Coopers Creek Wine Management Essay

1.0 Introduction Coopers Creek, established in 1982, became one of New Zealand’s more successful medium-sized wineries by following a strategy of resource leveraging via networks of co-operative relationships with other New Zealand winemakers in the domestic and export markets. This strategy allowed Andrew Hendry, the managing director, to consciously manage the growth of the company to retain the benefits of small size. However, with increasing globalisation of the wine industry, the changing nature of export markets, the early maturity of the New Zealand industry and the constrained supply facing New Zealand wine makers, Andrew Hendry was faced with the decision of how to position a smaller company for the future. He had to decide whether the network-based strategies that served the company so well continued to be appropriate under conditions of industry concentration, increasing competition and emerging globalisation. (Robbins S, 2006) 1.1 The NZ wine industry When Andrew Hendry established Coopers Creek, the New Zealand environment was highly regulated. By 1984, the New Zealand government had initiated a programme of deregulation, which included devaluation of the New Zealand currency, exchange rate flotation and general anti-inflationary measures. (Porter M, 2001) The opening of New Zealand’s domestic market meant that businesses had to improve their efficiency substantially over a short period. The agricultural sector sought out new markets, to replace the loss of their traditional dependence on the UK market with its increasing commitment to its European trading partners, and new products, reflecting a growing awareness that much of New Zealand’s exports were of a commodity nature. This period saw growing exports to Australia, the United States, Japan and the rest of Asia and exports of predominantly sheep meat and dairy produce being accompanied by more fresh fruit, venison and wine. A further response to fiercer competi tion at home and in overseas markets was an increasingly strong focus on quality, a case in point being the New Zealand wine industry. The New Zealand wine industry accepted the consequences of the liberalisation  of the domestic economy and recognised the need to understand how on-going changes in the international economic environment affected its prosperity and how to plan accordingly. Building from a low international base in the 1980s ($4.5 million in exports in 1987), New Zealand wine exports achieved phenomenal growth and accounted for $168 million in 2007, comfortably exceeding the $100 million by 2007 target set in 1999. The UK market was the most important export market for the industry in 2007, and at $84 million it accounted for around 50.22 per cent of total exports by value and 54.28 per cent by volume. Europe accounted for 66 per cent of exports with 85 per cent of that going to the UK. Four large firms, namely Corbans, Montana, Nobilo and Villa Maria, dominated the wine industry in New Zealand in 1999. The following year, Montana purchased Corbans and Nobilo was bought by BRL/Hardy of Australia. Between them, these large firms accounted for around 80 per cent of all exports in 2007, with another 17 medium-sized companies, of which Coopers Creek was one, handling 16 per cent in combination. For the most part, industry participants exported between 30 and 35 per cent of their production, but a few producers had much higher export intensity. (Wheelen, 2006) 2.0 Key Issues The key issues are: (Study Guide, 2008) (1)Despite entering early maturity, coopers creek remained constrained by issues of supply. (2)The cost of new land for grape planting was rising and more previously marginal land became economic to grow on, the problem was still one of access to capital for these resources. (3)A possible over supply of grapes in New Zealand, which could lead to heavy discounting. (4) A contraction in ownership within distribution companies in New Zealand and in USA, which could lead to certain markets being effectively closed to coopers creek. (5)Protection of strategically important grape supplies so the can insure they still get a proportion of the very highest quality grapes. 3.0 Planning 3.1 Life Cycle From a demand perspective, the worldwide wine consumption has stagnated. According to the Wine Institute, there is only a 2.04% growth in wine consumption from 1997 to 2001. In fact, worldwide consumption dropped from 227,875 hectoliters to 226,646 between 1999 and 2000. Generally there is a drop in consumption from the traditional wine drinking countries like France and East European countries, whilst demand has growth significantly from China. (Grant R, 2005) The production of wine has shifted from the traditional vineyards in France to the rest of the world. There are New-World Wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. These wines are generally thought to be of moderate to high quality and are essentially challenging the traditional wine producers on the quality front. Furthermore, there are wines coming out from China and India. Because of the lower wages in these countries, wines can now be produced at a fraction of the costs of the French vineyards. Price has now become a big challenge that the traditional wineries have to face. Some author’s even suggest that the Old-World producing countries like France has followed growth & decline and now has entered a second life phase. While the New-world countries are in an emerging or growth phase As the industry moves towards maturity phase of its life cycle, the pace of consolidation will increase. (Times of India,2007) 3.2 PESTEL Analysis The following is a review of the major environmental factors, which will impact the industry to a large extent. A closer examination of the more important factors amongst them will allow for a tighter integration between the external environmental factors and the corporate strategy chosen for Coopers. Political factors Government regulation has always played a major role in the WI. There are increasing concerns that there will be new barriers and trade impediments to trade in the WI. One such example is the trade disagreement between US and European Union in the level of farm subsidies that the US alleged that the EU farmers receive. The same allegations may also be similarly levied on the European vineyards. In the Wine Institute report on International Trade Barriers to U.S. Wine 2006, European wine producers were noted to have received certain subsidies . Tariffs also have been the most important barrier to the international wine trade. Some governments impose unusually high tariffs on wine imports. Recent announcement in the media like India opening its market and slashing duties on imported wine and spirits bring good news to the industry, as this will allow them to enter this lucrative untapped market. Though due to WTO pressure the tariff has been reducing, which has lead to major wine producing countries imposing various non-tariff trade barriers. One such non-tariff trade barriers are research fundings made available by local governments to improve the overall harvest yields and quality of the country’s grapes . Economical factors The rising number of middle class worldwide has led to an increasing appreciation of wine and demand for wine. In developing economies of China and India, this class of consumer is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. With the continued increase of economic growth rates for both countries, these consumers can now afford to consume wine is expected to grow significantly as well . The effect of currency fluctuations on the WI will continue to play an integral part in influencing the WI. The proportion of wine being exported outside the wine producing country has increased. Even in a traditionally large wine consuming market, the proportion of wine, which ends up in foreign land, has been increasing. The continuing trend of exporting to new markets such as India and China is going to increase as wine producers cope with the declining wine demand in traditional home markets As a result, the wine producers’ exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates wil l increase further. Socio-cultural factors The increased spending power, sophistication of the middle class in many countries with increased tendency of copying the west has helped to increase the demand for wine consumption. This growing group of earners from various countries is often well traveled & highly educated consumers with needs and wants for the better things in life. The number of middle class across Asia is expected to grow by 1 billion in the next 8 years . With the shift in demographics in the developing countries, there will be more wine drinkers in the future. Increasingly, there are also more scientific evidences that there are health benefits to be derived from moderate drinking of wine especially red wine. As a result, there is an increasing acceptance of the beverage as â€Å"health-product† leading to a healthy heart. Technological factors Innovation and technological factors continue to drive improvement in production yields and better storage of wine. The Australian WI today has transformed itself from a small cottage industry to one of the largest exporter of wines internationally, even to the extent of eclipsing some of the older Old-World countries. The great leap forward for Australia can be attributed to the Australian wine producers clustering to innovate and improve existing processes. (Read C, 2006) The growth of e-commerce infrastructure and the increasing acceptance of buying things online have led to new opportunities for wine connoisseurs and wine producers alike. With this new technology, niche wine growers are able to reach out to the individual wine consumers without being drowned out by the marketing noise generated by the large wine producers. The ability to ship small quantities directly to individual wine drinkers without passing through layers of middlemen may mean that small niche growers may be able to find their position in a market dominated by large brand names . Environmental factors Within the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry, the WI is markedly different from the other products due to the fact that F&B products are limited by market, while the WI is limited by resource (land and grapes). Reason being wine is grown in moderate climates and on certain types of soil. Sudden climatic changes may adversely affect production yields or may even destroy crops all together. The significant changes expected in the environment from global warming, rising sea levels, rising carbon emissions and increasing acidity in the waters will all add to contribute to the adverse conditions for which growers will find themselves in. These conditions together with a scarcity of good arable land may act to constrain or even reduce the industry’s supply. On the positive side, in one of the rare articles published in Newsweek on the positive effects of global warming, the author highlights that fast melting of Artic glaciers and increase in global temperatures may lead to opening o f new vineyards in many parts of the world with weather conditions similar to the France’s Champagne region. Legal factors External environmental legal factors have acted in line with other environmental factors changes. For example, the advent of the Internet e-commerce has resulted in changes in legislation for wine sales, which crosses state lines in the United States . In addition, the origin of the grapes used to make wines also became a contentious issue for many wine-producing countries. The origin of these grapes and the proportion of local grapes used became an issue for branding and labeling of wines; as governed by new local legislation controlling wine labeling. 4.0 Organising 4.1 Porter’s 5 forces analysis We have analyzed Coopers internal environmental factors using Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Being in a specialized industry, it is not easy for another player to just come in wanting a portion of the pie. The WI requires specialized skill sets, special knowledge and extensive experience to stay competitive. It also needs very high investment especially for equipments used for processing of wine. This indirectly induces high entry cost which  is work as a barrier of for new entrants. There is also the expected retaliation faced by new entrants from existing players. Coopers together with other existing players may collaborate to deter competitors from coming in. For example, Coopers may start dropping its price and the other existing players may follow suit leading to a price war. On the whole, the force of threat of entry is low here. 4.2 Threat of Substitutes This industry faces stiff competition from not only other wineries but also from other alcoholic drinks such as beer, spirit and pre-blended mixed drinks and carbonated drinks. Product-for-product substitution is also possible should customers of Coopers decide to try out other brands/types of wine. For the health conscious, bottled water, energy drinks and natural fruit juices also provide competition. Possibility of generic substitution is also there where as customers may prefer to spend on purchasing cigarettes rather than drinking wine. Thus, there is a high force of threat of substitutes in this industry. 4.3 Threat of entry Competitive rivalry among existing firms is evident in this industry. Larger companies are acquiring smaller wine producers to monopolize the market resulting in dynamic competition amongst these companies. As the WI is at its mature stage, companies start to take market share from competitors to survive. As there are too many wine producers, adding on to the high power of buyers, companies may decide to go for price wars due to high fixed costs to gain market share. This industry has high entry and exit barriers due to the extensive capital investment and knowledge & skill set needed. In addition one must have sustainable resource, as it takes several years for wine to mature. This means that industry players do not have many choices. Again this induces competition amongst them and price wars and low margins situations are likely to happen. Based on the information above, the groups came to the conclusion that the industry is â€Å"Medium Attractive†. 5.0 Directing 5.1 Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies Using Porter generic competitive strategies, we find that Coopers has the ability to outperform its competitors by adopting a strategy of â€Å"Focus Differentiation†. Porter proposed that a firm’s competitive advantage in an industry is determined by its competitive scope – i.e., the breadth of company’s target market coupled with company’s unique resource (product range, distribution channels, target market etc.), For Coopers the scope of the target market is narrow. It is mainly targeting niche markets for premium wines in the wine drinking markets of Europe, US, Australia, Japan and a few emerging Far Eastern Asian markets. When targeting niche markets, the company either can go for â€Å"Cost Focus† or â€Å"Differentiation Focus†. Coopers should not be following the Cost focus strategy as NZWI compete in the high quality premium category wines. Reduction of overall cost is achievable only to a certain extent, as this industry is highly capital intensive with many inherent costs along the supply chain. Instead Coopers should concentrate either on particular market segment, or product line segment or geographic market with high growth potential or all three. By following a differentiation strategy Coopers would be able to better focus its resources & capabilities to the serve the special needs of a narrow strategic target more effectively than its competitors. 5.2 Bowman’s strategic clock Using â€Å"Bowman’s competitive strategy clock† too, Coopers falls under category 5, â€Å"Focused Differentiation†. This strategy is similar to the Porter’s generic model, which tries to provide high-perceived product benefits justifying a substantial price premium usually to a selected niche market segment. Coopers can use this strategy in new markets, by targeting sales into the same niches in more countries. While in established markets Coopers could even adopt Category 4 â€Å"Differentiation –with price premium † by offering better wine at the same price or by pricing it slightly higher than competitive brands in the same price bracket, to take advantage of the fact that â€Å"fine quality wine will always demand a premium† and at the same  promote it as premium category. (Meredith R, 2007) Cost Leadership may not be sustained for Coopers because of some of the following reason: – Competitors can imitate – differentiation may not be sustainable it can easily replicated by competitors like South African or South American wine producers – Bases of differentiation become less important to buyers – Competing on just quality to demand high price may not be enough. For example in price conscious markets like UK, Holland and Germany, wines from South American and South were seen as better value than NZ wine – Target segment can become structurally unattractive: – Structure erodes – This could happen for Coopers’ target market in US, restaurants and boutique retailers. They may form a group for centrally sourcing activities to drive down costs, somewhat similar to what happened with Tesco Supermarket Chain (UK). (Aylward, 2006) – Demand disappears – there may be new research findings in future that may lead to lower consumption of wine. Or even they may be new legislation banning consumption of alcohol products in public places similar to that of smoking, which may lead to total disappearance of a target segment. From the evaluation of Coopers core competencies, the followings were recognized. – Coopers is a typical entrepreneurial venture in that the founding entrepreneur, Andrew, had driven its development and growth. A critical factor of success of Coopers is Andrew’s ability to build relationships, within the context of an innovative and flexible approach, in order to leverage critical resources to pursue growth. – Coopers strategy was based on having a carefully controlled but finite quantity of wine to sell every year. With Andrew’s commitment to quality, it has earned itself a relatively good reputation in the industry. From the evaluation of the KSF of the WI, the followings were recognized. – Historically, the NZWI had focused on the production of premium wines, given its constrained supply, small scale, high cost structures and distinctive ‘clean and green’ growing conditions. Availability of consistent high quality products that has strong brand value and recognition are highly sought after and considered KSFs. 6.0 Monitoring 6.1 Wineries Both management & employees of wineries play a key role and yield great power in terms of the quantity & type of wine to be produced. Great deal of collaboration exists between the local wineries to share knowledge & costs. 6.2 Grape growers Being key players, they control the quality and quantity of grapes grown. Many of the wineries are backward integrated by owning lands or having long-term contracts with individual producers. Power of suppliers is low. 6.3 Industry Associations Wine Organizations in NZ like Wine Institute, former Wine Guild with backing of the NZ government are very powerful. All Wineries have to take up compulsory memberships and contribute towards funding & running of the organizations. These key roles of these organizations are promoting NZ wine in international markets, lobbying with foreign governments to open new markets, lowering of trade restrictions and tariffs etc. They also initiate research programmes and training for the entire industry, funded by the wineries. (Zalan T, 2005) 6.4 Consumers The final end user, this group needs to be well informed & kept satisfied by providing high quality premium products with consistent quality and availability at affordable prices. Power high. 6.5 NZ Government NZ government is a key player with considerable power who has played a  pivotal role in the development of the NZWI. The government has been implementing new legislations in consultation with NZWI to meet the current market requirements. Some examples would include changes in government policy in the 1980s making it favorable for local manufacturers to export to foreign markets . (Harvard University, 2007) 6.6 Distributors, Retailers, Buyers Buyers like Supermarkets are powerful players who dictate the price & type of wine stocked on shelves. WI is a buyer driven industry, where buyers hold a lot of power. 6.7 Domestic and Foreign investors This group needs the minimal amount of effort. They are satisfied as long as they get a good return on their investments. 7.0 Critical Analysis 7.1 Competitor Analysis The world WI is currently experiencing a situation of over-production. In the EU alone, it was reported by Food & Drink.com that there is a surplus o f 1.5bn litres of wine, enough for every European Union citizen to take roughly four free bottles each. Millions of Euros have been spent to turn these excess wines into industrial alcohol. (All Things, 2006) The WI is a highly fragmented, with over â€Å"a million wine companies† around the globe. None of the firms control more than 1% of the retail sales, with top 10 players controlling 11% of the global market share (based on volume) . These industry competitors come from different wine growing countries and continents. This is especially true for Old-World Countries in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany) accounts for 60% of the world wine production and 80% of world trade . In contrast, the New-World Producers (Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, USA, New Zealand) wines are more consolidated. On average these countries appear to be more structurally attractive compared to Old-World Countries. Moreover, in the last decade the industry structure has been undergoing dramatic change. There is a growing trend of consolidation. Cash flow rich alcoholic beverage  companies are investing in the WI as their own markets of beer and spirits are maturing. 7.2 Stakeholder analysis The WI being a competitive industry has a varied, vibrant and balanced group of stakeholders, with frequent and varied channels of communication. All the forces involved try to build consensus within which the primary decisions in the industry are made. 7.3 Life-Cycle Analysis We have identified Coopers to be in the phase of â€Å"Mature† stage in the life-cycle model. In view of its competitive conditions, we also identify there may be many competitors which are likely to resort to price-cutting strategy for volume. Therefore one of Coopers directive is to differentiate its product portfolio through leveraging on its enhance brand equity to promote customer’s retention and loyalty within its existing customer-based and new customer groups whilst consistently driving cost efficiency through economies of scales and innovative & efficient ways of bringing cost down. (Pape E, 2007) 7.4 Positioning analysis Coopers currently enjoy relatively good brand equity amongst its market segment. To infuse the same branding principle across distinctive first label allows them to capitalize on its already successful branding strategy, further maximizing the returns of their marketing investment especially for the second label. 7.5 Value chain analysis Through new ways of doing things such as possible bottling in import markets to reduce shipping costs, backward integration either through ownership or long term leasing with good quality of vineyards across NZ and beyond, could potentially reduce their overall cost per unit yet enabling them to utilize cost advantage strategy to expand the perceived value for the brand. 7.6 Business profile analysis This growth strategy do not require a complete reinvention of wheels, it  capitalizes on the existing goals and values of the group, its resources and capabilities, its structure and management systems and its industry environment to further produce enhanced features and products thus major increase in expenditures is not expected, instead an increase in financial perform is forecasted due to the additional opportunities from new market penetration. (Heijbroeck, 2003) 8.0 Recommendations: 1.The expansion of the cooper’s creek network of export markets and the development of second labels. These second label wines could generally be sold at lower prices thus protecting the price status of the Coopers Creek labels but gaining extra sales volume for the company. In most cases the second labels will sell through different distributors. 2.The above strategy will also help with over reliance on a few key distributors. In the case of the rapidly growing US market, coopers creeks have not appointed one exclusive national importer. Instead they will sell to some 20 independent importer/distributors in different states either by direct shipment from the winery or out of a warehouse in California. This will ensure the company doesn’t become a victim of the rationalisation of a large importers or distributors catalogue of wines carried. (Kogut B, 2006) 3.The steady acquisition of control of the vineyards producing their best grapes. That has taken the form of either complete acquisition by purchase, long term leases or the establishment of joint ventures with the vineyards under cooper creek’s management and tied up under long term supply contracts. In the last two years they have purchased three vineyards, leased one and entered one joint venture with an existing contract grape grower. They are currently looking at two further existing vineyards with a view to purchase or lease. 4.Continue to produce consistently high-quality products. 5. Maintain and increase its brand equity and recognition as a premium wine producer. 6.Establish international supply management to facilitate its global market operations. 7.Maintain or improve its already good relationships with stakeholders. 8. Ensure there is cost efficiency in its operations so as to maximise profit with minimum cost. 9.Last but not least, continue innovating in terms of its product and marketing. †¢Current  turnover is NZ$5.5M †¢Current production is at 1100tonnes per year (approx 85,000 cases) and aiming to be 1800tonnes by 2008 †¢They should purchase more of their own vineyards in the Hawkes Bay region in the last few years which would prove beneficial to them. †¢They should increase production of Pinot Noir which is one of their best vineyards by 400% and this will become a feature varietals alongside Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the future †¢All wine is made on site at their Auckland vineyard. On site facilities include Cellar door tasting room and retail shop, Plant buildings (tanks) and bottling line, warehouse and barrel store, landscaped gardens with picnic areas and children’s playground. (Johnson, 2005) A cellar/courtyard wine bar will open for lunches and private group bookings late 2003. Plans have been drawn up for a cafà ©/function centre but as yet no time frame as to when maybe initiated, which should be implemented soon. (Nielson A, 2006) 9.0 Conclusion It can be concluded, the NZWI is still considered to be at an early maturity phase of its lifecycle, as evidenced by a small number of takeovers and increasing concentration. As the industry matures, there is a need for NZ wine producers to retain focus on quality, differentiated products, while holding their premium price position. In addition, they need to play to their strengths in white wines and introduce more red wines into their portfolio. (Ghoshal S, 2007) As a company, Coopers needs to realize the trend toward deteriorating industry profitability is a constant threat in mature industries. As rivalry encourages overinvestment in capacity, international competition increases, and as differentiation is undermined by commoditization, attaining a competitive advantage becomes essential to achieving positive economic profits. Cost is the overwhelmingly important key success factor in most mature industries and three cost drivers tend to be especially important: Economies of scale, low-cost inputs and low overheads. Cost efficiency in mature industries is rarely a basis for sustainable  competitive advantage; it is typically a requirement for survival. Deteriorating performance among mature companies typically triggers the adoption of turnaround strategies, of which the company must choose the most suitable one for its profile. Coopers have so far maneuvered its way past the many problems that plague other producers. However, more emphasis might be needed in terms of differentiating itself from the other NZ brands. It would have to build on its brand equity, and continue to leverage on Andrew’s contact network. Most importantly, the establishment of a succession-planning project would also has to be included in future strategic plans so that the company will continue to prosper should Andrew decide to depart or retire. (Robbins S, 2006) ———————————————————————————————————— 10.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. (Johnson, 2005) Johnson, Scholes & Whittington , † Exploring Corporate Strategy†, Prentice Hall, 2005 2. (Porter M, 2001) Porter Michael E., â€Å"The Competitive Advantages of Nations†, The Macmillan Press Ltd., 2001 3. (Wheelen, 2006) Wheelen, Thomas L. and Hunger, David J., â€Å"Strategic Management and Business Policy†, Prentice Hall, 2006 4. (Grant R, 2005) Grant, Robert M., â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis†, Blackwell Publishing, 2005 5. (Read C, 2006) Read, Charlotte, â€Å"Stakeholder Consensus Marketing. An explanatory national competitivess model for the New Zealand Wine Industry†, September 2, 2006 6. (All Things, 2006) All Things Considered. Washington D.C., Global Warming Endangers California Wine Industry, December 5, 2006 7. (Times of India,2007) â€Å"India plans duty cuts on wine, spirits†, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India_Business/India_plans_duty_cuts_on_wine_spirits/articleshow/1897262.cms, April 12 2007 8. (Pape E, 2007) Pape E., â€Å"Bordeaux Meets Beijing; China’s eager oenophiles are reviving the flagging French Wine Industry†, Newsweek, April 16, 2007 9. (Meredith R, 2007) Meredith, R. and Hoppough, S., â€Å"Why Globalization Is Good†, Forbes, New York, April 16, 2007 10. (Aylward, 2006) Aylward, D. K. and Glynn, J., â€Å"SME Innovation within the Australian Wine Industry: A Cluster Analysis†, 2006 11. (Smith J, 2006) Smith, J.M, â€Å"The e-Commerce Pendulum†, Brandweek, September 18, 2006 12. 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Lack of interest in mathematics Essay

This paper explores the behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of primary school pupils towards mathematics in the classroom and the impact that this may have on their mathematical ability. The study focused on year 3 pupils from a local school, some of whom took part in focus groups towards the end of the project. The children completed short worksheets, which were used to stimulate a guided discussion on what aspects of mathematics the children liked and disliked. The aim of this project was to isolate possible causes of negative attitudes towards mathematics and to discuss what their implications might be. Keywords: Primary, Attitudes, Purpose, Anxiety, Confidence, Language, Reflection Introduction Mathematicians have long held a high level of respect amongst their academic peers. Yet the subject of mathematics, although revered, remains a source of anxiety and trepidation for a large number of people. Widespread negativity towards mathematics appears in many forms, from misrepresentation in the media to the social stigma that seems to surround those who are mathematically gifted. Children often set mathematics aside as a cause for concern, despite their limited exposure to it (Hoyles 1982). It is a subject unlike most others, since it requires a considerable amount of perseverance from the individual in order to succeed. A negative attitude towards mathematics could considerably reduce a person’s willingness to persist with a problem. Without the ability to persevere, mathematical development is likely to be difficult. The purpose of this project is to determine the possible root causes of these negative attitudes towards mathematics. The study focused on Year 3 pupils from a local school, some of whom took part in focus groups. Three focus groups were carried out, each consisting of four children with similar abilities. Children were selected based on observations from previous visits. Subjects were chosen if they displayed strong feelings for or against mathematics, or if they were at the extremes of the ability range. The focus groups lasted for approximately 30 minutes and were broken into two parts. Firstly, the children were given 10 minutes to attempt four questions tailored to their ability range. The questions involved symmetry, arithmetic, a word problem and a problem solving exercise. The remaining time was used to discuss what the children felt about mathematics, using the worksheet as a focal point. It is hoped that this project will provide significant insights into why many children have a pessimistic outlook on mathematics and indicate where future research is needed. Mathematics and its apparent lack of purpose Children may find the nature of mathematics difficult to cope with as its wider reaching implications can be hard to see. Experiments are carried out for the physical sciences, From Informal Proceedings 29-1 (BSRLM) available at bsrlm.org.uk  © the author – 7 Joubert, M. (Ed.) Proceedings of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics 29(1) March 2009 pictures are drawn in art class and language skills are used in everyday interactions with other people. However, mathematics has a very formal written sense about it, where activities remain intangible to the child. From the remarks I witnessed in the focus groups, it seems that children find it difficult to make a connection between the work they do on paper and its practical applications. The following transcript is taken from the high-ability focus group: Charlie: You need to be good with numeracy, say when you’re say, shopping for something – You need to work out how much you’re paying. You don’t have to be a genius at it, but you have to be quite good at it. f you’re a shopkeeper, and someone gave you like about  £20, and something was like  £15 and they didn’t know much how much to give them back. And if you didn’t know, you should learn more in your maths. It was rather surprising to see pupils across the entire ability range unable to make connections between mathematics and its many practical uses. Counting money was the only association that they were able to make, even though it had not been covered in recent work. It is interesting that the high achievers, although mathematically gifted, could not establish any more real world applications than the low achievers. However, the low achievers present more of a concern, as motivation to improve their mathematical understanding cannot be aided by their innate ability. Certainly, the children cannot be expected to make these connections without assistance from a teacher. In fact, some believe that the most effective teachers are connectionists (Askew et al. 1997), although perhaps there is currently insufficient emphasis on the practical uses of mathematics in the curriculum. Human nature does not favour futile endeavours; if a difficult task appears to have no purpose, then few will continue to follow it through. If low achievers are unable to see the wider benefits of having strong mathematical skills, then they may lack motivation, which is vital in a difficult subject such as mathematics. Understanding the purpose of mathematics should not only help to improve motivation, but could help in the actual formulation of concepts. In 1991, Harel and Tall discussed the importance of what they called ‘the necessity principle’: From Informal Proceedings 29-1 (BSRLM) available at bsrlm.org.uk  © the author – 8 Joubert, M. (Ed.) Proceedings of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics 29(1) March 2009 This principle states that the subject matter has to be presented in such a way that learners can see its necessity. For if students do not see the rationale for an idea (e.g., a definition of an operation, or a symbolization for a concept), the idea would seem to them as being evoked arbitrarily; it does not become a concept of the students. (Harel and Tall, 1991 41) They believed that a notion is more likely to be abstracted successfully if the learner can acknowledge the necessity of the concept. In the context of this project, the learner needs to be aware of the purpose behind their work. For young learners, understanding the practical uses of mathematics could be sufficient to both motivate them and allow the necessity principle to be satisfied. Further research is required on this issue, as its scope may be greater than previously thought. As with all the findings in this project, the data was collected from a small sample group, and so it may be difficult to generalise to a larger population. However, based on the remarkable similarities between responses in this particular classroom and the general attitude towards mathematics in our society, I would suggest that the apparent lack of purpose in mathematics is a sentiment felt by many. Self-belief and mathematical ability Nothing was more evident during the focus groups than the lack of self-belief  shown by many of the children. Low and middle achievers quickly resigned themselves to failure, without truly attempting all of the questions on their worksheet. There was a consistent association of mathematics with ‘cleverness’, as many of the children felt not only that numeracy was harder than literacy, but that to be clever you had to be good at numeracy. In effect the children were implying that someone who excels in literacy will not be perceived as being clever unless they can display a similar exemplary ability in numeracy. As a result, children who perceived themselves to be weak felt that they would be incapable of solving harder mathematical problems. A girl from the middle-ability group remarked: Faye: I’m just going to do a simple answer, which is probably wrong. While some would say that any answer is better than no answer, Faye’s decision to give up and guess occurred before she had given any real consideration to the question. This example was typical of her low confidence in mathematics; an attitude which I believe greatly misrepresents her ability. Many of the children showed signs of anxiety whilst attempting the worksheets, shuffling awkwardly in their seats, glancing at their peers with worried expressions and making negative comments about the difficulty of the current task. Previous research into anxiety and mathematics (Hoyles, 1982) indicates that a connection may lie between an individual’s perceived ability and their level of success. The absolute nature of mathematics, where there is normally only one right answer, could add considerably to a negative attitude towards mathematics. Overall, girls expressed much lower confidence than boys, even among the high achievers. They frequently attributed success and failure to external factors, such as luck and the perceived difficulty of a question. In comparison, most boys recognised that success was due to their own ability, and that failure was caused by either a lack of effort or understanding on their part. Whilst this distinction was not absolute it did apply to the vast majority of pupils that took part in the focus groups. The difference  in attitudes towards mathematics between genders has been researched in depth by many, notably Stipek and Gralinski (1991). Although girls and boys are roughly equal in the league tables at GCSE level, there is a remarkable difference in A-level and University uptake. It is quite possible that primary school experiences are alienating girls from the subject, to the detriment of their long term mathematical development. The reason for this is currently unclear and warrants further From Informal Proceedings 29-1 (BSRLM) available at bsrlm.org.uk  © the author – 9 Joubert, M. (Ed.) Proceedings of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics 29(1) March 2009 Undoubtedly, the teacher faces an uphill struggle trying to balance a diverse range of abilities and attitudes, an ever changing curriculum and strict time constraints. However, there are several outcomes of this project that should be considered by the education community. For example, it may be worth exploring how the children perceive mathematics and its uses outside of school. By improving the understanding of the uses of mathematics, pupils will hopefully see the benefits of developing strong mathematical skills for more than just academic purposes. Likewise, low self-belief is an issue that all teachers can attempt to address. We need to dispel the notion that mathematics is a subject limited to geniuses and that children of all abilities can be successful in the subject. The structure of the lesson and the time constraints of the school day should also be up for revision, as the current lesson format may not be the most efficient. The school curriculum is often subject to repetition, some of which may be avoidable with a subtle shift in lesson structure. Conclusion It is clear that children’s attitudes towards mathematics can be influenced by a wide variety of factors. This project has gone some way to identifying what a few of these factors might be, but there is still plenty of scope for future research. In particular, children’s views on practical uses of mathematics and the difference in attitudes between genders require further study. Additionally, the importance of reflection in primary education needs to be discussed in much greater detail. References Beth, E. and J. Piaget. 1966. Mathematical Epistemology and Psychology, Dordrecht: Riedel. Hoyles, C. 1982. The Pupil’s View of Mathematics Learning. Educational Studies in Mathematics 13 (4): 349-372. Dubinsky, E. 1991 Reflective Abstraction in Advanced Mathematical Thinking. In Advanced Mathematical Thinking, ed. D. Tall, 95-102. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Harel, G., and D. Tall. 1991. The general, the abstract and the generic in advanced mathematical thinking. For the Learning of Mathematics 11 (1): 38-42. Stipek, D. and H. Gralinski. 1991. Gender Differences in Children’s Achievement-Related Beliefs and Emotional Responses to Success and Failure in Mathematics. Journal of Educational Psychology 83 (3): 361-371. Askew, M., M. Brown, V. Rhodes, D. Johnson, and D. William. 1997. Effective Teachers of Numeracy: Final Report. London: Kings College. From Informal Proceedings 29-1 (BSRLM) available at bsrlm.org.uk  © the author – 12

Antigone Compare Contrast Essay

Antigone, a tragic heroine in the self titled Sophocles play, fights against male power demonstrating courage and determination. Although Jean Anouilh and Sophocles both create the character Antigone to be a spoiled, scrawny princess, they create different personas out of her. In Anouilh’s version of Antigone is honest, soft spoken and an unhappy person, in Sophocles version Antigone is a strong willed, brave and powerful individual who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Both tragedies share various similarities and differences in the content, themes, and conflicts; specifically focusing on the comparisons between the themes of power, corruption and responsibility throughout. Ultimately the outcome of both tragedies is a result of Antigone’s selfless act and the effect it has on others. Creon is the most diverse character between the two versions. In Sophocles Antigone Creon states that once the news is released to the public that Antigone buries Polynices, he has no power over the decision any longer. In Anouilh’s Antigone Creon does not make an immediate decision to execute Antigone, he gives the decision thought. This is proven when Creon states â€Å"Very well. Now Listen to me. You will go straight to your room. When you get there, you will go to bed. You will say that you are not well and that you have not been out since yesterday. Your nurse will tell the same story. And I’ll get rid of those three men. † (Anouilh, 41). In Sophocles he treats Antigone’s consequence as if he does not have to follow the law he enforces with his power, as opposed to Anouilh’s where Creon uses his power and sends Antigone to her room to think about his decision. Next, Creon demonstrates an inner power in both plays by viewing his decisions based upon being a king rather than a villain. He believes he has to make decisions based on the duties of a king rather than his own personal opinions. This is shown when Creon says â€Å"I agree my trade forces me to be. We could argue whether I ought or ought not to follow my trade, but once I take on the job I must do it properly. †(Anouilh, 48). In both plays the end decisions result in Creon following through with the laws he enforces. He values his role of being king more than his role of being an uncle. Finally, Creon’s decision to execute Antigone not only demonstrates his power but also the corruption that causes Haemon, Ismene and Eurydice to all take their lives as they are unable to cope with the loss of Antigone. This is shown when Creon states â€Å"I have had them laid out side by side. They are together at last, and at peace. Two lovers on the morrow of their bridal. Their work is done. † (Anouilh, 69). If Creon chooses not to follow his duties as a king, he will not feel the remorse and guilt like he does for the consequences of his actions. Antigone first demonstrates a sense of power and bravery in both plays when deciding to bury Polynices despite Creon’s law against it. Using her power, Antigone attempts to convince Ismene to join in upon the act of loyalty with her, but being the innocent sister Ismene is not in agreeance. This is proven when she says to Ismene â€Å"The punishment for disobedience is death by stoning. So now you know. And now is the time to show whether or not you are worthy of your high blood. † (Sophocles, 127). Subsequently in both plays Antigone takes advantage of being a princess and Creon’s niece, and goes ahead with her choice to bury Polynices. Although she knows the possible outcomes of her choice, this does not stop her as she believes Creon will be more sympathetic towards her. Antigone proves this when she says â€Å"Poor Creon! My nails are broken, my fingers are bleeding, my arms are covered with the wells left by the paws of your guards- but I am queen! † (Anouilh, 50). Therefore she takes advantage her relationship with Creon in order to gain power. Lastly, the outcome of Antigone at the end of each play was the same, but the amount of power she obtains is the difference. In Sophocles there is no doubt that Antigone’s death is tragic and heroic. However the tragedy seems to be more heroic in Sophocles Antigone than it does in Anouilh’s. This is demonstrated when Antigone says â€Å"I have given my brother burial. What greater honour could I wish? All these would say that what I did was honorable but fear locks up their lips. To speak and act just as he likes is a king’s prerogative. † (Sophocles, 140). After Creon executes Antigone in Sophocles the play drags on to emphasize how powerful a character she is in Anouilh’s Antigone is killed and the story ends shortly after as if what she does is not heroic. Haemon plays a very important role in Antigones heroic journey to tragedy in both Sophocles and Anouilh’s play. He is engaged to Antigone and is the son of Creon which gives him power over Antigone to begin with. Using his power, in both plays he tries to convince Creon that the execution of Antigone will not bring only sadness to others, but tragedy to his own life. This is shown when he says â€Å"Live as you say! Live a life without Antigone? A life in which I am to go on admiring you as you busy yourself about your kingdom, make your persuasive speeches, strike your attitudes? Not without Antigone. I love Antigone. I will not live without Antigone. † (Anouilh 62). Haemon is similar to Antigone because he takes advantage of his power to try and help in the end. In Anouilh’s version of Antigone there is a significant change in affection shown by Haemon towards Antigone. The play features more romance between the couple that is not in Sophocles version. Haemon is able to gain power over Antigone through devotion as she is so blinded by love and romance she does not realize it. An example is when Haemon says â€Å"Antigone, darling, I love you exactly as you love me. With all of myself. † (Anouilh, 27). Although Haemon does not take advantage of Antigone’s love, he does have more control over their relationship because of it. Lastly, Haemon’s power and corruption comes through at the end of both plays when he attempts to kill his father Creon and proceeds to murder himself. This is proven when he says â€Å"That sight I’ll never see. Nor from this hour shall you see me again. Let those that will be witness of your wickedness and folly. † (Sophocles, 147). This shows Creon causes the corruption by taking Antigone away from Haemon. This is Haemon’s desperate attempt to seek power and get revenge against Creon for all the pain he has suffered. It is clear that the reoccurring theme of power is present throughout both versions of Antigone and demonstrates this through the actions and tragedies of the characters Creon, Antigone and Haemon. Both Sophocles and Anouilh’s tragedies share similarities and differences in the content, themes and conflicts. These comparisons are present between the themes of power, corruption and responsibility shown throughout the play. The tragedy of Antigone in both plays is inevitable as the choices she makes foreshadow her outcome and affect the people around her. The end result is a tragedy due to the power that is lost, the corruption that is caused, and the responsibilities that are maintained.

Agreemnet Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Agreemnet - Personal Statement Example d genuine differences among people to rapidly spiral out of control, further destroying the team’s interpersonal relationships (Griffith & Goodwin, 2012). As such, it is important to adopt positive approaches towards resolving conflicts, whereby discussions and exchanges are courteous, active listening occurs and the focus is on issues instead of individuals. Significantly, it is important to accord parties in the conflict the benefit of doubt since making assumptions and apportioning blame without hard evidence might further aggravate the conflict. Collaboration is another tactic that may be effective in addressing Manuel’s case of conflict. Since in this case job dissatisfaction and unfair pay seem to be the triggers for conflict, it is important to gather all involved parties to brainstorm for possible solutions solution that are mutually beneficial. However, this will only occur after Manuel is able to come to terms with his personal issues. This is because in order for collaboration to be effective in resolving conflict, compromise must occur whereby individuals relinquish their hard stand to find the middle ground. Consequently, Manuel may not be able to compromise if he has not come to terms with his issues and role in the conflict. The ability to compromise will also be helpful in negotiating for the appropriate solution since Manuel will have understood clearly the position of the company and his colleagues and vice

Case study of (Starbucks has not paid The UK corporation tax 2012)

Of (Starbucks has not paid The UK corporation tax 2012) - Case Study Example According to this theory, an organisation is part of the society in which it operates (Benoit, 2000). An organisation, therefore, is supposed to adhere to certain, explicit or implicit, norms and values. The voluntary disclosures therefore are seen as biased because they are influenced by the interaction of the firm and that particular society. This theory, therefore, emphasizes that the vehicle for voluntary disclosure and the information disclosed be analyzed in context of the society in which the organisation operates (Benoit, 1995). Closely related to the system oriented theories is the legitimacy theory. This theory states that the organisation derives its legitimacy from the society in which it operates. Therefore, the society has a multitude of implicit and explicit expectations on the organisation which the organisation should not forego. A firm can only be seen as legitimate if its status, condition or operations are in sync with the society’s expectations. The societ y supports legitimate businesses (Islam and Deegan, 2010). One of the ways to legitimize a business is by making voluntary disclosures for the benefit of the society. ... This theory states that when a crisis becomes a threat a reputation-conscious organisation will always respond to save its image, identity or reputation by voluntarily releasing information that directly counters that which is eroding its reputation. This theory proposes a wide variety of measures to be taken including excuses, justification, denial and apologies (Freeman, 1984). The Case Context Starbucks is the second largest restaurant chain globally after McDonalds. It is valued at $40 billion. The company has many units distributed across the globe and the focus of this literature will be the UK unit. In the year ending September 30th 2012 the company’s UK unit recorded a loss in its operations consequently failing to pay the corporate income tax for the third year in a row (Bergin, 2012). The information was first released by Reuters who asserted that even though the company was recording losses, its management was still declaring it as a viable undertaking with lessons to be emulated by other firms and branches. This mixed information to investors and the taxman brewed a crisis with the esteemed customers with the British government accusing Starbucks of tax evasion (Neville, 2012). Data In its 14 years of operations in the UK, Starbucks had never recorded a profit; this is despite making sales of over $4.8 billion (3 billion UK pounds). According to Her Majesty Revenue and Customs authority, Starbucks had failed to declare any profits during its entire period in operation in the UK managing to pay only 8.6 million UK pounds in 14 years. McDonalds, its main rival, managed to pay as corporate income tax of 80 million UK pounds from its 3.6 billion worth of sales in the UK market and the third largest

Trust and Religion Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trust and Religion Counseling - Essay Example The problem is that the trust that once broken is so difficult to restore, and sometimes it is never restored. Once my friend wanted to solve a problem in his family, I advised him to consult a counselor, who also happened to be my best friend. My friend revealed the story to the counselor and sought the best advice. But the counselor, who was without any professional ethics, disclosed even the minute details to me. Here, the trust is broken and the trust reducing behavior of the counselor is the reason behind the problem. The trust reducing behavior from either side may result in the temporary or permanent break in a relationship. There are so many factors that reinforce the trust-building measures, and because of the negative influence of these factors, it is more difficult to maintain the trust. To maintain a healthy relationship the qualities that a person must possess are: word keeping habit, keeping honesty in communication, respecting the other person’s skills and abilities, and unguarded interaction. The fulfillment of the expectations from either side strengthens the trust and negligence of expectations badly affects the trust. There are certain factors that negatively influence the trust. Concealing the real motive and to act, i.e. to pretend as a trustworthy person and conceal the real motive is just cheating. Sometimes, relevant information may be twisted or falsified for personal benefit. This attitude leads to misunderstanding among people and hinders trust. Dominating tendency and misbehavior also hinder the growth of trust. Accepting the credit for others work create misunderstanding and ultimately to mistrust. The most powerful factor which hinders trust is gossiping. Because of uncontrollable tendency to create gossips about others, once, my friend was forced to attend a counseling session. After three successive sessions, he was able to withstand the bad habit.  

Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Gay Marriage - Essay Example Massachusetts became the first state to legalize marriage between same-sex couples on May 17, 2004, as a result of a November 2003 decision by the state’s highest court that denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry violated the state’s constitution. (Smith, 2005:2) Though homosexuality has been being practiced for centuries in almost all parts of the earth, both explicitly or secretly, and men and women belonging to various age groups get indulged into it, yet an overwhelming majority of human societies apparently denounce the same provided it challenges the moral values prevailing in the culture as well as unrestricted permission of the same may put the reproduction system as well as survival of human race at grave jeopardy. Marriage’s role in upholding respect for the transmission of human life is the first event in procreation. Humans undergo unprecedented challenges to that respect because of new techno-science that opens up unprecedented modes of t ransmission of life. (Somerville, 2003:3) The religious leaders including rabbis, monks, priests and bishops particularly condemn and censure same sex relations and marriage due to the very reality that the Scriptures do not allow it at any cost. According to Bible, if a man also lies with mankind, as he lieth with a woman; both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus, 20:13) It is therefore, the Abrahamic faiths, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam, rebuke gay sex without granting any space to this activity. Though several western countries, having Christians in majority, have displayed relaxation to voluntary gay sex, yet the Muslim states are still reluctant to bestow such rights upon their subjects. They cite the example of the people of Prophet Lot, tale of whom has manifestly been narrated in the Holy Qur’an, who were pelted with stones from the heavens and destroyed en masses for transgr essing from the right path for openly developing male-male relationships and thus ignoring their women and putting reproduction at stake subsequently. (Al-Aaraf: 80-82)Â  Moreover, other conservative faiths including Hinduism and Confucianism also denounce gay marriage on religious grounds, without giving slightest way to the same. Gay sexual union observes opposition beyond religion too, as a large proportion of scholars, thinkers and philosophers consider it as the violation of morality and thus perversion in the real sense. They declare homosexuals as mentally retarded patients, who are undergoing psychological and emotional collapse or disorder because of some deprivation or incident they have undergone in their past. They are of the opinion that the children who were ransacked, abused and molested could turn as murderers, child molesters, pederasts and rapist as well while adopting criminal line on becoming grown ups. It is therefore the homosexuality cannot be tolerated or ne glected as a curse for society. The price of toleration of serious deviance from a society’s constitutive morality is the loss of a distinctive form of interpersonal integration in community understood as something worthwhile for its own sake. (George, 1993:65). The opposition of gay rights is not confined to the

Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries - Iron Deficiency Research Proposal

Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries - Iron Deficiency - Research Proposal Example Crucial studies have reported how a person’s body regulates iron absorption together with metabolism in response to changing iron status by ‘upregulation’ and ‘downregulation’ of key intestinal and hepatic proteins. The effective control of iron deficiency in population can be controlled by iron fortification of foods, target iron supplement, or both. In spite of the technical challenges limiting the number of bioavailable iron compounds, available for use in the fortification of food, studies show that iron fortification can be an effective strategy against nutritional iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency and a leading cause of anaemia in many countries. The terms anaemia, Iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anaemia are usually interchangeably used but they all fall under the same context. A severe iron deficiency with anaemia can affect the functioning of several body organs with devastating results. Iron deficiency is a concern because it can delay infant motor function (normal activity and movement) or the normal thinking and processing skills (mental function).Additionally, iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy can increase the risk for small or early (preterm) babies, who are more likely to develop health problems or die in the first year of their lives than infants born full term and are small. Iron deficiency also causes fatigue which impairs the ability to do physical work in adults. In teens, it may also affect memory or other mental functions. 1) Iron Deficiency from Increased Iron Needs: Because of their rapid growth, infants and toddlers consume more iron than older children. More often, their normal diet offers them not enough iron. Pregnant women also have higher iron intake and needs. In this regard, health care providers often recommend iron supplements. Bleeding also causes the loose of iron, thus extra iron is needed to replace what has been lost. Increased blood loss can occur with heavy menstrual periods, frequent blood donation, as well as with stomach and intestinal conditions.  

The use of a Utilitarian philosophy works best to blance a business Research Paper

The use of a Utilitarian philosophy works best to blance a business organization,s legal, societal, economic, and moral obligations - Research Paper Example How moralistic are the actions of organizations to their customers? Finally, how does the principle of Utilitarianism help put all the actions of business organizations in check? Utilitarian Philosophy or Utilitarianism can be described as a mechanism by which happiness and satisfaction in life could be made available to all people without prejudicial consideration or discrimination (Goodin, 1995). Researchers have always found it difficult to give a single definition to Utilitarianism because it encompasses all practices and processes that would provide opportunities for ordinary people in a country to enjoy equal happiness and well-being. Goodin (1995) strongly believed that Utilitarianism is a public philosophy whereby governments make laws and regulations to control the activities of all producers of goods and services within the country in a way that they will not jeopardize the well-being and state of happiness of the consumers. Definitely, governments set up ethics and codes of practices to checkmate overt desires to maximize profits, undermine people’s social and moral aptitudes and fundamental rights by requiring that business organizations carry out their business functions in a manner that would not harm people’s lives (Goodin, 1995). In this perspective, the governments are acting like checkmate system or moral agent, reminding the owners of businesses their non-negotiable responsibilities or obligations towards their customers, in assuring that their satisfaction and happiness are maintained. Governments somehow tolerate utilitarianism in order to ensure that the rights of all citizens are respected, and the governmental policies of equality are honored (Goodin, 1995). This fact alone makes it impossible for business organizations to cheat their customers and risk being sanctioned by the governments (Goodin,

Far Horizon's case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Far Horizon's case study - Essay Example Lastly, it should be aware of the income level of its target market, so that it can appropriately price the goods and services that it will offer, to match the market's willingness to purchase. Far Horizon has to make a product strategy that is very sensitive to its customers unique needs, as well as one that is innovative and quality-driven. The customers for this type of service are very scrutinizing, in a way that each set of customers have very unique needs, which might not be the same which the next set of customers. Far Horizon must therefore avoid the scenario where it will commoditize its products, in a way that it provides the same type of service to its different customers. Instead, the company must allow for a certain level of customization, for each accommodation package that the customers will demand, and it must make its service cater to the needs of its customers (and not the other way around). Another factor that will affect its product strategy is the generic type of service that this industry provides. Far Horizon can capitalize on this, by making its services more unique, to rouse more interest from its present customer base and to uniquely distinguish itself from competitors and similar companies. Along with customization, unique new features and creative add-ons will make Far Horizon, as a brand, stand-out from the rest of the competition. For example, the company may be bold enough to try hosting themed team-building events for corporate customers, or they may also try to hold festivals and cultural shows (in cooperation with the state) to coincide with a related conference or convention. Lastly, Far Horizon has to focus on consistently delivering quality-driven service to all of its customers. The high-level of customization and innovation will bring in a good bulk of the customers, but quality-driven service will retain the good customers, and will make them spread the news about Far Horizon's services to other potential customers. The innovative and customized features that the company can offer will be meaningless if quality is not stressed. Therefore, for Far Horizon to be a market leader in this service industry, it also has to be the market leader in delivering quality service to all of its customers. Place Strategy The most obvious factor that would affect Far Horizon's place strategy is its proximity to highways, airports or other transportation hubs. More and more customers would want to avail of Far Horizon's services, if the place was immediately accessible from public highways and airports. Another factor that can affect the company's place strategy is the scenic view that surrounds the place. While the company should focus on delivering customized and innovative quality service, it can also factor in the scenic surroundings around the place, to further enhance the company's image. Lastly, the overall attractiveness of the city or state of location affects the image that the company will project to its customers. If the city or state is known to maintain a high level of crime and theft, for example, then customers will still not be attracted to avail of Far Horizon's services. On the other hand, if the city or state has a good reputation among business and socio-civic organizations, then more customers will

Interpersonal Relationships Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal Relationships Essay Do you know what I mean when I say â€Å"What are some things that affect your interpersonal relationships? † Interpersonal relationships are any type of relationship that you have with someone else. I am going to share some tips that help with interpersonal relationship conflicts, and the things that influenced these relationships. As you get older you start to develop relations through personality, looks, intellectual stimulation, things in common or differences. This creates friendships, colleagues, and unimportant people. All types of things determine your interpersonal relationships. The most common form of daily communication is interpersonal. That is face to face, at the same time and in the same place (Lievrouw 2005). Emotional intelligence plays a strong role in relationships. As your relationship grows, you start to share a lot of emotions with others. Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Without the ability to show emotions, or understand them, they wouldn’t have any effect on a persons’ perception. Perception is your thought process about someone after taking, and observing the other person. Interpersonal conflict is neither bad nor good, but depending on how the disagreement is resolved, the conflict could strengthen or weaken the relationship. After the conflict, try to learn Interpersonal Relationships something from it. Conflicts will arise, and people are always going to communicate, and with communication in your interpersonal relationships. There are a few tips that could help save some conflicts. You could just deal with it, just leave the situation alone. Most important when you confront any conflict situation, you have to think it through. Otherwise you might make the wrong decision. You could confront the conflict face to face, and talk it out. Sometimes using a mediator would help. Having someone between the conflict, seems to keep the tension down. Something that proves right over and over to me is to avoid trouble makers. If you can ovoid these kinds of people then you are sure to pass a conflict. You should choose your battles. Be wise, and think it through, and apologize when appropriate. You have to know that you are not always going to be right. Maybe there is something you could do like work on your communication skills, and work to minimize conflicts. When you work to minimize a conflict you avoid conflicts as much as possible. And try not to be verbally aggressive or attacking the other person. Some of my most influential interpersonal relationships started at a young age. I was around mostly family and a couple of kids that were the kids of my parents friends. The reason they are the most influential is because these relationships were developed from unconditional love. When I was younger there was no one with bad intentions for me. I created my lifelong best friend at a young age. Her and I were always together, and was a year older than I, and she lived next door. So we connected through the fact that she lived right next door. We also shared a lot of common hobbies. Interpersonal Relationships The amount of self-disclosure depends on the level the relationship. Self-disclosure is information about yourself that you share with others, who you have already established a relationship with. So the more trust and comfort you have in any relationship the more you would share. It is communication of more sensitive, private, and confidential information. The level of self-disclosure in our relationship was high and very easy to do. I trusted her with everything and told her everything. When it comes to other people I have a hard time telling them anything. I have a hard time trusting other people. When you are younger the relations that you start are pure, which makes it easier to start. Still to this day every time that I see her, my perception of her is still the same as it was when we were children. We have shared a lot of hard and good times together. So with the emotional connection that we have it makes us both turn to each other when we are in need. We shared a lot in common being close in age, that we shared mutual friends. Sometimes this would cause a conflict. We always seemed to get though the situation. I think that we really connected through personality. Through the years our relationship is still the same. I am thankful to have a friend that I can always count on. I have a lot of interpersonal relationships that are a big part of my life. My family and my fiance are strong relationships, created from love, trust, verbal and non-verbal expressions. The hardest to maintain is the one with my fiance. There are so many obstacles that can ruin a relationship like this. Interpersonal relationships are also built around need. As long as you fulfill the need of the other person you will have a strong relationship.

Eating disorders and sexual violence Essay Example for Free

Eating disorders and sexual violence Essay Many neurotic behaviors are a direct consequence of Trauma. Some of the disorders caused by sexual violence trauma include Rape Trauma Syndrome, (PTSD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and eating disorders (ED). Developing an eating disorder such as compulsive over-eating, anorexia or bulimia after going through sexual violence trauma is very common. However, not all sexual abuse and violence victims will develop an eating disorder. It is estimated that almost 30% to 40% of eating disorder patients are survivors of sexual trauma. A person already vulnerable to eating disorders or suffering from bad self image can use a devastating incident like rape or incest as a trigger to develop an eating disorder. There are countless reasons why eating disorders are used as a coping mechanism by persons suffering from sexual trauma. Some develop eating disorders to avoid sexuality. In other cases it is seen as a way to hide anger or frustration and seek the approval of other people. Since they cannot show the anger and resentment directly, they find unhealthy ways like starving or overeating to express themselves. Some abused teenagers might start viewing their body as a source of shame. In their opinion, unhealthy eating is a way of fixing the problem. In stressful situations like divorce of parents, car accident, death of a sibling and especially rape or molestation the victim feels utterly powerless. The person going through mental trauma will find new ways to improve his or her sense of control. Our culture and society place great emphasis on body image. Being thin is equated with maximum control. As a result, majority of victims start avoiding food or limiting intake to dangerous levels. In this way, the victim no longer remains powerless in their life. A commercial that shows unrealistic bodies will keep motivating such a person to indulge in unhealthy eating behavior. When a person remembers a stressful situation they can be driven to eat more than a normal person. Overeating or eating comfort foods that are high caloric foods can calm the body and relieve it from chronic stress. Sometimes sexually abused women and men merge physical or emotional pleasures with terrifying events. A woman who was raped repeatedly by her uncle as a child will show effects of depression and stress in her later life. However, if the woman had no affection shown towards her by members of her family she will start associating the sexual violence with great affection. This confusing association of good with bad makes her starve and harm her body. She feels pride and satisfaction from harming her body. For her, she has secretly accomplished something other cant. Bulimic patients often experience pleasure and pain for a short span of time. The binging alleviates the hunger longing but very soon shame and self-hatred takes over and she is forced to purge her system entirely. Without recognizing and dealing with trauma it is impossible to treat an eating disorder. It is important that cognitive awareness of the patient is increased as part of the treatment. He/She needs to understand the things that can or cannot be controlled in their lives. The most difficult part is making the patient realize that pain and pleasure are separate experiences that do not need to be subsequently followed by one or the other.

Overview And Analysis Of Inception

Overview And Analysis Of Inception Award winning filmmaker, Christopher Nolan, developed one simple yet complex theory. Later, he adapted this idea to a major motion picture titled Inception. A box office hit, inspired by the notion of invading ones subconscious mind and lucid dreaming, its impact ultimately transformed the way the general public viewed ones perspective of life. Unsurprisingly, the audience were distracted in the mind blowing visual effects. Therefore many disregarded or were unaware that the director incorporated subtle hints and key points that could answer seemingly puzzling questions throughout the film. In one particular scene, where Cobbs reveals the history of him and his wife, Mal, exploring the concept of a dream within a dream to Ariadne, elements such as symbolism and lighting were cunningly used to highlight certain aspects and create †¦  · A medium shot of Ariadne approaching Cobbs, the camera then zooms into her and stops at a close up shot as she confronts Cobbs Ariadne confronts Cobbs. Whilst in present dialogue, the director highlighted both characters with a neutral, luminous light originating from windows in the background. These two simple elements allowed the audience to focus solely on the information the dialogue holds. Music intensifies when vital and significant events are being told.  · Only Mal (French for evil) is seen opening her eyes on the shore of a beach as the tide swallows back into the ocean with a dazed and confused expression. However, she gets up on the beach away from the tides (but seen in the background). Shore of subconscious the director has chosen this setting because many dream experts believe that it represents that the shore is the place where the conscious mind meets the unconscious in other words, a sea of dreams meets the land of reality (LUCID DREAMING). It also represents a symbolic journey of self discovery when coming across the sea of unconscious. Therefore it can be interpreted as Mal knowing she was dreaming but has lost sight of what was reality. The sun brightly shining in the background gives this scene a soft focus lens as if Mals confusion is translated in this form of element.  · We created our own world the background shines above their heads effectively giving the appearance Cobbs describes. To show that they are creating their world, Mal and Cobbs are creating things with sand e.g. sand castle. An upward medium shot is used to illustrate the creation of their world. While in the background, large clouds are moving swiftly and rapidly to signify that time quickly ticking by in dreams We did that for years, Cobbs explains.  · Other than being told by the narrator himself, the architecture is paradoxical, such as the rows of never ending pillars as Mal and Cobbs walk through and the infinite levels the building across was structured. Music has been intensified compared to the beginning of the dialogue.  · Mal stands before her childhood home. The background is bright and yet again the architecture has an unrealistic appearance. However, Mal is shadowed this could mean that what she is about to do will seal a dark fate. The camera angle slowly zooms into a close up of her expression; this could also mean that it took her time to come to her actions. Her wavy hair casts over her face then the wind shifts it over as the camera zooms in. It could indicate that the sea of unconscious (dreams) is or already have taken over what she once knew was reality, it is taking over her. The dream world is literally scraping away the grasp of reality she once originally had. The house represents Mals childhood. To lock something away deep in the mind, Nolan uses a playhouse doll that symbolises Mals lost imagination. After being introduced to a world in which she can dream again, an obsession emerges. She locks her totem into the playhouse meaning she is locking away the one valuable piece of rea lity into what was lost, her imagination. The playhouse has a spotlight coming from the right of the screen (origins unknown)  · After waking up from the dream and into reality a bright red light consumes the entire room. The colour scheme was used to symbolise the age old riddle: what has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three in the evening man. After decades stuck in dream Cobbs described them as old souls thrown back into youth, it can also be explained that in the evening of their life they are adults (with two legs) instead of an old person. THROUGHOUT FILM Ø Mal is shown wearing singlets and show skin but later wears modest clothing. In the perspective of Cobbs retelling, the couple are still youthful because now, he realises it was all but a dream. In actuality, they lost track of time, disregarded what mattered and both aged to old seniors. If the dreamer is unaware he/she is dreaming he/she will age. Ø Cobbs and Mal create a dream like world. It could be used as a religious connotation such as Adam and Eve. Living in their Garden of Eden, of which God created (they were portrayed as Gods). When Mal locked away the totem in her subconscious evil prevailed. Eve took the first bite of the forbidden fruit and convinced Adam to do the same. In this situation Cobbs wished to go back into reality, he performed inception on Mal so she could follow. Ø Camera angles make it impactful, e.g. Mal slowly loses to mental instability, her facial expressions are accentuated by this element Ø The director comments on a humans response to isolation; how some humans crave to be alone with someone forever, but others dont and the complexity of the human social nature Ø Also revolves around love and how circumstances test the strength of relationships 5. CONCLUSION The mise en scene creates and effects the way an image is perceived. It emphasizes on the mood, impact on the audience, and messages conveyed.

Team Work Scenarios Essay -- Ethics Team Working Together Essays

Team Work Scenarios Learning Team Each team should respond in paragraph form to the questions that follow the scenarios presented below. Any disagreements or complications that occur within the team regarding the correct response should be noted in the Learning Team Reflection Worksheet for the week. SCENARIOS Duty-based (Deontological): 1. Donna was wrong for setting rules for the team without any input from Michael. He is not going to follow the rules if there was no buy-in on the rules. Donna and Michael should renegotiate the rules together and come up with a set of rules with which both are comfortable. If that doesn?t work, try to get another team member (or a member from another team) to mediate between the two. 2. Stephanie should not lie for her teammates. If ... Team Work Scenarios Essay -- Ethics Team Working Together Essays Team Work Scenarios Learning Team Each team should respond in paragraph form to the questions that follow the scenarios presented below. Any disagreements or complications that occur within the team regarding the correct response should be noted in the Learning Team Reflection Worksheet for the week. SCENARIOS Duty-based (Deontological): 1. Donna was wrong for setting rules for the team without any input from Michael. He is not going to follow the rules if there was no buy-in on the rules. Donna and Michael should renegotiate the rules together and come up with a set of rules with which both are comfortable. If that doesn?t work, try to get another team member (or a member from another team) to mediate between the two. 2. Stephanie should not lie for her teammates. If ...

Prejudice and Racism - The Tone of Racism in Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Heart of Darkness:   The Tone of Racism â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness,† by Chinua Achebe, addresses the issue of racism as seen throughout Joseph Conrad's work. There is a certain degree of subtlety that Achebe uses to begin to confront the racism issue, but as the story goes on it is easy to tell his opinion. Achebe states his opinion not only on Heart of Darkness but also makes clear his opinion concerning Conrad by the end of the essay. The tone in â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness† changes dramatically from start to finish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While introducing his essay, Chinua Achebe uses a pleasant tone to begin his essay and describe the setting in which he encounters some students. He begins to describe a "fine autumn morning" which encouraged friendliness and continues by describing the enthusiasm of the "brisk youngsters." After drawing a pleasant setting, Achebe then describes "two very touching letters" which he received from some students in New York who were learning about African tribesman. He seems enthusiastic about these letters, along with the fact that these students have just read Things Fall Apart. After a pleasant introduction, the author's tone merely begins to stress the importance of Africa and African history and moves away from its pleasant welcome.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It comes shortly after this calm defense of African pride that Achebe's anger begins to make its way to the surface and his tone becomes infuriated. He calls Conrad's words "assaults" on African tribesman, and insists that the story's main character, Marlow, is merely a vehicle for him to express his racism.   Throughout Achebe’s barrage, Conrad's character is continually questioned. Achebe refers to him as a "thoroughgoing racist," and the notion is made that all reviews of Heart of Darkness are mistaken in their compassion toward the author and the "European mind." He also refers to Conrad's "problem with niggers" and "his inordinate love of that word itself." After attacking the credibility and sanity of Conrad, Achebe goes on to belittle Conrad's book. He calls the book "offensive" and "deplorable," stating that the book "parades prejudices and insults" while calling the "very humanity of black people into question." By now the essay has turned to anger and you can feel the author's passion to defend Africa through his powerful words and exclamations. Prejudice and Racism - The Tone of Racism in Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays Heart of Darkness:   The Tone of Racism â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness,† by Chinua Achebe, addresses the issue of racism as seen throughout Joseph Conrad's work. There is a certain degree of subtlety that Achebe uses to begin to confront the racism issue, but as the story goes on it is easy to tell his opinion. Achebe states his opinion not only on Heart of Darkness but also makes clear his opinion concerning Conrad by the end of the essay. The tone in â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness† changes dramatically from start to finish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While introducing his essay, Chinua Achebe uses a pleasant tone to begin his essay and describe the setting in which he encounters some students. He begins to describe a "fine autumn morning" which encouraged friendliness and continues by describing the enthusiasm of the "brisk youngsters." After drawing a pleasant setting, Achebe then describes "two very touching letters" which he received from some students in New York who were learning about African tribesman. He seems enthusiastic about these letters, along with the fact that these students have just read Things Fall Apart. After a pleasant introduction, the author's tone merely begins to stress the importance of Africa and African history and moves away from its pleasant welcome.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It comes shortly after this calm defense of African pride that Achebe's anger begins to make its way to the surface and his tone becomes infuriated. He calls Conrad's words "assaults" on African tribesman, and insists that the story's main character, Marlow, is merely a vehicle for him to express his racism.   Throughout Achebe’s barrage, Conrad's character is continually questioned. Achebe refers to him as a "thoroughgoing racist," and the notion is made that all reviews of Heart of Darkness are mistaken in their compassion toward the author and the "European mind." He also refers to Conrad's "problem with niggers" and "his inordinate love of that word itself." After attacking the credibility and sanity of Conrad, Achebe goes on to belittle Conrad's book. He calls the book "offensive" and "deplorable," stating that the book "parades prejudices and insults" while calling the "very humanity of black people into question." By now the essay has turned to anger and you can feel the author's passion to defend Africa through his powerful words and exclamations.

A Description of Christian Teachings about the Roles of Men and Women E

A Description of Christian Teachings about the Roles of Men and Women The family is our basic social unit. It is the smallest and most common group in our society. It is found in every country and in every age throughout history. Sociologists often distinguish between two types of family. The first is the 'nuclear' family which is where husband and wife live alone with their children. The second is the 'extended' family, which consists of several generations possibly living in the same house and having relatives living in the neighbourhood. Christians believe that family is of great importance. In Genesis it says: "Living as a family prevents loneliness." Christians also belive it is their duty to care for all their relatives, including the elderly. Showing respect to each family member is of paramount importance, 1 Timothy 5:8, "But if anyone does not take care of his relatives, especially the members of his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." In the book of Ruth it says that families must show loyalty to one another. The Bible shows that God intended, right from the beginning that men and women should join together for life as couples. The bond between a man and a woman produces new life when children are born, and this way God's creation continues. The Bible makes it clear that marriage should be taken very seriously, Genesis 2:18, "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." One reason for Christians marrying is that they can provide a stable background which helps people to cope with problems. It prepares... ...'t unfair because you have to get things for yourself. You can not fall back on other people you have to become independent. With choice comes consequence, good or bad, but the way you handle these consequences determines your level of maturity. Nowadays, people in the Christian Society are beginning to change roles, and men and women are becoming more equal. Many Christian parents have accepted changes in society and have adapted to them. Both men and women go to work, there are also some house husbands. There are different roles in society which are beginning to be shared by both men and women such as male equivalent maids. Some children in one parent families even have to take the role of a parent if a relative becomes ill. They have to grow up quickly and take on the burdens of holding a family unit together.

Definition of Child Development

A definition of child development Child development is another way of saying how children develop through different stages or how children grow and learn. It also refers to the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings between start and the end of adolescence. The developmental areas are physical, emotional, social, educational and cognitive. The ideal development of children is considered vital to society and it is important to understand these areas. These areas are connected to one another. As a child grows in one domain, this will effect and is then influenced by another domain of development.These domains are important in development because they focus on the whole child. New theories and methods have been found due to research in this area, with specific regard to teaching that promotes development in the schools. Also there are some theories that aim to describe a sequence of different states that make child development. Explanation and example of holisti c development Holistic development is an individual’s development in the following areas; intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and religious values and feelings. It is the development of the entire brain's thoughts and feelings.To become a tennis player you need to develop Physical – motor skills, general co-ordination, moving around the tennis court, hand eye co-ordination, hitting the tennis ball with the tennis racket Cognitive/intellectual – thinking the game, having a game plan, Emotion – self-esteem and self – expression some tennis players are quite where some are loud, handling negative moments when losing a match Communication – explaining how you’re playing, reasons for doing good and not so well, Behavioural and moral skills – taking turns in training, co-operating with others, social skills, having fun while playing, team work when playing doubles.General pattern The pattern of development C hildren’s development follows a pattern: From head to toe Development progresses downwards. Physical control and co-ordination begins with a child’s head and develops down the body through the arms, hands and back, and finally to the legs and feet From inner to outer Development progresses from actions nearer the body to more complex ones further from the body. For example, children can co-ordinate their arms, using gross motor skills to reach for an object, before they have learned the fine motor skills necessary to use their fingers to pick it up. During puberty there is another growth spurt; this time the growth starts at the outside of the body and works inwards. Hands and feet expand first; the shin bones lengthen before the thigh, and the forearm before the upper arm; finally, the spine grows). From simple to complex Development progresses from simple actions to more complex ones. For example, children stand before they can walk, and walk before they can skip or hop. From general to specific Development progresses from general responses to specific ones.For example, a young baby shows pleasure by a massive general response – the eyes widen, and the legs and arms move vigorously While an older child shows pleasure by smiling or using appropriate words or gestures. The several aspects of development are intricately linked: each affects and is affected by the others. For example, once children have reached the stage of emotional development at which they feel secure when apart from their main carer, they will have access to a much wider range of relationships, experiences and opportunities for learning.Similarly, when children can use language effectively, they will have more opportunities for social contact. If one aspect is vulnerable or neglected in some way, children will be challenged in reaching their full potential. Areas of development page 2 The areas of development described in this book are these: Physical development Physica l development is the way in which the body increases in skill and becomes more complex in its performance. There are two main areas: Gross motor skills: These use the large muscles in the body, and include walking, running, climbing and the like.Fine motor skills: These include gross skills and fine skills. †¢ Gross manipulative skills involve single limb movements, usually of the arm, for example throwing, catching and making sweeping arm movements. †¢ Fine manipulative skills involve precise use of the hands and fingers, for example pointing, drawing, using a knife and fork or chopsticks, writing or doing up shoelaces. Sensory development Physical development also includes sensory development. Sensation is the process by which we receive information through the senses: vision hearing smell ouch taste proprioception. Proprioception is the sense that tells people where the mobile parts of their body, such as the arms and legs, are in relation to the rest of the body. Cogni tive and language development Cognitive or intellectual development is development of the mind – the part of the brain that is used for recognising, reasoning, knowing and understanding. Perception involves people making sense of what they see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Perception is affected by previous experience and knowledge, and by the person’s emotional state at the time.Language development Language development is the development of communication skills. These include skills in: receptive speech – what a person understands expressive speech – the words the person produces articulation – the person’s actual pronunciation of words. Emotional and social development Emotional development Emotional development involves the development of feelings: the growth of feelings about, and awareness of, oneself the development of feelings towards other people the development of self-esteem and a self-concept. Social developmentSocial developmen t includes the growth of the child’s relationships with other people. Socialisation is the process of learning the skills and attitudes that enable the child to live easily with other members of the community. Moral and spiritual development Moral and spiritual development consists of a developing awareness of how to relate to others ethically, morally and humanely. It involves understanding values such as honesty and respect, and acquiring concepts such as right and wrong and responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions.