Discuss the advantages of analysing organizations as incentive Essay - 1

Discuss the advantages of analysing organizations as incentive mechanisms - Essay Example In other words, it has been made clear that organizations can operate as incentive mechanisms for achieving the goals set by their strategic planners. Such perspective of modern organizations would be particularly important in order to understand the changes in organizational needs through the years and to identify an effective framework of action – meaning a plan for updating existing organizational policies – that would be best suit to the organizational aims; flexibility would be one of the key characteristics of such plan indicating the ability of the plan to be alternated in order to allow the development of the organization involved as an incentive mechanism. The terms and the characteristics of organizations as incentive mechanisms are presented in this paper focusing on the advantages of such perspective for both the organization, as an independent entity, and the organization’s stakeholders. 2. ... In accordance with Herbert Simon (1991) the organizational behaviour should be primarily based on the organizational loyalty (in Knack 2003, p.237); using the above view, the following assumption can be produced: organizations cannot act as incentive mechanisms if loyalty across their units is not strong. Another requirement of the development of organizations as incentive mechanisms has been introduced through the study of Ledgerwood et al. (2006). In the above study it is explained that organizations can operate as incentive mechanisms only under the terms that the communication in the internal organizational environment is at high levels. It is further explained that such organizations can be easily transformed as of their structure, goals and operational activities, without being negatively affected as of their performance. The transformation of an organization from a NGO to a Micro Finance Institution is used as an example of the above phenomenon (Ledgerwood et al. 2006, 292). A t the next level it is made clear that even when all measures have been taken regarding the quality of communication and cooperation within the organization, still it is possible that the organization fails to respond to its role as an incentive mechanism. In accordance with Ledgerwood et al. (2006, 292) one of the key reasons for this failure would be the inability of managers to identify the context of the organization’s incentives as being differentiated from the incentives of its employees. The incentives provided by the organization – acting as an incentive mechanism – are usually different from the incentives setting by individuals (employees) who are more likely to

Legal Requirements for Employee Benefits Essay Example for Free

Legal Requirements for Employee Benefits Essay As we discussed earlier in this chapter, some benefits are required by law. This requirement adds to the cost of compensating employees. Organizations looking for ways to control staffing costs may look for ways to structure the workforce so as to minimize the expense of benefits. They may require overtime rather than adding new employee, hire part-time rather than full-time workers(because part-time employees generally receive much smaller benefits packages),and use independent contractors rather than hire employees. Some of these choices are limited by legal equirements, however. For example ,the Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime pay for nonexempt workers, as discussed in chapter 11. Also,the Internal Revenue Service strictly limits the definition of independent contractors,â€Å" so that employees cannot avoid legal obligations by classifying workers as self-employed when the organization receives the benefits of a permanent employee . Other legal requirements involve tax treatment of benefits ,antidiscrimination laws, and accounting for benefits. Tax treatment of benefits A modern, flexible benefit plan provides a number of potential tax advantages to employees and employers. Employees A flexible benefit plan allows employees to choose to swap some of their existing benefits or purchase benefits from a menu of options. Payments in excess of the employees spending allowance are normally collected via a gross salary adjustment. If employees exchange salary for tax exempt benefits (pensions, life cover, childcare vouchers, mobile phones, etc. ), they do not pay tax or National Insurance on the amount exchanged. This gives a basic rate tax payer earning less than the National Insurance (NI) Upper Earnings Limit (UEL) a saving of 33% compared to receiving the money as salary. For example, an employee that exchanges ? 200 per month of their salary for childcare vouchers and additional pension payments will save ? 792 in tax and NI compared to taking the money as salary. Even if the benefits are not tax exempt, employees can still exchange salary for employer provided benefits and, whilst they will be charged income tax, they save NI as their salaries have been reduced by the value of the benefit. This gives employees earning under the UEL an 11% saving. Employers Employers participating in a flexible benefit plan do not pay employers NI on payments on payments to exempt benefits. If these payments have been exchanged from salary by employees then the employer will save 12. 8% employers NI on the amounts. For example, an employee that exchanges ? 200 per month of their salary for childcare vouchers and additional pension payments will deliver an annual NI saving to the employer of ? 307. Antidiscrimination Laws  Legal treatment of men and woman includes equal access to benefits, so the organization may not use the employee’s gender as the basic for providing more limited benefits. That is the rationale for the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which requires that employers treat pregnancy or childbirth, the employee needs time off for conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, the employee would receive whatever disability benefits the organization offers to employees who take disability leave for other reasons. Another area of concern in the treatment of male and female employees is pension benefits. On average, woman live longer than men, so on average, pension benefits for female employees are more expensive (because the organization pays the pension longer), other things being equal. Some organizations have used this difference as a basis for requiring that female employees contribute more than male employees as a basis for requiring that female employees contribute more than male employees to defined benefit plans. The Supreme Court in 1978 determined that such a requirement is illegal. According to the Supreme Court, the law is intended to protect individuals, and when women are considered on an individual basis ( not as averages ), not every woman outlives every man. Age discrimination is also relevant to benefits policies. Two major issues have received attention under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and amendments. First, employers must take care not to discriminate against workers over age 40 in providing pay or benefits. For example, employers may not set an age at which retirement benefits stop growing as a way to pressure older workers to retire. Also, early retirement incentive programs need to meet certain standards. The programs may not coerce employees to retire, they must provide accurate information about the options available, and they must give employees enough time to make a decision. In effect, employees must really have a choice about whether they retire. When employers offer early retirement, they often ask employees to sign waivers saying they will not pursue claims under the ADEA. The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 set guidelines for using these waivers. The waivers must be voluntary and understandable to the employee and employer , and they must spell out the employees rights under the ADEA. Also , in exchange for signing the waiver, the employee must receive â€Å"compensation† that is , greater benefits than he or she would otherwise receive upon retirement. The employer inform employee that they may consult a lawyer before signing, and employee must have time to make a decision about signing-21 days before signing plus 7 days afterward in which they can revoke the agreement. The Americans with Disabilities Act imposes requirements related to health insurance. Under the ADA, employees with disabilities must have equal access to whatever health insurance coverage the employer provides other employees. Even so, the terms and conditions of health insurance may be based on risk factors -as long as the employer does not use this basis as a way to escape offering health insurance to someone with a disability. From the standpoint of avoiding legal challenges, an employer who has risk-based insurance and then hires an employee with a disability is in a stronger position than an employer who switches to a risk-based policy after hiring a disabled employee. Accounting Requirements Companies financial statement must meet the many requirements of the Financial Accounting standards Board ( FASB) . These accounting requirements are intended to ensure that financial statements are a true picture of the companys financial status and that outsiders, including potential lenders and investors , can understand and compare financial statements . Under FASB standards, employers must set aside the funds they expect to need for benefits to be paid after retirement, rather than funding those benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis. On financial statement, those funds must appear as future cost obligations. For companies with substantial retirement benefits, reporting those benefits as future cost obligations greatly lowers income each year. Along with rising benefits costs. This reporting requirement has encouraged many companies to scale benefits to retirees. Summarize the regulation affecting how employers design and administer benefits program. Employers must provide the benefits that are required by law, and they may not improperly classify employees as independent contractors to avoid paying benefits. Tax treatment of qualified plans is favorable, so organizations need to learn the requirements for setting up benefits as qualified plans-for example, ensuring that pension plans do not discriminate in favor of the organizations highly compensated employees. Employers may not use employees gender as the basis for discriminating against anyone, as in pension benefits on the basis that women as a group may live longer. Nor may employers discriminate against workers over age 40 in providing pay or benefits, such as pressuring older workers to retire by limiting retirement benefits When employers offer early retirement, they must meet the requirements of the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must give disabled employees equal access to health insurance. To meet the requirements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, employers must set aside the funds they expect to need for retirement benefits ahead of time, rather than funding the benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis

The Great Depression in America :: essays research papers fc

October 29th, 1929, a day in history that I will never forget. My name is Bob Bigsby, and I survived The Great Depression. My survival was all due to two of the hardest working people I have ever met, my mom and dad. It was just the three of us living in our small two-bedroom house in New York City, right outside of Manhattan, home to Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. I was 11 years old at the beginning of the Depression; old enough to remember some of the worst sights and experiences I have encountered till this day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Black Tuesday, October 29th, 1929, was, as I remember, the day that the whole stock market went to hell (Gupta 17). All the stocks began to plummet at the fastest speeds ever recorded in history. There are many arguments of how and why the stocks did crash on October 29th. I believe that it was due to President Hoover, the current president at the time, keeping the Federal Reserve from expanding the money supply while bank panics and billions of dollars in bank deposits were lost (Gupta 19). Basically, the stock markets crashing began a chain reaction, which ended in what we call, The Great Depression (Nelson 1). But the how’s and why’s are not very important because nobody really understands that economic â€Å"mumbojumbo† that analysts and experts talk about. The thing that is important is what went on during the Great Depression after Black Tuesday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our family had a small turkey farm that contained about 200 some wild turkeys. It was an â€Å"ok† business before the arrival of Black Tuesday. We had to buy the feed for the turkeys on credit because we were just getting started with this business and couldn’t afford to pay for the feed just yet. It was our job to make the turkeys nice and plump so that they would attract customers during Thanksgiving. Last year we made a killing off of our turkey sales, we were able to pay off all our debts and still have enough money for good Christmas presents. My mom and dad were greatly anticipating this years Thanksgiving sale, because we had twice as many turkeys as we did last year. We were only about a month and a half away from Thanksgiving. Spirits were high. I remember just chasing the turkeys in the field without a care in the world.

Outline and Evaluate Biological Therapies as Treatments of Depression

Outline and evaluate biological therapies as treatments of depression.There many forms of treatment to cure depression, many of which are biological. These target the physical and chemical side of the body.Anti-depressants and other drugs are the most common forms of treating depression. They work by boosting levels of insufficient neurotransmitters such as serotonin and nor-adrenaline. They will either reduce the amount of re-absorption or block the enzyme that is trying to break down neurotransmitters. Allowing to increase the amount of neurotransmitter available , so that neighbouring cells become excited.Tricyclics are used to block the transporter mechanism that re-absorbs both serotonin and nor-adrenaline into the pre-synaptic cell after it has fired. As a result to this there are more neurotransmitters left in the synapse making the transmission of the next impulse easier.The treatment of depression has three phases which it is to go through, the first being acute in which the treatment of current symptoms takes place. Then it goes into the continuation phase in which the treatment is continued for six months where the medication is gradually withdrawn to prevent relapse. Lastly the maintenance phase which is recommended for individuals who have a reccurent depressive episode.One of the most common anti-depressant drugs used are Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI's), these are associated with serotonin which have been found to be involved in depression. The SSRI's will work by stopping the nerve cells from re-absorbing serotonin that has been released into the synapse, which in turn will increase the amount of serotonin available.However SSRI anti-depressants may not be able to treat all forms of depression. Kirsch et al (2008) found that only in the most severe cases of depression there was a significant advantage of using the SSRI. Therefore showing that anti-depressants may not be able to help those with mild or moderate depression.Another type of anti-depressants are mono amine oxidise inhibitors (MAOIs) that work with nor-adrenaline in the synapses. These block the enzyme mono amine oxidise from taking apart noradrenaline, and thus increase the amount of noradrenaline that is available at the synapse. Low levels of noradrenaline in certain areas of the brain has been linked with depression, and so MAOIs are an effective antidepressant.Nonetheless in the case of children and adolescents anti-depressants may fail to work altogether. Hammen (1997) found that anti-depressants appeared to be less useful with children and adolescents than with adults. This could be due to the fact that there are varied developmental differences in their brain neurochemistry and thus equaling to children not being as effected by the anti-depressants. Which may mean that other forms of treatment may need to be considered when treating a depressed child but could and but could also question the overall effectiveness of anti-depressants.Ther e are also safety concerns to do with SSRI's such as an increased use of them may lead to an increase in suicidal thoughts within vulnerable people. Ferguson er al (2005) did a review of studies that found that those in a SSRI condition compared to a placebo condition, are twice as more likely to attempt suicide.This risk however has been found higher amoung adolescents than adults. Suggesting that anti-depressants may in fact be more harmful than beneficial to a depressive individual.Another issue with the treatment of depression is that there may be a misdiagnosis in treatment due to age. Benek-Higgins et al (2008) found that because of the symptoms of depression are masked over by the natural changes in the elderly and their lifestyles. Therefore anti-depressant medication is less likely to be prescribed to them, which may lead to depression in the elderly not being treated at all.It has been found to be harder to treat the elderly also, this is because they are less likely to se ek professional help as they feel that there is a social stigma attached to being â€Å"mentally ill† and do not wish to lose their independence if they are diagnosed. This equals to them not being diagnosed and in turn equalling to them not being treated of their depression.However using a placebo during an experimental treatment may be an ethical issue. As lying to a depressed individual, that they are taking medication to make them better could psychologically make them worse upon learning that they have been lied to. Therefore a thorough debriefing and regular follow-ups will be needed for the individuals.There is also the risk of a publication bias, Turner et al (2008) found as authors have suggested that there is selective publication made to emphasise the positive outcomes of anti-depressant treatments. Drug companies may try to present their drugs as positive even if they aren't. Therefore biased conclusion may lead to inappropriate treatment decisions.Many therapies such as drug therapy are conducted regularly to treat depression but there is no answer on how to measure the effectiveness of them. As how are we meant to know when the patient has been â€Å"cured†, as there is no particular destination that one is trying to get towards. So there is no particular time to measure the effectiveness, whether that be during the therapy or 6 or so months after. Therefore the use of drugs etc may not be as effective as we think, because they do not lead us to a clear cure.Electroconclusive therapy (ECT) involves applying electrodes to a patient's head and passing an electric current through their brain. This will then cause a seizure to occur for a few seconds, but it is not clear as to why ECT works and how. Oxygen is given to the patient during the treatment to compensate for their inability to breathe, and the treatment will be given to the patient three times per week depending on the severity of their depression.It is used in the most severe cases, where a patient is at danger of harming themselves or is extremely suicidal, and anti-depressants and therapy are not having any effect on the the patient. The seizure from the ECT is said to regulate the mood of the patients, which will decrease their depressive episode.Yet there are many side effects to the use of ECT, for example when ECT was first introduced it resulted in injuries such as broken bones, however due to the modern change in treatment and the use of muscle relaxants and the therapy being taken place under anesthetic has decreased the likelihood of injuries. Although memory loss is very likely to follow prior to ECT, it isn't said how long the memory loss may last. Although ECT has been found to be effective to those who have depression the negatives may outweigh the positives to some extent.There is much evidence that supports the effectiveness of ECT, for example Gregory et al (1985) found that in comparison to sham ECT , which is when the patient is not a naesthetised during ECT, have been found to have a significant difference in outcome in favour of the real ECT. Therefore showing that within ECT itself it may be very effective for people with depression.In contrast to anti-depressants, ECT have been shown to be more efficient that anti-depressants, Scott (2004) found that in the short term treatment ECT was better than drug therapy. Which again supports the effectiveness of ECT and how it should be used more often.One way of minimising the cognitive problems that are associated with ECT, which is to use unilateral ECT, where the electrodes are placed only on one side of the skull, rather than the bilateral ECT where the electrodes are placed on both sides of the skull. Studies found that the unilateral is less likely to cause cognitive problems than the bilateral. This shows that to use unilateral ECT would be much more effective than bilateral ECT, and could cause less side effects.A concern with ECT is the consent of the patient s receiving the treatment, the DOH report (1999) found that 59% of 700 patients whom had received ECT admitted to not giving consent to treatment. Even when the patients volunteer to reicieving the treatment there was still an issue with fully informed consent about the side effects. Therefore ECT may not be given to all patients with fully informed consent and could be seen as ethically incorrect.

Do Family Friendly Policies Hurt Men?

But as companies add these benefits, some male employees ( and some childless women as well) have complained that the company Is spending money on benefits that flow to some workers at the expense ( at least theoretically) of others. Some men have even complained that fathers don't get assistance with child care or an opportunity to bring their babies to work. In fact, In the united States, companies do have to extend the same benefits to fathers as to mothers (except, of course, that if a mother is disabled after childbirth, she is the one who gets the usability benefit).But men note that it is women who are more likely to use these benefits, even though studies show that men are experiencing more work- life conflict than male workers did a few decades ago. And as more pregnant women stay on the job, the disparity is as obvious as the bulging bellies.The best way to distribute the cost and benefits of flexibility is to offer to every employee that may need it. Also the ones who It d on't need the benefit of flexibility, give them a longer break for lunch or give rewards to keep the employees up to speed. 2. Do employee benefits have to be used equally In order for them to be fair or ethical? Why or why not? If you were In the HER department of a company where some employees were unhappy about this Issue, how would you recommend that the many address It?Now if I understand this right, I believe that if the benefits were equally given to all employees and not just women with children, I believe this would be fair and ethical. Instead of being equally used, I believe all the employees should have access to all the benefits of the company. If I was in the HER department, I would say that all the TTS snow a De offer to can employee. ASK around Ana get ten employees involved and see what is most needed. Finally, find ways that would benefit both men and women.

Romeo and Juliet Essay †Literature Essay

Romeo and Juliet Essay – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers Romeo and Juliet Essay Literature Essay Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare, it’s one of the world’s most famous love stories. Before the play begins a chorus presents us with the knowledge that a ‘pair of star crossed lovers take their life’. This tells a tale of two families at war with each other and their children’s fatal passion for one another. Although their parents do not know of their secret romance, they face troubles, in the end it causes both of them to take their lives in the name of love. These themes of love and hate penetrate through the play and take different forms. Juliet is portrayed as the loving obedient daughter who does what ever her parents wish. She is innocent and pure until she meets Romeo. I’ll look to like, if looking likeing more; But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. This is her reply when her father tells her of a marriage to Paris. Later on when she refuses to marry Paris her father’s once pleasant demeanour begins to disintegrate. Juliet tells her parent’s she’ll do whatever they wish and if they want her to look at Paris she will, this is what her parents want to hear. Her mother is not an equivalent match with her father, it seems as though she doesn’t make up her own mind she just sides with her husband, when she should really have a strong bond with her daughter. Although of course in that period of time women had less status than men. I would the fool were married to her grave When she refuses to marry Paris her mother in a rage tells her she might as well be dead. This is hardly a mother and daughter relationship. Juliet and the nurse share a deeper bond than her and her birth mother. She has been giving Juliet advice on her love with Romeo and what to do next Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin? However the bond breaks after Juliet Research Papers on Romeo and Juliet Essay - Literature EssayHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionMind TravelPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Fifth HorsemanBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is Art

American Music essays

American Music essays This book is an in-depth look at contemporary American popular music and the kind of musicianship that is appropriate to it. Stith attempts to explain dynamics of rock musicians by studying how the skills, ideas, and human identities associated with this population manage to be created and transmitted in the context of industrialized culture. In addition, he is trying to examine how musicians begin to take on and are characterized by that identity. Stith is interested with this phenomenon because these people were not successful or had not received a record contract, yet their identities remained intact. Stith gathered his data through six years of sporadic field study throughout Colorado, Illinois, Washington, California, Missouri, and southern France. He used both observational and interview methods in his study, however, it was participant observation that was used as a primary data-gathering technique. He presented himself as a musician and indicated in some form that he was interested in forming a group. At times he presented himself as a performer, other times as a role organizer, yet never hiding the fact that he was involved in social research. His secondary data-gathering technique was that he conducted several informal interviews with several members of these rock groups that he was associated with. These interviews were conducted during down-times, usually times where the group was hanging out, eating, traveling, etcetera. The size of the sample Stith studied and the ways in which the data-gathering techniques were administered differed from group to group, usually because his role within the population wasnt always constant. The interview questions that were asked were hardly ever uniform, they were administered differently to suit different individuals in specific situations. ...

How to Improve Your English

How to Improve Your English Each learner has different objectives  and, therefore, different approaches to learning English. But some tips and tools are likely to help most English learners. Lets begin with the three most important rules:   Rule 1: Be PatientLearning English is a Process The most important rule to remember is that learning English  is a process. It takes time, and it takes lots of patience! If you are patient, you will improve your English.   Rule 2: Make a Plan The most important thing to do is to create a plan and follow that plan. Start with your English learning goals, and then make a specific plan to succeed. Patience is key to improving your English, so go slowly and focus on your goals. Youll speak English well soon if you keep to the plan. Rule 3: Make Learning English a Habit Its absolutely necessary that learning English becomes a habit. In other words, you should work on your English every day. Its not necessary to study grammar every day. However, you should listen, watch, read or speak English every day - even if its for a short period of time. Its much better to learn 20 minutes a day than to study for two hours twice a week. Tips for Learning and Improving Your English Have patience: Remember that learning a language is a gradual process- it does not happen overnight.Define your learning objectives early: What do you want to learn and why?Make learning a habit:  Try to learn something every day. It is much better to study (or read, or listen to English news, etc.) 10 minutes each day than to study for 2 hours once a week.Choose your materials well:  You will need reading, grammar, writing, speaking and listening materials.Vary your learning routine:  It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. In other words, dont just study grammar.Find friends: Finding friends to study and speak with in invaluable and learning English together can be very encouraging.Keep it interesting: Choose listening and reading materials that relate to what you are interested in. Being interested in the subject will make learning more enjoyable - thus more effective.Relate grammar to practical usage: Gramm ar by itself does not help you USE the language. You should practice what you are learning by employing it actively. Use reading to help with other English skills:  Reading can be used to help with vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and much more.  Flex your mouth muscles: Understanding something doesnt mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. Practice speaking what you are learning aloud. It may seem strange, but it is very effective. Exercises like  tongue twisters can help improve your flexibility.Communicate: Grammar exercises are great, but having your friend on the other side of the world understand your email is fantastic!Use the Internet:  The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource that anyone could imagine and it is right at your fingertips.

Ethical issues in packaging practices Research Paper - 1

Ethical issues in packaging practices - Research Paper Example In accordance with the present trend of the global business environment, it is often observed that the organizations seek to invest on exceptional and creative packaging practices within the business process to draw a large number of potential users for their offerings. It has been observed from several decades that the global marketers are increasingly executing packaging practices to attract customers towards their range of offerings. Nevertheless, at times it is apparently recognized that the producers in the global business environment tend to mislead their consumers through practicing different types of conspicuous packaging of their products (Fan, 2005). Emphasizing upon the present environmental concern, the primary objective of this paper is to demonstrate an effective analysis on different ethical issues which are created by the modern business organizations in terms of utilizing their packaging practices. Moreover, the discussion of this paper will further focus on highligh ting major impacts of packaging practices and their potential adverse impacts on the environment. At the end of this paper, prospective suggestive measures will also be represented in order to prevent the impact of packaging practices on the global environment. II. Ethical Issues in Packaging Practices Marketing activities of the organizations are often recognized by the customers as one of the most unethical elements of the business strategies. This statement can be identified as one of the major drawbacks of organizational marketing activities especially in terms of packaging practices. In relation to the present rapidly increasing competitive business environment, organizations often tend to involve various unethical practices concerning their packaging and labeling of products (Bone & Corey, 2000). Different studies concerning the notion of packaging practices have depicted diverse types of ethical issues that the marketers raise in terms of achieving competitive position. In th is regard, it can be recognized from the study of Shimp (2003) that the notion of packaging significantly tends to involve four types of ethical issues. In this context, the marketers face the issues concerning the label information, safety, and label graphics along with environmental issues. II. a. Label Information The label information of the product packaging helps the customers to clearly identify the features, ingredients, price along with other important messages through which they can identify their exact expectations. Moreover, the labeling of products also ensures the customers in terms of availing appropriate products as per their needs and desires. However, marketers in the present business world are frequently involved on misleading their customers through presenting imaginary information concerning their product characteristics. For instance, the information concerning low fats/cholesterol or purity of contained ingredients within the products are frequently practiced by a few of the food processing organizations. In addition, the ethical issue relating to represent information differently in the similar category of products is also practiced by the marketers, which enables them to attract new customers segments for their products (Shimp, 2003). Therefore, it can be stated that

Budget Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budget Analysis - Essay Example Budget analysis Determination of Goals and objectives of the City It is very important to determine and consider the goals and objectives of the City Council of the Ypsilanti in the initial stage of preparing the council’s budget. Knowing the goals and objectives will help me as the budget officer understand and draw appropriate boundaries that reflect mission and annual goals of the organization1. Goals and objectives of the council will work as benchmark that guide me in staying within the limits of the council’s expectations of growth and development. Determination of Expenditure As the budget officer of the City of Ypsilanti, I will make thorough and critical consideration of the current expenditures incurred to help me in structuring and estimating the scope of expenditure likely to be incurred during the next financial year. As the budget officer of Ypsilanti City I will determine the contemporary expenditure records of the city council on various areas of its ope ration. This will help me draw a budget forecast of the next financial year.2 I will basically make consultations with the accountant and financial officers in the council. This move will assist me in collecting all receipts and or any other testimonials that disclose any kind of expenditure incurred by the council. As in the case of this city that witnesses daily entrance and exit of 20, 000 university students, I will need to determine the average daily costs incurred by the City Council of Ypsilanti to host such visitors. In addition, I will need to determine the total expenditure incurred by the council in caring and managing the 35000 potential residents of the city. The outcome will be added to the previous expenditure on visitors to determine the total cost on human operations. These expenditures together with other operational costs shall be calculated with high level of diligence and accuracy. With forecasts on the possible changes in future, I will be able to draw a realis tic budget for the city council3. Determination of Income For the budget administrator to draw a convincing and propelling budget that will attract the attention and recognition of the council legislators, he/she should indicate the possible incomes expected and their possible sources. I recognize that determination of income and their sources is a crucial stage that requires utmost diligence to convince the legislature to pass the budget. 4Indicating sources of income will make the budget of the City Council of Ypsilanti appear realistic and convenient. This will likely attract good participation and speculation of the legislators. As the budget manager in this city, I have decided that the city authority raise the gas tax to 51% and also raise vehicles registration fees to 57% in order to avail funds for repairing the road systems in this city. Other sources of required funds for the roads maintenance will also be gathered from 33% tax increase in the mileage travelled by vehicles operating within the city. Ensuring balance The next and probably sensitive point in preparing the budget of the city council is achieving a balance between the expenditure and the expected income. I understand that council legislatures will not approve any budget viewed to cause big deficit above the financing

Organizational Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Communication - Essay Example Collaboratively, the political aspect contribute as to whether social safety and stability will be maintained. In the scenario political discussions between two region create sparks of arguments that provoke social threats like war and verbal clash. In the end, economic status run as how politics affects the society or the socio-political factor. The economy follows the ups and down of the current socio-political order, and once social security is at risk, in the same manner that economic stability is in danger because they are relative. It is evident that many big corporations are established in that particular region. The mere realization that they would loose investors may alarm their position or stand. Professor Rao feeling is because he realizes how corporations greatly influences the decisions of the government. It signifies the loose of government morale since they are looking forward to corporations’ withdrawal of investments and not mainly of a rational socio-political decision. Rao might be thinking that it is better that the dispute has been solve by political agreement or reconciliation which is reasonable for the sake of the state, instead of being motivated because of global trade with the Americans. Since it is evident that government favors the American investors, it will be just a snap to make it appear that the government gave-up their position for the sake of the investors. It gives credibility to what an American journalist said that â€Å"The cease-fire is brought to you be GE and all it s friends here in Bangalore† (Friedman, 2002, p. 8A). Globalization is a broad term that encompass economic aspect intertwined with socio-political aspects. Both aspects can be found in this particular scenario. Globalization establishes interdependence between trade through trade and political agreement. What happened here is that political agreement has been established (resulting to cease-fire) which is socially and economically beneficial. In

The impact of Chinese Communist Party leaders' legitimacy to rule on Essay

The impact of Chinese Communist Party leaders' legitimacy to rule on Chinese Security and foreign policy decision making - Essay Example During his regime, the initiatives he undertook include land reform, the collectivization of agriculture, and the spread of medical services; this leader of the revolution remained alert to what he saw to be new forms of oppression and sensitive to the interests of the oppressed in the era that the country had major reforms. In 1958 he advocated a self-reliant Great Leap Forward campaign in rural development and the failure of the Leap led Mao to turn many responsibilities over to other leaders as well as to withdraw from active decision making and make it include majority opinions. During the early 1960s, Mao continued his restless challenge of what he perceived as new forms of domination where in foreign policy he led China's divorce from the Soviet Union. Domestically, he became increasingly wary of his subordinates' approach to development, fearing that it was fostering deep social and political inequalities; when Liu, Deng, and others seemed to be ignoring his call to remember c lass struggles Mao in 1966 initiated the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, exploiting discontent among some students and others. The Cultural Revolution was successful in eliminating many who opposed his policies but led to serious disorder, forcing Mao to call in the military to restore order in the late 1960s, the result of which was not favorable to the country at large. For decades, Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) was one of the most prominent and respected leader of the communist movement who reached out to otherwise hostile political forces; he played an important role in securing Chiang Kaishek's release during the Xian (Sian) Incident of December 1936 and he headed the CCP liaison team to oppose Japanese imperialism and similarly, Zhou represented the CCP in negotiations with the Nationalists during the mediation effort of U.S. General George Marshall. The history of the country talks of another of the first generation Chinese Communist Party leaders Deng Xiaoping, who held prom inent positions in the government in the 1950s and 1960s, but was eliminated from office, imprisoned during the years of the Cultural Revolution, 1966-76 and his family persecuted. His goal in 1976 was to set China back on the course of economic development that had been badly interrupted during the final years of Mao's leadership as his rallying cry became the Four Modernization articulated by Zhou Enlai in 1975, which entailed the development of industry, agriculture, defense as well as science and technology. Chinese Foreign Policies in the Global Order China has placed particular emphasis on the development of good-neighborly relations and partnership with border countries in order to prevent external threats from exacerbating internal frictions and as well has emphasized non-military aspects of its comprehensive national power. It has developed approaches such as setting aside areas of disagreement with neighboring states, focusing on confidence-building measures to promote tie s; and engaging in economic integration and multilateral cooperation to address shared concerns, (Bergsten,

My narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My narrative - Essay Example It is crucially important for educators to encourage inclusive education, in which the classroom is converted into such a learning environment where students with special needs are encouraged to learn and develop self-confidence, without having to face ridicule. For example, autism, dyslexia, hearing and visual impairments, and ADHD are such disorders that involve specially designed teaching strategies. For me, it will be important to understand the problems of such children in my classroom, in order to plan my lessons accordingly. Children with special needs require special support with their learning styles (James, 2008, p.54). A multisensory approach is the best which supports the child in all the three ways: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. ICT offers many solutions for children with disabilities (McKeon, 2000). Teachers must understand that children with special needs need extra time and effort in understanding the lesson, and hence they should be treated quite differently in l esson, but not in a way that makes them stand out. Hence, teachers must implement such learning strategies that help dyslexic children retain information in their memory for longer time, while helping them maintain their self-esteem at the same

The impact of Chinese Communist Party leaders' legitimacy to rule on Essay

The impact of Chinese Communist Party leaders' legitimacy to rule on Chinese Security and foreign policy decision making - Essay Example During his regime, the initiatives he undertook include land reform, the collectivization of agriculture, and the spread of medical services; this leader of the revolution remained alert to what he saw to be new forms of oppression and sensitive to the interests of the oppressed in the era that the country had major reforms. In 1958 he advocated a self-reliant Great Leap Forward campaign in rural development and the failure of the Leap led Mao to turn many responsibilities over to other leaders as well as to withdraw from active decision making and make it include majority opinions. During the early 1960s, Mao continued his restless challenge of what he perceived as new forms of domination where in foreign policy he led China's divorce from the Soviet Union. Domestically, he became increasingly wary of his subordinates' approach to development, fearing that it was fostering deep social and political inequalities; when Liu, Deng, and others seemed to be ignoring his call to remember c lass struggles Mao in 1966 initiated the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, exploiting discontent among some students and others. The Cultural Revolution was successful in eliminating many who opposed his policies but led to serious disorder, forcing Mao to call in the military to restore order in the late 1960s, the result of which was not favorable to the country at large. For decades, Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) was one of the most prominent and respected leader of the communist movement who reached out to otherwise hostile political forces; he played an important role in securing Chiang Kaishek's release during the Xian (Sian) Incident of December 1936 and he headed the CCP liaison team to oppose Japanese imperialism and similarly, Zhou represented the CCP in negotiations with the Nationalists during the mediation effort of U.S. General George Marshall. The history of the country talks of another of the first generation Chinese Communist Party leaders Deng Xiaoping, who held prom inent positions in the government in the 1950s and 1960s, but was eliminated from office, imprisoned during the years of the Cultural Revolution, 1966-76 and his family persecuted. His goal in 1976 was to set China back on the course of economic development that had been badly interrupted during the final years of Mao's leadership as his rallying cry became the Four Modernization articulated by Zhou Enlai in 1975, which entailed the development of industry, agriculture, defense as well as science and technology. Chinese Foreign Policies in the Global Order China has placed particular emphasis on the development of good-neighborly relations and partnership with border countries in order to prevent external threats from exacerbating internal frictions and as well has emphasized non-military aspects of its comprehensive national power. It has developed approaches such as setting aside areas of disagreement with neighboring states, focusing on confidence-building measures to promote tie s; and engaging in economic integration and multilateral cooperation to address shared concerns, (Bergsten,

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Human Resource Management - Essay Example Horizontal fit refers to the congruence among various HRM practices (Baird & Meshoulam, 1998), and vertical fit refers to the alignment of HRM practice with strategic management process of the firm (Schuler & Jackson, 1987)†. Several approaches have been developed to strategic international human resource management and each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages. The following section will detail the various approaches and aims to compare and contrast these approaches. Approaches to Strategic International Human Resource Management: There are four main approaches to strategic international human resource management. These include: a) Strategy Focused Approach: Some authors are of the view that human resource management and strategic HRM are the same. Authors believe that the nature of HRM is strategic (Dowling, Festing, & Engle, 2007). However this view has not been clearly accepted by a number of authors and it is believed that strategic human resources and HRM a lthough might be similar in a few aspects are not the same. This approach focuses on the strategy based view. b) Decision Focused Approach: Authors like Tichy et al express that there are three main levels of management. These they explain include, the long term, i.e. strategic, medium term, i.e. managerial and the short term, i.e. operational (Dowling, Festing, & Engle, 2007). Authors believe that the functions of human resources that are completed at strategic level together form strategic international human resource management. However there have been arguments that the managerial or also the operational level of human resource functions are more so the... This paper stresses that several approaches have been developed to strategic international human resource management and each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages. The following section will detail the various approaches and aims to compare and contrast these approaches. This report makes a conclusion that some approaches clearly include different views of the organization and also take into account different aspects of the organization which help give rise to the strategic human resource planning. Here it is important to note that although most of these are interlinked the main difference among them is the nature of the approach. Each approach takes into account various elements of business and on how the strategic international human resource management is developed within the organization. The author talks that it is also important to note here that these approaches are based on six main elements which include, a) The transformation of the human resource staff and structure, b) improving the overall administrative efficiency, c) creating a sync between human resource and strategic planning process of the organization, d) creating a fit between the human resources practices and the business strategy itself, e) taking into account the impact of the human resources on the business and also f) development of relationship with the line management. These elements clearly indicate all the areas that together help in the development of Strategic International Human Resource Management. Although all the approaches might be different and might undertake different areas to develop the human resource management, the main crux of all the approaches is clearly the above mentioned six elements.

“Give me a stand point and I will move the earth” Archimedes Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Give me a stand point and I will move the earth† Archimedes Essay Feminists are of the opinion that women in this world have been neglected by history and men through out the ages and liberating them would be synonymous with giving them a stand point to move the world. Klues looks to the pioneers of female research in antiquity whose glimpsing women history through a record from which the female sex has been excised for millennial by patriarchal bias, must have been like constructing a house out of the space between the slats of a fence. Further Klues considers that assiduous and objective scholarship produced an unassailable picture of the role of women in classical Athens, a picture now almost universally accepted, in which domination of male over female is there seen as complete and crushing. Only one wave of classical scholarship, obviously by anthropology, looks to male-female relationship as a significant determinant in Athenian society, as in any other: an ingredient of total culture no less fundamental than its economy or its religion or its political structure. More authors have argued that women did not have a place in history. However, Hasel making reference to Pauline Schmitt –Pantel makes a note worthy reminder of Greek philosophers works such as Aristotle and Plato that made relation to different sexes. A similar reference is made about the Greek cosmologies meaning that women have always had such a place. Hasel has therefore put forth a vivid conclusion. â€Å"The image of the Topos then might not hold much because it is based on seclusion of women in antiquity which may not be the case. † The portraits of Lipia as discussed in Bartman had an effect in creating a stronger imperial Rome. Though there are undertones of their use in propaganda and other political machinations and maneuvers, Bartman note that they were sculpted in the spirit of compromise which he refers as ‘give and take’ between the sculptor and the sponsor. Scott say that there was a moment not all that ago, when feminists thought gender to be an invincible barrier against biology. The sex/ gender distinction would analytically separate the physical body from the social body; it would then no longer be conceivable that anatomy was destiny. Though women might be viewed as ‘non- actors’ thus acting in the realms of those who built and wielded political power to which they were subject to had a private life which of course influences public life. In the words of Scott, those absent from official account none the less partook in the making of history; those who are silent speak eloquently about meaning of power. This reawakening Scott notes has brought about congruence in thought between political historians and writers penning ‘her story’. It has also brought about to the way changes occurred in law, politics and symbolic presentations. A further implication Scott explains is that there are social explanations rather than biological and characterological to the different behavior of men and women and their unequal positions. The feminists are thus challenged in this argument for neglecting female agency by diminishing the historical importance of personal life encapsulated in its three elements- family, sexuality and sociability. Thus irrespective of what feminists think women have always had the stand point and have moved the world as much. Reference Bartman ‘Portraits Of Livia Joan W. Scott, (1988) Gender and the Politics of History (New York 1988) 15-50. Joan W. Scott, `Millenial Fantasies`. The Future of Gender in the 21st Century`, in: Claudia Honegger – Caroline Arni (eds. ), Gender. Die Tucken einer Kategorie (Zurich 2001) 19-37 Wagner Hasel (1989)Women’s life in oriental seclusion? On history and and use of Topos. Pauline Schmitt –Pantel (1992) â€Å"Greek thought on the position of women resolved†. Pg 79.

The Cocoa Industrys Effects on Ivory Coasts Economy

The Cocoa Industrys Effects on Ivory Coasts Economy Chocolate is a sweet delicacy that is associated with joy, comfort and delight. However most consumers do not consider the origins of chocolate and the process it has gone through before it is purchased and eaten. Chocolate is a highly consumed treat in Canada and the United-States, and it is one of my personal favorite sweets, yet there are many worrisome issues that happen throughout chocolates production. The cocoa bean, chocolates main ingredient, must be grown in tropical climates and it is therefore grown in several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. West Africa is the largest exporting region of cocoa beans, with the Ivory Coast as its principle provider, supplying 40% of the worlds cocoa reserves and it comprising one-third of the countries economic revenue (Isern, 2006). The Ivory Coasts economy is therefore extremely dependant on cocoa bean buyers who in turn rely on the consumption of chocolate in North America and Europe. This has not only led to numerous econom ic problems, including an unbalanced economy and high debts, but also several social problems, such as child labour. It is imperative to understand the conditions that have led to this social injustice, because Sub-Saharan Africa has the leading rate of child labour worldwide, and the Ivory Coast is a key contributor to this problem. (Kielland and Nkamleu, 2005). For my research, I will examine how the Ivory Coast has become dependent on cocoa exportations and the role transnational corporations have played throughout this process, resulting in them having increasing amounts of power in the cocoa industry. I will also examine the effects of these changes on the Ivory Coasts economy and on the labour force. My working thesis is as follows: Due to the liberalization of trade policies, the Ivory Coasts economy has become reliant on cocoa exportations. As a result, transnational cocoa buyers have obtained power over social conditions within the country, leading to the unethical practice of child labour. To fully expand on this thesis, I will firstly explain the conditions that led to the implementation of structural adjustment programs (SAPs) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the Ivory Coast. I will secondly examine the consequences of the SAPs on their economy and the increasing centralized power that transnational buyers have obtained. Thirdly, I will examine the effects this has had on child labour and finally the initiatives the Ivory Coasts government and the global community have taken to eradicate child labour. The Historical Context of Liberalization Ever since the Ivory Coast has become independent from France, its economy has been seriously dependant on primary commodities, particularly cocoa (Ahoua 1993). The cocoa industry was regulated by a public organization established by the Ivorian government called the Caisse de Stabilization (Caistab), that offered subsidies, controlled exports in order to protect the Ivorian cocoa market (Losch 2001). However, regardless of the Caistab, the Ivory Coast did not have the economic capacity or stability to deal with the effects of the oil crisis in the 1970s, which resulted in a global drop in cocoa prices. (ibid). The fluctuations of cocoa prices already impacted the countries inner stability and prosperity, causing the beginning of several long-lasting economic issues. Along with the Caistab, the Ivorian government was equally providing funding for infrastructures, such as transportation and energy, and the development of a nationally owned cocoa transforming industry, called SIFCA (Ah oua 1993). All this led to increased lending from banks, amounting to the formation of enormous debts. From 1987 to 1989, the Ivory Coast actively attempted to exert power on the globally dropping cocoa prices by withdrawing from the markets and stopping all exportations. (Losch 2001) However, the Ivory Coasts government was incapable of sustaining such a protest due to their economys dependence on cocoa profits, forcing them to recommence exportations after two months (ibid). This had little effect prices, since corporations had enough stored cocoa to sustain the protest, however it had disastrous effects on the Ivorian economy, pushing their already indebted economy into a crisis (ibid). All these issues created the conditions leading to the liberalization of the Ivory Coasts economy. To amend their problems, the Ivory Coast needed to receive loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). To receive these loans, countries needed to implement Structural Adjustment Programs, fulfilling the stipulations dictated to them by these international organizations. Some conditions included the dismantling of the Caistab, a further drop in the prices of Ivorian cocoa, a cutback in government subsidies given to cocoa farmers, a reduction of tariffs on imports and lesser taxation on industries (Ahoua, 1993). These reforms were suppose to allow the country receive funding from transnational corporations, allowing them to repay their debt. Pardoning the countrys debt was not a considered option by the IMF or WB (ibid). Moreover, social reforms were promised, to ameliorate education and health care, however this was to be effectuated without receiving additional funding and by promoting privatization, which rendered no real improvements (ibid). The Increasing Power of Transnational Corporations All these adjustments were meant to decrease government spending in the cocoa industry and encourage privatization resulting in the development of the country. However, the profits coming from these initiatives were used to further develop the cocoa industry, and not other sectors of the country, increasing the countries cocoa dependency (Isern 2006). Initially, cocoa farmers had control over the markets since there were several buyers competing for their beans, however the centralization of cocoa producer and manufacturers rapidly turned the industry into a buyer-driven market (Folds 2001). Three main cocoa bean buyers have subsequently emerged out of this process: Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) (Folds 2002). This oligopoly forces farmers compliance with the conditions demanded by the transnational buyers, otherwise famers are incapable of selling their cocoa beans. The Ivory Coasts cocoa bean processor SIFCA was also bought by Cargill, rendering their gov ernments attempts to influence the processing industry ineffective (Losch 2001). To make matters worse, the global demand for cocoa is far inferior to the supply provided by the Ivory Coast and competing countries, such as Ghana and Indonesia (ibid). This is detrimental because the Ivory Coast is obligate to produce the best quality cocoa for the lowest price possible to attract the investment from the limited number of corporations, resulting in a further drop of the global cocoa (Losch, 2001). Due to this, farmers are often forced to resort to child labour to overcome these constraints. Another dimension that limits the power farmers have in the market is the two-tiered nature of the cocoa industry. Folds (2002) distinguishes them into grinders, who transform cocoa beans into butter, powder or liquor, and branders, who then transform the cocoa into finished products. This division can create confusion when trying to designate whose responsibility it is to ensure the use of ethical labour practices (Isern, 2006). For example, in 2005, Nestlà ©, ADM and Cargill were sued by the International Labour Rights Fund (ILRF) for buying chocolate from farmers using child labour. Nestlà © denied its involvement by stating that it has no direct cocoa procurement in Ivory Coast, since the company directly buys transformed beans from ADM or Cargill (Orr, 2006). Additionally, ADM and Cargill buy their beans from middlemen, and not immediately from the cocoa farmers, giving them the opportunity to once again pass off the blame (Parenti, 2008). As a result, consumers are increasing ly disconnected from the process and conditions laborers are subjected to in chocolates production. However, certain initiatives have derived from trade liberalization that have helped empower farmers and strive for better labour conditions. There is a growing consumer demand for products created under ethical conditions, creating special markets that can have positive effects in countries (FLO 2005). For example, the Fair Trade movement has aimed to eliminate child labour in the cocoa industry and allows consumer to demonstrate their support for this cause by buying products under these labels. (ICCO 2006). Specifically, the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) has set standards to determine what is considered Fair Trade cocoa, and has certified compliant companies and countries, giving consumers the information needed to make responsible purchases (FLO 2005). The Max Havelaar Foundation has also contributed to this cause by providing fair wages to small-scale farmers, and supporting fair trade cocoa. (ICCO 2006). Nevertheless, Fair Trade cocoa has remained unpopular, representin g 0.1 % of the market (ICCO 2006). Furthermore, Fair Trade cocoa is not commonly produced in the Ivory Coast, rendering zero sales in 2004 (FLO 2005). Although these organizations have been created through consumer demand for them, they have been unsuccessful in producing sustainable change in the Ivory Coast. This demonstrates the need for different initiatives coming from within the countries, as well as global initiatives to reduce child labour. The Consequences on Child Labour Several initiatives have been established to eradicate child labour in the Ivory Coast and the cocoa industry. In fact, the Ivorian government has officially prohibited children under the age of 18 from working, and has signed the Harkin-Engel protocol to fully abolish child labour from cocoa farms (Parenti, 2008). The International Labour Organization and transnational corporations, such as Nestle and ADM, also voluntarily signed this protocol to abolish the worst form of child labour (Isern, 2006). Prohibited activities include wielding a machete, spraying pesticides and heavy lifting, since they are deemed as harmful forms of labour (Parenti, 2008). However, even with these attempts, little improvements have been made and issues of blame and responsibility have been created. Does the Ivorian governments failed initiatives warrant an increase in activities by international organizations and transnational corporations within their country? Or is this an infringement upon the Ivory C oasts sovereignty? The global community answer to this is that transnational corporations should be held responsible. For example, in the newspaper article Slave Chocolate, protestors in San Francisco expressed their disproval of Nestlà ©s labour practices, determining that it is undoubtedly Nestlà ©s responsibility (Orr, 2006). A solution to ensure the responsibility of transnational corporations, originally proposed by The Harkin-Engel protocol, was to implement a child labour label on chocolate products, in order to easily inform consumers about the labour conditions involved throughout their production. (Parenti, 2008) Although this seemed like a good initiative to reduce child labour, it could instead have harmful effect on the poorest farmers and likewise the Ivorian economy. Consumers would discriminate against chocolate produced with child labour, further punishing the poorest farmers who necessitate its use (Isern 2006). This would ultimately worsen the problem and increase the rates of child labour. This demonstrates that policies will essentially need to target trade laws and try to establish a more just free market. On the other hand, it can also be argued that child labour in the Ivory Coast is not entirely a product of the economic dependency on cocoa exportations. In Kiellands (2006) study, she remarks that most forms of child labour were in fact seen as a socialization method; giving families the opportunity to teach their children the proper methods of farming cocoa. She also remarks that community involvement is a more prevalent value in the Ivorian culture, and therefore child labour is often seen as the childs contribution to society. However, there are also many dangers with child labour such as trafficking, abuse and harmful labour practices. Additionally, children who worked on cocoa farms were less likely to attend school than those who did not farm cocoa (Kielland 2006). She suggested that more a more effective implementation of governmental policies would be necessary to prevent child labour by, for example, providing social services and ensuring that adult wages were sufficiently high, thus making child labour unnecessary (ibid). A stricter implementation of government policies surrounding school attendance could also help eradicate child labour. Conclusion To conclude, transnational corporations have obtained increasing amounts of power in the cocoa industry and the Ivory Coast because of trade liberalization and the centralization of the cocoa processing industry. This has had several consequences, such as an increased economic dependence on cocoa exports and higher rates of child labour within the country. Although the Ivory Coasts government and international organizations have attempted several initiatives to reduce child labour, none have been successful in creating sustainable change. Therefore, it becomes important to try new initiatives that confront the issues of the free market, because there is a direct correlation between child labour and the liberalization of cocoa trade. Furthermore, it is important to understand the surrounding complexities involving child labour, for example the different power relationships that come into play, in trying to effectively abolish it. More research is necessary to find a solution that will allow the Ivory Coasts economy to develop without negatively impacting human rights.

A Complex Satan in John Miltons Paradise Lost :: Milton Paradise Lost Essays

Milton's Complex Satan in Paradise Lost Milton's Satan continues to fascinate critics largely because he is more complex than the Devil of the Christian tradition appears. Satan's rebelliousness, his seeking of transcendence, his capacity for action, particularly unconventional action, endeared him to certain types of minds, even if their viewpoint might be considered theologically misleading. Milton often follows the road of intellectual definition for his characters, of reasoning demonstration. This serves well his theological and intellectual cohesiveness. However, when his thought becomes more conceptual rather than metaphoric, it falls trap to its own special kind of static imprisonment. Most of the images in Paradise Lost, however, have a substantial life of their own; they are properties rather than metaphors. In the presentation of Satan, Milton is dealing with a special difficulty. He is not presenting a human intelligence, but an angelic one-a being the nature of which is almost impossible for the human mind to grasp. Milton simplifies the matter by making spiritual intelligences more highly refined versions of human intelligence. He is still left with one problem, that of introducing a flaws in this refined beings. Because of these refined intelligence, these creatures should incline solely to good. "So farwel Hope, and with Hope farwel Fear, Farwel Remorse: all Good to me is lost; Evil be thou my Good;" (IV, 109-111) In this intensely dramatic statement, Satan renounces everything that's good. His is not a lack of intelligence, or weakness of character, very simply an acceptance of evil. It almost justifies C. S. Lewis' observation. "What we see in Satan is the horrible co-existence of a subtle and incessant intellectual activity with an incapacity to understand anything." Although the statement "Evil be thou my Good," makes no sense on the surface, it has a symbolic meaning as an expression of Satan's will to reject the hierarchy of values set before him. In doing so he creates an illusory world that reflects his adopted values, which he accepts as reality. His reality is based on hatred. His hatred makes him psychologically dependant on that he hates, thus making it all the greater. Throughout the epic Milton dramatizes this dependence among the devils- even the hatred that gives them their energy is based on that reality which

Biological Theories of Aging

Aging is a biological phenomenon all the living things are undergoing. We are not sure about anything in the world except the aging. We are approaching getting nearer to the death from the time of the birth onwards. No living thing in the world has the ability to defeat death as it occurs sometimes naturally and sometimes accidently. Aging has different dimensions like physical, psychological, and social. There are many biological theories with respect to aging.Simple Deterioration, Non-programmed Aging and Programmed Aging, Autoimmunity theory, Free radial theory, Telomerase Theory of Aging etc are some of them. This paper briefly explains some of the biological theories of aging mentioned above. Aging: Simple Deterioration Theory/ Wear and tear theory Simple Deterioration Theory argues that Aging is the accumulative result of universal deteriorative processes such as oxidation, molecular damage, wear and tear, or accumulation of adverse byproducts (Goldsmith, p. 3). Even though man and machine are two entirely different things, both of them have certain similarities in their functioning.No machine is able to function more than particular period of time because of the wear and tear due to continuous work. Same way bodies of the living things are also undergoing continuous work which causes damages to the parts of the body. Even though we refill the fuels in the form of food, nutrients and water, there are certain limitations for the body of the living things to survive for a longer period. In chemistry, most of the chemical reactions yield products and by-products. These by-products are not necessarily the intended one.Same way our body chemistry also yields different by-products which are harmful to our health and may reduce our life span. At the same time we cannot avoid the production of such by-products Aging: Non-programmed Aging Theory Non-programmed theory of aging believes that aging is a passive result of an organism’s inability to better resis t fundamental deteriorative processes. Moreover aging serves no purpose, is not an adaptation, and is not programmed (Goldsmith, p. 8). Our body is undergoing lot of changes and processes virtually in very seconds. Most of the activities inside our body are beyond our control.For example, the pumping of blood by the heart is not done with our permission. We cannot stop any of the internal functions. Everything inside our body is tuned to do certain things and any malfunctions occur inside our body may result in diseases. We are passive observers of our body functions. Aging: Programmed Aging Theory â€Å"Organisms are purposely designed and genetically programmed to age or otherwise limit life span because the deterioration and life span limitation serves an evolutionary purpose† (Goldsmith, p. 9). It is unimaginable to think of a world without death for living things.The earth might not be able to give shelter to all the living things if death was not there. So as part of th e natural evolution process, nature has programmed death; natural and accidental to all the living things. August Weismann (1834–1914), the great German theorist and experimental biologist of the 19th century, was one of the first biologists to use evolutionary arguments to explain aging. His initial idea was that there exists a specific death-mechanism designed by natural selection to eliminate the old, and therefore worn-out, members of a population.The purpose of this programmed death of the old is to clean up the living space and to free up resources for younger generations (Gavrilov &Gavrilova) Aging: Autoimmunity theory This theory argues that our body has the tendency to reject its own tissues with the increasing age (Biological theories of aging, p. 21). For example, it is difficult for the older people to take heavy foods because of digestion problems. Moreover, it is a fact that we are losing many hairs and skin and nail cells periodically. In other words, our body has the tendency to reject certain things as time passes.Free radical theory Free radical theory says that certain chemical compounds in our body does damage which accumulates to produce aging (Biological theories of aging, p. 22). Our body is just like a factory. We know that a factory can produce lot of industrial wastes and these wastes can sometimes affect the functioning of the factory. Same way our body also produces lot of harmful wastes. Some of them will be released through, stools, urines, and sweats. But most of the harmful wastes will be accumulated at some part of the body like Kidney. Kidney stone is a common disease occurring in many people.Kidney failures can cause problems to the blood purification purpose and death can happen. Telomerase Theory of Aging Discovered by scientists at the Geron Corporation, Telomerase Theory of Aging argues that telomeres (the sequences of nucleic acids extending from the ends of chromosomes), shorten every time a cell divides. This sh ortening of telomeres is believed to lead to cellular damage due to the inability of the cell to duplicate itself correctly. Each time a cell divides it duplicates itself a little worse than the time before, thus this eventually leads to cellular dysfunction, aging and indeed death (Kleinsek Ph.D. ) We have the ability to either accelerate or slow sown the DNA damage. Those who have the ability to slow down the DNA damage may live much longer than those who have not such abilities. DNA can be repaired using artificial means up to certain extent which can delay the death. But under no circumstances, it is possible to avoid death as per the researches and findings till now. Conclusions Aging is a natural phenomenon incorporated to all the living things by nature in order to find spaces for the coming generation.Even though there are many biological theories are there with respect to aging and death, all of them unanimously agree that death is inevitable.Works Cited 1. â€Å"Biologica l Theories of Aging†. 16 March 2010. 2. Gavrilov Leonid A and Gavrilova Natalia S. 2002. â€Å"Evolutionary Theories of   Aging and Longevity†. 16 March 2010. 3. Goldsmith, Theodore. C. 2009. â€Å"Theories of Biological Aging†. 16 March 2010. 4. Kleinsek, Don Ph. D. â€Å"Theories of Aging†. 16 March 2010. http://www. antiaging-systems. com/agetheory. htm |

Mcdonald’s Market Structure

Introduction By the late- 1990s fast-food chain McDonalds had enjoyed 40 years of exceptional performance. McDonald's brand mission is to be a customers' favorite place and way to eat. McDonald's worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. They are committed to continuously improving theirs operations and enhancing customers' experience. McDonalds place the customer experience at the core of all they do. McDonald’s customers are the reason for their existence.So, McDonalds’s demonstrate appreciation by providing them with high quality food and superior service in a clean, welcoming environment, at a great value. Their goal is quality, service, cleanliness and value for each and every customer, each and every time. McDonalds are committed to people. They provide opportunity, nurture talent, develop leaders and reward achievement. They believe that a team of well-trained individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high levels of engagement, is essential to continued success.McDonald’s business model, depicted by three-legged stool of owner or operators, suppliers, and company employees, is foundation, and balancing the interests of all three groups is a key. McDonalds operate their business ethically. Sound ethics is good business. At McDonald’s, they hold their selves and conduct the business to high standards of fairness, honesty, and integrity. McDonalds are individually accountable and collectively responsible. McDonalds give back to our communities.They take seriously the responsibilities that come with being a leader. McDonald’s help their customers build better communities, support Ronald McDonald House Charities, and leverage their size, scope and resources to help make the world a better place. McDonald s grow their business profitably. McDonald’s is a publicly traded company. As such, they work to provide sustained profitable growth for their shareholders. This requires a continuous focus on McDonald’s customers and the health of our system. McDonalds strive continually to improve.They are a learning organization that aims to anticipate and respond to changing customer, employee and system needs through constant evolution and innovation. Task 1 History of McDonalds The  McDonald's  restaurant concept was introduced in  San Bernardino, California  by  Dick and Mac McDonald  of  Manchester, New Hampshire. It was modified and expanded by their business partner,  Ray Kroc, of  Oak Park, Illinois, who later bought out the business interests of the McDonald brothers in the concept and went on to found  McDonald's Corporation.In October 1948, after the McDonald brothers realized that most of their profits came from selling hamburgers, they closed down th eir successful carhop  drive-in to establish a streamlined system with a simple menu of just hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, shakes, soft drinks, and apple pie. The carhops were eliminated to make McDonald's a  self-serve  operation. Mac and Dick McDonald had taken great care in setting up their kitchen like an  assembly line  to ensure maximum efficiency. The restaurant's name was again changed, this time to simply â€Å"McDonald's,† and reopened its doors on December 12, 1948.In 1960, the McDonald's advertising campaign â€Å"Look for the  Golden Arches† gave sales a big boost. Kroc believed that advertising was an investment that would in the end come back many times over and advertising has always played a key role in the development of the McDonald's Corporation. Indeed, McDonald's ads have been some of the most identifiable over the years. In 1962, McDonald's introduced its now world-famous Golden Arches logo. A year later, the company sold i ts billionth hamburger and introduced  Ronald McDonald, a red-haired clown designed to appeal to children.Arise of Burger King In the late 1970s, competition from other hamburger chains such as  Burger King began to intensify. Experts believed that the fast-food industry had become as big as it ever would, so the companies began to battle fiercely for market share. A period of aggressive advertising campaigns and price slashing in the early 1980s became known as the â€Å"burger wars. † Burger King suggested to customers: â€Å"have it your way† and had attracted many customer and affected McDonald's sales and market share.The predecessor to what is now the international fast food restaurant chain Burger King was founded in 1953 in  Jacksonville, Florida, as Insta-Burger King. Inspired by the  McDonald brothers'  original store location in  San Bernardino, California, the founders and owners, Keith J. Kramer and his wife's uncle Matthew Burns, began searchi ng for a concept to open a new restaurant around. After purchasing the rights to two pieces of equipment called â€Å"Insta† machines, the two opened their first stores around a cooking device known as the Insta-Broiler.The Insta-Broiler oven proved so successful at cooking burgers, they required all of their franchises to carry the device. After the original company began to falter in 1959, it was purchased by its Miami, Florida, franchisees James McLamore and David R. Edgerton. The two initiated a corporate restructuring of the chain; the first step was to rename the company Burger King. The duo ran the company as an independent entity for eight years, eventually expanding to over 250 locations in the United States, when they sold it to the Pillsbury Company in 1967. |McDonalds| Burger King| The first original McDonalds opened in 1948, a restaurant created by Mac & Dick McDonalds in St. Bernandino| Burger King was founded in 1953 in  Jacksonville, Florida, as Insta-Burger King by , Keith J. Kramer and Matthew Burns| Establish a streamlined system with a simple menu of just hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, shakes, soft drinks, and apple pie. |   Equipment called â€Å"Insta† machines, the two opened their first stores around a cooking device known as the Insta-Broiler| In 1962, McDonald's introduced its now world-famous Golden Arches logo. Expanding to over 250 locations in the United States| Delight each customer with unmatched quality, service, cleanliness and value every time| Dedicated to supporting and investing in our people – employees, franchisees, suppliers and restaurant guests  | Place the customer experience at the core| â€Å"Customers always right†Ã‚  | Comparison of purposes of McDonalds & Burger King Task 2 McDonalds Internal Environment The most important factor comes from the internal company or precisely the management itself.Managers must work closely with other department to come out with a strong marketing plan to boost McDonalds sales and efficiency of the operation. For example, the company management has a clear goals regarding importance of retaining customers by offering satisfaction to all its customers. Supplier Supplier is an important factor in the relation with McDonalds and its consumer. To have a good, continuous and no disruption supply, McDonalds must build a strong relationship with the suppliers. McDonalds must also consider that in the business market environment, it is competing with other fast food operators.Any strike, supply shortages and increasing of prices in market must be monitored closely by McDonalds to ensure it will not affect its bottom line performance. Simple economic rules, the more the input cost, the more the company’s overall cost and pricing will be and thus it affect the volume of sales to customers. However, pricing is not as important as close relationship and integration that McDonalds must achieve with vendors to ensure sust ainability of supplier. Distributers Marketing intermediaries are company that helps other company to promote, sell and distribute the goods to final buyers.McDonalds is a franchise-based business, which headquartered in United States and with franchisee around the world. Franchise system is part of marketing intermediaries to actual corporate McDonalds in United States, which helps to popularize, distribute and expand McDonald’s business concept around the globe. However, in the midst to expand the marketing of its brand around the world it must choose a strong creditable franchisee to ensure their business performance is in line with standards set by corporate. McDonalds also need logistic or physical distribution firm especially to help in distribution nd transportation of goods and materials around the country to its restaurant. Customers Customers whether it is business or household buyer are important factor in microenvironment where McDonalds operates. For McDonalds it is more on household consumers, which is changing fast in the market trend. McDonalds must have a clear market segmentation to differentiate the consumers group and has a special marketing attention to each of them such as kiddies, adult, working professional and teenagers with different taste of its food.Every consumer’s trend will affect the company bottom-line performance and if McDonalds cannot change or adapt to the changes of consumer behavior it might risk losing the market. Competitors Fast food industry has a wide range of competitors from small to big size in term of financial capabilities. For example in Malaysia, we have Kenny Roger’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, A&W and Marry Brown and to smaller scale, we have Ramli burger stall around the street corner serving the niche market. These are competitors of McDonalds, which McDonalds must compete by offering a differentiation in term of value and satisfaction to its customers.Any values and benefits that McDonalds can u tilize to differentiate it apart from all can be a strong marketing point to reach and conquer the market. Marketer must constantly understand ever-changing customer’s needs, needs by special group and develop strategies to strengthen the company positioning in domestic market. Employers The good things for this company is it provide a good training to all staff and especially to those involve in management level. Even in Malaysia, many management staff sent to Chicago to training on managing the operation of McDonald’s outlet.Hamburger University in Illinois Chicago has graduated more than 70,000 managers who leads and manage the operation of McDonald’s outlet in the standard push upon them. Culture of training also prevails at McDonalds with over 32 hours of training for all new employees to ensure they understand the requirement and aspiration of McDonalds for continuation of best fast food restaurant service provider to the customers. McDonalds keen to train its own people and mission to be the best talent developer of people with the most committed individuals to Quality Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSC&V) in the world.Task 3 McDonald’s Pestle Analysis McDonald’s is comprised of more than 30,000 local restaurants and serves 52 million people in more than 100 countries each day. The company is the largest food retailer in the world and is part of the current way of life. In order to remain competitive and an iconic, McDonald’s has developed programs and strategies for organizational behavior in its market environment. As a result, McDonald’s presented an excellent opportunity to observe external macro environment which called Pestle. Pestle stands for political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors.POLITICAL FACTOR The international operations of McDonald’s are highly influenced by the individual country’s policies enforced by each government. For instance, there are certain groups in Malaysia, Europe and the United States that take actions pertaining to the health implications of eating fast food. They have indicated that harmful elements like cholesterol and adverse effects like obesity are attributable to consuming fast food products. On the other hand, the company is controlled by the individual policies and regulations of operations.Specific markets focus on different areas of concern such as that of health, worker protection, and environment. All these elements are seen in the government control of the licensing of the restaurants in the respective states of the country. For instance, there is an impending legal dispute in the McDonald’s franchise in Malaysia where certain infringement of rights and violation of religious laws pertaining to the contents of the food. There are also other studies those points to the infringement of McDonald’s Stores with reference to the existing employment laws in the target market.Like an y business venture, these McDonald’s stores have to contend with the issues of employment procedures as well as their tax obligations so as to succeed in the foreign market like Malaysia. Since it is apparent that the company is expanding continuously, it is wise to deal directly with the proper authorities in the respective markets that they intend to operate in. This way, the company can adopt a good way of establishing good relationship with the government. It is advisable that the company rests on the good graces of the government on which they will be penetrating.To do this, all they have to do is accomplish all the prescribed acts and satisfy all the prerequisites for doing business. The company must also be acquainted with the law in order to know what their responsibilities and their possible liabilities. Also McDonalds should protect its workers by ensuring all the hiring, compensation, training or repatriation in accordance to the labour laws. ECONOMICAL FACTOR Orga nizations in the fast food industry are not excused from any disputes and troubles. Specifically, they do have their individual concerns involving economic factors.Branches and franchises of McDonald’s have the tendency to experience hardship in instances where the economies of the respective countries are hit by inflation and changes in the exchange rates. The customers consequently are faced with a stalemate of going over their individual budgets whether or not they should use up more on these foreign fast food chains like McDonalds. Hence, these chains may have to put up with the issues of the effects of the economic environment. Particularly, their problem depends on the response of the consumers on these fundamentals and how it could influence their general sales.In regarding the operations of the company, McDonald’s tend to import much of their raw materials into a specific country’s territories if there is a dearth of supply. Exchange rate fluctuations wi ll also play a significant role in the operations of the company. The company’s international supply as well as the existing exchange rates is merely a part of the overall components needed to guarantee success for the foreign operations of McDonald’s. Moreover, it is imperative that the company be cognizant of the existing tax requirements needed by the individual governments on which they operate.This basically ensures the smooth operations of the McDonald’s franchises. In the same regard, the company will also have to consider the economic standing of the country on which they operate on. The rate at which the economy of that particular country grows determines the purchasing power of the consumers in that country. Hence, if a franchise operates in a particularly economically weak country, their products shall cost higher than the other existing products in the market, then these franchises must take on certain adjustments to maintain the economies of scale.I deally before penetrating the market, the company must carry out a well conducted market research, especially in the movements in the economic environment which McDonalds had done before entering the global market due to which the company has been able to bear the frequency of the shifts in the inflation rate as well as the fluctuations in the exchange rates which affects the operations of any company. SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS Articles on the international strategies of McDonald’s seem to function on several fields to guarantee lucrative returns for the organization.To illustrate, the organization improves on establishing a positive mind-set from their core consumers. McDonald’s indulge a particular variety of consumers with definite types of personalities. It has also been noted that the company have given the markets such as the United Kingdom and Malaysia, an option with regards to their dining needs. McDonald’s has launched a sensibly valued set of food that t enders a reliable level of quality for the respective market where it operates.Additionally, those who are aged just below the bracket of thirty-five are said to be the most frequent consumers of McDonald’s franchises. The multifaceted character of business nowadays is reflected in the harsh significance of the information on the subject of the existing market. This procedure is essentially identified in the field as market research. Information with regards to the appeal and potential fields of the market would double as obstructions to the success of the company if this area of the operations is neglected.In the case of McDonald’s they establish a good system in determining the needs of the market. The company uses concepts of consumer behavior product personality and purchasing decisions to its advantage which is clearly evident in case of Malaysia as the company was quick in removing their Pork products from Malaysia’s menu. It is said to have a major influe nce on the understanding of the prospective performance of the organization in a particular market. McDonalds should obtain the relevant information from the target market in addition to the individual customers of the organization.It is imperative that before a franchise is granted to a particular market, a well drafted and comprehensive market research should be conducted initially so as to establish the acts that would conform to good customs, public policies, and morals of the said Country’s society. Similarly, the company should find out the shifts in areas like the consumer behavior and purchasing patterns of the market. Fundamentally, this is the key condition for executing a suitable customer relationship management system.Also the company should constantly survey and learn about local culture to better understand and design the best product for them. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS McDonald’s generates a demand for its own products. The company’s key tool for mar keting is by means of Online Facebook and Google ads, Collaboration with these websites to promote sales in India, television advertisements, banners and hoardings. There are similarly some claims that McDonald’s are inclined to interest the younger populations more. Other demonstration of such a marketing strategy is apparent in the commercials they use.They employ animated depictions of their characters like Grimace, Ronald and Ham burglar. Other advertising operations employ popular celebrities to promote their products. The ‘like’ has become endorsers for McDonald’s worldwide â€Å"I’m loving it† campaign. Moreover, the operations of McDonald’s have significantly been infused with new technology. Elements like the inventory system and the management of the value chain of the company allows for easy payments for their suppliers and other vendors which the individual stores in respective markets deal with.The integration of technolog y in the operations of McDonalds tends to add value to their products. Basically, this is manifested in the improvements on its value chain. The improvement of the inventory system as well as its supply chain allows the company to operate in an international context McDonalds use the internet to their advantage. The cost-effectiveness, interactivity and real- time effects of the communications are a good way to find suppliers. It is also a good way to correspond with the respective McDonald’s headquarters in every Country.The company must also look into the use of IT to enhance their inventory operations. As the operations in its inbound and outbound logistics improve, the company will expect significant savings and reduction of costs in the operations. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS The social responsibilities of McDonald’s on the country are influential to the operations of the company. These involve accusations of environmental damage. Among the reasons why they are charged with such claims is the employ of non-biodegradable substances for their drinks glasses and Styrofoam coffers for the meals.Several civic groups in Malaysia have made actions to make the McDonald’s franchises in Malaysia aware of the rather abundant use of Styrofoam containers and the resultant abuse of the environment. The company should find out the environmental regime that governs the operations in every market. It should also monitor the waste disposal of the company. McDonald’s should minimize the use of Styrofoam materials and plastic cups. Constant updating of the social corporate responsibility is imperative and implements â€Å"Go Green†.This should also entail that the headquarters should take in hand, a manner of internal control of those that would infringe upon this company objective. LEGAL FACTORS There has been the recurrent bellowing in opposition to the fast food industry. This has similarly made McDonald’s apply a more careful considera tion on their corporate social responsibilities. On the whole, this addressed the need of the company to form its corporate reputation to a more positive one and a more socially responsible company. The reputation of McDonald’s is apparently a huge matter.Seen on the website of the company, it seems that they have acquired strides to take in hand the key social censures that they have been berating them in the past decades. The company has provided their customers the relevant data that they need with reference to the nutritional substances of their products. This is to attend to the arguments of obesity charged against the products of the company. In the same way, the consumers provided freedom in choosing whether or not they want to purchase their meals. This is tied up with the socio-cultural attributes of the market on which they operate.For instance, operations in predominantly Muslim countries require their meat to conform to the Halal requirements of the law. In the sa me regard, those that operate in countries in the European Union should conform to the existing laws banning the use of genetically modified meat products in their food. This was prime reason which forced McDonalds to eliminate beef, pork and Mutton out of India’s product menu. Other legal concepts like tax obligations, employment standards, and quality requirements are only a few of important elements on which the company has to take into consideration.Otherwise, smooth operations shall be hard to achieve. As a certified fast food operator, there are many regulations and procedures that McDonalds should follow. McDonalds should protect its integrity and consumer confidence by ensuring all materials and process are as claimed or must followed. Other legal requirement that the business owner should follow as stipulated in laws are such as operating hours, business registration, tax requirement, labour and employment laws and quality & environment certification (such as ISO) in which the outlet has been certified.The legal requirement is important because the offenders will be fined or have their business prohibited from operating which can be disastrous. The company should hire local counsels to deal with the legal conflicts in individual markets on which the company may encounter. This shall ensure the company that the lawyers that will handle their legal affairs are more versed with the legal regime that would ease out certain problems on their operations. Task 4 Impact of European Union’s Policies on McDonald The European Union (EU) is a unification of  27 member states united to create a political and economic community throughout Europe.Though the idea of the EU might sound simple at the outset, the European Union has a rich history and a unique organization, both of which aid in its current success and its ability to fulfill its mission for the 21st Century. The European Union Policies have an impact on McDonald’s market environment . Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Cooperation on economic and political matters is based on several forms of cooperation procedures. A fundamental principle when coordinating their economic policies is that Member States are responsible for their national economic policy.As a result of the crisis, Member States have strengthened the coordination of economic policy. However, Member States continue to place strong emphasis on national sovereignty in economic matters while adhering to common rules. McDonalds Cooperation is registered under (ECOFIN) and has to seek for consultation or in co-decision with the European Council every year. Although each EU Member State is responsible for determining its own tax policy, the EU still cooperates on relevant aspects of taxation. This applies especially to policies which affect international trade and trade among the Member States.The Member States therefore cooperate on certain aspects of taxation with cross-border effects. For instanc e, McDonalds have differentiated taxation rate in various country based on the country exchange rate. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) From the very beginning, the free movement for workers has  been one of the basic rights within the European Community and this was the focal point of the first social and employment policy of the EU. The McDonald normally makes decisions in co-decision with the European Council.This procedure applies for instance when the Council passes legislation about the working environment, conditions at work, and the free movement of workers of McDonalds. The EU has the mandate to compliment McDonald’s initiatives in the area of health for the purpose of protecting people from health threats and diseases, promoting healthy lifestyles and helping national authorities in the EU to cooperate on health issues. This is especially relevant when it comes to burgers of McDonalds which is high in cholesterol and may lead to heart disease.Therefore, McDonalds have to modify the ingredient of the burgers. Competitiveness (COMPET) The McDonalds has to follow with industrial policy since the establishment of the EU. A milestone in the EU industrial policy is the establishment of the Single Market, which created a large home market for industry providing businesses with the opportunity to mass produce and profit from large-scale operation like McDonalds. Today, industrial policy is subject to the co-decision procedure, meaning that Competitiveness in business is legalistic. For an example, Burger King is legal competitor for McDonalds.The European research and innovation cooperation and the close connection between research, innovation and education play a decisive role in securing future growth. Therefore, the EU gives high priority to this area and allocates considerable funds annually to finance the McDonalds research programmer. Agriculture and Fisheries (AGRI) Through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) the EU wants to ensure an economically viable agricultural sector that produces safe, high-quality food based on environmentally sustainable production. Moreover, the CAP contributes to ensuring good business and living conditions in rural areas.By requiring farmers to deliver public goods in return for the financial support, the Common Agricultural Policy is to ensure that beneficiaries deliver public goods on a range of relevant aspects, such as an improved environment and climate, innovation, technology and food quality of McDonalds. EU consumers should be confident that the foods on the market are healthy, safe, of high quality and produced with respect for animal welfare. Improvements of food safety levels in the EU through the harmonization of standards will be of high importance of McDonalds.EU countries have adopted common rules for McDonald’s hygiene and self-monitoring and common rules for authorities’ monitoring of the food industry. An EU inspectorate also mon itors whether the McDonalds implement food legislation correctly. Task 5 Global Factors That Affect McDonalds Businesses are affected by an external environment as much as they are affected by the competitors. Global factors influencing business are legal, political, social, technological and economic. Understanding of these factors is important while developing a business strategy. Social factorsThese factors are related to changes in social structures. These factors provide insights into behavior, tastes, and lifestyles patterns of a population. Buying patterns are greatly influenced by the changes in the structure of the population, and in consumer lifestyles. Age, gender, etc. all determine the buying patterns and understanding of such changes is critical for developing strategies which are in line with the market situations. In a global environment it is important that McDonald’s business strategies are designed keeping in mind the social and cultural differences that va ry from country to country.Consumer religion, language, lifestyle patterns are all important information for successful business management. Legal factors These factors that influence McDonalds business strategies are related to changes in government laws and regulations. For a successful business operation it is important that the businesses consider the legal issues involved in a particular situation and should have the capability to anticipate ways in which changes in laws will affect the way they must behave. Laws keep changing over a period of time.From the point of view of business it is important that they are aware of these changes in the areas of consumer protection legislation, environmental legislation, health & safety and employment law, etc. Economic factors These factors involve changes in the global economy. A rise in living standards would ultimately imply an increase in demand for products thereby, providing greater opportunities for McDonald to make profits. An eco nomy witnesses fluctuations in economic activities. This would imply that in case of a rise in economic activity the demand of the product will increase and hence the price will increase.In case of reduction in demand the prices will go down. Business strategies should be developed keeping in mind these fluctuations. Other economic changes that affect business include changes in the interest rate, wage rates, and the rate of inflation. In case of low interest rates and increase in demand McDonald will be encouraged to expand and take risks. Therefore, business strategies should have room for such fluctuations. Political factors This refers to the changes in government and government policies. Political factors greatly influence the operation of McDonald. This has gained significant importance off late.For example: McDonalds is operated in the European Union have to adopt directives and regulations created by the EU. The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of bus inesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. Business must consider the stability of the political environment, government’s policy on the economy. Technological factors These factors greatly influence McDonald’s strategies as they provide opportunities for businesses to adopt new innovations, and inventions. This helps the McDonalds to reduce costs and develop new products.With the advent of modern communication technologies, technological factors have gained great impetus in the business arena. Huge volumes of information can be securely shared by means of databases thereby enabling vast cost reductions, and improvements in service. Organizations need to consider the latest relevant technological advancements for their business and to stay competitive. Technology helps business to gain competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. While designing the business strategies firms must consider if use of technology will allow the fir m to manufacture products and services at a lower cost.Firms can select new modes of distributions with the help of technology. It has become easier for companies to communicate with their customer in any part of the world. Conclusion From the beginning in 1948 as a fast food restaurant in Southern California, McDonalds grew by the end of the twentieth century into the world’s largest food service organization, having served up more than 100 billion hamburgers in half a century of operation. In conclusion, McDonalds are executing all these customers’ service improvement programs to constantly portraying itself as a friendly, healthy and quality food provider to customers.McDonalds is trying to build long-term relationship with customers to ensure the retention rate in the market where competition is tough between all the fast food restaurant operators. The purpose of this paper work is to analyze McDonald’s with its competitor; Burger King, internal microenviron ment, Pestle analyze, impact of EU Policies and global factors on McDonalds. Hereby, I strongly believe that I have reached your expectation on this case study. References McDonald (2012). A short history of McDonald. Available from: http://www. articlesbase. com/a-short-histoty-of-mcdonalds03920. tml [Accessed on 20/2/13] Frank Newman (2009). Burger King: A short Story. Available from: http://www. 21e5-11e4-dsas3-00134fascesds04. html. [Accessed on 20/2/13] Edita Novana (2003). McDonald’s Cooperation Analyze. 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