Perceptions of RN associated with screening for PPD Dissertation

Perceptions of RN associated with screening for PPD - Dissertation Example It has been found that postpartum depression not only has both short- and long-term consequences for the mother but also for her newborn child and thus its timely recognition, diagnosis and treatment is vital (Field, 2010). Statistics reveal that each year, approximately 400,000 infants are born to depressed mothers who are thus, at a risk of having adverse emotional, behavioral and physical health outcomes (Joy, 2011). As stated by Beck (2002), postpartum depression is â€Å"a dangerous thief that robs mothers of the love and happiness they expected to feel toward their newborn babies (Beck, 2002, p. 453)†. Studies have revealed that in short term, the mothering practices that become compromised due to the detrimental effects of PPD on the mother’s attitude towards the child include breastfeeding practices, sleep routines, visits to the well child clinic and follow-ups for vaccinations, and overall safety practices (Field, 2010). Moreover, in long-term, PPD impairs con ducive interactions between the mother and the child, negatively impacts nurturance and leads to poor parenting all of which contribute towards negative outcomes for the child, including and not limited to, poorer cognitive development, greater incidence of behavioral issues (such as antisocial and risk taking behaviors) and constrained social interactions on the part of the child such as less sociability (Beck, 2002; Field, 2010). Since this disorder is so common and has such serious and long lasting consequences, it is imperative that appropriate interventions be undertaken in a timely manner in order to prevent the occurrence of the aforementioned negative outcomes. Moreover, as pointed out before, since culture is an important determinant in the etiology of PPD, and postpartum depression has been defined as a â€Å"culture-bound syndrome† (Zubaran, Schumacher, Roxo, & Foresti, 2010) it is important for health care professionals to be aware of the role of culture in the ca usation of PPD and the management, including both diagnosis and treatment, of this disorder should be tailored using a transcultural approach. It has been elucidated that nurses play a significant role in the management of PPD, since they are involved in both screening the women for PPD and also in its treatment, including the provision of counseling services and appropriate referral services when required (Driscoll, 2006). In order to facilitate the provision of these services, nurses need to be culturally sensitive and should approach each woman keeping in mind her cultural, racial and ethnic background and offer culturally appropriate solutions accordingly (Callister, Beckstrand, & Corbett, 2010). Till date most of the literature centered around postpartum depression is predominantly quantitative in nature and the few qualitative studies that do exist focus on elucidating the role of culture in the etiology and causation of PPD. There is a paucity of studies focusing on determini ng the nurses’ experiences and perceptions in providing care for women suffering from postpartum depression, which is pertinent in this setting as nurses are the primary caregivers for patients suffering from postpartum depression. Moreover, there is also an acute shortage of studies examining the different culture appropriate solut

Principles for implementing duty of care in health, social care Essay Example for Free

Principles for implementing duty of care in health, social care Essay Describe how to respond to complaints Responding to complaints, whether made by a parent or a staff colleague, you should always keep professional and listen to what the person has to say. You should keep calm and by being respectful and apologising when necessary which helps to diffuse potential conflict. Complaints need to be resolved as quickly as possible and constructively to avoid creating a bad atmosphere for all those involved. When responding to a complaint, it is important to listen to the other person’s point of view. You should avoid making personal comments and focus on the facts throughout. Always apologise if you are wrong and explain how you will resolve the situation. Explain the main points of agreed procedures for handing complaints If a member of staff or a parent wishes to make a complaint they should discuss their complaint with the setting leader first where most complaints can be resolved quickly. If the parent or member of staff is not happy with the outcome they should then put their complaint in writing to the setting leader who can then pass the details onto the owner or chairperson of a committee run setting. The setting will look into the complaint and once they have come to a conclusion the setting leader can arrange a meeting with the person who made the complaint to discuss the outcome. If the person is still not happy with the outcome they can ask for a further meeting with the setting leader and the owner or chairperson where they can also invite a representative. They can then all meet up to try and come to a conclusion. Everything at this meeting will be noted and recorded. If the complaint can still not be resolved at this meeting then a further meeting can be made where an external mediator is invited. The external mediator will then investigate the complaint and then arrange a meeting for all parties to settle the complaint. A record of the meeting will be made which will discuss any decisions that have been made. Everyone that attends the meeting will need to sign the record and will get a copy of all the notes. This signed record should conclude the complaint. Parents are entitled to contact Ofsted throughout any stage of the complaints procedure. The telephone number of Ofsted will be on the settings complaints procedure.

Images of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals :: Essays Papers

Images of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals It all makes good sense so long as animals exist. Humans are not so different from nonhuman animals, yet through a vast array of often mutually supporting structures of domination – from food to fashion and psychology to war, â€Å"the suffering that we inflict on nonhuman beings can be extreme, and the numbers involved are gigantic†[1]. From this, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) branches out. A next step, a necessary path, a biological outgrowth or a wandering extension of a moral â€Å"circle† of consideration of nonhuman animals. The slogan: â€Å"Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment†[2]. But more than a slogan to march to, the pithy philosophy also guides, unifies, and activates the media presence that makes up the fundamental faces of PETA. PETA is also other than a cadre for animal revolution, â€Å"we are complete press sluts†[3]. For animals, the revolution will be televised vigo rously. Whereas this struggle might be understood as the instrumental use of media to effect an outside end for real world concerns (more TV makes less animals die), how PETA’s images have worked can be understood on an alternate screen of anti-aliased renders and widescreen projection. A programming of simulation, nature, and animal. PETA’s internet enabled zoo of images, photos for every block of words and text for every block of pixels, both addresses and symbiotically supports the habitat and survival of the animals they hope to strategically aid. For, while ‘the cause’ would be served as well by the sudden disappearance of animal cruelty, what is advocated is precisely inclusive and referential of itself. These animals, whose kind is to be saved, live inside of html formatted rectangles in Photoshop blended subtlety and complexity. It all makes sense so long as animals exist, and the premise is hard to deny. Animals have been, as PETA is no doubt aware, consistently and progressively devastated, impacted, displaced, conquered, enslaved, caught, captured, killed, boxed in and eliminated. The activist may tell you that this process is by no means inevitable or necessary and must be ended now. But the images sear a different mark: animals, as we once knew them, may have already passed through their disappearance, ascension, and resurrection. Bruce Friedrich, PETA’s director of vegan outreach, has said of meat eating, â€Å"feeding plants to animals then eating the animals is like filtering water through a sewer then drinking it†[4].

The Dork Continent Book Review

Upon hearing the title of the book, one might assume that it will focus on the decolonization of Africa. Africa is known as the â€Å"dark continent† because it remained a mystery to European explorers for an extensive amount of time. Instead, Mark Mazower's Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century, focuses on Europe in the 20th century, as the title notes, and provides a historical and political analysis of the modern European state from the end of the First World War up until the time of publishing the book in 1988.Mazower, a young British author and historian, has taught at the University of Sussex and Princeton, and is a prize-winning author for his book Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-1944. The principal thesis of Dark Continent is that the victorious reign of democracy in Europe was not predestined, but emerged significantly from the endless struggle between ethnic groups and nations, as well as three rival theologies- Nazism, Communism, and Democracy.Mazower's thesis suggests that democracy is not the essential preferred method of political organization, even when empires were falling and nations reorganizing after the devastation of World War I. Of the three ideologies, Mazower concludes that Communism was the closest to being satisfactory in both theory and practice. The book begins with the discussion of the rise and fall of democracy. The struggle between the three ideologies was at the core of European twentieth century history.Preceding the the first World War, Europe only had three republics; by the end of 1918 there were thirteen. Even so, democracy was unable to secure itself during inter-war years. Liberalism was â€Å"short-lived† and â€Å"democratic values disappeared as political polarization brought much of Europe to the verge of civil war. Mazower notes that in 1930, Weimar's Chancellor Hermann Muller warned that â€Å"a democracy without democrats is an internal and external danger†; but the founders of post-war constitutionalism had not given much thought to the matter.For many conservatives, the problem with democracy was simply due to â€Å"the power it gave the masses in the supposed incompatibility of democracy and authority. † The conservatives also feared that democracy â€Å"placed too much stress on rights and not enough on duties. † According to Mazower, the collapse of liberal democracy was the result of its focus on process rather than on results. In Mazower's view, Russian liberals â€Å"assume mistakenly that a deep rooted social crisis could be solved by offering ‘the people' constitutional liberties†(23).The consequence was that, at the end of the 20s was that the new nations that came about after the Versailles peace treaties came to be ruled by authoritarian regimes rather than democratic governments. The emergence of fascist and communist leaders with policies regarding state control of resources was unavoidable. For th e citizens that were tired of the war and failed attempts of democracy, men like Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, and Mussolini provided new hope for a stabilization in Europe.The pursuits of fascists like Hitler and Mussolini and the lesser in Eastern European nations may be reprehensible, Mazower admits, but it is at least comprehensible. What these dictators were doing was little different from what their predecessors in England, France, Russia, and even Belgium had done for the past half century: culminating European imperial expansion that began in the 1870s. By the late 1930s, it was evident that liberal democracy had lost its reign in Europe. Hitler's New Order appeared to be Europe's future. Mazower argues that even in December 1919 Lenin saw that â€Å"both terror and the Cheka [are] †¦ ndispensable† tools to maintain the permanent dictatorship of the bourgeois. Furthermore, â€Å"the scientific term ‘dictatorship', means nothing more or less than authority untramm eled by any laws, absolutely unrestricted by any rules whatever and based directly on force† (page 24). With that said, Mazower notes that â€Å"communism turned out to be the last, and perhaps highest stage of imperialism. Mazower does an exceptional job at giving his view of Hitler. I found this to be a successful way of supporting his thesis. What I found to be odd was the way he described the works of Hitler.I would assume that he would clearly show his disapproval of the matter, rather he seems to approach the issue lightly. Mazower makes an attempt to make us see that Hitler's belief that Germany's destiny depended on the geographic replacement of Slavs in Ukraine. Moreover, Mazower suggests that â€Å"the Second World War did not start because of diplomatic misunderstanding or confusion, nor even because of Hitler's deceit or duplicity. Rather it started because Hitler's opponents realized they were faced with â€Å"a clash of two worlds†-Berlin and London(82). What I did like about the book was the fact that Mazower explained the cause of communism's fall really well. I was a bit confused before of exactly what events sparked the fall, but I was surely aware and understood fully after reading this thoughtful book. As mentioned before, I found that Mazower seemed to praise Hitler's actions, suggesting that he was not part of the cause for World War II, but puts the blame on Hitler's opponents. It makes me question what side of the field Mazower is playing. Nevertheless, the book was a great read and provided an exuberant amount of historical background in Europe.

Poetry Response Essay

I really love this poem by Wendy Copes because of the message that it tells me. For some reason there are those people who wish to pull someone down. Sometimes it is because of jealousy, envy and pride. In reality, no matter how hard you try to be good and to appreciate everyone, you really cannot please anybody. There will always be those who are against you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poem tells me that I should not let anyone interfere with what I am doing or to let anyone block my way to greater heights. That I should always do my best and show everyone what I can do, what I am able to do, my talents and abilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Everyone has his or her own goal in life and we must focus on that goal, not looking to anyone but on that goal alone. We should not get our attention off our goal and let someone mess with that. We should always remain focused in achieving that goal or else we may not be able to achieve it. It is true that no one can live alone and that we need others to be able to live and be happy. Still we should not let those who dislike us or envy us to be the reason for our failure, if we do so, we will certainly achieve nothing. Every time that an opportunity for us to be recognized is given grab it. We should not favor or look onto anyone who wants the same opportunity like us. Every opportunity is a stepping stone in achieving our goal, our desire, and our future. The world is a place wherein the strongest is given greater opportunity over the weak, the talented above those that are not, and the wise over the fools.   We should let our light shine, and our talents to be revealed in order to be acknowledged both by man and society. Also, the poem tells us that we should not be move or hindered by anyone. We should not be ashamed in showing our talents and as well as emotions. We must be true to ourselves and not compromising to anyone. If we are glad let it show in our own way. Dance or jump or shout if you want to. We should not let anyone to be reason for our sadness and downfall. Works Cited The British Council. No date. â€Å"Wendy Cope†. November 19, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     

Free Essays on Dreaming In Cuban

Garcia’s novel, Dreaming in Cuban, looks at the history of Cuba through the everyday events of four women of different generations and schools of thought. The focal point of this family of four women lies on Celia del Pino, the matriarchal figure. Lourdes is Celia’s oldest daughter, who was born in Cuba in 1936. Felicia is the second child. Luz and Milagro are Felicia’s twins who reject their mother. Ivanito on the other hand is Felicia’s youngest son and is incredibly loyal to his mother, until his aunt Lourdes and Pilar go back to Cuba to visit and send him off to America. The experience of the Latin emigrà © is best explored through Garcia’s character, Pilar. Pilar left Cuba at the age of two yet claims to remember everything clearly. The reader is introduced to Pilar when she catches her father cheating on her mother with some blond at a store. She is infuriated by this and is determined to go â€Å"back to Cuba† because she is s ick of seeing everything around her. She envisions her reunion with her grandmother who, in Pilar’s imagination, will be rocking on a chair, looking out toward the ocean, and will smell of salt and violet. She then continues to remember the following: â€Å" I was only two years old when I left Cuba but I remember everything that’s happened to me since I was a baby, even word-for word conversations. I was sitting in my grandmothers’ lap, playing with her drop pearl earrings, when my mother told her we were leaving the country. Abuela Celia called her a traitor to the revolution. Mom tried to pull me away but I clung to Abuela and screamed at the top of my lungs. My grandfather came running and said ‘Celia let the girl go. She belongs with Lourdes.’ That was the last time I saw her.† Pilar also talks to her grandmother in her sleep. They write to each other from time to time, but tend to communicate more through their sleep. Pi... Free Essays on Dreaming In Cuban Free Essays on Dreaming In Cuban Garcia’s novel, Dreaming in Cuban, looks at the history of Cuba through the everyday events of four women of different generations and schools of thought. The focal point of this family of four women lies on Celia del Pino, the matriarchal figure. Lourdes is Celia’s oldest daughter, who was born in Cuba in 1936. Felicia is the second child. Luz and Milagro are Felicia’s twins who reject their mother. Ivanito on the other hand is Felicia’s youngest son and is incredibly loyal to his mother, until his aunt Lourdes and Pilar go back to Cuba to visit and send him off to America. The experience of the Latin emigrà © is best explored through Garcia’s character, Pilar. Pilar left Cuba at the age of two yet claims to remember everything clearly. The reader is introduced to Pilar when she catches her father cheating on her mother with some blond at a store. She is infuriated by this and is determined to go â€Å"back to Cuba† because she is s ick of seeing everything around her. She envisions her reunion with her grandmother who, in Pilar’s imagination, will be rocking on a chair, looking out toward the ocean, and will smell of salt and violet. She then continues to remember the following: â€Å" I was only two years old when I left Cuba but I remember everything that’s happened to me since I was a baby, even word-for word conversations. I was sitting in my grandmothers’ lap, playing with her drop pearl earrings, when my mother told her we were leaving the country. Abuela Celia called her a traitor to the revolution. Mom tried to pull me away but I clung to Abuela and screamed at the top of my lungs. My grandfather came running and said ‘Celia let the girl go. She belongs with Lourdes.’ That was the last time I saw her.† Pilar also talks to her grandmother in her sleep. They write to each other from time to time, but tend to communicate more through their sleep. Pi...

A Difference in Values essays

A Difference in Values essays The House of Wang Lung rose in one generation from a family of poor farmers to a wealthy respected house in the novel The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. The dramatic change in social status causes the sons of Wang Lung to have different views and values from their father. His different treatment of each son also shapes each character. Although part of the same family the charachters demonstrate a difference in values. The father values the land, the youngest son values regognition, the middle son values wealth, and the eldest son values respect. As a result of his impoverished upbringing, Wang Lung values the land more than anything else. His obsession with the land causes him to neglect his family. The youngest son receives no attention and Wang Lung's plan to have him work the land disturbs him and makes him feel like a peasant. He feels that he has to prove that he is as great as his brothers and leaves the family to join the army. The middle son watches as his inheritance passes from his father's hand into the hand of his eldest son, and complains that his share is always too small. He wants to save the families money. The eldest son receives more attention and is given more than the other two sons and wants to be respected as a great family. The eldest son receives more attention and is given more than the other two sons and wants to be respected as a great family. Wang Lung is proud of his first born son, Nung En, and gives him more than his other two sons. One example is when Wang Lung becomes distressed because he cannot read the contracts he is signing and does not want to sign a bad deal. He hopes that sending the elder son to school to learn how to read will solve this problem. The elder son is no longer needed in the fields, because Wang Lung can now afford men to work the land. However, he ignores sending his other children to school until later. The eldest son's greatest desire is to ha ...

Farther and Further - Glossary of Usage

Farther and Further - Glossary of Usage Farther usually refers to physical distance. Further refers to an extension of time or degree. But see the usage notes below. Examples We drove farther south, making excellent time on the almost empty roads.The meeting ended without any plans for further discussions.We traveled farther in one week than any of us had expected. The trip took us even further into debt. Usage Notes Since the Middle English period many writers have used farther and further interchangeably. According to a relatively recent rule, however, farther should be reserved for physical distance and further for nonphysical, metaphorical advancement. Thus 74 percent of the Usage Panel prefers farther in the sentence If you are planning to drive any farther than Ukiah, youd better carry chains, and 64 percent prefers further in the sentence We wont be able to answer these questions until we are further along in our research. In many cases, however, the distinction is not easy to draw. If we speak of a statement that is far from the truth, for example, we should also allow the use of farther in a sentence such as Nothing could be farther from the truth. But Nothing could be further from the truth is so well established as to seem a fixed expression.(farther, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., 2000)Farther and Further are historically the same word, so it is not surprising that the two have long been used more or less interchangeably. . . .As adjectives, both words could at one time be used in the sense additional. . . .But in present-day English further has taken over this use entirely. . . .Farther has been relegated as an adjective to instances where either literal or figurative distance is involved. . . .And even in this function further is presenting formidable competition. . . .So for the adjective we can see that further has squeezed farther out of the additional sense and is giving it considerable pressure in the more distant sense. . . .In adverbial use further dominates when there is no sense of distance and as a sentence adverb, but both farther and further are in flourishing use whenever spatial, temporal, or metaphorical distance is involved. (farther, further, Merriam-Websters Dictionary of English Usage, 1994) No one misuses farther for further, and youre safe with further provided that you dont apply it to distance. Several usage critics have even predicted that further will eventually absorb the meaning more distant, driving farther into extinction. (Claire Kehrwald Cook, Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. Houghton Mifflin, 1985) Practice (a) We need to explore this problem ______. (b) Simon walked ______ into the woods. See Also Avoid These 10 Words in Formal Writing.Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words Answers to Practice Exercises (a) We need to explore this problem  further. (b) Simon walked  farther  into the woods.

Element in story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Element in story - Assignment Example She is able to contain the sense of freedom within herself and disguise her joy with a sense of sorrow that is associated with the loss of her husband. However, she celebrates the onset of her freedom while secluded in her personal space and behind the closed door (Chopin 206). She remains hopeful of a promising future that will involve making her decisions without the influence of his husband or other people. She seems convinced of the end of the period of being undermined by superior authority. Another element, which reflects the onset of freedom, is the description accorded to the sky. Louise notes of the dark clouds piling by the west (Chopin 205). Such an observation may be translated as an indication of the dusk of her oppression. Her freedom was trickling like the blue sky. Arguably, she anticipated brighter days akin to the blue sky. The blue sky may, thus, be described as being symbolic with respect to the life of Louise. The demise of her husband is reflected as the termination of her oppressive submission as a wife. Her sudden death may be suggested to have resulted from the shock of learning the setback that struck the onset of her

What is the best way to handle on the job conflict constructively Essay

What is the best way to handle on the job conflict constructively - Essay Example There is a popular maxim that says prevention is better than cure. This fact applies also in conflict management in human relationships and teams. It is not always possible to foresee all future sources of conflict, but it is always best to do that which is necessary to avoid foreseeable conflict areas. Experiences inform us that positive constructive conflict handling must be complimented by a secure and supportive organizational environment in which trust and mutual respect are the core pillars in existing relationships (LeBaron 88). On this aspect, people feel comfortable and at ease with each other, and able to express and appreciate differences in opinions and workout a consensus. Conflict prevention requires more of visionary leadership as opposed to reactionary leadership. Conflict prevention skills entail identifying future conflict potential areas and designing a viable and acceptable strategy on how to approach them. Conflict managers should help people in teams stay focused on their goals; to be accommodative to those with a different opinion; participate in decision-making; and train people on consensus building. Constructive conflict management requires that people are able to differentiate personal interests and positions. Personal interests include individual values, needs and motivating factors. Positions define the means an individual uses to achieve personal interests (David and Johnson 37). However, it is not always possible to prevent a conflict. This is largely because life is very dynamic and with it comes surprises. This requires an elaborate and dynamic conflict handling strategy. Equally important, conflict may sometimes serve as important lessons to learn from and help devise objectives and goals that are relatively fair to all players. In relation to this, constructive conflict handling requires a practical

Research topics and explanation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topics and explanation - Research Paper Example The increasing trend of students being expelled for exam cheating in schools is a matter that has aroused debate in the society. Since the students are expected to be the future leaders, there is need to give them sound bringing up and in the event they commit some mistakes especially in learning institution. It is therefore important to resort to other rehabilitative measures like counseling in cases of examination cheating instead of the ultimate destructive move of expelling them. This issue is therefore critical for the general welfare of the society. Various states have been experiencing high cases of accidents caused by reckless motorists. Most of these accidents can be attributed to lack of safety measures like helmet for the motorcyclists and the passengers (Savageau, 2007). The society has kept blaming transport department and related authorities on laxity of enforcing safety measure rules with particular emphasis on wearing helmet. This topic is relevant as if it is addressed it will significantly mitigate cases of motorcyclists and passengers having head injuries at the slightest contact with the ground or any other object in the event of an accident. The sensitivity of the head to injuries also makes it important to address the issue of wearing helmet as a compulsory requirement for any motorcyclist (Merson, Black, & Mills, 2012). The audience of this subject should be the motorcyclists, general public who forms the passenger community and the transport governing authorities who should ensure rules and regulations on road safety are implemented. The increasing call for safety measures in the roads requires that all the motorcyclists enlist the use of helmet. It is in the interest of the general public that helmets are made available for the passenger and the motorcyclists to minimize case of fatalities in

IMPACT OF FEEDBACK ON JOB PERFORMANCE AND JOB SATISFACTION Essay

IMPACT OF FEEDBACK ON JOB PERFORMANCE AND JOB SATISFACTION - Essay Example However, if pay raises are related directly to performance, an employee who receives a healthy pay increase will more than likely also experience feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction. On the other hand, feedback is the information people receive about their performance. It conveys an evaluation about the quality of their performance behaviors. Giving feedback could be done by providing information to employees regarding their performance on job expectations. This makes feedback is an important part of the education process. For instance, in the school environment, test grades let students know what they have achieved and what they must learn to do better next time. People at work give feedback to reinforce others' good behavior and correct their poor behavior. The recipient of feedback judges its value and determines whether to accept and act on the feedback, reject it, or ignore it. Feedback has different purposes at different career stages. It helps newcomers learn the ropes, mid-career employees to improve performance and consider opportunities for development, and late career employees to maintain their productivity. Managers are an important source of feedba ck because they establish performance objectives and provide rewards for attaining those objectives. Other sources of feedback are co-workers, subordinates, and customers (London, 2003, p. 11). The impact of feedback on job satisfaction could be derived in the fact that it is linked to the psychological reception of an employee. Cullen and Sackett (2003) cited Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics model that has identified the five core task dimensions-task identity, task variety, autonomy, task significance, and feedback-are seen in a number of psychological states, such as job satisfaction and subsequent organizational events (like absence and turnover). Research has indeed established that these attributes are useful predictors of job satisfaction (Cullen & Sackett, 2003, p. 169). The problem with feedback is that, generally, people tend to perceive and recall positive feedback more accurately than they do negative feedback. However, as opposed to what many people think, a feedback with a negative sign (e.g., being told your performance is below average) can have a positive motivational impact. In fact, when employees are told they were below average on a creativity test, they subsequently drove to outperform those who were led to believe their results were above average. This is why negative feedbacks can serve as a challenge and could motivate employees to pursue higher goals. Those receiving positive feedback apparently were less motivated to do better. Nonetheless, feedback with a negative sign or threatening content needs to be administered carefully to avoid creating insecurity and defensiveness. Self-efficacy also can be damaged by negative feedback, as discovered in a pair of experiments with business students. With this, Louie (1999) concluded that "t o facilitate the development of strong efficacy beliefs, managers should be careful about the provision of negative feedback. Destructive criticism by managers which attributes the cause of poor performance to internal factors reduces both the beliefs of self-efficacy and the self-set goals of recipients." The traditional top-down feedback programs have now been replaced by two newer approaches, the upward

Canadian Politics. Topic below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Canadian Politics. Topic below - Essay Example Of course, with the introduction of the Canada Act and the accompanying Charter, much of the constitutional law in Canada has changed, as the Charter has shifted the focus of the Constitution to individual and collective rights of the inhabitants of Canada. There are many issues within and in relation to this system which are of great importance and significance. The principle of parliamentary supremacy within the Canadian constitutional system, for instance, is one of these matters, and is in fact considered as being one of the most major and relevant of all. The aim of this paper is to discuss the actual principle of parliamentary supremacy within the Canadian constitutional system, the basic history of the constitutional system itself, as well as any and all other key and related issues. By doing this, we will be able to gain a much more informed and knowledgeable understanding in regards to this subject matter overall. This is what will be dissertated in the following. A country’s constitution is what defines the powers and the limits of powers that can be exercised by the different levels and branches of government, and although there is actually no single constitution in Canadian law, the Constitution Act – a part of the Canada Act of 1982 – finally ‘patriated’ or brought home from Great Britain that of Canada’s constitution as created by the BNA Act. â€Å"The Constitution Act declares the Constitution of Canada to be the supreme law of Canada and includes some 30 acts and orders that are part of it. It reaffirms Canada’s dual legal system by stating provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over property and civil rights. It also includes Aboriginal rights, those related to the historical occupancy and use of the land by Aboriginal peoples, treaty rights, agreements between the Crown and particular groups of Aboriginal people† (Department of Justice Canada, 2007). The Canadian Constitution set s out the basic and most definable principles of

Price-Hike-Train-Wreck - Netflix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Price-Hike-Train-Wreck - Netflix - Assignment Example f customers from Netflix provided a huge opportunity to its competitors and the company began running losses, which was worse than expected (Sandoval, 2012). The basic problem, which had led to the meltdown of Netflix, was the pace at which it had been advancing to change its business model. The problem was twofold. If the company had chosen to act too slowly, then it could have lost out on its business to its competitors, who propagated online streaming; and if it continued to advance very fast, then it could have alienated its customers. The pace of the operation and the haphazard way in which it was conducted, led to the major fall. Following are the ways in which the company could have saved its position. Firstly, the company should have played the ball strategically and instead of delivering the bad news of 60% price hike, it should have first released the news about signing of streaming deals with eight new studios, including Paramount, Sony and Miramax and more than 3,500 TV episodes from 15 different network and cable stations, to gain the trust of customers (Adams, 2011). Thirdly, the company could have started its video streaming business, as a subsidiary to its main DVD business, under the same brand and once this genre had gained popularity, it could have phased out the DVD business. The idea that the company was trying to propagate was not incorrect. The popularity of DVD rentals is fast diminishing and demand for online streaming is increasing, despite the fact that quality of the latter is inferior to that of the former. This is because online streaming has no shipping costs and revenues that can be earned from this business is higher than that earned from the business of DVD rentals. The closure of the large DVD rental chains signals the fact that betting on this business will no longer be profitable (Mendelson, 2013). In this regard, the vision of the company was ahead of its times and perhaps to some extent reasonable, but the pace of

Canadian Politics. Topic below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Canadian Politics. Topic below - Essay Example Of course, with the introduction of the Canada Act and the accompanying Charter, much of the constitutional law in Canada has changed, as the Charter has shifted the focus of the Constitution to individual and collective rights of the inhabitants of Canada. There are many issues within and in relation to this system which are of great importance and significance. The principle of parliamentary supremacy within the Canadian constitutional system, for instance, is one of these matters, and is in fact considered as being one of the most major and relevant of all. The aim of this paper is to discuss the actual principle of parliamentary supremacy within the Canadian constitutional system, the basic history of the constitutional system itself, as well as any and all other key and related issues. By doing this, we will be able to gain a much more informed and knowledgeable understanding in regards to this subject matter overall. This is what will be dissertated in the following. A country’s constitution is what defines the powers and the limits of powers that can be exercised by the different levels and branches of government, and although there is actually no single constitution in Canadian law, the Constitution Act – a part of the Canada Act of 1982 – finally ‘patriated’ or brought home from Great Britain that of Canada’s constitution as created by the BNA Act. â€Å"The Constitution Act declares the Constitution of Canada to be the supreme law of Canada and includes some 30 acts and orders that are part of it. It reaffirms Canada’s dual legal system by stating provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over property and civil rights. It also includes Aboriginal rights, those related to the historical occupancy and use of the land by Aboriginal peoples, treaty rights, agreements between the Crown and particular groups of Aboriginal people† (Department of Justice Canada, 2007). The Canadian Constitution set s out the basic and most definable principles of

Critically assess the merits of the international intervention in Essay

Critically assess the merits of the international intervention in Kosovo - Essay Example It is an open truth that the sovereignty of every country is regarded as its most cherished asset (Warhurst, 2007; Alothman et al, 2010). This not withstanding, countries and states have not always had their sovereign rules to be intact. This is because of the international conventions and regulations that bind various nations and spell out some accepted codes of existence. In most cases, when these codes are broken, leading to all kinds of humanitarian crisis in individual countries, the resultant consequence has been for the international world to intervene to defend the interest of the ordinary person. A similar situation is what was experienced in Kosovo when the international body, led by the media cried out on what was supposedly a humanitarian crisis in Kosovo. The international intervention in Kosovo in 1999, which was largely led by the United States and NATO have come under intense scrutiny and review by scholars, the legal fraternity, historians, and the media. Even though the NATO and the United States had their own reasons and justifications for undertaking the international intervention they took in Kosovo, not much of these commentators who have researched and analyzed the events in the lead up to the intervention and the events specifically involved in the events seem to be convinced by the actions taken by the international bodies who staged their interventions in Kosovo. It is from this perspective that the present essay is being written to critically assess the merits of the international intervention in Kosovo. ... Indeed, from the estimates of these two bodies, Kosovo was experiencing a humanitarian crisis and so it was important to intervene to ensure that the lives of ordinary people were protected and secured (Pybus, 2001; Ankomah, 2005). This is basically the factor that led to an international intervention in Kosovo. Prior to the major intervention, the international community, led by NATO and the United States had actually said that the crisis in Kosovo was as a result of the Serbian nationalism. In this regard, they justified their merit in the intervention as a need to protecting the selected few, of whom crime and acts of atrocities were being perpetuated against (Macklin, 1996). Analysts say that there have been cases of humanitarian crisis boiling up in some countries before the 1999 Kosovo crisis, which received no international interventions. The case of Kosovo was therefore supposed to be a different one and thus justifiable to subjecting it to critical analysis as to why the int ervention was necessary. But whenever this need for justification is posed to NATO, they are quick to defend the merit in the intervention, saying that there was a specific target in this case, who were the Serbs. From their estimation and argument therefore, if it had been a war within one sided front, the international intervention would not have been so necessary but for the fact that there was a united force rising against a weaker opposition, delaying on the intervention would have caused the growing human tragedy to continue (Maddox, 2005; Cliff, 2009). The outcome of the intervention The outcome of the international intervention has generally been criticized as one that did not yield the expected promise with which it was started (Papadakis, 2000). One of such schools

War & Peace (International Security) Essay Example for Free

War Peace (International Security) Essay For almost half a century humans have sought principles for the maintenance of their security and the peaceful settlement of their disputes. Each historic period has witnessed the emergence of new concepts or an instance of re-emergence of old with trust that the mistakes of the past would not be done again. After the Cold War mankind has entered again such a period of doubt and research. The framework of international relations has changed so meaningly over the last decade that it is fair to declare that a new era has begun. This era offers hope, but no condition of being certain. Some unanimity has become obvious: that this new era needs a many-sided approach to the resolution of its conflicts, some that came from the past, some generated in the chaos of adaptation to new conditions of growing freedom, of enmity reborn, and of increasing challenges to the peace required for security of people. After the Cold War, globalization increased the motives for states to pursue more cooperative security policies, in particular at the regional level. In what follows, this paper looks at the main transformations in the structure of international security over the last decade. How is one to understand the structure of security at the global level? The paper considers how globalization in general and particular aspects of it became securitized by the actors in the international arena. Main Body Any coherent regionalist approach to international security must begin by establishing clear distinctions between what constitutes the regional and global level. Distinguishing the regional from the global is not easy task. The easy part is that a region must surely be less than the whole, and of course much less. There would not be much opposition to the claim that the United States is a global level actor. But the problem emerges when one tries to determine particular actors. Should Russia be regarded as a global power or a regional one? What about China? Traditional realism does not help in this task because it usually positions states as great, middle, or small powers. Traditional realism does not regard the powers that are structurally significant at the regional level. How the structures are defined shapes the nature of international security. For this reason it is better to approach the global–regional boundary by starting from the top down. Both the neorealist and globalist theories focus on an idea of global structure. Neorealism is considers two levels, system and unit. Neorealists either underestimate or disregard all levels except the system one. Neorealism is to some extent strong on territoriality. Potential harmony between it and the regionalist perspective is possible, specifically when states are the main actors. There is room for controversy between neorealism and regionalism when the security agenda moves to issue areas other than military-political, to actors other than the state, and to theories of international security other than materialist (Wohlforth 42). In addition, the most abstract and theoretically ambitious variants of neorealism (for example, Waltzs) tend to understand system in such abstract terms that territoriality disappears. From the regionalist perspective of international security discussed in this paper, a key weakness of both the neorealist and globalist approaches to international security is that they exaggerate the role of the global level, and disregard the role of the regional one. Neorealism in a simple manner chooses not to consider much the levels below the systemic. To the degree that globalism disregards territoriality particularly and levels in general, it is not an appropriate approach for considering things still defined in territorial terms. However, the more reasonable versions of globalism do give room for a regionalist perspective. The regionalist perspective is chosen approach to analyze international security. Friedberg (2000) indicated â€Å"the regional level stands more clearly on its own as the locus of conflict and cooperation for states and as the level of analysis for scholars seeking to explore contemporary security affairs† (7). This approach can be described as a post-Cold War focus concentrating on two assumptions: 1. That the decline of superpower competition decreases the penetrative quality of global power interest in the rest of the world (Friedberg 160); and 2. That most of the great powers in the post-Cold War international system are now pulled away. The argument of this paper is that the global level of international security over the last decade can best be understood as one superpower plus four great powers. It is essential to distinguish between superpowers and great powers even though both are at the global level. Then it is necessary to differentiate that level from the one defined by regional powers and regional security complexes. Almost nobody debates that the end of the Cold War had a considerable impact on the whole organization of international security. But, more than a decade after the transformation, the character of the post-Cold War security order still remains eagerly disputed. Over the last decade the regional level of international security has become both more self-governing and more leading in international politics. Katzenstein (2000) concludes that the ending of the Cold War accelerated this process. This thought comes naturally after the ending of bipolarity. Without superpower competition intruding all-absorbing into all regions, local powers have more room for tactic. For a decade after the ending of the Cold War, both the remaining extremely powerful states and the other great powers (China, EU, Japan, Russia) had less stimulus, and displayed less desire, to take a decisive role in security affairs outside their own regions. The terrorist attack on the United States on the September 11, 2001 may well give rise to some affirmation of great power interventionism. However, this is likely to be for quite narrow and particular purposes, and seems improbable to recreate the general will to step abroad that was a characteristic of Cold War superpower competition. The definite autonomy of regional security over the last decade forms a pattern of international security relations fundamentally different from the steadfast structure of superpower bipolarity that was common during the Cold War. The regional structure of international security is the relative balance of power of, and relative relationship within it between, regionalizing and globalizing trends. The central idea in the regional structure distinguishes between the system level cooperation of the global powers. Since most security threats travel undoubtedly over short distances than over long ones, international security interdependence is normally arranged into regionally based divisions: security complexes. As Friedberg (2000, 5) discuses: â€Å"most states historically have been concerned primarily with the capabilities and intentions of their neighbors†. Security complexes may well be largely penetrated by the global powers. However, their regional dynamics have a considerable degree of autonomy from the plans set by the global powers. Usually, two main levels dominate security studies: national and global. National security– for example, the security of France–is not in itself a significant level of study. Because security branches are intrinsically relational, no nations security is self-contained. At the same time, global security refers at best to a strong desire, not a reality. The globe is not tightly characterized by integration in security terms. Except for the special case of superpowers and great powers discussed above, only little can be said at this level of generalization that will reflect the real conflicts and problems in most countries. The region, in contrast, is connected with the level where states or other units cooperate together very closely and their securities cannot be analyzed separate from each other. The regional level is the space of national and global security mutual action, and where most of the operations occur. Both the security of the divided units and the process of international power intervention can be understood only through comprehension of the regional security dynamics. The best understanding of the dynamics of international security could be achieved by treating global and regional levels as distinct, and considering how they played into each other. On the basis of a distinction between superpowers and great powers international security has outlines as follows: Over the last decade the global power structure shifted to 1 + 4. The USA remained as a superpower, and China, the EU, Japan, and Russia as great powers. There was some mobility in the pattern of regional prospective. North and South America continued to be much as before. The breakdown of the Soviet Union meant that two (and for a while almost three) regional security complexes emerged in Europe. In Asia, the integration of the Northeast and Southeast Asian complexes brought the total to two. In Africa, the Southern Africa complex spread into Central Africa, and a Central African RSC came into view increasing the number to four. If to consider the Middle East as one, then the global total in 2001 was eleven. Thinking about the future, 1 + 4 remains the most probable structure for at least a couple of decades. A shift to 2 + x is connected with the possibility that either China or the EU will be elevated to superpower status. Kapstein (1999) and Hansen (2000) share the widely held view that the emergence of a second superpower within the next two decades is unlikely (79). More likely is a transformation to 0 + x. This could happen little by little if the USA experiences a long-term relative decline in its material assets in regard to other powers, or quite quickly if the USA decides to give up its superpower role and become a normal great power. Some writers, particularly Wohlforth (1999) and Krauthammer (1999), are strong supporters of an unipolarist strategy for the USA. This general course seems to have been made stronger both by the Bush administration and by the US acts in regard to 11 September. Waltz (2000) sees a multipolar world with the USA as one pole. South Asias strong regional securitization was strengthened over the last decade. Post-Cold War, South Asia was chiefly affected by the 4 element of 1 + 4. While Post-Cold War developments increased the possibility of the Asian super complex unification into a full Asian regional security complex, it was not absolutely matched by securitization of China in India. In South Asia, the strongest concern is a possible change of essential structure made up of the organization of an internal and an external change. East Asia witnessed the merger of two previously independent regional security complexes, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. In East Asia, like in South Asia, the breakdown of the Soviet Union contributed considerably to the relative empowerment of China and its movement towards the centre of the US debate about possible peer competitors (Buzan and Little 13). It also generated to the emergence of a security regime in Southeast Asia and the union of the Southeast and Northeast Asian regional security complexes. The US activities in the region contributed to the incensement of securitization between it and China. They also dampened down securitizations of China elsewhere in the region. China is chief but possibly not in the near future powerful enough to create a centered Asian regional security complex. The Middle East is to some extent very much like Asia, a region where strong local controversy dynamics intersect with a mighty US presence and worries about the future of the US role. In this regional security complexes, the shift to a 1 + 4 structure generated a period of unipolar intervention by the USA intended at a kind of coercive desecuritisation (Friedberg 68). This made a considerable impact on the local division of power, supporting Israel and hammering Iraq. This also put all of the former clients of the Soviet Union into a weaker position. The Middle Eastern regional security complex has experienced some medium-scale transformations. Over the last decade, Africa underwent the reduction of external support for the postcolonial state structures. Since sub-Saharan Africa, similar to South America, has no neighboring great powers, it was not much influenced by the 4 element of 1 + 4 (Wohlforth 40). Dynamics of securitization were driven downward to the domestic level and upward to the international one. Africa is possibly to become the home of four regional security complexes. In Africa, the concern is about the formation and evolution of regional security complexes in a subcontinent dominated by state failure. There is the lack of much interest or intervention on behalf of the global powers, and the not absolutely strong roles of transnational organizations. In Europe, the end of overlay disclosed both the centrality of the European Union as the main international security institution, and the growing of the stakes in the global great power status, or not, of the European Union (Buzan and Little 37). It also demonstrated the difference between the international security community dynamics of Western Europe in comparison with opposition formation dynamics in the former Soviet Union and its former empire. For the Central and South-eastern European countries caught in the middle, this contrast determined their whole foreign policy problematic. The collapse of the Soviet Union not only replaced one of the superpowers, but also created a new regional security complex. In both Europe and the post-Soviet region, the regional and international levels play considerably into each other because the regional activities are responsible for the emergence and distribution of a great power. What is striking about the US power in Europe, East Asia, and South America (however, not the Middle East) is the level to which its position has become institutionalized through the creation of super regional projects including Atlanticism, Asia-Pacific, and pan-Americanism (Buzan 2000). These projects commonly involve a strong mixture of super regional economic organization, and mutual defence and security processes, the special mix varying depending on the local conditions and history. These projects enable the USA to appear to be a powerful member of these regions. Where super regional projects are present, it is quite usual for the United States to be considered, and probably to consider itself, as a member of those security regions. By putting the USA inside these regions, super regional projects make less distinct the crucial distinguishing feature between regional and international level security processes. They also make them difficult to see from within the United States. This blurring becomes a significant tool for the supporting of the USAs sole superpower position, not least in keeping from the emergence of more autonomous regional coalitions that might be a threat to its influence or its primacy. This is not to refuse to recognize that these projects have considerable and sometimes positive political effects. But they can also contribute to the problems in terms of distinguishing between being a superpower and being a great or regional power. The US security role in East Asia, South America, and Europe can be compared with its role in the Middle East. The US’ role is an outside global power penetrating into the affairs of the regions. The main point to support this theory is that there can be disputes concerning an outside power withdrawing, or being expelled, from the region concerned (Buzan and Little 69). For example, Germany cannot detach itself from Europe, nor Japan from East Asia, nor Brazil from South America. But the US can withdraw itself (or be withdrawn) from Europe, East Asia, and South America. There are numerable debates both in the USA and in those regions (and also the Middle East) regarding the desirability or not of such transformations. Conclusion The attacks of 11 September showed how much international security is produced by the specific interactions of regional and global security dynamics. It is clear that the structure of international security is defined by the interplay of regions and powers. Regional security complexes analysis offers a significant tool for analyzing and understanding not only the past and present structures and processes of international security, but also the future transformations. This paper argued that the regional level of security is significant and is a considerable part of the overall area of security in the international system. Bibliography Buzan, Barry, and Richard Little 2000. International Systems in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Friedberg, Aaron L. 2000. In the Shadow of the Garrison State: Americas Anti-Statism and Its Cold War Grand Strategy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Hansen, B. 2000. Unipolarity and the Middle East. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. Kapstein, Ethan B. 1999. Does Unipolarity Have a Future? , in Kapstein and Mastanduno 1999.

Comparing Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay -- Politics Political Essays

Comparing Adam Smith and Karl Marx Smith and Marx agree upon the importance of capitalism as unleashing productive powers. Capitalism is born out of the division of labour... that is, it is made possible by dividing jobs up into simple tasks as a way of increasing efficiency. By increasing efficiency, then everyone can produce more than they personally need. The extra produced can go towards the accumulation of capital, (machines, more land, more tools, etc) which will allow for even more increased efficiency and production. Both thought that this increased production was great. But Marx said that capitalism was only one stage... that every country must go through capitalism, to get that increased production, but that capitalism is unstable. It requires expanding markets and will end up creating a large gap between the wealthy and the poor, with more and more people becoming poor. Because of this instability, he thought that it would eventually collapse. However, here is where they split. Smith thinks that as everyone produces more, they have more to sell (exchange) and ever...

Gas Price Elasticity Essay -- essays research papers

Gas Price Elasticity The Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy began tracking weekly gasoline prices in 1990 by means of a survey of 800 service stations around the country. The average retail price for unleaded gasoline posted its fourth record high during the week of June 12, 2000, increasing 5 cents a gallon to an average of $1.681. The price at the pump is higher than the same period last year by 56 cents and has risen 16.2 cents over the past month (Anonymous, 2000). How far will it rise? What will consumers do about the dramatic increases that are occurring with the arrival of each shipment? Price elasticity of demand would indicate that demand will fall as prices continue to rise, which in turn should result in a reduction of prices and a subsequent increase in demand. Such may prove to be the case, but the scenario is an unlikely one. Prices have increased all over the country, but price increases in the Midwest have been even more dramatic than in other areas. Across the region, prices are averaging $1.874 for a gallon of unleaded, but that same product is well over $2 a gallon in many of the cities of the Midwest. Higher grades average $2.003 across the region, marking the first time that average prices have been so high in a specific region of the country (Anonymous, 2000). There is so much concern over the rising prices that apparently are continuing to rise without abatement that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has "opened a formal investigation into soaring gasoline prices in some areas of the Midwest and will begin issuing subpoenas to oil companies by the end of the week" (Hebert, 2000; p. aol). Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. believes that the oil companies will reduce prices right away once the subpoenas begin to appear, and the country's vice president has mentioned that collusion may be behind the oil companies' huge profits this year (Hebert, 2000). The summer driving season always brings higher prices in response to heightened demand, but never to the extent seen this year. Of course the final cost of gasoline at the pump is affected by the price of a barrel of crude, but to a lesser extent than oil producers would have consumers believe. The price of crude accounts for only 30 percent of the final cost to the consumer (Brodrick, 2000a). In 1981, the cost of crude accounted for 62 percent of the final c... ...evert to normal levels following the world oil shortage in the 1970s, but of course that never happened. Because the government controls more than 37 percent of the final cost, only 63 percent of the cost is open to being affected by market forces. Gas is a low elasticity product for the reasons discussed above; the wonder is that it does not cost even more at the pump. References Anonymous (2000). Economics 52 - Using Price Elasticities to Forecast Prices. At http://nimbus.temple.edu/~glady/GasPrice.html. Anonymous (2000, June 19). Record Gasoline Prices for Fourth Week in a Row. Reuters at www.aol.com. Anonymous (2000). The Strategic Petroleum Reserve. US Department of Energy, Fossil Energy at http://www.fe.doe.gov/spr/spr.html. Brodrick, Cynthia E. (2000, February 15). How do gas costs affect consumers? At http://aol.thewhiz.com/2000/02/000215d.asp. Brodrick, Cynthia E. (2000a, February 15). The cost of a gallon of gas. At http://aol.thewhiz.com/2000/02/000215b.asp. Georgy, Michael (2000, June 20). OPEC Prepares To Raise Oil Exports Again. Reuters at www.aol.com. Hebert, H. Josef (2000, June 20). FTC Opens Gas Price Investigation. The Associated Press at www.aol.com.

Poetry Analysis of “Introduction to Poetry” Essay

The Poem â€Å"Introduction to Poetry† is by Billy Collins, an English poet, and it is about how teachers often force students to over-analyze poetry and to try decipher every possible meaning portrayed throughout the poem rather than allowing the students to form their own interpretation of the poem based on their own experiences. Throughout the poem, a number of literary devices are used. For example: â€Å"or press an ear against its hive†. Using this metaphor, Billy Collins is comparing the body of a poem to the hive of a bee. The hive of a bee appears to be something dangerous and unknown, just like a new poem, never before seen, with which one is unfamiliar. Using this metaphor, Billy Collins is suggesting that one should get an energy of the poem by reading it just as one would get a sense of energy by pressing one’s ear to a hive of a bee. The nature of a bee is particularly busy and bees are creatures that seem to be constantly on the go. In this way, Billy Collins is suggesting that whilst the reader is digesting the poem, he or she should constantly be ‘feeling’ the poem and be busily analyzing it. By comparing the poem to a hive, he is also saying that, like a hive, a poem is full of intense life. The characteristics shared by both the two metaphoric images are very similar, thus, it is an effective comparison. The poem is effectively personified once again through the lines: â€Å"or walk inside a poem’s room†. Here, Billy Collins suggests that the poem’s room, in other word, its body or what the poem contains, like a room of a person, defines the poem. One can learn a lot about another by viewing his or her room. Like a room too, which is private and should not be invaded, one should not invade a poem in the sense that one should not analyze it too heavily. Another effective metaphor, â€Å"I want them to water-ski across the surface of the poem† is used in this poem. Billy Collins is comparing water-skiing across the surface of the water to the way in which he believes poems should be read which is gently and merely on the surface. This is an effective metaphor as water-skiing brings about a great sense of joy and is fun, just as reading a poem – in Billy Collins’ opinion – should be. The use of onomatopoeic devices and onomatopoeic words are abundant in this poem. For instance, â€Å"I say drop a mouse into a poem† is a line whereby the word â€Å"drop†, a very onomatopoeic word, effectively suggests that the reader of a poem must gently analyze a poem. This is portrayed through the gentle ‘p’ sound of the word and this is therefore effective as the reader gets a sense of the gentleness Billy Collins wishes his readers had when it comes to analyzing poetry. The fact that enjambment is used throughout the poem such as in the lines, â€Å"like a colour slide or press an ear against its hive† portrays a lack of structure and therefore emphasizes the initial enjoyment one feels when reading a poem before the chore of analyzing it begins. This is also emphasized through the fact that the poem is a free verse poem. The poem suddenly becomes much darker in the last stanza and a Billy Collins explains how teachers, students or general readers of poetry ‘torture’ a poem by being what he believes is cruelly analytical. He says, â€Å"all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it†. Here, the poem is being personified yet again and this brings about an almost human connection between the reader and the poem. This use of personification is effective as it makes the reader feel somewhat guilty for over-analyzing a poem. This line is also a metaphor. The way in which one analyzes a poem is being compared to a victim being tied down to a chair and having a confession tortured out of them. This metaphor is effective as, like a rope pinning down a person would be very restrictive, over-analyzing a poem narrows the focus and constricts it from simply allowing it to be. â€Å"They begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means†. This is a continuation of the metaphor and is highly effective as it strongly portrays a sense of inhumanity through the choice of ‘hose’ as an object with which to torture as opposed to a typical weapon. One can just imagine how painful this would be and again, forces the reader to almost empathize with the poem. The poem sends a powerful message to its readers and is significantly clear in its message to not delve too deep into the message of a poem.

Dissertation Chapters Essay

Our writers carefully peruse the contents of your entire dissertation in order to create the most concise yet informative summary of your work’s contents. This includes an overview of the research question, methods, results, and conclusions. The writing we produce is always clear and gives a solid and interesting, yet self-contained introduction to your dissertation that will encourage others to read it. We will also be careful to remain within the word limit of 350-600 words, while always aiming to optimize the impact of the work. Discussion Writing Our writers are adept at presenting clearly defined results. The proper arrangement of your results is always executed. Plus, the patterns that are present in the results are discussed and analyzed in clear language. Inferences are made regarding the data and these are continually related back to the hypothesis and research questions to maintain the cohesion of the whole work. Depending on your wishes, we are also able to include the works limitations and directions for future research. Review/Editing Admission Essays Our writers have had several years of experience with admission essays and know precisely how to modify yours in order to make it of top quality. For essay editing, we fine-tune your essay by removing grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. For essay review, we offer you all our essay editing services, plus we also work hard to improve the style of your essay. This means that we improve your diction, syntax, and other stylistic problems. Plus we also offer feedback, which will give you directions on how to expand certain sections of your essay by offering more information in a given area. We will go the extra mile to make your essay one that will be noticed by the any admissions committee, and we work with you one-on-one to make that happen.

Publix

Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 A Retailer‘s Steady Growth Strategy: Should Publix Stay National Or Go Global? Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, (E-mail: [email  protected] edu), Nova Southeastern University Erica Franklin, (E-mail: [email  protected] edu), Nova Southeastern University ABSTRACT Publix Super Markets, Inc. is a Florida-based grocery chain which has over 120,000 employees and annual sales in 2005 of $20. 7 billion. Presently, Publix serves over one million customers every day and is one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world.Publix is one of Florida’s premier supermarkets and has responded to most cultural trends in the grocery market-organic foods; natural foods, health foods, ethnic ingredients, prepared meals, etc. Publix has enjoyed great success in the grocery industry and has expanded in many states. With the advent of globalization affecting almost every industry, the supermarket/food retailing in dustry has joined the trend. Domestic and international food retailers across the globe have begun to internationalize at a rapid rate and open operations around the world.However, as you will see, the growth of supermarket chains beyond their home countries has been done mostly by European and Asian companies. With the exception of Wal-Mart, few U. S. food retailers have expanded abroad. Currently there are no plans for Publix to expand internationally but this case seeks to examine the possibilities of Publix making a step toward going abroad and highlights the various factors in the global environment that may directly or indirectly affect the company. INTRODUCTION A of August 2006, Publix was operating 833 stores. Publix operates 642 stores in Florida, 164 stores in Georgia, 37 stores in South Carolina, 27 stores in Alabama, and 13 stores in Tennessee. Publix carries items ranging from food products to personal care and household goods. The company also has their own line of pri vate label goods that span the same spectrum. To better cater to their market and expand operations, Publix has also created new concept stores for its different target markets, Greenwise and Publix Sabor.The Greenwise store features organic produce and natural foods; Publix Sabor caters to the large Latin-American population in Central and South Florida and carries food products highly-demanded by these consumer. Publix has also moved into the restaurant business through their equity investment in Crispers, the fresh salad and sandwich meal concept-restaurant. In addition to the restaurant subsidiary, Publix Supermarkets Inc. , also owns seven other subsidiaries: 1) Publix Alabama, LLC; 2) PublixDirect, LLC; 3) Publix Asset Management Company; 4) Publix Tennessee, LLC; 5) Real Sub, LLC; 6) Lone Palm Golf Club, LLC; and 7) PTO, LLC.In 2001, Publix began online operations for its consumers for home delivery of groceries. However, its Broward County, FL and surrounding areas pilot pro grams failed to meet revenue and profit goals; so Publix Direct discontinued operations in August 2003 just short of two years after it was launched. The core of Publix‘s operations is the belief in doing everything for the customer. The company holds a superior belief that success lies in customer value and employee appreciation.They developed a policy of Customer Intimacy, which means that their guests need an intimate, professional, thorough, consistent, and disciplined method of serving customers that has become a normal way of doing business. See Table 1 for an evolution of Publix‘s growth since its inception. COMPANY EARNINGS In terms of financial success, in some years, Publix has outperformed the S&P 500 Index and the customer Peer Group Index with regards to return on investment. The Peer Group includes A&P, Albertson‘s, American Stores, Bruno‘s, Food Lion, Giant Foods, Hannaford Bros. , Kroger, Safeway, Smith‘s Food & Drug, Weis Markets, and W inn23Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 Dixie. Publix announced their 2005 annual results on March 2nd, 2006. Their sales for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005, were $20. 6 billion. Net earnings for 2005 were $989. 2 million, compared to $819. 4 million for 2004 (Publix Announces 4th Quarter, 2006). Dividends for 2006 were $1. 00 up from 70 cents in 2004 and 40 cents in 2003, which shows that the efforts of Publix‘s associates to increase earnings via customer value enabled the firm to return an even higher profit to its private stockholders.The 2003 dividend was 40 cents per share, up from 33 cents per share in 2002. Publix CEO Charlie Jenkins Jr. expressed his thanks and appreciation to the firm‘s workers for their performance that helped increase value to customers and, as a result of which, ensured good financial results for the year. Year 1930 1940 1944 1950 1957 1959 1963 1971 1973 1974 1975 1980 1984 1986 1987 1 990 1992 1993 1994 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 Table 1 – The Publix Spirit Over The Years Accomplishments First Publix Super Market opened in Winter Haven, Florida.First store known as the ? marble, tile and stucco food palace? built in Winter Haven, featuring such revolutionary retail concepts as air conditioning, wide aisles, and electric-eye doors. Publix bought the 19-store chain of All American Food stores in Lakeland and moved the headquarters to Lakeland. New 70,000-square foot grocery warehouse built in Lakeland. Today this warehouse occupies over 2,000,000 square feet. Publix Employee Federal Credit Union opened in a Lakeland warehouse. Publix opened its first store in Miami and bought seven stores.Publix opened the Southeast Coast Headquarters and Distribution Center in North Miami. Two stores opened in Jacksonville. Publix opened the Bakery Plant and constructed the Produce Distribution Center in Lakeland. Publix sales passed $1 billion annually. Publix open ed Distribution Center and Division Office in Jacksonville. Publix Employee Stock Ownership Trust (ESOT) started this year. Publix celebrated 50 years of shopping pleasure. Dairy Processing Plant opened in Lakeland. Checkout scanning implemented chain-wide.It was during the early 1980‘s that Publix started being open on Sundays. Publix sales passed $3. 23 billion. According to Progressive Grocer, Publix‘s 2. 36% before tax net was the highest of top ten super market chains, 2 ? times better than Safeway – the industry leader. Publix opened its first Food and Pharmacy stores in Orlando and Tampa. Publix opened its Dairy Processing Plant in Deerfield Beach. Publix had 400 stores and 74,000 associates in Florida. Publix announced their expansion plans to Georgia and South Carolina.Implemented a company-wide Quality Improvement Process (QIP) and Work Improvement Now (WIN) tools for fact-based decision-making and employee empowerment. Sales were $8. 66 billion. Publix implemented a chain-wide Customer Intimacy program. Publix has sales of over $12 billion and 120,000 associates. Almost 600 stores in four states. Publix was ranked 132 on the Fortune 500. Charlie Jenkins Jr. replaced his cousin Howard as CEO of the company. Publix began opening stores in Nashville Tennessee. Publix makes initial investment in Crispers restaurant chain Publix develops ? oncept-stores‘-Greenwise & Publix Sabor ; Sales equal $20. 7 billion Publix stock splits one to five. Publix opens walk-in medical clinics at select grocery locations in Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Publix further expands with 6 new store openings between June and August: Huntsville, AL; Atlanta, GA; Jacksonville, FL(2); Sebastian, FL; Palm City, FL. Howard Jenkins, previous CEO of Publix, has been quoted in the past commenting on his company‘s dedication to customer value, ? Publix people have been working hard, preparing for an even grander vision of our future.Earlier in this dec ade, we committed ourselves to a mission to become the premier quality food retailer in the world. We introduced our own quality improvement process and later adapted a discipline of Customer Intimacy, which is helping us to listen more effectively to our customers. All of these initiatives have engaged the resourcefulness of thousands of associates from every area of our company. Together we are discovering powerful new methods for delivering customer value.? 24 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 THE COMPANY Volume 3, Number 4A key differentiating factor in Publix‘s success formula can be attributed to the philosophy of its founder, Mr. George W. Jenkins who stated that ?†¦ some companies are founded on policy. This is wrong. Philosophy, the things you believe in, is more important. Philosophy does not change frequently †¦ and is never compromised †¦ we attempt to adapt a philosophy in such a way as to allow ordinary people to achieve the extraordinary †¦ to reach higher†¦ to look upon average with disdain.? The philosophy of caring for people has been embedded in Publix‘s corporate culture throughout its stores.Publix associates understand that they are not just in the grocery business but also in the people business. Therefore, taking care of associates, customers, suppliers, and community members is important to Publix people and the communities which they serve. Publix‘s Mission Statement very clearly states that Publix is passionately focused on customer value. Publix is committed to satisfying the needs of their customers as individuals better than their competition. Also, research shows that the majority of supermarket shoppers shop and visit supermarkets on a weekly basis.So, building a relationship with customers is a necessity as opposed to a luxury in order to stay aware of their needs and expectation. Publix associates are encouraged to interact with their customers on an hourly basis. Publix associates constantly attempt to keep their fingers on the pulse of the customer in order to get immediate and local feedback. One of the District Managers in the Central Florida region used to encourage, and in some cases require, his department managers to learn at least two customers‘ names, every day through face-to-face introduction and interaction.This is important because Publix employees serve their own communities and through this face-to-face interaction they can better determine customers‘ needs, wants, and desires faster than any research firm could ever do. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS At Publix, everything they do revolves around pleasing the customer; this is why they have enjoyed the kind of success they have had since the 1930's. Bill Fauerbach, Vice President of the Miami Division, said ? only we can give our customers a reason to shop elsewhere.?The President of Publix, Ed Crenshaw, during his first year in the office introduced four success driv ers for the company. The four drivers are: knowing the business, knowing the product, knowing the customer, and continuously training people. As a result, every department implemented different means of doing a better job with these four success drivers. A philosophy of employee appreciation has been embedded in the culture of the organization; so when the upper echelons visit retail stores, especially during appreciation week, they make it a point to personally see and thank every associate.One obstacle Publix is faced with is strong competition in the supermarket industry. For example, Wal-Mart, now the #1 retail grocer in the world, is opening major supercenters throughout Florida. However, Publix is not willing to concede their customers to the competition. As long as they take care of their customers better than anyone else, they will do well. The new generation of Publix leaders understands that complacency is their number one enemy; therefore they continue to focus and improv e on factors which have made them successful in the past.They further understand that delivering superior customer value is a race without a finish line in today‘s fast-paced world. Therefore, they never lose sight of caring for people, delivering quality products and service, and excellence in everything they do. They understand that people need recognition and sincere thanks for their hard work and commitment to the company. Publix has invested heavily in developing an internal professional development curriculum to develop associates‘ skills and help them assume greater responsibility and leadership roles at Publix.Most employees begin working for Publix at a young age and tend to stay there after college. While a college education is very important for leadership and management positions, Publix provides many continuous development opportunities and on-the-job training for their associates. The philosophy of Publix is not just to satisfy and delight customers one tim e; customers must be satisfied, delighted, and excited every time they visit or shop at their store. Publix associates are taught that customers are their most valued assets whom must be welcomed, cherished, and appreciated.Publix associates understand that if they cannot satisfy customer‘s requirements and meet their demands, the customer will cease to do business with them and may shop with other retailers. They remember that if they, as Publix associates, don‘t offer a great shopping experience for their customers then someone else will. Therefore, besides discussing many other valuable concepts, all retail associates are taught the 10-Foot and 10-Second Rules to help them quickly acknowledge customers. The 10-Foot rule states that one must acknowledge all customers that are within ten feet 25 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007Volume 3, Number 4 of one‘s surroundings and the 10-Second rule states that these customers must be acknowledg ed within ten seconds of entering into the service counter area or the 10-Foot zone. Research in the supermarket industry indicates the factors that affect customer loyalty: ? ? ? ? ? The largest percentage of customers (68%) leave if they perceive an attitude of indifference. Some customers (14%) leave because they feel they can find better quality products and services elsewhere. Customers (9%) shop elsewhere because they think your prices are higher than your competitors.A few of the customers (5%) become friends with people who work for a competitor and take their business there. Some customers (3%) leave because they move to a different area. Publix Associates are also encouraged to use their daily observations, customer feedback, survey evaluation, and other data to improve their jobs, better serve their customers, and make Publix a better place ? where shopping is a pleasure. Publix teaches the principle of ? deliver plus 1%? which states that you must consistently meet your customers‘ shopping needs and then exceed their expectations by improving your service one percent.They believe in positively surprising the customer by over-delivering on what customers value. This principle further states that when you make a promise to a customer, you must be consistent and deliver all the time. It means before exceeding your customers‘ expectations, make sure you are satisfactorily meeting their needs. And if you promise any extra services, make sure you deliver as promised. Finally, Publix rewards top-notch service by implementing an awards program which shows associates how much management values their efforts to provide delightful service to customers.Delightful Service Awards are given for customer service that is over and above the minimum standards listed on the Observation Sheet for the area. Associates are expected to provide great customer service as part of the job requirement. The awards are given to associates who make the extra effort to delight customers who shop at Publix. To receive a Delightful Service Award associates must provide delightful service to a customer in a way that is formally recognized by either the customer, by a ? mystery shopper? who is purposely appointed by district management, or by a member of the store management team.Associates are trained and encouraged to set personal goals for themselves with regards to better serving customers and exceeding their expectations. They are asked to find out what they can do to increase and improve their personal commitment to customer intimacy. They are encouraged and rewarded for setting goals to increase their awareness of customers as well as customers‘ wants and needs. It is through these types of programs and committed people that Publix is able to offer its employees an environment ? where working is a pleasure? nd its customers an environment ? where shopping is a pleasure.? Publix associates‘ success with customers originates from the ir belief that no sale is final or complete until the meal is eaten and fully enjoyed. Then, they have made a positive and lasting impression. Publix‘s guarantee, which every associate is aware of, reads that ? we will never, knowingly disappoint you. If for any reason your purchase does not give you complete satisfaction, the full purchase price will be cheerfully refunded immediately upon request.?These are not just words to live by but they are moral imperatives for retailers which have made Publix the successful and innovative giant it is today. According to Howard Jenkins, member of the Publix board and retired CEO, ? growth is the end result of a simple equation. As each of us continues to please our customers, more customers will look to Publix for their shopping needs. We must never lose sight of exactly what those needs are.? Keeping their sight on the changing needs of their customers and effectively filling those needs have paid big dividends for Publix‘s cons istent growth and achievement over the years.As a result of the its continued efforts to grow through providing superior customer service and developing and retaining content employees, Publix was once again announced in 2005 a ? 100 Best Company to Work for? by Fortune magazine. Publix also received its 13 th award by Fortune Magazine as a ? Most Admired Company.? CURRENT TRENDS IN THE GLOBAL GROCERY INDUSTRY As the business world becomes smaller and firms look to expand their reach globally, managers are faced with the task of developing and implementing plans to make the next step to take their firm into the international arena. As 26Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 companies in other industries such as electronics, clothing, and food service have taken their companies abroad, a new trend has begun to emerge within the last decade—grocery chains and supermarkets expanding their companies internationally. The company leading t his trend is Wal-Mart which has expanded mostly to Europe and Latin America. However, this trend has been limited to foreign supermarkets expanding into the U. S. market such as Aldi, Tesco, and Famima. American grocery stores have not been very prevalent in the expansion of the industry globally.Tesco and Famima are looking to bring smaller scale grocery retail stores to the U. S. mostly concentrated on the West Coast in California. Famima, the Japanese grocer will offer Chinese and Japanese items which would be sure to please ethnic food seekers. There are a variety of reasons why some U. S. firms have been prompted to expand abroad. The main reason is because of competition in the form of consolidations of grocers. There are a variety of methods firms in the grocery industry use to reach the global market, the most popular being via acquisitions of smaller stores in the host nation.WalMart and IGA have both expanded their global reach through acquisitions. Tesco has expanded thei r company through the use of joint ventures, acquisitions, stand-alone operations and start-up concepts. Within the grocery industry, traditional grocers are beginning to stock items that normally do not dot the landscape of a grocery store such as non-food items and traditional retailers of non-food items are starting to sell food products. U. S. Grocery stores and supermarkets thinking of expanding abroad also have to contend with the food retailers in the host nations of both local and foreign firms.For example, hypermarkets are well known throughout Europe and Africa and sell lots of goods ranging from home improvement products to frozen foods; a small U. S. supermarket may have trouble competing with this type of store in an overseas market. Also Wal-Mart has introduced their concept grocery ? Neighborhood Center? stores in the U. S. which sell only food products; their strategy abroad involves the large supermarkets, which compete with the local hypermarkets. So not only does a small U. S. grocer have to compete with a local firm, it must compete with other foreign, mainly American firms as well. The rapid growth and development of ? upercenters? as evidenced by Wal-mart‘s grocery industry ascendancy is testament to the viability of hybrid formats (i. e. , grocery and general merchandise). Supercenters‘ sales exceeded $100 billion in 2000 (half of which was accounted for by the grocery side of the store). In another example, domestically, Wal-Mart has begun to add new organic food products to its shelves to attract more upscale buyers that would normally attend specialty organic markets or upscale supermarkets. In addition, the legendary furniture producer Ikea has recently decided to expand it specialty-foods segment and will begin selling the items in its stores.The firm has always sold food products and even operates a few restaurants. Retailers also are starting to develop new concept stores which bear the name and likeness of the parent store but cater to a particular ethnic group or food trend. Publix has their two chains, one Latin-oriented and the other organicoriented. Wal-Mart has also developed and expanded their ? Neighborhood Market? limited grocer concept. Over 20,000 new items are hitting the market every year and understanding the value of each product to each customer is no easy task.Therefore, the value of understanding, anticipating, and determining consumer preference cannot be overestimated. Changing effectively is a matter of keeping up with the demands of consumers, offering more value for the customer‘s dollar, being competitive, and creating raving fans. For example, Publix offers readymade meals which are a growing trend abroad, especially in Asia. Other countries view American brands as a welcome addition to their market place. For example, Japan is a large importer of foreign food supplies and a report out of Sweden recently found Japan as a viable market for foreign investment in food products and supplies.Food safety is becoming a major issue in the grocery industry. According to a Better Homes and Gardens panel study, only 20% of the panelists were very confident that the food they buy is safe to eat. Global activist group Greenpeace, has joined two other coalitions-True Food Now and GE-Free Markets-which are trying to convince two supermarket operators in California to stop using genetically engineered ingredients in their private label food lines. According to NBC Dateline investigation, seven of the nation's largest grocery store chains, operating more than 7000 tores in nearly every state, admitted to re-dating meats and fish after they had reached their original â€Å"sell-by† date. In the food retailing industry, leaders are paying more attention to ensuring that food products are safe and produced in a clean environment. According to the corporate quality assurance lab coordinator at Publix, their associates are constantly looking at all the risk factors associated with food quality, as well as food safety, while attempting to eliminate them. Firms in any industry operating abroad and at home must also be aware of health risks.The ever publicized, bird-flu, can affect how companies conduct operations. In one move, Publix announced that in case of a bird-flu epidemic in America, it would think about providing curbside delivery of goods to customers. In light of the health risks present to retailers and 27 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 their food supplies, supermarkets must also craft procurement strategies to ensure the products selected to be sold in their stores are free from exposure to such elements prior to being stocked on the companies‘ shelves.Natural disasters also play a role in food safety as well. When a natural disaster strikes, cities and neighborhoods are often left without electricity and as a result, food establishments are not able to store their peris hable items because of the risk of spoilage and making customers sick. To counter this problem, Publix has prepared all of its South Florida stores for hurricane disasters by installing generators in these stores as part of its ? Business Recovery Program.?This move is seen as a way for the company to remain open during the aftermath of a storm and continue to serve their customers by hopefully reducing lost perishables inventory and helping to ensure that spoiled and tainted food products are not sold to their customers. Today‘s customers are increasingly more concerned and vocal about the quality and nutrition of the food they purchase. According to research, 70 percent of women and 54 percent of men say they consider nutrition to be an important factor in their consideration of food purchases. Once a niche category, organic foods are becoming increasingly mainstream as small, egional organic food-producing companies have been acquired by major manufacturers. Today‘s n utrition-conscious supermarket shoppers are checking labels as never before. The Food and Drug Administration is requiring that trans fat (trans fats are found in foods ranging from partially hydrogenated oils to fried foods, cookies, pastries, dairy products and meats) content appear on all food labels as of January 1, 2006. Finally, some manufacturers are considering the idea of offering ? functional foods? which are fortified with a growing number of popular herbs, vitamins, hormones and other healthy additives.The days of preparing complete meals at home are becoming a distant memory for most working people living in the United States and other developed nations. Today‘s time poor shoppers are opting for prepared foods such as precut produce, cooked dinners, and prepared takeout foods. Also, 77. 4 percent of the respondents purchase prepared foods to eat at home and 49 percent of those who eat at home said they do so because they are more careful about what they eat. It ha s been said that over 40 percent of all consumer spending on food is for meals that are eaten away from their homes.EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING GLOBAL EXPANSION Economic. The economy of the country affects companies if they decide to expand abroad and how they operate. The countries‘ monetary and economic policies could be discouraging to international investment such as currency controls; unstable exchange rates; high external debt, etc. A retail establishment might be affected by unstable currencies which could leave some customers unable to buy the companies‘ products and could hamper repatriation of profits back home. The type of economy a country operates under can also have an impact on foreign firms.For example, command, communist, socialist or market-oriented economies also pose different challenges to the multinational firm, and policies of these various economies will in effect determine companies‘ direction. Socio-cultural. Elements in the f oreign socio-cultural environment will affect decisions to locate abroad. There are various cultural norms that influence consumer behavior, company policies, marketing and product selection such as religion, ethnic norms, etc. The firm must look at new social and cultural trends in the global and country-specific environment and how they affect the market.Some social trends that have emerged in the food industry are healthy foods, organic and natural foods and gourmet take-out. Supermarkets wishing to expand abroad also must take note of regional and country preferences of the consumers in the host nation. What is normally for sale in the home market may be significantly different in the host nation; even more so than the differences in regional areas of the home country. Change is constant and ubiquitous throughout the supermarket industry because customers are becoming more knowledgeable and demanding.In today‘s market-based economy, customers want a variety of ethnic foods that are made with quality ingredients and represent their culture; therefore quality service must be aligned accordingly with the best prices in order to deliver superior value. Political/Legal. One of the biggest factors affecting expansion abroad is the level of political risk of a country and its legal environment. The level of political risk involved and its resultant effect on foreign firms are often taken into consideration before a company decides to locate in a foreign market. A new government may expropriate or nationalize 28Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 foreign owned property or all of the companies in a particular industry often with detrimental results to the foreign firm. Also governments sometimes pose through their legal system investment restrictions on foreign firms seeking FDI in their countries. This ranges from disallowing 100% ownership by foreign firms in the host country; mandatory joint venture or strategic alliance agreements; and even restrictions on the building of manufacturing or distribution facilities in the new country. Demographic.This particular factor in the external environment relates to ? who will your customers be Will the same demographic segment targeted by the firm in its home country be present in the host nation, such as income, gender, age, education? Are these consumers accessible? Is there a need or want for the firm‘s particular products? For example, will a traditional supermarket with middle class consumers at home have a large demographic base in a village where poorer customers buy produce from open-air markets? How will the characteristics of the intended target group affect operating strategy?All of the questions must be answered and will directly affect the strategy that a company will take when expanding abroad and even will affect the country of choice for the firm. Technological. The firm needs to look at new trends in the industry or related in dustries that will have an effect on their expansion and operations at home and abroad. There is in fact rapid technological innovation in the food-retail industry that companies are starting to take notice of and adopt. Technology which allows customers to be their own cashiers and checkout their own groceries have been around for many years.However, it is only recently that some food retailers are toying with its implementation as a strategic tool to enhance their competitive position and offer better service to the time-impoverished customer. This is because self-checkout technology, which allows shoppers to scan their own items, offers savings to both the shopper and the retailer along with an added convenience. Self-checkouts can serve only a segment of the market which wants to scan their own groceries and have a debit card to pay for their groceries. Check-out efficiency has also been improved by widespread use of debit and credit card payment systems.CONCLUDING REMARK Publix ‘s history shows that they bought seven Grand Union stores in Miami in 1959 and 19 All American stores in 1945 to expand their market share in the Florida market. According to Publix leaders, currently there are no specific plans for mergers or acquisitions. However, they are not against the idea of acquiring another company that fits Publix‘s culture and philosophy. An executive commented that ? If the right opportunity came up we could acquire another company†¦ we may or may not find another company we like†¦we believe in internal growth, building our own stores.?The supermarket industry is becoming increasingly concentrated as large regional chains such as, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, and Albertson‘s dominate their markets Publix‘s current strategy is to steadily grow from within and expand the Publix culture throughout its stores across different states in the United States. If they choose not to go abroad, they better be fully prepared to compet e with global firms that will be planning to invade their market in the coming decades. One must ponder on a strategy of Publix going abroad to gain new market share and to gain the relevant experience to compete with global competitors.Or, Publix can simply prepare to protect its territories from foreign retailers that will be competing with them in the United States. What should Publix executives do and how should be they proceed if they are to maximize the value of their stockholders in the long-term? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Is Publix ready to go abroad? Defend your statement selection as thoroughly as possible. Do Publix managers and employees have the experience to compete in global markets? Discuss. What route if any should Publix take to expand abroad? (Think about joint-venture, strategic alliance, licensing, manufacturing, greenfield, etc. If international expansion is not feasible at this time, develop some alternative solutions to Publix growing successfully am id global competitors. Beyond product selection, what other aspects of Publix‘s operations may be affected by going abroad? What other factors in the firm‘s external environment may affect international expansion for Publix? Is it better for Publix to go abroad and compete in new markets or simply prepare to compete with global retailers that will be coming into the neighborhood? 29 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Exhibit 1 – Stages of Internationalization Volume 3, Number 4Foreign Sales Office Domestic Sales Direct Exporting Foreign Manufacturing Subsidiary Amount of Involvement in the Foreign Country Exhibit 2 – Consolidated Earnings Publix Super Markets, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Earnings Years ended December 31, 2005, December 25, 2004 and December 27, 2003 2005 2004 2003 (Amounts are in thousands, except share outstanding and per share amounts) Revenues: Sales$ Other operating income Total revenues Costs and expenses : Cost of merchandise sold Operating and administrative expenses 20,589,130 155,681 20,744,811 18,554,486 131,885 18,686,371 16,760,749 126,120 16,886,869 5,059,680 4,231,402 13,577,740 3,869,791 12,275,132 3,613,759 Total costs and expenses Operating profit Investment income, net Other income, net Earnings before income tax expense Income tax expense Net earnings Weighted average number of common shares outstanding Basic and diluted earnings per common share based on weighted average shares outstanding 19,291,082 1,453,729 74,293 22,716 1,550,738 561,582 $ 989,156 7,447,531 1,238,840 35,311 20,860 1,295,011 475,628 819,383 15,888,891 997,978 21,926 27,185 1,047,089 386,156 660,933 172,039,137 176,775,733 184,112,742 $ 5. 75 4. 64 3. 59 30 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Exhibit 3- Consolidated Comprehensive Earnings Publix Super Markets, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings Years ended December 31, 005, December 25, 2004 and December 27, 2003 2005 2004 (Amounts are in thousands) Net earnings Other comprehensive earnings (losses) Unrealized (loss) gain on investment securities available for-sale, net of tax effect of ($8,484), $419 and $3,174 in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively Reclassification adjustment for net realized gain on investment securities available-for-sale, net of tax effect of ($1,692), ($1,348) and ($800) in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively Comprehensive earnings $989,156 819,383 Volume 3, Number 4 2003 660,933 (13,510) 668 5,055 (2,695) $972,951 (2,147) 817,904 (1,274) 664,714REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. Appleson, G. (2006, August 14). Grocery chains blur retailing lines as they bottle Wal-Mart. Knight Ridder Tribune, P. 1 Awbi, A. (2006, June 16 Tesco Shifts Focus as foreign business booms. Food & Drink Europe. com. 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Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. bizjournals. com/southflorida/stories/2005/05/09/daily52. html. Grocer to add flavor with Hispanic themed stores. (2005, March 7).South Florida Busin ess Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. bizjournals. com/southflorida/stories/2005/03/07/daily5. html. Ideal Media, LLC. (2006). Restaurant Business: Street smarts for the entrepreneur. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. restaurantbiz. com/index. php? option=com_content&task=view&id=13355&Itemid=93. Publix. (2006). Publix Super Markets Inc. Annual Report to Stockholders: The Character of Publix. Publix (2006, February 6). Publix and the Little Clinic to open walk-in medical clinics. Retrieved September 16, 2006 from www. publix. com NOTES 32