Barbie Essays - Barbie, Mattel, Ken, Ruth Handler, Doll, BookBarbie

Barbie Since the beginning of time, toys have often been an indicator of the way a society behaves, and how they interact with their children. For example, in ancient Greece, artifacts recovered there testify that children were simply not given toys to play with as in the modern world. The cruel ritual of leaving a sick child on a hillside for dead, seems to indicate a lack of attention to the young (Lord 16). The same is true of today's society. As you can see with the number of toy stores in our society, we find toys of great value to our lives and enjoy giving them to children as gifts. Ask just about any young girl what she wants for Christmas and you'll undoubtedly get the same answer: ?A Barbie.? But what exactly has caused this baby boomer Barbie craze, and how did the entire world get so caught up in it? The answer lies in Ruth Handler's vision for the first children's adult doll. Mrs. Handler's eleven and one-half-inch chunk of plastic began causing problems even before it's public debut in 1959, yet has managed to become one of America's favorite dolls. Ruth Handler and her two young children, Barbara and Ken, were merely sightseeing in Lucerne, Switzerland, when Mrs. Handler first saw the doll she herself had been trying to create (Lord 29). In the window of a small gift shop was an eleven and one-half-inch tall plastic doll with a slender woman's body and a long blond ponytail. Her name was Lilli (?Bad Girl? 1). She had been created from a cartoon character in a West German tabloid similar to the National Inquirer (Lord 8). Dressed provocatively, and with a seductive look in her eye, Lilli had become a ?popular pornographic gag gift for men? (?Bad Girl? 1). Excited to see her long-time idea a reality, Mrs. Handler bought three of the dolls and hurried home to begin work on her own doll (?Bad Girl? 2). It was 1956, and within three years, Mattel Creations began marketing the ?teenage fashion model? as ?a new kind of doll from real life? (Tosa 30). The new doll, deemed ?Barbie?, was named after her own daughter Barbara, who's many y ears of play with paper dolls had actually inspired her to begin designing the three-dimensional adult doll (Lord 30). Though Mrs. Handler's version of the doll was not as racy or alluring as Lilli, her imitation of the ?German streetwalker? would come back to haunt her many years later (?Bad Girl? 2). But for now, the Barbie doll would launch Ruth Handler and her company, ?Mattel Creations?, into what was soon to be a successful national corporation. In fact, the Barbie doll was so popular that three years after her release in 1959 Mattel was still filling orders from her first year (Long 17). It wasn't until the late 1960's that critics began ?comparing Barbie to a Playboy Bunny and calling her a corrupter of youth? (?Bad Girl? 3). One woman commented, ?She's an absurd representation of what a woman should be? (?Bad Girl? 3)-?and that's exactly what many others thought she was, too. With such impossible real-life measurements of 5'9? tall, 36?-18?-33? bust, waist, and hip (Benstock and Ferriss 35), it's easy to see why mothers across the country banned the doll from their homes and refused to let their impressionable young daughters be influenced by a piece of painted plastic (Bestock and Ferriss 35). Since dolls have often been responsible for teaching children what society deems important or beautiful, many concerned parents wondered why Mattel did not design a doll that taught more valuable lessons than dressing pretty and being dangerously skinny (Edut 19)? Who said a runway model was best suited for teaching a child what is beautiful anyway? ?According to a Mattel sp okesperson, a Kate Moss figure is better suited for today's fashions? (Edut 19), and that is one reason why Barbie must be so disproportional. Actually, another reason for Barbie's anorexic figure can be traced back long before Kate Moss and the fashion runway. Barbie was originally designed as a doll with a body one-sixth the size of a real person, who would wear clothes made from

4 ways your job can impact your health

4 ways your job can impact your health It’s one thing to dislike your job, but it’s another if it’s making you sick. If you’ve been feeling physically and mentally worn down lately and can’t seem to shake it, maybe it’s time to take a hard look at your work life to see if it’s the cause of your health issues. Of course you have to go to work, but recognizing where problems exist and making even small changes can start to put you on the road to wellness. Are you sedentary all day?According to a study done by the American Heart Association (AHA), even if you fit exercise into your life, sitting all day every day can negate the health benefits you’ve gained. The solution? Move even more- as much as you can. Make sure to get up and walk around every hour or so. Walk to the kitchen for water once an hour. Take an office lap every other hour. Get up and get your blood flowing whenever possible.Does your commute stress you out?If you’re spending a ton of time getting to and from work, it’s likely taking a toll on your life attitude. One study done in the United Kingdom earlier this year found people with long commutes are more likely to suffer from depression and work-related stress. If your commute is longer than 10 miles by car or 30 minutes by bus or subway, then it might be negatively impacting your life. You can’t help where your office is located, but do everything you can to make the travel time as restful and enjoyable as possible: try downloading a fun podcast or listening to music that will start your day off right.Are you way overworked?If all your waking hours are spent thinking about work or being at work, you’re likely neglecting all other aspects of your life. In fact, according to a recent study, if you work more than 39 hours a week, your mental and physical health will start to decline. Even if you’re on your couch in pajamas, if you’re logged in and constantly monitoring your work emails the n you’re not getting proper rest. Dedicated time to focus on yourself, your friends, and your family is crucial to maintaining balance- at some point, you need to be able to shut things off and not be at work.Are you surrounded  by germs? (You are.)Did you know that your keyboard, mouse, mousepad, and even I.D. badge are all germ factories? Scary but true: your keyboard in 20,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. And then there are all the hands you shake and doorknobs or faucets you turn in the course of a day. You’re in an enclosed space with tens or hundreds of people every day- start carrying around that hand sanitizer. And if your office is open plan? It might encourage more collaboration, but it also encourages sharing whatever bug is going around. You might find you’re getting sick more and more often, just by coming to work. Take your vitamins, keep your space clean, and get fresh air when you can throughout the day.Notice a theme here? If you take mom ents out of your day to make sure you are taking care of yourself, your overall health will start to improve.

Participant Observation (Business Research Method) Essay

Participant Observation (Business Research Method) - Essay Example 2006, p. 342). Participant observer is basically carrying out a naturalistic approach to conducting research and it seems to be a commitment that attempts to adopt the perspectives of studies shared in the day to day experiences. Participant observation has been described as an ongoing and intensive observing, listening and speaking with some explanations (Ely, 1991, p. 42). Many researchers use participant observation as an umbrella term for all qualitative data gathering and data handling. Participant observation includes going out or staying out in search for qualitative data gathering, and thus the observer may learn a new language in order to express the experiences about the lives of people that the researcher comes to know. With this type of research approach, the researcher is prompted to be immersing himself in a specific culture and also learning how he can get rid of the same immersion so that he will be able to intellectualize what he has seen and heard. He will express them in writing, speaking to others and will try to convince others (Bernard, p. 2006, p. 344). Participant observation is therefore more likely to be a fieldwork, but all fieldworks are in contrary not participant observation. ... sanctioned and socially approved answers for a survey research to provide socially desirable responses to describe oneself in terms judged as desirable and to present one-self favorably (Craighead and Nemeroff, 2002, p. 1557). Social desirability affects the accuracy of data to be gathered. It is mainly influenced by the way questions are prepared or asked. Many of survey research questions are more likely to create chances of social desirability so that respondents answer questions in a pre-made answer formats. Engel and Schutt (2005, p. 234) stressed that social desirability effects are more likely to occur when discussing issues that are of controversial in nature or when researcher expresses a view that is not popular or not widely accepted. When survey researcher or interviewer asks the participants with certain ready-made questions, especially when the questions have highly desirable answers, respondents feel conflicts between a desire to conform to the definition of good respo ndent behaviour and a desire to respond and appear to the interviewer to be in a socially desirable category. In surveys with pre-made multiple choice questions, social desirability is more likely to occur among the respondents. Operational Definition An operational definition, in the context of data collection and research, is an obvious, brief, complete and careful description of a measure. Social scientist uses operational definition as a measure to explain various conceptual terms (Sprague, Stuart and Bodary, 2008, p. 205). As different types of data were gathered, operational definition is very fundamental. The operational definition is a significant one in a situation at which the decision is to be taken about something regarding whether it is correct or not, or something having the

A Humorous Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Humorous Experience - Essay Example The place was essentially a ghost town, which made this the perfect setting for the following story, which is a little bit scary for someone who is in a foreign country by oneself, off on her own, doing her own thing-and unfortunately not being smart enough to stay with the group. Let me preface this by saying that originally, what happened was not a very humorous experience. Getting lost in a foreign country is not fun. I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach for most of the experience because I was terrified of being left behind by my group in France. Running around not knowing where you're going is not fun. Knowing that you've made mistakes is not fun. Having that 'lost' feeling is not fun. Having to ask strangers for directions is not fun. Looking back, however, it seems very funny. First, I will tell it how the story happened. There were a group of about thirty of us-about half of us were American high school students, and the other half were Spanish high school host students. We were eating lunch on the beach that we had brought from home, and I told the group (I'm paraphrasing here), "Yeah, well, I'm going to head off now by myself." I told them this in no uncertain terms. No one seemed to think this odd. After all, Biarritz was a little town; it wasn't very large; how could I get lost I must preface this story... Seven Streets is basically is a shopping district of seven streets horizontally lined up next to each other. I had run out of money, which was back then the Spanish peseta and not yet the Euro. I had to ask the people at the store to hold the postcards for me while I ran to the local bank on Siete Calles. When I got to the bank, somehow I was able to jump the line. I don't know if it was because they were feeling sorry for my plight of being in a terrible hurry or what it was, but I asked some elderly Spanish ladies to translate for me so I could get some Spanish pesetas quickly, in order to get back to the store in order to pay for the postcards faster. Meanwhile, I was late in getting back to our meeting place at the church in the center of town and everyone feared the worst for me since I had not gotten back on time-when in reality I was just buying about 100 or so postcards that were on sale! I promised not to be late again and that was that. Well, little did I know that I would again find myself in another pickle. This time was really not much different. After I had told the Spanish students "So long" at lunch and had gone along on my merry way, I found myself going to various stores in Biarritz, because really this place was quite interesting. They had all sorts of different knick-knacks that were fun to look at, and it really was quite a charming little town. It was the kind of place you could get lost in. That was the key word. The kind of town you could get lost in. Unfortunately, I was going to be one of those people in a few minutes. I found myself finally at a French confectionary and candy store investigating all the different kinds of sweets that this particular place

The role of propaganda for the functioning and survival of human Essay

The role of propaganda for the functioning and survival of human society - Essay Example The paper tells that McKenzie in his book â€Å"Propaganda and Empire† has highlighted the extreme importance of the 19th century ideological constructs. He has suggested that the durability of the term has assisted the development of hurdles in the economic progress of the UK during the 20th century. This aspect has become an important part of debates in the post colonial period. While investigating and evaluating the foundation of such ideologies, McKenzie examined children’s literature, school text books exhibitions, radio, films and theater. He concluded that as a consequence of imperial propaganda, the middle classes were able to achieve economic advantages under the garb of idealistic processes. In this process, morality was substituted by mercenary motives and enhanced adventure and romance for military and political aggressions. Thus, it became a significant change of past imperialist urges that matched the revised concepts of colonial settings. Across the entir e middle ages till the modern period, there has been immense reliance on propaganda and no society has refrained from it. For instance the constant conflicts amongst the monarchy and parliament in Britain has been a historic struggle whereby propaganda has always been used. Propaganda has been used as a weapon in the American independence movement, while it was also liberally used during the French Revolution. The maximum use of propaganda was made during the First World War, and both communists and fascists were aggressively involved in revolutionary propaganda after the war ended. After having captured power, both sections attempted to grab territories that extended further than their national boundaries, through the use of propaganda. In the modern world, man’s creativity has perfected means of communication that extends the impact of ideas and information in quickly spreading the required appeals. Nevertheless, the technological developments can be constructively used for the creation of peace and international welfare. However, leaders such as Mussolini and Hitler chose to use this medium for inhuman and selfish objectives and thereby created a negative picture of propaganda in the modern world (Herman and Chomsky, 1988). The development of politics in the modern world has stimulated the impacts of propaganda and is now considered an essential element of political campaigns in democratic systems. Propaganda now appears to be an essential part of the democratic process because the candidates seeking nominations are expected to appeal to the voting constituencies through strong promises and planned programs. After being elected, politicians have to appeal to the electorate for their opinion on suitability and dependability of their efforts and policies. It thus becomes necessary for political parties to engage in propaganda to justify and explain their course of action to the public. During peace time, democratic governments mostly engage in propagan da in making people aware of the available services and in creating popular support for themselves. Recent developments such as globalization have expanded the scope of propaganda because under circumstances of mass consumption and mass production, propaganda techniques have transformed in creating involvement of different entities such as employees, consumers, interest groups and the public at large (Farrell and Smith, 1967). Hate propaganda creates harm to people by negatively impacting their dignity and feeling of self worth. In addition, it harms society as a whole as it obliterates social accord and leads to discriminatory practices and violence, thereby leading to the creation of a hostile atmosphere amongst those that are besieged in the same society. Hate propaganda works in dehumanizing people in the

Cross Border Strategic Takeovers: The Case of Cadbury

Cross Border Strategic Takeovers: The Case of Cadbury Cross border strategic takeovers test the investment ability to earn above the average market return. But taking over Cadbury explores beyond monetary gain. The deal is a defiance of cultural pride, countrymen sentiment and confidence in corporate. In free market economy transnational corporations ambition a strategic structure to skirt flat line company growth. Inevitably, organization structures have evolved into very complex ones, where explanations are in many scholastic studies: Egelhoff 1982, Dunning 1993, Stopford Wells 1972, Franko 1976, Galbraith Nathanson 1978, Robock Simmonds 1973. A traditional structure simply concerned a broad international presence. Typically, these consisted independent operations in the handle of an expatriate. In its proliferation, the facilitation of information flow prompted the creation of offshore headquarters which functioned isolate of the local core group (Barber, J. P. 2002, pp.1-5). However, these international structures had about one third of the offshore venture in the form of shared ownership (Casseres 2006, p. 4). What firms manifest these days is cognizant of the global outlook. Less differentiation is placed on the local operations vis-a-vis the international division. Strategic structures shift authority and responsibility to the central domain, without the former single line authority in force, rather a multiple lines responsibility (Barber, J. P. 2002, pp.1-5). Sheer size is given importance in the new corporate international strategy (Egelhoff 1988, p. 1-14). A Precise Pair (Possible reasons why Kraft identified Cadbury as a suitable partner) Kraft Foods, Inc. envisions global domination of the confectionery world (Wiggins 2010, sc. 3), and Cadbury would be the pair of precision. These firms have similar and complimenting features, when combined can operate more competently. They are alike because each is an industry icon that spells out of a history of corporate prestige. In the same way these firms compliment, having pursued a different market position in product lines such as novelty brands Oreo cookies over dairy milk chocolate. Cadbury and Kraft supplement one another in geographical footprint, thus distribution lines are less redundant, if not broadened (Beaudin, 2010). In the context and analysis of industry, a pair of firms can operate more competently when combined. In fact, dissimilar capabilities are often synchronized in the manufacture of opposite goods (Casseres 2006, p. 8-12). Acquisitions improve efficiency by seizure of synergies between firms (Crosoni, Gomes, McGinn, Noth 2004, p.481-512). When put together, Cadbury-Kraft becomes an industry powerhouse. Both sum up an unrivalled portfolio of tremendous potential (The Independent 2010, sc. 2-4). The long term forecast revenues are estimated at a strait annual 5% upward trend in revenues and company growth at 9-11%. On its own, Kraft revenues rises at about 4% with company growth of 7- 9%. A prolonged growth in revenues determines annual cost savings of $625 million (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). It is argued that such transformation creates larger economies of scale higher and larger geographical markets (Lambrecht 2000, p.1-4). The takeover is meant to reshape market competition, imposing influence on emerging markets. The industry for chocolate and sweets is quite gaping and loosely split between international conglomerates: Mars, Wrigley, Kraft, Hershey, Ferrero and Nestlà © (Beaudin 2010, sc. 1-4). By the acquisition of Cadbury, Kraft assumes to suppress rivalry by the bundle of capabilities (Casseres 2006, p. 8-12). In other words, the industry turns out to be less competitive and too concentrated (Crosoni, Gomes, McGinn, Noth 2004, p.481-512). And why global shares are expected to rise by 5% points from the estimated 20% holding for both firms (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). Takeovers can reduce production costs at minimal or result in bullish strategies such as predatory pricing against remaining industry players (Crosoni, Gomes, McGinn, Noth 2004, p.481-512). Or-simply a means to breakaway from the discipline of market competition, while economic benefits are reaped and a barrier to entry fortified (Herings, Peeters Schinkel 2005, p. 20). Kraft benefits the niche knowledge and experience of Cadbury. And the new firm brings together invaluable insights by encountering methods of another industry player (ArticleSnatch.com, 2010, sc.3). Bitter Deal (Why a hostile takeover was considered the most appropriate means of acquisition) There could be no appropriate manner to put an end to an Englishmans 186-year old dairy milk maker. Simply because Cadbury is a source of pride and pomposity nearly as important to British culture as the Beatles (quoting Bloomberg Businessweek publication 9 Feb 2010); the deal shall forever be looked upon as a hostile takeover. Not that it is forgivable, a hostile takeover is assumed when organization management is unreceptive of the acquisition process, even when the company has a market valuation below net asset (Casseres 2006, p. 8-12). Theory and practice determine that stock price maximization sits as the foremost objective of a corporation. In the Kraft-Cadbury situation, the business outline of both companies show a consistent cash flows but a severely incapacitate growth opportunities. Market value net investment capital remained flat for some period of time (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). It is reasoned that the Cadbury takeover allows for a strategic structure expected to churn annual revenues of $50 billion across 160 countries (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6). Cadbury by itself consistently held about 10% share in the global market or what Wiggins describes as a slim lead over competitors. That is, with little put into marketing, innovation and capital expenditure, the company growth waned (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6). The restructuring mechanism offered a handsome post merger ownership share. What the investor obtains of the new firm is a crucial payoff and decisive gain (Lambrecht 2000, p.1-4). The closing price of 850 pence in 60% cash plus 40% stock ratio (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6). Cadbury was a vulnerable target, the takeover timing immediate. The company suffered losses and financial targets berserk. The 75 age old plant at Somerdale was earmarked for closure with 500 jobs slashed. Onsite operations were to be moved to the Bournville plant in Birmingham by 2010 and to the new Poland facility. Brands manufactured at Somerdale are the Cadbury Mini-Egg, Curly Wurly, Chocolate Creeam, Fudge and Turkish Delight (House of Commons 2010, p.9). The Salmonella contamination of 2006, recalled over a million chocolate bars plus a breach of safety penalty of  £1m and an accounting scandal in Nigeria took out on profits (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6). Domino Effect (What external events gave rise to the opportunity of acquiring Cadbury?) The global economic turndown triggered innovations and larger transformations, which in turn gives rise to the hostile takeover of Cadbury. Any basic change in the economic environment can do so, such as alterations in policy or industry innovations (Lambrecht 2000, p.1-4). It can be said that globalization itself heightens brand definition and competition that firms are continually on the look out for strategic moves. Growth patterns are also seen to shift the Asia region, as the result of population growth and consumer style. Change in consumer habits: the American consumers were moving into health drinks, affecting upon Gorts economic disturbance theory. This suggests that the high level mergers among soda companies: Coca Cola Company, PepsiCo and Danone, resulted instabilities in the umbrella company and the eventual separation of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (Ganesh 2010, p.17-25). Strategist Todd Stitzer sought out to demerge its US soft drinks and confectionery businesses, which was carried out a few years ahead (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6). Given these events put forth uncertainty, Cadbury shareholders had differing opinions as on the true value of share. The economic disturbance theory asserts that valuation differences cultivate ground for takeover transactions. The narrowing profit margin expensed into raw materials is one compelling external factor making takeovers palatable. As the economic turndown cuts deeper into food companies profits, many brands downgrade ingredients. The Cadbury attempt to shift to palm oil stirred consumer outrage and disapproval of environmentalists, even losing out considerable money. Decisions of acquisition touch further the organizational effort and cost savings on information transfer, contracts, principal-agent relationships, incentives and transaction costs (Casseres 2006, p. 8-12). Cadbury profit margins plunged by 7 percentage points in 2008 from 22% in 2004 (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). Bullheaded (How differing negotiation styles could have had an impact on the initial discussions on Kraft and Cadbury) Kraft paid a wildly higher price by sheer ill conduct while negotiating the deal. Had it not focused only on its own interests and empty of concern in the emotional significance of the deal, the acquisition could have cost less. Ill conduct was an expressed a lack of respect, what is an essential ingredient in cross border transactions. The initial offering of 10.5 billion pounds -or $17.1 billion was slammed as derisory (London Associated Press 2010, sc. 1), KFI proposed to buy 300 pence in cash plus 0.2589 of the new Kraft Foods share, which comes to the value of 745 pence (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). A turnaround recommendation by the Cadbury board was made on the offer of 850 pence in 60% cash plus 40% stock ratio (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6). Too low an opening bid stirred resentment, if at all tore apart members of the board in humiliation. Seemingly very American is the abrasive and brute, which in return lagged the negotiation and KFI risked its credit rating and dividends by borrowing heavily to fill out a high closing price (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). A bid opening price forecasts the value of these combined entities which under the new strategic structure ought to be much higher. The price derives from cost reductions in labor or Capexes, market power, consumer access and specialization, supply chain accountability, debt tax shields, management empowerment, financial controllership, and many factors studies. The same way, it leaves a psychological imprint on board members of the target firm (Baker, Pan Wurgler 2009, p.7-20). Corporate motif permeates negotiating style. Having that KFI is made up of everything and anything it swallows, with a high subsidiary turnover rates, speculations on a one sided talk lets up an overprotective Cadbury board (Beaudin 2010, sc. 1-4). It seems Kraft took advantage of the announcement to close the Somerdale facility, using this as a reference point for perceived value (Baker, Pan Wurgler 2009, p.7-20). A better manner would be to propose acquisition, after the potential synergies are identified and additional value determined (Crosoni, Gomes, McGinn Noth 2004, p.481-512). Compelling Convictions (How could such disparate cultures have an impact on the initial period of the new organisation) In an interview with Namrata Singh during his Asia tour of duty, mention that the company was working quickly, but thoughtfully on issues related to mending cultural differences. Clearly, the excitement set in and people at work look forward to the growth opportunities of the merger. KFI is noted to have built a depth of cross-cultural talent, leadership soars with the exceptional fusion of leaders with global mindset. People begin with identifying similarities. KFI and Cadbury share a familiar passion for brands and are ready to trust in local groups. Preparatory seminars are held to brainstorm how to begin growing faster together. Employee enthusiast seek ways to unleash the best of both companies (The Times of India 2010, sc.1-3). Insofar Cadbury culture is distinctive of a reputation for evenhandedness with employees and in its business practices. It practiced philanthropy during wartime, as it a forerunner of fair trade practice (House of Commons 2010, p.23). The Englishman Employment Policy is subject to TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings-Protection of Employment). Private sector companies are to carry over appointment contracts unchanged between the transferor and the transferee, to prevent the dismissal. Many services in the bureaucracy are expected to be outsourced to the private sector. These contracts will require TUPE 2006 to be fully taken into account. TUPE provides transferring hires the choice to join a replacement pension scheme with equivalent conditions and matched contribution rates up to 6% of basic salary (Huard 2010, p.2-7). A takeover succeeds when key employees are encouraged and motivated to start new work arrangements. KFI could rue the day failing to come across a commitment to reemploy several knowledgeable, experienced workers at Cadbury Keynsham. The house of Commons notes that the commitment only extends to Kraft employees in manufacturing, and do not apply for post redundancy in divisions of finance, legal and communications (House of Commons 2010, p.9). State Intervention (Critically appraise the involvement of national Governments in cross border transactions such as Kraft in the acquisition of Cadbury) State intervention in the Cadbury takeover is less authoritative, if not feeble. Unlike Governments of China or Japan, were extensive sensitivity and involvement is put out to bail legendary business institutions. To some nations, a taskforce is established for the purpose of overseeing takeover procedures. While State actions could end up futile or restraint, the gesture looks out for future generations, the same as protectorate of heritage. The House of Commons convened to investigate the Cadbury takeover only after the deal came through. Changes in public policy must step up with Cadbury gone (House of Commons 2010, p.3). The overall idea is to re think a British market that is less open or permissive. The takeover Code was authored in an environment where ownership models were quite different (Wiggins 2010, sc. 2-6), and neglect on the part of the State is a subject of public debate. Economic policy in other advanced nations, France and USA, are designed to ward off corporate scavengers. Policy stipulates existing shareholders can acquire voluminous shares at a price below the market if a prospector influences a buyout without board approval. The provision, which is granted to privilege holders typically the founders and top executives, wards off corporate scavengers deliberately. In effect it has reduced costs on litigations and worry on hostile takeovers (Mebran 2005, sc.1-5). Due Diligence (You are to review and critically analise the concept of due diligence and present a reasoned argument as to why it should help companies like Kraft avoid acting irresponsibly and unwisely) Due diligence is a requisite for a smooth and subtle takeover. It is expected that the bidder conducts exhaustive study on the subsidiaries that make up a firm such to arrive at an agreeable, suitable acquisition structure (Birkett 2003, p.1-6). With reference to the opening price of 745 pence per ordinary share, this translates to about $50 per ADR. Equally, the new firm should achieve a top line growth of 10% annually and EBITDA margins of 27%. To justify the price offering, that bottom line pattern should continues from 2010 to 2014. Experts think this is too ambitious a proposition (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). The impact of psychological pricing is very real (Baker, Pan Wurgler 2009, p.7-20). Although a quick refusal transpired after KFI rendered an opening bid, it set out bad blood (The Wall Street Journal 2010, sc 1). A bidder who comes prepared will gauge psyche of the target and set out to build a good working relationship. On the average, investors are disposition averse; the prospect theory suggests that more are hesitant to sell stocks with losses on paper than when stocks show gains. It is also Perceptiveness is expected at the senior level, and trickles down to the rest of the firm (Baker, Pan Wurgler 2009, p.7-20). Kraft borrowed heavily to buy Cadbury (Beaudin 2010, sc. 1-4). The purchase is outsourced through the sale of the DiGiorno and Tombstone pizza brands to Nestle SA (Chicago Business 2010, sc. 2-5). This suggests that Kraft could have overvalued the operational performance to come through with the assumptions of the transaction (Value Expectations 2010, sc. 1-3). Or possible, that the takeover results from a inaccurate valuations on the stock market (Lambrecht 2000, p.1-4). The $19 billion takeover places KFI in sizeable debt, the pay down of integrating two formidable, transnational businesses. The estimated cost synergies from the putting together Cadbury and KFI has been raised to $750 million (Cordeiro 2010, p.1-4). Principled negotiations focus on what is meaningful to a target (Birkett 2003, p.1-6). Consider what is valuable to the target business, other than costs. A negotiator can lose something more valuable, such as company reputation, when engaging without evaluating this dimension. This can extend to understanding the social dynamics in which the target operates (Lambrecht 2000, p.1-4). It is unwise to say anything about the terms before this is formalized this could break the agreement. A week after the takeover, or on 9 Feb 2010, Kraft presents conclusively, its intention to shut down the Somerdale factory. The decision is a reversal of its foremost commitment to Cadbury at the outset (House of Commons 2010, p.17).

Property :: essays research papers

The Koran describes a prejudice attitude toward women. The women are regarded as chattel and reduced to the status of domestic animals. Women are treated like slaves owing servitude to their husbands. They are regarded as property and can be replaced on a whim. A man can choose to dismiss his wife if she does not please him. However, a woman does not have the same option. Once a woman has married, she has been ‘touched’ and will not be desired by another. Women do not have any rights and must conform to the marriage contract. The punishment women receive for committing crimes are harsher than that of their male counterparts. If a woman commits adultery, she will be confined to the house until she dies. If a man commits the same act, he must repent and will be forgiven by God. In Christianity, God teaches that adultery is an equal sin for both men and women. It does not matter whether a man or women commits adultery since they both can repent and will be forgiven. A man is also allowed to take several wives. The bible plainly states that practice constitutes adultery! Does this mean that he commits adultery with his other wives, yet he only has to repent to be forgiven? Having more than one   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   wife is a sin in itself. The Koran says the ultimate goal of a man is to live with one wife. But, it is optional for him to take as many as four. He must be able to keep and maintain equality among them. The Koran instructs the man to find a woman who is a believer when he chooses a wife. A man can take a slave-girl who is a believer if he cannot afford to marry a woman who is not a believer. A slave-girl’s punishment is only half the penalty inflicted on a free adulteress if she commits adultery. The woman being regarded as property makes her part of her husband’s estate. The husband can will her to his brother upon his death. This occurs so that his wife and children will have a support system. This is the only way the woman will be able survive. Since she is part of the estate, she has no authority regarding the dividing of the moneys. She will only receive one-fourth of his estate regardless of whether or not they have children. Property :: essays research papers The Koran describes a prejudice attitude toward women. The women are regarded as chattel and reduced to the status of domestic animals. Women are treated like slaves owing servitude to their husbands. They are regarded as property and can be replaced on a whim. A man can choose to dismiss his wife if she does not please him. However, a woman does not have the same option. Once a woman has married, she has been ‘touched’ and will not be desired by another. Women do not have any rights and must conform to the marriage contract. The punishment women receive for committing crimes are harsher than that of their male counterparts. If a woman commits adultery, she will be confined to the house until she dies. If a man commits the same act, he must repent and will be forgiven by God. In Christianity, God teaches that adultery is an equal sin for both men and women. It does not matter whether a man or women commits adultery since they both can repent and will be forgiven. A man is also allowed to take several wives. The bible plainly states that practice constitutes adultery! Does this mean that he commits adultery with his other wives, yet he only has to repent to be forgiven? Having more than one   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   wife is a sin in itself. The Koran says the ultimate goal of a man is to live with one wife. But, it is optional for him to take as many as four. He must be able to keep and maintain equality among them. The Koran instructs the man to find a woman who is a believer when he chooses a wife. A man can take a slave-girl who is a believer if he cannot afford to marry a woman who is not a believer. A slave-girl’s punishment is only half the penalty inflicted on a free adulteress if she commits adultery. The woman being regarded as property makes her part of her husband’s estate. The husband can will her to his brother upon his death. This occurs so that his wife and children will have a support system. This is the only way the woman will be able survive. Since she is part of the estate, she has no authority regarding the dividing of the moneys. She will only receive one-fourth of his estate regardless of whether or not they have children.

North Carolina Agricultural & State University

Dear Honorable, Governor Easily We are nursing, students at Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina we write this letter to bring to your attention an issue that if discussed enough in our community it might bring about change and save lives. This is hypertension.   I am asking for your help in bringing Hypertension a silent killer of our elderly population to the forefront of our community’s attention. My research partner and I have conducted research on hypertension as a requirement for our community 510 nursing course. With our research, here in Guilford County Greensboro, North Carolina:   we have a direct of understanding hypertension moreover, how its ill effects are distressing our elderly population’s health. With your help, we can bring this issue out by an educational campaign. Our research efforts show a need to help the community become conscious to get involved in the community to necessitate and facilitate our elderly population, living with hypertension due to lack of resources, transportation, diet exercise, obesity, chronic conditions. We have hundreds of seniors in our community here in Guilford County who can benefit by having resources to educate them about the causes risk factors and treatment for hypertension a silent killer. By facilitating things such as transportation to medical appointments, education on lifestyles that are conducive to good health, by getting the community involved during our research project we have had a high success rate in improving the effects of those who suffer hypertension among our elderly. Our research provides a description of the comprehensive study of hypertension within the cumulative, etiology, and the consequence on the populace health of the elderly in our area. This research will expectantly accomplish better education about hypertension for our elderly. Helping changing their lifestyle, an example of educating is as most know a good, diet helps maintain our body due to the FDA’s and the medical community’s at large education campaign promoted on our food packages and thru television and radio adds. Amazingly few seniors realize exercise and diet lowers hypertension, and helps problems with blood pressure levels. Hypertension is a reversible problem given the individual can see the benefits of diet and the implementation of exercise, to change their life through education when made available to them. Your support for community responsiveness of the senior’s living with hypertension is significantly valued. Thank you for your public service Sincerely Linda Wesson and Melinda Valetin North Carolina Agricultural & State University                     

Certain events in The Usual Suspects are presented a number essays

Certain events in The Usual Suspects are presented a number essays In Bryan Singers The Usual Suspects we are presented with a number of different situations where character opinion and manipulation alters the view we get of a scene. A prime example of this is the contradictory manifestations that arise from the character of Keyser Soze, whose true identity is shown in various ways from different characters points of view. The boat scene is also an integral part of the mystery where the events that occur are presented slightly differently in relation to the character that is telling them. It is this multiple focalization that has created the question as to whether the film has an open or closed ending and because of the differing presentations from Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) the ending can be argued in favour of each case. Without Verbals overall presentation of events the mystery to the story would be lost and it is this stylistic presentation that allows him to manipulate the audience and Agent Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), which in turn emphasises the intelligence and power that he possesses. The opening visual dynamics immediately presents us with a scene that will be replayed a number of times and the contrasting mia scoro in the boat scene symbolises the struggle for life against quickly imposed death. The first interpretation of events on the boat presents us with what really happens though the true identity of Keyser Soze is not revealed at this stage, which in turn creates the main premise for the narrative to develop from. The presentation of the scene is affective in its simplicity; we are not presented with any kind of build up to the situation on the boat, neither do we know who Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) is or why he is on the floor and we are not aware of who Keyser Soze is and the power that he possesses. It is from this that the scene appears to convey what genuinely happened with the stylistic presentation leaving matters around the scene unresol...

7 Reasons to Celebrate Your Favorite Teacher

7 Reasons to Celebrate Your Favorite Teacher The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) instituted World Teacher Day on October 5. However, many countries observe Teacher Day celebrations independently. In America, students celebrate  Teacher Appreciation Week  in the first full week of May. In that week, Teacher Appreciation Day is celebrated on Tuesday. How You Can Celebrate Teacher Day On Teachers Day, students express their gratitude and  appreciation  to their teachers. Many educational institutes commemorate Teacher Day with elaborate entertainment activities that include short plays,  dance,  and music. Parent volunteers and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members often host a small celebration party for the teachers. As a student, you can put up banners, and posters with  a thank you note  scribbled on them. Express your appreciation through  thank you cards. 7 Reasons to Appreciate Teachers A Teachers Influence Lasts Forever: In the words of William Butler Yeats, Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. We must credit our teachers who ignite the fire of learning in the mind that is yearning for knowledge. Someone once said, Teachers dont impact for a year, but for a lifetime. A teacher can make a lasting impression on your mind. This influence persists beyond school, college, and university, and becomes the beacon of light, guiding us through the journey of life. Good teachers play the role of a parent, providing encouragement, inspiration, and invaluable guidance.Teaching Is Not Easy: Not everyone can be a teacher. Sure, you can pursue teaching programs to gain the necessary certification to be a teacher. But a good teacher has to have certain qualities to be an icon of inspiration. Great teachers are those who can extract the nectar of goodness from young aspirants. They can fish out the hidden qualities of every student. With words of inspir ation, persistent training, and rigid discipline, they steer the students in the right direction. Great teachers teach the student to believe that nothing is impossible. Teachers Impact Many Generations:  Everyone has a favorite teacher. You may love this special teacher for her charisma, enthusiasm, or knowledge. Often, your best memories of childhood revolve around a great teacher, who inspired and changed your life. Their words  or actions linger in your memory decades after you leave school. Subconsciously, you emulate them as you pass on your knowledge to the next generation. Thus, a great teachers influence can last for many generations.Teaching Self-Reliance: By setting the right example, a teacher can impress the importance of self-reliance, instead of expecting help from others. This can teach students to build on their strengths and be responsible for their successes and failures. Students can learn to push their limits.Teachers Teach You to Seek Knowledge:  You may have come across some teachers who instilled value education in you. This kind of education can mold a human being for life. Teachers bear an enormous responsibility of pa ssing on their wisdom and knowledge. Italian astronomer and mathematician Galileo expressed, You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself. Good teachers help in enabling this discovery. They open new avenues  and encourage students to explore and achieve their true potential. The Best Teachers:  Recollect the good qualities of your favorite teachers. You may notice some common qualities. They motivated you to work harder, and take bigger initiatives. They are passionate about their subject and enjoyed teaching. Good teachers understand the importance of nurturing the love and thirst for knowledge. Some nuggets of their valuable advice remain with you forever. Their insight broadens your horizons and enables you to expand your knowledge.Teachers as Entertainers: Good teaching involves good delivery. African-American scholar and teacher John Henrik Clarke rightly said, A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audiences attention; then he can teach his lesson. It is not enough to simply know your subject. To initiate learning, teachers have to make the classroom experience enriching. Appreciate Your Teacher's Efforts With Gratitude Use this opportunity to get to know your teachers better. Share your thoughts and ideas and learn what inspires them. Make beautiful Teacher Day cards with  Happy Teacher Day quotes to express your admiration. One beautiful Teachers Day quote by Albert Einstein goes, It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Every Day Is Teacher Day Why wait for  Teacher Day to come around? You dont need a special occasion to express your affection towards your teacher. Make each day of your teachers life special with thoughtful words and deeds. A first-grade teacher is pleased as punch whenever she gets a hand-made card from one of her students. Overlooking the spelling mistakes and scrawny handwriting, she says that it is the thought that counts. Your Success Is Your Teacher's Success A teacher considers herself successful when her students achieve success in their respective careers. For her, the only reward is your advancement. On Teachers Day, pay a visit to your alma mater, and meet the teachers who molded you. You will be surprised to find that they remember you, even though many years have rolled by. Your visit might bring tears of joy to their eyes. Express your appreciation by writing a personalized message. It is the best gift you could ever give your teachers.

Thinkers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Thinkers - Essay Example This shift from mythic to rational mentality can be characterized as a movement from Who and Why questions about the cosmos to What and How questions. This shift occurred in part as a side-effect of frustration with the irreconcilable conflict of answers to Who and Why questions that were encountered on a regular basis in the trading city of Milesia, where cosmogonic myths would have been swapped along with goods. The Greeks were interested in the nature of the universe. What was it made out of How did it get there How does it stay in place How did it begin They asked these questions and they tried to answer them.The Pre-Socratics were the first theoretical philosophers in human history. They emerged in the 6th century b.c.e. in the Greek cities of Ionia. They were interested about the essential composition of nature and dissatisfied with earlier creation legends. The Ionians sought natural (physical) rather than religio-mythic (metaphysical) explanations for natural occurrences. They maintained that arbitrary and willful gods did not manipulate nature, and it wasn't governed by blind chance. Even though nature seemed chaotic, it was governed by principles of order - general laws that can be ascertained by the human mind. This marked the beginning of scientific thought.The Pre-Socratics wanted to find out what the universe was made of. They were looking for the primal or first substance of th e universe. They did this by means of observation with the naked eye. They used induction rather than deduction. From observing particular occurrences they postulated general theories. They believed the universe to be simple and subject to nature's laws. They speculated on the building blocks of the universe. Group of thinkers "Presocratics" is a group of thinkers who expressed themselves in various dialect of Greek during the 500's and 400's BC, that is, before the time of Socrates and his disciple Plato. Most lived in the edge of the Greek world, in what's today the western coast of Turkey (Ionia) and the southern parts of Italy. One reason we can be misled into viewing the Presocratics as children is that their ideas are often presented in a inexperienced and confusing way. two important thinkers whom tradition opposed to each other: Heraclitus of Ephesus (in Ionia) (ca. 540-480 BC), and Parmenides of Elea (a town in southern Italy) (born ca. 539 BC). Both struggled with being, not-being, and that combination of both with which we are familiar: becoming. To get an idea of how they struggled, you should click on either name. Here we can only say: Heraclitus took change and becoming to be cyclical: for him Real, Eternal Being is precisely the chain of eternally recurrent cycles. Parmenides denied outright the possibility of thinking the concept not-being Pythagoras was the source of a lesser stream of thought during this early period. Deeply religious, he and his followers formed mysterious mystery cults devoted to the rescue and cleansing of the soul. This was achieved by the attainment of wisdom, and in its pursuit they cultivated music, science and mathematics-especially mathematics in its cosmological applications. The cosmos for them was well-ordered, and it was well- ordered because it was a material expression of numbers and numerical

Gender equality in islamic Iran Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11500 words

Gender equality in islamic Iran - Coursework Example The methodology adopted is based on history of Islamic laws and policies on gender to compare the status of men and women in the society. This is further elaborated by a classical view, with particular emphasis on the status of women in the Islamic society of Iran and their present day situation outlining the developments that happened through various forms of reformist movements post the Islamic Republic of Iran movement of 1979. Discussion based on our findings from the methodology and approach revolves around the present status of Iranian Women under Islam with a comparison of modern and traditional women. Supporting the voice of modern women, the Convention of human rights laid post Revolution has been discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of the entire research and findings, extending to mention the current happenings in the name of reformist movements in Iran. Limitations of the study have been briefed along with a proposal for another method of studying the presence of gender differences in Iran. Gender, being a social and human concept, ideally does not enter the territory of God. Traditional views of gender roles and relations have persisted in tandem with changes in the status of women both within and outside the family. The realities of women's lives remain unclear and hidden to men and women, and this invisibility persists at all levels from family to the nation. Although men and women seem to coexist on earth, yet, they live in different worlds. They both enjoy different sets of rights, freedom, duties, culture, and even socio-economic status, and these differences cannot be traced to any particular period in history. Though, in front of God, men and women are equal as stated in Qu'ran, and status of women and men also defined with respect to their roles. Shari'a, the Muslim law, defines many differences between the two genders' roles, rights, and obligations. Most of the Islamic women do not enjoy uniform rights with regards to marriage, divorce, civil rights, legal s tatus, dress code, education, though the rules are said to be based on the Islamic holy teachings of Qu'ran. Majority of the social benefits given to women are based on teachings from Qu'ran. Nevertheless, scholars and other