Goffman Traits Essay

His books have shown that in spite of total institution, people tend to break through their own personalities and redefine their established roles in regulated societies (Handler, 2012, p. 179). Total institution can be dived into five different categories. The first type of institutions are for harmless and helpless people who are incapable of taking care of themselves, such as aged, poor or blind. The second category of institution is mental hospitals that take in people who are helpless and could be harmful to the society; people who seek for treatment. The third category is for people who pose Page | 3 danger and threat to the welfare of the communities and are put into institutions such as prisons and concentration camps. The forth type of institutions are established to create a working environment among the societies, such as military camps, boarding schools and work camps. The final type of institutions is for people who want to be isolated from the rest of the world, such as church and convents (Davies, 1989, p. 77- 82). 2. 2. Four common traits of total institution In 1961, Goffman (as cited in Schaefer, 2004, p. 82) has pointed out four common factors that a total institution posses. Firstly he believes, â€Å"all aspect of life are conducted in the same place and are under the control of a single authority†. This trait illustrates the common ground used and a certain dominance enforced on the participants. Secondly, â€Å"any activities within the institution are conducted in the company of others in the same circumstances†. Thirdly, â€Å"The authorities devise rules and schedule activities without consulting the participants†. Here we understand that the members are forced to conform to certain practices. Lastly, â€Å"all aspects of life within a total institution are designed to fulfil the purpose of the organization†. This explains how the members in the group ‘working’ towards one goal (Schaefer, 2004, p. 82). 2. 3. Degradation ceremony Degradation ceremony is considered to be under the scope of the sociology of moral resentment. A degradation ceremony is a rite of passage sometimes used to initiate people into total institutions such as mental hospitals, prisons, and military units as discussed earlier (Garfinkel, 2011b). Degradation ceremony often aims to transform an individual’s identity and dignity to a lower form therefore allowing them to be more acceptant to the external control such as authorities. During this process one loss his ascribed or achieved social status that he or she possess. Garfinkel (2011a, p. 420). Garfinkel (2011a, p. 420) mentions in his studies, an observer will be unable to find a degradation ceremony in societies that are demoralized, since only in total anomie are the conditions of degradation ceremonies lacking. Page | 4 2. 4. Resocialization Resocialization is the process when an individual’s former behaviour pattern or social role is altered or replaced. After which retraining the person psychologically to fit the standards and behavior of the common society. Resocialization is often carried through the degradation ceremony when a person is stripped from his status so be able to apprehend the new behaviour patterns and values (Scheff, 2007, p. 85). Most of the time the term ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘resocialization’ are misunderstood for the same significance. However these two are interpreted the same way. Rehabilitation is just a small part or process of resocialization (Weinstein, 1982, p. 269). Goffman’s mental institute hospital study is a good example to illustrate resocialization. The staffs usually try to instil in patients that they had done something wrong in the society. And if they wanted to free themselves from the hospital and get back to the society, they would have to change themselves (Weinstein, 1982, p. 272). . 3. Self- reflection My two-year experience in the Singapore Police Force (National Service) was interesting and far challenging. The first six months of the job was known as the ‘stay-in training’ or otherwise known as total institution from the sociological perspective. Our intake, which had approximately 130 cadets, were required to stay at a camp for 6 months situated at the outskirts where there were no other human dwelling. I remember the very first day when we entered, we were shouted at by the superiors for no reason and were told to strip naked to have our bodies checked for tattoos. The superiors projected their dominance through their tone of voice. The second day all the cadets were issued with uniforms and had to shave our heads bald. We were given a time table on what had to be done everyday from the time we woke up to the amount of water we drunk to the schedule time that we had our Page | 5 meals. We had no say and were just do as we were told. Failing to comply led to punishments. The main purpose of this institution was to instil discipline into each one of us as we were preparing to represent the country’s internal security. Therefore to successfully carry out the resocialization we were put through the degradation ceremony where we had to shave our head bald and given uniforms and forcefully told what to do. Here we are able to associate all four traits that were identified by Erving Goffman. 4. Four major theoretical perspectives The four different perspectives would help us understand total institution from a clearer view. The functionalist perspective has three different categories; manifest function, latent function and dysfunction (Henslin, 2011, p. 16). If we take military camp as an example, the manifest function would be to recruit people to protect the country to maintain peace and order. The latent function is a hidden function such as creating job opportunities and instilling values and discipline into the cadets. The dysfunction would be if the cadets were to use the tactics and teachings learned in the camp for a negative purpose while off their duty. Conflict perspective is a common issue faced when looked at the military. The cadets who flow into the camp on the first day come from a many different backgrounds. Conflicts could arise not only between the views of superior and the cadets but could arise among members itself when work in teams due to the different culture, values and beliefs. Feminist perspective involves the history which back dates to when female where to stay home to look after the family while men went out for war to protect their country mainly due to their physics. However the norm on this perspective is being abolished and we tend to find female soldiers and officers involved in the military. According to my self reflection interaction perspective can be classified has the verbal and non- verbal communication styles used by the superiors, such as the authoritative tone of voice. Page | 6 5. Conclusion We have clearly understood the necessity of the five different types of social institution in a society. The essay had also covered the common traits present in the institutions. Also learnt the importance of degradation ceremony while resocialization and how it’s required to kill the former sense of an individual. However I personally believe three out of five of the total institutions are not preferable places to be at. The fact that many are not offered opportunities to work at their own free will deprives them from others and makes them feel less worthy of themselves. They are taught to obey their superiors, out of fear. In most of the occasions they are treated as numbers than a human being. Therefore allowing an individual to loose his or her sense of identity. Goffman’s discussion encouraged me to look at total institution characteristics, such as resocialization, through a positive and negative lens, depending on the situation and context. Page | 7 6. Reference list Davies, C. (1989). Goffman’s concept of the total institution: Criticism and revisions. Human Studies, 12, 77-95. El-Mafaalani, A. (2009). Do underachievers need sociology. Journal of social science education, 8(4), 35-42. Garfinkel, H. (n. d. ). Conditions of successful degradation ceremonies. (2011). American Journal of Sociology, 6(5), 420-424. GORDON MARSHALL. â€Å"degradation ceremony. † A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia. com. 16 Apr. 2013 . Handler, R. (2012). What’s up,doctor goffman? tell us where the action is!. Journal of the royal Anthropological Institute, 18, 179-190. Henslin, J. (2011). Essentials of sociology a down-to-earth approach. (9TH ed. , pp. 16-18). Boston,America: PEARSON.

Abu Sayyaf Group Essay

Abdurajak Janjalani’s religious and political thoughts provided the basis for ASG’s original ideology.23 The initial premise for creating the group was for a Muslim Mujahideen that would be committed to â€Å"a struggle in the cause of Allah† or â€Å"fighting and dying for the cause of Islam.†24 To his ASG followers Janjalani was more than a leader, he provided their ideological path and enlightenment. Janjalani was well educated and knowledgeable of various areas that impacted the Muslim population in the Philippines. These included the historical, religious, economic, political, and social conditions that existed at the time25 and it was his aim to build his idea of an Islamic state in the southern Philippines to improve those conditions.26 Funding to initiate and support the movement in the beginning was supposedly supplied by Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Osama bin Laden’s brother-in-law.27 This was the first reported link to Al Qaeda. Later, in 1992, Janjalani and his group established an official headquarters in Isabela, Basilan naming the Camp Al-Madinah Mujahideen, but the camp was captured by the Philippine Marines in 1993 forcing ASG to relocate and establish a new base in Patikul, Sulu. This fostered greater cooperation and alliance with Ghalib Andang who led the Sulu-based unit of the ASG.28 Working together the combined ASG forces began an aggressive recruiting effort to expand their manpower, acquire arms and munitions, and began the lucrative series of fund-raising activities in kidnappings and demanding high ransoms.29 Before his death in 1998, Janjalani delivered eight radical ideological messages called Khutbahs. These Khutbahs are regarded as primary sources of his radical Islamic thought and depicted the depth of his Abu Sayyaf . . .5 understanding of Wahabi Islam. One of the Khutbahs exposed an intense resentment of Christian missionaries in Mindanao, especially those regarded as criticizing Islam. His interpretation was that â€Å"aggressive preaching of Christian missionaries in Mindanao thus insulted Islam and provoked Muslims to respond violently. As a result, the bombing of the Christian missionary ship M/V Doulos in 1991 was retaliation against Christian missionaries who used derogatory words against Islam and called Allah a false God.†

Youtube Videos as Nursing Study Tools

The biggest con would be that It goes Into a lot of unneeded Information when considering my audience Is nursing students. There is a lot of Information that nurses don't necessarily need to know. Imperativeness. (2014, January 3). Oxygenation of the Respiratory System for Nursing [Video file]. Retrieved from http://move. Youth. Com/watch? F92503sXnOLM The videos from this particular user are great for nursing students because this guy is a nursing student. Martin Rexes, the user who uploaded the video, apparently sakes these videos, speaking about what he learned in nursing school that day along with tips on studying.For the nursing student this is great and helpful for studying. They video is short, easy to understand, and summarizes the oxygenation lecture for a nursing school class. The cons are that It Is rather boring, It may be difficult to rely on Information on a subject from an Inexperienced nursing student, and while It summarizes oxygenation very well, it doesn't go into very much depth. Sinking, S. (2014, January 3). U School of Nursing Oxygenation Song [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. Youth. Mom/watch? FzHatR96cBxw I have a soft spot for these videos that use a song for teaching purposes.We know that every student learns In different ways so by presenting a video using a song to help remember important parts of oxygenation or any other topic is great. They cover important parts about oxygenation with a catchy tune which can help students learn or remember these parts better. It's a fun video so it is a sort of way to take a break while still learning. The cons are that it is really a very poorly made video as far as production value goes. At times it is difficult to hear the song and it is, obviously, a I felt that the first video, from abracadabra, was the best video considering my audience.Yes, it is lengthy, but it is so thorough and tells the viewer everything that they need to know about oxygenation. I felt that the speaker in the vid eo did a great job with visuals as he discussed the information in a clear and concise way. Chapter 41 – Fluid and Electrolytes Youth videos Monoclinic, M. (2014, January 3). Fluid & Electrolyte Basics [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. Youth. Com/watch? V=subdividing Without a doubt, Megan Monoclinic, the person that uploaded this video has done a antistatic Job here. The video is specifically geared to review the basics of fluid and electrolytes for nursing students.Liners, M. (2014, January 3). Electrolyte Magnesium (Hypo & Hyper) [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. Youth. Com/watch? V=Japanned As far as content goes for this particular video it isn't the best choice because it only talks about a short topic pertaining to fluid and electrolytes. I chose this video though because of the creator of the video, Michael Liners. He creates videos for nursing students about everything that we need to know to be nurses. The pros are that Michael Liners clearly and easil y discusses topics that make it easy to understand, Mr..Liners specifically created these videos for nursing students, and it's a fun video, I thought that the use of humor and analogies were great. The cons are that, as I fluid and electrolytes. The production value of the video is pretty poor and it's difficult to hear the speaker at times. My favorite video was the near comprehensive one by Megan Monoclinic. The fact that is specifically made to help nursing students understand everything they can about fluid and electrolytes is reason enough to consider it the best of the three, but t is Just really well made and thorough in content.Youth videos as study tools I have found that Youth videos are great for study tools and knowledge generators. As nursing students there are so much material that we much digest and memorize at times. As I mentioned earlier, everyone learns in different styles and it seems that Youth has a video for people who have any of the many different learning styles. As supplemental material these Youth videos are best used. Most of the videos aren't meant to be used as a way to learn everything there is to know bout a certain topic, but to give a person a baseline on a topic of interest.I couldn't think of many cons to using Youth as a study tool. I believe that if something can help you than you should use it. If there is any argument against using Youth as a study tool it's that there isn't anyone to check information to see if it is correct. Anyone can upload a video about anything, spout nonsense and inaccurate information and no one would know. So, as supplemental material to what your teacher is telling you in class these videos can be beneficial, but not as a main source of knowledge.

(Some Finance Questions) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(Some Finance Questions) - Research Paper Example TIPs pay interest semi-annually at a fixed rate which is calculated on the adjusted principal to make the interest payments as well inflation driven (Treasury Direct). The market of TIPs is the world largest inflation indexed securities market with over $550 billion of TIPs outstanding i.e. approximately 8% of the total debt market of treasury. TIPs can be purchased directly from Treasury Direct system with a minimum purchase limit of $100 and multiples of $100 thereof and are available with 5-, 10-, and 30-year maturities. The 5-year and 30-year TIPs are auctioned semi-annually whereas 10-year TIPs are auctioned quarterly. The auction bids are TIPs are submitted both as competitive and non-competitive. In case of competitive bids, the bidder specifies the yield that he/she is willing to accept the security for. In case of non-competitive bid, the yield is determined at the auction which the bidder agrees to accept for a security. TIPs are issued in electronic form and can be like ot her marketable securities which can be held to maturity or sold before it matures. Interest paid on TIPs is subject to federal taxes but are exempted from both state and local taxes.

The Civil Rights Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example Through reading the available resources, it is clear that the movement was mainly centered in the South in regions that had a heavy population of African Americans and where there was blatant racial inequality in legal, political, economic, and education opportunities. Local and state governments had passed the Jim Crow laws in the 19th century that had restricted qualifications to vote for African Americans, which ensured they were politically and economically powerless1. In my view, therefore, I will argue that the civil rights movement addressed the primary areas of voting rights, social segregation, and education discrimination. The Brown Decision A new era in the civil rights movement was ushered in by the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Education Board of Topeka in Kansas2. This decision outlawed segregation based on race. The decision outlawed this in public schools, which was condemned by whites and supremacist groups in the South such as the Citizen’s Council and the Ku Klux Klan for the resistance of desegregation, which resorted to violence at times. From the readings, I deciphered that one of the targets fro this groups was the NAACP. I also believe that the NAACP had taken a leading role in the US national struggle for desegregation of education, as it had done at the local level. Here, evidence shows that African Americans had organized branches to fight societal discrimination. The first attempt to comply with this decision was in Little Rock, in 19573. A local school admitted nine African American students to a school that was all white, which I can see propelled the escalation of violence from whites and led to President Eisenhower sending federal troops to protect African American students. Social Segregation From my reading, an organized boycott, led by Rosa Parks and lasting 381 days, was a turning point against segregated seating. I believe this sitting was an important occurrence in the civil rights movement because it led to th e Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 to be presided over by Martin Luther King Jr., who was to become a central figure in the movement4. The movement’s participants were also expanded with the inclusion of the college-age blacks who initiated sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Greensboro. Most SNCC members joined up with the CORE that had organized the 1961 Freedom Rides in Chicago. I find that white and black Freedom Riders began the ride in Washington D.C., and rode south to test the Boynton v. Virginian Supreme Court ruling that had outlawed segregation at transport terminals5. While they were arrested, beaten and even had their bus burnt, I find that, ultimately, they succeeded in enforcing the Boynton ruling. I think that Albany in Georgia was one of the significant towns in this movement as MLK and the SCLC joined in their struggle, although they were unable to get any significant victories and I find this to have been one of MLK’s most humilia ting defeats6. This turned the spotlight to Birmingham where I found that the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, through Rev. Shuttlesworth had led the struggle against social discrimination. The local African Americans had come up against segregationist policies. In my view, Eugene Connor, Birmingham’s public safety commissioner, was responsible for the town’s reputation as thoroughly segregated. MLK got there in 1963 and, together with

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Critical Thinking - Essay Example verall there are various arguments placed suggesting the use of various important methods of rhetoric and language however the use of language is not appropriate at some place as Williams sometimes provide unilateral treatment to the issues. The first paragraph of the easy is very confusing in nature as Williams has tried to make a connection between the inefficiencies in governance with the money of the Tax payers. Further there is also a contrast in the argument when he mentions the secrecy provision which do not seem to be in continuation with the earlier sentences in the paragraph. The use of the word Political neglect in the subsequent paragraph points towards a general climate in the country where political rights of the individuals are completely neglected. This is unfair in the sense that it provides a very extremist view against the performance of the past Australian governments and almost unilaterally declares past Australian Governments as failure. The next stage of the paper is contrasting with the arguments made in the later part of the article. Williams do not seem to support its claims made in earlier part of the essay with that of being made in the later part. Williams use the word â€Å"rare opportunity to tackle them head on† suggests Author’s complete ignorance of the historical evolution of Australia. This also suggests that Williams is trying to stamp his conclusion in the article in earlier part of the paper. Being a scholar of high repute therefore does not necessarily means that the Williams is an authority in making conclusions based on pure use of guess work. In the next stage of his article Williams use the word â€Å"Stark Choice† which in itself an indication of the totality of his argument and suggest the use of language in the most of the part of the article as concluding in nature. Similarly in the following paragraph Williams make a contrasting argument that local government should remain in Australia. This is again a deviation

MGT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

MGT - Essay Example When workers are happy, they enjoy their work and this is more preferable than using other systems to improve productivity. This paper will provide evidence that happy or satisfied workers are more productive in the workplaces. Ropella highlights that there are factors that influence and contribute to employee satisfaction. The first factor is the work environment and it is concerned with the internal working environment of the employees. This environment entails feelings and attitudes on their colleague employees and the job itself. It is important for the employees to feel included in the larger organizational team to enhance productivity. The second factor is the ability to achieve the desired organizational objectives and it is concerned with the determination of the employee’s capacity and potential to achieve the set goals in their work. The other factor is the rewards and compensation for work done by the employees. Recognition for a good job done creates a feeling of happiness and motivation towards productivity. Business knowledge is another factor and it is concerned with the necessity of informing the employees on how the business works and on the finances of the organization. When employ ees are aware of the operations of the business, it enhances their productivity. The last factor is client relations and it is concerned with good relationships between customers and the employees. When the relations are favorable, employees are motivated to perform better. Furthermore, Kjerulf highlights various reasons why satisfied or happy workers at the workplace are more productive. The first reason is that happy workers work better with others in the workplace to enhance productivity. In this case, when employees are happy, they are more fun to work with other people hence improving working relations, which translate to higher productivity. The second reason is that workers satisfaction enhances creativity at work. Happy workers are able to generate

Alzheimer Agitation - Prevention Research Paper

Alzheimer Agitation - Prevention - Research Paper Example Method of Search: The paper has been written after extensive research on literature available on Alzheimer disease and the agitation associated with it. As no treatment is available to fully cure the disease, therefore, following preventive measures is the only effective way to prevent the onset and reduce the severity of agitation. Some of the common up to date preventive measures followed in nursing homes are listed in this paper and have been taken from different books written on Alzheimer disease. Introduction and Significance: The Dementing disease was first discovered by a German neuropathologist, Alois Alzheimer and the disease is named after him. Among individuals of age 65 and older, the most common type of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease which is known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease. As the age progresses, half of the elderly individuals experience a loss of memory, judgment, and language to an extent that it starts to mediate a huge impact on their daily lives. In the United States, AD is a major health problem because of its huge impact on various departments of the health care system, the lives of the patients and their families. In accordance with the recent statistical data, there are a staggering number of AD cases in the United Sates alone amounting to 4 million individuals. The percentage of individuals with AD doubles for every five year age group beyond the age of 65. Moreover, the highest risk of AD is amongst the individuals over the age of 85. In industrialized countries, the improvement and widespread provision of health care facilities have increased life expectancy which has inevitably led to an increase in the number of cases being reported over the past few years. (National Institutes of Health 2002). Scientists estimate that if curative measures are not discovered then the number of cases in US in 2050 would be around 14 million. Over the years the cost of care of patients with AD has steadily shown an increase. I n United States of America, the annual national cost of caring for individuals with AD amounts to approximately around $1 billion. (National Institutes of Health 2002). Alzheimer disease is a progressive brain disease which is irreversible and gradually reduces the thinking skills and memory to such an extent that the person becomes incapable of carrying out normal daily activities. However, the causes and the subsequent progression of the disease has not yet been fully exposed which has significantly slowed the progress in devising ways to prevent the disease. The treatments that are currently available only aim at reducing the severity of the disease symptoms. (National Institutes of Health 2002). Alzheimer agitation refers to the behavioral patterns exhibited by a typical Alzheimer patient. The typical behavioral patterns include screaming, complaining, wandering, cursing, fidgeting, pacing, moaning and shouting. Progression of the disease is characterized by memory loss and degr adation of thinking skills in addition to an increase in the severity of Alzheimer agitation. It is worth mentioning that every abnormal behavior is not classified as agitation. If the abnormal behavior poses a risk to the individual with AD or the people around him then it is considered to be agitation. Agitation associated with AD can be due to a single medical problem or a cumulative effect of a variety of different contributing factors such as

Frederick II (Frederick the Great) Research Paper

Frederick II (Frederick the Great) - Research Paper Example Majority of military strategists perceive him as a brilliant military thinker while critics accuse him of being a power-hungry tyrant willing to go to any length to calm his ego and enhance his reputation.1 This paper asserts that Frederick II epitomized what a military leader should be, especially based on his profound and enduring influence on other military strategists, leaders, generals, and statesmen who came after him.2 Frederick II noted, â€Å"A country should be ready for war, offensive or defensive and preparedness for war hinges on the condition of the army and the finances. Frederick II of Prussia was one of the â€Å"enlightened monarchs† (enlightened despots) based on the reforms that he was able to bring to Prussia. During his reign, he was able to expand the territories of Prussia to become a power house in Europe. Frederick modernized Prussian bureaucracy and civil service, besides promoting religious tolerance. Frederick managed to modify Prussia from European back water to an economically powerful and politically reformed state. One of the strengths of Frederick II lies in the fact that he was an enlightened absolutist and thus, could run the political side while simultaneously directing the army to achieve the objectives of the state. One of Frederick’s most outstanding quote details â€Å"a nation lacking an army is like an orchestra without instruments.†3 As a military leader, Frederick II focused on drill and discipline, besides stimulating initiative and inspiration in his military leadership. Frederick II maintained that common soldiers should fear their own officers more compared to the enemy, and he closely monitored his generals to ensure that none could be trusted to perform independently. As crown prince, Frederick II maintained that Prussia could not evade being drawn into conflict practically anywhere in Europe. However, his country was short of the

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Taxation - Essay Example Hence the 2009-10 tax year ran from 6 April 2009 to 5 April 2010. The tax year is sometimes also called the Fiscal Year. The Financial Year, used mainly for corporation tax purposes, runs from 1 April to 31 March. Financial Year 2010 runs from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, as Financial Years are named according to the calendar year in which they start. Income tax liabilities of individuals: For individuals this means the UK income tax liability of one who is neither resident nor ordinarily resident in the UK is limited to any tax deducted at source on UK income, together with tax on income from a trade or profession carried on through a permanent establishment in the UK and tax on rental income from UK real estate. Individuals who are both resident and domiciled in the UK are additionally liable to taxation on their worldwide income and gains. Each person has an income tax  personal allowance, and income up to this amount in each tax year is free of tax for everyone. For 2010-11 the tax allowance for under 65s is  £6,475 which was raised to  £7,475 on 22 June 2010. There are three slabs for rate of taxes – basic rate for the slab  £0- £37,400 is 20%, above  £37,400 is 40% and above  £150000 is 50%. The taxpayers income is assessed for tax according to a prescribed order, with income from employment using up the personal allowance and being taxed first, followed by savings income (from interest or otherwise unearned) and then dividends. On Employees: Employees pay National Insurance contributions to build up their entitlement to certain state benefits, including the State Pension. The contributions they pay depend on how much they earn and whether they are employed or self-employed. Employees stop paying National Insurance contributions when they reach State Pension age. They pay National Insurance contributions if they are an employee or self-employed and they are aged

Annotated Biblography Essay Example for Free

Annotated Biblography Essay Kristen E. Van Vonderen, M. S. , William Kinnally, Ph. D. (2012), â€Å"Media Effects on Body Image: Examining Media Exposure in the Broader Context of Internal and Other Social Factors†. Volume 14, Issue 2. 41-57. American Communication Journal. Summary: Vonderson and Kinnally’s article discusses the influence media has on women today and the way they see themselves. Being â€Å"overweight† has such negative stigmatism to it that women who are considered to be overweigh feel as though they are unlovable or unsuccessful because they dont look like the women in magazines. They touch on the subject of the influence from parents and peers. Parents who comment on their child’s physical appearance convey body image norms that could lead to negative association with body shape. In the article they also talk about internal influences such as self-esteem and how, in part, it is a reflection of the opinion others hold of you. Analysis: Vonderson and Kinnally’s approach to informing us about how women are portrayed in magazines is both informative and surprising. I, myself being a young women was more than aware of the issue with body image and the media. I personally have thought less of myself after looking through a magazine or watching a movie because of how thin and beautiful those women are. But I was not aware of the many causes that influence women into thinking so negatively. Reflection: This particular article was very informative and helpful towards my research paper topic because it was exactly what I am writing about. Going into this project, I thought I knew quite a bit of information on this topic, but now reading these articles I realize that there is much more to the influence media has on women than I had imagined. Gemma Lopez- Guimera, Micheal P. Levine, David Sanchez-Carracedo, Jordi Fauquet. (2010),† Influence of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disordered Attitudes and Behavior in Females: A Review of Effects and Processes†. Media Psychology, 13:387– 416. Print Summary: This article reviews research on the effects of television and magazines on body image and on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in females. Evidence from different types of studies in the fields of eating disorders, media psychology, health psychology, and mass communication indicates that mass media are an extremely important source of information and reinforcement in relation to the nature of the thin beauty ideal, its importance, and how to attain it. Although considerable research remains to be done, evidence is accumulating that repeated exposure to media and to both direct and indirect (via medias effects on peers, parents, coaches, physicians, etc. ) pressures from media to be thin constitute risk factors for body dissatisfaction, concerns over weight and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls and young women. Analysis: I found this article to be both credible and reliable mainly on the fact that it’s research was conducted professionally. The multiple authors of this article are credible because they are head departments of psychology, clinical and health psychology, psychobiology, and methodology of health sciences all from admirable universities all over the world. Reflection: This article help shapes the arguments in my research paper. My research paper is on the topic of mass media and its influence on society and with an article that focuses just on the female aspect of it, it will really help my arguments. So, J. and Nabi, R. (2013), Reduction of Perceived Social Distance as an Explanation for Medias Influence on Personal Risk Perceptions: A Test of the Risk Convergence Model. Human Communication Research, 39: 317–338. Print Summary: The aim of this study was to develop the Perceived Parental Media Mediation Scale (PPMMS). in an initial test of this model, 500 undergraduate students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, participated in an experiment. Participants were exposed to entertainment clips that either portrayed a main character who is diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease or thinks he/she might have caught an STD and gets scared of testing for it. Overall, the risk convergence model received solid support from the data, with all paths emerging as significant except for the link between perceived realism and social distance. Reduction of social distance completely mediated the relationship between identification, transportation and personal risk perceptions, thus suggesting social distance as a valid causal mechanism of the process involving the two variables. Analysis: This article is credible because studies were conducted at multiple universities such as University of Georgia and UC Santa Barbara by experts in the Department of Communications. I found this article to be non biased based on the fact that they had conducted numerous experiments and tests on a large number of students and still found that their risk perception was influenced by the media. Reflection: I found this article to be very helpful with my research paper, being that it was a rather long article with more than enough information explaining medias influence on personal risk perception.

Clovis People Essay Example for Free

Clovis People Essay DNA harvested from the remains of an infant buried 13,000 years ago confirms that the earliest widespread culture in North America was descended from humans who crossed over to the New World from Asia, scientists say. The research, detailed in this weeks issue of the journal Nature, also suggests that many contemporary Native Americans are direct descendants of the so-called Clovis people, whose distinctive stone tools have been found scattered across North America and Mexico. The origins and genetic legacy of the people who made Clovis tools have been topics of debate among scientists. While most archaeologists think that the Clovis people were descended from Asians, an alternative theory suggests that the Clovis ancestors emigrated from southwestern Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum more than 15,000 years ago. The new findings strongly refute that idea, known as the Solutrean hypothesis, said study co-author Michael Waters, director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas AM University. This shows very clearly that the ancestry of the very first Americans can be traced back to Asia, Waters said. David Anderson, an anthropologist at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, agreed. Theres been a standard model for a long time that modern Native Americans are descended from populations coming from East Asia a few thousand years before Clovis, and thats what this finding reinforces, said Anderson, who was not involved in the study. Anthropologist Dennis Jenkins of the University of Oregon said the new study was a really important and really well done piece of research that opens the door for new kinds of genetic comparisons among ancient Native American remains. The importance of this cannot be overemphasized, said Jenkins, who also did not participate in the research. People have often asked me whats the relationship of the Paisley Caves—a site in Oregon where human feces and artifacts up to 13,200 years old have been found—to Clovis, and Ive always said that would be really nice to know, but there hasnt been any Clovis DNA until now, he said. Oldest Burial in North America. The skeleton of the Clovis child—which experts determined belonged to a young boy about one to one-and-a-half years old—was discovered in 1968 in the Anzick burial site in western Montana. Dozens of ochre-covered stone tools found at the site were consistent with Clovis technology, and radiocarbon dating revealed that the skeleton was approximately 12,600 years old. The Anzick skeleton is the oldest burial in North America, and the only known human burial associated with the Clovis culture, Waters said. Photo of the site where the artifacts were found. † width= PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE WATERS The earliest known North American burial was found here in western Montana. Using bone shavings collected from the skull, the scientists painstakingly reconstructed the full genome of the young Clovis child. It was actually quite a big challenge, said study leader Eske Willerslev, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark who led the sequencing effort. Only 1 to 2 percent of the collected DNA was human, Willerslev said. The rest of it came from bacteria that invaded the skeleton after death. Comparison studies of the ancient DNA showed that it was similar to the genomes of ancient people living in Siberia and the ancestors of East Asians. The team also discovered a deep genetic affinity between the boys genetic material and those of 52 Native American populations living in South America and Canada. The Anzick remains share a common ancestry with almost every modern Native American group that we looked at, Waters said. This is an incredible result, Willerslev said, because it suggests that the relatives of the Anzick child were the direct ancestors of most Native American groups living today. This would be possible, he added, if the population of humans living in the New World about 13,000 years ago was very small and every member was closely related to the others. The scientists say they strongly suspect, but cannot yet prove, that Native Americans in the United States are also closely related to the Clovis people. Native American groups in the U. S. have been reluctant to share their DNA, or the DNA of their ancestors, with scientists. Unfortunately, we dont have much genetic material for native people living in the United States, Waters said. If you look at the genetic map [of humans around the world], the U. S. is a big [blank] spot. Jenkins of the University of Oregon said he hopes the new study will lead to further collaborations between scientists and U. S. Native American groups. That trust has got to be developed, and thats where Willerslevs group really excelled, Jenkins said. Well be better anthropologists and scientists if we view these remains more as the remains of people rather than just artifacts.

Strategic Management Process At Sainsburys

Strategic Management Process At Sainsburys 1.0 Introduction The aim of this report is about the Strategic Management Process and how it related to the retail industry. The retail industry that was chose to support this report is J Sainsbury Plc, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. In Strategy Management Process, it consists of three major sections which are, first, the Strategy Analysis, then follow by Strategy Formulation and lastly is the Strategy Implementation. In Strategy Management, there are various types of Strategy Analytical tools to apply to find out the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats of an organisation as all the organisations will face its glory time and difficulties. Generally in the retail industry, Strategy Management is the most common plan to use to seek the problems or opportunities available to overcome the crisis and driving high performance in the long term (Accenture.com, 2009). Few chosen tools such as Porters PEST Analysis, Five forces, Value Chain Analysis, Portfolio Analysis , Generic Strategy, Control System and Strategy Process were further explained and supported in this report. 2.0 Strategy Analysis According to Ron Meyer (2004, pg44), analysis is the first step to develop a strategy decision. In Analysis stage, an organization has to identify the opportunities and threats in the environment, as well as the strengths and weaknesses first before proceeding into strategy formulation. These are commonly known as the four factors of S.W.O.T. analysis. SWOT analysis will help to identify the issues that are must critical to the future of the organisation. As for the first part of the analysis, factors which are external to the organization are the opportunity and threats. While for the internal factors are the strength and weaknesses. There are strategy analytical tools to identify the external and internal factors. PEST is one of the tools that can trace the opportunity and Five Forces can use to identify the threats of the organization. On the other hand, value chains analysis can apply to identify the strength and weaknesses. 2.1 Opportunities and Threats An organizations Opportunity and Threats are affected by external environment. Opportunities are external conditions that are helpful to achieving the objective of an organization while threats are external conditions that are harmful to achieving the organisations objective. 2.2 Strengths and Weaknesses Internal Environment affects an organisations Strengths and Weaknesses. Strength are the capabilities of the organization that are helpful to achieving the objective whereas, Weakness attributes of the organization that are harmful to achieving the objective. 2.3 Strategy Analytical Tools for External Environment (Macro-Environment) Strategy analytical tools such as PEST and Five Forces can identify the external environment factors to an organization. 2.3.1 PEST Analysis is an External Environment Tool that Identify the Opportunity of an Organization Thomas L. Wheelen (2010) points out that the general environment consists of all conditions in the external environment that forms a background context for managerial decision making. In other words, general environment is the outer layer that is widely dispersed and affects organizations indirectly. General environment can be affected by Political factors, Environmental factors, Social factors and Technological factors or in acronym, PEST. Political Factor-Political factors refer to the government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. In United Kingdom, government decreases the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which can save or help big companies like Sainsburys significant sums of money. (HM Treasury 2008). Economic Factor-Interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates are factors of economy. As the global food crisis rapidly increase has increased the food prices all over the world which caused the rising purchasing costs for Sainsburys (economist.com 2008 [online]). This will have an impact on the margins of the organisation and might lead to passing over the cost to consumers by increasing prices of most things in the supermarket. In addition, fuel price increases will have implications right throughout the supply chain of Sainsburys leading to an overall situation to price hike. Social Factor-Richard Lynch stated that (2006) the demand of a firms products and the availability and willingness of a person to work can be affected by the changes of the social trends. Nowadays there seems to be more emphasis on fresh, easy style cooking. This serves an opportunity for Sainsburys to encourage new recipes and unfussy eating. Moreover, people are more emphasis on healthy eating style mostly due to the increasing level of obesity which leads to many consumers to shift towards healthier food. This new trend has presents a beneficial opportunity to Sainsburys to stock up with more healthy food or create healthier foods at a cheaper price than other manufacturers. Technological Factor-New technologies can create new products and new processes that can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. Sainsbury invested new technology of Smart Grid to cuts energy costs and reduces UK carbon emissions rate. The system monitors the grid and activates the stores biofuel generator when there is an increased demand for electricity. As a result, reserve power stations will not have to be used as much and the UKs carbon footprint will be reduced. The generator is the first of its kind and will be powered by waste oil and fat from Sainsburys stores to act as an auxiliary power source. Additional technology in the store will reduce strain on the grid further by deactivating or reducing the stores heating, ventilation and lighting systems at peak times. This is an opportunity to Sainsbury as they use the waste to produce electricity rather than using other source, hence, they can save up the electricity costs. (Sainsbury.co.uk,2010) 2.4 Fives Forces Model to Analysis the External Environment Five forces model is an analytical approach use to analyze a firms industry environment. Factors that are considered in five forces analysis are the risk of entry by potential competitors, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products and rivalry among established firms. (John A. Pearce, 2011) The Bargaining Power of Suppliers-Suppliers can affect an industry through their ability to raise prices or reduce the quality of purchased good and services. It should be noted that the suppliers are inclined towards major food and grocery retailers and dread losing their business contracts with large supermarkets. Hence, the position of the retailers like Tesco, Asda, and Sainsburys is further strengthened and negotiations are positive in order to get the lowest possible price from the suppliers (Ivorysearch.com). In November 2006, Sainsbury has announced that they are the first to launch new payment management system to make it easier and quicker for suppliers to access account information and gain early payments which has built a strong relationship with the supplier. Suppliers can view their trading account through internet, this giving the supplier better visibility of their expected cash flow. This is also an opportunity to Sainsbury as they have a good relationship with the supplier (PrimeRevenue.com, 2009). The Intensity of Competitive Rivalry-In most industries, corporations are mutually dependant. A competitive move by one firm can be expected to have a noticeable effect on its competitors and thus may cause retaliation. The intensity of competitive rivalry in the food and grocery retail industry is extremely high. Sainsbury faces intense competition from its direct competitors, including Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose, which are competing with each other over price, products and promotions intermittently. It should therefore be highlighted that Asda is one of the key competitors in this segment with an increase of market share from 16.6% to 16.8% during the fiscal year 2010/ 09, while Morrisons to 11.6% from 11.3% through the same period (Euromonitor, 2010). Sainsbury has to come out new ideas to cope with the high competitive pressure in order to overcome the threats from other big competitors. The Bargaining Power of Buyers-Buyers is one of the keys that affect an industry because of their ability to force down prices, bargain for higher quality or move services, and play competitors against each other. In cases where products have a slight differentiation and are more standardised, the switching cost is very low and the buyers can easily switch from one brand to another. Customers are easily attracted towards low prices of a product. Besides, with the availability of online retail shopping, the prices of products are easily compared and thus selected. Hence, the bargaining power of customer is a threat to an industry or Sainsbury (John Thompson, 2010). The Threat of the Entry of New Competitors-New entrants to an industry typically bring to it new capacity, a desire to gain market share, and substantial resources which are threats to an established corporation. The threat of entry depends on the presence of entry barriers and the reaction that can be expected from existing competitors. An entry barrier is an obstruction that makes it difficult for a company to enter an industry. The threat of entry of new competitors into the food retail industry is low as it requires huge capital investments in order to be competitive and to establish a brand name. Major brands that have already captured the food retail market are Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons and they account for 80% of all shopping in the UK (Mintel, 2010). Therefore, new entrants have to produce something at an exceptionally low price and/or high quality to establish their market value. The Threat of Substitute Products or Services-A substitute product is a product that appears to be different but can satisfy the same need as another product. 2.5 Strategy Analytical Methods for Internal Environment (Micro-Environment) Value Chain Analysis defines as the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the business. Michael Porter suggested that the activities of a business could be grouped under two headings which are Primary and Supported Activities. Primary activities are activities that directly create and deliver a product whereas support activities are not directly involved in production and it may increase effectiveness or efficiency of the production. On the primary activities are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service. On the other hand, supported activities include procurement, human resource management, technology development and Firm Infrastructure. (Anthony Henry, 2008). Value Chain Analysis is one way of identifying which activities are the strengths or weaknesses of the organization. 2.5.1 Operations of Primary Activities These are the activities related to the production of products and services. This section can be split into departments in certain companies. For instances, the operations in case of a Sainsbury would include information counter, services counter and cashier. After operating without a third-party inventory auditor for ten years, Sainsburys retailers lacked a sound process for ensuring that accurate counts of product were recorded. The absence of a reliable system prevented Sainsburys from accurately measuring its inventory, thereby limiting their ability to control product shrinkage. This, in turn, led to lower earnings. Also present was the reluctance by store personnel to change store procedures and accept responsibility for accurate store reporting. This ends up becoming weaknesses to Sainsburys operation. (RGIS, 2010) 2.5.2 Outbound Logistics of Primary Activities Outbound logistics are activities that distributing the final product or services to the customers. (David Cambell) Product availability is now the best it has been for years. The depot network has been successfully reorganised to continue to improve service to stores. With the increase in sales, the depots now handle over a million more cases and improved efficiencies have also reduced the cost per case. A new distribution centre in Northampton ensures there is enough capacity to match growth expectations and creating 750 new jobs. This strength of the organization has not only improved efficiency to the consumer and also provided jobs for the people (J-Sainsbury.co.uk, 2007) 2.6 Human Resource Management of Supported Activities Human resource management involves with recruiting, training, motivating and rewarding the workforce of the company. Human resources management is important to a companys operation nowadays as it is a way of attaining sustainable competitive advantage. In the case of Sainsbury, colleagues are the key to the companys success and over the past year leadership training to 9000 managers throughout the business was completed. Sainsbury learned how to engage with its colleagues with its goals and values through their talkback survey and last year had marked improvements in both colleague engagement and its leadership skills. As for that, Sainsbury has a good profile for treating its staff professionally so that this strength of it can recruit staff even easily. After analysed the Strength and Weaknesses and Opportunity and Threats by using Strategic Analytical tools, the next step is Strategy Formulation. With the analysis result are collected, to formulate changes has to base on the analysed results in order to change accordingly. 3.0 Strategy Formulation Ron Meyer (2004) describes strategy formulation as the development of long range plans for the effective management of environmental opportunities and threats in light of corporate strengths and weaknesses. It includes defining the corporate mission, specifying achievable objectives, developing strategies and setting policy guidelines. 3.1 Strategies M. Thenmozhi (2001) concludes that a strategy of a corporation forms a comprehensive master plan stating how the corporation will achieve its mission and objectives. There are different types of strategy and the typical business firm will considers three types of strategy which are corporate, business and functional strategies. 3.2 Corporate Strategy It describes a companys overall direction in terms of its general attitude towards growth and management of its various business and product lines. Corporate strategy deals with three key issues facing the corporation as a whole. 3.2.1 Directional strategy It is the firms overall orientation towards growth, stability and retrenchment. Growth Strategies-Expanding a companys activities to increase sales or to take advantage to reduce the per-unit cost of products sold which increase profits. There are two basic growth strategies which are concentration and diversification. Concentration-Concentrate or work closely on the product line that contribute growth or profitable to the organization. The two basic concentration strategies are vertical growth and horizontal growth. Diversification-A company chooses to diversify to seek to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. The three basic diversification strategies are concentric, horizontal and conglomerate. In the case of Sainsbury, Sainsbury has diversified into new market of Sainsburys Bank in 1997. This is a joint venture with Bank of Scotland into a new segment of market. (Encyclopedia.com, 2001) Stability- Anthony Henry (2008) notes that an organization can continue its current activities without any significant change in direction. Some of the more popular of these strategies are the pause/proceed-with-caution, no-change and profit strategies. Pause/Proceed-With-Caution-This is an opportunity to rest before continuing a growth or retrenchment strategy. It is a very deliberate attempt to make only incremental improvements until a particular environmental situation changes. No-Change Strategy-No change strategy is a decision to do nothing new, it is a choice to continue current operations and policies for the foreseeable future. Profit Strategy-A profit strategy is a decision to do nothing new in a worsening situation but instead to act as though the companys problems are only temporary. The profit strategy is an attempt to artificially support profits when a companys sales are declining by reducing investment and short-term discretionary expenditures. Retrenchment Strategies-Thomas L. Wheelen (2006) suggests that companies that are facing declining sales or making losses can imply retrenchment strategy to eliminate the weaknesses that are dragging the company down. Management may follow one of the several retrenchment strategies such as turnaround, becoming a captive company to selling out, bankruptcy or liquidation. Turnaround Strategy-Emphasizes the improvement of operational efficiency and is probably most appropriate when a corporations problems are pervasive but not yet critical. A poorly performing firm is able to improve its performance by cutting costs and expenses and by selling assets. There are two types of turnaround strategy which are contraction and consolidation. Sainsbury lost its position as Britains second largest supermarket retailer to Wal-Marts Asda as the sales volume had dropped. Sainsburys Cheif Exceutive planned to cut out  £900m of costs to improve its performance. (Richard Fletcher, 2003) Captive Company Strategy-Captive company strategy involves giving up independence in exchange for security. A company with a weak competitive position may not be able to engage in a full-blown turnaround strategy. The industry may not be sufficiently attractive to justify such an effort from either the current management or investors. Sell Out-If a corporation with a weak competitive position in an industry is unable either to pull itself up by its bootstraps or to find a customer to which it can become a captive company, it may have no choice but to sell out. Bankruptcy and Liquidation Strategy-When a company is in a poor competitive situation, there are no one is interested to buy a weak company in an unattractive industry. Hence, the firm must pursue a bankruptcy or liquidation strategy. Bankruptcy involves giving up management of the firm to the courts in return for some settlement of the corporations obligations. In contrast to bankruptcy, which seeks to perpetuate a corporation, liquidation is the termination of a firm. 3.2.2 Portfolio Analysis Top management views its product lines and business units as a series of portfolio investment and constantly keep analyzing for a profitable return. Two of the most popular strategies are the BCG Growth Share Matrix and GE Matrix. BCG or Boston Consulting Group Growth-Share Matrix ( Picture refers to Appendix A) BCG-Share Matrix is a management tool that serves four distinct purposes, it can be used to classify product portfolio in four business types based on four graphic labels including Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks and Dogs. Besides, it can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a company. Thirdly, it can classify an organisations product portfolio according to their cash usage and generation. Lastly, it offers management available strategies to tackle various product lines. (Tripod.com) Cash Cows-Are units with high market share in a slow-growing industry. These units typically generate cash in excess of the amount of cash needed to maintain the business. Dogs-Are units with low market share in a mature, slow-growing industry. These units typically break even, generating barely enough cash to maintain the businesss market share. Question Marks-This section are growing rapidly and consume large amount of cash, but because of the low market shares they do not generate much cash this results large net cash consumption. Stars-Are units with a high market share in a fast-growing industry. 3.2.3 Parenting Strategy It views a corporation in terms of resources and capabilities that can be used to build business unit value as well as generate synergies across business units. Corporate parenting generates corporate strategy by focusing on the core competencies of the parent corporation and on the value created from the relationship between the parent and its business. 3.3 Business Strategy Christina Crowe (2010) describes that Business strategy is to strengthen a particular business so that its performance increases and the business are more profitable. It improves the competitive position of the corporations products or services in the specific industry or marketing segment. Michael Porter developed Generic strategies which consist of cost leadership, differentiation and focus. 3.3.1 Generic Strategy (Picture refer to Appendix B) Cost Leadership-It is emphasizing efficiency, cost reduction is necessary in all aspects of the business. It has to produce high volume of standardized products to take the advantage of economies of scales and experience curve effects. The product is often a basic no-frills product which is low cost and made available to a very large customer base. It will be profitable as the product is much cheaper to produce. China domestic retail industry faced fierce competition from foreign-funded retail enterprises, hence, China used to the Cost Leadership Strategy to gained back the competition.(EngHi138, 2006) Differentiation-Differentiated goods and services satisfy the needs of customers through a sustainable competitive advantage. This allows companies to desensitize prices and focus on value that generates a comparatively higher price and a better margin. Focus or Niche Strategy-Organization focuses effort and resources on a narrow, defined segment of a market. Competitive advantage is generated specifically for the niche. A niche strategy is often used by smaller firms. A company could use either a cost focus or a differentiation focus. With a cost focus a firm aims at being the lowest cost producer in that niche or segment. With a differentiation focus a firm creates competitive advantage through differentiation within the niche or segment. (MarketingTeacher.com, 2000) 3.4 Functional Strategy It is the approach taken by a functional area to achieve corporate and business unit objectives and strategies by maximizing resource productivity. It is concerned with developing nurturing a distinctive competence to provide a company or business unit with a competitive advantage. A hierarchy of strategy is the grouping of strategy types by levels in the organization. This hierarchy of strategy is a nesting of one strategy within another so that they complement and support one another. Functional strategies support business strategies that in turn support the corporate strategy (John A. Pearce, 2011,p288) 3.5 Strategy Evaluation Anthony Henry (2008) mentions that Suitability, feasibility and acceptability can help managers to be explicit about any assumptions that may underpin their strategies. 3.5.1 Suitability-the plan or the changes are suitable or not to the organisation which help the organisation to overcome difficulties or help the organisation to improve. An organisation will be concerned to evaluate how well the strategy matches the needs identified within its strategic analysis. There should be some consistency between the strategy, the opportunities within the external environment, the resources and capabilities of the organisation, and the organisational objectives (Juha Kettunen) 3.5.2 Feasibility-Concerns whether a strategy will work in practice. An organisation must ensure that it possesses the necessary resources and capabilities, such as finance, technological expertise, marketing, and other factors necessary to implement the strategy. 3.5.3 Acceptability- This criterion of acceptability addresses the response of stakeholders to the proposed strategy. Clearly, if a strategic change is to be implemented, it must have the support of those who will be most affected by it. In a nutshell, after completed the strategy formulation, the next is to sets the stage of strategy implementation. Implementation is usually considered after strategy has been formulated, implementation is a key part of strategic management. 4.0 Strategy Implementation The last section of strategy management is often called the action phase as Kyra Bartolomei (2010) defines Strategy Implementation as the process of allocating resources to support the chosen strategies to generate positive outcomes which can achieve the organizational goals. Pierce and Robinson say that to effectively direct and control the use of the firms resources, mechanisms such as organizational structure, information systems, leadership styles, assignment of key managers, budgeting, rewards and control systems are essential strategy implementation ingredients 4.1 Organisational Structure Shane Thornton (2011) points out that organizational structure are formal systems of relationships that exist within a business. Organizational structures allow management to monitor and control the business process while facilitating working relationships among employees from top to bottom. Different types of organizational structures include functional structure, divisional structure, matrix structure, hierarchical or tall structure, and horizontal or flat structure. However, functional and divisional structures are commonly used by retail industry as Tesco organisation structure is functional structure as it has different department to serve different tasks which allows its employees to see easily who is in charge of each department or who their department manager is (123HelpMe.com). On the other hand, Asda used both divisional and functional structures. The functional structure of Asda consist of few departments and the main department is the customer service department as Asda is more concerns about customer service which they think it is extremely important that a business gives 100% at all times to the customer because there are only one chance with a customer and if the customer is not impressed with the service they received, they will not return and also will spread bad comments about Asda. As for the Divisional Structure of Asda, it has the Executive Committee, Editorial Board, Council Chairs, ASDA Board of Trustees and ASDA House of Delegates (Asda.net.org). Functional Structure-Donna G. Morton (2011) explained that functional structure is differs from a divisional or product structure, which typically distinguishes its units by product type or geographical region and allows leaders within each unit more control. This means that dividing the tasks into functional specialties to enables the personnel of the firms to concentrate on only one aspect of the necessary work. The functional structure was designed on the concept that high specialization and high control yields high efficiency. The organisation structure used by Sainsbury is the Functional Structure as Sainsbury has different department such as IT department and purchasing department. The IT department is more focus on efficiency system to customer and the purchasing department is to deliver in time and efficient. The purchasing department was previously complex and was then control by Lawrence Christensen who joined in September and restructuring including the recruitment of new members to the management team. (J-sainsbury.co.uk) Divisional Structure-Audra Bianca (2009) defines divisional organizational structure as breaks the public, private or non-profit firm into a series of semi-autonomous units. Each division has its own chief officer who is responsible for the performance of the division. Organizations must decide how to organize parts of the firm according to characteristics like function, geographic location or products. 4.2 Strategy Leadership Organisational leadership is to guiding and shepherding towards a vision over time and developing growth and success to an organisation (John A. Pearce, 2011, p326 ). Leaders galvanize commitment to embrace change through three interrelated activities which are clarifying strategic intent, building and organisation and shaping organisational culture. 4.2.1 Clarifying Strategy Intent Clarifying Strategy Intent is a clear sense of where they want to lead the company and what results they expect to achieve. To clarify Strategic Intent, organisation has to simultaneously concentrate and focus on the vision and performance (John A. Pearce, 2011, p328). Vision-A leader has to communicate clearly and directly a fundamental vision of what the business needs to become. Performance-Clarifying strategic intent must also ensure the survival of the enterprise as it pursues a well articulated vision, and after it reaches the vision. So a key element of good organisational leadership is to make clear the performance expectations a leader has for the organisation, and mangers in it, as they seek to move toward that vision. Alex Blyth (2007) reported that the arrival of Justin King as the new CEO of Sainsbury which created a new approach, Sainsburys began its leadership programme in October 2004. Straight away, the HR team undertook a major communications exercise to spread these values throughout the business. Sainsburys last audited set of financial results, which it reported in November 2006, are testament to the success of the leadership programme. The company enjoyed half-year sales growth of 8.3%, and a 60% leap in profits to  £189m. Internal measures have also shown the programme was well received. The companys monthly staff opinion survey has shown a 10% rise in the indices that measure employee engagement and leadership capability over the past 12 months. The leadership programme has been a significant factor in this recent improvement in the companys fortunes. 4.2.2 Building an Organisation Thomas L. Wheelen (2008) mentions that leaders spend considerable time shaping and refining their organisational structure and making it function effectively to accomplish strategic intent. Leaders have to rebuilding, remaking or create new strategy for the organisation to align with the ever-changing environment. However, there are overcoming resistance while making any changes which leaders find themselves facing problems while attempt to rebuild the organisation. Leaders can overcome with the problems with the help of education, perseverance and principle. Education and Leadership Development-The effort to familiarize future leaders with the skills important to the company and to develop exceptional leaders among the managers employed. Perseverance-Perseverance of a leader is the capacity to see a commitment through to completion long after most people would have stopped trying. Principle-A leaders fundamental personal standards that guide her sense of honesty, integrity, and ethical behaviour. 4.2.3 Shaping Organisational Culture Leaders u

8 Steps In How To Write A Research Paper -- essays research papers

Here are 8 steps in how to research a research paper. These 8 steps are easy to follow and will increase your accuracy in researching your paper. These steps are a helping tool for any college or high school student with a long or short paper. Like any other writing project, research writing is a process involving a number of steps. Although you may be overwhelmed at first by the large scope of a research paper, if you break the task into smaller tasks, you'll find yourself able to complete even the largest assign-ment. First, start by understanding your paper; make sure you know what requirements your instructor is assigning. This is a key step in being able to outline your plan of attack. Second, focus on your topic. Narrowing your topic before you begin, and again several times as you proceed, will help you write a thorough paper, one that treats its subject accurately. Once you get into the library, you will find dozens of temptations to expand and extend your project. The clearer you are at the beginning about your project, the better off you'll be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Research writing requires two special kinds of focusing. The first is identifying the descriptors or key words that will guide your search through the library resources. You will want to spend some time brain-storming possible key words, or subject headings, under which you might find articles and books about your topic. The more precise your de-scriptors, the more likely you will be able to find useful articles. Finding key words or descriptors can be a creative process and it is a vital process to successful research. The second essential focusing activity is to formulate a question or cluster of related questions that will guide your search for information and ideas. Putting your topic into question form can help you locate sources and evaluate them quickly for suit-ability for your paper. Third, make a generalized position on your topic, which support your views. Although you should expect your ideas to change and improve as you continue working, you should begin with a first sense of what you think about your topic. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the opinions of more experienced writers, and if you enter the project without a preliminary sense of your own position, you may have a difficult time formulating an original position later. Forth, decide on a documentatio... ...upport your point of view, oth-ers will voice contrasting positions, and some will provide forceful views. Keep an open mind and represent what you learn in an organized manner, and give credit where credit is due. Keep your paper sweet and too the point. Follow this simple structure on how to make a simple structure on how to set up your paper: Cover Page-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Should include Title, Name of author, date. Outline-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Table of contents, skeletal structure of the paper. (If needed or used) Opening-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opening arguments, tell what you are researching, state a thesis or view to prove. Body-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The information you are translating which supports your thesis. Conclusion-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Closing, brief summary of information presented, personal views or opinions. References-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cites noted page, this is where you list all the resources you used if any. Index-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quick link to pages where specific information is found in the paper. (if needed)

St. Benidict And Fear Of The L :: essays research papers

St. Benedict and the Fear of the Lord Throughout the ancient world the God's were something that people loved and hated. They did have a certain fear from their gods, but it wasn't like that kind of fear of the Middle Ages. With Christianity coming into full stride, the mentality of the time was that God was something to be feared. This is something of importance, the middle ages are riddled with the fear of god and people spend their whole lives in that constant shadow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is noticeable in our first reading. In The Rule of St. Benedict he goes about on how to live a monastic life, and what the proper procedures are. The main goal that I feel is, is to not make God angry. Humility and obedience, the building blocks for anyone's life. This amount of fear and the practice of fear is very visible in the reading, from following the words of the apostle that says, 'Reprove, rebuke, exhort'; to the daily life of a monk and the rules to which a monk needs to follow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two main rules that a monk has to follow truly show the 'signs of the times'; Obedience and Humility. Obedience being the first grade of humility, the part that we are interested in is the part of 'if you don't obey then you should burn in hell…'; for someone today this excerpt, I feel, wouldn't affect them as much as if did back then. Some main reasons for this being, the fall of the Roman Empire, people were sick and tired of being pushed around by tyrants and idiot kings; they were ready for a change. But this change was only going to come around if they obey fully to what this new god had to say.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Humility, well now that just gives it all away. Just reading the first sentence, '…keeping ever before one's eyes the feat of the lord…'; and it goes on to talk about people talking back and burning in hell. We now see just how scared the people really were, so it comes down to, talk back to God and you will burn in hell. Will people really fall for this? It so happens that people do, they believe that with this newfound king they will HAVE to obey the rules no matter what. Now remember these rules are for monks, but if we look into the daily lives of people they too follow the same procedures.

The Important Role of Missionaries in the Anglican Church :: European Europe History

The Important Role of Missionaries in the Anglican Church Missionaries have been part of the Christian faith for many years. With the great expanse of the British Empire it is logical that the need for missionaries would expand as well. The problem is that England was already experiencing a shortage of clergy due to the increased demand caused by industrialization. With a shortage of Anglican clergy in England, the call to leave home and hearth to encounter unforeseen perils defines the true meaning of a missionary. The reason that the clergy were willing to make this sacrifice reflects society's perception, and the clergy’s perception of what it means to be a missionary. John Kent in Nineteenth Century Church and English Society describes missionary work as doing "the divine will of God" (Kent 109). The fact that many different religions feel that they are doing the will of God is completely immaterial to the Christian missionary. They feel that theirs is the one true faith and it is their "duty to convert the heathens to the one true faith" (Kent 112). The missionaries felt in doing their duty that they would reap their just rewards and secure for themselves a place in Heaven. Kent also tells us that " Victorian missionary work was treated as a saga of sacrifice, heroism, and Christian philanthropy" (Kent 109). The sacrifice was in leaving the comforts of home. The heroism was in the converting of the non-believers and the philanthropy was in the giving of oneself for the "betterment" of humanity. In Jane Eyre we listen to St. John telling Jane his deepest desire to be a missionary. He says he "aspires but after the day when the cross of separation from fleshly ties shall be laid upon his shoulders, and when the Head of that church-militant of whose humblest members he is one, shall give the word, 'Rise, follow me!'" (347; ch. 30). St. John is foreshadowing his separation from his family to follow the call of the missionary. His sister Diana describes his ambition to go to India as a "fever in his vitals" (349; ch.30) and that her conscience "will hardly permit me to dissuade him from his severe decision†¦. It is right, noble, Christian: yet it breaks my heart" (350; ch.31). She sees the missionary work as something extreme and severe. When she talks of the fever in St.

Grade Privilege

School deal with because the school bans the student for using their cell phones in class. My friend, Tucker, got faced with getting placed in SIS for using his phone in class. I believe that the 8th grade students should be able to use their phones in class. To begin with, the phones provided as a great tool for the students to use in the class room. The students were as cheerful about using their phones as much as owing on a field trip.You can also download educational APS for school. For Instance, there's an app that tells you what you're looking at In the sky at night with Just a push of a button and it calculates all the objects in the sky at real-time including moon phase, planets position, and stars position. It takes the class to places we'll never be. Last week, I asked my Science teacher â€Å"l wonder what the moon looks like up close? † Next thing you know, BOOM there we are right where Neil Armstrong was when he kook the first step on the moon In mankind.What abou t the internet access instead of going to the computer lab and wasting up class time, It saves more time for class and learning. Also. For the slow note takers you can use a recording device. Or you can use the camera on your phone to take a picture of the smart board instead of writing the notes down. You also have to remember about the parents and what they think about this. The Chicago Tribune had an article on August 8, 2012 called â€Å"Are cell phone a must for middle school kids?The parents of an 11 year-old girl said that â€Å"Now she can check her phone between classes If we have to communicate with her. † The top reason parents are buying their pre-teens a cell phone was safety, according to the National Consumer League survey. A Pew study noted that 48 percent of parents use the phone to know where their child's location. If in danger, children can reach the authorities or medical provider. In a push of a button, parents can easily reach kids for reason like ask questions, change plans, or to slimly say hello.My good bud, goes to a school where you can use your phone, he said that it was easy to communicate with his parents when he needed to know how he was going to get home In the afternoon, if he forgot something from home like homework, or even when he's sick. Not to mention, but phones are definitely cheaper than textbook. Not only does it help the students stay organized but it saves the school a lot of money. If I could use a phone I wouldn't have to worry about losing things because the phone would keep me organized.Another convinces is that phone are lightweight and fit right in your pocket. A survey says that a middle school would save more than $10,000 each year for the first 5 years, It's Like money growing on trees, when they allowed students look up things and use for educational reasons from the cell phone instead from the textbook. Also the phones have more updated information. Students can forgot about bringing their textboo ks, so instead of getting in trouble for not bringing your textbook you wouldn't have to worry about it. Just last week, I got a signature becauseI forgot to bring my textbook into Science class, If I could have used my cell phone I and it would be fast and easy. You have to remember that we are the eighth graders! We are the seniors of the school! We want to have some more privileges before we head out to high school. By allowing us to use our phones it would be a win-win situation for not only us students but also the school by saving money to pay for better things like letting the football teams have their own home games at Mossy Creek. Or have for clubs to help the community.

Playing Field Hockey: Men vs. Women

Being pushed to the ground and completely dominated by the opposite sex in a so-called â€Å"all women’s sport† is not fun. Men believe that it is fair to play field hockey on women’s teams because if not it goes against the whole â€Å"everyone being equal† our society has put amongst us today. The number of men playing field hockey on women’s teams is increasing: â€Å"In the 2009-10 school year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations, 308 boys were on girls teams compared with 174 the year before† (USA Today).Men should not play field hockey because it’s not a fair game and is dangerous. There are plenty of other male sports, like ice hockey, in which they can interact in. I have had first-hand experience playing against men in high school and it gave me a strong opposition to men playing field hockey. Many might not want to believe it but men and woman are capable of different things. Men are better at some things and women are better at other things.Men should not play field hockey because men and women have a different skill sets in power, speed, stamina and skill. Strength can be defined in a number of ways. Men tend to have better upper body strength than women which is the key to being a good field hockey player. The differences in strength, is men have more total muscle mass than females. â€Å"Gross measures of upper body strength suggest an average 40-50% difference between the sexes, compared to a 30% difference in lower body strength† (Gender Differences in Endurance Performance and Training).People who see it as a dangerous element are against men playing field hockey but others also say that if they don’t let men play on women’s teams then it could be seen as discrimination. It is not a fair game when men are playing on a women’s team. Reasons for this is men have a different level of competition; have more power and more aggr ession. Men will usually take their anger out on the field and be more aggressive when hitting the ball. When playing in a game of field hockey the constant swinging of the stick can be dangerous for those who have a lot more power.The game of field hockey doesn’t require much equipment to wear during the game either. The protection is shin guards, goggles and a mouth guard. It is not discriminating if men are not allowed to play field hockey because it is safer to keep the game all girls. All girls somewhat have the same body strength. I think that there are all men sports similar to field hockey, such as, ice hockey, lacrosse and soccer that men can play and keep it fair or they could create a separate league for men.All three of these similar sports have separated the men and women. Field hockey has always been one sport that only has one league. If I had not played against any guys in high school, my opinion would be different. I believe that all men and women are equal a nd I would think that it was ok for men to play field hockey. However, my junior year there was one team that had a guy playing for them. His position was offense so he was always on my defending end of the field. Luckily, I did not have to defend him but one of my teammates did very strongly.He was very aggressive and did not give a care in the world that he was playing against girls half the size of him. I think that his team used him to their advantage and he was getting most of their goals because my teammates were backing off when he would begin to swing. The year after two of the ten teams we played had one boy on their team. This time I was defending one of the guys. It was scary at first because I was not used to defending a male carrying the ball down the field. They both used their bodies to push us away and we did not have enough composure to hold ourselves up.I believe that only to a certain extent that it is ok for men to play field hockey but only if it makes the game fair. As for right now, men should just stick to playing field hockey on an all men’s team to keep it fair game. I believe that there are similar sports for men to play if they enjoy field hockey or they could just play on an all men’s team. Field hockey is a very big sport and has come a long way from when it first started. Experiencing this personally has proven to me that it is dangerous for women to play against men in field hockey.

English Olvier Twist essay Essay

Dickens has a very unique style; he uses very descriptive language that contains a lot of adjectives. He also uses lists particularly when he’s describing a place in the following passages the features of dickens style are evident.  What impressions does the reader gain of the nineteenth century in London?Dickens knew London very well and in Oliver twist he describes the London he knew. The artful dodger takes Oliver to Fagin’s den through London’s streets. The reader gets the feeling of speed to show this dickens uses a list â€Å"They crossed from the angel into st Johns road; struck down the small street which terminates at saddlers welis theatre†.  This sounds like directions for somebody who doesn’t know where they are going it creates a sense of speed. As Oliver looks around him he realises that he is in a poor, slum area dickens write  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A dirtier or more wretched place he had never seen†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And the air was impregnated with filthy odours†.  By writing this Dickens gives the reader a feeling of what sort of disgusting area Oliver is travelling through. The word dirtier suggests that the area looks poor and indecent. The word wretched means that even the people who live there are unhappy. The word filthy gives an impression of a smelly odour. Dickens also appeals to not just to the sense of sight but to the sense of smell too. How does dickens create an atmosphere of sadness at the start of chapter 18?  At the start of chapter 18 Oliver is recaptured by Fagin again and locked up in his den. Dickens describes how Oliver is feeling at this point of time. Dickens writes  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And so Oliver remained all that day and for the greater part of many subsequent days†.  He uses repetition to describe the pasting of time so slowly for Oliver, he also uses an alliteration the words left and long also to show the pasting of time. At the end of the paragraph dickens uses the word â€Å"sad† to describe Oliver mood because the times passing by so slowly.  Dickens then describes the room. He uses adjectives to show the large, dirty and the darkness of the room. Dickens uses â€Å"Great high and large†Ã‚  To describe how small Oliver feels walking the large doors. Dickens also uses the words  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Black, neglect and dust†Ã‚  To show the dirtiness and darkness in the room. Alliteration has also been used  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dismal and dreary†Ã‚  This describes the gloominess and the sadness in the room. These words have long symbols.  Dickens then describes what its like for Oliver inside room  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Spiders had built their webs in the angles of the walls and ceilings.†Ã‚  The quote describes the neglected house the same way as Oliver was. Dickens also uses the quote.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The mice would scamper across the floor and run back terrified to their holes†.  This quote is similar to when Nancy used to say that her and Oliver were like brother and sister. Oliver was terrified just like the mice when people entered the room. Dickens starts his description of Oliver and Sikes journey to chirstey at dawn. The streets are quiet, dickens writes  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A few country wagons were slowly toiling†.  Dickens uses toiling and slowly to show the pace is slow. As the passage goes on the pace speeds up. Dicken’s shows the pace is speeding up by using a quote,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"other shops began to be unclosed and a few scattered people were met with†.  In the next paragraph the pace increases, Dickens lists all the people coming into London  By the end of this passage the streets become livelier, also at the end of this passage dickens uses alliteration a quote to show this is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shoreditch, Smithfield, Sheets and Swelled†. These words all begin with the letter S this shows the pace and movement. Dickens also uses the word ‘roar’ this gives the reader an idea of what sort of sounds he hears.  This carried on in the next few lines, Dickens writes  Ã¢â‚¬Å"So into Smithfield from which the latter place a rose a trumult of discordant sounds†.  Dickens uses the word discordant this means formitting out; he also uses the word trumult, which means noisy and bustle.  The book Oliver Twist is a very different book compared to the other novels that Charles Dickens wrote. But in all his books he uses the same technique, which keeps the reader interested.

Burroughs Wellcome Company Essay

In 1982, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) labeled the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and began to warn the public of the disease. In 1983 and 1984, the virus that causes AIDS was isolated and in 1988 it was named the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Burroughs Wellcome Company is a subsidiary of Wellcome PLC. Wellcome PLC is a pharmaceutical firm that employs 20,000 people in 18 countries. Wellcome PLC produces both ethical and over the counter medication. Zovirax, which treats herpes infections, accounted for $492 million in sales in 1989 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Retrovir, an AIDS treatment, was the second largest seller with $225 million in sales (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Wellcome PLC also produces over-the-counter Actifed and Sudafed with $253 million in sales in 1989 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). In 1981, there were 305 reported cases of AIDS, and by 1989 there were 35,198 reported cases of AIDS with numbers expected to continue to rise, although at a much slower rate (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). The majority of victims, almost 90%, were gay men or intravenous drug users, and almost one half of reported cases were in major metropolitan areas, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York. Not enough was known about the disease in the early 80’s to create a reliable way to predict its’ rate of growth. Economically, treating AIDS patients was proving to be very expensive, averaging between $70,000 and $141,000 per patient according to a 1987 study by the RAND Corporation (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Treating some forms of cancer averaged less than half of that cost. Since the income level of many AIDS patients was low, Medicaid covered treatment costs for approximately 40% of the patients, resulting in an Burroughs Wellcome Company,   estimated annual cost to the Medicaid system of between $700 and $750 million in 1988 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013).  Several pharmaceutical companies, including Burroughs Wellcome, were in the  race to produce an effective drug to combat HIV and AIDS. Burroughs Wellcome began research in 1984, developed Retrovir and began clinical trials on humans in 1985 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). The FDA cleared Burroughs to market Retrovir in 1987, as the first and only authorized treatment for AIDS. Bristol Myers developed a drug called DDI, which appeared to slow the progress of the AIDS virus and lessen the damage it causes (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Hoffman-LaRoche developed a similar drug called DDC that began clinical trials in 1989 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). As soon as Burroughs Wellcome was given the authority to market Retrovir in March of 1987, public protests began regarding the perceived high price of the drug. Wholesale price for Retrovir was set at $188 for one hundred 100-mg capsules. The recommended dosage was twelve 100-milligram capsules per day. The average annual treatment for an AIDS patients on Retrovir averaged approximately $8,528-$9,745 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). The public, media, and advocacy groups compared the price of Retrovir to the cancer drug Interferon. The annual cost to a patient taking Interferon was only $5,000. In December of 1987, due to increased pressure, Burroughs Wellcome, reduced the price of Retrovir by 20%, and again by 20% in September of 1989 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). The first price reduction was due to a cost savings in the production of synthetically manufactured thymidine while the second was due to an increase in potential patients. By 1989 sales had increased from $24.8 million in 1987 to $2 25.1 million (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). As postulated by industry analysts, the direct cost of research and development (R&D) for Retrovir was estimated at $50 million. Burroughs Wellcome spent an additional $30-50 million in indirect costs to establish a new plant and equipment to produce Retrovir (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). They also donated $10 million worth of Retrovir to 4,500 AIDS patients. Pharmaceutical R&D of a new drug in the US averages around $125 million, so with direct and indirect cost to develop Retrovir was on the low side. Prior to Retrovir, Burroughs Wellcome had spent a reported $726 million for R&D in  the previous five years without producing a single commercial winner (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Retrovir was designated as an â€Å"orphan drug† in 1985 under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. This enabled Burroughs Wellcome to gain marketing exclusivity for a sevenyear period after its initial introduction. When Burroughs Wellcome was faced with the task of pricing Retrovir they had to account for many factors. They had to consider the demand for Retrovir. Since they were developing a drug for a fairly new disease, with relatively few patients, they had no way to predict what the demand would be in the next five years. They had to recoup their cost with the known numbers of AIDS in 1987, which were still fairly low. Burroughs Wellcome had to take into account both the direct and indirect cost spent on the R&D of Retrovir that totaled approximately $100 million. With an unknown market and $100 million to recoup they had to price Retrovir fairly high at the beginning. Looming competition was another important aspect for Burroughs Wellcome. They knew other pharmaceutical compan ies were researching drugs to treat AIDS and analysts believed there would be one or more of these drugs on the market by 1991 (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Burroughs Wellcome still had an ethical obligation to maintain fair pricing while trying to recoup their cost, as well as having an existing obligation to its employees, shareholders, and stakeholders. Most importantly however, is their responsibility to patients that rely on Burroughs Wellcome’s products for their health and well-being With an increasing number of AIDS cases, Burroughs Wellcome had a social and financial responsibility to make the drug Retrovir accessible to those who needed it, while remaining financially viable. It would be socially irresponsible to exploit people with an illness for mass profit gains. Like most other industries, the health care industry is competitive and no business is immune to failure. Because of this, Burroughs Wellcome must remain profitable in order to protect its employees and shareholders as well as to ensure that the company  can continue its research while providing the medical community with effective medicine. As previously mentioned, Burroughs had dropped the price of Retrovir twice: first on December 15, 1987 when a price drop of 20% was justified by synthetically produced thymidine and a second 20% cut due to a further expansion of HIV from 600,000 to one million estimated potential patients, at which point Burroughs’ gross profit margin (70.6%) and return on sales (20%) were comparable to other competitors in the industry (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). When pressured by outside entities about further reducing the price, Sir Alfred Shepard of the Board of Directors said, † There is no plan for another price cut† (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). As a result of this balance between sustainability, profitability, and social responsibility, it was important that Burroughs Wellcome maintained its margins and success, but continued to remain sensitive to price concerns. Furthermore, it would benefit both Burroughs and patients in need of the drug, if  insurance companies provided ade quate coverage on the drug Retrovir, as private insurance companies only covered $250 million annually compared to the $750 million covered by Medicaid (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). In January of 1990, congressional lobbyists began campaigning to reduce excessive profits in the drug industry. This set off a new round of pressure from the U.S. Congress, the media, and AIDS advocacy groups to again reduce the price of Retrovir. In 1987 sales of Retrovir were $24.8 million and net profit before tax was $8 million. Considering the $100 million dollar investment for the development, as well as new plant and equipment, the Return on Investment (ROI) was only 8%; meaning they only recovered about 8% of their initial investment for Retrovir. By fiscal year 1988 the ROI for Retrovir had increased to 52% but the initial investment had still not been recovered. In the five years prior to the sale of Retrovir, Burroughs Wellcome as a whole spent $726 million in R&D with no significant new drug.  The ROI for Retrovir was still less than the company as a whole when considering the investment in R&D. See figure 1 Figure 1 According to Industry analysts it was estimated that the cost of Retrovir was between 30 and 50 cents per capsule (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Using 40 cents for estimates, it can be determined that in 1987 when the drug first became available for sale the return on sales (ROS) was 28%. Realistically, the cost was probably more towards  the 50 cent per capsule higher end, as producing the AZT required a biological chemical harvested from herring sperm and took months and over 20 chemical reactions to produce (Kerin & Peterson, 2013). Using the high-end estimate the ROS in 1989 was only 23.3%. This is very close to the 23.5% ROS industry average. By 1989 the price of Retrovir had been reduced by 20% twice. Burroughs Wellcome stated the first price reduction in December of 1987 was due to a synthetically manufactured Thymidine becoming available. At this time, ROS was 23.0% using the 40 cent COGS estimate. Due to public pressure for an affordable AIDS treatment Burroughs Wellcome reduced its price again by 20% in September of 1989. At the 40 cent estimated cost this reduced the ROS to16.4%. Even using the low 30 cent estimate the ROA was only 24% which was is still very comparable to the 23.5% industry average. Burroughs Wellcome overall company ROS in 1989, while they were selling Retrovir at the $1.20 price per 100mg, was only 20%, which is over 3% lower than the industry average. Continued pressure to reduce the price again is not warranted. The figures show that to reduce the price another 20% would show at best a low 18% ROS and a possible negative ROS. Comparing Burroughs Wellcome to 1989 industry average shows all their current  ratios are well within what is normal for the industry. They are not the highest or the lowest of Return on Sales, Return on Assets, or Return on Equity. Burroughs Wellcome has two choices at this point. Do not reduce the price or reduce the price. The advantage of not reducing the price is the ability to maintain their current ratios that will allow them to continue their R&D for new drugs. The disadvantage of not reducing price is dealing with the public, media, Congress, and advocacy groups that may continue to increase pressure on Burroughs Wellcome and create further negative publicity. The advantages of reducing the price would be the reduced pressure from the groups mentioned before and the claim of being ethically responsible. The disadvantage of reducing the price would be losing the current ratios. They take the chance to lose profit margin therefore lose some ability to develop new drugs. Although there is public unrest in regards to the price of Retrovir we do not recommend Burroughs Wellcome reduce the price further. Reducing the price of Retrovir without another new drug would further reduce their current ratios, which are all within industry averages. Drug companies need profits as incentive to continue their  research. Especially when there is the very real possibility of going several years without the discovery and approval of a new drug. Although, on the surface, it seems very unfair for a patient to have to spend close to $10,000 per year for treatment, it would be far worse if they didn’t have the treatment as an option at all. Drug companies such as Burroughs Wellcome would avoid trying to develop â€Å"orphan drugs† if they had no chance of recovering cost. This is why government offers subsidies, tax benefits, and grants extending patents for drugs that qualify. In 1989 there were only 35,189 reported cases of AIDS in America and due to prevention awareness and HIV treatments, AID’s numbers were leveling off. Drug companies are taking a  huge risk investing millions of dollars in cures and treatments for rare diseases. In part, the cost for â€Å"orphan drugs† is so high because so few people are consumers of them. While it would be socially conscious for Burroughs Wellcome to drop the price further, they have to remain a viable company. Profits will ensure the financial future of the company as well as all the shareholders and stakeholders of the company. Maintaining the ROI percentages will allow Burroughs to remain viable and competitive allowing them to continue to develop new drugs that may provide further benefit. If they were to drop their prices it would be benefit public relations as they put the needs of the consumers before profits, however in such a competitive environment this could prove to be to a liability in the pharmaceutical industry, therefore, it is advisable that they do not drop their price by another 20%. References Kerin, R.A & Peterson, R.A. (2003) Strategic Marketing Problems: Cases and Comments England: Pearson Education Limited