The Black Report - 1284 Words

The Black Report There are considerable health inequalities amongst Britain’s social classes. Health is formed by socio-economic, political and environmental factors; these elements shape inequalities and influence the health of various social groups in Britain. Health inequalities is the term used to describe the consistent recurring differences of the health complaints involving the social classes of Britain. These differences were first highlighted by Sir Douglas Black in a research study called The Black Report. The reason for The Black Report was to find information about the problems with health variations among the social classes. In 1977 under a Labour Government, the Secretary of State for social services†¦show more content†¦In relation to this, Lobstein (1995) established that deprived areas had poor diets because healthy food tended to more expensive in poorer communities than in the well-off ones (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009) It is understood that manual workers e ndure more work related injuries than non-manual workers. Recent studies to support this claim come from Clapp et al (2005) who indicate that a probable 12ï€ ¥ of cancer deaths are workplace related, also, Meldrumm (2005) found that working conditions cause up to 20ï€ ¥ of lung cancer deaths (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009). Social Capital explains health inequalities in various ways, including unexpected disadvantages. This can be supported by Shaw et al (1999) who found that if difficulties occur at important times of life it can result in health inadequacies; for example, lack of nutrients as a child (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009). Josh et al (2000) suggested that Social Capital was an important explanation regarding health issues. Supporting the theory that life chances are influenced by social environment and the people around us (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009). The Black Report unearthed an increasing gap in the inequalities of health between lower and hig her social classes. There was a general improvement in health but it wasn’t equal within the classes; poor health was increasing. The Black Report also discovered that healthShow MoreRelatedBlack Report : The Black2369 Words   |  10 PagesBlack report 1942 The black report is a finding which was is really large differentials in mortality and morbidity which its more liked in the higher social classes and that these were not being adequately addressed by health or social services. Between the rich and poor the black report has a wider divide the health care provision now. In countries where there is small income usually would have the best healthcare and the best health and the countries like the UK are rich and they have health inequalitiesRead Moreblack report798 Words   |  4 Pagesyoung children and older adult. This report influenced the governments green paper, Our Healthier Nation (1998) and the 1999 white paper, saving lives (bbc.co.uk21.06.13). Evaluation of the Black Report This essay will look at the Black Report and its findings, and also compare it with the findings of both the, Acheson and Marmot reports on health inequalities in social class. The Black Report (1980) assessed the health service of Britain and its impact on society. It underlined four types ofRead MoreBlack Analysis : Black Hearts Book Report1067 Words   |  5 PagesBlack Hearts Book Report Reading this book I found it to be very intriguing. It is a story about men from the 101st Airborne Division’s legendary 502nd Infantry Regiment known as â€Å"the Black Heart Brigade. These men were deployed to the country’s worst and most unfavorable location at the most dangerous time. The platoon the book talks about the most would be the Bravo Company First Platoon. They were constantly in a rough patch throughout the entire book, facing constant leadership changed and tryingRead MoreBlack Like Me : Book Report979 Words   |  4 PagesGrace Haskin Communication Research: Book Report November 21, 2014 Black Like Me Black Like Me is a research diary kept by John Griffin in 1959. Griffin, a white male, is bothered by racism and wants to experience what it is like to be black. He begins taking medication and rubs shoe polish on himself to darken the color of his skin to temporarily pass as a black man. Sepia, a black oriented magazine, sponsors Griffin’s study in exchange for written articles about the experience. With his newRead MoreBlack Hearts : A Journalistic Report Of Horrible Leadership1813 Words   |  8 PagesBlack Hearts is a journalistic report of terrible leadership and of the events that led to the heinous crime committed by four soldiers of 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 502d Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. These soldiers were living in an environment of dysfunctional leadership, which included irresponsible decisions, disrespect, and leader egotism. This environment led to crumbling unit cohesion and an overall low morale. The leadership failures in these events were all encompassing, from theRead MoreBlack Like Me: a Cultural Book Report910 Words   |  4 Pagessaid. Because of this he felt that they had encouraged him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Plot: Black Like Me is the story of a man named John Howard Griffin, who underwent a series of medical treatments to change his skin color temporarily to black; a transformation that was complete when John Howard Griffin shaved off his hair, and looking in the mirror, saw a bald, middle-aged black man. The reason he does this is for an experiment to see how racism was in the Deep South fromRead MoreFanny Taylors False Claim in Rosewood Report and Film739 Words   |  3 Pageswhite women named Fanny Taylor falsely claimed that she had been beaten at the hands of a black man. Outraged at these alleged allegations, white men of rosewood would parade the town in search for the person responsible. According to the rosewood report these angered mobs had killed about eight blacks including Sam Carter who supposedly knew where the acclaimed suspect was headed. There were numerous reports of the massacre from newspapers, citizens, and later the survivors of the rosewood eventsRead MoreThe White Lady Cries Wolf in Rosewood1495 Words   |  6 Pagesschools, mills and a growing population. The town was a majority black town, but that was not much of a problem until a white lady â€Å"cried wolf†. Fannie Taylor, wife of James Taylor who worked at a mill nearby, would have an affair with a white man. Fannie and her white lover got into a physical altercation that left Fannie with obvious bruises. To prevent from having to tell James about the affair she told her neighbors that a black man came and attacked her. As word spread throughout the townRead MoreBlack Males And Male Males1552 Words   |  7 Pagesaverage, black males experienced 3.4 police stops in the past two years, compared to 0.7 stops for white males and 0.5 stops for Chinese males. Although black females are less likely to be stopped and questioned by the police than black males, they are significantly more likely to report police stops than white or Chinese females. In fact, black females (9%) are more likely to report three or more police stops than white (8%) or Chinese males (6%). On average, black females report 0.7 policeRead MoreBlack And Minority Ethnic Offenders1373 Words   |  6 PagesClinks and The Black Training and Enterprise Group to discuss how the changing landscape of the Criminal Justice System could improve the outcomes for Black, And Minority Ethnic offenders (BAME). Following the meeting Baroness Young met the Secretary of State for Justice to seek his support to establish a task group. The Justice Secretary requested that the review included Muslim Offenders. The investigation and subsequent Young Review led by Baroness Lola Young, examined why young black and Muslim

Forensic Accounting Assignment Example

Essays on Forensic Accounting Assignment The paper "Forensic Accounting" is an extraordinary example of an assignment on finance and accounting.This paper will take a cursory look at the phenomenon of forensic accounting and its implication is the existing business set up around the world. The paper has been formulated in a way that it will first go on to explain the concept of forensic accounting and what it actually entails. It will then move onto specific case examples which will shed some more light and provide deeper analysis into the topic at hand. Forensic Accounting: Now, forensic accounting is that specific area of specialty practice pertaining to the field of accountancy that caters to those specific appointments that ensue as a result of actual or anticipated disputes or matters of litigation. Forensic, by simple means of literal definition denotes an item which is "suitable for use in a court of law", and the work of forensic accountants is geared towards the ascertainment of this specific standard or sometimes potential outcome. Forensic accounts, which are also referred to in the global business setup as forensic auditors or investigative auditors, hold a critical position not only in the financial spectrum but also in the legal spectrum as well as they most often are called upon to give expert evidence at a trail concerning those transgressions which these auditors had researched upon in the first place. Most of the major accounting firms around the world in addition to a large number of medium-sized as well as boutique firms have created specialist forensic accounting departments for themselves. In addition to this, there are many intricate sub-specializations of these departments: some forensic accountants may, for example, just specialize in insurance claims, personal injury claims, and fraud, construction, or royalty audits. (Crumbley et al, 2005) Now, the paper will look at specific cases which relate to forensic accounting. Q1: Mergers and Acquisitions The most critical aspect of this specific case is the rationale that has been provided for the need for this specific acquisition. Cutting costs via the route of vertical integrations basically means that the organization wants to remove the margin of its suppliers by itself becoming a supplier to its major production process. As an accountant, this would appear to be a sound investment strategy as despite not having previously operated in the market that they wish to permeate into with this acquisition, they at the very least have seen the tangible output that their suppliers have provided to them over the past. However, the case is not as simple as it seems to appear. As a forensic accountant, it is imperative that the first and foremost objective that is ascertained is the actual process of the acquisition takes place in an orderly manner which conforms to all the laws related to mergers and acquisitions. Since this acquisition is taking place over three different geographical locations, there will be laws and regulations in these regions which might be averse or in conflict to each other; therefore, their harmonious resolution is the key goal of the forensic accountant who is handling this case. Furthermore, it is critically important that the forensic accountant determine all the possible costs and revenue streams that exist in the newly acquired market. Having not directly operated in the aforementioned markets i.e. Africa and South East Asia, the job of the forensic accountant takes a new role after the acquisition is complete, which is more of an investigative role as opposed to the literally forensic role which is played at the time of the acquisition. To better understand this, lets take a simple example: if the input resources that were being purchased earlier for a $10 per unit and a margin of $2 per unit, then the job of the forensic accountant now is to ascertain the cost streams which sum together to form the $8 per unit cost of the input resource. Here, a forensic account ants’ contribution is perhaps most significant as they have to determine whether the $8 itself could be shrunk even further giving that the market of operation is not the U.S anymore. These will critically hinge the decision to acquire or leave the business as the most critical goal of the organization is to cut costs as much as possible through vertical integration. (Bruner, 2004) Q2: Financial Failure In this specific case, the role of a forensic accountant comes to the fore as they look to ascertain the reasons that led to the demise of the large business which was supposed to be economically sound and financially stable in the not so distant past. The critical aspect of the report that will be filed by the forensic accountant must deal with the most critical problem: what series of events led to the dramatic drop in share prices? Here, the forensic accountant would have to deal with the share trading activities and determine specious patterns of trading which could very w ell be related to improper trading of the stock. Insider trading would have to be looked at with an increased degree of magnification as the allegation that has been levied in this case has been that officials at the business have ruined the share price for their personal benefit. This leads us to a second critically important section of the report: conformity to the international accounting standards and rules and regulations that have been put in place by the Securities and Exchange Commission in order to control stock trading. Here a very important part of the investigation will be the determination of the business related parties of the large business which has failed as defined by the international accounting standards. This is very important as the forensic accountant needs to determine which business entities are related to the large business and/or the personnel working in the business and then determine any streams of payments or stock trading whereby the related parties co uld benefit at the expense of the large business which has failed. Lastly, the report should look to determine the exact revenue streams of the family assistance payments that have been made to the business by the government and hence, determine exactly where they money has been employed by the business in order to be certain that these payments had been used for the purpose which the government made them. Q3: Authority Investigating Corruption This example looks at a different aspect of the job description of the forensic accountant; one that directly relates to the legal facet of their job. Crime syndicates will be an entity with which forensic accountants would have to regularly deal with, therefore, this specific example becomes doubly important. Now, as a forensic accountant, the first and foremost action that can be taken is to have a close look at the books of the business that is being run by the drug dealer. In it, the most critical facet is ascertaining the revenue streams of this business which could very well point towards the issue of money-laundering. Money laundering, by definition is the process whereby cash that is created or raised through criminal activities is made to appear ‘legitimate’ by its strategic re-integration into the global financial system. (Bedi, 2004) Therefore, the forensic accountant should look for evidence of any stream of revenues which cannot be completely catered to i.e. whose whereabouts over a certain stretch are not properly identifiable. In addition, the forensic accountant should try to relate the streams of income from the drug trade with those that are used in the business in order to find any similarities that could attach these two together. This can be done by trading drugs with this specific drug dealer using numbered notes and then ascertaining whether those notes find their way into the business of the rug dealer; a practice which if successful would provide incriminating evidence against the d rug dealer in a court of law in the form of those numbered notes which were used for the drug trade. Other more innovative mechanisms are also used to achieve this same end in this case.   ReferencesCrumbley, D. Larry; Lester E. Heitger, G. Stevenson Smith (2005-08-05). Forensic and Investigative Accounting. CCH Group. ISBN 0808013653.Rohan Bedi (2004). Money Laundering - Controls and Prevention, ISI Publications, ISBN 962-7762-87-3, http://books.global-investor.com/books/16287.htm 3. Bruner, Robert F., (2004)† The Merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation (A): The Proposed Merger†, Vol. 3, pp. 1-40, Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=909748

Emerging Adults free essay sample

Being an adult means that one person must go through stage of different kinds of relationships. It is not how or when that makes a person become an adult, but what they learn. Each relationship is going to be different for every person. In the book, Emerging Adulthood, Arnett talks about some of the main qualities the relationships are part of. The five main qualities are identity explorations, instability, self-focused age, feeling in-between, and possibilities. In the time when a person is considered an emerging adult, they will have had some very different experiences than others. Identity exploration is the time in which a young emerging adult can try new things. Just as when a person was old enough to drive, or drink it adds excitement in someone’s life. It was a new obstacle to overcome. Back in the 1970’s people had no choice on what they did. Women could not have any real job because after they got married it was time for kids. We will write a custom essay sample on Emerging Adults or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So they had to stay home and clean and take care of the children. The men had to get jobs right away to support the family. But now people get to have choices. They get to decide on if they want to stay at home after high school, get a job, or even stay in school to reach a degree. At the end of senior year the main question floating around everyone’s head is, what am I going to do now? This will be the being of the relationship stage of self-focus. With every emerging adult now is the time of the main choice for themselves. Either they will just get a job and work for the rest of their lives; or they will go to college. No other person can make that decision for them; they are going to do what they want to do for themselves. For the emerging adults that are going to go to college and received their degree they are already a step ahead. They get to start off with more money and more jobs are available to them. Some of the emerging adults get to save more money by living at home and pay only the bills that they need to. And for the rest they have to pay for rent, food, insurance, and whatever other bills they may have. Now they might get lucky and get help from their parents every month. On the road of becoming an adult an emerging adult must be able to pay their own bills without relying on friends, parents, or family. Making new choices about love, work, and school can make an emerging adulthood’s life more intense and instable. While an emerging adult is in college they get to meet a wide variety of new people. Now while they are attending school they might have a few little relationships, long term relationships, and even the one night stand. With all of these relationships emerging adults need to worry about only one major thing, STD’s. In college many people may get around so they need to be safe always. And when it comes to who they are dating their parents still might have an input, or would like to have one. Most parents want their child dating someone who is in the same ethnic group, as well as marring within the same ethnic group. Depending on how their parents are they might even go as far as telling their child a lie about a different ethnic group so that they would not trust them. What happens when the parents are not around and you become best friends with people in different ethnic groups; your dating range just got larger. You know the truth and have the chance to date whomever you want, and even marry whomever you want. Emerging adults today will marry out of their own ethnic group to their college sweetheart. Being able to make up your own mind about who you want to date makes emerging adults another step closer to becoming an adult. There are a lot of times when a person feels like they should have done something else. They are not sure of what they really want to do; this is the feeling in-between time. There is no age at which a person reaches that means they are an adult. It is the things that have been decided to do that will make them an adult. About 60% of emerging adult aged 18-25 said that they have â€Å"yes and no† feelings about whether they are an adult or not; but they are confident and have a better idea of what they want to do with their life. There are so many different possibilities available to every single person in this world. After high school is over with the door is opened. Emerging adults get to make their own decisions on whom they date, who they are friends with, and what they want to be. No matter of family background all emerging adults get their chance at new possibilities. If they decide to go to college they will have more possibilities than someone who has gotten a job. But that does not mean that the emerging adults who just go into the world and get a job right away have no possibilities. It is how they take on the world and take on the responsibilities of that road. The main event in an emerging adult’s life is marriage. For most it is a meaning that they are ready to be an adult. They are ready to accept the responsibility of what they do, make independent decisions, and be financially able to live on their own. They are now more considerate of others. For some emerging adults they have an in-between feeling about where they are in life. They know that they are ready for the next step, but still think they can learn more. Before an emerging adult becomes an adult they will look back on their life; they will mostly think about high school. They will think about high school because it was the easiest time of their life; being able to hang out with friends, no bills, no job, no real responsibilities. It is very normal for anyone to think about that because they are now taking on all of the responsibilities. No one to help them but the person they will marry. And not everyone has the same experience as others. But this is what makes every person unique.

The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C.K Prahalad A Book Review

Introduction The term â€Å"the bottom of the pyramid† has gained prominence in the field of economics in recent past. As a concept, it is used to refer to the â€Å"largest, (but) poorest socio-economic† class at the bottom of the hypothetical pyramid used in economics to depict resource distribution (Gunther 9). Estimates of the number of people in the society who fall within this segment vary.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C.K Prahalad: A Book Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The World Bank estimates that about 2.5 billion people globally fall under this segment (Gunther 9). These people, according to these estimates, these are the people who survive on less than $2.50 in a day (Gunther 9). The business world has been abuzz with this concept of â€Å"the bottom of the pyramid† given the sheer size of this market. Business analysts who ar e keen on formulating new business models that specifically target this population are the ones that use this term most of the times. They develop new business strategies using new technology to target this group of consumers (Karnani 6). They also refer to this strategy as the base of the pyramid model. Several writers with business inclinations have made this concept more popular by writing several books and articles on it. The books and articles exalt the potential market and the profits that business enterprises can make by targeting this market. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C. K Prahalad is such one book dedicated to this subject. This essay is going to review this book by Prahalad. The author will look at the organisation and structure of the book as well as the themes riding on the book. A critique of the book will also be provided along the way. C. K. Prahalad: A Brief Historical Overview Before embarking on the analysis and critical review of his book, it is important at this juncture to look briefly at the background of the author. With this background, the reader will have a clear picture of the kind of person that they are reading about in the paper, as well as their way of thinking. The background will create a link between Prahalad and the book within the mind of the reader.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The late Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad was born on August 8, 1941, in Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu (Viklund 9). He took after his father, who was an established Sanskrit scholar and a judge (Viklund 9). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Loyola College in Chennai. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School, where he got his D.B.A degree in mid 1970s (Viklund 8). Before his death on April 16, 2010, this man was a renowned scholar and a professor at Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (Karnani 7). He was a distinguished professor, and this means that his works at the time were taken seriously in the business world, and this continues today. Several works are credited to this scholar. This is for example The Core Competence of Corporation, which he co-authored with Gary Hamel, and Competing for the Future, with the same author. He co-authored his last book two years before he succumbed to lung infection, in 2008. The book, The New Age of Innovation, was a joint effort between him and Krishnan (Schumpeter 4). The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits is one of the books that Prahalad authored alone. It is one of the popular books in his collection, and continues to attract the attention of business analysts and other players in the business world today, one year after his death. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: An Overview This book was published by Wharton School Publishing press in the year 2004. In about 389 pages, Prahalad talks of the bottom of the pyramid consumer and how businesses can exploit the segment to make profits. By targeting this group, the businesses will not only be making profits for themselves, they will also be playing a part in eradicating among the poorest populations in the world. In this book, Prahalad asserts that about 80 percent of the world population lives within the bottom of the pyramid. By using the approach advocated for in this book, businesses will be able to mobilise resources, in partnership with other stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations, to eradicate poverty in this group (Stefan 4). The resources will be used to formulate and implement solutions that will address the socio-economic challenges of the more than 4 billion people living in this segment of the society (Stefan 4). This way, business corporations will be eradicating poverty through their profit making ventures, as the title of the book suggests.Advertisin g We will write a custom essay sample on The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C.K Prahalad: A Book Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To achieve this, Prahalad is of the view that the bottom of the pyramid consumers have to be respected (Prahalad 9). This means that the input of the consumers in the formulation of solutions to their problems has to be respected. According to Prahalad, the consumer should be â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (taken as) equally important joint problem-solvers† (67). When this is done, the situation of the consumer (read poverty) will be turned into an opportunity to be exploited by all stakeholders in the strategy. The investors will use it to make profits, while the consumers will use it to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty. The book, which is divided into three parts, provides the concerned parties with a strategy to collaborate for the benefit of all. Prahalad provides a blue pr int for a profitable coalition among the business executives, non-governmental organisations, the poor themselves and other stakeholders where all parties emerge as winners (Viklund 2). To achieve this, Prahalad suggests that all the players have to make adjustments, accommodations and sacrifices, otherwise the results of the coalition will not be realised. To undergird his arguments, Prahalad uses 12 case studies, where the owners of the business, either through design or by default, applied a business strategy similar to the one proposed in this book (Landrum 27). The businesses emerged as success cases, and the author is of the view that the strategy can be used by other businesses to excel. According to Prahalad, in all these case studies, the â€Å"bottom of the pyramid is becoming an active market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (which brings) benefits that go beyond the products consumed by the customers† (Prahalad 56). All the enterprises in these cases are interested in somethi ng more than just making profits. They are all interested in changing the face of poverty among the consumers by actively involving the consumers and other players in the field.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Prahalad writes the book from the point of view of the bottom of pyramid consumer (Karnani 7: Viklund 4). These are the players that the author assumes to be poor, and they benefit by accessing products and services at affordable rates. However, this is not the only benefit that they draw from the business strategy. The consumers also â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.get recognition, respect and fair treatment (from the entrepreneurs)† (Prahalad 87). From this, the self-esteem of the consumers is boosted, giving the business plan a human face. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Book Structure and Organisation Book Structure and Organisation As earlier indicated, the book covers about 389 pages. These are organised into three parts, and each of the parts is further sub-divided into several sections. The following is an analysis of the organisation and structure of this book: Part I: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid This part is divided into six chapters, with each of the chapters addressing a specific aspect of the so called fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Chapter 1: The Market at the Bottom of the Pyramid This chapter addresses several aspects of the market segment in this portion of the society (Prahalad 3-22). Among the issues that are addressed in this chapter are the power of dominant logic and the nature of the bottom of the pyramid market. Prahalad asserts that â€Å"there is money at the bottom of the pyramid† (10). This is considering the sheer size of the market and the fact that members of this segment of society also have a disposable income, albeit at lower levels than those of the upper echelons of the society. Chapter 2: Products and Services for the BoP In this chapter, Prahalad provides the business executives with a philosophy that will help them develop products and services for the consumer at this level (Nicola 9: Prahalad Stuart 2). He is of the view that there are â€Å"twelve principles of innovatio n† that the businesses should employ (Prahalad 25), including innovativeness and respecting the consumer. Chapter 3: BoP: A Global Opportunity? Here, the author analyses the BoP market within the global context. He is of the view that local growth opportunities are linked to innovations and opportunities in the global market (Prahalad 50, 52: Saritha 20). Chapter 4: The Ecosystem for Wealth Creation In this chapter, the author talks of the environment within which wealth is made as far as the BoP is concerned. He particularly talks of the contract between the poor and the business enterprises amongst them. The author is of the view that the poor must be respected in these contracts, and the â€Å"inequities in the contracts (should also) be reduced† (Prahalad 69, 72). Chapter 5: Reducing Corruption Here, the author identifies corruption as one of the hindrances to eradication of poverty among the 4 billion poor people of the world (London 5). He provides strategies to r educe corruption here by creating what he refers to as â€Å"transaction governance capacity† (Prahalad 77) amongst the poor. He provides several case studies where this strategy has worked, including the Andhra Pradesh e-Governance project and the Centre for Good Governance (Prahalad 85, 90: Kandachar Minna 30). Chapter 6: Development as Social Transformation In this chapter, the author argues on how development can be conceptualised as a social transformation in the society, providing a social aspect of development. He identifies several barriers to this form of development, such as communication barriers and exclusion of women, and provides possible remedies to the same. Part II: Innovative Practices at the Bottom of the Pyramid It is in this section that Prahalad provides case studies of business enterprises that have adopted his proposed mode of operation and succeeded (Prahalad 113-381). Some of these case studies are provided in text while others are provided in audio CDs. This part is divided into six sections. In section I, Prahalad talks of the market at the BoP and provides the cases of Casas Bahia and CEMEX. In section II, he talks of the missing link in engaging community in eradicating poverty via a business model. He provides the story of the Annapurna Salt Company and the Hindustan Lever Limited. The same structure of providing case studies to drive home some of the arguments is used in throughout the other sections. Part III: CD This section is provided in a CD format. It is 35 minutes of video coverage depicting success of the case studies that were covered in text format in section II. The filming for the CD is done on location, with BoP locations in five countries acting as the stage. These are India, Peru, Mà ©xico, Brazil and Venezuela in Latin America (Prahalad 34). Critique of the Book Structure and Organisation The book starts with a preface, which is a great idea as it prepares the reader on what to expect within the text. Th is is followed by a section titled About the Author, where a brief overview of Prahalad is given. This is also a great idea, as it provides the reader with an idea on the kind of person that they will be interacting with throughout the book. It was also a great idea for the author to organise the book into three parts, each of which is further subdivided into several sections. This makes the book appear organised, and it also makes it easy for the reader to go through it. There is no unnecessary clutter in the organisation of the book as far as the sections are concerned. The use of the CD was similarly ingenious. It enriches the interaction of the reader with the book. Prahalad uses the same innovation that he beseeches business executives to use in interacting with his readers. Thematic Analysis Several themes emerge from this book, the major one been eradication of poverty through the BoP business model. The other themes revolve around this major one, and they can be seen as supp orting the same. The following are some of the themes that are discernible from the book: The Theme of Poverty Prahalad is of the view that the consumers at the bottom of the pyramid are afflicted by poverty, meaning that more than 4 billion people in the world today live on about $2.50 per day (Landrum 28). This state of affairs is brought about by interplay of various factors. This is for example illiteracy among this group, lack of employment and high birth rates among others. To underscore the status of poverty in the society, Prahalad provides the case of India, where more than 5.5 million people have their limbs amputated (Schumpeter 4). More than 25,000 continue losing their limbs in this country per annum, further increasing the population. The loss of limbs is caused by several factors such as disease, accidents and such others. These people cannot afford a prosthesis, which goes for about 7,000 dollars. This being the case, it becomes very hard for this people to exploit t heir potential, and as such, they continue wallowing in poverty. The author also provides the case of Mà ©xico, a country where, according to latest statistics, approximately 24 million people live on less than five dollars in a day (Prahalad 45). The banks are unwilling to provide these people with credit facilities, making it really hard for them to escape from poverty. Prahalad is of the view that business enterprises need to tackle this problem of poverty in order to create a sustainable consumer base. As such, instead of focusing so much on profits, businesses should come up with strategies that will make these people escape poverty, increase their per capita income and subsequently, their purchasing power. Eradicating Poverty Through Profits The proposed business strategy points out to the fact that it is possible for businesses to make profits and at the same time eradicate poverty in the community. This can be done through collaboration with the consumers and other stake ho lders such as non-governmental agencies (Kandachar Minna 31). When this happens, all the stakeholders benefit, creating a win-win situation, as opposed to the win-lose situation where businesses appear to exploit the local communities. The local community benefits by having the poverty levels reduced, the business enterprises benefit by making profits, while other stakeholders such as the NGOs benefit by having attained one of their goals, that of reducing extreme poverty in the community. The Need for Collaboration Another theme is that of the need of collaboration among the various stakeholders in order to make the proposed business model work. It is noted that the players cannot work in isolation; rather, they have to make adjustments and sacrifices to accommodate each other. The business enterprises need to respect the consumer, taking their perspectives into consideration when coming up with strategies to fight poverty. The consumers, on their part, need to look at the busines s enterprises as partners in development, rather than viewing them as exploiters. On their part, the NGOs should strive to ensure that the members of the community and the business enterprises work in tandem. This is for example encouraging the businesses to contribute to corporate social responsibility efforts in the community. Conclusion.  A Critique of the Book Prahalad’s arguments in this book and largely logical, and are acceptable and significant in reducing poverty among the bottom of the pyramid segment. However, there are several inherent assumptions made by this author that waters down the credibility of their book. For example, it seems that Prahalad overestimates the purchasing power of the poor within the bottom of the pyramid bracket. A case in point is when he seems to exaggerate their number. His statistics vary from those of other analysts in the field, and they seem to be the highest. The World Bank puts the number of the poor at about 2.7 billion, while P rahalad doubles this to about 4 billion (Landrum 29). There are also those who question whether the multinational corporation are suited to the bottom of the pyramid market as Prahalad suggests. His argument to this end is further weakened when one takes a critical look at the profile of the businesses that he uses in his twelve case studies. These businesses, at least most of them, are small to medium enterprises, while others are non-profit making (Karnani 9). Given that none of the case studies given seems to support a multinational in this market, questions arise regarding the tenability of Prahalad’s recommendation to this end. Apart from these minor weaknesses, Prahalad’s book can be regarded as a bold and significant step towards eradication of poverty among the world’s poorest. The suggestions put forth, as well as the business model, appear credible enough to be adopted by business enterprises. Works Cited Gunther, Gregory. The Theory of Economic Growth . London: Allen and Unwin, 2006. Kandachar, Peter Minna, Hay. (Eds.) Sustainability Challenges and Solutions at the Base of the Pyramid – Business, Technology and the Poor. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, 2008. Karnani, Aneel G. Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: A Mirage. Ross School of Business, Paper No. 1035, 2008. Landrum, Nancy. Advancing the â€Å"Base of the Pyramid† Debate. Strategic Management Review, 1(1): 27-29, 2007. London, Titus. The Base-of-the-Pyramid Perspective: A New Approach to Poverty Alleviation. In G. T. Solomon (Ed.), Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2008. Nicola, Day. Bottom of the Pyramid from the Perspective of Poverty Reduction. NRI. June 18, 2007. Web. Prahalad, Coimbatore K. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits. Wharton: Wharton School Publishing, 2004. Prahalad, Coimbatore K., Stuart, Hart L. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Strategy and Business, 26(3), 2002. Saritha, Rai. In Rural India, a Passage to Wirelessness. The New York Times, August 4, 2001. Schumpeter. The Guru of the Bottom of the Pyramid. The Economist, April 24, 2010. Stefan, Stern. Manifesto Writer for Business Survival. Financial Times, April 19, 2010. Viklund, Andreas. Book Review: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. First Friday Book Synopsis. September 1, 2010. Web. This essay on The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C.K Prahalad: A Book Review was written and submitted by user Jeramiah Q. to help you with your own studies. 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