Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments The WritePass Journal

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments Introduction Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments Introduction History of InternationalizationReasons of FailureRecent DevelopmentRecommendation and Conclusion References Related Introduction Marks and Spencer Group plc, a leading and century-old Britain retail giant, which is selling of clothing, food and home products all over the world. After experienced the failure of international expansion about a decade ago, the company stages a comeback on internationalization and intends to form good relationship with customers worldwide. Therefore, this report is going to explore the reasons why MS failed in the past, identify the recent development on international operation and give recommendations for the future expansion. History of Internationalization MS has a long history of international expansion. It makes use of diverse types of entry modes worldwide which combined of entry modes from organic growth, joint venture, and franchise agreements to partly or wholly-owned subsidiaries (Whitehead 1994, p.41). This kind of widely use of ownership models and countries give the priority of the company to perform well globally even when some individual markets may not that good. The company began its tentative internationalization activities by exporting its St. Michael brands products in the 1940s (Alon 2000, p.5). Then MS formalized some of its export activities through franchise agreements in the 1970s. In the next two decades, a gradual expansion occurred both in number and geographic scope. By 1998, MS had almost 500 stores in over 30 countries with the retail sales of almost  £8bn. Meanwhile, the company owned Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarkets in the United States (Burt et al 2002b, p.200). However, three years later, Marks and Spencer sold its Brooks Brothers brand and Kings Supermarkets (USA) businesses, turned the Hong Kong stores into franchises in a downgraded regional structure, closed the European stores which were unprofitable (Burt 2002a, p1). Under these circumstances, MS faced a survival crisis on its overseas market and most of the company’s direct international activities were compelled to stop. As a consequence, the reputation of the company went downhill both at home and abroad. Reasons of Failure Marks and Spencer suffered sluggish sales, slump in profits and a sharply declining market share owing to all sorts of external and internal reasons. Externally, more ambitious and vigorous competitors entered this market and therefore MS faced more stiff competition over the 1990s. Moreover, technological changes happened in retailing industry. New entrants were more likely to use the computerized systems and adopted new methods of operating which could improve effectiveness and efficiency. Nevertheless, Marks and Spencer still depended on the old systems and approaches. Therefore, the company gradually fell behind (Mellahi et al 2002, p23). Internally, first of all, the company did not have a unified, well-recognized and trusted brand name when exploring the international market. The company did not build up the brand effect. For instance, MS did not change the names of the US chains after it bought Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarket and used Brooks Brothers’ chain to open the market in the Far East (Alon 2000, p.8). Therefore, the company could not touch customers through its brand image, whereas brand image is vital in marketing literature. Then, MS did not consider the customer’s needs on global market in early years. The company transferred their business formula from the United States to Canada without any modifications. Nevertheless apparently, the Canadian stores required customization to local needs (Alon 2000, p.7). It is an economy that driven by customers. If a business could not satisfy its customers’ needs and keep the customers in a cost-effective way and then it would confronted with losses. Moreover, the company â€Å"lack of clear retail positioning and design† (Burt et al 2002b, p.213). After enter each markets, MS did not have a long-term plan for the sustainable development. Supply chain always to be a problem and the company did not solve it properly. Canada had these problems for years which gave no guidance on the United States purchase. Moreover, many elements make MS run smoothly in the UK market but did not work on the global market and the business became a series of activities with little synergy and cooperative effect (Burt et al 2002b). Last but not the least, the company did not have an overall and long-term development plan of international expansion. Such as the company signed franchise agreements in numerous countries, but used diverse franchisees and different types of franchise arrangements. Therefore, over a long period of time, the international activities of the company were directionless and lacked internal communication (Burt et al 2002b, p.213). Recent Development After the failure of first-round international expansion, Marks and Spencer utilized contraction strategy that focus on domestic market to deal with the crisis. Ten years later, MS is rebuilt as a trustworthy brand which demonstrates its quality, fit, and service are reliable and consistent. Globalization is imperative and overseas expansion is regarded as an opportunity for future growth. Therefore, the company is fully equipped to renew global extension. Circumstances change with the passage of time, now MS has 327 stores overseas in 41 territories (includes Republic of Ireland)(Marks and Spencer Group plc 2010). As can be seen from the chart below that Southern and Eastern Europe is the key area to expansion and there would be great opportunities in emerging markets such as the Middle and Far East, as well as the Indian subcontinent. Source: Marks and Spencer Group plc Moreover, MS set a five year plan to raise international business to 15 to 20% of total Group Revenue from 2008. The company established some guiding principles to help complete the plan in 2010. Specifically: â€Å"Growing our Central and Eastern European partnerships; building sustainable businesses in India and China; accelerating growth with our franchise partners; and continuing to explore new opportunities.† (Marks and Spencer Group plc 2010) Therefore, MS focuses on the sustainable development of the company and proceed with internationalization sequentially. In addition to the European market, emerging markets, such as India and China, are potential areas which need to pay close attention for the next step. Furthermore, the company intends using multiple channels to drive the international business. Recommendation and Conclusion In order to achieve better performance in international expansion, MS needs to use past history for guidance and look to the future. To begin with, the company needs to transfer the â€Å"MS† from a national into an international brand. It is unlikely for a company to deliver a brand into a new market without any further consideration. Therefore, the first decision should be made is whether â€Å"use a brand in all chosen markets or to differentiate it depending on market peculiarities† (Kuvykaite and Mascinskiene 2010, p.446). Since a brand is a promise to make customers know who you are and then help the company generate customer trust. Therefore, the company need identify the brand positioning, symbol, logo and other images to arouse brand awareness. Following the point mentioned above, the company must have detailed market research and expansion strategy. The business strategy should generally cover the ambition, positioning, investment and organisation (Lasserre 2007). Under the strategy, the company need has clear defined short-term and long-term objectives with a suitable value proposition to the market. The company also should organize itself properly and excavate a sustainable competitive advantage which is difficult to replicate or imitate. Moreover, analyze each specific market and meeting customer needs such as supply good quality products at a lower price playing a vital role in the overall strategy. Another important point is that the company should choose a suitable entry mode for each individual target market and come up with the follow-up ways of development. The company can choose any of these entry modes (namely export, license and franchise, alliance, joint venture or wholly owned subsidiary) or some combination of them to enter a host country. It is depending on the country’s specific situation because the choice of entry confines the firm’s overall strategy (Johnson and Tellis 2008). In order to be able to resist challenges of entering a new country and has an efficient operation, the company should be concern with activities after establishment. Finally, all the plans and strategies must be implemented smoothly and adjust according to the changes of the market timely. It is well known that an effective implementation is always superior to a great strategy. A company can never succeed unless it can implement and carry out its strategy effectively (Sterling 2003, p.27). Moreover, the strategy should also keep pace with the newly developed technologies, the changes of market environment of a specific country or region and most important thing is looking squarely at the alteration of customer’s needs. Only in this way can the company use the market knowledge and power to tackle all the difficulties and successfully entering a new market and survive. Marks and Spencer is gaining momentum in internationalization which helps the company seeking new markets and reduces the dependency on the UK economy. Moreover, as the company has a rich experience on international expansion in the past, therefore, it could learn from the past mistakes and create a better future. In this way, the company’s international business offers considerable opportunities for long-term growth, as well as helps it grow into a world famous enterprise. References Alon, I. 2000. Marks Spencer: a case study in international retailing[Online]. Available at: elearning.ulg.ac.be/old_demos/HEC/html/marks.pdf   [Accessed: 12th March 2011]. Burt, S.L. et al. 2002a. The failure of retail internationalization in Marks and Spencer. European Retail Digest. 35, pp.1-4. Burt, S.L. et al 2002b. Retail internationalization and retail failure: issues from the case of Marks and Spencer. International Review of Retail, Distribution Consumer Research. 12 (2), pp191-219. Johnson, J. and Tellis, G. J. 2008. Drivers of success for market entry into China and India. Journal of Marketing. 72 (3), pp.1-13. Kuvykaite, R. and Mascinskiene, J. 2010. Transformation of a national brand into an international brand. Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Economics. 21(4), pp.446-455. Lasserre, P. 2007. Global strategic management. 2nd Edition. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan. pp.34-61. Marks and Spencer Group plc. 2010. MS Annual Report 2010[Online]. Available at: http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/operating-and-financial-review/where-we-sell.aspx [Accessed: 12th March 2011]. Mellahi, K. et al. 2002. An exploratory study into failure in successful organizations: the case of Marks Spencer. British Journal of Management. 13(1), pp. 15–29. Sterling, J. 2003. Translating strategy into effective implementation: dispelling the myths and highlighting what works. Strategy Leadership. 31(3), pp.27 – 34 Whitehead, M. 1994. Marks Spencer – â€Å"Britain’s Leading Retailer: Quality and Value Worldwide†. Management Decision. 32(3), pp. 38-41.

Biography of Cicero †History Essay

Biography of Cicero – History Essay Free Online Research Papers Biography of Cicero History Essay Cicero was born to a non-noble equestrian family in 106 B.C. He started his career as a lawyer, but soon became so widely known because of his fantastic oratory skills that he was eventually elected to consulship. It was a rare occurrence for someone not of the highest social order to earn such a title, and is proof positive of how talented an orator Cicero was. He was an extremely dedicated civil servant and dedicated a great deal of his time to public service. â€Å"Running as a thread through all of Cicero’s writings and speeches is his concern for freedom and order in society†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Unfortunately Cicero lacked support and was not able to accomplish as many political goals as he wished. It was widely known that Cicero distrusted Julius Caesar, and unfortunately for him Caesar was very popular. Cicero’s criticisms of Caesar fell on deaf ears and his political prowess faded as a result. Defeated and no longer a prominent political figure Cicero did not give up. He began to write great works on political theory and moral philosophy. Cicero’s works were extremely respected and still are today. Cicero was very suspicious of those he considered revolutionaries and normally did not approve of changing the status quo. Cicero views often slanted conservative and this is shown in his writing of his last treatise in 44 B.C., On Duties, in which he stresses continuity, order and freedom. One year later in 43 B.C. Cicero died at the age of sixty-three. Research Papers on Biography of Cicero - History EssayQuebec and CanadaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionPETSTEL analysis of IndiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andBringing Democracy to AfricaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Capital Punishment

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Essay Example It has gained popularity and support from different quotas who believe that the movement has positioned itself ideologically and consistently hence the need for its political recognition. The current membership of FARC is approximately 18,000 members, 30% of the recruits being under the age of eighteen years and surprisingly, the leadership structure is composed of 49% women. This paper will therefore discuss the political and social effects that have so far resulted from the actions of FARC. The social effects are the drug trafficking, displacements, rape, terrorism, hostages, kidnappings, lack of freedom of the press and other issues. It will also look into the political implications the movement has caused Colombia since its inception. It will finally, provide a different point of view of analysts who believe that the movement is necessary to stem out errant political leaders such the Uribe regime and the former and current presidents in Colombia who are so self centered that they have e economically downgraded the country's economy. Between the years of 1930s and 1950s, hundreds of rural based Colombians driven by their communist ideology began organizing themselves into formidable structures of security and cooperation with the aim of responding to the capitalistic expansion of the ruling interests1. They believed that the state had isolated them and therefore they needed to group all the poor members of the society (small land holders, semi-proletarians, rural workers and peasants) and champion for their rights. The group wanted to establish a corrupt free society, stable and based on local control mechanisms. These localized groups continued to expand their bases and by early 1960s, they had over sixteen groups of communities from all areas of southern and central Colombian republic. These communities were very peaceful to the central government, but to some extent, they were considered a threat to national security especially to the ruling class, land owners, the U.S geopolitical interest and the rising urban capitalists. During the Kennedy administration, the central government through its military targeted regions with strong offensive communities After its founding in the mid 1960s, the insurgency expanded in almost all parts of the country especially during the neo-liberal period when economic policies accompanied by increased repression by the state were practiced. FARC has increased its social, paramilitary and economic presence in Colombia sine that time. In fact, by 1999, the insurgent had almost conquered all the regions of the country. A few years later, reports indicated that they had occupied more than 93% of all the Colombian regions. Within the four decades since the inception of the political movement, FARC ha transformed itself from being a mere peasant-landless struggle to a complex national social force that had threatened even the United States. Currently, the movement has increased its membership base to include; intellectuals, the displaced, Afro-Colombians, unionists, urban workforce and almost all the indigenous population. With an extensive

Potlatch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Potlatch - Essay Example Mauss sees this gift exchange as a system of total services that combines both sacrifice and revenge and this cycle continues, until it exhausts itself into destruction. Thus for Mauss, the potlatch is driven more by the spirit of destruction rather than generosity. Therefore, he is more interested in exploring a totally different aspect of gift giving that is outside the dominant moral code of the capitalist and consumerist society of the West. The Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian have been studied for this aspect of religious exchange or sacrifice that resembles the phenomenon of potlatch. The potlatch, which is a gift, therefore becomes a symbol of sacrifice and demands an equal sacrifice, whose debt is not automatically cancelled always but may produce forth a fresh demand for exchange of gift and so forth. Thus Mauss says that by exchanging gifts that are symbols of power and status a kind of peaceful equilibrium is maintained and it is dangerous to not involve oneself in this sacrifice if gifts. "The Indian tribes of the North-West America, again, practice the "potlatch" system, consisting in two tribes or chiefs engaging in a competition of prodigality; whoever is the richer gives the most and destroys his possessions if necessary. All this, however, in order that he himself may prosper, since in this manner he shows that he has power"2 However, in Arguing with Anthropology, Karen Margaret Skyes argues that the economies of sacrifice seem to be a misnomer for the depth and crux of the issues that potlatch raises perhaps because Potlatch shakes the common sense of the capitalist ideology, which expresses the angst it expresses by the sheer generosity it shows through the exchange of warring gifts by displaying how much one can give to the other. It therefore stands for the total system of social status without which the ethnographic groups have no identity! Therefore, to gather social respect they agree to endanger their well being. Potlatch probably conjures up the fantasy of modern power, which combines luxurious self-destruction - an obsessive and slow yet megalomaniac suicide of a society on the whole and shatters the myth of progression towards the capitalist future. Or is it somewhat similar to where we as westerners are headed It is an ironical similarity - potlatch, self-destruction and capitalist consumerist philosophy converge at a point - buy at any cost and death by excess. Potlatch has been variously criticized as giving beyond reason - but is the capitalist economy reasonable Does presenting an island to a friend any less extravagant or any less unreasonable than a potlatch One can argue that it does not dangerously bind the recipient into any form of obligation to give back a gift of equal proportion. Yes, it may not - but in a capitalist society excess of ceremony is also a political game that fascinates and horrifies at the same time - it is an excessive display of power or a counterpower to som ething that already exists. Thus, festivities are always a symbol of subversion of power, and it is a separate display of power that already exists or which is seeking to overthrow the existing power and seek prominence. Let us also consider the exchange of gift that happens in the Indian society, which is also called dowry, is another

Centered Approach Essay Example for Free

Centered Approach Essay Family-Centered Approach ECE 313 Collaboration with Parents Community Kathleen Thomas October 10, 2011 Instructor Cindy Hopper The economy has hit an all time low and has caused two parent households and single parent households into the workforce. As a result of this the parents are looking for childcare centers for their children. The main concern of these parents is will the centers help with the behavior and development of their children. These parents are looking for a place that is going to help with the development of their children’s self-help skills, empowerment, pro-social skills, self-esteem and attachment. These are behaviors that are not easily controlled and because the children spend the majority of their time in the centers the parents are hoping that together they can help develop desired behavior. That is why they are looking for a center that uses the family-centered approach. As the educator you have to develop a relationship with the children and their parents, the parents have to feel that they are going to be involved in everything that goes on in the center and that concerns their child. The educator has to sit down and learn about the child from the parent so that the educator will know what the parent expects from the educator and the center. The educator has to spend time with the child so that they can start to form a relationship. Family-centered has been defined as: Focus on the children within their families. The program includes the family as an integral, inseparable, part of the children’s education and socialization. Families along with their children are the program. (Gonzalez-Mena) p. . It is very important to acknowledge the children within their families because this way, you remember that you can not do anything without involving both of them. It is important that the educators know what the parents expectations are, Teaching children desired behavior may not be easy even when the educator and the parent are using the same methods. Potty training may require the educator and the parent using the same procedure which might be putting the child on the potty several times a day. If either of them changes the procedure this might cause the child to become confused and it may take longer to train her. To encourage desired behavior from children, parents and teachers need to have a strong relationship with the children. A warm affectionate bond and a positive emotional tone in the home and center will convince the children that their teachers and parents are on the same team and promote a spirit of cooperation and understanding. (Neifert, Marianne, MD) Helping a child develop self-esteem takes a lot of work because you can not do it by saying things that are not realistic. You can not say you are the prettiest girl in the world and think that this will help her self-esteem, as a parent you have to promote self assurances, self-help, competence and being â€Å"special. † Self-esteem rises if the individual is proud to perceive herself as being in possession of these traits. (Gonzalez-Mena) p. 205. Self-esteem has four dimensions: significance, competence, power and virtue. Teaching a child about self-esteem would be difficult because hopefully the child would feel loved and cared for by her parents and she would need to feel that you loved and cared for her too. However, if the child did not feel that she was important this is not something that you can make happen. You can try by showing her that you do care about her and that she is important. You could compliment her when she has achieved a goal that was set for her but you should not over praise her. To promote self-esteem you should never have a critical attitude, label a child or use name calling. Use encouragement instead of always praising them. When they have done something better than the last time make a comparison about how much better it was this time. Never compare your child’s performance to another child’s. Children will fail at some of the things that they try to do but this will be an experience for them. Have realistic expectations; be certain that your expectations for the children’s behavior match their age and developmental abilities. You have to be prepared to show them what it is that you want them to do. Practice the skills with them so that they will be able to do them alone. It is not impossible for a two year old to put on their coats but this two year old might not be ready, you will have to practice this over and over until the child is able to do it themselves. Competence, power and virtue are a part of self-esteem and these things might be easier to teach, being competent means that you have skills that you are very good at. If you were doing these skills on a daily basis you would someday be extremely good at that skill. Power is believing that you are in charge of something other than the paper clips and that you have control over the things that happen in your life. Virtue is being a good person and knowing right from wrong. Educators can take these four dimensions and use them to help a child learn how to feel good about themselves. Teaching pro-social skills you can model the children yourself, you have to set limits and tell them why you are setting the limits. The reason is because you don’t want them to get hurt. Have children work and play together so that they will cooperate better. When children are involved in a conflict it is your responsibility to resolve it with a solving approach. Always avoid punishment as a way of discipline. There are other things that you can do when trying to teach pro-social skills; as an educator you should sincerely acknowledge children’s pro-social behavior by recognizing when they are doing things together (ex: two children have started cleaning up the art area) your response could be â€Å"that is real cooperation†. You should explain reasons for rules and help the children understand the effects of their behavior on others. This type of inductive discipline seems to encourage child to be kind and helpful. (Berman, K. L. , M. M. Torres, C. E. Domitrovich, J. A. An educator can encourage good behavior by using a reward system. Choose a behavior you would like to change. There might be a child in your classroom who will not sit still in his seat; you can tell him that if he sits still that you will reward him for staying in his seat. You can tell him that he has to earn five tokens by staying in his seat when you are teaching the class and that five tokens will get him ice cream at lunchtime. It does not have to be tokens; you might have a chart with everyone’s name on it and at the end of the week if they have receive a star for everyday they will receive extra cookies at snack time. Share your reward system with the parents and see if that helps them out with behavior problems at home.

Essay on the Character of Ophelia in Hamlet :: Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Character of Ophelia in Hamlet      Ã‚   Ophelia is a beautiful and simple-minded woman, easily molded by the more powerful opinions and desires of others. The thoughts of her father and her brother influenced her the most. The love letters from Hamlet also swayed her opinions and confused her mind. Ophelia wasn't able to realize herself because of all the pressures exerted on her to be something she's not. That weakness of mind and will, which permitted her obedience to her father and thus destroyed her hope for Hamlet's love, finally resulted in her insanity and death.    When her father had challenged the honor of Hamlet's intentions, Ophelia could only reply "I do not know, my lord, what I should think" (III, iii). Used to relying upon her father's direction and brought up to be obedient, she can only accept her father's belief, seconded by that of her brother, that Hamlet's "holy vows" of love were simply designed for her seduction. She was to obey her father's orders not to permit Hamlet to see her again. Her father also wanted to prove Hamlet's madness to the king. He used Ophelia as bait so he and the king could listen to Hamlet's words. Ophelia willingly obliged to her father's desires. By not thinking for herself and only doing as her father wished, she ruined her chances of love with Hamlet.    Hamlet put pressure on Ophelia by expecting her to surpass his mother's shortcomings and be an epitome of womankind. He searched her innocent face for some sign of loving truth that might restore his faith in her. He took her mute terror for a sign of her guilt and found her to be a false person, like his mother. In his letter to her, he addressed the letter to "the most beautified Ophelia" and he terminated the letter with "I love thee best, O most best, believe it" (II, ii). He used the word "beautified" to display a sincere tribute, and it is apparent he still loves her. His attempts to win her affection are not triumphant. Ophelia is still too much under the influence of her father to question his wisdom or authority, and she has no mind of her own to understand how much she has made her lover suffer. No matter how much it pained her to not see Hamlet, all she could see in his present behavior is the madness that terrified her.

Thomas v. Indiana Employment Security

Whether the State's denial of unemployment compensation benefits to the petitioner, who terminated his job because his religious beliefs prohibited him from participating in the production of armaments, constituted a violation of his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion Facts: Petition Thomas was a Jehovah’s witness who worked at the Blaw-Knox Foundry & Machinery Co. He was initially hired to work in the roll foundry until he was transferred to another department that fabricated turrets for military tanks.Since his main function was related to the production of weapons he asked that he be transferred to another department. Having found out that all of the remaining departments at Blaw-Knox were weapons related he asked for a lay-off from his company. When this was denied, he quit from his job arguing that he could not work on weapons without violating the principles of his religion. After leaving his employment he asked for unemployment compensation from the Indi ana Employment Security.During his hearing, he declared that he thought that contributing to the production of arms violated his religion. The hearing referee concluded that Thomas’ religious belief precluded him from producing or aiding directly in the manufacture of items used in warfare. The referee however denied him his benefits on the ground that his termination from employment was not based on good cause in connection with his work as required by the Indiana statute. The Board adopted the referee’s ruling and denied the benefits.On appeal, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the board and ruled that the subject Indiana statute improperly burdened Thomas’ right to free exercise his religion. The Supreme Court of Indiana vacated the decision of the Court of Appeals and denied Thomas his benefits Decision: The State's denial of unemployment compensation benefits to petitioner violated his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion R easons/Rationale In arriving at this conclusion, the Supreme Court first had to answer the question whether Thomas indeed quit his employment due to religion.It is well-settled that only beliefs rooted in religion are protected by the Free Exercise Clause. According to the Supreme Court, the determination however of what is a religious belief or practice is more often than not a difficult and delicate task. The Supreme Court found that Thomas resigned from employment because he thought that production of arms violated his religion. In this case, the referee had found that Thomas quit his employment due to his religious convictions. This was affirmed by the Review Board.The Indiana Supreme Court however concluded that Thomas had merely made a personal philosophical choice rather than a religious choice. It must be stressed that religious belief is not reduced to a philosophical choice merely because there are differences among the faithful in their interpretation of their scripture. The fact therefore that a colleague did not consider production of weapons as a serious violation of their religions should not affect Thomas’ reason for quitting his employment. It is also immaterial and insignificant if the faithful is having difficulty articulating his views.The free exercise of religion protected by the First Amendment is not limited to beliefs which are shared by all of the members. Having disposed of the first question, the second question is whether the statute violated the free exercise of religion by Thomas. According to the Supreme Court, it is well-settled that when the state requires that certain conduct is mandated by a religious faith be first complied with before a benefit is received or when it denies such a benefit because of failure to comply with such conduct, the state is in effect placing a burden upon religion.In this case, if we are to uphold the interpretation given on the Indiana statute then we are in effect stating that the employee should not resign for religious grounds otherwise he will not be entitled to benefits. Although the compulsion exercised by the state in this case is indirect, the infringement upon free exercise is nonetheless substantial. This however does not mean that the state cannot restrict the free exercise of religion. If there are more compelling interest which could justify the state from restricting the free exercise of religion then the burden may be allowed.The ends, however, do not justify the means. In this case, the reasons behind the enactment of the statute do not justify violation of the free exercise of religion. There is no evidence that will prove that the number of people who find themselves in the predicament of choosing between benefits and religious beliefs is large enough to create widespread unemployment or even to seriously affect unemployment which is feared by the lower courts. There is therefore no interest more important than the free exercise of religion.Neither i s there any merit on the argument that to compel the payment of benefits to Thomas will amount to fostering a religious faith. The grant of benefits given to Thomas is a mere affirmation of the obligation of the state to become neutral in matters of the religious faith of the people. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Rehnquist Justice Rehnquist declared that the conclusion of the majority that the State of Indiana is constitutionally required to provide direct financial assistance to a person solely because of his religious beliefs actually adds mud to the already muddied waters of the First Amendment.According to him this declaration of the majority is clearly erroneous as it does not resolve the tension between the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause of the constitution. It is the contention of Justice Rehnquist that the majority read the Free Exercise Clause too broadly. Although it upheld the free exercise of religion by Thomas, it however in effect violated the requir ements of the Establishment Clause by preferring religion over another.

Mentoring: Nursing and Concept Analysis Essay

Every semester students came to the surgical department for their personal and professional development. Certain members are assigned to develop the personal and professional Knowledge of the students. The mentor explains the duties and responsibilities of the nurses working in the surgical department. This semester I took up the responsibility to become mentor and associate mentor of the students. In order to understand and gain in-depth knowledge of the concept I decide to take up this subject for the study and research. Mentors are entrusted with greater responsibility and they are persons who are preparing tomorrow’s health care organisations. Mentors are responsible for preparing the younger generation to render safe, high quality healthcare to the society. If the mentor knows their subject well with deep and current knowledge and able to prepare the students well, then the mentoring is successful and mentor can feel job satisfaction and assume that tomorrow’s health system is in the safe hands. In early years of nursing, mentoring means to teach the person how to perform particular activities. In 21st century the focus of the mentoring is to develop the whole person to provide holistic care to the patient (Reed &Ground 1997) . So I take up this concept for more in-depth study and research to prepare and develop the core members of the health system. The finding suggest that mentor programme is an important aspect of nursing , when it render properly it enhances better personal and professional development. Method:-Walker and Avant’s concept analysis approach was used. Literature reviewed from 1980 to 2009. Words: Mentoring, Mentorship, professional development , Nursing  Historical Importance in Literature Cooper and Palmer(1993) mentioned about the origin of the word mentioning. In encient Greece young males to be guided with older,experienced males who were often relatives of friends of the family. The world mentor originated from the Greek Mythology, where mentor was a nurturing, educative, protective family friend developed the young boy professionally, personally and socially. His father Odysseus was fighting the Trojan war(Cooper & Palmer 1993). The term mentor is used in medicine, law and business but did not appear in nursing until the early 1980s( Andrews &Wallis 1999) . Florance Nightingale was the first mentor . In her personal letter, she adopted a motherly supportive relationship to her students. (Grossman 2007). Mentoring has become an important aspects of nurse education and clinical supervision ( Cooper &Palmer 1993). A mentor is a registered nurse, who facilitates learning, and supervises and assess students in the practice settings and helping to acquire new behaviours and attitudes(UKCC 1999). Mentorship refers to the relationship between two or more individual trying to establish professional development and safe practice . Mentorship is seen as broader, longer term harmonious relationship established between teacher and the student (Jarvis & Gibson 1997). Theses mentors had responsibility for inducting students to their clinical setting planning their learning agenda and assessing their progress. Mentors in other words were student’s key informants to the setting (Spuse 2003) The complex, intriguing concept of mentoring continues to bother authors and researchers from a variety of different disciplines as they explore the role of mentors in a range of settings that include the health, education and business arenas (Grossman 2007). Mentoring has become a high profile topic in business women’s magazines, the press and nursing, and it is beginning to find its place in current teacher preparation, and the medical profession ( Grossman 2007). Mentoring is a special role adopted by a suitably qualified member of staff who is prepared to offer support, teaching and assessment for student nurses in the clinical settings(Davis et al,1994). According to David et al(2010) Mentoring can involve a transfer of knowledge, patterns of behaviour, skills and an approach to an accumulated body of knowledge. The concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines a mentor as an experienced and trusted advisor’(Cooper & Palmer1993). Introduction Mentoring is a word often used by doctors, academics, the media, arts, and business people(Cooper &Palmer(1993). Now a day in nursing, this concept has an important place, in clinical area as well as education area. For Nurse teachers, nurse mangers, clinical specialists, community oriented nursing practices this concept is used to gain personal profession development. In surgical practice settings mentoring is often used to transfer the knowledge, values, and customs to the younger generations. People are selected to become mentors, but many times this concept and its uses, qualifications are not understood properlyCooper & Palmer 1993). McKenna & Sutcliffe (2007) says concept is a special vocabulary used for explaining things, events and activates of importance in the personal and professional life. The authors continue to explaining that analysing these events and activates and things are very important for the development nursing theory and quality practice. According to Chinn and Kramer (1995) theories are constructed from well developed concepts and concept analysis is used for the theory development. The writer see that policies and procedures are written, rewritten and reimplemented again and again in order to get more and accurate clarification(Mekenna &Sutcliffe2007). In the same way concepts are analyses. Studies again and again to become more acceptable to the present situation. And also concept analysis gives more clear meaning and correct direction to the fractioned . McKenna& Sutcliffe (1997) comments that if the concept is not clear it serves no purpose, and any work based on the particular concept become unclear and vague. So, this study aimed at presenting a concept analysis of mentoring using Walker and Avant’s framework (1995)cited Mckenna 2005). This study is also explains the method and characteristics of the concept. So that the nurses who practice mentoring have greater understanding of the process and able to provide the service in an effective manner. This may also help the nurses to exchange professional meaning and organisational values in a better way. Section of the concept: Mentoring According to Onchwari & Keengwe (2009) Mentroing provides more benefit than other professional development programme like workshop, seminars. Mentoring is a form of personal and professional partnership which is usually involves more experienced person guiding the less experienced person, who is new to the job, profession or practice area (Sambunjak & Marusic(2009). Earlier the vocational basis of nurse education experience was enough to become supervisors, teachers and assessors to students. More recently the concept of mentor entered in the nursing education. And the nursing educational standard changed to become more advanced. According to Peter & Neil (2000) without dedicated preparation the qualified nurses will be unable to take up specified functions competently and this could affect the learning process of the students. In hospital now some people are assigned and trained to be mentors to the students. They have undertaken specialized courses to become mentors and now they are promoting personal and professional development of the student and newly appointed staff. Historically most of the nursing institutions are operated by very strict rules and regulations. Nursing boards used to visit regularly to make sure the appropriate standard are maintained. All the students are guided by assessors or teachers and these teachers are highly respected. Nurse’s undertaken training under the strict directions of these teachers. And most of the nursing studies done in the hospital. It was not university based. The student used to follow exactly what is taught. In 1980s and 1990s the system started to change. The importance of more personal professional development has come to the profession. The role of nurses started to change and nurses needed to take up more organisational and management responsibilities. (Alison & Palmer 2000). The human development initiatives of the 1970s(Eng 1986) and the acceptance of freedon to learn approaches and adult learning theories of Rogers(1983),Kolb(1984) and Knowles(1984) cited Alison &Palmer(2000). The resulting shift in educational systems has led to find various ways of learning strategies that are directed towards making the most of human potential and stimulating learning in practice (Alison & Palmer 2000). The changes are very clear in the health system. New technologies arrived, the expectation of the society are high. In order to respond effectively to the changes, the nursing profession has undertaken new strategies and teaching methods. People are more and more responsible for self learning and their professional growth. Professional is directed towards self learning and seeking guidance if necessary. Adults are built in motivations to learn and a need to gain self confidance,self esteem and self awareness. These are important attributes for any profession, especially caring profession(Alison and Palmer 2000). Why is mentoring important to Nursing? Stewart and Krueger(1996) conducted a concept analysis of mentoring in nursing suggest that its strongest relationship is as a â€Å"teaching-learning process for the socialization of nurse scholars and scientists and the proliferation of a body of professional knowledge†(Cited Alison & Palmer 2000). Nursing profession is a practice based profession. Nurses need to transfer values, customs, and practical knowledge to others through mentoring. Through mentoring the quality of the profession is maintained and aim is achieved. Through mentoring nurses are connected and learning from each other, so that the new knowledge and technologies are shared. People who have gained knowledge through mentors appreciate role of a mentor. It is known that nurses who have been mentors tend to mentor others( Fagan &Walter 1982). Fagan & Walter(1982) have found that nurses who have been successfully mentored are more likely to mentor others when compared to those with little or no mentoring experience. Nurses can mentor each other and new graduates and students. Faculty members are mentoring students in their learning process of evidence based ractice . Doctoral student receive mentoring regarding their research . Nurse executives can mentor nurse mangers and nurse mangers can mentor staff and it goes on where ever the nurse working (Grossman 2007). They are mentoring others in one or another way. Most of the nurses think that mentoring as a mechanism for career advancement(Grossman 2007). Grossman (2007) continue to say that nurses need to think arbour their carer expanding through mentoring and gaining knowledge in order to broaden their vision in life. Mentoring can greatly benefit the profession by expanding nursing knowledge and rofession(Grossman2007). Clinical nurse specialist and clinical nurse researcher role are good opportunity to expand the nursing science knowledge. Through patient assessment nurses are able to diagnose the situation and do more research into it to acquire in-depth knowledge regarding the particular situation. So that nurses can stand alone in their own profession and can provide high quality nursing care to the patient. Every nurseling staff has a responsibility to assess,plan,implement and evaluate the highest quality care for patients. By encouraging the mentoring culture nurses can work more smart and able to work with full ability. A vision of the mentoring culture in nursing holds exceptional promise for nurses, the profession, the organisations that employ nurses and most significantly patients(Grossman 2007). And all nurses develop mentoring skills, so that they can be effective leaders in every health care delivery system and have more influence in generating positive patient outcomes in health care(Evans & Lang, 2004).

Responsibilities Towards Each Other Discuss Essays

Responsibilities Towards Each Other Discuss Essays Responsibilities Towards Each Other Discuss Essay Responsibilities Towards Each Other Discuss Essay The play An Inspector Calls was written in 1943 but was set in 1917. This enabled Priestly to say things about the future. J B Priestly wrote this play as he saw an urgent need for social change and used the play to express his desire for social equality. This play makes us aware of what has happened and learn from mistakes made. Priestly hoped his play would give society the chance with hindsight to look back on the past and not just carry on life in the same way as before. Priestly took full advantage of writing in hindsight and makes sure that it will make the audience realise how wrong they may have been in assuming future events. The play is set in an industrial city in the Midlands of 1917 and concerns a wealthy industrial Arthur Birling, his family, his daughters fianci Gerald Croft and an Inspector. It shows how the family each help to destroy a young womans life-Eva Smith through their selfish and callous attitudes which results in her death. The play runs parallel to what was happening to society at the time. Each uncaring action or statement is backed up with ensuing consequences. The play opens with a conversation between Mr. Birling and family and Gerald Croft. The family is sitting in their living room celebrating the success of their daughters engagement to the son of a businessman of similar status as the Birling family. The inspector is the catalyst for the events of the play. He makes us realise the Birling familys responsibilities. He makes the characters and audience realise that everything we do has a consequence and that we must think about our actions. He guides the audience through the play and creates tension and revelations. Was it murder or suicide? J. B. Priestlys An Inspector Calls is a tragic play about a girl named Eva Smith who died in a forced suicide, but who was responsible? There where many people in Evas life that treated her unfairly. Each person pushed her closer to suicide, but no one person was solely responsible for her death. Whether one person deserves to take more of the blame than another is difficult to say. In my opinion, three people stand out and seem the most responsible. These people are Mr. Birling, Gerald and Sheila Birling. These people all treated Eva unfairly and are all partly responsible for her death. We must remember that these three people are not responsible for any actual crime but they all contributed to the downfall of a particular person due to their attitudes and beliefs. Mr. Birling was the first to have contact with Eva and I believe he started the string of unfortunate events that ultimately led to the death of Eva Smith. He hired Eva at his works and not long after, he fired her. Eva was unsatisfied with her wage of twenty-two shillings and a sixpence so she started a strike demanding a wage of only twenty-five shillings. Mr. Birling refused and without a second of consideration for Eva, he fired her. Mr. Birling was very ignorant and this ignorance convinced him he was right. When he was asked why he fired Eva, he answered, Well, its my duty to keep labour costs down, and if Id agreed to this demand for a new rate wed have added about twelve per cent to our labour costs. (Act one page 15 lines 8-10) Mr. Birling failed to see any wrong in his actions and refused to accept responsibility. When told of the consequences of his actions, that Eva was out of work for two months and desperate for money, Mr. Birling showed no remorse. He explained that, The girl had been causing trouble in the works. I was quite justified (Act one page 17 lines 28-29) Mr. Birling always seems to want his own way and when he does not get it he resorts to threatening behavior which clearly would make him unpopular with the audience. When Mr. Birling felt that the Inspector was asking too many questions Mr. Birling says about the chief constable, Perhaps I ought to warn you that he is an old friend of mine. Even before the Inspector had arrived we see Mr. Birling in an unfavorable light. For example in an attempt to be intellectual he says things that we now know to be completely untrue such as describing the Titanic as Completely unsinkable and saying The Germans dont want war. Mr. Birling is a cold, selfish and ignorant man. His selfish behavior drove Eva to suicide, but in his selfish eyes, he sees no wrong. Sheila was also partly to blame, but to what extent? It seems that Sheila played a very small part in Evas death, but in my opinion this is not the case. She wrongfully used her position as an important customer to turn Eva out of a job. This was undoubtedly a major factor in Evas death. She even admits, it was my own fault, and that she was in a furious temper She was jealous of Eva describing her as a very pretty girl too with big dark eyes. Although her actions show her to be a bad tempered, jealous and malicious person, you get the impression as she begins to talk that that is quite a harsh view of her and that although she does have bad characteristics, she isnt really as bad as you first think her to be. She shows herself to be honest admitting straight away all that she had done, that she caught sight of her smiling at the assistant and I was furious with her. Sheila does show empathy for Eva which is more than her father, Mr. Birling did. It is obvious that she does regret all that she had done with regard to Eva claiming that, If I could help her now I would. Sheila comes across as very remorseful as she says I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse. She bitterly resents what she did as well promising that Ill never, never do it again. This makes you feel less anger for Sheila who now feels immense guilt and has now been punished severely simply by knowing the implications her temper and jealousy had. Sheila was undoubtedly partly responsible but she has the decency to admit this. Unlike her father, Mr. Birling, she regrets her actions and feels immense guilt.

9 jobs for people who don’t like people

9 jobs for people who don’t like people Some people thrive on human interaction, but this certainly isn’t true of everyone. Perhaps you’re an introvert. Maybe being around people actually makes your skin crawl. Of course, even people who do not like being around other people still need to work. The good news is that not every job requires an excess of human contact. Here are a few potential careers that won’t disrupt your peaceful isolation too much. 1. AuditorPerhaps you don’t mind dealing with people but don’t particularly like them. Well, if you want to be feared- maybe even hated- conducting audits could be a breezy way to spend your workday. Being an auditor is a tough, unglamorous job, but someone has to do it. It’s also ideal for anyone with a careful attention to detail who enjoys working with numbers.2. StatisticianHere’s another one for number crunchers. If you don’t like interacting with people but don’t mind considering them as statistical data th en you might decide to become a statistician. That’s no easy task, since it requires a great deal of education. However, once you earn your degrees, you’ll work alone most of the time. It’ll just be you and the numbers- and they won’t even necessarily involve people. Plus, the pay is great.3. Online Support PersonComputer lovers who not only feel okay about communicating online but actually thrive on it are ideal online support representatives. They help customers and clients troubleshoot via email or online chat systems. Online support reps spend the entire day helping people without ever having to speak out loud to a soul.4. Software DeveloperHere’s another one for people who feel more comfortable communicating via computer than in person. If you love computer work, then you might be cut out for developing software. Many software developers even get to work from home. In fact, a recent survey referenced by CIO.com found that the option to work fr om home was a motivation for 40% of software developers.5. ZoologistIf you don’t have the social skills to deal with people but don’t mind interacting with quieter living beings, you might consider becoming a zoologist. You get to hang with animals for most of your day, and they just want a little love- not necessarily conversation. Plus, they don’t talk back.6. ActuarySpending long hours crunching numbers and assessing risks and benefits in almost perfect solitude is the life of the actuary. Chances are you won’t run into many colleagues when you’re burning that midnight oil at your desk.7. Postal DeliverypersonPostal deliverers may have to visit every house in a community, but they don’t really have to spend much time interacting with the people in that community. It’s you, all by your lonesome, walking or driving all day. And for those of you who are merely shy, you’ll have the gratification of delivering packages to eagerly expectant citizens who can’t wait to see you.8. Data Entry SpecialistIf you can stand the tedium of plugging numbers into spreadsheets all day long, this job might be for you. There won’t be much collaboration or a crazy number of brainstorming meetings or team building sessions. Data entry mostly leaves you with your computer terminal all day.9. SurveyorSo you don’t want to sit in an office all day long, but you really don’t want to talk to anybody? Try being a surveyor. They’re the people on the side of the road in neon outfits surveying terrain. Surveyors spend their days doing precision work in the great outdoors, and they hardly have to say a word.

St. Augustine' Art of Rhetoric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

St. Augustine' Art of Rhetoric - Essay Example years. I have gone through his works and heard one of his quotes that I really enjoyed because it explained very eloquently one of my main pursuits in life. The quote goes "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." (Saint Augustine). Hearing that quote got me interested in learning more about this Saint and his life and rhetoric works. St. Augustine was an extremely intelligent man. He was born at Tagaste in proconsul Numidia in 354, to pagan father and a Christian mother. After his first studies in his native city, he went to Carthage, with the financial aid of Romanians, to complete his studies in rhetoric. At the same time, however, he fell a slave to his youthful passions and even became connected with the Manichaean religious sect. After completing his studies, he first established his school at Tagaste, and later at Carthage, where he taught rhetoric for eight years, at the same time studying philosophy and the natural sciences. Augustine was greatly influenced during his education and in his adolescence byCicero, a Roman rhetorician, a great master of Latin rhetoric and composition and especially one of his works in particular,Hortensius. Augustine stated that rhetoric is neither good nor bad in it self, but can be used to effectively defend both what is true and what is false.

Experimental economics summary paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Experimental economics summary paper - Essay Example The article describes how two variations on similar experiments test consumer behavior of people put in different market-type situations. The first variety of the game takes place between two people who are put in multiple sessions of a staged bargaining situation. They are to divide a sum between themselves and their acceptance or rejection of the proposed division determines what they get. One of them takes the lead and makes the other an offer of division. If the other person accepts the offer, they keep the money according to that division. On rejection, both participants get nothing. The second variety places a group of up to nine people in a bidding session against a ‘seller’. The seller’s acceptance or rejection of individual offers determines earnings in this case. The ‘buyers’ each make an offer for an object that is of the same monetary value to them and is of no value to the ‘seller’. If the seller accepts the highest offer, he gets the money and the buyer receives the difference between the highest price and the value of the object. On the seller’s rejection, nobody receives anything.