Incas vs Aztecs

Incas vs. Aztecs Prior to Cortez landing, there were many civilizations that held power in the Americas. These groups included the Olmecs, Zapotecs, Mayans, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas. The two of these civilizations that had some of the most lasting effects were the Aztecs and the Incas. These two civilizations had many similarities and differences. One of the major differences between the two civilizations is their location. The Aztecs lived in Central Mexico while the Incas lived in the Andes Mountains. The location of the civilizations affected many of their customs. The Incans mummified their dead by leaving them on a mountain cliff side where the winds would dry the moisture out of their skin. Then they would take the mummies to large events and carry them around. The Aztecs did not mummify their dead or have any customs like this. Because the Aztecs lived in Mexico which is a fairly dry area, they needed a way to irrigate crops. They built chinampas which were floating farms that were always irrigated by the body of water it was floating in. The Incas used a form of agriculture called terrace agriculture were they would build flat layers into the slope of a mountain out of specific materials so they could grow food on mountain sides. That was another technique they formed because of where they lived. Another difference between the two civilizations was the size. The Inca civilization covered over 50% of the East coast of South America and had a population of about 20 million people. The Aztec civilization only controlled Central Mexico and only had a population of 15 million people. Because the Inca civilization was so big, they needed a way to get messages around. They developed a large messaging system with messengers called chasquis that used a way to get messages around called quipu. The Aztecs did not have anything like this. Inca was so large because it conquered many other civilizations that had their own languages. This made it difficult for some people to understand each other. That’s why they developed a unified language called Quechua that everyone had to learn. The Aztec civilization was more like the Persian Empire and allowed anywhere they conquered to stay the same and keep their language as long as they paid their taxes and accepted that the Aztecs’ rule. Another difference is the punishment that a village would get for disobeying the Incan or Aztec civilization. The Aztecs would go into the village and burn it to the ground. They would take everyone inside and either kill them or enslave them. The Incans would go into the village and relocate them. In Inca this is just as bad as killing them because the civilization is in the mountains and it is very hard to start living in the mountains with nothing to start off with. If they try to go back to their village they usually have to cross many mountains which was also very difficult. Something else that was different was the merchant class of the empires. While they both had good economies, the Incas did not have a large merchant class and the merchant class they did have only traded locally. The Aztecs had a large merchant class that would take very long journeys to distant lands. The Inca government controlled all long distance trading and they did not allow the merchants to have a lot of freedom. Also, the Incas did not have a currency system while the Aztecs used cocoa. The two civilizations also formed differently. The Aztecs started from three large cities forming an alliance and together they conquered land and people to establish their powerful civilization. The Incans started as a nomadic family or clan that settled down and started a trading colony. Then more and more people came and it eventually turned into a civilization. Those were the many differences between the Aztec and Inca civilizations. The Aztec and Incan civilizations also had many similarities. One of the major similarities was that they both flourished at about the same time. The Aztecs flourished from 1300 A. D. to 1521 A. D. The Inca flourished from 1300 A. D. to 1533 A. D. Another similarity is that they were both ruled by an emperor. They also both thought gold was very important. Incas used gold for everything because it was so common in the mountains. Aztecs called gold the sweat of the sun and their sun god was their most powerful god so they must have thought gold was important. They were also both monotheistic, worshipping many nature gods and goddesses. They also both thought their sun gods were very important. The Aztec sun god was named Huitzilopochtli and the Inca sun god was Inti. Inti was the most powerful god in Incan religion. It was thought that the people in the originally family that started the Inca civilization were children of Inti and they said all future rulers must be a descendant of Inti. Huitzilopochtli in the Aztec religion was the god that supposedly told the Mexica to find a place where they would see an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its mouth and that was where they were to settle. This place was Lake Texcoco. Both of these gods were very important to them. Another religious similarity was that they both perform sacrificial rituals. They also had the same style pyramids that had a wide square base that lead to a point at the top with stairs going up the side. Those were the similarities between the Aztec and Inca civilizations. The Aztec and Inca civilizations are still some of the most powerful civilizations that have ever existed. They had a huge impact on the countries that exist there today. The Mexican flag is even based off an Aztec myth. They had many similarities and differences which made them the civilizations that they were.

Essay on Global Companies Essay

International companies are characterized by many factors among them geographical dispersion, demand for rationalization and differentiation and cultural diversity. These factors pose numerous challenges to international HR managers on how to ensure successful performance of their functions. The paper highlights various challenges the mentioned factors presents to IHRM in their work. It assembles evidence and previous research findings done by other writers. The paper also demonstrates why managing international HR is more difficult than managing HR in a large domestic firm. Challenges presented by geographical dispersion to international HR directors As employees in an international company come from different backgrounds and possess diverse experience, it’s hard to standardize pay and conditions of work (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). Doing so is likely to bring conflicts among staff doing similar jobs in different locations. Standardizing working conditions is also tricky because of diverse cultures, rules and laws of different nations. Home working conditions and policies cannot be transferred to another country due to existence of different legislations in host country. In such a case each host country could have a slightly different working condition (Paik and Vance, 2006). Due also to natural differences in each country, it is hard to standardize business processes and pay in a multinational company. One of challenges faced by international HR managers is dealing with multiple time zones. This time differences bring about difficulties for managers to consult with key decision makers (Herod and Yearn, 2002). These difficulties may result into ramifications on productivity. Closely associated with this problem is the continued heavy reliance on face to face communications since improvement in technologies has not completely bridged this gap (Punnett, 1989). Rolling out a non conflicting international compensation system is a challenge to international HRM. This is due to the fact that conditions of employment differ among various categories of employees (Mendenhall et al, 1987). In addition, there exist variations among countries on ways of compensating workers. Salary levels for the same job also differ amongst countries. As a matter of fact compensation packages can be a source of conflict . This is mostly occurs when local employees start comparing their salary to those of expatriates and may conclude that there is no fairness. Expatriates in most of cases have better compensation packages than local employees doing the same job. As a result local employees may feel unappreciated and treated unfairly. Consequently, it may result to resentment and eventually lower employees’ morale and productivity (Roberts et al, 1998). The process of hiring and placement of different national categories of workers is very complex in global context. International HRM involves movement of people across international boundaries (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). In such a case staffing becomes very hard as managers face hard choices to make from three pools of employees categories: employees from host country where the company operates (HCN), nationals from home country where the firm has headquarter (PNC) and citizens of other countries that may be sources of labor (TNC). The three types of employee groups have different backgrounds. This therefore requires the managers to have international mindset and adopt policies that facilitate establishment of internationally oriented staff (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). Distinct countries have different government policies and ethical requirements which can pose problems to international HR managers. For instance an international company situated in South Africa would have expatriates willing to work there required to undergo a compulsory HIV/AIDS test. This could result to loss of talented employees who may not be willing to comply with the requirement. It would be therefore a challenge to managers to convince such expatriates to accept the requirement (Roberts et al, 1998). International HR managers also face difficulties determining compensation package among various categories of workers. This is so because of varied nationalities of workers and different levels of economic development in home countries. It therefore becomes hard to determine some form of compensation for instance hardship allowance (Hofstede, 1992). International scene is also more complex due to language differences. This becomes a challenge in ease of accessing company’s documents such as vision and mission statements, company’s records and procedure manuals. Language barriers could also impede communication and sharing of information among the workers. This can only be solved by language standardization (Laurent, 1986). The nature of employee involvement also varies depending on country and institutional factors. Employee involvement is crucial in any organization and results into enhanced communication, coordination of tasks, enhanced information sharing and reduced turnover. Employee involvement is however is influenced by organization and national factors such as industrial relations, financial system, social forces and market forces (Petti and Fadel, 1997). Consequently in a global context, the nature of employment will vary due to diverse national forces. Challenges occasioned by need for rationalization and differentiation to international HR directors. Process of rationalization normally involves lowering of organizations operational costs and more improved control (Punnett, 1989). This requires timely provision of information. On a global context, it is a challenge to HR managers to obtain information quickly and to become proactive in achieving business objectives. Due to the complex nature of international organization, it becomes challenging to ensure faster access to high quality information at a significantly business processing cost . However due to rationalization demands in order for the company to remain competitive, managers have to carry out proper compensation, recruitment and placement (Punnett, 1989). Differentiation is the process of distinguishing firms’ products or services from those offered by competitors (Petti and Fadel, 1997). This is done by making them unique and more attractive to a particular target market. Differentiation is normally implemented by ensuring differences in functional features, quality, availability and reputation. Formulation of differentiation strategy is vital for making firms’ products more competitive in a competitive market. In global context it poses challenges for managers to adopt proper strategies in recruitment and selection to ensure the products remain unique and reputable (Petti and Fadel, 1997). Challenges presented by cultural diversity to international HR directors International companies operate in different countries with diverse regulations, standard of living and labor unions (Hofstede, 1992). In some countries, labor unions determine wage policies. In Australia for instance unions negotiate rates of payment on behalf of workers. In other countries like Hong Kong unions have little influence and pay rates are determined by free market. This makes the process of determining pay package very hard to HR managers in global scene (Hofstede, 1992). International HRM must be aware of cultural differences and develop culturally sensitive attitudes for business to thrive (Laurent, 1986). Majority of HRM functions such as compensation; training, recruitment and selection are done according to cultural practices of host nation. Sometimes adapting to local expectation and customs brings more problems. In Indonesia for instance local employees are obliged to employ members of their family. However, acting in such nepotism way may be detrimental to the company since the best fitted persons will not be hired (Punnett, 1989). Diverse norms on methods of motivating employees amongst countries are a key challenge. The use of incentives and gifts for instance may have varied results. In cultures such as America money may be a good motivator. In other cultures such as Japan, non financial incentives for instance job security, social acceptance and promotions may motivate employees better (Mendenhall et al, 1987). The international HR managers are hence challenged to match the motivators with cultural values. International businesses also operate in countries with different cultural differences amongst groups of people in the same country. This ultimately translates into different HRM policies procedures and system. The work of IHRM is therefore determined by cultural aspects of the host country (Petti and Fadel, 1997). This places a challenge to IHRM managers to reconsider each strategy in terms of the country’s cultural condition. Some strategies may work in some country but fail in others. A Hong Kong company dealing with dental services for instance decided to offer a ‘use it or lose it’ policy worth $1000 a year. Initially the company had a high staff turnover of 24%. After a short time, the company’s turnover dropped significantly to 4%. The strategy could not just work in that context (Petti and Fadel, 1997). As the case illustrates, research is required to be conducted amongst employees to establish the kind of strategies which are workable. People also have varied takes and attitudes with regard to contracts. People from western countries think of it just like a contract and will follow it after it’s signed. The Chinese however take it different and prefer continued relationship with their manager. So they will sign it, have a handshake and get to know their manager (Laurent, 1986). Therefore the IHRM has to consider acceptability and adaptability. Diversity management is also a challenge especially managing varying expectations in workplace. Some countries emphasize on gender equity and affirmative action while others do no (Hofstede, 1992)t. In such a case organizations with such policies face difficulties implementing them in some countries. In some parts of the world woman expatriates may experience difficulties in gaining acceptance (Hofstede, 1992). Culture is also a significant constraint in employee performance appraisals and feedback process. Western counties have been found to have different styles of performance appraisals which are difficult to transfer to non western countries (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). The purpose of appraisal, acceptance of its result and the mode of conduct of the feedback process are also different amongst countries. In some cultures for instance Japan performance appraisal are not acceptable and are normally interpreted as sign of distrust. In other cultures such as Chinese performance appraisals are used to determine pay (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). Why managing International HR is inherently more difficult than managing HR in a large domestic firm. Unlike domestic firm, international HR involves moving staff across many countries with diverse cultural and economic aspects. As such international HRM is more complex as it deals with different categories of workers from different countries. There are also many aspects and a broad range of issues o take into consideration (Paik and Vance, 2006). To begin with, there are more HR activities to deal with in an international environment. Foreign employees are normally subjected to both domestic and international tax liabilities. This necessitates need to design tax equalization policies to bridge this gap. There are also a lot of international relocation and orientation activities. This may take the shape of arranging pre departure training and providing information such travel details, shopping and schooling. Foreign employees must also be provided with housing, medical care and recreation services. The expatriates also require to be provided by administrative services within which the host country operates. In addition the international HR must provide language translation services (Mendenhall et al, 1987). The international HR manager is also required to take a broad view of issues. This is particularly due to the fact that the managers deal with more than one national group of employees all working together. One such broader perspective would be to ensure that employees working in foreign locations receive foreign premium regardless of their nationality. Such a policy should be implemented without showing preferential treatment to only employees working on overseas assignment but even to foreigners assigned to firm’s home country (Chan, 1994). The IHRM thus has to deal with equity issues with regard to compensation. International HR managers are also required to get more involved in employees personal lives (Herod and Yearn, 2002). The HRM needs to ensure that expatriate employees comprehends compensation package such as cost of living allowances, premium taxes among others. He also needs to ensure they understand housing arrangements and health care. This creates need for establishment of a section that provides services such as handling of employees’ investments, banking and coordinating home visits. If for instance there is to be a relocation or transfer, the HR department will need to know the employees personal life in order to provide the level of support required. This is particularly due to some governments requirements like marriage certificate in order to stay in some locations. In addition the HR managers may want to assist the family left behind at home country (Herod and Yearn, 2002). In the international context, there is always need to change emphasis in HR operations as workforce varies. This mostly occurs when more trained locals become available and hence the need of foreign employees decline. Resources which had previously allocated to allocated to expatriate issues have thus to be transferred to local stuff training and development. This broadens HR activities such as training, planning and compensation (Chan, 1994). International assignments increase exposure to risks that HRM has to deal with. There are more severe consequences resulting from expatriate failure and underperformance. Such a failure may be too costly to the company in terms of salary, relocation expenses and travel costs. There could also be loss of foreign share, market share and breakdown of foreign relations. The HR department must also consider possible acts of terrorism. On top of that the HR must put in place emergency evacuation procedures for assignments in locations susceptible to epidemic crises (Roberts et al, 1998). International HRM also has to deal with more and complex external factors. The company must comply with government’s requirements about staffing in foreign locations. Moreover, local codes of conduct and religious groups’ regulations must be obeyed (Roberts et al, 1998). Conclusion The research and evidence presented in the paper demonstrates that managing HR in global context is more challenging and complex than in domestic scene. There are many issues which constrain international HR managers and which are unique to each country. The managers are therefore required to be flexible and adopt a local responsive strategy in order to have successful and sustainable businesses.

Professional ethical dilemma paper Essay

The dilemma I went through had something to do with integrity, friendship, and professionalism. I was in a quite major project with a classmate, let us call him JK, and my classmate was financially supportive of the project. I am not very close to JK, but we are nice to each other and he has beautiful insights. However, he refused or made excuses when it was his turn to get down to work. I feel that it was just plain laziness, but finds it hard to point it out to him straight out. Needless to say, I was doing all the work and he was just sharing on some expenses. For instance, he would buy the food when we have to work on the project and just sleep through most of the project while I do all the work. He felt that his financial contributions will suffice to be counted in the project, and it was hard to decide what steps to take because I want to remain a helpful and nice classmate while teaching him the value of hard work. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking at the issue, there is really no difference of power between the people involved—me and JK. We were classmates, and so we are equals. Despite his repeated offers for financial contributions, I also cannot say that he is financially superior than me. The issue was the cooperation between the two of us to successfully complete the project. We were touching on each otherÅ› values because he was loosing his integrity, honesty, and sense of cooperation. When the teacher asks for updates, he pretends to be very cooperative when in reality he has not even written a single page for the project. The problem is that when I tell the teacher that he has not been cooperating he will fail the subject—the project is his last hope. Yet if I do not speak up he will get a grade he does not deserve, taking credits that actually belong to me. Outcomes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I decided to talk to JK about the problem. I told him that I do not need his money, and that what I need is his actual work as contribution to the project. I specified to him that I need pages to be done, edited, and proofread. I pointed out to him that I need ideas, insights, analyses, and that I need the extra hand for all that work. I ended by telling him that if he cannot do that, I can do the project all by myself and just tell the teacher that he is no longer part of the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fearing that he will loose his last chance to pass the subject, he started cooperating. I gave him a copy of the whole work that we have done so far, and he promised to catch up. I realized it was hard for him, and that he is not a fan of writing either. I realized it was the reason why he diverted his contribution to giving money. Discovering this, I delegated him to writing the drafts and doing the research, while I typed, constructed paragraphs, edited, and proofread.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end, I saved myself from gaining an enemy—which is what me and JK will most likely end up if I told the teacher about him, and I also saved JK from failing the subject. I would say that I also saved the teacher from the extra work of minding JKÅ› attitude, and re-educating him. Going back to myself, I also became aware that nothing is impossible with communication. Sure, JK did not become the perfect partner after we talked. Yet, it became easier for me and him to work for the completion of the project. Post-Course Views   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking at the topics and lessons that the course have covered and taught me, I would say that given another situation similar to this professional ethical dilemma, I will still do the same action that I did. It was unethical that I did not tell the teacher, but I had other plans. I initiated to solve the problem, talked JK out of it, and we solved the problem and completed the project between ourselves. Yet if JK did not respond to the signals and warnings I sent, and it happened now, I will choose to speak to the teacher and push JK out of the project. It was the right thing—the ethical thing—to do as it keeps me honest with the teacher, myself, and JK. It also teaches him a valuable lesson about hard work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having learned professionalism, ethics, and other values at work, I would say that it is easier now to make ethical and morally right choices. Because I am older and wiser now, I know that it is no longer too hard for me to speak up and correct others’ mistakes.

Timid President-Futile War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Timid President-Futile War - Essay Example The wars are considered futile because of the many expectations the Bush administration intended to achieve that did not come to pass, the reason why President Obama decided to withdraw the U.S troops from Iraq after almost a decade of occupation. President George Bush’s decision to attack Iraq was based on unfounded beliefs in the presence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Saddam Hussein administration granted the UN and the Americans permission to inspect their weapons artillery to ascertain if they were indeed developing weapons of WMD and even though nothing was found, Bush and his administration believed Iraq did not reveal everything and that formed the basis of American’s invasion of Iraq and the subsequent execution of Saddam Hussein. George Bush’s decision to convince congress to allow America attack Iraq was based on fear that terrorists were likely to attack America again and not necessarily because of WMD that were never found after they subdu ed Iraq. Another factor that led to American invasion of Iraq was interest in the Middle East oil resulting from the fear of uncertainty in the future of American energy security. For this, he saw Saddam Hussein as a major impediment to the benefit they would receive from Middle East oil. They had prevailed upon the United Nations to put economic sanctions on Iraq with the food-for-oil arrangement but this did not deter Iraq, so he believed the best way to achieve their objective was by deposing Saddam Hussein from power. It was therefore an embarrassment to the bush administration when the WMD were never found and nothing could justify the military expenditure on the war (McClellan & McClellan, 2008). President Bush’s fear just before and after the invasion of Iraq began showed up immediately. The United Nations, led by Kofi Annan, opposed the war and proposed a peaceful way of resolving the American suspicion but the administration disobeyed because their fears. It is this very fear that led to interference in the war by civilian commanders based in Washington, which left soldiers on the ground very indisposed. There was also the misconception by the administration that Iraqi soldiers could provide reinforcement and military support. Some Iraqi soldiers did not support the war and posed a great risk to Americans as they ganged up with insurgents to cause trouble to the American troops. In fact, many American soldiers died and had injuries more than the administration had anticipated. As a result of fear, the Bush administration overlooked the process of reconstruction; they did not foresee the magnitude of destruction that resulted from this war. The destruction was so vast that it needed the participation of European bloc, the UN and other international bodies to help in the reconstruction exercise. Although the three segments were interested in participating in the reconstruction, American stubbornness in its interest to lead the reconstruction exer cise after causing destruction made them develop cold feet and some eventually withdrawn. President Bush then made it appear like no country or organization was willing to participate in the restoration exercise. Toward the end of the Bush administration, there was panic both in Washington and Baghdad when it became apparent that there was a political and military vacuum in Iraq. The Iraqi government apparatus collapsed and the institutions that provided basic services like water and electricity could no longer coordinate because staff could not come to work. The Bush administration in its panic started doing things in haste to fill in the vacuum.

To Resist is to Live and March Forward. The world Won't Change Unless Essay

To Resist is to Live and March Forward. The world Won't Change Unless People Change It by Force - Essay Example Whatever the case be, anyone can picture the apprehension, confusion, and fright that a child would feel growing up right in the heart of rising tyrannical powers. Even at a young age, his disbelief and quizzical approach towards authority – leading possibly to his fascination for Marxism – were engrained deep in his mind through the early events of WWII. In addition to his apprehension and disbelief was the point that his mother was a Christian and his father was a Jew. It is perhaps difficult to know for sure whether or not Weiss was a survivor of the concentration camps, or how much weight he put into his half-Jewish legacy. This background can be tied up with the central theme of his play, revolution. Weiss, overtly and covertly raises the question in his play that what does true revolution mean? How does this revolution happen? And the most important question is; when revolution comes, is it through changing the society or through changing oneself? Subjects such as human suffering and class struggles have been beautifully woven into the play through poetic conversations between the characters. It would be fair to consider that when getting on with writing Marat/Sade, Weiss had sufficient memories (experienced by himself) and hard evidence on which the story could be constructed. Possibly the idea of writing a play that happened in an asylum and largely involved the patients was an eye-catching idea to Weiss simply for the reason that it was the substance he knew it like the back of his hand. This play should inspire the American audiences specifically because of America’s involvement in Iraq, especially in the light of the mayhems at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Bagram. The play, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, more commonly known as Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss was written in 1963. It is a play within a play. The picture portrayed is that of 1808, where the play is staged depicting Marque de Sade staging a play in the asylum in which he was held captive till his death. The play revolves around the debate between the ideas of Marque de Sade, the notorious philosopher and Jean Paul Marat. Many times during the play, Weiss mentions something that can be directly related to his early childhood traumas. For instance, one of the lead characters, Marat says; â€Å"People used to suffer everything / now they take their revenge† (21) This is a clear indication of the revenge and the fury trapped inside of Weiss. Most of the concentration camp survivors felt guilt that they were spared while their fellows were brutally murdered. This element of regret and more importantly, the feeling of resistance and fight back are evident in the play. The antihero (supposedly) of this play is Marquis de Sade and he has a completely different perspective as of Marat. Sade’s point of view in the play is somewha t passive. He says that revolutions and violent resistances are useless. He says that revolutions are bloody, violent, and cruel. Such movements are based on idealistic designs of a world that is picture of perfection. At the end of the day all that people can do in this "dog-eat-dog" place is dwindle the tyrannical system of the state, and make efforts only to survive. In Act II, Part 28 of the play, the character Sade says something demoralizing. He asks Marat to give up his struggle as if it will go in vain and

The Correlation Between Crime And Poverty Research Paper

The Correlation Between Crime And Poverty - Research Paper Example Poverty and crime have been given widespread attention in literature and almost all philosophers have dwelt on this twin subjects. Poverty and crime have become major social issues pervading all countries and entire continents. The one issue which will be omnipresent among the countries is about the correlation between crime and poverty. The debate about whether the poverty is the primary cause for the eruption of crime or crime breeds the poverty is going on. The poverty, inequality, unequal distribution of wealth, unemployment, lack of opportunities and exclusion from the mainstream of the society increases the incidence of crime, and at the same time crime restricts and inhibits the growth and economic development of the geographical area where the crime is prevalent. The perpetrator of the crime face exclusion from society and are denied the economical benefits with its association which in turn leads to poverty. Studies say that people from poor areas often resort to crime. Statistics taken about inmates of prisons reveal that 53 percent of inmates were earning less than $10000 per year before they were sent to jail. People say crime does not pay, but crime pays for the poor. For a given level of crime if the punishment or sentence is less deterrent then, the committing of crime becomes profitable. For people from poor areas where there is a lack of opportunities for gainful employment committing gives them more economic benefits than any measly paid jobs available to them. Crimes against people for gain as well as against property are associated with poverty. Many studies and researches on this subject reveal that social, economic inequality and poverty increases the rate of crime and they are best understood in economic more than cultural terms. Almost all studies have observed that crime rates were comparatively higher in poor slum than any other urban environment. Analysis should be done on what social conditions make the many people to commit crime rather than on what type of individual tend to do it. Background Crime is defined s an act committed or omitted in violation of law. Crime is invariably identified with violence, harm to individuals, theft or destruction of property etc. Definitions of crime vary from country to country and it differs across the cross section of culture. Poverty is defined as lack of resources and inability to have basic goods and services necessary for survival. The definitions of poverty vary with society, race and geographical area. The approach to define poverty is about the consumption need of individual like food, cloth and shelter etc. Criminologist point out that there is a link between unemployment, income level, education and living condition. The economic level and concentration of wealth in certain geographical areas contribute the condition towards unrest and crime. In equalities in social science creates aggressive attitud e towards the people who are better off which results in violent crimes of social tension. In equalities in social sense means divide and segregation on racial, color and ethnic

College and career readiness ( my target group is high school Assignment

College and career readiness ( my target group is high school students) - Assignment Example Consequently, many children of black origin had to cover many blocks to attend schools whereas there were schools in their neighborhood but they could not school there since they were â€Å"whites schools.’† He goes on to say that, the supreme court of United States ruled unanimously that separate educational facilities brought inequalities in the education system in the USA. This was a breakthrough in the fight against racial segregation as well as opening similar cases across the United States as similar cases were filed all over. It also brought to light the injustices that came with segregation as it exposed the fact that the black schools had fewer amenities as compared to the white schools. Attempts were made to protect the school segregation policy, but the Brown case was important in the fight against discrimination (Delinder, 2004). The separation of schools was put into place in 1868 when the fourteenth amend was adopted. This was further fortified by the 1896 Plessy V. Fergusson case which ensured that the white and the African American children did not attend the same schools. A change in this system necessitated as was put forward by the then (1954) Chief Justice Warren (Delinder 2004). According to Uscourts.gov (n.d) the case that came to be famously referred to as Brown Vs Board of Education of Topeka was in fact a group of instances that were to be heard by the Supreme Court of the USA. They were about racial segregation of schools in the USA. These cases included; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Briggs v. Elliot, Davis v. Board of Education of Prince Edward County (VA.), Boiling v. Sharpe, and Gebhart v. Ethel. While all of them had different details all of them had one issue; constitutionally state-sponsored racial segregation in public schools. After hearing the case, a three-judge panel ruled against the plaintiffs in favor of the education board. Consequently, the plaintiffs appealed to

Readings and respond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Readings and respond - Essay Example The statement the â€Å"end of living and the beginning of survival† (Speech by Chief Seattle 1) which was quipped by Chief Seattle could mean that if the white people would continue to treat the world as their enemy, where land is to be purchased, conquered, and used; then, left with wanton disregard to its state or condition, it could simply indicate the end of life. When all living things have been exhausted for the personal use of man, as perceived to be the purpose of the white people, then, life would start to be difficult and challenging – and thus, it would signify the need to exert strenuous efforts just to survive. One strongly believes that the reliability and credibility of the information contained in the speech was validated due to the fact that it was created by a Native American, who communicated the thoughts, beliefs, and sentiments according to personal experience. As such, it was effective in winning the sympathy for Native American hardship in the 19th century due to the credibility of the speaker and the ability to impart what are the true sentiments and meaning of the land to the Native Americans. Otherwise, if someone, other than a Native American would create the speech, it would not have been as effective as

Adminstrative Ethics and Patient Privacy Research Paper

Adminstrative Ethics and Patient Privacy - Research Paper Example These include trust and confidentiality among others. However, in the issue discussion, the paper aims at understanding recent ethical problems from different perspectives. In conclusion, it supports the concept of penalizing violators of patient privacy. In addition, different forms of thinking used in this paper are also discussed. In summary, similar to any other right, patient privacy is extremely fundamental thus deserves respect. Introduction In administrative ethics, beliefs are described as an acceptance that the administration and the staff people perceive at the hospital as truth or reality to private privacy. It may also include a conviction or opinion that is steadfastly held by the staff involved. Values, on the other hand, are the significant beliefs or attitudes, which people acknowledge by choice, pride or articulate in action with a sense of responsibility and ownership towards patient privacy. Similarly, perception involves the selection, organization and interpreta tion of sensory data in a form that enables us to understand the world patients and their privacy. Perception can also be the way people interpret outside events and experiences into sensible internal comprehension. Alternatively, administrative ethics involves the principles of right and wrong that determine the roles and functions of administration officers. On that note, it should involve responsibility to the society, virtues, principles, and benefits that assist the patient in safeguarding his privacy (Bruce, 2001). Ethics can also be the internal regulations that push a person to obey or not obey certain external facts. Therefore, what is the link between beliefs, values, perception and ethics in administrative matters and patient privacy? In this aspect, the general beliefs people have toward administrative ethics and the privacy of patients is what generates to various values. However, ethics is the perception of people toward these values in a setting such as a hospital and they relate to the privacy of patients. Ethical action according to me is the method of realizing a problem, producing substitutes and selecting among them in order for the substitute chosen to capitalize on the most significant ethical values. Additionally, the substitute selected is also meant to achieve the intended goal (Kaner, 2011). Therefore, in my view, the most important beliefs and customs in consideration of behavior pertaining to patient privacy are several. For instance, medical practitioners involved in the administrative ethics of patient privacy should have an open mind, which makes them unbiased towards their patients. In addition, their personal convictions should have ethical basis, which do not end up affecting the trust of the patients. Issue Statement Various contemporary administrative ethics are applicable in different organizational settings. For instance, there are positive issues such as honesty, fairness and integrity that have an effect on patient priva cy. On the other hand, there are negative issues in the form of lying, abusive or intimidating behavior, bribery, corporate intelligence and discrimination. However, in this case, we are going to discuss the administrative ethical issue of discrimination in relation to breach of a patient’s privacy. Discrimination as a form of negative ethical issue is the prejudice against a person on the grounds of color, disability, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, public assistance status and age among others (Abele, 2004). These forms of prejudice go at betraying the trust and confidentiality of the patient leading to gross violation of rights and freedoms. So, why do

Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ralph Waldo Emerson - Essay Example Majority of Emerson’s works are in form of essays and poems. He published his first essay titled Nature in 1836 but he refrained from giving his name to the essay. The author of the essay was given as anonymous. In Nature, Emerson portrayed nature as a divine entity and its significance in the spiritual lives of human beings. He gave a meaning to the role played by nature in human lives. He describes the various facets of nature and its relation with wise man. â€Å"Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit.† (Emerson Nature). Emerson also states his own experiences when he is in company of the nature. When he amidst nature, he feels the presence of God around him and he perceives himself as a part of God. â€Å"Standing on the bare ground, -- my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, -- all mean egoti sm vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.† (Emerson Nature).The spiritual aspect of nature which was a new concept to the American society was put forth by Emerson in his essay. In another essay focusing on nature, Emerson writes about the influence of nature in aiding human beings to free themselves from the bindings of the Church and society.

Monster Mash Essay Example for Free

Monster Mash Essay Everyone loves a good scare. The rush we feel when our worst nightmares are realized, and yet that small inkling in our minds reminds us, this isn’t real. It’s fun. First we clench and scream and our hearts pop out of our chests. Then, we smile, laugh, and say â€Å"wow, that scared me† escape our lips, and we again move on with the rest of our average everyday lives. It’s exciting, and to some, arousing. But the concept of horror raises an all too common inquiry. What if you could become one of those famous monsters of the silver screen? Would you choose to be the seductive vampire, the gnarly werewolf, the ghastly ghost, or the ravenous Frankenstien? Now I know what you’re thinking. What about Jason Vorhees, or Freddy Kruger? What about Leatherface, or the Pinhead? Those are all excellent horror film identities. They are however, latter day principals that have all been crafted from the inspiration of the age old favorites. We couldn’t possibly begin to appreciate Jason Vorhees or Leatherface without first acknowledging the colossal juggernaut that was Frankenstien. So for this paper, I’ll only be focusing on the primary figures of horror. Let’s kick this off with an all-time classic. This horror figure amassed not only one of the largest fan bases in film, but directly influenced its own underground culture. Bela Lugosi donned the crimson cape in 1927 as Count Dracula in a Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, where he was talent-spotted as a character actor for the new Hollywood talkies, appearing in the first Dracula film with sound. It would be four years later, with the movie adaptation of that play that vampires would become a public icon. Here we are almost ninety years later, vampire lore has erupted into many renditions, many new ideals. There has been games, and music inspired by their sultry image. These being thrive on the lust and temptation of man, the sexiness of evil. They indulge in blood, and ritual. Only ever able to enjoy their immortality at night, as sunlight invariably reduces them to dust and ash. They are dexterous, equally cunning, using sleight of hand and a quick tongue t o gain your every allegiance. They are connected into every faà §ade of regular, and have either allies, or brethren in powerful social circles. The older the vampire, the more attuned to the gift. On the darker side of this coin lies the cold hard fact that you are completely vulnerable to fire, sunlight, and according to EVERY SINGLE vampire movie, the inevitable betrayal of those closest to you. Which for me begs the ultimate question, â€Å"what good is immortality, if you have no one to share it with†. One a cold dark night, when the moon is full, can you hear the howling of their kind. They are excellent hunters, and even better combatants. They are supernaturally strong, fast, and almost impossible to fend off. All it takes is a simple scratch and your fate is sealed. The werewolf is a tragic Monster. There is nothing sexy or fun about this curse. Every four weeks, when the moon is full, your body reconstructs itself. Breaking bones, and rearranging them. Stretching muscle mass, and skin. I don’t recommend watching someone turn if you are squeamish or faint of heart. The mind goes into an instinctive mode, where you can only process hunger, and anger. You’re compelled not by your humanity, but by the beast within. No matter how you shake it, or which rendition of this monster you look at, werewolves are awesome and sad. Immense power, and raw animal agility, but without a single ounce of control. The concept of man becoming beast has been around for a long time. Ancient Celtics used to believe the spirit of the earth created them to protect her forests from all dangers. It wasn’t until 1941 that the â€Å"wolf man† would see the silver screen, and forever change the way we looked at secluded romantic ventures in the wood. Speaking of silver, nothing but, can truly bring this monster to peace. Ghosts are a funny ideal. They scare the daylights out of us, yet never even threaten us with imminent danger. Most of the time, they are the remnants of someone looking to warn us or tell us something they didn’t get a chance to while they were alive. Yet, like the others, they manage to drive us crazy, and inspire multimedia frenzies. Personally, I hate all these darned ghost hunting shows on TV nowadays. They never seem to really grasp the concept. Its like I’m watching the ghost of Seinfeld, trying one last time to do a horrible stand up monologue. Still the imagery of being there, but not there, and subsequently affecting your surroundings with how you feel, sounds like horror gold. For as much literature is out there on these monsters, very little is actually known. There are a lot of myths about spirits, so it’s hard to decipher what is truth from what is fiction. Some sources say they cannot cross running water, others say that salt naturally repels them. Most say that wrought iron, or cold iron will disperse them quickly. Last but not least, the awesome Frankenstein monster. The twisted dream of an eccentric medical school dropout. A being brought to life with the grotesque remain of the dead. The feeble attempts of a mad man to play god. This monster is as powerful as he is awe-inspiring. Unnaturally super strong, and equally impatient, he towers over the other monsters. He is remarkably resilient, and can repair himself but using new parts. A horrific machine of flesh and bone. Having to accept the weight of being the only of his kind, is the only solace he will ever hope to achieve. At least not until bride of Frankenstein, and we all know how that ends. Mary Shelly gave birth to this horrific story in 1818, originally adapted to be a drama that focused on Dr. Frankenstein as tortured soul, looking for repentance from his monolithic creation. This would fade in 1931, when Boris Karloff donned the neck bolts and platform boots. Becoming an instant classic on the silver screen, Frankenstein would later be seen taking care of Dracula’s coffin in the daytime and feeding the wolf man on the full moon. Never saying much, as to forego the myth that reanimated brain tissue results in a zombie state of mind, Frankenstein does most of his communication in gestures. I would like to believe that the incredible HULK is somehow inspired by him. Choosing an archetype of horror can be taxing. But knowing not only what you stand to gain, but what you stand to lose is paramount. Everyone focuses so on the merit of being a monster. As much as they are powerful, they are weak. To truly choose means to condemn yourself to a live of horror. Would you sacrifice the sun for immortality? Or are you more privy toward the animalistic freedom in exchange for your sanity. Or maybe you’d remain human, and use this hypothetical as tactical advantage. Knowing is half the battle, right? References: IMDB.com Copyright  © 1990-2013 IMDb.com, Inc. Bela Lugosi http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000509/bio The Wolf Man http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/?ref_=sr_3 Frankenstein- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/?ref_=sr_6 Monsters An Investigators Guide to Magical Beings Creators: John Michael Greer Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD. Sept. 2001

English Premier League and their Asian focus Essay Example for Free

English Premier League and their Asian focus Essay Club football is now truly globalised. Clubs are no more small community based which are known in that locality, they are now huge organisations owned by the richest businessmen’s of the world. The transfer spend of each club is increasing at a mind boggling pace. Every year clubs are breaking their transfer record fees. The increase in this expenditure has led to clubs being debt laden, with some of the biggest clubs in the world having debts which in normal business prudence would be suicidal. Thus the need for new revenue streams. Thus English premier league clubs set out all over the world to find out new revenue streams, and thus they found and fell in love with Asia. Asia is unique because though they themselves fare poorly in FIFA rankings and have rarely ruled the football world, their passion for football is second to none. In fact there are more followers and fans of English premier league football clubs in Asia than in England. The high growth rate in Asian countries has also resulted in people desiring for more. Thus in certain parts of South East Asia, weekends means EPL and Beer. But Why EPL Why not Serie A, Bundesliga or the la liga The reasons are many. While now La liga biggies Real Madrid and Barcelona have equal presence in Asian market, but still as a whole there is more EPL presence. First is Tv rights and Tv timing. The match timings in Asian countries are rarely real late nights or early mornings. The match timings are convenient. Though mostly it is the English premier league clubs and Football association’s ability to get into the Asian market early. Now every year during the season break in England there is a tournament called the premier league Asia trophy. In 2013 it was won by the runners up of EPL, Manchester City. The ever increasing value of TV rights deals for the EPL in Asia, an area with vast growth potential given the regions enormous and upwardly mobile population. On their trips to Asia, clubs charge appearance fees to play friendly games, and benefit from sales of official merchandise. And they trade on their popularity by signing sponsorship deals involving everything from banks and credit cards to beer, telecoms, airlines, and even tomato juice. The growth prospect is immense and they have just started. The threat though lies with the other big European leagues who are slowly  starting to focus more and more on Asia. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Ac Milan etc are now increasing their presence in Asia in a bullish manner. Even these countries themselves are getting better in football and have their own club system. Other sports like baseball and basketball also pose a serious threat. Though all said and done Asian love affair of English clubs is still on the growth stage and the potential is immense. As the premier league chief executive Richard Scudamore himself told, Our global fan base is just short of a billion, and half of those are here in Asia, so it (Asia) is a hugely important part of what we do,

Determinants of Transport Problems

Determinants of Transport Problems DETERMINANTS OF TRANSPORT PROBLEMS IN AUCHI AND ENVIRONS, NIGERIA ATUBI, AUGUSTUS .O. (PH.D) INTRODUCTION Road transportation is a form of land transport which involves the movement of people and goods by motor cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and bicycles. it is the most popular means of transport (Areola, 1999; Atubi and Onokala, 2003; Atubi, 20005a). As a popular form of land transport, road transportation can contribute greatly to national development when made efficient. However, road transportation in Nigeria is far from being efficient. According to the Web (2006) poor maintenance and years of heavy freight traffic have made much of the road system in Nigeria barely usable. In the same vein, Filani (1982; 2005) rightly observes that the socio-economic development of any society depends to a large extent on the nature and structure of the transportation networks of the society since it provides the arteries through which the economic life stream of society flows (the people, information, raw materials and finished products) which help to build and maintain the society. Transport has been likened to the human blood circulatory system whose healthy functioning is a necessary condition for the sustenance of human life (Adeniji, 2000). Transport systems provide a key to the understanding and operation of many other systems at my different scales. At one extreme, inter-continental transport provides essential communication between the advanced and developing worlds, while local transport to rural markets in many parts of the third world is a vital component in changing dynamic socio-economic structures (Barke and O’Hare, 1984). There is hardly any human society or human settlement system that can function efficiently and effectively without adequate reliable, safe and affordable transport systems. The most fundamental reason for this being the catalytic effect of transport development on socio-economic growth and development (NISER, 2001). Transport can also play a significant role in territorial administration, political development, the defence of territories as well as in promoting the import-export corridors of neighbouring countries). Precisely, transport development is central in the developmental process for the economy and society to grow healthily. This is because transport influences and it is influenced by other sectors that make up, not only the total urban system (Stopher and Meyburg, 1975), but the entire human settlements’ system. The importance of transport to spatial, social and economic growth and development has not been seriously questioned, although its exact role and influence h ave been subjected to periodic reappraisal (Button, 1982). Despite all huge investments in the transport sector, it is disheartening to note that transport systems in most countries of the developing world is performing far below average thereby retarding their socio-economic growth and development. John et al (2005) opines that the use of the word â€Å"crisis† to describe transport problems in European and American cities seems a misnomer compared to what is experienced in the cities of the developing countries. The various associated problems of inefficient traffic flow such as environmental pollution, noise, traffic fatalities and injuries, etc are more severe in the developing world making the problem quite modest in the developed world by comparison (Gakenheimer, 1999). According to John et al (2005), developing countries have several factors in common that contribute to the severity of their transport problems. Overall population growth and increasing urbanisation have led, especially, to the rapid growth of large cities, which have been overwhelmed by the sudden jump in travel demand. The supply of transport infrastructure lagged far behind demand. Public sector finances in general are so limited that funding for transport improvements is woefully inadequate. Commenting on urban transport problems in Lagos state, Nigerians, Atubi (2007a) opines that some of the most serious problems facing development planners and policy makers in the country reside in the transport sector. John et al (2005) concludes that the nature and extent of transport problems obviously vary from one country to another, virtually all developing countries suffer from the following: Unplanned, haphazard development at the sub-urban fringe without adequate infrastructure, transport and other public services Limited network of roads, often narrow, poorly maintained and unpaved. Rapidly increasing ownership and use of private cars and motorcycles. Inadequate roadway accommodation for buses and non-motorized transport. Overcrowded, uncomfortable, undependable slow, uncoordinated, inefficient and dangerous public transport. As documented above, Auchi and its environs shares nearly all these problems of developing countries and therefore the need to examine in details the most prominent determinants of transport crisis in the town. It is therefore, the objectives of this study to examine road network characteristics, transport and terminal facilities, land use characteristics and vehicular traffic flow and the existing traffic control measures, as they contribute to transport problems in the town. Geographically, Auchi is located roughly between latitude 7o4’ of the equator and longitude 6o16’ east of the Greenwich meridian. It is situated in the northern part of Edo state, Nigeria. It serves as the headquarters to the Etsako West Local Government Area. However, as a town Auchi is specifically bounded in the east by Jattu community, on the North West by Ikpeshi and Ihieve Igben towns, on the north by Ayua, Iyaku and Imeke, while on the south by Ivbiaro and Warakpe respectively. Auchi has road as its basic mode of transportation. There is a network of roads that connects Auchi to the surrounding settlements for instance the dual – carriage expressway leading to Jattu, the Auchi-Igarra road, the Jattu – Uzaire road and the Auchi – Okene Abuja expressway. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data for this work were collected from the primary and secondary source. Personal observation method was used to collect data on road network characteristics in Auchi. During the exercise, emphasis was placed on the width of the major roads at intervals. Actual measurements were taken at intervals, areas riddled by pot-holes were examined and noted, drainage system among these roads were all examined and noted, materials used for construction of roads as well as the nature of the roads in terms of configuration and sharp bends were also examined, the proportion of road allocated for right – of – way (motorway), side walk – way or pedestrian walk-way were also measured and noted. On existing traffic control measures along the roads that constitute the study area, personal observation and planning studies were used to collect data. The existing traffic control measures such as traffic wardens, channelization, zebra crossing, roundabout, traffic light etc were looked for along the major roads. Physical survey method was also used to collect data on transport and terminal facilities. Terminal facilities such as bus-stops, off-streeting parking lots and motor parks were examined and their locations and state noted. DISCUSSION Most of the roads in Auchi lacked pedestrian walk way or where they exist, are in dilapidated condition that always prevent people to put them into proper use thereby resulting to pedestrians struggling with motorists on the right of way that is too narrow for vehicular movement alone. As a result of lack of maintenance culture, nearly all the roads are in deplorable conditions. Things are made worse during the rainy season. Along the Jattu-Uzaire junction, the road has so much been riddled with pot holes that vehicles reduce their speed to approximately 0.5km/hour. Apart from the pot-holes, these roads are also characterised by sharp bends and poor configuration. The drainage along these roads is nearly non-existent. During rainy season, flooding is a common phenomenon along these areas. The dumping of rubbish and the gully erosion menace have greatly hinders the functionality of these drainage system in Auchi. At times, water enters into the engine or vehicles which further delays movement of motorists. All the above mentioned characteristics of these roads contribute in no small measure to the vehicular traffic flow problems experienced in the town. These findings corroborate what Adefolalu (1977) and Atubi and Oriero (2004) in their study of urban traffic problems in the city of Lagos and importance of drainage systems to development in Lagos respectively. Transport facilities refer to the vehicles that apply the major roads in the town. It is a fact concerning the characteristics of traffic flow and safety. The length, width and height are often limited by law so that vehicles can fit geometric standards of the roads. While passenger cars are well below this limit, commercial vehicles such as trailers and tankers often constitute problems. These commercial vehicles often find it difficult to negotiate curves because of their large turning radii and in the process cause undue traffic delay. The weight of vehicles must also be limited to suit structural designed standards of pavements. Mostly, pavements fail structurally because of over stressing due to these heavy vehicles. All the identified vehicle characteristics and situation apply to Auchi. Tankers, trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles struggle for the limited space along the major roads in the town thereby compounding traffic flow problems. Furthermore, on several occasions, traffic problem is caused by motor vehicles having mechanical break downs. These breakdowns are in part caused by lack of inspection for adequate equipment such as break lights, tyres, fuel, etc. Terminal facilities are facilities put in place to aid efficient and smooth flow of vehicular traffic on the roads. These facilities include: motor parks, bus stops, off street parking lots, on-street parking lots, etc. Where all these are adequately provided and properly put into use vehicular traffic flow is not always a problem. Fieldwork exercise revealed that the major parks for the on-loading and off-loading of passengers by commercial vehicles in the town are in most cases put into use. However, sometimes commercial bus/car operators in a bid to make quick and more trips per day abandon these parks and had turned themselves to nuisance in the city. Landuses are the various ways by which land had been put into use. In Auchi, various land use types such as educational, residential, institutional, agricultural can be identified. From all indications, these dominant landuses are traffic generators and attractors as they are either places of residence, learning, working, shopping or transacting business which attract both vehicular and pedestrian traffic resulting sometimes in traffic flow problems. It was also observed that on a daily basis, especially between Monday and Friday, the Auchi Polytechnic being an educational landuse attract and generate vehicular traffic both in the early morning peak when students and workers, majority of who live off-campus move to the Polytechnic premises and afternoon peak periods when they move from campus to town after normal activities. Apart from educational landuse in the town, residential landuse also attracts and generate traffic. The Uyisin, Ukphe and Constance Momoh quarters in Auchi town being places that are highly populated generates traffic and attract traffic on a daily basis. People from this axis move to different parts of the town for their normal daily business. Another notable landuse type in the town is the commercial landuse, and this abounds all over the town but more prominent where markets are located in the town. The Etsako central market at Aviele is an attractor and generator of vehicular traffic anytime of the day. A lso markets such as Iyekhe market and Utukwe market also attracts and generates vehicular traffic commercial vehicles, motorcycle operators and private car owners comb these areas regularly for commercial activities. Shop owners and potential buyers move in and out of this town in either private cars or motorcycles thereby resulting in vehicular traffic volume in the town. Apart from the commercial activities going on in this part of the town residential landuse also play a significant role. This area houses the palace of the Otaru of Auchi which is a place of attraction to the natives on a regular basis. Meetings and other traditional engagements around the town also account for traffic problem in the area. FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST EFFICIENT ROAD TRANSPORTATION The following factors have over the years militated against an efficient road transportation Years of heavy freight traffic: Over the years the road system has been subjected to heavy freight which were beyond the carrying capacity of the roads. This made the condition of the roads to deteriorate and the result is that much of the road system is barely usable. The heavy freight traffic is part as a result of the failure of the railway system. From the 1970 successive administrations have failed to redesign and modify the obsolete nm-row network to serve the new economy dependent on oil (Nwakamma, 2006). Hence roads were built to carry freight that could conveniently be carried by railways. Today, road transportation accounts for over 95 percent of passengers and freight transport (Ojabo, 2007). Traffic congestion: Traffic congestion have become a permanent feature of urban roads and some highways in Nigeria. This is in spite of many attempts to reverse the situation. During rush hours when people are going to work valuable productive time is wasted in traffic hold-ups. Hours that could have been utilized efficiently in work places such as companies, private organisations, and government offices are spent on the urban roads and highways. There is also environmental pollution caused by traffic congestion which affects the health of individuals and consequently their productivity. Though traffic congestion is a feature of urban centres throughout the world, the Nigerian situation is permanent due to the absence of an alternative means of transport such as railways. Highway armed robbery: Armed robbery is a major problem affecting road transport in Nigeria especially the highways. the robbers kill, injure and frighten their victims, terror generally unleashing on commuters/travellers. Highway crimes like armed robbery thwart efforts towards national development. Furthermore, the highway armed robbery give the country a bad image abroad. Foreigners proposing to come to Nigeria for vacations are usually advised by their embassies that â€Å"public transportation throughout Nigeria is dangerous and should be avoided† (The Web, 2007). Thus such people fear coming into the country as a result of the insecurity caused by the highway armed robbery. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION For effective traffic flow and perfect road transportation system in Auchi the following recommendations are indispensable. There is need for repairs and rehabilitation of all existing urban roads which are as at now riddled with pot holes and other problems. Investigation revealed that most of the mort parks in Auchi lack essential facilities that could confine traders, hawkers and passengers to the parks. Facilities such as shopping complex, eating places etc should be provided. This would make these parks attractive to users. Introduction of bus-stops in the town and the orientation of road users on their importance. Mass-transit is recommended for effective and smooth movement between residential landuses and employment centres in the town. The federal government should improve the security situation on the highways in a bid to eliminate the activities of armed robbery gangs on the road. Aerial and ground surveillance should be mounted around the operational areas of the gangs in order to put an end to their nefarious activities. REFERENCES Adefolalu, A.A. (1977) Traffic Congestion in the city of Lagos. Nigerian Geographical Journal Vol. 20, No. 2. Adeniji, K. (2000) Transport Challenges in Nigeria in the Next two Decades. Keynote address delivered at the 5th National council on transport meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Held at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Asokoro, Abuja between 29th and 31st August, 2000. Areola, O; Mamman, M; Onweluzo, F.A. and Omotoso, O. (1999) Exam Focus Geography for WASSCE and JAME. Ibadan University Press Plc. Atubi, A.O. and Onokala, P.C. (2003) Road Transportation and the Socio-economic Development of the Niger-Delta: A Case study of Warri Metropolis. Journal of the Social and Management Science Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, Pp. 102-113. Atubi, A.O. (2005a) The Effects of Osubi Airport and the Socio-Economic Development in Osubi community and its Environs in Delta State, Nigeria. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Dynamics, Vol. 3, Pp. 1-8. Atubi, A.O. (2007a) Network Accessibility and Occurrence of Public Facilities in Lagos Island, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Planning Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 1, Pp. 1-17. Atubi, A.O. and Oriero, S.B. (2004) Importance of Drainage systems to development in South – Western Nigeria. The case of Ebuffmetta in Lagos Mainland. International Journal of Environmental Issues. Vol. 2, No. 1 and 2, Pp. 209-216. Barke, M. and O’ hare, G. (1984) The Third World, Edinburg, Oliver and Boyd. Button, K.J. (1982) Transport Economics, Aldershot: Gower Publishing. Filani, M.O. (1982) Transportation in Filani, M.O. (ed) Ibadan Region, Department of Geography, University of Ibadan, 137-153 pp. Filani, M.O. (2005) Rail Transportation as a mechanism for sustainable development of a Nation. Ago-Iwoye Journal of Social and behavioural Sciences Vol. 1, No. 1: 4-10. Gakenheimer, R. (1999). Urban Mobility in the Developing World. Transportation Research,33A, 671-690Pp. John, P; Nisha, K; Neha, M. and neenu, I. (2005) Urban Transport Crisis in India. Transport Policy, Vol. 12, No. 3:185-198. NISER Review of Nigerian Development (2001) The State in Nigerian Development (NISER), Ibadan. Nwakamma, N. (2006) Modernizing Nigerian Railways. New Nigerian Newspaper, Thursday, August 10, 2006. Ojabo, L. (2007) FG and Road Construction since 1999. New Nigerian Weekly. Stopher, P.R. and Arnim, H. Meyburg (1975) Urban Transportation Modelling and Planning, Lexington, (Mass); Lexington Books, D.C. Health and Company. 1

Hamlet Criticism :: Literary Analysis, Shakespeare, Classics

In “Hamlet';; Literary Remains, Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes Hamlet as an intricate planner who’s thought process is slow and methodical. He describes Hamlet as someone having “Supercilious activities…of the mind, which, unseated from its healthy relation, is constantly occupied with the world within, and abstracted from the world without…throwing a mist over all common-place actualities.'; Cooleridge is explaining the fact that Hamlet seems to always be in his own fantasy world when it comes to thinking about things that are going on in his life. Hamlet appears to be very caught up in his own thoughts that he doesn’t have the time or ability to carry out his plans efficiently and effectively. Cooleridge contrasts Shakespeare’s use of a tragedy in Hamlet to the play MacBeth. Cooleridge shows that Hamlet proceeds in his schemes with the utmost slowness, while MacBeth has a pace that is crowded and moves with breathless rapididty. These tw o plays with themes of Greed and Revenge are both rooted in the same systems of belief but are carried out in totally different directions. Cooleridge goes on to say that perfection is usually only found in one’s mind and is rare if impossible to find in reality. This is again shown through the fact that Hamlet’s planning seems to take a backseat to luck and fate as the others end up dying from the poison, which they had planned to use against Hamlet. Cooleridge also stresses the inconsistency of Hamlet and his plans for revenge throughout the play. One minute the audience believes that he cares greatly for Ophelia, and the next minute we see him showing a sort of disrespect for her at her funeral.

Wilfred Owens Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay -- Wilfred Owen Dulce Decoru

Wilfred Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est Through poems with blazing guns, spurting blood, and screaming agony, Wilfred Owen justly deserves the label, applied by critics, of war poet. Some critics, like W.B. Yeats who said, â€Å"I consider [Wilfred Owen] unworthy of the poets corner of a country news paper,† (362) satisfy themselves with this label and argue Owen lacked the artistic merit to be given much attention beyond it. However, many other Owen critics like David Daiches interest themselves in trying to identify what unique perspectives Owen’s poems present and why those perspectives captivate so many people. Daiches argues that Owen engages so many readers because â€Å"he penetrates into the inner reality† (363) of the war experience. He explains how Owen captured this inner reality by saying: â€Å"Owen never forgot what normal human activity was like, and always had a clear sense of its relation to the abnormal activity of war† (363). In this criticism Daiches wisely recognizes the need for an account of Owen’s popularity; however, at least in â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est,† even beyond the capacity to convey inner reality, there lurks a more apt explanation of Owen’s popularity—archaic reality. Owen, a Welsh descendent through both parental lines, through his diction, draws upon his Celtic roots, both psychological and linguistic, in writing â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est.† Actions, themes, and words throughout the poem relate to obscure pagan ritualistic human sacrifice and combine to give the poem a deep connection to the early druidic peoples of Britain, Ireland and Gaul—peoples of the very lands which became embroiled in World War I. Fascinating connections between Owen’s work and druidic peoples turn up in early Roman historians’... ...rey. Mythology of the British Isles. North Pomfret: Trafalgar Square Publishing, 1990. Daiches, David. â€Å"The Poetry of Wilfred Owen.† New Literary Values: Studies in Modern Literature. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1936. In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon Hall. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1981. 164 vols. Ellis, Peter. The Druids. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994. Owen, Wilfred. ulce Et Decorum Est. The Norton Anthology of Poetry. Ed. Margaret Ferguson. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. Protas, Allison. Dictionary of Symbolism. 2001. University of Michigan. 20 Sep. 2005 Yeats, W. B. Letters on Poetry from W.B. Yeats to Dorothy Wellesley. Ed. Dorothy Wellesley. London: Oxford Press, 1940. In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon Hall. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1981. 164 vols.

Why do females migrate to work as maids? Essay -- Immigration, Domesti

Why do females migrate to work as maids? In general woman will migrate to work as domestic workers for one of three reason. (i) limited or no jobs in their country of origin (ii) the income in there country of origin is not enough to sustain there family; and (iii) to get away from a volatile family situation. Women see working as a maid in another country as way to solve these problems and ways to support there families back home. However the question has arisen once these women from lesser developed nations arrive in the rich developed nations does working as a ‘maid’ offer greater independence or does it just lead to more oppression and exploitation? This essay will demonstrate using the United Sates of America and the United Arab Emirates as a case study,that there is no conclusive answer to the question posed; rather it depends on the country and the individual circumstances of each person. Does the employment offer them greater independence in the US? Domestic workers experience in the United Sates varies dramatically depending on the visa-status of women and the work arrangements in place for the domestic worker. In general Live in maids in the US are the most devoid of independence and control of their lives, and often work long hours without a day off. On the other hand live out domestic workers to some extent has more independence and freedom of their lives, but this is dependent on the worker being legally allowed to work and remain in the US. The common conception of a ‘live-out’ maid is that they are empowered and have control of lives, however in the US some women working as ‘maids’ are objectified and treated as commodity to be sold at auction. May women are exploited through labor agencies in the ... ...hem to help their families back home and improve their own financial situation. Another benefit from working in the UAE is that generosity is a social value within the UAE. Employers give tips to their employees, give them money to buy gifts and electronic once their contract ends for their families back home, and the domestic workers get to travel over summer with their employer (ilo report p.34). It could be argued that domestic workers in the UAE do have some sense of agency like the workers in the US, but no where near the same extent. Arguable the domestic workers have agency due to the fact that they had a choice whether or not to go work in UAE and they independently earning money for there family. Nevertheless they lack agency in terms of their freedom of movement thought and sexuality since they are ‘enslaved’ to their employer to the end of their contract.

Mr Golspie’s Role in the Novel Angel Pavement

Essay What is Mr Golspie’s role in the novel Angel Pavement? When we come to see Twigg & Dersingham company in the Angel pavement for the first time it present  a sorry spectacle. The first chapter contains a detailed description of a street and the employees at Twigg & Dersingham. We learn that the life of the main characters such as Mr. Smith, Turgis or Miss Matfield is rather dull. The story is set against the background of the Great Depression. Their work at the office is quite monotonous; the firm is on the edge of bankruptcy, thus there are practically no clients and no work for the staff.The salary is extremely low and there is no hope for changing the situation for the better. Moreover at their leisure the employees at Twigg & Dersingham don't have a lot of good time either. Someone like young Turgis, who has no family, in fact no life at all outside Twigg ; Dersingham, merely has neither ability nor desire to go  to some rather expensive places of entertainment, o thers like Mr. Smith with his lower-middle-class family, completely dependent upon him, considers his job, the very center of his being and is too much concerned with savings and providing for the family. But with Mr.Golspie's arrival great changes take place. First of all a mysterious Mr. Golspie assures the future of their veneer-and-inlay company through imports from the Baltic. A man without a past, weaves in and out of all of the characters’ lives, vigorously reordering for himself a chaotic world, offering but eventually withholding from the others a promise of riches and enchantment. Mr. Golspie represents a charismatic man who is able to control the destinies of lesser mortals. He has the capacity to evoke excitement in a humdrum world through his confidence, his shrewdness, and the force of his personality.He brings new colours and emotions in the lives of his employees. He not only enhances their well-fare, but also makes them perceive the life around them from a ne w viewpoint. Thus Miss Matfield due to Mr. Golspie's courting begins to enjoy life at full swing. She realizes that she is an attractive woman, the woman men can strive for. Even her Burpenfield Club no longer seems to be so intolerable. Turgis is also under a great influence of Mr. Golspie, to be more precise under the influence of Mr. Golspie's daughter, Lena. Turgis is head over ears in love with her, for im she is the prettiest girl in the world. For this romantic period his life acquires new sense. Nevertheless very soon these magical transformations come to an end. Lena having amused herself with Turgis switches to another boy and has no longer interest in her former relations. Such a cruel step nearly let to a suicide. Mr. Golspie leaves the company even in a more disastrous situation than it had been. Having achieved his profit Mr. Golspie without any regrets get rid of the place, leaving his employees and a partner quite vulnerable.He doesn't come to the arranged meeting wi th Miss Matfield, a woman towards whom he seemed to have had tender feelings, and even leaves her no note that he departs for South Amerika. Thus we may conclude that though on the surface of it Mr. Golspie's role in the novel can be evaluated as rather positive, I personally believe that his arrival has caused a lot of pain and destruction. But still if the characters are strong enough to survive such a hard period, they are sure to learn a lesson from Mr. Golspie Mr Golspie’s Role in the Novel Angel Pavement Essay What is Mr Golspie’s role in the novel Angel Pavement? When we come to see Twigg & Dersingham company in the Angel pavement for the first time it present  a sorry spectacle. The first chapter contains a detailed description of a street and the employees at Twigg & Dersingham. We learn that the life of the main characters such as Mr. Smith, Turgis or Miss Matfield is rather dull. The story is set against the background of the Great Depression. Their work at the office is quite monotonous; the firm is on the edge of bankruptcy, thus there are practically no clients and no work for the staff.The salary is extremely low and there is no hope for changing the situation for the better. Moreover at their leisure the employees at Twigg & Dersingham don't have a lot of good time either. Someone like young Turgis, who has no family, in fact no life at all outside Twigg ; Dersingham, merely has neither ability nor desire to go  to some rather expensive places of entertainment, o thers like Mr. Smith with his lower-middle-class family, completely dependent upon him, considers his job, the very center of his being and is too much concerned with savings and providing for the family. But with Mr.Golspie's arrival great changes take place. First of all a mysterious Mr. Golspie assures the future of their veneer-and-inlay company through imports from the Baltic. A man without a past, weaves in and out of all of the characters’ lives, vigorously reordering for himself a chaotic world, offering but eventually withholding from the others a promise of riches and enchantment. Mr. Golspie represents a charismatic man who is able to control the destinies of lesser mortals. He has the capacity to evoke excitement in a humdrum world through his confidence, his shrewdness, and the force of his personality.He brings new colours and emotions in the lives of his employees. He not only enhances their well-fare, but also makes them perceive the life around them from a ne w viewpoint. Thus Miss Matfield due to Mr. Golspie's courting begins to enjoy life at full swing. She realizes that she is an attractive woman, the woman men can strive for. Even her Burpenfield Club no longer seems to be so intolerable. Turgis is also under a great influence of Mr. Golspie, to be more precise under the influence of Mr. Golspie's daughter, Lena. Turgis is head over ears in love with her, for im she is the prettiest girl in the world. For this romantic period his life acquires new sense. Nevertheless very soon these magical transformations come to an end. Lena having amused herself with Turgis switches to another boy and has no longer interest in her former relations. Such a cruel step nearly let to a suicide. Mr. Golspie leaves the company even in a more disastrous situation than it had been. Having achieved his profit Mr. Golspie without any regrets get rid of the place, leaving his employees and a partner quite vulnerable.He doesn't come to the arranged meeting wi th Miss Matfield, a woman towards whom he seemed to have had tender feelings, and even leaves her no note that he departs for South Amerika. Thus we may conclude that though on the surface of it Mr. Golspie's role in the novel can be evaluated as rather positive, I personally believe that his arrival has caused a lot of pain and destruction. But still if the characters are strong enough to survive such a hard period, they are sure to learn a lesson from Mr. Golspie

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was grown, he wrote that he came from a family â€Å"where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present† (Colaiaco, 1984). He could never remember his parents fighting, and he was surrounded by people with deep religious beliefs and a profound sense of human dignity. His father was pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and his mother had been a teacher. Her father had been pastor of Ebenezer before his death. Martin had an older sister; Christine, and a younger brother, A.D. Martin grew up during the Depression, a time when many were without jobs and had to struggle to make a living. His family wasn't wealthy, but they were comfortable and had enough to eat.Discussion and BackgroundHans Luther sent his son to the University of Effort to maintain the dream of him becoming a lawyer. By 1505, Luther had completed the Bachelor s program and received his Master s degree. He was on his way to becoming the lawyer that his father had always dreamed of, until June 1505. On his way back to the University after visiting his family, Martin was caught in a thunderstorm and a flash of lightning hit him. In the open field where he laid, he promised God he would join a religious order. (Leonard, 2002) When Martin s friends heard of his promise, they were shocked. His father was angered that he had spent a large amount of money to send his son to school, and his son was not going to be able to support the family.For the rest of his brief life, he inspired people to fight for their rights using nonviolent means (Lincoln, 2001). King paid a great price for his vision. From 1956 until his death in 1968, he was arrested, stabbed, stoned, and finally assassinated. And although he loved his family, he was often away from home, traveling tirelessly, from town to town, state to state, and even to Europe, Africa, and Asia to share his dream of peace and love.ConclusionIn 1964, Martin Lu ther King, Jr., won the Nobel Peace Prize. This important award is given almost every year to the person, people, or organization most responsible for promoting peace. King, at age thirty – five, was the youngest person ever to receive the prize. In December, he set off with family and friends to Oslo, Norway, where the award ceremony look place. On his return, King was shower with honors. The city of Atlanta, where he lived, gave him a dinner. Together blacks and whites sang the civil rights movement's anthem, â€Å"We Shall Overcome† (Lincoln, 2001). Only a few years before, King had been arrested in Atlanta for trying to eat al an all-white lunch counter. ReferencesColaiaco, James A. (1984).†The American Dream Unfulfilled: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the ‘Letter from the Birmingham Jail'.† Phylon.Leonard, Cowries, W. (2002) Martin Luther Jr. Leader of the Reformation. New York: Fredrick A. Pager.Lincoln, C. Eric, (2001). Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Profile. American Century Series. New York: Hill and Wang. P 156-159

National Government Essay

National Government  is a concept referring to the coalition of the major political parties which were under Ramsay MacDonald,  Stanley Baldwin  and  Neville Chamberlain  they held office from 1931 until 1940. The  Wall Street Crash  was the start of Great Depression  and Britain was badly hit. The Government tried to achieve several different, contradictory objectives which where ones such as, trying to maintain Britain’s economic position by maintaining the  pound  on the  gold standard, balancing the  budget, and providing assistance and relief to tackle unemployment. In 1931 the situation worsened and there was fear that the budget was unbalanced, which was allowed by the independent  May Report  which triggered a confidence crisis. The  Labour Government  agreed to make changes in taxation and expenditure in order to balance the budget and restore confidence, but the  Cabinet  could not agree on the two options available which was either introduce  tariffs, or make 20% cuts in  unemployment benefit. A final vote was taken on the issue and the Cabinet was split 11:9 with a minority including many political heavyweights such as George Lansbury threatening to resign rather than agree. Due to this unworkable split, on 24 August 1931 the government resigned. Both the Conservative and Liberal parties met with  King George V  and MacDonald, first to discuss support for the measures taken but again to discuss the shape of the next government. On 24 August MacDonald agreed to form a National Government composed of â€Å"men from all parties† with the specific aim of balancing the Budget and restoring confidence. The Government was then meant to resolve once these aims had been met and a general election was to be held. The National Government had many problems during their time in office. One of the major problems they had was the impact of the depression was strong upon Britain. An economic problem they faced was that unemployment had risen to 3 million. During their time in office the unemployment level did drop but this was not due to the national Government it was due to new technology and industries, Rearmament started up in 1936 and there was a housing boom. The national government came up with many schemes such as closing competing factories i. e. cotton; shipbuilding this only increased the number of unemployed. The came up with the unemployment assistance act and the special areas act these worked to a certain extent as for certain areas it was too little too late for schemes like this. But it could not get rid of the intractable million who were people who came from staple industries such as coal, textiles, shipbuilding, iron and steel. These people where the ones who lived in places such as Jarrow where 1 in 10 men where in work. A social problem they faced was that as the impact of the Depression was hard on Britain, there was a large drop in living standards a cut in the amount of benefits people could collect and there was a means test to see if families where eligible for benefits. Which meant fewer families got the ‘dole’ and if they did get it they got a small amount which created the two nations in Britain. As places like Jarrow were one of the worst hit places while places like London and Bristol benefited from a lot of the changes such as they were the ones able to use the new technology and be hired into the new industries and they were one of the few who could afford to buy a new house in the housing boom. There were many hunger marches due to this; the most famous was the Jarrow crusade. This is where many unemployed marched all the way to London to speak to Baldwin about what he was going to do to help them but they were refused a seating which him all they arrived was tea and sympathy it is said. Another Problem faced by the National Government was the balancing of the budget. This was orthodox economics which means it is situation in financial planning where total revenues are equal to or greater than total expenses. This was successful to a limited extent as with all the cuts such as 20% off unemployment as well as having a means test allowing them to save enough money for them to get foreign loans. But only the south of England benefited from the money saved. Social problem occurred due to cuts in unemployment benefit was that there was a drop in benefits for unemployed which led to them having a lower standard of living. They came off the gold standard which made the exports (manufacturers goods) which where imports into other countries cheaper. They lowered interest rates, which helped small businesses, home owners and those in the south of England. Then public sector pay was cut by 10% but navy was not happy about this which caused trouble when the Invogadon navy mutinied. The National Government were successful to an extent but they were limited due to all the economic greatness helped those who were in the south of England and not those in the north which allowed the social deprivation to continue.

Major Aspects if the Marketing Plan

This three year marketing plan has been formulated to curb the negative effects on the perception about the McDonald’s Corporation of the larger community. Further, it is the intent behind the formulation of this plan to make positive use of all the negative publicity targeted towards McDonald’s by criticisms such as those raised by the documentary film â€Å"Super Size Me† and the book and film of the same title, â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, as publicity although negative brings with it the focus and spotlight of the media on the company and any efforts on the part of the Corporation to resurface as an advocate of healthy living will be publicized with as much fervor by the various media. The plan involves an operational as well as marketing shift in focus towards a more healthy life and a balanced diet while promoting healthy habits such as working out as well as encouraging the youngsters of the country to pursue higher education and save money for college. Major Aspects if the Marketing Plan This plan is spread over a time span of three years, outlining the product, pricing, distribution and promotion strategies to be implemented and executed during this time. The plan takes into consideration that while the McDonald’s brand image is one of its greatest strengths, this strength is slowly waning away under the intense scrutiny and attention of the media towards the various criticisms launched against McDonald’s and thus it proposes a revitalization of the McDonald’s philosophy so as to focus on the youth and value a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating habits, smart choices and education. The plan also outline the structural issues that may arise during its implementation and execution, tactical initiatives to turn strategy into action and methods, means and measures for the evaluation and control of the marketing effort through regular marketing audits. The concentration on targeting the marketing efforts towards youngsters will mean a shift from marketing efforts targeted towards children in order to get to their parents’ pockets. This will also mean that the primary target market then will be between the ages of 18 and 35, whereas the secondary market will include other age groups as well. Situation Analysis Analysis of Internal Environment Since it is the world’s top fast food company in terms of sales, it is hard to believe that McDonald’s has only recently recovered from a severe and persistent downturn in sales. CEO Jim Skinner’s strategy for bringing the fast food giant back on its feet has been based largely on improving the quality of food instead of expanding rapidly and increasing the number of locations where McDonald’s is available. Furthermore, out of a total of almost 31, 000 restaurants in around 120 countries worldwide, 75% are being run by franchisees rather then by the corporation itself. In addition to improving food quality through upgrading of facilities, the McDonald’s Corporation has also been consciously attempting to decrease the number of company run outlets, with the plan of transferring ownership of 2300 locations to licensees by the year 2008. (McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile) Analysis of Customer Environment â€Å"With the successful expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life† (Wikipedia). The ‘American way of life’ is fast paced, always on the go, technology driven and consistently changing; with divorce rates increasing and the number of single parent families on the rise. The world over, the number of women in the workforce is increasing year by year, contributing to the rise in families with both parents working. â€Å"Fast food restaurants differ from full-service restaurants in that customers generally order and pay before eating† because the typical fast food customer is in a hurry and demands a quick meal. The typical fast food consumer is between he ages of 18 and 35, with no children. (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry) Analysis of External Environment According to Hoover’s profile of the Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant industry, demand in the industry is driven by â€Å"personal income† and â€Å"demographics and â€Å"the profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations, effective marketing, and the ability to provide fast service†. Also, large companies are at and advantage because they can efficiently reap the benefits of economies of scale, making money out of volume rather then big margins (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry). The top competitors for McDonald’s are Burger King, Subway and YUM! Foods (McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile) although â€Å"fullservice restaurants; supermarkets; delis; convenience stores; snack shops (donut or bagel shops); cafeterias† and other companies that offer prepared food are all part of the competition (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry). SWOT Analysis Strengths Being a multinational company with operations in over 120 countries of the world, McDonald’s global presence and its sheer size as an organization is a huge strength, enabling it to benefit from economies of scale and profit sanctuaries. Other then that, McDonald’s ability of adaptation to local cultures wherever it appears on the globe has enabled it to expand across borders, countries and continents; a feat made possible by the strategy of operating through franchisees and licensees. The other great strengths of McDonald’s are its brand image, brand equity and expansive financial resources. Weaknesses The one weakness of the McDonald’s Corporation is its inability to adapt to changing tastes. Like most big companies, McDonald’s is to an extent a victim of its own success, a giant that is slow to wake up to problems and challenges. Opportunities The opportunities for McDonald’s as a multinational fast food company lie in developing countries which are home to growing markets of fast food and in developed countries where adults remain largely untapped as a market for fast food. Threats McDonald’s faces the threat of immense competition from its top competitors; Burger King, Subway and YUM! In addition to this, threats are also posed by the issues raised in the book Eric Schlosser titled â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, the movie of the same name and the documentary film â€Å"Super Size Me† by Morgan Spurlock. Schlosser’s book alleges that McDonald’s among other fast food companies â€Å"uses its political influence to increase their own profits at the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers† while also questioning McDonald’s practice of advertising tactics which target children. Spurlock’s documentary film, featuring himself as the participant in an experiment where for 30 days, he ate only McDonald’s food raises similar allegations, proclaiming that â€Å"McDonald's food was contributing heavily to the epidemic of obesity in American society, and failing to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers† (Wikipedia) Analysis of the SWOT matrix In light of the SWOT analysis conducted above, it may be concluded that McDonald’s possesses the capability of overcoming the threats posed by negative publicity caused by the films such as â€Å"Fast Food Nation† and â€Å"Super Size Me† and various other social activists because it has access to the financial resources which would be required to curb this negative publicity. The only thing lacking is a specific focus of the management on this issue and its resolution. Developing competitive advantages McDonald’s can develop competitive advantages by becoming a socially responsible and aware organization, especially by actively supporting a cause which cancels or nullifies the impact of the aforementioned negative publicity. It is proposed that McDonald’s concentrate on social responsibility and public relations by supporting a cause which it can internalize into the organization. The proposed cause is the physical and mental well being of youngsters which includes leading healthy lives free from eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia, bulimia etc and a college education. Developing a Strategic Focus To fight the ongoing battle against negative publicity against McDonald’s it is suggested that the McDonald’s Corporation develop a strategic focus on resolving this issue and through this resolution pave the path for future development and growth of the company. It is proposed that McDonald’s create this strategic focus by concentrating marketing efforts towards youngsters between the ages of 18 and 35 rather then the McDonald’s trademark of the use of ‘ester power’ to influence children. Marketing Goals and Objectives Marketing Goals The goal of marketing according to this plan will be to use marketing communications with the intent of converting the negative publicity targeted towards McDonald’s into positive and turn it into an advantage for the company. Marketing Objectives The objective of the marketing campaign will be to nullify the negative perception regarding McDonald’s that it is contributing towards the spreading of the â€Å"epidemic† that is â€Å"obesity† and establish that McDonald’s is a healthy organization which believes in and values physical fitness as well as personal wellbeing and self esteem. Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy throughout the tenure of this plan will be to focus on youngsters and students, seeking to culminate the habit of working out and eating healthy, making smart choices and supporting education of the youth of the world. Primary Target Market The primary target market for McDonald’s is students and youngsters between the ages of 18 and 35. The secondary target market includes people of all ages who are looking for a quick, yet fulfilling meal as well as children who otherwise run away from eating and would rather play in the park then be home at meal times. Product Strategy McDonald’s will offer its usual, popular products that it is known for, however it will start printing nutritional content on the actual packaging of the product in legible font size, black in colour. However, the quantities of the contents will be reconsidered and changed according to the daily requirement of each by the human body to remain fit and healthy. Pricing Strategy McDonald’s will offer student discounts at its outlets for students living away from home, granted on products specially designed for students redeemable on showing student identity cards at the time of purchase. Distribution Strategy Distribution will be carried out in the usual manner through company owned and franchised outlets and kiosks. Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy The integrated marketing communication strategy will involve the extensive use of advertising and public relations to publicize McDonald’s effort of supporting healthy eating habits and making smart choices. Marketing Implementation The marketing strategy outlined above will be implemented through an extensive media, supporting PR plan and a massive revitalizing effort designed to convert the effects of the negative publicity brought on by issues raised in â€Å"Super Size Me† and â€Å"Fast Food Nation† by focusing on students and youngsters. Structural Issues The structural issues that will be faced during the implementation of this marketing plan may include employee resistance, inconsistencies between company run and franchised eateries and slow conversion from the past practices to the ones proposed in this plan. A major structural issue will be faced in shifting the marketing and operational focus on to young adults instead of that which was previously on children through advertising the McDonald’s toys given away with the Happy Meals and the famous Play Places. Tactical Marketing Activities The tactical activities will include a number of youth oriented programs, which will support healthier eating habits for both, those who eat less then is healthy as well as those who eat more then is healthy, smarter choices by young people and assistance with educational endeavours. Jobs at McDonald’s outlets will be publicized to be open for candidates who are studying at school, college and/or wish to save for a college education; nutritional content will be printed on the packaging of products and will de re-proportioned to be aligned with the requirement of a young healthy human body; public service messages regarding eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity will be funded; Club McDonald’s will be founded where youngsters with eating disorders and the will to take control of their situation will be provided with expert counseling, interaction with others youngsters facing similar problems along with the comfort of knowing that they are not alone. Evaluation and Control Since the goals and objectives of this plan focus on dealing with the negative perception regarding McDonald’s caused by such criticisms as posed by media such as â€Å"Super Size Me† and â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, the evaluation and control measures will also focus on measuring the impact of the marketing effort on such perceptions. Formal controls Formal controls will include the establishment of performance targets for each of the tactical initiatives proposed in this plan on regular intervals, ensuring that these targets are met, and if this is not so then ascertaining the reasons for exceeding or failing to meet these targets on the part of those held accountable. Informal controls Informal controls will take the form of feedback forums on the websites for each tactical initiative as well as the reviews of participants/member of Club McDonald’s. Implementation Schedule and Timeline This plan will span over a period of three years, after which the goals and objectives would have been met in the manner that is outlined in this plan. Each initiative will be timed according to the best possible situational conditions which are conducive the successful implementation of the initiative. McDonald’s will resurface as an advocate of healthy living, smart choices and education for all. Marketing Audits During the three year life span of this marketing plan, marketing audits will be conducted at regular intervals, that once after every quarter of a year meaning that there will be a total of 12 marketing audits conducted throughout the 3 year time span of the marketing plan. Bibliography Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 Fast Food Nation. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation McDonald’s. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 ; Major Aspects if the Marketing Plan This three year marketing plan has been formulated to curb the negative effects on the perception about the McDonald’s Corporation of the larger community. Further, it is the intent behind the formulation of this plan to make positive use of all the negative publicity targeted towards McDonald’s by criticisms such as those raised by the documentary film â€Å"Super Size Me† and the book and film of the same title, â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, as publicity although negative brings with it the focus and spotlight of the media on the company and any efforts on the part of the Corporation to resurface as an advocate of healthy living will be publicized with as much fervor by the various media. The plan involves an operational as well as marketing shift in focus towards a more healthy life and a balanced diet while promoting healthy habits such as working out as well as encouraging the youngsters of the country to pursue higher education and save money for college. Major Aspects if the Marketing Plan This plan is spread over a time span of three years, outlining the product, pricing, distribution and promotion strategies to be implemented and executed during this time. The plan takes into consideration that while the McDonald’s brand image is one of its greatest strengths, this strength is slowly waning away under the intense scrutiny and attention of the media towards the various criticisms launched against McDonald’s and thus it proposes a revitalization of the McDonald’s philosophy so as to focus on the youth and value a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating habits, smart choices and education. The plan also outline the structural issues that may arise during its implementation and execution, tactical initiatives to turn strategy into action and methods, means and measures for the evaluation and control of the marketing effort through regular marketing audits. The concentration on targeting the marketing efforts towards youngsters will mean a shift from marketing efforts targeted towards children in order to get to their parents’ pockets. This will also mean that the primary target market then will be between the ages of 18 and 35, whereas the secondary market will include other age groups as well. Situation Analysis Analysis of Internal Environment Since it is the world’s top fast food company in terms of sales, it is hard to believe that McDonald’s has only recently recovered from a severe and persistent downturn in sales. CEO Jim Skinner’s strategy for bringing the fast food giant back on its feet has been based largely on improving the quality of food instead of expanding rapidly and increasing the number of locations where McDonald’s is available. Furthermore, out of a total of almost 31, 000 restaurants in around 120 countries worldwide, 75% are being run by franchisees rather then by the corporation itself. In addition to improving food quality through upgrading of facilities, the McDonald’s Corporation has also been consciously attempting to decrease the number of company run outlets, with the plan of transferring ownership of 2300 locations to licensees by the year 2008. (McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile) Analysis of Customer Environment â€Å"With the successful expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life† (Wikipedia). The ‘American way of life’ is fast paced, always on the go, technology driven and consistently changing; with divorce rates increasing and the number of single parent families on the rise. The world over, the number of women in the workforce is increasing year by year, contributing to the rise in families with both parents working. â€Å"Fast food restaurants differ from full-service restaurants in that customers generally order and pay before eating† because the typical fast food customer is in a hurry and demands a quick meal. The typical fast food consumer is between he ages of 18 and 35, with no children. (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry) Analysis of External Environment According to Hoover’s profile of the Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant industry, demand in the industry is driven by â€Å"personal income† and â€Å"demographics and â€Å"the profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations, effective marketing, and the ability to provide fast service†. Also, large companies are at and advantage because they can efficiently reap the benefits of economies of scale, making money out of volume rather then big margins (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry). The top competitors for McDonald’s are Burger King, Subway and YUM! Foods (McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile) although â€Å"fullservice restaurants; supermarkets; delis; convenience stores; snack shops (donut or bagel shops); cafeterias† and other companies that offer prepared food are all part of the competition (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry). SWOT Analysis Strengths Being a multinational company with operations in over 120 countries of the world, McDonald’s global presence and its sheer size as an organization is a huge strength, enabling it to benefit from economies of scale and profit sanctuaries. Other then that, McDonald’s ability of adaptation to local cultures wherever it appears on the globe has enabled it to expand across borders, countries and continents; a feat made possible by the strategy of operating through franchisees and licensees. The other great strengths of McDonald’s are its brand image, brand equity and expansive financial resources. Weaknesses The one weakness of the McDonald’s Corporation is its inability to adapt to changing tastes. Like most big companies, McDonald’s is to an extent a victim of its own success, a giant that is slow to wake up to problems and challenges. Opportunities The opportunities for McDonald’s as a multinational fast food company lie in developing countries which are home to growing markets of fast food and in developed countries where adults remain largely untapped as a market for fast food. Threats McDonald’s faces the threat of immense competition from its top competitors; Burger King, Subway and YUM! In addition to this, threats are also posed by the issues raised in the book Eric Schlosser titled â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, the movie of the same name and the documentary film â€Å"Super Size Me† by Morgan Spurlock. Schlosser’s book alleges that McDonald’s among other fast food companies â€Å"uses its political influence to increase their own profits at the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers† while also questioning McDonald’s practice of advertising tactics which target children. Spurlock’s documentary film, featuring himself as the participant in an experiment where for 30 days, he ate only McDonald’s food raises similar allegations, proclaiming that â€Å"McDonald's food was contributing heavily to the epidemic of obesity in American society, and failing to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers† (Wikipedia) Analysis of the SWOT matrix In light of the SWOT analysis conducted above, it may be concluded that McDonald’s possesses the capability of overcoming the threats posed by negative publicity caused by the films such as â€Å"Fast Food Nation† and â€Å"Super Size Me† and various other social activists because it has access to the financial resources which would be required to curb this negative publicity. The only thing lacking is a specific focus of the management on this issue and its resolution. Developing competitive advantages McDonald’s can develop competitive advantages by becoming a socially responsible and aware organization, especially by actively supporting a cause which cancels or nullifies the impact of the aforementioned negative publicity. It is proposed that McDonald’s concentrate on social responsibility and public relations by supporting a cause which it can internalize into the organization. The proposed cause is the physical and mental well being of youngsters which includes leading healthy lives free from eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia, bulimia etc and a college education. Developing a Strategic Focus To fight the ongoing battle against negative publicity against McDonald’s it is suggested that the McDonald’s Corporation develop a strategic focus on resolving this issue and through this resolution pave the path for future development and growth of the company. It is proposed that McDonald’s create this strategic focus by concentrating marketing efforts towards youngsters between the ages of 18 and 35 rather then the McDonald’s trademark of the use of ‘ester power’ to influence children. Marketing Goals and Objectives Marketing Goals The goal of marketing according to this plan will be to use marketing communications with the intent of converting the negative publicity targeted towards McDonald’s into positive and turn it into an advantage for the company. Marketing Objectives The objective of the marketing campaign will be to nullify the negative perception regarding McDonald’s that it is contributing towards the spreading of the â€Å"epidemic† that is â€Å"obesity† and establish that McDonald’s is a healthy organization which believes in and values physical fitness as well as personal wellbeing and self esteem. Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy throughout the tenure of this plan will be to focus on youngsters and students, seeking to culminate the habit of working out and eating healthy, making smart choices and supporting education of the youth of the world. Primary Target Market The primary target market for McDonald’s is students and youngsters between the ages of 18 and 35. The secondary target market includes people of all ages who are looking for a quick, yet fulfilling meal as well as children who otherwise run away from eating and would rather play in the park then be home at meal times. Product Strategy McDonald’s will offer its usual, popular products that it is known for, however it will start printing nutritional content on the actual packaging of the product in legible font size, black in colour. However, the quantities of the contents will be reconsidered and changed according to the daily requirement of each by the human body to remain fit and healthy. Pricing Strategy McDonald’s will offer student discounts at its outlets for students living away from home, granted on products specially designed for students redeemable on showing student identity cards at the time of purchase. Distribution Strategy Distribution will be carried out in the usual manner through company owned and franchised outlets and kiosks. Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy The integrated marketing communication strategy will involve the extensive use of advertising and public relations to publicize McDonald’s effort of supporting healthy eating habits and making smart choices. Marketing Implementation The marketing strategy outlined above will be implemented through an extensive media, supporting PR plan and a massive revitalizing effort designed to convert the effects of the negative publicity brought on by issues raised in â€Å"Super Size Me† and â€Å"Fast Food Nation† by focusing on students and youngsters. Structural Issues The structural issues that will be faced during the implementation of this marketing plan may include employee resistance, inconsistencies between company run and franchised eateries and slow conversion from the past practices to the ones proposed in this plan. A major structural issue will be faced in shifting the marketing and operational focus on to young adults instead of that which was previously on children through advertising the McDonald’s toys given away with the Happy Meals and the famous Play Places. Tactical Marketing Activities The tactical activities will include a number of youth oriented programs, which will support healthier eating habits for both, those who eat less then is healthy as well as those who eat more then is healthy, smarter choices by young people and assistance with educational endeavours. Jobs at McDonald’s outlets will be publicized to be open for candidates who are studying at school, college and/or wish to save for a college education; nutritional content will be printed on the packaging of products and will de re-proportioned to be aligned with the requirement of a young healthy human body; public service messages regarding eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity will be funded; Club McDonald’s will be founded where youngsters with eating disorders and the will to take control of their situation will be provided with expert counseling, interaction with others youngsters facing similar problems along with the comfort of knowing that they are not alone. Evaluation and Control Since the goals and objectives of this plan focus on dealing with the negative perception regarding McDonald’s caused by such criticisms as posed by media such as â€Å"Super Size Me† and â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, the evaluation and control measures will also focus on measuring the impact of the marketing effort on such perceptions. Formal controls Formal controls will include the establishment of performance targets for each of the tactical initiatives proposed in this plan on regular intervals, ensuring that these targets are met, and if this is not so then ascertaining the reasons for exceeding or failing to meet these targets on the part of those held accountable. Informal controls Informal controls will take the form of feedback forums on the websites for each tactical initiative as well as the reviews of participants/member of Club McDonald’s. Implementation Schedule and Timeline This plan will span over a period of three years, after which the goals and objectives would have been met in the manner that is outlined in this plan. Each initiative will be timed according to the best possible situational conditions which are conducive the successful implementation of the initiative. McDonald’s will resurface as an advocate of healthy living, smart choices and education for all. Marketing Audits During the three year life span of this marketing plan, marketing audits will be conducted at regular intervals, that once after every quarter of a year meaning that there will be a total of 12 marketing audits conducted throughout the 3 year time span of the marketing plan. Bibliography Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 Fast Food Nation. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation McDonald’s. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 ; Major Aspects if the Marketing Plan This three year marketing plan has been formulated to curb the negative effects on the perception about the McDonald’s Corporation of the larger community. Further, it is the intent behind the formulation of this plan to make positive use of all the negative publicity targeted towards McDonald’s by criticisms such as those raised by the documentary film â€Å"Super Size Me† and the book and film of the same title, â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, as publicity although negative brings with it the focus and spotlight of the media on the company and any efforts on the part of the Corporation to resurface as an advocate of healthy living will be publicized with as much fervor by the various media. The plan involves an operational as well as marketing shift in focus towards a more healthy life and a balanced diet while promoting healthy habits such as working out as well as encouraging the youngsters of the country to pursue higher education and save money for college. Major Aspects if the Marketing Plan This plan is spread over a time span of three years, outlining the product, pricing, distribution and promotion strategies to be implemented and executed during this time. The plan takes into consideration that while the McDonald’s brand image is one of its greatest strengths, this strength is slowly waning away under the intense scrutiny and attention of the media towards the various criticisms launched against McDonald’s and thus it proposes a revitalization of the McDonald’s philosophy so as to focus on the youth and value a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating habits, smart choices and education. The plan also outline the structural issues that may arise during its implementation and execution, tactical initiatives to turn strategy into action and methods, means and measures for the evaluation and control of the marketing effort through regular marketing audits. The concentration on targeting the marketing efforts towards youngsters will mean a shift from marketing efforts targeted towards children in order to get to their parents’ pockets. This will also mean that the primary target market then will be between the ages of 18 and 35, whereas the secondary market will include other age groups as well. Situation Analysis Analysis of Internal Environment Since it is the world’s top fast food company in terms of sales, it is hard to believe that McDonald’s has only recently recovered from a severe and persistent downturn in sales. CEO Jim Skinner’s strategy for bringing the fast food giant back on its feet has been based largely on improving the quality of food instead of expanding rapidly and increasing the number of locations where McDonald’s is available. Furthermore, out of a total of almost 31, 000 restaurants in around 120 countries worldwide, 75% are being run by franchisees rather then by the corporation itself. In addition to improving food quality through upgrading of facilities, the McDonald’s Corporation has also been consciously attempting to decrease the number of company run outlets, with the plan of transferring ownership of 2300 locations to licensees by the year 2008. (McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile) Analysis of Customer Environment â€Å"With the successful expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life† (Wikipedia). The ‘American way of life’ is fast paced, always on the go, technology driven and consistently changing; with divorce rates increasing and the number of single parent families on the rise. The world over, the number of women in the workforce is increasing year by year, contributing to the rise in families with both parents working. â€Å"Fast food restaurants differ from full-service restaurants in that customers generally order and pay before eating† because the typical fast food customer is in a hurry and demands a quick meal. The typical fast food consumer is between he ages of 18 and 35, with no children. (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry) Analysis of External Environment According to Hoover’s profile of the Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant industry, demand in the industry is driven by â€Å"personal income† and â€Å"demographics and â€Å"the profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations, effective marketing, and the ability to provide fast service†. Also, large companies are at and advantage because they can efficiently reap the benefits of economies of scale, making money out of volume rather then big margins (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry). The top competitors for McDonald’s are Burger King, Subway and YUM! Foods (McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile) although â€Å"fullservice restaurants; supermarkets; delis; convenience stores; snack shops (donut or bagel shops); cafeterias† and other companies that offer prepared food are all part of the competition (Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry). SWOT Analysis Strengths Being a multinational company with operations in over 120 countries of the world, McDonald’s global presence and its sheer size as an organization is a huge strength, enabling it to benefit from economies of scale and profit sanctuaries. Other then that, McDonald’s ability of adaptation to local cultures wherever it appears on the globe has enabled it to expand across borders, countries and continents; a feat made possible by the strategy of operating through franchisees and licensees. The other great strengths of McDonald’s are its brand image, brand equity and expansive financial resources. Weaknesses The one weakness of the McDonald’s Corporation is its inability to adapt to changing tastes. Like most big companies, McDonald’s is to an extent a victim of its own success, a giant that is slow to wake up to problems and challenges. Opportunities The opportunities for McDonald’s as a multinational fast food company lie in developing countries which are home to growing markets of fast food and in developed countries where adults remain largely untapped as a market for fast food. Threats McDonald’s faces the threat of immense competition from its top competitors; Burger King, Subway and YUM! In addition to this, threats are also posed by the issues raised in the book Eric Schlosser titled â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, the movie of the same name and the documentary film â€Å"Super Size Me† by Morgan Spurlock. Schlosser’s book alleges that McDonald’s among other fast food companies â€Å"uses its political influence to increase their own profits at the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers† while also questioning McDonald’s practice of advertising tactics which target children. Spurlock’s documentary film, featuring himself as the participant in an experiment where for 30 days, he ate only McDonald’s food raises similar allegations, proclaiming that â€Å"McDonald's food was contributing heavily to the epidemic of obesity in American society, and failing to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers† (Wikipedia) Analysis of the SWOT matrix In light of the SWOT analysis conducted above, it may be concluded that McDonald’s possesses the capability of overcoming the threats posed by negative publicity caused by the films such as â€Å"Fast Food Nation† and â€Å"Super Size Me† and various other social activists because it has access to the financial resources which would be required to curb this negative publicity. The only thing lacking is a specific focus of the management on this issue and its resolution. Developing competitive advantages McDonald’s can develop competitive advantages by becoming a socially responsible and aware organization, especially by actively supporting a cause which cancels or nullifies the impact of the aforementioned negative publicity. It is proposed that McDonald’s concentrate on social responsibility and public relations by supporting a cause which it can internalize into the organization. The proposed cause is the physical and mental well being of youngsters which includes leading healthy lives free from eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia, bulimia etc and a college education. Developing a Strategic Focus To fight the ongoing battle against negative publicity against McDonald’s it is suggested that the McDonald’s Corporation develop a strategic focus on resolving this issue and through this resolution pave the path for future development and growth of the company. It is proposed that McDonald’s create this strategic focus by concentrating marketing efforts towards youngsters between the ages of 18 and 35 rather then the McDonald’s trademark of the use of ‘ester power’ to influence children. Marketing Goals and Objectives Marketing Goals The goal of marketing according to this plan will be to use marketing communications with the intent of converting the negative publicity targeted towards McDonald’s into positive and turn it into an advantage for the company. Marketing Objectives The objective of the marketing campaign will be to nullify the negative perception regarding McDonald’s that it is contributing towards the spreading of the â€Å"epidemic† that is â€Å"obesity† and establish that McDonald’s is a healthy organization which believes in and values physical fitness as well as personal wellbeing and self esteem. Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy throughout the tenure of this plan will be to focus on youngsters and students, seeking to culminate the habit of working out and eating healthy, making smart choices and supporting education of the youth of the world. Primary Target Market The primary target market for McDonald’s is students and youngsters between the ages of 18 and 35. The secondary target market includes people of all ages who are looking for a quick, yet fulfilling meal as well as children who otherwise run away from eating and would rather play in the park then be home at meal times. Product Strategy McDonald’s will offer its usual, popular products that it is known for, however it will start printing nutritional content on the actual packaging of the product in legible font size, black in colour. However, the quantities of the contents will be reconsidered and changed according to the daily requirement of each by the human body to remain fit and healthy. Pricing Strategy McDonald’s will offer student discounts at its outlets for students living away from home, granted on products specially designed for students redeemable on showing student identity cards at the time of purchase. Distribution Strategy Distribution will be carried out in the usual manner through company owned and franchised outlets and kiosks. Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy The integrated marketing communication strategy will involve the extensive use of advertising and public relations to publicize McDonald’s effort of supporting healthy eating habits and making smart choices. Marketing Implementation The marketing strategy outlined above will be implemented through an extensive media, supporting PR plan and a massive revitalizing effort designed to convert the effects of the negative publicity brought on by issues raised in â€Å"Super Size Me† and â€Å"Fast Food Nation† by focusing on students and youngsters. Structural Issues The structural issues that will be faced during the implementation of this marketing plan may include employee resistance, inconsistencies between company run and franchised eateries and slow conversion from the past practices to the ones proposed in this plan. A major structural issue will be faced in shifting the marketing and operational focus on to young adults instead of that which was previously on children through advertising the McDonald’s toys given away with the Happy Meals and the famous Play Places. Tactical Marketing Activities The tactical activities will include a number of youth oriented programs, which will support healthier eating habits for both, those who eat less then is healthy as well as those who eat more then is healthy, smarter choices by young people and assistance with educational endeavours. Jobs at McDonald’s outlets will be publicized to be open for candidates who are studying at school, college and/or wish to save for a college education; nutritional content will be printed on the packaging of products and will de re-proportioned to be aligned with the requirement of a young healthy human body; public service messages regarding eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity will be funded; Club McDonald’s will be founded where youngsters with eating disorders and the will to take control of their situation will be provided with expert counseling, interaction with others youngsters facing similar problems along with the comfort of knowing that they are not alone. Evaluation and Control Since the goals and objectives of this plan focus on dealing with the negative perception regarding McDonald’s caused by such criticisms as posed by media such as â€Å"Super Size Me† and â€Å"Fast Food Nation†, the evaluation and control measures will also focus on measuring the impact of the marketing effort on such perceptions. Formal controls Formal controls will include the establishment of performance targets for each of the tactical initiatives proposed in this plan on regular intervals, ensuring that these targets are met, and if this is not so then ascertaining the reasons for exceeding or failing to meet these targets on the part of those held accountable. Informal controls Informal controls will take the form of feedback forums on the websites for each tactical initiative as well as the reviews of participants/member of Club McDonald’s. Implementation Schedule and Timeline This plan will span over a period of three years, after which the goals and objectives would have been met in the manner that is outlined in this plan. Each initiative will be timed according to the best possible situational conditions which are conducive the successful implementation of the initiative. McDonald’s will resurface as an advocate of healthy living, smart choices and education for all. Marketing Audits During the three year life span of this marketing plan, marketing audits will be conducted at regular intervals, that once after every quarter of a year meaning that there will be a total of 12 marketing audits conducted throughout the 3 year time span of the marketing plan. Bibliography Fast Food and Quickservice Restaurant Industry. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 Fast Food Nation. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation McDonald’s. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s McDonald’s Corporation Company Profile. Retrieved on Jun 15, 2007 ;