing research on the Premier League.   With a focus on player, referee and game-specific fixed effects, the authors differ in their concluding findings. Price and Wolfers find â€Å"more personal fouls are called against players of a particular racial group when the games are officiated by opposite compared to own-race refereeing crews†, thus displaying clear racial biases. On the other hand, Reilly and Witt conclude that there is â€Å"no evidence of unfair treatment of players from racial minority groups in the accumulation of disciplinary cards†. With differing outcomes shown, it will be intriguing to see my findings and how they compare to the work done prior to mine. In an attempt to evaluate the relationship, if one is found, between racial discrimination and disciplinary sanctions, we first have to break down the topic through existing studies on racial discrimination within British football. This will be done throughout the section â€Å"Literature Review† which has been split up into 3 sub-sections. The first section entails me analysing discrimination in monetary terms, with both wages and the valuation of players based solely on their race to be discussed. Naturally following, the lack of playing opportunities or rather opportunities in their primary position is researched in the third section. Finally, we come to the fourth section in which we introduce the inspiration behind the essay and the reasons why this was chosen. A proposition of racial bias in referees come to fruition and biases that referees may already exhibit outside racial terms are introduced and deliberated upon. With previous studies reviewed, we next move on to introducing our model. This model will aim to question and analyse the relationship between racial bias and disciplinary sanctions in the English Premier League and evaluate whether or not this correlation truly exists. In order to investigate this proposed relationship, the model consists of a framework that uses a rich dataset on players for all games played in the Premier League between the 3 seasons of 2014/2015 and 2016/17, the most recent full seasons completed to date. The key emphasis in this model will be the correlation between the skin tone of a player and the number of disciplinary sanctions served over a playing season as measured by the accumulation of yellow and red cards. Becker’s (2010) Economics of Discrimination was intriguing in terms of the analysis as he uses for a similar model to mine and provided an alternative theoretical framework in the sense that Premier League referees, who during this time were all white, could exhibit on average a taste for discrimination against opposite race (or non-white) players. However, I would prefer to interpret refereeing decisions as subject to the potential influence of unintended or implicit discrimination, rather than a deeper issue, due to the training they receive on a weekly basis and the benefit of the doubt is given to them due to the pressure they are placed under every game. Summary statistics collected from my preliminary model are then analysed and initial findings are discussed upon the subject. The following section details the econometric methodology. The structured body of the empirical model has been inspired by work written by Reilly & Witt (2011) on the same topic. Differences in our bodies of work lie with a richer dataset from myself, beginning with the 2014/15 season whereas Reilly and Witt took their data from the Premier League season of 2003/04. I also opted to include the number of red cards a player received to get a more accurate representation of disciplinary sanctions. Variables such as Position and Games Played were included in my model whereas Witt and Reilly chose to include Age and Native Language spoken. Finally, the most distinct change comes from the dependent variable tested against. Both pieces of work tested for the racial bias of course with our hypotheses remaining similar, however, my main independent variable was the shade of their skin whereas their variable was the race of a player. Asian, Black, White and Mixed Race were the categories chosen for the authors mentioned and I elected for 5 distinct categories of Very Light, Light, Mixed, Dark and Very Dark. Concluding remarks will follow the econometric methodology and empirical results have been discussed. One of my expectations prior to the experiment taking place will have to do with the disciplinary sanctions recorded. I will be expecting the total amount of cards to be higher in comparison to a previous study done on the same topic purely down to how the culture of the game has changed.   Yellow cards are usually awarded to players who exhibit actions of ‘foul play’, whether that be a single violent challenge or an accumulation of softer tackles, but there can also be acts by players that will warrant a straight yellow/red card, regardless of their skin tone. Professional fouls e.g. intentionally stopping a fast break, taking off your shirt during a celebration, time wasting, and dissent are all actions that are given bookings, per the rules of the law.   With these occurring regularly throughout a game and have no bearing on the racial bias from the referee, there is no doubt these would influence my findings. Red cards on the other hand are less regularly given out, as they are awarded for more serious offences e.g. violent conduct, or if a player receives two yellow cards. These evaluations and more will be summarised in the conclusion and whether racial bias plays a part in determining disciplinary sanctions will indefinitely be found during this essay. 2. Literature Review Now of course, extreme forms of racism have died down in recent times, mainly due to the efforts and genuine attempts by authorities such as Kick It Out and FARE, and also with the abolition of the colour ban in worldwide sports, occurring in the mid-21st century.   Despite this, there are still extensive amounts of evidence prevalent today that exhibit racial discriminatory practices in modern times. Becker (2010) found various forms of discrimination within sports which included the following topics: Inequality in compensation, inequality in hiring standards and inequality of positions (both playing and managerial). With this in mind, current literature on various types of discrimination that have occurred in British football, and more notably the Premier League, will now be reviewed. 2.1 – Discrimination in Monetary Terms The theme of racial discrimination in monetary terms in England has attracted limited research, mainly due to the restrictions on access to salary data to the common researcher. However, an exception comes with the work of Szymanski (2000) who was able to indirectly examine racial salary discrimination through the exploitation of wage bill information. The information was taken from a panel of 39 clubs that had played in the English 1st Division between the 1978/79 season and the 1992/93 season (became Premier League in 1992/93 season). This test assumes all teams were operating on or within their own production frontiers, with the labour market for players being highly competitive. Szymanski found that clubs with an above average proportion of black players tended to perform, on average and with other things being equal, at a higher level in relation to their wages. Although at first, this does suggest that owners are allowing lighter-skinned players to underperform without any monetary repercussions in comparison to their darker peers, Szymanski also found no evidence of consumer or fan-based discrimination, which could also mean that this wage bill was just put down to smart business from each of the club’s management. Continuing on from this and the theme of discrimination in monetary terms, Reilly and Witt (1995) and Medcalfe (2008) provide studies in using transfer fees that clubs pay for their players, concluding that there is no racial discrimination regarding the price of a player once their overall talent and skillset has been taken into consideration. However, there is a widely held perception that British players are over-valued compared to foreign players. Even though the Premier League is increasingly global in its appeal to audiences and players worldwide, the requirement that eight out of the club’s 25-man first-team squad must have spent at least three years at an English or Welsh academy before their 21st birthday adds an artificial hike to the cost of those players, with the demand for ‘home-grown’ players at a continuous high (Foster, 2016). Players such as John Stones, Jordan Pickford, and Michael Keane all fit the criteria and have since been bought for a combined fee of  £107.5 million from clubs looking to meet the home-grown rule. Contrastingly, players that were purchased from foreign clubs such as Riyad Mahrez, Ngolo Kante and Eden Hazard (all of whom have gone on to win the PFA Player of the Year Award for the last 3 years) combine for a transfer fee of only  £38.4 million, with each of their individual expected transfer fees increasing exponentially since arriving in the Premier League (SkySports, 2018). Although clubs might just have a British preference in order to match their required home-grown quota, there is clear evidence that British players that are coming into the Premier League are regarded as more valuable compared to their foreign peers, giving them a perceived advantage based on race rather than footballing talent. 2.2 – Discrimination in Playing Opportunities There has also been a case made in various literature for how discrimination can play a role in the labour market that is football. Dr. John Mills was the most prominent researcher on the topic, with his study in 2018 finding that skin tone in English football continues to have a significant impact on which positions footballers play on the pitch.   This research was unique in the sense that a 20-point rating scale was used opposed to the usual binary form of classifying skin tone (generally either black or white) and was collated, reviewed and ratified by around 1,300 researchers. His research found that footballers of a darker skin tone are more likely to occupy peripheral positions traditionally associated with athleticism and strength while teammates of a lighter skin tone are more likely to fill central positions conventionally considered to need organisational skills and creativity (Mills et al., 2018). Is there a racial dimension to this problem or is it simply lazy coaching from above? Additionally, Goddard and Wilson (2008) conducted a study based on the potential effect that a player’s race can have on his labour market transition probabilities. These probabilities are calculated with the dependent of variables of divisional transition, initial status, and retention, using a three-equation model. They concluded with the findings of hiring discrimination against black players, with these players having higher retention probabilities even though they tend to be employed by teams of a higher status divisionally. This means black athletes need to perform at a higher than average level in comparison to their white equals, suggesting discrimination in the hiring labour market. The work of Goddard and Wilson (2008) also seems to suggest that there are stereotypes within Western culture around black athletes being more naturally athletic, whilst white athletes tending to be more creative and intelligent, which has also been reflected in certain media outlets and pundits within the sport when referring to the work of black players. Another approach used to investigate this topic came in the work of Bachan, Reilly and Witt (2014), where they explored the correlation between racial composition and match outcomes for the French and English national teams. This was done using match-specific variables which included the make-up of the first 11 of the respective teams. Although no solid evidence was found to suggest that racial biases played a part in the team’s performances, there were still areas of concern. Reports stated that a former English coach was given instructions to make sure the national team was predominantly made up of white players, with the French following suit in openly questioning the choice of black players in the national side, totally disregarding talent and choosing race instead (Bachan et al, 2014). Even national players fall victim to racial profiling, with countries unwilling to go down the avenue of the ‘typical black player’ even if the talent is there, thus affecting their playing opportunities severely. 2.3 – Referee Biases With stereotypical racism seen to be prevalent throughout the history of British football, I would now like to introduce the inspiration behind my proposed econometric model, with alleged racial biases from referees to be analysed. Looking at the behaviour of referees in generally, Dawson and other researchers (2007) found that across the period of 1996 to 2003 in the Premier League, referees were inclined to award more disciplinary points (yellow/red cards) to the away team rather than the home team (Dawson et al., 2007). Although this may be the case, analysis done by Reilly and Witt (2011) found that, compared to referees that officiate in the premier tiers of football in Italy, Germany & Spain, English referees are much more professional in terms of their bias.   They are continuously subject to a high degree of scrutiny, whether that comes from social media in today’s day and age, or from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) which has just recently come into fruition.   In addition to this, Premier League referees are monitored by a match assessor who gives them grades on their performances which is discussed during a compulsory meeting every 2 weeks (PGMOL, 2018). Referees are generally required to make decisions within the second, so there can be some form of tolerance when permitting bias upon them. However, this leniency would not excuse a more sinister form of bias-motivated by race. Although this is a serious accusation, all Premier League referees working today are drawn from the white ethnic group, making the proposition more likely to occur, even unintentionally. Payne (2006) took this study on using laboratory evidence and concluded on the theme of ‘weapon bias’ – the idea that an individual’s tendency to unknowingly make stereotypical decisions will increase with the need to make decisions rapidly, which is the case 99% of the time for referees, especially in high leverage moments (Payne, 2006). Another form of potential referee bias was conducted in the study done by Reilly and Witt (2013). Tests for home biases were undertaken using player/match level data, with the measured bias coming in the form of the strictest sanction, the red card. Although evidence was found for home biases in the Premier League, this did not occur through this form of disciplinary actions, but rather smaller factors that would not have a major effect on the game e.g. fouls given.   Further studies took place by Reilly and Witt in 2016, with the use of both random effect and player-specific models and a non-panel pooled logit model, to test for potential biases in the number of bookings given to the away team. Credit to refereeing training and the employees themselves, as next to no evidence was found to suggest referees were succumbing to pressure from external factors (Reilly & Witt, 2016).   As the measure of social pressure in this experiment was the fans in attendance, especially in the Premier League, the fact that referees are not swayed to make decisions that would have a major effect on the game to favour the home team, should be recognised and praised.      The prospect of racial bias in regards to referees in the Premier League intrigued me the most during my research, with the effect that a yellow card can have on the overall result of the game often underrated. A booking, especially one given to an integral member of the team, could change the game plan of said player, perhaps rendering them unable to make a tackle with the knowledge that he may be cautioned for the second time. Sanctions could also have implications for a player’s wage rate if a club’s pay structure is related to disciplinary actions. Both of these factors and many more would put clubs with a large number of darker skinned players at a distinct disadvantage and if there is a racial bias shown in referees, especially in a high-profile league like the Premier League, this type of behaviour could result in extreme backlash from fans, players and organisations alike worldwide. All in all, this research prompted me to delve deeper into this proposed form of discrimination through a unique and detailed dataset and interrogate whether or not there is a relationship between race and disciplinary sanctions, which will now be discussed in the following section. 3. Data After introducing, discussing and analysing various forms of racial discrimination in British football, I would like to research whether or not these effects could ‘trickle down’ to the referees involved in the game, as they play a vital role in the game of football which often gets overlooked. With significant evidence pointing to discrimination, stereotypes and racial bias in other forms of the game, could it also be found in refereeing decisions concerning darker players? In this model, I will be investigating whether or not darker players or more likely to get booked/penalised for fouls, with aggressive stereotypes playing a part. 3.1 – Collection of Data All the data that has been used to create this econometric model was provided by the Premier League’s official website and the following statistics were taken for each player found in this database: Number of yellow cards, Number of red cards, Age, Fouls committed, Games played and their playing position. I was also able to extract their skin tone through this website, and the racial classification of these players was based on the review of colour photographs found both on the official Premier League website and the player’s respective club website (Premier League, 2018). Players were classified solely on the shade of their skin rather than their background as this an experiment that is purely trying to investigate whether or not there is racial bias, therefore making the data used validly. These players were divided into 5 distinct groups based on their skin tone, which are as follows: ‘Very Light’, ‘Light’, ‘Mixed’, ‘Dark’ and ‘Very Dark’.   I have also chosen this classification as skin colour/tone would be the first thing that a referee would see when dealing with a player and if racial bias were to be found, referees would stereotype based on their first impression, which in this case would be their skin colour alone. Even though the Premier League is a league based in Britain, I still opted to classify players by skin tone specifically, therefore separating Black British and White British players, however this may be a route to go for in a further study of the topic as there may be a bias towards home-grown players regardless of their complexion. White British players often fell into the category of ‘Very Light’ whereas White European players made up the majority of the ‘Light’ group but also featured in the former group mentioned significantly. Black British, Black European, and Black African players featured across the categories of ‘Mixed’, ‘Dark’ and Very Dark’, with those of Asian descent all featuring in the ‘Very Light’ category. A time-varying covariate has also been constructed in the form of the age variable. Players at or over the age of 33 at the beginning of the respective season have been defined as ‘veterans’ as seen in Table 1. This variable gives us an idea of how age affects your overall play when it comes to receiving sanctions. At their ages, their footballing experience gained could give them the edge when it comes to avoiding a sanction as they know how the referee tends to act during particular situations. However, these ‘veterans’ could also see their performances declining, resulting in steps missed and late tackles, often resulting in an influx of yellow cards. Players represent the unit of observation in this experiment and are taken from the 22 clubs that featured over the 3-season period of 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 that this dataset covers. These clubs include: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Burnley, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham, Watford & West Ham. All first-team players that had made at least one appearance for a Premier League club listed above between the seasons of 2014/2015 to 2016/2017 were eligible for this experiment. Fixed effect dummy variables for the 22 clubs also feature in this analysis, with the inclusion of these variables ensuring control for the differing club cultures, as clubs with a more aggressive style of play are more likely to be given a greater number of bookings. This panel is comprised of 1,605 observations carried out on 1,012 players, with close to 37% of players remaining in the Premier League for multiple seasons during this 3-year period. 3.2 – Summary Statistics Table 1 (can be seen on Page 18) provides a description of both the variables used in the model and some specific summary statistics found using the data taken from the players. Standard deviation is represented by the numbers in parentheses found underneath their respective values. In order to incorporate both forms of disciplinary sanctions into this model, I have taken yellow cards to the equal one card and red cards to equal two. For example, if a player has received 5 yellow cards and 1 red card over the course of a season, his total card count will be set at 7. I have done this as although red cards are rare in comparison to yellow cards, I wanted to take into account all forms of punishment received by players and consequently given out by referees. The average number of cards received per player across all seasons was 2.64, with the seasons holding the largest and fewest number of issued cards being 2014/15 and 2015/16, with an average of 2.82 cards and 2.32 cards respectively. The average foul count was just under 16 committed, with the 2015/16 season again showing signs of leniency from referees throughout this season, with dataset low average of 14.7 fouls committed per player. The average player in the sample also played around 19 games per season across the dataset used. ‘Veteran’ players only accounted for 8% of the data, a testament to how tough the demands of the Premier League are, with most of these players operating as goalkeepers and defenders. As expected, the distribution of players in terms of their playing position is concentrated between midfielders and defenders, with these 2 positions combining to account for over 72% of the sample size. Additionally, the skin tone â€Å"Very Light† was the largest player skin tone throughout the dataset, with just over half of the players falling under this category. This again was expected as the majority of players in the English Premier League are home-grown British players. Out of the 1605 observations collected in the database, almost 29% did not receive a yellow or red card throughout the 3 seasons.   This statistic will have major implications for the model, which will be discussed in the section â€Å"Econometric Methodology†. Relevant notes for the table are as follows: Summary Statistics represent the means of the relevant variables, numbers found in parentheses represent the standard deviation. This data will now be for a preliminary exercise, with the differences in both fouls committed and cards received in comparison to their skin tone to be examined.   Due to the nature of this model, we will first allocate players to either a â€Å"white† or a â€Å"non-white† category, for the purpose of this initial experiment. As we are researching potential racial bias in a predominately white league, I felt that placing players into these two distinct groups, to begin with, would be interesting. Essentially, the two skin tones of â€Å"Very Light† and â€Å"Light† will fall into the former category and â€Å"Mixed†, â€Å"Dark† and Very Dark† will fall under the latter. This will be done with a set of parametric (T-Test) and non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U-Test) in order to determine if there are any significant differences statistically across these 2 groups. Both types of tests were used to assess any statistical differences between the population means for the t-test and the population median for the Mann-Whitney U-Test.   Where the standard t-test results may lack in applying for attributes, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney is able to apply for both variables and attributes, giving us a more reliable set of results. Having both types of statistical tests available also allows us to account for if there was no information about the population with regards to the non-parametric test, although this would not be a problem in our framework, with the number of observations and players known. Our parametric test also assumes that variables are measured on either a ratio or interval level, with both fouls committed and the total number of cards, falling under the latter category (Surbhi, 2016.) The results found for the aforementioned categories are reported in Tables 2 and 3 respectively. Table 2: Fouls Committed Table 3: Cards Received 3.3 – Initial Findings The data shown above will now be used to analyse and examine any differences that may have been found, concerning both fouls committed, and cards received across the two distinct skin groups. During this introductory exercise, I have used a set of both parametric and non-parametric tests in order to determine if any statistical differences lie at a 5% level. Dealing with fouls committed first, the point estimate for the foul count was greater with darker players across all seasons on average, with the data also being statistically significant at the 5% level. On the other hand, the point estimate for the total cards received was higher for the lighter group, was significant across all seasons on average, and was only not significant during the 2015/16 season at the 5% level.   Therefore, the results from this preliminary exercise show that lighter skinned players are penalised less than darker skinned players are, however, darker players do receive fewer cards on average. These initial results are interesting, to begin with; however, the differences in card count especially might not be accurate with these simple tests. A key characteristic that would affect the outcome of the total amount of sanctions that a player might receive would be his position. Naturally, goalkeepers are less likely to find themselves in a position to commit a foul and thus receive a booking, in comparison to a midfielder or a defender. Additional factors such as the club the player plays for, the age of players and even the number of derbies a player participates in, have not yet been considered. Because of this, a more thorough analysis of this topic requires the use of a more advanced econometric test, which will be done in the next section. 4. Econometric Methodology Assuming omitted factors from the previous experiment such as Position and Games Played vary across participants, we will be able to account for these factors using a standard linear regression. This allows for a relationship between covariates and fixed effects to be seen, but there is no necessity for a parametric distribution to be specified. All observations will be used in this model but players who do not feature for more than one season make no obvious contribution to the within-group variation, therefore making no difference to the estimates of the included covariates. Fixed effects for all players are attainable in this framework, however, which is very useful given the role of the time-invariant factor of race (any given season) (Reilly & Witt, 2011). 4.1 – Regression Model A total of 5 variables were used in the linear regression ran through the STATA software in order to establish any correlation with the following variables and the total number of cards received: Skin tone, Games Played, Position, Seasons and Fouls committed. The independent variables of Skin tone and Position variables are expected to have the biggest effect on the number of total cards received, with Skin tone forming the foundation of my hypothesis and Position naturally affecting my results. This leaves me with the formula for my linear panel regression as follows: CARDSi = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1SKINTONEi + ÃŽ ²2FOULSi + ÃŽ ²3GAMESi + ÃŽ ²4POSITIONi + ÃŽ ²5VETERANi +â‚ ¬i  Ã‚  Ã‚   where CARDS is the total number of cards received (yellow and red), FOULS are the number of fouls committed by a player and GAMES are the total amount of games a player has appeared in, in a given season i which is also present for all other variables. There are a few variables that have not been taken into account due to the inability to quantify them in a regression, although they might have a minor effect on the number of cards a player receives e.g. club culture, nature of the player. These are incorporated into the error term, â‚ ¬i. The variables SKINTONE and POSITION represent ordinal and nominal data respectively and are each represented by their own dummy variables as seen in Table 1. Likewise, VETERAN is a dummy variable equal to 1 if the player is over 33 years old, and 0 if otherwise, which again can be seen in Table 1. With the nature of the linear regression, I could encounter some drawbacks using a linear panel method as the dependent variable is assumed to be continuous rather than ordinally discrete. As I am dealing with count data throughout this model, a Poisson model will also be run in order to offset this problem. Unlike the linear panel model, this model will not include players that have received zero yellow cards in their appearances, as they would make no contribution to the conditional maximum likelihood function. The estimation of these models with fixed effects can occur using either a conditional maximum likelihood estimator or an unconditional estimator. The conditional procedure is conditioned on the sum of the counts for the individual over time, giving us an easier estimation process (Reilly & Witt, 2011). Also, with the econometric software of STATA that I have used, there will be no biases included due to the problem of ‘incidental parameters’. This allows my estimation of the method and use of software to leave me with both valid and reliable results. 4.2 – Hypotheses With the main question of this model being whether or not darker skinned players are more likely to be booked than lighter skinned players, we now also have to introduce our hypothesis in formula form, which can be written as: H0:ÃŽ ²1 ≠¤ 0 H1:ÃŽ ²1 > 0 This shows both our null hypothesis in H0, stating the slope of the regression line is less than or equal to zero and our alternative hypothesis in H1, stating the slope of the regression line is greater than zero. The alternative hypothesis represents our initial question, if there is a positive correlation between a darker skin tone and the likelihood of a player receiving a disciplinary sanction, with the null hypothesis naturally stating the opposite. In our results, if our coefficients for the categories Mixed, Dark and Very Dark are greater than zero (assuming results are also found to be significant at the 5% level), we can conclude there is a relationship between skin tone and bookings within this model, by rejecting the null hypothesis and accepting the alternative hypothesis. The conclusion of our overall hypothesis should really only hold if the opposite instance is present for the Light and Very Light categories. Essentially, if the coefficients for the two categories are also positive, we cannot differentiate between the two race categories, as they have the same correlation in terms of bookings. Further evaluations of our results will be discussed in the following section, â€Å"Empirical Results†. 5. Empirical Results With the foundation of the regression introduced and explained, we are now able to use the above mentioned to find our empirical results. The estimated model provides a deep exploration into our hypothesis, with variables such as Position played, and Games Played used in this experiment that would have a direct effect on the hypothesis of whether skin tone affects the referee’s decisions when it comes to disciplinary sanctions. Time dummies are included in the framework (relevant seasons) in order to account for any potential altercations in refereeing policy over time in the Premier League. For example, the rule that players will receive bookings for simulation/diving was only implemented in 2017 which would affect our dataset and the potential outcome of the results in comparison to seasons prior. The main catalyst for disciplinary sanctions is expected to be the number of fouls committed due to obvious reasons, and this variable will also feature in the empirical specification, with the linear and poisson model exhibiting 1605 and 1142 fixed effects respectively, specific to each observation found across all 3 seasons. Further analysis of the empirical results calculated using the regression found in Table 4 will be discussed in the next section. Relevant notes for the table are as follows: ***, **, * represent statistical significance at the 1%, 5% and 10% level respectively and represents the base group of estimation and these variables have been omitted in the regression. The number of club controls within the database is set at 21, with one club omitted as the base club. Table 4: Fixed Effects Model for Cards Received 5.1 – General Analysis With the results shown above, we can deduce various findings. When looking at the number of cards given out by referees as the seasons go, there is evidence of leniency within the Premier League. On average, the total amount of cards received by players has decreased by around 0.19 cards, with the largest decrease coming in the 2015/16 season at 0.3 cards per game, which was also found to be significant at the 1% level. However, leniency in cards received does not correlate with leniency in fouls given as evidenced with an increase in fouls, although relatively small, at roughly 0.1, with the commission of an extra foul increasing the card count on average (and ceteris paribus) by the same value. This was anticipated prior to the regression and unsurprisingly, this variable accounted for over 50% of the variation in total cards received also. Being a ‘veteran’ player was deemed to decrease the total amount of cards, although only minimally at the 5% level, suggesting experience does outweigh a natural decline in overall athleticism, but only marginally. Analysing the data, the average number of cards received per player was at 2.64 across all seasons, with both models revealing evidence of a positive skewness, which can be seen in Figures 1 and 2 below. This number is much higher compared to the study undertook with data in 2003/04 to 2007/2008 in which only 1.82 cards were given out on average (Reilly & Witt, 2011). This is most likely due to there being stricter rules implemented in order to protect players rather than underlying racial factors. There have also been bookings given out to players due to simulation (diving) or professional fouls (intentional fouls done to stop a fast break). Both actions are straight yellow cards which would obviously affect the data and would have nothing to do with stereotypes or racial biases. Figure 1: Kernel Density Plot for Linear Panel Model Fixed Effects Figure 2: Kernel Density Plot for Poisson Model Fixed Effects 5.2 – Position Analysis Position wise, the results show that the field position of a player has a statistical influence on the variable of cards received. On average (and ceteris paribus), goalkeepers receive around one less booking in comparison to forwards, with this data found to be significant at the 1% level. This result makes sense considering goalkeepers are rarely called into action in which they must commit a foul compared to forwards who are usually tasked with pressurising opposing defenders and committing ‘professional’ fouls, to slow down play, which warrants a straight yellow card per the rulebook. However, when goalkeepers are committing fouls they are usually the last man, meaning these fouls are more likely to lead to straight red cards, thus affecting the card count substantially for the goalkeeper position. Additionally, goalkeepers are the main culprits when it comes to receiving ‘professional bookings’ for time wasting. Goalkeepers tasked with taking goal kicks use this as the perfect opportunity to time waste unfairly to gain the desired result. As a result of this, referees often give out straight bookings as a signal to the keeper to hurry up, on top of adding on additional time. One result that stood out to me was the reversal of the coefficient for goalkeepers, with a negative correlation between cards and goalkeepers found with the linear model but a positive correlation found with the linear data. With goalkeepers rarely pulled up for bookings to begin with, eliminating goalkeepers with no bookings would have given us a small sample size with a high tendency to receive bookings, thus skewing the data. In terms of midfielders and defenders, these two positions are statistically more likely to receive one more card compared to forwards, which was expected. Defenders just edge out midfielders when it comes to receiving sanctions, which are again found to be significant at the 1% level and was also expected prior to the experiment taking place. Overall, there is shown to be a clear variation in total cards when it comes to a player’s primary position, with approximately 90% of the variation in the fixed effects model down to a player’s different position. 5.3 – Skin tone Analysis From the preliminary exercise that took place initially, there did appear to be a racial undertone to the decisions of the referees in terms of disciplinary sanctions. Players with a darker skin tone were penalised more often than their lighter-skinned peers, although they were also booked less often as well in comparison. In this model however, there is no evidence of racial bias towards darker skinned players in this panel when controlling for match performance affecting variables and a variety of other club controls.   With negative coefficients for Mixed, Dark and Very Dark players ranging from around -0.5 to -0.75 for both linear and poisson data, we can see that the slope of the regression line does satisfy the condition for the null hypothesis at the 5% level. This means we cannot reject the null hypothesis and fail to accept the alternative hypothesis, giving us a conclusion of no racial bias being exhibited towards darker players in terms of disciplinary sanctions. In fact, the evidence claims at a 5% significance level that mixed race, dark and very dark players are receiving around a half fewer bookings compared to very light players, and light players are getting booked at a rate of 50% more often, on average and ceteris paribus, with the trend continuing on through our poisson model. Our regression coefficients also show a correlation to where you are more likely to receive a booking if you are a lighter player, with numbers decreasing across the range of skin tones, for both the linear and poisson data.   Although there could be a case made that using the significant evidence found (other factors still have to be taken into account), referees are carrying themselves in a more lenient manner with players outside their skin tone (as all referees in this database would be classified as very light), we can conclude with our original hypothesis being false. There is no evidence on the basis of both the linear and poisson model, that darker skinned players are a victim of racial bias and therefore are not more likely to receive disciplinary sanctions compared to their lighter-skinned counterparts. Conclusion This paper has introduced and analysed various forms of racial discrimination that have been displayed throughout British football and mainly the Premier League. With studies on the topic done prior to mine, a hypothesis was formed and tested to examine whether or not racial biases play a factor when referees give out sanctions to players, namely darker skinned players. The key research question was answered using an econometric model analysing a fixed effects panel model. The evidence gained from this model gave a strong indication that there is no distinct correlation between darker skinned players and an unfair treatment when it comes to bookings, with there even being evidence of a greater leniency when it comes to referees with darker skinned players. With referees (who in this sample were all white) displaying no evidence of a racial bias towards non-white players and thus their own race, this could be taken extremely positively on both anti-racism institutions and training that these referees receive. In his own study, Dr. Witt took from referees being cleared of any form of racial bias that â€Å"This may also reflect the fact that referee behaviour is heavily informed by the anti-racist initiatives that have characterised the professional game in England over the last decade or more† (GetSurrey, 2013). Anti-racism institutions such as Kick It Out and FARE could have played a part in referee behaviour when it comes to this issue, as these movements would be responsible for referees becoming more racially sensitive and aware over time, thus explaining the outcome observed from our model.    In terms of future research that may be done on this agenda, additional variables that were not used in this framework, or are hard to quantify in a sense, have to be held accountable for. Variables such as the effects of league position, the culture of a club, fixtures played home or away, the number of derby games and crowd attendance could all potentially have a significant effect on sanction outcomes. Factors like this would allow for the club, referee and game effects to be controlled which would provide us with more accurate and perhaps more insightful findings into disciplinary outcomes and whether or not these would have a significant effect on the racial bias as well, remains to be seen. 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