Analyze the career and star persona of a contemporary movie star Essay

Analyze the career and star persona of a contemporary movie star - Essay Example At the age of three Lohan began to audition for modeling roles, landing an early job with Ford Models. From this start she gained worked for kids advertising, working for Calvin Klein and Abercrombie and Fitch (Boone). In addition to these print advertisements, as a child Lohan became involved in television commercials. It’s been noted that Lohan participated in as many as one hundred television commercials for major corporate entities during these formative years. As her career progressed Lohan eventually gained acting roles, eventually finding a spot as Alli Fowler in the soap opera Another World (Marcovitz). While it’s somewhat sinister to characterize the young Lohan as having a persona during these formative years, it’s clear that there was a great deal of production and thought put in to the young starlet’s image. In these regards, it appears that the main intent was to present an image of middle class understanding and purity. Lohan became a child w ith whom parents and children could identify with as being typically American easily relatable, just like a child from the neighborhood. As Lohan’s good girl image had been established, she extended her stardom to include films. In 1998 she landed a starring role in the Disney comedy the Parent Trap. In this comedy Lohan continued her appealing and pure star persona, being presented as the typical middle class child. Her stardom grew considerably as a direct result of this film, as critics and outside individuals indicated that her role in the production was one of significant importance (Marshall). Around this time Lohan also had roles in other Disney television movies. Notably, she starred in Life-Size (which included Tyra Banks) and Get a Clue. While her early career had presented Lohan as a highly marketable, and ostensibly middle class child, her persona was further developed during this period. In working within the Disney system, Lohan’s persona clearly became a n element of this production model. While much has been written of the Disney image, in regards to Lohan’s persona, it took on an extremely clean-cut and almost pristine goodness. Being associated with Disney gave Lohan this particular persona that was only cultivated more in interviews and other such press functions. In addition to Lohan’s affiliation with Disney her star power and persona were affected by tabloid stories. For instance, she was romantically linked to Backstreet Boy Aaron Carter. If there were any slightly salacious aspects of Lohan’s life during this period they were related to light-hearted conflicts that the tabloids either generated or uncovered. For instance, there were rumors that Lohan and Hillary Duff had feuded since both actresses had been romantically involved with Carter. As Lohan entered her teenage years her persona shifted slightly to match the challenges and complexities of her teenage self. One of the first films Lohan starred i n during this period was Freaky Friday. Rather than focusing her persona on her Disney like image, Lohan’s teenage self took more prominence. Still, it was highly clear that Lohan was extremely concerned with her image. Originally she was cast as goth-type character, but later had this changed so that

Amazon.coms Business Model Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Amazon.coms Business Model - Research Paper Example As a result of stiff competition in business, the company has devised a new mechanism that aims at cushioning itself from the current inflation and economic recession by engaging in other business such as selling electronic devices, toys, food and music. The company also offers shipping transport to other airlines thus maximizing its profits from all the sectors. The success and economic growth of Amazon Company are grounded on the following principles that are customer oriented: convenience, pricing and selection. From the Swot analysis approach, it has been established that combining these three factors improves the company’s image by developing loyalty, trust and commitment to customers. This is one of the strategies that have been used by Amazon Company to lay off most of its competitors as it enhances high productivity and efficiency in the Company. Part 1.A: Pros of Amazon.com The prosperity and economic growth of Amazon organization is grounded on the following advantag es: Leverage of economies of scale: The company has greatly utilised the availability of fixed assets that are related to distribution and storage of goods by offering shipping services. Through the interaction of many customers the company markets its products thus expanding its market share to other regions of the world. Expansion of the market share: For any company to prosper in the business arena, it should develop strategy plans that aim at distributing its goods and services at the lowest cost. With the advancement of science and technology coupled with the easy access to internet, the company has in the recent time launched a new website. In this website the company has managed to display more goods and services that its offers to consumers thus increasing its sales volume. Localization of goods and services: From the past experiences, the company has realized that most consumers lacked some of the related goods that the company availed in their shelves, hence compelling cus tomers to shop them elsewhere. In order to counteract such effect, Amazon Company has increased the brands of goods by ensuring that there is one-stop shopping centre. Customers are now in a position to buy all their goods from one main location. Provision of availing other related goods: This idea aims at taking into account the needs and preferences of all the customers on the purchased goods. For instance, if a consumer has bought a book and he has eyesight problems, the company should be in a position to sell reading glasses to that customer rather than sending him to other shops. This idea has also improved the company’s image globally in the sense that it consumers are allowed to make orders based on their personal interests and preference. Implementation of effective marketing strategy: Marketing is a crucial facet in an organizational operation because it allows the company to realize the efforts made from the production system. It connects the organizational goals an d objectives with the needs of the customers as stipulated in the market domain. Amazon Company adopted the strategy of market segmentation which allows flexibility in product distribution. Based on the demand and population density, the company produces goods that are specifically meant for a certain portion of the population hence satisfying the needs of consumers. Part 1.B: Cons faced by Amazon Company The journey to the Company’s success has not been smooth without the challenges and drawback as highlighted below. Stiff competition from other companies: The world of business can be compared to a battle field where the mighty survive while the weaklings perish. Consequently, well established organizations have a high chance of

Compliance Between The Patient And Medication

Compliance Between The Patient And Medication Introduction Medication compliance is a significant issue in the care of people with mental health conditions, particularly if the mental health condition is of an enduring and severe nature. The reason for this is that there is an increased likelihood of symptoms returning without the individual maintaining adherence to a prescribed medication regime. Conditions such as schizophrenia, psychosis and bi polar disorder fall under the remit of severe and enduring mental illness and it is reported that medication non compliance is likely to have severe implications to an individuals psychological health and wellbeing (Le Page, 2010). Leahy (2006) estimates that up to 70% of recurrent depression patients and around one half of schizophrenia patients are noncompliant with their prescribed medication and there is also a direct relation between medication noncompliance and an increased need for hospitalisation. This in turn has a whole range of implications in terms of the impact this has on employment, relationships, income, and parental responsibility and of course the impact on resources provided by health providers such as the NHS should also be acknowledged. This assignment will examine and reflect on the case of a 40 year old gentleman with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The gentleman, who shall be referred to as Mr Smith for the purpose of this assignment (names have been changed to ensure client confidentiality as per NMC guidelines) has been receiving neuroleptic depot medication (Flupenthixol) to treat the symptoms of a schizophrenic condition, however Mr Smith has stated that he no longer was willing to accept the administration of the depot injection because he felt better. The assignment will start by briefly exploring the concept of compliance and the consequences of Mr Smith declining to take the prescribed medication and the potential impact this will have on his mental health. The second part of this assignment will reflect on how the practitioner responsible for the care of Mr Smith addressed the issue of facilitating the ongoing adherence to prescribed medication by focusing on theoretical frameworks that supported and encouraged Mr Smith to review his decision and continue to accept his depot injection. Consideration will also be made to legal and ethical frameworks that should be adopted in clinical practice when addressing the issue of medication compliance. Defining Compliance in Mental Health Care The term compliance is defined by the Cambridge dictionary (2010) as being a process where people obey an order, rule or request and that individuals become willing to do what others want, particularly if the other person is a figure of authority. A core definition of compliance provided by Harvey (2004-09) suggests that compliance is the undertaking of activities or establishing practices or policies in accordance with the requirements or expectations of an external authority. Compliance has been defined as the extent to which a persons behaviour coincides with medical or health advice (Haynes, 1974) and although this is an outdated definition the term compliance persists in mental health care today. In contemporary mental health care there are suggestions that the term compliance has negative connotations and it infers that an individual who does not comply is not doing as they are told by the mental health professional (Gray, 2002). Language and communication is an important tool in mental health and it is important to place the individual with mental health problems first by using terminology that is widely acceptable to both service providers and service users (Manzi, 2008). Repper Perkins (1998) support this point of view and indicate that the use of words like compliance infers that patients are passive recipients of health care who should obey instructions from professionals. As modern mental health care is concerned with developing therapeutic alliances to improve outcomes (Hakan and Jan-Ake, 2010) consequently it has been proposed that the term concordance (Gray, 2002) or the phrase medication adherence (Velligan et al., 2009) should replace the use of the word compliance in an attempt to remove the unequal and passive tone the word compliance has. For the purpose of this assignment the word compliance will be substituted by the term adherence as this implies a more collaborative approach between service providers and service users to approach the issue of medication and treatment. Consequences of Medication Non Adherence in Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a complex condition and diagnosis is made on the evidence of an individuals reported experiences (symptoms) and observable behaviours (signs) which commonly may include; delusional thinking; hallucinations, thought interference; ideas of reference, thought disorder; social withdrawal; anxiety and depression (Keen, 2003). Psychiatric treatment for individuals almost always involves drug therapy to stabilise psychotic symptoms and to reduce the individuals risk of relapse (Barker, 2003). There are many different pharmacological preparations available for the treatment of symptoms experienced by an individual diagnosed with schizophrenia and they may include preparations that are taken orally or delivered by intramuscular depot injection. Our Client Mr Smith had been having a depot injection called Flupenthixol to treat the symptoms he experienced following his diagnosis of schizophrenia; as a result it is reported that he had felt better and therefore did not want to have the depot any more. Mr Smith had made a decision not to accept his depot medication any longer however it is well documented in the research and evidence base that this course of action and decision will have a significant impact on his health and global well being. Novick et al. (2010) indicates that non adherence with anti psychotic medications, such as Flupenthixol for patients with schizophrenia and psychosis, is significantly associated with an increased risk of relapse, hospitalization and suicide attempts. There is a significant body of evidence that highlights that the symptoms of schizophrenia return without pharmacological treatment and medication adherence and that there are potentially devastating consequences to the individual with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia if this behaviour of non adherence is adopted (Velligan et al., 2010). Therapeutic Interventions to Promote Adherence As a mental health practitioner it would not be uncommon at some point to experience a clinical interaction with a patient who has made a decision not to continue with their prescribed medication, however the practitioner has the responsibility to understand the reasons behind the patients decision making process and to provide the patient with the biggest opportunity to make an informed and educated decision about declining treatment for a chronic and enduring mental health condition such as schizophrenia. It is important for the mental health practitioner to obtain an understanding of the reasons behind Mr Smiths decision to discontinue his depot medication and to do this the modality of cognitive behavioural therapy can be implemented. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological therapy and aims to help understand the link between thoughts, emotions and behaviour. It teaches individuals skills to overcome problematic thoughts, emotions and behaviour and to find ways of overcoming negative thinking and challenging unhelpful and inaccurate thoughts or beliefs (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2008). The most favourable outcome from CBT is for the individual to develop skills and techniques that enables them to approach situations in a more reasoned and balanced manner which supports problem solving and increases the feelings of being in more control (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2008). An important consideration in relation to implementing CBT and for that matter other therapeutic interventions is that there needs to be an established therapeutic relationship between the client and the mental health practitioner to increase the opportunity for success and for both parties to engage in working towards a common goal; for example for Mr Smith and the mental health practitioner to work towards exploring the issues surrounding medication adherence. NICE (2010) recommends that managing the process of engagement requires professionals to have sensitivity to the perspective of the individual and to understand that the condition can have a profound effect on the persons judgment, their capacity to understand their situation and their capacity to consent to specific interventions. The process of engaging successfully with individuals with schizophrenia may at times require considerable persistence and flexibility from professionals and the establishment of trust is crucial. Both parties may have differing views on what the main problem is and how it should be addressed, however the professional can help with finding common ground and this common ground can establish trust and collaboration (NICE, 2010). To address the issue regarding Mr Smiths decision to no longer adhere to his treatment plan and accept his depot medication for the symptoms of schizophrenia the mental health professional will need to enter into conversations to gain understanding of the patients perspective. One way of achieving this is for the mental health practitioner to adopt motivational interviewing so that the two parties can explore the decision (stopping of the depot injection) and negotiate behaviour change (acceptance of the depot) through the individual (Mr Smith) being able to identify, understand and articulate the benefits (remaining mentally well and symptom free) and costs involved (physical, emotional, family, employment for example will all be impacted upon greatly if symptoms return). Rollnick et al. (2010) indicate that simply giving patients advice to change decisions or behaviour is often unrewarding and ineffective and by adopting motivational interviewing a guiding style helps to engage with patients, helps clarify strengths and aspirations, evoke their own motivations for change and promote autonomy of decision making. The four central principles of motivational interviewing are described by Treasure (2004) as being; the use of reflective listening in an empathetic manner to convey understanding of the patients point of view; tease out ways the behaviour or choice conflicts with the wish to be good or viewed as good; respond with empathy and understanding rather that confrontation and finally support the patient in confidence building to understand change is possible. For Mr Smith and his decision to decline any further depot injections of Flupenthixol it may be very easy for the mental health practitioner and Mr Smith to become embroiled in conflict as the practitioner has the evidence base and clinical knowledge to know that a relapse is somewhat inevitable and the impact on Mr Smiths global wellbeing and function would be significant; however Mr Smith believes that he is now well and therefore no longer needs treatment. By using motivational interviewing techniques the mental health practitioner can actively listen to Mr Smiths reasoning behind the decision he has made in relation to medication adherence; support Mr Smith to see the pros and cons of his decision; assess his confidence and elicit a view on his feelings fears and aspirations; exchange information; support with decision making and goal setting. To give an example of how motivational interviewing may be implemented the practitioner may ask questions such as; I want to try and understand Mr Smith about your decision not to have your depot anymore; can you give me your perspective on why you want to stop taking it? So Mr Smith if you were to stop taking your depot, where do you think that would leave you in terms of remaining well? How important is taking this medication for you right now? Would you mind if I shared with you some information and evidence I have about how the depot injection helps people with schizophrenia remain well and symptom free? And; Okay, can I check with you your understanding of the risks of not accepting the depot anymore? This approach to supporting adherence to medication is reported to be beneficial and it is suggested that the body of evidence continues to grow in support of its effectiveness (Rollnick et al., 2010) and with the many applications in psychiatry it is particularly helpful for use in settings where there is resistance to change (Treasure, 2004). However there are some considerations that need to be identified that may impact on the efficacy of motivational interviewing as a technique to support medication adherence. Firstly one issue to consider is that motivational interviewing is a skill that mental health practitioners need to develop and practice and although the principles are described as easy (Treasure, 2004) putting these principles into practice may not be that simple. There potentially could be many different variables as to why adopting motivational interviewing may not be effective in supporting medication adherence. Barriers that may impact on the success of motivational interviewing in supporting Mr Smith to maintain his medication adherence may include; there not being a therapeutic alliance established between the mental health practitioner and Mr Smith. The reasons for this can be numerous, for example Mr Smith may only recently have been discharged from hospital and the mental health practitioner is his new community psychiatric nurse that he has only met a couple of times; Mr Smith may prefer male workers to female workers and vice versa or even Mr Smith may not feel comfortable having mental health practitioners come to his home and feel unable to engage or discuss issues of importance. Another reason that may impact on the efficacy of the motivational interviewing process to support Mr Smiths adherence to medication is that the mental h ealth practitioner may be constrained by time and resources and therefore not able to deliver the therapeutic process accurately or in a timely. Another issue to consider is that Mr Smiths adherence to medication and decision not to continue to accept the depot may actually be based on the schizophrenic condition relapsing and the decision to withdraw from treatment is being made due to reduced insight and understanding. It is suggested that there are potentially a large range of risk factors that can be present and that are related to the patients individual behaviour and understanding of the impact of schizophrenia and psychosis. These variables are classified as patient related and include poor insight, negative attitude towards medication, symptom severity, history of previous non adherence, substance misuse and cognitive impairment. Other variables may also include treatment, environmental and societal issues such as side effects and complexity of medication regimes family support, side effects, financial problems and lack of access to treatment (Citrome, 2010). Legal and Ethical Considerations It is important for mental health practitioners to understand that there are occasions where more assertive and restrictive approaches such as treatment orders or inpatient hospital care are the only way for adherence to medication to be sustained (Chaplin, 2007). The Mental Capacity Act (2005) provides a framework for the making of decisions for people who lack capacity in England and Wales. Under the Capacity Act healthcare professionals are advised that they must work on the presumption that every adult patient has the capacity to make decisions about their care, and to decide whether to agree to, or refuse, an examination, and investigation or in this instance treatment. A patient is regarded as lacking capacity once it is clear that, having been given all appropriate help and support, they cannot understand, retain, use or weigh-up the information needed to make that decision, or communicate their wishes. Therefore in this instance Mr Smith must be presumed to have capacity to make the decision not to adhere to the treatment plan unless there is evidence that he is no longer able to provide reasoned information to support his decision due to the presence of severe mental illness. It would be at this juncture that the mental health practitioner would look to ensuring Mr Smiths best interests are explored and this may result in an assessment under the Mental Health Act (1983), however until this time the mental health practitioner may continue to use the therapeutic alliance and CBT and motivational interviewing techniques to support the adherence process. The success of a therapeutic alliance is often based on trust and to establish trust the mental health practitioner must respect the patients ethical right to autonomy. Autonomy for Mr Smith would be the right to decide and determine whether or not to accept or decline his depot injection even if the refusal meant that his mental health would deteriorate and the consequences to his global wellbeing become severely impaired. It would be unethical for the mental health practitioner to coerce, threaten or manipulate Mr Smith into having the depot injection particularly if he has the mental capacity to make the decision to decline further treatment. For the mental health practitioner to behave in this manner would not only be a breach of professional and ethical conduct it would also potentially jeopardize any therapeutic alliance that had been developed. Addressing Risk Mr Smiths decision to become non adherent to prescribed medication presents a requirement for detailed risk planning and assessment to ensure the well being of Mr Smith, his family and friends and those providing care to him is sustained. Mental health practitioners have a duty of care to assess risk using a formulated tool that has been adopted by their employer and mental health service. The calculation of risk must be based on the practitioners knowledge, skills and competence and value should be placed on the process of risk taking, following assessment and in the context of appropriate management, as it will increase the practitioners ability to help clients to achieve their potential. However, there should be awareness that there may be conflicts between professional accountability and the autonomy of the client (UKCC, 1998). Risk issues that may be identified for Mr Smith are individual and related to the course and nature of his experience of Schizophrenia, this is why it is important for the practitioner to have established a therapeutic alliance with him so that discussions can be held about risk issues and care planning can be done collaboratively to reduce the risk impact. Conclusion Medication adherence in schizophrenia is a complex issue with the consequences of non adherence impacting significantly on the global function and mental well being of individuals who make the decision to not adhere to their medication treatment plan. Through the process of collaboration and the development of therapeutic alliances between mental health professionals and patients it is suggested that adherence can be improved and sustained and that interventions such as CBT and motivational interviewing makes psychoeducation a cornerstone of many adherence interventions (Zygmunt et al., 2002). Mental health practitioners should have an understanding that medication adherence is less likely to occur in patients with severe mental illness who are not engaged with mental health services and who are not exposed to a good therapeutic relationship. One of the most common themes that have been identified throughout this assignment and in the evidence base is that the therapeutic alliance between a patient and mental health professional should never be underestimated particularly when it comes to supporting medication adherence in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Free the Children, by Craig Kielburger Essay -- abusive child labor

Iqbal Masih was just four years old when his single mother used him as collateral on a loan between a local employer of a carpet weaving factory in Pakistan to pay for her eldest son’s wedding. For the six long years he was employed, a typical workday included at least 14 hour shifts for six days a week with only one 30 minute break. Even though Iqbal lived under terrible conditions and the relentless threats of abuse, his mother had no choice but to keep borrowing money from the employer to make ends meet at home. Employers charging high interest rates and increasing the total debt owed by a family was not out of the ordinary. Masih’s employer included fines to the original loan when he erred on the job and for the daily bowl of rice—making freedom an unattainable goal. During the six years he was â€Å"employed†, the debt increased from a mere 600 rupees ($6.06) to 13,000 rupees ($13.13). But with the aid of an organization for human rights, Masih escaped at the age of ten and was soon after enrolled in school. After his escape, he helped others break free and traveled to numerous countries as an advocate against child labor. Sadly, at the young age of 12, he was murdered under mysterious conditions, which gave way to conspiracy stories. The fact that the stories from key witnesses changed on more than one occasion did not help the truth come out. Major newspapers around the world wrote about Masih’s story, even though it was often demoted towards the end of the newspaper. It was not long before both the media and the public disregarded it. A little less than seven thousand miles away from Pakistan, however, another 12-year-old boy in Thornhill, Canada devoted Masih’s story to memory, an undertaking that signified the beginning ... ...urger. Every person begins as an average person, but somewhere down the road they realize what they are doing is not enough. As a result of this enlightenment, they walk down a different path than others and stand up for what they believe in. It is this commitment that changes this ordinary person into an extraordinary individual. They embark on adventures that are said to be hopeless and succeed in attaining it. Arising from there – a tenacious resolution to do what is morally correct – nothing is no boundary for what can be accomplished. Works Cited http://history1900s.about.com/od/1990s/a/IqbalMasih.htm Craig Kielburger, Kevin Major, Free the Children, (New York: Harper Collins, 1998), p. 10. bid. Free the Children p. 280 http://www.peaceheroes.com/CraigKielburger/craigkielburgerbio.htm#Top http://www.freethechildren.org/aboutus/history-ftc.htm

Psych Educational

Across subject areas and levels, educational research has identified several discrete skills related to an overall ability for critical thinking. These are: †¢ Finding analogies and other kinds of relationships between pieces of information †¢ Determining the relevance and validity of information that could be used for structuring and solving problems †¢ Finding and evaluating solutions or alternative ways of treating problemsEducational research has found several discrete skills related to an overall ability for critical thinking; finding analogies and other kinds of relationships, determining the relevance and validity of information, and finding and evaluating solutions or alternative ways of treating problems (Potts, Bonnie (1994). Strategies for teaching critical thinking. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 4(3). Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://PAREonline. net/getvn. asp? v=4&n=3 . This paper has been viewed 115,891 times since 11/13/1999. ). Ref erences Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundation of thought and action: A social cognitive theory.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Brewer, E. W. , Campbell, A. C. , Petty, G. C. (2000). Foundations of Workforce Education. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Huitt, W. , & Hummel, J. (1998). The Behavioral System. Retrieved via the World Wide Web, February 15, 2002. Available at: http://www. edpsycinteractive. org/topics/behavior/behovr. html Parkay, F. W. & Hass, G. (2000). Curriculum Planning (7th Ed. ). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Shaffer, D. (2000) Social and Personality Development (4th Ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning. Skinner, B. (1972). Utopia through the control of human behavior.In John Martin Rich, ed. , Readings in the Philosophy of Education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. What is ABA? http://rsaffran. tripod. com/whatisaba. html Instructional Scenarios Here are some scenarios that portray educational applications of behaviorism: Scenarios for Using Behaviorism Bibliography Additional Resources Citation APA Citation: Standridge, M.. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed. ), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved , from http://projects. coe. uga. edu/epltt/ Retrieved from â€Å"http://projects. coe. uga. edu/epltt/index. php? title=Behaviorism†

Global Brand Roll-Out Essay

Gross world product up 2.5% in 2005, following two years of < 1% growth. Overall emerging market economies exploding; + 10% GDP growth in China and + 6% growth in Latin America. Political values in emerging markets may make it difficult for foreign competition to enter market without domestic partner and / or; foreign investment & market diversification less attractive (import / export tariffs). Situational Analysis Situational Analysis Industry Purpose of the Oral Personal Care industry is to prevent teeth and gum diseases and deliver cosmetic benefits. Scope of the industry includes toothpaste, floss, mouth rinses and toothbrushes. Industry Definition Competition Colgate has dominant market value share in China (32%) and Mexico (82%). China market fragmented with Colgate & P&G representing 53% of share. Situational Analysis Industry Product Development growth strategy with launches of premium tier brand extensions Crest Whitening Expressions (US) Crest With Scope (US), Colgate Icy Fresh (China), Crest Cool Expressions (MX). Brand Position: Competition Strategy (P&G) C+S = toothpaste + mouthwash + whitening CWE / CCE = flavor + toothpaste + whitening Entering Emerging Markets under its Crest brand without JV partners. Leveraging x-brand scale with Crest + Scope. Built its brand around therapeutic benefits, while cosmetic benefits market growing fastest in Emerging Markets. Innovating in cosmetic segment; a historic Colgate stronghold. Heavily invests in advertising behind new product launches. Situational Analysis Growth Market Strategies Porter Five Forces Analysis Global Oral Personal Care Colgate Palmolive Oral Care SWOT Analysis Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy Pricing: Positioned as a super-premium brand, price parity to Crest Cool Expressions (14.99 – 15.99 pesos). Marketing Budget: $2MM marketing budget aimed to drive trial through in-store merchandising, sampling, and public relations. Corporate Marketing Strategy Objectives Colgate Max Fresh (CMF) Mexico Marketing Plan Strategic Growth driven by high margin core business. Advertising focused on high margin products and high potential markets. Innovation driven: 40% of sales from products launched in past 5 years. Tactical Growth Strategy: Product Development; Super Premium segment Growth Targets: China 2% YR1, 2.8% YR2; MX 5% YR1, 6% YR2 value share. Will require trading up consumers. Value Proposition: CMF would drive new dimension of freshness Target Market: Geared towards 18-34 yr. old adults (female oriented); augment Colgate’s strong competitive position in Value & Mid-Tier. Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy Will US developed media plans translate? Can Colgate effectively trade-up consumers? What impact will cannibalization have on profitability? Is market large enough in Mexico for premium segments? Will benefits of CMF convey to Mexico consumers? BASES testing and Consumer Viability Index showed marginal promise.. CMF Marketing Concerns for Mexico Symptoms of Colgate Palmolive’s Primary Problem Emerging Market consumers are price sensitive Crest attacking cosmetic segment Consumers experiment through trial vs. large initial purchase Despite Growth in key areas Colgate-Palmolive operating profits and net income are down. +6.5% unit volume growth +7% sales dollar growth +0.1% growth in gross profit margin -2% Operational Profit -7% Net Income To drive growth Colgate-Palmolive is looking to focus on higher margin core businesses. Core Elements of the Strategic Problem In the US toothpaste market CP is seeing a 3.1% increase in volume of sales attributable to the Super Premium Toothpaste Category. Global Strategic Opportunity exists in the Premium Toothpaste market. Represents $75 M sales dollar increase and total market cap of $409.5 M dollars Only the Premium Toothpaste Category is growing at a substantial rate. In 2004 CP captured ~60% of that Sales Dollar Increase in the US largely dues to the introduction of Colgate Max Fresh. In order to continue to grow CP must find a way to develop their Premium Toothpaste product CMF in emerging countries. Colgate Palmolive’s Primary Problem Would the costs of adopting CMF in each new country provide sufficient incremental sales and profits to justify the added complexity of localized marketing and rollout plans associated with those new markets. Colgate-Palmolive must continue to globalize its Premium Toothpaste Strategy. Any solution must balance they cost of localization with the expected sales and profit increase for each new market. Also it is in Colgate-Palmolive’s best interest to develop reusable guidelines as it approaches other new markets similar to China and Mexico. Colgate Palmolive’s Secondary Problems Type 1: Establish a tactical marketing plan for the CMF rollout in an emerging market where Colgate-Palmolive has little previously established presence(China) Type 2: Establish a tactical marketing plan for the CMF rollout in an established market that has high competitor activity(Mexico). In order to establish an effective global strategy two types of secondary problems must be solved in the Colgate Max Fresh Case Study: Any solution must balance they cost of localization with the expected sales and profit increase for each new market. Secondary Problem Detail Need to introduce a product to push Colgate-Palmolive profitability Colgate has worldwide share, the only way to expand is to drive high margin business. China(new markets) have strongly entrenched local brands. Colgate Max fresh will need to compete with its own joint venture brand Darlie(High End). Due to new product introduction at the Super Premium Toothpaste Market competitor Crest has 3% growth year to year, Colgate Equity Brands have been stagnant for 3 years. CP is not only loosing out on possible profits but also slowly loosing market share to its #1 competitor. Market is unfamiliar with CMF â€Å"breath strips† US Marketing Video will be ineffective due to the US Star involved. Is it worth creating new celebrity backed marketing content? Will the Go Big or Go Home strategy work in China and other similar markets? How can Colgate-Palmolive best enter the Chinese Market with CMF. China Secondary Problem Detail Colgate-Palmolive knows P&G will be introducing Crest Cool Expressions(CWE) in Mexico in the near future. CO must develop the best marketing plan to stunt P&G Crest Cool Expressions while protecting their overwhelming market share. 82% Value share for Colgate-Palmolive CP needs to create a marketing plan to introduce CMF with limited budget and maximize regional utility. Due to CP’s large inherent market share, the goal of the Mexican campaign will be to maximize the product funnel. There is a large opportunity present to upsell customers from the Big Red Brand toothpaste to the new CMF toothpaste. Mexico See Exhibit 17 – Will waiting to introduce CMF until after the CWE product introduction change the company estimates of profitability? Can the Mexico Snowsurfer commercial be better standardized for global marketing plans? Going forward how will CP utilize this marketing plan for future markets? Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Locally make the clear bottle Works for China, not Mexico China Allows for ease of expansion of the Colgate Max Fresh brand in clear bottle to other regional locales Also, provides future capabilities for use in other new products Problems: This does add 20% variable cost to COGS Initiates a 6 month delay on production $1.5 M sunk cost before production Alternatives Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Regional Market Alternatives Mexico China Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Provide more trial availability with the smaller packages to sway more to give CMF a try CMF has the breath strips or â€Å"cooling crystals† within the toothpaste, therefore bundle the breath strips package with CMF to build awareness. Stop utilizing celebrities to promote CMF Provide regional flavors Keeps product as a premium product Cost of $200,000 per flavor Has shown promising outcomes in other regions In China, Crest utilized a tea flavor and Colgate a salt flavor In Russia, after releasing a local flavor, the toothpaste market share rose from 11.8% in 2002 to 24.9% in 2005. Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Allows for greater differentiation between the CWE toothpaste In Mexico, drop the price from 15.99 pesos to 14.99 pesos to protect a greater share of CP market share. In Mexico and other markets CP is highly entrenched in, utilize clear bottle In Mexico, Keep the price at 15.99 pesos Implementation Strategic Vs. Tactical Plans The strategic plan moving forward for emerging markets will be to use an easily customizable commercial and adapt it to multiple countries Colgate is the dominant toothpaste brand world wide, so our primary goal will be to prevent Crest from gaining market share and also to upsell our existing customers to the super premium segment We agree with the decision to use a celebrity commercial in China due to the size of the market share the Crest is cultivating Each region and culture has a different set of values and preferences Each region will have a unique tactical plan to maximize effectiveness Jay Chou Colgate Max Fresh Commercial Implementation in China Dispensing the toothpaste in clear bottles to build brand awareness Colgate-Palmolive has invested a large amount of capitol in the Max Fresh marketing campaign Maximize the return on investment by: Transition to less expensive packaging once consumers are familiar with product Include breath strip samples with Max Fresh tooth paste in selected markets Snowsurfer Commercial (English Dub) Implementation in Mexico Our strategies in Mexico will be very similar to our plan in other emerging markets Focus will be on preserving our market share instead of new growth Use clear bottle and breath strip samples in select markets to increase brand awareness Colgate accounts for 82% of total market share compared to 10.2% of Crest’s total market share Crest + Scope only accounts for 3%of total market share Set price at 14.99 pesos per 100 ml We will re-evaluate our Colgate Total (19.36 pesos per 100 ml) marketing campaign to focus on the affluent 40+ age group to minimize cannibalization Implementation in Brazil Characteristics of the Brazilian Market 71% of Brazilians agree that â€Å"music is an important part of my life† 33% have participated in trips to the beach in the last 30 days 76% agree that â€Å"it is important to be attractive to the opposite sex† 65% agree that â€Å"it is important to keep young looking† 32% express the desire for plastic surgery in order to improve their appearance Statistics from Geoff Wicken, KMR Group Tactical Strategy Brazil Vollyball is the 2nd most popular sport in Brazil To become a sponsor on the FIVB circuit, we must apply by July 31, 2006 Update packaging to include â€Å"Made in Brazil† The busy season in Rio De Janeiro December to March, so we recommend kicking off a medial marketing campaign in October 2006 This will give Colgate-Palmolive a chance to evaluate the success of the BreathStrip samples in China and Mexico If we do not see the return on investment we will not include the promotional packaging in Brazil Brazilians place a high emphasis on being attractive to the opposite sex, which means there could a tremendous opportunity to market Colgate Max Fresh as a product that will whiten teeth and make you more â€Å"kissable† Adapt the SnowSurfer commercial to the Brazilian market Sponsor a national beach vollyball tournament Conclusion Colgate-Palmolive is actively seeking ways to increase their operating profit and net income Introducing new high margin products to emerging markets will be critical to their success Marketing Colgate Max Fresh as efficiently and effectively as possible will be necessary in helping us achieve our financial goals UNILEVER

Gehtto Dances essays

Gehtto Dances essays For four years I have been at this school and within those four years, I have yet to attend a dance that I could call anything but "ghetto." In fact, people from other schools are kind of petrified to attend Tilghman dances because they are so "ghetto." Teenagers dream of the perfect dances, but at Tilghman the dances are far from perfect. So why is it that the dances aren't always the dances of our dreams? One simple answer, we don't have the money to afford what is seen on those teen movies. You know, the ones with the big staircases and the ice sculptures. Homecoming is another dance that has never met up to my standards. I have never understood why this night is not made a bigger deal. We crown a king and queen, but after that, it's over. Every other school makes a huge production out of homecoming night. They get all dressed up, get their hair done, and head to the dance to have a little fun. But, at Tilghman, homecoming is not a big deal at all. It is just simply another night for PTHS students. Although some students may get their hair done, the fanciest outfit that I have ever seen at homecoming is a pair of black pants with a scandalous top. The fact that we don't dress up can be dealt with. I mean, I am not complaining that I don't have to go out and spend 100 dollars on a homecoming dress. But, the actual dance itself is just pitiful. Arriving at any Tilghman dance, there is always a group of people that are dancing in the middle of the room. Usually the people that are daring enough to dance either can't dance or get stopped in the middle of their dancing by chaperones because their dancing is too vulgar. To the side of these daring dancers are a group of people who have chosen to seclude themselves from the fun. They either don't like the music or don't like the dancing. I think that dances would be more enjoyed by the whole student body if the DJ were to play all sorts of music. While m...

Deferred Compensation

Deferred Compensation Deferred compensation plans are arrangements by which a part of an employee’s compensation is paid at a later date, or put into investment instruments that the employee can only access at some point in the future Benefits and Hazards of Deferred Compensation There is a large variety of deferred compensation plans, arrangements by which a part of an employee’s compensation is paid at a later date, or put into investment instruments that the employee can only access at some point in the future. There are two basic reasons for deferred compensation. From the employee’s point of view, it reduces  or at least postpones his income tax liability. For employers, deferred compensation helps to manage payroll costs and can be used as an incentive for better employee performance. Types of Deferred Compensation The most common type of deferred compensation plan is the â€Å"defined contribution plan†: A  portion of the employee’s pay is deducted and invested on his behalf, usually in some form of mutual fund.   These are familiar to workers in the US as the â€Å"401(k)†, named after the section of Internal Revenue Code that pertains to them. The deferment from the employee’s salary is made before income taxes are withheld, which is a benefit to both employees and the employer. Employees do not pay taxes on their investments until they withdraw them sometime in the future, and employers are able to reduce the amount of withheld taxes they must remit to the government. Many employers also match all or part of the employee’s contribution, providing an extra incentive for employees to participate in the program; this helps to reduce the company’s transactions costs for maintaining the investment package. In the US, 401(k) programs have the added security of being protected by law from creditors in case of the company’s bankruptcy, although the value of the employees’ investments can fluctuate; in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, millions of US workers saw the value of their 401(k) savings drop as stock markets plummeted. Other kinds of deferred compensation packages not covered by the same regulations as 401(k) programs are more risky, although they generally offer higher returns. Non-401(k) programs are generally only offered to the highest-earning employees who also pay the highest rates of income tax. The main reason for these kinds of programs is that there are legal limits on the amount of money that can be deferred into a 401(k). The main risk is that there is much less regulation of non-401(k) programs, and they are not protected from bankruptcy. Many workers in the US discovered they had lost their investments in the wake of the financial crisis when their employers declared bankruptcy. Read also:  Financial Rewards  |  Money Makes the World Go Around Stock purchase plans and stock option plans are also common forms of deferred compensation: In a stock purchase plan, the company establishes a trust to receive employee contributions, which are converted to shares of the company’s stock.   Stock purchase plans are regulated in much the same manner as 401(k) programs, the only real difference being that instead of contributions being invested in an array of mutual funds, they are only reinvested in the company. The plan is popular with employers and employees alike; for employers, the stock purchase program is reflected in better cash flow and tax savings and is seen as a useful tool to increase employee productivity. Employees benefit by gaining an ownership stake in the company, and some small degree of control over the growth in value of their investments. Stock option plans differ in that the employee is not actually compensated in the form of stock, but â€Å"earns† options to purchase the company’s stock at a low fixed price in the future.   A stock option plan has most of the same benefits as a stock purchase plan  but allows the company to keep control over its shares for a longer period. Employees in rapidly-growing companies benefit the most from stock option plans; a well-known recent example is Facebook, which launched a highly-publicized – and unintentionally controversial – IPO in 2012. Facebook employees who had exercised their options prior to the IPO were able to profit handsomely from the high price Facebook shares fetched in the market, but their returns were reduced somewhat by a condition that they hold their shares for a time before selling them; Facebook’s share price dropped rapidly after the IPO, so employees who waited too long to sell shares saw very little profit, or even lost money in some cases. Another less well-known version of a stock-based deferred compensation plan is called the â€Å"phantom† stock plan: It provides employees benefits similar to those they would receive from owning company stock, without actually giving stock to the employees.   For example, employees might be compensated in â€Å"stock credits† equivalent to shares of stock, from which they can receive bonus payments based on the stock’s performance or dividends paid. Because phantom stock plans are hard to regulate and do not provide many benefits to employers as conventional purchase or option plans. What Should  Employees Look for in Deferred Compensation Plans? Because deferred compensation programs are based on investments that can lose as well as gain value, employees considering a compensation offer should make sure they understand the details of the deferred compensation package. 401(k) programs are the most highly-regulated and most secure  but vary in the specific funds or investment instruments they contain. In the 2008 financial crisis, many 401(k) holders watched their investments vanish  because a large number of 401(k) funds were heavily invested in popular but ultimately worthless mortgage-backed securities. For stock-based deferred compensation plans, the biggest issue is what part of the employee’s compensation the plan is supposed to represent since it is very difficult to quantify the future value of stock. Employees should ask for details about whether a certain level of returns or other incentives is guaranteed, and what limits are imposed on stock purchases or sales. Compensation is compensation, whether deferred or not, and it is up to an  employee  to decide whether or not what he can expect to earn, in whatever form he will receive it, is a fair exchange for his work.

Apache Corporation Essay Example for Free

Apache Corporation Essay Apache Corporation was formed in 1954, based on the idea of becoming significant and prosperous in the oil industry. The company took $250,000 of investor capital, paired it with fierce determination and now Apache Corporation is considered one of the top independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world (â€Å"Apachecorp.com†, 2012). Apache Corporation operates in both domestic and international markets exploring for, developing, and producing natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids (â€Å"Apachecorp.com†, 2012). On December 31, 2011, the Company had production in the United States, Canada, Egypt, and Australia. Offshore production exists in the United Kingdom, the North Sea, and Argentina. Looking into the future Apache plans to continue to explore other countries for new discoveries and development opportunities (â€Å"Apachecorp.com†, 2012). The success of any business depends on the ability to adapt to the environment it operates in. As part of the oil and gas industry Apache Corporation operates in a global business environment known for its competitiveness. The company has shown growth in production thirty one of the last thirty three years and throughout those years change has been a constant companion. Wide swings in oil prices have become commonplace in the world today, the price of a barrel of oil changes almost daily. Operating in other countries means that political unrest and changes in government policies must be addressed, as well as oil industry regulations that are constantly evolving. Apache Corporation has withstood the changes in business environment for 57 years and remains committed to successfully embracing the changes yet to come. Over the last 10 years the most significant technological advance for the industry has been the coupling of horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing techniques. This new method allows the development of resources that are trapped in shale and other areas that have been nearly impossible to mine in the past. Apache Corporation now applies this technology worldwide (â€Å"Apachecorp.com†, 2012). This method is also used by nearly all other companies in the industry including the comparison companies Devon and Anadarko. According to the 2011 Apache Corporation Annual Report the company showed a profit for the year and the debt ratio is 0.22. One top competitor Anadarko Petroleum located in San Antonio Texas has a debt ratio of .65 and showed a loss for the 2011 year (â€Å"Hoovers†, 2012). A second top competitor Devon Energy located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma had a better year in 2011, this company did show a profit and their debt ratio is 0.48 (â€Å"Hoovers†, 2012). Within the gas and oil industry the overall financial status of Apache Corporation is sound. Working in a high risk industry the production risks are balanced by both geographic diversification and a mix of high and low risk properties in the portfolio (â€Å"Hoovers†, 2012). With approximately 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserve Apache Corporation is positioned to maintain their current momentum. The natural gas product is sold most often at current market prices while the crude oil is marketed directly to integrated marketers and refineries. Contract terms are generally 30 days with automatic renewal until canceler at current market prices which change almost daily (â€Å"Apachecorp.com†, 2012). Apache Corporation has been exploring for and producing oil and gas products for over 50 years. The company has been successful and appears to be a sound investment. In this analysis we have reviewed the business environment, financial health and use of technology for Apache Corporation for the purpose of deciding whether or not to invest in the company. References http://www.apachecorp.com/Resources/Upload/file/investors/Apache_AR_2011.pdf Hoovers. (2012).

Sex, Lies and Conversation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sex, Lies and Conversation Paper - Essay Example One of the key differences is that men do not like to face a women while talking in contrast women prefer to face a man while talking either it a serious issue or not. For example, men feel comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings while physically turned away from the person they are talking to since they associated direct eye contact with confrontation. To illustrate this when an individual and a friend are walking or enjoying a ride, one does not have to face one another since one is going to lose concentration on what they are doing and this makes them to be active on what they are doing. On the other hand, women stand directly facing each other to attract the attention of an individual and failure to maintain eye contact associate it with disinterest and rudeness. Women base their argument that if one is not honest, he will not look at someone directly to the eyes which is actually true since when on is being lectured by parent one fells guilty and would not maintain eye contact . Another key difference is change of subject or a topic that is being discussed by individuals. Men tend to keep on changing topic that is being discussed while women tend to stick to one topic until it has been completely discussed to their satisfaction. For example, Ruth and William are friends to me and they are married couples, Ruth talks about why men cheat to their spouse but William changes the topic and talk about how the economy is bad. This angers Ruth since she feels bad since the topic is about their relationship and William seems not to care. This theory shows that men are impatient and they tend to change subjects and cause conflict. Another difference is how men and women comfort others, men tend to see as if everything is okay while women offer support and encouragement to their friends. For example when one is bad economic situation a man will just say that it is normal but a woman

Progression in History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Progression in History - Essay Example We have almost everything at the tip of fingers. The use of science and technology has created doors for us to discover a lot of things, like in the field of investigation wherein we now have advanced tools that can recreate bullet impacts or match DNA just from a single hair strand or even just a small piece of skin. Digital imaging help recreate faces from the skulls buried long ago and excavated days ago. We have gone a long way in terms of science and technology but have we progressed or have we just adapted to the times? Through this paper, I seek to deliberate whether there is human progression or just adaptation. The different periods in time, from the Old Age to the Modern era, shows us that humans are pursuing different areas of development. We have expansion, arts and culture, science and technology and even political dominion. The different periods in time give us a glimpse on how human life has moved from one dimension to another. So is there progress or do we regress fro m time to time that’s why we look back at history and rediscover things? The Machiavellian notion of human progress is associated with the fixed human nature, that human nature is geared towards change and development because of desire and ambition (Gutfreund, 208). With this, Machiavelli sees progress as a goal, an end result that moves towards man’s ambition and desire to become better and more powerful. This indicates that human progress is not fixed rather than an effect of the human fixed on it nature (Lemon, 105). For Machiavelli, there is no real progress in human history, rather, there is a continuous experience, by which, we learn, grow, and move towards our ambition and desire. There is no such thing as meaning in history, only learning, as human experiences are guided by human nature, a clear statement that indicates that progress is non-existent and what humans experience are their natural-born instincts. This is partly what I personally believe as human pr ogress. That it is associated with human nature. But I don’t agree with Machiavelli that human nature is fixed and unchanging towards desire and ambition. Because of experience and learning, humans develop, mature and change. For me, progress means to change for the better. It means development and improvement. But it is more than that, progress is a combination of stability, change and growth. With this, I agree with Luther’s notion of progress and its relation to a struggle. For Luther, progress is a goal towards justice, by which humans need to sacrifice and to suffer before being able to reach it (Paulson, 90). Luther’s progress is a goal towards justice and equality. His progress is idealistic. With this, it contradicts with my belief that progress is associated with human nature. Human nature is not idealistic. It has flaws, that’s why humans need to look back and understand the past and use these learnings in order to move towards progression. But human’s are not perfect and ideal, that’s why we always regress to old habits and make the same mistakes. Progress, then, is a continuous struggle, but not to Luther’s goal of justice and equality, but to human’s desire to become better. Bacon’s belief in the notion of progress created an idea that technological advancement is associated to progress (Attar, 70). For him, science and technology are the means to control nature, that humans can

Position Paper on Mountaintop Coal Mining in Appalachia Essay

Position Paper on Mountaintop Coal Mining in Appalachia - Essay Example Therefore, mountaintop coal mining should be reviewed if the cultural heritage and the welfare of the Appalachia communities are to be preserved. This paper explores the impacts of mountaintop mining on Appalachia, impacts that enforcement of regulations by the EPA might have on the future of coal and the extent of reliance on this particular source of coal as well as the opportunities the industry might have moving forward. The Impacts of Mountaintop Mining On Appalachia Socioeconomic Impact Coal mining in Appalachia remains an important contributor to the economy of Appalachia region providing thousands with jobs. However, the disadvantages connected with mountaintop removal coal mining in the region far much outweigh the benefits. Mountaintop removal means no jobs for underground miners and is a huge barrier to the development and diversification of the economy of the Appalachia region. The residents of Appalachia also suffer the highest level of socioeconomic disadvantages. These socioeconomic disparities have been closely link with the impact of coal mining in the area (Hendryx 9). Coal mining in Appalachia perpetuates poverty in the region. ... n Appalachia remains a major contributor of underdeveloped infrastructure, deformed landscape, poorly educated population, chronic ailments among residents and the inability to focus on sustainable businesses (Hendryx 10). Communities near mining sites where mountaintops are blown up are often exposed to strong flash floods. Mountaintop removal mining practice remove trees on steep slopes, which makes water to flow freely from the slopes into the valleys making it dangerous for individuals who occupy those areas. Impact to General Health Appalachia is amongst the unhealthiest palaces to be in the United States. â€Å"Appalachian population experiences higher rates of chronic illnesses compared with the nation as a whole† (Ludke and Obermiller 56). Communities in Appalachia frequently suffer from heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and lung diseases, which are all linked with mountaintop mining. Mountaintop removal mining approach in Appalachia has direct and indirect connections to health issues in the area. Numerous health researches conducted in Appalachia have indicated the adverse impacts of mountaintop removal mining. For instance, one study by Gregory J. Pond indicated that over 90 percent of 27 Appalachian streams were impaired in accordance with Clean Water Act standards. In the same study, it was established that none of the ten streams sampled from none mine areas were impaired (Holzman A478), which indicates the dire consequences of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. Human health in Appalachian Mountains where mountaintop mining takes place has been deteriorating over the years. The washing of coal requires the use of approximately sixty chemicals including heavy metals, which are intrinsically available in coal. Heavy metals such as lead are known

Ethical Decision Making Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Decision Making - Research Paper Example Higher education is not like other industries. It includes a number of educational aspects such as; academics, human resources, sports, housing, food services, health care, business, legal compliance, security, research and development, international affairs, economic development, and legislative affairs. The higher education industry deals with all these educational endeavors with contrasting interests, the allocation of resources among these endeavors gives rise to an ethical dilemma for the decision makers. The functions and people involved in each of these endeavors compete for critical resources as each endeavor is considered to be important by the people involved in it. However, the leadership is faced by the problem of deciding which educational endeavor to be given more or less of the overall resources. It is the responsibility of the leaders to determine what and how every function of higher education receives an equitable share of the limited resources within an institution . The following report will consider the factors that should be considered by the leaders before making decisions regarding allocation of resources and the issues inherent in such decisions. Administrative Function Administrative function of an organization consists of the performance management which is responsible for making and implementing major decisions of the organization. In case of higher education, the administrative function is responsible for the management of all the educational endeavors undertaken by the institute. The major operation of the administrative function is to manage and allocate the available resources to the educational endeavors. The resource that are allocated include; the teaching faculty, the space i.e. the classrooms, funds for curricular and extra-curricular activities, and funds for maintenance of each faculty. The ethical dilemma faced by the administrative function is the equitable distribution of resources available. There are a number of educat ional endeavors run by the administrative function at the same time and each endeavor holds significance for the teaching faculty and students in the respective function. It may not be ethical for the administrative function to allocate more resources to one function and less to the other however in certain circumstances it becomes necessary for such allocation as some functions are more demanding as compared to others. Some functions require an extensive intervention of practical aspect along with the theoretical therefore the administrative function needs to allocate extra funds to such function so that the practical activities may be carried out properly. This situation may cause a lack of funds for other functions. Similarly, some educational endeavors may require a highly experienced teaching staff while the others may not rely on the teaching staff significantly. In this case, the administrative function is faced by the ethical dilemma regarding the allocation of teaching staf f. It may be unfair for other functions if one or some of the functions get a highly experienced teaching staff. Ethical Decision Making Ethical decision making is the making of decisions after proper consideration of all the ethical implications of the decisions (Ford et al., 1994). In the case described above, the administrative function needs to exercise ethical decision making in order to deal with the ethical dilemmas regarding the proper allocation of resources among different

COMUNICATION Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

COMUNICATION - Coursework Example A skill that I am very excited about improving is people skills. People skills involve a wide range of interpersonal skills including assertion skills, collaboration, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. I am very excited about improving my people skills because doing so will make a better professional. People skills help people in business because they enable the person to adapt to the situation based on the audience the person is communicating with. For example a manager can use his people skills to persuade a supplier to lower their prices. People skills can benefit people from any professional background. Doctors utilize people skills to gain the trust of their patients. Once this occurs the doctor will have a returning client. I need to make improvements in my people skills to improve my ability to interact with other students. In college a lot of learning takes place outside of the classroom. Students with good people skills are able to interact with all types of pe rsons in an effective manner. I realized that in order for me to succeed in the business world I have to improve my people skills due to fact that these skills are valuable tools that can enhance a person’s career opportunities. People skills can help me improve my interactions in everyday life. People skills can help me achieve better results when dealing with governmental employees.

Acquisition in the mining sector of Austrailia Essay

Acquisition in the mining sector of Austrailia - Essay Example To strengthen their financial position dominant players of this industry across world, and especially in Australia turned to mergers and acquisitions. Year 2011 witnessed global mergers and acquisition of $.162, 439 million with 43percent higher than previous year in terms of value (e Ernst & Young, 2012). In Australia alone, total value of M&A deals in mining and metal sectors in year 2011 was $.38, 594 million as compared to $.23, 469 million in the year 2010. Mergers and acquisitions in mining and metal sectors of Australia also witnessed large inbound and outbound deals. This report sheds lights on the aim and objective of these deals based on two case studies from Australian mining sector. Case studies used for the purpose are: Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources ($.805 million) and BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining ($.732 million). Both deals been successfully completed in year 2011with both parties of two deals belonging to same continent. The two case studies witnessed ove rall aim of acquisitions by two firms to enhance their resource base, increased synergy in their operations and undertake low risk transactions. The capital agenda guiding these transactions was to preserve, optimize, raise and invest capital (e Ernst & Young, 2012). Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources was mainly driven by motif to increase it resource base. BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining was aimed to improve synergy and efficiency in operation with undertaking contractor firm within BHP Billiton’s umbrella. Successful completion of deals benefitted both parties as well as their shareholders. In the end with reference to the academic literature both deals are discussed to extract level of alignment and support from literature. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 ACQUISITION IN THE MINING SECTOR OF AUSTRAILIA 4 ATLAS IRON ACQUIRING GIRALIA RESOURCES 8 DEAL DETAILS 9 BHP BILLITON ACQUIRING HWE MINING 12 DEAL DETAILS 12 SUPPORT FROM LITERATURE 13 TRANSACTION ALLIGNMENT W ITH LITERATURE 15 CONCLUSION 16 REFERENCES 17 INTRODUCTION Australia stands on the leading position on mega acquisitions table with Australian BHP Billiton acquiring Petrohawk Energy of US (Oil & gas sector) with $.11, 776 million in cross border acquisition (e Ernst & Young, 2012). Mining sector of Australia also remained active to enhance its capacity, strengthen operations and portfolio. With considerable activity of Australian companies in acquisitions in the year 2011, this report will explore various areas of these acquisitions. Two inbound acquisitions deals in Australia with Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources ($.805 million) and BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining ($.732 million) in focus, following areas are explored and discussed in this report: Were both deals able to achieve success completion within defined time? Details of both details. Type and level of discrepancy arisen, if any. For instance resistance from management or shareholders etc. Overall aim of the acquis ition Benefits to the acquirer and Benefits to the target firm (acquired firm). Level of support these deals can leverage from the academic literature. ACQUISITION IN THE MINING SECTOR OF AUSTRAILIA In the year 2011, the mining and metal sectors have successfully emerged as strong sector with growth trend after riding the high global economic uncertainty. Among other options to raise capital, mining sector provided an ideal environment for mergers and acquisitions specifically; however, while total deal value was up 43% on the prior year to $162.4bn, volumes were down 10% to 1,008 deals, highlighting the difficulty in evaluating, financing and executing deals (e Ernst & Young, 2012). (e Ernst & Young, 2012) (e Ernst & Young,

COMUNICATION Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

COMUNICATION - Coursework Example A skill that I am very excited about improving is people skills. People skills involve a wide range of interpersonal skills including assertion skills, collaboration, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. I am very excited about improving my people skills because doing so will make a better professional. People skills help people in business because they enable the person to adapt to the situation based on the audience the person is communicating with. For example a manager can use his people skills to persuade a supplier to lower their prices. People skills can benefit people from any professional background. Doctors utilize people skills to gain the trust of their patients. Once this occurs the doctor will have a returning client. I need to make improvements in my people skills to improve my ability to interact with other students. In college a lot of learning takes place outside of the classroom. Students with good people skills are able to interact with all types of pe rsons in an effective manner. I realized that in order for me to succeed in the business world I have to improve my people skills due to fact that these skills are valuable tools that can enhance a person’s career opportunities. People skills can help me improve my interactions in everyday life. People skills can help me achieve better results when dealing with governmental employees.

Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller Essay Arthur Miller was born in New York City on October 17th, 1915. His parents were both immigrants in the United States and lead a prosperous life because of the success of his fathers clothing manufacturing business. But the arrival of the disastrous Wall Street crash distorted his business along with the rest of the American economy. As the result, Miller worked as a warehouseman. A View from the Bridge was in a single act in its first version and was produced this way first in verse in 1955. This was then revised and was extended into a two-act play in 1956 when it was presented at the Comedy Theatre in London. In this assignment I will be discussing the role of the protagonist in A View from the Bridge, and I will look into his downfall and the part that he played in it. I will also be looking at the Aristotelian elements of a tragedy that Miller has used, and I will be highlighting and explaining the important dialogue and stagecraft. The play is set in a domestic area of New York called Red Hook and he describes it as the slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. It has its roots in the late 1940s when Miller became interested in the everyday lives and work of the dockworkers of New Yorks Brooklyn harbour, where he had previously worked. He described it as a dangerous and mysterious world at the waters edge that drama and literature had never touched where many people worked and were poorly paid, exploited by their bosses, and importantly many were immigrants to the United States. This led to them being treated unequally and they faced racism as the whites were considered as a powerful race. Other factors that played a part in Miller writing this play was the Cold War, which occurred during the 1940s and which affected the economy and arose censorship and freedom. During this time a young lawyer friend of Millers also told him a story about a longshoreman who had ratted to the Immigration Bureau on two brothers, who were living illegally in his very own home. He also visited Sicily a few years later where he say huge levels of poverty that played a part in him including characters of Italian origin and keeping poverty as one of the main themes of this play. These above factors were the entire cultural context that led to Miller writing yet another very influential play A View from the Bridge. This play is a modern tragedy and Miller has followed the rules of a tragedy written by the famous Greek Philosopher Aristotle in a book called Poetics. This book stated that for a play to be a tragedy it should have certain characteristics. Miller has followed these Aristotelian features carefully and this can be seen in the play. Firstly, a prologue accompanies the play in order to make it easier for the audience to concentrate more on the actual lesson being taught by the play rather that getting confused. Alfieri acts as the chorus/narrator, the audiences interpreter of events; he is both commentator and participant in the play and punctuates the action. He introduces new themes and at the same time informs us about the present events and reminds us of past events. He creates interest in the audience by giving them clues and signs of future events, for example we know that the play will end in someones death as he mentions sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. A sense of inevitability is also created in Aristotelian tragedies that can be seen in the above dialogue where Alfieri feels powerless and suggests that this has happened before and is therefore retrospective. Another device known as hubris is also used which is a point in the play of no return and creates immense inevitability. The audience is made to feel a purging of emotions, which is a device known as catharsis. This along with pauses between dialogue and dramatic irony, which is when the audience knows more than the characters, creates tension and heightens their sympathy for some characters or heightens hatred for others. Stage Directions have been used well and they build on dialogue and show how the characters are feeling. Miller has also used stagecraft to an extensive level, and he uses the stage and effects such as lighting to symbolise conflict and other things. For example, the stage consists of the Carbone household and Alfieris law office which represents a conflict between natural and constitutional law, a main theme of the play. This is also an effective use of unity of time and place as the main places of action have been put closely to avoid confusion. Tragedies are also meant to teach and are therefore didactic. For example, community bonds and effects of betrayal are highlighted when Eddie recites to Catherine a fable about former neighbour Vinny Bolzano who had snitched to the immigration about his uncle. He uses this as a warning to Catherine and to make it clear to her the consequences of telling anyone about the illegal entry of Beatrices cousins. They should also involve universal truths so that people can relate to the play with real life. This play teaches many universal truths such as how to love, natural and constitutional law and the community. There is also a unity of time and place which is a device used so that it is easier for the audience to understand the action and so that they can focus on the morals taught by the play. Miller has carefully set up the tragic heros role in this play, in a way so that he matches the description of Aristotles tragedy characteristics. The protagonist isnt famous or rich, but he is seen to have the potential to become great. He also has a fall, which in this case is his death and is caused by a flaw or an error of judgement that is also occurs here. The fall also inspires pity and terror in the audience and in the process teaches them. The other characters are also affected by this fall but in the end there is a restoration of order.

The pervasive influences that drive change

The pervasive influences that drive change Change is defined as pervasive influence, where all aspects are subject to continual change of one form or another (Mullins, 2005 , p.909). Also, change is an inescapable part of both social and organizational life. The concept of organizational change is in regard to organization-wide change, as opposed to smaller changes such as adding a new person, modifying a program. Examples of organization-wide change might include a change in mission, restructuring operations, new technologies, mergers, major collaborations, and rightsizing. Change in organizational strategy is an attempt to alter the organization`s alignment with its environment. Organization change might also focus on any of the basic components of organization structure or on the organization whole design. The Nature and Causes of Resistance to change Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many cases there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. Forces of Change The general environment is parted in to different dimensions: the international, the economic, te technological, the socio-cultural and the political-legal dimension. External Forces External forces for change originate outside the organization. Because these forces have global effects, they may cause an organization to question the essence of what business it is in and the process by which products and services are produced. There are four key external forces for change: demographic characteristics, technological advancements, social and political pressures. Each component is discussed below: Demographic Characteristics The workforce is more diverse and there is a business imperative to effectively manage diversity. So, organizations need to effectively manage diversity if they are to receive maximum contribution and commitment from employees. Technological Advancements Technological changes are becoming increasingly important to many organizations, because of the rapid rate of all technological innovation. One major area of change involves equipment, thus a change in work processes or work activities may be necessary. Social factor Nearly all of the issues in change efforts revolve around people. You can change technologies, but unless people support the new systems, problems are bound to crop up. No matter how good a change seems on paper, if nobody will support it, it`s probably not good idea. Political Pressures Political events can create substantial change. Although it is difficult for organizations to predict changes in political forces, many organizations hire lobbyists and consultants to help them detect and respond to social and political changes. Internal Forces These forces for change come from inside the organization and may be subtle, such as low morale, or can manifest in outward signs, such as low productivity and conflict. Internal forces for change come from human resource problems and managerial behaviour (decisions). Levels of Change Mullins, (2005) argues that, change can be studied in terms of its effects at individual, society, group, organization, national and international level. However, because of this, change at any one level is interrelated with changes at other level, and it is hard to study one area of change in isolation. For example, when HSBC decided to embark on using new modern banking technology, it also embarked on training its staff on how to use that technology and its importance in their day to day activities, otherwise that technology could not help if employees could not support it or if that technology could not be friendly trough the costumers. In addition, Hersey, (2006) discussed levels of change by identifying four levels: knowledge change, attitude change, individual behaviour change and organizational or group performance change. Hersey ,Robbins, (1990) commented on group and individual change, he argued that, at individual level, the change attempts is to affect an employee behaviour, through either training , socialization and counselling as strategies the management can use when they target at individual change. In that case of group change, he argued that, interventions such as sensitivity training, survey feedback and process consultation are some of strategies the management can use if it targets to group change. TYPES OF CHANGE There are two kinds of change according to Robbins, (1990), are unplanned change and planned change. Unplanned Change This change, is that change which can just happen, for instance, when managing director of certain company decides to resign immediately, is a type of unplanned change to the board of directors, as they are force to find another managing director as early as possible to run their company. Planned Change Planned change otherwise, is those changes which organization knows about: where are objective is to keep the organization viable and current. Mullins, (2005) argues that, most planned change is triggered by the need to respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the in anticipation of the need to cope with potential future problems or external environment. It represents an intentional attempt to improve, in some way, the operational effectiveness of the organization. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Resistance is any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo. According to Goldberg (1999), individuals are not really resisting the change, but rather that may be resisting the loss of status, loss of pay, or comfort. They believe that it is time that we dispense with the phrase resistance to change and find a more useful and appropriate types for describing what the phrase has come to mean that employees are not wholeheartedly embracing a change that management wants to implement In present economy, change is all-pervasive in organizations. It happens continuously, and often at rapid speed. Because change has become an everyday part of organizational dynamics, employees who resist change can actually cripple an organization. (Mullins, 2005) Folgers Skarlicki (1999) claim that organizational change can generate scepticism and resistance in employees, making it sometimes difficult or impossible to implement organizational improvements. Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status quo if they feel their security or status is threatened. Why People Resist change in the workplace In recent days, companies, government department and institutions, whether public or private, are no longer have a choice, they must change to survive. Unfortunately, people tend to resist change. It is hard to change an organization, let alone an individual. This puts increased pressure on management to learn the subtleties of change. Employees and managers view change differently; top level management sees change as an opportunity to strengthen the business and to advance in their career, but for many employees, including middle managers, change is never sought after or welcomed: it is intrusive and disruptive. The below 10 reasons are the best describe why some people resist change. Fear of failure Resistance to change can be rooted in fear. Some employees may feel the need to cling to the past because it was a more secure, predictable time, during periods of change. If what they did in the past worked well for them, they can resist changing their behaviour out of fear that they will not achieve as much in the future. Creatures of habit Doing things in the same routine, predictable manner is comfortable. Asking people to change the way they operate or think is asking them to move outside their comfort zone. We have always done it this way, so why do we need to change? becomes the rallying cry for people who have difficulty changing their routines. In some cases, employees may deny or ignore the change simply because it requires them to experience something beyond their normal method of operation. No obvious need Some employees may see a change only from the perspective of the impact it has on them and their particular jobs. They may fail to recognize the positive impact of the change on the organization as a whole, not seeing the big picture. Thus they may find the change disruptive and totally unnecessary. Their attitude may be, if it is not broke, why fix it? Loss of control Familiar routines help employees develop a sense of control over their work environment. Being asked to change the way they operate may make employees feel powerless and confused. Concern about support system Changing the organizational structures may shake their confidence in their support system. They may worry about working for a new supervisor, with new employees or on familiar projects because they fear that if they try and fail, there will be no one there to support them. Closed mind Some employees seem to have the attitude , please do not confuse me with any facts or supporting documentation about this change: I have already made up my mind! employees with this attitude approach the change process with their minds firmly made up, muttering , no way! during discussions and explanations of the future. Unwillingness to learn Some employees, hesitant to try new routines, express unwillingness to learn anything new. They may say, I already know all that I need to know. Like resistant employees who have already made up their minds that the change will not be productive, employees reluctant to learn something new impede the organization`s growth and adaptation to change. They also hinder their own personal growth and development. Fear that the new way may not be better If things have been going wall, some employees may resist change because they fear that the change will not result in improvement. Focusing only on their part of the operation, they fail to realize that change is needed in order for the organization to stay competitive. Their current status is quite sufficient, and they wish to maintain business as usual. Fear of the unknown Employees can resist change simply because it is something unfamiliar. Not knowing much about the specifics of the change, they may imagine a worst case scenario, which might be very scary. They let fear of the unknown become their rationale for not giving the change a change. These employees may acknowledge that a problem exists and agree that a change might improve it. However, they worry that the proposed change might actually make things worse. Their fear causes them to place roadblocks in the movement toward change. Fear of personal impact Uncertainty is the biggest of employee resistance to change. In the face of impending change, employees may become anxious and nervous. They may worry about their ability to meet new job demands, they may think that their job security is threatened, or they may simply dislike ambiguity. UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING REDUCE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE It is important for managers to learn to manage resistance because failed change efforts are costly. Costs include decreased employee loyalty, lowered probability of achieving corporate goals, a waste of money and resources, and difficulty in fixing the failed change effort. Involving people from the beginning, clearly explaining the reasons for the change, having a clear strategy, direction, and vision, and respecting the viewpoints of other people are all parts of the process. Using strategic measurement can also be way of building support. Starting out with a problem, and working other people to come up with a solution, can be far more effective than proposing a specific solution and trying to rationalize it. People often do not like change they cannot control. However, if they lead or have a substantial influence on change, they are more likely to embrace it. As the leader, you must take the time to understand resistance and you may have to come at it from several different angles before it is conquered. You must understand what your employees are feeling, as well as thinking. Ways to reduce resistance to change: Involve interested parties in the planning of change by asking them for suggestions and incorporating their ideas. Clearly define the need for the change by communicating the strategic decision personally and in written form. Address the people needs of those involved. Disrupt only what needs to be changed. Help people retain friendships, comfortable settings and group norms wherever possible. Design flexibility into change by phasing it in wherever possible. This will allow people to complete current efforts and assimilate new behaviours along the way. Allow employees to redefine their roles during the course of implementing change. Be open and honest. Do not leave openings for people to return to the status quo. If you and your organization are not ready to commit yourselves to the change, dont announce the strategy. Focus continually on the positive aspects of the change. Be specific where you can. Deliver training programs that develop basic skills as opposed to processes such as: conducting meetings, communication, teambuilding, self-esteem, and coaching. OVERCOMING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Employee resistance to change is a complex issue facing management in the complex and ever-evolving organization of today. The process of change is ubiquitous, and employee resistance has been identified as a critically important contributor to the failure of many well-intend and well-conceived efforts to initiate change within the organization. To close those gaps, managers should know how to face and overcome resistance to change. Although there are no certain solutions, several techniques at least have the potential to decrease or eliminate this resistance. There are three key conclusions that should be kept in mind before recommending specific approaches to overcome resistance. Firstly, an organization must be ready for change. Just as a table must be set before you can eat, so must an organization be ready for change before it can be effective. It is better to use survey to evaluate if a company is ready to undertake a change effort. Secondly, organizational change is less successful when top management fails to keep employees informed about the process of change. Thirdly, employees perceptions or interpretations of a change significantly affect resistance. Employees are less likely to resist when they perceive that the benefits as a change overshadow the personal costs. At a minimum then, managers are advised to provide as much information as possible to employees about the change, inform employees about the reasons rationale for the change, and provide employees the opportunity to discuss how the proposed change might affect them. CONCLUDING REMARKS In many cases, vast amounts of resources are expended by organizations to adjust employees to a new way of achieving desired goals. The natural propensity for individuals to defend the status quo presents a set of challenges that management must overcome in order to bring about desired change. Management must also seriously take into account and consider the myriad of problems that may result if they are not responsive to issues of resistance in workplace. Generally, whatever the changes inside an organization might be, and whatever the reasons that made these changes necessary, a good way of implementing the changes successfully is for a manager to treat the participation and communication with his employees as integral parts of the change process.

Essay --

Many countries suffered from the Great Depression during the 1930s. The United States was one of the many. During this decade approximately thirteen to fifteen million Americans were unemployed. Considering the number of men that were unemployed, women had to look in unusual places for jobs to sustain themselves, and often their families during difficult times. It was accustomed that men would be the ones providing for the family, but during this time women had to step up and work too. The few jobs that were available during the Great Depression were given to men because many required a man’s strength; therefore women had to look for jobs elsewhere. The economic downfall of the Great Depression forced some women into prostitution. Money and jobs were scarce in the United States during this time. Prostitution rates increased drastically during the depression that women were willing to work for little money. Prices on prostitutes varied depending on the woman’s ethnicity. â€Å"One establishment, for instance, charged twenty-five cents for sex with Mexican women, fifty cents for African American or Asian women, and seventy-five cents to a dollar for white or European immigrant women† (Wild 729). Ethnic differences affected the value of a prostitute. The white prostitutes knew their worth and considered themselves better than the prostitutes of color. This can be considered as white privilege; which is an advantage a white person has over a non-white person. This also shows that prostitution was common amongst women of many ethnicities, due to the desperate need of money. Another statistic states that, â€Å"in the 1930s, one in five American men lost his virginity to a prostitute† ( Weir and Laurier). Considering the high unemp... ... The Great Depression brought worries and sorrows to some people in the United States. With so many individuals unemployed, women felt forced to obtain a job they did not want. Few prostitutes did it for pleasure; however many did it as a necessity. Prostitutes were willing to work for very low prices just to earn money during the depression. Consequently, prostitution rates increased in the 1930s. Proliferation in prostitution occurred all over the United States. The increase in prostitution increased the number of brothels as well. A successful brothel was Polly Adler. The increase in prostitution also affected the way women were viewed by others. Many people were quick to judge prostitutes and forget they were exposed to many dangers. The only reason many women joined prostitution was because of the economic hardships during the 1930s.