Marketing and the Fast Food Industry Essay

The ultimate themes of fast food chains are high visibility and global recognition. The earliest establishments, ostentatiously designed in an attempt to attract attention, were strategically placed alongside highway off-ramps in order to draw in customers. Simplistic logos, such as the legendary golden arches, began to bring recognition to the fast food chains. The fast food industry’s ability to sell convenience and taste then allowed the popularity of fast food to gain momentum. Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, explores the various tactics used by the industry in order to achieve global recognition, target children, and why it is more productive to reach children than to target other age groups. One method used to achieve global recognition was to apply the concept of synergy. Synergy can be defined as the cooperation between two or more organizations to produce results greater than the sum of their separate effects. In simplistic terms, two or more companies combine forces in order to benefit themselves more than they could have done individually. Two companies who have effectively utilized this concept are the Walt Disney company and the McDonald corporation. They were able to propose marketing deals, provide giveaways, and swap executives amongst their companies. The cross promotion strengthened ties between Hollywood and the fast food industry, allowing the McDonald corporation to gain global recognition. Studies show that children have an easier time identifying characters such as Ronald McDonald than major political figures such as the president of the United States. Half of Australian nine and ten year olds thought that Ronald McDonald was an authority on what they should eat. In Beijing, all of the primary school children recognized Ronald McDonald, saying that he ‘understood their hearts’. Germany has more than one thousand McDonalds, many popping up inside of Wal-Marts, because they know lots of children get lugged to Wal-Mart every day. (Schlosser 231). The McDonald corporation had accomplished its goals to reach ‘global realization’, and this achievement paved the way to pursue early targeting. Children became the target group within advertisement, â€Å"the decade of the child consumer† (Schlosser 43). In order to exploit children effectively, focus groups were created solely for the purpose of finding effecting means of targeting ads towards children and collecting demographic information. â€Å"89% requested personal information from kids† through the internet and most children supplied it without parental consent (Schlosser 45). Soon, products such as Coca- Cola and Dr. Pepper were marketed to schools and fast food advertisements were littered throughout the education system. Advertisements were placed on school buses, in school newspapers, written on stadium banners, and announcements were made over the stadium’s public-address system during games (Schlosser 51). Children were not only faced with these ads during their time period at school, but at home too. The media played a huge role in promoting fast food. Television commercials, the internet, and the radio were employed to â€Å"get kids to nag their parents and nag them well† (Schlosser 43). The adults set out to prey on children’s immaturity and to â€Å"exploit their present- mindedness† (Schlosser 46). Unsurprisingly, fast food companies became recognizable household trademarks. Ronald McDonald, Mickey Mouse, and McDonald’s renowned golden arches are a few of the most identifiable symbols today. Companies believed that by propagandizing children at an early age, they would influence the children to remain loyal customers to their company. This leads to ask why marketing to children is the most worthwhile tactic. Foremost, children are impressionable. According to Consumer Reports magazine, young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world. â€Å"Children are still establishing their tastes and habits†, making them ideal customers because they have many years of purchasing ahead of them (Schlosser 54). â€Å"America’s fast food culture has become indistinguishable from the popular culture of its children† (Schlosser 48). The coalition of the fast food and entertainment industry allowed fast food companies to market toys based on current trends in entertainment. â€Å"The key to attracting kids is toys, toys, toys† (Schlosser 47). In return, the entertainment industry promoted their current trend. Children’s identities should not be defined by their consumer habits. Yet, that is the main way their are portrayed in the media– as consumers. Children were also described as â€Å"surrogate salesmen† (Schlosser 43). Schlosser explains that children need to persuade others in order to get what they want which again, gets kids to â€Å"nag their parents and nag them well† (Schlosser 43). As an incentive to get children to want to eat at their restaurants, the McDonald corporation created playlands in their establishments based off of Disney’s theme park, Disneyworld. â€Å"Playlands bring in children, who bring in parents, who bring in money† (Schlosser 47). Since children need to be accompanied in order for them to get what they want, more customers, such as parents and siblings of the child, are brought into the company as well, thereby benefiting the company. Schlosser argues that the fast food industry’s marketing tactics aim to achieve global recognition, victimize children, and explains the importance behind targeting children. He portrays children as naive individuals who are drawn into fast food through the fast food industry’s strategic efforts, and in most cases, they are. Children are bribed with playplaces, toys, cartoons, movies, and videos, and are reached through contests, sweepstakes, games, clubs, and the media. Schlosser questions the ethic and moral values of the advertisers in the fast food industry for feeding off of the children’s naivety. However, children, susceptible to the world of advertisement around them, continuously fall prey to the marketing industry.

Egyptian Cuisine

The Egyptian culture is as much festive as it is longstanding and complex. Egypt has been collectively influenced by just about every great civilization in Africa and Eurasia and still stands as the media, economic, and socio-cultural focal point of the Arab World. This stems from the fact that Egypt has stood as the cultural hub of the near East since the Greek’s Golden Age. This historical reality is transmuted into every facet of Egyptian society and Egyptian food in particular.The majority of contemporary Egyptian cuisine is influenced by the agriculture of the land. Egypt boasts a consistent harvest because of its geographical plane- namely, the NILE which runs through the entire country. Egyptian farmers have yielded a multitude of crops including dates, chickpeas, figs, grain, olives, barley, beans, and peas. It’s yearly harvest of staples once provided for the entire Roman Empire, and have left the Egyptian people with a long history of bread and beer production .Also, fish and poultry are plentiful in the region and nutritious foods such as fava beans and spinach have kept this nation-state sustained for millennia. A few well-known examples of Egyptian cuisine are Foul Madammas, which are Fava beans cooked in olive oil accompanied by vegetables, goat cheese, and sometimes poultry eggs. Nile fish has been prepared for centuries either cooked or dried.The dried fish is seasoned with salt and left out to dry in the blistering, Arabian sun and called Faseekh. Spinach is prepared into a stew called Molakheya and can be served with rice or bread. The Egyptians are also fond of herbal teas and, due to the Ottoman invasion, boast various forms of Baklava including: Baklawa made with Phyllo pastry layered in between sugar, coconut, and pistachio and covered with a honey glaze and Basboosa- a light yellow cake coated with a sugar glaze .There are many more examples and variations of Egyptian foods. Egypt was gifted with a cornucopia of fruit, vegeta ble, and staple harvests as well as a yearly flooding of the Nile. The people of the land have known about these gifts for centuries and have capitalized. This is why Egyptian culture is as influential as it is and moreover, why Egyptian cuisine is so delicious!

Corporate social responsibility and its theoretical foundations Essay

Corporate social responsibility and its theoretical foundations. Australian firms and CSR - Essay Example The term Corporate Social Responsibility though a invention of few decades back but has existed in various forms from the earliest days of businesses. Companies manipulate their businesses processes and go one step ahead then the industry to create a positive impact on the society. Corporate social responsibility of companies can be viewed in two general ways Companies share and invest their income for the benefit of the society. Companies follow the industry standards or apply best practices in their business as to be more responsible and ethical. To understand the basic concept behind CSR we have to learn what binds an organization to be socially responsible. Every organization has stakeholders which exist at all levels of business operations and are major contributors of the business. The company has to show its competency and loyalty to its stakeholders and the community that the business is not only concerned solely with the expansion and betterment of the business but it is als o keen and responsible in contributing towards the growth and betterment of its stakeholders and the society it operates in. As a gesture of company’s conviction and dedication, they engage themselves in such activities which in some way will help in the prosperity of the society and will leave an everlasting impression on those they helped. Also at the same time they can include such policies and practices into their business which portray the company’s business processes as more ethical and morally correct. Concept and Benefits Social responsibilities of corporations comprise of ethical and managerial principles to guide a business enterprise. This is because it deals with everything from corporate image, public relations, environmental liability, lawsuits, relations with governments and worker morale. These corporate responsibility principles are guided by another set of principles. The first and the basic principle is that the firm’s or company’s prod uct raises or enhances the quality of life. Three basic types of processes are identified to implement corporate responsibility principles. They include of environmental management, issues management and stake holder’s management. (Gail Thomas, 2006) Number of factors drive the corporate responsibility trend. One major factor which make organizations more socially responsible is that companies which do not engage in CSR activities might be viewed as those who are only interested in the growth and expansion of their business and are not at all concerned with the betterment of their various stakeholders and the society. Hence ruining the image of the corporation in the mind of people which is a serious risk for business. On the other hand the benefits of CSR for corporations are limitless. Although the benefits would not be monetary directly instead would require investing in quite heavy amounts but in return the corporation earns a position of a reputable contributor to the so ciety enhancing the brand image, employees will have more dedication to work for a company who works for mutual benefit of the society and the stakeholders especially the investor’s would be more confident. Australian Firms and CSR There are a lot of Australian companies who are listed amongst the more socially responsible organizations. BHP Billiton , Telstra, Rio Tinto , Pacific Hydro , Arup Australsia and many other corporations. BHP Billiton is Australia’s largest firm by market capitalization. It employees over 40,000 people all over the world which makes it rank amongst the largest mining companies in the world. As it is the largest firm in Australia and has global operations so it has engaged itself in many socially responsible activities and made it a priority so as to maintain the trust and confidence of the stakeholders and investors. Various socially responsible initiatives has been taken by BHP Billiton which have contributed greatly to well being and uplif t of Australian society and also in other countries where its operating. Along with initiatives for the

Critical Thinking and the Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Thinking and the Society - Essay Example Non-Critical Thinker Critical Thinker To evaluate the information and the conclusions drawn from it, the critical thinker should have the â€Å"questioning power.† To think critically the thinker must ask questions to get as much information as possible and to judge how far the information collected is relevant, applicable, important and significant. Then after the thinker needs to ask questions in regards to the conclusion drawn from this information. Using logic he needs to think if the conclusion is fair, logical, reasonable and consistent with all the collected information. There are different kinds of questions for critical thinking related to different activities. There are tools for Getting the Facts, Evaluating the Facts, Drawing a Conclusion and Evaluating the Conclusion. SKILLS REQUIRED FOR CRITICAL THINKING. Critical Thinking is an art which can be learned over time and needs special skills for its successful implementation: Rationality. It’s about reply on t he reasons and facts rather than emotions. Rationality is more based on known evidences and follows them where it leads. Self-Awareness. One can think critically when recognizes his/her own point of view without being biased. Honesty. One can think critically if he/she recognises emotional impulses, selfish motives, purposes or other modes of self-deception. Open-mindedness. Critical thinking demands reasonable inferences, variety of point of views or perspectives open to alternative interpretations. Critical thinking needs to be open to new explanations, model or paradigm if they explain the evidences better with more simplicity with more data. Judgement. Critical thinking always recognises the relevant and/or merit of alternative... Thus critical thinking is used in all our important decisions in our daily life. It affects one’s growth personally as well as professionally. The concepts and principles of critical thinking can be applied to any context. Thus critical thinking is based on one universal principal but its application to different disciplines requires reflective conceptualisation. Critical thinking is gaining importance in academics as well as to judge professional’s potential within a professional environment. Academically, Critical Thinking enables the students to analyse, evaluate, explain and restructure their thinking, thereby decreasing the risk of adopting, acting on and thinking with a false belief. However this kind of academics is only introduced in the West whereas in the East it’s still not prevalent. Introducing critically thinking into the curriculum would help the students to build thinking skills which would not only benefit them as individuals but would benefit the democracy as well. Professionally, the people who think critically are called the clear thinkers and are in high demand as they whittle down solutions for the company. Critical thinking would play a very important role in today’s alarming decline of the earth’s natural resources. The society can turn towards critical thinking only if thinking is considered as primary and not as a complex phenomenon. If the existing problems in the world are critically thought over with a open mind and unbiased natured, these problems could definitely get a solution.

Arab Societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Arab Societies - Essay Example l-Ziyy Al-Islami or Islamic dress is something that distinguishes them from others because such dress should reflect the cornerstones of the Islamic belief system of privacy, humility, piety and moderation. Such simplicity of dress reminds them that luxury and leisure await them in the next world. Thus, embellishment of one’s dress or body is not seen positively unlike in other cultures. The qur’an, it says that the Prophet Muhammad admonished men’s clothing should be modest especially during worship and women’s clothing, not attracting any attention and men’s lustful desire to themselves. The Qur’an gives specific rules as to socio-moral behaviour of Islamic believers. It tells men and women to â€Å"lower their gaze and cover their genitals† when they interact so that any sexual tension will not build up. Islam accepts sexuality as normal for humans but it restricts it to matrimony. Outside marriage, behaviour between men and women in interaction should be desexualized. There should be control and regulation body and interactive space and all interactions should be in public. The Islamic dress is one kind of desexualizing control. In more contemporary times, the Islamic dress code for men and women were full-length opaque and austere-colored gallabiyyas which are loose-fitting clothes that conceal the body. In addition, men wore trousers and sandals and grew beards and women wore al-khimars, headcovers which cover the hair and extends low to the forehead, goes under the chin to conceal the neck and falls down over the chest and back. In some Arabic societies, wearing of such traditional garb has become quite controversial. The government has discouraged the wearing of such clothes in an effort to westernize their culture. However, some Islamic revolutionists want to keep the tradition going and insist on wearing it. It came to a point where the wearing of â€Å"the veil† which represents Islamic dress was seen to be a rebellious action. It

EMBA 560 Exercise 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EMBA 560 Exercise 6 - Essay Example ines of communication by which followers can openly send comments and suggestions directly to the leader; this will work only, however, when the leader responds to the feedback in a manner that lets his/her followers know that their messages are given attention to. By understanding them a leader is able to formulate goals and frame his message in a context that is meaningful o them. Relational power is based on the leader’s relationships with others, not only in terms of number but more important in the strength or quality of their relationship. It requires engagement and a measure of investing oneself in relationships. Relational power means building connections between people, which for a leader means getting to know certain people not in terms of their work along but also in other contexts that are meaningful to both leader and follower. One way of building relational power is to create opportunities for contact in a context other than work related, such as company-wide or movie premieres. Another way would be to find common interests between followers and leader where they could regularly associate outside of the work environment. Being members of the same golf club, for instance, or exploring the same interests such as comic strip characters and comicon conventions, would be venues outside of work where people can develop relationships. Sometime attending the same parent-teacher meetings when their children go to the same school could be a starting point for building relationships. While personal power can be develop with groups of people, relational power can be built only selectively, and should be cultivated with key personnel. Positional power is based on the formal position the leader holds in the organization and social environment. While personal and relational power are cultivated outside the organization hierarchy, positional power essentially relates to the organization, either based on the formal title or position one holds, or the

Discussion Board 3-2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion Board 3-2 - Assignment Example to act out of wishes of other people and the mere fact that they are used to doing it over a long period they often face a major challenge of determining their real self . This means they lack the inherent human tendency to grow to a full potential in constructive and positive way. However, PC provides the best opportunity for therapists to help such kind of clients explore more of their real self and finally become real by overcoming their difficulties and shaping their destiny owing to the fact that it calls for unconditional acceptance, genuineness and empathy with clients. Existential theory (ET) is appropriate for people with terminal illnesses. Individuals suffering from terminal illnesses often lack courage and determination, which according to ET are valuable attributes of human beings. This involves around the willingness of an individual to face his/her own anxiety about not being. Terminally ill people unlike healthy people are always faced with the biggest challenge of being in a position to deal with anxiety, which considered one of the inescapable parts of being human. This anxiety is often brought about by awareness of death. From the ET perspective awareness of ultimate concern, specifically death often raises anxiety (Murdock, 2013). Existential approach to counseling is the best therapy for terminally ill patients because it strives to deal with the major themes of human existence, which include freedom, death, meaning, and isolation. All these themes are evident in the lives terminally ill patients. Gestalt Theory (GT) is most appropriate for clients with marriage problems. Couples with marriage squabbles are renowned for having mixed options about whether to continue being in the relationship or quit it and these options often leaves them in a dilemma. GT is the best therapy for couples in marriage wrangles considering that it emphasizes on individual choices and responsibility. GT is a vital counseling approach that seeks to

How do affect and emotions influence decision making processes and how Essay

How do affect and emotions influence decision making processes and how might this in turn influence the design of a specified in - Essay Example If the situation is dangerous or bad, the brain induces a negative action to counter the bad feeling. Visceral level of the brain is captured by high arousal or increased adrenaline rush that is associated with danger. To most people visceral levels dominates reflective level of the brain. A behavioral level of the brain is concerned with daily behavior of an individual and is often unconscious. It is associated with effectiveness and pleasure of doing or using something. This level of the brain can be enhanced or inhibited by the reflective layer of the brain but it can influence the visceral level. The third level of the brain is reflective level. Reflective level is contemplative and concerns itself with rationalization and intellectualization. It does not control the behavior directly because it does not have direct access to sensory input. It controls behavior indirectly by influencing the behavioral level of the brain and competes with visceral level. Affect and emotions are cr itical in decision making. This is because they influence decision making process in various ways. People make decision based on both immediate and expected emotions. First, immediate emotions affect decision on the basis of good or bad experiences at that particular time when decisions are made. Immediate emotions are affective and affect decision making directly or indirectly. Decision making can be influenced directly as they are made. For example, if a person feel fearful at a time when he or she makes decision concerning his treatment approach, he or she is likely to choose a less risky treatment approach even if the most risky option has better results. Emotions can also affect decision made indirectly by changing desirability or probability expectations of an anticipated future result. For example when a patient is feeling happy, he or she is likely to choose a riskier treatment option that has better future outcome as compared with the less risky outcome with poor future out come (Kattan and Cowen, 2009). Immediate emotions are considered affect program emotions. They disrupt current actions and cognitive inputs making a person to alter his or her actions. Immediate emotions that influence decision making are categorized into negative and positive emotions. Negative emotions include anger, hate, anxiety, fear, worry and stress. Negative emotions make a person feel out of control. If a person has negative emotions, he or she is likely to make pessimistic, radical and aggressive decisions. Positive emotions include happiness, love, kindness and security. A person with positive emotions is more likely to make optimistic, cooperative and mild decisions. Immediate emotions change outcome or probability perceptions as well as the quantity and quality of processing relevant facts and signs for decisions. Secondly, expected emotions influence decision making. The emotional outcomes associated with a given decision affect decision making process. Often, people s elect actions that minimize negative emotions and maximize positive emotions. For example, a patient suffering from prostrate cancer may choose radiation treatment over surgical treatment because surgical treatment is likely to make him impotent. How it influence the design of specified interactive media production First, knowledge is embedded on human emotion, motivation and cognition space. As a result, the knowledge that is embedded in human emotion dictates persons’

Motivational types Essay Example for Free

Motivational types Essay The hypothesis for this study was â€Å"Do certain types of personality traits determine individual motivational types? † The importance of this type of study has been recognized by many researchers. For example Tett and Burnett (2003) determined that recognizing different personality types could determine how an individual might be influenced by various motivational factors which in turn reflect how productive and viable an individual might be under different work environments. The impact of finding a direct correlation between personality traits, and motivational types, could be significant in many industry fields. This paper considered the following motivational factors: money, energy from other people, the work environment, professional growth and power. In general the findings were unsurprising. For example many people mentioned that money was a motivational factor in their workplace, yet those on a higher pay were more reluctant to say so. What was interesting in this study was the apparent lack of significance of power on an individual’s motivation to work. This would suggest that there are some personality types that firstly distinguish between power in the workplace and decision making, and secondly that some individuals prefer a position where they are not called on to make decisions. In relation to whether or not an individual classified himself as a ‘private person’ and how this impacted motivation, only one scenario was considered; that of being a private person and project planning. Although the results were not definitive there was a strong suggestion that those respondents who considered themselves private people, also liked a structured work environment. This is supported by other results in the study such as the significant number of people that enjoyed working in a team environment, and those who found the energy of people around them a motivational factor. The limitations of this study included a necessary restriction on the variables studied and the small number of participants in the sample group. However many of the results found in the variables studied were quite conclusive and further study with larger respondent groups and more variables associated with different personality types could prove useful in this area. References Tett, R. P. ,Burnett, D. D. (2003). A personality trait–based interactionist model of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 500-517.

Group Behavior and Processes Essay Example for Free

Group Behavior and Processes Essay GROUP BEHAVIOR AND PROCESSES Group behavior and processes in this paper is about a problem with a new low income government housing development and the illegal activities that have impacted the community in making the neighborhood unsafe. The author of this paper sees not only the different illegal groups behaviors as the problem in this scenario but also the behavior group that is supposed to be in charge of this low income government housing development as the problem also. This is the processes that the author of this paper would do to resolve a lot of these problems (Peak, 2012). WHAT KINDS OF INFORMATION WOULD YOU COLLECT TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS SUCH AS DRUGS, PROSTITUTION, AND VANDALISM? First you have to use the local law enforcement agency to come into this neighborhood and having them do round the clock undercover and stakeouts. Having the local law enforcement agency identify and keep accurate records on the main problem persons in the drug, prostitution, and vandalism issues. Also have the law enforcement agency document thoroughly everyone involved in doing illegal activity at the local convenience store that is close by. Try to make active narcotic buys, prostitution buys, and finding the  perpetrators in the vandalism problem and documenting them to make cases against each and every one in this small apartment unit neighborhood will help slow down and eventually alleviate the illegal activity in short order (Peak, 2012). You also need to identify all the bureaucrats involved in working at the low income government housing project. Find out with an external audit who makes the decisions in approving applications to move into this government housing unit and why their rules were broken allowing those with criminal records to move into this small 58 apartment housing unit. Once the external audit has found culpability, replace those involved in breaking the rules. Re-evaluate each and every application of those residents who have criminal records and place them in a separate file from the law abiding residents in the units.. (Peak, 2012). WHAT KINDS OF RESPONSES MIGHT BE CONSIDERED? The local law enforcement agency can take one apartment over and have a senior law enforcement officer move into the apartment and take up residence. By having an officer live in the apartment unit would give the residents a sense of stability in their unstable world. Having this form of community policing will get needed intelligence from residents to help fight the crime in this apartment unit. While patrol officers are patrolling the neighborhood they should each make it a point to stop at the convenience store for coffee stops and spend time on foot patrol in the area. Field interviews should be done with the individuals just hanging out. Make it known that law enforcement is in the area to stay. Monthly meetings need to be put together with the bureaucrats at the low income housing agency and law enforcement agency to keep each other informed on what is going on with these apartment units (Peak, 2012). WHAT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT WOULD YOU PERFORM? I would assess the local law enforcement agency with how much help are they giving the low income government housing agency for all their low income  housing units. The bureaucrats need to work together with the local law enforcement agency to eradicate the illegal activity. Once the local law enforcement agency has all the evidence they need to make cases, start the arrest process. When the arrest process takes place, eviction notices needs to go out to those with criminal records at the same time in coordination with the arrests. Once an apartment unit opens up the bureaucracy moves a new resident in with no criminal record and none on their childrens record. Every six months gradually going to once a year external audits need to assess the performance on the low income government housing agency to make sure the rules are being applied to make sure the safety of the residents are a priority (Peak, 2012). Reference Peak, J.K. (2012). _Justice Administration: Police, Courts and Corrections Management_ (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Racism And American History X Analysis Film Studies Essay

Racism And American History X Analysis Film Studies Essay Racism is one of the most revolting things within the vicinity of humanity. In the world today, the globalization process happen around the world and people come together to exchange the culture, information, technology, education and knowledge, however another side of society always try to ignore other people with different color by violent, the unawareness, and their behavior. Recently, 15 Jan 2011 ATHENS (Reuters) Far-right protesters threw stones at a pro-migrant march in Athens on Saturday before being dispersed by bursts of teargas, police said, in the latest sign of tension over the capitals growing immigrant population. Over 1,000 members of anti-racism groups, leftists and immigrants were marching in central Athens to protest against a controversial plan to build a fence at the border with Turkey to stop illegal immigrants from entering Greece. Over 100 members of neo-Nazi groups and about 200 local residents attacked the leftists and other protesters with stones. The poli ce used several rounds of teargas and flash grenades a police official said. According to Time magazine, from 2007 to 2009, in Australia, a series of brutal assaults and robbery happen to Indian students have sparked a wave of violence and protest group in Sydney and Melbourne. Violence is not the only one trouble that Australia concern, beside they are also struggling with a wave of extreme patriotism of a group of young Australia. The risk that the students from South Asian countries are faced not merely small attacks. There are some Neo-Nazi attacks around the world recently. ABOUT THE AMERICAN HISTORY X American History X is an American drama film which was named by Empire magazine in 2008 as one of the greatest movie of all the time (Wiki). The movie was a corporation of many talented people such as: Tony Kaye (the versatile director who won a Grammy Award), the film script was written by David McKenna; John Morrissey is the producer, music by Anne Dudley. This film was distributed by New Line Cinema. It is first debut in 1998. The 2-hour movie got a big number in cross revenue, $23,875,127. (Wiki) However, the movie was got an R because of many violence scenes with fighting, bad language (such as: f**k, what the hell, bullshit, etc . . . during the film). The background of it is Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California, USA with a strong actor force. ACTOR/ ACTRESS ROLE Edward Norton Derek Vinyard Edward Furlong Danny Vinyard Beverly DHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_DAngeloHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_DAngeloAngelo Doris Vinyard Avery Brooks   Dr. Robert BobSweeney Stacy Keach   Cameron Alexander Jennifer Lien Davina Vinyard Fairuza Balk Stacey Elliott Gould Murray Ethan Suplee Seth Ryan Guy Torry Lamont William Russ Dennis Vinyard Joseph Cortese Rasmussen Keram Malicki-Sà ¡nchez Chris Giuseppe Andrews Jason Christopher Masterson Daryl Dawson Paul Le Mat McMahon These actors and actress were working really hard to give a very successful movie about Neo-Nazi. Especially, Edward Norton got an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Derek in American History X. (Wiki) SUMMARY The American History X is one of the greatest movies ever. Throughout the movie, the past and present are mixed together. The past was in black and white. And the present was in color. My summary will be arranged by time line. The movie told a story with two main characters: Derek and Danny Vinyard. Their father was a fireman who was working their current city. Mr Vinyard was killed by a black addicted guy while he was fighting a fire in a black neighborhood. After that accident, Derek was frustrated about black communication. Therefore, he joined the D.O.C, a Neo-Nazi gang. Derek was the leader of that group. He used to lead his group to destroy and demolish a shop in the town. Derek also won a game with black group at local basketball court to own the play place. One night, two black teen tried to steal Dereks truck (which is given by his father). Derek used gun to shoot them and killed one of them. Danny looked at the terrible sense. Derek was judged to prison in 3 years. At this time, he met and was friends with a black inmate in the laundry room. And, he realized what he had done were absolutely wrong. He changed his mind and accepted black people. Danny tries to follow Dereks mistakes. Danny joined the Neo-Nazi group. After backing home, Derek tried to pull his younger brother out of the dark marsh (the Neo-Nazi group). After existing of the Neo-Nazi group, the two brothers backed home and threw away all the D.O.C stuffs. In the end of the movie, Danny was killed by a black student before giving his assignment (the assignment is about Dereks incarceration) at the restroom of Dannys school. ANALYSIS In the first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln said that: We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. This lesson can be learned from the American History X which contains the differences in culture origin and the human fear of the unknown. The following paragraph below will discuss main theme of the movie. In the film, the main conflict of the story occurs because of the two different types of culture. Actually, culture can be defined in many ways. However, it can be known in three main ways. Culture is the taste of art and humanities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture#Cultural_studies). Culture is human knowledge, belief, and behavior. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture#Cultural_studies). Or, it is a set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture#Cultural_studies). Therefore, the different cultures can cause bad affect in communication. For example, Kissing on the cheeks of others is a kind action in western countries. However, in Vietnam, it is consider as an impolite type. During the two-hour of the movie, there are a lot of violence, dark, and terrible scenes. All of the main characters actions come from propaganda. When Derek was a kid, his father used to talk about the black communication. This makes his mind to contain a bad image about the color people in the USA. After the death of his father, he became a Neo-Nazi (his father death was caused by a black addicted guy when he was fighting a fire in the black neighborhood). That is one of the reason Derek joined D.O.C group. The leader of the group scatters thoughts about the color people. One time, Derek led a Neo-Nazi group who were fueled by drugs, beer, tattoos, and heavy metal attacked a small super market in the town. The violent and poignant scene scored a very sad motion for the viewers. The discrimination, racism, prejudice of the Neo-Nazi was built on different culture origin. Their thought is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the belief that his/her culture is superior to others. In interna tional business, it describes a company or individual so imbued with the belief that what worked at home should work abroad that it ignores societal differences (John, Lee H., and Daniel, 2007, International Business, 11th edition, Pearson, New Jersey Article: Charles Martin in Uganda, pp. 72) In another the scene at the play yard, Derek had a basketball game. Derek was fighting with the black guys to own the yard. During the game, there are many collisions between the black and white. This scene seems to be usual in the real life. The disruption of one group with others happens every day. It can be economic class, color skin, education, or many things else. The difference of opinion between Derek and his family can cause violence, swear worlds, etc. . . . At that point of time, Dereks attitude was totally different from his family. Therefore, he treated his family so badly. He heaped insults on his mother and her boyfriend. He blustered and hit his sister. The dinner was broken like the happiness of the family. The most terrible image of the American History X is the first scene. Derek shot the two black guys who tried to steal his truck in the night. After killing one of them, Derek was smile and satisfies. However, Danny who was standing behind felt wretched because of the Dereks action. It seems the racism is in every cell of Dereks body. The unknown of culture origin that make Derek and Danny cost a very high cost ever. Danny was shot by a black student in the end of the movie. The death of Danny will be the biggest lesson ever in the Derek life. THE CAUSES OF RACISM One of the causes for this event is stereotypes. Through media communication like television, radio, internet, book, movie, etc. which are the potential for mirror to build characteristics of the youth. When a person, especially one that is very young, is joined to stereotypes of a specific group for the first time, then that person will learn and get all knowledge by that way. Moreover, when a negative source is always displaying the perception of the youth about a particular race, then it will influence the thinking and opinions as well. Besides, Unfamiliarity is also the most common cause of racism. People concern what they do not know or understand. When people grow in one race of people, they will have a trend to join in the group of the same race or same color, because they dont know about another race, they afraid of other color skin who maybe effect them or do something harm to them, so they try to avoid, deny, ignore them. Selfishness is another obvious cause of racism. In c ase Australia, Indian students speak their language and they get a trouble with the local students because they dont speak English in public, besides the government also try to give more advantages for the local white skin students than the other skin, so they accidentally raise the racist in their community. Furthermore, the local citizen, especially white skin people, afraid of the position in society, job. They think the color skin people take their job, their money as well as their social position. They just want anything in their country belong to them. Family education is also a reason of racism. When parents and significant others have racism thinking, they almost express and teach it to their children, the child will incorporate those knowledge into their mind, cognitive, intellectual, emotional and frameworks of life. For that reason, children will grow up with the racism in mind and they never forget. Unless such the individual have experiences in living in many conditions living, spending time with many groups of race and understanding the difference of other race, they will change their mind like the content of film American History X below. Those are the 4 main reasons which cause racism. In general, racism is one of the most terrible things that will affect the characteristic of person and change the basic instinct of human. To avoid the happen of racism around the world, we must first solve the basic problems, which are: stereotypes, unfamiliarity, selfishness, and Family education. When we solve the problem, the racism will not appear anymore. CONCLUSION Racism happens in the world because of many reasons which are: stereotypes, unfamiliarity, selfishness, and Family education. They represent and fighting for their values, fear, norms and beliefs. Therefore, the most dangerous thing for mankind is a lack of knowledge. Address knowledge helps us understand the differences in culture, value, as well as beliefs. It is a premise to help us understand the different races of the world.

Essay --

Descartes’ philosophy of mind in terms of immaterialism is closely associated with Dualism. His proposition is that mind and body are not identical, or can be rephrased as, mental phenomena are non-physical. Descartes’ whole structure of philosophy is presented by the way of Dualism to some extent. He distinctly divides the world into several entities of different nature and characters, each of which is independent. So in terms of mind-body relationship, he proposes the mind-body dichotomy. But when he has anatomized the major difference between the two, he had to get back to it because he is bothered with the explanation of the synergy and interaction between mind and body. So he is facing with the major confrontation between the dualism and the mind-body synergy in my way of interpretation. Dualism is tenacious and flexible because it is not running counter to people’s intuition – mind and body are different. This is the most common opinion towards the mind-and-body issue, which is something we take for granted. In our daily lives, the difference between the state of mind and state of material is obvious: First of all, subject of material occupies space; it takes up space and is presented dimensionally. The subject of mind is invisible and therefore does not take up space. Second, attributes of mind are different from those of material. For example, when pain is inflicted upon our body, we can only FEEL it but according to neurologist’s account there’s nothing in our nerves that is found identical to the characteristics of pain. Third, the cognitive characteristics that we have for knowledge are different. Put it this way, perception towards material is ‘public’, or say, every individual who has certain intact body structure ... ...perceive and to think, we need to have a BODY to carry the thinking and perceiving activity. Subject matter are more transparent and clear than object matter. For example, we see, we touch, we imagine wax so we come to the conclusion that wax does exit; the subject matter that carries these activity are self-explanatory. To put it in a nutshell, ‘Cogito ergo sum’ is the starting point of the whole structure of Descartes’ philosophy. But it is the ‘epitaph’ of his ‘universal doubt’. ‘Cogito ergo sum’ is not pure immaterialism. Rather it’s pure theory of perception. It is fallible to conclude that Descartes is immaterial; it is very vulnerable and susceptible to attack, because the immaterialism is derived from Descartes whole body structure of his philosophy. While in light of ‘I think, (therefore) I exist’, it is not pure immaterial or material to say the least.

Air Bags Can Kill :: Free Essay Writer

Air Bags Can Kill Even though air bags are designed to save lives, they can be harmful or fatal to some people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recognized this concern and has made efforts to reduce injuries caused by air bag deployment by allowing the installation of a switch that turns off air bags. But in order to have a switch installed, the driver must file a request for an air bag on-off switch. People shouldn’t have to seek permission from the government to disable a device that has been found to be responsible for many deaths from their vehicles.According to The Oracle, â€Å"Turning off the airbags†(http://zephyr.oracle.usf.edu/archive/199711/19971119/19971119 comment1.html), when an airbag deploys, there is an explosion in the dash and steering wheel that releases the airbags at a speed of 200 mph. This force has been found to be the cause of many deaths, mostly being children. And the explosion that propels the airbag can cause chemical burns and even blindness. The dangers of airbags are so great that car manufacturers now put warning labels in vehicles explaining the dangers. Now, according to CNN, â€Å"Government announces rules for air bag switches,†(http://www.cnn.com/US/9711/18/airbags.presser/index.html), if the owner of a vehicle or a passenger has a medical condition which would put them at a greater risk from airbags, then they can apply permission to disable the airbags in their vehicle. This also applies if a child must ride in the front seat. But it doesn’t protect people who would need to drive someone else’s car, or people who would give someone else’s children a ride. It will only protect the vehicle’s owner and immediate family. Although passing the rule that allows the owner of a vehicle to disable the airbags is a good start in saving lives, it is not enough. Everyone can’t have switches installed in their vehicles, just people who meet the requirements set by the NHSTA. The government shouldn’t have to decide whether or not air bags pose a treat to individual passengers and drivers. As Henry Thoreau says in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Conversations p.642, â€Å"government is best which governs least.† We just don’t need laws on airbags at all. It would be more practical for the driver of the car to make the choice if the airbags should be on or off. If there is to be a law passed, then it should require auto manufactures to put shutoff switches on all vehicles equipped with airbags.

Articles of Confederation Essay

With intentions of creating a united nation, colonial leaders developed the Articles of Confederation. Although the Articles of Confederation helped lead the United States to the creation of the Constitution, it did not provide for an effective government from 1781 to 1787, do to its lack of power to control commerce and impose taxes, the failure to amalgamate its people as a country, and its inability to enforce laws. Though its overall ineffectiveness, the Articles of Confederation (the Articles) had several positive results. One positive effect was that kept the states united during the war. This helped greatly in successfully dealing with western lands. The Land Ordinance of 1785 distributed land in an organized manner among the states. Another purpose for this was to create land for education. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 led to western expansion, forbid slavery north of the Ohio River. Although there were disputes about the distributions, the land was generally divided fairly. (Doc E) The Articles of Confederation preserved sovereignty and the republican ideology held on to by the Real Whigs of the colonial era. This would allow for the equality of the thirteen states having the right to vote on different aspects of the Articles. One of the major issues that was not incorporated in the Articles of Confederation was their power to control a monetary system. This included imposing taxes on the states and regulating commerce. This flaw allowed various states to create different laws concerning taxes that would conflict with each other. A growing problem at the time was that every state had their own money system which created troubles when using money from state to state. With each state having their own money, and having no value from state to state, the market value of United States Exports declined sharply from 1775 when exports were booming, to 1787. (Doc B) Another major factor in this was the increase in cheap British imports. In addition to the fact that the Articles did not give the central government the power to have a central monetary structure and force taxes on the states, the pre-war debt rose. Money owed to soldiers for service was unable to be paid largely due to their inability to maintain a stable income that would come through taxes. Doc. C) Congress had hoped that each state would comply with the tax quota they had â€Å"requested† from each state. From that, they would receive about one-fourth of these requests. Along with the monetary imperfection under the Articles of Confederation, the states failure to unify led it to be ineffective for the United States government. For example, when dealing with western land, the government did not have much authority and states we continuously gaining and loosing land. (Doc E) This threatened the accord of the states. An example of being unable to come together would be Rhode Island when they declined to attend the Constitutional Convention because they believed that oust their state power and would lead to the creation of a stronger central government. They also disagreed with Congress in that they were able to propose an impost on imported goods. This was mainly applied to the commercial states, Rhode Island being one of them. (Doc A) One of the major reasons why the Articles proved to be ineffective was the lack of a strong central government. One power the government was entitled to but never implemented heavily on the states as they should have was the authority to sign treaties with other countries. In some cases they failed to even do this. For example, the southern portion of the Mississippi River was being controlled by Spain and although the government attempted to fix this issue, they were unable to do so and rolled over. (Doc F) Along with Spain, Britain still held forts in western land and in lower parts of Canada that influenced the United States greatly by disrupting trade. This became an issue because of the debt held on to by the US and the money owed to the British merchants by the American merchants. (Doc D) This issue came into perspective because of the abused rights given in the Treaty of Paris. (Doc D) Out of the Articles of Confederation, many great things were brought to the attention of the United States government that was able to be put forth toward the establishment of the Constitution. But in doing so provided the United States with an ineffective government from 1781 to 1787. Their incapability to regulate commerce and enforce taxes on the states was a major factor in the unsuccessful government under the Articles. Also, the lack of unification amongst states and people influenced this. The powers granted within the Articles of Confederation to the government regarding foreign affairs were established but then were not deeply enforced, showing a weak command. Despite the Articles of Confederations ineffectiveness on the United States government, it proved to help in the creation of the Constitution in a positive way.

New France

New France was a new world far from home. Today Canada may be a hotspot for immigration, but back in the 17th century it was far from being an ideal land to start a new life. Despite various forms of persuasion and tactics, France had an incredibly difficult time colonizing Canada for many decades primarily due to the idea of emigration and the reluctance revolving around it. The act of leaving one’s country to settle in a new or foreign one can be quite daunting. The consideration of many points, both good and bad, would need to be taken into account before doing so. Factoring the length of time it takes to travel to a destination by ship, and the various misfortunes entailed with such a trip, one could say that the voyage itself â€Å"could have been a deterrent to migration† (Moogk 468). Apart from the physical journey, to â€Å"dislodge people from home and familiar surroundings† (Moogk 470), would be enough reason to cause individuals or families to be reluctant to colonize New France. But even with these hardships involved with emigration, the benefits of moving can be quite appealing. At the time of recruitment, parts of France were facing great hardship in the forms of â€Å"hunger and unemployment† (Moogk 470). It is no wonder that it was during these times that there were peaks in recruiting engages (indentured workers) for colony work. People were given a means of escape to a new land, and from there start anew. Offerings of â€Å"free land and settlement bounties† (Moogk 475), were offered to those willing to become colonists. Some disadvantages of emigration proved to be significant barriers to settlement. With all that said, the decision of emigration is a life changing one even to this day. As mentioned earlier, various barriers hindered the settlement process considerably. The most apparent barrier preventing settlement was to gathering people to go in the first place. People who understood the harshness of leaving home for unknown lands, thought twice about making choices regarding recruitment. The Iroquois’ â€Å"threat of murderous incursions that had alarmed colonists† (Moogk 487), death can be a big deterrent. If getting people to go to Canada was not a big enough issue in the first place, preventing workers from returning home proved to be an even reater feat. Familial issues played a key role in whether or not an engages returned to France or not. The fact that some workers solely left for the sake of work, while family remained back at home, hints towards the hope of return. The indentured workers of France typically went to serve for three full years in order to â€Å"learn all the skills needed for survival in Canada† (Moogk 479). Usually this meant that when their service time was completed, they would want to return home to family and did not consider staying in New France to colonize it. A tactic used to keep workers away from returning home and keep them on the new land was â€Å"bringing out entire families† (Moogk 476), so as to fix them in place and remove their reluctance to stay. This is not to say that the workers wanting to return home are always the cause for abandonment. There are cases, in which family from back home would remind workers of their â€Å"duty and material interests demanding their return home† (Moogk 484). So even when the worker left with the intention of becoming a colonist, their family ties would creep up on them and relieve them of their colonial dreams. Home sickness could be a big enough reason to want to go home, regardless if a person had friend or family waiting for them. As a response to the excess number of bachelor workers who went to New France to work unwillingly, with the possibility of leaving once done, the â€Å"filles du roi† emigrated over in hopes of finding â€Å"marriage and, perhaps, a more honorable match than was possible at home† (Moogk 482), this reason of starting a family and new life could counteract homesickness. Unfortunately, there was not always an abundance of strong hard workers, and the possibility of â€Å"persons unsuited for work because of their advanced age, infirmities, illnesses† or they were just â€Å"very weak, of low age, and of little service† (Moogk 480), being recruited would only handicap the progression of settlement. In the end it seems the biggest issue that prevented settlement was the people of France wanting to settle in new lands or not.

Language and Culture Essay

One’s culture affects almost all of one’s communication behaviors. I discovered an article written by Margaret Cote, â€Å"Language Reflects Culture,† that reveals many of the differences between the Saulteaux language and the English language. Margaret Cote states, â€Å"Language determines the way a person views the world. † She describes how Indian people view things around them differently then English speaking people do. Margaret Cote says that she views the world around her in two different ways depending on what language she is speaking. In this paper I will discuss how attitudes and behavior are determined by the language one speaks and how language does indeed reflect a culture. One’s culture determines the way one processes information and how one copes with reality. Concepts and objects have frames of reference that differ from culture to culture. The meaning of a word partly depends on the culture’s historical relation to the concept or object described. When Margaret Cope returns home the topic of the conversation determines the language she speaks. Different cultures see the world differently. The Saulteaux people are extremely concerned with exactness and have different words for we and you, depending on whether they are being inclusive or exclusive. American culture is not as concerned with exactness and therefore we use the words we and you differently. Different cultures have different beliefs and values and these are expressed in their language, whether it be verbal or non-verbal. Many misunderstandings occur in intercultural communications because many are unaware of these differences. It is important for one to learn the differences of various cultures for one to understand one’s own identity. It is through knowing about others that one learns what is truly important to oneself. Language Reflects a Culture Languages group aspects of reality together. Things that are important to a culture have many groups and words for those things. Things that are insignificant have fewer groups and words. For example, there are many different words for car in the English language, because cars are very important to us. In the Saulteaux language there are many words for snow, because snow is an important factor for them. Both verbal and non-verbal communication reflects whether or not a culture values individualism or collectivism. Individualistic cultures value self-expression, speak out to solve problems and are confrontational when dealing with interpersonal problems. In collectivist cultures people have unconditional loyalty to the group and use avoidance, and face-saving techniques to solve problems (Hybels, S. & Weaver, R. (2007). P. 64). Culture determines one’s long-term or short-term orientation. In cultures with long-term orientation people value tradition, persistence, relationships by status, and having a sense of shame. In cultures with short-term orientation people do not value tradition as much because it tends to prevent innovation, nor do they have the same sense of shame or need to save face (p. 65). Communication between different cultures can be difficult. Many individuals either lack knowledge of other cultures or are just naive when it comes to dealing with individuals from other cultures. There are many barriers to intercultural communication, including ethnocentrism, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Ethnocentrism is when one believes one’s own cultural norms and ways of thinking are superior to all other cultures. Ethnocentrism becomes a barrier to intercultural communication when one refuses to believe that another culture’s beliefs have any real value. It prevents one from seeing another’s point of view and greatly hampers empathy (p. 66). Stereotyping is oversimplifying or distorting views of another culture. Stereotypes categorize and generalize the information we receive daily. The problem with stereotypes is once they are established they are difficult to remove. Individuals tend to view things that fit the stereotype rather than see things that dispute them. This can be a barrier to intercultural communication because if one believes a negative stereotype about a certain culture they are much less likely to empathize with them (p. 66). Prejudice is a negative attitude toward a cultural group. These attitudes are usually based on little or no experience. When one has prejudice feelings towards another cultural group they do not like them because of some unseen or unproven fact. This greatly hampers intercultural communication because when one has a prejudice they form an opinion about a person before they even get to know them. Stereotypes often lead to prejudice. Getting to know individuals from different cultures assists one in eliminating prejudice (p. 67). Discrimination takes stereotypes and prejudice one step further by excluding, avoiding, and distancing oneself from other cultural groups. Discrimination is a barrier to intercultural communication because it does not allow interaction between different cultural groups. When one does not experience interactions with other cultural groups they are unable to learn about different beliefs and values. In closing, language is a pattern that ascertains the shape our thoughts and experiences take. One’s culture affects almost all of one’s communication behaviors. It determines how one views the world. The words and actions of individuals are determined by one’s culture. Communication behaviors are mostly learned when one is young by imitating those around one. Culture affects one’s attitudes and behaviors, and it reflects exactly what is most important to the people of that culture. Learning about different cultures can assist one when having intercultural communications. When we open our minds and hearts we are much less likely to stereotype, be prejudice against, or to discriminate against individuals that are different then ourselves. Being open and accepting of others makes intercultural communications a rewarding experience.

Fast Food Nation Essay

Whether we like it or not, fast food and its detrimental effects have become an epidemic. For many years, people have been oblivious to the growth of the fast food industry. However, over the past three decades, the fast food industry has nearly taken over our American society; almost anywhere, one can see its vast influence. As a result, in his book, Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser portrays the influence of the industry. By implementing pathetic appeals for injustice and disgust, statistics from reputable sources, and fear of the consequences of fast food, Schlosser shows the average adult how the fast food industry is ruining American culture as a way to reform its problems. Throughout his book, Schlosser consistently tries to create an emotional appeal, particularly to one’s injustice and disgust to depict his opinion. When one hears things such as, â€Å"The hamburger habit is just about as safe†¦as getting your meat out of a garbage can† (Schlosser 195), he or she cannot help but to be disgusted. Of course no one wants to be told that he or she is eating trash. Moreover, Schlosser discusses other vomit-inducing truths such as, the numerous amounts of cannibal animals among the animals whose meat becomes the food that people eat at a fast food restaurant (202). He also talks about how every year there are millions of dead animals purchased to be fed to the animals that restaurants provide as meat (Schlosser 202). Lastly, Schlosser writes, â€Å"There is shit in the meat† (197), which immediately grabs the reader’s attention and hence shows his pathetic appeal to persuasively convey his opinion. Would anyone really want to eat a feces burger for lunch? In addition, out of 355 detailed pages, Schlosser’s statistics are omnipresent. He constantly uses them to back up his statements with evidence, even dedicating one sixth of the book to notes full of statistics with reputable sources. Although he already states his facts persuasively, they become more convincing with this use of logos. For instance, at many times, authors will make up a statement and act as if it were a true fact. However, when he writes, â€Å"There is a 100 percent turnover rate annually† (Schlosser 325) and quotes it from a published article, one can actually know the turnover rate without having to question its validity. Furthermore, when Schlosser writes about how 7. 5% of all ground beef samples are contaminated with Salmonella and quotes it from a Nationwide Microbiological survey, one does not have a hard time believing its legitimacy (Schlosser 333). One of the most persuasive strategies Schlosser uses in his book is his appeal to his audience’s consequential fears of fast food. For most people, living life is a wonderful gift and if anything could be able to take it away, people would doubtlessly avoid it. Schlosser does an effective job at listing the harmful consequences; since he clearly detests the fast food industry’s influence, he does this to help reform against the influence of it. For example, when Schlosser brings up the existence of E. coli O157:H7 in fast food, he does not simply say, â€Å"It is bad† (199). He goes on and elaborates with great detail, giving a story of a six year old boy named Alex who died because of the bug (200). Not only does he dramatize the story but he also narrates the events chronologically to draw the greatest response from the reader. Schlosser writes, â€Å"It progressed to diarrhea†¦Doctors frantically tried to save Alex’s life, drilling holes in his skull to relieve pressure, inserting tubes in his chest to keep him breathing†¦ Toward the end, Alex suffered hallucinations and dementia, no longer recognizing his mother or father† (200). These events, individually, already seem terrifying. Together, it magnifies the effect. Pathos and logos play an important role throughout Schlosser’s entire book. He is clearly against the fast food industry’s ubiquitous influence and as a result, he writes with pathetic appeals, reputable sources, and fear evoking descriptions to abolish its influence on American culture. What he writes has shown to be true; fast food has had a negative effect on society. While fast food may have some benefits, it’s detrimental in the long run. Day by day, the influence of fast food continues to grow and harm the American culture.

Assess the contribution of Social Action Theory to sociology Essay

Social Action Theorists, or Interactionists are also known as micro sociologists, this is because instead of looking at the bigger picture in society, and how the large structures and institutions such as the education and judiciary systems affect individuals, which is what Marxists and Functionalists (macro sociologists) look at, Social Action Theorists look at the opposite, how us, individuals, act by our own accord, and how we make up society. This is known as a ‘bottom up’ view of society. They see people as having a much more active role in society, as opposed to the passive puppets that Structuralists make us out to be. They reject the view that our behaviour is the product of these organisations and structure. Although Social Action Theorists do look very much as individual behaviour, they also take into account the fact that we are aware of the people around us, they argue that our behaviour is influenced by how other individuals react to us and behave, so society is made up because people come together and interact. We are able to react to each other’s behaviour in this way because we have learnt how to expect what people should and shouldn’t do, and how to interpret behaviour. We have meanings for various symbols during interactions, for example, someone frowning may show confusion or anger, and someone swearing with a hand gesture may be insulting, because of these codes and symbols, we are able to anticipate behaviour, and judge how people are feeling. This also gives us a knowledge about what behaviour is and isn’t appropriate in certain situations. These different situations can also affect how we behave and what behaviour is acceptable, for example shouting and swearing may be seen as acceptable at a football match, but this would be highly inappropriate in the middle of a supermarket or library. These behaviours and expected ways of carrying ourselves, or norms and values, (especially the basic ones, such as how to act around others) are learnt from the family at a young age. However education teaches us how to act in a larger range of social situations. The acquiring of this knowledge is what leads to us gaining our identity. Social action theorists suggest that there are three main parts to our identity. The first of these parts is the things that make us individual, such as name, signature and photograph. The second aspect is social identity, which is made up of the personality characteristics that are associated with our role in society. For example, I am seen as an older brother, which society may make me out to be annoying and protective of my younger sibling, but I am also seen as a student, who is perceived to be hard-working and well-behaved. The final part of our identity is the concept of ‘self’, or what we think of ourselves, and how we think we play our respective roles. This concept of ‘self’ has been developed further by social action theorists, who believe that this can be further broken down into two components, the ‘I’ and the ‘me’. The ‘I’ is the private inner self, what we truly think of ourselves, whereas ‘me’ is the social self, and is the one that carries out the roles of brother and student. Goffman referred to society as a play, and that we are all as individuals, actors in this play, or in the drama of everyday life. The expected ways of behaving, or social norms are the script, for example, greeting someone with ‘Good morning’ is expected. He suggests that the roles we carry out are simply a performance designed to create a particular impression. For example in front of grandparents, I put on this performance of being exceptionally well mannered (believe it or not). Another part of social action theory is the concept of labelling. This is when someone is put into a group, or stereotyped, because of the way they look or act. For example a young person may be labelled as a ‘goth’ because they have pale skin, black hair, and listen to a certain type of music. Becker came up with the idea of a Master Status. This means that an individual can have a status (normally negative) which overrides all other labels. For example, someone may be a very good brother and son, but then may be arrested for robbery, and then the label of ‘criminal’ will become his master status, and people won’t see the brother or the son they saw before, they will simply see him as a criminal. It is believed that these labels lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. This means that someone will react to the label they have been given, and this label will become true. For example, if a teacher (very wrongly) labels a student as ‘dumb’ they may think they genuinely are dumb, and will not do well at school. However it has been argued that the opposite can occur, and people may go out of their way to disprove their label, to carry on with the example before, the ‘dumb’ student may try exceptionally hard at home and at school, to prove the teacher wrong, the label may act as motivation. There are many criticisms of Social Action Theory, one being that they tend to be very vague when describing who is responsible for creating these norms and values, and interpretations that mean we know how to act around people and in certain situations. They fail to explain power, and factors which may affect these norms such as class or gender.

Global Teams Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Teams Case - Essay Example In this regard, correspondence between various parties and the customers could not work out. The crashing of the server for two hours also caused the customer outrage (Neeley and Delong, 2009). Additionally, the Sun global working schedule protocol had a problem. For instance, the weekday and weekend call protocols were not clear to every team member. Open work environment served to provide every member of a Sun Microsystems Inc team with an opportunity to innovate, create and make technological discoveries to boost the performance of the esteemed information technology company. It  enabled the various teams on a global scale to be innovative and manage any problem related to the company’s products and services instead of relying on few personnel. Diversity served to meet unique customer demands. Additionally, diversity served to resolve the language barrier problem because the sales team from every region could perfectly meet the needs of customers hailing from such places. Neeley and Delong (2009) assert that diversity also served to give Sun Microsystems a global image. This aspect also enhanced the creation of new marketing niches for the company hence increase of revenue. Greg James should resolve the protocol problem and ensure synergy among his team members in the long-run. Synergy will eliminate friction in correspondence between the customer and Sun Microsystems company sales team. The company should also ensure that clients are informed of any emergency in good time to avoid

Causes of Rework and cost overuns in construction of sea water Thesis Proposal

Causes of Rework and cost overuns in construction of sea water desalination projects in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Thesis Proposal Example Desalination is a very important term, especially for the countries where fresh water resources are scarce. It could be any process that removes a vast amount of salt and other minerals from the water. Habitually, it is known as the procedure of drawing the salts and minerals. It is best to purify your water with the process of desalinated and then use it for drinking and as well as for irrigational activities. This is the same process which is being used by many seagoing ships and sub-marines (Love et. al. 2004). In today’s world, desalination is mainly used for developing cost-effective ways of giving fresh water to such regions of the world where fresh water is in meager amount. If you are intending to do a large scale desalination process then you may also need massively powered infrastructures but it is sure to increase the expense you will pay on the overall project, so it is better to make the usage of fresh water from rivers or wells etc. According to the census performed n April 2010, Saudi Arab had a population of 27,136,977 humans out of which 18,707,576 were recognized as nationals and others were living with no nationality. Due to an overwhelming economic and urban growth of this country, more than 95% of the whole population has been settled down now. Some cities even have densities of more than thousand people per square kilometer. About 50% of the total water used in this country is generated by the process of desalination, whereas the other 40% is extracted from the mining of non-renewable groundwater, the remaining 10% is simply taken off from the surface water. This research will highlight the issues related to desali9nation processes in Saudi Arab which cause cost overruns. Problem Statement: The problem which will be studied in this research is: Causes of Rework and cost overruns in construction of sea water desalination projects in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Research Objectives: There are four main objecti ves of this research which are listed below: To study existing sea water desalination projects for cost overruns To explore the reasons of rework and cost overruns in sea water desalination projects To investigate low cost alternatives which can control the cost of sea water desalination projects in Saudi Arabia To find ways of avoiding this cost overruns if construction of sea water desalination projects in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Research Scope and limitation: This research will study 2 cases where cost overrun has been reported in construction of sea water desalination projects in Saudi Arab. Due to the constraint of time and budget, it is not possible to study the whole universe in this research. However, the case study selection will be based on the criteria that the projects which represent and can highlight the problems of all existing desalination projects should be chosen. This research is limited in the sense that not every existing sea water desalination project will be s tudied under it. Also, it is not possible for the researcher to study every aspect of the problem under discussion, so this research is limited to study of aspects of cost overrun. Methodology: For any research, qualitative or quantitative, primary or secondary, the most important part is its methodology. Methodology sets the stage for all further work to be done in any research (Gauch, 2002). Research can be done successfully and the objectives can be achieved if the research methodology laid out to conduct this research is properly planned. As research methodology is what leads any research towards its success, its importance can never be undermined in case of any research (Symon, et. al., 2000). This research is focused basically on primary data collection. A lot of tests and experiments have been conducted to get the required

Exploring Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Exploring Organisations - Essay Example Initially, the entity operated under the pretence of a mail and telephone entity enabling. Subsequently, William Hill has developed into the current dominant body. During the progress of the entity, the shareholding has changed enabling restructuring through new management. The entity made minimal returns since gambling was unlawful. Nonetheless, legislation of betting in 1960s transformed the entity fortune radically. Despite the legalisation of betting, this entity still had multiple hurdles to surmount as the government had instituted countless regulations relating to the operation of this industry. Consequently, entrepreneurs in the gaming sector opted to minimize their operation scale. Digital advancement has influenced this industry sizeably since it facilitated the development of betting culture. Betting expanded concurrently with the digital sector since it aired events that were subject to betting. Furthermore, economic expansion has resulted in the citizenry having surplus finances to expend on such frivolous activities. This write-up seeks to evaluate William Hill relative to its features, clientele, and future prospects. Additionally, it will appraise the entity status based on certain theories (Funding universe ND). William Hill is a public entity that has an assortment of feature, which make it suitably suited for this industry. First, the location of the entity in London allows it to attract clientele on a global level. Additionally, the listing in the London stock exchange (LSE) has facilitated the establishment of the entity as market leader. This entity operates in a trendy market, which is subject to countless alterations. Subsequently, the entity has to adjust its product persistently to sustain its market niche. Visibly, the entity operates in an industry that is exceedingly dependent on digital communication. Hence, investing in pertinent systems will provide the entity with a competitive edge. William Hill also faces competition from othe r entities that operate in the above industry. The gaming sector requires originality from the firms that partake in it. Subsequently, the reference firm, William Hill has endeavoured to create an excellent merchandise portfolio. Evidently, the entity commenced with few products. However, the pool of product, which the entity avails to the clientele, has stretched out exponentially. Creating such a commodity portfolio demands extensive creativity from the management. The managers have to perform far-reaching studies, which will guarantee product success. Not only do the administrators endeavour to create products but also institute appropriate promotional campaigns. Promotion represents a critical aspect since William Hills operations relate to events such as games requiring intensive advertising to attract bids. The above details provide basic information that is vital in organizational analysis of William Hill (Funding universe ND). SWOT analysis William has countless strengths th at have enabled the entity to dominate this industry in UK. First, the entity’s lengthy history has allowed the entity to assemble enormous volume of data. The enormous statistics coupled with the expertise of the exception workforce have been critical to the success of the body. These two constituents have enabled the entity model a unique culture that is central to attracting an extensive clientele base. The entity guarantees players countless opportunities to win. Moreover, the data assembled is

Third Cinema- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Third Cinema- - Essay Example The aspects of Third Cinema which are expressed by Sembene make the films controversial as well as a way to show the culture of Senegal and the controversies surrounding politics and society. Through the movies, there is a creation of boundaries of what it means to belong in a third world country and the social and political divisions which have arisen in response to this. Theory of Third Cinema The concept of third cinema is based on the social and political problems that are apparent in third world countries. These issues are defined as being separate from first world countries and hold several layers of what it means to belong to a third world country. The language that is developed to represent this shows a development and understanding of the practices and political and ideological overtones that are present in the countries. This is furthered by showing the pressing issues which need to be changed and how these have affected the nations without the understanding of those in pre sent day society. From the ideas of political and social overtones are three main strategies used to create the Third Cinema. This includes styles and narratives that are relative to the country represented, defamiliriazation from Hollywood style plots and national and local variations that are representative of the main issues of a given culture. While Third Cinema is able to provide the outlook of politics and society in the third world, there are other influences that create a different portrayal of the films. The main contrast that is seen with the films is based on the combination of Western ideologies and techniques, such as seen through Hollywood influences, as well as creating unique outlooks with both the techniques and content of the film. To change this, the third cinema focuses on representation that is specific to localities and nations. This includes an exotic look as well as content that is specific to each of the regions. By doing this, there is the ability to create a sense of identity and belonging as a part of the film, as opposed to fitting in with the Western concepts. To the Western viewer, this leads to an understanding that the third world problems are a part of the other and have a feel of belonging to the outside as a specific problem to that culture. By using this image, there is the ability to gain interest from the Western viewers while representing the context of a specific third world culture (Ukadike, 1994). Xala I the Cure â€Å"Xala I The Cure† is the first film that is displayed by Sembene as appealing to the specific politics and society that are a part of Senegal. The beginning of this is the setting that is chosen, specifically which represents the ideal of Senegal before colonialism. The setting and the representation of the exotic through costumes and other elements are seen as related directly to the Mande Empire. This is common for the area of shooting of the film. This contrasts with the setting after coloniali sm, which is represented by the French costumes that are a part of the story line. At first, this is seen specifically by the French invasions. However, as the story continues, there is conformity to the French styles in costume, ways of living and the ideals which are carried. The setting and the approach that is taken shows how there is a division between these two era which has created a different sense of belonging to t

Metals in Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Metals in Sports - Essay Example Metals have gained one of the most diverse applications in sports today. Their qualities make them useful in the process of creating a range of sporting equipment. For instance, metals are used to make goals. Most goal frames are metallic in nature and the reason behind this is that metals possess a high density thus giving them the ability to resist movements, pushes and shoves during the goal hitting process. Metallic goals are common in games such as hockey, soccer, rugby, handball and many more. (Review Centre, 2008) These days, metals are being used to make bats, sticks and clubs. Bats are largely associated with games such as baseball. The latter category is a recent introduction to the game and it has generated a lot of heated debate about the limits and applicability of metals in sports. This is largely because bats are subjected to a lot of movement and are likely to make frequent contact with the respective players. The controversies behind the use of metallic bats shall be examined in subsequent portions of the essay. Certain clubs may be made (in part) of metals. However, most of the time, these clubs are composite items that require the good properties in metal to work hand in hand with other materials. Clubs are usually linked to the game of golf. In close relation to the latter use is the use of sticks in games such as hockey. ... In basketball, the rim that holds a net is metallic in nature. This is necessary so as to provide a strong material that can be used as a support for the heavy players making their pointers. In tennis and badminton, metals are also used as frames to support nets. This is largely because metals are easy to form and can therefore provide a firm shape against which players can play the game. The same qualities can be used to explain why metals are used in volleyball and fishing too. Tackle and rods are also made up of this material known as metal. This is because fishing entails the capture of heavy materials that may only be possible through the utilization of a firm and strong support that can withstand the weight of some of these heavy fish. Metals are particularly useful in the creation of protective sports equipment. Usually, these protective gears may be for the facial area, thighs, shins and many others. Examples of equipment that may be made up of these metals include Cup Thigh pads Shin pads Helmets Mouth guards Interestingly enough, metal can also be found in footwear. This is especially the case in sports that require contact with ice or water. In the process of making boards for surfing, it is common to find this material especially in equipments such as boards for snowboarding and skate boarding equipment. Because the latter materials require a certain level of smoothness and strength that is difficult to achieve with other materials, then the better option to choose in this regard is a metal. Gometals.com (2008) Metals are also particularly useful in sporting events that involve the use of skates. In ice skating and roller skating, metals are used to create the wheels or the skates that are essential for movement

Module 6; Team Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Module 6; Team Leader - Essay Example In the absence of wise and effective leadership, teams could exhibit rudderless behavior due to lack of purpose and direction. Nevertheless, there are specific styles and characteristics of leadership that favor the optimal functionality of teams (Sohmen, 2013). Similarly, teamwork cannot exist in the absence of reliable and favorable leadership. For optimal organizational performance, teamwork and leadership must be coordinated and balanced. If I were in charge at my own organization, I would watch out for both negative and positive behaviors where I would work on eliminating the negatives and further strengthening the positive behaviors. The positive behaviors include belief where the employees believe that they have the capacity to meet the predetermined goals, focus in that the employees have understood the direction and that they show unified focus when working, and motivation where the employees are showing the need to succeed (Sohmen, 2013). The potential negative behaviors would include competing factions among the team where members of a certain group are extremely passionate concerning their selected viewpoints as well as other behaviors that include lack of direction, belief and motivation. Identifying such behaviors would ensure that the leader has a picture of what is going on in the organization, which would help them in determining the next course of action. Measuring team behavior is a challenging issue and requires appropriate skills to accomplish. To measure team behavior in my organization, I would first assess their contribution to the organization’s goals. If the team has been fulfilling its tasks as required and within the provided period, then the behavior of the team is good. However, if the opposite is true, then the team requires additional input. I would also assess their communication while they are working on a project. If the team is constantly arguing and conflicting over the

Policing and the Bill of Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policing and the Bill of Rights - Essay Example Moreover, policing amendments are persuaded if someone is taken into custody on the basis of origin, religion, and race etc. Police are boosted to sustain a balance between flexibility and security that the government has formed. United States has historic put more heaviness on the edge of flexibility and has been recounted as a trial in organized liberty (Keenan 10-108). It has been shown that the policeman play a centered function in the achievement of this trial, and thus, it is furthermore a trial the U.S. government in regulation enforcement and peacekeeping. One of the biggest examples of warrantless search and tracing phone calls is â€Å"Water Gate scandal†. The secret agents, with the powers of fourth amendment of constitution, had captured the ill elements used in elections. By this action, the politicians, who use the evil tricks to win election, get the lesson. The IV amendment is defined as: â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized†. From all â€Å"search and seizures† will not be contravened by warrants handed out without origin likelihood. It is sustained by oath or pledge or not as recounted the location to be sought or the individuals. It is described from managing assembly with the premeditated exception was amended on the talks. It is distributing almost equal to the all kind of people. And the amendment was launched to double-check and it would be managed by a preliminary committee. Couple of alterations denied to be integrated into the dialect of the part of the dwelling and the dialect of the legal provision was ratified. As the amendment documented, the argument over the â€Å"search and

Two Descriptions Essay Example for Free

Two Descriptions Essay Description 1: Positive The new city pool was packed with eager patrons. Some stood in line for the massive water slide they’d been waiting all winter to try. Others took turns jumping from the diving boards. Small children splashed and slapped at the water in the wading pool, their mothers never far from reach. Laughter mingled in the air with the smell of buttery popcorn. Occasionally, a surprised scream would erupt, followed by the telltale splash of someone having been pushed into the pool by a friend. Hot afternoon sunlight glistened on the water. Sunbathers stretched and napped on large beach towels. Off to the side, a father and son sat under the food pavilion sharing an ice cream cone. Description 2: Negative The new city pool was at its maximum capacity with 75 patrons packed inside. Impatient children groaned while they waited in a long, snaking line for the massive water slide. A parade of people jumped from two diving boards. Most of these uncoordinated attempts ended in belly flops. Small children squealed, piercing the air with either excitement or horror at the notion of having to get wet. The stench of fried foods and chlorination permeated the air. Mothers chased their unruly offspring all over the burning concrete just to slather on one more pat of sunscreen. The hot afternoon sun cast a blinding white light over the surface of the pool. Sunbathers in a variety of shapes and sizes lay about on beach towels like lazy farm animals. A few feet away, a father and son sat under the food pavilion sharing an ice cream cone. It dripped a sugary liquid onto the concrete. Ants were already making their way to the fresh mess. Analysis Strategy two can be found in the way the long line for the water slide is mentioned in the second description, but not in the first. In description one, the object for which people were waiting was emphasized. In description two, the long line itself was stated. Strategy two was again used at the end of both descriptions. In the first, the reader is left with the sweet impression of a father and son enjoying a special moment. In the second, the reader is left with the image of bugs invading what would have otherwise been a great family moment. The use of strategy three is evident in the way the smell of the air is revealed. In the first description, it is made to sound delicious (â€Å"the smell of buttery popcorn†). In the second, the smell is referred to as a â€Å"stench†. Strategy four was implemented when describing the sunbathers. Description one emphasizes the large towels, while description two suggests the sizes of the sunbathers themselves are large, like â€Å"lazy farm animals.† Strategy five can be seen in description two when fun and games is suggested through â€Å"a friend† being placed at the end of the lengthy sentence. In description two, the diving board experience is accentuated in a negative way via short sentence structure in the line, â€Å"most of these uncoordinated attempts ended in belly flops†. The most important thing learned while completing this exercise is that attention must be paid to how a writer describes something if he or she is to successfully convey the intended tone.

Plan for Outsourcing Payroll

Plan for Outsourcing Payroll This report is aimed at the MD and all stakeholders referencing a proposal for a research project in relation to payroll being outsourced or to bring in house for B W Plant Hire and Sales Ltd A description of the project under research, analysis of good practice in relation to this issue. The identification of key stakeholders. Why the stakeholders would be interested or effected by the study. The key sources from the secondary research The evaluation of the contribution to the study To outline the present findings and inform the stakeholders to act on the results Overview of this research In 2005 there was only 35 people on the payroll, as the company has grown over the years there are now 75 employees, the payroll is outsourced to a local company at a cost of  £4500.00 per annum. In 2010 it was decided to outsource the payroll to save time and money, as there was only one person qualified in payroll. To take the responsibility from the only one person qualified it was decided any person in the accounts office could gather the weekly hours from depot and email to the outsource company. When the reports came back it was checked against the information sent. The correct reports were returned and processed by the office manager. The cost was lower than the company was paying for in house payroll. The software cost was  £1500.00 per annum, the time it took was 2 hours, so it was decided by the MD and the accountants to outsource payroll. In 2014 the payroll was moved to a different outsource at a cheaper rate, as the payroll has grown the cost is now  £5600.00 and growing. The administration of the payroll has become difficult to manage collating the average holiday pay by spreadsheet of the growing number of employees along with the pension information. Correct information is not communicated correctly i.e. national minimum wage increase, apprenticeship wage P32 reports not being sent to the company on time, basically a lack of communication. To start the process of developing a business case to recommend whether to outsource or bring payroll back in house the researcher will conduct a situational analysis to collect information the current system in use, how it works, any overlaps or shortfalls will be noted. When this is completed the investigation of the product ranges and functions available within the budget settings can this begin. The research of the investigation will perceive the benefits and gain evidence of the potential benefits to the company along with the potential costs and show the realistic advantages of outsourcing or in house payroll. There are 4 depots within the company, each depot has a clocking in machine. All weekly paid employees are to clocking and out each day. If an employee goes to a job from home they are to inform the depot manager and have their clock card signed, this is also checked by the tracker information on the vehicle. (It logs the time the vehicle was started) Every Monday morning each depot scans a copy of the clock cards to the Office Manager. As the depot managers, do not check the clock cards for anomalies it falls back on the Office manager to find the relevant information to complete the spreadsheet (appendix 1) As the spreadsheet is keyed it is prone to human error, the depot managers now must add the hours on the clock cards and sign them, they are then checked again by the office manager who then keys them into the spreadsheet. It is again checked by the finance manager. When all the above is complete it is then forwarded to the outsource company by email to collate. Manual tracking in this way is time consuming and prone to human error, resulting in over pay or underpay and time theft. There are deadlines to meet for the weekly payroll, if the correct information is not sent through, there is an element of pressure on the administrator to request the information on time. An image of the formulas used for recording the 12 week average   Ã‚   Good practice Employee costs are the single greatest expense of most Companies. Payroll one of the most important business functions. Payroll is unusually complex. It must be accurate. It must be efficient. It must comply with all the regulations imposed on it at local, national, and international levels. Employee morale and retention is so critical, payroll must do these things while keeping employees satisfied that they will receive their wage with minimal disruption of their workdays. No one-size-fits-all payroll solution exists that solves the very real challenges of managing payroll in todays fast-paced and highly regulated global environment. Establish Discipline and Manage Expectations Ensure that all stakeholders know what to expect from the payroll department. When do, timesheets need to be submitted? Who approves them? Who is notified if an employee goes on leave? When are the monies in the employee`s bank account. Enforce Accountability Make sure all stakeholders are appropriately accountable. Employees need to know what they are responsible for doing; managers likewise. For example, if an employee forgets to clock in the timecard at the beginning of the day, or clock out  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   at the end of the day, who is responsible for making sure that employee is paid equitably for their time?   What are the consequences of failing to be accountable for meeting payrolls requirements? Who absorbs the cost of having to cut a check in midcycle? Alongside this accountability must come transparency-all steps in the process must be visible to the payroll staff. Perform Rigorous Balances and Audits The demand for accuracy in payroll is rigorous. Balancing, auditing, and segregating of duties is critical. These steps are to ensure minimized error rates, this can also help avoid off-cycle payments. There should be separate duties so the person entering timecard data is not the person who balances the number of timecards with the payments going out. (Due diligence) Then yet another person should audit the data to make sure it is correct. Rethink Control and Compliance in the Age of Outsourcing. Both the importance and complexity of payroll, many Companies are outsourcing either part or all the function. How much-or how little-is outsourced varies tremendously from company to company. The issue is control: how much of it does company need over its payroll data? When payroll is done in-house, its easy to integrate the data into other systems, to slice and dice it different ways, and otherwise make it work to provide value to the business. Given that Employee costs are the single greatest expense of most companies, having this kind of flexibility can be enormously helpful when making decisions about labouring sourcing, for example, deciding where and when to open a new depot. Advantages and disadvantages appendix 2 The researcher should be aware or data protection issues surrounding the implementation of outsourcing payroll. The principles of the Data Protection 1998 Act concerning the processing of personal data, the key rights that the Data Protection Act gives to data subjects, the consequences for companies of breaching the Data Protection Act and the key issues that arise in outsourcing transactions because of the Data Protection Acts requirements. The DPA gives comprehensive rights to data subjects in relation to their data. In relation to outsourcing transactions, the most important rights include: Access to personal data. Prevention of certain kinds of processing. By way of court order, rectification, blocking, deletion and destruction. These rights are generally enforceable against the outsourcing company as data controller rather than against the data processor. Where the outsourcing provider handles personal data on its clients behalf, the client as the data controller should include appropriate provisions in the outsourcing contract to ensure the outsourcing providers collaboration. This includes obligations to: Amend, transfer or delete the data as requested by the client. Notify the client of data access requests or complaints that it receives in relation to the clients data and provide the client with full co-operation in relation to such requests or complaints. The outsourcing company should also include an obligation on the data processor to be notified immediately if any of the following occur: Data gets accidentally deleted or corrupted. Data becomes lost. The outsourcing provider becomes aware that the data is processed unlawfully. This is to ensure that the client can take the necessary steps to address the issue, including notification to the ICO and/or the data subjects if required. (Andrew Dunlop and Uwe Nimscheck, Burges Salmon LLP) Stakeholder Analysis The stakeholders are anyone with an interest in the business. Stakeholders are individuals, groups or organisations that are affected by the activity of the business. Consideration for powerful and supportive stakeholders i.e. Payroll, HR and Finance with high levels of interest must be updated on this project. If the project has a good team and consists of highly regarded and motivated people who enjoy change on board it can then by brought to the attention of other stakeholders with enthusiasm this is turn can overcome obstructions from individuals when engaging in research. This adds trust and the belief, into the smooth running of the project, a bonus for when asking for funding.   For this research this is who is affected indirectly or directly. They include: Directors Managers Staff/Employee Payroll Finance Shareholders HMRC The researcher should be aware of the drivers for the introduction of the payroll outsourcing/ in house process. Operational Driver- cost effectiveness through time efficiency Logical Driver improved performance for demanding employees and managers. Transform Driver- key strategic drivers addressed in the company net profit During the analysis, it is essential that the stakeholders are fully informed or involved and understand the current process and the impact of change it will have on their role. The opportunities and threats for each stakeholder should be identified and managed during the process. Do they need to be informed or are they involved see appendix 3 The finance team are key stakeholders along with payroll and HR. finance need to be aware for budgeting and forecasting purposes and the costs involved evaluated correctly and if it is a viable project to implement. Payroll dept. will be collating the data regardless of payroll being outsourced or not, it must be carried out. HR need to be involved for change management. They understand the importance of strategy, culture and values, this would be advantageous throughout the planning and implementation process. The ethics must be considered when exchanging information especially when using emails, confidentially is a must, along with free and informed consent. Stakeholder should remain committed and not alienated from the project. Methods of research Literature defining Primary data This date should be Qualitative and Quantative For companies dealing with employees sensitive personal information for payroll purposes, whether internally or through a third party, it is essential to ensure the right processes and procedures are in place to safeguard the data. See appendix 4 Literature defining Secondary data Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily available from other sources. Such data are cheaper and more quickly obtainable than the primary data and may be available when primary data cannot be obtained at all. The credibility of the method and data must be accessed these factors have a direct influence on the accuracy of the data. The data collected for this research paper is (The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 24, No. 4, February 2013, 704-720). (Payroll and HR outsourcing, I.J.Maise march 2001). (Payroll Outsourcing: A New Paradigm. Princy Thomas and P K Thomas) CIPD factsheet on HR outsourcing 2016) This is referenced at the bottom of the report Meetings with the payroll administrator and the project leader and stakeholders are to be held to discuss the current situation and any issues or ideas for improvement. These meetings are important to establish different perspectives and build commitment to the project. Within these meetings, the researcher can interview the relevant people for their input on the project, this making qualative data. Benchmarking similar size companies outsourcing payroll would also be benefitable. The researcher should investigate the benefits following the implementation of outsourcing payroll before during and after. The researcher should seek advice from providers for insight into current trends available updates and support with reports. All information obtained should be equal and fair to make a fair comparison. Information on Return on investment should also be carried out. If the company chooses to outsource / bring in house this information is extremely important for signing off the project and setting scoring matrix for use when having structured interviews with the providers. Present Findings Different stakeholders will benefit from data being presented in different ways. Directors need detailed reports with a full breakdown on the project including costs and anticipated outcomes. The business case report should be presented as follows Executive summary The key reasons for doing the project The current service provision The key future requirements A summary of the full list of options A summary of the options selection procedure and the options chosen for detailed examination A summary of the comparative findings and justification for the preferred option Highlights of the Implementation Plan A statement to seek approval. Analysis of requirements. The Strategic Overview and Context-Provide an overview of the service or project, including strategic aims, policies and outcomes. Project Objectives-State the policy objectives that the project is required to meet. The Current Service Provision-Analyse the status and the issues with the current service. Options selection and evaluation Evaluation Criteria-State criteria for evaluating the benefits of the various options. Define these criteria in advance of identifying the options to avoid undue influence of the options. Identifying Available Options-State the available options and describe how the various options were identified, what methodology was used and why some options were discarded early (if any). Initial Evaluation and Consolidation-Explain how the shortlisted options were chosen and what options were shortlisted. Detailed Options Analysis-Provide an overview of the evaluation methodology. Benefits Evaluation-Quantitative as well as qualitative benefits for each option should be considered. Cost Evaluation-Discuss the various costing elements that were evaluated. Details regarding the assumptions used and the outcome of the evaluation should be presented. Cost elements typically include the following: Non-recurrent Costs-Describe the non-recurrent costs (or one off cost to establish the option) elements, including the transition cost, and the basis for deriving these costs. Recurrent Costs-Provide a description of costs that will be incurred throughout the life of the project. These costs may either be fixed or variable. Opportunity Cost- Opportunity cost is the cost of the next best foregone alternative to deliver a given option. Whole of Life Costs-Describe and include costs that will be incurred over the life of the project to ensure that the assets originally procured can continue to be delivered to a level of service that provides the required outcomes. The whole of life costs may include activities such as replacement of assets, refurbishing or upgrading specific asset elements. Strengths and Weaknesses Evaluation-Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the options considered. Risk Analysis-Describe the process used for risk identification, risk quantification as well as key observations from this aspect. Detail any findings in a risk register. Sensitivity Analysis-Discuss the findings of any sensitivity analysis carried out to determine how sensitive the outcome of the analysis is to variations in the assumptions. Implementation planning Describe how the chosen option will be delivered and rolled out and the various issues that must be considered. Project Structure and Governance-Detail how the project will be managed and governed. Governance-Describe the chosen governance structure for the project, include information on individuals or positions that are already identified. Project Management-Describe the project management methodologies that will be used in delivering the project, including where available, a high level description of the organisational structure (could be graphical). Implementation Detail-Detail the programme and transition arrangements. Implementation Timing-Include a high-level implementation programme. This could cover single-stage or multi-stage delivery of the project. Present as a Gantt chart. see appendix 8 Transition Planning-Describe the activities and temporary arrangements required during the transitional phase. Constraints, Assumptions, Sourcing and Funding Requirements-Document identified constraints and the major assumptions made which affect the implementation. Sourcing and Procurement Strategy-Describe the chosen sourcing models with reasons why they were chosen and how goods and services will be procured and tracked. Funding Requirements-Describe what funding requirements are required, the timing, source and application/approval arrangements of the funds. Approach to Manage Risk, Communications and Resources Risk Management-Describe the risk management plan with detailed responsibilities and actions. Communications Strategy-Describe the required communications strategy together with what to communicate, to whom and when. Staff Resources-Detail what are the key issues, particularly from a human resources management point of view. This could include both staffing requirements for the project together with any impact caused by the project such as staff re-deployment or reductions/increases. Technical Considerations Describe any technical considerations, which could range from ICT requirements to general or specific engineering requirements. Regulatory Impact Assessment / Business Impact Assessment-Any impact on any regulatory bodies or regulated or third party businesses which could be adversely or positively affected by the introduction of the project should be included. Legislative Considerations-Detail any legislative aspects to the project that could require legislative changes or issue of new guidelines/codes of practice. The Post Implementation Review Process Explain how and when reviews will be carried out to check that the expected benefits have been realised and delivered. Also, describe how to track the benefits and report on them versus the original analysis. Within a company, Payroll is the main area outsourced per Statistics see appendix 5 Large competition and challenging environment has forced companies to focus more on added value and revenue generating core business activities rather than the routine of regular HR practices i.e. payroll most companies outsource payroll for various reasons according including reducing coat and controlling them. according to (Princy Thomas and P K Thomas). According to a study conducted in the US by PMRs payroll outsourcing satisfaction survey, it was found that out of the 215 respondent companies, 119 companies outsource payroll processing to a third party for activities such as tax filing, human resources, time and attendance, benefits administration, workers compensation administration and unemployment compensation administration (PMR, 2003) (appendix 6) Large competition and challenging environment has forced companies to focus more on added value and revenue generating core business activities rather than the routine of regular HR practices i.e. payroll most companies outsource payroll for various reasons according including reducing coat and controlling them. according to (Princy Thomas and P K Thomas). Benchmarking As per the office of national statistic, the government outsource the payroll The following information has been provided in relation to Payroll; We use the Logica payroll system, provided by CGI IT UK Limited. At the last count, in January 2017, there were 3,967 employees supported on the above system. The contract value when last purchased was  £840,000. The contract renewal date is 31/05/2022 We do not provide individual employee contact names to preserve Commercial confidentiality. Please contact us at [emailprotected] Not applicable 16th Feb 2016 Its official. New Research on the outsourcing market 2016-2020 has revealed that payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. The report from Infiniti Research see appendix 5 indicates that organisations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. The in-depth market analysis used inputs from industry experts and covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years, and findings revealed a growth in either an outsourced single process or the entire payroll service to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. The research revealed that organisations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organisations that outsource the same functions.(Global payroll outsourcing market 2016-2020   2016 by   Infiniti Research) Employee Confidentiality and Ethics Mellewigt et al. (2007) explained the importance of trust and its influence on outsourcing relationship. Protection of payroll information is very crucial. Strict internal control measures should be in place to prevent payroll confidentiality breaches, as it will have disastrous effects on any organization. The business case reports accurately the information and informs how the company will function weather in house payroll or outsourced payroll. The information should provide consistent information to all audiences. The strategy to support the business objectives need to be highlighted along with the direct cost of savings benefit. Indirect benefits are often intangible this must be explained in the report, with the relevant case studies and reports to add credibility. I.e. payroll errors have an impact on the trust and morale of the employee by being under/ overpaid this can lead employees feeling less engaged and less motivated along with feeling undervalued. It can have an impact on the payroll administrator by increasing the pressure of mistrust. Employees would benefit by receiving information in an informal way by having a presentation with their managers who would also distribute the newsletter with the information. The newsletter would contain the relevant information which effects the individual. The project manager would also be present at the presentation so as the employees can ask questions without feeling intimidated. The Report for the finance team would consist of figures for cashflow purposes. The information would outline the initial costs, terms of payment, operating expenses, return on investment and budget. The information is to conduct an affordability assessment and prepare for budget and cashflow forecasts. Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020.Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020. Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020.Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020. Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020.The evaluation of the contribution to the study. The HR Function has been trying to reposition itself, the aim is to encourage the function to be more strategic and have less administration tasks and to be more of a business support function and a facilitator of change rather than a guardian of the traditional function of employee welfare. HR are becoming high profile contributors at a strategic level they are well intergraded with the business and demonstrating they are adding value. Although extensive research ha