Louis Vuitton Strategy Essay

LVMH is the world’s leading luxury products group. The strategy of LVMH is based on combining LVMH fashion and leather goods. Net sales have grown 57% in the past two years. In 2001 LVMH had a strong earning growth in a slumping economy. This was due to the strength of the Louis Vuitton brand, which is the world leader in luxury goods and benefited the younger brands from the synergies that developed within the business group. Each company could focus on their core business design and marketing while they benefited from shared financial and technical expertise. Each one is moving toward its objective and improving sales. Mr. Carcelle made strategic plans to establish the organizations overall goals. LVMH’s goal is to grow faster than their competitors. The logic of acquiring several companies over a short period of time was based on the internal growth of LVMH. They had a strong support of brand image; they are number one in the world with 50 brands and have a strong presence in all luxury sectors. They have a good geographical balance and control over distribution. The strategy was based on the constant and sustainable growth of multi brands. Carcelle’s thought is what happened for the Louis Vuitton brand can and will happen for his new smaller brands. Carcelle is in for the long run and understands the time lines. LVMH is building up design teams and continue to expand and renovate their worldwide store network. They continue to invest in advertising and promotion while making the capital expenditures required to increase production capacity and meet the strong demand for their produc ts. Yves Carcell is charismatic and a visionary leader. He has the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, and attractive vision of the future and improved upon the present situation. He is often at his desk well before dawn, but before sitting down to an early morning meeting in his Paris office, Carcelle, 54 invites a visitor to step on to the balcony and watch the sun rise over the Seine. â€Å"Isn’t it beautiful?† he asks with a delighted grin (Business Week-online June 17, 2002) His twenty years working in sales and marketing for consumer goods companies made him the logical  person to preside over LVMH fashion group. Carcelle is a fierce defender of his brands and it is said that he bawled out a French government official attending a Vuitton store opening in Bangkok when he spotted her carrying a fake Vuitton bag. That certainly shows attention to detail. Carcelle is fluent in English, Spanish, and French. His experience and charm make him as comfortable talking with shop managers and designers as he is conducting high powered business negotiations with CEOs. He oversees LVMH’s most valuable portfolio of brands. He must also keep tight control over a global network of factories and stores, without snuffing out the creative spark that gives the luxury business its luster. He was responsible for bringing in new designers to spiff up Vuitton’s styling and expand the product line, while terminating franchise agreements so that LVMH regained exclusive control of retailing. Carcelle’s leadership has been effective. Last year, fueled largely by Vuitton, the fashion group accounted for nearly 30% of LVMH’s $10.8 billion in sales, and more than 80% of its $1.4 billion operating profit. (Business Week-online June17, 2002)

Stand by Me Cmm Theory

1. Describe the development of Self Concept of Gordie’s character in the film. How is it different from Chris’? The film showcased Gordie’s thoughts and growth with his friends. From his exterior of a young lad, wimpy and afraid, he had managed to mature in to an independent and confident individual. In the beginning of the film, he had been described, by himself, as a weird guy, since he wasn’t like his late brother, who was the favorite. He loved writing and was good at it, but the unfortunate reality he was in was comparison from his parents, who would rather have a popular kid with ‘normal’ friends later, made him diss his own passion.And this practice developed and later on gave him enough fright to accept his invisibility. His coward-ness of going against his father permanently shuts his mouth and just listen with what his parents had to say. However, Chris, a kid from a bad family, is a hopeful lawyer. But since everyone sees him as a j uvenile, he never bothered to live his dream. His tough spirit and leadership skills lead the gang gave them courage. I think he’s influential like that, though he knows for himself he wouldn’t turn out good; he has good intention for his friends.Like how Gordie described him as a peacemaker of the gang. Chris is like the gang’s guardian. He always makes sure they’re okay and take care of them unlike how his alcoholic father. Nevertheless, the self-fulfilling prophecy of the two later on changed when Chris and Gordie changed after they found the body. Chris became a lawyer, though hard to get in with his status and Gordie became a writer, much to his joy that he took it. When they changed their views of themselves and how they acted, people had changed also with how they viewed them. 2.Choose any one of the characters and by citing specific scenes and dialogues from the film discuss how this character exhibited the Self-fulfilling Prophecy. Chris’ side: Gordie: Maybe you could go into the College-courses with me. Chris: That'll be the day. Gordie: Why not you're smart enough. Chris: They won't let me. Gordie: What d'you mean? Chris: It's the way people think of my family in this town. It's the way they think of me. Just one of those lowlife Chambers-kids. Gordie: That's not true. Chris: Oh it is. No one even asked me if I took the milkmoney that time.I just got a three-day vacation. Gordie: Did you take it? Chris: Yeah I took it. You knew I took it. Teddy knew I took it. Everyone knew I took it. Even Vern knew it I think. Maybe I was sorry and I tried to give it back. Gordie: Tried to give it back? Chris: Maybe, just maybe. And maybe I took it to Old Lady Simons and told her. And the money was all there. But I still got a three-day vacation because it never showed up. And maybe the next week Old lady Simons had that brand new skirt on when she came to school. Gordie: Yeah, yeah. It was brown and had dots on it!Chris: Yeah. So let's just say that I stole the milk money but Old Lady Simons stole it back from me. Just suppose that I told the story. Me, Chris Chambers, kid brother of the Eyeball Chambers. You think that anybody would have believed it? Gordie: No. Chris: And d'you think that that bitch would have dared try something like that if it would have been one of those dootch bags from up on The View if they had taken the money? Gordie: No way! Chris: Oh no! But with me! I'm sure she had her eyes on that skirt for a long time. Anyway she saw her chance and she took it. I was the tupid one for even trying to give it back. I never thought – I never thought that a teacher– Oh who gives a fuck anyway? I just wish I could go to some place where nobody knows me. I guess I'm just a pussy, Gordie. Gordie: No way, no way. I think it was pretty brave of him to say what he has to say, but share his dream with his best friend and giving him his trust, is very admirable. This dialogue further define d his thoughts and how he had accepted his fate as a delinquent. Everyone saw him as a low life and never bothered to hear his side because he was Chris Chambers, a son of an alcoholic drug addict, so he ever bothered to argue no more. But on the last line, he said â€Å"I just wish I could go to some place where nobody knows me† this simple phrase is also another way of saying â€Å"I wish nobody would judge me with my family. They don’t know the real me† 3. Choose any two(2) of the IC Theories we covered in class and discuss how each was made evident in the film. Social Penetration Theory: Gordie: Why did he have to die, Chris? Why did Denny have to die? Why? Chris: I don't know. Gordie: It should have been me. Chris: Don't say that. Gordie: It should have been me.Chris: Don't say that, man. Gordie: I'm no good. My dad said it, I'm no good. Chris: He doesn't know you. Gordie: He hates me. Chris: He doesn't hate you. Gordie: He hates me. Chris: No, he just does n't know you. Gordie: He hates me. My dad hates me. He hates me oh oh God. Chris: You gonna be a great writer someday, Gordie. You might even write about us guys if you ever get hard up for material. Gordie: Guess I'd have to be really hard up, huh? Chris: Yeah. The moment when they had reached their goal, everything had hit Gordie like a cake thrown on the face.He mumbles his inner thoughts, agreeing to his uselessness to the family, completely in tragic horror about his brother’s death should have been his. This kind of talks only happens in intimate relationships shared, like Chris and Gordie’s relationship, which was built through the whole adventure or quest to find the missing body. Constructivism: As time went on we saw less and less of Teddy and Vern until eventually they became just two more faces in the halls. That happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant.I heard that Vern got married out of High-school, had four ki ds and is now the forklift operator at the Arsenal Lumberyard. Teddy tried several times to get into the Army but his eyes and his ear kept him out. The last I heard, he'd spent some time in jail. He was now doing odd jobs around Castle Rock. Chris did get out. He enrolled in the College-courses with me. And although it was hard he gutted it out like he always did. He went on to College and eventually became a lawyer. Last week he entered a fast food restaurant. Just ahead of him, two men got into an argument. One of them pulled a knife.Chris who would always make the best peace tried to break it up. He was stabbed in the throat. He died almost instantly. The writer or Gordie, now a father and a writer, reflects over what happened to them when they were twelve. His perspective of what happened was unforgettable and had imprinted on his life. Like what Chris said â€Å"You might even write about us guys if you ever hard up for material† and he did, he wrote their experience an d described how each one of them had grown and how he could never forget their friendship. Because only through experience you learn how things are made and how you mature.

Compare and Contrast Michael Dell and Andy Grove Essay

Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computer Corporation had his humble beginnings in the computer industry when he began selling personal computers directly out of his dorm room. This impressed upon him that this was the path to take in his professional life, he started his company in 1984, registered as Dell Computer Corporation. Krames, (2003) Unlike other computer companies at the time, Dell was heavily focused on the end user, the consumers who would actually be purchasing the computers. By placing the emphasis on the consumers instead of big box stores to sell his product he brought a new way of selling computers to the industry, which was an uncommon way of doing business at that time. This is a notable contribution to the computer field, as it made other computer companies rethink how they would sell their products, to try to combat Dells’ growing market share. As Krames (2003) â€Å"Dells direct model of â€Å" mass customization† was not born of any desire to revolutionize an industry. Instead, it was foraged through a â€Å"bottom-up† strategy based on customers’ needs and preferences.† (p.59) This proved to be a successful strategy, in 1988, 4 years after opening, Dell went public bringing in an impressive $30 million at its IPO. Krames, (2003) Seeing soaring success in personal computer sales, Dell decided to try a new direction, Olympic was introduced. â€Å"Olympic was a line of desktop and workstation computers that were able to perform a wide array of tasks.† (Krames, 2003, p. 67) In releasing this new program Dell neglected the principle part of his successful strategy-what do the costumers want? Resistance from consumers was noted, the consumers did not feel that they needed what the new line offered. Olympic proved to be Dells biggest tanking product. Andy Grove, born Andras Grof of Hungary, cofounded Intel corporation in 1968. Krames, (2003) Grove’s contributions to the computer industry is highly notable. Grove, along with his partners revolutionized how the computer industry looked at and transistors on computer chips. His contribution to the field was so noticeable, that Time magazine bestowed on him title of Person of the Year â€Å"for his role in fueling the computer revolution† (Krames, 2003, p. 135) Grove met with considerably more resistance and opposition that Dell. Intels’ first large confrontation and change was in 1980. The Japanese began producing chips that were not only lower cost wise but also considered better in quality. Krames, (2003) Groves was able to associate several factors that were partially responsible for this crisis. Intel had of recent, been constantly late with the release of new products. To compound this, the company had also neglected to invest in new manufacturing plants in a timely manner. As Krames (2003) states â€Å"†¦ the cause of the problem came down to the wrong strategy and poor execution† (p. 137) Grove and the then current CEO made the hard decision to get out of memories. Even though this is what the company was based on, and started from, they realized that if they remained in this market segment it could be the end of Intel. They made the hard decision to move into microprocessors, â€Å"the thinking part of the computer.† (p. 139) The next big issue Intel faced was 14 years later, in 1994. Intel was releasing its newest microprocessor, The Pentium. A small design flaw was detected, which prompted IBM to halt shipment of all Pentium-based computers. â€Å"Intel’s credibility- and, by extension- the entire company- was threatened as anxiety about the â€Å"bug† spun out of control in the business community.† (Krames, 2003, p. 140) Grove made the decision to replace all processors at the cost of a half billion dollars. This strategy, while costing a massive amount to the company, restored customers’ faith. Dell and Grove have a few similarities that can be noted. Each created a hugely successful business out a need or want that they saw that was not currently being fulfilled. Dell with his customer oriented selling approach, Grove with a computer chip that enabled a computer to run better and faster. Each man faced a point in their career of what Grove called a â€Å"strategic inflection point†Kramer (2003) While the magnitude of these was vastly different for each, it caused each man to reexamine how the company was running. The biggest difference that can be seen between these two is, while Dell simply restructured an already successful method of operation by segmenting it further. Grove completely changed how his company did business by changing the product, which could have ended in massive failure, but thankfully did not. Dell chose to focus more microscopically on the end user, on a person-to-person basis. Grove chose to focus more on the big picture with a mass production outcome. I think Dells’ beginnings of selling computers out of his dorm room gave him a taste for the personal aspect which his business is so well known for. Dell saw that this more approachable method worked for people, and obviously worked for him, thus creating one of the largest PC sales companies in the world. Grove’s very obvious personal factor that affected his business, is his background from before he entered the US. It even gave him â€Å"His personal manta, â€Å"only the paranoid survive†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Krames, 2003, p. 135) With this in mind he was able to overcome Intels’ crisis involving the Japanese, coming out on top, more successful than before. Each man is hugely successful, simple choices made throughout their careers differentiate them from one another.

Air Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Air Power - Essay Example Realists of all varieties heed Machiavelli's caution that "security for gentleman is impossible if not it be conjoined with power." (18) Leaders wishing to defend their condition from assault must learn to master the planned application of power and act therefore in all situation and against all competitors. Clausewitz's dictum that war is a continuance of strategy by additional means (the sword in its place of the pen) suggests its reverse that "statecraft" is at its spirit war by political means: Why use a sword when a ballpoint will be sufficient But stay your sword sharp in the occasion negotiated agreements in the end fail. Hans Morgenthau and Henry Kissinger, refugees from Nazi Germany who become key information in the American realist tradition, witness in the barbarity of European totalitarianism a warped moral fervor adversative to the fundamental person security upon which self-governing following systems depend. Failing to be familiar with the reality of Hitler's increasing armed power, deplete their arsenals, relying on treaties and declarations to remain the calm, open-minded democracies shaped the conditions under which the worldwide murder of World War II might no longer be banned. For Morgenthau and Kissinger, the ignominious breakdown of the West's following "idealism" from Versailles to Hitler's attack of Poland is summed up in a solitary image of humiliation: Neville Chamberlain, winning his return as of Munich to London on September 30, 1938 following handing the Sudetenland to Hitler, wave a text before soothing crowds: "[H]ere is the document which bears his person's name upon it as we ll as pit." Instead of achieve "peace in our time" as Chamberlain proclaim, the Munich treaty fatally shifted the European equilibrium of power in Hitler's favor, igniting the global disaster Churchill called "the Unnecessary War." Morgenthau's Politics Among Nations remains the determining American employment of realism in the "traditional" tradition. Morgenthau's understanding of "the move violently for power and calm"--shaped by his own knowledge of the victory of totalitarianism and antisemitism in his inhabitant Germany--carries over pessimistic assumptions about person psychology, and the force for power, reflected in the worldview communal by Thucydides, Machiavelli, and Hobbes. (22) Morgenthau follows Spinoza's attack winning philosophers who "imagine man not as they are but as they would like them to be." So Morgenthau's

Gender Differences in Preschool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gender Differences in Preschool - Essay Example The third type of attention, non-specific positive interactions, refers to any miscellaneous attention given to a student that does not neatly fit into the other categories, which includes encouragement and compliments among other types on interactions. The fourth type of attention, praise, refers to when the teacher verbally points out when a student in engaged in a favorable behavior. The last type of attention, command, refers to any verbal interaction initiated by the teacher which directs the child's behavior in a certain way. Command does not include verbal interactions in the context of discipline. Child misbehavior was also observed and noted. Dobbs, Arnold, and Doctoroff found that teachers do treat boys and girls differently in regards to attention. They found that while there was no difference in the amount of physical warmth and praise that teachers gave to boys when compared to girls, there were differences in the other types of attention. Teachers tended to command boys more than girls, while they also tended to reward and engage in non-specific positive interactions with girls more than boys. There may be some explanation for these findings. First, while boys received more commands from teachers, they were also observed to misbehave more often than girls. It was observed that teachers gave more commands to students who typically misbehaved, even when they were not misbehaving. A possible explanation may be that the teacher is trying to prevent future misbehavior. If this is true, then behavior is in fact the mitigating factor in commands, and not gender. The difference noticed in the frequency of rewards given... This essay stresses that the difference noticed in the frequency of rewards given to boys in comparison to girls may also be contributed somewhat to misbehavior. It was found that while girls receive rewards more often than boys, girls who misbehaved received rewards more often than girls who did not misbehave. At the same time, boys who misbehaved received rewards more often than boys who did not misbehave, although this was still less than girls who did not misbehave. A possible explanation may be that teachers use rewards for acceptable behavior in order to wean children off of misbehaving. This explanation does not completely account for the observations, since non-misbehaving girls still received more rewards than misbehaving boys. At best, misbehavior can be used in conjunction with gender to explain this observation. This paper makes a conclusion that teachers tend to touch children of the same sex as themselves more often that different sex children. There may be many factors at play here, such as the teacher feels more comfortable touching children of the same sex, or that the teacher can relate to children of the same sex more readily. At the same time, it was found that male teachers tended to use a helpful touch far more often with girls than any of the other touching types, whereas female teachers did not favor one type of touch over another. A possible explanation for this may be that the male teachers are operating on the stereotype that females are dependent on males, and therefore need more help than males do.

Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States Assignment

Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States - Assignment Example The defeat of both Germany and Japan as well as the decline in the French Empires and British Empires created a situation where the United States had to build its military forces after winning a successful war against Adolf Hitler’s German Army and other intruders. In the same manner, the U.S.S.R. set up its own formidable military force to protect its own way of life. The United States’ way of life is grounded on democracy. On the other hand, the U.S.S.R’s way of life is grounded on communism. In response, the U.S.S.R created the Eastern Bloc of communist nations. On the other side of the cold war fence, the United States formed the NATO, a military alliance of nations bent to preventing the spread of communism around the world. In addition, The National Security Council issued Memorandum Number 68 (1) article indicates the Soviet Union had a new fanatic faith that was antithetical to the American people. The Soviet Union’s leaders were serious in their p olitical process to spread communism around the world. In the same manner, the United States was eagerly on its toes ready to aid countries being attacked by the Communist countries. George Kennan (1) opined the cold war B article states the Soviets were afraid of the Americans as much as the Americans were afraid of the Soviets. The Soviets were afraid of the United States’ atomic bombs. The Soviets doubled their efforts to produce their own Atomic bombs as well as thermonuclear weapons to diffuse the American threat son Soviet territories. The Soviets formed the Eastern Bloc of nations to prevent the Americans from attacking their communism- based nations. The Soviets were afraid that the United States would win in the North and South Vietnam War. Soviet Power focuses on reducing war risks by not engaging in conflicts or wars where the U.S.S.R would stand to lose, especially losing to the United States in a war.

Video Analysis on Love the Way You Lie Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Video Analysis on Love the Way You Lie - Article Example It also strongly implies the involvement of domestic violence in this relationship. Performed by hip-hop rapper Eminem and RnB singer Rihanna, both the song and its music video shows the perspectives of both parties. In both angles, it is clear that the two are experiencing a rough time. The relationship clearly shows how two very different people who are absolutely wrong for each other decide to stay together. This brings about a downward spiral in their relationship and just carries on to add fuel to the fire, as things spiral uncontrollably. Eminem and Rihanna, representing the voice of the couple in the relationship, is evidently having an extremely outrageous and difficult time in trying to fix a relationship that was never meant to bring any good. Both Rihanna and Eminem are currently two of the highest chart-topping artists and performers of the previous two decades. They are among the most influential people in pop culture that continues to bear a great impact on teenagers and young adults worldwide and inadvertently, both have played very public roles on the opposite ends of their own personal violent relationships. Eminem, a renowned rapper, emerged to prominence and fame in the later year of the nineties with a succession of controversial and provocative albums, some wherein he has openly expressed and suggested through rap the dark emotions and sentiments of murdering his ex-wife. On the other hand, Rihanna originally comes from Barbados has just recently endured a very public attack by her ex-boyfriend and RnB singer Chris Brown.  Ã‚  

Routing Protocols Of Cisco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Routing Protocols Of Cisco - Essay Example 2.2 Static RoutingMeehan says that static routing is the manual addition of routers into the routing board. As such, there is no communication among routers in static routing. As a result, the system administrator enters the fixed or static paths manually into the router without the routers sharing knowledge on the network topology.2.3 Dynamic routing Dynamic routing, which is also called adaptive routing, describes a computer network in which routers are able to alter their route or path depending on the changes in the conditions of communication circuits. For instance, a router is able to adjust to failing lines or overloads in traffic.Static routing is not a form of routing protocol because it is a manual procedure. On the other hand, dynamic routing uses protocols, which are usually supported by various software applications. Through the protocols, which define the path of routers, dynamic routers provide knowledge on various destinations. In static routing, the paths to be follo wed by routers are hard-coded on network devices as demonstrated by Meehan. This means that the direction of traffic is fixed. In dynamic routing, routing protocols are used in the determination of the most appropriate path to send traffic. If a specific path is not preferred, a different route is used in sending data packets. OSPF and EIGRP are examples of protocols used in dynamic routing.Static routing is applicable in computer networks when the number of devices to be configured is very few.

Unethical Desion in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unethical Desion in business - Essay Example what Alan Greenspan called the â€Å"increasingly complex financial instruments† that were supposed to have built â€Å"a far more efficient, flexible and resilient financial system† were actually tools designed to circumvent the banking regulatory system meant to ensure safety and prudence in the first place (Lewis et al., 2010:79). The bankers behind them were not motivated by any desire other than greed for profits, and their greed cost hundreds of thousands of people worldwide their homes, jobs, and the security of their families. In earlier times and even today in many cultures, the image of a businessman connotes shrewd selfishness that will not hesitate to pry the last dollar from an unwitting customer’s fingers. In many instances, the impression is well-justified, prompted by the oft-used phrase: â€Å"It’s only business† in explaining why the hapless customer should find himself short-changed. The multi-million dollar golden parachutes CEOs of the failed banks awarded themselves with before abandoning the ship of drowning investors are perfectly legal, they argue: it’s just business, as if that were sufficient excuse to avoid the norms of ethical behaviour. It is often thought that unethical behaviour in business is caused by the lack of time to ponder the repercussions of a decision that must be made in haste. That is not so, according to a recent study. Zhong, et al. (2010) found just the opposite, that the greater the time for deliberation, the less ethical the decision tends to be. This appears to contradict all known earlier philosophies that the time to reason ensures ethical choices. The experiment performed in the study, however, seems to suggest that when given the freedom to consult their consciences before acting, instead of simply following the rules, one is persuaded to rationalize his actions, to provide some â€Å"good† to explain why an unethical decision (usually more beneficial to himself) could be made. In simple words, the

Human resource policies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human resource policies - Case Study Example Our argument is that, in order to play a strategic role in the organization, the HR policies and practices that make up an organization's people strategy should reflect, reinforce, and support the organization's business aims and objectives. A strong linkage is needed between the overall vision of the organization that is held in the minds of the senior executives and the aims, objectives, and underlying philosophy of the organization's approach to managing people. This linkage will ensure that HR interventions can become a creator, and not an inhibitor, of sustained competitive advantage. This link between people strategy and business-unit strategy we term vertical alignment. Note, however that alignment suggests a much more fluid dynamic that allows for variation and flexibility. It is not a mechanistic "matching" exercise between business strategic objectives and people strategies; often, such matching is simply not feasible and, in any case, will act as a constraint. Instead, the process is evolving, based on an understanding of what the business's goals are, their people implications, and the translation of these into an overarching people strategy that can be used as a basis for detailed HR policies. Some core policy-setting, majority of decision-making and service provision is at the divisional and local level. There is limited shared services or automation, resulting in duplication across the business. Strategic goals: Cost control; divisional growth; market penetration. What this means for HR: HR services are closely aligned to divisional/local requirements resulting in variation in service offering across divisions. Challenges for HR - Evolution is driven by a 'powerful few'; - HQ has grown by adding management layers; - Corporate centre's role is to check what is proposed by divisions; - Centre not seen to add value. HR impact in a nutshell: Requires strong local HR capabilities. HR's response: Matthew Brearley, HR director, Vodafone says: "This definition is partly correct, but I feel HR's ability to influence is a blend of the organizational model and environment and personalities of people. We have a global framework but freedom to work in our territories. Do I have the ability to influence and make change - absolutely." Recruitment and Orientation At the global level, Corporate Responsibility (CR) is integrated into induction training for all new employees, through workshops that talk about the company's CR policies. All employees also receive the booklet on 'Passion for the World Around Us' that identifies the company's values and its commitment to the goals of CR. Vodafone conducts an annual employee survey that includes questions about whether the company is generating trust and adequately managing its environmental

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 10

Business - Essay Example Hence, some members of the society have organized NGOs, non-profit, voluntary organizations which seek to promote social justice by protecting the right of human beings and by providing basic social services to them (Koehn, 2002). Since NGOs have a growing impact on the society, it is important to determine and assess their roles. This paper evaluates the role of NGOs in international development through different development theories and by studying specific cases. Ultimately, this paper aims to determine the extent to which society needs NGOs. Development is a complex process which experts attempted to explain through theories. Modernization theory is among those. This theory states that development should aim for economic growth, equity, democracy, political order and stability, and autonomy (Princeton University, 2006). When it comes to economic growth there is but very little, if not absolutely nothing, that NGOs can contribute. However, NGOs can play a huge role in the attainment of the other goals of modernization that Huntington proposed, especially when it comes to equity. People who unite to form NGOs can help in minimizing wealth inequality, which is often manifested by the lack of access by some individuals to basic social needs and services. NGOs may not be able to promote equity in the whole society but they can do so within smaller communities. An excellent example of this is the case of one Romanian NGO called the Association of Former Baragan Deportees of Timisoara, Romania. Under the leadership of Adam Balmez, the NGO united thousands of deportees who lobbied for reparations for their suffering caused by the cruelty of the communist regime. The NGO also helped in bringing to public the suffering that more than 40,000 people had endured because of communist brutality. The Association has not limited its actions into legally advancing the rights of deportees. It has also provided its members with basic social

The Devil Restaurant Essay Example for Free

The Devil Restaurant Essay 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Business Innovation Korean Bibimbap, a new restaurant that is featured by healthy Korean food aims to provide white-collar workers with convenient service and business leisure under the help of e-commerce and efficient management. The main characteristics of Korean Bibimbap is as follows. ââ€"  Korean Bibimbap is set up as a restaurant selling healthy Korean meal sets at an acceptable price. Nowadays white-collar workers are faced with a dilemma on where to have dinner. On the one hand, despite the cheapness of food in staff canteen, some white-collar workers have been fed up with its distastefulness. On the other hand, many white-collar workers also complain that they can’t afford the food in restaurant because of its high price. Combined with high stress and long time of work, such a dilemme now has contributed to many health problems in white-collar workers. Based on the analysis of this situation, Korean Bibimbap will provide healthy Korean food in varied prices and an agreeable environment for white-collar workers to enjoy. ââ€"  Following the trend of e-commerce, Korean Bibimbap will use a electronic system including website and integrated management system for prospect background. Customers can not only come to the real shop for dinner but also place order through the internet. It deserves to be mentioned that online order service is still at its primary stage of development in China. This system will bring as much convenience as possible to consumers and in return expand the business of Korean Bibimbap. 2. Mission and Vission Our first responsibility is to provide every customers healthy food at a fair price as well as the pleasure of eating. We will make sure that every consumer receives a warm welcome on walking in our restaurant. We value employee’s active efforts on bringing health as well as pleasure to customers, and on spreading healthy diet culture to the world. We would like to join hands to advance and retreat as one with the development of our restaurant. By working closely, we can pave the way for a better prospect of our restaurant. 1.3 Food Stucture As its name suggests, at the start-up stage the main food provided in my restaurant is Korean Bibimbap sets, varying in variety and price. Korean Bibimbap will use advanced equipments to prepare and store food material on large scale without affecting the flavor and nutrition of Korean Bibimbap. More over, some special snakes will also be offered as a complement to deversification of food. At the expansion phase, Korean Bibimbap will add more food lines to the menu list. 1.4 Market Analysis The restaurant market is a competitive market with low entry barriers, where new restaurants emerge rapidly and compete with the existing ones. Base on the SWOT analysis, a successful restaurant should have both distinctive food and high quality service at least. Besides, exposure to lage numbers of mobile population also accounts for the success of some famous restaurant. To take all these into consideration, Korean Bibimbap decides to target on white-collar workers in International Trade Center in Beijing. 5. Management The management team mainly comprises five parts: administrative department, marketing department, human resource department, financial department and purchasing department, each of which has its specific responsibilities. Periodically, Korean Bibimbap will have personnel training, especially for these senior managers and gradually establish a comprehensive training system. At the same time, Korean Bibimbap will strengthen and perfect information management system on different levels, so as to facilitate the smooth and efficient operation. 1.6 Financial Planning Total investment for the first year is one million, which comprises 0.7 million from partnerships and 0.3 million of bank loan. At the early stage, Korean Bibimbap has to pay regular interests to investors every month. At the second year, Korean Bibimbap will have paid off all the debts and continue to operate the business with acculmulated capital. 7. Risk Analysis Major problems may come from the potential pandemic outbreak, some irresistible natural factors, external large-scale maligant competition, management risk, financial risk and policy risk. In order to minimize the negative effects of potential problems and risks, Korean Bibimbap will have special training on relevent staff to improve their ability to predict and evade risks. 1.8 Conclusion In short, Korean Bibimbap is a restaurant combined with healthy food and advanced management, targeting on the white-collar workers. With the joint efforts of all staff, Korean Bibimbap will have a good market prospect and further development in the future. 2. Business Description 1. General Descriprion of the Business Korean Bibimbap is a new restaurant featured by health and convenience, aiming to provide white-collar workers with convenient service and business leisure under the help of e-commerce and efficient management. ââ€"  Target Consumers More often than not, white collar workers is more likely to eat out. For modern white-collar workers, they lay more emphasis on both convenience and nutrition. At the same time, they are also curious about exotic flavour and attach importance to deliciousness of food. They also don’t have too much economic problem, so medium priced Korean Bibimbap will not make them hesitate too much. ââ€"  Site Selection Because the target customers of Korean Bibimbap are white-collar workers, the location is finally decided as International Trade Center, which is known as one of the biggest office building areas. ââ€"  High Quality Services All the staff have to be energetic and enthusiastic young people, who will have united training course about providing good service and should be interested in, if not familiar with, Bibimbap culture. Various characteristic services will be offered from the customers entering Korean Bibimbap till their departure. Furthermore, Korean Bibimbap will provide convenient online reservation and take-away services. 2. Industry Background As a traditional industry, the restaurant industry has played important roles in the economic development. In the long term, the strong growth of restaurant industry will continue. There are two major reasons as follows: ââ€"  Although There are many restaurants in Beijing, the amount of people eating out is still a small proportion of the total population. With the further development of economy, there will be still great potential for new restaurant to win decent profits. ââ€"  From the perspective of demand, people will attach more importance to diversified, healthy and quality food. These demend will contribute to the further development of the restaurant industry. In coclusion, the restaurant market is a competitive market with low entry barriers, where new restaurants emerge rapidly and compete with the existing ones. However, there is still great space for new restaurants as long as operators make efforts to establish their own features and improve the quality of service. 3. Goals and Potential ââ€"  Vission To bring health and happiness to the world. ââ€"  Mission To bring health by providing delicious food; To bring happiness by providing better services. ââ€"  Core values Healthy Delicacy Our first responsibility is to provide every customers healthy food at a fair price as well as the pleasure of eating. Consumers First We will make sure that every consumer receives a warm welcome on walking in our restaurant. We measure our work against how much satisfaction our consumers get from our services. The satisfactory smile of customers will be our best encouragement forward. Enthusiasm and Dedication It is the enthusiasm and dedication of our employees that keeps our restaurant going and expanding. We value employee’s active efforts on bringing health as well as pleasure to customers, and on spreading healthy diet culture to the world. Teamwork We would like to join hands to advance and retreat as one with the development of our restaurant. By working closely, we can pave the way for a better prospect of our restaurant. 4. Uniqueness of Product The distinctive food of Korean Bibimbap is featured by its nutrition and convenience. On the one hand, Bibimbap is nutritious food with low calories, for the main ingredients of Bibimbap are various vegetables. Compared to KFC and other kind of cuisines, Bibimbap lays more emphasis on nutrition and health. According to latest study, Korean chilli paste can stimulate the palate of people and in some sense improve the immunity of people. On the other hand, Bibimbap is also a delicious and convenient food to be offered at a short time. While operating the business, we will prepare some ingredient in large numer beforehand and use special equipment to store them. As Korean Bibimbap becomes stronger, more food series will be added, like Korean barbecue, to the menu of restaurant.

Search For My Tongue Essay

Search For My Tongue Essay The autobiographical poem is about the conflict of identity, of two tongues. The poet, living in a foreign country, speaking a foreign language, is afraid of losing her mother tongue. She fears it might rot and die. The poem tells us of how she then dreams about her mother tongue returning as she sleeps: blossoming, growing back. It reflects the idea that our language is our identity. The poem shows the importance of identity in different ways. When she explains losing her mother tongue over her other language she is losing a part of herself: if you had two tongues inside you and lost the first one, the mother tongue. Search for my tongue represents a common and modern conflict which many can relate to and even empathise towards. The structure of the poem expresses the poets feeling and ideas about identity. Search for my tongue has a clear three part layout which symbolises the poets feelings about her divided identity. The clearly divided stanzas symbolise divided culture and identity and the difficulties of being fluent in two languages are expressed in the first stanza. You could not use them both together, even if you thought that way. There is strong imagery in the poem which represents the poets feelings about her divided identity. She imagines that knowing two languages is like having two tongues she compares her tongue to a flower: would rot and die, it grows back, grows strong veins there are two main images created throughout the poem which contrast each other. The first being the mother tongue rotting and dying as the other foreign tongue takes over. It contrasts greatly with the second image which is more positive and pleasant, her mother tongue blossoms and shoots up like a plant. She is pleased when she realises: every time I think I have forgotten, I think Ive lost the mother tongue, it blossoms out of my mouth. The poem moves from explaining what its like to lose your mother tongue: your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth to showing the joy of rediscovering it: it grows backà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth, it pushes the other tongue aside and so has a changing tone. I ask you what would you do if you had two tongues in your mouth this quotation emphasises that, for the writer, being able to speak two languages has led to difficulties. I ask you involves the reader in the situation making the reader empathise with Bhatt. Lines 17-30 are written in Guajarati with phonetic spelling. The phonetic spelling allows those who arent bilingual to also relate to the poem. But the use of another language could also be a way of disorientating the reader, as those who are not bilingual would not understand it. The Guajarati stanza describes the comeback of her mother tongue and also gives the impression that although you may forget your mother tongue, you still dream in your native tongue: but overnight whilst I dream it grows back and it will never leave you. The Guajarati lines are translated immediately afterwards, this symbolises the return of her mother tongue. The structure expresses the problem of identity of the poet. She puts the Guajarati tongue at the heart of the poem as if it is the heart of her being. The Guajarati part of the poem shows us her mother tongue visually and emphasises the difference from English. The English language also contrasts throughout the poem as she uses a more informal approach at the beginning making it sound like shes talking to the reader about her problem: you ask me what I mean whilst at the end she uses more metaphoric language. Metaphorical language is used in the poem to show ideas about identity. The poets tongue is described as a living thing. In the poem Search for my tongue there is an extended metaphor of her tongue being like a flower growing in her mouth: grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins and words like bud an blossoms show that its growing back and create the impression that her tongue is rooted in her. It emphasises her feelings about her identity coming through her mother tongue. Using Guajarati shows the two languages operating in her life and makes a powerful point in the poem. It shows the contrast of the two languages. The Guajarati has more plosives and is harsh sounding, whereas in contrast the English is softer sounding. The positioning of the Guajarati: at the core of the poem with English either side of it, gives the impression that the two languages are able to function together in her life. The languages changing in the poems also represent her struggle to find her identity, representing no fixed identity but different layers that adapt to the surroundings, not frozen at a time or place. The poem presents from my aunts in Pakistan uses the experience of receiving ethnic clothes from Pakistan to explore a sense of shared culture and identity. It also projects the dilemma of divided culture and divided families. The idea of using a representation of identity is repeated in Alvis poem but there is a more materialistic approach compared to Bhatts efforts. The technique of a symbolic structure is also true in Alvis poem. Presents does not have an orthodox structure but contains distinguishable stanzas organised as free flowing verses. The lines move backwards and forwards as if to symbolise the move between the two cultures. The free flowing verses also allow for the sentences to contain sudden pauses and then continue on the next line (Enjambment). This continues throughout the whole poem giving it a hint of suspense. The structure could also represent a trail of thoughts as they resemble the path a persons mind would take whilst wondering slowly flowing moving from one idea to the next. Alvi also contrasts English culture with Asian culture as does Bhatt with the languages. She receives gifts of clothes, shoes and bangles from her relatives. In the first stanza they are described carefully and in huge detail to stress their difference to English clothes. An image of an exotic and colourful outfit is merged in the readers mind from the description. The bright colours of the salwar kameez suggest the familiar indication of exotic clothes worn by Asian women, but when she states: candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood it is creating an image, symbolising how her tradition harms her. It can be assumed she feels, as if it is not practical for the lifestyle of a young woman in the west or it could be a way of showing how her Pakistani heritage was cut short and snapped like the bangle. In contrast she does secretly admire the clothes, envying their beauty and feels intimidated by them: I could never be as lovely as those clothes. She mentions feeling alien when wearing them. The poem also shows her in two minds when she longs for denim and corduroy, indicating the English side of her nature but also wants her parents very Pakistani camel skin lamp. This symbolises the conflict of her identity. There is strong imagery in the poem as Alvi uses detailed and vivid descriptions to build up an image entwined with personal meaning. This is cleverly carried out throughout the whole poem. In the poem she recalls the event of her mothers jewellery being stolen. She comments on how important the jewellery was to her mother as she cherished the Indian gold. The fact of it being stolen perhaps shows how her mother wasnt part of the Asian culture. She then once more admires the clothes and states the presents were radiant in my wardrobe. This stanza ends with the irony that the aunts who sent the traditional clothes themselves requested cardigans from Marks Spencer. I often admired the mirror work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles. The fact that they were so small means Alvi would not have been able to see her whole reflection, just a segment which underlines the idea of a split identity. She briefly recalls her journey from Pakistan to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way emphasises pain and the difficulty of being divided between two cultures. She tries to visualise her birthplace using photographs. She reads about the conflict in Pakistan in the newspapers describing it as a fractured land, which reflected her fractured identity. She pictures her aunts, screened from male visitors by fretwork, wrapping presents. She sees beggars, sweeper-girls. She pictures herself: of no fixed nationality. This shows she feels no sense of belonging. Like her aunts, she is behind a screen, the screen symbolises division and stops her from seeing the whole image. The clothes make her embarrassed as she blushes: my costume clung to me and I was aflame she then states: I couldnt rise up out of its fire, half English, unlike aunt Jamila and comments on her presumably Pakistani aunt Jamila and how she can rise up out of its fire by being bold enough to wear such garments and look perfectly natural. Her half English heritage makes such display seem excessive. She feels as though her half English heritage holds her back from looking natural. Alvi: not being as daring, longs for denim and corduroy plainer but comfortable and inconspicuous. Moniza Alvi shows a paradox as she secretly admires the presents but felt they were too exquisite for her and lacked street credibility. This is shown when her school friend is unimpressed by her outfit. Moniza Alvi tends to use more descriptive language in her poem and does not use many metaphors but frequently describes in detail building up images for the reader. Whereas Bhatt uses more colloquial language at the beginning and then goes on to use more metaphoric language including an extended metaphor: Alvi does not. The other similarity between the poems is the tense. Both poems have a changing tense, reflecting the idea of changing identity.

Effect Of Media On The Childhood

Effect Of Media On The Childhood Childhood representations are derived from media as well as policies and laws, the two being interrelated. Media images produce influential perceptions about children that may be translated into ideologies and through the same laws and policies influence childrens well being and material needs. Media also highlights that the identity of childhood as a social construction is very different to adulthood. It is depicted as marginalised and incapable. With the introduction of many forms of technology in the past 20 years it is not surprising that media now plays an even greater integral role in shaping childhoods, mine being no exception. All this power exerted by media calls for some form of analysis. In other instances, the childhood figure is overlapped with that of animals, which is evident in the film, LEnfant Sauvage (1969), where Victoire, the wild boy, adapted himself to an uncivilised situation (Mills, 2000). The notion of innocence of children is commonly portrayed in childrens books and films such as Little Lord Fauntleroy, where Cedric symbolises innocence and beauty. Children are deemed to be protected from secret knowledges, namely sexuality and death. In fact, until recently, girls were portrayed as asexual and ignorant of sex (Humphries, Mack Perks, 1988). In contrast, the premature exhibition and sexualisation of young girls and the need of protection of their innocence is highlighted in the film Painted Babies (1993), a film about young girls in beauty pageants (Robinson Davies, 2008). The notion children as vulnerable and in need of protection, is outlined in Dickens Oliver Twist, where Nancy saves Oliver from Bill Sykes physical abuse. The abduction and consequent murder of the young James Bulger is another shocking example vulnerability of children. On the other hand, children are also characterised as being autonomous. In Harry Potter, Harry epitomises this perception in literature in his fight against evil. The feisty independent character Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables is another example. Girl power was more related to popular music with phenomena such as the Spice Girls who promoted this neo-liberal feminist identity in teenage girls in the 90s. The novel Coral Island depicts children as apprentices where they develop skills, realise their dreams, and move on to adulthood. However, contemporary Prose fiction works portray children as a distinct group from adults. These works are realistic, sometimes dark, and child-centred exemplified by by Roald Dahls Matilda and Anne Finnes Madame Doubtfire. The images of children presented by the media are multi-faceted and sometimes contrasting, evident in the film Leon, where Mathilda, is portrayed as mature and independent but still perceived as a vulnerable child in need of protection in Leons eyes (ICS, 2010). It should be questioned as to how accurate cultural artefacts actually are. In childrens literature, Hunt implies that authors depict childhood as they perceive it, and therefore not a true reflection. Childrens books are therefore likely to portray attitudes to childhood rather than any individual or culturally agreed childhood (Hunt, 2009). Its power was in the image it left behind, imitated by some children in real life. Nowadays, children are not as influenced by contemporary literature. They have become more knowledgeable and sceptical, the so-called active reader. Texts for these children have lost their power (Hunt, 2009). Readers and viewers may interpret messages in different ways according to their identities and divisions such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. Globalization of media brings about a certain degree of standardization whereby children in different parts of the world are being exposed to the same stimulus and subsequently start showing some common tra its. Moreover, media itself exercises a degree of control on how messages it delivers are interpreted. This is called the hypodermic syringe model. Messages are not only delivered but new meanings are produced bringing about the double hermeneutic phenomenon. Representational practices play a crucial role in influencing the material lives of children. Prominent music artists have used media to promote the awareness of different races, The most well-known event was Live Aid in 1985 highlighting the plight of starving children in Africa. Media can be a strong influence on health issues in children, evident in the recent significant increase of the illness anorexia nervosa in girls may have been as a result of T.V. and magazines portraying a very slim figure to be the accepted image as well as the explosion of obesity in children. It is estimated that 20 % of children in UK are overweight (James James, 2004). Consequently there is now a drive from all concerned to promote more healthy-eating programme such as Jamie Olivers T.V. series. The film scum by Alan Clarice 1979 portrays how a borstal in UK further brutalises young offenders. Its huge cultural impact was a contributory factor in the 1982 reform that replaced borstals to youth custody centres This is an example how the media can influence the institutions of the State (Mills, 2000). Todays children are more independent, inquisitive, creative, and can use media effectively, forming part of the net generation of childhood. In fact Katz (1997) regards these children able to create their own cultures and communities (Buckingham, 2009: 126). The use of internet is invaluable for these children in the field of education and research. Also, through the introduction of social networks, they are able to communicate freely with one another. There are also some concerns, as children are at risk of exposure to pornography, violence and cyber-stalking. Also, it is argued that they tend to spend more time confined to their room resulting in less family integration. A study between childrens everyday activities and the media showed that among media, television was the prime mover in families lives. This was done through quantitative and qualitative methods using questionnaires, interviews, as well as new methods (Tufte, 2003). Media technology is also influenced by gender and class identities. This is highlighted by the fact that the majority of computer games are played by boys and also that, middle class children have more access to computers than their working class peers. Over the years, different media has shaped my childhood, such as television programmes, magazines, music, the internet, pamphlets, books and billboards. As a young child, Care Bears and Barney, were amongst my favourite programmes. These were education and instilled in me the values of caring and tolerance. Other films include Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, by providing images of princesses and happy endings which have caused me to dream as a child. Another character worth quoting is Miss Honey in the book Matilda by Roald Dahl who presented as a role model. In fact, at seventeen years of age, I decided to become a teacher, and have always strived to be kind and gentle just like Miss Honey. A Maltese media campaign to keep the environment clean, symbolised by a small hedgehog, Xummiemu, was set up, when I was growing up. These billboards, posters and magazines influenced me in respecting the environment. Messages on billboards such as the advert Smoking kills, on our main roads, had put me off smoking completely and never smoked a single cigarette in my life. As a teenager, the internet was used as a useful source of information in my school assignments. Through MSN Messenger and Skype, I have stayed in touch with my friends and relatives who live abroad. The internet is unique in that it is an interactive form of media allowing childrens global communication and the promotion of their creativity and spontaneity. I feel close to this culture which is critical of what media portrays even when the same media seems to have taken over our lives. Word count: 1,347 References Buckingham, D. (2009). New media, new childhoods? Childrens changing cultural environment in the age of digital technology in M. J. Kehily (Ed.), An introduction to Childhood Studies (2nd Edition) (pp. 124-138). Berkshire: Open University Press. Humphries, S., Mack, J. Perks, R. (1988). A Century of Childhood, London: Sidgwick Jackson. Hunt, P. (2009). Childrens literature and childhood in M. J. Kehily (Ed.), An introduction to Childhood Studies (2nd Edition) (pp. 50-69). Berkshire: Open University Press. ICS (2010). Sociology of Childhood, Study Guide 1. Glasgow: ICS. James, A. James, A. L. (2004). Constructing Childhood: Theory, Policy and Social Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Katz, J. (1997). Virtuous Reality: How America Surrendered Discussion of Moral Values to Opportunists, Nitwits and Blockheads like William Bennett. New York: Random House. Mills, J. Mills, R. (2000) Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood, Routledge, New York. Mills, R. (2000). Perspectives of Childhood in J. Mills R. Mills (Eds.), Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood (pp. 7-37). London: Routledge. Robinson, K. H. Davies, C. (2008). SHES KICKIN ASS, THATS WHAT SHES DOING! Deconstructing Childhood Innocence in Media Representations. Australian Feminist Studies, 23, 343- 358. Tufte, B. (2003). Children, media and consumption. Advertising Marketing to Children, October-December, 69-76. Discuss the role family plays in shaping childhood. Give examples of cultures within a family structure and reflect on your own culture. There is general consensus that family does shape childhood from the first minute its parent(s) start to interact with it in the context of a wider culture. (Gittens, 2009: 36). The family is the foundation of social stability and the primary means of social reproduction. This institution moulds the child through education, morals, values beliefs (James James, 2004). Family besides the traditional nuclear family also includes lone parent, gay/lesbian, extended families, and cohabitation. Indeed, the family is instrumental in shaping the child to become an integral part of society (ICS, 2010b). Childhoods are dependent on the identities and positions of the childs family, as these will have different structures, resulting in different experiences (ICS, 2010a). In recent years delayed child bearing means that children are less likely to share the companionship of siblings or wider kin. Single parent families are the second highest risk factor, after unemployment, for children to live in poverty (Clarke, 1996). Lower social class, unemployment, alcoholism, and drug abuse have serious consequences on childrens well-being in the shape of poverty, poor social conditions, mental health problems and physical abuse. Children from minor ethnic families may be disadvantaged as a result of poorer housing conditions and lower pay as well as an increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as rickets and T.B (James James, 2004). Also, parents lifestyles may affect childrens lives directly. Smoking in families is detrimental to childrens health, significantly increasing asthma in their children. Nowadays, most parents work leaving less time to prepare meals, which may result in children eating more junk food. Armstrong, Hill and Secker (2000) argue the beneficial effects of parental affection on the childs well-being. In comparison family breakdowns, increasing in number, are a cause of stress and mental problems in children (James James, 2004; Armstrong et al., 2000). Childrens identity is seen as a passive experience of being parented. Children possess a Double Status; the kinship status as the child and the age-based status as the minor. The link between womanhood and childhood is focused on childrens needs discourses (Lawler, 2000). According to research, the function of the family is specific to the fulfilment of gender-based roles, where females are a source of care and expression, and males the main source of income (ICS, 2010a: 15; MacNaughton Smith, 2009). Parents act as role models by setting examples which are crucial in shaping childhood. Children also learn gender roles from the family. For example, if cooking is done only by the mother they might associate it exclusively with females (MacNaughton Smith, 2009). State laws and policies use the family to implement and control children. The state also uses the family as an ally in the battle for social control (James James, 2004: 191)) and increasingly regulates childrens lives (James James, 2004). Development of family friendly employment practice through social benefits, results in more stable families, better support of children during their education, and reduced levels of delinquency (James James, 2004). The child is regarded as the object of legal rulings with childrens rights generally overruled by their parents claiming to act in the best interest of the child, thus their agency being denied (James James, 2004: 201). The effective voice of children in family proceedings is well documented, both in the Children Act and the UNCRC. However, the implementation to date is another matter, even welfare professionals view children both as carefree and powerless (ICS, 2010b: 45). In fact, family law in England and Wales classifies a child as a person with a disability (James James, 2004: 200). In every culture lies marriage, residence, family size and composition, family status and role, family power and authority, family communication that are quite universal. These elements of family structure in vary from one society to another (Uddin, 2009: 438). The representation of the family structure in Western culture is usually portrayed as a nuclear family composed of two siblings. This model is still portrayed as ideal according to mainstream parents websites such as bounty.com. Media has always portrayed an image of the Western family. Nowadays, it brings us a variety of different family structures including gay couples and single parents. In Muslim cultures, there are clearer gender demarcations where all family affairs are decided by the senior male member, leaving other family members fully dependent on their decisions without any say (Uddin, 2009). The male is usually the bread winner whilst women take on the emotional role such as child rearing and household chores (Uddin, 2007). Another feature of this community is the large family size, thus an extended family structure is adopted to ensure adequate family support. Family structures in Muslim Western communities vary from those in more traditional societies as the former face lifestyle choices which are not available to the latter. Middle-class, though not working-class, Muslims have expectations and a level of education comparable to non-Muslims (Abbas, 2003; Ahmad, 2001). Muslims regard their Islamic faith as fundamental to their identity. However, Sikhs and Hindus consider education to be their main priority, allowing greater occupational opportunities, class mobility, integration and acceptance (Abbas, 2003). On a more personal note, I grew up in a traditional Maltese Roman Catholic nuclear family consisting of four members; my parents, my older sister and myself. This is the most common structure in Malta. My father is a doctor and my mother is a housewife who gave up her job as a secretary to raise us. My parents raised us striking a balance between being open to change but holding onto the strong values of Maltese culture and Roman Catholic beliefs. These beliefs form an integral role in our way of life and shape our views on family. Family authority has always been shared between my parents. However, they have always valued our opinions, even as children. This has created an open communicative relationship between us. The family has influenced many aspects of my life. Due to my large extended family, I grew up surrounded by younger children, playing with and teaching them. This sparked my interest in teaching Early Years. The short distances facilitated the formation of strong family bonds. We live in a typical neighbourhood where people lend a helping hand when needed, though can be nosy. Despite Malta being a small island, we are not insular as we are influenced by other cultures, namely British and Italian. We are multi-lingual and have a Western outlook. We are also influenced by foreign family ties, my grandmother being British. Our culture motivates us to maximise our potential by pursuing a higher education, particularly a University degree. Opportunities are few and competition is high. Ambition is instilled from an early age, and expectations are high. I form part of a very close- knit family which is dependable and supportive. We consider this to be our role and responsibility to each ot her. I enjoy the security and stability of our family whilst still enjoying my independence and autonomy. All the aforementioned aspects are crucial as the resources and environment of the family have a direct influence on how children and adolescents deal with emotions, relationships as well as their potential for future success (Wen, 2008). Nonetheless, it is fundamental to perceive the child as an individual actor whose needs must be considered in the context of their own childhood and not merely as an extension of the needs of all of those who share the status of being children. Word count: 1,241

Achieving Honor as a Woman of Deh Koh Essay -- Reflection Paper Essays

Achieving Honor as a Woman of Deh Koh To many Westerners, the overall plight of females in Iran appears tenuous. It is illegal for females above the age of 9 to appear in public with out their heads veiled and bodies entirely covered. Women cannot serve in certain occupations, such as the military. It is difficult for a married woman to divorce her spouse, yet for men the right to divorce is unquestioned and done with ease. Married women in Iran who wish to leave the country for any reason must first obtain the permission of their husbands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite their many restrictions, females in Iran are anything but fragile. Iranian women are proud, strong, and work at changing the society they live in. In Erika Friedl's book, Women of Deh Koh, Lives In An Iranian Village, she shows the ...

The Political Career of Richard Nixon Essay -- essays research papers

Richard Nixon served as the 37th president of the United States. He is well known for the infamous Watergate scandal and was remembered by the American people as the first president to resign from office. However, he is also undoubtedly one of the most influential political figures when it comes to guiding the nation through one of its toughest time periods in history, as well as breaking the ice on foreign diplomacy with socialist countries such as China and the Soviet Union. Despite his downfall involving the Watergate Hotel, he had dedicated a tremendous amount of effort in domestic and world politics; and made numerous contributions during his life as a politician, which would give enough reason for future historians to believe that the second half of the twentieth century is truly â€Å"the age of Nixon†. Richard Milhous Nixon was born into a poor family on January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California, and was raised in the nearby small town of Whittier. His mother, Hannah Milhous, was well educated and a religious member of the Quaker Society, while his father Francis Anthony Nixon was uneducated, had no steady jobs, and was accused of being quarrelsome with nearly everyone around him (American President, http://www.americanpresident.org/history/). Nixon was very introvert as a child. He had a difficult early life with series of hardships, which made a lasting effect on his character and personality. He did not fit in with most of his peers and had a lifelong difficulty of trusting people outside of his family (Nixon, 1978, 5-15). His anger was kept inside of him, which motivated him to develop a sense of competition and struggle, and inspired him to excel in school. He became the valedictorian of his grammar school and was an excellent debater in Whittier High School. It was also the re that he met first long-term girlfriend, Ola Florence Welch. Ola Florence was known for her beauty and strong character, with a brain to match. The two quickly fell in love and stayed together for six years. Ola Florence became engaged to Nixon in 1933. However, their romance fizzled as Ola Florence broke off their engagement in 1935 (Aitken, 1993, 58-65). Nixon studied at Whittier College in California and graduated in 1934. He went on to pursue his study of law at Duke University Law School in North Carolina. After graduating third in his class in 1937 (American President,... ...2004) -----. â€Å"Nixon’s China Visit†. http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ziliao/3602/3604/t18006.htm (March 12, 2004) -----. â€Å"Who Said That?†. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/china/sfeature/wst_q3b.html   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (March 15, 2004) -----. â€Å"U.S. Presidential Election, 1972†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election%2C_1972 (March 14, 2004) -----. â€Å"Watergate Chronology, 1971-1972†. http://www.watergate.info/chronology/1972.shtml   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (March 14, 2004) -----. â€Å"Watergate Chronology, 1973†. http://www.watergate.info/chronology/1973.shtml   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (March 14, 2004) Aitken, Jonathan. 1993. Nixon: A Life. London, Great Britain: Butler & Tanner Ltd. Lewis, Alfred E. â€Å"Washington Post, June 18, 1972†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/061872-1.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (March 16, 2004) Nixon, Richard. â€Å"Nixon’s Resignation Speech†. http://www.watergate.info/nixon/resignation-speech.shtml (March 17, 2004) Nixon, Richard. 1978. The Memoirs of Richard Nixon. New York: Grossett & Dunlap Publishers.

Critical Analysis of Drugs Essay

Drugs and alcohol use has been a common and consistent problem in the United States for quite a long time. From the prohibition era in the 1920’s to the common drug use seen in the 1970’s, we have always seen a problem that needs to be addressed. An array of scholars, from all the disciplines, have each experimented and researched this topic in their own unique ways. The natural sciences take a purely scientific approach by hypothesizing and using the scientific method to research and made evaluative claims based on experiment and observation as shown in the article â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students†. Social Science is similar because it also uses hypotheses and the scientific method to observe and evaluate experiments, but at the same time uses theory critique and discussion methods as seen in the article â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†. The Humanities take a very difference approach to experiments and research than the natural or social sciences. The Humanities utilize analysis and interpretation in their approach and provide very subjective results to their studies as seen in, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students†. All of these techniques give us a better understand of the subject as a whole by exposing us to all the different views of a single topic. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline Drugs and alcohol use, particularly in college students, in a continuously rising issue in our current society and is gaining more notice in recent years because of the rise in college student awareness. It is a pressing issue that affects people’s health, lifestyle, and general well being and needs to be treated with attention and an open mind to help resolve its current issues. Part I. From the scholarly point of view, drug and alcohol use in the college setting is covered by all the disciplines with different attention on certain aspects by each respective discipline. A social science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking,† by Dr. Morgen delves into college students drinking habits, and why they act as they do. The articles purpose is to show the relationship between how students perceive their drinking and how bad it actually is. Dr. Morgen focuses on identifying the problem and evaluating it. This isn’t far off from the approach the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† by Dr.Moore and Dr. Werch. Their focus is to compare exercise habits among self identified drinkers and to come up with scientific explanations for their habits. Like Dr. Morgen, the study included asking questions about the students drinking habits and perceptions of their actions. But, unlike Dr. Morgen there is a more objective approach to the results and less room for interpretation. The Humanities article compares more with the Social Science article and contrasts with the Natural Science take on the subject. The article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† focuses strictly on discussion and results to questions they presented to the women in their study. When comparing the Humanities article to the other two, you can see a difference in the materials covered and analyzed. The Humanities support its findings through their discussion and thoughts on the results, while the two science articles find support from empirical data. When looking at all three sources it is easy to realize how complex and broad drugs and alcohol are among the three disciplines. When we view the Natural Science article is it clear that the use of scientific sources are more prevalent than in the Humanities article. The Humanities utilize primary sources, where the Social Sciences use a mixture of methods found in both the Humanities and the Natural Sciences. All of these scholarly discussions demonstrate the complexity of the subject, while also exposing it from many different angles. Each article seems to approach the topic of drugs and alcohol by exhibiting several different opportunities for argument. Given that all three articles deal with three different disciplines it’s no surprise that each article comes to its respective conclusion by different rhetorical means. â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students,† by Moore and Werch, works to indentify factors in college students drinking and exercise habits and link them together. Moore and Werch rely on logos to convey their results, given that the article is in the Natural Sciences it uses facts, statistics, and experiments to argue its results. This differs greatly from, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† by VonDras et al. because VonDras et al. make up the framework of their approach and argument by using credibility and reliable sources (ethos). The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† by Dr. Morgen, is a combination of both approaches. The use of logical reasoning and experiments yield to logos, but at the same time the exploitation of reliable sources and trustworthiness demonstrate ethos as its rhetorical choice. The point of view of the three articles is first person because the authors are directly explaining the experiments methods, process, and discussion to the reader. Throughout the three sources there is a certain ethos connection because of the experimenters relying on honest input from their subjects in each experiment. Overall, all three articles state the importance of the positions they take, and relate their topics to some degree. All have in common a kind of moderation in how they appeal to an audience rhetorically. Each source uniquely represents its particular discipline through textual evidence, and its take on the subject at hand. The Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† by VonDras et al. represents humanities perfectly because of its strong use of interpretation and analysis. This approach differs greatly from the â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† article, which uses more observation and the scientific method, which is very representative of the Natural Sciences. Once again incorporating some of both of the disciplines to represent its take is the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†. There is clear use of scientific method and experiment, but you can also see interpretation and analysis in the conclusion discussion which talks about the students drinking habits and perceived benefits from consuming alcohol. The Natural Science article strays from its disciplines approach at times and seems to come across as a Social Science article. Its uses analysis and observation along with its hypothesis. The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† is most typical to its specific discipline. It exemplifies traditional Social Science approaches to the experiment and discussion more wholly than the Natural Science and Humanities articles represent their topic. The least typical to its discipline is the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students†. Though, as stated, it does use scientific approaches which represent the Natural Sciences, it also incorporates some Social Science attributes in its structure. This is dissimilar to the Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† because as previously stated, VonDras et al. stuck to the proper methods in their research and represented the Humanities in a proper fashion. Taken as a whole, these three scholarly sources predominantly stick to their discipline and properly represent their respective disciplines. Part II. The importance of drug and alcohol use in the college setting has never been more important and relevant than it is now. Drug and alcohol use at the college level can have many detrimental effects on the future of our society. We, the college students in America, are the future of this country, and if we cannot be responsible enough to drink not in excess then how can we be trusted to continue to run this country smoothly. The three sources used from the three different disciplines all touch on important ideas related to the topic at hand. As stated in the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† by Dr. Morgen, most of the college students that claim they have their drinking habits in control and receive lots of benefits from drinking fall into the DSM-IV-TR category for alcoholism. This is a relevant issue because it shows that college students who think they are responsible for their actions could easily have a disease and not even know it. We must strive to fix or at least help the issue that is in front of us by going straight to the matter. In the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† it states college students who exercise more are more likely to drink heavily. That seems highly counterproductive, but from the student’s point of view, they feel that if they work out and exercise they can drink as a reward for their efforts. This is a skewed way to look at it and should also be addressed. We don’t need to promote no drinking because that will simply not work, but we can push to inform people of the health risks and harm they do to their bodies by drinking heavily on a regular basis. This is a very relevant take on the subject because it alerts the reader of the things they found and provides unbiased, correct information on the topic of drinking amongst college students. The Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† approaches the subject from a different angle but still covers useful and relevant material to use and discuss. Its main idea is talking about how religion and spirituality effect their views and habits of drinking. The study found that religious affiliation and aspects of spiritual well being are moderators of behavior that lead to alcohol prevention. The level of awareness of the issue of alcohol use of all three scholarly sources seems to be very high. They all selected their topic of research to find definitive results about the use of alcohol and its effects on the people who abuse it. There seems to be a suitable amount of attention given, which is good because it seems that a large group of people are unaware of the negative aspects on their lifestyle and health of heavy drinking and drug use. We should be focused strongly on the issue more than the discipline we are reading it from. All the disciplines have unique approaches to their discussions but they still head towards the same issue that we should be focused on. All three of the sources seem to stay focused and never stray from alcohol use as their main topic. The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† seems to be most relevant because of its practical explanations. It includes input and thoughts from the Natural Sciences and the Humanities, and that’s what makes it a Social Science article. The practicality of its subject, why students drink, is easy to understand, but at the same time is very in-depth. We learn so much from it such as, why people drink, how much they drink, their perceived benefits from consumption, and the effects of all those things added up. As stated earlier, this issue is very important in our society at this moment. College should be fun, but at the same time we must learn to be responsible and focus on what we are in college to do. That is learn and get an education so that we can later because the leaders and innovators that push this country to greatness. Only so much can be done, but the first step to changing anything is raising awareness on college campuses. Overall, drug and alcohol abuse is portrayed in all the disciplines with each one having an important input on the matter as a whole. It is a pressing issue that affects people’s health, lifestyle, and general well being and needs to be treated with attention and an open mind to help resolve its current issues. We cannot stray from this pressing issue in the near future and must continue to research and experiment so that we may better understand drug and alcohol use from all different points of view. As stated in the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†, students who perceive their consumption as normal have in reality worse habits than the average person. We have to strive to expose this issue and correct it as best we can in the future. From the Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students†, we can conclude that religious affiliation and sense of spiritual well-being seem to have a positive effect on drinking habits. Simply put, morals seem to have an effect on if a person abuses alcohol or drugs. Also, as found in the Natural Science source, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† people seem to be negatively reinforcing themselves because it was found that people how exercise more reported consuming more alcohol than the average person. That finding is a sad thing because it is so counterproductive to the body. From the sources as a whole you can easily find the connection that this is a pertinent issue today and will continue to be in the future. Its importance cannot be stressed enough but even with that, people will continue to not listen and use substances more than is considered responsible. We will see the consequences of this in the coming years, and determine if the issue really is as big as it seems, or if people finally grow up when they get out of college and realize they can’t have such destructive behaviors and continue to contribute to society in a positive way. In conclusion, we cannon stray from this issue, but we must continue to research it and learn from it to help fix and explain it to coming generations. Moore, Michele Johnson, and Chudley Werch. â€Å"Relationship Between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students. † Journal of American College Health Vol. 56. No. 6 (2008): 686-690. Morgen, Keith, and Lauren Gunneson. â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking. † Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education (2008): 18-36. VonDras, D. , R. Schmitt, and D. Marx. â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students. † Journal of Religion & Health Vol. 46 (2007): 500-515.

Research on Cost Control and Management of Real Estate Project Essay

This paper takes the cost control and the management of real estate project as the object in research, and analyzes and studies relevant issues. By analyzing the cost structure of real estate construction, this paper identifies problems in cost control and management of real estate construction at present. Along with the fast development of China’s economy, the real estate industry has achieved wonderful successes, pulling economic development significantly, and contributing a lot to China’s economic development. Today, real estate construction assumes more tasks. In 2008, 3,000 billion RMB enters real estate construction. The cost control and regular management of real estate construction turns into the focus. Once the construction cost is out of control, it will lead to a great waste and will bring about more pressures for property management in later. A nice cost control is meaningful for the whole real estate construction project. To realize better cost control and management of real estate construction is important for today’s harmonious society. The cost of real estate construction is composed of four parts. The first part is the land cost, accounting for 30% of the total cost. It mainly refers to cost for building land, greening land, equipped facility land, and property management land. The second part is the construction installation cost, as the main body of real estate construction cost, accounting for 20%-50% of the total cost. Among the construction installation cost, materials cost the most, accounting for 60% of construction installation cost. The third part is the cost for equipments and machines, accounting for 1%-3% of the total cost. This part is mainly for meeting the needs of operations, management, and maintenance. The fourth part is other cost, accounting for more than 15% of the total cost. It is difficult to control this part. It mainly includes the cost for investigation and design, the cost for project supervision, and the cost for infrastructure. In special, the management cost usually surpasses the budget, which is the largest part that is hard to control in real estate construction. The management cost is only accounting for 1% of the total cost. But the absolute amount is large. It is easy for the construction company costing more in management. At present, serious problems exist in the cost control and management of real estate construction. For example, for some real estate construction, the design is earlier than the study of feasibility, which makes the later turn into useless. In bidding, some construction companies perform illegally, which makes the bidding fail to control project cost well. The popularization of assigned subcontracts and various subcontracts serve as potential threats for project quality. The delay for project payment, especially for workers’ wages, is serious. Some projects can not manage the changes of designs. Construction companies fail to follow the designs completely, which may lead to larger costs for construction. Some construction companies emphasize on the control of quality and period but fail to control the cost. All these activities make the cost of real estate construction out of control in China, which is harmful for the sustainable and healthy development of real estate industry . * Fail to Estimate the Project Exactly: Investment estimation is performed at the very beginning, namely in the study of feasibility. Present compilation of study of feasibility is lack of details. No effective items to control the number of project. The estimation has a lower preciseness. Besides, the study of feasibility has no necessary investigation. Some potential geological disasters can not be identified effectively, which leads to the rise of costs. Although some companies make â€Å"details for implement†, the effect is poor. In order to establish the project, some companies may reduce the number of project and decrease costs. * The Compilation of Project Budget Has Poor Reliability: At the stage of design, the investigation is far from sufficient. Some fundamental materials for design are inexact. As a result, the design may be irrational and will be changed significantly in construction, which causes the poor reliability of budget. * Working Drawing Budget is Unpractical: At the working drawing design stage, compile the project budget according to the design. The working drawing budget is to calculate the cost of design. The rationality of working drawing budget is about how to organize the construction and how to reach the design requirements by what kinds of methods, plus how to arrange the construction period, and how to manage workers and machines under different seasons, according to scientific designs. All these tasks are supposed to be arranged by construction companies. For design companies, to compile the budget is unpractical. * Do not Follow Basic Construction Procedures and Cannot Control Costs: For some projects, time is urgent. Therefore, the design is maybe imperfect. And the construction does not follow the basic procedures strictly. Sometimes, the study of feasibility turns into useless papers. As a result, the estimation and the budget cannot control the project cost effectively. * Contract is not Managed Well, Especially for Subcontracts and External Workers: Some real estate developers neglect to manage contracts. They do not follow the terms written in contracts strictly. Besides, some developers cannot calculate the cost of project quantities correctly. They are incapable of managing external workers effectively. * Irregular Management and Many Changes for Project: Real estate developers cannot design properly and have to change the management methods. Or, the execution is weak. They can change the design as will. Then, the scale of project is increasing and the cost is rising. * The Financing Structure is Unreasonable and Depends on One Financing Channel too Much, Which Contributes to the Rise Of Costs: At present, the funds for real estate construction in China are mainly from domestic loans, foreign funds, self-collected by construction companies, and other sources. Although financing ways are few and some are immature, limits are more. Sometimes, funds can not arrive in time. In order to insure the process of project, the construction companies have to apply loans from banks. Therefore, a large proportion of construction funds are from banks as loans. And the credit period is long and cannot match with investment return. The characteristics of real estate industry determine the lagged-behind investment return. One financing channel increases risks and costs, which leads to the accumulation of loan balance in banks, increasing construction costs and pressures for later in operation. * Cost Management is Unscientific. Lack the Idea of Cost Control. System is Imperfect. Management Cost Is High: By auditing lots of projects, we find that management is one of factors that cause overspending. Main items that cause overspending include management fees, compensation fees for removing, and supervision. Main reasons include: Lack a perfect cost control system and cannot manage and control the cost systematically, which makes it hard to identify the out-of-control of cost in time. Lack the idea of cost control and the constraint mechanism. Project managers are always focusing on quality and construction period, but not cost control. The absence of system makes the expenditure more irregular. No integrated standards for management fee are effective. Workers are more than necessary in construction companies.

The Wadia vs Wadia

10 corporate battles to remember Wadia vs Wadia and Goenka Nusli Wadia (left) has been called a corporate samurai. His battles with Dhirubhai Ambani and Rajan Pillai are legendary. His first corporate brawl was a curious case, given who one of his opponents was: his own father. Neville Wadia had decided, in 1971, to sell Bombay Dyeing Ltd to take-over tycoon R. P. Goenka (right). A young Nusli Wadia refused to accept the deal. He had his back to the wall, yet fought back fiercely by getting the rest of the family, the unions and even J. R. D.Tata to thwart the deal, showing early signs of a rare ability to lobby and win allies in a tough battle. This is one of the few instances when Goenka lost a takeover battle. HP Nanda vs Swraj Paul In the early 1980s, with the tacit support of the then Congress government, Swraj Paul (right), a non-resident Indian, launched an aggressive takeover bid for Escorts Ltd. The latter’s promoter H. P. Nanda (left) put up a fight, but faced a back lash from the government that asked financial institutions with a stake in Escorts to support Paul, and launched a series of tax investigations.Nanda hung on, and in 1984, the courts ruled in his favour. ITC vs BAT In 1996, British American Tobacco Industries Plc (BAT), the single largest shareholder in ITC Ltd, and led by Martin Broughton (right), made a play for control of the Indian company. But ITC, under K. L. Chugh (left), was able to convince the Indian government the fight was between a strong, well-managed and board-run Indian company and a predatory multinational. Government-owned institutions with a stake in ITC helped avert the threat. The Birlas vs Lodha Priyamvada Birla(left), widow of M.P. Birla, died childless in July 2004, leaving all her assets, valued at Rs3,000-5,000 crore, to Rajendra Singh Lodha (right), the MP Birla group’s auditor. When the Birla family came to know about her will, they opposed it, saying she could not have left her assets to an outsid er. The Birlas claimed in court that Priyamvada Birla and her husband had earlier written an irrevocable â€Å"mutual will† in which they said all their assets would go to charity. Various cases are being fought between the Birlas and Harsh Vardhan Lodha, R.S. Lodha’s son, who is now MP Birla group chairman. R. S. Lodha died in October 2008 after a cardiac arrest at B. K. Birla’s flat in London. Harsh Vardhan Lodha has yet not secured probate of Priyamvada Birla’s will, but heads the group with the support of directors of holding companies that own controlling stakes in MP Birla group firms. Nusli Wadia vs Dhirubhai Ambani PTA and DMT are innocuous abbreviations for two chemicals used to produce polyester. Together they reacted to create a national explosion in the 1980s.Reliance Industries Ltd run by Dhirubhai Ambani (right) and Bombay Dyeing Ltd led by Nusli Wadia (left) were stiff competitors in the polyester market, with the former using PTA and the l atter DMT as the main input. Those were the days when the government had a say in technology choices, so what ensued was a bitter lobbying war that eventually led to a political crisis for the Rajiv Gandhi government in New Delhi and a murder investigation in Mumbai. Vijay Mallya vs Manu Chhabria Photo: India Today Vijay Mallya’s corporate spat with the late NRI raider Manu Chhabria (right) was an epic one, lasting nearly 20 years.It all began in 1984, when a then unknown Chhabria made a hostile bid for liquor major Shaw Wallace and Co. (SWC). Mallya (left) claimed the bid was actually made jointly by an offshore firm in which he was a partner, while Chhabria disputed that and eventually gained ownership of SWC. A legal battle raged for years in Hong Kong, during which Mallya also partnered Chhabria’s estranged brother, Kishore, and kept up the pressure for getting what he believed rightly belonged to him.It wasn’t until March 2005 that the battle came to an end with Mallya finally acquiring a controlling interest in SWC from the Chhabria family, three years after Manu Chhabria died at 56. Ratan Tata vs The Tata satraps In 1991, Ratan Tata (left) inherited a business group that was run by a confederation of ageing satraps under the benign control of J. R. D. Tata. The Tata scion wanted tighter control over the companies in the sprawling empire, and that led to a showdown with the likes of Russi Mody (right), Darbari Seth and Ajit Kerkar, all men of considerable achievement but resistant to change.The younger Tata did not have a very successful track record till then but he eventually took control and transformed the Tata group, making it the ambitiously global and relentlessly innovative group that it is today. Wadia vs Rajan Pillai Photo: India Today Nusli Wadia’s battle to acquire Britannia Industries Ltd made the headlines in the late 1980s, when he first tried to buy biscuit maker Britannia, then owned by US giant RJR Nabisco In c. Wadia (left) first met the Nabisco brass through a friend, NRI cashew trader K.Rajan Pillai (right), in the late 1980s. But Nabisco changed its mind about selling to Wadia and appointed Pillai chairman of Britannia. This turned the two one-time friends into foes. Soon Pillai acquired Britannia and partnered with French food company, Danone SA. Then the French company fell out with Pillai, accusing him of fraud, and instead tied up with Wadia. After a bitter boardroom battle, Pillai was ousted and Wadia eventually took over Britannia in the early 1990s. Pillai later died in custody in an Indian jail.L&T vs RIL In the late 1980s, Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) chairman N. M. Desai, discovering that Manu Chhabria (right) had acquired a stake in the firm, presumably to launch a hostile bid, got Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL) Dhiru-bhai Ambani (left) to buy a larger stake and come in as a white knight. Ambani had designs of his own and became chairman with the support of the Cong ress government that asked financial institutions with stakes in L&T to back him. RIL’s plan was thwarted when the Congress lost power in 1989.RIL sold its stake in the early 2000s to the Aditya Birla group, triggering another takeover battle that ended with L&T selling its cement business to the group. Bajaj vs Bajaj In 2001, Kushagra Bajaj convinced his father Shishir Bajaj (left) to ask the Bajaj clan to transfer to them the two companies they managed, a sugar producer and a consumer products maker. The Bajajs, Shishir’s brother Rahul (right) as well as cousins Madhur, Shekhar and Niraj, initially demurred. They eventually agreed, but not before dirty linen had been washed in public.