Marketing plan for Commonwealth Bank Essay

Commonwealth Bank is the largest of Australia’s big four financial service providers. At present, the Bank offers a range of award credit cards to, both, retail and corporate sectors. Profitable growth in retail and corporate card segments is a key part of the bank’s strategic direction. The main differential between cards is centred around fee structures, with little difference between them that is obvious to most consumers. The award scheme points can be redeemed for air miles, gifts and vouchers. Under this initiative, the Bank plans to set itself apart from the rest by launching a new credit card, which will allow clients to assign their award points toward a not for profit organisation. This initiative also creates a whole new paradigm within which cards are compared by prospective consumers, and puts the Bank at the very fore front of the credit card market. This card is unique, and is not currently available from other financial service providers in Australia. Research indicates there is a high demand for a socially responsible and ethical approach to banking. As such, the new card appeals to the growing philanthropic market in the retail sector. For the corporate sector, it reflects positively on their contribution in the community. CBA will utilise its current market penetration, strong brand image, management experience and distribution channels to ensure the card compliments their existing product suite. Profitable growth, retention of clients and an increased share penetration index have been forecasted as a direct result of bringing the new card to market. CBA has strong brand recognition. It is voted number 59 in the 2010 Forbes â€Å"world leading companies† Top 500 Brands survey (Forbes Magazine, 2010). The bank views its brand as its most valuable asset. Despite CBA having a strong brand image, banks in Australia remain unpopular. Consumers perceive the big four of price gouging; particularly so, as the banks delay or fail to pass cuts in the interest rate. Credit card retention and acquisition, in both corporate and retail sectors, is a key part of the bank’s profitable growth strategy. CBA plans to expand the credit card awards portfolio with a new product. The new card enables retail and corporate clients to automatically transfer award points to cash donations for non -government organizations (NGOs) and charities. This card is to be branded CBA’s â€Å"Community Card†. This positions CBA as a market leader and the first financial institution to introduce such a product into the credit card segment. CBA stands to gain significant competitive advantage. The new credit card stands to assist CBA’s corporate clients with their social responsibility obligations. A Harvard Business Review 2006 article notes â€Å"government, activists and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for their activities. Myriad organizations rank companies on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and, despite sometimes questionable methodologies, these rankings attract considerable publicity. As a result, CSR had emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country† (Kramer, 2006) For the personal card holder, it is a vehicle to give back to the community. A survey conducted by Givewell noted that philanthropy is on the rise and estimated that, in 2009 Australians contributed over $1.8 billion total donations (Givewell, 2010). The Australian Taxation office notes that philanthropy is at its highest ever recorded. In the 2010 tax year, there were 4,649,646 recoded deductions for gifts and donations in individual tax returns. In 2009 there were 4,400,786 recorded dedications, a growth of 2.064 per cent in a 12 month period (Australian Taxation Office, 2012) 1.2 Background data on credit card market In the wake of the global financial crisis, many overseas banks have increased their credit scorecards and are reluctant to take on additional unsecured debt. The Australian credit card market is in good shape when compared with these overseas markets. This is due to prudent lending practices and the government’s credit card regulation reforms. Craig James, Chief Economist for CommSec, notes that we have a responsible population when it comes to credit card debt behaviour. â€Å"Aussie consumers pat yourselves on the back – you’ve mastered the plastic fantastic. People are using their credit and debit cards as much as they ever did, but smartly. Aussies are using their credit cards, but paying off the debt by the due date† (James, 2012) 1.3 Competition Strength in market makes the credit card sector a popular strategic choice for growth in the finance sector. Banks are able to charge annual fees and interest rates that generate a high level of profit. CBA’s main cards competitors are ANZ, Westpac and National Australia bank in the retail market and Amex, ANZ and Westpac in the corporate card sector. (Reserve Bank Australia, 2012) Strong competition for business has led to a spike in enhanced loyalty programmes and rewards for new and existing customers. Presently, there are no corporate or personal awards credit cards in the market that allow customers to cash their points as donations, with two main types of award programmes available. The first is the ability to accrue and redeem frequent flyer points for travel. The other allows clients to earn points to redeem gifts such as home appliances, supermarket and, department store gift cards and petrol vouchers. Predominantly, corporate clients opt out of enrolment in awards schemes, due to fringe benefit tax implications for employees. The issue of who owns the points, employer or employee, is one that is yet to be solved. Both external and internal market research has seen a decline in retail clients selecting cards with awards. The majority of customer feedback collected at point of credit card application has confirmed that there is a lack of perceived value in these programmes. 1.4 Distribution CBA personal credit cards are currently sold through the branch network, online and over the phone. A customer is able to apply for, or upgrade a card, 24 hours a day. CBA utilises the same distribution channels for its corporate clients, with the addition of a dedicated relationship manager. 2.0 SWOT analysis The following SWOT analysis helps to understand key strengths and weaknesses of the new credit card. It also describes opportunities and threats of the product, in both, the retail and corporate segments. Strengths Weaknesses * Reputation * Industry experience * Existing market share * First mover advantages * Distribution channels| * Costs of bringing new product to market * First mover risks and disadvantages * Little known about not for profit / community groups (not core business)| * Increased market share * Product embraced by customers / Improved customer satisfaction * Improved brand equity and brand loyalty * Increased profits and shareholder value * Enter new market segments * Convert switchers to CBA| * Changing customer tastes and demographics * Government policies * Product easily replicated by competitors * Threat of substitutes through non-bank lenders (store cards)| Opportunities Threats From the SWOT analysis, the most important issues to consider are: how CBA will adapt the product and remain competitive against substitutes, and other banks copying the product. CBA must monitor the market closely to avoid a price war between competitors. The key opportunities will be capturing new clients in a new market and the competitive learning gleaned from being the first to launch the product. 3.0 Financial objectives Using the 2012 Annual Report as a baseline, CBA has set targets for sales volume, market share and profit for the 2012/2013 financial year. (Commonwealth Bank Australia, 2012) There is strategic congruence of sales targets, marketing strategy and the overarching organizational strategic direction of profitable growth. 3.1 Sales volume * Achieve a minimum 4% growth in new card sales, initiated by branch staff in the retail market before 2012 / 2013 end of financial year. * Achieve a minimum of 3% growth in new card sales from remaining retail distribution channels (phone and online) before 2012 / 2013 end of financial year. * Increase corporate card sales by 5% in 2012 / 2013 financial year. * Migrate 20% of existing non awards corporate customers to the new product by December 2014. * Increase transaction volume of credit card book by 15% this financial year. 3.2 Market Share * Increase retail market share from 32% to 37% in the 2012 / 2013 financial year. * Increase corporate market share from 12% to 17% in the 2012 / 2013 financial year. * Decrease customer attrition rate by 15% across both sectors by the end of the 2012/2013 financial year. 3.3 Profit * Additional $364 million in lending fees collected in late payment and annual fees across from the retail sector. * Additional $453 million in lending fees collected from corporate clients in late payment fees, annual fees and customer maintenance fees. * Increase credit card interest earnings assets from 12.71% yield to 20.00% yield, both sectors combined. 3.4 Break Even Analysis The break even analysis indicates that 500 new cards must be sold across each segment every month to break even. As staffs become more experienced in selling the product and the consumer more familiar, the costs should decrease in line with the experience (Kotler, 2008) curve. Less money will be spent on training employees and advertising. Fewer products will need to be sold in order to break even. 4.0 Marketing segmentation and positioning Both the corporate and retail markets have been divided into segments. Niche marketing was considered due to the specificity of the Community Card however, CBA is prepared to take an educated risk by marketing to a wider group as, internal research indicates, it has a large credit card customer base with homogeneous preferences. â€Å"Aggregate enough minority tastes and you will often find a new market† (Anderson, 2006) 4.1 Corporate market segments * Heavy users and non- users of CBA’s current corporate card offering. * Organizations with a minimum of 50 employees and an annual turnover of a $500k minimum. * Primarily but not limited to white collar industries such as: advertising, human resource management, department stores, large scale hospitality clients (hotels) and travel agents * Organizations with highly centralised purchase decisions. * Companies seeking an edge on their competitors through improvement and / or diversification into social responsibility. * Not for profit organizations 4.2 Retail market segments * 35 – 49 and 50 – 64 year olds with a 54% clustering around the 50 – 64 age bracket. * Annual income in excess of $75k per annum. * Professionals, managers, executives and business people who are accomplished in their fields * People with a tertiary qualification. * Upper middle and upper class. * Native Australians (individually focused as opposed to collectively focused). * Culture orientated and socially aware. 4.3 Target markets People and businesses who want the freedom and flexibility a credit card provides, and have an emotional connection to making the world a better place, or a desire to improve their sustainability image. Corporate: * Corporate social responsibility * Flexible payment options * Ethical * Sustainable image * Community Retail: * Freedom * Flexibility * Social responsibility * Sustainability / give back * Ethical 4.4 Positioning CBA will position itself as Australia’s socially responsible financial services provider with a passion for community. A bank that understands the bigger picture. By being first to market with the new product, CBA signals that it is different from the other banks. It is a bank that is dedicated to offering both retail and business customers an alternative, an avenue to give back to their elected cause, NGO or community group. This position will be enhanced through training its 38,000 employees to act as ambassadors on the features and benefits of the Community Card. 5.0 Marketing strategy and the marketing mix 5.1 Marketing Strategy The first step in the marketing strategy is to make new and existing customers aware of the new product and how it will benefit the community. CBA’s message is that it is the ethical financial services provider, selling Australian’s the chance to give back to the community. The Bank plans to lead by example, offering the new product to its employees at a discounted rate. This will also allow for market testing and feedback. The Bank will communicate this message to its retail clients through local area marketing, television, radio and advertisements in selected newspapers that appeal to the target customer. The message for the corporate client is the same however; relationship managers will target potential clients through business development activities. 5.2 Product The product is to be sub-branded and operate on the MasterCard network. MasterCard is selected as it is accepted in 30 million locations worldwide, appealing to the target market’s desire for flexibility. With the acceptation of the awards programme, the new card has similar features and benefits to the existing suite of awards cards. According to the Innovation Bell Curve (Rogers, 1962), the familiarity of known features and benefits will assist in early adoption. The product will be popular with innovators. It is the first of its kind. 5.3 Pricing The pricing objective for the retail segment is maximum profits. The corporate pricing objective is maximum market share, as previously mentioned CBA only holds 12 percent of the market. Mark up pricing will be used in both the retail and corporate markets. The new product is exclusive as it is the first of its kind, distinctive and there are no readily available substitutes. These factors make both markets less price sensitive. The Bank has selected a high value strategy for the retail market. The annual fee for the card will be $65.00. This fee represents the midpoint in the total cards market. The debit interest rate on the card will be set at 21.59 percent per annum, slightly higher than the total cards market average. Retail customers will view this price as good for them and good for the community. CBA will also use a high value strategy for its corporate clients. The fee structure will differ slightly from retail as it includes a $130.00 annual fee and a $15.00 additional card fee per employee. The debit rate of interest remains the same as the retail card. This will prevent corporate clients from using their personal credit cards to save money on purchases. 5.4 Place CBA’s current distribution channels have significant competitive advantage in the banking marketplace. The bank has more branches; ATM’s and calls centers than any other bank. The website www.commbank.com was recently voted the most visited website in Australia in a report published by Neilson Consulting (AC Neilson, 2012). Given the age demographics of the target market, CBA will leverage off its staff in branches and relationship managers by using a direct to customer distribution model. This provides the opportunity for potential and existing customers to ask questions and clarify any areas of interest. CBA feels this is important to the target market. The Bank’s website is to be updated with a quick fact sheet on the new card, an award points calculator, information detailing the work of the eligible NGO’s and charities, and frequently asked questions. Call center staff are to receive specific training. Upon approval, clients are expected to receive their card within five working days. 5.5 Promotion CBA will reach both target audiences through online advertising on the CommBank website, radio advertisements, and television and newspaper advertisements. Some mass marketing will be used to target corporate customers through direct mail outs. The end of financial year is an important time for promotion in both market segments. In retail, 30 June is when people do their tax returns and claim back deductions for gifts and donations. For corporate clients, the new financial year represents a clean slate and the opportunity to pursue different ideas for the business. When promoting the new Community Credit Card, the Bank will position itself as being unique, ethical, flexible and fair. 6.0 References AC Neilson. (2012, January 15). Most Visited Websites. Sydney, NSW, Australia. Anderson, C. (2006). The Long Tail. New York: Hyperion. Australian Taxation Office. (2012). 2012 Taxation Statistics. Australian Taxation Office. Forbes Magazine. (2010). World Leading Compaines. Austrade. Givewell. (2010). Givewell Statistics. Retrieved october 06, 2012, from Givewell: http://www.givewell.com.au/statistics.asp James, C. (2012). CommSec Economic Insights. Commsec. Kotler, P. (2008). Marketing Management An Asian Perspective. Jurong: Prentice Hall. Kramer, M. P. (2006). Strategy and Society. Harvard Business Review. Reserve Bank Australia. (2012). Bulletin. Reserve Bank. Rogers, E. (1962). Diffusion of Innovations. United Kingdom : Simon & Schuster International .

Finance: Free Cash Flow

inance COOPERATE FINANCE| Miss Afifa| | Assignment# 4| | UMAIR ASIF11 March 2013| You submitted this Assignment on Sun 10 Mar 2013 7:21 PM PDT. You got a score of 85. 00 out of 100. 00. You can attempt again, if you'd like. Top of Form Please read all questions and instructions carefully. Note that you only need to enter answers in terms of numbers and without any symbols (including $, %, commas, etc. ). Enter all dollars without decimals and all interest rates in percentage with up to two decimals. Read the syllabus for examples.The points for each question are listed in parentheses at the start of the question, and the total points for the entire assignment adds up to 100. You are strongly encouraged to use spreadsheets. Refer to Note on Sample Cash Flow Template. Question 1 (5 points) The project with the highest IRR is always the project with the highest NPV. Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| True| | | | False| ? | 5. 00| Correct. Try now to sort this out in different contexts,| Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This is all about the fundamental difference between IRR and NPV. Question 2 10 points) Ann Arbor is considering offering public bus service for free. Setting up the service will cost the city $0. 6M (where M stands for million). The useful life of the buses is 25 years. Annual maintenance of the buses would cost $50,000 per year and they would need a major overhaul in year 15 that will cost a total of $350,000. This overhaul is in addition to the annual maintenance. Annual operating costs will begin at $90,000 in year 1 and grow at 2% per year thereafter. By using the buses as advertisement space, the city will generate a revenue of $75,000 in year 1 and it will grow at 4% per year thereafter.Reduced parking requirements and other benefits generated by the project will save the city $100,000/year. The salvage value (price city can get in the future after maintenance) of the used buses in year 25 is expected to be $150,000. What is the NPV of the bus proposal? Ann Arbor does not pay taxes and the discount rate is 5%. (Again, all cash flows except initial investments happen at the end of the year. ) (You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| -10223| | | | 29847| ? | 10. 00| Correct. You apparently have thought through issues. 31222| | | | 19323| | | | Total| | 10. 00 / 10. 00| | Question Explanation A real world problem with some simplifications in cash flows. Question 3 (5 points) Alpha Inc. has the following two projects that it is considering, and it wants to choose one. Project A has an investment outlay/expense today of $1,000, and its cash flows over the next three years are $500, $600, $700. Project B has an outlay of $2,000, and cash flows of $1,000, $1,200, and $1,400. Which project should Alpha choose? (You can assume no taxes. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| Project A| | | |Does not matter; both are essentially the same| | | | Cannot make a choice based on information| ? | 5. 00| Correct. What information is missing? | Project B| | | | Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This question is probing your comfort level and understanding of decision making; and the most common pitfall we confront all the time. Question 4 (10 points) Mango Technology has the following three projects that it is considering; it can choose only one. Project A has an investment outlay/expense today of $100M, and its cash flows over the next three years are $20M, $40M, $70M.Project B has an outlay of $110M, and cash flows of $40M, $80M, $20M; Project C has an outlay of $120M and cash flows of $0M, $20M, and $142M. Which project should the company choose if the cost of capital for similar projects is 6%? Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| Project B| | | | Project C| | | | Do not have enough information| ? | 0. 00| You do have enough information. Try again. | Project A| | | | Total| | 0. 00 / 10. 00| | Question Explanation This is an exercise in testi ng your knowledge pitted against our tendency to choose the incorrect criterion for making decisions.Question 5 (5 points) To get from net operating profits after tax (NOPAT) to free cash flows (FCF), you need to ADD back depreciation, SUBTRACT capital expenditures and ADD net working capital (i. e. , current operating assets – current operating liabilities). (Free cash flow is another name for cash flows. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| False. | ? | 5. 00| Correct. You understand the nature of â€Å"capital. â€Å"| True. | | | | Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This is an important issue that makes you focus on differences between stocks and flows. Question 6 5 points) Last year your firm had revenue of $20 million, cost of goods sold (COGS) of $12 million, Selling, General, ; Administration costs (SG;A) of $2 million, Account Receivables (AR) of $6 million, Account Payables (AP) of $4 million and Inventory of $4 million. What will be the free cash flow next/this year if you boost revenue 6% and AR 12%, while holding COGS growth to 3% and everything else remains the same as last year? (Assume no taxes and no new capital expenditures. ) (You are encouraged to use a spreadsheet even for this specific type of question. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 4170000| ? 0. 00| Review the basics; see template and references. | 6120000| | | | 7240000| | | | 5250000| | | | Total| | 0. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation Cash flow estimation for a specific year. Question 7 (15 points) Rain in Spain (RiS) is a manufacturer of high quality raincoats. Currently, the retail price of each raincoat is $70 and is produced at a cost of $45. This past year, they sold 50,000 raincoats and they expect this number to grow each year by 6% each year for the next 10 years. The operations team at RiS recently brought to your attention a new technology that could lower the cost of production.This technology requires an upfront fixed investment of $2,000,000 a nd has the capacity to produce up to 90,000 raincoats per year at a 12% lower cost per unit. There is no increased working capital need due to this new technology, and no value of the machine/technology after 10 years. What is the NPV of investing in the new technology? Ignore taxes and assume a discount rate of 14%. (Hint: Think incrementally; the difference between the world without and with this new technology! Also, ignoring taxes will be a big help if you think right. ) (Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. (You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 7 You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| -150683| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You exhibit a clear understanding of how to conduct incremental analysis. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation A probing question that is all about the creation of value; incremental value. Question 8 (15 points) Fresh off the excitement of the 2012 London Olympic Games, you decide that you want your firm to take advantage of the profits to be made for the 2016 games in Rio de Jeneiro. To do so you plan to open a factory in Brazil.After examining the idea, your CFO projects revenues next year (2013) to be $15 million and costs to be $9 million. Both of these are expected to grow at a rate of 25% per year as the excitement for the games builds. Your firms faces a 35% tax rate, a 14% discount rate and you can depreciate your new investment using the straight line method over the four years leading up to the games, at which point the value of the venture moving forward will be $5 million. (This $5 million is the terminal value that is in year 4 (that is, 2016) dollars and is the PV of all cash flows year 5 and beyond. The capital expenditure of this project is $12M. What is the NPV of the project? Assume that you have no significant working capital costs. (Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) (You are strongly encourag ed to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 8 You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 9815100| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You know how to set up and execute a valuation exercise, albeit a simplified one. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation A valuation exercise that includes most of the elements of a real world situation. Question 9 15 points) Starbuck's is considering opening another store in Chicago. A store is expected to have a long economic life, but the valuation horizon is 7 years. The store in Chicago is expected to create revenues of $3M in the first year and they are likely to grow at 2% per year thereafter. The cost of goods sold are $1. 2M in year 1 and they are also expected to grow at 2% per year thereafter. Selling and administration costs are likely to be $0. 5M in the first year and then grow at 5%. The tax rate is 35%. Starbucks is so good at managing its stores that working capital increases can be assumed to be negligible.But Starbucks will hav e to invest $3. 5M in purchasing a store (with land). The good news is that this outlay can be depreciated straight line over 7 years. Also, Starbucks has estimated that the terminal value in year 7 dollars will be $10M. This value is the value of all cash flows in year 8 and beyond. What is the NPV of opening this new store if the appropriate discount rate is 7. 75%? (Again, all cash flows except initial investments happen at the end of the year. Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. )(You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 9You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 7879584| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You are now building spreadsheet models. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation It is time to do a more complete project analysis. Strongly encourage use of spreadsheets to build cashflows, though remember that you can do it step by step as well. Question 10 (15 points) Big Blue Granite (BBG) needs to purc hase a new saw for creating their top quality countertops. Saw A costs $250,000 with $4,000 of annual maintenance costs for the first year that will increase by 5% each year for the 7-year life of the saw.Saw B costs $150,000 with $10,000 of annual maintenance costs for the first year that will increase by 15% each year for the 4-year life of the saw. Which saw should BBG choose? What is the annualized cost of this choice? Assume a discount rate of 12%, and ignore all taxes. Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| (B, 46794)| | | | (B, 49983)| | | | (A, 59331)| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You know how to figure out the true annualized cost. | (A, 40367)| | | | (A, 38682)| | | | (B, 61624)| | | | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| |

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Philosophy - Essay Example I propose to carry out an enquiry into the elements of illusion in the life that we take for real and the relevance of our willed existence in it. My contention is that the nature of reality is essentially a construct of human imagination in relation to the socio-political and cultural existence, and the extend to which one can affect or alter the reality depends on one’s willed existence. The philosophical precepts of Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche are explored in relation to this argument which hopes to deconstruct the conventional implications of the idea of reality. Life exists in this world in relation to various other forms of existence, both animate and inanimate. Human beings develop a sense of consciousness towards these myriad forms of experience through age-old conventions transmitted through generations. Even as homo sapiens claim to be the most sophisticated, complexly evolved and fit for survival species on the face of the earth, the perceived notions of the words surrounding them is the most corrupted in relation to that of the other life forms. Human beings have surpassed the necessity to follow the instinctual urges for survival by making the world a safe place for them. This has in fact led to a state where their sensibilities are formed with reference to preconceived notions, which are in most cases misrepresentations, with regard to the nature of reality that surrounds them. A child of the contemporary world comes to reality not only through the information that its parents, teachers, elders and peers transmit to it, but also with the judicious use of the myriad possibilities of information technology. Even then, the possibilities of coming to direct contact with reality are restricted to the child. IT may come to know that some animals are to be feared and some to be used, but it may never realize that these

Museum visit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Museum visit - Research Paper Example The admission fees to the museum are minimal, and members and children under the age of 3 are admitted without any cost. Individuals from ages 3-12 and 62 and older need to pay only $5.00 (USD) for entrance. Teenagers and adults from ages 13-61 need to pay $8.00 (USD) for entrance. The museum encourages the public to call for any inquires, and their contact number is (313) 494-5808. Even individuals with disabilities can easily access the various exhibition centers in the museum. Several ramps and elevators serve all public areas. There are wheelchairs available for visitors, and strollers can easily be accommodated in almost all areas. For the convenience of the visitors and ease of stay, the museum offers lockers for rent, complimentary coat racks, and an ATM at the ground level. There is also a small cafe where visitors can relax particularly with their quick snacks acquired from the vending machines. The cafe also serves visitors who opt to bring their own meals. There is also a secure and affordable metered parking right at the back of the museum. Museum Features The museum is a humongous collection of artifacts and archival materials that are all about the African American history. The exhibitions and learning opportunities cater to the interest and curiosity of individuals of all ages. First, the museum features tours such as And Still We Rise: Our Journey Through African American History and Culture, which is one of the core exhibitions of the museum, showcasing a journey in history from prehistoric Africa to the early civilizations. It shows a journey of slavery, resistance to bondage, emancipation, justice, and freedom. This can be experienced within the 22,000 square feet area of the museum. Second, there is a huge list of prestigious and respected names in the history of African Americans in bronze nameplates scattered around the terrazzo tile creation called the Ring of Genealogy. This exhibition is a 37-foot structure created by artist Hubert Mass ey. Third, there is an architectural wonder of 65 feet high glass dome. This glass dome --- called the Ford Freedom Rotunda --- with a diameter of 100 feet, is even slightly bigger than the State Capitol dome, and holds the Ring of Genealogy. A museum store is available and it offers real pieces of African American artworks, authentic books, and merchandise. There is also a library --- the Louise Lovett Wright Library --- and a research center --- Robert L. Hurst Research Center. There is also a place where 92 flags are prominently displayed and alphabetically arranged by origin and country. These are the regions where there is a considerable number of African descendant residents. Lectures, presentations, film showings, and even live performances are offered at the 317-seating capacity General Motors Theater. Exhibitions and Lectures The core exhibiton And Still We Rise: Our Journey Through African American History and Culture has more than 20 galleries that showcase the tragedies, triumphs, and efforts of all the men and women who fought for freedom from ancient times to modern civilizations. It is an amazing experience that allows individuals to travel through time and territorial boundaries to explore history. Africa is also two-fifths grassland or tropical savanna. The climate is a typical tropical wet and dry. Savannas are used to herding by nomads. Rainforest trees allow for cocoa growing. Grains and beans were abound even in ancient

Safety Culture and how this overlap between Culture and Safety Affect Essay

Safety Culture and how this overlap between Culture and Safety Affect the Project In KSA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY - Essay Example However, it is important to know that solution to this existing problem does not end with just having policies on health and safety in place. This is because Stank, Daugherty and Gustin (2004) made mention of a number of safety policies that exists in the construction industry, which have not been adhered to adequately by field supervisors and site managers. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and The Health Standards 1926 and 1910 are mentioned as examples of existing health and safety policies that have easily been overlooked by the construction industry. In an independent study, Symons (2005) noted that there are several site managers and supervisors who refuse to adhere to health and safety policies because they hold the opinion that the solution to increasing cases of accidents and injuries at the sites is not in documented policies. To most of these supervisors and managers, the need for field based practical interventions that address specific problems at the site should be the way forward. But as rates of injuries and accidents have been said to go up by up to 23% in the last decay, there is evidence that the field based interventions are not working well (Stank, Daugherty and Gustin, 2004). This calls for the need to revisit the use of documented policies that can be factored into the overall safety cultures of the companies. According to Williamsen (2013), safety culture provides the project leader with the courage to follow through all the decisions that he has made because without it, his decisions will most likely not be taken seriously by his subordinates, and will,  in fact, become meaningless. This means that the call to have documented safety policies will be a way to establishing and implementing safety culture because it will ensure that safety practices are followed in more specific means than in arbitrary ways. This means that in the Saudi

The role of Tropomyosin in Zebrafish development Dissertation

The role of Tropomyosin in Zebrafish development - Dissertation Example Tropomyosin is a long protein strand composed of two fully alpha helical chains in a coiled-coil dimmer, and binds along the length of the actin filament. It is also bound to bead-like protein complex, troponin, in which, together, they regulate the actin-myosin interactions in muscle contraction† (Biology Online). They are the one moving the actin filament through generating force by elongating one end of the filament coupled with shrinkage of the other, causing net movement of the intervening strand. And as actin filaments are moved, they act like a molecular switch for the movement of myosin molecules that are attach to the actin filaments and walks along them. Then cell division and morphing follows. Thus, Tropomyosin plays a significant role in cell morphology, as well as cell division, size and shape. Zebrafish is mostly used as model for researches. They have a number of unique characteristics that makes it a fantastic species for investigating vertebrate development and for modelling human disease, genetics and biology. However, they also have disadvantages. Advantages:1.Inexpensive.2.The embryos are transparent.3The embryos develop quickly; they go from a single cell to something that is recognisable as a tiny fish for within 24 hours. A mouse takes 21 days.4.The embryos can be physically manipulated genetically. You can transplant a single cell or group of cells into host embryos.5. The eggs are externally fertilised; embryos develop outside the mother’s body... The government is willing to fund zebrafish researchers and provide screening tools which will dramatically advance the ability to detect and characterise genes, pathways and phenotypes of interest for aging, development, organ formation, sensory processes, disease processes, and other areas. For they believe that results could be studied for the cure of some human diseases could also be made. It is likely that blood function and heart development in zebrafish are similar to humans. Some mutations on zebrafish embryos might mimic human syndromes, understanding them will provide us valuable insight as to the underlying problem. Such an understanding may lead to new treatments. That is why the government encourages and is willing to fund investigator-initiated applications designed to exploit the power of the zebrafish as a vertebrate model for biomedical and behavioral research. Reseach Methods. Tropomyosin (Tpm) proteins, encoded by four Tpm genes (Tpm1–4), are associated with the stabilization of the F-actin filaments and play important roles in modulating muscle contraction. So far, little is known about Tpm4 function in embryonic heart development and its involvement in the cardiovascular diseases. Study the functions of different isoforms of tpm4 in embryonic heartbeat in zebrafish. Generate a transgenic zebrafish line by insertion of a Tol2 transposon gene trap vector. Observe by transmission electron microscopy to reveal the ventricular myocytes of mutant fish contained. Study if Tpm1-4 would be stable for a zebrafish. 1. Fish and gene trapping. 2. TAIL-PCR, RT-PCR, and tpm4 cDNA cloning. 3. Whole-mount in situ hybridisation, mopholinos, microinjection and genotyping. 4. Transmission electron microscopy. Cited Works: Zhao, Long, et. Al. Heart

Descriptive and Prescriptive Schools of Thought Assignment

Descriptive and Prescriptive Schools of Thought - Assignment Example Henry Mintzberg is the major focus of this particular study and his works on the same topic will be put into the account. Â  The first to describe is the descriptive school of the process of strategy making and then the study will move to the prescriptive. The various schools under the descriptive school are going to be put into the vivid observation of the study. The work of Henry Mintzberg is to be the main contributor to this. To this front Cognitive school, which falls under the descriptive school of formation of the strategy focuses on the things happening in the head of a human being which helps him/her manage a strategy. The entrepreneurial school portrays the process of making of strategy as visionary and that calls for a leader who is strong. The power school has its concentration on the exploitation of power and conflict alike. Learning school seeks a strategy to get into a process of learning in a collective manner. The environmental school has an opinion that the formation of strategy happens as a passive reaction to forces emanating from external sources. Lastly, the cultural school puts i nto consideration the cooperative and collective view of the process of strategy making. (Mintzberg, 1994 pp3, 4) Â  There are about nine thought schools for strategic management and which do not agree in their tackling of this topic. This is according to Mintzberg, Henry. They approach the whole issue differently. The presumptions of all of these schools are worlds apart. For example, the prescriptive school’s design school is the sole school to identify with when it comes to the SWOT analysis developing.

Change Process Theories in Downer (EDI) Limited Research Paper

Change Process Theories in Downer (EDI) Limited - Research Paper Example Theories of change attempt to answer the question of how and why change occurs while theories of changing attempt to answer the question of how to generate change and guide it to a successful conclusion (Bennis, 1996). Porras and Robertson (1987, p.4) expanded this ideology to change process theory and implementation theory. Describing change process theory is simply explaining the dynamics of change. There are multiple variables that are involved in the accomplishment of planned change. The two scholars (Porras & Robertson) described implementation theory as "theory that focuses on activities change agents must undertake in effecting organizational change" (p. 4). They include strategy procedure and technique theories as examples of implementation approaches. Academic writing tends to focus more on change process theory but practitioners are focusing so much on implementation theory. Integrating the two theories has been given very minimal focus. Theory of change is very important for the strategic purpose of an organization. It will be therefore important for organizations to understand change theory for the purpose of implementing some key strategies. Van de Ven and Poole (1995) identified four basic types of change theories. They considered them as life cycle, evolution, dialectic, and teleology framework. There are motors that distinguish these types. Van de Ven and Poole suggested that most change theories can be understood within one motor or in a combination of motors.

Impact of Radiation After Hiroshima Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Impact of Radiation After Hiroshima - Essay Example Mrs. Nakamura's hair begins to fall out, and she and her daughter become ill. At the same time, Mr. Tanimoto, weak and feverish, becomes bedridden. Miss Sasaki is transferred to the Red Cross Hospital in Hiroshima and placed under the care of Dr. Sasaki. Dr. Sasaki notices small hemorrhages all over her bare skin, a mysterious symptom many of his patients are beginning to show. He later discovers that this is the result of her low white-blood cell count, another symptom of radiation sickness. Dr. Fujii is living at a friend's house in nearby Fukawa and is beginning to treat patients again," ("Hiroshima", p.1). From an individual standpoint, the dropping of the atomic bomb would not be the only traumatic thing that the survivors would have to endure for however long. In that respect, survivors would also have to suffer the ramifications of radiation poisoning. Often times used as a treatment option for those suffering from cancer, exposure to radiation can have very harsh results, not just for the diseases that its meant to kill, but also the surrounding internal system of the person. Since every individual person is different, their levels of being able to recover from radiation exposure can be drastically different, but equally as intense. For the citizens of Hiroshima, there would be short term, as well as lo

Organizations And Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizations And Behavior Essay Introduction Management is an important activity in the performance of an organization.   Management involves integrated activities which together ensue that there is effective planning, control, and organization of recourses to lead the organization to achieve its goals and objectives. This means that managers need to have a wide range of information pertaining to different  Ã‚   departments in the organization. In this paper we are going to discus different management perspectives through accomplishment of different tasks.   The paper will look into organization structure can culture, motivation of employees, working with others in teams and groups, and organization leadership and management. Task 1 Comparing organization structure and culture of McDonalds and King George Pizza in Canada The fast food is one of the most competitive industries in the world.   The fast food industry has been recording higher rates of growth in North America including U.S and Canada than any other part of the world. MacDonald is a major player in the North American fast food industry while King George Pizza is one of small fast food establishment in British Columbia. Although the two companies operate in the same industry, there are a lot of similarity and differences in the organization structure and culture. This is based on the difference that comes as result of difference in their operation. McDonald organization structure is based on the size of its operation  Ã‚   which means that the structure has to adapt to the franchise nature of its operation (Haas and Wotruba 2003, p. 92). On the other hand, King Georges Pizza is a local restaurant operating just one branch in British Columbia. The culture between the two organization is also similar and at the same time with some differences. One of the key successes of MacDonald in the fast food industry has been its strong customer oriented culture. McDonald has adopted a market oriented culture which ensures that the company understands its consumers very well.   On the other hand, King George Pizza has also adopted a market oriented culture but its marketing activities have not been well targeted to the consumers like those of McDonalds. Due to its larger size of operation, MacDonald has adopted a bureaucratic structure that allows for standardization of its operations. The company has adopted tall structure in order to provide for standardization of operations and decision making process. On the hand, King George Pizza has adopted a pre-bureaucratic structure which lacks standardization with management strategies meant to meet the operational needs of the small establishment. The success of McDonalds has been cemented on it culture and organization structure. Since it was established, the company has taken consumer oriented hospitality culture that keeps customers coming for more.   McDonald is one of the companies which use a huge part of their revenues on customer service and advertisement in order to create good relationship with its customers. Apart from the customer oriented culture, the leadership of the company is democratic and ensures inclusion of employees in the decision making process.   The company takes its employees as the most important capital asset  Ã‚   for its growth.   Therefore McDonald employees are well motivated.   The structure of the organization has ensured standardized operations in all its establishments. Although there is management control from the head office, the franchises are given freedom in decision making process to make decisions which fits their operation (Haas and Wotruba 2003, p. 92). On the other hand, the King George Pizza has adopted an organization culture and structure that fits its operation. Like MacDonald, the company has a strong consumer oriented culture and although it does not have a customer service department, the employees have been well trained on customer service.   This has ensured the continued flow of customer to the small establishment in a competitive fast food market. At the same time, the company has adopted the right structure for its small operations. This structure ensures that there is strong control of the operation of the establishment by the management. Task 2 – Approaches to Management and Leadership Management approaches and how they can be implemented Management is one of the most important factions in the organization. Management involves playing key roles of planning and organizing the resources for the organization to lead it to achieve the set goals. Research has documented a correlation between the effectiveness of the management and the overall performance of the organization. There are different approaches to management depending on the kind of organization that one is dealing with (Haas and Wotruba 2003, p. 92).  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most common approaches to management is the project management.   This approach ahs been used for decades although it has been undergoing several changes in the recent past. Under this approach, the management takes the organization as a project that has specific goals and objectives to achieve. Therefore the guiding principle in the management is the requirements of the project and the fulfillment of the mission needs of the organization. This approach therefore assumes that the organization runs in cycles like a project and in each cycle, there are specific objectives that have to be leading the achievement of the overall goal.   However, this approach is  Ã‚   more focused on the technical mission or the technical aspects of the projection and various plans of action  Ã‚   and milestones to be achieved are the guiding pillars for the organization. Under this approach, the management takes into consideration activities like team building, budgeting, tracking the tasks as assigned to different individuals in the organization, reviewing individual performance, and many others. The success of the project or the organization is based on the way it meets its deliverables on the stipulated time and the set budget. This means that this approach is a bit rigid and set to details. To implement this approach, the management has to understand the goals and objectives of the organization and then formulate the necessary plan that will lead the organization to achieve the set goals and objectives. Another common management approach is the Balanced score card approach. This is a strategic planning and management system which is widely used in business, government, non-profit organization, and in other organizations with an aim of aligning the acclivities of the business with the vision and the overall growth strategy.   This approach is also aimed at improving the internal and external communications and toe monitor the progress in the performance of the organization in light of the set goals. This management approach is also focused on the drivers for the future growth and performance of the organization.   To achieve this, the management prioritizes the projects or initiatives which are likely to assist the organization to achieve these goals.   In order to implement this approach, the management has to view organization from four different perspectives including the learning and growth perspective, the business process perspective, the customer perspective, and financial perspective (Haas and Wotruba 2003, p. 92). Operational change As the U.S economy recede, most companies have been forced to undergo operations changes which are meant to reduce the cost of operation to align with the changing economic condition. The U.S Automotive industry which is on its knees due to threats of bankruptcy has seen a number of players in the industry under various operational changes in order to reduce the cost of operation. With the large burden of meeting the high labor cost, General Motors is one of the companies which as restructured its operation in a number of ways in order to cut its cost. Although the changes have emanated from the economical factors which may be beyond the control of the company, it has result to massive layoff and closing down of its plants in order to reduce the cost of operation. However, this has not gone well with UAW which is the trade union representing automotive workers in the US. The issues for confrontation has been the agreement that were made earlier between the company and the worker and even in the current financial crisis, the UAW has refused to let the deal go. Apparently the company could have retained some of the labor force and lowered the rate of pay per hour. At this time we can say the company is in a crisis. Managing change during a crisis is one of the most difficult tasks for any organization. At the time of crisis the organization needs to have a strong leadership style that does not compromise on the need to bring the organization back to its feet. Therefore authoritative leadership should be used to manage the current restructuring taking place in Ford General Motors. Authoritative leadership would minimize the number of time the management ha s to engage with the employees and the unions since the union has failed to recognize the current financial situation of the company. Task 3 – Motivational Theories In the 20th century management, the organizational assets were the most important capital for an organization. However, this has drastically changed in the 21st century and employees have become the most important capital for any organization. A well motivated workforce  Ã‚   can help an organization to have a competitive edge in the market which other organizations may find difficult to replicate.  Ã‚   One of the most important factors in human resource management is to ensure the overall satisfaction of the employees.  Ã‚   The main duty of human resource management is to ensure that employees are represented in the management and their affairs are taken care of. Motivation of the employees is one of the human resource practices that have been shown to increase employee satisfaction and therefore low rate of employee turnover and higher retention. Different organizations have taken different approaches to employee motivation (Weightman 2008, p. 45).   Research has documented that  Ã‚   despite the varied methods of employees motivation, monetary incentives remains the most effective.   Employee motivation can be described using behavioral and social approach. According to the behavioral approach, the management needs to have a clear understanding of the employees including the incentives and rewards that are used to motivate employees in the company.   In this case the managers have a duty of identifying the specific behavior that need to be reinforced in employees. These may include outstanding performance of the employee, punctuality, neatness, accuracy in completion of tasks and others. Any employee who shows improvements in these behaviors need to be rewarded to reinforce the development of those positive behaviors. On the other hand, social approaches include the integration of the cognitive and the behavioral aspects.   This theory view motivation as a factor produced by two forces including the expectation of the individual to succeed at work and the need to gain vicarious experience. Once the management recognizes the individual expectations, then they should provide the approach environment that will help the individual employee to achieve these. According the Maslow hierarchy of needs, we have different needs in our life that has to be fulfilled. The Maslow hierarchy therefore assumes that there are those basic needs that have to be met for the employees to the motivated.   The Maslow hierarchy of needs can be used to categorize how employees have different needs that have to be met for them to be motivated (Weightman 2008, p. 45).   .   The Maslow hierarchy theory starts with the basic needs up to social need. At the bottom there is physiological needs, safety, social, esteem, and self actualization a the top This means that it is important to recognize the specific needs of the employee that has to be met first according their hierarchy of needs. According to this theory, there are some basic needs that have to be met and in our life, we struggle to meet these needs. This means that our quest in life is to climb up the Maslow hierarchy to meet these needs.   Therefore if such needs are not satisfied, then individual motivation will arise from to satisfy them.   In line with fulfillment of these needs, a business therefore needs to offer different incentives to the workers in order to fulfill the different need as they progress up the ladder. Another theory of motivation is the two factor theory of Hertzberg.   Also known as hygiene theory,  Ã‚   it emphasizes more on the factors in the working environment which causes satisfaction and dissatisfaction.   The following table lists the top six factors which cause dissatisfaction and the top six factors causing satisfaction. Factors leading to dissatisfaction Leading to satisfaction Company policy Achievement Supervision Recognition Relationship with the boss Work itself Work conditions Responsibility Salary Advancement Relationship with peers Growth Like Maslow, Hertzberg reasoned that there are different individual needs which can be satisfied by money while there are others which cannot be satisfied by money. He argued that physiological needs or basic needs should be satisfied first while the other physiological needs should be satisfied later (Weightman 2008, p. 45).   . The implications of Hertzberg theory assert that the management should not only meet the hygiene factor to avoid the dissatisfaction of employees but they must also provide other factors which intrinsic to work in order to have satisfied employees. For example IBM, which is one of the most prosperous ICT companies in the world, has taken various strategies including flexible working schedules, pay per performance, and others in order to motivate their employees. The company takes an order from a client and allocates it to the worker who then works closely with the client to ensure that they meet all the technological challenges given by the client. Task 4 – Working with others, teamwork, groups and group dynamics Difference between teams and groups In many instances, we tend to use the work group and team interchangeably. However there are many differences between a tem and a group in the real application of the two.   In management we usually stress the importance of team building and not group building. This is because the strength of a team depends on the common purpose and the connectivity of the individual members. On the other hand, the strength of a group come the volume or the willingness to carry out the command given by the leader. In real application, it is very easy to form a group rather than a team. A group can be formed   by individuals of different   types and background but eventually it will be very difficult to achieve the commonality between the group members.   It is very difficult to build consensus in a group for a leader that it is in a team.   Unlike a group which is simple to form, a team is quite difficult to form.    The members of a team are not selected on the ground of commonality but on the ground of compatibility in different  Ã‚   complementary skills. For example a business team can be made up of an accountant, a salesman, secretary, and others.   Every member plays a different role but which are integrated to achieve a common goal. Unlike in a group, there is no room for conflicts in a team. The role of teams in a small and a big organization differs in some aspects although all the teams have the same role of achieving a set goal. However, teams in a small organization may be easier to form and evaluate and their process of work may be simpler due to the size of their operation. On the other hand, teams in a larger organization may take time to form since all members have to be consulted. Their process of work may be a bit difficult since they have a large operation to cover. Application of Tuckman and Jensen team development model Tuckman and Jensen present us with four stages which define group development.   Although the process can be subconscious, the four stages present the process which all groups go through in their formation. The first stage is the forming stage in which the individual behavior is defined by the desire to be accepted by other members of the team (McGrath and Tschan 2004, p. 61).   At this stage, serious issues, feelings, controversy, or conflict are usually avoided.   The individuals get more focused on adapting to their roles and gather information about others. The next stage is storming stage in which the group remains good to the other only when important issues are addressed.   There are minor confrontations which are dealt with or are ignored. These conflicts are related to work or relationship in the group.   The next stage is the norming stage in which the rules of engagement for the group member are established. At this stage, members understands the other well and the experience the efforts and experience of the other. However, individuals at this stage are resistance to change especially from outside for fear of group break up (McGrath and Tschan 2004, p. 61). The last stage is the performing stage which not many groups usually reach this stage.   This stage is characterized by interdependence and flexibility and every group member understand their role and trust each other. The group identity, loyalty and the performance are high as members become task oriented. How communication methods can affect team performance in a large multi national organization. Communication is one of the most important factors for optimum performance of an organization.   The communication process helps the organizations to pass important operation details from one department to the other. The communication structure in an organization is also very important since determines the flow of information from the management to the employees.   The  Ã‚   communication structure in an organization should ensure the smooth flow of information between the dyad in the work place. However, communication methods can affect team performance in multinational organizations. In most multinational organizations, the teams may be allocated to a certain function far away from the managements of the organization. This means that the team may be faced with the difficulty of enquiring important details regarding their duties from the management. At the same time, there is a high likelihood that the team will be made up of individuals using different languages. This means that the team will require an interpreter for it to function effectively (McGrath and Tschan 2004, p. 61). While forming teams for multinational organizations, language barrier should be one of the most important factors to consider. Bibligraphy: Haas, R.W. Wotruba, T.R 2003, Management: Concepts, Practice and Cases, Texas: Business Publications, Inc McGrath, J. E., Tschan, F 2004, Temporal matters in social psychology: Examining the role of time in the lives of groups and individuals. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Weightman, J 2008, The Employee Motivation Audit, Cambridge Strategy Publications

Globalization Of Culture In Society

Globalization Of Culture In Society Virtually all countries in the world, if not all parts of their territory, and all segments of their society, have now become part of the larger global system in a way. The culture of globalization and globalization of culture strives towards deterritorialization and re-territorialization of political and economic power in the era of borderless world. The concept of global culture is today perceived as a spread of American values, goods and life style. As a matter of fact, the most visible globalization sign seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and Coke in almost every country in the world. As we all know the world became smaller as a result of the increasing development of transportation and information systems, but behavior types, values and attitudes that govern human relations can remain unchanged. Technological innovation leads to business internationalization and individuals from all firms levels become involved in cultural interaction. Firms extending their activities at international level need to communicate in an effective way with foreign clients taking into consideration cultural differences that in many cases are very important. In the past, managers that couldnt handle with culture challenge had the option of focusing on internal markets. At present, a company is obliged to keep up with international competition. In this global business environment, the idea according with culture is not so important is fatal. Cultural differences are often subject of jokes, but culture incompetence can affect million of dollars or euros through wrong negotiations and weak relations with customers. The cultural risk is as real as the political risk in international relations. As John Tomlinson said, in the centre of modern culture there is globalization; in the centre of globalization there are cultural practices. Observers of globalization are increasingly recognizing that globalization is having a significant impact on matters such as local cultures, matters which are less tangible and hard to quantify, but often fraught with intense emotion and controversy. Generally speaking, issues surrounding culture and globalization have received less attention than the debates, which have arisen over globalization and the environment or labor standards. In part this is because cultural issues are more subtle and sensitive, and often more confusing. The concept of global culture is today perceived as a spread of American values, goods and life style. As a matter of fact, the most visible globalization sign seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and Coke in almost every country in the world. Today globalization has the ears of Mickey Mouse, feeds with Big Macs, drinks Coke or Pepsi and works on an IBM laptopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Th. L. Friedman, 2001). In this context, the international aim of management is that of highlighting the cultural differences between countries and even in the same country between the different regions and then the establishment of some potential opportunities and problems. GLOBALIZATION AND LOCAL CULTURES The globalization of the production and distribution of goods and services brings many advantages for all countries offering them access to products that they would not otherwise have. But the changes brought by globalization affects the interests of some categories of people in some countries or regions. Because foreign products are usually cheaper, local farmers are disadvantaged. Globalization is also increasing international trade in cultural products and services, such as movies, music, and publications. The expansion of trade in cultural products is increasing the exposure of all societies to foreign cultures. And the exposure to foreign cultural goods frequently brings about changes in local cultures, values, and traditions. Although there is no consensus on the consequences of globalization on national cultures, many people believe that a peoples exposure to foreign culture can undermine their own cultural identity. Although we can talk about a globalization of culture, there are also a lot of cultural differences that should be taken into account by managers of multinational corporations if they want to be effective in approaching foreign markets. Culture has many elements but the most important are: language, religion, values and attitudes, habits, education. When you enter on a foreign market you must know very well the language of that country, because otherwise you should lose a lot of money. It is not enough to have a product and sell it, it is necessary to know if the name of the product has a negative meaning in that market. Religion is also essential when you are an international firm, because in Middle East for instance you cant sell pork meat or alcoholic products. The role of woman in business is also linked with religion in this region. That affects management in two ways: the firm cant use women as managers or in other positions in some countries and the role of the woman as a consumer or her influence on consumption process is different. Regarding the values and attitudes of a country, there are some cultures with a strong context like Japan for instance in which there are a lot of fact hard to be understood by other cultures. Firms will gain only if they have a long term approach of Japanese markets. For example, Procter Gamble had a long term perspective on its products and that was an approach in a Japanese style. Starting with the middle of 1970s, the company gained 20% of the market and made the word pampers familiar for Japanese mothers. For these results, the foreign firm has to accept to lose in the first years because the confidence of Japanese people is hard to be gained. Changes in habits and customs should be carefully monitored especially in cases that indicate a limitation of cultural differences between people. McDonalds or Coke phenomenon was successful worldwide but that doesnt mean that the world becomes identical with West countries and this is the case especially with Arabian countries. Understanding the habits of foreign countries is very important in negotiation. All types of communication must be understood in order to negotiate abroad. Americans perceive the lack of action or silence as negative signs. As a result, Japanese negotiators wait for Americans to reduce prices or ameliorate other conditions. Education is also very important in a culture. For instance, local recruitment will be affected by the availability level of experienced and trained stuff. The international manager should be ready to handle with recruitment obstacles. For Japanese culture for example loyalty is very important and employees are seen as members of a large family the corporation. If you produce and sell technology, you must take into account the educational level of the potential consumers. Decisions of product adjusting are often influenced by the way in which the consumers are capable to use the product or the service in a correct way. THE INFLUENCE OF U.S. CORPORATIONS ON LOCAL CULTURES One of the principal concerns about the new globalization of culture that is taking place in the world is that it doesnt lead only to a homogenization of world culture, but also that it largely represents the Americanization of world cultures. The spread of American corporations abroad has various consequences on local cultures, some very visible, and others less obvious. For example, the influence of American companies on other countries cultural identity can be seen with regard to food, which matters on two levels. First, food itself is in many countries an integral aspect of the culture. Second, food restaurants can influence the habits in societies where they operate. The French are proud of having a unique cuisine that reflects their culture, such as crepes and pastries. Because of their pride in their cuisine, some French people are concerned that U.S. restaurant chains crowd out their own products with fast food. Some French people would argue that fast food does not belong to French society and is of lower quality than their own. Moreover, restaurant chains not only affect eating habits, but they also influence the traditions in countries where they are located. Starbucks causes cultural concerns in Italy because of the association that Italians make between coffee and leisurely sidewalk cafes. Coffee in Italy is more than a drink; it is part of the way of life and Italian habits. While in the United States it is common for people to buy takeaway coffee for drinking in the street or office, in Italy people usually prefer to relax and chat with peers while drinking coffee. Coffee shops offer a personal, friendly atmosphere that many Italians believe a large chain could not provide. Similarly, many people would prefer to frequent coffee shops that are each unique, while Starbucks offers a standard formula. Another example can be seen with the introduction of the McDonalds restaurant in China. In the past, it was not considered proper for Chinese children to buy food with their own money, as they were expected to eat what was put in front of them. Because of McDonalds marketing to children, however, kids developed an interest in choosing their own food when going to McDonalds. After some time, it became more of a common practice for children to buy their food with their own money. We notice a phenomenon of McDonaldization in the world. McDonaldization is the process through which the principles of the fast-food restaurant become to dominate more and more sectors in the most countries in the world. This phenomenon affects all aspects of social life, not only the restaurants: education, work, health services, travel, spare time, alimentation, politics, family etc. Some authors sustain that McDonaldization is a process of the cultural imperialism used by the American system to dominate other countries. On the other side there are people sustaining that McDonald systems adjust to local medium. McDonaldization is a transnational phenomenon. There is no doubt that McDonalds adjusts to local conditions, realities and tastes. This adjusting capacity led to the success of the system on international markets. But if it adjusts too much, losing its standard methods, it will lose its identity and that would affect its success. McDonaldization influence the habits of societies as a whole; for example Japanese people didnt eat standing and didnt drink directly from the bottle till the American fast-food chain entered their market. This shows the great cultural impact of McDonalds on the traditions of other countries. Despite the negative effects on local habits we dont have to forget that McDonalds also changed the sanitary conditions in local restaurants and increased the competition, leading to progress. Concerns that globalization leads to a dominance of US customs and values are also present with regard to films and the entertainment industry. This is the case with French films in France, for example. Governments from countries like France have attempted to intervene in the functioning of the market to try to protect their local cultural industries, by taking measures such as restricting the number of foreign films that can be shown. But if a government imposes domestic films, TV shows, or books onto its people, it limits their choice to consume what they prefer. Throughout history, cultures have changed and evolved. Globalization may accelerate cultural change. However, because change is driven by the choice of consumers, the elements of a particular culture will inevitably reflect consumer choice. Although the United States may play a dominant role within the phenomenon of cultural globalization, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an entirely one-way street. Many other countries also contribute to global culture. Just as American popular culture influences foreign countries, other national cultures are influential within the United States. Hollywood is a good example of an industry that integrates elements from more than one culture. Most people would think of Hollywood as something entirely American. However, while Hollywood dominates world cinema, American movies are subject to foreign influence. According to The Economist, one reason for Hollywoods success is that from the earliest days it was open to foreign talent and foreign money. Many American movies are remakes of foreign films (Asian or European movies). Some examples would be Asian horror movies like The Grudge, The Ring, Shutter, The Eye and more other. Many film-making companies, producers, and actors in Hollywood are not even American. Arnold Schwarzenegger is from Austria, and Nicole Kidman grew up in Australia. From this perspective, one may argue that Hollywood is a typically global institution. However, one may also note that actors such as Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson, upon arriving in Hollywood, were given language lessons to help them lose their foreign accents. Hollywood producers had them do this largely over sensitivity that American audience might perceive them negatively if they appeared to be foreign. So while Hollywood may incorporate many foreign elements into its craft-especially behind the scenes-its public face is distinctly American. GLOBALIZATION VS. ASIAN AND ISLAM VALUES Some government officials in East Asian nations have proclaimed an alternative to the Western cultural model by declaring an adherence to traditional Asian values. Asian values are typically described as embodying the Confucian ideals of respect for authority, hard work and the belief that the community is more important than the individual. This is said to be coupled with a preference for economic, social and cultural rights rather than political rights. Lee Thesis (a Singapore leader Lee Kwan Yew) claims that political freedoms and rights can actually hamper economic growth and development. According to this notion, order and personal and social discipline, rather than political liberty and freedom, are most appropriate for Asian societies. Adherents to this view claim that political freedoms, liberties, and democracy are Western concepts, foreign to their traditions. The controversy over westernization has had major historical implications in the Middle East over the past several decades. Globalization is accelerating some peoples concerns about the infusions of Western values in Islamic countries. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has likewise adopted an approach with the motto modernization without westernization. One such example is a Saudi police issue ban on pet dogs and cats. The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a sign of Western influence. However, in the past decades, owning dogs or cats has become a fashion statement among Saudis. Showing off a Doberman, pit bull or fancy breed of felines has become a status symbol. For conservatives, it smells of imitating Western trends, just like the fast food, shorts, jeans and pop music that have become more common in the kingdom. Many governments around the world have attempted to protect their native cultures by imposing bans on what they declare to be foreign cultural intrusions. For example, with regard to language protection, the Chinese government has attempted to protect the purity of its language by removing the use of foreign words. Authorities in China recently scrutinized the brands and names of over 20,000 western companies, forcing them to change 2,000 to more Chinese-sounding names. But this is not specific only to Asian countries, all the other countries fighting to protect their language. France has attracted the most notoriety for attempting to protect its language from the immigration of foreign words. The French Academy routinely scours the land for invasive words from other languages, most notably English ones. Words such as walkman, talk show, and prime time have been declared unwelcome foreigners, and the government has attempted-with rather limited success-to replace them with French substitutes. This movement demonstrates the extreme sensitivity of cultural issues, and the visceral reaction that many people have to what they perceive to be threats to their traditional ways of life. In an interview that appeared in December 2005 in Asia Pacific Perspectives magazine, the international economist Yonosuke Hara expressed his thoughts about the potential of a dynamic Asian economic model that could serve as a new regional economic system and could prevent the tendency to a global standardization. According to Hara, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾the world will never become standardized through globalization. Asian societies have their own complex structures. In XXI-st century, the Asian economic model which is the product of its own history and social structure will continue. It is not necessary to undertake an economic system that alternate between joy and sadness on a profit basis and Asian countries should progress to an economic system valorizing long term profits through the production of goods and their distribution to the entire society. CONCLUSION Efforts to protect local culture from the homogenizing effects of globalization are often tangled with other, sometimes questionable, motives, including economic protectionism and the political suppression of ideas. Because the topic of culture can, almost by definition, include almost every human effort, it is often difficult to draw lines around what are legitimate cultural activities, worthy of special protective measures. Many organizations and groups have been formed at the local, national, and international level that aims to promote the protection of traditional cultures. Some aim to study the matter more deeply so that we may understand more clearly the implications of globalization on culture, and others are already taking on advocacy roles. Globalization critic Jeremy Rifkin has suggested there may be a need to establish a World Cultural Organization to help represent diverse cultures and put cultural protection on an equal footing with the WTO (Rifkin, 2001). Another group, the International Network for Cultural Diversity, has made a similar argument for an institution to ensure that culture is being protected. The INCD has proposed that: Governments must not enter into any agreements that constrain local cultures and the policies that support them. A new international agreement should be created, which can provide a permanent legal foundation for cultural diversity. An informal group of governments that has already been created to try to find solutions to cultural questions is the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP). The INCP is an international forum through which representatives of member countries can exchange views on emerging cultural policy issues. One of the ways in which the INCP seeks to strengthen cultures is by advocating more cultural exceptions to the global trade rules of the WTO. Forty-five countries are members of the INCP, including Canada, France, China, and the United Kingdom, but not the United States. In the coming years, efforts to protect traditional cultures are likely to play an increasingly prominent role in new trade agreements and within international cooperative ventures. Indeed, a global effort to protect local cultures from globalization would be a somewhat ironic development. But increasingly, local activists are trying to learn how to harness new worldwide forces to cope with the impact of international trends that have cultural effects.

King Lear Essay -- essays research papers

The Islamic Empires   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In early modern history, there were three major Islamic empires that became prominent. The Ottoman Empire, the Safavid Empire, and the Mughals. We will descuss the Development of these empires by listing their similarities and differences, and their political, social and cultural backgrounds. Next, we will get into the three empires reign of power and also give a discription of some of the great leaders of these empires and their legacy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of these Islamic Empires had Turkish ruling dynasties. The Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals came from nomadic, Turkish-speaking peoples of the central Asia who conquered the settled agricultural lands of Anatolia, Persia and India. All of these dynasties retained political and cultural traditions that their ancestors had adopted while leading their nomadic lives, but, they also adapted readily to the city-based agricultyural societies that they conquered. All of these empires also embraced Islam and derived its cultural guidance from Islamic values. Each empire expanded its territory under authority of their great leaders, such as Mehmed the Conqueror for the Ottomans, Shah Abbas the Great for the Safavids and the reigh of Aurangzeb of the Muhgal empire. In these empires, the prestige and authority of the dynasty derived from personal piety and military aptitude of the ruler and his ancestors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Ottoman Empire was founded by Osman Bey, founder of the dynasty that continued in unbroken succession from 1289 to 1923. the motives of Osman and his followers were to become ghazi, or Muslim religious warriors. â€Å"The Ghazi,(as the poet Ahmadi describes) is the instrument of religion of Allah, the sword of God, the protector and refuge of the believers.† It was believed that if to have died for the cause of your religion, you should not believe that the person is dead, but that he will live in beatitude with Allah and he has eternal life. The Ottomans waged a holy war which enabled them to expand their territory to the Anatolian city of Bursa, which became the capital of Ottoman principality. Under the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 and in turn lead to more Ottoman expansion. Mehmed presented himself as a true emperor and not just a warrior. He was ruler of two lands, Europe ... ...aged the elaboration of syncretic religion called the â€Å"devine faith† that focused attention on the emperor as a ruler common to all the religious, ethnic and social groups of India. The Mughal empire reached its greatest extent under Aurangzeb. During his long reign from 1659 to 1707, he waged a relentless campaign to push Mughal authority deep into southern India. Mughal came to rule the entire subcontinent except for a small region at the southern tip.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These are descriptions of the major empires that became prominent, the Ottoman Empire, the Safavids and the Mughals. We have gone over some of the similarities and differences of the three empires and also discussed the development of these empires and their social and political backgrounds. We have seen a glimpse of the great leaders that ruled these empires such as Mehmed the Conqueror, Shah Ismail and Shah Abbas for the Safavids, and Babur and Akbar for the Mughals. These empires created the boundary for Islamic institution through the 1500’s and beyond. They should be recognized as a stepping stone in the Islamic voyage which has definitely laid an impact on the society and societies before ours.

Genet Affair and Neutrality Proclamation :: essays research papers

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation and the Genà ªt Affair Edmond Charles Édouard Genà ªt (1763-1834) had been a representative for France in Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Berlin just before the French Revolution. A short time later, in 1792, he was removed from his position in Russia because of his revolutionary passions. At this time, Americans were following the French Revolution very closely, but France’s declaration of war on Great Britain hadn’t greatly affected American politics, yet. This changed in 1972, when none other than Edmond Charles Genà ªt was chosen to serve as the new French envoy to the United States. When he arrived, French supporters went crazy. Genà ªt saw this and decided to use his new popularity and influence to act on his radical beliefs. He attempted to gather troops to launch an attack on Spanish Florida and pay fleets of privateers to cripple British commerce. These actions violated Washington’s promise to remain "friendly and impartial toward the belligerent powers" which was the basis of his Neutrality Proclamation. Washington devised this treaty, which excluded the United States from the French Revolutionary Wars because America was still relatively young and unprepared for involvement in such international conflict. Reluctant to break his own terms and irritated by such deliberate acts of rebellion, the President, backed by Alexander Hamilton (pro-British), reacted with strong opposition towards Genà ªt’s demonstrations. Many other French supporters similar to Genà ªt had been tried for violating the neutrality, but were protected by pro-French juries. Washington banned the use of U.S. ports to the privateers, so Genà ªt threatened to turn to the people for their opinion. This had gone too far, so the President promptly implored that the French government recall their troublesome minister. They consented without argument, and Genà ªt was asked to return to his country.

Handling of information in social care settings Essay

1.1 Identify the legislation that relates to the recording, storage and sharing of information in social care. The Data Protection Act 1998 controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses and the government. Everyone responsible for using data or storing data has to follow strict rules called ‘Data protection principles’ these are as follows: Used fairly and lawfully used for specifically stated purposes kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary kept safe and secure Not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection For more sensitive information such as ethnic background, political opinions, religious beliefs, health, sexual health and criminal records there is stronger legal protection. The Freedom of information act 2000 provides public access to information held by public authorities. Public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about the activities and members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities. The Act covers any recorded information that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland. Information held by Scottish public authorities is covered by Scotland’s own Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Public Authorities include Government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and the police force. Recorded information includes printed documents, computer files, letters, emails, photographs, and sound or video  recordings. The Act does not give people access to their own personal data such as their health records or credit reference file. If a member of the public wants to see information that a public authority holds about them, they should make a subject access request under the Data Protection Act 1998. 1.2 Explain why it is important to have secure systems for recording and storing information in a social care setting. The various Acts of Parliament that relate to the handling, storing and sharing of information include amongst others The Data Protection Act 1998, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human Rights Act 1998, Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. It is important to have secure system for recording and storing information in a health and social care setting as all information relating to clients must be kept confidential at all times except when we are legally required to disclose this information, for example, when a court warrant has been issued requesting certain information. Information on Care Home clients and in house information is valuable and critical to the business of the Home. We all rely on information to store and process information, so it is essential that we maintain Information Security, Insecure information can lead to: †¢ Violation of an individual’s human and civil rights; action or deliberate inaction that results in neglect and/or physical, sexual, emotional or financial harm. Abuse can be perpetrated by one or more people (either known or not known to the victim) or can take the form of institutional abuse within an organisation; it can be a single or a repeated act. †¢ The extent to which people are able to receive the information, services or care they need and are not discouraged from seeking help. Issues involved include distance of travel; physical access (e.g. premises suitable for wheelchairs); communication (e.g. information in Braille/large print and other formats); and the provision of culturally appropriate services. Outcome 2 know how to access support for handling information in social care settings. 2.1 Describe how to access guidance, information and advice about handling information. There are many ways to access guidance and information, and advice on handling information, the first people you would speak to are your managers, seniors, office staff and work colleges, they will know where information is kept, how to access that information and how to input information in the future. They will also be able to tell you what sort of information is confidential, what information can be shared and how to do this in a professional manner. You will also be able to find out all this by using the internet reading up in books and attending more training. 2.2 Explain what actions to take when there are concerns over the recording, storing or sharing of information. Information recorded in a patient’s records is confidential under both common law and the Data Protection Act 1998, and must be protected by health and social care staff. Systems for the safe storage of records must be in place, and no†one should have access to the records or the information contained therein unless they are directly involved in the care of the client, or the client has given permission. Under the Data Protection Act clients can have access to their records, subject to a situation where disclosure is likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health or condition of the client or any other person. If you find out any activities that are harmful to the client, staff or the home itself you must report these, some examples are. Illegal activities Miscarriages of justice Risks to health and safety Abuse of clients Misuse of public funds Fraud and corruption Damage to the environment Public Disclosure Act. The Public Interest Disclosure Act provides workers with protection from dismissal or other damage as a result of making a disclosure of information in the public interest about wrongdoing at work. Such disclosures are protected if they are done according to the Act’s provisions. Disclosures may be made to the employer, prescribed regulatory bodies or on a wider basis to the Police. The Act’s protection is strongest where workers raise matters with their employers.

Curriculum designing guidelines Essay

Purpose The construction of experiences and outcomes that effectively provide progression in each curriculum area and convey the values, principles and purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence is central to the success of the program. In particular, it is important that you reflect relevant aspects of the four capacities in your work. If we can get this right these outcomes and experiences will have a significant, positive, impact on classroom practice and hence on the learning experience of all children and young people. It is an exciting prospect. Starting point In phase 1 each early review group should be asked to simplify and prioritise the curriculum (from age 3 to 15 in the first instance) retaining what currently works well and making changes where these were justified by research evidence. The output from phase 1 of the review process and the rationale for your curriculum area, research and other national and international comparators are your starting points. Your work will be based on the relevant parts of the Curriculum Frameworks: for Children 3 – 5, 5 – 14 guidelines, Standard Grade, and National Qualifications. It is important that experience and outcome statements you write at each Curriculum for Excellence level provide appropriate cognitive demand. The framework for outcomes The experiences and outcomes will sit within a framework of advice to teachers. Curriculum Area The eight curriculum areas are: Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Languages, Maths, Religious and Moral Education, Science, Social Studies and Technologies. Rationale The rationale provides an overview of the curriculum area states its main purposes and describes its contribution to the values and purposes. Subsets of the curriculum area Each curriculum area is subdivided either into fields of learning – or ‘subjects’ (e. g. Expressive Arts into art, drama, dance and music) or into aspects of learning in that area (e. g. Languages into listening and talking, reading and writing) Lines of development These identify learning tracks in each subset of the curriculum area. They are expressed in different ways in each area of the curriculum. For example within expressive arts they identify the skills to be developed: creating, presenting and evaluating in art, drama, dance and music; within science they describe broad areas of knowledge and understanding to be developed; biodiversity, being human and cells in Our Living World. Experiences and outcomes Within each line of development, experiences and outcomes describe the expected progression in learning for children and young people. Essential outcomes. Essential outcomes are a small number of high level statements, derived from the main purposes described in the rationale, that encapsulate what learning in that curriculum area provides for all children and young people. Taken together, the essential outcomes are intended to sum up the expectations for the broad general education of all young people. The focus of your work will be writing the experiences and outcomes for your curriculum area. It is likely that there will be interplay between what you produce and the ‘essential outcomes’ , which are the ones helping to shape and refine the other in an iterative manner. Outcomes should be written in the clearest possible English. Where possible these should be accessible to children and young people, but not at the expense of clarity. It is also important to try to write lively and engaging experiences and outcomes. Best Practices of Writing the Curriculum Ultimately the intention is to produce streamlined guidance for the entire curriculum in a single document. We also intend to make the outcomes available in electronic format to allow curriculum leaders and teachers to identify and blend outcomes from both within and beyond curriculum areas. Several stages will be required to achieve this.

Compare and Contrast: ‘Always a Motive’ and ‘Gentlemen, Your Verdict’ Essay

Recently I’ve read two very good short stories: Always a Motive (by Dan Ross) and Gentlemen, Your Verdict (by Michael Bruce). Always a Motive is about a young man, named Joe Manetti, who is accused of kidnapping. Gentlemen, Your Verdict is about five men who are questioned about the murder of sixteen crewmembers. While both Always a Motive and Gentlemen, Your Verdict are written in third person and pull at the readers emotions, Always a Motives theme is how people tend to see things only from one perspective and things can change in an instant while Gentlemen, Your Verdicts theme focuses on the justification of murder in certain circumstances. Gentlemen, Your Verdict is a story that teaches us that sometimes in life we have to kill, or let someone die to ensure the survival of others. In this story Lieutenant-Commander Oram (who’s in charge of the submarine) is forced to play god when his submarine goes down. There is only enough air for two days and rescue won’t come until five days after their oxygen supply will run out. Lieutenant-Commander Oram would rather let some of his crew survive than have them all die. But he has a hard choice to make: who will be the ones to survive, which I believe is also a part of the theme. He makes a solemn choice to kill sixteen men, including himself, to save the lives of the five married men on-board; because they have a wife and possibly even children that would live sorrowfully if their father was gone. This statement is turned around in Always a Motive, where a father loses his son and wife and is forced to live a miserable life alone. Joe Manetti was a father to a little boy and a happy husband, but tragedy struck when his son was ran over and killed by a truck. After that Joe’s life fell apart; his wife left him, he doesn’t work anymore, he barely eats, and he runs away from his problems by driving , driving for however long until he feels okay. One day during one of his driving ‘spells’ he comes back from getting groceries and finds a baby on his backseat. He finds a note on the baby saying he belonged to the Millers. Joe takes care of the babe and brings him home to a worried father; but he suddenly finds himself getting questioned about kidnapping the Miller boy. Now, the inspector who questions him finds out Joe’s story and he feels for Joe; but he knows that when there’s â€Å"[people] like [Joe] involved† (Tigers of the Snow p109), people who  have lost their children, they usually are the culprits. Abruptly an expressway toll station worker comes bearing an alibi for Joe, saying that at the time the Miller boy was kidnapped Joe was at the toll. This reveals the themes of the story: how people tend to see things only from one perspective and things can change in an instant. The inspector only saw the side of Joe that made him a kidnapper and suddenly Joe is an unsuitable kidnapper. But there is one thing that lacks from Joe’s story, his motive for returning the Miller boy without the help of the police. But the man who lost his boy only wanted to see the man who found his. The moment that Joe says this is one of the most heartbreaking pieces of literature that I have read. Both Always a Motive and Gentlemen, Your Verdict have their moments where, as a reader, you feel for the characters. However different these stories are, they both pull at the readers heartstrings.