Serial Killers Are Defined As Those Whocommitstake The

Serial killers are defined as those who commits take the lives of 3 people in over a period of a month. Most serial killers commit murder for some sort of psychological beneift. Serial killers vary in many ways, some serial killers have patterns, some have motives, some are organized and other are disorganized. Richard â€Å"The Ice Man† Leonard Kuklinski, Aileen Wuornos, and Charles Cullen are three specific serial killers who all had different motives for taking the lives of many innocent people. Richard The Iceman Leonard Kuklinski was born in in April of 1953. Anna McNally, Kuklinkis mother was a catholic who worked at the church. His father Stanley was a violent alcoholic, that beat Kuklinksi and his sib siblings daily Kuklinski†¦show more content†¦He often killed people who were loud and obnoxious and reminded him of his father. While committing murder, he often imagined killing his father. Murder became an occupation of the Kolinski. Murder became the way he provided for his family. Kuklinski killed within his own community. If someone rubbed him the wrong way, for some imaginary or tremendously slight reason he would shoot, stab the man to death. Kuklinski admits in his interview enjoyed the challenge the most, and the physically murder was second. He enjoyed stalking, and pulling off the murder. He got a rise of empowerment (Kuklinski, n.d). At the young age of 14, Kuklinski joined a neighborhood gang. Kuklinski was bullied, by a young boy named Charley L ane. Kuklinski beat Charley Lane to death with a thick wooden dowel. Lanes body was never found, Kuklinski dumped the body off a bridge. Kuklinski dismembered the body to prevent identification by taking out his teach and chopping off the fingertips of his victim. He began his killing spree by being a hit man for the mafia. Kuklinski had earned his street reputation as an hotheaded person who would severely harm or kill anyone who got in his way.. His reputation eventually attracted the attention of the Newark s DeCavalcante crime family, where he took care of their business by killing or harming people for a paid living. Shortly after Kuklinski began raiding Hell s Kitchen searching for victims,

Is Mass Media Harming our Society Essay - 612 Words

In todays society, mass media, including television, radio, and newspaper or magazines have become very dependable sources to so many people. People spend many hours everyday reading about celebrities in the tabloids, watching biased news channels, or participating in violent video games. Even though most media is highly entertaining, people have become so reliant on media that we seem to be harming our community in a very negative fashion. Mass media works as a socializing factor and affects the way we view the world and how we interact with other people. However, the messages that are seen in most of the magazines these days are negative images, especially for the youth of the world. For example, on the front page of popular magazines†¦show more content†¦I read that an average person spends more time watching TV in high school than they do actually sitting in class learning (Alexander and Hanson, 1999). As a community we have put too much emphasis on the importance of TV and the internet that students think that watching the latest shows is more important than taking the time to educate themselves on topics that might actually benefit him or her. Media has the ability to alter opinions, especially on vulnerable minds. The media also is known for making horrible topics seem glamorous and packaging horrifying topics such as war and killing as glorious entertainment (Lifestyle Lounge: Society). Television is the most influencial invention since the twentieth century and has had more impact of the minds of many people than newspaper and internet. By watching an action pact movie about killings and violence, a young mind can grow a new opinion that killing someone is not that big of a deal because his favorite movie star did it without thinking twice about it. Furthermore, the advertisements we see strung up all over the highways and on the radio teach us mixed signals towards what it right and what is wrong. There are alcohol Ads next to an anorexic gir l modeling clothes next to a fast food Ad talking about how cheap and delicious there food is. There are many better solutionsShow MoreRelated Media Stereotyping of Men and Women Essay951 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout society, men and women have been expected to live by guidelines consisting of media generated ideas and ways of living out life. Both men and women’s thinking process are being altered the negative effects of society’s mass media. For both sexes, this repeating negative exposure causes a constant downfall in self-image and creates media influenced decisions that lead to unhealthy lifestyles. The media effects the thinking process of both men and women in negative ways therefore media needsRead MoreMass Media And Its Effects On Society1633 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen ideas and mass media in which we have access to, there is small changes in which The United States as a whole has been affected. There have been many discussions on how social media has play ed a part on American culture as we are becoming more reliant on computers and technology as well as we have in communicating. Social media and mass media has an affect modern society as technology has grown, so will its effects on people. Mass media and social media are, one social media is where anyoneRead MoreThe Media Has Destroyed Teenage Girl’s Self Confidence913 Words   |  4 PagesIn today’s society, body image among teenage girls is becoming a bigger issue than ever before. The mass media which includes, television, movies, magazines and the Internet is associated with negative body image and is affecting teens. In â€Å"How the Media Keeps us Hung up on Body Image† by Shari Graydon, she argues that the mass media is very powerful in convincing teenagers that they need to be thin in order to be accepted in society. Graydon, also takes a stance by explaining how the standardsRead MoreEssay on War Against Boys in Society1566 Words   |  7 PagesWar Against Boys in Society It is a bad time to be a boy in America. As the new millennium began, the defining event for American girls was the triumph of the U.S. women’s soccer team. For boys, the major event was the mass killing at Columbine High School. It would seem that boys in our society face great difficulties and risks as they grow up. Yet the best-known studies and the academic experts are telling us that it is girls who are suffering from a decline in self-esteem. The expertsRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Society s Actions, Personalities, And Beliefs Essay1476 Words   |  6 PagesComposition Per. 3 November 19 2015 Media in Our World The media today is one of the greatest influences on society’s actions, personalities, and beliefs. The Society conducts their lives to the point where they are just living a life that media has created for them. Sometimes this influence is taken into consideration to deeply and starts to harm society. The image of a woman in today’s society as portrayed by the media are one that is almost artificial. Mass media have come to develop this idea thatRead MoreTechnology And Technology Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pagestechnological advances from the 1975 mass-producing Altair 800 computer to the growth of personal computing thirty years later. He acknowledges that in 2009, the changes in telephonic communications and cellular telephone use grew to a staggering rate (Levy 287). As innovative and as exciting as the changes were, cell phones have created a number of problems for users, especially among young users. The obsession with electronic devices has harmed, distracted, a nd disconnected our youth. Cyberbullying andRead MorePower of Media2736 Words   |  11 PagesPOWER OF MEDIA INTRODUCTION The media reaches over a 100 million people a day. Due to its tremendous audience and the impact it has, the media has been able to change public opinion, American policy, and even American history. The medias powerful influence can be seen through its portrayal of major events like the Vietnam War, The Spanish-American War, Watergate and several others. Through the years the role of media in publish affairs has changed as its influence has grown. TheRead MoreUnrealistic Body Images Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesBeauty is in the eye of the beholder. In our society today, people would rather see what celebrities are up to than what is going on with our health plan. Watching the news makes us aware of the latest trend, new gadget, who’s in rehab, or who has an eating disorder. In the eyes of society, women like Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian, and Megan Fox are the epitome of perfection. What girl wouldn’t want to look like them? Unfortunately, this include s most of the girls in the US. Through TV shows, commercialsRead MoreThe Right to Bear Arms790 Words   |  4 PagesOur founding father gave American citizens the right to bear arms, but was that the best idea or was it even the safest idea? Many Americans today own a gun and the majority use their gun in a safe manner. However, when the gun was first invented, it was intended to kill whether that be hunting, self-defense, or in battle. The gun is still to this day intended to kill and will always hold that purpose. Americans were given the right to bear arms in a time of need during the end of the revolutionaryRead MoreCyber Bullying And Social Media1110 Words   |  5 Pagestoday s world Social Media is playing a key role on how youth interact and mature. Just a generation ago, the average person didn’t have internet and computers were not common (Social Media Bullying, 2014). Fast forward to the present day and it has become less common for a person to not have a compute rised device in their palm or pocket. With the ease of access to a social world comes upsides and downsides to the way our society has shifted and evolved. The mass use of media allows individuals to

Essay Week Free Essays

At the same time it has to do with the way in which the individual reaches those needs. The action taken to reach the needs, goals, should be according to specific guidelines, thus rules. Those rules are culturally and historically defined. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Week or any similar topic only for you Order Now These rules state the actions that are allowed for the individual to take in order to reach his or her goal, but also state the actions that are â€Å"not-done†. For example driving a car can be rational and not rational depending on the way one drives the car. On a certain highway the speed limit Is km/h. If someone drives faster than 100 km/h then he or she will get a speeding ticket. If one drives 100 km/h then the driving Is rational because It Is according to the rules and one drives with the goal of not getting a speeding ticket. If one decides to drive km,’h it is not rational anymore because the driving is not done according to the rules even though one can have a goal of getting to the destination faster. This definition of rationality is not to be confused with the rational choice theory. Rational choice theory uses a specific and narrower definition of â€Å"rationality† simply to mean that an individual acts as if balancing costs against benefits to arrive at action that maximizes personal advantage. † (â€Å"Rational choice theory,† 2014) This means that according to the rational choice theory an action is rational If It Is the best action. An action Is the best action If one checks all the options one has and then comes to the conclusion that th is action gives me the most benefits for the least amounts of costs. For example if one has the choice beet;en going outside in the winter with a coat or without, the benefits of going outside with the coat outweigh that of going outside without the coat. One would in this case choose to go outside with the coat according to the rational choice theory. As I mentioned before rationality consists of goals and rules. Every individual or organization can choose which goals he or she wants to achieve. The rules on the other hand are not something which is exclusively the matter of an individual or single organization. The rules are imposed on Individuals or organizations by the society around them. The society decides what the rules are based on assembling. â€Å"Assembling Is the ongoing retrospective development of plausible Images that rationalize what people are doing. † (College, 2011, p. 63) them. This interpretation differs between different cultures, and even between efferent individuals in one culture. This perceiving and interpreting of the world is an ongoing process, it happens all the time. It is retrospective, meaning that we review the sense that we made of what happened. So we sense what we sensed with new data. It is plausible because it is never perfect, but rather good enough for the things we sense and people that sense it. It is an image because we try to represent the thing that we sense in the form of models, plans or mental maps. Because sneaking is different for different people, the rules that come out of this sneaking is also different. This in turn results in different rationalities, because the rules that are used are different. As suggested in the book there could be different rationalities at play at the same time in an organization. For example the finance department can have as a rationality to be completely honest about the financial state of the organization. At the same time the finance department can have as a rationality to give a positive financial state of an organization. Those two rationalities can in times of financial setbacks collide with each other. Another example can be found with the employees. The first rationality of the employee could e to earn as much money as possible. At the same time the employee can have as a second rationality to work as less as possible. How to cite Essay Week, Essays

Advertisement Analysis Essay Example For Students

Advertisement Analysis Essay What is media? Media is anything that gives ideas to the public. It also gives everyone information about what is happening in the world. For example books. Some national geographic books tell the society about things. For example a book can tell us about pollution. Some books can even tell us about ancient civilization. I have a book that talks about the earth. There even is a Disney animated movie called earth. Other examples of media are television, newspapers, radios, billboards and computers. What are advertisements? Advertisements are forms of communication showed to the public. They try to persuade the public into buying a product. Advertisements can be found in newspapers, posters or broadcasts. Why is it important for advertisements to be persuasive? It is important because if the advertisements are not persuasive then no one will buy the product. If no one buys the product then the company will have no money. If the company has no money then it will be in financial difficulties. Basically media tells the public about the world and advertisements sell products. Also advertis. Some people might think the language is ridiculous and inappropriate. Most young people would find this ad very natural to them. I am not saying that old people wouldnt like this ad, but some of them might not get it or understand the humor of the ad. It all depends what your definition of humor is. The audience is mainly designed for younger people. I can conclude this by seeing that all the people in cabin are young, maybe in there 20s. Also they could be snowboarding and not a lot of old people snowboard. So this ad is mainly to attract the younger folks. The design of this is pretty thought out. The whole logo is in red, and the ad is in black and white so they try to catch your attention by doing that. You turn the page in the magazine and all of sudden you see take off your pants and stay a while you probably are going to see what the ad is all about. I think its smart advertising that they have the main logo in red and the alcohol colored but the background in black and white. The captain is also smiling and everybody is having a good time so you think to yourself I guess this alcohol makes you have a good time. I would rate this ad out of a 10 probably an 8 because it really catches my attention but also I think they were trying way to hard to do it and that made it really obvious. Otherwise its a nice ad and a pretty good way of advertising. Bibliography: .

Nuclear Energy Essays (5013 words) - Nuclear Technology, Actinides

Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy You are watching the control panels and gages for rector two. Sitting comely you think about how easy your job is. It is a joke! All day you sit around and watch the gages for reactor number two just to make sure they maintain their settings. You don't even need to look at the gages either because a computer automatically regulates them without you. Life is so good. Suddenly all the sirens go of and the gages and displays spin wildly in every direction. The ground shakes and you can hear the sound of a deep rumble. Unknown to you, the reactor's cooling pumps have failed to cool the reactor's core and in 3 seconds the temperature went from 280 degrees centigrade to 4,000 degrees centigrade. The water that was in the reactor is instantly turned to steam which creates tremendous amount of pressure in the reactor core. Above the reactor core there is a 5 foot thick lead plate and above that there is a meter thick floor composed of iron, barium, serpentine, concrete, and stone. The explod ing steam fires the floor up like shrapnel. The metal plate goes through the four foot thick concrete roof like butter and reaches and altitude of sixty meters. You can hear ripping, rending, wrenching, screeching, scraping, tearing sounds of a vast machine breaking apart. L. Ray Silver, a leading author who covered the disaster at Chernobyl, said that within the core, steam reacts with zirconium to produce that first explosive in nature's arsenal, hydrogen. Near-molten fuel fragments shatter nearly incandescent graphite, torching chunks of it, exploding the hydrogen. The explosion breaks every pipe in the building rocking it with such power that the building is split into sections (11-13). You look down at your body and notice that it feels hot and your hands look different. Unknown to you a tremendous amount of neutrons are hitting your cells and taking chucks out of your skin. Suddenly everything goes black. The paragraph above describes the scene of what happened at Chernobyl nuclear plant a few years ago. From that time until the present many other smaller accidents have happened. From these accidents many people have died and millions have been indirectly affected. Nuclear energy has far to many negative problems than advantages. From the mining of uranium to disposal of nuclear waist there are problems of such magnitude that no scientist on this earth has an answer for. Nuclear energy has so many problems associated to it that it should be banned from the earth. To understand the threat of nuclear energy we must first understand what happens in a nuclear reaction. Ann E. Weiss, who has written several books on the subject of nuclear energy, described what happens inside a nuclear power plant. In a nuclear reaction the nuclei of its atoms split, producing energy in the form of heat. The heat makes steam which powers a turbine. Fission takes place in a nuclear reactor. The fuel used is pellets of uranium. In a modern reactor, half-inch long pellets of uranium are packed into 12 or 14 foot tubes made of an alloy of the metal zirconium. About 50,000 zircalloy fuel rods make up the reaction core. To control a nuclear reaction control rods made of cadmium is used which absorbs neutrons. With the control rods in place in the core, a chain reaction cannot begin. When the plant operators want to start the chain reaction they activate machinery that pulls the control rods away from the core. Once this is done a single free neutron is enough to set off the reaction. As the reaction continues, a moderator slows the neutrons down enough to ensure that they will continually split more uranium atoms. At the same time, the moderator acts as a coolant. It keep the overall temperature about 300 degrees Celsius. Since the temperature at spots inside the fuel rods may be as high as 1,100 degrees Celsius, enormous amounts of coolant are continually needed to keep the core temperature at the proper level. When the plant must be must be shut down the control rods are lowered all the way back into the core. That brings the chain reaction to

Yerma by Federico Lorca Essays

Yerma by Federico Lorca Essays Yerma by Federico Lorca Essay Yerma by Federico Lorca Essay Essay Topic: Play Yerma by Federico Lorca has been described by critics as One of the modern pinnacles of modern poetic drama that realises unknown aspirations and yearnings. To create these definitive themes truly anchored in the depths of the play the dreams desires and more importantly cravings have to be accentuated through lighting, set design, props, and most importantly the creation by the actors on stage. This essay discusses the approaches I intend to take to create the relevant atmospheres and themes to draw out the crucial themes and imagery. The opening scene is very specific to the stage directions but there are certain changes I would adopt. In exchange for a strange dreamlike light I would have a bright accusing light, and in particularly a spotlight of a different colour on Yerma to symbolise her difference from everyone else, in her inability to conform to the Spanish familiar lifestyle, making her an indirect and an unwilling revolutionary. The bright light would shine on Yerma whilst the rest of the stage would be lit gentler, again, highlighting her individual difference and her break away from normality. The lights should be dusky shades of reds and oranges (dry, barren and earth tones) in the background, symbolising a long landscape of barrenness, the idea of eternal dryness and nothing. The spotlight on Yerma would be a bright white light, symbolising her own fertility and her own desires, but the spotlight acting as a barrier and preventing her from escaping the eternal prison of her own cravings, and the taunt of the life outside still a continual dry existence. Though the spotlight would dim, I would like to hold a spotlight on her throughout the whole of the first scene to symbolise her mental prison, and her enclosed thoughts that yearn for children, which would occasionally get brighter in moment of womanly desires or direct relation to her fertility. I would keep the shepherds entrance with the child, as a symbolism of the theme of children, and the Shepard to present the era of the play. The stage itself would be set in the country side. There would be a stunted and under grown tree stretching up towards the sun, as if to reach for nutrients, a true reflection of Yermas pleas to witchcraft and her God to impregnate her. A dusty track would lead out into the distance of the set to show the eternal and monotonous lifestyle of the Spanish culture, the idea you follow one particular path and one particular routine till you die. It can also be used to express the strength of the barrenness, the lack of anything that could aid Yerma or women in Spanish society. Marius Romero staged a successful performance of Yerma in London and insisted that two necessary parts of the set was a pool of water to reinforce the contrast between purification and regeneration. The water is a symbol of a truly natural and earthy source, which would be positioned away from Yerma, as a taunt and a trick to show her unnatural inability to produce children. The other key area was a popular building in previous centuries called stark buildings. These are exceedingly inaccessible buildings, with little chance for entrance of escape and can be spotted in some of Dalis work. This would symbolise the oppression of woman in Spanish society, and the idea that everyday life could not touch them, in these cold dark prisons which usually took the form of their homes. The general colours of the set would be oranges and yellows, dry colours posing as warm and comforting, but really a true symbolism of Yermas eternal despair. Apart from the tree and the pool of water and Yermas sewing basket which she would keep as a symbol of her position in society, the rest of the stage would be bare as yet another accentuation of the theme of barren that constantly runs significantly throughout the play. At the very opening instead of just having the clock strike, I would have a slow monotonous continual ticking throughout the Shepards and childs time on stage. Coinciding with that I would have the sounds of a group of children playing, shouting and running quietly in the background. As the child touched Yerma that clock would begin to tick louder and quicker, and the childrens voices would rise in a steep crescendo. The clock is used as an important symbol of a womans bodily clock, menstrual cycle and Yermas personal lack of time. The pace would quicken to symbolise that her time was running out, then the whole noise would reach a peak and stop extremely suddenly and abruptly to emphasise Yermas swift drop back from her subconscious being splayed through her dream, to her desperate reality. I would adapt the song being sung offstage to having a child singing it standing directly in front of her, that she just sees through, as a symbolism of her greatest craving being directly in front of her, perhaps if she was not so faithful to Juan. The mood starts unsteadily and eerily, the expression of Yermas desire is at one of its peak moments, as her subconscious interferes into her dreams, crossing over from reality. On stage I would have the actress having a reaction to more of a nightmare, sharp, quick tortured movements that disturb her, and display the idea of her craving being so much to the extreme that it is physical pain. The dialogue and mood drops into a domesticated routine between what at first appearances could be misconceived as a happy and considerate partnership between man and wife. As Yerma broaches the subject of children, I would have the lights slightly dimmed and tinted with red as a symbolism of a dangerous subject. I would have Juan turning away, occupying himself with a pointless activity with a mixed expression of misery and anger. The mood would rise into high tension as these two stubborn characters face a head on collision, the looks that pass between them of irritation and Yermas over exaggerated affection towards Juan would appear false and forced, symbolising a marriage in crisis. When Yerma meets Maria the mood changes into a whole new sheet of emotions. Admiration and fierce stabs of jealousy swamp Yerma at the news Maria is expecting a baby. Her fascination manages to override her bitterness, and this would be shown by a lot of physical contact with Maria in an attempt to closen herself to the baby she craves as her own. She is directed to act queasy and faintly, to emphasise the growth of her cravings, as they extend out of her control. On stage, the actress would turn away from Maria, appearing physically ill. For this sector I would have the lights tinted with green as the stereotypical colour of jealousy, and the children noises of play repeated softly in the background as a taunt to Yerma. The mood then changes drastically again into a high level of unspoken sexual tension between Yerma and Victor as Yerma recognises a companion and a soul mate in Victor, at his agreement of the need of a child. The air takes on a dangerous and forbidden sense that I would have the actors edging uncomfortably away from each other, avoiding standing too close, looks being held longer than necessary and Juans nervous conversation may hold a stutter as if to hold back what he truly wants to say. The lights would be pink to accentuate the unspoken passion and the continual spotlight on Yerma would brighten significantly, to symbolise her womanliness and desperate fertility. In 1936 Lorca is quoted in saying Theatre is poetry that rises from the book and becomes human enough to talk and shout, weep and despair. Poetry and song are main focuses in the opening scene and Lorca got his inspiration from traditional Spanish songs and narrative Ballads. The scenes first dialogue takes the form of a song, which gives the impression of a nursery rhyme. The use of Nana gives the idea of a child speaking it, and the song should be sung using a child like voice and developed into a chant so it holds an edge of mocking to taunt Yerma. Yermas first song holds a large amount of imagery that relates directly to childbirth and fertility. For example Let the fountains leap, and the river run. This is another reference to water and its neutrality and the expected and natural flow of a river. Before she sings she is directed to stroke her stomach, this is an accurate stage direction as it allows the audience to visibly see the strength of her cravings and the stretch of her imagination that allows her to fall just before the brink of insanity. I would direct Yerma to sing the song directly to the unborn child she is stroking and perhaps hug herself as if she is in on her own private secret. I would wish her to display the characteristics of a truly pregnant woman, to emphasise the fact that her subconscious could force Yerma into the idea that she is really pregnant. The song gives an air of fantasy and hysteria to the play, and provides an insight into Yermas capabilities in her imagination. At the closing of the scene Yerma repeats a verse from the original song, as Victor has just refreshed her desire for a real family, as her subconscious reacts to Victors presence. We see Yerma being physically affected by her dazed movements and appearance at the end of the scene, her fixation into space may be her visualising her dream of children and subconsciously, Victor. Throughout the songs the spotlight would brighten, due to the direct links to fertility. The moods are much defined throughout the opening scenes and changes smoothly, with the songs acting as mood shifter so any atmosphere can be created between dialogues. In conclusion the main moods that I would aim to direct across significantly are desperation, unwilling, insanity and jealousy. The clearly defined sectors of the scene allow the use of colour in lighting as a symbol of the particular message being portrayed. The scene has themes firmly indented which need to be portrayed through acting skills in particular, other wise the whole objective and meaning of the play is lost. Lorca was quoted to say A poet must be a professor of the five bodily senses and as Yerma has been described as A tragic poem in three acts and six scenes I believe Lorca wanted the audience to have to use all their senses too, and for the creation on stage to enable the audience to do that.

Autonomy in Death Essay Example for Free

Autonomy in Death Essay Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial topic with only a few states having legalized it; however, many groups are advocating for its approval. Physician-assisted suicide has ethical limitations that only allow a doctor to prescribe, not administer, a lethal dose of medication for a patient who has been deemed terminally ill with less than six months to live by two physicians. The prescription allows the patient to choose both the timing and setting of death and the physician’s only role is provision of medication. This gifts patients with autonomy in their death and relieves the doctor of any moral burden in participation with death keeping this action an ethical practice. Oregon was the first of few states to have legalized physician-assisted suicide but I would like to argue its potential advantages to the entire United States. Ball (2010) said, â€Å"In Oregon — the one state in the U.S. where assisted suicide is legal – doctors are allowed to help only state residents who are expected to die within six months† (p.1). Giving terminally ill patients the power to choose a peaceful death demonstrates empathy toward the ill patients and their families. Terminally ill patients without this empowerment face the difficult choice of using limited resources to end their lives if not given the legal freedom to choose how and when they die. The Code of Ethics for Nurses provision 1.4 is the right to self-determination and it states that Respect for human dignity requires the recognition of specific patient rights, particularly, the right to self-determination. Self-determination, also known as autonomy, is the philosophical basis for informed consent in health care. Patients have the moral and legal right to determine what will be done with their own person; to be given accurate, complete, and understandable information in a manner that facilitates an informed judgment; to be assisted with weighing the benefits, burdens, and available options in their treatment; to accept, refuse, or terminate treatment without deceit, undue influence, duress, coercion, or penalty; and to be given necessary support throughout the decision-making and treat ment process. Such support would include the opportunity to make decisions with family and significant others and the provision of advice and support from knowledgeable nurses and other health professionals. Patient should be involved in planning their own health care to the extent they are able to choose to participate (American nurses association, 2001, p.148). Giving this added right to chose physician assisted suicide allows patients the autonomy described in the Nursing Code of Ethics. The purpose of this paper is to argue that physician-assisted suicide is ethical and beneficial because it allows for patient autonomy. â€Å"I would argue that by denying terminally ill people recourse to death with dignity via physician prescribed medication, they are inflicting their own brand of coercion and abuse. The concept of a â€Å"merciful death† needs to be part of this discussion. It is a sad commentary that our society responds to our pets’ terminal suffering more humanely than to our fellow human beings’ end-of-life struggles†(â€Å"Death is best approached†, 2012, p. 1). Many feel that denying patients the right to choose is not advocating for their b est interest and is a form of abuse. We wouldn’t leave our ill family pet alive to suffer so why wouldn’t we consider letting our loved ones put themselves out of their misery in a peaceful way? The entire point is to give the public a choice. It would still be up to each individual to decide whether or not to exercise that right if their physician deemed their situation appropriate. The Code of Ethics for Nurses says that â€Å"Respect for human dignity requires the recognition of specific patient rights, particularly, the right of self-determination† (American nurses association, 2001, p.148). This statement implies that the patient should have the right to make end of life decisions on their own. When terminal patients are in pain and suffering, they may not have the strength or will to fight any longer. It is cruel to prolong a patient’s pain and suffering and deny their autonomy to make the decision of having a peaceful death. Also, it can be argued that when patients have their mind set on ending their lives, they tend to follow through on their own even if their physician cannot assist them. This may lead to a more traumatic death and a scene that can be quite traumatizing for the family member or friend who finds their loved one’s remains. The alternative is a prescribed medicine that the patient may take home, choosing the preferred place to die, to allow the patient to die peacefully without sustaining disfiguring injuries thus allowing them a more dignified burial if the family chooses to view the body one last time. However, in most of the United States, physician-assisted suicide is still illegal so very few Americans are afforded the right to choose to end their life when they are terminally ill. Because physician assisted suicide was brought to the public’s attention as an option by the unconventional tactics of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the idea of legalizing this was tainted from the beginning, making many states hesitant to allow assisted suicide. Miller (2011) notes that â€Å"Jack Kevorkian rose to national prominence as â€Å"Dr. Death,† a physician who insisted that sometimes a doctor’s first duty to his patient was to help him die. The retired pathologist, who became an assisted suicide advocate claiming to have had a hand in 130 deaths in the 1990s, helped spark a national debate over euthanasia† (p. A5). Jack Kevorkian’s tactics were questionable because he publicized the deaths of elderly, disabled, and terminally-ill patients using inhaled carbon dioxi de or using his self-made suicide machine. Although the patients had asked for Dr. Kevorkian’s assistance to end their suffering by assisting in their suicide, he received a lot of negative attention because he publicized his assistance in this process by encouraging CBS to broadcast a video of himself injecting a cocktail of lethal drugs into a patient suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease (Miller, 2011). After much backlash from the public over the fact that he actually injected patients with lethal drugs, he developed a suicide machine which allowed the patient to press a button that caused the machine to administer a mixture of sodium pentothal and potassium chloride which was first used on Janet Adkins, a 54 year old sufferer of Alzheimer’s disease (Miller, 2011). â€Å"The last thing Janet Adkins said was, ‘You just make my case known,'† Dr. Kevorkian told the Associated Press† (Miller, 2011, p. A5). Although his tactics were extreme and caused a lot of public controversy, his patie nts wanted to end their suffering and his actions caused others to advocate for ethical standards to be put into place for legal physician assisted suicide while at the same time completely turning others away from the concept of legalizing euthanasia. Dr. Goodwin, a general practitioner, said he began advocating for the right to help terminally ill people die after listening to his patients (Miller, 2012). â€Å"They want autonomy at this time, to be allowed to die at home with the comfort and support of their families,† Dr. Goodwin said in a 2001 interview (Miller, 2012, p. 1). Because of the extreme tactics used by Jack Kevorkian, who initiated the debate on legalizing euthanasia, many people view those who advocate for the client’s right of physician assisted suicide as cruel or lacking in empathy for patient and families. However, â€Å"Peter Goodwin, a family physician who wrote and campaigned for Oregon’s right-to-die law in the 1990s, died after taking a cocktail of lethal drugs prescribed by his doctor, as allowed under the legislation he championed. Dr. Goodwin, 83 years old, had been diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease and had been given less than six m onths to live.†(Miller, 2012, p. 1). Dr. Goodwin believed in a patient’s autonomy in death so much that he chose to exercise his own rights in the same fashion in order to end his own suffering. In an interview with the Oregonian, the local newspaper in Oregon, Dr. Goodwin said that his health was deteriorating and he would soon end his life. â€Å"His family gathered to bid him farewell. ‘The situation needs thought, it doesn’t need hope,’ he said. ‘Hope is too ephemeral at that time’†(Miller, 2012, p. 1). This clearly articulates the feelings of a terminally ill man towards the importance of autonomy in concern of his own death. â€Å"End-of-life decisions are not arbitrary or impulsive. Why shouldn’t a person choose to end his or her life with dignity if it is obvious that all options for leading any kind of meaningful life are non-existent? I would think any modicum of compassion would respect such a momentous, personal decision. Suffering, physical and mental, and the anguish it causes should produce empathy for the patient’s wishes and desires, even if they run counter to our own sense of rectitude. It is not about us. It’s about the patient’s right of autonomy. We need to understand that it is ultimately his or her decision to make, not ours†(Death is best approached, 2012, p. 1). In this statement, an unknown author expressed the utmost sympathy for those suffering from terminal illness. Physician assisted suicide is ethical as it demonstrates compassion and empathy towards someone else’s pain, suffering, and rights. There is nothing cruel about autonomy over the decision to die. These kinds of laws need to be considered using a deep emotional understanding of the terminally ill’s feelings and problems. Other countries have legalized euthanasia and have less restrictive laws which allow them to provide services for foreigners. Because of this, if all United States citizens aren’t granted the autonomy they desire in their own country they will still be able to get the results they so desperately want but the outcome may be more painful to family members whose loved ones would end up dying in other countries and in less desirable conditions. Mr. Minelli, who is head of Dignitas, a Swiss company that provides euthanasia services only to foreigners, said that â€Å"a memory of his seriously ill grandmother’s pleading in vain with her doctor to help her die left him with a particular interest in Switzerland’s growing right-to-die movement, and he joined one of the main groups. In 1998, he quit to found Dignitas†(Ball, 2010, p. 2). In 2008, his neighbors’ complaints forced Dignitas out of his rented apartment that he had been using to conduct the assisted suicides and Zurich city officials refused permission for a new venue. In response to this Mr. Minelli organized suicides in cars, a hotel room, industrial sites, and his own home which drew the attention of local officials. â€Å"Someone who is used to a five-star hotel can’t come to Dignitas and expect the same,† says Mr. Minelli†(Ball, 2010, p. 2). Is it really beneficial to force terminally ill patients into a foreign country to a harsh environment to grant them the freedom to end their own lives? If terminally ill patients really want a physician assisted suicide, they will find another setting in which they can achieve one but allowing patients to have one in their own country optimizes the setting and allows for more family support near the time of death. It also saves the family the trouble of getting the body of a loved one from a foreign country after the time of death and allows the family to begin funeral arrangements sooner so that they can go through the stages of grieving that they need to in order to move forward with their own lives. This act of ending the life sooner also spares the family the pain of watching their loved one suffer longer than they want to. Another benefit to approving physician assisted suicide is that just know that the option is available can be therapeutic for terminal patients. â€Å"Mr. Minelli argues that making assisted suicide available removes a taboo around suicide, helping people who want to kill themselves open a dialogue and seek help. About 70% of people who get the green light from Dignitas for an assisted suicide never contact the group again, proving the palliative effect of knowing help is available, he says†(Ball, 2010, p. 2). This clearly proves that just knowing that euthanasia is an option is enough to help patients carry on with terminal illness. Even if a patient chooses never to exercise the right to a physician assisted suicide, the knowledge that they have an option for a way out of their suffering is comforting in itself. Craig Ewert was a retired university professor who suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He decided to end his life because he wanted to make this decision before he lost the ability to decide his own fate, overcoming the resistance of his doctors (Ball, 2010). â€Å"When you’re completely paralyzed and can’t talk, how do you let someone know you are suffering?† he told a television interviewer before his death in September 2006. â€Å"This could be a complete and utter hell† (Ball, 2010, p. 3). Mr and Mrs. Ewerts were from the U.K. but they traveled to Switzerland and chose Mr. Minelli’s group, Dignitas, because it accepts foreigners. Mrs. Ewert said that had she not been able to travel to get her husband the assisted suicide services that he desired she may have been forced to help her husband die and she worried that she wouldn’t have known exactly what to do (Ball, 2010). She defended Mr. Minelli saying â€Å"Sure, there have to be some protections for people, but I think we’re going way beyond what there needs to be, I admire Minelli for being willing to take the heat† (Ball, 2010, p. 3). Because Craig Ewert was allowed to make his own decision to die, his wife was spared the pressure that he may have put on her to help him end his life. Furthermore, had he been denied the right to make his own decision and his wife Mary had been coerced to help him commit suicide, there would have been extreme emotional and possibly even legal consequences to her action despite the fact that it was her husband’s wish. This is a situation that may Americans are also threatened with because physician assisted suicide is illegal in most of the country. All United States citizens should be afforded the right to choose a physician assisted suicide if they have been deemed terminally ill because this freedom shows compassion and empathy towards the patient’s suffering. If patients aren’t allowed to legally choose death here, they may travel to another country to receive services or chose to carry out suicide on their own. If patients chose to take matters into their own hands this would be harder on the patient as the death would probably not be as peaceful as the lethal injection that the physician would prescribe and if would also be harder on the patient’s loved ones. If patients decide to go to another country to achieve the death they desire they would lose the privilege of dying in their own comfort zone and the distance would make the death harder on the family to make funeral arrangements and move on with their own lives. The Code of Ethics for Nurses stated that â€Å"Respect not just for the specific decision but also for the patient’s method of decision-making is consistent with the principle of autonomy† (American nurses association, 2001, p.149). Regardless of whether or not we understand an individuals motivation for seeking a physician assisted suicide, nurses should support the autonomy that patients needs to make this choice on their own. Giving terminally ill patients autonomy in their death, by making physician assisted legal for every United States citizen, is only giving patients additional rights that they may or may not chose to exercise and is the most compassionate way to show empathy for those who are dying. Autonomy in Death. (2017, Feb 13).

Discussion #3 STAT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion #3 STAT - Essay Example All one needs to find a course or topic is either visit the site overview, or browse the courses by departments. Advanced search is another option that can be used to find a particular topic. â€Å"Probability and Statistics in Engineering† is one of the courses offered by MIT which makes part of the curriculum of the Civil and Environmental Engineering. Topics discussed in depth in this course include but are not limited to fundamentals of probability, conditional distributions, hypothesis testing and Bayesian analysis. â€Å"Introduction to Probability and Statistics† is one such course offered by this website that is most closely related to what we have studied in the course as it gives an insight into the basics of probability and statistics. Topics in this course include basic models of probability, confidence intervals and linear regression. The best feature of this website is that the course content is supported with exams as well as their solutions. In this sense, this website is a complete online source of

Personal Development Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Development - Personal Statement Example My goals for next week are to continue writing. 3 Understanding Information and Data It sure was a lot of specific information. I learned about writing and research styles and referencing techniques. My goal for next week is to understand first hand how to conduct library research. 4 Presentations I love presentations. I learned the appropriate way to design slides. My goal for next week is to keep up with the matrix. 5 How Information Is Used This was a really cool lecture. I learned about the different methods of systemic thinking. My goals for next week are to continue with my matrix and try to implement systemic analytic thinking. 6 Information in Global Business Communications I never thought of communication like this before. I learned about the history and methods of business communications. My goals for next week include keeping up with assignments and lectures. 7 Information in Business This was the most interesting lecture to me so far. I learned about how information technology augments business. My goals are to complete this module strongly. Summary Personal Learning and Skills Matrix Semester General reflection Subject specific reflections New goals, new behaviors Challenge It was a real challenge to keep the matrices. Although I know it will probably help me in the future, I wish there was an easier way to use reference styles. I aim to implement more structured time management and find an easier way to do formal citations. Expectations I learned nearly everything I expected from this module. I like the parts about report writing, web communications, and systems thinking most. I hope to apply the principles wherever I can. Responsibilities I feel I have a responsibility to apply this information effectively in the...Although I am proud of my academic achievements, I wish I could apply what I learned more specifically in the workplace. In the appropriate business setting, much of this is quite applicable, but in others they were not so much. I suppose it takes the right type of environment to express scholarly skill and be appreciated for it. I am more used to people being intolerant to academic achievement. I am not sure why. I do not see the harm in bringing knowledge to bear on one's life. I am not overbearing about it, and I do not use it intrusively. I can only gather that among certain circles learning is seen as a threat. It is a threat to some people because of low self-esteem I guess. It seems they are not willing to sacrifice for knowledge so they do not wish anyone else to either. It is a threat to some because of sheer jealousy. They are unwilling to let others grow professionally who will serve them directl y. I do not really know. It is all speculation if I am to be perfectly honest. Human psychology presents the most challenging systems analysis task in the known universe. One thing is certain. Some people are intolerant toward learning for whatever reason. Despite the intolerance of those around me, I am proud that I have accomplished so much in the face of such unnecessary odds.

A Day When Everything Went Worng Essay Example for Free

A Day When Everything Went Worng Essay I just cannot think myself lucky when a day of my life goes totally wrong. Recently after starting university a day made me totally upset and frustrated. It was a normal day but my mobile did not give any alarm in the morning so I woke up late. While I was in hurry for university my mother told me that our driver did not come today so I had to go alone. I lived in Dhanmondi and the university was in Bashundhara so I had to take a CNG for university. As soon as I reached Nabisco the CNG had stopped. I asked what happened to the CNG driver. He answered me that the gas was finished and he had to refill it now. As I was late before I just came out from the CNG and hired another one. Finally I reached to the university but it was 10 minutes late. I saw that everyone was writing in the class. When I asked what was going on, they replied me that miss was taking a surprise test. My heart was biting fast but when I heard about the test it started biting faster. After the class I went to the cafe for a cold drink but I found that I had only 50 taka with me. See more: Defining research problem and setting objectives Essay Then I remembered that in harry I forget to take money from mother for CNG rent and I already paid 180 taka to the CNG when I came here. So, I had no money for food at the same time no money for further CNG rent. I had to take bus for home but I never had a bus ride alone before. After asking some of my friends I got an idea about the bus counter here. Then I went there and took a bus. When I heard the bus conductor was screaming ‘New Market’, I found that I was in the wrong bus. This bus was in new market but I should take a bus which had a stoppage in Kolabagan. Since I had nothing to do, I had to get off in new market and took a rickshaw. When finally I was in home it was 6 pm. As long as I met with my mom I saw she was getting ready for going out and she was looking tensed. I asked her what happened. She answered me that one of my aunts was in hospital and maybe she had cancer. I just suddenly became blank. What should I do now? After a while I decided to go with my mom. We were there in the hospital till late night. When I reached home I thought about the whole day and marked it as a totally wrong day of my life.

Romeo and Juliet - Act III, Scene V :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet - Act III, Scene V Act III, Scene V of Romeo and Juliet is significant for it is the most pivotal scene of this tragic play. Although prior scenes present extreme circumstances, this scene reveals the results of past activities and begins a series of tragic misunderstandings and fatal reactions. Transformations occuring amongst characters and their relationships with one another and the tone of the play are revealed in this scene. Through language, Shakespeare presents these changes as well as foreshadowing the eventual tragedy Romeo and Juliet's death. From this point on in the play there are no more comedic or romantic scenes. The following scenes are of extreme actions, mishap and tragedy. The "star-crossed lovers" cannot escape their fate. One of the many transformations presented in this scene is that of Romeo and Juliet's love for one another. Romeo and Juliet's love makes the transition from infatuation to a deep and sincere love. In earlier scenes they used overly romantic language and metaphor, whereas, now they speak to one another of their love in a mature and tender way. They will do anything to be with one another, for their love surpasses any emotion for their familial or community ties. They are willing to make any sacrifice in order to have their desire for one another fulfilled. Both Romeo and Juliet enjoy each other's company on their first morning together following their marriage and they do not want to part. Juliet's first visible transformation to adulthood is revealed here. In Romeo's desire to be with Juliet, he is willing to risk capture, and most probably death, in being found within the Capulet walls. Romeo, although maturing in his feelings of love and intimacy is still young and reckless in his behavior. In contrast, upon rationalizing the circumstance of daylight and their being found, Juliet eventually pleads for Romeo to leave "O, now be gone! More light and light it grows." (III, v, 35) To which Romeo responds, "More light and light- more dark and dark our woes." (III, v, 36) The metaphors associated with light (i.e. the sun, the moon, the day) which previously protected their affair is now their enemy. Nature itself has turned upon them

Indiana High School Math Teaching

â€Å"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called â€Å"truth. â€Å"† ~Dan Rather This research paper was written to educate you and myself on various topics on becoming a high school math teacher. I enrolled at Ashford University to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in order to enter the transition to teaching program. This paper has allowed me to acquire pertinent and vital information about my future career choice. My research was done on the status of high school math teachers, as well as students, in Indiana. This paper will educate you on Indiana’s High School mathematics graduation requirements, percentage of math students passing these requirements, teachers’ salaries, and the effect that a minority teacher should have on minority students. To graduate High school in Indiana a student must complete the Core 40 requirements set by the state. These requirements were implemented in 2006. There are four different diplomas that a high school student in the state of Indiana could receive upon completing the Core 40 requirements: General, Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors, and Core 40 with Technical Honors (Indiana Core 40, 2006). Even after completing the courses required for the Core 40 High School students in the state of Indiana must pass an exam to â€Å"qualify† for graduation. This exam is referred to as the GQE (Indiana Core 40, 2006 ). Indiana has added a few nice provisions to this legislation to help out students who may simply not be good test takers, or for those who are ready to work and do not need the required math skills for their work. These provisions, which are found on the Indiana Department of Education website, are referred to as the â€Å"Evidence-based waiver† and the â€Å"Work readiness waiver. The evidence-based waiver is for those students who excel in the classroom, but have a hard time with tests. This provision, among other things, allows teachers to confirm that the student knows what has been taught in class and that they have kept up their attendance as well. The work readiness waiver is for those students who have completed the Core 40 coursework as well as a completed a Career Exploration Internship. This simply means that the student has done the work that was required of them and that they are, in fact, ready to enter the workforce even though they may not have passed the GQE. Both provisions have provided students additional opportunities to complete their Indiana High School Math requirements. After learning about the requirements to pass math in the state of Indiana I wanted to take a look at the percentage of passing students to see if the percentage had improved since the Core 40 and GQE was put in place. Since there had been a curriculum change put into place, I wanted to see if the students were being positively affected by this change. Although I could not find the passing percentage for 12th graders, which is what I wanted to evaluate, I was able to find the percentage of 10th graders that passed from 2006-2009. I found that there was a quite a jump in the percentage of passing students from the year ’06-’07 to the year ’07-’08; it went from 66% to 72% (Annual Performance Report , 2009). However, the following year the same increased percentage did not occur. Instead the Indiana 10th grade percentage of students passing their GQE went down two percentage points. The numbers for the ’09-’10 year in Indiana have not yet been released, but I hope to find that these percentages were on the rise and did not follow suit from the previous year. Based on these statistics I am unable to see the impact that the Core 40 was designed to have on Indiana’s High School math students. The new legislation has only been in place for a few years, so there is still time for this to have a positive effect on the students and their graduation rates. Looking at these statistics raised a question for me, â€Å"How do you measure a teacher’s worth? Well, based on some research I can tell you that the average high school teacher’s salary has been on a steady incline. Within the last 35 years the average public school teacher’s salary has went from $11,165 for the school year of 1974-1975 to $50,488 for the school year of 2009-2010(Teacher Salary, 2007). The increases in wages have been well over the national inflation rate also. As a future teacher this research shows me that the state is recognizing the hard work that its teachers are putting nto their students and the government is trying to retain quality teachers. The monetary compensation is one valuable form of measuring a teacher worth, but there’s still the intangibles of the career and that is community worth. I have found through conversations with family and friends who are educators, no one teaches for the money. However, it is reassuring to see that I will be able to have a career that I am happy with and be able to support my family at the same time. I was drawn to this research topic because of my background and love for coaching. As a coach you are a teacher, counselor, and father. As a minority I believe I will be able to relate to my Afro-American students better. In my experiences I have found it easier to relate to students of the same ethnicity or socioeconomic backgrounds. Bandura states that learning may occur as a result of watching someone else perform some action and experience reinforcement or punishment (Boyd and Bee, 2006). I served as a role model for my student athletes by showing them various life decisions and how to make the correct choices when they arouse. As a male I have been a father figure to a lot of young males. My advice has been used as education for life situations and life skills. I saw the self efficacy as a huge challenge in many young and economically challenged Afro-American males and females. Bandura defines self efficacy as the belief in one’s ability to perform some action or to control one’s behavior or environment, to reach some goal or to make something happen ( Boyd and Bee, 2006). Many students had the attitude that they couldn’t overcome the obstacles that life had placed in front of them. Many social problems that the students faced were looked at as obstacles that were to hard overcome. I was able to help one particular student with a life altering experience and persuade him to not give up on his dreams. This young man had the opportunity to obtain a full athletic scholarship to a division one school for football, however numerous obstacles surrounded this young athlete, but none were greater than his lack of mathematical aptitude. I realized with working with this student that all of my social and ethical skills teaching wouldn’t benefit him if he couldn’t not pass his mathematical requirements to graduate high school and also pass college entrance exams. I hope that someday I will be in this situation again and I will be able to help other student’s overcome what many people see as an adversity. The adversity I am speaking of is being able to complete their math requirements so that they may receive their high school diploma. One of the main reasons I have decided to become an educator is to help young students’ poor outlook on their futures. As a teacher I will receive tremendous gratification watching a student reach his or her full potential. Watching students that never believed in themselves enough to graduate walk across the stage during graduation and listen to the speaker announce their future plans to attend a university or college is something that cannot be matched. The social impact of this job is immeasurable and the joy that I will receive from the profession will last a life time. In conclusion, as a minority high school teacher I should be able to model correct life skills and teach proficient math skills to my students that will create a greater sense of self efficacy in them. After researching Indiana’s High School mathematic graduation requirements, the percentage of students passing math requirements, and teachers’ salaries, I have found that I will be teaching in a state that has transformed its educational curriculum and requirements to produce more societal ready students, whether they join the workforce or the campus. I will also be working for a state that has a proven track record of monetarily backing its educators and keeping them out of poverty. With any luck the salaries will continue to rise with the educational requirements of the students that we must prepare for the future. Lastly, I will have a career that will keep this great nation strong and also provide me with a great sense of community pride.

The Acquisition of Snapple by Quaker Oats

In an effort to raise the company’s growth rate and avoid a takeover. Quaker Oats, acquired Snapple beverage corporation for $1,7 billion,a price considered by many to be valued a billion too much. Snapple captured a significant loyal following by being an innovator in the ready-to-drink tea. The RTD tea segment of the beverage market was a quick developing area with promising returns ,that’s why it attracted giants like coca cola and Pepsico, who entered the market through joint ventures with popular tea brands.Quaker Oats has known success in the past in the beverage market with the widely popular Gatorade drink and thought it could do the same with Snapple. So in order to repeat the Gatorade success story Quaker officially acquired Snapple on December 6 of 1994. The c. e. o of quaker ,William Smithburg overcome with hubris resulting from his previous success overpaid for the company an estimate of a billion dollar premium despite warnings from Wall Street. By the tim e Quacker aquired Snapple the RTD tea industry was maturing and the competition was rising because of the new independent brands that entered the market.Quacker believed that with its financial resources and experience, it could expand the Snapple brand and through the acquisition establish itself as a leading beverage producer competing with the likes of coca cola and pepsico. Quaker acquired the company by divesting profitable but slow growing pet food and candy businesses. Quaker thought it could create a Snapple/Gatorade combination and planned to exploit the synergies resulting from such combination while improving the efficiency of operations.They wanted to achieve economies of scale by unifying the manufacturing and distribution of Snapple and Gatorade. What quacker failed to realize is what realy made the success of Snapple. The company ,didn’t operate like most beverage producers. Instead of having a company owned plant that handled the manufacturing,Snapple awarded co-pack contracts to independent manufactures and handled the distribution using independent distributors who were allowed to carry different brands of beverages, but had direct access to the stores, restaurants and vending machines in their region.Due to distribution,structure problems and unrealistic optimism about the future of Snapple, quacker had a hard time integrating its new division and had yet to beneficiate from the synergies and economies of scale projected. During the first year as a part of quacker oats ,the Snapple division did not break even and lost an estimated $75 million in1995 sparking the resignation of the president and c. o. o who was in charge of the Snapple unit.The loss in revenue was mainly driven by weaker-than-expected sales and an estimated $40 million dollars to buy back the contracts from the co-packers and other suppliers. During 1996, Snapple slipped to the second place in the ice tea market and despite positive projections by quacker. The unit fai led to achieve any sales gain and sow it sales decline by 20%, resulting in operating losses exceeding the $120 million for that year. By 1997 snapple’s market share slipped to the 3rd place behind lipton and nestea.The company was behind even in production methods and processes. On March 28, 1997 Quacker decided to take a $1. 4 billion write-off and sold the company it purchased 29 months before for $300 million. All this led to a loss in performance for Quacker oatas a company resulting in a takeover by Pepsico in December 2000 in a $13. 7 billion all stock bid. The mismatch of big corporate culture with the one of small entrepreneurial firms didn’t work and what quacker was trying to avoid by purchasing Snapple happened .

After the First Death essays

After the First Death essays After the first death is a psychological thriller. Patriotism plays a big role in it. The behaviour of some principal figures entirely arises from patriotism. And innocents become victims of it. The story begins with a boy, who kept saying he has a tunnel in his chest. The boy named Ben is the son of a general and thats why he eventually ends up on the bridge and there a bullet caused that tunnel in his chest. It all happened on an old railway bridge. Four hijackers, terrorists, captured a bus full of children under the age six. The hijackers were Artkin, who took charge on this operation, he found Miro and his brother Aniel in a refugeecamp, Miro a sixteen-year-old boy (was he?), who had never known his parents and later also lost his brother, who died before doing his duty and two other men called Antibbe and Stroll. Artkin and Miro reviewed the plan for the last time. They had watched the bus route for weeks. Miros assignment was to kill the driver, his first kill. But when the bus arrived the driver wasnt a man as supposed to be but a girl. The girl was Kate, the niece of the busdriver. When Artkin decides to let the girl live for a while, because she could be useful, Miro was disappointed because he wanted his first death to be perfect, so as they planned it to be and now the first thing went wrong already. Artkin drugged the children with drugged chocolate so they would be asleep. But one child was probably allergic to the drug and died. Of course this wasnt planned but Artkin used it as a warning to the world. Then he went to the van where Antibbe and Stroll were also. He had Miro given the order to watch over the children and Kate and win her confidence. In the conversations that Kate and Miro have, Miro tells about himself to win her confidence and Kate tries to be nice and kind to persuade him not to kill her. Kate also have conversations with herself, Am I acti ...

Readings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Readings - Essay Example However, time is limited and progressive even as the individual undergoes the cycles. Many of the creatures that appear around or live in the river are significantly associated with the Egyptian gods and goddess. Moreover, the striking fertility of the Nile as compared to the barren condition of the barren land in Egypt made the Egyptians believe that their deities were dwelling around this fertile place. the Nun, Ogdoad, and the primordial Egyptian gods are believed to have lived around the Nile. The river acted as physical evidence that augmented Egyptian mythologies as many people could see the river. Geographically, Egypts Nile River valley was comparatively secluded from other hubs of civilization and the Egyptian religion remained unscathed by the views of foreign philosophies. The diverse pantheon of deities that existed fueled civilization and evolution of the myth that was meant to explain the world. The geographical, especially the apt weather in the Nile region, conditions also presented an inordinate opportunity for the Egyptians to explore their world a factor that significantly contributed to the rise of civilization. Various challenges confronted the Egyptians and had to devise elucidations and/or solutions. The availability of the Nile was an inordinate opportunity for the Egyptians to invent technologies that will enable them harness and reap maximally from the natural water source that was believed to be of utter significance in their existence. The legends and religious beliefs of the ancient Quichà © Maya who inhabited Guatemala are expertly described in the Popol Vuh. It starts with an exploration of the anthropomorphic lineages and clinches with a regnal pedigree, to assert that the Maya people rule the land by divine right. The Popol Vuh shows the various attempts that the maya deity did in an effort to create and transform the Maya people. The indigenous

Barriers to Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Barriers to Communication - Essay Example Recent research has shown that many recruiters now rate communication skills as the most important characteristic sought for in job applicants during selection (Yate, 2009). In this paper, I will be illuminating on the most important barriers that must be understood in order for organizations improve on the communication skills of their people and ultimately efficiency. I will begin by defining what communication is before discussing the process through which occurs with the intention of helping all readers of the report to better utilize the communication function for better personal and organizational performance. Communication can be well defined as a method of exchanging information and common understating between individuals. Unless a mutual understanding is generated from exchange of information, communication will not take place smoothly. The most important necessities in every communication process are the sender and the recipient. The sender will usually start the communication. The recipient is that particular person for which a message is intended. Message refers to the outcome and it may take any form from verbal to nonverbal or written or Language. The flow of information between senders may be hindered by noise, which includes perceptions, barriers in form of language, emotional issues, physical interruptions and attitudes held by the different parties. Feedback occurs at the point when the receiver provides a response to the initial message by a sender. Feedback is crucial to the process of communication as it tells Communication as well as methods that can be used to better improves the daily communication. The common types of barriers that I will be addressing include language barrier- Language is a very important aspect of communication as it plays the role of mediation allowing humans to effectively understand

Fund raising research assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fund raising research assignment - Essay Example no volunteer system despite being known for its charitable and volunteer work while the University of Cincinnati does not list volunteers as directly assisting in fund raising on their websites, but they were highlighted in foundation advertisement on other sites like Facebook and Youtube. The University of Oregon does not offer member benefits online like the University of Cincinnati does, where donors get free parking, library privileges discounts on university bookstore, recognition at annual Honor Roll of Donors, complimentary classes, and special invitation to special events. The Michigan State University is so different from both the University of Oregon and Cincinnati though the former has a gift level system, too. The annual gifts of Michigan State University are presidents club, Beaumont Tower Society, John A. Hannah Society, Jonathan L. Snyder society and Theophilus C. Abbot Society. Michigan state university is different from the other two universities since volunteers are the main contributors to their fund-raising, and the institution has a calling program run by volunteers. This program is important since it is a student led voice, and it is used to build strong relationships with alumni. On top of that, Michigan State University organizes events which supplement their annual fund-raising: Broad Art Museum event, Secchia Center event and Corporate Alumni event. There is a big gap between a university and a high school in terms of resources. In that regard, there was a big difference between the high school I researched and the research on the three universities. I believe that the high school could largely benefit from implementing some of the procedures that these universities have. Some of the programs this high school will have to implement include building a school website. The website will enable the alumni to get more information about what the schooling is aiming to achieve, reminisce and stay connected to the community and the high school.

London Transportation Essay Example for Free

London Transportation Essay London, England has long been regarded as a cosmopolitan metropolis with international appeal at the cutting edge of culture and technology, as well as its ancient and innovative transportation options. London’s location next to a major tributary â€Å"in the middle stretch of the Thames valley† , its basin rim terraced with materials formed from sedimentary sand and clay, has played an integral part in its transportation history(a full geographical representation of the city is shown in Appendix A). It was water-borne trade which allowed it to grow and prosper after the Romans, renowned for their road-building systems, built the city they named Londinium. No longer relying just on watercraft as a lifeline to the rest of the world, London today provides a wealth of sophisticated transportation options to its citizens with the vast entirety of its public motor thoroughfares redesigned after World War II. A modern visitor to London can now board a train or bus, descend underground and take a tube (subway), hop on a light rail or take a ride from one of many express terminals. It has taken decades for London to achieve, and then regain, its status as a great city for transportation, however. The second world war nearly devastated the city. During the following two decades, â€Å"London’s status as the hub of the British Empire† declined along with a reduction in public transport options . By 1986, the Greater London Development Council, which had dealt with issues of reconstruction, was abolished and for the first time in 97 years, â€Å"there was no unified representative government† for the city . London was now forced to address its post-war problems including the challenge of providing additional transportation options for the growing populace and creating a federal transport authority. Today, the United Kingdom has a population of 60,776,238, with the majority of this based in London and Great Britain. The country enjoys a strong economy and low unemployment while the government is focusing on â€Å"the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes and a widening public deficit† . The numerous transitions in London’s transportation are examined here in chronological order beginning with its ancient history, its revival post-war, continuing into the 1960’s, a look back at the era of the 1980’s and finally, an overview of mass, affordable transportation options in today’s London society with a forecast for the future. History The Romans were the first recorded populace to recognize the importance of the Thames River. After their invasion of the area in AD 43, the Romans built a permanent bridge over the river as well as a network of roadways . The course of many of these roads is still the basis of modern thoroughfares today. In the 1st century, Londinium’s port was active with commerce. The River Thames was used by invaders as a waterway to storm the city during Viking times and new streets laid out after the takeover by the Saxons, some of which even used lanes much like we would expect today to subdivide them . The famed London Bridge was rebuilt in the late 12th century and during this time many of the streets were named with monikers still in use today. The Great Fire of 1666 prompted the construction of two new streets to intersect city as well as the widening of many of London’s streets and lane. Six new bridges were added to cross the River Thames between 1750 and 1835 and toll roadways were created to pay for repairs to existing thoroughfares. Hansom cabs were first introduced as another form of transportation in 1834 while the first passenger railway appeared just two years later. Deep water basins were added to the river at this time to reduce congestion from shipping. The Thames Tunnel was opened in 1843 to provide another avenue of transport over the river. Victorian London witnessed a revolution in transportation with the arrival of omnibuses, the extension of the railways for passenger trains to completely traverse the city, trams (first horse-drawn, then electrified by the turn of the century) and tube railways. The first underground railroad was opened in London in 1884. It was the very first of its kind and a model for other metropolitan areas in the ensuring decades. Appendix B contains a map of London’s current underground system with its extensive labyrinth of passageways. The growth of the commuting labor force living in the suburbs prompted the construction of new trunk roads and the expansion of the underground system to accommodate them in the years prior to World War II. Subsequent bombings of the city during the war in the 1940’s would escalate redevelopment of its ancient roadways. World War II In the midst of the second World War in September, 1940, Germany instituted the Blitz, a sustained six-month bombardment of London which killed 20,000 residents. After the bombing ended in May, 1941, London became a â€Å"major centre of wartime production† before Hitler renewed his assault on the city in summer of 1944 resulting in 29,890 Londoners killed and 50,507 injured. Underground rail stations were even used as shelters and the tunnels pressed into use for weapons storage. While the negative effects of these bombings included reduction of the population and significant damage caused throughout parts of the city, the end of the war became the impetus for England to start replanning the layout of London and surrounding towns, roadways and public transport and urge relocation from overpopulated areas to the suburbs (see Appendix C for a map of areas affected by bombing). Without a federal transport authority to draw up plans for redevelopment of roadways, much of the work was undertaken by landowners and commercial developers whose interests it would best serve. Construction of an airport began in 1946. In 1947, the legislature passed the Town and Country Planning Act to redevelop the slums of the East End, which had long been largely ignored since the majority of wealthy citizens resided in the West End. Narrow and impassable roads in the area were replaced for a nearly complete revitalization. After years of austerity in the war, it was with great acclaim that Britain crowned their new queen, Elizabeth II, in 1952. Her coronation ceremony, complete with a drive through London in the ancient Gold State Coach, prompted a renewed interest in horse and carriages. The British Driving Society was formed soon thereafter to honor the ancient sport of driving various horse-drawn vehicles . Royalty used the Long Walk at Windsor to display their horsemanship skills while the general public was confined to the pathways of parks in the West End. While Queen Elizabeth began her reign, the last of the famous London trams was officially retired. The decade of the 50’s was one rife with innovation, however. 1953 saw the opening of the newly completed Heathrow Airport in London. The first commercial air service between London and Moscow was launched in 1957 and the city received its first parking meters in 1958. The initial section of the London-Birmingham Motorway opened in 1959, closing out the decade with a loud roar.

The operations and business model of McDonalds

The operations and business model of McDonalds Mission McDonalds brand mission is to be our customers favorite place and way to eat. Our worldwide operations have been aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win centering on the five basics of an exceptional customer experience People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to improving our operations and enhancing our customers experience. This is from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcd_faq/student_research.html?DCSext.destination=http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcd_faq/student_research.html#13 Vision We envision a supply chain that profitably yields high-quality, safe products without supply interruption while leveraging our leadership position to create a net benefit by improving ethical, environmental and economic outcomes. Ethical We envision purchasing from suppliers who follow practices that ensure the health and safety of their employees and the welfare and humane treatment of animals in our supply chain. Environmental We envision influencing the sourcing of our materials and ensuring the design of our products, their manufacture, distribution and use minimize lifecycle impacts on the environment. Economic We envision delivering affordable food, engaging in equitable trade practices, limiting the spread of agricultural diseases, and positively impacting the communities where our suppliers operate. We view this vision and its responsibilities holistically. As sourcing decisions are made, we consider our priorities for food safety, quality and costs, as well as our ethical , environmental and economic responsibilities. Our progress on beef and coffee sustainability illustrate how we are working to bring this approach to life. This is from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/report/sustainable_supply_chain/our_approach.html?DCSext.destination=http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/report/sustainable_supply_chain/our_approach.html Evaluation Blah,. Blah, blahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Operations and Business Model McDonalds is the worlds largest foodservice retailing chain. It operates approximately 32,000 restaurants in over 100 countries and is one of the worlds largest food service retailing chain, preparing, and serving a range of food products and beverages. All restaurants are operated either by the company or by franchisees, including conventional franchisees under franchise arrangements, and foreign affiliated markets and developmental licensees under license agreements. The companys business is divided into four geographic segments: Europe, the US, APMEA (Asia, Pacific, Middle East and Africa), and other countries and corporate. Other countries and corporate includes Canada and Latin America, as well as corporate activities and certain investments. McDonalds restaurants offer a standardized menu, although there may be geographic variations. McDonalds makes their revenues in three ways; Retail sales, Franchise fees and lease agreements for property they own (leasing the property back to the franchisee) I DONT KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..(I have this one Clint) This came from DataMonitor Company Profile retrieved 6/3/10 saved in the M Drive as McDonalds Company Profile Evaluation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The Ford paper was about this short with no moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Financial and Performance Evaluation Outperforms the industry in revenue and net income growth Higher profit margins than the industry and the SP. Liquidity within range of competitors Less levered than the rest of the industry Highly efficient in turning inventory Financials have been generally trending upward http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/compare.asp?Symbol=US%3aMCD Evaluation The combination of high margins and efficient inventory turnover has allowed McDonalds to outperform the rest of the industry by almost all accounts. The low debt and high interest coverage indicates that the company should not have difficulty in meeting its obligations. As a result, McDonalds was issued a credit rating of AA- by Moodys, the highest credit rating ever given to a fast food restaurant (http://quicktake.morningstar.com/stocknet/san.aspx?id=325610). Same store revenues have been increasing quarter over quarter and year over year, assisted by strong sales in countries other than the US. Despite the recent recession, McDonalds has performed well and seems poised to capitalize on the opportunity. Macro Environment Key Trends Economy Global economic issues from the US stock market, to Greece, to Chinas economic slowdown Potential weak dollar/poor exchange rates Varied market conditions per country Technology Different cultures want different foods/ menus than U.S so must invest in RD Political/Legal Ever changing climates with 100 governments to deal with Varied laws (trade, finance, safety, labor, etc.) Socio-Cultural The rest of the world wants what the U.S. has and food is one of the items Pressures to have healthier foods Demographics More baby boomers Recent higher unemployment New demographics to deal with (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Globalization People say they want to loose weight, but most people are gaining it Natural Environment Pressures to go green (packaging, reduced carbon footprint, etc.) Threats Continued competition Impression they only sell unhealthy foods Poor economic conditions and global unrest Opportunities Expand in the coffee (McCafe) market Continue with healthier foods and lifestyles Partner with retail chains (i.e. like Starbucks has done with grocery stores and Target) These are our thoughts, so no reference, agree!! Evaluation Industry Analysis McDonalds is in the quick service restaurant segment and its defined as the sale of food and drink for immediate consumption either on the premises or in designated eating areas shared with other foodservice operators, or for consumption elsewhere. Their main competitors are Burger King and Wendys/Arbys. The global fast food market generated total revenues of $154.7B in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% for the period spanning 2004-2008. The performance of the market is forecast to decelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 5.3% for the five-year period of 2008-2013. Reference is the Datamonitor paper Five Forces Substitutes (Moderate) Home cooking Convenience stores Grocery Stores (i.e. salad bar, pre-cooked diners, etc) Suppliers Power (Low) No uniqueness to products Raw materials readily available Switching costs are low Buyer Power (High) Buyer Independence Low switching costs Tendency to switch New Entrants (Low) Local franchise may be impacted by competition, but not nationally/globally Too much capital needed to compete with McDonalds Hard to match branding power Rivalries (High) Little product differentiation Little price differentiation Many competitors These are our thoughts, so no reference, agree!! I agree, unless you want to reference Grant textbook. Market segment Strategic Groups / Competitors by Market (DM) Consumer Packages Good Industry Food (Cargill, Inc., Nestle SA, The Proctor Gamble Company, Japan Tobacco, Inc., Unilever) Leisure and Arts Industry Hotels and Restaurants (TUI AG, Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited, Compass Group PLC, Sodexo S.A,., Burger King Corporation) Food Service (Compass Group PLC, Sodexo S.A., Loews Corporation, ARAMARK Corporation) Fast Food Restaurants (Yum! Brands, Inc., Autogrill S.p.A., Chick-fail-A, Inc., Jack in the Box Inc., Wendys/Arbys Group) Kristie found thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..I found this at Datamart retrieved 7/10/10 Competitor Analysis McDonalds Burger King Wendy/Arbys Strategy Cost leadership (low cost, industry wide) strategy Strategy is to offer menu variety at affordable prices such as Happy Meals, budget-minded Value Menu, espresso coffee drinks, fruit smoothies, premium chicken sandwiches and salads, our premium sandwiches that come with chicken, or grilled chicken as a choice in terms of managing calories Restaurant development strategy is to pick locations within the marketplace to expand its target customers such as restaurants in local neighborhoods as well as at airports, malls, toll ways, and colleges. (DM) Large scale of operation and ability to customize menu provides the ability to penetrate upcoming markets with minimal effort and enhances its revenue generation capacity (DM) De-emphasize Partner Brands concepts in order to focus on the McDonalds brand (SP) Cost leadership (low cost, industry wide) strategy Strategy is to focus its product development and marketing to customers in the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic. It has added a number of premium-priced items to its menu, including the Steakhouse Burger made with Angus beef. (Hoovers) Uses a number of online marketing techniques, including viral videos, to reach its target audience (Hoovers) Cost leadership (low cost, industry wide) strategy (WA, DM) Improving several core products such as sandwich buns, French fries and bacon by differentiating in quality in the QSR hamburger segment. (WA, DM) Focus on our fresh, never frozen beef and premium chicken. (WA, DM) Install a disciplined product development and testing process (WA, DM) Objectives Compete in the global fast food industry continue its Plan to Win corporate strategy that it commenced in 2003 (SP) Fixing operating inefficiencies in existing restaurants; taking a more integrated while focusing on growth, with an emphasis on increasing sales, margins and returns in existing restaurants; and ensuring the right operating structure and resources are aligned with priorities that create benefits for customers and restaurants. (SP) Customize product to suit tastes and preference of consumers in local markets (DM) Well-positioned to expand global footprint, invest in reimaging program and deliver operations excellence every day. Marketing campaigns and menu options will focus on the brand equities that provide a distinct competitive advantage flame-broiled taste, quality and size at affordable prices. (DM Wendy) Long-term strategies remain on course and committed to respond to an ever-changing consumer dynamic. Same-store sales growth by increasing transactions and average check. Margin expansion through advanced operational execution and control of costs. Begin a rollout of a Breakfast menu to attract market share in day segment. New restaurant development with an emphasis on franchise growth. Expand internationally in markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia- Pacific. Assumptions International segment has supplied much of its earnings growth over the past two decades (SP) Diversified geographic presence provides opportunity to gain from economic growth in emerging markets (DM) Restaurants sub-industry is negative and will continue as high jobless ratios and an ongoing troubled housing market (SP) The full-service restaurant segment will be negative specifically for the restaurant locations in states where the housing markets prices are weak and unemployment is above the national average causing continued pressure on sales and customer preference for less expensive menu choices. (SP) Challenging consumer environment will continue due to high unemployment levels resulting in a reduction in out-of-home eating expenditures. Resources 385,000 Employees (SP) Cash 1,796 Million (SP) 41,320 Employees (SP) Cash 122 Million (SP) 67,500 Employees (SP) Cash 592 Milliom (SP) Kristie found thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..everything in the boxes above I saved the Company profiles on the M drive. I used the company profiles from Datamonitor (DM) for McDonalds, Wendys/Arbys Group, Inc, and Burger King Corporation retrieved 7/3/10. Hoovers: Burger King Holdings, Inc. (15 July). Hoovers Company Records,54531. Retrieved July 3, 2010, from Hoovers Company Records. (Document ID: 168241971). SP: McDonalds Corp. (20 July). Standard and Poors NetAdvantage Company Profile. Retrieved July 3, 2010, from Standard and Poors NetAdvantage Company Profile. Burger King Holdings, Inc. (20 July). Standard and Poors NetAdvantage Company Profile. Retrieved July 3, 2010, from Standard and Poors NetAdvantage Company Profile. Wendys/Arbys Group. (20 July). Standard and Poors NetAdvantage Company Profile. Retrieved July 3, 2010, from Standard and Poors NetAdvantage Company Profile. Evaluation Company/Division Analysis WE PROBABLY NEED TO CHANGE THIS/MAKE IT OURS, NOT SO MUCH FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT. Key Resources Tangible Financial (cash securities, borrowing capability) Revenues exceed $22,700 million 2009 comparable sales increase marked the sixth consecutive year of positive sales in every geographic segment of our business. Physical (plant, equipment, land) Operated in over 100 countries; 32,478 McDonalds restaurants 80% of McDonalds restaurants worldwide owned and operated by independent local men and woman Natural Resource Has some agriculture operations in Russia Intangible Technology (software, patent, copyright, trade secrets, data) Product/Menu Innovation customizes its product to suit tastes and preference of consumers in local markets companys product line in India comprise of non-beef based burgers Developmental license Local entrepreneur owns the business, including control of the real estate, and uses their capital and local knowledge to build the McDonalds Brand and optimize long-term sales and profitability. The company collects a royalty, which varies by market, based on a percentage of sales Reputation (brands, relationships) Well-established brand that appeals to all customers of all age groups and nationalities 1 Provides acceptability in new markets 1 2009 6th place in the top 100 global brands Predictable value, family fun and familiar taste Culture Leadership culture that embraces change and rejects complacency Continually focused on what is working and then leveraging our scale around the world for the overall good of their customers and their System. Human Resources Skill / know-how / Training at McDonalds University Relationship Strength of the alignment between the Company, its franchisees and suppliers (collectively referred to as the System) has been key to McDonalds success over the years. This business model enables McDonalds to consistently deliver locally-relevant restaurant experiences to customers and be an integral part of the communities we serve. In addition, it facilitates their ability to identify, implement, and scale innovative ideas that meet customers changing needs and preferences. Motivation McDonalds customer-focused Plan to Win-which is centered around being better, not just bigger-provides a common framework for our global business yet allows for local adaptation. Through the execution of multiple initiatives surrounding the five Key drivers of exceptional customer experiences-People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion-they have enhanced the restaurant experience for customers worldwide and grown sales and customer visits in each of the last six years. This Plan, coupled with financial discipline, has delivered strong results for shareholders. Capacity for communication and collaboration Cross-fertilization of ideas and innovations, our leaders are better able to assume new challenges and responsibilities on behalf of the Company. Kristie found this aboveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Found this on McDonalds Annual Report 2009 Retrieved 6/4 Saved the file in the M Drive as McD_2009_AR_Final_032910.. Capabilities/Value Chain Primary Inbound Logistics No difference from competition Operations (Competitive Qualifier) Makes food as fast as competition Outbound Logistics (Competitive Qualifier) Located in Metro areas, easy to drive into/out of, one on every corner (per se) Marketing/Sales (Value Add) Gives customers more options (hamburgers, salads, coffee, deserts, etc.) along with free Wi-Fi, and is more recognizable than competition Secondary Infrastructure Did not find and advantage or disadvantage Human Resource Management (Value Add) Has McDonalds University for Management, others do not Technology (Value Add) Come out with new products first. I.e. Big Mac, Breakfast foods, coffee, now smoothies Procurement (Competitive Qualifier) Owns/grows little to none, buy and assembles everything Customer Service They have Customer Service like the competition Our thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Core Competencies The bundle of resources and capabilities that add value to a customer and may serve as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. It is answered by the follow Established Yes. McDonalds is a global company that started over 70 years ago and is still growing. Tremendous branding. Sustainable Yes. They actually grew and made profits during the recession of 2008 and continue to outpace the competition by nearly 8 fold over Wendys/Arbys and 10 fold over Burger King REFERENCE http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/mcdonald-s-corporation/mcd/nys Inimitable the products, yes, the experience no. They have come out with new products first (i.e. competitive coffee, healthier foods, etc.) and have the branding that the competitors cant touch. Ronald McDonald is second to Santa Claus in recognition. Our thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..(one reference above) Evaluation VII. Corporate Social Audità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..This was less than a page for FORDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that is because they know what they are doing and I dont  Ã…   lol. THINK WE NEED TO SCALE THIS DOWN, APPLY TO CONCEPTS IN THE BOOK. MAKE IT NOT FROM MCDONALDS VIEW, BUT OUR VIEW. sustainability project to improve conditions for farm workers in the Florida tomato industry in 2007, which in turn promotes good environmental practices in its land-based agricultural supply chain and makes the farm a sustainable business. Although McDonalds purchases only 1.5% of Floridas tomatoes annually, McDonalds and its suppliers instituted industry-leading grower standards that improved working conditions in these farms and made the farm a sustainable business. http://social-corporate-responsibility.suite101.com/article.cfm/corporate-social-responsibility-at-mcdonalds Flagship Farms Initiative (FAI) in Europe. The program showcases seven progressive farms employing innovative farming practices across Europe and carries out research into how ethical farming practices can be incorporated into commercial farming systems. http://social-corporate-responsibility.suite101.com/article.cfm/corporate-social-responsibility-at-mcdonalds Sustainable Fisheries program which is in collaboration with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. This program defines sustainability standards that guide all of McDonaldss purchases worldwide for wild-caught fish that goes into making those Fillet-o-Fish and make the relevant fishery a more sustainable business. http://social-corporate-responsibility.suite101.com/article.cfm/corporate-social-responsibility-at-mcdonalds In 2005, the Center launched a new unique educational opportunity, in partnership with fast food giant McDonalds, giving Haas MBA students first-hand exposure to the myriad CSR challenges businesses face on a daily basis. The program is known as the McDonalds Research Fellows in Corporate Responsibility (CSR) Program. Through research, stakeholder engagement and intensive field experiences, a globally diverse team of second-year Haas MBA students conduct a deep stakeholder engagement study on McDonalds CSR activities giving the company a fresh perspective and new insights into its business. As part of McDonalds Open Doors program, the main goal of the CSR Fellows program is to expose the students to McDonalds business and create opportunities for the company to engage and interact with various stakeholders. The corporate-sponsored program provides research fellowships to each student. Recipients are known as McDonalds Fellows. The fellows work closely with a faculty director on the study and produce several key deliverables that may be used broadly and at the discretion of McDonalds (web, companys corporate responsible reports, etc.). http://responsiblebusiness.haas.berkeley.edu/McDonaldsCSRFellowsProgram.html Educate and communicate with our supply system about sustainability: Through the use of targeted communication tools, an internal website, and training opportunities, we have achieved a greater understanding of, and alignment around, sustainability, including how it drives our business. Continue to integrate environmental considerations into our packaging design through rollout of our global packaging scorecard into our nine largest markets: The Eco-Filter 2.0 (our packaging scorecard) has been implemented in each area of the world. Packaging designers have been trained in its use. The scorecard is being used to incorporate environmental considerations, in addition to other business criteria. Increase the number of Hamburger University certified restaurant managers: We continue to focus our efforts on increasing the numbers of restaurant managers who are HU graduates with positive success. The percentage of restaurants in our top nine markets with managers who were graduates of HU in 2008 was 93.3%. Develop a comprehensive global forestry policy that will apply to all products we purchase: We developed a global Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC), using a rigorous process that included global internal, supplier, and NGO input. Initial communications efforts are focused internally and with our supplier community. Measure environmental impacts in our supply chain : By the concluon of 2009, the Environmental Scorecard (ES) should be completely rolled out to all of our direct suppliers of beef, poultry, pork, potatoes and buns in McDonalds top nine markets. The ES measures water, energy, waste and air emissions metrics and promotes continuous improvement. In addition, an initial estimate of our supply chain carbon footprint is underway and will be completed in early 2010. Further rollout of our global forestry standards for consumer packaging, expanding into other Areas of the World, specifically the U.S. and Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA). : The APMEA market has partially implemented our forestry standards for consumer packaging, with full adoption planned by the end of 2009. As of the end of 2008, the North America market had completely rolled out the standards. Taken from McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Online Report, PAGE 2 I saved a hard copy of the report on the M Drive. Retrieved 7/1/10 http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/report/overview.-RightParaContentTout-43872-ReportsLinkList-44436-File1.tmp/McDonalds%202009%20Global%20CR%20Report%20Overview.pdf Innovative menu In many markets, customers can mix and match main course, side beverage and dessert choices to create custom-tailored Happy Meals. Yogurt desserts with fruit are also available in most of the major markets, as are sugar-free soft drinks. 100% fruit juice is also on a number of menus worldwide. Market-level offerings include: McDonalds France offers a choice of entrà ©es, three side dishes, fruit bags, nine beverages and four desserts. Sides include cherry tomatoes and two types of potato offerings. Beverages include bottled water, two juice options with no added sugar, and two soft drinks with no sugar. For dessert, customers may choose a drinkable applesauce, a yogurt drink or sliced fruit. Happy Meal choices in the UK include carrot sticks, bottled water, juice, a soft drink with no sugar added, along with a fruit bag side/dessert and semi-skimmed, organic milk. In Hong Kong, Happy Meal choices include whole grain corn as side and for beverages, juice, low- fat milk, or soy milk. In the U.S., Happy Meals can be ordered with Apple Dippers and 100% apple juice or 1% low-fat milk as a beverage. McDonalds Australia Happy Meal offerings include the Seared Chicken Snack Wrap, Apple Slices, Apple Juice, Low Fat Calcium Enriched Chocolate Milk and a Sparkling Fruit Juice Drink (Apple Blackcurrant). Taken from McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Online Report, PAGE 11 I saved a hard copy of the report on the M Drive. Retrieved 7/1/10 Our Global Advisory Council (GAC) is an international team of independent experts assembled by McDonalds to provide us with professional guidance in the areas of nutrition and childrens well- being. The GAC plays a pivotal role in helping us to continuously evolve our thinking and approach in these areas. GAC members provide us with valuable insights, direction and recommendations about how to continue delivering a more beneficial and valuable experience to children and families. Adam Drewnowski PhD, MA; Prevention Treatment of Obesity, University of Washington at Seattle, WA Paul Gately McDonalds makes charitable contributions through the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) which aims to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. According to Clara Carrier of Ronald McDonald House Charities, in particular, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile attempts to ensure that children in vulnerable communities can receive state-of-the-art medical and dental treatment to improve their health and strengthen the whole family. This health care on wheels program attempts to change childrens lives and improve communities along the way. http://social-corporate-responsibility.suite101.com/article.cfm/corporate-social-responsibility-at-mcdonalds Accelerate and expand food and beverage choices for kids: We remain committed to working with our suppliers and partners to test and introduce new food and beverage items for kids on a market-by-market basis. In Spain and Australia this year we expanded the choice of Happy Meal entrà ©e items with the introduction of a new kids sized grilled chicken snack wrap, while in Portugal we launched carrot veggie rolls. On the beverage front, we introduced new fruit beverages across Latin America and in Australia and continue to look for other refreshing options appropriate for kids. Continue to enhance childrens well-being through programs and initiatives that provide fun with a Purpose: We have leveraged the characters from our Happy Meal promotions to encourage fruit, vegetable and dairy purchases and to inspire kids to be active and creative and will continue to do so in the coming years. In 2008, many McDonalds markets, including Australia, Brazil, China and Japan, created robust opportunities for kids to experience the Beijing Olympics, whether it was as an athlete escort at the Games or sponsoring local athletic initiatives. Along with continuing to support local grassroots efforts, we use Ronald McDonald at restaurants to encourage kids to participate in activities that activate their body, mind and spirit. Continue to provide useful nutrition information in ways most relevant to todays consumers: In many markets around the world, we have enhanced our merchandising efforts to make it easier for parents to make balanced food choices for themselves and their kids. In all of our top nine markets, we continue to invest in making nutritional information available in the store, as well as online. Taken from McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Online Report, PAGE 12 I saved a hard copy of the report on the M Drive. Retrieved 7/1/10 VIII. Competitive Positionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.this is the box (low cost, differentiator, etc.) Low Cost Differentiator Broad Focused I now think they are in this box. They are definitely focused of just fast food, yet they are not always the lowest. They want people to visit them because the have the best fries, the best coffee, wi-fi, etc. I sent Bryant a message on thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. These are our thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. IX. Corporate Strategy Clint working on Vertical Integration Partially or Quasi Franchise provide portion of capital required by initially investing and reinvesting in the business over time Owns the land and buildings or secures long-term debt leases for both McDonalds operated and conventional franchised restaurants sites These are our thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Geography/International Strategy Clint working on Lines of Business Extent of diversification None What kind of diversification None How do they do it None Experience (good/bad) None Future (when/where) NA These are our thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Evaluation Structure Org structureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. REFERENEC found in the 2009 annual Reportà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/etc/medialib/aboutMcDonalds/investor_relations0.Par.6540.File.dat/McD_2009_AR_Final_032910.pdf Evaluation XI. Strategic Recommendations Will be our thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.