Project Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Summary - Essay Example Kahiki foods are one of the most respected players in the food industry. Over the years, the organization endured rough terrain in business to end up a multi-billion dollar food company. The organization attained massive milestone and increased in both efficiency and productivity. In addition, since 2007, Kahiki foods reduced financial constraints by realigning the cost of production and enhancing efficiency through reducing the time lags in the queuing system. However, while seeking to excel in the food industry, Kahiki foods has severe communication problems. First, the employees at Kahiki foods overwhelmingly complain of one way communication. This implies that there is no feedback from the management with regards to an array of issues. The impact of one way communication is detrimental on the performance of the employees and their general welfare. This is because; the employees feel neglected as management fails to disseminate appropriate information to the necessary quarters. Personal issues among the employees, as well as management, also hinder appropriate communication at the establishment. Professionalism is paramount at the work place as it assists the daily operations, as well as organization’s growth, to flow accordingly. However, when employees and management allow personal issues into the communication pattern, a problem will erupt. For instance, two people failing to communicate on eminent business matters based on pe rsonal disagreements tarnish the company’s development agenda (Downs, Adrian & Downs, 2004). This does not only slow down the growth rate of an organization but also damage the company’s interactions with outsiders. Language barrier is also prevalent in Kahiki foods emanating from the fact that the organization has a global appeal. Kahiki foods attain human resource from all corners of the world. This implies that people from different walks of life

Summarise The Preparations That Need Essay Example for Free

Summarise The Preparations That Need Essay The preparations required will include the planning of appropriate approaches to information collection There should be interrogation/analysis of the data collected during implementation of internal quality assurance. Preparations should be made to ensure clear and effective communication and negotiation with learners/assessors/colleagues/employers. Preparations should be made for administrative arrangements such as timing, venue, agenda. Within the administrative arrangements for CPD activities schemes need to be set up to prepare participants. Preparations should also include resources such as assessors’ records, assessment plans, sampling schedules, organisation documentation, templates for recording outcomes, and new technology.

Are We Addressing The Needs Of Our Schools? :: essays research papers

There are many problems that need to be addressed in the public schools today. What factors are causing these problems in the schools? The main causes are absence of prayer, the many pressures of school, lack of dress code, and insufficient numbers of caring teachers, faculty, and students.When I say lack of prayer in the schools, I don't mean lets make everyone one religion and every morning at school we can pray in that one religion. Instead there should be a moment of silence. Not to take up time but to let everyone have a moment to pray to whomever or however they wish. For the kid who's grandpa died and has to go to school because they need their two points for this six weeks. And the ones who wish not to pray can take that moment to just think. Lord knows we as high school students don't have much time to just stop and think. There are many pressures in the public schools. All of a sudden in high school everything changes. Everyone takes that first merger into "the real world". As a junior there is much more pressure put on the students. One minute a sophomore thinking "Yeah I'm going to college". While the next as a junior thinking "How on earth am I going to get to college". Now that we are juniors we are suppose to be grown up. Everything from "Where am I getting my gas money?" to "Where am I going to college?" is going through our minds all of the time, and yet some how we are supposed to come out calm and prosperous. All of this pressure and many of young adults do not get a chance to let it out. It is like tossing a human body in to outer space with no protection. It's a vacuum that just tears it apart piece by piece. Could this have been what caused the Columbine shooting? Perhaps there was so much pressure put on those two boys to be in the "in crowd" that one day they just couldn't take it anymore. A small element in all of this is the dress code. How sad is this? There is a shooting at least every year in a school, and administrators and teachers are worried about whether our shorts are too short. The office complains of girls wearing shorts that are too short when there are rather larger girls running around with an extra layer of skin.

Bilingual Education Essay -- essays research papers

Bilingual Education = Unilingual Education Bilingual education in America is a sound idea, but it is not truly bilingual education, it is only bilingual for those who do not already speak English. America is a country with more and more cultures mixing together with different areas of America speaking different languages. In California, Spanish is the dominant language next to English, and in states such as Maine, French is spoken. Other cultures should not be assimilated into mainstream America completely, but America shouldn’t have to bend over backwards to make life easier for foreigners. In order to become more culturally tolerant, everyone should learn a second language, not just immigrants. Americans should make bilingual education truly bilingual. The first reason is to eliminate the effect bilingual education has on poor, non-English speaking children. In Richard Bernstein’s, â€Å"A War of Words† he says, â€Å"Advocates of bilingual education believe t hat it represents the best chance for non-English speaking children -- who, not so coincidentally, often come from lower-income groups – to enjoy the richness and opportunities of American life†, but he also writes, â€Å"†¦Bilingual education is a failure, a tactic that in the end will harm the chances of the generally poor, non-English speaking children ever having a equal share in the promise of American life.† By simply having everyone learn a second language eliminates the lines of income, and ethnic background. Truly bilingual education would also eliminate the psychological effects it has on non-English speaking children. When they are in a classroom filled with people who do not speak the same language they do, they are forced to feel alone because they can not perform at the same level as their peers, they feel there is something wrong with them, lower than everyone else. â€Å"’Empowering Minority Students’ does not argue that a chil d’s inability to speak English is what leads him to fail if he is put into an English classroom. Children fail†¦because they are made to feel ‘shame’ for belonging to a minority group, for not being a part of the dominant group. The only way to ‘empower’ such children†¦is for the teachers to ‘consciously challenge the power structure both in their classrooms and schools and in the society at large’ Bilingual education†¦is an ‘empowerment pedagogy.’ It is an act of rebellion again... ... who understands them. Which would suggest that these two ideas should go hand in hand. In order for a truly bilingual education system to work is to make sure that all teachers are fluent in both English and the language they will be teaching. Which means that there will be a demand for teachers that can speak either German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish. Then there will be the demand to those who can speak the local languages. For example, Lakota is widely used on most Sioux reservations in the US, so many parents may want their children to learn Lakota instead of Chinese. More money will be needed to fund all of these language programs, since there will end up being course listings as: Third Grade English, Third Grade Spanish, Third Grade Italian etc†¦ There will also be uneven classroom sizes because many parents in California will want their children to learn Spanish resulting in a large Spanish class and a small Russian class, if any at all. The idea of a truly bilingual education system is still a lot more productive and beneficiary than the current bilingual system, but the truly bilingual system is, truthfully, utopian in nature. Word Count: 1184

Academic and social-emotional development Essay

Academic development is associated with the educational growth of the student. Social-emotional development is another aspect of a student that allows children to interact with their peers. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the academic and social-emotional development of students with and without disability in the lights of broad and diverse academic resources. Comparison between Students with and without Learning Disability Learning disability is considered to be disorder which affects the learning processes of verbal communication, speaking, grasping new things, writing, mathematics, etc. It is caused by the failure of brain to execute its function systematically and by emotional or behavioral disorders. A research was conducted at various school levels where more than one hundred students were analyzed. Academic results of students with and with out learning disability were analyzed. It was concluded that disabled students got lower class rank as compared to their peers (Grites & Gordon, 2000). Academic Development Students with LD have found academic difficulties in various areas as compared to their abled counterparts. They have academic problems in math, reading and writing, and language, poor performance on timed test, theoretical reasoning and learning. Grites and Gordon studied performance of college students with and without LD and came to the conclusion that students with LD perform lower on all measures (Grites & Gordon, 2000). They find it difficult to understand and process information from diverse and several perspectives which often cause complicatedness and complexity in their academic development. These students have different pattern of learning which comes with strengths and weaknesses that differ from others. Their disability can create difficulties in academic field because they may have problems in basic skills such as reading, writing, art, etc (Jordan, 2000). It is essential that teachers and parents play a pivotal role in their academic development. However, most of the times they do not understand their problems and assume these students are lazy and unmotivated. Gunther-Mohr conducted a research and found out that students identified with LD have greater academic difficulties. They are more likely to struggle on timed tasked as compared to other students. In the same study, it was concluded that these special students showed no improvement as compared to their peers (Gunther-Mohr, 2003). Social-emotional development Several students with learning disabilities have some social and emotional problem associated with their learning difficulty. Experiential facts and figures suggests that more than sixty percent of students with LD under the age of eighteen committed suicide in Los Angeles (Bender & Wall, 2000). Literature suggest that students without LD are socially accepted if they are helpful, accommodating, communicate, exchange pleasant greetings, have positive interactions with peers and make conversation(Bender & Wall, 2000). It is true that not all students with LD have social-emotional problems. However, they are most likely to develop these problems than their non-disabled peers. In their early school life, they are often rejected by their fellow classmates and suffer from poor self-concepts. As teenagers, the wounds of scorn and rejection can be agonizing and not forgotten without difficulty. After assessing more than one hundred different studies, Jordan came to the conclusion that more than seventy percent of the students with LD display deficits in social skills (Jordan, 2000). Social skills deficits include recognition by classmates, trouble making friends, viewed as overly dependent, incapable of being leaders, managing conflicts, starting a conversation, showing empathy and maintaining companionship. Harwell discovered that students with LD suffer from depression because of social skills deficits. Kadison & DiGeronimo suggests that social-emotional develop of students with LD is the result of lacking social ability to understand (Kadison & DiGeronimo, 2004). It has been revealed that students with LD when compared to students without LD are less accepted by class mates, have poor self-concepts and are more likely to feel lonely. Students with LD are most likely to experience frustration more than students without LD because of negative behaviors from their classmates, inadequate services and programs and physical barriers. Studies suggest that students without LD interact with students with learning disabilities based on outlook and fixed typecast. Attempts to Cope with Learning Disability When coping with students who have LD, the teacher should employ such teaching strategies which effectively cater different learning styles. Special education involvement to handle LD should be applied. For example, Karmen recommends that using pictorial representation has constructive and helpful effect on students who have learning disabilities to comprehend new theories and concepts (Karmen, 2003). Teachers should give special attention to the student and discuss his or her anxiety or depression. They should also encourage and support them and boost their confidence. They should also allow them to participate in classroom activities so that they can show and reveal their talent and competencies. A study conducted at University of California selected thirty students (Mercer &Mercer, 1997). These students had taken reading comprehension and reading rate test. Sixteen students had learning disabilities and the rest were without LD (Harwell, 1996). Extra time condition was applied and students with LD performed at same level as normal students. In another study, eighty college students were selected. Forty students with learning disability and other forty without learning disability took math test under extended time conditions. The study demonstrated that the scores of students with learning disability improved under extended time condition. Conclusion This study has compared academic and social-emotional development of students with and without learning disability. Students without learning disability are more likely to be successful than their disabled counterparts. Students who have LD are most likely to suffer from academic and social-emotional deficits because of their disorder. They are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc. However, these special students can learn to perform better at school with the help of parents and teachers. It is essential for teachers to encourage and support them and devise innovative methods in order to help them in their learning processes. They should also be given extra time because they grasp concepts slowly. In the lights of information provided in this essay, it can be concluded that students with LD need special attention so that they become competent. References Grites, T. , & Gordon, V (2000). Developmental academic advising revisited. NACADA Journal, 20(1), 12-15. Gunther-Mohr, S. (2003). Counseling college students with learning disabilities. (pp. 77-106). Putney, VT: Landmark College. Jordan, P. (2000). Academic advising in the 21st century. NACADA Journal, 20(2),21-30. Kadison, R. , & DiGeronimo, T. (2004). College of the overwhelmed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Karmen, K. (2003). Advising students with learning disabilities: A developmental approach. (pp. 133-60). Putney, VT: Landmark College. Harwell, J. (1996). Ready to use tools and materials for remediating specific learning disabilities. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Mercer, C. D. , & Mercer, A. R. (1997). Teaching students with learning problems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bender, W N. , & Wall, M. E. (2000). Socialemotional development of students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 17, 323-341.

Causes of the American Revolution essays

Causes of the American Revolution essays CHAPTER 2, Q1: What are the decisive events and arguments that produced the American Revolution? "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (Charles Dickens)." This best describes the Americas in the 1700s. The settlers went through the best of times from obtaining religious freedom, to becoming prosperous merchants, and finally to establishing a more democratic government. However, it was the worst of times in the sense that the settlers in the Americas were taken advantage of my their mother country, England. The hatred of being under anothers control was one of the main reasons that led to the American Revolution. In the 1600s, England began to colonize America. King James I had urged those against the Church of England, such as the Puritans, to settle in America. Many settlers came to America to obtain religious freedom. Merchants settle din America to profit off the land since land was free or cheap at the time. Settling in America gave people hopes and dreams that they can do something with their lives. Even indentured servants had the hope of someday owning land as soon as they were done with their service. It was unlikely but they had hope. The Atlantic Ocean made communications hard between England and the colonies. Because of the difficulties in communication, the colonists developed an independent spirit. Harvard College allowed most Americans to read protests against British injustice printed in papers, pamphlets, and books. The college provided education and writings of Greek philosophers such at John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. The ideas of these Greek philosophers that men were created equal dwelled in these colonists mind. England expected the American Colonies to serve its economic interests, and it regulated colonial trade. In general, the colonists accepted British regulations. For example, they agreed not to manufacture goods...

Ping-Pong Diplomacy

Ping-Pong Diplomacy Free Online Research Papers When people in England started playing ping-pong a hundred years ago, it never occurred to them that the game would play such an important role in the Olympic movement and be used someday as a vital tool in diplomacy leading to the re-opening of Sino-U.S. relations in the early 1970s. After the U.S. government was overthrown in 1949, the United States created a policy of blockade towards the fairly new Peoples Republic of China. In the late 1960s the Nixon administration wanted to change its global position by improving its relations with China. As Nixon wrote in the 1967 issue of Foreign Affairs, Taking the long view we simply cannot afford to leave China forever outside the family of nations. Right after being elected for President, he restated in an interview to Time magazine, We must not forget China. We must always seek opportunities to talk with her. If there is anything I want to do before I die, it is to go to China. Premier Zhou Enlai had declared in 1955 at the Bandung Conf erence, The Chinese people are friendly towards the American people. The Chinese people want no war with the United States. The Chinese government is willing to sit down for talks on problems concerning the relaxation of tensions in the Far East, particularly in the Taiwan area. Near the end of 1969 the talks between China and the U.S., which had not got anything done in 14 years, resumed again only to stop again in 1970 after an intervention in Cambodia. On October 25, Nixon asked President Yahya Khan of Pakistan at the White House to send a message to Chinese leaders that the United States had decided to try to help its relations with China and would send a high-ranking official on a trip to China. On the next day, in his speech at a banquet in honor of the Romanian guest Ceaucescu, he used Peoples Republic of China for the first time. In November, Yahya Khan sent Nixons message to Zhou Enlai on his visit to China. Zhou said that this was something very important and he would report it to Chairman Mao Zedong. A few days later, Zhou told the Pakistan president that Mao had agreed to the American proposal, pending the solution of many details: Who would make the trip to China? When? Whether directly country? On December 18, Chairman Mao Zedong had a five-hour talk with his old American friend Edgar Snow, mostly on the topic of Sino-U.S. relations. He said that if Nixon wanted to come to China, he might come quietly in a plane, either as a tourist or a president†¦I dont think Ill wrangle with him, though Ill criticize him. Early in 1971, the Chinese ministry was deliberating on questions related to the re-opening of Sino-U.S. relations such as who to invite first, when and through what means. It happened that the 31st World Table Tennis Championships was going to be held in Nagoya from March 28 through April 7,1971. Concerning Chinas participation in this tournament, a special meeting was held at the State Council on March 11. Officials attended it from the foreign ministry and the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports, with Zhou Enlai presiding. Zhou said, Our table tennis team represents our country and our people, it will come into contact with many teams from other countries including the United States. If the American team is a competitive one, we may invite it to China for competition. Hasnt our team been to West Germany? Cant it even go to the United States? We havent restored relations with Japan, but our sports delegation can go there. While in Nagoya, Song Zhong a Chinese delegate met with Steenhoven, a U.S. delegate, who told him that on the day of its departure the U.S. State Department had decided to lift all restrictions on travels to China for holders of American passports. Song said that this meant they might be able to meet sometime in Beijing. Steenhoven said that American players had much to learn from Chinese players if they had the chance to visit China. The conversation was immediately reported back to China, where a daily bulletin was published about the news from Nagoya, with copies sent to Zhou and Mao and to the foreign ministry. After hearing the news about the conversation, Mao ordered that five calls be made o Nagoya every day instead of three. On April 1 Henry Kissinger read a statement from the State Department in which Zhou was reported to have told former Japanese foreign minister Fujiyama Aiichiro that there might be a sudden turn for the better sometime in the relations between China and the United States, and that China had taken notice of the American president used the formal name of China for the first time. The statement also mentioned Snows conversations with Mao and Zhou. But the State Department concluded that because of the war in Indochina there was no move for immediate improvement in the Sino-U.S. relations. In Beijing, after studying the reports from Nagoya, the Foreign Ministry invited Americans to China. In a report written by the Foreign Ministry and the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports on April 4, it was suggested that the Chinese table tennis delegation in Nagoya tell the American team that they were not ready for them to visit China. By then the Chinese and American table tennis play ers had contacted one another on more than one occasion and exchanged souvenirs. The American players had expressed their wish to visit China. Mao was informed of what had happened in Nagoya so he decided to invite the American players immediately. On April 7, the Chinese delegation received a message from home: considering that the American team has made the request many times with friendly enthusiasm, it has been approved to invite them, including its leaders, to visit our country. Upon receiving the invitation, Steenhoven quickly reported to the American ambassador to Japan. After reading the message in Tokyo, Nixon decided at once that the American team should go to China, taking the invitation for the beginning of a long-awaited diplomatic action. On April 14, Zhou received the guest teams from the United States, Canada, Colombia and Nigeria in Beijing. When talking with the American players, he said, The Chinese and American people used to have frequent exchanges. Then came a long period of severance. Your visit has opened the door to friendship between the peoples of the two countries. A few hours after the reception, Nixon announced a relaxation of hate against China. In the latter part of April, China sent a letter to the United States, saying that China would be willing to receive a special envoy of the American President or the American Secretary of State. On May 17, Nixon sent his letter of reply, saying that he was ready to receive an invitation to visit Beijing and proposing that preliminary talks be held in secret between Kissinger and Zhou. From February 21 through 28, 1972, Nixon visited China and met with Mao on the day of his arrival in Beijing. A communiquà © signed in shanghai was publicized by the two countri es on the 27th. The ping pong diplomacy led to the restoration of Sino-U.S. relations which had been cut for more than two decades. This triggered off a series of other events, including the restoration of Chinas legitimate rights in the United Nations by a majority vote in October, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and other countries. Of course, Sino-U.S. relations might have been restored sooner or later, even without the ping pong diplomacy. Clearly, though, this diplomacy sped up the process. As Zhou said, a ball bounced over the net and the whole world was shocked. The big globe was set in motion by a tiny globe. It is interesting to note that table tennis has played a similar role in the improvement of relations between the northern and southern parts of Korea. A united team consisting of players from both sides of the 38th parallel participated in the 41st World Table Tennis Championships held in Japans Chiba from April 24 to May 6, 1991. The Corbillon Cup was won for the womens team event brought jubilation to the 70 million Korean people. The victory was a milestone that might lead the split Korea to reconciliation and reunification. Research Papers on Ping-Pong DiplomacyDefinition of Export QuotasInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTwilight of the UAWRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Quebec and CanadaBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Free Essays on Bogus Parts

With aircraft inventories aging, â€Å"bogus† aircraft parts have become a serious problem for commercial and civil aviation on an international scale. The high cost of approved aircraft parts and relatively lax enforcement have created a lucrative market for criminals to introduce counterfeit and misrepresented aircraft parts into every facet of the aviation industry. The aviation industry has dubbed aircraft parts as â€Å"bogus† which are fraudulent knock-offs, parts with misrepresented age, parts with prior crash damage, or parts with misrepresented composition(such as parts made of an inferior alloy). The Federal Aviation Administration has placed â€Å"bogus† parts in the much broader category of â€Å"unapproved parts†. The category of unapproved parts can contain â€Å"bogus† parts as well as legitimate parts that are misused and legitimate parts that have merely an incorrect paper-trail. The Federal Aviation Administration contests that a vast majority of unapproved parts are legitimate aircraft parts with incorrect or insufficient paper-trails. Many critics have accused the Federal Aviation Administration of using the innocuous category of unapproved parts as an attempt to hide the serious problem of â€Å"bogus† parts from the flying public. As reported by BusinessWeek magazine: â€Å"The FAA allegedly pressured the NTSB to stop listing bogus parts in its database as a possible cause of crashes, according to four independent sources: a senior FAA official, as well as sources in the Transportation Dept., the airline industry, and congressional staff.† The Federal Aviation Administration maintains that they did not pressure the NTSB and recommended the changes to make the database more accurate. Currently no accidents are listed with the probable cause of â€Å"bogus† parts. One aspect pertaining to the success of â€Å"bogus† parts sales is the potential savings to maintenance departments and the potential profit to parts b... Free Essays on Bogus Parts Free Essays on Bogus Parts With aircraft inventories aging, â€Å"bogus† aircraft parts have become a serious problem for commercial and civil aviation on an international scale. The high cost of approved aircraft parts and relatively lax enforcement have created a lucrative market for criminals to introduce counterfeit and misrepresented aircraft parts into every facet of the aviation industry. The aviation industry has dubbed aircraft parts as â€Å"bogus† which are fraudulent knock-offs, parts with misrepresented age, parts with prior crash damage, or parts with misrepresented composition(such as parts made of an inferior alloy). The Federal Aviation Administration has placed â€Å"bogus† parts in the much broader category of â€Å"unapproved parts†. The category of unapproved parts can contain â€Å"bogus† parts as well as legitimate parts that are misused and legitimate parts that have merely an incorrect paper-trail. The Federal Aviation Administration contests that a vast majority of unapproved parts are legitimate aircraft parts with incorrect or insufficient paper-trails. Many critics have accused the Federal Aviation Administration of using the innocuous category of unapproved parts as an attempt to hide the serious problem of â€Å"bogus† parts from the flying public. As reported by BusinessWeek magazine: â€Å"The FAA allegedly pressured the NTSB to stop listing bogus parts in its database as a possible cause of crashes, according to four independent sources: a senior FAA official, as well as sources in the Transportation Dept., the airline industry, and congressional staff.† The Federal Aviation Administration maintains that they did not pressure the NTSB and recommended the changes to make the database more accurate. Currently no accidents are listed with the probable cause of â€Å"bogus† parts. One aspect pertaining to the success of â€Å"bogus† parts sales is the potential savings to maintenance departments and the potential profit to parts b...

Drop Out of High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Drop Out of High School - Essay Example These charts all appear to be from this reference: Bridgeland, J. M., Dilulio, J. J. and Morison, K. B. (2006). The silent epidemic perspectives of high school dropouts. Washington, D.C.: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 56 Obtaining a high school diploma is extremely important to an American’s chances of having a solid foundation for achieving professional success. This is because an Americans’ financial stability and professional achievement have always been dependent on the education they have received (Shore, 2003). â€Å"High school graduation captures both the cognitive and the noncognitive attributes that are important for success in adulthood, and it is usually a minimum requirement for engaging in further training and higher education† (Levin, 2009, p. 8). Furthermore, a high school diploma is the least one can show future employees that shows one’s capabilities, especially if one is not able to complete a degree in higher education. Not being able to show a high school diploma to a future employer may insinuate that that person lacks the drive to succeed. The fact that a high school diploma is the most basic of requirements for employment is augmented by the increasingly competitive market and the ongoing recession that has made securing employmentconsiderably more difficult. This is evidenced in the report compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010a), which states that in January of this year, â€Å"thirty states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 9 states registered rate decreases, and 11 states had no rate change.† A report released in July 2010 shows how the unemployment rate has remained unchanged across all states at 9.50%, despite the current federal administration’s campaign to control the onslaught of an economic depression (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010b).  

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TWO POEMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TWO POEMS - Essay Example The poem primarily deals with the immediate concerns of survival and moving through the bare and sometimes dark conditions that were everyday obstacles during this time in African-American communities. She tells her son to keep moving forward: â€Å"So, boy, don’t you turn back/ Don’t you set down on the steps† (14-15). The crystal stair works well as a metaphor for life; her advice in no way addresses the nuances or more positive aspects of life, but simply the need to survive and get through the day. Meinke’s poem, while also expressing his advice to a son, is very different in presentation and specific content. As with Hughes’ poem, the writer is speaking directly with the intended audience and offers advice through imagery and metaphor. According to Meinke, the purpose of life is to live every day fully while also planning for the future. Beauty in the world plays an important role in living a full life. The author states that â€Å"Beauty is nectar/ And nectar, in a desert, saves† (Meinke 13-14). The poem ends on a telling note regarding the enjoyments in life and the need to savor each moment and experiences: â€Å"And always serve bread with your wine/ But son, always serve wine† (21-22). Meinke’s poem expresses sentiments that Hughes’ mother cannot fully understand; for her, because of the hardships she knows and experiences on a daily basis, the luxury of enjoying life’s more positive offerings is a foreign concept. Hughes and Meinke have presented two differing views that juxtapose a world full of beauty with that of a more barren, colorless environment. Both poems successfully convey parental concerns and words of wisdom that are to help their respective sons live and function in the world–the main difference being that Hughes’ mother strives for simple survival, while Meinke’s parent is able to

Former Auditors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Former Auditors - Essay Example Sub Section 324 CI does not allow a former partner of an audit firm to become a member of the board of directors or other officer of a Public Company which is listed, if that former partner has remained part of the audit team being involved in the audit of that public listed company at any time during the preceding two years of that partner’s retirement.On the other hand, more specific legislative requirements relating to the independence test of the former auditors can be found in Sub Section 324 CF (7), which states that a person is regarded as satisfying the test of independence if,i.  He does not have any control over the operations or financial policies of the audit firm of which he was a partner or an employee;ii.  He does not involve himself in the activities and other operating matter of the audit firm of which he was a partner or an employee;iii.  He does not hold any kind of rights as against the audit firm or any of the members of the audit firm with respect t o the termination of such person from the partnership of that audit firm or other interest of whatsoever;iv.  He has no monetary arrangements or agreements with respect to performance of any professional service with the audit firm from which he so retired. However, this does not include:a.  An agreement under which the partner so retired will be given payments of specific amounts at regular intervals of time, provided that such payments are predetermined and are independent in direct and indirect.... He has no monetary arrangements or agreements with respect to performance of any professional service with the audit firm from which he so retired. However, this does not include: a. An agreement under which the partner so retired will be given payments of specific amounts at regular intervals of time, provided that such payments are predetermined and are independent in direct and indirect ways from the earnings being made by the audit firm, or b. An agreement under which the partner so retired will be given payments of specific amounts at regular intervals of time, provided that such payments, although not predetermined, are calculated on a predetermined basis and are independent in direct and indirect ways from the earnings being made by the audit firm; and v. He has, apart from the agreements mentioned above, no other financial or monetary arrangements or agreements with the audit firm for the receipt of payment under any name which is related, either directly or indirectly, to th e revenues earned by the audit firm, whether such businesses do or do not relate to such person (Corporations Act). The independence test requirements as presented in (I), (ii) and (v) above are independent of each other and these requirements do not seem to cater any serious issues related to independence test in relation to a former audit partner or other professional. In other words, these requirements are not the determinants of the fact that independence exists. This is so because a retiring or former professional cannot eliminate altogether the existence of his past relationship with an audit firm or other professional body (Brayshaw). All these independence testing requirements and regulations are in fact meant for ensuring that a retired or former audit firm partner has

Visual culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Visual culture - Essay Example They also play a big role in deciding what kind of attitude we develop for our values and how we manage and develop social relationships in practical terms. While different visual media have been examined independently, â€Å"there is now a need to interpret the postmodern globalization of the visual as everyday life† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 3). The power of visuality is enormous in many aspects. It is an undeniable reality that visual culture specifically visual imagery in the form of different advertisements, comics, television plays, and internet has a lot to do with almost all actions we take in everyday life which is why contemporary culture is widely considered to be a visual culture. â€Å"Visual culture does not depend on pictures themselves but the modern tendency to picture or visualize existence† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 5). The ability to interpret visual information is so remarkable that it is claimed to serve as â€Å"the basis of industrial society and is becomin g even more important in the information age† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 5). ... In fact this interaction is so huge in terms of internet used and television daily watched etc. that one cannot remain oblivious to it. This essay is primarily based on contemplating the effects produced by visual images on managing behavior, values, and relationships. Throughout this essay I will discuss the role played by modern technology in our daily lives and explore multiple ways in which visual imagery prompts us and restricts us to perform any activity or in any social relation basically identifying the benefits offered by visual images. I will also make use of examples augmenting my argument to discuss how and why visual culture holds such fundamental importance in our lives presently. General consensus is that visual images form a rich and dense source of cultural information and encode the obvious relationship between culture and behavior management. The trend towards dominance of image continues to foment with the rise of visual reality and the Internet â€Å"combined wi th the global popularity of television, videotape, and film† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 9). A culture dominated by visual has often been criticized to be second-rate and this criticism has long history â€Å"for there always has been a hostility to visual culture in Western thought. All such criticism implies that a visually dominated culture must be impoverished or even schizophrenic† (Mirzoeff, 1999, pp. 9-10). Presence of visual images is so profound now thanks to the Internet facility available everywhere at quite cheap rates that many systems have started depending solely on different visual mediums. â€Å"Internet has come to function as a commodity-delivery system for vastly expanded media companies† (Stratton, cited in Nakamura, 2007, p. 3). It is true that some visual images

Moral judgement from utilitarianism's point of view and my own Essay

Moral judgement from utilitarianism's point of view and my own - Essay Example In this case, utilitarian reasoning will definitely through many people into confusion and they will find themselves in dilemmas when they are supposed to make decisions especially decisions concerning human life. Here is a case where a runway trolley is just about to kill five people. However, the runway trolley can be sidetracked using a switch and in this situation it will only kill one person and save the rest. As a person making the decision, what is the right thing to do? Because utilitarian theory suggests that, our decision must maximize the overall good, then the switch must be switched in order to kill one person and save the five. However, the big question is whether this is morally right addition to this, utilitarian theory requires that we put the interest of the group first and not the individual. This is because individuals possess a different degree of pleasure and pain. The moral rule for utilitarian are more general than ones specific moral judgment and it`s cannot be equated with any of the ethical principles since it will results to the greatest happiness only to greatest number of people but fails to consider the welfare and happiness of the minority. However, utilitarianism still demands and does all that is required to save the greatest number of lives in the runway trolley incident. It`s better to save and salvage the lives of more people than to only save one live. This will definitely cause lesser pain as far as the number of people that were to be affected by this runway trolley tragedy is concerned. When the runway trolley is sidetracked using a switch and so it kills one person the utilitarianism argument is achieved in full force which, in this case, is the morally right thing to do. However, according to my own point of view, I slightly differ with the utilitarian point of view. While utilitarianism advocates for maximizing the good for the majority, I strongly feel the need and good for the minority can supersede the majority`s n eed for good. If the son of God was a utilitarian, it would have been worthless for Him to look for the lost sheep and bring it back home. Besides, if the father of the prodigal son in the bible was also a utilitarian, he would have not considered and get bothered bringing his son back home. Well my point is that utilitarianism only does what it takes to scarify the good of the minority in favor for the good of majority which is, in my opinion, is against my belief as a Christian and strong follower of Jesus and His teachings. In the runway trolley incident, they would have not sidetracked the runway trolley using a switch to kill the individual but instead they would have left nature and fate to dictate the finally ending of the tragedy. Although utilitarianism will make many people happy, I will have acted in the interest of many people but what makes other people happy is not what makes me happy. Our degree of happiness is different. Therefore, my own point of view concerning thi s incident was to let the runway trolley kill whoever it will kill and spare whoever it will spare. This was the moral thing to do in this case according to my moral rule even though the utilitarianism reasoning and advocacy does not require and demands that . Even though the utilitarian point of view requires that pleasure be sought and therefore in this case, it will be

Visual culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Visual culture - Essay Example They also play a big role in deciding what kind of attitude we develop for our values and how we manage and develop social relationships in practical terms. While different visual media have been examined independently, â€Å"there is now a need to interpret the postmodern globalization of the visual as everyday life† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 3). The power of visuality is enormous in many aspects. It is an undeniable reality that visual culture specifically visual imagery in the form of different advertisements, comics, television plays, and internet has a lot to do with almost all actions we take in everyday life which is why contemporary culture is widely considered to be a visual culture. â€Å"Visual culture does not depend on pictures themselves but the modern tendency to picture or visualize existence† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 5). The ability to interpret visual information is so remarkable that it is claimed to serve as â€Å"the basis of industrial society and is becomin g even more important in the information age† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 5). ... In fact this interaction is so huge in terms of internet used and television daily watched etc. that one cannot remain oblivious to it. This essay is primarily based on contemplating the effects produced by visual images on managing behavior, values, and relationships. Throughout this essay I will discuss the role played by modern technology in our daily lives and explore multiple ways in which visual imagery prompts us and restricts us to perform any activity or in any social relation basically identifying the benefits offered by visual images. I will also make use of examples augmenting my argument to discuss how and why visual culture holds such fundamental importance in our lives presently. General consensus is that visual images form a rich and dense source of cultural information and encode the obvious relationship between culture and behavior management. The trend towards dominance of image continues to foment with the rise of visual reality and the Internet â€Å"combined wi th the global popularity of television, videotape, and film† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 9). A culture dominated by visual has often been criticized to be second-rate and this criticism has long history â€Å"for there always has been a hostility to visual culture in Western thought. All such criticism implies that a visually dominated culture must be impoverished or even schizophrenic† (Mirzoeff, 1999, pp. 9-10). Presence of visual images is so profound now thanks to the Internet facility available everywhere at quite cheap rates that many systems have started depending solely on different visual mediums. â€Å"Internet has come to function as a commodity-delivery system for vastly expanded media companies† (Stratton, cited in Nakamura, 2007, p. 3). It is true that some visual images

MySelf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MySelf - Essay Example Possessing such positive moral values would help to mold an individual into a true human being. These values have taught me to be more responsible both in my personal and professional life and to the society at large. And it is with the help of these qualities that I hope to achieve my career goals in the near future. Right from the start of my educational journey, I have always believed that the purpose of education should not be merely attributed to gaining degrees and work; rather it should contribute to the overall development of the individual. It should enable the individual to distinguish between right and wrong and also stick to what they believe. While some of these skills and capabilities can be gained from an institution, an individual can also derive such learning and thinking experiences during his contact with his family or the outside world either in his work or other related activities. The manner in which an individual presents himself to the world with or without the qualities and attributes presented above will help to determine the true nature of his education. Both my educational and work experiences have been vital learning and enriching experiences in my life. The experience gained from the summer jobs that I undertook following completion of high school have made me become more efficient and resourceful. They have also helped me learn the importance of team work and the need to build strong interpersonal relationships with working partners both in the internal and external work environments. It is my long-cherished dream to pursue my education and excel in the chosen field. Both me and my family have faced several setbacks in life but the moral values and principles that we have believed in have us the strength and courage to face them with a positive spirit and overcome them with right reasoning and tact. Despite the various challenges that I have encountered in life, I have always been keen on having a career and

Beauty Contest Essay Example for Free

Beauty Contest Essay In the average dictionary beauty is defined as a combination of qualities that pleases aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Unfortunately, in today’s society, the meaning of beauty has become extremely distorted and in place beauty pageants have become very popular. These contests take place across the entire world; in big cities and small towns. The contestants’ ages range from 0 to 30 years old. Thus, children are thrown into this lifestyle, without knowing exactly what they are getting into. They are judged by physical beauty and sometimes personality and talent, with the winners awarded prizes or titles. Many people say that it beauty pageants boost ones confidence but in fact, they increase eating disorders, excessive dieting and can even lower ones self-esteem all because they do not feel as physically attractive as â€Å"they should be†. In more ways than one, beauty pageants significantly impact young girl’s life as she develops into a woman. According to an article by Women’s News, the United States generates approximately 100,000 beauty pageants for young girls and approximately 2.5 million girls compete in them. For most pageants, children are entered into them as soon as they are able to sit up by themselves. This means that from a young age these girls learn that the worth of a person is solely based on appearance, thus enabling them into a vain and insecure individual in the future. Though these pageants host talent portions, they are often flooded with over promiscuous dance routines and outfits, throwing pageant kids into things that are not appropriate for their age. Sadly enough, not every girl that enters a beauty contest can win. So, their parents become very competitive and make them go through tanning, waxing and many make-up and hair sessions, to guarantee that they are the â€Å"best†. However, when these girls do lose, they believe that they were not good enough for the judges and lose all of their self-esteem. These pageant kids now become overly competitive and believe everything is about winning. And even worse, a high percentage of these pageant kids will engage in cosmetic and plastic surgery in the future to maintain their definition of beauty. In addition to low self-esteem, beauty pageants can create many bad habits including excessive dieting. Because the parents of these young girls are very obsessive with their children’s appearance they end up robbing them of their childhood. They are not able to grab a slice of pizza or even a kid’s meal because they are watching every calorie intake. These young girls are forced to go on crash diets, to gain energy and lose weight very quickly. Sadly, this creates a number of problems for their health such as impaired growth, menstrual irregularities, low blood pressure and impaired kidney functions. Unfortunately, many of these parents do not know exactly how they are impacting their children’s bodies. They are not only forming nutritional deficiencies but psychological issues too. According to the National Association of Eating Disorders, 90% of the time, girls who were forced to start a diet from a young age increase the frequency of taking extreme measures to continue a â€Å"perfect† figure, which is very destructive to one’s health. Excessive dieting can lead the way for a more harmful habit, eating disorders. In today’s society, 35% of â€Å"occasional dieters† progress into pathological dieting, (disordered eating) and as many as 25%, advance to full-blown eating disorders (Philadelphia Eating Disorder Examiner, July 2011). When these pageant kids grow into young women, they have all of their eggs stacked in one basket, which in this case will be the â€Å"looks department†. They are so used to concentrating on the external and superficial aspects of beauty that they cannot focus on reality. The longing to be thin like the supermodels on magazine covers, causes these pageant girls to go to extreme measures such as bulimia and anorexia. In one situation, a pageant girl as young as 6 years old was hospitalized with anorexia, which was linked to body image. This is not acceptable at all. But the blame cannot be solely placed on them. Their moms are so obsessed with their image; they allow their children to engage in these horrific activities. There is therefore no doubt that beauty pageants do no good for these kids. In closing, beauty pageants cause a great deal of problems for girls in the long run. These pageants are more likely to hurt one then to help one. These pageants are supposed to boost confidence, when in reality they ruin children’s lives and basically kill their mental beings. I believe that beauty pageants for kids are a form of child abuse. These mothers exploit their children, teaching them that there will always be a person better than them. This is unacceptable and beauty pageants need to be banned because beauty is not counterfeit. It is being confident in your own skin without the approval of others. The time for taking action has come.

Analysis Of Cultural Imperialism With Hollywood Films Media Essay

Analysis Of Cultural Imperialism With Hollywood Films Media Essay With the rising of electronic media, in the 1960s scholar Marshall Mcluhan raised the notion of global village, which provides a common platform of random communication without physical and geography distance for worldwide people. In this perspective, this kind of information circumstance will enforce everyone globally to be the participant of, and struggle for a same strategy, because we are inevitably connected with each other (Mcluhan and Quentin, 1967). In the rest years of twentieth century, with the assistant of advanced technology and high-developing economy ¼Ã…’the whole world seems to increasingly move forwards to the global village in nature. The concept of globalization, to some extent, already gradually rooted in peoples mind. In the process of globalization, in generally, two primary constituent parts cannot be neglected. One is the distance between time, space and place has shrunk (Giddens, 1990; Harvey, 1990; Rantanen, 2005), which is owing to the technological adv ances, such as electronic media, instantaneous communication that enable people to realize interaction over the boundaries of country and time, which is also the precondition of the realization of globalization. In this sense, the global communication systems prompt the instant currency of capital and offer possibility for the expansion of production and marketing strategies. The other one concerns the content of the communication. With the help of telecommunication technology, the diffusion of media products have surpassed the country border. By the way of music, press issues, films and broadcast channels, the images, thoughts, and sounds of different cultures are mutually flowing among a vast network of people in the worldwide sphere. For this, the project of globalization refers to the communication and incorporation of culture from different areas. In addition, the globalization of mass media, especially, aims to the content of cultural products can be obtained globally (Croteau and Hoynes, 2003). In this sense, confronting the problem of the promise and reality of media globalization, researchers respectively hold different viewpoints. Among these debates, an important discourse called cultural imperialism, which is resulted from the worry of the inequality of global media ownership, control consumption and content, should be highlighted. A number of scholars, because of the superiority of Western media products on the consumption marketing, claim that media globalization equals cultural imperialism, and convey deep concerns with globally cultural homogenization and standardization. Especially, accompanied by the globally prevailing consumerism, traditionally national cultures of each country all have the possibility of being unified into a common global commercial culture system. The most typical evidence is the export of American cultural goods in the range of whole world. As we can see, Coca-Cola, IBM, Levis, and Hollywood films, these global brands ar e all produced by the U.S.. However, there are still a part of socialists understandably suspect the discourse of cultural imperialism on the concept of culture and the confusion of cultural goods and ideological effects (Tomplinson, 1999). On the Basis of the controversy over the discourse of cultural imperialism, in this essay, I intend to through the analysis of concrete and weighted American media product-Hollywood films, research whether so-called cultural imperialism can work under the condition of consumerist culture, which appeared as the key representation of cultural homogenization. The focus of part 1 is the literature review of the details of cultural imperialism, which involving its original definition, critique and impacts. Based on the theoretical analysis of cultural imperialism in part1, the next section will associate with specific data and text analysis, to examine the relative statement of cultural imperialism. In the last part, I will point out my own discussion over the cultural imperialism, and conclude the limitation. The Discourse of Cultural Imperialism Before moving to the main argument of this paper, it is necessary to define the notion of cultural imperialism. As early as the first decade of the nineteenth century, Lenin suggested the concept of imperialism. In his perspective, the term of imperialism was closely linked with economy, and we can regard it as the highest form of capitalism. ( Lenin, 1939). He pointed that at this level of capitalism, imperialism appeared as a process that big conglomerates incorporate smaller enterprises for the further profits, and moreover, this kind of operation could surpass the national boundaries. In addition, this sort of economic conduction is between the major capitalist nations, and it will result in specific imperialist patterns of domination. In this sense, Maybe cultural imperialism is one consequence of the specific imperialist patterns of domination Lenin said. Williams (1983) also has more further viewpoint towards the concept of imperialism. As for Williams, he concludes imperialis m as: Like any word which refers to fundamental social and political conflicts, cannot be reduced, semantically, to a single proper meaning. Its important historical and contemporary variations of meanings point to real processes which have to be studied in their owen terms (p. 160). Additionally, he even particularly generalized the development of imperialism into two categories, politically and economically. Relating with this paper, the economic category is worth being mentioned. As Williams argued, this process originated from Marxist analysis of the development of modern capitalism, which is similar as Lenins argument. As a result, combining current modern capitalism statement with the characteristic of imperialism, Williams claimed, imperialism in contemporary context is applied to the practices of US and Soviet Union. However, American imperialism refers to a primarily economic denomination associated with the global reach of capitalism but not having the political form of colonialism (John, 1991). As a result, with the post-war non-colonial process since the 1960s and the development of contemporary capitalism, the analysis of new imperialism has emerged among academic circle, which considered that, in the new international settings, the imperialist expan sion strategy has moved primarily from military aggression and directly colonial domination to economic and cultural penetration, in which, the discourse of cultural imperialism is a significant and critical theory of cultural globalization. About the concept of cultural imperialism, there are existing different versions. The earliest systematic one was given by Herbert Schiller. Furthermore, Tunstall(1977) crystalized the definition of cultural imperialism as: The cultural imperialism thesis claims that authentic, traditional and local culture in many arts of the world is being battered out of existence by the indiscriminate dumping of large quantities of slick commercial and media products mainly from the United States. In this sense, it is clear that the process of cultural imperialism is operated by the products import of majority capitalist countries (mainly the U.S.A.), primarily media products. In this sense, non-Marxists prefer to see cultural imperialism as media imperialism. If that, the discourse of cultural imperialism can be approached on the sphere of media, which turns to the empirical territory instead of theoretical assumptions (Chin-Chuan Lee, 1979). Similar as Lees account of media imperialism, Oliver Boyd Barrett (1977) defines media imperialism as: The process whereby the ownership, structure distribution or content of the media in any one country is subject to substantial external pressures from the media interests of any other country or countries- without proportional reciprocation of influence by the country so affected (p. 116). He also suggests four modes of media imperialism: 1) the shape of the communication vehicle 2) a set of industrial arrangements 3) a body of values 4) media content, which could exert the cultural dominance instead of direct economic relationship. David Croteau and Wiliam Hoynes (2003) proposed more detailed connection and explanation of Boyd-Barretts statement. First of all, they claims that the linkage between cultural imperialism and media imperialism is because of the media products, which from Western side, especially America, intensely impact other regions culture, almost have reached the level of cultural domination. Here, it refers to the relation of media ownership and media content. According to the theory of media imperialism, both values and ideology of Western society are embedded in the media products sold on the interests of Western corporations. Next, Croteau and Hoynes (2003) in their book Media/Society also cite Antonio Gramscis theory of hegemony to explain the con cept and significance of cultural hegemony, and sociologist Stuart Halls analysis of how mass media institutions mix with this conception of hegemony. The conception of Gramscis (1971) hegemony is connecting all culture, power, and ideology together. In his perspective, besides military force, power can be obtained by the way of cultural and ideological domination as well. For this direction, the key strategy is to create consent, which can be realized through a kind of cultural hegemony. Croteau and Hoynes said that consent is something that is won ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ºruling groups in a society actively seek to have their worldview accepted by all members of society as the universal way of thinking (p.166). In this sense, schools, religion, and media naturally become the sites where help the dominant class approach this kind of hegemony, due to these institutions are the places where we form the ways of thinking. On this basis, Hall(1982) suggested that mass media is the main site where the cultural hegemony is exercised, because media images are not merely reflecting the world, but represent ing the world, and could actively make things have meanings. And then, associating with media ownership and commercial profits, many scholars argue that media is principally on the behalf of the dominant assumptions, and applying the universal views of the world that most people know. With the development of the globalization of mass media, this conception is more convincing. For example, because of the motive of media globalization is commercial interests, plus the economic distance among different countries, the inequality of media globalization is inevitable and obvious. The growth of centralized media conglomerates will result in a concentrated global media industry. And additionally, the ownership of these global media firms are still in the hands of a few advanced developed countries, which also dominate the production of global media products. As a result, from this respect, major researchers are likely to connect the elite status of Western media products with cultural imperialism. The most typical one should be the impact of American media items globally. Coca-Cola, the products of Disney series, McDonald, Hollywood movies, and so forth American products are all prevailing across the world because of the propaganda of American mass media. The supporters of cultural imperialism claims that these foreign imports will threaten and even dominate the local culture. (Coteau and Hoynes, 2003). For instance, according to the data of Ministry of Culture and Communication in 2001, American films occupy 54% to 92% of the performing movie in theaters in countries of the European Union, in contrast, European films make up only 3% of films shown in the United States (Ministry of culture and Communication, 2001). Schiller (1992) also from the television program export to describe the high level of American media domination globally. He indicated that commercial television has become an important and flourishing national export (p.129). He also quoted the former official of United States Information Agency Woilson P. Dizards (1964) words to prove this point, who said that today, overseas sales account for 60 percent of all U.S. telefilm syndication activities and represent the difference between profit and loss for the entire industry (p. 58). Besides, in 1967, Dizard reported that the amount of [TV commercial] exports, now approaching $100 million a year, is such that the television screen is becoming the main source of the American image for increasing millions of people abroad (1967, p. 59). From all these data, it is clear that American media industry, to a large extent, is relying on foreign markets, and its impact of media products is intensifying. Associating with Halls analysis of mass media and culture, through media products to diffuse Western values and ideology seems sensible. The discourse of cultural imperialism looks like could be used to describe one phenomenon of cultural globalization, which through exporting media products to diffuse own countrys values and ideology, in order to the last culture domination. However, there are partial scholars who dont agree with this discourse of cultural imperialism or media imperialism. The main critic of the discourse of cultural imperialism-John Tomlinson, provided a comprehensive critique pinpointing each part of cultural imperialism. Schillers theory of cultural imperialism focuses on the media, and from economic and political perspective to view the unequal structure of global cultural production and distribution. For this, Tomlinson (1991) argues that there are two mistakes underlying in this theory. First, though media is an important component of culture, it can not substitute all aspects of culture, and its impact on indigenous culture is closely connected with local audiences understanding and individual experience of media products. Secondly, Tomlinson argues that it is a kind of exaggeration to attribute the overwhelming significance of cultural imperialism to the media. It is problematic to equate cultural imperialism with media imperiali sm. All these studies are very helpful in the depiction of the discourse of cultural imperialism, either proponent or sceptic. In next part, I will combine the specific media text-American Hollywood films, to analyze the expression of cultural imperialism on the basis of American primarily cultural values. Hollywood Films Like I mentioned in last section, media products are an effective way to diffuse certain values and ideology, consequently, realizing the purpose of cultural domination. In this respect, in order to analyze the discourse of cultural imperialism through the dissection of one concrete media text, it is inevitable to mention what kind of values or ideological theory is implied in that media text, and these ideas is serving for whose benefits. Undoubtedly, in recent decades, the United States of America through its powerful economic and technological strength, its cultural perpetrator to the less advanced countries is apparent, either material products or spiritually cultural products and social political values. For example, the standard American icons-Mickey Mouse, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Hollywood are typical evidences. Then, what American values have been propagated through these popular issues? In general, white peoples traditional culture is the leading culture in America, what is al so called WASP culture (White Angle-Saxon Protestant Culture) (Kennedy, 2001. p. 913). American main stream culture actually is the special mixture of Christianity, Capitalism and democracy (translated from: Majie Zhu, 2003). Contemporary Hollywood films can, to some extent, through this specially cultural value, gain the market and extraordinary box office receipts, and subsequently, become the key approach for the expansion and penetration of culture imperialism. Individualism as the cultural value originated from the thinking of European burgeoning bourgeoise, which was used to oppose the autocracy feudal aristocracy during the renaissance. The early North American Puritan as same as the reason for getting rid of the European religion oppression migrated to America. And then, in American The Declaration of Independence, some self-evident truth is included, all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Tefferson and Fink, 2002, p. 21-23). In American peoples thought, individual liberty is the final purpose, and society just the channel to reach this aim. In addition, Americans advocate surpass others by own effort, against any kind of inference to personal liberty from country or society. In short, individualism, is I will take responsibility of every thing by myself. In 1998, when American president Clinton visited China, he has said that the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, free from government interference to express different views and the right of free faith, are the central idea of the founding of the United states. And this is also the thought that leaded Americans from one side of continent to another side, and finally stand on the top of the world , and so far, American people still value it as a precious thinking (translated from: Zheng Yuan, 1998). In this respect, individualism is the main motive stimulating not only American constant innovation, but also the reckless expansion with the indifference of other countries interests. On the basis of above introduction of several American mainstream values, it is timing to associate it with the analysis of concrete Hollywood films to research the discourse of cultural imperialism in American way. The classic film-Forrest Gump in 1995, ever gained the Best Film Reward of Oscar Award. Through the picture of the life of retarded Gump, we can get in touch with many aspects of American social life. This film was adapted from the same named novel of Winston Groom. The original book is fantastic fiction filling with ironic senses, however, the film has decorated and beautified the whole story. The original fantastic and ironic meaning have been removed, and the rebellious fighting spirit was sacrificed as well. Gump in the film has been shaped as an idealized American civilian hero, who has noble morality, and his way of earning life and pursuing happiness is on the effort to glorify America. The role of Gump in film, can be seen as the representative figure of American individualism, and this image is advocated by American society, which can be testified from the scene that Gump is endowed of congress badge. Another instance is the extremely costing Hollywood war film- Saving Priva te Ryan, which is an propaganda of American individualism. The whole story is processing along with the group rescue of individual life. This theme matches the Jewish traditional principle in the film Schindlers list- he who saves one life saves the world entire. Additionally, Hollywood films always put the mission of saving all the world on the shoulder of an individual. In the film Air Force One, the image of American President Tim Marshall is a good example. For protecting own countrys people and reputation, he insists on not compromising over the terrorists. In the condition of utter helplessness, by the familiar with each precise device of Air Force One, Marshall struggled with those terrorists by himself, and finally, realized the promise of zero-tolerance and save the world (lines in the film Air Force One, 1997). Within this film, American President is eager to expand the liberal-democracy, the Christian faith and the concept of American family to global people. However, in realistic life, this kind of omnipotent heroism is merely a myth. What anti-terrorism really need is the cooperation of all the nations, which has been proved through the fact of Somali Piracy event in April, 2009. Another film Bable in 2006 provides another angle to view cultural imperialism in Hollywood film. An accidental gun shooting event leads to the whole plots in the next story. Western people in this film enact rare indecision when they are encountering accident, which seems to lose the traditional image of the leadership globally. However, it cannot say that Hollywood films give up to play the role as an assistant of undertaking American cultural imperialism. One made-up clip story in the film that American tourists get innocent attacked, is bringing the color of cultural imperialism seemingly, because we can see the scene in the way that it tells the immense audiences that terrorism is prevailing in East as well, and Americans in this turn are becoming innocent victims. Although the director of this film attempts to utilize a large number of Eastern images to cover the hegemony of American cultural imperialism, the propagated American universalism and human right have been performed obviously. Furthermore, another kind of Hollywood films should be paid attention in particularly-Hollywood cartoon, some of which are coated by Chinese traditional culture. The film Mulan presented by Disney corporation was adapted from Chinese folktale. The protagonist Mulan made her promise to resist outside invasion, and protect family reputation, which looks as if expressed Chinese traditional loyalty and filiality. But, the role of Mulan enacted in the film is independent and pursuing the confirmation of self-value and the sexual equality, which is against the original Chinese convention. Additionally, her intensive desire of individual happiness and freedom are all representing the individualism of America. And as same as the elements of KungFu Panda presented by Dreamwork, which are not real Chinese culture. As the first cartoon that has over hundreds million tickets sale in Chinese market, KungFu Panda benefited from the outfit of Chinese culture and the inside substantive c ontents of Western culture. On the surface, there are plenty of Chinese culture facts in the films, such as the architecture music, martial arts, firecrackers, and Chinese food. Even many story details have precisely conformed to the relative characteristics of Chinese culture. In spite of all these work, the protagonist Po, it still a hero in the context of American culture values. The process of how he turns to legendary warrior just from a cooker is a typical instance of Americanized value. Originally, Po is a normal people, although because of an accidental opportunity he becomes the candidate of legendary warriors, he is indeed attending the selection ceremony. In another words, although his hero role is destined officially, he also follows the contest policy. This is a classic paradox logic in American culture: advocating everyone possesssing equal right to be a hero, although frequently, the hero is destined. Pos success is through defeating the bad guy-Tai Lung, to gain the final hero coronation ceremony. This kind of fight between justice and evil, and the procedural of how the justice side defeats the bad side are the essence of American heroism. Pos success, simultaneously, is bringing the peace to the whole village, which as same as the line in Spiderman- great power comes with great responsibility (cited from the lines of the film Spiderman, 2002). In American individualism, the standard of being a hero is to defeat the evil power and have the sense of bearing huge responsibility, which consequently, might be improved into the thinking that only the supremacy of strength is equivalent with the duty of guarding the world peace. In this sense, we can see the color of cultural imperialism is embedded in KungFu Panda. Thus maybe we can think in this way like that the set of films such as Mulan and KungFu Panda are packed with Chinese culture, but actually, are the means of distributing American ideology through adaption. Further Discussion of Culture Imperialism In contemporary global market, Hollywood movie is merely one of the popular import media products of America, but from the analysis of its underlying elements of culture imperialism, maybe we can consider the media products, television programs, advertisements, and music in the similar way. However, in this respect, I dont mean that the discourse of cultural imperialism does make sense, or even could be totally equaled with media imperialism, because after all, it is just a researching theme raised in the background of globalization and consumerism, and the debate about it is still taking place, therefore I cannot arbitrarily suggest its character here. What I want to do here is to use already existing facts to demonstrate that the discourse of cultural imperialism to some extent in particular time and condition may be could have an effect, but with the moving of age and society, in certain environment, another possibility maybe emerge. Among several suspicions of the possibility of cultural imperialism or media imperialism, an important one is to oppose to mix the material media products with complicated ideology together. In other words, the sceptic claims that the way of thinking that media products could diffuse Western values or ideology is ridiculous and doubtful, all of those analysis, such as the one above about Hollywood movie, are just assumption. In this perspective, if by some way I can prove the causal relationship between media productions and ideology or mind, the discourse of cultural imperialism at least will be more convincing. I will still utilize films as the evidence. During the 1980s there were two popular film genres-action adventure and military/war films deserving research, such as the films Raiders of the Lost Ark, Romancing the Stone and the series of Rombo were all effective and classic in that age. The most historical and typical one, I think should be Rombo. From the presentation time, we can know that it was after the Vietnam War and during the period of the Cold War, which represented by the United States and Soviet Union. The protagonist Rombo is a Vietnam Veteran, his mission is to return to Vietnam for rescuing American prisoners who have been abandoned by the U.S. government. And the common ending of this series of films was that the protagonist won the final victory and he become the hero in audiences mind. Following the story of these films, American people as if return to the battle of Vietnam War, but in this battle there are no vanquish and shame any more, American soldier will always be the victor. A part of scholars analyzed that these films could be seen as one political approach of Regans presidency, which was helpful to re-shape national image and regain national conviction. And actually, in the late 1980s, American people indeed overcame the so-called Vietnam syndrome, which was the subsequence of American failure of Vietnam War (Croteau and Hoyne s. 2003). From this example, we can see that there actually exists some relation between media texts and peoples way of thinking. So in this sense, the discourse of cultural imperialism maybe really can have an effect. However, the analysis of media texts is a plural item, which should be connected with special time and conditions, because of media texts are made under special historic background and people. We also cannot use one example to explain all the other terms. Additionally, the discourse of cultural imperialism was raised under the context of global culture, which maybe impact on global people, who have different religion, education, national culture and ideology, the possibility of their reactions over a media text are so hard to define. As a result, the relation between media texts and ideology maybe exist, but it is hard to say when put it in the global environment, then, dont even say the realization of cultural imperialism. Tunstall (1977) also claims that there are a t least two problems on the discourse of cultural imperialism of America. Firstly, the precondition of cultural imperialism is the superiority of Western countries on the aspect of media product market share , especially the United States of America, but the researchers thinks that with the economic and technologic development globally, other countries will rapidly create local media products, which would substitute the dependance on exporting American media products. Secondly, Tunstall said that the range of media is fairly wild, we cannot only concentrate on the popular American media products to analysis its impact of global culture. And in the aspect of some media forms, such as music, the tendency of globally incorporation is ongoing. If another media texts develop in the same way, the possibility of cultural imperialism will reduce. In addition, the debate of central status of media of cultural imperialism, like what Tomlinson said above, it is incorrect to make media equal cu lture. The term of culture is a complex to be clearly explain, and add the different way of understanding in different places, Western countries intention of conducting culture penetration or invasion is not a simple progress. Conclusion Combining all the supporting points and scepticism of the discourse of cultural imperialism together, maybe we can conclude this debate in this way, firstly, we should consider the wholly global society condition and the detailed situation of relative areas. As what Tunstall (1977) suggested, the arise of the media products is just an assumption so far, it still needs the time to testify. According to the current condition of global media distribution market, the diffusion range and impact of Western media products is considerable, so if in this respect to argue the discourse of cultural imperialism, it indeed exists the possibility. Secondly, confronting a number of differences between culture and nations, for the pursuit of commercial benefit, the big media corporations has start making relevant policy to remove the obstacles. For example, some media producers will invite global superstar to propagate their products, and another way is to apply the resources within local culture, a nd decorate the products to coherent to the local character, in fact, the global expansion of American advertising agency is a good example. Actually, to a large extent, the popularity of American products is the direct consequence of American transnational advertising. The central office in the U.S.A firstly send the advertisement mode to the relevant branch agencies around the world sphere. And then on the basic of remaining the essence of original advertisement, the local agency will blend the indigenous elements into it for satisfying the regional taste and culture. By this way, the impact on some places is this country is occupied, and there is no consciousness of that (Escobar and Anne. 1995). From this example, the threat of the discourse of cultural imperialism does deserve cautions, although maybe as Tomlinsons suggestion, there is no necessity to view media as the central reference of the argument towards cultural imperialism, the power of it cannot be ignored, because in current consumption society, for the economic interest, the media consortiums are rolling to make any policy to break down the obstacles on the way to maximize global market share. What I suggest here is when we are facing the discourse of cultural imperialism, first of all, we should have a correct attitude, excessive reception and neglect are both incorrect. Especially when we are surrounded with the numerous foreign media texts, the primary thing is to recognize the innate character embedded in them, and distinguish which part of it is useful for us, and which is useless. The discourse of cultural imperialism is more like a kind of trepidation in the context of globalization, researchers just around the necessity of this anxiety offer their different viewpoints, which are having different standpoints, angles, and conditions. So for the masses, what they can do is to have the cautious consciousness towards foreign media products, and depend on own values to make correct judgement.

Indonesian Demographic Transition Essay -- Population Control

Introduction The effects of population control programs on demographic change were not instant, and it takes long serious effort to encourage the improvement of economic development in a country. According to Paul J. Gertler (1994, p. 33), â€Å"Population control is a key element in a country’s ability to maintain and improve its economic and social welfare†. Furthermore, this paper intends to explain why the change of population structure has an effect on the society’s economic condition in Indonesia with examining the demographic variables. This short paper is aimed to support the hypothesis that the demographic variables are important influential factors on the economic development and significantly affect on the social welfare in Indonesia. Therefore, the paper proceed with examining the demographic transition from 1970 to 2000 in the change of population structure, and also considering the population control program which enhances the economic development. In order to understand the relationship between population control program and the improvement of the social welfare, this paper will focus on how its relationship with the age structure, population density and the life expectancy. Background The population control program in Indonesia has come a long way since it was established by the Indonesian government in the late 1960s. The Indonesian family planning (FP) program which is held by the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) has implemented the concept of how to form happy and prosperous families as a means to improve family welfare. However, the concept was not separated from the main purpose of the population control program, which basically focuses on the contraceptives’ use in order to reduce the fe... ...e can understand the reason why the change of population structure has an effect on the society’s economic condition. The changes in age structure in Indonesia shows the significant increase in the productive age which leads to the increase of the labor force, and also shows the increase in women participation in labor force. The life expectancy can be used for evaluating the government performance (family planning program) in improving family resilience and institutionalizing quality of small family. Lastly, the population density is an important factor to evaluate the society's quality of live. Finally, this paper has shown that the society's welfare has generally placed on the role of demographic variables in economic growth and there is a significant relationship between population control program and the improvement of the society’s welfare in Indonesia.

Racquetball :: essays research papers

Racquetball is played by two or four players. When played by two, it is called singles and when played by four, doubles. A non-tournament variation of the game that is played by three players is called cut-throat. Racquetball is a competitive game in which a strung racquet is used to serve and return the ball. The objective is to win each rally by serving or returning the ball so the opponent is unable to keep the ball in play. A rally is over when a player (or team in doubles) is unable to hit the ball before it touches the floor twice, is unable to return the ball in such a manner that it touches the front wall before it touches the floor, or when a hinder is called. Points are scored only by the serving side when it serves an irretrievable serve (an ace) or wins a rally. Losing the serve is called a sideout in singles. In doubles, when the first server loses the serve it is called a handout and when the second server loses the serve it is a sideout. A match is won by the first side winning two games. The first two games of a match are played to 15 points. If each side wins one game, a tiebreaker game is played to 11 points. The specifications for the standard four-wall racquetball court follow. (a) Dimensions. The dimensions shall be 20 feet wide, 40 feet long and 20 feet high, with a back wall at least 12 feet high. All surfaces shall be in play, with the exception of any gallery opening, surfaces designated as out-of-play for a valid reason (such as being of a very different material or not in alignment with the backwall), and designated court hinders. (b) Markings. Racquetball courts shall be marked with lines 1 1/2 inches wide as follows: 1. Short Line. The back edge of the short line is midway between, and is parallel with, the front and back walls. 2. Service Line. The front edge of the service line is parallel with, and five feet in front of, the back edge of the short line. 3. Service Zone. The service zone is the 5' x 20' area bounded by the bottom edges of the side walls and by the outer edges of the short line and the service line. 4. Service Boxes. The service boxes, used in doubles play, are located at each end of the service zone and are designated by lines parallel with the side walls.

Pride and Prejudice: an analysis of Mr. Wickham’s character Essay

To begin with, Wickham appears to have a good social etiquette which impresses the reader and Elizabeth, â€Å"Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned†. Wickham makes a firm first impression and he appears to be amiable with a friendly disposition. â€Å"His appearance was greatly in favour†¦fine countenance†¦very pleasing address†, Wickham instantly takes Elizabeth’s favour and he seems a deferent character. Wickham is clever enough to encourage Elizabeth into thinking ill of Darcy by initially forming a trust with her and as Lizzy already dislikes him, it is easy for her to believe Wickham, â€Å"I have known him (Darcy) too long and too well to be a fair judge. It is impossible for me to be impartial†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ill-tempered man†. The reader is intrigued into Wickham’s opinion of him initially due to his social intelligence, his amiability and his first impressions to the town. Wickham continues to make Elizabeth think ill of Mr. Darcy by making himself seem the victim of the series of events between the two men. Wickham: â€Å"I cannot accuse myself of having really done anything to deserve to lose it†¦he hates me.† Due to the trust the reader and Lizzy have in Wickham, his story is accepted and we succumb to the claims he makes. Lizzy shows her naivety by immediately believing the story and replying â€Å"He deserves to be publicly disgraced!† Wickham’s character begins to be doubted in chapter eighteen when Darcy says â€Å"Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his making friends – whether he may be equally capable of retaining them, is less certain.† However, as Darcy appears to us as such an ill-mannered character, we are unsure whether to believe him. His character is further doubted when Miss Bingley complains about Wickham to Elizabeth, â€Å"George Wickham has treated Mr. Darcy in a most infamous manner†¦Mr. Darcy is not in the least to blame.† Lizzy and the reader start to doubt their initial appraisal of Wickham as his likeable character far outweighs his shortcomings. Elizabeth shows her fond feelings towards Wickham by discovering that he is interested in the acquaintance of Miss King for merely the  £10,000 by saying â€Å"I should at present detest his very name†¦my feelings are not only cordial towards him.† The reader now sees Wickham’s bad intentions and how Lizzy is too fooled by his charm to see it. Wickham’s bad character is finally confirmed in Darcy’s letter explaining Wickham’s purposes at length, â€Å"he had some intentions of studying law†¦his life was full of idleness and dissipation†¦(Georgiana) was persuaded to believe herself in love, and to consent to an elopement†¦Mr. Wickham’s chief object was unquestionably my sister’s fortune.† Wickham is instantly seen for what he really is; superficial, deceitful and selfish with no concern for the damage he causes by his desire for pecuniary gain and greed. He masks his true character from Elizabeth and the reader and shows his true character of depravity.

Ben & Jerry Case Analysis

Strategic Analysis of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Can B&J Serve a Double Scoop of Being Green and Making Green? ESM 210 Professor Delmas Final Paper November 21, 2000 Alex Tuttle Vicky Krikelas 1 BEN & JERRY’S ICE CREAM Table of Contents INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. MARKET DESCRIPTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. FIRM DESCRIPTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. THE MISSION STATEMENT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 1 1 2 GENERAL CORPORATE STRATEGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 STRATEGY ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Five Forces Model of Competition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Key Succ ess Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 STRATEGIC CONSISTENCIES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 STRATEGIC DISCONNECTS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 UNILEVER ACQUISITION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 BIBLIOGRAPHY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Figures FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5. ANNUAL REVENUES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 ANNUAL RECYCLING†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 PORTER’S 5 FORCES MODEL †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 SWOT ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 KEY FACTORS OF SUCCESS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 2 3 INTRODUCTION Ben & Jerry’s is an innovative leader in the super premium ice cream industry. The company blends a commitment to provide all natural, high quality ice cream with a commitment towards social activism and environmental responsibility. This report will analyze both the company’s environmental strategy and general corporate strategy in order to identify the consistencies and disparities (if any) between these strategies and to determine whether a â€Å"green† company such as Ben & Jerry’s can sustain a competitive advantage.We will also discuss the potential impacts on the company’s strategic vision in light of the recent acquisition by Unilever. Our analysis will focus on examining the strengths and weaknesses of the environmental and general corporate strategies in light of its internal resources and external competitive and non-market forces. MARKET DE SCRIPTION Ben & Jerry’s operates in the highly competitive super premium ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet business.Super premium ice cream is generally characterized by a greater richness and density than other kinds of ice cream and commands a relatively higher price. The company’s two primary competitors include Haagen-Dazs (a member of the Ice Cream Partners organization) and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Company, which introduced its Godiva and Dreamery super premium ice cream line in the fall of 1999. Other significant competitors include Healthy Choice, Nestle and Starbucks (SEC Report, 1999). FIRM DESCRIPTION Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. the Vermont-based manufacturer of super-premium ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, was founded in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, by childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with a modest $12,000 investment. The company is now a leading ice cream manufacturing company known worldwide for it s innovative flavors and all-natural ingredients made from fresh Vermont milk and cream (www. benjerry. com). Manufacturing of all Ben & Jerry’s frozen dessert products occurs in the company’s three plants located in Vermont.The company distributes ice cream, low fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and novelty products nationwide as well as in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, restaurants and other venues. Outside of Vermont, the products are distributed primarily through Dreyer’s and other independent regional ice cream distributors. Unilever, a multinational food and personal products company recently acquired Ben & Jerry’s in spring 2000. The Ben & Jerry's Board of Directors approved Unilever's offer of $43. 60 per share for all of the 8. million outstanding shares, valuing the transaction at $326 million (www. lib. benjerry. com, October, 2000). Under the terms of the agreement, Ben & Jerry's will operate separately from Unilever's current U. S. ice cream business. There will be an independent 4 Board of Directors, which will focus on providing leadership for Ben & Jerry's social mission and brand integrity. Both co-founders will continue to be involved with Ben & Jerry's, and the company will continue to be Vermont-based. THE MISSION STATEMENT Ben & Jerry’s adopted a three-part mission statement formalizing the company’s business philosophy.According to the company’s home page (www. benjerry. com), the mission statement is as follows: Product Mission: to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all-natural ice cream and related products in a wide variety of innovative flavors made from Vermont dairy products. Social Mission: to operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in the structure of society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life of a broad comm unity: local, national, and international.Economic Mission: to operate the company on a sound financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value to our shareholders and creating career opportunities and financial rewards for our employees. Underlying this mission is the determination to seek innovative ways of addressing all three components, while holding a deep respect for employees and the community at large. GENERAL CORPORATE STRATEGY Ben & Jerry's corporate strategy strives to implement the three integrated missions described above: developing a high-quality product, achieving economic growth and profitability, and incorporating social activism.The general corporate strategy can be characterized as a focused or market niche strategy based primarily on product differentiation and quality production. Although focused differentiation strategies target a narrow buyer segment, this strategy helps Ben & Jerry’s gain a strong competitive advantage as it can offer consumers something they perceive is appealingly different from rival competitors—innovative super-premium ice cream flavors that taste better and consist of all natural, high quality ingredients.In addition to differentiating its product from other ice cream competitors, Ben & Jerry’s general strategy combines several other key components, including fostering a company image of social activism, creating brand loyalty, franchising the company to aid economic growth, and developing creative advertising campaigns. Product Differentiation One means of gaining a competitive advantage is through the use of a differentiation strategy to provide a better product that buyers believe is worth the premium price (Thompson and Strickland, 1998).Since higher quality ice cream generally costs more than the economy and regular types of ice cream, Ben and Jerry’s has incorporated product differentiation in its general corporate strategy in order to command a higher price. The use of all- natural, high quality 5 ingredients and the innovative flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream illustrates the strategic use of product differentiation to gain a competitive advantage in the ice cream market.Quirky flavor names such as Chubby Hubby, Wavy Gravy, Phish Food, and Chunky Monkey also set Ben & Jerry’s apart from the traditionally-named ice cream products of rival companies. Furthermore, the use of recycled materials and dioxin-free (unbleached) paper in product packaging contributes to the uniqueness of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and helps keep its costs down. Socially-Conscious Company Image Ben & Jerry’s strives to be an independent, socially-conscious Vermont company that supports local dairy farmers.Several examples illustrate how Ben & Jerry’s implements this corporate strategy. For instance, the company donates 7. 5% of pretax profits to philanthropic causes through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, community action teams, and through corporate grants (http://www. hoovers. com). The company also donates free ice cream during public events and community celebrations in the Vermont area, and contributes a percentage of the profits earned from ice cream sold in Vermont retail stores to fund local charities (SEC Report, 1999).Furthermore, the company has ensured the long-term viability of its own key suppliers, the Vermont dairy farmers, by executing a strategic decision to pay more than a specified minimum price for its dairy ingredients (SEC Report, 1999). Brand loyalty Developing brand loyalty is another strategic move to strengthen competitive advantage. Ben & Jerry’s has made substantial efforts to gain a favorable reputation and image with buyers through its frequent promotional campaigns (i. e. , Free Cone Day), donations to social causes (i. , Ben & Jerry Foundation), and the use of eco-friendly products, as discussed below under Environmental Strategy. This strategy has proven successful; the 1999 Har ris Interactive Poll regarding buyer perception of corporate reputability ranked Ben & Jerry’s first in the â€Å"social responsibility† category and fifth overall (SEC Report, 1999). Small-Scale Growth and Franchising The economic mission of the company (to achieve profitability, increase value to shareholders and create career opportunities) is implemented through Ben & Jerry’s strategy for small-scale business growth.Ben & Jerry’s has maximized profitability by initially starting small and slowly building an ice-cream business over time (Spolsky, 2000). Ultimately, the success at the small-scale required the company to shift its corporate strategy toward the establishment of several franchised â€Å"scoop shops† throughout the nation and Europe. As of 1999, there were approximately 164 scoop shops in North America (SEC, 1999). These scoop shops serve as a major employment resource and a source of revenue for non-profit groups.In addition, Ben & Jerry’s gains a competitive advantage through franchising by expanding market share, increasing revenue and publicizing the company’s brand name using minimal amounts of startup capital. As shown in Figure 1, Ben & Jerry’s has achieved substantial, yet gradual, growth in revenues since 1993. Marketing Strategy According to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) annual report, Ben & Jerry’s use of natural ingredients, high product quality, periodic introduction of new flavors, focus on grass- 6 roots community involvement and the â€Å"down home† local image are essential elements of the company’s marketing strategy.The company’s Waterbury ice cream factory is the single most popular tourist attraction in Vermont. In addition, the company is well known for it’s creative television advertising and public relations campaigns. The use of innovative online marketing and web-based promotions with Yahoo have further emphasized this image and strengthened brand name recognition (SEC Report, 1999). Ben & Jerry's Annual Revenue: 1993-1998 225 $ (in millions) 200 175 150 125 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Year Figure 1. Annual Revenue for Ben & Jerry’s: 1993 to 1998. Source: Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report.CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY In 1992, Ben & Jerry’s became the first publicly held company to adopt the CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) principles as part of its environmental strategy (Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report). CERES is a non-profit coalition of interest groups working in partnership with companies towards the goal of corporate environmental responsibility worldwide. This involvement with CERES is evidence of the company’s dedication to protecting the environment and insurance that consideration is made to the environment when managing and operating its business.The CERES principles are as follows: †¢ Protection of the Biosphere 7 â € ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Reduction and Disposal of Wastes Energy Conservation Risk Reduction Safe Products and Services Environmental Restoration Public Outreach and Education Management Commitment Audits and Reports Ben & Jerry’s believes that â€Å"businesses should be among the leaders in the social change necessary to repair and prevent the damage that the human race is capable of inflicting upon natural cycles through everyday corporate, national, international, local and personal practices† (ibid).By integrating the CERES principles into the company’s overall goals, Ben & Jerry’s strives to develop a comprehensive environmental strategy that conforms to its mission of making an exemplary product, earning a fair return, and serving its community. Ben & Jerry’s environmental goals as a company are to minimize its negative impacts on the environment, promote sustai nable farming and safe methods of food production that reduce environmental degradation, and use its business as a medium for environmental and social change.In order to accomplish this strategy there are numerous policies and activities that the company is executing, or has plans to execute in the near future. By analyzing Ben & Jerry’s environmental strategy within the framework of the Principle Strategy-Implementing Tasks, as outlined in Chapter 9 of Crafting and Implementing Strategy (Thompson and Strickland, 1998), we can effectively examine the steps the company is taking to best achieve its goals. These actions are visible in all aspects of the company and are proof of the company’s commitment to its environmental strategy.There is an ever-present culture within Ben & Jerry’s of environmental awareness and interest in company greening. In implementing its strategy, Ben & Jerry’s has worked to ensure that every employee is involved and that values a re shared throughout the company. Within the management structure of the company, efforts are made to make sure that the Board of Directors and CEO are fully informed about pertinent environmental issues and are fully responsible for environmental policy. In addition, the company considers demonstrated environmental commitments when selecting Board members.As the founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield continue to provide strong environmental leadership that is crucial to effective implementation of the company’s environmental strategy. There is significant dialogue within the chain of command of the company. At each manufacturing site in Vermont there is an Environmental Coordinator who is in charge of operating and monitoring environmental activities. These coordinators meet with the Manager of Natural Resource Use on a monthly basis. Through this dialogue, nvironmental strategies for company-wide and site-specific compliance and operations are made. The Manager of Natural Resource Use reports to the Senior Director of Operations who in turn reports to the CEO (ibid). This flow of information ensures that every decision-maker is aware of environmental issues and considers these factors when running the business. 8 There is also a significant employee environmental awareness and education campaign within the company. Programs such as the company-wide Environmental Awareness Week promotes employee knowledge of environmental issues.During orientation, new employees are introduced to the environmental policies of the company by the Manager of Natural Resource Use (ibid). In addition, there are employee-led groups called Green Teams that work on company-related projects like recycling, composting, and writing â€Å"eco-facts† for the company newspaper (ibid). This activism and knowledge-share that is built into the company network contributes to the success of its environmental strategy by enabling company personnel to better carry out their strate gic roles.In addition to this internal communication, the company also uses various strategies to build public interest and awareness in environmental issues. This succeeds in not only promoting the goals of the company, but also in adding to the competitive advantage of the company by gaining public support and loyalty. Ben & Jerry’s website has a plethora of information on its environmental policies, activities, and accomplishments. The importance that the company places on these issues is shown by the fact that some of this information is highlighted on the home page (www. benjerry. om, 2000). Other tools the company uses for disseminating information to the public are the publications of the Annual Report and CERES Report, as well as position papers on dioxin and rBGH at their scoop shops. In addition, the company puts on an annual festival encouraging public awareness of environmental and social issues (CERES Report, 1998). In order to be successful in implementing its e nvironmental strategy, Ben & Jerry’s has established many strategy-supportive policies company-wide. These are detailed in the company’s 1998 CERES Report. These policies apply to all U. S. ocations and international locations under the company’s direct ownership. The Manager of Natural Resource Use continually updates them whenever new technologies, concerns, or standards emerge. Examples of these include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Beginning in 1997, all uncontaminated waste oils from its plants are re-refined by a certified handler to be reused. In 1994 the company created a list of approved environmentally friendly cleaning and office supplies that is continually updated when appropriate. Scoop shops are built with environmentally sound material, such as tiles and countertops made of recycled materials.The â€Å"Contractor’s Handbook† contains environmental requirements for all outside parties working at Ben & Jerry’s sites. Another area that is crucial to ensure that environmental strategies are achieved is in the allocation of resources to strategy-critical activities and the institution of best practices for continuous improvement. The company puts a lot of energy into exploring opportunities for waste reduction, recycling, and energy use. In addition, the company tracks the cost and impacts of all waste and energy use associated with the production process.Using a system of integrated environmental tracking tables the company reports on solid, hazardous, wastewater, and dairy waste production, energy use, and recycling. This information is used to identify trends and set 9 goals. As a result of this work the company has demonstrated continual improvement in its solid-waste recycling, rising from 35% in 1995 to 53% in 1998. Figure 2 shows the amount of waste the company has recycled between 1995 and 1998. In 1998, a Packaging Innovation Group was created with a goal reducing waste from ingredient packaging (ibid. ).In 1997, the company conducted a project to develop a pint container that would be more environmentally sustainable and compostable. The company invested hundreds of man-hours to analyze sources of chlorine-free paper for their â€Å"Eco-Pint† (ibid. ). The release of this product is in direct line with the company’s environmental strategy and presents a major step forward in its goal to develop a compostable, non-toxic container. Annual Recycling at Ben & Jerry's Tons of Solid Waste 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1995 1996 Year 1997 1998 Figure 2. Annual Solid Waste Recycling at Ben & Jerry’s between 1995 and 1998.Source: Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report. Ben & Jerry’s realizes the importance of community participation and accountability. Consistent with its environmental strategy, Ben & Jerry’s uses its business as a means of promoting environmentalism, small-scale agriculture, human rights, and economic justice. This is achieved through C orporate Giving to organizations like Natural Resources Defense Council and the Vermont Land Trust, the establishment of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation which funds non-profit social and environmental organizations across the United States, and Community Actions Teams.These teams are made up of Ben & Jerry’s employees who organize annual major community projects in their area and provide grants to various community-based organizations. All told, Ben & Jerry’s donates approximately 7. 5% of its pre-tax profits annually (ibid. ). 10 Another means by which the company seeks to achieve its environmental strategy is through management of its supply chain. Ben & Jerry’s is consistently working to purchase ingredients and other inputs from environmentally and socially responsible sources. The company has a Vendor Certification Program in which 80% of its suppliers were enrolled by the end of 1998 (ibid. . As part of the assessment process, Ben & Jerry’s eval uates the environmental competencies of potential suppliers and considers this information when determining whether or not to do business. In addition, Ben & Jerry’s only purchases dairy supplies from family farmers who pledge not to treat their cows with rBGH, because of the adverse effects it has on sustainable agriculture (ibid. ). By working with its suppliers, Ben & Jerry’s attempts to ensure that its environmental goals are shared throughout its supply chain. This leads to a more effective implementation of its overall strategy.STRATEGY ANALYSIS An analysis of the external and internal forces shaping the ice cream industry is necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of Ben & Jerry’s current (and prospective) corporate and environmental strategies. We will utilize several analytical tools to characterize the strengths and liabilities of the industry and the effectiveness of the company’s strategy, particularly through the use of the Five For ces Model of Competition, the Sixth (Non-Market) Force analysis, SWOT analysis, and the key factors of success.Five Forces Model of Competition In order to identify and assess the strength of external competitive forces on the ice cream industry we utilized a common analytical tool, Porter’s Five Forces Model of Competition, which is based on the following five factors: rivalry among competing sellers, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers of key inputs, substitute products and potential new entrants to the market (Thomas and Strickland, 1995). Figure 3 summarizes the competitive strength of these forces on the ice cream industry.Rivalry Among Competing Sellers The principal competitors in the super-premium ice cream industry are large, diversified companies with significantly greater resources than Ben & Jerry’s; the primary competitors include Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs. Rivalry can be characterized as intense, given that numerous competitors exist, the cost of switching to rival brands is low, and the sales-increasing tactics employed by Dreyers and other rivals threatens to boosts rivals’ unit volume of production (SEC Report, 1999).Buyers The power of buyers is relatively high because buyers are large, consisting of individual customers, grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants nationwide and globally. Since retailers purchase ice cream products in large quantities, this gives buyers substantial leverage over price. In addition, there are many ice cream products to choose from, so the buyers’ cost of switching to competing brands is relatively low. In order to defend against this competitive force, a company’s strategy must include strong product differentiation so that buyers are less able to switch over without incurring large costs. 1 Suppliers The suppliers to the ice cream industry include dairy farmers, paper container manufacturers, and suppliers of various flavorings. Such suppliers ar e a moderate competitive force, given that the ice cream industry they are supplying is a major customer, there are multiple suppliers throughout the nation to choose from, and many of the suppliers’ viability is tied to the wellbeing of large, established companies such as Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs. Therefore, the ice cream suppliers have moderate leverage to bargain over price.Substitute Products Many substitutes products are available within the dessert and frozen food industry (cookies, pies, Popsicles, cake). The ease with which buyers can switch to substitute products is an indicator of the strength of this competitive force. Since substitute products are readily available and attractively priced compared to the relatively higher priced super-premium ice cream products, the competitive pressures posed by substitute products are intense. Companies that enter the super-premium market, therefore, must adopt defensive strategies that convince buyers their higher priced produc t has better features (i. . , quality, taste, innovative flavors) that more than make up for the difference in price. Potential New Entrants The barriers to entry within the ice cream industry are moderate due to the brand preferences and customer loyalty toward the larger and more established rival companies. Other obstacles to new entrants include strong brand loyalty to established firms and economic factors, such as the requirement for large sources of capital, specialized mixing facilities and manufacturing plants.In addition, the accessibility of distribution channels can be difficult for an unknown firm with little or no brand recognition. Although Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield successfully launched their ice cream business from a gas station with modest funding and staff, they had to initially rely on a rival company’s distribution channels (and later on independent distributors) in order to gain a stronger foothold in the market. Figure 3. Porter’s Model of t he Five Competitive Forces S ubstituteProducts Many S ubstitute sBuye rs S trong le rage ve Largenum rs be Rivalry Among Competing Sellers Many large established rivals S upplie rs Mode le rage rate ve Ne Entrants w Mode Barrie to rate rs Entry 12 As discussed above, several competitive forces on the ice cream industry are relatively strong, suggesting that it is a difficult industry to be competitive in. However, Ben & Jerry’s implementation of a differentiation strategy has helped the company effectively defend against these forces and gain a competitive advantage.The use of higher quality ingredients and ecofriendly packaging has created a unique brand image that helps develop brand loyalty and beat rival competitors to the market. The company’s social activism toward the community and use of innovative flavors also help insulate the firm from the strong bargaining power of buyers since rival firms and/or products are relatively less attractive. Similarly, Ben & Jer ry’s product differentiation strategy also allows the company to fend off threats of substitute products that don’t have comparable features.The company’s differentiation strategy also mitigates the threat of potential entrants due to high buyer loyalty for a superior product. The moderate threat posed by suppliers is tackled by two other facets of the company’s strategy: ensuring the viability of suppliers by paying premium prices for raw materials, and redesigning the distribution network to gain more control and reduce reliance on rival distribution channels. The â€Å"Sixth† Force (Non-Market Forces) Industry Regulations Ben & Jerry’s is subject to regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Vermont Department of Agriculture.In response to stringent labeling criteria for healthoriented foods, the company made changes in its labeling regarding its low fat/low cholesterol products (SEC Report, 1999). FDA regu lations may potentially affect the ability of the company, as well as rival firms in the ice cream industry, to develop and market new frozen dessert products. However, given that Ben & Jerry’s is already in compliance with the FDA, it is unlikely that such regulations will have a significant impact on the company’s operations.Other regulatory forces include potential RCRA liability due to the company’s generation of hazardous materials during the manufacturing process. However, Ben & Jerry’s is currently exempt from these hazardous materials regulations since the level of hazardous materials generated is below the threshold for requiring a permit; indeed, by staying small and maintaining regulatory compliance, the company gains a competitive advantage over larger companies that may have to meet stricter regulations or be more susceptible to non-compliance.Public and Stakeholders Public and stakeholder concerns over health and nutrition and environmental pollution exert a strong force on the ice cream industry. The heightened consumer awareness and demand for low-cholesterol or low-fat foods can force companies to respond with ingredient substitutions and differentiated product lines to stay in business. Similarly, the increasing consumer trend toward supporting eco-friendly product packaging and all-natural, organic ingredients can cause ice cream companies to revise their strategies.Ben & Jerry’s, with it’s commitment to providing all natural ingredients, a low-fat ice cream line, and chlorine-free paper for example, is in a better position to attract those consumers who are willing to pay more to get more. Given Ben & Jerry’s proactive strategic approach, the company can effectively insulate itself from these public pressures and enjoys a significant competitive advantage over those companies that resist incorporating socially progressive or eco-friendly values into their strategies. 13SWOT Analysis Another m eans of analyzing the strategies of the company is by examining the strengths and weaknesses of its internal resources, and then exploring the external threats and opportunities facing the company. By developing a clear understanding of these factors, we can evaluate where the company should go from here. Figure 4 identifies these forces for both the general corporate and environmental strategies of Ben & Jerry’s. Based on our analysis, we feel that much of the company’s internal strengths and external opportunities lie within its environmental strategy.This gives further evidence to suggest that the environmental and corporate strategies are well integrated, and that this integration is crucial to the future success of the company. Figure 4. SWOT Analysis of Ben & Jerry’s Strengths Product Differentiation Brand Name & Image Creative Advertising & Promotion Innovation Environmental Leader Threats Image Deterioration Increased Competition Shift in Buyer Preferenc es Loss of Sales to Substitutes Bush Presidency Conflicts with Unilever Weaknesses Dependence on Outside Distribution High Cost Financial Instability Geographic LimitationsOpportunities Growing Consumer Environmental Interest Geographic Expansion Market Diversification Alliances Key Success Factors A successful strategy incorporates the company’s efforts to be competent on all of the industry’s key success factors and to excel on at least one factor (Thompson and Strickland, 1998). In the highly competitive super-premium ice cream industry, the key factors of success include product 14 differentiation, a strong distribution network, brand loyalty and clever advertising.As shown in Figure 5, Ben & Jerry’s excels in these (and other) key factors, and has a particular expertise on product differentiation to gain a competitive advantage. Product Differentiation All-natural ingredients Innovative flavors High quality Brand Loyalty Favorable reputation with environmen tally-aware consumers Access to Distribution Network use of independent suppliers and existing channels Social Activism Corporate philanthropy Ben & Jerry’s Fund Eco-friendly Product Dioxin-free pint containers Recycled materials Hormone-free dairy supplyClever advertising Free ice cream samples Grassroots and local image Figure 5. Ben & Jerry’s Key Factors of Success. STRATEGIC CONSISTENCIES According to the Ben & Jerry’s Mission Statement, the goal of the company is to integrate product quality with economic success and social responsibility. One of the key strategic factors that successfully links these three missions together is the differentiation strategy. In this respect, the environmental and general corporate strategies are very much in tune with each other.Differentiation not only increases the competitive advantage of Ben & Jerry’s, but it also leads to environmental excellence in the operation of the company. By focusing its attention and ener gy on recycling, energy efficiency, and product innovation, Ben & Jerry’s can reduce its impact on the environment while at the same time reducing product cost. This is being achieved through the work of the Packaging Information Group that focuses on reducing the incoming packaging which adds to the waste stream, and the production of the compostable â€Å"Eco-Pint. † These and other actions help build a competitive advantage within the market.By using allnatural, rBGH-free ingredients and dioxin-free containers, Ben & Jerry’s can also attract environmentally minded consumers to its products, thus increasing market share. At the same time, this practice helps protect the environment and support family-farming and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this differentiation strategy has the versatility of providing a better product that can attract customers, command a higher price, and protect the environment, thus satisfying the three integral parts of the company ’s mission and both the corporate and environmental strategies.In order for this environmental differentiation strategy to be sustainable there needs to be a willingness among customers to pay for environmental quality, credible information about the company’s environmental attributes, and insulation against imitation. The company’s steady 15 growth in revenue over the last few years shows that the customer base is there and that they are more than willing to pay a premium price for a superior quality product. Ben & Jerry’s addresses the latter two issues through its informative website, external audits, and constant innovation creating unique, hard to imitate flavors and products.Another way in which the environmental strategy and corporate strategy are consistent with each other is in the area of regulatory compliance. As a result of the attention Ben & Jerry’s pays to the environmental risks associated with its production process, and the effort s made by the company to ensure that negative impacts to the environment from its business operations are minimized, Ben & Jerry’s has had very few compliance issues and has never been issued any penalties by Federal regulators (1998 CERES Report). In addition to the environmental benefit from such compliance, there is a beneficial impact on the business as well.By minimizing operational costs, the company gains a potential competitive advantage over competitors with less stringent environmental controls that may face compliance issues. Overall, the company’s environmental strategy and general business strategy are well integrated. By focusing on differentiation, which is in large part due to environmental policies and programs, the company gains a competitive advantage over its rivals. As the company grows and increases its annual profits, more money can therefore be donated to social and environmental causes through its various giving channels.Ben & Jerry’s ha s positioned itself so that its success is highly dependent on its environmental image, therefore the two strategies are intimately linked. There are, however, some disconnects between strategies. There are a few instances where environmental goals take a back seat to company profits. Examples of these disconnects are described in the next section below. DISCONNECTS BETWEEN STRATEGIES Although the mission of the company is to temper economic growth with environmental responsibility, during our research we discovered several ccasions in which company profits clearly outweighed the desire to be as environmentally proactive as possible. For example, Ben and Jerry’s currently packages its Peace Pops inside a plastic wrapper and paper board box. This change was in response to a belief that sales had been declining due to customer disapproval of its original packaging, which consisted solely of a plastic wrapper. This change has led to an increase of packaging materials by 152,000 pounds annually (ibid. ).This is in direct conflict with the company’s policy on waste reduction and illustrates the priority given to company profits over environmental concerns. Similarly, an effort to introduce an organic line of desserts, which would have been more in line with its environmental strategy, was abandoned due to economic costs. Another example of a â€Å"disconnect† is in the company’s energy use. Ben & Jerry’s recognizes that its operation, like any industrial process, is energy intensive. However, as of 1998, the company had no formal policy on energy use and conservation (ibid. ).While the plants and scoop shops make attempts to be energy efficient, the company relies on non-renewable sources of energy for its production processes, instead of using green energy that would be less damaging 16 and more consistent with its environmental policies. Although not expressly stated, it seems that economic cost is once again superseding sustain ability. While Ben & Jerry’s works to reuse and recycle as much of its waste as possible, it is the policy of the company to send any hazardous waste that cannot be recycled to a hazardous waste incinerator to be handled.Although this may be the most economical method of treating hazardous waste, it is not necessarily the most environmentally sound disposal technology, and directly contradicts the company’s environmental goals. In keeping with the corporate strategy of maintaining a local, down home image, many sacrifices to the environmental strategy are made. The most glaring disconnect is in the national distribution of the product from a single state. Manufacturing in Vermont requires extensive shipping of its products; this is a highly energy-intensive process.In 1998, emissions from the distribution of its products totaled over 113,000 pounds for carbon monoxide, 15,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 7,000 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,600 tons of carbon dioxide, and 400 pounds of particulate matter (ibid. ). This tradeoff illustrates an inherent inconsistency between the corporate and environmental strategies of the company. While these disconnects do occur, we feel that Ben & Jerry’s has done an excellent job in integrating its business and environmental strategies and balancing profitability with environmental protection.UNILEVER ACQUISITION AND IMPACTS ON STRATEGY Ben & Jerry's strategy will likely shift towards larger-scale economic growth in response to the recent Unilever acquisition of the company in April 2000. Ben & Jerry’s emphasized that this acquisition will allow the company to create an even more dynamic, socially positive ice cream business with global reach (www. lib. benjerry. com). In addition, the financial backing of a larger and established company will strengthen Ben & Jerry’s competitive advantage with respect to the five forces, particularly the threat of competition from rival firms.According to the co founders, â€Å"neither of us could have anticipated, twenty years ago, that a major multinational would some day sign on, enthusiastically, to pursue and expand the social mission that continues to be an essential part of Ben & Jerry's and a driving force behind our many successes. But today, Unilever has done just that. While we and others certainly would have preferred to pursue our mission as an independent enterprise, we hope that, as part of Unilever, Ben & Jerry's will continue to expand its role in society† (ibid).The agreement between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s ensures that the current social mission of Ben & Jerry's will be encouraged and well-funded, which will lead to improved performance in this area; and an opportunity has been offered for Ben & Jerry's to contribute to Unilever's social practices worldwide. According to Richard Goldstein, President of Unilever Foods of North America, Unilever feels that â€Å"Ben & Jerry's has a significant opportunity outside of the United States. Unilever is in an ideal position to bring the Ben & Jerry's brand, values and socially responsible message to consumers worldwide.Much of the success of the Ben & Jerry's brand is based on its connections to basic human values, and it is our hope and expectation that Ben & Jerry's continues to engage in these critical, global economic and social missions† (ibid). Based on the nature of this agreement, Unilever is pledging to uphold Ben & Jerry’s mission of 17 integrating product quality with economic performance and social responsibility. Therefore, we do not expect that Ben & Jerry’s environmental strategy will change, except that more innovations can possibly be made with the augmented financial and human resources.In addition, the social and environmental mission of the company will have the opportunity to be applied on a more global scale. As far as the preservation of the company’s corporate strategy, Unilever’s gl obal presence and greater access to distribution channels will allow for Ben & Jerry’s to continue to expand internationally, thus increasing market share, profitability, and competitive advantage. Potential threat to Ben & Jerry’s success as a result of the Unilever acquisition are the negative public perception of the company (i. e. elling out), loss of consumer support and brand loyalty. This can be mitigated through marketing strategies geared towards alleviating public fears and ensuring that the underlying goals and policies of the company will remain intact. RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION Based on our analysis, we believe that the corporate and environmental strategies are appropriate and well integrated. While there are some disconnects between the two strategies, overall it is clear that the company strives to achieve economic success and environmental responsibility.Up to now, Ben & Jerry’s has been successful at maintaining this balance. The primary con cern is how well the company can insulate itself from future competition that could threaten its position as a leader in the super premium frozen dessert industry. In light of the threats identified in the SWOT analysis, we recommend that Ben & Jerry’s implement the following suggestions: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Protect its public image in light of the recent acquisition by Unilever by maintaining its current position as a market-leader in environmentally and socially responsible business practices.Continue cost-cutting efforts through implementation of further waste reduction, energy conservation, and recycling programs. Draft a formal written policy on energy use. Frequent product innovation and diversification to address threats of substitute and imitation products and meet changing consumer preferences (i. e. lactose-free ice cream, all organic line of frozen desserts, cookies) Continue franchising scoop shops to increase its market reach a nd withstand growing competition, both nationally and internationally.As the company grows, there will be greater waste generation and distribution-related emissions – increase the development of cleaner manufacturing, disposal, and distribution technologies to ensure that the company continues to stay in compliance. Develop additional manufacturing plants and distribution centers outside of Vermont to reduce distribution costs, cut down on distribution-related emissions, and increase production volume of the company. If George W.Bush becomes President, there could be a relaxation of environmental regulations and attitudes, thus leveling the playing field and eroding Ben & Jerry’s competitive advantage over firms that may be less environmentally responsible. The 18 †¢ company needs to continue to focus on its differentiation strategy to retain its edge and bolster customer loyalty and support. Continue to work with Unilever to ensure that Ben & Jerry’s rema ins an independent subsidiary with its social and environmental values firmly in place. Protect itself from assimilation into the multinational corporate identity.In conclusion, our analysis has illustrated that a company can be competitive without sacrificing its environmental goals and strategies. Through differentiation, Ben & Jerry’s has established itself as both a leader in product quality and environmental responsibility. The challenge will be for Ben & Jerry’s, after being acquired by a multinational conglomerate, to demonstrate that it is still possible to maintain its uniqueness and proactive environmental strategy. So can Ben & Jerry’s continue to serve up a double scoop of being green and making green?Stay tuned for the next flavor of the month. 19 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Environmental Report, 1998. Securities and Exchange Commission Annual Report for Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Form 10-K, 1999. Spolsky, Joel, â€Å"How to Grow a Business,† http://www. fool. com, August 4, 2000. Thompson, Arthur A. Jr. , Strickland, III, A. J. Crafting and Implementing Strategy, Text and Readings, 10th edition. Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1998. www. hoovers. com www. benjerry. com www. lib. benjerry. com Substitute Products Many S ubstitute s 20