A Summary of the Book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Essay

Customers, food critic and competitors are all praises over McDonald’s French fries for its unique and distinctive taste.  Ã‚   However, its taste has nothing to do with neither the potatoes that they use nor their cooking equipment.   The source of its distinctive taste has largely to do with cooking oil which is a mixture of 7 percent cottonseed oil and 93 percent beef tallow, which also explains why it has more saturated fat per ounce than a McDonald’s hamburger. They switched to using pure vegetable in 1990 when they started getting criticisms about the high amount of cholesterol in their fries.   This move gave them a whole new challenge on how to maintain the distinctive beefy taste in their fries, which sets them apart from the rest, without using the fat saturated beef tallow.   The problem was solved by adding flavor to their fires.   A closer examination of their ingredients will show you â€Å"natural flavor,† which is hardly natural as â€Å"natural flavor† and artificial flavor† are both man-made.   It explains why McDonald’s fries, as well as American food in general, tastes so good. The flavor industry is very secretive when it comes to their clients.   They deem it of utmost importance to protect the reputation of these popular brands and understandably so since they would like to give the consumers the impression that the flavors and delectability of their food comes from their kitchens and not from elsewhere. International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) is the largest flavor company in the world, also manufactures the scents of some of the most successful and finest perfumes in the United States.   Food’s aroma is responsible for 90 percent of its flavor.   In fact, the â€Å"flavor† manufactured in these companies are primarily the smell of gases being released by the chemicals we put in our mouths. Researches done by scientists reveal that disposition or preference to certain food or taste is usually formed at the early stages of a person’s life.   Aroma or taste, and memory are strongly linked to each other which explain why a particular smell or taste could trigger a person’s memory back to childhood, often referred to as â€Å"comfort foods.†Ã‚   This phenomenon is what fast food chains, including McDonald’s, are banking on in their marketing and promotions.   Memory of Happy Meals can translate to frequent adult visits to McDonald’s. Meanwhile, the author discussed the American ranchers’ dire predicament in the present market.   McDonald’s is America’s largest beef purchaser.   In the late 1960’s McDonald’s buy their beef supply from 175 local suppliers, but in their desire to achieve uniformity as its business expanded, they limited their suppliers down to only five.   Many ranchers argue that large corporations have gained control of the market, employing dirty tactics to keep down the price of cattle. Chicken McNuggets was formed through an idea of McDonald’s chairman, Fred Turner, in 1979.   He wanted a supplier to create a â€Å"chicken finger-food without bones, about the size of your thumb.†Ã‚   The alarming growth rate of poultry in the United States at that time was a threat to the fast food chain whose only products are burgers. After six months of intensive research, Keystone lab developed a new technology for manufacturing McNuggets, made of reconstituted chicken, composed of white meat, held together by stabilizers, breaded, fried, frozen, then reheated.   Its initial test-marketing proved to be so successful that McDonald’s hired another company, Tyson Foods, to guarantee adequate supply.   The success of McNuggets changed the nations system for raising and processing poultry. Greeley, Colorado is a town where cattle is the main business, and where workers and machines turn large steer to vacuum packed packages.   However, the industrialization of cattle raising have turned one of the nation’s best-paying manufacturing jobs, into one of the lowest paying, the biggest workforce of which are poor immigrants. The working conditions in these meat packing plants were horrible to say the least, endangering the lives of its workers as well as those of its consumers.   Presently, meat-packing plants and agricultural fields hire poor immigrant workers who are willing to receive lower pay than U.S. citizens.   Even in the present time when technology and new systems are available, it hardly improved the working conditions of these workers.   They work every day amidst the indescribable stench and dirt, health exposure, injuries, and even death.  Ã‚   The different work in meat-packing plants and slaughterhouses are unarguably one of the most dangerous jobs in the planet. Schlosser brought up the presence of E. coli in meat as one of the hazards in the meat packing industry.   E. coli bacteria aid human beings in digesting food, synthesizing vitamins and protects from dangerous organisms.   On the other hand, E. coli 0157:H7 is a mutated version that is harmful and can release a powerful toxin called â€Å"Shiga toxin.†Ã‚   It attacks the lining of the intestines that may result to abdominal cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and low-grade fever. It becomes deadly when â€Å"Shiga toxin† enters the bloodstream and can lead to kidney failure, anemia, internal bleeding, and destruction of vital organs.   Children or elderly with impaired immune systems are more likely to suffer.   Antibiotics do not help and in some cases, even triggers the release of Shiga toxins, after which little or nothing can be done to those infected.   Unlike Salmonella virus which requires large doses to cause infection, E. coli 0157:H7 requires very little.   It only takes a tiny, uncooked particle of a hamburger to contain enough pathogen to kill a person.   This can be transmitted from person-to-person. The influence of America has widely spread for most of the twentieth century, as the popularity of movies, CDs, music videos, television shows, clothing and fashion grow steadily, so does the Americanization of the world.   Fast food is one of the most popular American influences which people around the globe actually patronize.   Today, the United States has the highest obesity rate of any industrialized nations.   It soared dramatically in proportion to the consumption and popularity of fast food.   The Americans’ way of eating and living has changed so drastically in the past decades, when people eat more and move less. The popularity and growth of the fast food industry is mainly through their abundance of high-fat, inexpensive meals that are easily available.   They have also increased their portion sizes as a way of attracting customers.   The popular fast food chains realized that it was easier to increase the size of their portions than to promote healthier eating habits, as it was very difficult to battle eating habits formed early on in life through their own marketing strategies.   Even countries such as Japan, whose diet has always been believed to be the healthiest in the world, succumbed to the fast food influence.   As a result, obesity which used to be a rarity in this country has become more common. In 1994, a libel trial begun between McDonald’s and two Greenpeace activists, Helen Steel and Dave Morris, where Steel and Morris was being sued by the fast food chain for libel.   They were alleged to have spread leaflets and information that were damaging and untrue.   Many years later, the court ruled that the information was indeed libelous as Steel and Morris were not able to prove â€Å"all† of their allegations against McDonalds.   This trial dragged on for years, until present time, and has put McDonald’s in a much worse situation than the two activists, due to bad publicity. Opinion At first glance, Fast Food Nation may seem to be a book that is bent on brandishing the fast food industry to be the bad guys.   However, this book actually contains a well-researched and factual representation of American lifestyle and eating habits, as well as its remarkable influence in the world.   Eric Schlosser wrote a compelling picture of the origins of the present American society and the rest of the world’s â€Å"Americanized† way of life. McDonald’s have been successful in infiltrating the lives of American consumers and establishing its stronghold in many people’s eating habits.   In its aim to provide convenience and â€Å"fast† food to people, McDonald’s and the rest of the fast food industry cleverly found a way to give the consumers exactly that, fast food.   Just like any other business, is it any wonder that the fast food industry has creatively and cleverly formulated it own strategies and marketing ploys to gain the fickle trust of consumers? Many might wonder, if McDonald’s, and the fast food industry in general, should be blamed for the terrible eating habits and obesity that besets many Americans and other nations across the world.   I believe that the consumers are partly to blame in this predicament; after all, what they put in their and their children’s, mouths is ultimately their decision.   However, I strongly believe that McDonalds, and the rest of the fast food industry, has a very crucial responsibility in putting forth correct and unveiled information about their food products. It is their business and moral responsibility to put the health of their consumers of utmost consideration and importance, over profits.   It is understandable for consumers to unwittingly get hooked to these great-tasting fast foods, and realize only later on that they have made a mistake.   Clearly, the fast food industry failed to do their jobs in providing correct and ample information, and in resisting the urge of capitalism and profit over the welfare of their consumers, in effect, jeopardizing their lives and exposing the health of your children to grave danger.

Eating Disorders: Mass Media and Its Influence on Body Image Essay

The influence and power of mass media in shaping perceptions about issues is uncontested. In the recent years however, there are questions being raised about the kind of information media, especially the commercial mass media, is feeding its viewers particularly those in their adolescence. More and more cases of eating disorders have surfaced in the latter years. More often than not, the victims of such disorders report that it was exposure and desire to be like the skinny models and celebrities that influenced them to diet, binge, purge and apply drastic measures such as surgery and starvation diets in order to lose weight. Just recently, Jennifer Love Hewitt made headlines when she hit out at criticisms of her weight after a not-so-flattering photo of her in a bikini surfaced on magazines and the Internet. Her statement â€Å"Size 2 is not fat! † has been welcomed and praised by other celebrities who feel that the media has been exerting undue pressure on women to be slim according to what are often unattainable standards (Slonim & Chiu, 2007). There are researchers who claim that the rising numbers of eating disorders among pre-teens and adolescents are caused by the continued portrayal of beauty as â€Å"thin† in media. It is according to researchers, this very portrayal of â€Å"thin† that fosters a trend of body dissatisfaction among women particularly those in their adolescence (Forbes, Doroszewicz, Card & Adams-Curtis, 2004). What is body image and why does it seem so important to people? Body image is defined as how individuals view and judge their own personal appearance (Morrison, Kalin & Morrison, 2004). This includes personal thoughts, feelings and behaviors directed towards one’s own body (Botta, 2003). This perception is further broken down into two types: the â€Å"body image evaluation† or the way a person critically evaluates his or her own physical appearance, and the â€Å"body image investment,† or the things that people do â€Å"to manage or enhance the way they look†(Morrison, Kalin & Morrison, 2004). People’s body images today run alongside perceptions of self-worth. If one doesn’t fit the stereotypical standard of beauty, it automatically makes an individual feel outcast and ugly. There are two ways by which media may affect a person’s perception of physical appearances in terms of weight: the first is by featuring thin and â€Å"beautiful† people/celebrities while the other is to feature conspicuously fat people who are often represented in comical situations (Harrison, 2000, p. 125). In the study conducted by Harrison in 2000, it was revealed that young adolescent girls who were exposed to media featuring stick thin celebrities experienced dissatisfaction with their own personal appearances. Those who were exposed to shows featuring conspicuously fat people showed an increased tendency toward eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia (pp137-138). What are eating disorders? Eating disorders refer to conditions describing a person’s food consumption behaviors that are considered â€Å"abnormal. † It covers whether people eat too much, or not at all including whether they practice purging after meals. The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa. The primary goal of people suffering from anorexia nervosa is to achieve maximum weight loss as possible (Palmer, 2003, p. ). It is important to take note that there is a difference between anorexia and anorexia nervosa. Anorexia pertains to a true reduction of hunger due to other factors such as illness or depression that thereby makes loss of appetite fairly normal and expected. The â€Å"nervosa† in anorexia nervosa is an indicator of a more complex relationship between a person’s eating behavior and the desire to lose weight (p. 6). People suffering from anorexia nervosa panic at any sign of weight gain and very often fail to realize just how abnormally skinny they are getting. Weight loss becomes compulsive. Each pound loss and food denied is a victory for people with anorexia nervosa. They are often given to obsessive dieting and exercise convinced that what little food they eat will turn them into obese slobs (Smith, 2004, p. 6) Bulimia Nervosa. Like Anorexia, the focus of Bulimia nervosa is as much weight loss as possible†¦the difference is that sufferers of Bulimia nervosa have discovered that they can lose more weight quickly if they immediately expel what food they have eaten. Bulimics also go through a series of â€Å"binge-and-purge† wherein they undergo periods of eating large amounts of food, then getting rid of it through purging (Farley, 1992). Purging is done through self-induced vomiting or the use of enemas and laxatives for forced evacuation. Often, bulimia nervosa comes soon after the onset of anorexia nervosa (p. 15). In contrast to the disorders associated with weight loss, there are also eating disorders where its sufferers do the opposite and eat compulsively. Binge Eating Disorder (BED). BED is demonstrated by a strong compulsion to eat without any restraint. Stress and strong emotions usually bring on these periods. Binge eaters usually feel dissatisfaction until they have answered the urge to eat. However, once having eaten, binge eaters often feel self-hate, shame and personal disgust leading to more depression (Palmer, 2003, p. 7). The integration of commerce, advertising and marketing in media also has its share of the blame in the way adolescents view their bodies. Famous actors and actresses have been employed in the promotion of various products from cigarettes to acne prevention treatments. Such move appeals to most adolescents who seek to emulate the image their â€Å"idols† project. While not all adolescents are susceptible to celebrity and body images projected by the media, those suffering from social and physical anxieties in addition to low self-esteem are often more vulnerable to being affected by body images present in the media. These people often end up having distorted views of their physical selves and are more prone to developing eating disorders (David & Johnson, 1998, p. 53). Emulation of a standard set by a beauty icon is not just limited to living and breathing celebrities. In fact one of the more famous icons that have been used to represent beauty and all the privileges that are perceived to come with it may be found in most young girls’ toy boxes. â€Å"Barbie,† the thin but curvaceous doll with the sparkling blue eyes, long blond hair, gorgeous tan and long legs so admired and desired by their human counter parts has always remained a favorite toy among young girls who often project their ambitions and life wishes onto Barbie as they play pretend. Little girls would brush Barbie’s silky blond hair and dress her up for her â€Å"dates† with the very handsome and muscular â€Å"Ken. † While â€Å"pretend play† is considered to be fairly normal and may even be considered â€Å"healthy† creativity-wise, there are times when the pretense is carried a bit far and extends beyond normal play to the point of crossing into real life. In December 2006, an article appeared in English newspaper the Daily Mail telling of an interview with â€Å"Human Barbie† Sarah Burge (â€Å"I’m the Human Barbie,† 2006, p. 22). In it, Sarah admitted to having had about 26 plastic surgery procedures within the twenty years costing approximately GBP 180,000, even candidly stating that in her whole body, only her feet remained in their â€Å"virgin† state. When asked what she thinks of the label â€Å"human Barbie† Sarah just beans with pride. â€Å"‘I find it extremely flattering,’ she says. ‘Barbie is very beautiful, glamorous and fun. What woman wouldn’t want to be all those things? ‘† (â€Å"p. 22) Burge also goes to point out the additional connection of her being born in the same year the Mattel Company launched the Barbie doll. Tom Knott (1997,p. 2) of the Washington Times probably best sums up the nice but mostly unrealistic and unattainable qualities of Barbie that have been the envy and ambition of females young and old alike: Barbie has had it all for 38 years: the great looks and body, plus the devotion of the equally flawless Ken. It has been a zit-free run. Nothing bad ever happened to Barbie. She did not develop complexion problems. She did not gain weight. She did not start to sag. She did not wake up to find facial hair on her upper lip. She looked as good in the morning as she did at night. Knott, 1997, p. 2) Botta (2003) explains that the problem lies in the fact that women are judged for thinness while men’s masculinity is measured against a rising cultural ideal stereotype of â€Å"V-shaped† muscularity. Botta further states that the connection between exposure to women’s and men’s â€Å"health and fitness† magazines to increasing body dissatisfaction and cases of eating disorders among its readers have already been proven by several studies (Andersen & DiDomenico, 1992; Nemeroff, Stein, Diehl, & Smilack, 1994, Levine, Smolak & Hayden, 1994). Botta, 2003) In addition to these, Botta decries the irony in all these studies was that of all the types of magazines used in the studies, it was the health magazines that presented more stimulus and inducements for their readers to do more body harm. For boys, reading was linked to increased muscularity, which means that the more time they spent reading health/fitness magazines, the more they intended to or took pills and supplements in order to gain muscle and the more committed they were to being muscular. For girls, health/fitness magazine reading was linked to a stronger drive to be thin and to increased anorexic and bulimic intentions and behaviors such as vomiting, abusing laxatives, and fasting. (Botta, 2003) Conclusion Adolescence is well known to be a fragile and confusing phase that everybody has to go through. In seeking to fit in with their peers as well as have an image that is acceptable to all, it is not unusual for young people to try and attain qualities that will make them attractive personally and socially to other people. The idea of beauty with all its accompanying privileges is not a new one. Neither is the fact that people will try to copy or emulate others whom they feel are everything they would want to be. It is a fact that marketers and advertisers are paid to make their wares attractive in whatever way possible. It is also another fact that media survives and makes money through the patronization of advertisers. However, there must and should be a point where the responsibility towards the audience especially those who do not sufficiently possess proper discernment must be factored into the equation. In the recent years, reports of fashion models that have died due to some eating disorder abound. There have been steps to ban stick thin models from the runway, a ban that is yet to be implemented by all the major fashion houses. Young and highly impressionable children are often plopped in front of the television often without any supervision. If adolescents can be so easily swayed by exposure to media, what more of these young kids? Already, news reports of children as young as seven being treated for eating disorders have surfaced (â€Å"Girl of Seven in Diet Danger,† 2006) It is frightening the way â€Å"0† can actually be considered a dress size. Even more frightening when media portrays thin celebrities as â€Å"beautiful† and leading glamorous, exciting lives. What person, young or old, would not want that? Currently however, the way that even celebrities who used to be the standard by which beauty is judged are now facing harsh criticism from their contemporaries is alarming in more ways than one. If celebrities who can afford high priced professional trainers, diets, gym memberships and plastic surgery can still be adjudged negatively, what more of those who do not have access or simply cannot afford all these â€Å"beauty aids†?

Universalism,impartialism, & utilitarianism Essay

Universalism,impartialism, & utilitarianism - Essay Example Two of the most powerful theories that have affected and are still affecting how people shape their mindset, goals, and life would be Universalist and Impartialist theories. Universalism is a theory that hinges on a central belief that all people are saved. Universalism is a theory that hinges on a central belief that all people are saved. This salvation has been paid in the most expensive and precious price of the body and blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. A lot of people ask why it was necessary for Jesus’ sacrifice and Universalists believe that it is the only way for sinful humans to be reconciled to God again after being separated from him because of sin. This salvation applies to all human beings whether they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior or not because this redemption would be achieved in one’s lifetime or the afterlife where God will bring people to repentance. This reconciliation does not exclude evil beings. An example of a Universali st point of view would be a mind set wherein one does not depend on one's regularity in church attendance every Sunday because based on this view no amount of good works could save one from eternal death except for Jesus' death on the cross. Another would be the belief that there are no levels of sin. When one chooses to do bad, it displeases the Lord. However, this does not mean that one could be cut off from the love of God. On the other hand, Impartialist theory believes that Impartialism which means choosing something over the other is not necessarily a negative or a positive thing. Being impartial is not closely linked to morality (Hsieh, D., n,d.). This is because of the fact that one can be impartial, choosing another option based on rational qualifications without meaning any harm to the other party. One example of which would be to choose to not go to your friends beach party and yet attend your other friend’s house party because of the fact that you cannot swim. Fur thermore, a person could be impartial in a way that affects his or her action’s morality when one chooses something over the other based on personal motive or gain. A good example of which would be to choose to hire a friend you know is not totally capable of the job just because you can get a wide range of connection from that person and putting off an unfamiliar applicant who is clearly equipped for the job because you don’t see any obvious personal benefits from doing so. Based on the definitions of Impartialist and Universalist theory, both are strongly interconnected with Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a philosophy that was first developed by English philosophers John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. It was based on the experiences of women who were forced into slavery. From this, these philosophers developed the belief that criminals need not only be punished, instead reformed where every being is brought to their utmost positive potential. Thus, Utilitarianism in its entirety is a theory that puts premium on the value of happiness which is achieved in the absences of pain and where pleasure is the ultimate goal (Utilitarianism, n.d.). Impartialism is strongly applied in the theory of Utilitarianism because as Impartialism puts significance in welcoming impartial decisions or actions just as long as it is in line with moral ethics – not having ill motives, which is correlational to Utilitarianism which puts utmost importance on man’s happiness achieved through activities, social acceptance, success, power, luxury, and etc. If one successfully abides in the Impartialist theory, Utilitarianism is achieved as man can reach ultimate happiness. Aside from that, the Impartialist point of view is backed up by what ethics, morality, and at the same time natural law teaches us. Natural law which is the foundation of it all holds the universal law of humans’ right to live, have a decent home, be fed, be nurtured and cared for, be loved, be educated and etc

Investment recommendatin Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

SABMiller Plc and Kingfisher Plc - Coursework Example Although regarded as a non-cyclical industry, beer brewing has been affected by reduced overall demand for goods worldwide, including consumer goods, and SABMiller saw its turnover drop, albeit not very significant, in 2009. According to the CBI Economic Forecast published in December 2009, there will be a modest recovery of world economic activity in 2010, but the longer-term trend will not resume until 2011. For the UK, this marginal growth will be driven by continuing strong Government spending, a modest increase in exports, and some recovery of consumer spending. The UK Gross Domestic Product is forecast to grow by 2.2 percent this year, and 2.5 percent the year after that. Consumer spending growth will be hampered by high energy costs, unwillingness to borrow, and the need to save for future needs. The company belongs to the non-cyclical consumer goods and services sector, and the beverages/brewers industry. (Reuters). According to Hoovers, industry demand is driven by consumer preferences for alcohol consumption as well as demographic trends. As is true for most consumer products, success often goes to large companies because of their effective sales operations, broad distribution networks, and economies of scale. The industry is capital intensive. The top competitors of SABMiller plc are, Diageo plc, Heineken NV., and Anheuser-Busch InBev. The latter replaced SABMiller as the worlds biggest brewer after InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion in 2008. The company recorded a revenue level of US$18.7 billion in 2009 and a net income of US$2.16 billion compared to US$2.29 the year before. Sales in 2009 dropped 12.6 percent due to the global recession, but overall revenue has grown by an annual average of 10.5 percent over 5 years and 6.9 percent over three years. Earnings per share average 18.6 percent over five years and 6.13 for the last three years.

Drug and Substance Abuse among Nursing Professionals Research Paper

Drug and Substance Abuse among Nursing Professionals - Research Paper Example The primary factor that influences high drug abuse recognition is the assumption that drug abusers are either economically depressed or ignorant about the dangers of drugs. Nurses and other health care professionals are taken by society as people who are financially well-up and able to manage stress and depression. The society seems to ignore the fact that no one is his or her own doctor. Even those who take care of the social and psychological needs of the society need social and psychological help. Contrary to the general societal misconception, the number of nurses abusing drugs and alcohol has increased over the years. Researchers have found a significant number of nurses who report the lack of moral support from the society as the major factor that influences them to take drugs. The society seems to be over-expectant on the role of nursing, forgetting that nurses are also human beings and can get depressed. At the same time, a nurse who is found taking drugs such as alcohol is seen as an irresponsible profession who needs to be fired for being a bad role model to the society. Nurses are expected to be morally upright all the time. The society does not expect them to take drugs and preach against them at the same time. Based on the misconception of the society towards nursing, many health care professionals are forced to take drugs while hiding. They develop the feeling that people will not trust their services if they see them taking alcohol, smoking, or taking any other type of drug that society deems immoral.

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 9

International Marketing - Essay Example er this paper will provide an in depth analysis of the Dutch economy as a whole taking into consideration such factors as population, birth rates, demographics, consumer preferences, Firstly an examination of the Dutch market and economy will be conducted. It is the case that the Netherlands is one of the founding members of the European Union and the World Trade Organization. Moreover, from a historical context the nation has always had a strong association with emphasizing the importance of a strong economy. In fact according to the Chambers (2001) it is the case that the Dutch East India Company was arguably the first business entity to issue a common stock. However in the modern context it remains the case that the nation has been considered innovators in the business community from five perspectives Firstly in terms of education the nation boasts a highly educated workforce which according to the programme for international student assessment as studied by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (2008) has ultimately ranked the Netherlands as having the ninth best education system in the world which is far higher than the average. In terms of infrastructure the nation is undoubtedly considered thoroughly modernized. According to the CIA World Factbook, the nation has a total of twenty-seven airports, over 2,896 meters of railways (Utilizing a standard gauge), over 136,862 km of roadways, 6,215 km of waterways that are navigable to ships of 50 tones, as well as some substantial ports and terminals. From an economics perspective the nation is considered to be one of the wealthiest in the world. According to the CIA World Factbook the nation has total gross domestic product of approximately $652 billion in 2009 which would place it twenty second in global standings. On a micro level the gross domestic product per capita when accounting for purchasing power parity is approximately $39,000 in U.S. Dollars. From a demographics perspective the

Management Consulting Assignment Research Proposal

Management Consulting Assignment - Research Proposal Example Each type of their product has a specific focus. This paper is intends to provide a clear understanding of what Taylersons Malmesbury Syrups brand is, why and how it is managed, and what are the dynamics involved in managing brands in the present context of competitive market. Taylersons Malmesbury Syrups is a privately owned company, incorporated in April 2007. All of their product processing is done at their plant in Maple Heights, Ohio. They own the real estate, building etc, and all of the manufacturing equipment are a debt free, profitable operation. Taylersons Malmesbury Syrups is inspected, and approved, by the Federal FDA, State Agricultural Department and local Health Department. The company's primary business is the manufacturing of concentrated fruit juices, cocktail mixes and beverage syrups sold to the Food Service market and to national restaurant chains, hospitals, and nursing homes. They are constantly researching and developing new products that fulfil the customers' requirements. TAYLERSON'S MALMESBURY SYRUPS are flavoured syrups, using the finest ingredients including pure Madagascan Vanilla or natural Apple & Cinnamon. The company makes it a point to use only the finest ingredient of purely natural components as raw materials in production. Another salient features of their products is that these are very easy to prepare, and are healthy for human consumption. TAYLERSON'S MALMESBURY SYRUPS Products Taylersons Malmesbury Syrups produce a wide range of flavours of Malmesbury Syrup, including: Amaretto flavouring for coffee, on ice cream, as a white wine mixer or Frappes' (Ice, milk and flavour) or fruit desserts. Apple & Cinnamon makes great coffee or flavours hot water, tea, or can be used as a dessert topping. Caramel for flavouring coffee, Frappes', ice cream, pancakes, or hot milk. Cinnamon puts a zing in apple pie and it tastes great in coffee and hot milk too. Espresso for coffees, cakes, ice cream, Frappes' Fine Vanilla on

Analysis of Diane Arbu's Identical Twins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Diane Arbu's Identical Twins - Essay Example The paper states that Diane Arbus shot her photographs primarily using the Rolleiflex medium format that contained twin lens reflex. These features of the lens provided her photographs with features that were distinct. For instance, most of her photographs, including the â€Å"identical twin,† have waist level viewfinder as well as the aspect of the square ratio. The application and perfect adoption of the techniques of applying the viewfinders facilitated Arbus to connect with her subject perfectly, and beyond the stands of normal eye level viewfinders were able to synchronize the intended photograph. The photograph, identical twins portray the images of two young girls namely Colleen and Cathleen Wade. These two girls are equally portrayed standing side by side juxtaposed to each other with the aim of reviling their underlying identity. Moreover, the girls are addressed in similar attires of matching corduroy dresses with white lase around their necks and about their wrists. Additionally, the photograph clearly indicates that both girls have white headbands about their heads trapping their dark hair. Notably, they are coherently staring at the camera with one of them posing with a slight slime about her face while the other showing a slight indication of sadness. The indicated nature of state of each girl’s face depicts a state of parallelism among these twins. Furthermore, the parallelism may be as well been defined, or portrayed by the haunting nature of the portrait. In summary, it may be certain to say or note that the photograph reveals the photographer’s vision. Some of the photograph scholars had once noted that Arbus was suffering from identity issues. According to Patricia Bosworth, a biographer, Arbus in her career had ever been involved with the question of identifying her identity by comparing herself with other. She once had wanted to determine who she was and who others were. Therefore, the photograph of the twin image is a clear expression that cruxes the vision Arbus ever had. Alternatively, one may argue that Arbus was representing the content of the photograph in the form of normality being freakishness, and freakishness being normality (Krauss 12). According to Arbus, this photograph, of identical twins, was photographed at their tender age of seven years old each. In addition, it is as well apparent to note that the photograph was taken in a Christmas party, the party that was organized for twins and triplets. Commenting on the photograph, the father of these girls once commented that they had never thought such worst likeness of twins ever existed since according to him, they have never seen such likeness among any identical twin he has ever seen. It is worth noting that the photograph of the twins has as well inspired other artworks. For example, Stanley Kubrick reflects the elements of this photograph in the film â€Å"The Shinning†. Two identical twin sisters, with identical pose, are featured in this film. Most of Arbus’ artistic ideas are also reflected in a piece of artwork known as â€Å"Gummo† by Harmony Korine. The artistic elements represented by Arbus in the â€Å"Identical twins† photograph are also featured in a television series episode named â€Å"The Old and The Restless†. About the contemporary photographic work, Arbus is considered as a charitable photographer, in the sense that her work unconventionally related to the subject matter of portraits she presented in her collection. Most of Arbus’ photographs, including â€Å"Identical twins,† portray people or society as living unusual lives, and the same notion was accepted by most societies. Therefore, her photographs depicted what could have been supposed to be the real person. This makes her

Quantitative Content Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Quantitative Content Analysis - Essay Example The experiment also tests the effect of music on the learning process. It is commonly accepted and proved by research that loud noise impedes concentration and learning. However, some background music might improve the learning process. It is not known what type, genres and loudness are more helpful than others. The effect on different age groups is also unknown (Levy 1999). In one scene, the eye sees a huge number of objects and events that compete for visual attention. Humans rapidly prioritize and focus on critical objects and events and ignore the rest. However, it is not known how people select the most significant objects and events in complex images. Chun (2000) stated that humans use visual context information to find objects in complex scenes. He argued that visual context guides the eyes to select important objects while ignore the rest. In 1967, Yarbus demonstrated that people concentrate on faces and other relevant aspects of scenes. Eyes move more to informative objects within a scene (Loftus & Mackworth (1978), Mackworth & Morandi (1967). Biederman (1982) suggested that context also facilitate recognition of objects within a scene. ... They hypothesized that non changing contextual information guides participants' spatial attention to efficiently find targets. They experimented with identification of targets within old or new visual arrangements. Old arrangements maintained the same spatial configuration of target within its distractors. New arrangements contained changing spatial configuration of target within its distractors. They found that even though participants did not remember repetitions of old configurations, they found targets within old configurations faster than targets within new configurations. They concluded that contextual cueing effect was the reason. Spatial context learning is important because the configurations of different objects are stable with time. Visual context is defined by attributes other than spatial layout such as background knowledge. Background knowledge suggests the presence of some objects more than others and thus gives some objects more attention than others. The presence of one object in relation to another is acquired through experience. Savan, A. (1999) investigated whether Mozart orchestral compositions would improve the co-ordination skills of pupils. To determine the physiological effect of music on participants, she measured blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate in response to different sound stimulus. She found that Mozart compositions stimulated the production of endorphin within the brain, which slowed down the physiological parameters of blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate and reduced overall body metabolism and hormone production. She concluded that music improved the coordination of pupils. The experiment tests the hypothesis

Advertising and Promotion Evaluating Arguments Essay Example for Free

Advertising and Promotion Evaluating Arguments Essay Emotional Argument 1- What if advertising does not exist? How a company wants to promote their products and services? 2- How mass media of advertising can promote a company’s products and services to potential customers. Ethical Argument 1- Leo Burnett, an advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Worldwide Company said â€Å"Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief.† 2- Robert Smith, an expert in advertising said, â€Å"Brand to consumer relevance† refer to situations where the advertised brand of a product or services is of personal interest to consumers. 3- Grant McCracken said advertisers must try to match the product or company’s image, the characteristics of the target market and the personality of the celebrities. Logical Arguments 1- A good advertising can attempt to persuade potential customers to purchase of a product. 2- A company cannot make dream to be a well known brand until they invests in their promotional activities for which costumer market have been dominating through advertisements. 3- Advertising is an important promotional tool for building company or brand as it is an effective way to provide customers with information and to influence their perception. See more: Social process essay What I found more persuasive Advertising is an effective way to promote a company’s product and service to potential costumer. Advertising is also a promotional tool for building company or brand as it is an effective way to provide customers with information and to influence their perceptions. This book is about the advertising and promoting of an integrated marketing communications perspective. The author gives lots of information of how advertising can be use by a company to promote their product. The author also states the definition, statistic and the development of advertising. The book is very interesting to read because the author used lots of color to divided every topics and give good examples. This book has a lot of photos for audiences to understand more what the author tried to say. I recommended the audiences to get more information about advertising from this book.

The Effectiveness Of Performance Related Pay Commerce Essay

The Effectiveness Of Performance Related Pay Commerce Essay Impressive levels of staff performance are difficult to for many organizations to attain. Maintaining desirable levels of personnel performance is central to the objectives of most organizations. This is imperative as employee performance often translates to aggregate organizational performance. In a situation where employees are less motivated or less engaged to their job functions, there is a risk that such low employee morale will be reflected in an organizations overall performance. There are two main types of motivational mechanism that can be employed to induce staff to desired levels of performance namely; intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Perkins White (2008:8) defined extrinsic motivation as motivation that is derived from the use of tangible or transactional reward. Financial reward and incentive pay are examples of extrinsic motivation. Perkins White (2008:8) defined intrinsic motivation as the motivation of staff that is derived from the nature of the work itself. Armstrong (2010) added that intrinsic motivation is intangible in nature. Examples of intrinsic motivation are career development, career progression, training and development e.t.c. Armstrong (2002) argued that while intrinsic motivational mechanisms tends to have a sustained and positive impact on personnel morale, extrinsic motivational mechanisms tend to have minimal impact on personnel morale. For some organizations, they focus of their process of motivating staff is mainly extrinsic, while for some others, the focus is on use of mainly intrinsic motivational variables. In spite of this, Armstrong (2010) contended that both types of motivation can together be used to design mechanisms and processes for motivating important personnel. The use of performance-related pay (PRP) as a tool for motivating staff within organizations is what this research will be about. Before proceeding, it is essential to point out that PRP is an extrinsic motivational variable. Many firms, specifically firms that deal with financial services, use performance-driven pay to reward personnel for enviable performance. Before going into in-depth explanation of what PRP is, it is essential to gain an understanding of what employee reward is. In the words of White Drucker (2009), employee reward involves the tools used to compensate employees for their contributions to the achievement of organizationa l objectives. Employee takes into consideration how important it is to use the right reward schemes to compensate personnel, especially where there is above average performance. While employee reward mechanisms can be both tangible and intangible in nature, tangible reward schemes will act as the main emphasis of this research, most notably pay. The challenge of using pay to motivate staff is the difficulty of determining the right application of pay structures in a way that it enhances sustained and desired levels of staff performance. This difficulty has led to increased innovation in the use of pay to motivate staff. One of such innovations is the development of performance-related pay. Thorpe Homan (2003) suggested that PRP deals with the correlation of personnel performance with financial rewards. Again, IDS (1998) defined PRP as the different types of incentive mechanisms, in exclusion of direct payments based on outcomes achieved. Some of these incentive arrangements are pro fit sharing, employee share ownership arrangements, bonus arrangements e.t.c. PRP is widely used in the financial services industry in the United Kingdom. Bonus schemes are usually used to reward for employees for additional business or revenue generated. The recent liquidity crisis in the UKs financial services industry, in the wake of the subprime economic disaster, has stimulated a widespread debate on the effectiveness of (PRP) as an effective tool for influencing personnel behaviour. Most of these debates arose because of the role of bankers in fuelling the liquidity crisis which culminated into the recent global economic recession. Based on these observations, this emphasis of this study will be on assessing the usefulness of PRP as a mechanism for motivating employees, especially from the ethical perspective. 3. Preliminary Review of Literature PRP acts as an added way that can be used by firms to reward their employees in tangible terms. Again, performance-related pay also refers to individualized mechanisms or processes in which pay rises are relative to the outcomes of performance appraisal (Heery Noon, 2001). This is why CIPD (2009) referred to performance-related pay as appraisal-related pay or merit pay. A great deal of debate has arisen in recent times about the usefulness of performance-related pay as a tool for motivating staff to sustained and desired levels of performance. Most of the recent debates have been fuelled by the role of rogue bankers in the recent global economic crisis. While money or pay provides an avenue through which an employees value is assessed, there is a failure by most organizations to recognise that people tend to differ when it comes to being motivated by pay. Human beings are complex creatures and as such will respond to motivation through the use of pay in differing ways (Corby et al., 2009). Another problem derived from the application of PRP is the failure of most organizations to distinguish between awarding financial rewards based on behavioural criteria or based on the achievement of results. There is a broad difference between these two criteria. In most cases, the application of PRP by most organizations is more focused on the achievement of results and less focused on behavioural criteria. While result-oriented performance-related pay can be effective in terms of the achievement of an organizations objectives, there are pitfalls in the use of this particular approach. The role of bankers in the recent economic crisis acts as a useful example of how result-oriented performance-related pay can be damaging to overall organizational performance especially in terms of the intrinsic worth of a firm. The use of bonus schemes led to excessive risk-taking by most bankers, especially bankers in the investment trading arm of most banks. Such excessive risk taking wa s largely driven by the desire to earn bonus payments; as a result, proper risk management mechanisms were often ignored as most banks became excessively leveraged. The decision by RBS to acquire Dutch bank, ABN Amro, was done in ignorance of appropriate corporate governance mechanisms; a decision that would not have been taken in retrospect as it led to accumulation of huge losses by RBS in the wake of subprime bust in America (Owen, 2009). Most of the criticisms against PRP is derived from its failure to recognise the significance of the need to control behaviour. This is because the application of result-oriented performance-related pay process tends to encourage employees to engage in discretionary efforts and behaviours that are mainly based on their desire to earn additional pay incentives as opposed to engaging in behaviours that bring about added value for shareholders. Kessler (2005) noted that another problem with the proper implementation of performance-related pay mechanisms is the difficulty of measuring inputs as they are generally more qualitative in nature. On this specific note, performance-related pay is more likely to be based on individual targets than team or group targets. Another issue with the implementation of PRP is that since in most cases, it is reliant on individual targets, there is a potential for it to become discriminatory in nature. The banks in the United Kingdom again act as useful exa mples; bonus schemes tend to be given to bankers in the investment banking and trading arm of most banks while back office staffs seldom have access to such bonus schemes. What makes this appalling is the fact that most of the ill decisions taken by the bailed out banks was done by bankers in the trading arm of most these banks (FSA, 2009). Armstrong (2007) noted that discriminatory application of performance-related pay systems only leads to decreased intrinsic motivation and decreased co-operation between employees. This undermines every sense of an equality-based organizational culture. Again, Perkins White (2008:165) were quick to point out that discriminatory bonus schemes only leads to low aggregate employee morale. Such a scenario only serves to undermine overall intrinsic interests within the organization. These observations help to highlight the undemocratic nature performance-related pay schemes especially as it tends to leave little room for the protection of entrenched collective employee interests. In spite of the multiple criticisms against performance-related pay (PRP), it is only fair to acknowledge that there are also perceived benefits that can be derived from using PRP schemes. For one, Lawler (2005) argued that relating individual pay tom performance possesses a potent motivational effect since it creates room for differentiating between the behaviour of employees and how they are rewarded. 3.1 Need for this research Firstly, I decided to conduct this research because of one of the subjects of my international human resource management module. That topic, in particular, was about how culture determines the way people react to financial rewards and non-financial rewards. Again, this research will help to examine the rationale for use of PRP schemes as a way of influencing personnel behaviour. 4. Research Questions 1.) Can performance-related pay be used to create a dichotomy between the need to protect collective employee interests and the need to inspire above-average of performance among personnel? 2.) What are the most effective ways that organizations can employ to reduce the pitfalls of performance-related pay? 3.) Why did use of performance-related pay schemes fail to control the excessive ris taking attitudes of personnel in the investment banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)? 5. Research Objectives 1.) To establish the best way of implementing performance-related pay in such a manner that entrenched collective employee interests will always remain protected. 2.) To establish the value of performance-related pay as a tool for enhancing performance of key personnel. 3.) To establish veritable options to the application of performance-related pay systems as a tool for motivating personnel to sustained and desired levels of personnel performance. 4.) To ascertain reasons for broad criticisms against use of performance-related pay to reward employees, especially personnel in financial services institutions in the United Kingdom. 6. Research Perspectives The research philosophy that I will use in this research is interpretivism. Collis Hussey (2003) posited that, interpretivism suggests a broader philosophical paradigm and avoids misunderstanding with the phenomenological research paradigm. In some aspects, there appears to be a like for like similarity between interpretivism and phenomenology. Any research that employs interpretivism is often times than not inductive. The subject of pay-driven performance is a subject that entails qualitative information as both direct and indirect observations both by the researcher and other researchers will form the basis for most of the information collected by the researcher. The study of the effects of financial rewards on personnel performance, to a lesser degree, involves quantitative information except when measuring output-driven target for target-oriented jobs. Such measures can apply to certain jobs in the financial services sector, like investment banking jobs. The potential lack of ac cess to such quantitative or target-driven information has informed the decision to use more qualitative-oriented information. Previously conducted empirical research on this researchs subject matter will be used to create the theoretical framework for this study. 7. Research Design Collis Hussey (2003) noted that the research design serves the main purpose of giving focus and direction when conducting a research. The research design forms the skeletal framework of the different methodologies applied during the conduct of a particular research. The research design that will be used in this research is the case study research design. Saunders et al., (2003) noted that the usefulness of the case study research design is that it enables the researcher to narrow the focus and scope of a research such that unnecessarily work is prevented. In this research, the case study for examining the effectiveness of performance-related pay is the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). This bank will form a useful case for investigating the key variables of this study especially when taking note of the fact that the actions of some of its employees were culpable in some of the excessively risky decisions that almost contributed to its demise in the wake of the subprime market disaster ( Owen, 2009). As a result, findings from the cross-examination of RBSs PRP arrangements can be used to determine the best ways of implementing PRP schemes in other similar organizations. 8. Data Collection Methods In order to achieve the necessary requirements for this particular research, data or information will be obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Under-listed is a concise description of some of the tools that will be used to gather both forms of data. 8.1 Primary Data Collis Hussey (2005) defined primary data as raw data or information. The usefulness of primary data stems from the fact that it provides the researcher with original perspectives when investigating a particular problem. Primary data will be used to a considerable degree in this research. There are different ways for gathering primary data. In the context of this particular research, the researcher will gather primary data through three anonymous open-ended interviews with personnel of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). The researcher expects that the interviews will take approximately forty minutes for each of the proposed interviewees. One of the proposed interviewees is a friend of mine and has promised me access to the other two interviewees. This friend of mine is a customer service representative in one of RBSs offices in London. Feedback from these three open-ended interviews will help the researcher to meet most of the objectives of this research and also conclude this resear ch. 8.2 Secondary Data Secondary data, on the other hand, will be obtained from academic textbooks and academic journals. Collis Hussey (2005) noted that secondary data is information assembled by other researchers and are available in public domains. Some of the peer reviewed academic journals that will be used in this research are the human resource management journal, CIPD articles and the reward management journal. These journals will be accessed from academic databases like the CIPD website, Ebscohost, and Emerald. Journal entries sourced from these databases will help to create the theoretical framework of this research. The value of the secondary data to be utilized in this research is derived from the assumption that it will also be used by the researcher as a support mechanism during analysis of the primary data gathered by the researcher for this researcher. 8.3 Analysis of Data Gathered by the Researcher Most of the data that will be analysed in this research will consist of the primary data gathered by the researcher. As mentioned earlier, the primary data for this researcher consisted of feedback from the three open-ended interviewees that will be carried out. The researcher will make use of content analysis during analysis and interpretation of feedback from the three interviewees. The content analysis will involve using the secondary data gathered as a support mechanism for analyzing feedback from the three interviewees. The use of secondary data during analysis of the primary helped to reduce subjectivity, which is one of the main limitations of the qualitative research approach. 9. Limitations of this Research One of the main limitations of this particular research is the fact that the researcher will only use one research approach as opposed to use of a mixed-methods research approach; in this case, only the qualitative research approach will be used. The qualitative research approach is not without its limitations. One of the main limitations of this particular research approach is that analysis of data gathered tends to be subjective since it is largely based on the researchers perspectives and viewpoint (Collis Hussey, 2005). To reduce subjective analysis and interpretations, the secondary data gathered will be used during analysis of feedback from the interviews that will be carried out by the researcher. Another constraint of this research is the fact that the sample size of just two interviewees may be regarded as too small to generate considerable primary data. To address this particular constraint, the researcher will ensure that considerable secondary data will be gathered so as to ensure that a concise analysis is conducted. Another constraint of this research is the use of just one case study; in this case, the Royal Bank of Scotland. The use of just one case study may make it challenging to generalize findings or results from this research. This is where the secondary data gathered by the researcher will be crucial; the secondary data will offer further perspectives on the underlying subject matter of this research, especially where the primary data appears deficient. 10. Ethical Considerations The process of conducting this research will be based on the stipulated requirements of Coventry University. In this regards, the Coventry University Ethics Manual will be studied by the researcher before inception of the research. All external information that will be utilized in this study will be properly referenced using Coventry Universitys recommended referencing style; in this case, the Harvard referencing style will be used by the researcher. The use of this particular referencing style appears to be in accordance with the plagiarism regulations of Coventry University.

Cheating Essay -- Education Cheating Cheater Essays

Cheating There is an ever broadening problem spreading throughout colleges all across America: cheating. Is it a serious offence or just a harmless crime? Cheating is on the rise, but schools and colleges are not far behind with ways of dealing with it. Mark Clayton deals with this issue in his essay entitled â€Å"A Whole Lot of Cheatin’ Going On.† Clayton’s essay is heavily quoted along with an obvious absence of his ideas. The reader is supposed to believe that his quotes accurately represent his views on the matter at hand. Clayton’s essay is primarily pathos due to the amount of quoted ideas. The essay starts off quoting a freshman at University of Texas: â€Å"’Cheating is an answer. It might not be a good answer, but none the less it is an answer.’† (20) Clayton goes on saying that the student does not believe in cheating but was only trying to prove a point. Clayton later quotes an associate provost at Rutgers University who describes how cheating is on the rise. Clayton says, â€Å"He and others blame poor role models and lack of parental guidance for the growing acceptance of cheating in colleges.† (20) Neither Clayton nor the associate provost proves themselves to make a pathos statement such as this one. Clayton never states why the reader should trust what he has to say or what he believes. All of his information comes from quoted material; so what makes his position any more credible than the average Joe with access to the internet or a library? Ethos is integrated well with Clayton’s personal feelings by stating, â€Å"[P]ervasive change in societal values [can make] students easily be snared if they lack a strong moral compass.† (20) However, Clayton goes right back to his quotes after having only one de... ...y, I’ll go next week. You do the reading this week, I’ll do it next week.† (24) These students and others usually do not find sharing work to be a form of cheating. They simply help each other. However, colleges with honor codes feel that by placing students in an honest environment, they are more likely to be honest themselves. On the whole, Clayton does a good job at presenting a problem, explaining it, and even describes what is being done about it; however, he does not do a good job at presenting an argument on his own. His entire view on the matter at hand is expressed through quotes with little-to-no emotional views of his own. He uses pathos, logos, and ethos throughout his article even though he heavily stands on the ethos of other people. I would consider this to be more of an informative essay that depicts just how much cheating really is going on.

Significance of the Earth and Sky in the Film Yellow Earth :: Movie Film Essays

Significance of the Earth and Sky in the Film Yellow Earth Yellow Earth is a foreign film that takes place in China. Although the film was made in the 80’s there is a timeless feeling to the movie, as if the events could be happening at any time. The movie follows a soldier, referred to as Brother Gu as he travels China’s poorer regions recording folk songs. During his travels he stays with a family. While witnessing the poverty of their daily lives, Gu begins to speak about the benefits of the army he is with, the Communists, for the commoners. In the movie we see two arranged marriages contrasted against the Communist city where a woman could marry who she wished or join the army. In the end we are lead to believe Cuiquao, the daughter of the family Gu stayed with, has died trying to reach the Communist army who she believes will save her from the marriage she was forced into. We also see Cuiquao’s younger brother Hanhan running to Gu when he returns. Hanhan was in a prayer meeting where all the villagers where praying for water. When we see him running to Gu we get the impression that Gu, or rather the Communists, will save the villagers. These two events affirm that this is a political film trying to portray the Communist party as the savior of the people of China. There is a particularly poignant shot where the Father, Gu, Cuiquao, and Hanhan are eating outside after Gu has helped the Father plowing. During this shot we see the four characters sitting on the ground eating. We then see the Father stand and talk about life and the harvest. While he is talking we see mostly sky in the background, but the sky is all white giving a very closed in impression. The father then sits back down and we then see an aerial shot with them eating and the majority of the frame is taken up by earth. The earth in this frame looks like a mountain or cliff so that it appears that the earth has been cut open and we are seeing a slice of the inside of it. We then see two more frames of the family and Gu eating.

The Anger We All Share Essays -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Anger We All Share Anger, it is an emotion that we are all familiar with and in a way, an important part of the average normally functioning human. Who hasn't encountered anger in a friend, family member, or even the random person you met on the street? In literature, it is absolutely necessary in order to generate a tale with the right tension and motive for character behavior. Authors use creative wording to fashion the various images necessary to convey this emotion: fiery, smoldering, explosive, seething, etc., they're all employed to describe anger. Anger seems to be something we can't avoid. Every time you're bitter, cynical, holding a grudge, sullen, or frustrated, it was either because of anger you're experiencing these emotions or will result in anger. So what is anger, and what causes it? Why does this emotion play such an important part in our lives, and in some cases, cause so much trouble? Anger can be mild, as with annoyance at a younger sibling, or intense like the rage felt if you returned home to find it burglarized. Though in this society, we have generally been taught that anger is bad, this is actually a normal and healthy emotion (1). That is, if experienced in moderation; anything to excess tends to result in trouble. When anger gets out of control, it can become a serious problem, which could not only damage your relationships with other people but also leave you feeling helpless to an unpredictable emotion (1). The Forebrain, namely the Cerebellum, is responsible for our emotions, anger being one of them (8). Like other strong emotions, it is accompanied by physiological and biological changes. These changes include, but aren't restricted to, the increase of heart rate and blood pressure, a... ...er, theories about how and why aggression develops, and means of preventing or coping with anger http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap7/ 3)He@lth: Anger and Aggression, Consumer tips http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/newsletter/FPN_4_22.html 4)Heart Information Network, Anger and its effect on the heart: a review of research studies http://www.heartinfo.org/main.asp 5)Angermgnt.com: Building Better Human Relationships, Anger Toolkit http://www.angermgmt.com/techniques.html 6)Counseling and Career Center, A Brigham Young University Website http://www.byu.edu/ccc/counseling/anger.shtml 7)Mean Genes, Comparing aggression in humans and other primates http://detnews.com/1997/accent/9707/09/07090017.htm 8)The Brain, Biology and Behavior, A number of definitions regarding the brain http://onlinelearning.tc.cc.va.us/faculty/tcmuthj/notes3.htm

Sample Police Report

The text below is an example of a police report. Notice the following points about it: * It is written in clear, simple English. * Dates, times and other details are recorded as precisely as possible. (Find some examples of these. ) * The â€Å"register† (i. e. the level of language) is formal. For example, there are no short forms such as â€Å"didn’t† and no colloquial words such as â€Å"nicked†. Similarly, the formal word â€Å"purchased† is used instead of â€Å"bought†. What other examples can you find? * The report is impersonal.The writer focusses on the events and the evidence, not on his own thoughts or feelings. Case Number: VT 05/04/01/3462 Incident: Vehicle Theft Reporting Officer: Constable Ranjit Singh Date of Report: 05 April 2001 At about 1040 hours on 5th April 2001, I met with Ms. Vanessa Price at 61 South Chorley Drive regarding a vehicle theft. Ms. Price said she parked her car by a parking meter outside Chorley Leisure C entre at about 0945 hours and went into a nearby shop to return a faulty torch she had purchased the previous day.She said that when she returned to the leisure centre at about 1000 hours, she discovered her car was missing. Ms. Price described her car as a maroon, 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse with a black convertible roof. The car registration number is GTL-682-P. She estimated the value of the car at  £8,500 and said there were no distinguishing marks or items. Ms. Price told me she locked the car, but she does not have the keys. She now believes she may have left the keys in the boot lock after removing the faulty torch from the boot. Ms.Price said she gave no one permission to take her car, and she is up to date with her loan repayments. I conducted a survey of the crime scene but found no items of evidence. I saw no broken glass in the area, and there were no items to retrieve or photograph. I obtained a sworn statement from Ms. Price and provided her with the case number and Info rmation Leaflet 99/07 (â€Å"What to do when your car is stolen†). I entered the vehicle into the station database as a stolen vehicle. I also searched the area but was unable to find the vehicle.

Differentiate between grievance and discipline Essay

Organization’s effectiveness is based on its culture and management practice structure that lead towards maintaining the harmony of organizational performance and regulating the behavior and attitude of its employees. Managers are required to maintain the workplace environment through identifying the potential weak areas that lead towards in-disciplinary behaviors of employees. Discipline at workplace helps control and normalize the behavior of employees through various procedures. Company may use strict disciplinary actions to make employees conform their actions to the expectations of management or may go for group norm pressure to standardize employees’ behavior. Manager’s role is critical in such situation as it places great responsibility on him for leading the employees for subsequent higher performance. Manager may exercise strict rules to align the behavior of employees that are accompanied by penalties/punishment sanctions on employees. Corporate culture understanding needs to clearly convey towards employees for productive group behavior. However, it has been observed that sometimes strict discipline also leads towards lower performance affecting the organizational effectiveness. Inequality among employees concerning rewards and treatment b management result in great dissatisfaction; discipline actions when over exhibited on some people, it lead towards discriminatory behavior. Grievance is therefore a mechanism to present the viewpoint to senior management concerning the inequality and inappropriateness of disciplinary actions of organization. Discipline is thus a set of actions to regulate and standardize the employee attitude & behavior, whereas grievance is a procedure to report the injustice and inequality being faced by employees to higher decision making authority. Organizational justice framework is based on these two components that enable managers to figure out the sources that lead towards grievance in employees. Discipline helps organizations maintain the harmony and effectiveness of workplace environment; rules, policies and standard procedures enables regulate the employee behavior and maintain organization culture. Inequality in organizational culture and inability of management to provide diverse workplace environment either due to stereotypical response towards a particular group or restricting the decisions only to a particular group referring to nepotism. Incompetence of organizational framework to manage the situations and employees behavior results in discrimination and group based structure in employees for the protection of their rights. Union based culture is more common in government managed organization where employees have joined separate unions for the protection of their workplace rights. Discipline requires adjustments in rules and workplace policies addressing the dimensional aspects of negligence, employee safety, incompetency, rights protection, workplace norms, and organizational culture expectations. Rules relating to employee behavior, punishment and penalties, warnings, and other organizational aspects present a clear expectation to employees related to workplace environment and operational management style. Induction of rules is necessary to be conveyed to new comers in organization so that procedural mechanism becomes clear related to employee actions, group norms, and managerial actions pertaining to employee behavior. Managers must provide employees clear insight about the work setting and organizational culture through their actions and responses towards managing the equality at workplace. Stereotypical responses by employees, and group formation based on race/ethnic rights protection in workplace that are depicted as discrimination in employee treatment, rewards and pay scale offering, and career growth opportunities restrictions to a particular group result in job dissatisfaction and reduction in organizational commitment. In such case, if an employee wants to present his viewpoints concerning inequality at workplace manager must assess the situation sensitivity and factors that lead towards grievance filing. Senior management must form a clear objective grievance channel in order to address such issues raised in organization. Management must place emphasis on fairness of decision by providing equal representation rights to employees. Procedural steps for grievance hearing and decisions must be limited to certain extent of hierarchy for increasing the response time to resolve grievance issues. Senior management can form a committee addressing grievance issues of employee having representation of lower level manager and at least one member representation from senior management holding decision making power. This leads towards maintaining organization justice and shows effectiveness of organizations structure for formalizing the framework. This way, discipline and grievance in combine are very essential component of strategic organization’s framework for justice. Manager need to maintain the discipline of employee and must equalize the grievance procedure to maintain the organizational effectiveness by providing equal opportunity to all employees to report any factors that lead towards job dissatisfaction. Complaint filing procedure formalization simplifies the ambiguity concerning the management perspective and ability of employees to report any injustice. Manipulation of rules and disciplinary actions restrict the opportunities for equality at workplace. Biased behavior results in violating the principles of flexibility and freedom of voice representation by employees. Formalizing the rules and written policy procedure strengthen the discipline at workplace that supports the organizational justice framework. Grievance procedural steps must be defined in policy structure to reduce ambiguity and providing employees opportunity to exercise their rights in situation when the confront discrimination at workplace; manager must provide support in assessing the factors viability and prospective role to minimize the arousal of such grievance factor again.

Management Information Systems and Its Importance

What you think Management of Information Systems is and why it is important in today’s business environment? Management Information Systems (MIS) is the term given to the discipline focused on the integration of computer systems with the aims and objectives on an organization. Modern businesses have been leveraging on MIS to manage, order, organize and manipulate the gigabytes and masses of information generated for various purposes. MIS helps businesses optimize business processes, address information needs of employees and various stakeholders and take informed strategic decisions.The development and management of information technology tools assists executives and the general workforce in performing any tasks related to the processing of information. MIS and business systems are especially useful in the collation of business data and the production of reports to be used as tools for decision making. With computers being as ubiquitous as they are today, there's hardly any la rge business that does not rely extensively on their IT systems (Kenneth C. Laudon).However, there are several specific fields in which MIS has become invaluable like in decision support systems, resource and people management applications, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), project management and database retrieval applications. 1) Support Strategy: While computers cannot create business strategies by themselves they can assist management in understanding the effects of their strategies, and help enable effective decision-making. MIS systems can be used to transform data into information useful for decision making.Computers can provide financial statements and performance reports to assist in the planning, monitoring and implementation of strategy. MIS systems provide a valuable function in that they can collate into coherent reports unmanageable volumes of data that would otherwise be broadly useless to decisi on makers. By studying these reports decision-makers can identify patterns and trends that would have remained unseen if the raw data were consulted manually. MIS systems can also use these raw data to run simulations – hypothetical scenarios that answer a range of ‘what if’ questions regarding alterations in strategy.For instance, MIS systems can provide predictions about the effect on sales that an alteration in price would have on a product. These Decision Support Systems (DSS) enable more informed decision making within an enterprise than would be possible without MIS systems (Obrien). The other area which MIs support is data processing. 2) Data Processing: Not only do MIS systems allow for the collation of vast amounts of business data, but they also provide a valuable time saving benefit to the workforce.Where in the past business information had to be manually processed for filing and analysis it can now be entered quickly and easily onto a computer by a d ata processor, allowing for faster decision making and quicker reflexes for the enterprise as a whole. 3) Management by Objectives: While MIS systems are extremely useful in generating statistical reports and data analysis they can also be of use as a Management by Objectives (MBO) tool. MBO is a management process by which managers and subordinates agree upon a series of objectives for the subordinate to attempt to achieve within a set time frame.Objectives are set using the SMART ratio: that is, objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-Specific. The aim of these objectives is to provide a set of key performance indicators by which an enterprise can judge the performance of an employee or project. The success of any MBO objective depends upon the continuous tracking of progress. In tracking this performance it can be extremely useful to make use of an MIS system. Since all SMART objectives are by definition measurable they can be tracked through the gen eration of management reports to be analyzed by decision-makers.Advantages of MIS: The field of MIS can deliver a great many benefits to enterprises in every industry. Expert organizations such as the Institute of MIS along with peer reviewed journals such as MIS Quarterly continue to find and report new ways to use MIS to achieve business objectives. Better Planning and Control: MIS has to be designed and managed in such way that it aggregates information, monitors the company's activities and operations and enhances communication and collaboration among employees (Obrien). This ensures etter planning for all activities and better ways to measure performance, manage resources and facilitate compliance with industry and government regulations. Control helps in forecasting, preparing accurate budgets and providing the tools and vital information to employees, top management and business partners. Core Competencies: Every market leading enterprise will have at least one core competenc y – that is, a function they perform better than their competition. By building an exceptional management information system into the enterprise it is possible to push out ahead of the competition.MIS systems provide the tools necessary to gain a better understanding of the market as well as a better understanding of the enterprise itself. Enhance Supply Chain Management: Improved reporting of business processes leads inevitably to a more streamlined production process. With better information on the production process, comes the ability to improve the management of the supply chain, including everything from the sourcing of materials to the manufacturing and distribution of the finished product. Disadvantages of MIS:Depending on organization deployment, usage and extraneous factors, some disadvantages related to Management Information Systems can come to the fore. Allocation of budgets for MIS upgrades, modifications and other revisions can be quite tricky at times. If budge ts are not allocated uniformly or as per immediate requirements, key functionalities might get affected and benefits might not be realized consistently. Integration issues with legacy systems can affect the quality of output and vital business intelligence reports (Kenneth C. Laudon). Risks Associated With MIS:Risk reflects the potential, the likelihood, or the expectation of events that could adversely affect earnings or capital. Management uses MIS to help in the assessment of risk within an institution. Management decisions based upon ineffective, inaccurate, or incomplete MIS may increase risk in a number of areas such as credit quality, liquidity, market/pricing, interest rate, or foreign currency. A flawed MIS causes operational risks and can adversely affect an organization's monitoring of its fiduciary, consumer, fair lending, Bank Secrecy Act, or other compliance-related activities.Since management requires information to assess and monitor performance at all levels of the organization, MIS risk can extend to all levels of the operations. Additionally, poorly programmed or non-secure systems in which data can be manipulated and/or systems requiring ongoing repairs can easily disrupt routine work flow and can lead to incorrect decisions or impaired planning (Obrien). Constant Monitoring Issues: Change in management, exits or departures of department managers and other senior executives have a broad effect on the working and monitoring of certain organization practices including MIS systems.Since MIS is a critical component of an organization's risk management strategy and allied systems, constant monitoring is necessary to ensure its effectiveness (Obrien). Quality of inputs into MIS needs to be monitored; otherwise consistency in the quality of data and information generated gets affected. Managers are not able to direct business, operational and decision-making activities with the requisite flexibility.Bibliography Kenneth C. Laudon, J. P. (n. d. ). Management Information Systems. Obrien, J. A. (n. d. ). Management Information Systems . 2006.

Seeking Jobs for Ftuers!!

TOPIC 1: what jobs are suitable for FTUers? Provide job description for the ones you recommend. What is the advice for today’s job seekers? Hi everyone! Thank you very much for coming here today. I’m Linh. I’m a first year student of Foreign Trade University. As you all know seeking a suitable job is very important for everyone after graduating, and FTUers are not exceptions. So I’m here today to talk to you about that â€Å"hot† topic: Seeking jobs! My presentation’s not gonna take too long so I hope you’ll find it interesting.I have divided my presentation into three main parts. First of all, I’ll start with the advantage of FTUers. Second, I’ll show you what jobs are suitable for FTUers and provide a description for sales and marketing manager. And third, I’ll offer some advice for today’s job-seekers. Don’t worry! There’ll be plenty of time left over for questions at the end. Before startin g, let me explain that I use â€Å"FTU† to stand for â€Å"Foreign Trade University† and â€Å"FTUers† are students of FTU. OK, let me go back to my first point: The advantage of FTUers.FTU is one of the most highly prestigious universities in Vietnam. FTU has gained enormous achievements in providing talented and high quality human resources to the economy and thus made great contribution to the cause of industrialization, modernization and global economic integration of the country. FTU is now offering a wide range of majors and specializations in economics, business, business administration, finance and banking and foreign languages. Students from FTU are recognized as being active and well-qualified.Most graduates from our university are likely to get the top priority of selection when they apply for jobs in companies and organizations in Vietnam. In some areas, FTUers are more needed by employers than the students majoring in the area itself (for example: i n banking, FTU candidates are said to be more competitive than ones from Banking Institution). What I mean is that being an FTUers, you have more chance to get a nice job than anyone else in any other university. (yes, anyone else! Now, let me turn to the next point. First, I’d like to recap the question â€Å"what jobs are suitable for FTUers? † As I said before, FTU graduates are so active and could apply for many kinds of job positions. They tend to find a job which has high salary, professional and active working environment, many opportunities to get ahead a promotion. If you’re a student specializing in economy, namely you can work for the leading import-export business, joint-venture companies, International co-operation agency in commercial field.Or if you major in banking and financial, you can work in the sale division or the credit department for the banks such as: ANZ, Agribank, BIDV†¦ or securities companies. There are so many jobs being suitab le for FTUers and choosing a job depends on many different factors. I believe that FTU graduates will get the best suitable job for themselves. We ARE the best, right? Well, as I promised before, now I’d like to provide a description for sales and marketing manager.As a sales and marketing manager, you’ll be involved in many different roles depending on whom you work for. Job duties include: assisting Marketing Manager in coordinating various integrated communication and marketing activities, coordinating in production of a wide range of marketing communications, providing product positioning materials as well as training for customer service and sales, working with customers in developing case studies, references, and testimonials, etc.And to become a good manager, you should have computer proficiency skills; plan decisions and practice good judgment; effective project management skills and ability to operate under solid pressure and meet tight deadlines. And of cours e, you have to be a self-motivated, confident, energetic, and creative person not only to get this job but also many other jobs. And now, let me move on to the final point of my presentation. Getting a job nowadays becomes harder and harder. So I’d like to offer some advice for today’s job seekers to help them get a good job.Before I talk about my advice, I want you to know that there are quite a lot of things you need to prepare to get a job so now I just give you some basic tips. The very first thing that you need to do is before an interview, please do research carefully (really carefully) about the company. You should be able to cite data you've learned about them. And remember: you have to be constantly positive and convinced (constantly positive and convinced) within your heart that you really want to work for this company.Even a slight lack of enthusiasm can affect the outcome. (Yes, I said even a slight lack of enthusiasm) The second thing is finding an experie nced friend to rehearse an interview. Better yet, make a video! You need to be rigorously critical about your performance and never give up improving that performance. And the last but not the least is being prepared for rejections, and don’t waste your time getting angry at the perceived unfairness of them. Just get better at your interview skills for the next time.Well, that final tip brings me to the end of my presentation. I’d like to run through my three main parts again: The first part is the advantage of FTUers, the second part is what jobs are suitable for FTUers and a job description for sales and marketing manager, and the last part is some basic tips for today’s job seekers. I hope my presentation is comprehensible and useful for you guys. Thank you very much for listening. And now if you have any question, please feel free to ask me.

Euthanasia and our civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Euthanasia and our civilization - Essay Example Therefore, nobody can argue that letting die is better than killing in certain cases. â€Å"If a doctor lets a patient die, for humane reasons, he is in the same moral position as if he had given the patient a lethal injection for humane reasons† (Rachels 4). Arthur J. Dyck in his article An alternative to the ethic of Euthanasia argued against all forms of euthanasia. In his opinions, euthanasia is a dangerous policy and it is impossible to support a social policy in which people kill themselves. Compassion for those who are painfully ill and the concern for human dignity associated with the freedom are the major arguments cited in favour of euthanasia. Dyck has argued that these values have nothing to do with the process of dying. Regardless of the method employed for, the ultimate result of all forms of euthanasia is the same; the patient’s life is shortened. If one can justify the shortening of life using a method, then others forms of shortening life also be justif ied based on the utilitarian principles of ethics. Instead of euthanasia, Dyck put forward another term called benemortasia or happy death. Benemortasia provides the choice of how to live to while dying. â€Å"How a person dies has a definite meaning for those to whom that person is related. In the first year of bereavement, the rate of death among the bereaved relatives of those die in hospitals is twice that of the bereaved relatives of those who die at home† (Dyck 254). Joy and suffering are part of life and it is the duty if the community to provide assistance to those who suffers. Encouraging people to commit suicide is the failure of a society. It is dangerous to allow a physician... Right in the beginning, the essay makes a clear understanding of joy and suffering being part of life and it is the duty if the community to provide assistance to those who suffers. Encouraging people to commit suicide is the failure of a society. It is dangerous to allow a physician to decide whether a patient’s life is not worth living. Even after huge advancements in science and technology, we are still unable to unveil the secrets behind birth and life after death. Then the essay provides an example of Oregon, which is currently the only state that has an assisted-suicide law. On January 17, 2006, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1970 Controlled Substances Act (CSA) does not give the U.S. attorney general the authority to prohibit Oregon doctors from prescribing lethal doses of drugs to certain terminally ill patients who want to end their own lives. Then the essay brings us to the point, where human life is the most precious thing in this world. It should be noted that no body can return it once it is taken. It is quite possible that the doctor who is assisting a patient top commit suicide may lose his life at the very next moment. Nobody can predict or control the future of a person. In conclusion, the essay summarizes the aforementioned by reminding that life and death are beyond our control and it is logical to let it finish by itself. Euthanasia may not be a suitable option for a civilized world like ours. Increased rate of euthanasia definitely reflects the failure of the society.

Political Science - Foreign Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Science - Foreign Affairs - Essay Example Some of the major reasons include commercial rivalries, religion, dynastic and territorial conflicts. The Thirty Years War began when the Roman emperor, Ferdinand II tried to impose the Roman Catholic absolutism on his empire. Consequently, the protestant nobles of Australia and Bohemia conflicted and rebelled against the decision of King Ferdinand for five years. In 1625, a dispute between Denmark and Germany arose where Denmark wanted to gain valuable territory in Germany. Sweden also conflicted with Poland where they fought for four years until 1929. After a struggle with Sweden, Poland attacked Russia, and the struggle lasted for five years. The wars were mainly fueled by political ambitions of some European countries to capture and exploit resources of others nations. In addition, religious conflicts accelerated the war since European countries were divided into three main religious groups. These included Calvinism, Roman Catholicism, and Lutheranism. Other participants in the war included France and Spain. According to the current situation in the Middle East, it is true that the region is experiencing a similar situation experienced in Europe during the Thirty Years War. Middle East is the home of many terrorist based groups such as Al-Qaida and Taliban. These sectarian and communal identities are eventually becoming more powerful and armed than national rules. In addition, conflicts in the Middle East are based on natural resource endowments, territorial rivalry, and religious affiliations. The outside actors such as the UN, NATO, and other peace organizations are unwilling and unable to stabilize the Middle East region completely. In his article â€Å"The Unraveling† Haass states clearly that the international order, especially the Post-Cold War order, is unraveling. Challenges facing the international laws are mainly global. Some of these challenges include cross-border terrorists flows, greenhouse gas emissions

Saving Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Saving Water - Essay Example Water scarcity is a big problem now everywhere and the possibility of wars in future for the control of water resources cannot be ruled out. This paper analyses the importance of saving water and the consequences of not doing that. Along with food and oxygen, water is an essential commodity for all living things to sustain their life on this earth. Nobody can sustain their life with the help of food and oxygen alone. Water is necessary for many of the bodily functions. â€Å"Though our Earth is made up of 2/3 water, only 1/100 of that water is drinkable†(Save Water Slogans). In other words, availability of drinking water resources is limited. It should be noted that the population size is growing at alarming rate as time goes on. Thus the demand for drinking water is growing day by day. At the same time available fresh water or drinking water resources are getting polluted because of the injudicious activities of human. These facts clearly suggest that water shortage is going to be a big problem in future unless we take proper actions to save water now. Over-consumption of water leads to the over-consumption of another non-renewable resource, energy. Water in your home must be heated for a number of uses, such as cleaning and bathing, and this takes energy. Additionally, your local water utility must use energy to process and deliver water to your home, so the over-consumption of water requires more energy out of the utility company as well (Csiszar). Water is used for power generation in many countries. Hydroelectric power is one of the major energy sources for many countries. Water flowing through the rivers is stored with the help of dams and this water is used to operate huge turbines for power production. Water may become ineffective for power production after it reaches the ocean. In short, saving or storing of water before it reaches ocean is necessary to solve our water scarcity problems. â€Å"Conserving water reduces the demands to

MANAGEMENT INNOVATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

MANAGEMENT INNOVATION - Essay Example Market opportunities need to be seized with alacrity and new territories explored with professional ease and objectivity. Time should not denounce Nokia later that, like other large companies, it could not stay ahead of its time nor engage its rivals and competitiors in eventful combat in the market place. For this it is necessary that Nokia should be ahead of its times and grab every innovative opportunity that comes its way. During the course of this research, recourse has been sought to empower resources at their command through cases. Research design is mainly framed to identify and analyze different ways for conducting the research and it also involves taking decision related to the sources from which the information has to be collected. Research design is an arrangement of situation and examination of all the information in a way that it aims to connect the significance of the research. Finally it is seen whether the objectives of research has been met in terms of the research questions. It is seen that to a very large extent, the secondary research has been able to meet the goals and objectives of research. The history of Nokia could be traced back to 19th century, 1865 to be precise, when an enterprising engineer called Frederik Idestam constructed a wood-pulp mill factory in South Finland. The town in which this factory was built was called Nokia, which has also rendered the brand its name. During the early years, Nokia’s main business was paper and pulp, which gained a reasonable degree of success because of the demand for this kind of paper in Europe, post the industrial revolution. Russia was one of their main buyers. However, the disintegration of Russia during the early 1990s also adversely swung the future of Nokia and for a brief period, this company went into bankruptcy. Upon recovery, it began to focus on telecommunications,