Media and Politics Essay

We all agree that a well-informed public leads to a more open, just and civic-minded society. Yet today it seems every major and minor news network has a Sunday talk show or weekly roundtable dedicated to â€Å"educating† the American public about politics. In addition, with the growth of the Internet, thousands of Web sites exist with information on politics and government. The irony is that while the quantity of places we can go for political information continues to increase, the quality of that information has not. Recent voter turnout shows an American public with a general apathy toward government and the political process. If we continue to focus on innuendo instead of insight, we threaten to create even more public apathy. For everything a quick sound bite delivers in sharpness, it often loses the same in substance when the message reaches the public. While it may be easy to fault the media for the lack of public confidence in America’s political system, policymakers are also partly to blame. Because increased political partisanship has led to an adversarial relationship between policymakers, it has created a disconnect with the media who cover them. It is only natural for the media to present the news in this â€Å"crossfire† approach when that is all it hears from politicians on a daily basis. Thus, instead of creating a well-informed society, policymakers, and the media can inadvertently work together to give the appearance that complicated issuesare black or white, with no in-between. We all know this is not true. For television, and the American media generally, the election of 2000 will be the first real taste of things to come, the beginning of the end of an era if not the end itself. Whispers of the â€Å"information revolution† could be heard in 1994, mostly in the accents of the Right, but in 2000, the Internet’s campaign presence will be sounded in shouts and with cymbals.  Campaigning via Websites and the use of e-mail, already routine, will edge toward dominance. In addition, a significant fraction of the public will be getting its politics from the Internet: the Pew Research Center found that in 1995, only 4 percent of adults went on-line for news at least once a week; by 1998, the figure had reached 20 percent, and rising. Today, however, television, which displaced the press and radio (and movies, for that matter), is itself substantially being shouldered aside. It is not even surprising that, according to the Pew Research Center, while 60 percent of adults â€Å"r egularly† watched TV news in 1993, that figure dropped to 38 percent in 1998. Like the press and like radio, television will retain much of its power; its quality of its influence may even rise; what is certain, however, is that it will have to change. If we are lucky, that change will help Americans reclaim some of democracy’s old charm. Our communities have been weakened or shattered by the market, mobility, and technology, and the centralization of the media and of party politics has taken much of the spirit out of our politics, emphasizing mass and hierarchy, and leading citizens to seek dignity in a private life that seems increasingly confined. Our politics, like our society, is more and more divided into two tiers. The elite levels, especially around the national capital and the media centers, are dense with organized groups and with information about the subtleties of policy and politics†¦The great majority of Americans, by contrast, are socially distant from power, baffled by its intricacies, anxious about change, and inundated by the welter of information being made available to them. The links that connect citizens to government are thin, mostly top-down, and dominated by money: the parties are increasingly c entralized bureaucracies, and â€Å"participation† is apt to take the form of donating money in response to direct appeals, voicelessly, without any say in group leadership or policy. As for the dominant news media, they are not seen as a stratum between citizens and centers of power, but as part of the powerhouse, an element of the elite or in its service. The great majority of Americans know that they depend on the media†¦the media decide what opinions to attend to and in what ways. Viewers, lacking a voice, can assert their discontents only by changing channels or by turning off the set, and in relation to politics, tuning out has become startlingly common, a silent protest against indignity. It does  not help that, eager to cultivate and hold a mass audience, the news media tend to dumb down their political coverage, as indicated by the ever-shrinking sound bite afforded to candidates and leaders. It is probably even worse that the media also pander, playing to our worst impulses. Early and consistently, polls showed that most Americans were convinced that coverage of the Lewinsky affair was doing damage to our institutions, telling pollsters that they wanted it to receive much less attention from the media. However, media leaders knew, of course, that despite this public-regarding judgment, very few Americans, as private ind ividuals, would be able to resist getting caught up in the tacky salacity of the thing. As a result, we got coverage in agonizing detail: Russell Baker called it â€Å"disgusting,† an indication that the media market is dominated by â€Å"edge, attitude, and smut.† Moreover, it encouraged millions of Americans to view the media, for all their power, as worthy of contempt. Political societies can be symbolized but not seen, and the most important political controversies turn on words–like justice, equality or liberty–and hence on public speech. A picture makes a strong impression, but one that tends to be superficial. Many see who you appear to be, Machiavelli advised the prince, but not many will recognize who you are. And often, visual coverage of politics is banal or beside the point. In the internet, a good many observers discerned a trend toward a more decentralized communication and politics, more interactive and hence friendlier to democratic citizenship. However, the Internet, at least so far, is not leading us to the public square. It does enable minorities to find like-minded people, to avoid the sense of being alone, and sometimes this gives strength and assurance to our better angels, although at least as often it gives scope to the dark side. In general, however, the Internet creates groups that lack what Tocqueville called the â€Å"power of meeting,† the face-to-face communication that makes claims on our senses, bodies as well as minds. — Over the past five decades, the American electorate has come to depend more and more on the news media for learning about political candidates and making voting decisions. The growth of all forms of media and the rise of â€Å"objectivity† in the press†¦ has made voters more dependent on the news media for campaign information. Today, about seven in 10 voters depend mainly on the news media for information to make choices when they cast their ballot. Voters’ dependence on the news increases the importance of the role that the news media play in American elections. But what do American voters want from election news coverage? And how do voters evaluate the news media’s coverage of presidential elections? In a word, â€Å"lukewarm† describes the general feeling of voters about the performance of the news media in covering presidential campaigns, according to national scientific surveys of the American electorate conducted from February through November 1996, as well as a more recent survey, conducted in October 1999, on the current campaign. The surveys were conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis (CSRA) at the University ofConnecticut. Funding for the 1996 surveys was provided by The Freedom Forum. Why the tepid feelings? American voters are quite consistent in what they say they want from election news–and they are quite clear in saying that what they want is often not what they get. The American electorate is hungry for news and information that allow it to evaluate the substance of presidential candidacies on the basis of issue positions and on the likely consequences of electing a particular candidate to office. News provided outside of these parameters, while perhaps entertaining, is viewed as â€Å"nonsense† in the words of our focus group participant. Two types of stories–those that review how candidates stand on issues and those that describe how election outcomes might affect voters–are clearly the kinds of stories in which voters express the highest levels of intere st. The remedies suggested†¦.enhanced coverage of issues and candidates positions, more coverage of the possible impact of election outcomes on public policy and broader coverage of the  full field of candidates, not just the front-runners–could improve the quality of news and promote voter learning, which would be healthy for American democracy. At the same time, less coverage of the election as a sporting horse race and less obsession with entertaining stories about candidates personal lives would, according to voters, be an improvement. In election periods, the polls highlight the role of public opinion in the political process. They also illuminate the importance of public opinion measurements in the media. Fundamentally, and at their best, media polls are a way for public opinion to be reported and perceived, thus fulfilling the eminent 19th-century British visitor James Bryce’s conception of the American press as the â€Å"chief organ of public opinion,† and community â€Å"weathercock.† However, when employed inappropriately by overzealous reporters and analysts, polls can be used to create an exaggerated sense of precision that misleads more than it informs. Polls routinely bring the public into election campaigns. In an otherwise fragmented and even alienated society, poll reports may be the only means individual members of the public have in situating themselves in the greater society. News reports of poll results tell individuals that they are part of a majority or a minority on various issues. In campaigns with more than two candidates, especially early in the primary season, information about relativecandidate standing gives voters the information to help them cast a vote that is strategically advantageous. But most importantly, polls take that strategic information about candidate performance away from politicians’ control and places it in the hands of the public. News organizations no longer are forced to rely on the instincts of party leaders  or on carefully orchestrated leaks from partisan pollsters for data. Because they are numbers, poll results sometimes create the appearance of a false precision in reporting of candidate support or presidential approval. In fact, some polling organizations flaunt this alleged precision by displaying results to a 10th of a percentage point. Of course, the error due simply to the sampling design is usually at least 30 times greater than the specificity presented. Moreover, there are growing concerns about the ability of su rvey researchers to reach the majority of households selected in their sample. Some respondents refuse to be interviewed. Others have become ever more difficult to reach during the short news survey-interviewing period that must be sandwiched between public events. This perception of precision and accuracy leads journalists into making blunders, including attempting to find deep meaning when there probably isn’t any. Newspaper and television reporters often try to attribute a three-point difference in the margin between two candidates to some campaign action. Either the â€Å"slipping† candidate has made a mistake, or there has been a successful strategic decision that has brought supporters to the â€Å"rising† candidate. Sometimes small movements in the percentages of subgroups that form only a part of the total sample are given the same â€Å"explanatory† treatment. Those â€Å"differences,† however, are more likely to be caused by sampling error than by campaign events. In mid-October, a prominent presidential candidate addressed his largest audience. Hundreds of thousands of voters heard his message–but they never got the news that his message contained some distortions, omissions, and half-truths. Those significant matters were either ignored or buried in coverage by the leading news media. Why? It was not because of bias. It was because the candidate’s message was delivered not at a campaign event but in campaign television ads. And when candidates communicate via ads on the tube  instead of on the stump, journalists act as if we are stumped about our role and responsibility. Journalists at most major and medium-sized newspapers are proud that they are now at least covering political advertisements at all. They report on them in small-boxed features called â€Å"Ad Watch† or something of the sort. But they haven’t figured out that they are still being manipulated by the ad-makers. The â€Å"Ad Watch† reports c arry the transcript of the 30-second ad, followed by a small section in which a reporter subjectively interprets the ad-maker’s strategy. Then–in the most valuable section–the reports briefly focus on the factual accuracy of the ad’s claims. Newspapers display these â€Å"Ad Watch† boxes on inside pages, back with the snow tire and truss ads. Think about it from a journalist’s viewpoint: when a candidate distorts his record in a huge rally speech, a good reporter fact checks the claims. The resulting news story will surely focus in part on the candidate’s omissions and distortions that present a different and more accurate picture of his record.And that may well be a page one story. Now think about it from the political strategist’s viewpoint: Democratic and Republican strategists expect print journalists will check ads for accuracy but then downplay the results. So, being skilled manipulators, they are willing to take a light hit in a box that is buried back with the truss ads and will run just once if they can pour their unfiltered, exaggerated and distorted message in to living rooms where it may be seen by millions, not just once but perhaps 10 times in a campaign. There is one mistake that all journalists make whether we are covering politics at the White House, state house, or courthouse. Every time we report on money and politics, we fail to tell people the real story about how the system really works because we are using the wrong words to describe what is happening right before our eyes, every day. So no wonder people just shrug when we report that a special interest â€Å"contributed† $100,000 to Democrats or Republicans. Because, this special interest really did not â€Å"contribute† this money (which my dictionary explains means that it was given as though to a charity). What the special interest representative really did was â€Å"invest† $100,000 in the Democrats or Republicans. Big business people (see also: big labor, trial lawyers, et al) â€Å"invest† in politics for the same reason that they invest in anything–to reap a profitable return on their â€Å"investment.† Use the right word and suddenly  everybody understands what is really going on. They will especially understand when we regularly report that the largest agribusiness â€Å"investments† in Senate and House races routinely go to the top agriculture committee members, and largest energy special interest â€Å"investments† go to the top energy committee members, and so on. Use the right word and suddenly our next task as journalists becomes clear–and clearly difficult: we need to do a better job of discovering the campaign investors’ motives. We need to ask, Just what profitable return did the investor expect to reap for that campaign investment? A tax subsidy? A regulation waived? A loophole that is difficult for a squinting journalist to see with a naked eye? Whatever the return, this much is clear: the money ultimately comes out of the U.S. Treasury. Clearly, our present system, which we like to say is based on private financing of campaigns, can also be viewed as a form of backdoor public funding–where the taxpayers pay the final tab, no doubt many times over. We journalists have yet to find a way to calculate how many billions of tax dollars it now costs us to finance election campaigns through the back door. At least we can begin using a vocabulary that will finally tell it like it is.

IELTS Tests

Task 1:Â  The bar chart below shows the percentage participation of men in senior development in three companies between 1980 and the year 2010. Summarize the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 wordsThe diagram illustrates the changes in proportion of male seniors in three giants including IBM, Microsoft and Apple over 30 years from 1980 to 2010. In sum, the three firms experienced an upward trend in terms of this indicator. Originally, in 1980, IBM had only approximately 2% of senior positions occupied by men with no significant change in the next 5 years. Afterwards, this number surged to over 10% in 1990 and 26% in 1995, surpassing that of 2 other companies. In 2000, the percentageaugmented reaching over 30% and even doubled exceeding 60% in only 5 years later.Therefore, IBM obtained the highest enhancing pace in hiring males for senior levels. Regarding Microsoft, the period from 1980 to 2000 witnesse d a gradual increase in men involvement percentage in senior positions from roughly 7% to approximately 17%. Nonetheless, the statistic noticeably soared to nearly 45% in 2000. Last to be mentioned, in 1980, there were 15% of Apple high positions taken in charge by males. This was followed by a light fluctuation during 20 years and finally ended at about 25% in 2010.This conversion turned Apple into the company having the lowest man participation in senior board comparing to IBM and Microsoft.Task 2: Some people think that everyone has the right to use freshwater as much as they want; some others believe that freshwater should be tightly controlled by governments worldwide because it is a limited resource. Discuss both views and give your opinion.It is popular that water creates creature. Nevertheless, the essential and priceless freshwater sources are being vanished due to the humans’ massive use. This fact has lead to a discussion that whether water sources should be libera lly accessed or put under strict control of authorities. To begin with, as water touches every parts of our daily life, protecting and conserving it should be among country’s top priorities. The government is able to determine fresh water network manage to distribute clean water effectively to the community.Additionally, the government can allocate an adequate quantity of water to individuals to ensure human and ecological health. This can help us to prevent water shortage and its tragic consequences. Furthermore, authorities can guarantee the water quality and reassure citizens especially to avoid the influence of environmental pollutants and contamination worries.On contrary, it is also argued that everyone and all animals have equal chance to take advantage of Earth natural resources including water. This also plays a crucial role in forming the base for a modern and advanced society. Moreover, restrictions on consuming water can result in the unavailability of this resour ce to underprivileged people as the corruption and the despoliation. The situation may be worse since water dispute can threaten national or world wide security.For what has been mentioned, I agree that regarding water as a national security issue can help to protect the resources. Nonetheless, it is critical that law and policies are fair and assure individuals’ basic right. Besides, communities should come together to promote awareness of water reservation.

African American Heritage In Chicago

African American Heritage In Chicago Essay A History of African American Heritage in Chicago The massive exodus to the north began in 1915; a population of people weary of pervasive hostility and constraint in their former lives, fleeing a social system comprised of miserable oppression and repeated violence. The primary cities for resettlement became New York and Chicago, metropolises humming with the vigor of big-city life and the excitement of a new beginning. When the Chicago Commission asked African American migrants in interviews on Race Relations in 1922 why they came to Chicago, responses were similar. ?Im looking for better wages.? ?I wanted to get away from the South, and to earn more money.? ?I wanted to better my living conditions. ? One man, when asked what his first impression of Chicago was, responded ?When I got here and got on the street cars and saw colored people sitting by white people all over the car I just held my breath, for I thought that any minute they would start something, then I saw nobody noticed it, and I just thought this was a real place for colored people.? And life was good; if not ideal it was better than the disparaging environment of their prior residence in the South. This migration coincided with the War. Job opportunities sprang up everywhere as demand increased for more goods and services, and suddenly in 1920 the Negro population of Chicago had soared from 44,103 in 1915 to 109,594. The Illinois Central Railroad brought hundreds on free transportation, on the premise that they would employ their company. The Negro employment rate skyrocketed; the most popular jobs lying within the iron foundries, food products manufacturing, the tanneries, and the mail order industry. The major ity of blacks coming from the south settled in a limited area known as the South Side. Named the ?black belt of the city,? it was the most concentrated area of the African American population of the time. The difficulty of finding residence in the other parts of the city and the abundance of vacant houses aided in this settlement of the South Side. However, as deep-seated racial prejudice was still running rampant throughout the nation, loud protests erupted and whites quickly abandoned residential areas populated by blacks. Underlying racial hostility between blacks and whites was unfortunately gaining momentum. On July 27, 1919, this animosity was demonstrated in a terrible week of rioting beginning with the drowning of African-American youth Eugene Williams off a Lake Michigan beach. This event was a catalyst for a weeklong violent, bloody warfare. As black workers walked or rode the streetcars west and arrived to begin their shifts at the Stockyards, they were met by angry mobs of white gangs and workers, who attacked them mercilessly and drove them off. The mobs were beyond control. African American community members armed themselves and prepared to defend themselves and their homes against armed white gangs who tore into their neighborhood. The end of the week concluded in death tolls of 23 blacks and 15 whites, 157 persons being injured. The Chicago Commission on Race Relations was established soon after these staggering race riots, to study the roots and causes of the conflict. Their report on Chicago in 1992, with interviews of hundreds of black Chicago citizens, provided an insightful window into the race problem in the North, which attention was being drawn to due to the Great Migration. States the Chicago Commission on Race Relations in the document The Negro in Chicago, ?Both races need to understand that their rights and duties are mutual and equal, and that their interests in the common good are identical: that relations of amity are the only protection against race clashes; that these relations cannot be forced, but will come naturally as the leaders of each race develop within their own ranks a realization of the gravity of this problem and a vital interest in its solution, and an attitude of confidence, res pect, and friendliness toward the people of the other race. READ: Recycling Essay? The conflicts between blacks and whites have since subsided a great amount, but residue from the memories of violence and hatred still prevails. It will be a momentous day when we can be united as one indiscriminate, unbiased race, but that day has yet to come.

Employability related psychometric test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employability related psychometric test - Essay Example The problem is that the congress passes a reform that they have very little information on and what they have previously not thought about therefore creating very expensive standards in the market and at the same time the standards make very little difference globally. The best illustration to this scenario is the happenings in 1970 while adopting the auto emission standards (Heidi, 2013). Absence of government regulation on markets will give room to better achievement of safety objectives, productivity and health but limited to the use of psychometric tests. Its absence will also give way to better and more technology, greater rates of employment and improved drugs to take care of the sick in hospitals and homes. In a free market approach without government regulations, there are more advantages like great deal of freedom to individuals when it comes to the process of decision-making. There is also efficiency in allocation of resources to various uses. The achievement of the efficie ncy is mostly through the price system. Many know that changes in prices direct buyers and sellers behaviors since they act as signals to them (Heidi, 2013). Directly affecting the employability, government regulation halts risk taking and innovation and interferes with production therefore resulting to decline in employment. This for example has to do with government regulation costs where people or businesses in the market lack enough money for investing in taking risks with new technology and ideas. This denies a company the chance to expand their market and hire more workers. Government regulation on employability over regulates through setting standards for each aspect of... This essay starts off with talking about technology and globalization, which has brought about the use of psychometric tests while recruiting employees. Just recently, software came up relieving the employer the duties of recruiting and hiring his or her employees manually. For organizations using this phenomenal, all they need is update what they want on the internet and those seeking jobs and meeting the qualifications highlighted by the employer, the computer automatically selects the person for short listing. The essay follows one of the main points with information about pressure mounts on to the congress for example to pass the reform law fearing that it may not get reelection leaving many unemployed youths stranded with their papers in the name of â€Å"Psychometric tests†. This is where the media comes in with a negative contribution by focusing only on the bad side of the problem rather than concentrating on the best possible solutions of fixing the problem. Then the essay discusses its problems.The problem is that the congress passes a reform that they have very little information on and what they have previously not thought about therefore creating very expensive standards in the market and at the same time the standards make very little difference globally. The essay concludes with a valuavle point, telling us tgat for an employer to get a matching employee, he or she needs not to put up an interview to get the best, internet does all that work giving the employee to key in details and submit the curriculum vitae online.

Sterility Testing of the sodium cromoglycate Eye Drop Formulation Essay

Sterility Testing of the sodium cromoglycate Eye Drop Formulation - Essay Example ingested into the human body, the area in and around the pharmacy should be kept free from any microorganisms that might spread infection within the human body. The specific eye drop formulation used in this lab consists of several different key components that increase its efficacy. In this case, the components in question are Benzylpenicillin and para-aminobenzoic acid. The effectiveness of these particular products in sterilising against the presence of microorganisms is seen once the products themselves are activated. As a result, in order for Benzylpenicillin to break down penicillin, it does need to first be inactivated by banzylpenicillinase. In addition, para-aminobenzoic acid produces folic acid that can hinder some of the processes taking place within any bacteria that is present, effectively sterilising them (Regamy 2004). In an effort to test for the presence of a wide range of microorganisms, a number of different specimen should be used. In this case, sulfonamid, phenyl mercuric nitrate, sodium metabisulphite, and sodium edentate were used as they provide an environment that allows for the ready testing of a variety of microorganisms, as opposed to a situation that would result if the eye drop formulation were composed of only one compound. Sterilisation is a process that involves the utilisation of chemical compounds that are designed to inactivate the functioning of disease causing microorganisms (Akers 2005). This experiment involved the use of several biological and physicochemical indicators that included quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), penicillin, sulphonamide, phenol sodium edentate (EDTA), and mercurials. The methods used to test for actual sterilisation included non-ionic detergent, beta lactase, the use of p-aminobenzoic and dilution method, and thioglycollate. The results revealed that the oxidised and reduced Brewer’s medium solutions retained their colours of green and hello respectively. This confirms the presence of

Anderson County School District 3 Election Research Paper

Anderson County School District 3 Election - Research Paper Example Many may wonder what kind of job or task exactly the candidate is up for. Members of the Board are expected to consign themselves to regular turnout at Board meetings, which entails 3 half-day meetings and 1 full-day meeting a year at the school. It is expected that members serve on at least one Board committee, working group or occasional task force during their term of office. Board committees normally meet 3-4 times a year at the school. Members are encouraged to attend other events and activities that are held by the school, including Graduation Day in mid-September. Members may also be required to attend occasionally special activities to be held at schools, such as audit visits by outside agencies. The role is expected to require an average of 12 days annually, in addition to reading and travelling time. This is just but a tip of what the post entails. The school board exists to ensure that the mission of the school is attained. To do this, members of the Board need to keep themselves informed of progress in the school, higher education, and most significantly, the performance of the school. Members of the Board are expected to participate fully in the development of the school’s corporate and operating plans and to ensure proper allocation and use of the school’s resources in meeting the objectives of those plans is assured. Curiosity might be on the rise on what exactly Danny Davis and Ray Graham are contending for, or rather why each found it within their means to vie for an assistant governor’s position. Well, it is nothing other than to assist in the Governing Board of Anderson School District Three. It is rather clear to note what this means as the election winner had a straight seat in the Board Governing Anderson School. This would earn him control, which is noted as one of the key aspects that candidates always go for in a given election (Parker 29) In brief highlight of the candidates for these election posts comes the first candidate Danny Davis. Danny Davis is an IT technician, currently working as a transportation manager and a board member of the same school at present. On the other hand, our second man Ray Graham works in the Anderson County Sheriff’s Investigation Department. By this time, it might be true to conclude that Ray Graham commands larger grounds than his mate, and this might end up playing a vital role in the outcome of the elections. Both Danny and Ray are renowned members of the society and either of them can make a good governing assistant in the school board. This election is undoubtedly of great importance. First and foremost, each candidate has outspokenly laid out his points and what he intends to manifest once elected to the position. Just to point out one of each, Ray Graham intends to introduce t he fair treatment of all kids in the district, in an equal manner, as opposed to fair treatment for a few as it may be said to be as of now. He also promised to ensure equal opportunities for all students in matters and issues concerning them. Ray Graham also promises to move Anderson County School District forward in matters pertaining to resources, teachers and the faculty’s need to educate their children at higher levels, allowing them to further their opportunities for success at completion of their education. Danny Davis, on his part, maintains that with the election outcome in his favor, he

Case Study - Disney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Case Study - Disney - Essay Example 191). At that time, the film industry, movies did not have sound; Mickey Mouse was supposed to make his first appearance in silent film called â€Å"Plane Crazy† (Richardson, 2004, p.19). Since then, the Company has a diversified international investment in a range of industries; it has five business segments i.e. parks and resorts, media networks, consumer products, studio entertainment and interactive media (Company Overview, n.d.). In the year of 1955, Walt Disney opened Disneyland. Subsequently, it converted into The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (WDP&R) as one of the leading facilitators of leisure experiences and family travel. Currently, there are five vacation destinations with 11 theme parks having 43 resorts in North America, Asia and Europe and sixth destination is under construction in mainland China’s Shanghai province. WDP&R also provide the Disney Cruise Line along with its four ships i.e. Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream; Disn ey Vacation Club along with 11 properties and more than 5, 00,000 participants as members are the main services offered by the company. Mainly, it is the contribution of the Walt Disney Studios that has provided the strong foundations to the Walt Disney Company. ... The Disney Theatrical Group issues licenses to and produces live events, encompassing Disney on Ice, Disney on Broadway and Disney Live. Subsequently, the Disney Music Group includes the Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records and Disney Music Publishing. Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the major business segment of the company. The DCP sells products such as home decor, books, stationary, beverages, foods, electronics and fine arts. Currently, DCP, which was formally launched in 1987, operates in North America, Japan and Europe through various retail chain stores under the label of the Disney Store. In the year of 2008, the company launched its new business segment with the label of Disney Interactive, which entertains families, kids through the products compatible with all sorts of digital media platforms including social and console games and blockbuster mobile. Situation analysis Environmental trends Macro Analysis Macro analysis can be carried out by PESTEL analysis of the C hinese market. PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal aspect of market. The acknowledged benefit of using the PESTEL analysis as macro analysis tool is to understand the strategic position of an organization within a macro environment. In the following parts, macro analysis would mainly focus on the Chinese macro environment particularly relevant to Shanghai Disneyland. Political The Chinese government has put in place a considerable number of regulatory conditions applicable to both domestic and foreign companies operational in China. For instance, the land in China remains under the ownership of

Conflict Management Mediation Arbitration case 5 Essay

Conflict Management Mediation Arbitration case 5 - Essay Example This, as expressed is a voluntary process and this means that the settlement cannot be imposed or forced on the disputants by the mediators. Arbitration on the other hand has been defined as ‘A process in which a disagreement between two or more parties is resolved by impartial individuals, called arbitrators, in order to avoid costly and lengthy litigation’ (Investor Words – Arbitration, 2009). This is a procedure, where a third party holds a meeting for the disputants. This meeting is normally a ground for the disputants to state the issues, facts, to provide witnesses and also any possible evidence for the positions (Herrman, 2006). There is also an existence of a combined strategy. An example if that of mediation – arbitration, which consists of two stages. Firstly, mediation and then followed by arbitration. In certain cases it has been noted that mediation alone does not provide for a solution for the argument and it is then that the third party would need to bring in arbitration as well. Here the third party would act as both an arbitrator as well as a mediator (Kagel, 1976, as cited in (Herrman, 2006)). There however has been a fairly new strategy which is a combination of the two and is referred to as arb – med. This has been noted to have three phases: "In phase one, the third party holds an arbitration hearing. At the end of this phase, the third party makes a decision, which is placed in a sealed envelope and is not revealed to the parties. The second phase consists of mediation. The sealed envelope containing the third partys decision is displayed prominently during the mediation phase. Only if mediation fails to produce a voluntary agreement by a specified deadline do the parties enter the third phase, called the ruling phase. Here, the third party removes the ruling from the envelope and reveals the binding ruling to the disputants (Cobbledick, 1992; Sander, 1993, as cited in (Herrman, 2006)). To ensure

Human resources strategic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human resources strategic - Essay Example The organizational managers and leaders have now understood that to be successful in this hypercompetitive market, job performance and efforts of the employees are important. Whether it is for making profit or not, but the managers have to continuously look for innovative ideas for facilitating the employees to work more efficiently and effectively (Morris, Heames & McMillan, 2011, pp. 265-266). Modern Human Resource Management has now moved out of personnel management and more into strategic management, embracing the management of change, socialization, job design and appraisal. The modern HRM is trying to find integration between organizational strategy, employee commitment, flexibility and quality. Effective HRM is an approach of employee management through deployment of capable and committed workforce using an array of â€Å"personnel, structural and cultural techniques† (Smith & Smith, 2007, pp. 263-264). Thus Strategic Human Resource Development enables an organization t o analyze the technological, economic and social changes and adopting strategic steps to respond to these changes more effectively. In this study the focus will be on trends that lead to SHRM, the connection between strategic management and human resource management. The study also throws light on the connection between Strategic HRM and various issues related to the business process. Relevant examples help in better understandability of the issues. These four factors are giving rise to various challenges and issues in Human Resource Management. The HRD professional continuously monitors these changes and adjusts themselves to these changes so that the organization gets adapted to the change. Adapting to the new requirement leads to the greater efficiency, effectiveness and harmony in the organization. HRM is considered as a part of strategic management, which formulates a mission, a business strategy and a corporate objective for the organization (Peery & Salem, 1993, p. 82). The manager

English language Essay Example for Free

English language Essay Why choose Westminster Kingsway College? Our central London location: courses take place at our Victoria Centre which is a five-minute walk from Victoria mainline and underground stations Our facilities and resources: the centre has a very well-equipped Learning Centre with IT facilities and an extensive range of teaching and learning materials Our online Virtual Learning Environment ‘Moodle’: this allows access to a range of support materials on your home PC Our experience: we have been running teacher training courses for over 25 years and have a well-deserved reputation for extremely high quality, effective teaching Our training team: we have a large team of highly-qualified and experienced teacher trainers. They have all worked in the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas and some are CELTA assessors. You can find out more about them in the â€Å"Trainer Profile† section Our quality assurance systems: in addition to external monitoring by Cambridge, we are part of the public sector and are inspected by OFSTED Our success rates: we have a proven track-record of extremely good pass rates on all our courses The level of individual attention we offer: our trainers are involved at every stage of your course, from initial enquiry to post-course advice and guidance The profile of our teaching practice groups: our students are highly motivated and come from a very wide variety of linguistic, geographic and social backgrounds. Some are asylum seekers and refugees whilst others are living and working in London for a relatively short time. This mix of students means that your teaching practice gives you experience to equip you to teach in a range of contexts in both the private and public sector in the UK or overseas. It also helps you decide which sector you would prefer to work in Extremely high level of trainee satisfaction: see â€Å"What CELTA did for me† for comments from past trainees Advice and guidance on employment opportunities: all our courses include sessions on finding teaching work, and some of our candidates go on to work in Westminster Kingsway and other colleges If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your application, please contact one of our trainers on 020 7802 8940 / 8343 / 8378. The College is closed over Christmas, Easter and during the summer holidays. During these times, you will hear a voice-message giving you further information.3 About Westminster Kingsway College: Teacher Training Westminster Kingsway College’s Teacher Training courses are based at the Victoria Centre, right in the heart of London, about 5 minutes walk from Victoria underground and main line station. In addition to Teacher Training courses, the College offers part-time day and evening courses in English/ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). We are part of the public sector and receive government funding for our courses. This means that our fees compare favourably with other teacher training providers. Our facilities include a large cafeteria, a very well-equipped Learning Centre and computer access for all learners. Our Teacher Trainers All our team are qualified teacher trainers, with extensive experience of teaching EFL and ESOL in a range of contexts, both in the UK and overseas. The majority are also Cambridge-accredited external assessors. They are all directly employed by the College and regularly update their teacher training skills and expertise. Trainer Profiles Katerina Ashiotis: Katerina started her teaching career as an EFL teacher in the private sector in London soon after leaving college. She travelled, then taught in Greece for two years in a private school. She then returned to London and worked as an English teacher teaching adults full-time. She worked in three different private schools as an EFL teacher, Senior Teacher and Director of Studies and started teacher training in 1994. Katerina has a Diploma and an MA in Linguistics and in 2002 completed a PGCE in FE (PCET with ESOL Specialism). Parallel to working and training in the private sector she worked as a visiting EFL lecturer at Westminster Kingsway College for over 12 years. She started working at Westminster Kingsway College full-time as an ELT lecturer and teacher trainer in 2002. In addition to the CELTA course, Katerina is also a teacher trainer for PTLLS and DTLLS courses. Most recently, she has been involved in the design and delivery of a number of training programmes for teachers from South Korea and Albania. Chris Brain: Following a degree in history and a PGCE at the University of London, Chris started teaching EFL in London in 1979. He then worked in Italy from 1980 to 1988 and took the RSA Diploma at International House in Rome in 1986. He returned to London in 1989 and subsequently trained as a CELTA trainer. He continued to work in the private sector, became a CELTA Assessor in 1992 and a DELTA trainer in 1998. Chris joined Westminster Kingsway College in January 2000 as a full-time member of staff and has worked on a variety of courses including EFL, ESOL, CELTA and DELTA. Michael Harmsworth: Michael began teaching in 1982 and became a teacher trainer in 1986. He has been at Westminster Kingsway College since October 1997. Before that he was Director of Teacher Training at two private language schools in London after spending a total of eight years working abroad, in Greece, Italy and Spain. In 1992 he became an Assessor for the CELTA course. Michael has an MA with Distinction in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and the Cambridge/RSA Diploma with Distinction. He has delivered an extensive range of training courses at all levels. His current studies are focused on his obtaining Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA). Gabriel Mulcauley: Gabriel completed a degree in English Literature at the University of Sheffield followed by a PGCE in English and Drama at the University of Leeds. Her first experience of teaching English was in a Summer School in Greece. Having spent several years travelling and teaching in private language schools, Gabriel came to London in 1991 and took the Diploma in TEFL at Waltham Forest College in 1992. She began working in Further Education in 1994 at Hackney Community College before joining Westminster Kingsway College in 1998. Gabriel started training to be a teacher trainer in November 2004 and is enjoying this interesting new challenge. 4 Our English/ESOL courses and students Our English/ESOL courses are suitable for adult learners (19+) who are living in the UK either permanently or as refugees or asylum seekers and for European migrant workers. We offer a variety of courses to meet a wide range of needs. Some courses are more suitable for EU migrant workers and enable students to gain a qualification quickly. Others are more appropriate for students who need to catch up on other skills, such as basic literacy. All courses are part-time, either day-time or evening, and last either for one term or one semester (18 weeks). Students study either every day (Monday Friday) or two evenings per week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday). There are two study options on the daytime courses: ESOL Extra and ESOL Express. On ESOL Extra learners study for 2.5 hours per day and on ESOL Express they study for 2 hours per day. On the evening courses, hours are the same: learners study for 2.5 hours on two evenings per week. Qualifications All the courses lead to an examination: this is usually a Trinity Skills for Life Certificate. We offer these qualifications at 5 levels from Entry 1 (beginner) to Level 2. Students take an examination in Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. 5 The Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: CELTA (incorporating the award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector: PTLLS) What is CELTA? CELTA is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous teaching experience. It is the best known and most widely taken initial ‘TESOL/TEFL’ qualification of its kind in the world. Who recognises CELTA? It is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English Language teachers. It has also been accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Who is CELTA for? People starting a career in English Language teaching: The course will give you a firm grounding in the fundamentals of language teaching practice, and the confidence to use these effectively in the classroom. People looking for a career change or career break: An increasing number of candidates are professionals who would like a new career path or want to take a short break in their existing career, which may involve the opportunity to live and work abroad. People already teaching English but with no formal qualifications: You may already be teaching English but have no formal teaching qualifications. CELTA will help you improve your teaching, confirm your ability and may lead to internal promotion or a better teaching job. Who is eligible to apply? We recommend that candidates have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education (normally 2 â€Å"A† levels and above). You will also need good numeracy skills. However, we are happy to consider applications from candidates who do not have formal qualifications at this level but who can demonstrate that they have appropriate language competence, skills, and experience. The course is open to both native and non-native speakers of English. If English is not your first language, you must have a command of written and spoken English that enables you to teach across a range of levels and complete the written assignments. In our experience, most successful candidates have English as their first language and are graduates. What does CELTA involve? The course is extremely demanding and requires a high level of commitment. You are required to attend the whole course, and complete homework assignments. You will have to devote a considerable amount of time to course work outside class hours, and we strongly recommend that you do not do any part-time work or other studies during the course. You should also be prepared to accept constructive criticism from your trainers and other trainees and be willing to reconsider your assumptions about teaching and learning. What does the course cover? The course aims to teach the principles of effective teaching and a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners. You will have hands-on teaching practice, observe experienced teachers and complete four practically-focussed written assignments. 6 There are five main units of learning: Unit 1: Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context Unit 2: Language Analysis and awareness Unit 3: Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing Unit 4: Planning and resources for different teaching contacts Unit 5: Developing teaching skills and professionalism. How will I be assessed? You will be assessed throughout the course: there is no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge ESOL, moderates each course. There are two components of assessment: Teaching Practice: You will teach for a total of six hours, working with classes at two ability levels. Assessment is based on your overall performance at the end of the six hours. Written Assignments: You will complete four written assignments: one on adult learning and learning contexts, one on an aspect of the language system of English, one on an aspect of language skills and one on classroom teaching and the identification of action points. Assessment and Grading Grading of candidates is by continuous assessment. There is no final examination. Successful candidates are awarded the â€Å"Cambridge CELTA† at one of the following grades: â€Å"Pass†, Pass â€Å"B†, and Pass â€Å"A†. On average, about 60% of our trainees achieve a Pass, 30% achieve a Pass â€Å"B† and 5% are awarded a Pass â€Å"A†. About 5% do not succeed. While everything on the course is taken into account, and you must complete the written assignments satisfactorily, the most heavily weighted factor is your teaching performance. You will receive written feedback, including an assessment of your teaching, on all the lessons you teach. You will have at least two individual tutorials to check that your perception of your progress agrees with that of your trainers. If there is a danger that you will fail, your trainers will make this clear and discuss where and how you can improve. We aim to be as clear and open as possible about your development. As part of the Cambridge scheme, every course is moderated by an external assessor, who visits the college for one or two days. In addition to checking that we are complying with course regulations, the assessor is available to listen to any points you or your group would like to make. If you feel that we are giving you unfair assessments, you can discuss this with the assessor. Applying for the course Selection to the course is based on an interview, lasting approximately two hours and a written task. Please complete the application form at the back of this booklet and submit it with your personal statement to the Course Organiser. You will be given the written task at the interview. 7 Frequently Asked Questions Is it a problem that I’ve never taught before? No. The course is an introduction to English language teaching. People who already have experience sometimes find it a drawback as it can be difficult to unlearn old habits and learn new techniques. I have got lots of presence, I know a lot about English and I am used to standing up in front of people and telling them things, so I am bound to be a good teacher, right? Wrong. The abilities to relate well and listen to learners are more important than an over-emphasis on â€Å"telling†. Does it matter if I miss any part of the course? Yes. 100% attendance is expected other than in exceptional circumstances. What happens if I am ill during the course? The Cambridge rules stipulate that if you miss more than 20% of the whole course or any of the 6 hours of assessed teaching practice, you are not eligible for the certificate other than in exceptional circumstances. Will there be much paperwork? You will be responsible for maintaining a portfolio of your work during the course and this constitutes your official assessed record. You will also need to be able to keep records and retrieve papers easily. I have never been able to spell properly: does it matter? Yes. Learners of English expect their teachers to be able to spell reasonably accurately. Also, Cambridge rules require candidates to be able to write in English that is â€Å"essentially free of errors†. Part of our interview process is designed to check this. Will I have to follow any particular methodology? Our aim is to provide you with a range of techniques and approaches which you will be able to select from. I have never learned grammar before: is this a problem? Many native speakers of English know little about the mechanics of their own language and are unconfident about teaching grammar. Part of our selection process is to check that you have the potential to follow the grammar component of the course. When I have completed my CELTA, what further teaching qualifications should I take? It depends on your career plans. If you intend to work in Further Education, the Cambridge ESOL Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector will give you the qualification you need. If you want a qualification which has a more international bias, and if you are interested in developing your EFL career more broadly, the DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) may be more appropriate. We do not currently offer the DELTA course at WKC. If I am successful in CELTA, can I take the Cambridge ESOL Diploma course immediately afterwards? We recommend that you gain at least 50 hours practical teaching experience before starting the Diploma. You will have to go through a selection process which involves an interview and completion of a task. Also, we can only accept you onto the Diploma course if you already teach, or are planning to teach, in the Further Education sector. 8 Useful Books There is no official reading list, but here are some useful titles: Methodology Learning Teaching, Jim Scrivener (Macmillan Heinemann). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th edition), Jeremy Harmer (Longman). Grammar Practical English Usage, Michael Swan (OUP). Grammar for English Language Teaching, Martin Parrot (CUP). What CELTA has done for me? For many of our trainees, success on their course has led to some very positive changes in their lives. This is what two of them told us: â€Å"I was 51 when I did my CELTA course†¦ a bit old, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it 20 years earlier. My day job had become excruciatingly unbearable and it was when I was doing Spanish evening classes that I got the idea of doing a CELTA when I realised what a pleasant life my Spanish teacher was having. The 4-week course was intensive but that was part of the enjoyment. The three tutors were very supportive throughout and always gave us frank and honest advice. The students were a friendly mix of people and were always patient and good-humoured with their rather clumsy and inexperienced teachers. It was a very rewarding experience and at the end of the course I felt that I had got my brain back. I would advise it to anyone, but especially those who are free to go abroad and teach, as schools in this country tend to want teachers with experience unless you do a Summer School. Nevertheless, a CELTA is a very versatile extra string to anyone’s bow, and with it you should find it way to find a job anywhere in the world.† Mick Hutchinson â€Å"I did a CELTA course when I was 24 years old. I had just finished a contract as an Events Assistant in the city and was looking for something different to do. I had heard a lot about CELTA and TEFL courses and how useful they were if you wanted to go travelling and even to teach English in your home country. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and it was a very satisfying as well as challenging experience. However, be warned that for one month it is hard work, but it’s well worth it! â€Å"When I completed my CELTA I taught English to Italian students for a while but went back to work in the city. However, I always knew I would use the CELTA at some point and I am now about to spend the summer in Ecuador teaching English!† Diana Chapman What motivates students? What can you do to keep motivation high? Teacher Training with Westminster Kingsway College Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions and it provides you with the opportunity to interact with people of all ages and from all walks of life. Westminster Kingsway College offers a number of teaching courses that will help you to progress into teaching as a career and develop your skills for the classroom. Careers at a glance: Teacher Lecturer Headteacher Social Worker Researcher School Administrator Teaching Courses at Westminster Kingsway College: This is a selection of the teaching courses at the College – contact us for further details. CELTA: Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Access to Higher Education Diploma: Education Studies and Teacher Training Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) Visit www.westking.ac.uk for further details about Westminster Kingsway College

Universal characteristics of aggressive behaviour in humans

Universal characteristics of aggressive behaviour in humans In what sense are aggressive behaviors, i.e. conflict, competition, and dominance, universal characteristics of humans? What is the evidence that in some cultures aggressive behaviors are rarely observed and strongly sanctioned? How is such an outcome achieved? Humans are innately social animals,  whose existence depends on a continued complex relationship with other human beings. Expressed aggression will inevitably lead to an individual or group as the dominator, and an individual or group as the dominated. Since human origin, individuals and groups have had continuous conflicts in search for the best economic resources, the most fertile land, and the most sustainable reproductive social group. For this reason, human history is full of aggressive conflicts and sanctioned aggressive behaviors. This essay is a brief composition summarizing the outcomes of aggressive human behaviors, specifically focusing on whether dominance, competition, conflict, and war are caused by nature, nurture, or both. This essay also presents case studies of rare amicable, nonviolent societies and their achievements of peace and human security. It is widely agreed among evolutionary anthropologists and sociobiologists that aggression is a biologically universal human characteristic (Dennen Falger 1990; Schmookler 1995; Wrangham Peterson 1996); however, many contemporary cultural anthropologists advocate that aggression is a cultural construct (Kropotkin 1914). Indeed, the historical debate between nature and nurture is vigorous, as the categories of human intrinsical, interactional, and environmental traits are blurred. Hobbes (ed. Tuck 1991) argued that war is a functional part of human nature that maintains a balance of power and solidarity. Rousseau (Jonathan 2005) defended the position that war is independent from human nature, and is therefore a dysfunctional social construct invented by states intended to protect societies. In contrast, Malthus (Pullen 1989) believed war to be a functional mechanism imparted by God to humans to reduce populations at necessary intervals through an innate expression of aggression and a need for in-group cohesion to maintain a sustainable equilibrium. The nature-nurture debate continues still, from early philosophers to contemporary scholars with no definitive answer. The debate however has recently grown more complex with a greater comprehension of biological predispositions that effect human behavior. The most compelling explanation is that many biological predispositions, like aggression and competition, can be distinguished from, but influenced by, the cultural environment (Renfrew 1997). Every living organism, Ridley (2003, p. 236) argues, is an instrument for genes to grow, feed, thrive, replicate, and die, but most importantly its primary survival function is reproduction. Reproduction undoubtedly catalyzes a competitive force to create descendants. This essay reputes the position that biological factors influence the cultural, or as Ridley (2003) describes it nature via nurture. More specifically, reproduction and aggression biologically entail phenotypic outcomes. All humans feel the need to eliminate competitors, or the offspring of competitors to protect reproductive capital such as territory and mates (Low 2000, p. 214). This can be achieved through aggressive non-violent dominance or aggressive violent conflicts. Anderson and Bushman (2002, p.28) defines human aggression as any behavior directed toward another individual that is carried out with the proximate (immediate) intent to cause harm. This, however, does not mean that the individual has carried out the harmful conduct. It can be inferred then, that aggression is a means to create an inverse relation to achieve a goal through someone without the use of harm or violence. The definition of violence, such as war, conflict, competition, and dominance is arbitrary. For example, violence in one culture can be very different to another culture, or even to individuals of the same culture. Anderson Bushman (2002, p.29) defines violence as aggression that has extreme harm as its goal (e.g., death). When comparing the two definitions, it is clear that violence is aggressive expression but, conversely, aggression does not always lead to violence. These definitions lead to the conclusion that aggression is biological and universal among humans and furthermore, violence is nature via nurture. In fact, human expression of violence is minimal compared to aggression. Aggression can be observed in almost every human interaction in the form of non-violent dominance and competition for social capital (Dennen Falger 1990). Culture arbitrates in inverse relations with norms, mores, folkways, and taboos to prevent aggression turning into rampant violence. With the mediation of culture, aggression via violence serves multiple functions and dysfunctions within human societies (Dennen Falger 1990). Established in-out groups create and maintain group identity and boundary lines between societies. This stratification then creates reciprocal hostility between groups and creates the need for social institutions. These institutions often act as social filters preventing impulsive social conflict between in-out groups (Dennen Falger 1990). These filters also act as a mobilization mechanism, unifying the energies of group members, thus increasing group cohesion or reaffirming state sovereignty (Dennen Falger 1990). Without group unification, powerful charismatic people cannot rally a society toward a collective interest. Social order is achieved through rules and commands issued by these powerful people to maintain a normative system of society and influence the weaker people to represent their will (Dennen Falger 1990). The example of aggression (nature) via dominance (nurture) complies with the laws of mutual aid and mutual struggle (Wrangham Peterson 1996; Kropotkin 1914 ). Through these two laws humans directly benefit from achieved power, status, and resources through competition; however, as a result, 60 percent of all human societies engage in warfare at least yearly (Low 2000, p. 223). War would be inevitable if the genetic basis alone dictated human action. The above arguments have uncovered that the universal character of human conflict, competition, and dominance is contingent on biological aggressive behaviors. Ethnographic records and historical accounts tell a clear story of hominid catalyzed aggression (Carmen 1997). From primate pack raiding, to Homo habilis tribal skirmishes, to Homo erectus group battles, to Neandertal societal armed conflicts, to Homo sapien civilization wars (Schmookler 1995 p. 74-87; Otterbein 2004), humans have perpetually constructed cultural systems to solve the recurrent problem of violent aggression via mutual aid and mutual struggle. Through history, humans have been actively altering their environments through problem solving to best suit intellectual development, which has caused an inevitable in-group/out-group competition (Schmookler 1995). The more humans mutually support each other, the more intellectual development occurs; conversely, the more human intellect increases, the larger civilizations become, and more blood is shed (Schmookler 1995). That is, greater levels of population pressure are associated with a greater likelihood of warfare. Furthermore, warfare is more likely in advanced horticultural and agrarian societies than it is in hunting-and-gathering and simple horticultural societies, and that it is also more likely in hunting-and-gathering and agrarian societies that have above-average population densities (Nolan  2003). Thus, the denser human population becomes, the laws of mutual aid and mutual struggle become more imposed. This is evidence that culture can intensify or suppress expressions of aggression. For the most part, however, culture has been unsuccessful at eliminating violence. Since mutual aid and mutual struggle has failed to resolve the problem of universal conflict, surely something must provide a solution. Kropotkin (1914, p. 74) argues that, better conditions are created by the elimination of competition by means of mutual aid, thus establishing a cultural ecology of pacificism. This argument fails because, as presented above, innate aggression induces competition for optimal human survival. To completely eliminate competition, aggression must first be entirely suppressed. Complex human culture is unable to hinder aggression to the degree of elimination, but Kropotkin inadvertently made a good point. Once competition is reduced, social disparities and meritocracy will also decrease, thus preventing the less dominant group from obtaining the subordinate position (Schmookler 1995). The latter part of this essay will draw upon case studies to argue that competition reduction has been the primary objective for many tribal societies and welfare states. Kropotkin (1914) uses numerous examples to argue that societies with intra-group cohesion rarely encounter intra or inter-group conflict. Among them is a Papuan tribe located in Geelwink Bay, studied by G.L. Blink (1888). Kropotkin (1914, p. 94) interprets Blinks account as, never having any quarrels worth speaking of and never had he any conflict to complain of which is unsupported because Blink, in his field notes writes, war prisoners are sometimes eaten. Kropotkin does not completely overlook this statement of warfare, but this case study fails to prove his point that inter-group peace is achievable. Kropotkin, therefore, makes a detrimental mistake in his argument for exemplifying paramount sociability and inter-tribal peace. It seems Kropotkin was attempting to persuade readers through an anarchist agenda by centering on the Papuan peaceful in-group relations and describing the Papuan tribe as having a primitive communist system (Kropotkin 1914, p. 93-95). By using examples of Inuit tribes, Kropotkin once again glorifies in-group mutual aid, but abandons emphasis on inter-group conflict. In summarizing Veniaminoff, Kropotkin (1914, p. 100) writes, one murder only had been committed since the last century in a population of 60,000 people, irrespective of mass infanticide to maintain a sustainable population. In truth, Inuit tribes rely heavily on cooperation and reciprocity for intra-group survival; however, they are not exempt from inter-group hostility as Kropotkin omits (1914, p. 95-104; Gat 1999, p. 26). Anthropologist Reynolds (1985, p. 24) asserts that, Eskimos had limited their aggressiveness in past fights with other Eskimos, but had been more brutal in fights with other North American Indian peoples. Although restrained and ritualized, Inuit did wage combat against each other and engaged in inter-ethnic conflict (Gat 1999, p. 26). Even Veniaminoff, whom Kropotkin (1914, p. 99) quotes, writes that for Aleoutes it is considered s hameful toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ask pardon from an enemy; to die without ever having killed an enemy. Once again, Kropotkin relates the primitive society with his anarchical communist agenda to prove in-group solidarity and peace is achievable, but avoids out-group enmity. Specifically, Kropotkin takes a Rousseauean social Darwinist stance on aggression and conflict by arguing that humans are innately peaceable and cooperative. Nevertheless, Kropotkin shares a commonality with Rousseau, Malthus, and Hobbes; each has constructed two functional and universal explanations for aggression and conflict (Dawson 1996, p. 7). Firstly, interspecific aggression occurs when one group attempts to exclude another group through competitiveness and dominance. This can be achieved with or without violence and is distinguished from predation, when an individual or group dominates the other for the economic gain of a food source. Secondly, group cohesion results in a synergistic in-group relationship, consequently producing an ethnocentric view of superiority toward other groups (Pope 2000, p. 161; Dawson 1996, p. 7). Although Kropotkin downplayed group ethnocentrism and rallying, he realized it is inevitable, as explained above. Indeed, the laws of mutual aid and mutual struggle universally obligate humans. As explained above, innate competition and group solidarity has, throughout the history of man, led to conflicts. With the rise of large-scale societies, these conflicts evolved into primitive warfare. During the early Paleolithic, H. s. sapiens began to spread rapidly across the earths surface (Dawson 1996, p. 26). Fissionings and fusions occurred often, and competition intensified because of seasonal scarce resources. According to Dawson (1996, p. 26) all theories of primitive warfare have recognized that whether or not it [war] is innate it has to be triggered by competition. Warfare is certainly not innate, but it may account for the wide dispersal of early Paleolithic humanity. Conversely, it would have limited the possibilities for offensive/defensive competition because early humans most likely fought for land and resources and the winner would assume ownership, while the other group found new economic capital (Dawson 1996, p. 26). This method would prove effective until group s could no longer diffuse due to a limit of land and resources. At the beginning of the Neolithic culture, large groups could no longer easily avoid neighboring groups by seeking new land, therefore resource limitations compelled people to live in larger, more cohesive societies (Dawson 1996, p. 26-27). Dense populations compelled groups to become territorial, with semi-permanent settlements. Human societies, consequently, were forced to create caches of food to survive. In order to protect these caches, defensible resources became a defensive strategy against raiding groups, especially for agricultural societies (Dawson 1996, p. 26-27). Defensive logistics were designed to deter war but, according to the archeological evidence, war was more often and more brutal (Dawson 1996, p. 26-27). As a result of militarism, the individual became an expendable resource for the good of the group. The democratization of warfare among states is the current solution to the consistent and universal competitive strive for dominance. The democratic model originated during the French Revolution, when states were not yet nation-states and nationalism had not yet developed as a significant political force (Baylis, Smith, Owens 2008, p. 546). For the first time, humanity mustered an enormous and unprecedented amount of human energy into one single national service and mutual protection (Schmookler 1995, p. 99-100, 287-288; Baylis et al. 2008, p. 546). When France democratically handed over this vast army to Napoleon, neighboring nations were compelled to enhance and enlarge their military to deter domination. However, Napoleon was able to dominate Europe because of the newly devised national political system, enabling him to conjure unequalled armies (Schmookler 1995, p. 99-100, 287-288; Baylis, et al. 2008, p. 546). Once again, the laws of mutual aid and mutual struggle intertwine. In conclusion, Hobbes, Malthus, Rousseau, and Kropotkin all had a static view of competition. Competition inevitably leads to war and peace. The laws of mutual aid and mutual struggle are innate, universal, and are not mutually exclusive. They secure orderliness and allow humans to act freely to preserve their genes, however, the knowledge and values shared by a society influence and, to some degree, determine the thoughts and actions of an individual to behave synergistically and symbiotically (Schmookler 1995, p. 13). Through time, humanity has used solidarity, anarchy, fissioning, defense, militarism, social institutions, and democracy to sanction or repel conflict and violence with no prevail. In each case study presented, intra-group solidarity brought on inter-group competition and conversely, inter-group conflict caused intra-group solidarity. Because humans are social creatures and are dependent on each other for culture, conflicts are inevitable. The laws of mutual struggle and mutual aid operate within the law of natural selection gene survival of the fittest individual or group. In/out groups will always be present; however, conflict and war are not innately biological. They are an outward expression of acculturation. That is, human biological aggression is stimulated by cultural norms, mores, folkways, and taboos. A groups cultural sanctions determine the social consequence for overt aggression.

The Marketing And Sales Departments :: Business Marketing

Marketing and sales department is responsible for making sure customers know about the business. This may include market research, advertising and sales promotions, the creation and development of a website (although it maintenance maybe undertaken by I.T support staff). The sales departments responsible for selling the items to the customer and keeping sales records. The areas of responsibility are Market Research, Promotional Activities and Sales. Market research aims to find out customers needs and views on new products and services also old products and service, Promotional Activities is because businesses need to promote their products and services otherwise customers would be aware that they exist, the range of available methods including advertising, sales promotion etc, sales, merchants are employed by companies making house hold products to visit supermarkets to persuade them to stock their brands. The advantages of the marketing and sales department is that they will research information find new trends that will sell, also promote products that are attractive as well as best selling. The problems that occur within the marking and sales department are the research being wrong so instead of profit they lose, products could be out of date and rotten also the advertisements for a product will cost money The marketing and sales department helps achieve the aims and objective of EA^T by making profit margins larger and to increase stock if products sell fast and by that happening it could happen it could help them reach their target price. The departments communicate two ways internally and externally, I will give two examples of internal and external communication. Internally they communicate by informing customer’s service department of a new product that they will sell and this would be communicated either by telephone or e-mail, they would communicated it this way because this are the ways that new products are most seen or heard because they are not really avoidable i.

Additional Aircraft Feasibility Study :: Essays Papers

Additional Aircraft Feasibility Study Preface I have been the head aviation department manager of First North Bank since 1985. This bank has branches in Waterloo, IA; Springfield, MO; Fayetteville, AK; and Colorado Springs, CO. For the past 12 years the company has been operating an eight passenger King Air B-200 that currently has 2500 flying hours on the frame. First North Bank has recently acquired Banks R Us (probably because of the horrible name) and will be expanding their operations considerably. They will be changing the name of Banks R Us to the First North Bank name at the following locations: Madison, WI; Wilmington, NC; Lakeland, FL; Amarillo, TX; and Medford, OR. I have now been assigned by my CEO to do a feasibility study to determine if the addition of an aircraft will benefit the company. Introduction The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of adding additional aircraft to the corporations aviation department. This study will introduce what aircraft the company is currently using, how it is being used, and the current structure of the aviation department. A detailed analysis will be presented on the prices and costs of each aircraft as well as a recommendation of what aircraft should be purchased or leased. A newly developed structure of the aviation department will be presented along with a new recommended plan for the usage of the aircraft. The study will then conclude with a sum up of all the recommendations. Current Aircraft The company is currently operating a 1985 Beechcraft King Air B-200. This aircraft is a propeller jet aircraft. The definition of a propeller jet aircraft is that the engine is a jet that drives a propeller. The propellers spin at a constant rate and speed changes are made by adjusting the angle of the propeller. The aircraft seats eight passengers to include the pilot’s seat. The entire aircraft is in very good condition with only 2500 flight hours on it and has the potential of supplying many more years of trouble free service with proper maintainace. The performance charteristiccs of this aircraft is as follows: Beech King Air B200 Characteristics PERFORMANCE U.S. METRIC Max Cruise Speed (336 mph) 292 kt 541 kph Certified Ceiling 35,000 ft 10,668 m

Treatment of Women in Hamlet and Trifles Essay -- Comparison Compare C

Treatment of Women in Hamlet and Trifles Of all Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays, perhaps the best known and loved is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Many people think that it is unforgettable because of its poetic language and style. But, while these are factors that mark the play as a classic, it remains timeless because it explores many of the issues that are still important to people today. These issues, including loyalty to family and country, protecting loved ones, and deception are still prevalent around the world, and are especially prominent in the United States government. Another play that addresses major issues that are still relevant to society, especially women, is Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. Because Glaspell’s play shows women that they are certainly just as capable as men of completing any task, it encourages women to take a stand against the supposed supremacy of their husbands. It also forces men to consider more seriously the opinions and concerns of women. While Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale in Trifles do this in a quiet manner, they still remain defiant against their husband’s beliefs that they are only competent enough to worry about â€Å"trifles† (Glaspell 1618). Therefore, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Trifles explore many issues that are still relevant to society today by questioning, supporting, and criticizing some of them, especially loyalty, gender roles, protecting loved ones, and deception. First, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark seriously questions the extent to which one should be loyal to one’s family. It obviously holds this value as one to consider seriously because it is the issue on which the play is based, Hamlet’s loyalty to his father. Thus, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark asks its readers to... ... April 2004. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2004-04-03-benedetto_x.htm. Cantor, Paul. Shakespeare: Hamlet. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Crocker, Lisa. â€Å"Studies in Liminality: A Review of Critical Commentary on Glaspell’s Trifles.† 30 July 1996. University of South Florida. 28 March 2004. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm#knot Evans, Elizabeth M. â€Å"Biographical Influences on Glaspell’s Trifles.† 30 July 1996. University of South Florida. 28 March 2004. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm#knot. Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. 1616 -1626. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. 1395-1496.

Big Issue – Interview

How has Big Issue evolved over the years and has It been able to stay true to its Orlando/core values? Franchise Idea 0 less rigor; social entrepreneurs go around the world Message has gone out self help / working with people In the margin Core values have been consistent throughout the years 2.How did you come to be involved in Big Issue? Were you recruited or did you seek it out? Curious to understand the organizational fit. Recruited Brought considerable experience in the commercial area 0 capable of expanding businesses Stephen brought strategy and focus to a very commercial chancy proposition Walk the talk / communicate core values and principles 3. Does a charity like yours actively think about a AS analysis, like any other corporation?Running a charity is the same as running a business Charities need an operational framework in order to evolve and deliver objectives However, they are not always In control of all elements of the AS as It Is a lively organization totally reliant on the success of the people 4. How much of the current structure is a direct result of the AS actions that your management team has taken? It Is However, some elements are not a direct result of the AS In order to get money from trusts, the environment dictates that you need to evidence what you have done There are requirements of the world that often override an Internal AS framework 5.Are you happy with the current structure and how would you like to see Big Issue's AS evolve? Need some people on the ground as they are currently understaffed 6. Strategy: What is Big Issue trying to achieve? Medal brand (education) Brokerage strategy Make a meaningful impact on the lives of people who are socially and financially excluded Solution C] for what is going on in society 7. Skills / Style / Staffing: What are your selection criteria for vendors?Skills: Big Issue: IT, HER, infrastructure, journalists, write, advertise C] enterprise Vendors: focused Style: Belief in the mission 0 unifyin g Shared belief in what we are here to do Tough parent / caring / listening 0 stick with standards Realism and good customer service Staffing: Big Issue: 75 people Ruinations / IT / HER); charity (25) Vendor population of 2,000 (need 30 people @ less than ?ask a year to help manage he vendors) Struggle to get support 0 efficient model 0 need more people on the ground 8.Systems / Structure: How you do you support Big Issue vendors? They have a badge process, which is time limited and requires vendors to check in regularly At every check point, a new badge is issued to the vendor This facilitates performance managing 9. Shared Values: How would you describe the vendor community Vendor community: code of conduct; see value of the choice they make to change 0 this can unify However, there is no defined agenda; not faith based; prepared to put something in

Tesco V Walmart

BA. Honours Business Management BUSINESS MATTERS Business Issues: Tesco v Walmart TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Business Issues in the Retail Sector 3 3. Financial Health 5 3. 1 Tesco 5 3. 2 Walmart 7 4. Cultural Style & Leadership 9 4. 1 Tesco 9 4. 2 Walmart 10 4. 3 Ethical & Environmental Issues 12 5. Conclusions 12 6. References 13 7. Bibliography 14 1. Introduction In 2009 the grocery market in the United Kingdom was worth 146. 3 billion pounds, an increase of 4. 8% on the previous year [see Figure 1].Groceries account for fifty-two pence of every pound in retail spending [Newbold, 2010, online]. Figure 1: UK Grocery Market Performance 1998 – 2009 Source: IGD Research 2009 This report looks at contemporary business issues in the grocery sector and then compares the financial health, leadership, cultural style, ethical initiatives and environmental values of two of the biggest business names in the industry – Tesco and Walmart. 2. Business Issue sin the Retail Sector At the expense of small, specialist shops, supermarkets increasingly manage the supply chain from farm to shelf.Technological improvements in stock control and checkout scanning, for example, have lowered costs and attracted customers. Loyalty card schemes provide these superstores with an insight into consumer preferences, enabling them to better match products with customers. To increase efficiency and maintain competitiveness, supermarket chains have consolidated, resulting in a fewer number of giant companies. Consequently, manufacturers have become increasingly dependent on a small number of market outlets, giving these retailers tremendous leverage to negotiate lower prices.There is also severe competition with discounters such as Lidl. To better manage household budgets during the present credit crunch more British shoppers are shopping at these discount stores. Competition from these discounters has led the big chains to develop new strategies. For exam ple, Tesco has recently launched its new Discount range, in an effort to combat the rise of these popular, super-cheap supermarkets. Shoppers are not just attracted by low prices. The super centre or hypermarket approach means that one-stop shopping has become a reality for shoppers.Shopping at one of these large stores, possibly two to three times a week, has become a recreational event not a chore. With most shopping now done in malls or online, the traditional high street, with its parking charges, and traffic problems has suffered. There is no much talk about the dead heart of the city. To counter this trend, convenience stores [under 3000 sq feet and â€Å"opened all hours†] are increasing dramatically on the high street [see Figure 2]. With an increasing range of products and improved layouts, convenience multiples such as Spar represent the fastest growing part of the grocery market, with sales increasing by 12. %. They currently comprise 20. 5% of the total United Kin gdom food and grocery market [Tesco, 2009, online]. Figure 2: UK Convenience Stores, 2009 Source: IGD Research 2009 The large multiples have responded strongly in this market sector (e. g. Tesco Express) and have taken over some existing chains and petrol station forecourts. 3. Financial Health of Tesco & Walmart 3. 1 Tesco Tesco is the United Kingdom’s premier supermarket chain. It employs 440000 staff and operates in thirteen countries [Tesco, 2009, online]. Presently, it has a commanding, and increasing, 30. % share of the non-convenience UK grocery market [Figure 3].Figure 3: UK Supermarket Share In the financial year 2008-9, despite the economic downturn, Tesco had record profits of more than ? 3 billion, 10% more than the previous year. Total revenue rose to ? 59. 4bn, taking sales to more than ? 1billion a week for the first time. Consequently, shares in Tesco rose by 5. 5% [I. S. , 2010, online]. Figure 4: Tesco’s Profit & Loss Account 2005-2009| Year E nded 28 February| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| 2005| ? millions| Turnover| 59377. 0| 47298. 0| 42641. 0| 39454. | 33866. 0| Operating Profit| 3206. 0| 2791. 0| 2673. 0| 2280. 0| 1952. 0| Net Interest| -362. 0| -63. 0| -126. 0| -127. 0| -132. 0| Profit Before Tax| 2954. 0| 2803. 0| 2653. 0| 2235. 0| 1894. 0| Profit After Tax| 2166. 0| 2130. 0| 1881. 0| 1586. 0| 1353. 0| * * Source: www. redmayne. co. uk Figure 5: Tesco’s Balance Sheet 2005-2009| Year Ended 28 February| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| 2005| ? millions| Intangible Assets| 4027. 0| 2336. 0| 2045. 0| 1525. 0| 1408. 0| Tangible Assets| 23152. 0| 19787. 0| 16976. 0| 15882. 0| 14521. 0| Fixed Investments| 321. 0| 309. | 322. 0| 480. 0| 423. 0|Total Fixed Assets| 32008. 0| 23864. 0| 20231. 0| 18644. 0| 16931. 0| Stocks| 2669. 0| 2430. 0| 1931. 0| 1464. 0| 1309. 0| Cash at Bank and in Hand| 3509. 0| 1788. 0| 1042. 0| 1325. 0| 1146. 0| Total Assets| 46053. 0| 30164. 0| 24807. 0| 22563. 0| 20155. 0| Total Liabilities| 33058. 0| 18262 . 0| 14236. 0| 13119. 0| 11501. 0| Net Assets| 12995. 0| 11902. 0| 10571. 0| 9444. 0| 8654. 0| Net Current Assets| n/a| n/a| n/a| n/a| n/a| Called Up Share Capital| 395. 0| 393. 0| 397. 0| 395. 0| 389. 0| Share Premium Account| 4638. 0| 4511. 0| 4376. | 3988. 0| 3704. 0| Other Reserves| 40. 0| 40. 0| 40. 0| 40. 0| 40. 0| Profit and Loss Account| 7865. 0| 6871. 0| 5693. 0| 4957. 0| 4470. 0| Shareholders Funds| 12938. 0| 11815. 0| 10506. 0| 9380. 0| 8603. 0| Source: www. redmayne. co. uk A balance sheet lists all a business' assets and liabilities, giving a â€Å"snapshot† of the its overall money value at a given time. The Tesco balance sheet [Figure 5] indicates that it is very healthy financially. It shows that net assets [total assets – total liabilities] have increased tremendously from ? 8654 million to ? 12,995 million.The profit and loss account [net profit, or loss, made] has almost doubled in the five years shown from ? 4470 million to ? 7865 million. Figure 6: Key Figures for Tesco 2005-2009| Year Ended 28 February| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| 2005| Earnings Per Share Growth (%)| 6| 22| 10| 16| n/a| Total Dividend (p)| 11. 96| 10. 90| 9. 64| 8. 63| 7. 56| Operating Margin (%)| 6| 6| 6| 6| 6| ROCE (%)| 13| 17| 19| 20| 18| Dividend Yield| 3. 60| 2. 70| 2. 20| 2. 60| 2. 50| Price / Earnings Ratio| 11. 40| 14. 60| 19. 90| 16. 50| 17. 60| Dividend Per Share Growth (%)| 10| 13| 12| 14| 11| Source: www. redmayne. o. uk Return on capital employed (ROCE) is a key measure of an industry's financial health and performance [Atrill and Melaney, 2004]. It is calculated as the earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) divided by the difference between total assets and current liabilities.It shows whether an organisation is obtaining a decent profit for the amount of capital it owns. The higher the ratio, the better the company is. Tesco’ ROCE is down slightly but a return of 13% is still much better than any bank account interest rate and shows a ve ry effective investment of capital employed [Figure 6]. . 2 Walmart The USA based Walmart superstore chain is the biggest company in the world. Almost fifty years on since Sam Walton opened his first store, 90% of the US population is within fifteen miles of a Walmart [Luce, 2005]. With over 1. 3 million employees and sales at a quarter of a trillion, it is the biggest retailing success in history. With the goal of low prices, the average customer saves 15% shopping at Wal-Mart [Walmart, 2010, online]. Despite stiff competition, Wal-Mart's annual income from 1996 to 2006 increased steadily, as shown below in Figure 7.Figure 7: Walmart’s 10 Year Income For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2009, Wal-Mart brought in $405. 6 billion of total revenue [sales]. The income that the firm made after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue [net income] was $13. 6 billion [Foley, 2009, online]. Figure 8: Walmart’s Annual Report 2008-2009| | 01/01/2010| 01/01/2009| Revenue| $m| 405,607| 408,214| Pre-tax Profit| $m| 20,898| 22,579| EPS| $m| 3. 39| 3. 70| Dividend| $m| 0. 95| 1. 09| ROCE| 21. 00% Source: www. walmart. com| | | | |Even higher than Tesco, Walmart’s ROCE index of 21%, is indication of its great financial success. Walmart’s share price was hit by the recent economic recession but, as Figure 9 shows, has started to rise again. Figure 9: Walmart’s Share Price 2007-2010 Source: www. walmart. com In 1999 Asda was acquired by Walmart and in 2006 the company expanded even further internationally. They opened 537 new international stores, employing over 50,000 new employees. International revenues soared by 17. 4% to $7. 87bn, helped by store openings in markets such as Canada and Scotland [I. G. D. 2010, online]. Walmart’s market share continues to rise in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom and Mexico. In the midst of a global depression it is obvious that everyday low prices are a big consumer d raw. 4. Cultural Style ;amp; Leadership 4. 1 TESCO As a performance-driven organization, Tesco’s mission statement is â€Å"to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. † They are determined to strike up a close relationship with its customers. Consequently, Tesco endeavors to provide better, more innovative products and services than any of its competitors.It believes if you treat customers well and operate efficiently then shareholders’ will inevitably benefit by growth in sales, profits and returns [Enfield, 2009, online]. The customer/staff focus of Tesco is reflected in the far-sighted leadership of Terry Leahy, Chief Executive Officer. Representing a new era, Leahy adapted a more participative style of leadership, where employees are given a voice in the decision-making process. Terry Leahy, Tesco CEO The organizational structure is now simple and flat with fewer levels in the management hierarchy.There are fewer formal rules, more decentr alization and shared decision making throughout the organisation. Leadership roles are delegated to best informed and capable individuals in the organization to ensure that the company operates effectively. As values and beliefs develop, so does commitment to the organization and this is much more productive than a formal hierarchy (Miner 2002). The organic structure suits the pressure to be innovative – given its flexibility it can respond to environmental variations quickly (Salaman 2001, p. 106). 4. 2 WALMARTMuch of Wal-Mart's success is due to a strong and all-encompassing, corporate culture, originally developed by Sam Walton. At the core of this culture is a relentless push for the lowest prices. This penny-pinching is achieved using state of the art technology and by its â€Å"plus one† policy, which demands that suppliers lower their prices or increase the quality on every item every year. In â€Å"The Wal-Mart Effect,† Charles Fishman shows how the pric e of a four-pack of General Electric light bulbs decreased from $2. 19 to 88 cents within five years [Fishman, 2006].Because of this culture, Wal-Mart no-frills headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas, not an expensive city like New York. Executives start work before 6. 30 am, never use limousines, always fly economy-class and often share hotel rooms with colleagues. The company offers basic wages and health care plans. It demands that hourly workers do overtime without pay. Store managers regularly work 70 hours per week. They are expected to pinch pennies wherever they can, even on things like the heating and cooling of the stores.In the winter stores are kept at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and in the summer, they stay at 73 [Seth and Randall, 1999]. In almost fifty years of operation, Wal-Mart has managed to keep these cultural components, as well as its enterprising spirit. Leadership Walmart’s present chairman, S. Robson Walton [son of the founder] is reported to have said i t is the job of leaders to â€Å"listen to customers, listen to customers, listen to customers† [Fishman, 2006, p32]. Choosing to be a humble-servant type of leader, Mr Walton has established a spirit of customer service throughout the whole company. S. Robson Walton,Walmart Chairman Like Tesco, Walmart believes that delegation and limited supervision increases efficiency. Additionally, if leaders trust workers then they will develop quality decision-making skills. Fewer managerial, supervisory jobs also reflect Walmart’s culture of saving money wherever possible. 4. 3 Ethical & Environmental Issues In response to increasing consumer awareness of environmental and ethical issues, the supermarket chains have adopted a range of initiatives. In 2008 Walmart introduced new Fair Trade certified coffee products which provide plantation workers with better wages and working conditions.Similarly, to benefit farmers growing Fair Trade cotton in Africa and India, Tesco was t he first supermarket to bring in Fair Trade cotton knitwear and is presently doubling its range of Fair Trade cotton school uniforms [Wiener, 2009]. Also, to support local producers, much of Tesco’s meat and vegetables come from farmers within the region. With environmental issues becoming mainstream, Tesco has recently promised to attach a carbon label to all its goods and install sophisticated new refrigeration techniques to reduce its consumption of climate changing hydro-fluorocarbons.Wal-Mart now claims it will power its US stores entirely using renewable energy [Walmart, 2010, online]. The introduction of clear labelling regarding fat and calorie content of products has allowed supermarkets to take advantage of the increased consumer awareness of health issues. In the case of a health scare [e. g. BSE], their sophisticated communications networks make product traceability very easy. 5. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the retail market has been completely transformed in recen t years by the large supermarkets.Whether your preferred criteria for financial success is square footage of retail space, sales, net profit or dividend growth, both Tesco and Walmart have reached heights that few others in the retail industry can hope to match. To counter the image that they destroy the environment and are enemies of society, both Tesco and Walmart have adopted a range of environmental, social and ethical programs. The so called â€Å"Walmark effect† may yet be seen as a force for the good.