How free is the free market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How free is the free market - Essay Example The first example which comes to mind is the labour market and western democracies such as the UK and the US pride themselves on being welfare states which regulate how the labour is governed (Chomsky, 1996). However, this governance and control may have political objectives as described by Adams (2002). Unemployment becomes an important question for governments therefore they may try to maintain low unemployment figures with the regulation of the labour market (Sloman, 2004). In essence, what should have been a free market in an economic system is turned into a controlled market. It could be asked why a system which promotes the idea of a free market as described by Adam Smith and many others who came after him actually seeks to regulate labour at all? The notions concerning the acceptance of a free market and competition between individuals seem to run counter to labour regulations and minimum wage laws (Chomsky, 1999). The answer given to solve this apparent disjoint is that regulations are supposed to protect people from those who may exploit them. For instance, without proper regulations created by the government bodies the labour market could become imperfect as factory owners could be unfair to the labour they have employed (Botero et. al., 2004). Richardson (1999) says that, â€Å"regulation of the labour market has been a feature of Western economies since it was proposed as an amelioration of some of the worst abuses of workers experienced during the Industrial Revolution (Richardson, 1999, Pg. 1)†. Undoubtedly, the situation during the Industrial Revolution meant that mill owners could treat their labour as they wished no regulatory controls existed on wages or work hours. The situation might be not have changed much today had there been no control on the market even though writers such as Chomsky (1999) suggest that the neoliberal agenda allows the exploitation of

Avon Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Avon Company - Research Paper Example The company has 43,000 employees, is on the New York Stock exchange with the ticker symbol AVP and the NAIC is 32562 Toilet Preparation Manufacturing and 45439 Other Direct Selling Establishments. The company has recently made efforts to go back to its originating sales model where sales representatives are given a career opportunity through selling their products (Reference for Business, 2011). A new sales Leadership Model, a formation of the Direct-Selling Model, however, has been put into place as the former pyramid model has been a cause for concern with a reputation of impossible goals. The company currently has over 650,000 sales representatives in the United States, however, 70-75% of the sales are still from international subsidiaries. There is a poor retention rate, however, so therefore the three level Leadership Model has provided for a structure of mentorship where each salesperson recruits others and mentors them towards the next level. In the Leadership Model, each sale s person must sell themselves, rather than living off of the sales of others as is done in the pyramid model. (Willet, 2010). According to Avon Company, Inc. (2011), â€Å"Avon has a proven history of delivering first-to-market beauty technologies, making the company a perennial game-changer†. ... As the first product offered by the Avon company, perfume and fragrance products are a central part of the Avon line. Personal Care products are defined by the older, well-respected and popular line Skin-so Soft, as well as newer lines such as Avon Naturals, Liiv Botanicals, Moisture Therapy, and Foot Works. The Haircare lines are an important part of the company as well and are under the brand Advance Techniques, Color Protection, Daily Shine, Damage Repair, Frizz Control, Keep Clear, Volume, Toni Brattin, and Conair. The final division is under the heading Jewelry which has the brand Inspirational Treasures under the general Avon brand. Avon also sells clothing with the brands Curves and Slim Wear as two of the brands underneath the overall basic Avon heading. Avon also sells divisions of goods under the headings home, children, which includes bath and body, fashion, room decor, and toys, men, which highlights a line of skincare and fragrance under the celebrity name Patrick Dempse y (Avon Company, Inc., 2011). Avon also sponsors several lines of products that are associated with fundraising and dedicated to the betterment of the world. The products that are purchased through these divisions go towards contributions to individual organizations that have social relevance. Avon Walk Products are dedicated towards breast cancer awareness and research. Pink Ribbon Products are dedicated towards the same goals as the Avon Walk Products. The Empowerment Collection is dedicated towards women’s empowerment issues and supports various causes that are relevant to the advancement of women’s issues. Finally, Hello Green Tomorrow, which currently only includes an aluminum water bottle, is