Consider the ways in which Margaret Atwood Essay

   â€Å"I used to dress like that. That was freedom† / I’m looking down, at the sidewalk, mesmerised by the woman’s feet† This however is countered by â€Å"We are fascinated, but also repelled. They seem undressed. It has taken so little time to change our minds, about things like this† This clear distinction between how she’s expected to feel and how she actually feels becomes distorted as we are unable to define where one starts and the ends. This however is not the first time and this help gain interest into Offred, as one wonders how much she’s begging to believe what she’s being told. This is one of the defining aspects of the novel during the opening chapters as Offred’s characters is never directly revealed to the reader as she sways between survival and ambition. As each chapter unfolds we are offered more into the feelings of Offred into the society of Gilead however it is often difficult to determine what comes from herself and what is simply repeated from the Aunts. The Japanese also act as a way for Atwood to ask of Offred what the reader clearly wants to ask; â€Å"Are you happy†. To this Offred eventually answers â€Å"Yes, we are very happy† however by the text surrounding her answer it is clear to the reader how she really feels. This novel is at heart an exploration of individuality and the need in human nature to express one’s own personality through freedom of thought and speech. In order to complete this at an effective level Atwood has had to create Gilead, a society with a complete blindness to the needs of its individuals, for reasons that become apparent as the novel continues. The severity of Gilead’s members’ loss of control over their own lives is highlighted by Atwood on many occasions during the first 5 sections. â€Å"She wanted me to feel as that I could not come in the house unless she said so. There is much push and shove over such toehold these days. † This quote appears shortly after Offred offers a description of the Commander’s wife in her past, as a television celebrity. â€Å"she could smile and cry at the same time, one tear or two sliding gracefully down her cheek, as if on cue†. The stark contrast between the later quote and the action of Serena Joy once under the control of Gilead offers insight into how the society has affected the lives of everybody, not only the handmaid, as everyone makes a desperate grab for some form of power. Atwood chooses not to give the handmaid a name during the first 5 chapters and this helps distance her from the reader and re-iterate her lack of individuality. This creates interest as the reader questions firstly whether she has a name and secondly what her motives are for not telling us, is she ashamed, afraid? We know from her time at the red centre that names were very precious to them, maybe they’re considered unnecessary for a woman of her position. This adds further mystery to her tale and encourages the reader to continue so that they can understand more into the society. The extremety of Atwood’s fictional society takes the novel into an area often described as Sci-fi, here though, we are shown Atwood’s most important trait; the incredible personalised style of writing associated with her novels. This, alone, is what separates â€Å"The handmaid’s tale† from other books of a similar concept, as by using a first person perspective Atwood is able to explore rather then describe Gilead and therefore the society appears more definite and believable, all of which helps the novel become more interesting during the opening 5 sections. Many details into the society are left undescribed, we know of an existing war through the talk of the frontline, ration books and the loss of Central America to the â€Å"Libertheos†, however Offred never offers more than this. It appears as though this is because Offred expects to know a certain amount into the society of Gilead already, as though we are expected to read this book in the aftermath of the society. A secret diary almost The readers interest is maintained throughout the opening 5 chapters by masking the character of Offred, Giving hints towards a possible escape or ending in another manner and by slowly introducing an unusual society which has clearly developed in America from the present existing population. Offred’s character is masked by; Not introducing the reader to her by name, quoting the opinions of others in order to create confusion as to what she truly believes, contrasting her past actions and beliefs with those actions in which she participates in the present and that which she feels now. The hints into escape, of some form, are offered in two main forms; Through her understanding of the actions of others in order to end their own life and her seeming acceptance of the reasoning behind it and her continued rebellious nature in always looking for a way to break and bend rules. The society unfolds in front of the reader in a mixture of normality and genuine discontentment, prompting the question How, When and Why? All this ensures one’s desire to discover more into the life of Offred, the society she lives in and her intentions for the future. Tom Smith 2002 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section.

Cash Basis vs. Accrual Basis Accounting Essay

Accrual accounting doesn’t just focus on cash flows, instead, it also reflects other resources that are provided and consumed by business operations during a period. This method measures resources provided by business operations by revenue. The measure of resources used to earn revenues is expenses. The difference between revenues and expenses is net income/loss. Accrual basis net income provides a better measure of performance because it attempts to measure the resource inflows and outflows generated by operations during the reporting period, which may not provide the same amount of cash inflows and outflows. Accruals involve transactions where the cash outflow or inflow takes place in a period after the expense or revenue recognition. â€Å"Selling on credit and projects that provide revenue streams over a long period of time affect the company’s financial condition at the point of the transaction. Therefore, it makes sense that such events should also be reflected on the financial statements during the same reporting period that these transactions occur†. (Investopedia, 2013). While cash basis is the difference between cash receipts and cash disbursements from providing goods and services. For cash basis accounting, a transaction happens only when money is exchanged. â€Å"Revenues are reported on the income statement when cash is received from the customers. Expenses are reported on the income statement when cash is paid out. This is one of the problems with cash basis accounting because adjusting entries help ensure that all revenues earned in a period are recognized in that same period, regardless of when cash is received†. (Averkamp, 2004). For accrual basis accounting, â€Å"revenues are recorded on the income statement when they are earned, which more often than not occurs before cash is received. Expenses are recorded on the income statement in the period when they occur/expire which is often in a different period from when the payment is made. This method of accounting provides a better picture of the company’s profits during an accounting period because the income statement will report all of the revenues actually earned during the period and all of the expenses incurred in order to earn the revenues. This method also helps because it reports all the assets that were earned are reported and all the liabilities that were incurred are reported†. (Averkamp, 2004).

Barriers to communication Essay Example for Free (#4)

Barriers to communication Essay 1.3 Identify barriers to effective communication A child, young person, their parent(s)/carer(s) or even a member of staff whose first language is foreign may make it harder for any communication spoken to them to be understood. They may only understand very small words of the language you’re speaking, so information will be harder to put across. For example; in my setting, there is a child who can understand what you are saying, but it seems, most of the time they seem very quiet. This may be due to their parent(s) being from a foreign country, so they may be able to communicate in their parent(s) language, but not in ours so may find it hard to communicate some of their needs/feelings. Someone may have a sensory deprivation – such as hearing or sight. This will make giving and receiving information harder to do – they may need an interpreter at all times for example. When talking to a service provider, they may use technical language that the service user may not understand which will make it harder for them to process the information and may worry what they have meant. Someone may be going through a difficult time that is making their emotions go all over the place – such as they may take things the wrong way, get upset easily, no full concentration and not trying as hard to complete/do things. Environmental/setting problems can cause a barrier for a communication – someone who may not be able to see very well will find it hard to read any written information in a dimly lit room. Or, for example, someone in a wheelchair can find it hard to communicate with someone if they are at a desk that is above the wheelchair users head. Barriers to communication. (2016, Aug 05). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Global Warming in South Florida Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Warming in South Florida - Essay Example The corrosion or depletion of the ozone layer allows the infrared radiations into the earth in a large amount. The gas also absorbs much of these radiations and because they are atmospheric gases they warm the planet hence global warming. Land use in many parts of the world has resulted to these changes in the atmospheric temperatures. Deforestation has been ranked first as a major cause. Forest plays a very important role on the control of carbon dioxide gas in the air. In other terms, it is referred to as the greenhouse gas cycle. In this cycle, plants do take in oxygen during the day and releases it in the night (Aston). Cutting down of trees breaks this cycle, therefore, most of the gases released in the atmosphere remains there influencing the global warming. South Florida is one of the parts in the city which have not appreciated this fact and continue to destroy the forest so that they can develop settlement. Developed countries are the majority of the nations on earth which have been experiencing temperature variations due to global warming. This is because they are the ones which use much of the fossil fuels such as petroleum in their industries. Although Florida does not so many heavy industries which emit the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the effects of global warming are so much evident. For example, the smoke released from the cars does form heavy smog in the air when it mixes with fog. In United States of America, the southern region of State of Florida takes the lead on the consequences the increased global heat. This is because of its strategic location as it borders the Pacific Ocean. This is because oceans are very important measures of the effects of global warming. The effects global warming is so vivid in major parts of the world and it willed is discussed in relation to South Florida. One of the consequences of increased global heat is the increase in thermal heat. It has been established that the

Importance of training in legal requirements, diversity, employee Assignment

Importance of training in legal requirements, diversity, employee growth - Assignment Example Majority of the companies and the workforce are under some aspect of legal ruling. Statistics show that many people are still in the dark in matters to do with the law. Training in legal requirement will allow the employee and the employer to protect themselves from tyranny (Mathews, 2001). This will ensure that the employees follow the regulations at all times. By being familiar with these requirements, one might have a better chance of defending him or herself. There are several laws that the federal government requires or recommends for employee and organization training. One law in which training is required is the health and occupational safety. This will promote health and safety in the working environment and, thus, is of utmost benefit. Employees will be motivated as they know their health and safety is taken care of. Legal requirement also addresses the issues on ethics and sexual harassment. There have been cases in which employers are held responsible for sexual harassment. This happens in the situation where the organization has failed to exercise care to prevent and correct such behaviors within the work environment (Mathews, 2001). It is crucial for the company to understand the laws that apply to their everyday activities. Training can minimize the employer’s liability if an employee is guilty of a criminal offence. It is also essential to know the legal requirements that your company must comply with such as contracts, licenses, registrations and leases. The knowledge of legal requirements will enable the company to avert lawsuits and be better positioned should such an event occur. An organization that practices effective an ethics program and compliance decreases its fines for conviction by up to 90 percent (Dessler, 2004). Teaching legal requirements to the company also entails covering legal problems that one may encounter such as insurance,

A Study of Adult and Teen Differential opinion regarding Online Social Dissertation

A Study of Adult and Teen Differential opinion regarding Online Social Networking - Dissertation Example 46 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 48 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 The Problem and Its Background The purpose of the study is to study the perceptional differences among adults and teenagers in the usage of and issues related to online social networking. Objectives: Specifically, it aims to answer the following research objectives: 1. To determine if there are differences between the two age groups in terms of how often they use it; 2. To determine if there are differences between the two age groups in terms of perceived importance; 3. What are the differences between the two age groups in terms of issues encountered when using social networking sites? Introduction The availability of Internet as a means of communicating and bridging people from different places around the world has been increasing for the past decade. Along with the increase in Internet usage come with changes such as the way people interact and communicate with each other (Harris, 2006). It has been determined by various studies such as Kiesler (2007) that communication via the Internet fosters and improves communication and relationship building, which means that those who commonly use the Internet stays more connected to their families and friends than those who do not. Nowadays, the most commons means of communication is via social networking. ... Orkut, Face book and Twitter are only a few examples. Orkut is community based and less personal, while Face book, Twitter and My Space are more personalized kind of social networking platforms. The common characteristics of all social networks are the provision rather the requirement of making a profile that usually demands some personal information including contact information. According to CNN or Cable News Network (2006), Facebook and My Space are two of the most popular social networking sites among high school and college students. According to this documentary, My Space has over 20 million registered users while Facebook have been recording as much as 9.5 million registered users as of September 2006 and it has been increasing by as much as 230,000 registrations in a day. Dumon (2008) reported that in May 2008 Facebook was able to have a higher visitor rates as compared to MySpace. The factors why it’s very popular among high school and college students are mainly its ability to offer various means of communicating with other people. Users can post information about themselves or ideas, pictures, send messages, get instant messages, and even upcoming events, which makes communicating very flexible. Dumon (2008) also stated that Facebook is very successful as compared to other social networking sites because the users are being connected using different categories like city, workplace, school, region, and via this connection they can interact. Rationale of the Study Various researches have analyzed social networking sites and people who use them, often focusing on theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that could explain the popularity of such means of communication. However, not many researches have focused on the difference

Being the Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Being the Bridge - Essay Example The CIO can also engage representatives from other departments to discuss pertinent issues that may affect the operations of the company as a whole. Customer relationship management has become a priority for many CIOs. Essentially, the underlying concept in marketing is related to satisfaction of customer needs. Therefore, outstanding companies seek to learn and understand the needs and wants of the customers (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). Loyalty among the customers is created where there is quality relationship with the firm that exists. The success of the company mainly depends on the number of customers that exist. Whenever customers are treated as valuable assets to the company, they can identify with it. This also helps them refer others to the firm. More revenue is likely to be generated if the company is sensitive to the needs of the customers. This can also help to ensure the viability and sustainability of the company in the long run in its

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 21

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The paper also aims to discuss the various constituents for successful learning and development strategy. Learning is a continuous process that leads to development. It is a process of understanding through which the modification in the attitude and the behaviour takes place. Through learning and development strategies, the competencies and the behaviours of the individual as well as the team can be enhanced and the goals of the organisation can be achieved. For the learning and development strategy to be successful, it is important for the organisation to foster an environment that provides the trainee with ample scope to learn and develop his skills, knowledge that is necessary to perform the job effectively. Adaption to the changes is very important for the employees in the organisation. If they can adapt to the unanticipated changes then the learning and development is said to be successful. The term human resource development can be said as a coordinated use of the training and the development, career development as well as the organisational development for the improvement of the individual and the group and to increase the effectiveness of the organisation. The learning and development strategy uses the various interventions and the techniques in order to improve the performance of the people in the organisation (Swart & Et. Al., 2005). Learning and development is not any course or any event, but it is a continuous process that requires commitment from all the concerned parties. Whenever changes occur it is important for the learners and the organisation to remain agile. If the organisation as well as the learner is able to adapt to the changes then that can be considered as the biggest gift of learning. Learning and development is the process of acquiring the information and it is a quantitative increase in the knowledge of the learner. It means to store the information in such a way that it can be reproduced as and when required.

Explain how demands translates into capacity management, production Essay

Explain how demands translates into capacity management, production scheduling and materials requirements - Essay Example It drives the detailed material planning and capacity management requirements to fulfill the known or forecasted demand. Demand is the factor that contributes to the planning of the entire production cycle for a particular time of year. The production schedule gives a structure to depict as to how the manufacturing process has to be carried out. It plans out the inventory, capacity and staffing requirements for the company based on the projected demand. Based on demand as one of the inputs production schedule creates an output that is utilized for decision making. These outputs include the amount of products to be produced, the staffing quantities, the cushion required etc. This schedule helps the organizations in synchronizing their operations, in becoming more efficient and improving accuracy of company’s manufacturing. It enables the different departments to plan their course of action accordingly based on the schedule. For instance it allows marketing department to make le gitimate delivery commitments to warehouse and to the customers. Based on this demand the company may decide to utilize its existing capacity fully to meet the requirements. The capacity management is done to effectively make the most of the capacity that exists.

Financial Analysis of Steel Industry - Arcelormittal and Us Steel Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Steel Industry Arcelormittal and Us Steel Essay Stock Evaluation Project Steel Industry Industry Analysis Steel is a part of metals and mining industry which is highly cyclical in nature, and when the economy at large suffers, this industry suffers with it. The most recent five years have been a struggle for this particular industry along with uncertain economic indicators, and steel companies’ stocks have trended downwards. The metals and mining industry is comprised of companies that engage in exploration, mine development, and ore mining. The industry includes precious metals mining for metals such as gold, silver, platinum as well as mining and processing industrial metals such as steel, copper, aluminum. The industry is mature, cyclical, capital intensive and dominated by large companies. Some of the major names in the Steel Sector of this industry are Commercial Metals (CMC), Steel Dynamics (STLD), Reliance Steel (RS), AK Steel (AKS), ArcelorMittal (MT), U.S.Steel (X). The US steel industry is currently worth more than $50 billion with annual growth rates around 1% to 2%. Process chains are long with high production volumes. Recently, large quantities of low-cost imports have impeded growth. However, the industry has seen enhanced productivity, energy efficiency, and higher yield due to restructuring, downsizing, and widespread implementation of new technologies. In the coming years, overcapacity and price instability may remain critical. Thereby, efficient production, better-suited products, enhanced capacity utilization and environmentally friendly practices are vital factors to future success. Demand comes from transportation, packaging, consumer electronics, construction, aerospace and power companies, which leads industry, overtly responsive to economic conditions. Companies are responding to pricing pressures through consolidation and vertical integration, which is aimed at streamlining the supply chain. Future growth for the US metals and mining industry also depends upon demand from BRIC nations, developing countries, and domestic consumers. The industry has always faced a number of challenges including environmental concerns, deteriorating ore grades, overproduction, technological changes, and the global economy. Intense competition from nations such as Canada, Russia, China and Mexico pose threats to the US mining industry because those nations have lower labor costs, lax  environmental regulations and lower operating costs. Sustainability of high prices, resurgent global demand, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region, and signs of increasing industrial output across Europe and the United States may boost industry performance. Conclusively, in anticipation of J-curve yield in the industry index, we can expect greater demand in near future due to a combination of rising GDP, another increase in auto sales, and inventory accumulation by distributors, which would further lead to an increase in the volume of steel shipped in 2013. In the Figure 1.1 below, one could clearly see the downward trend of the Dow Jones US Steel Index for the last five years. And as we all know, what goes down comes back up therefore, we must rebalance our portfolios along with this cyclicality. Figure 1.1 Dow Jones US Steel Index (Point and Figure Chart) U.S.Steel (X) United States Steel was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. United States Steel Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production and sale of steel products primarily in North America and Europe. The company has gone through a business cycle in the past 10 years and currently at its low yet a stable condition. This is due to several reasons, which are explained clearly by the ratios and the Z-score, as plotted by the help of Altman Z’s Model. The companys liquidity has been fairly stable besides the times of 2008-2009 financial crises. If we smooth out an average for turnover measure, we could also conclude that the company’s management is doing fairly well in using the assets. Financial Leverage measure seems to be the only component affecting the Altman Z Score significantly, inflicting a bias in the usage of the model to solely depend on this method of deriving the company health. Also, if we draw a line at 2.0 ratio level, there is a bubble growth in the Z-score during 2005 and 2008, as shown in the figure 1.2 below. Figure 1.2 Altman Z-score Model for U.S.Steel ArcelorMittal (MT) ArcelorMittal engages in the production and marketing of finished and semi-finished carbon steel and stainless steel products worldwide. The company serves automotive, appliance, engineering, construction, energy, and machinery industries. The company, formerly known as Mittal Steel Company N.V., was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. The stock performance has been quite interesting for this company over past 10-12 years. From $0.63/per share in 2001 to the highs of $97 just prior to its downfall, to $12/share approx. after 12 years, tells us a lot about the business cycle of steel sector. As plotted by the ratios derived by Altman Z-Score model below, it is very clear that besides Turnover and Financial Leverage ratios, no other ratio changed significantly in last 10 years and the company stock performed rationally if we consider business cycle but irrationally, if we consider the all other financial measures. Again the spike in the Z-score in the early 2000s reflects the spike in Financial Leverage of the company. However, at this point in time, the company looks as in congruence to the low levels of the industry, yet healthy and we could anticipate an upcoming up-trend in its performance. Figure 1.3 Altman Z-Score model for ArcelorMittal

Deviance Behavior Criminal

Deviance Behavior Criminal Deviance: Is It In the Eye of the Beholder? Abstract Deviant behavior is described as actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms. This paper will examine what the various types of deviance and will present the important theories of deviance. There is often the argument that deviance is in the eye of the beholder but after research I found out that it is not quite true. Deviance is an established abnormality in individuals and society and sociologist have been seeking to find solutions for it for decades by applying various theories upon this abnormality. There are seven major theories of deviance that are further followed by sublistings of variations on themes. These theories are differential association, anomie, Marxian conflict, social control theory, labeling, utilitarian/deterrence and routine activities. Deviance is also broadly categorized into three basic forms of rule breaking behavior; good, odd and bad behavior. It is now realized that though many acts maybe deviant they may still not constitute bad or criminal behavior. But they are still socially reprimanded because of their nature such as highly inappropriate modes of dress. There is the absolutist stand in viewing deviance and the relativist stand. The absolutist stand places all blame of the deviant act upon the individual while the relativist stand is more lenient in taking into account the larger picture that considers societal factors and other influences in causing deviant behavior. The modern day sociologist is considered to be a relativist who believes in taking the middle road when analyzing deviant behavior. According to Shur (1965), ‘The societal reaction to the deviant, then, is vital to an understanding of the deviance itself and a major element in—if not a cause of—the deviant behavior. Deviance: Is It In the Eye of the Beholder? When it come to an attempt to ascertain whether or not deviance is in the eye of the beholder, the fact is that all the research that is related to deviance only proves that it is a phenomena that is not in the eye of the beholder but a valid and recognized form of socially abnormal behavior. In any given society of the world, deviance is an established of behavior that breaks out of the recognized norms and requires to be corrected in order for the normal flow of social life to progress. Deviance describes actions or behaviors that clearly violate cultural norms including formally and informally enacted rules as well as informal and formal violations of these rules, regulations and norms. This paper will try to depict how deviance is seen, created, challenged and enforced. Deviance is an act defined as the deliberate violation of the cultural norms of a given society. The most prevalent form of deviance is crime of any sort or the violation of societal norms enacted by a society that have been formally enacted into criminal law (What is Deviance?) Deviance has been recognized as an integral part of every society and hence is studied as a sociological science. In being studies as a science of society, there is little doubt that deviance should be considered to be in the eye of the beholder. The sociology of deviance is based on the study of deviant behavior as the recognized violation of cultural norms. It also deals with the creation and enforcement of those norms. It is important to understand that certain deviant behaviors may not be recognized as such by all societal standards. In other words, not all societies have rules that would disallow all forms of behavior. But still every society does have its own set of social rules that when broken, consti tute deviance for the members of that particular society. Rather on the contrary, deviance is defined in relative terms with different societies having different ways to view the same behavior (Sociology of Deviance). Many of the theories that are related to deviance and criminal behavior are simple and uncomplicated stating one or two explanatory principles that apply to all instances of the particular form of deviance that is being explained. These are also called simple theories that are conventionally classified into six or seven major categories and have sublistings of variations on themes. The categorical schemes that are most popular are related to strain, learning, labeling, control, opportunity, psychodynamic and biological. According to Pearson and Weiner (1985) the simple theories that are most important are differential association (Sutherland and Cressey 1978), anomie (Merton,1975), Marxian Conflict (Bonger 1916; Quinney 1970), social control (Hirschi 1969), labeling (Becker 1963; Gove 1975, 1980; Schur 1971), utilitarian/deterrence (Andenaes 1974; Becker 1968; Cornish and Clarke 1986; Gibbs 1975; Tunnell 1992; Zimring and Hawkins 1973) and routine activities (Cohen and Felson 1979) ( Tittle, 1995). Sutherland and Cresseys theory of differential association is considered to be one of the most prominent social learning theories. Sutherlands research was focused on white collar crime, professional theft and intelligence and disputed the notion that crime was a function of peoples inadequacy in the lower classes. He did not consider crime to stem from individual traits or from socioeconomic positions but to be a function of a learning process that could affect any individual regardless of culture. The acquisition of behavior is a social learning process rather than a political or legal process. Consequently the skills and motives that are conducive to crime are learned as a result of contact with pro-crime attitudes, values, definitions and other related pattern of criminal behavior. The basic principles of differential theory are that criminal behavior is learned, learning is a byproduct of interaction, learning occurs within intimate groups, criminal techniques are learned, perce ptions of legal code influences motives and drives, differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority and intensity, the process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal with anticriminal and criminal influences involve all of the mechanisms that would be involved in any other learning process and that criminal behavior is an expression of the general needs and values but it is not excused by those general needs and values because non-criminal behavior is also an expression of the same needs and values (Seigel, 2005). The theory of anomie was presented by Robert Merton and it explains the occurrence of crime as well as wider disorder and deviance. This theory is considered to be a wide ranging and essential sociological explanation for deviance. Merton borrows the term anomie from Durkheim and rejects individualistic explanations of crime and criminal behavior stating them to be socially learned. He also says that there are social structural limitations imposed on access to the means to achieve these goals. The focus of his work is on the position of the individual within the social system rather than on personality characteristics. He says, â€Å"Our primary aim lies in discovering some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in the society to engage in non-conformist conduct† (Burke, 2005). This theory is based on the work of Karl Marx and views a dominant class as being in control of the resources of society, using its power to not only create institutional rules but entire belief systems that support this power. The theory looks at the structure of society as a whole in trying to develop explanations for deviant behavior. According to this theory the economic organization of capitalist societies is responsible for producing deviance and crime. Since this scenario causes certain groups in society to have access to less resources in capitalist society they are hence forced into deviance and crime to sustain themselves. The high rate of economic crimes such as theft, robbery, prostitution and drug selling is explained by conflict theorists to be the result of the economic status of these groups. Contrary to emphasizing values and conformity as a source of deviance, as done by functional analyses, the conflict theories view deviance as the direct result of power relations hips and economic inequality (Andersen, Taylor, 2006). The theory of social control was offered by Hirschi and it evolved from many previous contributions. The primary concept of the theory is the ability to deviate from normative behavior. Many people do not engage in deviant behavior because of their bond to society. Social bond was also conceptualized by Hirschi on the basis of the attachment of the individual to others, commitment to conventional lines of action, involvement and belief in legitimate order. These four components were regarded by Hircshi as being independent and having a generally negative association with the chances of engaging in deviant behavior. It was his opinion that when the elements of social bond were weakened, the probability of delinquency and deviancy increased (Weis, Crutchfield, Bridges, 2001). Labeling theory is considered important in the study of deviance since it focuses not only on crime but also the situation surrounding the crime. It goes beyond viewing the criminal as a robot like person whose actions are predetermined by also recognizing that crime is often the result of complex interactions and processes. Decisions to commit crimes and other acts of deviance involve the action of a variety of people that include peers, victims, police and other key characters. Additionally, labeling also fosters crime by guiding the actions of all parties involved in these criminal interactions. Actions that are considered insignificant and innocent when committed by one person are considered provocative and deviant when committed by another who has been labeled a miscreant. On the same note, labeled individuals may also be quick to judge, take offense and misinterpret the behaviors of others due to their past experiences (Siegel, 2004). Sociologist clam that when a person becomes known as a deviant, and is ascribed deviant behavior patterns, it is as much, if not more, to do with the way they have been stigmatized, then the deviant act they are said to have committed. As a matter of fact, labeling theory has subsequently become significantly dominant in the explanation of deviance. This theory is also often referred to as rationale choice or â€Å"economic† theory. The main idea of the theory is that all human acts are decisional and that any behavior is more easily understood in terms of relative costs and benefits. When the cost of any behavior exceeds the benefit or utility for any individual he or she will in all likelihood forgo it. But when the benefits exceed the cost, the behavior will follow. Hence if one could learn the costs and benefits of different courses of actions it would make it easy to explain and predict what will happen (Tittle, 1995). The theory of routine activities asserts the fact that high crime rates in the US have always been a part of normal life. The main concept of the theory are taken from the insights of a number of other perspectives on crime and victimization such a the free-will basis of human action or rational choice and empirical studies that reflect that patterns of crimes and victimization differ in time, in location and in the social distance between the victim and the offender. The key claim of the theory if that the patterns of victimization and crime are the result of the everyday interaction of the potential offenders, suitable targets, and guardians. It is the interaction of these three variables within geographical space and in time that eventually determines the rates of crime and delinquency in modern society (Beirne, Beirne, Messerschmidt, 1999). Deviance is broadly categorized into three basic forms of rule breaking behavior; good, odd or bad behavior. Deviance that could be considered good or even admirable but which still breaks out of social norms is something akin to heroism such as putting ones own life in danger in an attempt to save the life of another person. There are many behaviors that may be considered odd even though they may not be criminal. They are considered odd because they are different than behavior that is shown by other people. Examples of this deviance range from outlandish or inappropriate modes of dress, mildly eccentric behavior such as a person who sees nothing wrong in sharing their house with 50 cats to outright madness. Bad behavior is what the name implies it to be; law breaking or criminal behavior that in some way is seen as being something more than simply outlandish or eccentric. The different kinds of behavior in this category constitute crime, violence, crimes against property and the lik e dependant on the time and place at which they take place (Types of Deviance). Though the definition of deviance and the different ways of interpreting it have undergone much research over the years, the fact that there is indeed such behavior in every society that clearly deviates from the norms of that society and hence constitutes deviant behavior hasnt changed. According to Rock (1973), â€Å"The common sense definition has not changed: the absolutist orientation still prevails. Not so for social science. Sociologists in particular now realize that, contrary to common sense, the identification of and reaction to deviance in everybodys life is no different from other areas of life: these processes hinge on one persons interpretation of another persons deeds. The chief difference between interpretations in other areas of life and those in deviance lies in the use of a moral yardstick when deviance is interpreted. To be sure, what is seen a deviant is part of everyday knowledge of common-sense reality. But it is a socially constructed reality† (Rosenber g, 1983). Because most of the world does have a socially constructed view of deviance, it makes people view the act and not the actor. Societies, heritages, morals passed down from generations, and religious preferences have all blinded individuals from using their own personal judgments and common sense. My interest in this particular topic had a lot to do with my free will of judgment in reference to how I myself viewed deviance and although I guide my kids into what is believed to be right and wrong, I also teach them to make their own decision on what they consider to be deviant in their eyes. As times change, so does the world and although some things are more acceptable, values remain the same. However, if one really wants to understand the way deviance is viewed, created, challenged and enforced, one has to take a much deeper view. It is not enough to focus on the individual deviant and the means of society trying to transform a behavior into some acceptable normal thing; one also needs to examine those who insist on this transformation and who have defined it as deviant in the first place. In some cases, it may be the actual values or the way people judge and label deviant behaviors that is more deviant than the acts or behaviors itself. In conclusion, after examining the types of deviance and the different theories of deviance it can be surmised that it wont be logical to say that â€Å"deviance is simply in the eyes of the beholder†. Deviance is a recognized social ill. It also needs be mentioned here that there are two ways in which sociologists view deviance; the absolutist way and the relativist way. The absolutist are not willing to cut any slack at all in the discussing of deviance being an effect of environment, society and other factors related to it laying all blame of the deviant behavior entirely on the individual. To the contrary, the relativists are the ones who present their case in a manner akin to â€Å"so deviance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder†¦almost every conceivable human characteristic or activity is pariah in somebodys eyes† (Simmons, 1969). In modern times most of the sociologists are relativists where they claim that human action is neither inherently deviant nor inherently nondeviant but dependant of the effects of the environment and society as well. However, in determining the validity of deviance it is best to adopt a middle position which is neither strictly absolutist nor strictly relativist. Given the growing diversities of societies all over the world, it is only by adopting this middle path can one truly judge deviant behavior and seek plausible solution to it by applying the theories of deviance upon them. According to Schur (1965), ‘The societal reaction to the deviant, then, is vital to the understanding of the deviance itself and a major element in—if not a cause of—the deviant behavior. In my opinion, deviance is in the eyes of the beholder nonetheless, it is still a societal ill that first needs to be treated as such before solutions can be sought to remedy it. References Andersen, M. L., Taylor, H. F. (2006) Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Pp. 170 (Thomson Wadsworth 2006) Beirne, Beirne, P., Messerschmidt, J. W. (1999) Criminology: Third Edition. Pp. 215 (Westview Press, 1999) Burke, R. H. (2005) An Introduction to Criminological Theory. Pp. 100 (Willan Publishing 2005) Rosenberg, M. (1983) Introduction to Sociology. Pp. 404 (Routledge 1983) Siegel, L. J. (2004) Criminology: The Core. Pp. 173 (Thomson Wadsworth 2004) Siegel, L. J. (2005) Criminology. Pp. 226 (Thomson Wadsworth 2005) Sociology of Deviance. Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 12, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_deviance Tittle, C. R. (1995) Control Balance: Toward a General Theory of Deviance. Pp. 1 (Westview Press 1995) Types of Deviance. Retrieved on July 15, 2008 from http://www.sociology.org.uk/wsdo2.htm Weis, J. G., Crutchfield, R. D., Bridges, G. S. (2001) Juvenile Delinquency: Readings. Pp. 364 (Pine Forge Press 2001) What is Deviance? Retrieved on July 15, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/tdeddins/deviance.htm

Woolfs Advice for the Woman Artist :: Virginia Woolf, A Room of Ones Own

Women who want to escape the label "woman writer" (as opposed to writer--the masculine norm) have had to write like one of the boys, de-sexing themselves. Super-feminine lady writers, if they stick to their nice nook, will be both praised and despised for doing what comes naturally. But the woman writer who refuses these categories blows the scheme sky-high and incurs the wrath of the gods. (Michele Roberts in The Independent, 1997) Perhaps more than any other late-twentieth century British woman writer, Jeanette Winterson has taken to heart Woolf's advice in A Room of One's Own that "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction" (4), but Winterson has also, as Michele Roberts points out, "incur[red] the wrath" of the cultural gods as a result. Winterson has used her literary and financial success to secure a life centered around her work and her concerns-- much to the fascination and horror of the British literary establishment and popular press. Winterson challenges the established "rules" of writing, publishing, reviewing--in sum, the cultural expectations for the woman artist in British society--constructing her life in order to argue against, as Woolf does in AROO, two cultural myths: that the artist can remain aloof from the material concerns necessary for the production of art, and that gender and its attendant social roles do not influence the production of that art. Continual ly re-inserting her body, her gender, and her capital into their portrait, Winterson wrestles with the British press and literary establishment for the right to construct her social role-- and live her life--on her own terms. In following Woolf's advice for the woman writer, then, Winterson has struck a nerve in British culture, and the public response she elicits, I will argue, illustrates the persistence of gendered and class-based expectations for a woman artist in Britain today. Instead of tolerating Winterson as another Martin Amis or, in one reviewer's comparison, excusing her behavior as comparable to "old Papa [Hemingway]'s bravado" (Faulks 9), the press presents Winterson's decidedly un-feminine and nouveaux riche behavior with a combination of fascination and ire. Indeed, she is taken to task for the very circumstances which have allowed her to produce her art. Winterson may have garnered the proverbial L500 and a room of her own, but her self-presentation and her resulting representation in the British press encourage us to revisit Woolf's advice and cultural analysis of the woman artist in a patriarchal society with a contemporary eye. Woolf's Advice for the Woman Artist :: Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own Women who want to escape the label "woman writer" (as opposed to writer--the masculine norm) have had to write like one of the boys, de-sexing themselves. Super-feminine lady writers, if they stick to their nice nook, will be both praised and despised for doing what comes naturally. But the woman writer who refuses these categories blows the scheme sky-high and incurs the wrath of the gods. (Michele Roberts in The Independent, 1997) Perhaps more than any other late-twentieth century British woman writer, Jeanette Winterson has taken to heart Woolf's advice in A Room of One's Own that "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction" (4), but Winterson has also, as Michele Roberts points out, "incur[red] the wrath" of the cultural gods as a result. Winterson has used her literary and financial success to secure a life centered around her work and her concerns-- much to the fascination and horror of the British literary establishment and popular press. Winterson challenges the established "rules" of writing, publishing, reviewing--in sum, the cultural expectations for the woman artist in British society--constructing her life in order to argue against, as Woolf does in AROO, two cultural myths: that the artist can remain aloof from the material concerns necessary for the production of art, and that gender and its attendant social roles do not influence the production of that art. Continual ly re-inserting her body, her gender, and her capital into their portrait, Winterson wrestles with the British press and literary establishment for the right to construct her social role-- and live her life--on her own terms. In following Woolf's advice for the woman writer, then, Winterson has struck a nerve in British culture, and the public response she elicits, I will argue, illustrates the persistence of gendered and class-based expectations for a woman artist in Britain today. Instead of tolerating Winterson as another Martin Amis or, in one reviewer's comparison, excusing her behavior as comparable to "old Papa [Hemingway]'s bravado" (Faulks 9), the press presents Winterson's decidedly un-feminine and nouveaux riche behavior with a combination of fascination and ire. Indeed, she is taken to task for the very circumstances which have allowed her to produce her art. Winterson may have garnered the proverbial L500 and a room of her own, but her self-presentation and her resulting representation in the British press encourage us to revisit Woolf's advice and cultural analysis of the woman artist in a patriarchal society with a contemporary eye.

One of the main aspects in the novel Like Water for Chocolate is magica

One of the main aspects in the novel Like Water for Chocolate is magical realism. The author, Laura Esquivel, uses it to show the main themes Like Water for Chocolate Commentary One of the main aspects in the novel Like Water for Chocolate is magical realism. The author, Laura Esquivel, uses it to show the main themes in the novel, such as the power of food, and passion. It exaggerates the important points in the story so that they can be more easily identified. Foreshadowing can also be shown by using magical realism. Magical realism also adds humour to the novel, which would otherwise be a serious story. But most importantly, it allows for the protagonist, Tita, to express her feeling and memories through the food that is so central to her life. Magical realism can be seen throughout the novel, even at the very beginning. The start of the story shows Tita’s birth in the kitchen â€Å"Tita was literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of the table and flooded across the kitchen floor.† This foreshadows all the sorrow that Tita will go through in her life, and all the tears she will cry. It is also said that the water dried into â€Å"enough salt to fill a ten-pound sack†. This relates to Tita’s future love of cooking, as salt is used to prepare many meals. It is also used to preserve food, and this resembles the way that Tita’s memories are preserved through food and the recipes she uses. For example when Tita is preparing the 3 Kings’ Day Bread she remembers her childhood, and how she used to have so little problems then. â€Å"Her biggest worry then was that the Magi never brought her what she asked for, but instead what Mama Elena thought was best.† Magical realism... ...she see on the other side of the planks but Pedro, watching her intently.† Tita and Pedro’s love has always been passionate, and heat has always been used to symbolise it ever since they first met. â€Å"It was then Tita understood how dough feels when t is plunged into boiling oil. The heat that invaded her body was so real she was afraid she would start to bubble†. The magical realism conveys their passion, but also relates Tita’s emotions to food, as food is the thing that she is most comfortable with. Food is also one of the recurring themes in the novel, so magical realism again helps to emphasize this. So we can see that magical realism is a powerful tool for Esquivel, it helps to convey all the main points, my making them more noticeable and more humourous. She uses it to show the emotions of the characters, and to demonstrate the themes of the novel.

Combining Fact and Fiction in the Writing of Frederick Douglass’ The He

Combining Fact and Fiction in the Writing of Frederick Douglass’ The Heroic Slave After the successful publication of his autobiography, escaped slave Frederick Douglass decided to tell the story of a fellow ex-slave, Madison Washington, and his rebellion aboard the Creole slave ship. Rather than writing a purely historical account of the events, Douglass chose to embellish and alter the truth, creating The Heroic Slave, one of the first historical novellas and the first known piece of African-American fictional literature (Andrews 11). Douglass' choice to write the story as a fiction made the novella easier for readers to relate to and, therefore, more appealing to their sympathies. The Heroic Slave is based on the historical 1841 slave rebellion led by Madison Washington aboard the New Orleans-bound slave ship, the Creole. In his telling of the story, Douglass includes embellishments on, alterations to, and omissions of certain historical facts. By comparing his novella to other documents citing the actual occurrences, we can analyze the changes Douglass' made t o the story and why he chose to make them. Douglass' does not immediately discuss the Creole slave ship rebellion. Instead, the first three parts of The Heroic Slave concern the life of Madison Washington, the slave who would eventually become leader of that rebellion. In Part I, Douglass introduces us readers and Mr. Listwell, a white traveler, to Madison Washington. We overhear his soliloquy on the suffering he must endure as a slave. In this speech we are given the reason for his upcoming flight from slavery: "I am galled with irons; but even these are more tolerable than the consciousness, the galling consciousness of cowardice and indecision. Can it be that I... ...dom to make many authorial choices that made the story of Madison Washington's rebellion aboard the Creole a more effective case for the abolitionist cause. Through embellishments, alterations, and omissions, Douglass molded the history of the revolt to better serve his purposes. A simple, utterly accurate telling of the story would not have been nearly as powerful to the abolitionist movement. Works Cited Andrews, William L. Introduction. Three Classic African-American Novels. Ed. William L. Andrews. New York, Penguin Books, 2003. 7-21. Douglass, Frederick. The Heroic Slave. New York, Penguin Books, 2003. Jones, Howard. "The Peculiar Institution and National Honor: The Case of the Creole Slave Revolt." Civil War History. Volume 21. Mar. 1975. 20-50. MacDonald, Robin. "'The Heroic Slave': Frederick Douglass' Revolutionary Revision." 1996. 20 Apr 2004.

Case Study of P&G (Marketing Issues)

| Case 5: P&G | | ————————————————- Company Background Porter and Gamble (P&G), founded in 1837, is one of the biggest consumer goods company over the world. P&G sells shampoos, baby care products, medicine and food etc. It not only diversified the product range but also the product width. Therefore, P&G has several brands under one single category but aimed with different customer segments. P&G is also famous for its innovative and customer-oriented approaches. For example, it designed one kind of shampoo which is suitable for Japanese.With the competitive advantages above, P&G was developing with an appealing growth rate and became one of the top 500 companies around the world. ————————————————- Why entered â€Å"$2 a day† market segment? In the past, P&G concentrated on medium and premium market segments. From the case, it was mentioned that P&G was too big to maintain a considerable growth rate within its existing target markets. It had to enter the bottom of pyramid, the 70% untouchable potential customers.Therefore, P&G targeted Chinese low end markets. In other words, P&G wanted to absorb Chinese living in countryside or second tier cities who earned around $2 per day. ————————————————- Marketing issues Following P&G customer-oriented traditions, the worldwide organization also put many efforts on the new target customers. It developed a series of marketing strategies as summarized. * Customer-oriented research P&G send employees to live in the rural areas in order to learn about the actual living style of the residents.After that, P&G found that Chinese living in countryside concerned more about the functions and the price level of the products. Besides, P&G still had more challenges to face. Firstly, the distribution channels were dispersed and small in size. Secondly, most people in the rural areas even did not know how to use shampoo correctly since they did not have chance to access those modern consumer goods. Moreover, P&G had to spend time on building mutual trust relationship with Chinese local parties as Chinese culture highly emphasized the importance of â€Å"Guanxi†.To attack all these challenges, P&G changed the method of packaging and developed â€Å"road shows† instead of its traditions TV advertisements to promote. * Packaging and prices of the products Since the new target customers only earned around $2 a day, they could not afford the normal price of its consumer goods. To solve this problem, P&G modified the packages to be used only for once in order to make the price of the products affordable for the new potential customers. * Road Shows P&G used its own prom otion teams to penetrate the rural areas.It had its own transportation team which decorated with its posters so that people could see the advertisements whenever the cars passed by the villages. Besides, P&G held many activities which attract people to know more about the products. In the activities, the promoters showed how to use the products to the residents. In addition, free samples would be distributed in order to attract the residents to try the products. It seemed that the marketing strategies were simple to implement but indeed, it spent P&G several years before it gained significant market shares in the new market segments. ———————————————— ————————————————- Strengths of the marketing strategies P&G was successfully using the localized strategies as wel l as customer-oriented approach. In my opinion, as the purchasing power of the bottom of pyramid was low, what they need was purely the basic functions of the products. Therefore, the company must learn the new target customers very well. The company hired many local employees who definitely understand the environment and living styles.Moreover, such strategies could make its promotion going deeper in the markets. Thought the number of audiences of every road show is limited, those who actual attended would get free samples. Then, they would tell their friends or relativities about how useful the products are. The effect of word-of-mouth would occur. ————————————————- Problems of the marketing strategies Everything has its down side. The marketing strategies P&G used were largely required time and resources. Such high investment was at risk.On the other hand, since P&G had a well-known image of premium class targeted, entering the low-end markets may lead confusion to its existing customers. In other words, there may lead some losses on original area of business. ————————————————- Recommendations Although in the rural area, residents earned just around $2 a day. P&G should not continue on the same strategy to them. The economy of China is growing with a high rate. Therefore, people living in countryside are expected to earn much more than current situation.The purchasing power of these customers should increase considerably in the near future. With the help of R&D center in Beijing, I suggest that P&G should start to invent some products which can fit for the change of the targeted customers. On the other hand, to avoid the confusion of brand image, I suggest P&G to launch another sub-brand names which include all the product categories aim ed at this market segments. (People earned $2 a day) Differentiated positioning product should have different brand names so that

Nursing mania patients

The article â€Å"Nursing interventions for the management of patients with mania† by McColm et al. (2005) gives details concerning the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of patients who suffer with the psychological disorder of mania. The problem is one concerning the mood of the patient, which is often much more elevated than is safe and wholesome for the healthy individual. Because the disorder has to do with a person’s perception of reality and the behaviors exhibited as a result of this, the article relates well to the issues examined within the Psychiatric Nursing arena. The ideas of reason and madness are closely tied to the manic disorder, and the article gives a distinctly nursing perspective on the treatment, as it outlines precise ways in which the nursing professional should deal with such a patient. These methods include efforts at maintaining and preserving the patient’s physical health by minimizing the adverse effects of the mental disorder on his/her actions. The nursing methods presented in this article also indicate the importance of providing psychological and emotional support to the patient. Overall, the fact that psychological reasons behind the disorder are highlighted and treatments given from that perspective indicate the relevance of this article to the Psychiatric Nursing class. Despite the fact that diagnosis is not the predominant role of the nurse, information given within the article concerning the signs, symptoms and prognosis of manic disorder provides information that allow the nurse to recognize and understand such a disorder. The nursing interventions indicated for patients suffering from mania range from mild to acute measures—from counseling and support to â€Å"rapid tranquillisation† (McColm et al., 2005). The psychological support to be give by the nurse includes the development of a relationship of trust between the patient and nursing professional. The nurse is urged to show consideration for the emotional and psychological needs of the patient, while also taking care to monitor the impact of the patient on others within the environment. The nurse is also encouraged to seek an understanding of the physical risk the patient poses to himself and others. This highlights the need for research into the behavioral history of the patient through developing relationships with family and friends. Once the nurse has gained such information, continued monitoring and observation should provide knowledge of behavioral changes that might prove harmful to the patient. Such information includes the patient’s attitude toward nourishment, aggression, harmful or addictive substances, and even sexual activity. In treating these, nurses are encouraged to offer food and drink in manageable form and on a regular basis if the patient is observed to neglect such care of him-/herself. For example, drinks low in caffeine and food low in sugar would help control the patient’s hyperactivity. The nurse should also make sure that the atmosphere in which the patient is housed is one that promotes tranquility and discourages aggression. Yet this should be balanced with the patient’s need for intellectual, emotional and physical stimulation, which should be regulated by the nurse to help him/her get rid of extra energy or stress. The empathic nature of nursing is also stressed by this article, as nurses are often in the position of becoming confidant to the psychologically ailing patient. This addresses the relationship of trust and respect that nurses are challenged to build between themselves and their patients. The nature of the manic disorder dictates that patients might sometimes become embarrassed about their behavior. Nurses should provide patients with the appropriate level of confidentiality, encouragement and support that derives from their understanding of the patient’s situation. Furthermore, nurses should be so aware of the patient’s current and previous emotional states so that the descent from mania beyond optimal recovery and into depression will be quickly identified and prevented. Finally, nurses should be concerned with preventing the patient’s relapse, and this involves the education of the patient and his/her family regarding the causes and dangers of mania. Reference McColm, R. et al., (2006). â€Å"Nursing interventions for the management of patients with mania.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nursing Standard. 20(17), 46-49.

Bread Talk Marketing Analysis Essay

BREAD TALK GROUP (Bakery) Number of brands under Bread talk group ( bakery) 1) Bread talk 2) Toast Box 3) The icing room 4) Bread Society Macro- environment: * Economic: There is a rise in income for most middle and lower income earners, making the bread sold price inelastic as it is a smaller proportion of the salary earned. Bread talk will always enjoy a demand for their bakery products. * Demographic: There is an increase in Singapore’s Population (overcrowding) from past years, more people will cause an increase in demand for such bakeries. * Culture: It is Asian’s habit to eat supper/ tea and hence selling of breads can be used as snacks during these breaks. Therefore there will always be a demand for these snacks. * Technology: Bread talk consulted top R& D teams to create more varieties of bread. 50 novel recipes conceptualized with the input of international bakery consultants within its Research & Development team. The exciting Euro bread series harnesses the taste and quality of European breads and incorporates them with a variety of Asian flavors, such as drunken longan, black sesame, spinach and sweet potato. * Competition: There are also many bakery shops that are well known such as Four Leaves, Crystal Jade, Cake History, Begawan Solo etc. which are in close vicinity of Bread talk. Consumers may choose to purchase breads in different shops according to their tastes and preferences Market: * over 600 bakery outlets in 15 territories * territories include: Singapore, China, Hong Kong and the Middle East Customer target group: * people with different range of income esp. low and middle class * no age group * the discerning customer who enjoys her daily bread * esp those living in city areas Strategy of company * Spirit of innovation: introduced new bakery model called Bread Talk Transit positioned as a quick stop for consumers on the go. Bread talk also developed a mobile application, allowing users to make purchases, locate outlets, and be informed of the latest promotions. By enabling customers to shop-on-the-go, it effectively reduces the in-store shopping time by close to 33% and led to a 75% increase in customer compliments. * Increases productivity and allows for more versatility when sourcing for retail space. * Rapid expansion of the Bread Talk brand. * Strengthened Brand presence : Build RamenPlay, Bread talk, Toast Box and The icing room together in Nex reap financial benefits through cost savings due to shared expenditure ( set up costs) * More charity work being done/ sharing their success: To celebrate 10th anniversary, BreadTalk pledged 5 cents from each Floss Bun sold to Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, raised $50,000 for needy school children. * Marketing mix: 1) Product: bread, pastries, cakes and drinks. Always create new varieties of breads: Chilli Crab, Carlee Crab & branded its signature bun: Chicken Floss Bun. There are 50 types of bun available in each outlet. Objective: Gain revenue and to satisfy customer’s desire for snacks, especially during breakfast and tea time because most people usually take bread or pastries during this time 2) Place: 25 outlets in Singapore. Some places includes: Parco, Bugis junction, Paragon, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Novena Square, Jurong Point Shopping Centre, Marriott Hotel, Tang Plaza, Junction 8Shopping Centre, Great World City, Capitol Building, Turf City, Parkway Parade, HDB Hub (Toa Payoh), Tampines Mall etc Objective: Locating everywhere allows the customer to buy their bread anywhere! 3) Price: Min. price: $1.00.Max. price:$2.00 Objective: Priced averagely so that people can afford the bread 4) Promotion : a. Store structure: i. Each outlet bears the urban, clear glass, clean cut look punctuated subtly with detailing of contrasting colours of artworks, unique to each locale. (Zen-like concept) ii. BreadTalk signature â€Å"see through† kitchens allow their chefs to showcase their expertise upfront, sharing the preparation of the freshly browned breads and tempt the customers to have a taste of their breads. b. Advertisements/Television/Banners to attract others cheaper price during anniversary month : Bread talk campaign tagline â€Å"Breadtalk gets you Talking†, c. Use of their own brand plastic bag, pamphlet and coupons also serve as a type of promotion to attract new customers wherever and whenever the name carries it. d. Loyalty card-Spend above $5, you will get a stamp on your card. With correct no. of stamps, they are able to redeem a free bun. Flaws * Decline in sales was due to some outlets’ business not doing well, leading to revenue and profits made by other outlets to go wasted as earning cannot overcome losses made. * The popular ‘Chicken Floss Bun ´ idea was stolen by other bakery shops. Bread Talk pushed onto the losing side as competitor sells the product at lower prices price out-grew satisfaction! Improvements made: Market Penetration : 1) Bread talk can have delivery services 2) Bread talk can sell using push carts 3) Conduct more lucky draws to encourage more purchase of breads Product Development 1) Create Minis Breads like Four Leaves such that consumers get to taste and will go for the normal one if the flavours are nice 2) Create certain type of breads during festivals like CNY , Christmas Market Development 1) Open a place to sit and eat ( E.g. Cafà ©) to allow ppl to rest and interaction /not just buy and go 2) Open more shops in residential areas ( underneath HDB flats etc.) so that it is more convenient for residents | Diversification 1) Invent new bread flavours that customers like by surveying them before that Swot Analysis Strengths 1) Unique concept & branding: captures interest of consumers as it constantly develops products reflecting contemporary  lifestyle and current events. Shops gives customers a sense of friendliness 2) Wide range of products:  Bread talk offers over 150 varieties of breads, buns, pastries and cakes overall. Breadtalk constantly introduces new products to cater to customers’ changing tastes. It currently introduces approximately 10 items every four months 3) Strategic Locations : located at strategic and accessible places to attract potential customers as having high customer traffic flow (near public transport systems , retail outlets, , cinemas) Weakness 1) Pricing: products are priced higher than the products of other bakeries, which might cause customers to choose another brand 2) Selection of Products : products limited to bread and cake compared to Bengawan Solo with pastries choices Opportunities 1) Nature of Products :Bread is a commodity and can be sold anywhere in the world. There is a high potential for global growth since there is a constant consumer demand for bread expanding of business overseas 2) Other Markets: BreadTalk has forged partnerships currently in Indonesia, China (Shanghai) Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan ROC and the Middle East (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and UAE), India and Hong Kong. Threats 1) Product/Brand Concept Replication Breadtalk faces the threat of product/brand concept replication by other bakeries especially in regions which Breadtalk has not ventured into (eg USA). 2) Competition from Direct and Indirect Competitors: – indirect competitors include specialized bakeries like Donut Factory, which are currently both capturing increasing consumer interest.

Challenges and Opportunities of the Global Insurance Industry

Introduction The global insurance industry seems to have escaped the worst of the financial crisis in comparison to other financial institutions. Day to day business has been relatively unaffected but the area that gave the most cause for concern has arisen from exposures to risky financial instruments. â€Å"The Reactions Magazine’s Global Insurance Conference 2009† was held in Swissotel, Zurich, Switzerland. At this conference the financial services industry tried to re set itself following the worst crisis for years. (www. euromoneyseminars. com). Insurance is an established industry. Like other companies insurance is facing increased competition from global players. It has been difficult for insurers to accomplish profitable growth, so they need to improve this. They will need to adopt new advanced approaches to expand their distribution networks. This essay is divided into two sections. The first talks about the types of risks that are present in the global insurance industry. I will take each of these points and discuss them in detail: growth, governance and risk management, market reporting, mergers and acquisitions, human capital and lastly compliance and regulation. The second section looks at the opportunities that are available to the global insurance industry within the next twelve to twenty – four months. They include: disaster modelling, disaster planning, managing the industry’s reputation, grow globally, innovative products and delivery and Focus on readdressing product and distribution strategies. The insurance industry is always looking for new opportunities in different services and geographies. To take advantage of these opportunities insurance companies need to re-examine their strategies and be prepared to drive basic changes in the way they work. The primary function of insurance is to act as a risk transfer mechanism. The basic principle of insurance is that the losses of the few are paid by the many. Its underlying purpose is to provide protection against the risk of financial loss, thus giving peace of mind to the policyholders. † (www. peerpapers. com) Challenges are getting bigger for insurers as an increas e in pressure for bigger profit margins. This means taking a hard look at reducing costs and top line revenue growth. Making a profit is due to the ability to accurately assess risk and look after customer relationships over time in order to get financial success. I am going to look at the following six challenges. 1. 1 Growth After a spell of cost cutting and readjustment, insurers are again moving up a gear and trying to strive for managed growth. While growth is valued by investors, it is hard to find in the fairly mature insurance industry. To be successful in the future companies will need to create and design new products and services, cross – sell more effectively, strengthen their ties with brokers and agents and avail of any opportunities presented by emerging markets such as China and India. (www. pwc. com). Further demand for pensions and health insurance is likely to rise in the Western world as the population ages and lives to enjoy a longer retirement. Costs will remain critical however to meet the ever exacting demands of today’s customers is liable to be the main point of contention. There are new openings from the increasing wealth of customers in new markets e. g. China. As their insurance industry is one of the fastest growing in the world with GDP at 3. 2% and the end of December 2008, they stand far behind the global average of insurance industry which stands at 7%. www. lloyds. com) Saturation of insurance markets in the developed world has made the Indian market more attractive for international insurers according to â€Å"Booming Insurance Market in India (2008-2011)†. This is due to its huge population base and large untapped market. (www. newsblaze. com) 1. 2 Governance and Risk Management Natural calamities are another challenge facing the industry. Global warming has caused a change in weather patterns which have caused a shift in the underlying probability of insured loss by storms, floods, wind and heatwaves. Natural disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Rita whose losses amounted to $61. 5 billion (www. duncansadviceonmmoney. vox. com) These disasters posed some very serious problems for the insurance industry as they are faced by difficult and uncertain financial burdens because of this this has shown the importance of quality data and calibration of model outputs, effective validation and also the experience and initiation of the underwriter. Structures will have to be put in place to tackle the threat of climate change. The development of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) capabilities help to protect insurers from damages to their reputation and provide a platform for strengthening governance, decision making and compliance with regulations. Pricewaterhouse- Coopeus (ERM for the insurance industry) revealed that many insurers have difficulty implementing and enforcing ERM in the face of containing data, systems and governance challenges. Also found in this study were examples of how resourceful and efficient management and helping to overcome these hurdles and bring greater insight to the insurers ERM missions. www. pwc. com) 1. 3 Market Reporting Insurers are facing a major overhaul of market reporting. This contains the launch of the market Casistent Embedded Value Principle, a planned move to a finalised IFRS level for insurance contracts and the increased risk and capital management disclosure foreseen by EU Solvency II â€Å"Scheduled for implementation in 2012, it is a new regulatory regime de signed to provide a principles-based supervisory framework for European insurers and reinsures. Solvency II is a risk-based system and is being built to meet the challenges of rapidly developing financial markets. It will also bring an increased level of transparency and harmonisation to the sectorâ€Å". (www. towersperrin. com). These changes are likely to set a model for global disclosure for others to follow in relation to risk. The key elements , include the possible adoption of IFRS(International Financial Reporting Standards) in the US form 2014. Implementation of Solvency II and IFRS reporting will be demanding. The good news is that corresponding timings and basis of valuation could open up cost – savings in areas like data, modelling and reconciliation. These changes help to increase stakeholder confidence by enabling insurers to show a single view of their business that shows more clearly how it is run on the inside. A survey by (IFRS 2007) insurance states that companies will need to provide more risk information and explanation to meet the exacting expectations that have come about from market events. (www. pwc. com) 1. 4 Mergers and Acquisitions Although funding is a challenge from time to time. Mergers and Acquisitions is vital for business to expand complementary earnings streams, realise opportunities for cost saving synergies and reinforce their existence in fast increasing emerging markets. Emerging markets are underinsured and these present potential business for the insurance market. Within ten years China is expected to become a leader in the global insurance market, while India is set to double its digits in the growth rate. However, due to cultural conflicts and protectionism could stop growth in economies. In the near future, the insurance industry is liable to be a very active period for mergers and acquisitions. US insurance companies attractive evaluation will make it easier for insurers in the EU to infiltrate the US market. (www. pwc. com) 1. 5 Human Capital All organisations in the world realise the importance of people in the conduct of their business therefore the trend of classifying their employees as assets. The human resource management school of thought tends to focus on the enrichment of the knowledgeable worker in terms of its theory. Human resource planning should be part of the total resource planning equal to planning devoted to capital development and materials and equipment purposes. Many insurers are facing an skills shortage in their workforce. Training and development of staff is now on the agenda as a rule in all organisations. Improved productivity is expected to result in trained and motivated workers. The employee training programs are intended to provide them with more knowledge and skills so they can do their job to the best of their ability. Training is a visible pay-off and is seen immediately whereas development is future- orientated.. Lessons are being learnt on a continuous basis in the requirement of human capital in the new economy in comparison to the old economic labour force. M Morley et al 2004). This investment in recruitment and career development lags behind other financial sectors. They look at short term fixes rather than looking at the long term prospects. However, looking to the future demographic shifts accelerating globalisation look set to change the shape of the labour market and make it more difficult to attract and retain good peo ple. (www. pwc. com) 1. 6 Compliance and Regulation Growing regulatory demands are bringing increased problems to insurers. Solvency II is included to require a critical check of capital and risk management along with sustaining information and documentation. The EU Reinsurance Directive gives a standard system of regulation and mutual recognition across Europe. This includes an ease of the regulatory limitations on securitisation which could give way for a large increase in risk transfer to the capital markets. Also they give a new definition of reinsurance that will prevent several contracts. Insurers are also facing a ceiling on regulatory changes including anti-money laundering and harder conditions on consumer protection. A key challenge is to know how to include these requirements into â€Å"business as usual†. Enterprise wide risk management can assist in providing ways to do so. They can help by giving a greater understanding of the trade off between reward and risk which will result in a brighter capital allocation. (www. pwc. com) As I have discussed in the challenges previously opportunities in the next twelve to twenty-four months can be found by global expansion adopting the latest technologies to give better service delivery and provide services to meet the exacting requirements of the next generation of retirees. The insurance industry is in the process of undergoing transformation as a result of the following three factors : sector specific, macro and operational. Increased regulation requirements outsourcing, globalisation, new distribution channels, more modern IT systems and climate change are adding to the increased volatility in the insurance industry today and they are now positioning themselves to be successful in the future that requires many changes in the way they do their business. China is one of the fastest growing insurance industries in the globe. â€Å"China Insurance sector forecast 2013† is the outcome of much research and in – depth study of the insurance market in China. Between 2009 and 2013 it is expected to grow CAGR of 28% – 30%. Chinas insurance industry is already out of the financial crisis and is expected to make great headway in the coming years. In 2008, the industry grew in the fastest pace since 2002, due to the rising insurance awareness level and government support. Insurance products which include life, health, and personal accidents accounts for the majority of growth. Property insurance products are also growing rapidly and are basically divided into two segments â€Å"motor and commercial property insurance†. Non life insurance products i. e. that is product liability, credit and marine insurance etc. These will decide the long term viability of the non- life insurance market. 2. 1 Disaster Modelling The tragic impact of the Asian Tsunami, as well as the worst Japanese typoon in 2004 was the year of improbable disasters. As a result, this forces us to look at how we prepare for such risks. Hurricane forecasting began in the 1980's, forecasters have tried for many decades despite being unsuccessful to deliver accurate predictions, and landfall activities. Scientists of tropical storm risk in London announced that they had developed a new model which represents a major step forward.. (www. lloyds. om) Insurers also use models developed by companies e. g. Air Worldwide Corporation to predict the damages caused by storms so that insurers can forecast the payouts to be made. (www. informationweek. com). This reminds us of the importance of investing in scientific research to help our understanding of risk and its impact 2. 2 Disaster Planning Insurance and disaster planning are closely related as they both deal with the risk of the disaster happening and the after math. Due to the upward trend of catastrophe events we see the need for robust and effective disaster planning for the future. Part of the solution must be insurance markets and their regulators working together sharing their respective knowledge and expertise. By doing this, we can be sure that response procedures are well tested and run as smooth as possible for when the next disaster strikes. In terms of claim handling, lessons can be learnt. The shortage of adjustors on the ground and the mishandling of claims by some shows how important the relationship between the insurer, the adjustor and the regulator is. As the frequency and cost of disasters goes upwards it will be very important to have a relationship based on trust and flexibility. (www. lloyds. om) 2. 3 Managing the Industry's reputation Improving transparency and disclosure are two issues which are needed to manage and improve the industries reputation that has been rocked by high profile developments. For instance in the USA the New York State Attorney Generals investigation sparked very close scrutiny of the commercial insurance market. In th e minds of customers, commentators and regulators the financial service industry has been left with a very poor image, after the recent investigations. These investigations highlighted the lack of transparency and accountability that are expected of a 21st century business environment. These issues can no longer be ignored. In a survey, by Lloyds of a hundred underwriters, one third admitted that the industries reputation is tarnished. Transparency and disclosure as well as good communication appears to be the answer to those outside the industry globally. Basically more time communicating and building bridges with consumers, economic leaders and world politicians initially means less problems down the line. (www. lloyds. com) 2. 4 Grow Globally Sales in new markets or by new acquisitions insurance companies need to grow globally more than ever before. Growth in the European and American market is slowing down while growth in India and China is increasing. The aging population presents insurers with a dilemma. The industry has great difficulty in attracting and retaining talent than other sectors of the financial services industry.. This situation is going to get worse as there are more retirees and fewer graduates moving into the top jobs. There is also a loss of graduates to banking and other financial institutions. Concern is expressed about the career path from insurance company hire to insurance agent. If this problem is not addressed the industry’s sale force would diminish. By moving into the European and American markets, insurers can grow a less risky strategy rather than expanding into new product lines. Those who do go overseas have to look at the various business lines in different markets. Chinas middle class and aging population with long term care and security needed make it a very viable option for foreign insurance companies. By 2010 China will be a major player on the insurance market. The same is also said of India. (www. rmislab. com) 2. 5 Innovate Products and delivery Innovation is seen as the main driver of profit over the next three and five years both in delivery and product innovation. By building relationships with customers moving them for example form car insurance to other insurances as they become asset rich. By providing better service and delivery insurers can strengthen their customer base. Technology can strengthen relationships with intermediaries which helps them run more efficiently and reduce their running costs. Insurers must look to cut cost they can do this by cost reduction initiatives like outsourcing and use of shared services, rationalizing product portfolios . Companies need original approaches and to continue to invest in this very complicated environment. (www. rmislab. com). â€Å"In 2007, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co introduced a variety of enhancements to its variable annuities including an expanded choice of â€Å"living benefits† and the upbundling of optional income and death benefits† (www. deloitte. com) 2. 6 Focus on readdressing product and Distribution Strategies As the economy continues to even out, insurers need to evaluate their decisions and distribution channels. These decisions are vital in assisting insurers rebuild capital as well as positioning themselves for future growth. (www. ey. com). Insurance companies that sell directly through call centres, internet and direct mail have been performing better and this is due to lower costs because of their economies of scale and strong internet capabilities. Compared to independent insurance agents who lack these advantages have been put under pressure they require support and further development. Insurers need to find ways to work more effectively across product lines e. . give a customer packages that reward him/her for being a good driver. (www. deloitte. com) Conclusion In my findings I have found that the insurance industry has survived the financial crisis much better in comparison to the banking sector. This is due to its strong focus on risk management and long term prospects. Even though capital markets have decreased downwards their insurance assets, insurers are optimistic about the fu ture and some are expecting an improvement in prospects in mergers and acquisition over the next twelve to twenty – four months. The global insurance industry faces many challenges but despite these that they are being faced with the majority of insurers must move into fast growing markets i. e. India and China or find new innovative ways to get more businesses out of slower growing developed markets. China with its huge population is an obvious choice while the latter options include diversification, new products and speciality products. Insurers need to improve their risk management especially in the areas of disaster modelling and managing the industries reputation as it is vital to have a tarnished free reputation. Finally insurers need to work effectively and efficiently to develop and market a range of products aimed at older customers. In this intensely competitive market, employers will need to develop an excellent human resource management capable of responding to business needs and the workforce expectations. They will need to be able to identify and realise opportunities for career development prospects and other key areas of their employment. (www. pwc. com) With this knowledge insurers will be able to position their business models to optimize investment returns and control operations using the most effective and efficient methods available.

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