Explain how the situation in Europe immediately following the fall of Essay

Explain how the situation in Europe immediately following the fall of Germany led directly to the Cold War. In your opinion, sho - Essay Example This is because the disengagement by America both politically and economically had contributed to the rise of regimes that were dictatorial or oppressive in Europe. In order to counter this, the United States developed a policy that was aimed at improving trade with most of the Western European nations that would not only have the effect of promoting growth in both America and Europe, but also bolster allies and US friends. The Soviet Union on the other hand stuck to its tradition of having in place a central but autocratic regime that sharply contrasted with the freedom and democratic ideals espoused by America. The Soviet Union ideology is what is referred to as Marxist-Leninist ideology and it guided all the policies that were to be adopted by the Soviets. The Soviet Union was at this time obsessed with the fear that another attack would greatly affect the economy of the country and they therefore tried to put in place borders that could be defended. They did this through ensuring that there were friendly regimes in the mostly Eastern European countries and instilling the Soviet ideology of communism against the wishes of majority of citizens in these nations. This was against the stand by United States who were advocating for the restoration of independence and self-determination through democratic governments Eastern European countries such as Czechoslovakia and Poland. The declaration made 1946 by then Russian leader; Stalin that international peace was unattainable in the world with the prevailing capitalist ideology of development of the world economy precipitated the Cold War. The Western Allies led by the United States and Britain under President Truman and Prime Minister Churchill respectively responded by declaring to work together to stop the spread of Soviet dominance at all costs in what was referred to as an Iron Curtain descending across the continent. This became the genesis of Cold War pitted the Western Allies led by the United States agains t the Soviet Union (Sirimarco 2005, p.3). The Fall of Germany Germany fell through a series of occurrences that began with Hitler abandoning his Rastenburg headquarters on November 20, 1944 (Hogg and Perrett, p.435). This underlined the desperation of Germany at the time as during the second half of 1944, the Nazi regime had come under attack from its enemies both from the east, west and the south that greatly interfered with the supplies and manufacturing industries consistently. This was evident as Germany’s Luftwaffe had a myriad of the best military aircraft at the time but lacked the fuel to fly them and the spares for their maintenance. As this was happening the German Chancellor Adolf Hitler pegged his hopes of reviving Germany by relying on the latest Germany technology but this was not possible as the technologies, though real and impressive were too late and poorly executed and would not change the course of the war as already fought. This assortment of impressive w eapons included the world’s first cruise missile known as V1 and the V2, touted as the world’s first weaponised ballistic missile. Germany also had jet and rocket-propelled aircraft, which would ably help it in the war. The Battle of the Bulge On December 16, 1944, Germany undertook

Decreased Regulation Essay Example for Free

Decreased Regulation Essay The relaxation of regulation laws though the program would result to various positive trends within the region. This is because the program is targeting to streamline regulations systems in the continent, that is, from the traditional models of using forcing communities and other stakeholders into using mechanisms developed at regional level. Using this new program, policies would be developed and implemented in accordance with local demands. This will remove inefficiencies that develop from the application of measures that are not meant for certain localities. In this regard, it shall be possible for communities to use only the measures that would have positive results. Having local communities develop measures that would lead to efficient implementation of pollution control plans in their respective providing incentives for local stakeholders to participates in these processes. For instance, the move from licences for waste management would help in attracting smaller players in the industry. It has to be understood that these small players could be the best positioned to meet local demands. In that regard, the communities would have aided in the implementation of measures that would have otherwise been a hard task. The inclusion of many players in the industry would foster competition that would further help in developing innovations in the pollution market, which has rarely happed historically. The innovation accruing from the practice of this medium would lead to greater efficiency in different segments of pollution control market. In addition, the innovation would lead to development of procedures that best meet the demands of the people—this develops from fact that individual communities have different needs that cannot be met by the traditional one size fits all model. In addition, having individual communities take care of their problems and employing best practices would lead to better solutions and in speedy manner. This is based on fact that communities will not have to go to the national and EU level to search for solutions. Indeed, they will just have top communicate to local leaders who would quickly adopt the necessary mechanisms leading to proper solutions. This means that local communities will be in a greater position to solve their own problems without having to run for external help. All these would lead to the empowerment of communities with responsibilities of their own affairs. Since communities would be the ones to pay costs of failure, there is high tendency for local leaders to ensure that pollution control through preventative measures become the bottom-line. In addition, it shall be possible for members of these communities to gauge their performance with other localities. This would most likely be achieved through competition among neighbourhoods, cities and nations. The decentralisation of decision making and implementation processes would further lead to greater participation of stakeholders at all level of pollution control. In this case, it shall be possible for localities to improve their performance of pollution control measures, reason being that member countries would enable their localities to deal with problems.

Teaching Philosophy Statement :: School Education Teachers Essays

Teaching Philosophy Statement â€Å"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.† (Dale Carnegie) This quote best fits my views toward education. I feel that a majority of students, today, dread going to school and no longer look at it with a positive mentality. I believe this attitude toward schools is why overall grade performance has decreased and United States students rank lower when compared to students of foreign countries. I want to change all this, at least, in my classroom. I want to restore the positive energy and ambition that some students have lost in education. I want students in my classroom to thirst for new knowledge and have a productive and enjoyable time doing so. I personally believe that students, at all age levels, do their best work, and get more involved, when they are educated in an interesting, creative, and hands-on environment. My aspect towards which philosophies to use in education is eclectic. I predominately agree with the Progessivist theory because it is student centered and perceives students as individuals. I believe that these individual needs should be expressed and accommodated in the classroom. I also feel its important for the educational environment to include a democratic process, where students have a chance to voice their opinions about the material they will learn and the rules that they must follow. I feel that when students help direct their own path, that they gain more respect in the classroom and increase their drive to learn. Another factor I’m akin to about using Progressivism in the classroom is that it is experience-centered and deals with actual problems that students face in life. I agree with John Dewey’s belief that students learn more by doing because it has meaning. An additional belief that Dewey and myself consider vital is that students should learn how to apply previously learned information and skills to solve new issues. This teaches students’ critical thinking skills and problem solving methods. I also favor the Essentialist’s philosophy because it has a strong curriculum based around the traditional subjects of reading, math, and science. I think core curriculum furnishes students with a strong foundation, which they can build upon as they continue to learn.

Slave Stuff Essays -- essays research papers

The slave trade in Uncle Tom’s Cabin Few books can truly be said to have altered the course of history, and even fewer can be said to have started an entire war. Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was one novel to do both. Abraham Lincoln said to Harriet Beecher Stowe upon meeting her, "So this is the little lady who made this big war.†. Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a tremendous effect on early 19th century thoughts of slavery; stirring abolitionist support in the north. The novel is a realistic, although fictional view of slavery with the images of brutal beatings and unfair slave practices. After reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin thousand of northerners became impassioned for the anti-slavery cause. Uncle Tom's Cabin helped eventually to turn the tide of public opinion against slavery in the 19th century( Taylor 1). This controversial novel was initially written to question slavery, convince people of its immorality and to promote the abolitionist cause. The novel’s rendering of the slave holding south is not entirely an accurate interpretation of what it was like though. Beecher over exaggerated and overlooked several facts in novel, especially pertaining to the practice of slave trading. To have her readers empathize more with the slaves, Beecher put the worst stories in and the cruelest practices of the slave trade depicted by run away slaves. Although most of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is very close to the reality of slavery, many aspects of the slave trade were portrayed inaccurately. One of the first miscalculated aspects of the slave trade is the reason for southern states involvement in the interstate slave trade. Stowe depicted Kentucky’s involvement in the slave trade due to the poor soil of the region and economic ties with the practice. She implied in the beginning half of the Novel that many Kentuckians resorted to being bondmen in the slave trade due to the infertile land of the Bluegrass Region. In Stowe’s Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, (a book designed to muffle the critics of Uncle Tom’s Cabin) she stated that â€Å"Slavery’s subsequent lack of economic viability†¦ [and] prevailing agricultural impoverishment are to blame for Kentucky’s involvement in the notorious traffic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stowe 254). On the contrary, Kentucky where the bulk of the slave trade was supposedly concentrated has long been blessed with great fertility. The high phosphorus content a... ...m promoted. Work Cited Harrison, Lowel H. â€Å"The Antislavery Movement in the deep south† UNC at Chapel Hill Libraries Online. 1978. University of North Carolina 5 Jan 2001 <http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/neh.html> Levy, Steven. Slavery in Kentucky. Lancaster Pennsylvania: New Printing Company, Negro universities Press 4-6 McDougle, Ivan E. â€Å"Sketches of America†. Black Studies at Howard University. 1994. 4 Jan 2001. <http://info.greenwood.com/cgi-bin/getidx.pl?SUBJECT=subjINBS> Smith, William Andrew. â€Å"Lectures on Philosophy and Practice of Slavery, as Exhibited in the Institution of Domestic Slavery in the United States: with the Duties of Masters to Slaves: Electronic Edition†. UNC at Chapel Hill Libraries Online. 1802-1870. University of North Carolina 5 Jan 2001 <http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/smith/smith.html>. Stowe, Harriet Beecher. The Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Boston, 1853; reprint, New York: Arno Press, 1969: 279 Taylor, Jeremiah. â€Å" Sold Down the River† Genealogy Magazine Online. 13 Nov 1998. Genealogy Magazine. Dec. 2000 <http://www.geneaologymag.com/acad/original/jeremiahtaylor98.htm>.

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Summary

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book in a trilogy of books. The main character is Frodo Baggins. Frodo is one of many unusual creatures that are not heard of normally in books called Hobbits. Hobbits are quiet, peace-loving, simple creatures. They enjoy leisure activities and generally do not like to take risks or go on adventures. Hobbits who like to do such things are looked down to by society, and are generally considered queer-folk. And this is a story about one of those hobbits and his friends. The story starts off at Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday party, Bilbo is Frodo’s uncle. Bilbo had built up a reputation of being queer, and having gold hidden in his home. He had previously gone on an adventure in the book The Hobbit. In the book, Bilbo finds a ring, a ring that later he finds, holds magical properties. And when he feels the need to go on one last adventure and leave the Shire all together, he disappears at the end of his party, leaving the ring to Frodo. â€Å"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. –Galadriel, elf queen. Gandalf, who is a wise wizard who accompanied Bilbo on his adventure in The Hobbit, fills Frodo in on what needs to be done to the ring, and that he needs to leave the Shire, possibly forever. Frodo is accompanied by: Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s best friend; Peregrin Took, also known as Pippin; Meriadoc Brandybuck, also known as Merry; and later on is joined by Aragorn, a ranger who is known as Strider; Lego las, an elf friend of Aragorn’s; Gimli, a dwarf who befriends the group; and Boromir, a man from Gondor. They travel from the Shire to the lawn of Parth Galen, which is where the Fellowship separates. Pippin and Merry are captured by a battalion of Orcs, which Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli follow in pursuit. Boromir falls trying to protect the two hobbits, and Frodo tries to escape to go to Mordor alone, but Sam follows him and soon Frodo is glad to have him along. Gandalf had died fighting a Balrog in Moria. Frodo changes from being light-hearted and spirited to dark, and serious. The ring starts to change him, and it starts to be a burden to carry. He is constantly tempted to slip it on in times of danger. And he soon finds out that he cannot trust anyone. This book was banned and challenged, because of the black magic, and the idea of good versus evil. Personally, I do not think it should be banned or challenged. It really doesn’t have anything that stands out to me as something that no one should read, or even be restricted. I see no problem with the ideas of magic and good versus evil. This book is such a good read. The story is very thorough and detailed, giving the reader a clear image of what is happening. This book is valued as entertainment, and an adventure to experience. I loved the book, I thought it was a great read and would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, and who loves adventures, because that is what it is, a fantasy and an adventure. The ending is a major cliffhanger! It draws you in and leaves you begging for more, therefore I am going to start the sequel as soon as possible.

Datil (Banana)Yucca essays

Datil (Banana)Yucca essays The Banana yucca, Spanish bayonet yucca, and Amole yucca are all names for the Datil Yucca. Yucca is a Caribbean name for the Cassava plant that originally was named yucca gloriosa. The name banana yucca also refers to the large fruits. When it is wet from rain the yuccas bloom all over the landscape. They look like large snowy-white candles. Another name for the Datil Yucca is,Our Lords Candles. Yuccas bloom each year while agaves bloom only once. The Datil Yucca is found in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Mexico. It grows from four thousand seven hundred and twenty feet to six thousand six hundred and twenty feet in elevation. The Datil yucca has large, stout strap like leaves that are twelve inches to forty inches long, one inch to two inches wide, and are sharply pointed. The plant has very short stems, which may occur singly or clumped together. Leaves are arranged spirally at the base of the stem. Bell-shaped flowers, which grow in thick clusters during the spring, are one and half inches to three and one half inches long and are creamy white in color. The fruits are large, four inches to nine inches long, and fleshy at maturity. The pods contain flat, blackish seeds. The pueblo Indians utilized the Datil Yucca for food. The fleshy fruits were eaten green or dried and stored for winter consumption. Baked, the fruits have a flavor that is similar to potatoes. In some pueblos, the Datil pulp was mixed with berries and made into cakes that could be dried for winter use. The young flower stalks were also eaten, like asparagus. The seeds for reproduction are in the fruit pods. There is a specific pollinating moth species for each yucca species. The moth rolls pollen into a small ball and transfers it from plant to plant, pollinating the flower. Fibers came from the yucca leaf. Leaves were soaked in water, and then pounded with stones to separate the long fib ...

Free Essays on History Of Jeeps

It would be tempting to say that the history of the jeep in the Philippines started with the return of the conquering American forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the closing days of 1944. This is not true, however. The history of the jeep in this country began much earlier than that. It began during the closing months of 1941, when the threat of war loomed large in the Philippines and in fact in South East Asia. Just before December 7 of that year, a shipment must have arrived of early jeeps, as well as other cars and trucks. These of course were not the standardized WWII Willys MB or Ford GPW. The earliest Willys MBs were delivered only during November 1941: too late to get to the Philippines before Dec. 7. In all probability, these jeeps delivered before the start of WWII were Willys MAs, Ford GPs, and quite possibly Bantam BRCs. There are numerous photos of Ford GPs in US Army use during training exercises with the Philippine Army in Fort McKinley, now called Fort Bonifacio, the writer having photos that were published in a contemporary issue of Life Magazine. Further, right after the war, this writer can attest to a Ford GP driving around in Manila, painted light green, with its characteristic axles offset to the left, blue louvered taillights, and script Ford embossed on the tail panel. Noted restorer Danon Dizon from Angeles, Pampanga and now Baltimore, Maryland has photo evidence of an MA in service in the Philippines prior to December 7, 1941. Then again, there are the persistent rumors of a BRC somewhere in Northern Luzon, and there are reports that the Japanese forces captured a Bantam BRC in the Philippines, brought it back to Japan, where it was used as a model for the first Toyota Land Cruiser whose grille and headlamps located on the fenders are reminiscent of the BRC and the MA. There appears to be no doubt that the three pre-production prototypes (BRC, MA and GP) were in the Philippines even before t... Free Essays on History Of Jeeps Free Essays on History Of Jeeps It would be tempting to say that the history of the jeep in the Philippines started with the return of the conquering American forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the closing days of 1944. This is not true, however. The history of the jeep in this country began much earlier than that. It began during the closing months of 1941, when the threat of war loomed large in the Philippines and in fact in South East Asia. Just before December 7 of that year, a shipment must have arrived of early jeeps, as well as other cars and trucks. These of course were not the standardized WWII Willys MB or Ford GPW. The earliest Willys MBs were delivered only during November 1941: too late to get to the Philippines before Dec. 7. In all probability, these jeeps delivered before the start of WWII were Willys MAs, Ford GPs, and quite possibly Bantam BRCs. There are numerous photos of Ford GPs in US Army use during training exercises with the Philippine Army in Fort McKinley, now called Fort Bonifacio, the writer having photos that were published in a contemporary issue of Life Magazine. Further, right after the war, this writer can attest to a Ford GP driving around in Manila, painted light green, with its characteristic axles offset to the left, blue louvered taillights, and script Ford embossed on the tail panel. Noted restorer Danon Dizon from Angeles, Pampanga and now Baltimore, Maryland has photo evidence of an MA in service in the Philippines prior to December 7, 1941. Then again, there are the persistent rumors of a BRC somewhere in Northern Luzon, and there are reports that the Japanese forces captured a Bantam BRC in the Philippines, brought it back to Japan, where it was used as a model for the first Toyota Land Cruiser whose grille and headlamps located on the fenders are reminiscent of the BRC and the MA. There appears to be no doubt that the three pre-production prototypes (BRC, MA and GP) were in the Philippines even before t...

6 signs you have what it takes to be a recruiter -TheJobNetwork

6 signs you have what it takes to be a recruiter -TheJobNetwork One of the keys to running a successful business is staffing it with a team of superhero employees. That vital process often begins with a recruiter. Finding and securing the best-of-the-best is a recruiter’s job, one that requires some specific skills and personality traits. If you’re considering a career in corporate recruiting, you should first consult the following list of 6 signs to see if you have what it takes.1. You love peopleAn amazing job opportunity might sell itself, but a big part of recruiting still involves winning over potential employees so they’ll take the positions recruiters need to fill. That means a corporate recruiter must love people and be an expert at dealing with them. An outgoing nature is absolutely essential for the successful recruiter. The ability to turn down candidates who don’t make the cut with tact and compassion is a trickier, but equally essential, characteristic.2. You’re a self-starterWorkers who constantly require management to prod them into action need not apply. A recruiter must be completely proactive and constantly on the lookout for the very best people for particular jobs. If you have that constant yen to get working, you have a trait that all recruiters must possess.3. You’re a great communicatorAnyone who works with people must be a great communicator, and recruiters interact with people constantly. If you have a tendency to serve up word salad, recruiting isn’t for you. But if you are able to speak and write clearly, properly, and confidently, you are more likely to convince the best job candidates to come aboard. Not only must a recruiter be a great communicator, but they must also love to communicate. So if you’re the type who is always talking on the phone or texting, you might be cut out for recruiting.4. You solve problemsA recruiter’s life is not just locating great people and fitting them with great jobs. There are a lot of snags that can p op up during the workday, and it is the recruiter’s duty to meet any and all problems head-on, solve them quickly, and get on with the business at hand.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});A champion recruiter never gets thrown by a candidate who fails to show up for an interview or a position that seems nearly impossible to fill with the right person. They greet such situations as challenges and always works to find the right solution.5. You are positiveUnexpected problems can toss a crimp into a recruiter’s workday, but the best ones always handle those challenges with a smile. The ability to meet all problems cheerfully is vital for the recruiter because those problems will often involve dealing with people- and the last thing a recruiter wants to do is alienate potential employees or employers with a bad attitude.6. You’re competitiveOne unique facet of a recruiter’s life is that there is a lot of competition out there. Other recruiters may be vying for the very same candidates as you, so you must thrive on competition and be completely determined to be the one who nabs that brass ring. Recruiters don’t just need the best candidates for particular positions; they too must be the best in order to be successful at their own jobs.If all of these characteristics seem to describe you, then you may very well be an ideal candidate for a career in corporate recruiting.

Organizational Behavior Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Behavior Bachelor - Essay Example In a Norwegian study on nurses, the study concluded that the availability of clinical nursing supervision give positive results on the nurses' physical symptoms, stress and anxiety, as well as establishing "a sense of being control of a situation" [1]. The psychosocial work that nurses extend influences their experiences with regards to having or not having control (of a situation) along with their engagement and motivation [1]. Moreover, stress and anxiety in nursing jobs arise from ethical conflicts in the organization. Another is the job of an ambulance driver. Although a driver's salary is lesser than that of nurses, the work still appears to be meaningful to them because it gives them a sense of being able to serve and do good by being one important factor in saving a person's life. Ambulance drivers (or simply drivers) are responsible for bring the patient to the hospital in time and driving carefully (fast). The sense of knowing that one has successfully delivered the patient to a hospital gives a sense of relief and hope which can be equated to satisfaction for having done his part in the organization. In creating and designing jobs, as well as in the process of hiring people, most organizations assess the applicant's potential in contributing to the organization's success; that is why after the submission of one's resume, one is invited for a (face-to-face) interview because it is during the interview that the HR officer (or whoever conducts the interview) will be able to read the signs, as manifested in the interviewee's behavior, which could tell whether or not the applicant can be an asset to the organization. Since most organizations don't want to be charged of discrimination (against culture, ethnicity and the like), culture is not given that much importance although it is noted; although culture aides in designing a job because it identifies job characteristics. Culture is still noted because some traits and values of a person are already embedded in culture which makes it difficult to change if not removed. Personality traits, attitudes and behavior are however importance in filling jobs as these enables the organization to choose who best fits the job criteria. Choosing between what I can get out of the company and how my leaders treat me (same goes with peers and colleagues) can be a difficult task. Most people would endure sarcasm, ridicule of hardship for as long as they are paid on time and paid well. While others would choose how well they fit in with the management and their colleagues even if salary is not that good, not to mention payroll delays. Having given great thought on the matter, good relationships are much more preferred than tangible characteristics simply because the former is not something that comes your way on a regular basis. It is priceless because it can never be bought. Anything that is tangible can be found in any organization because it is solid; and anything that is solid can be made, asked for, worked for, or simply found, all of which mostly answers the need of physiological and safety in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In addition, motivation coming from good relationships is genuine; therefore, it lasts longer because it is not superficial. Such a perspective addresses the 4th level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs with is Esteem in the form of respect of oneself, the respect

Does anonymity on the web give people too much freedom to torment Essay

Does anonymity on the web give people too much freedom to torment others - Essay Example Potential victims are also protected this way. Patients and parents, for instance, can talk about sensitive matters in open forums (Milner). Victims of discrimination and crimes can also speak out anonymously. Nowadays, there are uncountable chat rooms where people get to speak openly of how they feel about their jobs, spouses and even lifestyles. The debate on gender equality, for example, saw many women and men express themselves. Both uncivil and polite responses were accepted in the forum. This made it easy to reach quick decisions by hosts. As Milner claims, Anonymity can empower those who seek consolation and justice to speak out .Victims of rape, for example, can talk about their ordeal without the fear of rejection or shame. On the other hand, anonymous people can intimidate other web users or even go as far as stalking them. Bias motivated stalking and sexual invasion of privacy are a major menace that come with anonymity. The two interfere with other peoples employment and general lifestyle. People get a chance to be heard on the web through Anonymity. Before the invention of the internet, only influential people were fortunate enough to be listened to. Anonymity also ensures the protection of Democracy and civilian rights. Discussing political matters without anonymity would not be possible. This is because politicians are very influential people and therefore common individuals would not risk confrontation by expressing their views. People get to know what other people think concerning particular issues. On the other hand, people can take advantage and misuse their freedom of expression to hurt and threaten others on the web, an act called trolling. Trolling can be offensive, disturbing and at times shocking. Anonymity on the web only gives web users enough freedom to express themselves. Anonymity does not give people freedom to torment others. It is a privilege that needs not be interfered with. As

Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Autism - Essay Example The Autism Spectrum Disorders include: Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Autism Disorder, Child Disintegrative Disorder and Rett Syndrome. 1. Autism Disorder In recent years, diagnoses of Autism have increased both in breadth and in depth. The increase in the prevalence of this developmental disorder to 1 in 88 children has become so alarming that many parents and practitioners have been more diligent in knowing more about it. Zalla et al. (2006) has encapsulated the definition of Autism as follows: It is â€Å"a complex developmental disorder characterised by severe difficulties in communication, social interactions, and executive functions. Social and communication disturbances are generally explained in terms of a defective neurocognitive mechanism responsible for the attribution of thoughts and feelings to oneself and to others† (p. 527). The many symptoms presented by individuals with Autism have been inconsistent in pointing to just one disorder that is why it had to be spread out to various disorders within the Autism spectrum. Although there are overlaps of symptoms, there are also categorical clusters that belong to one disorder that can be differentiated from another disorder. 2. Asperger’s Syndrome Under the umbrella of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) exists the highest functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) subtype called Asperger’s Syndrome (Kurita, Koyama & Osada, 2005). This is characterized by several deficits in age-appropriate social interactions and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). 3. Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) defines â€Å"children with symptoms such as restricted social interaction, poor verbal and non-verbal communication skills strict and/or stereotypical behav iors but without full diagnostic criteria of Autism† (APA, 1994 cited in Karabekiroglu & Akbas, 2011, p. 142) as Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The symptoms for this disorder may be observed in other disorders under the umbrella of Autism which makes it difficult to differentiate PDD-NOS from the rest of the disorders in the spectrum. Examples of these shared symptoms are deficits in social reciprocity or communication, as well as the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors, severe mental retardation or language delay as well as reactive attachment disorder, psychotic disorders (Karabekiroglu & Akbas, 2011). 4. Child Disintegrative Disorder It is more frustrating for parents to know that their healthy and normal children suddenly change for the worse after the first two years of life. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) is one of the disorders that belong to the Autistic spectrum characterized by normal development of communicati on, social and motor skills during the child’s first two years of life followed by a drastic regression between the ages of 2-10 years in at least two of the developmental areas. Other names for childhood disintegrative disorder are Heller's syndrome, Dementia Infantillis and disintegrative psychosis (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorder

Market Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Market Segmentation - Essay Example Survey comprise of elemental phases like population sampling, adoption of appropriate research design, data collection, and finally analysis of resultant data into meaningful information. In order to maintain objectivity, researchers need to follow all these steps. In this essay, we will appraise utilization of survey methodology in obtaining information about market segmentation in Doha. The company conducting this survey plans to sell fast food to university students in the CBE. Hankin and Rhoads (2011) agree that from a theoretical perspective, fast foods are usually associated with negative effects on health concerns of consumers. In this case, the company needs substantial knowledge before deciding to roll out a fast food program within the university’s premises. The desired market segment within the selected consumer population aims at evaluating the potential of female students in purchasing fast food from the company’s outlets. In order to obtain informed data, we will customize research questions to evaluate the students’ concerns on consumption of healthy food. All the campuses of CBE have a vast number of students. Therefore, the survey started by obtaining a representative sample from the entire female student population. The sample comprised of students aged between 21-28years of age. Approximately 75% of the sample comprised of undergraduate students. The entire sample comprised of 100 students, all of which were female students. On the aspect of research design, the survey exercise adopted the use of questionnaires in acquiring information from the sampled students. Based on the work of Jessen (2008), questionnaires proved effective in acquiring first hand... The company conducting this survey plans to sell fast food to university students in the CBE. Hankin and Rhoads (2011) agree that from a theoretical perspective, fast foods are usually associated with negative effects on health concerns of consumers. In this case, the company needs substantial knowledge before deciding to roll out a fast food program within the university’s premises. The desired market segment within the selected consumer population aims at evaluating the potential of female students in purchasing fast food from the company’s outlets. In order to obtain informed data, we will customize research questions to evaluate the students’ concerns on consumption of healthy food. All the campuses of CBE have a vast number of students. Therefore, the survey started by obtaining a representative sample from the entire female student population. The sample comprised of students aged between 21-28years of age. Approximately 75% of the sample comprised of under graduate students. The entire sample comprised of 100 students, all of which were female students. On the aspect of research design, the survey exercise adopted the use of questionnaires in acquiring information from the sampled students. Based on the work of Jessen (2008), questionnaires proved effective in acquiring first-hand information from the target consumers; hence enhancing objectivity and reality of information obtained. In this regard, the exercise used primary sources in as the most appropriate mode of data collection.

Summary of story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of story - Essay Example The narrator is quoted saying; â€Å"they have turned my pity into something hard and ugly† (Sedaris 2004). â€Å"Us and Them† runs along three key events. The first is a move. The narrator’s family has moved from the country of New York State to North Carolina Suburb (Sedaris 2004). The narrator clearly describes the difference in these two environments. Within a year, they move again, but to a spitting distance. Halloween, a popular American holiday is the second event. The Narrator expresses disappointment on this day. He was looking forward to going in a disguise to door for the traditional trick or treat; but they were off to the lake. He however went only to meet a coffee can full of bargain confectionery and with it a sign that read â€Å"DON’T BE GREEDY† (Sedaris 2004). Finally, on the night after Halloween, the entire Tomkins family shows up in costume at the narrator’s door for trick or treat. This angers the narrator who attributes this behaviour to their lack of a TV (Sedaris 2004). His anger graduates to hate when he is forced to give away his ‘earned’ candy to these pesky

Market Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Market Segmentation - Essay Example Survey comprise of elemental phases like population sampling, adoption of appropriate research design, data collection, and finally analysis of resultant data into meaningful information. In order to maintain objectivity, researchers need to follow all these steps. In this essay, we will appraise utilization of survey methodology in obtaining information about market segmentation in Doha. The company conducting this survey plans to sell fast food to university students in the CBE. Hankin and Rhoads (2011) agree that from a theoretical perspective, fast foods are usually associated with negative effects on health concerns of consumers. In this case, the company needs substantial knowledge before deciding to roll out a fast food program within the university’s premises. The desired market segment within the selected consumer population aims at evaluating the potential of female students in purchasing fast food from the company’s outlets. In order to obtain informed data, we will customize research questions to evaluate the students’ concerns on consumption of healthy food. All the campuses of CBE have a vast number of students. Therefore, the survey started by obtaining a representative sample from the entire female student population. The sample comprised of students aged between 21-28years of age. Approximately 75% of the sample comprised of undergraduate students. The entire sample comprised of 100 students, all of which were female students. On the aspect of research design, the survey exercise adopted the use of questionnaires in acquiring information from the sampled students. Based on the work of Jessen (2008), questionnaires proved effective in acquiring first hand... The company conducting this survey plans to sell fast food to university students in the CBE. Hankin and Rhoads (2011) agree that from a theoretical perspective, fast foods are usually associated with negative effects on health concerns of consumers. In this case, the company needs substantial knowledge before deciding to roll out a fast food program within the university’s premises. The desired market segment within the selected consumer population aims at evaluating the potential of female students in purchasing fast food from the company’s outlets. In order to obtain informed data, we will customize research questions to evaluate the students’ concerns on consumption of healthy food. All the campuses of CBE have a vast number of students. Therefore, the survey started by obtaining a representative sample from the entire female student population. The sample comprised of students aged between 21-28years of age. Approximately 75% of the sample comprised of under graduate students. The entire sample comprised of 100 students, all of which were female students. On the aspect of research design, the survey exercise adopted the use of questionnaires in acquiring information from the sampled students. Based on the work of Jessen (2008), questionnaires proved effective in acquiring first-hand information from the target consumers; hence enhancing objectivity and reality of information obtained. In this regard, the exercise used primary sources in as the most appropriate mode of data collection.

Explication of a poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Explication of a poem - Essay Example He attempts to be cool and at the same time acts like the reader knows The Weary Blues. The speaker himself has memorized the lyrics of the song. The poem contains numerous literary devices, which are used in explaining the tone and theme of the poem. There is also catchy use of symbols in the poem, including long O sounds and hard C and T sounds. However, the poem is simplistic in terms of its words and no phrases were confusing. The use of the word Negro is one controversial aspect in the lyrics. The unusual aspect of the poem, one that is appreciated is that Hughes combines both poetry and music. In fact one is not likely to read three lines of the poem with coming across something related to music. In addition, Hughes utilizes words such as â€Å"rocking†, â€Å"drowsy†, â€Å"pale dull pallor† and â€Å"rickety stool† to suggest a melancholy feeling. Hughes also utilizes colloquial language to woo his audience. The speaker skillfully illustrates elements of jazz and blues throughout the poem. Once one familiarizes himself with the characters and the atmosphere in the poem, he/she is likely to get into it straight away. The poem is more of sharing an experience of jazz and blues rather than a complicated

Fast food Essay Example for Free

Fast food Essay 1 Departm ent of Clinical Biochem istry , Gentofte Hospital Univ ersity of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denm ark of Hum an Nutrition, Centre for Adv anced Food Studies, Faculty of Life Sciences, Univ ersity of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denm ark 2 Departm ent Correspondence: A Astrup, Departm ent of Hum an Nutrition, RVA Univ ersity , 1 9 58 Frederiksberg C, Denm ark. Em ail: ast @kvl. dk Abstract. Although nutrition experts might be able to navigate the menus of fast-food restaurant chains, and based on the nutritional information, compose apparently healthy meals, there are still many reasons why frequent fast-food consumption at most chains is unhealthy and contributes to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Fast food generally has a high-energy density, which, together with large portion sizes, induces over consumption of calories. In addition, we have found it to be a myth that the typical fast-food meal is the same worldwide. Chemical analyses of 74 samples of fast-food menus consisting of French fries and fried chicken (nuggets/hot wings) bought in McDonalds and KFC outlets in 35 countries in 2005–2006 showed that the total fat content of the same menu varies from 41 to 65 g at McDonalds and from 42 to 74 g at KFC. In addition, fast food from major chains in most countries still contains unacceptably high levels of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (IP-TFA). IP-TFA have powerful biological effects and may contribute to increased weight gain, abdominal obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. The food quality and portion size need to be improved before it is safe to eat frequently at most fast-food chains. Key words: trans-fat t y acids, fast food, energy densit y Introduction In the documentary film Super Size Me, the character Mr Spurlock ate McDonalds food three times a day for 30 days and gained 11 kg. It is quite obvious that one can purposely overeat on almost any diet, but the film raises the question of whether fast food poses a special health risk. To what extent this behaviour is a realistic trait in the general population, and to what extent fast-food consumption contributes to obesity and other morbidities such as type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, is still debatable. Before drawing any conclusion as to whether there are causal links between intake of fast foods and disease, ideally randomised trials should be conducted to provide robust evidence on this issue. However, it is highly unlikely that such trials comparing frequent and infrequent fast-food consumption will ever be carried out. We therefore have to rely on observational epidemiology and on mechanistic studies. www. nature. com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a. html 1/5 1/3/14 International Journal of Obesity Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy Epidemiological studies A number of observational studies have assessed the association between frequent fast-food intake and weight gain. The American population study Cardia suggests that frequent fastfood consumption is positively associated with weight gain and risk of insulin resistance over 15 years. Individuals who had meals at fast-food restaurants more than two times a week gained 4. 5 kg more weight and had a 104% greater increase in insulin resistance, at both baseline and follow-up, than individuals who ate less than one fast-food meal per week. 1 This study was the first long-term project to find that people who frequently expose themselves to fast foods are at increased risk of weight gain over time and of developing type 2 diabetes. The study had several limitations such as the population size of only 3000 individuals and the fact that self-reported information about diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors has inherent measurement errors. These factors, however, would normally tend to underestimate the strength of the identified associations. Other observational studies have to some extent supported the existence of a causal link. However, observational studies cannot prove that the association between fast-food consumption and weight gain is causal. It remains possible that frequent fast-food consumption is simply a marker for a generally unhealthy lifestyle (e. g. , less restrained eating behaviour, fatty and sweet food preferences, and a sedentary lifestyle), factors which are the real culprits in weight gain and in the increased risk of diabetes. Although every effort is made to adjust for potential confounders, one cannot adjust for unmeasured or unmeasurable lifestyle factors. Mechanisms by which fast food can be obesogenic Portion size. Despite the above-mentioned limitations in epidemiological observational studies, most of us would accept that the link between intake of fast foods and weight gain is causal because there are several mechanisms whereby fast foods could produce weight gain. At least two important features of fast food could explain why fast food is fattening, namely, large portion sizes and high-energy density. It is well established that the bigger the portion size, the more we consume. 2 Portion sizes of burgers, fried potatoes, pizzas, and soft drinks at fast-food outlets have all increased 2–5-fold over the last 50 years. 3 Energy density In addition to large portion sizes, fast food is also characterised by high-energy density, that is high energy-content/food-weight ratio. The energy density of the entire menu at fast-food outlets is typically 1100 kJ/100 g. 4 This is 65% higher than the average British diet ( 670 kJ/100 g) and more than twice the energy density of recommended healthy diets ( 525 kJ/100 g). Humans have only a weak innate ability to recognise foods with high-energy density and to downregulate the bulk eaten to meet energy requirements appropriately. 4 Industrially produced trans fat. French fries and fried meat from fast-food outlets contain high amounts of industrially produced trans-fatty acids. Trans fats are fats in margarines, spreads, and frying oils, produced by industrial hardening of vegetable or marine oils, to make the product more stable and robust for handling and storage. The hardening results in the creation of a so-called trans double bonds in the fatty acids of the lipids, in contrast to the normally occurring cis double bonds. This increases the melting points of the fats, thereby increasing shelf-life. Trans-fatty www. nature.com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a. html 2/5 1/3/14 International Journal of Obesity Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy acids are also found naturally in meat from ruminants and in dairy products, but not nearly to the same extent as in industrially produced trans fat (up to 5%, as compared to up to 60% in fats), and not of the same types as in IP-TFA. In a worldwide study of the content of IP-TFA in fast foods, biscuits, and snacks, we found contents of IP-TFA ranging up to 50% of the fat in the products, enabling consumers to ingest 36 g of IP-TFA in a single meal in the US. 5 A daily intake of 5 g trans fat, corresponding to 2 energy percent, is associated with an approximately 30% increase in CHD risk. 6 Observational studies have found that a high intake of IP-TFA is stronger associated to the risk of weight gain and gain in abdominal fatness than to the intake of other fat sources. 7 Although unaccounted residual confounding cannot be ruled out, other sources of research support that the relationship is causal. First, IP-TFA serves as ligands for the PPAR- system and can exert a biological effect that promotes abdominal obesity. 6 Second, a recently reported long-term randomised trial in monkeys delivers robust evidence that IP-TFA induces weight gain and abdominal obesity. Kavanagh et al. 8 reported their findings at the 66th ADA meeting in Washington, D. C. For over 6 years monkeys were fed two different isocaloric, western-style diets that contained either 8% of their calories from trans fat or the same amount of fat calories as cis-monounsaturated fat. After 6 years, the IP-TFA fed monkeys had gained 7. 2% in body weight, compared to a 1. 8% increase in body weight in monkeys fed with cis-monounsaturated fats. CT scans showed that the monkeys on the trans-fat diet had deposited 30% more abdominal fat than the monkeys on the cismonounsaturated fat diet. Taken together these studies suggest that IP-TFA is obesity promoting, and that they particularly facilitate the deposition of the harmful abdominal fat associated with CHD. These findings can contribute to explaining why high intakes of IP-TFA may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. 9 Fat content in fast-food menus To select more healthy choices at the fast-food restaurants, nutritional labelling must be both available and accurate. While most chains provide nutritional information about total calories, calories from macronutrients, and fibre content of their products, we do not think that the average consumer who eats at a fast-food chain has the time or ability to make a reasonable estimate of health consequences of such meals or their contribution to the days caloric intake. The results of our analyses of total fat and trans fat in 74 French fries and fried chicken (nuggets/hot wings) samples bought in McDonalds and KFC outlets in 35 countries during 2005–2006 are given in Figure 1. The figures represent the total fat and trans fat content in 160 g of chicken meat and 171 g of French fries, corresponding to a large serving at an American McDonalds outlet. In these meals the total fat content varies from 41 to 65 g at McDonalds and from 42 to 74 g at KFC; the trans fat content varies from 0. 3 to 10. 2 and 0. 3 to 24 g, respectively. The differences in total fat content can – at least in part – be due to local taste preferences, but this is not the case for trans fat, which does not add a special flavour to the food. The results show that the same product, by the same provider, can vary in fat calorie content by more than 40%, and in trans fat content by several orders of magnitude. This demonstrates that the same product, unknown to the consumer, can vary substantially in its compliance with recommendations for healthy food. Figure 1. The entire length of the bar (both colours included) indicates the am ounts of total fat in a large fast-food m eal consisting of 1 7 1 g French fries and 1 6 0 g chicken nuggets. The darker colour indicates the am ounts of industrially produced trans fat. The v alues in parenthesis are the am ounts of trans fat as a percentage of total fat. www. nature. com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a. html 3/5 1/3/14 International Journal of Obesity Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy Full figure and legend (305K) Conclusions Fast-food restaurant chains may argue that the evidence linking their products to the supersizing of their customers is too weak. But should not the customer be given the benefit of the doubt? Appropriate actions would include reducing portions to normal sizes, eliminating industrially produced trans fat, and selling burgers of lean meat, whole grain bread/buns, fatreduced mayonnaise, more vegetables, lower-fat fried potatoes, reduced-sugar soft drinks, etc. Moreover, reliable nutritional information should be given by the chains, which requires better standardisation of the foods used. 10 Although these measures may raise prices, such changes in fast-food meals would have no adverse health effects but quite the opposite! References 1. Pereira MA, Kartashov AI, Ebbeling CB, Van Horn L, Slattery ML, Jacobs Jr DR et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis. Lancet 2005; 365: 36–42. | Article | PubMed | ISI | 2. Diliberti N, Bordi PL, Conklin MT, Roe LS, Rolls BJ. Increased portion size leads to increased energy intake in a restaurant meal. Obes Res 2004; 12: 562– 568. | PubMed | 3. Young LR, Nestle M. Expanding portion sizes in the US marketplace: implications for nutrition counseling. J Am Diet Assoc 2003; 103: 231–234. | Article | PubMed | ISI | 4. Prentice AM, Jebb SA. Fast foods, energy density and obesity: a possible mechanistic link. Obes Rev 2003; 4: 187–194. | Article | PubMed | ChemPort | 5. Stender S, Dyerberg J, Bysted A, Leth T, Astrup A. A trans world journey. Atheroscl Suppl 2006; 7: 47–52. | Article | 6. Mozaffarian D, Katan MB, Ascherio A, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 2006; 354: 1601– 1613. | Article | PubMed | ChemPort | 7. Koh-Banerjee P, Chu NF, Spiegelman D, Rosner B, Colditz G, Willett W et al. Prospective study of the association of changes in dietary intake, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking with 9-y gain in waist circumference among 16 587 US men. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78: 719–727. | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort | 8. Kavanagh K, Jones K, Sawyer J, Kelly K, Wagner JD, Rudel LL. Trans fat diet induces insulin resistance in monkeys. Diabetes Care 2006. Proceedings of 66th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association: Abstract 328-OR. www. nature. com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a. html 4/5 1/3/14 International Journal of Obesity Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy 9. Salmeron J, Hu FB, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Rimm EB et al. Dietary fat intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Am J Clin Nutr 2001; 73: 1019– 1026. | PubMed | ChemPort | 10. Astrup A. Super-sized and diabetic by frequent fast-food consumption? Lancet 2005; 365: 4–5. | Article | PubMed | Acknowledgements SS and JD declare no conflict of interest. AA is medical advisor for Weight Watchers, and is member of several advisory boards for food producers. The Department of Human Nutrition receives/has received research funding from over 50 Danish and international food companies. Otherwise, I declare no conflict of interest. International Journal of Obesity This journal is a m em ber of and subscribes to the principles of the Commit t ee on Publicat ion Et hics. ISSN 03 07 -056 5 EISSN 1 4 7 6 -54 9 7 About NPG Privacy policy Nat urejobs Cont act NPG Accessibilit y st at ement Use of cookies Legal not ice Nat ure Asia Nat ure Educat ion Help Terms RSS web feeds Search: go  © 2 0 1 4 Na t u r e Pu blish in g Gr ou p, a div ision of Ma cm illa n Pu blish er s Lim it ed. A ll Rig h t s Reser v ed. pa r t n er of A GORA , HINA RI, OA RE, INA SP, ORCID, Cr ossRef a n d COUNT ER www. nature. com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a. html 5/5.

Evaluation Impact On Financial Operations Cadburys And Kraft Marketing Essay

Evaluation Impact On Financial Operations Cadburys And Kraft Marketing Essay Choosing the Topic After completion of all my fundamental papers in August 2010, I waited till the next session to decide to submit a research and analysis project for the Oxford Brooke University. The reason for such delay was the pressure to complete three professional papers in December session. This report is also important to me because I believe by having combination of both Profession qualification and a degree will uplift my career. To base my project on ACCA provided me with a list of 20 recommended topics to choose from. After reading through the list, the topic that immediately attracted my attention was topic 19 which was The financial and operational consequences of a merger between two organisations or of the acquisition of one organisation by another. What attracted me the most about this topic was that, it was all very relevant to my studies as I am thinking to pursue financial management after ACCA. I knew this topic will allow me to try out and learn the all important, analytical skills. Other reason to choose this topic was the much talked about acquisition of KRAFT and Cadbury therefore it encouraged me to choose this topic. Another reason was availability of the vast amount of information through the internet and press release because of recent release of Krafts recent fourth quarter in the month on February 2011. Choosing the organisation Once I chose my topic, I had to choose an organisation to base my research on. I chose Kraft and Cadbury for my analysis; it was an obvious choice as this was the acquisition that impelled me to select this topic. This was one of the most controversial and largest takeovers in the year of 2010. I believed the takeover by the 2nd Largest Food Giants in its industry would accomplish the objective I had in mind for the project. Aims Objectives The main objective of this report is to evaluate the consequences of the acquisition on the finance and operations aspect of KRAFT FOODS. The financial statements by themselves only provide the quantitative data which need to be analysed by drawn graphs. The main focus of this report, therefore, is as follows: To analyse the reasons for Kraft to make a strategic choice of acquiring Cadbury and whether it satisfy the strategic fit as claimed by the CEO of KRAFT FOODS in terms of financial and business operations. The second part of the research aims to analyse whether Kraft is on the track to achieve its targets it promised its stakeholders at the time of acquisition. Since financial information wasnt sufficient for my research, I need to review the strategic decisions made by Kraft for its subsidiary Cadbury after the acquisition along with the friction identified while integrating both business. The anticipated future of Cadbury under Kraft Group. In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, I have done qualitative analysis using SFE (Suitability, Feasibility Acceptability) and Ashridge model along with quantitative analysis using financial ratios and linking both to get an overall picture. THE ORGANISTAION Company Profile Kraft Kraft Foods is the worlds second largest food company headquartered in North Field, Illinois manufactures and market packaged food products, including biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, convenient meals and various packaged and grocery products.( KRAFT FOODS INC, 2009)The business was formed by James L. Kraft and his four brothers who began by wholesaling door to door cheese business in Chicago. Kraft then achieved growth by merging with other companies and increases the size of the business by expanding more product lines.( Wikimedia Foundation,2011) Being listed on NYSE, Kraft now has approximately 127,000 employees worldwide. Kraft sells products to consumer in approximately 170 countries. At 31 December 2010, Kraft had operations in more than 75 countries and made products at 223 manufacturing and processing facilities worldwide. Kraft portfolio included eleven brands with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion each: Oreo, Nabisco and LU biscuits; Milka and Cadbury chocolates; Trident gum; Jacobs and Maxwell House coffees; Philadelphia cream cheeses; Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; and Oscar Mayer meats. Kraft portfolio included approximately 70 brands which each generate annual revenues of more than $100 million. (KRAFT FOODS INC, 2010) Cadbury Cadbury was a leading global independent business in the exciting world of confectionery, a large, growing, brand-led industry. With an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands, the largest emerging markets business and a focused and experienced team, Cadbury is committed to its long-term vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. Cadbury operated in more than 60 countries with a workforce of 46000. (Cadbury, 2008) Cadbury made its beginning by opening one single shop by John Cadbury. As time progressed John Cadbury moved into the manufacturing of drinking chocolate and cocoa. Cadbury grew bigger through some organic growth and some mergers. During the first world war Cadbury started to achieve great success, its products were regarded as necessities and Cadbury were at their peak. Cadbury kept investing in technology, new factories and in new products to remain ahead of competition. With factories all over the world and a host of well known brand names it has become a household name in many countries. (Birminghamuk, (n.d.)) INFORMATION GATHERING Sources of Data Data can be collected for any research by the following ways: Primary Research: Under primary research new information is collected via interviews, survey or questionnaire etc; hence information is collected first hand. Secondary Research: Also known as Desk Research is gathered from information which has already been provided but may not be for the same purpose. Such information are easy to access and are my cheaper than carrying out primary research. Such information gathered should be analysed and screened properly so that it fits for the purpose. Kraft and Cadbury both being listed companies although listed in different countries were required to issue annual accounts for its stakeholders by Sarbanes Oxley and Companies House respective. These companies especially Kraft issued Interim Reports as per the stock list requirement. Therefore much of the quantitative and qualitative date was readily available for analysis. Hence I chose to use secondary data over primary. The only complication I faced apart from time pressure was obtaining latest financial information for Cadbury (2009 accounts). Fortunately Kraft public relation team co-operated and emailed me 2008 and 2009 Cadbury annual accounts on my request. The following are the sources of secondary information I used for my project: Annual and Interim Financial Accounts and Reports This is the main source I used for financial aspect of my business and to draw graphs. I had to use interim reports even to demonstrate impact of Cadbury acquisition on Kraft at each and every quarter due to complexity of the business. Krafts annual accounts were available to view and download on Krafts Investors Website. However Cadbury financial statement isnt easily available. Internet This is the source of limitless information; hence it took me a lot of time to extract information which was relative to the point. Firstly it provided me the qualitative information which was missing or less in the financial statement of both entities. Secondly it also provided me information from a third party or neutral point of view. Letters and Reports Under this source, I analyzed the documents sent by Kraft to Cadbury management or reports addressed to Kraft shareholder explaining them the strategic fit of Cadbury acquisition. These documents were available over the internet. Library I used study text published by Kaplan for ACCA to brush my skills and be of aid when I got confused during an analysis phase. Apart from my course books I visited local library for reference books. As I mentioned earlier I didnt had an opportunity to visit British Library for the access of database such as Datamonitor and Mintel. However I was able to get access to Euromonitor through internet and used it as a tool to aid understanding of the application of analytical tools regarding acquisition and both the entities. Data Collection Methods Its easy to collect data, but skills are required to make sense of data and using it for the purpose. It was a fiddly job to collect reliable authentic information to base my reports on. Any negligence on my behalf may cause me a failure in achieving the report objectives. I was cautious and took my time to read through all the information once before starting with my project. As this acquisition was of the biggest acquisition in the year 2010, too much was written by the newspapers and media about it. Reading about the merger in 2011 gave me this idea to do a project on Kraft and Cadbury, as Kraft were about to issue its fourth quarter results. I started my data collection by reading articles from local newspapers as well as papers or journal published in other counties. I viewed them retrospectively. The most prominent newspaper I viewed was Financial Times, Guardian, Reuters, Wall Street Journal and Economists. After I got a general idea behind the acquisition and critics claiming the acquisition as a failure. I downloaded the fourth quarter as well as annual report. I need to know what did CEO responded on the acquisition as it had been a year. Then I looked at financial data provided to support any statement by the CEO. Internet provided me great deal of help in my project. I type in the keywords such as Cadbury Kraft in etc at www.google.com . Find the relevant articles and making notes as well as bookmarks of the WebPages if I needed to read it again for qualitative part of my research. I even visited many libraries in my local areas; the librarian helped me by giving me advice on referencing as I had no idea on references. Unfortunately I couldnt make a trip to British Library to access database which could help me in my project. But I was pretty content with the amount of information I already collected to carry out my analysis. Referencing I have used the HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM for the referencing in my research and to aid readability, I have cited the source below the paragraph if the whole paragraphs were written based on the same single source. Acquisition for Kraft Pre Acquisition To systematic analyse the strategic choice by Kraft to acquire Cadbury, I will be using Johnson and Scholes framework (Suitability, Feasibility and Acceptability Model). (Wu, 2010) Suitability Kraft Foods Inc. being the second largest food company still looks for opportunities to grow and try to remain one of the market leaders in the industry and and to spread risk by a diversified portfolio. Kraft believes in rapid expansion by acquiring other businesses. Kraft adopted new strategy implemented by new CEO who believed low growth segment should be disposed of and adopt those strategies that will achieve rapid growth even by means of acquisition .Kraft will look for businesses that will build on its strengths and guide against its threats. Kraft has a successful track record of acquiring iconic brands and businesses and effectively using it for its expansion. We will be using one of the criteria of Ashridge model under suitability. Under Ashridge model we will be examining two criteria; whether Kraft has sufficient skills, resources and understanding of the Cadbury business and whether there are opportunities for helping to achieve critical success factors. (Steiner, 2009) Source: Euromonitor One key reason for Kraft to acquire Cadbury was to penetrate in those growing markets where Cadbury has good base such as China, India and Mexico. Brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk dominated such markets by a vast length compared to its rivals. Cadbury did receive 40% of its revenue from fast growing emerging market. Cadburys acquisition of Adams played a vital role to increase their market share in Latin America. Cadbury has experienced 12% growth in revenue in emerging market over five years (EUROMONITOR, 2008) this can be beneficial for Kraft as it intends to use Cadbury s distribution network to sell its brands. (Cadbury, 2008) (Cadbury, 2009a) Kraft being aware of Cadbury s heritage and its strong confectionery business ranking and its iconic brands makes Cadbury globally number one in chocolate, gum and candy. By attaining all these eponymous brands Kraft will become a global powerhouse in snacks, confectionery and quick meals with exceptional portfolio of leading brands in the world. Hence will be one step closer in achieving organic growth objective. Feasibility Under feasibility we would evaluate Krafts position before acquisition in terms of internal resources of the organization this can even be connected to Ashridge s model criteria of possessing sufficient resource by Predator Company. Kraft being second largest business in its industry has huge cash reserve which reflects in its Cash flow Statements of 2008 and 2009 ($1.24 billion and 2.10 billion respectively). Buts its worth mentioning the disposal of Krafts North American Pizza to Nestle for total consideration of $3.7 billion contributed majorly to its high cash reserve. High cash reserve helps them to with acquisition cost and integration cost and any other abnormal cost. Apart from cash reserve Kraft does have reasonable current ratio of 1.04 reflecting its above average liquidity position then its peers. Although Cadbury has a strong hold on overall emerging markets Kraft have a greater position in some markets such as Brazil and Russia. As Kraft being a huge conglomerate busine ss it has vast amount of resources in terms of specialist staff, a highly invested research and development teams and finance etc to back up Cadbury to face competition from other rivals such as Hershey and Mars. Kraft can eve use its power over major supermarket chains such Wal-Mart to increase shelf value of Cadbury as majority of its sales come from small convenient store. Kraft is even able to promote Cadbury heritage brand more rigorously due to available of immense resources. It would be worth mentioning the fact that billion dollar Kraft empire has been experiencing an average growth of impressive 5 % over period of four years to 2008 (where it achieved 13% growth than previous year).(Daltorio, 2009) Acceptability To carry on with a strategic choice it also need to be acceptable by the stake holders. As shareholders are key stakeholders their consent is highly important. Although Kraft assured them the acquisition would result in increase in shareholders wealth as it fits in into its business culture, some shareholders have different opinion. One of the reasons for such conflict of interests is the fear of increase in companys gearing. By 2008 Kraft had a high gearing of 1.34 (ratio) compare to its rival Nestle of (0.36). They fear by acquiring Cadbury, Kraft would issue more long-term debt that may adversely affect the gearing ratio and hence increasing the financial risk of the business and affecting the capability of paying out dividends, hence damaging shareholders interest. The other reason for conflict of interest was the reaction from one of the biggest shareholders Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway who regarded the acquisition as bad deal .He believed Kraft has overvalued Cadbury fo r purchase consideration and the disposal of pizza business to Nestle for $3.7 billion was a mistake. He firmly believed Kraft is paying high premium for the acquisition. One shareholders view didnt affected Krafts strategic choice and Kraft went ahead with the acquisition despite got rejected first time. (Barr, 2010) Ballast Businesses *CADBURY* Heartland Businesses Alien Business Value trap Business Skills Opportunity Low High High According to my analysis I think Kraft values Cadbury as Heartland Business as Kraft has the skills to exploit opportunities from Cadbury. (UNDER ASHRIDGE MODEL) ACQUISITION for Kraft The long clashing 5 month battle between Cadbury and Kraft was finally over on 2nd February 2010 as Kraft clinches control over Cadbury by 72% holding. Kraft then took total control of Cadbury on June 2010. Cadbury shareholders had a deadline of 2nd February to accept Kraft offer of 500 pence in cash for each Cadbury share and 0.1874 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury share which altogether values each Cadbury share at 840 pence including a special 10 pence dividend. This sums up the total valuation of Cadbury business to approximate of  £11.9 Billion ($19.4 Billion). Kraft offered this purchase price on 19th of January after a long negotiation with Cadbury management. Kraft tried to make hostile takeover on 7th September by a bid worth 300 pence in cash and 0.2589 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury share (valuing it 745 pence a share). However Cadbury rejected the bid immediately and regarded it derisory. Kraft sweetened the bid by raising the original offer and increasing the cash component from 40% to 60% to make it more appealing for Cadbury shareholders. (Cimlluca et al, 2010) http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/0210/EZ_CBRY0210.gifI have extracted this graph from Thomson Reuters to illustrate the impact on the share price for both involved parties after the announcement of take-over. We notice an increase of almost 40% in the market value of Cadbury. The increase in Cadburys share price was triggered by the initial announcement by Kraft of its intention to take over Cadbury in early September of 2009. The announcement was received well by Cadbury Shareholders causing an increase in demand and thereby price of the stock. However we see a fall in the share price of Kraft food at the time announcement (graph below), some analysts believe this was due to Warren Buffet dissatisfaction of Kraft Acquisition. He regarded the acquisition as bad deal, which caused chaos amongst other shareholder hence a price falls. This price fall deteriorated the purchase price offered by Kraft which was immediately rejected by Roger Carr, Chairmen of Cadbury. http://graphics.thom sonreuters.com/0210/EZ_CBRY0210.gif (Wiggins, 2009) Source: Digital Look(Munya , 2010) http://data.moneycentral.msn.com/scripts/chrtsrv.dll?symbol=kftE1=0LPR=2C1=2C5=6C5D=1C6=2009C7=6C7D=1C8=2010D5=0D2=0D4=1DD=1width=612height=258CE=0CF=0palette=2AF=2 KEY POINTS FOR FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Kraft foods acquired Cadbury plc in February2 2010. Hence Cadbury results are restricted to 10 months rather than full 12 years and its subject to fluctuate with moving exchange rates. Cadbury data was adjusted from IFRS (previously applied by Independent Cadbury) to U.S GAAP followed by its new Parent Kraft Foods Inc. Cadbury previous years figures couldnt be compared with unless comparison is made in percentile due to the size difference of both businesses. Kraft even revised its Net Revenue retrospectively 2009 onwards.Post Acquisition Financial Perspective The above graph represents s the growth and decline in sales over a period of 4 years by means of percentage. The 2010 information contains data post acquisition, specifically contribution from Cadbury of $9143 that has been converted using the exchange rate of $1.595 per  £1.00 for the aid of analysis. It can clearly be noted the reason why Cadbury was so desirable by Kraft. Cadbury attained significant growth from 2007. In June 2007 Cadbury introduced their Vision into Action plan which insisted in strengthening their position in emerging market. This strategy was immediately effective and can be reflected in the graph. As stated earlier in this research report one of the key reasons for Kraft to acquire Cadbury was their better position in emerging market as compared to Kraft. Although Cadbury has just been acquired for 11 months under Kraft we see a marginal fall of 4% in Cadbury sales than its preceding years. This maybe because Kraft maybe getting acquainted to Cadburys opera tion and network hence not utilizing Cadburys full potential. (Cadbury, 2009a) This graph explains what did Krafts CEO meant by GLOBAL POWER HOUSE. If we examine the two graphs we see a change in the revenue from developing and North American markets. The main reason for Kraft to takeover Cadbury was to derive maximum benefit of Cadburys strong hold in emerging market. Although Kraft is one of the largest companies in food industry it drives more than 57% of its revenue from its Home Market US. As US market is experiencing economic recession Kraft needed to adopt an effective strategy to broaden its operations globally. Hence Cadbury looked more attractive from Krafts perspective. Its worth mentioning that Cadbury earns more than 40% from the fast emerging markets portraying its position being better than Kraft.. It should be taken into consideration that fact that Kraft hasnt launched any new aggressive marketing scheme or any strategic step via Cadbury in emerging markets. In 2010 Kraft has continued to run Cadbury operation without making any major changes. Talking quantitatively Cadbury boosted Krafts net revenue in emerging markets by $3382 million which can be seen clearly in the graph at the bottom. Krafts strengths in Russia, Brazil and China along with Cadbury great position in United Kingdom, India and Mexico has spread its revenue source which has reduce the risk of a recession affecting Krafts sales .By acquiring Cadbury Kraft enhanced its distribution channel which became effective in the first year of acquisition and clearly be seen in the 2010 net revenue segments. In 2010 revenue from US market contributed less than 50% to Total Net Revenue minimizing the business risk driven by recession. (Farrell et al, 2010) The above illustrated graphs represent the change in Krafts revenue source after the acquisition of Cadbury. Krafts adopt a rational approach and pursue the strategy of selling off less profitable brands and achieving quick growth by acquisition. Kraft faced fierce competition from private label companies in the cheese and packaged meat market. Therefore Kraft acquired Cadbury to diverse its revenue source as there were dangers of fall in revenue from its main segments. There is an increase of 16% in the contribution made by confectionery segment. This segment is a high potential growth segment and Kraft would like diverse its business risk by investing more in promotion of this segment. (Trefis, 2011) The Gross margin shows the amount of gross profit generated by the company as a percentage of the sales revenue. Kraft Gross Profit Margin has been plotted against each quarter from 2009. It can be analyzed by the graph that Kraft tried to maintain its Gross Profit Margin in mid 30s percentile despite economic downturn in US market and increase in raw materials Kraft is able to maintain its objective, the main grounds for such level gross profit margin was the acquisition. By acquiring Cadbury Kraft has widen its distribution network as Cadburys main selling networks are convenient stores open on High Street therefore reach of every individual. Talking in respect on cost of sales (100 Gross Profit Margin) Kraft will benefit from economies of scale especially regarding purchases as Kraft will be bulk buying and using Cadbury suppliers rationally to minimise cost of sales as possible. (Szalai, 2011) Net Profit Margin is an indicator of profitability, calculated as net income or net profit divided by net revenue. As shown by the graph, we see a downward trend in the net profit margin against each quarter in 2010.Despite the fact that there has been a 27% increase in Net Revenue in 2010 as compared to its preceding year, we notice a fall of 23% in net profit especially in the fourth quarters of 2009 and 2010 ($711m and $547 respectively. However in aggregate there has been an increase in the net profit from 2009. The major reason for such deteriorates result for the fourth quarter was the cost associated with integration between Kraft and Cadbury. The pizza business of Kraft did contributed to the net profit in 2009 , by the sale of its pizza business to Nestle ,Kraft has deprived itself from the positive contribution of its disposal component.(BBC, 2011) The Prime objective of making investment in any business is to obtain satisfactory return on capital invested. Hence, the return on capital employed is used as a measure of success of a business in realizing this objective. Return on capital employed establishes the relationship between the profit and the capital employed. It is used to show the overall profitability and efficiency of the business. By analysing we see a fall in return on capital employed although the sales and net profit overall has increased however it hasnt increased by the proportion of investment made by KRAFT FOOD. As Mr. Warren Buffet feared that Kraft did overpay for the acquisition this can be reflected in diminish of return on capital employed. I have also included a graph showing fall in earning per share that illustrate the point of less return for the investors this maybe due to issue of new share to Cadbury shareholders. (Wilson , 2010) I have included this graph in my research report especially to breakdown the positive and negative contribution made by Cadbury to Kraft operating income in 2010 as compared to Kraft in 2009. As announced by CEO of Kraft Foods, Kraft is highly likely to expect $1 billion in incremental revenue synergies apart from $750 million in cost saving by 2013. In order to achieve the synergies Kraft has budgeted to spend $1.5 billion in the first three years following the acquisition to combine and integrate the two businesses and already incurred $657 million in 2010. As stated in Kraft Annual Account 2010, Kraft incurred and expensed transaction related fees of $218 millions in 2010 and $40 million in 2009.Kraft has recorded the mentioned costs under selling, general and administrative expenses in Profit and Loss Statement (Statement of Comprehensive income). However in the above graphs include figures which has been given in the Kraft 2010 annual accounts analysis of operating profit rather than actual incurred cost as some cost have been taken under finance cost which hasnt been included in arriving at operating profit for 2010. This seems a draw back in the acquisition objecti ve and maybe criticizes by its stakeholders as integration cost has reduced Krafts earning by 33%. (BBC, 2011) Liquidity ratio expresses a companys ability to repay short-term creditors out of its total cash. The liquidity ratio is the result of dividing the total cash by short-term borrowings. This Graph represents the two liquidity ratio one normal current ratio and another quick test ratio. Unlike Current ratio, quick ratio focus on the most liquid assets hence it exempt inventory from current asset while calculating ratio. Some of the key points that need to be addressed before analysis of the graph are the disposal of the pizza business and all the working capital relating to it. We should also account for the current assets and current liabilities acquired by Kraft such as Net Receivable of $ 1333 m and Accounts Payable of $ 1605 m etc. Another point to be mentioned is that while calculating Quick ratio I havent excluded the deferred tax asset, while some analyst exclude deferred tax asset as they dont regard it liquid. We see a significant difference between both ratios as inventory has occupied much of the working capital. Comparing it to the last year it is almost consistent with the growing sales. We notice a slight deterioration in both the ratio of 2010. The $3.7 billion cash raised by disposal of the pizza business was used to pay cash component of the acquisition. The rise in the actually figure is in line with the growing and diverse sales (Kraft Foods Inc, 2010) Gearing Ratio is a measure of financial leverage, demonstrating the degree to which a firms activities are funded by owners funds versus creditors funds (investopedia).The above graph represents how much company has borrowed compare to equity raised by KRAFT FOODS. Kraft had issued a long term debt of $9.379 billion (net proceeds) to support the cash component of Cadbury of acquisition along with proceeds from Pizza Business. Kraft even made a repayment $2.1 billion of long term debt during the year. This has increased the total debt of the business from $18990 million to $28724 Million. Kraft has also issued 262 million shares to existing Cadbury shareholder as part of purchase consideration. This has enlarged Krafts share capital affecting the gearing ratio. By taking into consideration the above mentioned circumstances, we see an increase in the gearing ratio of 7%. This may cause some concerns amongst shareholders and lenders of Kraft as the financial risk of the business has increased as more interest will be paid from the profits available to pay dividends to shareholders. (Tradition Financial Concept.). This may even damage the creditability of KRAFT FOOD in lenders market as it has borrowed 80% to Equity, hence it may be charged high interest rate by the lenders in future. (Kraft Foods Inc, 2010) (Hoskins, 2010) Interest cover is a measure of the adequacy of a companys profits relative to interest payments on its debt. This ratio will help to explain the previously mentioned financial due to increase in gearing. Due to the increase in leverage we see a fall of 0.94 in interest cover which means there would be less profit available for dividends. This maybe is one of the reasons why Warren Buffet (one of the major shareholder in Kraft) reduced its stake from 9% to 6%. The ratio is over 2 which is considered strong by analyst and reflects Krafts strong position in borrowers market. However Fitch, one of reputed credit rating agency, has downgraded the default rating on both companies to BBB-. However its rivals havent downgraded the rating as yet but our reviewing if they should follow their peers. Flitch has downgraded the rating due to anticipated increase in financial leverage of the combined Kraft/Cadbury. (Peters et al, 2010) Operational Changes Post Acquisition The significant changes in operations along with their impact on KRAFT FOOD GROUP as a whole: Closure of Somerdale factory Days after acquisition Kraft announced the closure of Cadbury factory in Bristol. During the acquisition struggle, Kraft pledged to retain Somerdale Factory. The announcements created a chaos amongst Cadbury workforce and British Unite trade union as 400 employees were being made redundant. It would be worth mentioning; Cadbury prior to its acquisition (in year 2007) had already announced the closure of its Somerdale factory as they had invested more than  £100million in the production plant in Poland to be cost effective. However at the time of acquisition Kraft assured Cadbury stakeholders that it will keep the Somerdale factory running. Kraft tried to justify the closure by stating that they made a genuine attempt to keep it running but its irrevocable. This had a negative impact on the motivation of 5400 Cadbury employees working United Kingdom as they feared less job security .Kraft faced high criticism from British media which lead to boycot

A Heavy Dosage: The Pharmaceutical Industry Essay -- Health, Medicatio

Of all the booming businesses in recent history the pharmaceutical industry makes the largest profits of any industry; making approximately three times more than the average fortune 500 company (Silverstein). At the forefront of the drug industries rise is the United States. The United States accounts for nearly half of the world’s pharmaceutical market, and the benefits are evident. The United States is seeing record high life expectancy along with an all time low death rate (â€Å"Life Expectancy at All Time High†). Countless lives have been bettered and saved because of the pharmaceutical industry and the medical advances made within. However, people must remember that the pharmaceutical industry is as much a business as anything. Like any business they are looking to profit and the best interest of the consumer is not always the top priority. Despite the opposition of eager clients, the pharmaceutical industry is in need of reform and more government regulation. Every year 100,000 Americans die from prescription drugs; not including accidents or wrongly prescribed drugs, all these deaths are the results of side effects from properly prescribed and taken drugs (Perdomo 1). That number hasn’t gone down over the last decade and won’t decrease until action is taken. Much of this is due to insufficient testing on drugs before being released. The testing process is too quick to discover many of the long term side effects that a drug may cause. Resulting in 250-300 drugs a year approved by the FDA being recalled (Greve). The standard procedure includes three phases of testing. However, not all drugs go through all phases of testing. If the early tests are successful the FDA often approves it prematurely. Also, if a drug is a minor altera... ...testing of prescription drugs is more rigorous and in-depth, better prescription drugs will reach the market and the ones with devastating effects can be filtered out. If the clinical testing was done by non-profit organizations and the FDA more closely monitored the process, the corruption could be ended, ensuring that only safe drugs are approved. Some government enforced guidelines placed on drug companies will protect Americans from the schemes of the industry along with lowering prices; resulting in more affordable medication for the average citizen. More government control will also end the deceiving marketing tactics used by drug companies. The government involvement will take away the financial motives behind deceptive marketing. Making these changes will utilize all the good the pharmaceutical industry has to offer and eliminate many of the problems.

Between the Borderline of Mexico and The United States Essay -- essays

†Image in a self portrait generally communicates to the viewer information about the identity, character, environment, feelings and interests of the artist.† In the case if â€Å"Between the Borderline of Mexico and The United States† Frida Kahlo expresses her feeling that she holds towards hr alien environment, and her cultural identity. This will now be proven through analyzing the portrait to prove the above quote. Frida Kahlo's full name was Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderà ³n de Rivera. She was born in Mexico on July 6, 1907. Kahlo’s work was mainly centered on creating self portraits, but she did on occasions paint her family and friends. She married world famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, he frequently visited the United States and Frida joined him on these trips to America which at the time was experiencing a machine age, so there were many factories and large buildings around. Frida was not accustomed to this and thus she painted Self Portrait between the Borderline of Mexico and the United States to show her discomfort when visiting this foreign and unusual land. This conveys a sense of Frida Kahlo’s environment which she was subject to because of her husband. Self Portrait between the Borderline of Mexico and the United States was painted in 1932. Frida chose to paint the painting on a small piece of tin that was 11 3/4 x 13  ½, painting on metal is a traditional way of painting in Mexico and this technique is given the name Retablos. The subject matter with...

Carl rogers Essay

Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was a humanistic psychologist who agreed with the main assumptions of Abraham Maslow, but added that for a person to â€Å"grow†, they need an environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood). Without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they should, much like a tree will not grow without sunlight and water. Rogers believed that every person can achieve their goals, wishes and desires in life. When, or rather if they did so, self actualization took place. This was one of Carl Rogers most important contributions to psychology and for a person to reach their potential a number of factors must be satisfied. Self Actualization â€Å"The organism has one basic tendency and striving – to actualize, maintain, and enhance the experiencing organism† (Rogers, 1951, p. 487). Rogers rejected the deterministic nature of both psychoanalysis and behaviorism and maintained that we behave as we do because of the way we perceive our situation. â€Å"As no one else can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on ourselves.† Carl Rogers (1959) believed that humans have one basic motive, that is the tendency to self-actualize – i.e. to fulfill one’s potential and achieve the highest level of ‘human-beingness’ we can. Like a flower that will grow to its full potential if the conditions are right, but which is constrained by its environment, so people will flourish and reach their potential if their environment is good enough. However, unlike a flower, the potential of the individual human is unique, and we are meant to develop in different ways according to our personalit y. Rogers believed that people are inherently good and creative. They become destructive only when a poor self-concept or external constraints override the valuing process. Carl Rogers believed that for a person to achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence. This means that self-actualization occurs when a person’s â€Å"ideal self† (i.e. who they would like to be) is congruent with their actual behavior (self-image). Rogers describes an individual who is actualizing as a fully functioning person.  The main determinant of whether we will become self-actualized is childhood experience. The Fully Functioning Person Rogers believed that every person could achieve their goals wishes, and desires in life. When they did so self-actualization took place. For Rogers (1961) people who are able be self-actualize, and that is not all of us, are called fully functioning persons. This means that the person is in touch with the here and now, his or her subjective experiences and feelings, continually growing and changing. In many ways Rogers regarded the fully functioning person as an ideal and one that people do not ultimately achieve. It is wrong to think of this as an end or completion of life’s journey; rather it is a process of always becoming and changing. Rogers identified five characteristics of the fully functioning person: 1. Open to experience: both positive and negative emotions accepted. Negative feelings are not denied, but worked through (rather than resort to ego defence mechanisms). 2. Existential living: in touch with different experiences as they occur in life, avoiding prejudging and preconceptions. Being able to live and fully appreciate the present, not always looking back to the past or forward to the future (i.e. living for the moment). 3. Trust feelings: feeling, instincts and gut-reactions are paid attention to and trusted. People’s own decisions are the right ones and we should trust ourselves to make the right choices. 4. Creativity: creative thinking and risk taking are features of a person’s life. Person does not play safe all the time. This involves the ability to adjust and change and seek new experiences. 5. Fulfilled life: person is happy and satisfied with life, and always looking for new challenges and experiences. For Rogers, fully functioning people are well adjusted, well balanced and interesting to know. Often such people are high achievers in society. Critics claim that the fully functioning person is a product of Western culture. In other cultures, such as Eastern cultures, the achievement of the group is valued more highly than the achievemen t of any one person. Personality Development Central to Rogers’ personality theory is the notion of self or self-concept. This is defined as â€Å"the organized, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself†. The self is the humanistic term for who we really are as a  person. The self is our inner personality, and can be likened to the soul, or Freud’s psyche. The self is influenced by the experiences a person has in their life, and out interpretations of those experiences. Two primary sources that influence our self-concept are childhood experiences and evaluation by others. According to Rogers (1959), we want to feel, experience and behave in ways which are consistent with our self-image and which reflect what we would like to be like, our ideal-self. The closer our self-image and ideal-self are to each other, the more consistent or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unaccept able to them and is denied or distorted in the self-image. The humanistic approach states that the self is composed of concepts unique to ourselves. The self-concept includes three components: Self worth (or self-esteem) – what we think about ourselves. Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child with the mother and father. Self-image – How we see ourselves, which is important to good psychological health. Self-image includes the influence of our body image on inner personality. At a simple level, we might perceive ourselves as a good or bad person, beautiful or ugly. Self-image has an affect on how a person thinks feels and behaves in the world. Ideal self – This is the person who we would like to be. It consists of our goals and ambitions in life, and is dynamic – i.e. forever changing. The ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self in our teens or late twenties etc. Self Worth and Positive Regard Carl Rogers (1951) viewed the child as having two basic needs: positive regard from other people and self-worth. How we think about ourselves, our feelings of self-worth are of fundamental importance both to psychological health and to the likelihood that we can achieve goals and ambitions in life and achieve self-actualization. Self-worth may be seen as a continuum from very high to very low. For Carl Rogers (1959) a person who has high self-worth, that is, has confidence and positive feelings about him or her self, faces challenges in life, accepts failure and unhappiness at times, and is open with people. A person with low self-worth may avoid challenges in life, not accept that life can be painful and unhappy at times, and will  be defensive and guarded with other people. Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child with the mother and father. As a child grows older, interactions with significant others wi ll affect feelings of self-worth. Rogers believed that we need to be regarded positively by others; we need to feel valued, respected, treated with affection and loved. Positive regard is to do with how other people evaluate and judge us in social interaction. Rogers made a distinction between unconditional positive regard and conditional positive regard. Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others (and the humanist therapist) accepts and loves the person for what he or she is. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake. The consequences of unconditional positive regard are that the person feels free to try things out and make mistakes, even though this may lead to getting it worse at times. People who are able to self-actualize are more likely to have received unconditional positive regard from others, especially their parents in childhood. Conditional positive regard is where positive regard, praise and approval, depend upon the child, for example, behaving in ways that the parents think correct. Hence the child is not loved for the person he or she is, but on condition that he or she behaves only in ways approved by the parent(s). At the extreme, a person who constantly seeks approval from other people is likely only to have experienced conditional positive regard as a child. Congruence A person’s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in life and experiences of the person. Hence, a difference may exist between a person’s ideal self and actual experience. This is called incongruence. Where a person’s ideal self and actual experience are consistent or very similar, a state of congruence exists. Rarely, if ever does a total state of congruence exist; all people experience a certain amount of incongruence. The development of congruence is dependent on unconditional positive regard. Carl Rogers believed that for a person to achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence. According to Rogers, we want to feel, experience and behave in ways which are consistent with our self-image and which reflect what we would like to be like, our ideal-self. The closer our  self-image and ideal-self are to each other, the more consistent or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them and is denied or distorted in the self-image. Incongruence is â€Å"a discrepancy between the actual experience of the organism and the self-picture of the individual insofar as it represents that experience. As we prefer to see ourselves in ways that are consistent with our self-image, we may use defense mechanisms like denial or repression in order to feel less threatened by some of what we consider to be our undesirable feelings. A person whose self-concept is incongruent with her or his real feelings and experiences will defend because the truth hurts. Carl Rogers Quotes â€Å"When I look at the world I’m pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic.† â€Å"The very essence of the creative is its novelty, and hence we have no standard by which to judge it† (Rogers, 1961, p. 351). â€Å"I have gradually come to one negative conclusion about the good life. It seems to me that the good life is not any fixed state. It is not, in my estimation, a state of virtue, or contentment, or nirvana, or happiness. It is not a condition in which the individual is adjusted or fulfilled or actualized. To use psychological terms, it is not a state of drive-reduction, or tension-reduction, or homeostasis† (Rogers, 1967, p. 185-186). â€Å"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination† (Rogers, 1967, p. 187). References Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable. Rogers, C. (1959). A Theory of Therapy, Personality and Interpersonal Relationships as Developed in the Client-centered Framework. In (ed.) S. Koch, Psychology: A Study of a Science. Vol. 3: Formulations of the Person and the Social Context. New York: McGraw Hill. Rogers, C. R. (1961). On Becoming a Person-A Psychotherapists View of Psychotherapy. Rogers, C. R., Stevens, B., Gendlin, E. T., Shlien, J. M., & Van Dusen, W. (1967).Person to person: The problem of being human: A new trend in psychology.Lafayette, CA: Real People Press.