Is Media Biased or Unbiased?

Year 1998 stuns our nation and naturally the whole world with the sensational news of the year: Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. But there is another story linked to it. It’s about Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff who happens to be the first reporter to get hold of information on Clinton’s affair with Monica, but to his utter disappointment, even though he has evidence to his claim, his editors refuse to print his story. Somehow Matt Drudge, Internet political gossip columnist, gets hold of it and offers a package of two scoops; the Lewinsky affair and Newsweek cover up.(Grimes, Online Edition) Now the question arises why Newsweek editors refuse to expose the scandalous story of the year? Is it fear of President’s power or is there some kind of alliance with him? Is in a democratic nation like America Media is so biased? I will try to espouse the following question in context to the various media reports that has been appearing since last seven to e ight years and how the biased reporting is being openly covered by various media outlets?Eric Alterman, a cultural critic and an author of ‘What Liberal Media’, gives the answer to this question? â€Å"The current historical moment in American Journalism is hardly a happy one. Journalists trying to do honest work are finding themselves under siege from several sides simultaneously. Corporate conglomerates increasingly view journalism as â€Å"software†, valuable only insofar as it contributes to the bottom line. In the mad pursuit for audience and advertisers, the quality of the news itself becomes degraded, leading journalists to alternating fits of self-loathing and self-pity.Meanwhile, they face an administration with a commitment to secrecy unmatched in modern U.S history. And to top it all, conservative organizations and media outlets lie in wait, eager to pounce on any journalist who tries to give voice to almost any uncomfortable truth about influential A merican institutions (in other words, to behave as an honest reporter) throwing out the old but effective accusation of â€Å"liberal bias† in order to protect powerful from scrutiny†. (Alterman, Online Edition: 4)It is absolutely true if we delve into the current scenario; journalists are finding themselves under pressure from political leaders, police officials and dignitaries forcing them to churn out the news items according to their needs and aspirations.   And it is so surprising to hear that even media outlets are themselves using journalists as objects of their own desires, giving the truth but molding it into the fashion of the influential American institutions.Yet, another story that is making us ponder into the depth of bias reporting in media is the continuous statements of President Bush after September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade Center. In his fifty minutes speech in a press conference in March 2003, he mentions fourteen times of the connection of a lQaeda and Iraq with the attacks of Sept. 11, 2003. Still no body questions him even though CIA hasn’t put forward any evidence that states any links of AlQaeda with the Iraq attacks.Brent Cunningham, a professor of Journalism, goes to the extent of saying that it appears as President himself has hinted them to write on this subject to justify his action because reporting on aftermath of war even before it occurs is difficult and speculative. (Cunningham, Online Edition) This shows journalists are being molded to meet the needs of politicians. In Oct. 2001, CNN chairman, Walter Isaacson, during a war in Afghanistan sends a memo to his foreign correspondents implicitly stating,   â€Å"to balance reports of Afghan casualties or hardship,† with reminders to viewers that this was, after all, in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept 11.† (Cunningham, Online Edition)But we should not ignore this fact also that the story, which is biased for one can be unbiased f or the other. It’s a most controversial subject in the arena of the journalism world of today because the essence and the nature of the news demand its peculiar perspective. In other words, Journalists carry the stories according to the situation and circumstances in which incidents are unfolding. If any murder has taken place, and the police gets a clue of the murderer, but its not yet proved, journalists can run the story in the following manner as for e.g. â€Å"In a day light on the streets of New Oakland, a man was found murdered.Further investigations revealed that a middle aged man Michael is supposed to be man behind this gruesome murder.† Though no concrete proof has been found out yet the name of Michael appears. The appearance of this name only in print or in electronic media can damage his reputation. But Journalists have to give what they have been told by the police or what they have seen in front of their eyes. This is just one aspect of the bias reporti ng that Journalists can go into or being alleged of having entered into but there is one another angle also of bias reporting. Liberals too are accusing media of being pro conservatives and this question has been under debate thousand times and is still being under continuous discussions.Studies conducted by Media Matters for America reveals, â€Å"Sixty percent of the nation's daily newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists every week than progressive syndicated columnists. In a given week, nationally syndicated progressive columnists are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of 125 million. Conservative columnists, on the other hand, are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of more than 152 million.†(Media Matters For America, Online Edition) Many columnists or reporters have been fired or disciplined because they go ahead with their stories criticizing republicans and placing them in poor light for sake of propagandiz ing for the Democrats.Many cases have also come to light when whole program is stopped from airing because one group or party doesn’t want it to be aired. On 30th April 2004, Sinclair Broadcast Group prohibits its affiliates from airing the Nightline program in which Ted Koppel recites the names of 721 U.S. women and servicemen killed in the Iraq War. This act deprives viewers in eight cities of their right to information and the reason he gives is, â€Å"program appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq.† (Rothschild, Online Edition)This is one of the biggest examples of disservice to the viewers and came to be known as rightwing media bias as lamented by Democrats. Even he orders his news personnel to read patriotic statements at its Baltimore station in support of President Bush after September 11. This is all because he shares a great rapport and friendship with President Bush. In this way, they try to hide the facts from public to justify the decision of Bush to invade Iraq.Hereby, one question comes to the forefront? If we allege Media undertaking bias reporting, then is there any infringement to the right to information and right to express views? Every human being has been enshrined the right to express views and right to information in a democratic set up. If we go by this statement then no news and no views expressed by reporters shall be termed as biased but this is happening and the answer to this is simple. If any report or a story appearing in media infringes personal rights or harms some ones reputation and if some story of national interest is fulfilling the interests of any personal party or organization or person belonging to higher authoritative level is termed as Biased.In 2001, the very next day after the attacks on World Trade Center, Ann Coulter, syndicated columnist spurs out her anguish through her words â€Å"we should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.† This is nothing else than the extreme case of bias reporting increasing the chances of religious disturbances and religious warfare. (Washington Monthly, Online edition)But all in all, everything is not bad in this world; there are several media outlets that are delivering unbiased news and views taking national interest into consideration. As Cunningham also states that, â€Å"but must mainstream reporters by and large are not ideological warriors. They are imperfect people performing a difficult job that is crucial to society.Letting them write what they know and encouraging them to dig toward some deeper understanding of thing is not biased, it is essential. Reporters should be free, as Daniel Bice says, to â€Å"call it as we see it, but not to be committed one side or the other.† Their professional values make them, Herbert Grans argues, akin reformers, and they should embrace that aspect of what they do, not hide it for fear of being slapped with a bias charge. And when actual bias seeps in–as it surely will–the self-policing the newsroom must be vigorous.† (Cunningham, Online Edition)Eric Alterman hits hard at the way reporters are filing the news and are being treated as software and are being used according to the whims of the powerful but Cunningham in a quite positive note encourages the reporters to carry on their duty without any fear and with full freedom and choice. Journalism is the noblest profession and people look at media to express their views and grievances. Media is voice of the people, by the people and for the people therefore media need to write the stories in a responsible way taking the sensitivity and the interest of the masses into view.WORKS CITEDAlterman, Eric. â€Å"What Liberal Media?† The Nation. Internet   (February 24, 2003) Available: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20030224/alterman2/4, 25 November 2007.Cunningham, Brent. â€Å"Rethinking Objective Journalism† Columbia Journalism Review July 8, 2003. Internet (2004) Available: http://www.environmentwriter.org/scienceandthenews/docs/cunningham.htm,25 November 2007.Grimes, Linda Sue. â€Å"Media Bias† bellaonline.com Internet. Available: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32136.asp, 25 November 2007.Media Matters For America. â€Å"Black and White and Re(a)d All Over: The Conservative Advantage in Syndicated Op-Ed Columns† mediamatters.org Internet. Available: http://mediamatters.org/reports/oped/ 25 November 2007.Rothschild, Matthew. â€Å"This is Media Bias† The Progressive (Saturday, May 1, 2004) Available: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0501-03.htm, 25 November 2007.Washington Monthly. â€Å"The Wisdom of Ann Coulter† washingtonminthly.com Internet (October 2001) Available: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0111.coulterwisdom.html,25 November 2007

Employee Behavior

Proper understanding of employee behavior in a workplace is key to maximizing the potential of an organization. Proponents of scientific behavioral approach argue that, the use of scientific methods in dealing with employee productivity in an organizational set up is the key to success. Behavioral- science approach theorists, Mary Parker Follet, Hugo Munsterberg and Elton Mayo laid much emphasis on the human and psychological factors which are likely to effect the workers. Considerable notions of these theories are employee relationship and motivation, information processing and organizational development. The trio are considered pioneers in the field of organizational psychology and behavioral approaches in the theories of management. Follet is an American social worker, a pioneer in the organizational theory and organizational behavior fields also a management consultant. Her theory criticized the micromanagement of employees and argued that, managers should stop being authoritative but instead, grant their employees the freedom to collaborate, socialize and work in teams with minimal supervision. Munsterberg, on the other hand argued that hiring of workers with the right personality and mental capabilities for performing certain jobs is key. Moreover, increased employee motivation, job performance and employee retention is very imperative. His theory suggests that matching of the correct jobs and skills to employee personality very significant for employee productivity. Elton Mayo, the founder of human relations movement is best known for Hawthorne studies which was conducted at western electric company. His theory was based on the soft ways for successful management. He recommended that individual's work performance depends on both social matters and job satisfaction. He contributed significantly on behaviorism movement in the management field. However, despite of criticisms from other proponents such as Marx, Weber and Taylor, modern behavioral pioneers, Follet, Munsterberg and Mayo contributed immensely on the contemporary management perspectives. Their arguments that successful management stem from understanding how best to treat and motivate employees upholds. Furthermore, application of the theories has made employees to become more efficient in their jobs.Organizational structure.Organizational structure defines how organizational activities are coordinated, and directing supervisions of the allocated tasks towards the achievement of organizational goals. Major types of organizational structure includes functional, divisional and matrix. Functional structure refers to grouping of the organization departments according to purposes. It is useful for small organizations with flexible departments which can solely rely on the skills, talents and knowledge of employees. Divisional structure is used by large organizations which operates in different geographical areas. The organization is divided into divisions which areas separately managed towards achieving the common set goals. It is useful in the sense that its desires can be met rapidly and more specifically since each division operates independently. Last but not least is the matrix organizational structure. This forms a combination of both functional and divisional structures. It is typically used in large multinational organizations and enjoys the benefits of both functional and divisional structure under one umbrella. Personality test Everyone in a work place possesses different personalities. The use of personality test immensely employs the use of the big five personality traits which includes openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. In a work place, personality traits can help in revealing strengths and weaknesses of the employees. Moreover, it helps in determining levels of emotional intelligence among employees, a key tool for efficient communication. In addition to this, personality traits helps in creating awareness and enhancing excellent team work among employees. Finally, personality traits it helps in promoting deeper understanding of employee capabilities based on their strengths and capabilities, thus making it easier to delegate the duties. Perceptional DistortionsPerceptual distortions refers to the variations of a person's response to a stimulus from the common perception. Majorly, it occurs as a result of intellectual biasness of an individual. The major causes of perceptual distortions includes but not limited to stereotyping, halo effect, pre-deposition, recency effect, pre-deposition effect, primacy effect and prejudice. An example of perceptual distortion is that of an individual who is suffering from anorexia and holds a biased self-image. Such people see their bodies as overweighed and unsightly whereas others perceive them as the undernourished as well as underweighted. Impression Management Motives and Basic Governing FactorsImpression management refers to a self-presentation system which focuses on improving a person's image in the eyes of others. Typically, it refers to a process in which people attempt to influence the perception of others. Managers synonymously implement the use of impression management to present themselves to their employees, the public and to their peers as a way of influencing the perceptions of their appearance. The underlying motives and basic governing factors of impression management culminates on the awareness of being a potential monitoring instrument and the kind social status. Additionally, cultural norms, personal goals and social perspectives forms other impression motives and governing factors for managers. The duo reveals the assertions which leads to a dynamic way of presentational aspects. Managers tend to impress their employees, peers and the public through the types of clothes they put on, which have specific designs and fashions. Politicians wear nice suits, curries an expensive suitcase and move in expensive cars so as to impress the public as they woe for votes. Christianity is another strategy used by managers to impress peers and the public alleging that their ways are pure. Workplace Stress.Stress refers to a hypersensitive response of the body to any kind of emotional strain. It occurs as a result of personal conflict between the job workload or demands and the little amount of time an employee has to meet these demands, hence lack of control. The common demands that may lead to stress in the workplace includes poor organization of the work, poor work design, poor working conditions, poor management and lack of supervisory support. Moreover, job monotony and excessive work load are also sources of stress in a workstation. The general responses to stress that can be experienced are majorly classified into physical, Emotional responses. Physical stress occurs in the general body and includes pains, aches and other diseases that may be caused by stress. Physical stress is accompanied by frequent headaches, chest problems, back pain and aching stomach. It is also characterized by insufficient sleep and high blood pressure. On the other hand, Emotional responses are experiences involving feelings and thoughts during stressful circumstances. Such responses include depression and anxiety, withdrawing socially and becoming more forgetful. Anger, lack of focus and becoming more restless are other emotional responses to stress. Too much stress is fatal and prevention measures should be put in place. In order to deal with stress, one should first trace the origin and know the causes of stress and develop healthy responses to curb the situation. Relaxing the mind and having sufficient sleep are important techniques suppressing stress. Avoid being lonely, talk to other people and seek for their help. Finally, talking to the supervisor about the stressing issue can help solve the situation. This can be done improving the working environment and the working conditions. Employee Behavior A proper understanding of employee behavior in a workplace is key to maximizing the potential of an organization. Proponents of scientific behavioral approach argue that the use of scientific methods in dealing with employee productivity in an organizational set up is the key to success. Behavioral- science approach theorists, Mary Parker Follet, Hugo Munsterberg and Elton Mayo laid much emphasis on the human and psychological factors which are likely to affect the workers. Considerable notions of these theories illuminate employee relationship and motivation, information processing and organizational development. The trio is considered the founders of organizational psychology and behavioral approaches in the theories of management.Follet is an American social worker, a pioneer in the organizational theory and organizational behavior fields also a management consultant. Her theory criticized the poor handling of employees and argued that managers should stop being authoritative but instead, grant their employees the freedom to collaborate, socialize and work in teams with minimal supervision. Munsterberg, on the other hand, argued that hiring of workers with the right personality and mental capabilities for performing certain jobs is key. Moreover, increased employee motivation, job performance, and employee retention are very imperative. His theory suggests that matching of the correct jobs and skills to employee personality very significant for the employee performance. Elton Mayo, who started human relations movement is best known for Hawthorne studies which were conducted at the western electric company. His theory was based on the soft ways for successful management. He recommended that individual's work performance depends on both social matters and job satisfaction. He contributed significantly to behaviorism movement in the management field. However, despite criticisms from other proponents such as Marx, Weber, and Taylor, modern behavioral pioneers, Follet, Munsterberg and Mayo contributed immensely to the modern viewpoints in management. Their arguments that successful management stems from understanding how best to treat and motivate employees upholds. Furthermore, application of the theories has made employees become more efficient in their jobs.Q2: Organizational structureOrganizational structure defines how organizational activities are coordinated, and directing supervisions of the allocated tasks towards the achievement of organizational goals. Major types of the organizational structure include functional, divisional and matrix. Functional structure refers to the grouping of the organization departments according to purposes. It is useful for small organizations with flexible departments which can solely rely on the skills, talents, and knowledge of employees. Divisional structure is used by large organizations which operate in different geographical areas. The organization is divided into divisions which areas separately managed towards achieving the common set goals. It is useful in the sense that its desires can be met rapidly and more specifically since each division operates independently. Last but not least is the matrix organizational structure. This forms a combination of both functional and divisional structures. It is typically used in large multinational organizations and enjoys the benefits of both functional and divisional structure under one umbrella.Q3: Personality testEveryone in a workplace possesses different personalities. The use of personality test immensely employs the use of the big five personality traits which includes openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. In a workplace, personality traits can help in revealing strengths and weaknesses of the employees. Moreover, it helps in determining levels of emotional intelligence among employees, a key tool for effective communication. In addition to this, personality traits help in creating awareness and enhancing excellent teamwork among employees. Finally, personality traits it helps in promoting a deeper understanding of employee capabilities based on their strengths and capabilities, thus making it easier to delegate the duties. Q4: Perceptional DistortionsPerceptual distortions refer to the variations of a person's response to a stimulus from the common perception. Majorly, it occurs as a result of intellectual biases of an individual. The major causes of perceptual distortions include but not limited to stereotyping, halo effect, pre-deposition, recency effect, pre-deposition effect, primacy effect, and prejudice. An example of perceptual distortion is that of an individual who is suffering from anorexia and holds a biased self-image. Such people see their bodies as overweighed and unsightly whereas others perceive them as the undernourished as well as underweighted. Q5: Impression Management Motives and Basic Governing FactorsImpression management refers to a self-presentation system which focuses on improving a person's image in the eyes of others. Typically, it refers to a process in which people attempt to influence the perception of others. Managers synonymously implement the use of impression management to present themselves to their employees, the public and to their peers as a way of impelling the insights of their appearance. The underlying motives and basic governing factors of impression management culminates in the awareness of being a potential monitoring instrument and the kind social status. Additionally, cultural norms, personal goals, and social perspectives form other impression motives and governing factors for managers. The duo reveals the assertions, which leads to a dynamic way of presentational aspects. Managers tend to impress their employees, peers and the public through the types of clothes they put on, which have specific designs and fashions. Politicians wear nice suits, carries an expensive suitcase and move inexpensive cars so as to impress the public as they woe for votes. Christianity is another strategy used by managers to impress peers and the public alleging that their ways are pure. Q6: Workplace StressStress refers to a hypersensitive response of the body to any kind of emotional strain. It occurs as a result of personal conflict between the job workload or demands and the little amount of time an employee has to meet these demands, hence lack of control. The common demands that may lead to stress in the workplace include poor organization of the work, poor work design, poor working conditions, poor management and lack of supervisory support. Moreover, job monotony and excessive workload are also sources of stress in a workstation. The general responses to stress that can be experienced are majorly classified into physical, Emotional responses. Physical stress occurs in the general body and includes pains, aches and other diseases that may be caused by stress. Physical stress is accompanied by frequent headaches, chest problems, back pain and aching stomach. It is also characterized by insufficient sleep and high blood pressure. On the other hand, Emotional responses are experiences involving feelings and thoughts during stressful circumstances. Such responses include depression and anxiety, withdrawing socially and becoming more forgetful. Anger, lack of focus and becoming more restless are other emotional responses to stress. Too much stress is fatal and prevention measures should be put in place. In order to deal with stress, one should first trace the origin and know the causes of stress and develop healthy responses to curb the situation. Relaxing the mind and having sufficient sleep are important techniques suppressing stress. Avoid being lonely, talk to other people and seek for their help. Finally, talking to the supervisor about the stressing issue can help solve the situation. This can be perfected by improving working conditions.

Life of Thomas Merton PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Life of Thomas Merton - PowerPoint Presentation Example 1915, January 31, Merton was born at Prades, France to two artists- his father a New Zealander and his mother, an American. 1961 moved to USA to live with mother until she died in 1921 1922 lived in Bermuda with his father 1925 went to school in France where he lived with his father 1928 went to school in England 1931 his father dies 1934 entered Columbia University 1938 graduated from Columbia and received into the Catholic Church 1941 entered the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Trappist, Kentucky 1944 published first set of poems, â€Å"Thirty poems† 1946 published first book, â€Å"A man in the divided sea† 1948 published autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain and What are these Wounds? 1949 ordained as priest 1951 Master of Scholastics until 1955 1955 Master of Novices until 1965 1965 lived in solitaire at a shed in the monastery 1968 died on December 10, at Bangkok, Thailand Spiritual Journey: How did he or she develop in their spiritual walk? Did he or she have any unique spiritual habits?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Interestingly, Thomas Merton entered the Abbey of Gethsemani  on December 10th, 1941. Thus, he became a monk in one of the strictest Roman Catholic order of monks. In order to deepen his spiritual walk Thomas Merton was known for his desire to remain in solitude and meditate on his heavenly father. Further, he would write endless poems and books about various topics one of which was his spiritual experiences. Merton appeared to have an insatiable appetite for discovering his inner being and obtaining a deeper walk with God thus later in his life he visited Bangkok to discuss the possible integration of Western and Eastern religions. So impressed was the Dali Lama on his encounter with Merton that he expressed his opinion of Merton as the first Christian to ever grasp such a deep understanding of Buddhism. Merton loved to be in solitaire and spent four years of his life in a shed on the monastery. He spent time fasting and p raying as well as meditating. In his ‘New Seeds of Contemplation’ describes contemplation as being ‘visibly touched’ by God who is invisible yet real. Contemplation played a great part in Merton’s life. For Merton contemplation was the essence of one’s life. Contribution to Christian History: What can we learn from this person? What have they written or influenced in the history of Christianity? The Merton Institute suggests that Merton was perhaps the ‘most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century.’ His autobiography entitled, The Seven Storey Mountain, has been translated in more than twenty-eight languages. Remarkably, Merton was responsible for the teaching of the young monks who came straight from the outside world. Eventually, he became a Master of novice where he was responsible for the socialization and the training of novice monks. The Merton institute states that during this life as a monk he wrote m ore than sixty books and hundreds of poems. Yet in spite of this plethora of writing Jim Forest insists that Merton always maintained that his first duty was to his life as a monk and everything else took second place. Consequently, one can conclude that not only did Thomas Merton contribute to the spiritual dimension of the Roman Catholic monks but also his involvement and thoughts on nonviolence, racial discrimination, and the integration of Western religion with the Roman Catholic Faith influenced the entire world. Merton was criticized by Catholics and non Catholics alike for his outspoken

Assessments for the English Language Learner Research Paper

Assessments for the English Language Learner - Research Paper Example â€Å"The present culture of testing has placed an increased amount of emphasis on the development of state standards, high-stakes testing, and the use of rigid curricular programs† (Brantley, 2007, p. 28). Therefore, an educational assessment is mandatory in today’s highly competitive world. There are three types of assessments; formal, alternative and informal. The purpose of implementing a classroom assessment system is to improve instruction and student achievement. The English language learners are rapidly growing in the population of the U.S classroom. As such, considerate amount of thoughts and training need to be implemented when designing and administering educational assessments. There are many factors that need to be kept in mind while selecting educational assessments for students. Language barriers and educational background factors are the main factors. In the first factors, language barrier factors, different issue like different linguistics background, L evels of proficiency in English, and levels of proficiency of native languages are the three main barriers that should be addressed in the assessment. In the educational background factors issues such as degrees of formal schooling in native languages, degrees of formal schoolings in English language, and exposure to standardized testing should be addressed in the assessment. While administering an educational assessment, it crucial for the classroom teacher to provide the English Language Learning students with fair and appropriate assessments while keeping in mind the various factors that could hamper their academic growth. It is pivotal for the teachers to be knowledgeable about the different assessment types as to provide adequate and fair assess of their students’ progress as well as achievements in the class. As mentioned before, there are three types of assessments; formal, alternative and informal. The formal assessment is mainly based in the results of the standardiz ed tests and other formal exams regulated under the test- taking guidelines. In Formal assessment students are assessed on the basis of their written document, test, quiz or essays. The student’s progress is determined based on the data collected on the student’s performance on the tests. Formal Tests are usually used to assess the overall achievement of the student and compare his/ her intelligence with other students as well as to find a student’s strength or weaknesses in a particular topic. The formal assessment test has its own purposes, advantages and disadvantages. Formal assessment is a good assessment to be implemented to the student to determine their strength and weaknesses. It also evaluates the student’s achievement by comparing their progress with other students. It is appropriate to use the formal assessment to indentify the student’s special needs and it can also improve learning at an individual level for young English language lea rners. Formal assessments are categorized into separate groups such as norm referenced tests and criterion referenced tests. The Norm references tests are characterized by strict rules and implementations. These types of tests are mainly used to compare one student to another, one group of students to another group as well as schools. When implementing a norm reference test teachers should implement the test under specific and similar circumstances.

Modual 6 questions see below Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modual 6 questions see below - Coursework Example Industrial farming quickly utilize the top soil. When the top soil is exhausted the land remains bare, and the farmers clear trees for more virgin lands. Since its inception, a third of the earth’s topsoil has been lost. Making the Industrial farming one of the largest enemy of the soil. The soil is diminishing in quantity and quality in Midwestern areas. This is due to the heavy agricultural machinery that compact the soil leaving behind heterogeneous clamps that are loose and impermeable to rainwater leading to erosion. Plant roots are unable to penetrate the land and the reverse process of compaction will require decades to occur. Sahel is another location with diminished quality and quantity of soil. The consequences include the region moving more into a desert periphery. The regions now experience hot days and harsh winds. A large portion of the soil has turned into stone hard soil that water and plant roots are unable to filter or penetrate. The lands stretching from the northern Africa are also having poor quality and quantity of soil. This is due to human activities such as overgrazing and deforestation. The consequences of their action are desertification and huge famine in 1980s that killed over 100,00o people in the region (Richardson, 2008) Soil is the mixture of fine matter consisting of organic remains, rock particles and clay. It forms the top most layer of the earth and support plant growth. It is normally black or dark brown in color and act as a habitat for some animal as insects and worms. Soil erosion comprises of the removal of the earths top soil that has no vegetative cover by surface runoffs and other agents. This top soil is normally rich in humus and the best for plant growth. Soil erosion occurs when agents as wind and water flow over the soil carrying the loose top soil and depositing it at other places like riverbanks and the ocean. Soil desertification is the degradation of land due to loss

You Decide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

You Decide - Essay Example It is a given that all patients need the heart for them to have a higher chance of living with the utmost medical hope to live longer. It is just a sorry state that there is only one heart available that a decision has to be made whom the heart will be transplanted. I list the requisite of need on the basis of what or how many years will the patient lose if they will not have the transplant. Of the three patients, the young girl Lisa of 12 years old has her whole life in front of her and it will be such a pain to deprive her of that chance to realize a full life. Second, the young girl Lisa has also the highest chance of surviving being young whose body is growing validated by the tests conducted that she is the most suitable host of the heart thereby minimizing the probability of rejection ensuring that the rare heart will be put to good use. Third, Lisa the young girl without question will benefit the most from the transplant due to her young age. At 12, she still has her whole life ahead of her and the part will be used for a very long time thereby optimizing its use. The other patients also have a need for the heart but the use and benefit of the heart is not as lengthy compared to Lisa. Lastly, Lisa’s father Dr. Jonathan Doe is an oncologist who is also in the profession of saving lives who is an upcoming oncologist for this hospital. The choice of giving the transplant to Lisa while determined also the three other criteria is also determined by the preference of providing priority health care to hospital’s doctor. In addition, the hospital and its patients and research will benefit from the $2 million that will be given by Dr. Doe for the transplant. That means that the hospital can provide more pro bono care to those who needs medical attention but does not have money to pay hospital bills. The money will also benefit hospital research that will improve medical service delivery in the future. Having

Tabletop Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Tabletop Exercise - Essay Example On 3rd May 1999, a series of tornadoes struck Oklahoma City, which are some of the most expensive in the history of the United States. They caused a damage of more than 1 billion dollars and destroyed more than 2500 structures. In less than 21 hours, a total of 21 tornadoes, swept though the states of Kansas and Oklahoma. There were as many as four tornadoes at one point reported on the ground simultaneously. The strongest and most destructive tornado was rated on the Fujita tornado scale as having a maximum F-5 and tracked for about one and a half hours through southern Oklahoma City from Chickasha and the neighborhoods of Newcastle, Bridge Creek, Del City, Midwest City, and Moore. There are various drills that should be adhered to in case a tornado strikes. However, there is need for the development of a policy on the appropriate standard procedure to be applied at local educational facilities in the vent of such a disaster. There is need for members of the administration of these institutions to be aware of their roles during tornadoes and similar disasters as they are not fully aware, and their skills have not been enhanced to handle such situations. This table top exercise experiment will offer an opportunity to members of the university of Oklahoma college administration and a group of students to learn the launching and use of incidence command system. The exercise should further identify the improvements and preparedness the institution needs, and provide a contribution to the emergency operation plans.

Deaf readings and Questionss 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Deaf readings and Questionss 2 - Coursework Example The fact factors like gender and language also further disintegrates the students, both the disabled and the abled, should be something that can be dealt with. Parents should expose their children to different languages at an early age to avoid inconveniences. These are both the spoken and the written language (24). This would help avoid discrimination. Mertens 1990, after a thorough research on academic performance for both the students with hearing problems and the hearing students, came up with a surprising report. The performance of the hearing students was way higher than that of the non-hearing students. This may raise critics against the combined mode of learning which is putting them all in a common institution. To avoid this, i advocate that although they are to learn in the same environment, there has to be some extra or rather special classes of either of the hearing or the hard of hearing students so as to put them on almost the same

A letter To My Distant Friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A letter To My Distant Friend - Essay Example Though my mates were ready for the performance, I was still not comfortable. My instructor gave me no option and so I had to face the lion in front of me. The performance made me gain courage and also strengthened the bond that attracted me to dancing. First, dancing helps people to express their feelings about something and this is seen under the types of dances they do and the moves they make while dancing. An example I the expressionist dance that the Germans did to express their bitter feelings about the growth of Nazism that was being pioneered by Hitler. So from that example, dancing helps a society to confront the wrongs people always do. It has also enabled me to understand that people do not always dance for leisure but also to achieve their targets. This happened and I witnessed it during an international festival hosted in Kenya when one dancer made some moves that directly touched a woman he had fallen in love with and know what? The moves helped him to win the heart of the lady, a thing that left almost everybody amazed. As per the common understanding of the people, discipline is a crucial aspect of the virtues of the community and must be maintained in order to allow people to stay in harmony. I know you must be wondering how dancing which is just an art is related to discipline which is a virtue. Dancing especially the cultural dances equips dancers with good moral values since they convey some messages of warnings and consequences of some behaviors.

Metaphysical Poets Essay Example for Free

Metaphysical Poets Essay The term metaphysical poets was coined by the poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know or read each other (Wikipedia). Their work is a blend of emotion and intellectual ingenuity, characterized by conceit or â€Å"wit†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is, by the sometimes violent yoking together of apparently unconnected ideas and things so that the reader is startled out of his complacency and forced to think through the argument of the poem. Metaphysical poetry is less concerned with expressing feeling than with analyzing it, with the poet exploring the recesses of his consciousness. The boldness of the literary devices used—especially obliquity, irony, and paradox—is often reinforced by a dramatic directness of language and by rhythms derived from that of living speech. Esteem for Metaphysical poetry never stood higher than in the 1930s and ’40s, largely because of T.S. Eliot’s influential essay â€Å"The Metaphysical Poets† (1921), a review of Herbert J.C. Grierson’s anthology Metaphysical Lyrics Poems of the Seventeenth Century. In this essay Eliot argued that the works of these men embody a fusion of thought and feeling that later poets were unable to achieve because of a â€Å"dissociation of sensibility,† which resulted in works that were either intellectual or emotional but not both at once. In their own time, however, the epithet â€Å"metaphysical† was used pejoratively: in 1630 the Scottish poet William Drummond of Hawthornden objected to those of his contemporaries who attempted to â€Å"abstrac t poetry to metaphysical ideas and scholastic quiddities.† At the end of the century, John Dryden censured Donne for affecting â€Å"the metaphysics† and for perplexing â€Å"the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy when he should engage their hearts . . . with the softnesses of love.† Samuel Johnson, in referring to the learning that their poetry displays, also dubbed them â€Å"the metaphysical poets,† and the term has continued in use ever since. Eliot’s adoption of the label as a term of praise is arguably a better guide to his personal aspirations about his own poetry than to the Metaphysical poets themselves; his use of metaphysical underestimates these poets’ debt to lyrical and socially engaged verse. Nonetheless, the term is useful for identifying the often-intellectual character of their writing (Encyclopedia Britannica). Without doubt Samuel Johnsons choice of the word metaphysical to describe the followers of Donne was directly influenced by these earlier usages (the Clevel and passage is quoted in Johnsons Dictionary of 1755 to illustrate the definition of ‘Metaphysicks’). The category of poetry that indulged in metaphysics was a live one for later seventeenth-century poets, but for them metaphysics was a word used to mark the point at which strongly argued verse bordered on self-parody. There is more value than this, however, in the group name. Even in the earlier seventeenth century members of the core group of metaphysical poets were connected by a number of social, familial, and literary ties. Izaak Walton relates that Donne and George Herbert enjoyed ‘a long and dear friendship, made up by such a Sympathy of inclinations, that they coveted and joyed to be in each others Company’ (Walton, 57–8). Donne addressed poems to Herberts mother, Magdalen, and preached her funeral sermon, as well as writing a poem to Herberts brother, Edward, Lord Herbert. Herbert of Cherbury in turn read both Donnes poetry and that of his own brother with care, and was a friend of Thomas Carew and Aurelian Townshend. Henry Wotton was the addressee of epi stles in both verse and prose from his close friend John Donne, and at one point intended to write a life of Donne. Henry King (whose father ordained John Donne) was in daily contact with Donne at St Pauls Cathedral, where the older poet was dean while King was chief residentiary. Donne bequeathed to King a portrait of himself dressed in his winding-sheet. Not surprisingly Kings verse is haunted by that of his friend, from whom he received manuscripts, as well as books and themes for sermons. Later in the century there were other close groupings of poets, who, although not linked by direct personal familiarity with Donne and Herbert, were bound to each other by ties of family, friendship, and literary consanguinity. Thomas Stanley was a cousin of Richard Lovelace and the nephew of William Hammond, and became a friend of John Hall, one of the most underrated of the minor metaphysical poets. Cowley was a friend and eventually elegist of Richard Crashaw. Pockets of metaphysicality also survived in several institutions: it cannot be an accident that Henry King, Abraham Cowley, Thomas Randolph, William Cartwright, and John Dryden all attended Westminster School. But by the later seventeenth century the bonds of friendship and affinity that had linked Donne and Herbert were in the main replaced by looser ties of literary indebtedness. Declaratory utterances to imagined or absent addressees who are summoned into being by the force of the speakers eloquence are common among poems by members of these networks, as are works that explore the balance and imbalance between the demands of the body and the spirit. Direct attempts to persuade, either through comparisons or through arguments that self-consciously display their logical elisions, are also among the most evident legacies left by Donne to his poetical heirs. No single one of these elements constitutes a metaphysical style, and it would also be wrong to suppose that all of them must be present in a given poem for it to be regarded as belonging to the tradition. It is also incorrect to believe that a poet who sometimes wrote poems in a metaphysical manner was always and in every poem a metaphysical. The metaphysical style was various. It also changed in response to historical events. Donnes Poems and Herberts The Temple were both posthumously printed in 1633. Those publications immediately extended the literary communities of their authors through time and space, and the fact that both volumes were posthumous had a significant effect on the kind of influence they exerted. Donne and Herbert rapidly became models for imitation, but they could also be regarded as ideal representatives of an age that had passed. Imitation of them could therefore become an act not just of nostalgia, but of politically or theologically motivated nostalgia—as occurs most notably and heavy-handedly in the high Anglican pastiches of Herbert included in The Synagogue by Christopher Harvey, which was regularly bound with The Temple after 1640. In the political and ecclesiastical upheavals of the 1640s the metaphysical style moved on. Imitating Herbert in particular could signal a desire to resist the depredations suffered by the English church during the civil war. Richard Crashaws Steps to the Temple (1646) explicitly links itself by its title to Herberts volume. The editions of 1646 and 1648 include ‘On Mr. G. Herberts Booke’, which declares ‘Divinest love lyes in this booke’. Henry Vaughans preface to the second volume of Silex scintillans (1655) ascribes to Herberts influence his conversion from writing secular poems, and he marks the debt by adopting the titles of several poems by Herbert for his own works. By the second part of Silex these allusions to Herbert carried a political charge, intimating Vaughans resistant attitude to the forcible ejection of conservatively minded ministers from churches in his native Wales by commissioners acting under the parliamentary ordinance for the propagation of the gospel. The gradual replacement of networks of closely connected individuals by relationships between dead authors and their readers is perhaps a central reason for the emergence of metaphysics (in the pejorative sense) in later seventeenth-century verse. The two later poets stigmatized by Johnson as ‘metaphysical’, Cleveland and Cowley, knew Donne only as a voice in a book. Efforts to reanimate that voice often show signs of strain. But the move from personal to textual connection between members of the group did not always have undesirable consequences. Andrew Marvell, who ever since John Aubreys ‘Brief life’ has tended to be regarded as an isolated figure in the literary landscape, has perhaps the most distinctive poetic voice of any member of the group. By describing pastoral figures with wounded or sullied innocence who argue perplexedly about their own fate and the unattainability of their own desires, Marvell transformed the metaphysical style into an idiom appropriate for a period of political division and national crisis. He was not entirely disconnected from its other practitioners: he was at Trinity College, Cambridge, at the same time as Abraham Cowley, and he wrote a commemorative poem for Henry, Lord Hastings, in Lacrymae musarum (1649), a volume that included poems by Dryden as well as John Hall. He and Hall were both among those who composed dedicatory poems for Richard Lovelaces Lucasta (1648). Like Cleveland, Marvell owed his reputation in the later part of his career largely to his political and satirical poems, but his posthumously published Miscellaneous Poems (1681) shows that a reader of earlier metaphysical verse who actively responded to his changing times could transform the idiom of his predecessors (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography). Works cited Colin Burrow, ‘Metaphysical poets (act. c.1600–c.1690)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, Feb 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/95605, accessed 5 Aug 2012] Encyclopedia Britannica www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/377915/Metaphysical-poet Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysical_poets

Cat Food Industry In The UK

Cat Food Industry In The UK By using environmental analysis, it is possible for organizations to recognize existing opportunities and threats for companies, define strategies to best utilizing opportunities and also to minimize the bad consequences of threats (Arabi Parsaeian, 2001). And the most important, the analysis can provide a rational future prediction as a base for future strategy adjustment. The company can forecast the consumer tends in next decade and rearrange its products in order to capture the volatile market share in a long-term perspective. The remote environment has the origin of factors that influencing operating environment. In industry-level analysis, it is necessary to analyze a macro environment of a company and access its performance of competitors responding to external elements. The object of this paper is to analyze remote environment and operating environment of cat food industry at United Kingdom. Part Two will be industry definitions. The industry background will be introduced in Part three at three levels, global market, Western Europe market and UK market. Part Four will be remote environment analysis by using PEST model, followed by operating environment analysis in Part Five by using Porters Five Forces Model. 2. Industry and Product definition200 211 Wikipedia defines Pet food as plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_food) Mintel defines pet food as any foods that are specifically formulated and marketed for pets, including treats (Mintel, 2009). In legislation, pet food means a feeding stuff for pet animals. To achieve the appropriate balance of nutrients pet food, manufacturers blend mixtures of ingredients including meat and fish, with vegetables, cereals, vitamins and minerals to produce foods that will satisfy the nutritional requirements of a pet(PFMA). It is typically sold in pet stores or supermarkets. And pet food is divided into three categories (Figure 2): dog food, cat food and other pet food (i.e. fish food, bird food). Pet Food sells in the form that either prepared or non-prepared. Figure 2 Pet Food Segment In this paper, cat food intends to be defined as food product specifically formulated for feeding of cats. For the purposes of this paper, some further definitions used by Mintel reports are as follows: Wet cat food C including wet canned cat food with a moisture content of 60-85% and semi-moist food with a moisture content of 25-30% and includes complete foods. Dry cat food C has a moisture content of around 10% and includes complete foods Treats and MixersC food supplement for cat. 3. Cat food industry Background 200 475 3.1 Global Cat Food Market Figure 3 (Source: Euromonitor International) According to data from Euromonitor, in 2009, the Global retail value sales of cat food reach US19.6 billion dollars, at a growth rate of 4%. Although Dog food continues to occupy nearly half of pet food and pet care market, cat food market posted a comparable CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 5 % during the period 2004-2008. This indicates that the economic downturn had slight impact on this industry. However, the rising rates of house repossessions contribute to the decline in the pet populations, especially in western economies. The recession caused the lack of consumer confidence which lead to backward sales of the whole cat food market at 2008, but the global market is still growing in 2009 as the ongoing trend of pet humanization that consumers want value-added products that extend both the quality and length of the pets life. 3.2 Western European Cat food Market Figure 4 The Western European market is the biggest in cat food consumption. In this region, there has been seen a strong tend towards polarisation between premium and economy cat food brands, with mid-priced products increasingly being squeezed between them. (Euromonitor) However, as shown in Figure 4, the trend of polarization eased during 2007 and 2009. Although premium cat food still bear a large portion, Consumers tend to be prices-sensitive that economy cat food ranges grow rapidly. Figure 5 Wet products remain dominant in Western Europe but dry products sales are growing. According to data from Euromonitor, the gap between wet and dry cat food continues to narrow. In 2005, wet food accounted for 55.5% of all cat food retail sales, but this figure is predicted to decline to 51.1% in 2009. 3.2 UK Cat food Market In 2009, the value sales of the whole cat food market reach ?996 million In the UK (Euromonitor). It is the largest market of Europe in the cat food sector. The consumer base for cat food is significant with 9.7 million cat owners. And cat population rose up to 10.5 million in 2009, from 10.2 million in 2008. The growth rate is mere 0.4% largely due to the real estate crisis in 2008. A large number of homeowners opt to give up houses that they can no longer pay off the mortgage, and some of them have to give up their pets since they have no ability to take care of them. This is also the case happened in dog food market. As a result, UK suffered great in dog and cat population (Figure 6), while Germany take the advantage and grow rapidly in this segment. Figure 6 However, the volume of product sold was flat, because consumers preferred smaller portion sizes as pouches to cans. Premium and super premium foods took increasing shares of the market, causing the general increase in the unit price. 4. Macro environment Analysis (PEST) 2500 4.1 Understanding PEST model 364 Understanding the macro environment of a certain business is vital for the reason that the managers can forecast the market tends and take advantages of the opportunities and minimize the threats by strategy adjustment. In the analysis of the macro-environment for an industry, it is of importance to identify the major factors that the companies are facing and that might influence the organizations internal operation such as supply and demand levels and its costs (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1991; Johnson and Scholes, 1993). Some models are developed to indentify the vast number of possible issues that might affect an industry. The PEST analysis is a useful tool to understand the whole trend of the environment in which the industry is operating. PEST analysis stands for factors as Political, Economic, Social-culture and Technological forces to influence the business macro environment. Sometimes two other factors (environmental and legal), can be added to form a PESTEL analysis model. In PEST analysis, Political factors include government policies and regulations to the industry, taxation, laws, trade restrictions and tariffs etc. The economic factors concerns changes in the wider economy such as economic growth or decline, interest rates, disposable income, exchange rates and inflation, etc. Social-culture factors refer to demographic, age distribution, social welfare, population growth rate, changes in lifestyle and consumer buying patterns, etc. The technological factors relate to the development in technology such as application of new inventions, RD activity, automation, etc. PEST analysis can be effective for business and strategic planning, marketing, product development and research reports. Kotler (1998) claims that PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The analysis examines the impact of these factors on the industry. Byars (1991) believes that PEST analysis results can be used to take advantage of opportunities and to make contingency plans for threats when preparing business and strategic plans. Porter (1985) also indentifies by using PEST analysis, the company can be aligned positively with the powerful factors of change and making decisions to fight against. Therefore, in this part, PEST analysis model will be used to explore the remote environment of the cat food industry at United Kingdom. 4.2 Apply PEST to Cat food Industry and Results 4.3 Understanding External Competition 4.3.1 Political 500 643 Cat food enjoys the political policies under the pet food category. Pet food industry is highly regulated and follows a number of industry codes and guidance to help manufacturers fulfill their obligations to manufacture safe pet food. (PFMA) There are more than 50 pieces of legislation governing the manufacture of pet food. As pet food is manufactured and distributed in the same way as human food, some legislation governing human food is equally applicable to pet food. Manufactures must ensure products are safe for cats, required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). All legislation applicable to pet food originates from the EU in the form of Regulations, Directives and Decisions which are subsequently implemented into UK national law. (PFMA) It is indicated that Pet foods are subject to stricte legislation in the UK. It is able to ensure the safety and quality of products. For example, The Feeding Stuffs Regulations 2005 and The Animal By-Products Regulations 2005. A nd the legislation covering pet food ingredients requires that pet food involving meat based ingredients from animals should take veterinary inspections to make sure that it is qualified for pet consumption. The cat food market has been benefit for those regulations and the market predicts to be stable under political environment. Therefore, it will add confidence for consumers when purchasing these products for their cats. There are also a number of codes of practice to be followed by some association (FEDIAF, The European Pet Food Manufacturers Association) members in this industry which in some cases exceed legislative requirements. For example, since 2005, the EU Feed Hygiene Regulation believes that feed safety is considered at all stages of the production for pet food. The rules cover all processes relating to the manufacturing of the pet food, such as hygiene requirement, record-keeping, etc. The EU Feed Hygiene Regulation Commission recognized the FEDIAF Guide to Good Practice for the Manufacture of Safe Pet Foods and implemented the rules in 2010. These guides should be followed by all members of the community. It covers the detailed requirement of the nutritional needs for cats and dogs at different life stages. Members of the PFMA (UK Pet Food Manufacturers Association) follow the FEDIAF (The European Pet Food Manufacturers Association) Nutritional Guidelines when making pet foods. The guidel ines are updated at a regular frequency to include the latest nutritional research and are peer reviewed by independent nutrition experts throughout Europe. (PFMA) The new Animal Welfare Act came into effect in 2007 and was the first overhaul of pet law during the last 94 years. It sounds a piece of new to the cat food industry that pet welfare are becoming more and more important in the view of pet owners. BBC news broadcasted, The Act raises penalties for cruelty from the previous maximum of six months in prison or a ?5,000 fine, is the most significant new law on animal welfare for 94 years. For the first time, it legally reinforces the duty of care for pet animals. The duty of care includes that animals have a proper diet, are housed with or apart from other animals according to their need, have the ability to express normal behavior and are protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. This rule is in accordance with the recent trend of pet Humanization that people tend to treat their pets as members of family. It indicates that cat food manufacturers are facing challenging that they need to forecast the trend of consumer consumption and make innovations. For example, it is the recent trend that consumers prefer organic food for pets. The new act also increases age from 12 to 16 for buying a pet. The cat food market sales will be suffered under this regulation; although no evidence has been released that to what extent it would be impact on the cat food sales. 4.3.2 Economic 500 378 (EURO) Strong economic growth drove surge in dog and cat populations in some markets According to Euromonitor International research, the cat populations have been rising steadily during the year from 2004 to 2009(Figure 7). The annual growth rate is 4% from 2004 to 2008. It is partly the result of strong growth in disposable income, and in large part as a result of rising residential property values. The real GDP growth averaged 2.7% in the UK between 2003 and 2007. There is a merely 1% growth from 2008 to 2009 as a consequence of real estate crisis. In the pet ownership, dog is the dominant pet in the percentage of owning households. But cat ownership has been increased from 21% to 25% of the total. However, the growth is not the possible future trend, for there is only 0.4% growth from 2008 to 2009. Figure7 Cat Population in the UK from 2004 to 2009 Figure 8 Cat Owning Households: % Analysis 2004-2009 During the latter part of 2008, economic plunged as the effects of steep decline in residential property values. Huge numbers of consumers who purchase houses at inflated prices found themselves unable to maintain the mortgages during 2007 and 2008. It caused the bankrupt of many financial services, and lead to economic recession. Millions of people lose their homes, and unemployment is rising rapidly in UK. This leads to the significant problem of pet abandonment in the UK. According to the reports of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the number of abandoned animals rose by 57% in 2008. The number of abandoned cats rose by 50% and has remained elevated during early 2009. This has impact on the cat population and forms the reason for the slow rate of growth of cat food sales during this period. Trends towards Premiumisation were apparent in the cat food market. Cat owners prefer to single serve pouches to feed their cats. This format gets popular due to its convenience through single-use disposable style. It can ease of storage and serving. It is reported to be more gently cooked in these products than canned food. They perceive these as offering better quality food. Consumers are becoming more concerned with value for money. Many manufacturers are adding value to their mid-range brands by introducing new gourmet recipes and revamping packaging. 4.3.3 Social-culture500 650 Figure ? UK Household size, 2003-2013 From 2003, one-person household grow rapidly. Although two person household have been the major style, there is a sharp increase in one person household at the average growth rate of 5.12 from 2003 to 2008. People keep pets in the feeling of loneliness and Pets are increasingly considered a valued member of the family. Owners tend to have stronger bonds with their cats and often more of a sense of guilt at leaving their pets alone for long periods of time. According to the research of PFMA, 31% people keep pets for love, and 27% for companionship. (Euromonotor)Therefore, the trend to humanize the pets has emerged. The increasing rise of humanization promotes sales in the cat food sector, either in treats or gourmet foods. And it continues to be a driving force in sales of pet food and product development. Owners are caring pet health and chose organic, natural healthy cat food. Premium and super premium foods continue to represent larger portions of the cat food market. The trend of Premiumization cause general increase in unit prices per kilogram. But the volume growth has been flat as consumers switched from canned products to pouches with smaller portion sized. As their emotional attachments with their cats, owners want to care for the health and longevity of their cats by turning to this healthy recipe. In the UK this overall performance was largely driven by the wet category while the dry format is not popular and facing heavy discounting activity within supermarkets. In contrast with the global trend, wet cat food performs better than dry, with the wet cat food representing 74% of the overall cat food market. Its dry offering just has 22% in comparison. The popularity of wet cat food may relay on the different eating habits between cats and dogs. Similarly, the different eating preference lead to the popularity of single serve pouches that in line with the preference of cat food by cats. However, this single-use disposable format is providing the convenience to cat owners. It also offers the owners with a wider range of flavors to select for their small cat. But due to overfeeding and under-exercising, Pet obesity is rising with an estimated one in three household pets now overweight. The changing busy lifestyle of people causes the pets to be confined within home for long periods, and without enough exercise. Pet obesity is rather serious in cat for the gentle nature of cats than dog. In this case, Low-fat versions of products emerged such as specialized calorie controlled foods, foods according to levels of activity, and dietary supplements. (Mintel) Furthermore, prepared cat food sales remain high at 88%, even outperforming the sales in dog food market. The eating of cat is not easy to catch that the cat owners seek to convenient options to satisfy the cats. The prepared gap1 ratio in the UK is very high compared with other market, that it indicates a mature cat food market with less space for potential growth than that in developing market. According to Euromonitor, the high purchase of prepared products suggests little room for renewed growth in economy and mid-priced categories, since it is hard to develop new owners left to promote the sales. Convenience is a major driver for many owners in busy lifestyle. In terms of distribution within cat food market, the vast majority of pet foods continue to be distributed by large supermarkets as consumers seek convenience in one-stop shopping venues. Grocery retailers dominate the channels with 75% of value sales in 2008.People can select all arranged cat food in supermarkets, either premium or economy offerings. However, the sales of premium cat food is largely due to pet superstores and veterinary clinics, for the reason that the face-to-face recommendation of a pet expert is a key factor in encouraging pet owners to trade up to more premium products for their cats.(Mintel) 4.3.4 Technological500 419 It is acknowledged that the market was driven by technological innovation. Although economic recession has impacted new product development, it also brings challenges and opportunities. The pet food market has proved to be less impact by economic downturns, as the recent report says that consumers tend to not turn to cut the budget for their pets in case of the distressing economic circumstances. Consumers will cut down the spending over holidays, travels, and luxury buying habbites other than considering the already tiny budget in cat food. Report says that those who used to purchase premium pet food will continue this buying, while those used to purchase mid-priced and economy products are likely to be suffered. They are more price-sensitive. Pet food manufacturers respond to this trend by adding value to customers and give more benefits in their cost base. Cutting price is not usually a good idea in pet food in terms of establishing brand loyalty. Manufacturers are focusing on innovation by adding more value to mid-ranged products to maintain the sales from this group. However, premium and super premium foods continue to represent larger portions of the cat food market. The trend for owners to humanize their pets shows that human food trend leads the innovation of pet food trend. New technology focused on making production more natural, with more organic ingredients, and more close to human tastes. Many pet food manufacturers are launching new products in line with this trend by adding resemble human meal ingredients to offer human grade product to pet consumption, especially in the sector of wet cat food(Euromonitor). For the customers with affluent buying power, they are willing to spend on the high qualified pet products and apply the nutritional needs in the pet diets. Manufacturers seize their attention by producing products with more organic ingredients, free of additive and ethical standardized. In 2009, the sales of cat treats have grown at a current value of 4%. The humanization trend to the pet indulgence results the pushing sale of functional treats (Euro. Mintel). It is aligned with the increasing specification of cat food in different age groups as well as the detailed categorization of pet food with different nutritional needs. Although the sales of cat treats in not a necessary product and shares only small portion of cat food industry, manufactures are extending this market by the real estimate of little future growth in the mature cat food market in the UK. Future innovations and technology are seen in this particular product range. 5. Micro Environment Analysis (Poters five forces Model) 2600 The micro environment analysis of a certain industry concerns the internal competition within the industry by evaluating the performance among competitors. The operational Environment of the companies can be analyzed through the structural analysis by using Porters five forces analysis. 5.1 Understanding Porters Five Force Model 400 There are many methods concerning the analysis of organizational economic competitive advantage. The most popular and available tool in the operating environment analysis is Porters five forces analysis. It is developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. Porters five forces analysis is a framework for the industry structural analysis and business strategy development. According to Porter (1980), the five forces are served in understanding the micro environment of industry, in which the company is influenced in its ability to serve the customers and maximize the profit. As shown in Figure ?, the model identifies five factors of pressure within an industry including intensity of rivalry, threats of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, substitute threats and bargaining power of suppliers. It uses concepts that derive the five forces to determine the competitive intensity and the possible changes among industry competitors. It will provide evidence for company to reassess the volatile marketplace. Figure? Porters Five Force Analysis Pattern As is discussed above, the competitive nature of an industry is strongly affected by suggested Porters five forces. The detailed evaluation elements of each factor are shown in Figure ?. However, it is not the five factors that determine the structure of the industry, but to indentify it and make use of the markets. The structure of the industry itself plays a vital role in the environment. By recognizing this fact, I am going to explore the operating environment of cat food industry at United Kingdom by using Porters Five Forces analysis model. The objective of this task is to present the micro environment inside the industry and competitive arena among competitors. 5.2 Applying the five forces model and Results 200 A five forces analysis allows an organisation to consider the relative attractiveness of different industry sectors when making strategic choices about exiting or entering particular sectors and markets. Close analysis of these forces can allow an organisation to find a position in the sector where it can best defend itself against them or, most effectively, influence them 5.3Understanding the internal competition 5.3.1Competitive Rivalry 400 Porter describe that competitive rivalry was to analyze the intensity of competition between existing companies within an industry. Industries with high competitive pressure will impose pressure on prices, sales margins, and even on profitability for the single unit in the industry. According to the data collected from the Euromonitor International, the UK cat food market was dominated by the two companies, Nestl Purina Ltd and Masterfoods UK Ltd, as shown in Figure?. In 2008, Nestl Purina contained about 35% value share, followed by Masterfoods with approximate 33%. They are equally balanced in the UK cat food market. Figure ? Cat Food Company Shares at UK in 2008 It means that the competition would be very high in this industry for the two giant retailers: Nestl Purina Ltd and Masterfoods UK Ltd. The entry barriers in the cat food industry are very high. As a result, the potential growth of individual company would be largely depending on the RD (PFMA 2009). The pressure coming from the market and looking for opportunities for progress is the main reason that companies in this industry initiates the competition. Nestl S.A. is a global organization with headquarters based on Switzerland. Nestl Purina Pet Care Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestl S.A.. As undoubtedly the global leader in this market, the company reported sales at US$3 billion during 2008, with 11.5% organic growth and 5% internal growth at an annual rate. (Mintel) It is largely due to the sales of resilient market for premium and super-premium Purina brands. Nestl Purina led the UK cat food market with a 35% share of cat food with the brand as Felix, Go Cat and Purina ONE. Nestl Purina attributes its success to continued innovation and new product development across a range of price brackets. This behaviour attracts those consumers who are pursuing the specialized and healthy food for cats. It is viewed as a key driver of market growth. As a family owned company, Mars Incorporated operates six business segments including Chocolate, Pet Care, Wrigley Gum and Confections, Food, Drinks and Sym-bioscience. The company is also operating a global business, generating annual revenues of over US$28 billion. Masterfoods Pet Care followed closely to Nestl Purina at the second place with a 33% value share at UK cat food market. According to the Mintel reports, the success of Mars is supported by its key brands of Whiskas and Kitekat with brand shares of 26% and 4% respectively in 2008. Figure ? Cat Food Company Shares 2004-2008 As shown in Figure?,the seller concentration in this industry is very high. The major tow competitors are equally balanced. Mas has been performed better than Nestl Purina during the period form 2004 to the mid of 2007. There is no obvious gap between them. However, the Mars lose some shares in the market at 2008. The sales of the two companies are fairly static, giving out an impression of little space to grow. Moreover, other firms are struggling in this sector with mere share growth in the market. Fortunately, the competition in this market is stable, and the general unit price on cat food product is modest without massive fluctuations. It would be a very good aspect, since if price reduction happens in one firm, it will be rapidly followed by other competitors and consequently have impact on all companies income (Sadeghi, 2004). Given an increasing demand for more natural and convenient products in the market, the competition inside is very high. Exiting firms mainly focused on innovation to achieve expansion. Nestl Purina Ltd increased its market share by 0.7% from 2004, due to its launched premium brand Purina One. (Euromonitor 2009a) Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd, with 1.2% growth in its market value from 2004, launched series products in kitten, adult and senior range. (Euromonitor 2009a) It also had some innovation in packaging (Mintel 2006). Firms won better market position through advertising and promotion as well. Town and Country Petfoods Ltd twice its market shares since 2004, based on TV campaign and promotion. (Mintel 2006) It launched a premium brand HiLife with adverting and promotion more than ?1m in 2005. (Mintel 2006) Furthermore, incumbents worked on improving service. Oscar Pet Food UK provided face-to-face service, even home visit. (Precision 2003) In 2005, Town and Country Petfoods Ltd re-laun ched its website to delivery product information and professional advice online. (Mintel 2006) In addition, firms achieved expansion by merger and acquisition. Early 2001, Nestl bought Purina for ?10b, and then launched Purina One in the UK market.( David 2004) Six month later, Masterfood bought EUs largest nutritional pet food manufacture, Royal Canin. (David 2004) 5.3.2 Threat of substitute400 5.3.3 Buyer power400 Entrenched brand loyalty provides challenges and opportunities for retailers While tentative signs of economic stabilisation have begun to emerge during the second half of 2009, global consumer sentiment remains for the most part fragile. With unemployment continuing to rise (albeit at a slower pace than previously), household debt levels elevated and disposable household income still depressed, consumers are likely to retain a heightened sensitivity to price for some time. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for retailers, particularly in pet food, as consumers in this segment are unusually brand loyal. As a result, larger retailers, particularly pet superstores, may continue to gain market share by leveraging the economies of scale they enjoy by offering consumers their favourite pet food brands at a cheaper price, rather than attempting to market cheaper alternatives to them. 5.3.4 Supplier power400 Private label remains vulnerable to rising costs Nor has the ability to raise prices been confined to the upper end of the market. Canadian-based private label pet food manufacturer Menu Foods scraped back into profitability during the first quarter of 2009 for the first time since the March 2007 recall. It earned US$54,000 (compared with a year-earlier loss of US$2.2 million) on sales of US$84.1 million, up 51.3% year-on-year. This increase was largely due to three price increases that totalled almost 14%. However, these price increases may not be sustainable in the short term. According to the company, as a consequence of our price increases, a number of customers whose volume represented 6.7% of total volume in the first quarter advised that they will stop buying from Menu during the second quarter. This demonstrates that private label manufacturers remain at a fundamental disadvantage to manufacturers of branded products in terms of their ability to sustain higher pricing. In Europe, private label manufacturer Provimi Group is experiencing similar difficulties. Provimi, which sells pet food throughout Western and Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, reported a 9.9% year-on-year increase in pet food sales during the first quarter, attributing this increase to a growing demand for private label products. However, it stated that its profit margins on pet food were negatively impacted by a sharp increase in the cost of cans that the Group was not able to pass on to its customers. 5.3.5 Barrier of new entry/threat of entry400 A few firms achieved to enter the cat food market successfully during the last decade. They operated mainly in three ways. First, these firms expanded into this market on the base of their original business. They are enjoying the benefits of the background in the pet products industry before. For example, Butchers Pet Care Ltd originally produced dog food only. In 2000, it successfully entered the cat food market by introducing new cat food product. (Euromonitor 2009f) Second, they entered by ways of merging or acquiring incumbents. In 1999, PG entered UK pet food market through acquisition of Imas, which is a historical pet food company established in 1946. (Mintel 2006) Third, they accessed to the market using own brand and labe

The Negative impact of Social Networking Sites in Business Essay

Introduction In recent years, the Internet and especially the social networking sites have enabled a communication revolution: the ability to send and receive timely information everywhere has changed the way we live. As an online social networking site (SNS), it collects personal information and stored in the users’ profiles, and it is extremely popular because it allows people to connect with users with similar interests, build and maintain relationships with friends, and feel more connected with their neighbors or campus. On the contrary, it is obvious that although social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, rank high in people’s daily life, they also give rise to the unexpected disturbing matters in business. Facebook Features Facebook, a popular social networking site founded in 2004 by a Harvard sophomore, has already had more than 800 million active users by July 2011. (Giles, 2011) Like other sites, users must register with e-mail address before using the site. And once a user has logged in, he/she can join a school network, search for friends and view other users’ profile as long as the privacy feature is turned off. Within the account, users can post status, share videos and photos, publish notes, list interests and personal details. Facebook also has the optional privacy features which restrict others access to only partial of their profiles. (Cain, 2007) Facebook and Development Issues An apparent problem with irrational using online SNS is how they ruin your opportunities. Even though we always heard about how Facebook and other SNS help people getting jobs and know about companies before the interviews. But there are some possibilities that those websites can ruin your future career development. And it ... ...ed to Internet increases the time to accomplish a project or even bring a general reduction in quality. Conclusion This paper has provided an overview of how partial social networking sites form the negative impact on businesses. SNS such as Facebook provide individuals the way to maintain connects and broaden the way people used to think and behave, which is beneficial in daily life. These same sites, however, I argue that, also present a danger to people’s expected future development and reputation, safety and working. In order to avoid these disadvantages from using social networking sites, it would be better for people always being smart about what to put on Facebook and other SNS because you wouldn’t be informed being inspected. And try as much as possible to get away from these sites when you are working or studying since attention must paid 100% on them.

The Tell-Tale heart Essay -- essays research papers

The behavior of the narrator in The Tell-Tale heart demonstrate characteristic that are associated with people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoid schizophrenia . When Poe wrote this story in 1843 obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoia had not been discovered. However in modern times the characteristics demonstrated by the narrator leads people to believe that he has a mental illness. Poe’s narrator demonstrates classic signs throughout the story leading the reader to believe that this character is mad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most psychiatrists believe that when a person suffers from paranoia they most likely have paranoid schizophrenia. According to Frederick Frese chief psychologist at Ohio mental hospital, Paranoid schizophrenia is defined as â€Å" excessive concern about one's own well being, sometimes suggesting the person holds persecutory beliefs concerning a threat to themselves or their property.† Some characteristics are â€Å"confusion; indecision; nervousness, suicidal and homicidal thoughts. People with paranoia tend to believe that they have super sensitive hearing. They hear inanimate object taking to them or voices that don’t exist †Many People with schizophrenia go through periods of getting better and worse. They have remission and relapse. They can go for long periods of time without any symptoms (Frese 13) In the case of Poe’s narrator, he showed symptom of paranoia He believed that his old room mate’s eye was evil.† One of his eyes resemble... The Tell-Tale heart Essay -- essays research papers The behavior of the narrator in The Tell-Tale heart demonstrate characteristic that are associated with people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoid schizophrenia . When Poe wrote this story in 1843 obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoia had not been discovered. However in modern times the characteristics demonstrated by the narrator leads people to believe that he has a mental illness. Poe’s narrator demonstrates classic signs throughout the story leading the reader to believe that this character is mad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most psychiatrists believe that when a person suffers from paranoia they most likely have paranoid schizophrenia. According to Frederick Frese chief psychologist at Ohio mental hospital, Paranoid schizophrenia is defined as â€Å" excessive concern about one's own well being, sometimes suggesting the person holds persecutory beliefs concerning a threat to themselves or their property.† Some characteristics are â€Å"confusion; indecision; nervousness, suicidal and homicidal thoughts. People with paranoia tend to believe that they have super sensitive hearing. They hear inanimate object taking to them or voices that don’t exist †Many People with schizophrenia go through periods of getting better and worse. They have remission and relapse. They can go for long periods of time without any symptoms (Frese 13) In the case of Poe’s narrator, he showed symptom of paranoia He believed that his old room mate’s eye was evil.† One of his eyes resemble...

Annual Function in 4 Pages Essay

Variety is the spice of life. Life without feasts and celebrations is charm less and lifeless. So is true in case of school life. Without functions and celebrations school life becomes monotonous and uninteresting. Therefore, almost all the schools have certain annual functions such as, Annual Sports Day, Parents’ Day, Teacher’s Day, School Anniversary Day, etc. These celebrations add colour and charm to school life. Recently my school celebrated our Annual Parents Day with great pomp and show. The Parents’ Day celebration is the most important function in my school. A lot of preparation precedes the function. The main purpose of this function is to thank and appreciate the parents and the guardians of children, who help the school authorities in the process of education. It is a day of thanksgiving. Last year our School’s Parents’ Day was held on 10th October. The day was fine and sunny with few streaks of clouds here and there. Our school compound wore a festive look. Arches and colourful flags were everywhere. Music and song filled the air. The main road leading to the school was beautifully decorated. The children were in their best attire. A group of little kids, dressed in local costumes, stood like angels at the entrance; welcoming everyone with their folded hands. The function started at 9.30 a.m. with the welcoming of the Chief Guest and the special invitees. They were led to the decorated Pandal by a group of Wangala dancers (Garo dancers). The Chief Guest for the function was our newly appointed District Deputy commissioner. As soon as the Chief Guest reached the Pandal the school band started the marching tunes. The school children in six groups, dressed carefully in their school uniforms, marched to the beat of the drum. The Chief Guest took the seat and watched the parade with delight. Immediately after the march past, he hoisted the school flag amidst the sound of crackers, clapping of hands and singing of school anthem. The Chief Guest then spoke a few words, which were followed by a colourful drill display by little kids. It was so charming to see the little kids jumping, twisting and dancing to the beats of the drums. Their lively steps, enchanting smile and colourful dresses impressed everyone present there. The drill display was followed by a karate demonstration performed by class V students. Their shouts, twists, chops and jumps evoked applause and cheers from the crowd. The inaugural function came to a close with a Bamboo dance performed by the students of Class VII. After the inaugural function there was a tea party for the Chief Guest and other invitees. The day’s programme concluded with a fine cultural programme lasting about two hours. The cultural programme commenced with a few words by the Headmaster of the school stating the purpose of the function and inviting every one to relax and enjoy the performances of the children. Cultural dances, film songs and dances, action-songs and a short comic play made the entire programme lively and thrilling. The programme came to a close with an enchanting action song by the Nursery kids; who evoked lots of laughter and from the audience. Thus, ended the Parents Day celebration of my school for that year. It was lively, interesting and exciting. Everyone enjoyed it to the full. All departed with a smile on their face and with a big thank you’ on their lips. I am sure everyone went away with sweet and pleasant memories of a day, well planned and enjoyed.

Poverty Alleviation Through Zakah and Waqf Institutions Essay

* Islam emphasize on the importance of distributive justice through Zakah, waqf†¦ * The main objectives of Zakah are to promote stable economic growth through investments, employment and balance consumption, and the achievement of greater income equality through an equitable distribution of wealth, thereby eliminating poverty and extreme disparities of wealth between the rich and the poor. * Waqf is holding a Maal (an asset) and preventing its consumption for the purpose of repeatedly extracting its usufruct for the benefit of an objective representing righteousness and/or philanthropy for as long as its principal is preserved either by its own nature – as in land – or from arrangements and conditions prescribed by the Waqf founder. * In the past, the state would assign Zakah workers. * The first known Waqf is the mosque of Qubaa in Madinah, â€Å"which was built upon the arrival of the Prophet (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) followed by the purchase of the land and construction of the mosque, known today as the Prophet‟s mosque†. * There are three types of Waqf, religious Waqf, philanthropic Waqf, and posterity or family Waqf. * Religious Waqf â€Å"adds to the social welfare of the community because it helps satisfy the religious needs of people and reduces the direct cost of providing religious services for any future generation†. * Philanthropic Waqf â€Å"aimed at supporting the poor segment of the society and all activities that are of interest to people at large such as public utilities, libraries, scientific research, education, health services, care of animals and environment, lending to small businessmen, parks, roads, bridges, dams, etc†. * Posterity or family Waqf â€Å"is argued that it is charitable in essence because it gives income/usufruct to persons free of charges and improves the welfare of future generation†.

Canon

Case Study Introduction Canon is one of the most recognisable brands worldwide. It is a Japanese Multinational Enterprise (MNE), specialised on manufacturing of imaging and optical products, including printers, cameras and copiers. This paper will investigate on the degree of global expansion of Canon. It will focus on the problem statement on how Canon evolved from a Japanese company to a global player. First, this paper starts with Canon’s structure and their background. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the motivations, means and mentalities of expanding and an analysis of the international context.Next to that,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Sama jouw stuk!. Finally, this paper will describe the social responsibility of Canon and will end with a conclusion. Background of Canon Canon focuses on three different groups: the Customer, the Office and the Industry and others. They are producing a lot of different products but the most important are for the Customer: cameras, camcorders, print ers, projectors, scanners and equipment. For the Office: laser/ large-format printers, multifunction devices, solutions software, cartidges. For Industry and others: lithograpy systems, card printers, radiography systems, vacuum equipment, components. Canon, 2011). Founded in 1933, Canon started as a small laboratory in Tokyo. At the time, all high-quality cameras were European with the majority coming from Germany. It was in this small room that young people with a big dream began to work on producing a high-quality Japanese camera, this was the start of Canon. In 1950, Canon's first president, Takeshi Mitarai, went to America for the first time to attend an international trade fair. He got a lot of inspiration and good ideas and started to build a new factory as modern as in the US. In 1955, Canon made its first step into the global market with the opening of a U.S. office in New York City. In 1970, Canon was doing really good but was hit by dollar and oil shocks. In 1976, Canon l aunched its Premier Company Plan, an ambitious strategy to transform Canon into an â€Å"excellent global company†. The plan proposed high ideals and pooled the strength of its employees, enabling the company to promptly recover. Then, in 1988, Canon introduced its corporate philosophy of kyosei, an unfamiliar term at the time. We will elaborate on this later in the report. In the 1990s, Canon carried debt of more than 840 billion yen and in 1996 the Excellent Global Corporation Plan was launched.Transforming the corporate mindset from partial to total optimization and from a focus on sales to a focus on profits, the new plan was the start of the innovations that characterize today's Canon. From 2001 to 2010 the number of employees almost doubled, this shows the huge growth of Canon in the last years. (Canon, 2011) Canon’s global expansion Canon satisfies both requirements for being a Multinational Enterprise according to Bartlett and Beamish (2011, p. 2), such as subs tantial direct investment in foreign countries and active management in foreign subsidiaries.Canon goes beyond the trading relationships of an import-export business in countries such as France and Australia. The headquarter in Japan plays however a crucial role in determining organizational culture and strategy. This can also be seen in the representation of the Board of Directors which consists exclusively of Japanese. (Canon, 2011). Canon’s mentality can be categorized as Global. The production of the mainly standardized products takes place to a large extend in Japan, but also in the US, Germany, France, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.These few plants are highly efficient, which provides economies of scale but also transparency of quality. When considering the products itself world is seen as one Due to the organizational structure the Japanese headquarter takes over the central coordination and control of the subsidiaries, their various product or business manage rs have worldwide responsibility. Furthermore R&D and manufacturing activities are managed from Japan. R&D subsidiaries are located in France, China, the Philippines and Australia but mainly Japan. Canon, 2011). Main motivations for Canon to expand their activities globally were mainly due to market-seeking behaviour and increasing scale economies. Especially in the technology sector where competition is increasing, R&D costs are rising and product life cycles are becoming shorter, so Canon was forced to expand if it wanted to gain first mover advantages. This is in line with the principle of global chess. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2011, p. 4). Canon operates in an international industry, where technological forces are central.As mentioned above the technology industry is fast moving, highly competitive and requires huge R&D investments. Therefore Canon need to follow the international strategy and focusses on its ability to exploit technological forces and leveraging international life cycles. Furthermore its business also contains some attributes of a global industry, such as highly centralized, scale-intensive manufacturing and R&D operations, which allows Canon to leverage through worldwide exports of standardized global goods. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2011, p. 123).Besides competitive positioning, global scanning and learning capability play a crucial role. This responsibility is usually taken over by the R&D departments. However Canon adjusts to local needs mainly in marketing activities. In order to reach the local market Canon focused on marketing activities. Headquarters for marketing activities are located in Japan, New York (USA), Florida (Central and South America, Caribbean) London and the Netherlands (Europe), Dubai (Middle East) and Singapore (South East Asia). Numerous local marketing offices are places in almost every country where products of Canon can be purchased. Canon, 2011). After having analysed Canon’s administrative heritage, clearly in line with the Japanese tradition, the EPG framework can be applied. On the first sight Canon seems to be mainly ethnocentric oriented. (Perlmutter, 1969). Performance criteria for products and managers are clearly formulated in Japan. Managers of the subsidiaries are Japanese, many of them are related. (Flannery, 2011). This also shows the cultural distance between Japan and the western business world. Further culture distances include differences in social norms, such as the principle of â€Å"saving face† and of course a language barrier.Many differences were embraced by Canon by expanding globally. An example of this is the implementation of a FengShui activity for employees in Europe. Furthermore Japanese do not expect foreigners to have comprehensive knowledge of the Japanese culture and tolerate mistakes. Overall Canon managed to overcome most of these obstacles without losing their Japanese identity. (Ghemawat, 2001). When considering marketing activities, Canon manag ed to capture and target all the different local market needs and appears to implement a world-wide approach and not just following home-country objectives.Part Sama!!!! Corporate Social Responsibility Initially international expansion was viewed as something very positive. It would not only help the richest nations, but also the poorer countries were able to benefit from globalization. However, in the last years of the 20th century contradicting views were arising. People saw a lot of drawbacks, globalization was seen as continued exploitation by MNEs. The growing gap between the rich and the poor was seen as an evidence of this exploitation. There was a need for a different approach and many people believed that MNEs could provide a solution.Because MNEs controlled the resources and power, they should play a larger role in the global development. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2011, p. 646) Canon is a perfect example of a company who is trying to be responsible and who wants to take care of the world. In 1988 Canon officially introduced its corporate philosophy of  kyosei. This means ‘living and working together for the common good’ (Canon, 2011). They want to achieve this in a community in which all people, regardless of language, culture or ethnicity, live together.Based on the concept of kyosei and with the idea of their â€Å"excellent global corporation† plan in mind, Canon tries to take the responsibility for the impact of its activities on society. (Canon, 2010) Besides that they also focus on CSR internally, a nice example is the change of offices in 2008. They implemented Feng-Shui in their European offices to remedy a real, modern problem: high levels of employee office stress and rage. In the end, a Zen Workplace was created by a US-based Feng Shui Master consultant. (Mainini, 2007) According to Bartlett and Beamish (2011, p. 49) there are four MNE responses to developing world needs. The first one is the exploitive MNE, this company o nly focuses on making profit and does not care about the community at all. The issue of sweatshops is common within these companies. The second response is one of a transactional MNE, today this is viewed as the minimum expectation of MNE’s behaviour. These companies do not pursue the bottom-line at all costs but respect laws and regulations. The third approach is the responsive MNE, they are making a difference. Canon can be categorized into this category.They really try to make a difference and not only for their own benefits. The question that could arise is if Canon should try to move to the fourth one, the transformative MNE? In this transformative approach companies are trying to lead the change, so take a initiative to set up projects. In our view this should not be the aim for Canon, they are already making a huge difference because of their commitment to society. A good example to show why they are still a responsive MNE is the investment of Canon after the recent Ja panese earthquake, their commitment was enormous but this was also due to their own damage.The most important reason for their action was their own recover. This is in line with Prahalad and Hammond (2002), companies can help the community profitably. On March 11, 2011 a great Japanese earthquake caused a lot of damage. This earthquake took place where Canon’s operations are based. Canon acted immediatley and supported the Red Cross Society with a financial donation but more important with portable digital radiography systems. This system has shown to be effective in contributing to medical activities in disaster areas.The earthquake caused damage to buildings and equipment of Canon, but most of all their supply chain was hitten. Canon realized the only way of minimizing the impact was a rapid recovery so they concentrated all of their resources and tried to provide customers still with a supply of their products. (Canon, 2011) Canon focuses on two different parts of the comm unity, the social and cultural support activities and environmental acitivities. This is still a really broad focus, because they want to be committed to everyone and everything.Their environmental view is the produce – use – recycle circle, in which they want to reduce their environmental impact in every stage. (Appendix, figure 1) Canon is also focused on the social and cultural support activities. Canon Global uses the philosophy of Kyosei to focus their CSR iniatives in a couple of categories. They are humanitarian aid and relief, art, culture and sports, education and science, local communities, social welfare and conservation of the environment. Due to cultural differences and needs, the implementation of projects varies between branches. Canon, 2010) Conclusion The aim of this paper was to investigate in the evolution of Canon from a Japense company to a global player. †¦. blabla Conclusion!!!!!!! * References Bartlett, C. A. & Beamish, P. W. (2011). Transn ational Management, Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management. (6th ed. ) New York: McGraw-Hill. Canon. (2010). Social and Cultural support activities. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/scsa/index. html Canon. (2011). Canon support relief efforts following Japan quake. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. om/scsa/aid_relief/support/japan_quake/index. html Canon. (2011). Canon up to now. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/about/history/outline. html Canon. (2011). Products. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/products/ Canon. (2011). Sustainability report. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/environment/ Flannery, N. P. (2011). Japanese Business Culture and the Value of Good Governance. Retrieved from: http://foundersforum. gmiratings. com/2011/11/japanese-business-culture-and-the -value-of-good-governance. html Ghemawat, P. (2001).Distance Still Matters: The Hard Reality of Global Expansion. Transnational Management, Reading 1. 2. Mainini, S. F. (2007). Zen W orkplace, how to use Feng Shui to reduce office stress? Retrieved from: http://www. canon-europe. com/Images/Feng_Shui_report-v1_0_tcm13-612885. pdf Perlmutter, H. (1969). The Tortuous Evolution of the Multinational Corporation. Transnational Management, Reading 1. 1. Prahalad, C. K. & Hammond, A. (2002). Serving the World’s Poor, Profitably. Transnational Management, Reading 8. 2. Appendix Figure 1 Canon. (2011) Sustainibility report