Language Of Battle Essays - English Grammar, Axiology, Ethics

Language of Battle The Language Battle In todays society there are two philosophical views that have become enemies and are constantly battling it out. These two views are from the prescriptivists and the descriptivists. The prescriptivists believe that there is a certain way that language should be written, and that language follows a certain set of rules believed to be prestigious. The descriptivists believe that language is described with the use of certain use of words and syntax. Since, todays society has had many technological advances many tend to lean more towards the descriptivists way of thinking. Many people believe that if a person has a higher educational level that they would most likely have a higher prestige in the way that they talked or presented themselves. In a survey that was recently taken on dialect 100% of the people said that the sentence The land was given to Susan and me. Is correct. The prescriptivists way of thinking prevailed in this form of dialect. One sentence that made most people think was This is the play in which he preformed in. The prescriptivists point of view was put into play in this situation. Only 40% of the people picked up on the fact that this sentence ended with a preposition and 60% said that there was nothing wrong and that is how they would say it. The other speech form that was most diverse was the plural of you. The prescriptivists say that the correct answer is you all. Only 30% of the people got this question right. The most common was the answer yall by 40% of the people. 20% of the people said you guys and 10% said your. Again wi th educational level the descriptivists way seems to prevail. Since the times have changed so much with all the technological advances language has changed in time too. As people started to age the answers started to be very different. On the question that asked what is the name of the object that a baby is brought home in from the hospital if it had wheels and could be taken for a walk. I found that the age groups from 15-20, 21-30, and 31-40 100% called it a stroller. In the 41-50 age group 50% said buggy and 50% called it a pram. The older people in the 60+ group 100% called it a carriage. The term carriage is one that is a lot older and not used very often. When asked, what utensil is used to fry food in? The older 60+ age group 100% said it was called a skillet, but the other age groups referr

Sophies World essays

Sophies World essays REMARKABLE... a whimsical and ingenious mystery novel that also happens to be the history of Philosophy. Jostein Gaarder made his Norwegian literary debut in 1986 with a collection of short stories, followed by two young adult novels. In 1990 he received the Norwegian Literary Critics Award and the Ministry of Cultural and Scientific affairs Literary Prize for his book The Solitaire Mystery. Mr. Gaarder taught high school philosophy for eleven years in Norway, giving him a strong basis for writing Sophies World, his first book to be published in English. After its three-year spot at number one on Norways bestseller list, it has held the same status in Great Britain, Germany, and France also appearing on bestseller lists in Italy, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, and the United States. In Sophies World, Jostein Gaarder twines the history of philosophy with the supernatural antics of Alice in Wonderland. The main character is a girl named Sophie Admunsen, the novels namesake. Sophie is fourteen years old, and lives in Norway with her mother and all of the animals in her Garden. She is soon joined by the mysterious Alberto Knox, first through correspondence, and then linked by a full-scale philosophy course he has chosen her for. He seems to have lived forever, with the ability to bring magic and supernatural lessons into her life. Alberto is old, kind, extremely wise, and cloaked in mystery for much of the novel. It is difficult to explain the relationship between all of the main characters outside of explaining the plot. Sophie and Alberto are the initial main characters. Sophie comes home from school to find a white envelope addressed to her. Who are you? Where does the world come from? This begins her thinking about the major questions of existence, and then the philosophy course began. Alberto is not physically revealed until late in the first quarter of the novel. Throu...

Science Fiction Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Science Fiction Short Story - Essay Example His devotion for his work has resulted to him sacrificing even his own time for his family. There were moments that he felt he was ready to give up and move on, but agency work runs through his veins. And every time he attempts to leave the agency, another much more interesting and intriguing case comes up and he feels compelled to return to do the job he has been trained to do. After having served the FBI for more than half his life, Richard is determined to leave it all behind to concentrate more on his personal life. In the meantime, he has to face what could perhaps be the most challenging task he would ever encounter. At the FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, a laboratory is being maintained where extensive studies regarding aliens and other non-human creatures is continuously being done. The Sanctuary, a maximum-security area, stores specimen from what is perceived to be over 50 alien races. The FBI delivers to this area every proof of alien life that would come to their attention. This laboratory also holds classified information regarding confirmed sightings and proof of humankind’s interaction with creatures from out-of-this-world. Very few have access to this area and scientists who are assigned to The Sanctuary are committed to serving their mission for the rest of their lives. Otherwise, Scientists who need to return to the ‘outside world’ undergo a process in which their memories are erased and the information taken out from their memory are stored as a software which may be transferred to another person. Only five of FBI’s top ranking Directors know of the existence of The Sanctuary and these very same persons have the task of maintaining the operations of this laboratory. They are likewise in charge of maintaining the confidentiality of this laboratory. For decades now, the US government has yet to arrive at clear conclusions regarding the existence of creatures from outer space. It is now year 2085, and technology has advanced

Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management at General Electric Essay

Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management at General Electric - Essay Example This is much higher than the industry average, due largely to the knowledge management systems in place at this multi-national enterprise. General Electric is a top-down, centralized management hierarchy with divisional management reporting to executive leadership at company headquarters, led by Chairman Jeffrey Immelt. In order to establish appropriate cost control and generalized leadership controls, the company requires this centralized organizational structure due to the interdependence between all divisions and the high volume of employees at GE. The centralized nature of General Electric somewhat confounds the traditionalist viewpoint of knowledge management systems, as it is generally recognised that in order to effectively manage knowledge, employees must be more interactive in decision-making through autonomous learning and job role functioning (Davenport, Jarvenpaa, and Beers, 1996; Swan, Scarbrough and Robertson, 2002). The centralized structure of General Electric is what prompted analysis of this particular business case as it defies the argument that a decentralized structure ensures more efficient knowledge management processes. In order to manage knowledge and promote organizational learning, GE relies on technology, experiential learning processes, the SECI model promoted by Nonaka, and bounded rationality as key approaches to facilitate KM practices. GE is governed by leadership that understands the complexities of multi-national business operations. Offers Jack Welch, previous CEO of GE, â€Å"you can’t manage what you can’t measure† (Seymour 2008: 28). Time constraints, the practical market environment and its unpredictability in certain markets, and the differing cultural dimensions of diverse employee populations create difficulty in creating concrete and time-sensitive decisions without recognizing the boundaries associated with rational decision-making. Thus, GE’s approach to knowledge management is based on p racticality rather than ideology which drives aspects of its cultural development focus and short-term business objective planning. This report highlights the knowledge management and learning practices at GE with a focus on the systems in place to promote such activities. GE cultures, systems, structure, and practices General Electric follows the SECI model which focuses on the relationship between socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization. Despite its centralized hierarchy, General Electric prides itself on its commitment to building positive interpersonal relationships between management and employees, building a culture of innovation, cooperation, team work, and loyalty. Thus, against the SECI model, GE is most closely focused on socialization in order to effectively manage knowledge and promote organizational learning. The knowledge that resides within GE is largely tacit, this being the knowledge that is largely intangible and attached closely to individ ual implicit expertise (Dinur 2011).

Pepsico Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pepsico Swot Analysis Essay When making any investment decision, it is important for a potential investor to gain insight into the company. An evaluation of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will help the investor determine if the venture is worth going into (Nickels, McHugh McHugh, 2010). It also provides details about the internal status of the business and the future growth to expect in the future. SWOT Analysis Conducting a SWOT analysis of PepsiCo will help the company determine where change is possible. If the company is at a turning point, an inventory of its strengths and weaknesses can reveal possibilities. The identified strengths can be built on and used to their full potential and makes can be made to reduce the weaknesses. Potential problems that need to be addressed or at least recognized are identified. It will help PepsiCo discover what it does well, could improve, whether they are making the most of the opportunities around them, and whether there are any changes in the market that may require changes in the business (Nickels et al., 2010). Strengths PepsiCo has a diverse product portfolio that includes foods, snacks, and beverages with annual revenue of over $66 billion. The PepsiCo brands such as Pepsi, Gatorade, Tropicana, Mountain Dew, Lay’s, Aquafina, Sierra Mist, Fritos, and Quaker stand for quality and are well recognized household names. These brands generate over $1 billion each in annual global sales revenue which gives PepsiCo an advantage over its competition that have limited product line (â€Å"Brands,† 2012). Lower sales in one product line because of unforeseeable circumstances can be offset with promoting sales from another product line. PepsiCo’s geographical footprint is another strength of the organization. It currently operates in more than 200 countries worldwide which provides PepsiCo with diverse income sources. In 2011, only 50% of the company’s revenue came from the United States but this did not impact PepsiCo’s overall revenue growth because of the company’s increasing revenue from other parts of the world like Asia, Russia, Europe, and Latin America (â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2012). Weaknesses With the diverse portfolio of PepsiCo, not all products produced by this  company bear it name and its holdings are still seen by the public as separate entities, not as parts of PepsiCo. Its branding is not obvious and not easily recognized and this is hurting the image of the company. One of its most popular brands, Gatorade, recently changed its name to multiple sub-brands such as â€Å"G Prime 01,† and â€Å"G Series Pro 03 Recover† (Edwards, 2011). PepsiCo is gradually losing its credibility because of its lack of stability in management. The company has a high turnover rate and in the last four years, 26 senior marketing managers have resigned and those that are still with PepsiCo have been moved from one brand to another or from one division to another (Edwards, 2012). The revenue of PepsiCo is over dependent on sales to Wal-Mart. In 2011, approximately 18% of PepsiCo’s North American net revenue was from sales to Wal-Mart (including Sam’s Club). As a result PepsiCo is highly influenced with the business strategies of Wal-Mart (â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2011). Opportunities PepsiCo is investing its resources by expanding its operation in emerging foreign markets like China and Russia and developing continents like Africa. With the company’s recent purchase of Wimm-Bill-Dann, a Russian food and beverage company with huge market shares in dairy and juice products, PepsiCo will expand greatly its presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and is expected to increase its annual sales revenue by $5 billion (â€Å"Pepsi Absorbs Wimm,† 2011). PepsiCo recently signed a partnership agreement with Theo Muller, a German dairy company to sell its dairy products in the US starting with yogurt. PepsiCo will also invest in research to create new dairy products for the US market. This is a great opportunity for PepsiCo to increase its future revenue because it is predicted that annual revenue of $9 billion will be generated by 2016 with nearly 100 million American households expected to buy yogurt products (Steinberg, 2012). Threats PepsiCo faces a strong competition from The Coca-Cola Company, its primary competitor in the carbonated beverage category. These two companies have  had a long history of rivalry since the 1800s with Coca-Cola has a leader for most of the period. PepsiCo recently lost its five-year partnership deal with Dunkin’ Brands to Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola products will now be offered in 7,000 Dunkin’ brands outlets instead of PepsiCo products. In January 2012, Dunkin’ Brands announced the plan to double their outlet stores to 14,000 over the next 20 years. This is a huge revenue loss for PepsiCo (Fisher, 2012). Also in 2010, Diet Coke overtook Pepsi to become the second largest soda brand in the Unites States behind Coke, moving Pepsi to third (Theodore, 2012). There has been a steady decline in carbonated drink sales for the past seven years in the US with total sales dropping one percent in 2011. Americans are now turning to healthier food and drinks like bottled waters to avoid the high sugar contents in soda (â€Å"Soda Sales Fall,† 2012). Even with the diverse portfolio of PepsiCo, this decline in sales of carbonated soda drinks will have a negative impact on its total revenue. United States federal, State, and local laws and other regulatory authority in foreign countries could have a negative impact on the sales and profitability of PepsiCo. PepsiCo’s marketing, manufacturing, and distribution of its products can be affected as a result of what the government dictates. Also Governmental agencies that exist where PepsiCo operates can impose new labeling, accounting standards, product requirement, marketing practices, and taxation requirement. In California, PepsiCo is required to post a warning label on any product sold that contains a substance that the state has found to cause cancer or birth defect. If this type of law is enacted in other states or foreign countries, it would affect the sales of PepsiCo products (â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2011). Investor Analysis As a result of the SWOT analysis, investing in PepsiCo would yield a positive return on investment. The analysis shows a strong company with increase in earnings for the past five years. PepsiCo’s increasing presence in developing countries is most relevant in the decision to invest. With nearly 72% of the world’s processed food consumption in 2050 predicted to be  happening in developing countries because of increase in population, this will give PepsiCo a competitive edge. Internal and External Stakeholders The success or failure of PepsiCo is determined by how the wants and needs of its internal and external stakeholders are met. The internal stakeholders of PepsiCo are associates, shareholders, and board of directors. The external stakeholders of PepsiCo are consumers, local and foreign communities, retail and food service customers, partners, suppliers, and competitors. PepsiCo meets the needs of its associates by providing a supportive and empowering workplace. The company helps its employees to succeed by helping them develop the skills needed to increase the growth of the company (â€Å"Talent Sustainability,† 2012). The need of the shareholders of PepsiCo is met by striving to deliver top of the line financial performance and providing a high return on their investment (â€Å"Performance,† 2012). In 2011, the dividends paid to PepsiCo’s shareholders was six percent higher than 2010 ((â€Å"The Power of PepsiCo,† 2011). PepsiCo provides its consumers with a diverse list of products that delivers affordability and great taste. The company has recently begun offering consumers a wide range of healthy foods and beverages. Current products are constantly been improved and new products created to meet the changing needs of consumers (â€Å"Stakeholders Engagement,† 2012). Local jobs are created in the developing countries that PepsiCo operates in. PepsiCo provides support for education through PepsiCo Foundation grants. The company is working to protect the water resources they have used in India and working with nonprofit organizations to promote sustainable agricultural practices (â€Å"Stakeholders Engagement’† 2012). Products are delivered directly to retail and food service customers such as grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and vending machines. PepsiCo  also assist these stakeholders with marketing services that contributes to the customers’ growth and profit (â€Å"Stakeholders Engagement,† 2012). Conclusion A company’s strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats must be analyzed to determine the potential of the return on investment. Even with its weaknesses, PepsiCo is a strong company with earnings growth over the past five years, and has enough cash on hand to maintain its operation. With the new initiatives that PepsiCo is working on, such as expanding its market into developing countries and providing healthier options to its consumers, the company will be able to meet the needs of its stakeholders. References Brands. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Brands.html Diet Mountain Dew, Brisk and Starbucks Ready-T0-Drink Beverages Grow to the Billion-Dollar Brands for PepsiCo. (2012, January 26) Retrieved from http://seekingalpha.com/news-article/2139612-diet-mountain-dew-brisk-and-starbucks-ready-to-drink-beverages-grow-to-be-billion-dollar-brands-for-pepsico Edwards, J. (2011, June 22). Pepsi Just Can’t Stop Pulling the Tab After Shaking Up Management. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-42749107/pepsi-just-cant-stop-pulling-the-tab-after-shaking-up-management/ Edwards, J. (2012, May 10). How Pepsi Management Shuffles Led To Sales Collapse. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-pepsis-management-shuffles-led-to-sales-collapse-2012-5?op=1 Fisher, B. (2012, June 12). Pepsi loses Dunkin, Eyes Emerging Markets. Retrieved from http://beta.fool.com/bobbyfisher/2012/06/12/pepsi-loses-dunkin-eyes-emerging-markets/5599/?logvisit=ysource=eptcnnlnk0000001 Nickels, W. G., McHugh, J. M., McHugh, S. M. (2010). Understanding Business (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Pepsi Absorbs Wimm-Bill-Dann. (2011) Retrieved from http://rt.com/business/news/pepsi-absorbs-wimm-bill-dann-333/ Performance. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Performance-with-Purpose.html Stakeholder Engagement. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Overview/Stakeholder-Engagement.html Steinberg, J. (2012, July 11). PepsiCo Expanding Its American Portfolio With Dairy Products. Retrieved from http://seekingalpha.com/article/714491-pepsico-expanding-its-american-portfolio-with-dairy-products Talent Sustainability. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Talent-Sustainability.html The Power of PepsiCo – 2011 Annual Report. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/annual11/downloads/pep_ar11_2011_annual_report.pdf Theodore, S. (2012, August 13). Diet Coke Enters A New Decade: The Carbonated Soft Drink Brand Has Come A Long Way. Retrieved from http://www.mintel.com/blog/diet-coke-enters-new-decade-carbonated-soft-drink-brand-has-come-long-way Tomlinson, S. (2012, March 3). Soda Sales Fall Faster As Americans Turn To Healthier Options. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118291/Soda-sales-fall-faster-Americans-turn-healthier-options.html

Evaluating Coca Colas understanding of its Consumers Behaviour

Evaluating Coca Colas understanding of its Consumers Behaviour 1.0 Introduction A consumer is a person who spots a need or desire, and then looks for the best way to satisfy his or her need either by purchase or acquisition (Solomon et al, 2010). Consumer behaviour as defined by Solomon et al (2006) is the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs or desires. Customer retention is vital these days and organisations are looking for the best way to please and satisfy the interest of their consumers. According to Fill (2009), the understanding of the buyers behaviour makes marketing strategies and plan come out successful. The Coca-Cola Company is soft drink industry that has been able to build its brand loyalty with its consumers over its years of operation, despite the highly competitive market (Euromonitor, 2010). But this success would not have been realistic without understanding who the consumer is, what the consumer needs and how the consumer behaves. The Econo mic recession was a trying time for companies which led to the closures of some and loss for majority, the soft drink industry is not an exception and Coca- cola which falls under the soft drink industry will be analysed on how effective the management of their consumers was to in ensuring their survival in the recession. 1.1 A brief summary of The Coca- Cola operations The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non alcoholic beverage, concentrates and syrups in the world. Coca-cola has a portfolio of more than 3,300 beverages, from diet and regular sparkling beverages to still beverages such as 100 percent fruit juices and fruit drinks, waters, sports and energy drinks, teas and coffees, and milk-and soy-based beverages, which are now sold in more than 200 countries in the world. (Coca-cola, 2010). Coca- cola first got to Britain in the year 1900, after Charles Candler brought a jug of syrup along on a visit to England. Soon after, in the early 1920s, it went on sale at the London Coliseum and in Selfridges. Since then coca-cola Britain has come up with innovative soft drinks namely: Coca-cola; Diet Coke; Coca-cola zero; Sprite; Sprite zero; Fanta;Fanta Zero; 5 Alive; Schweppes; Schweppes zero; Powerade; Powerade zero; Kia ora; Kia ora(no added sugar); Dr. Pepper; Dr. Pepper zero; Lilt; Lilt Zero; Oasis; Oasis extra light; Glaceau vitamin water and Relentless. (Coca-cola, 2010) With about 4,650 employees, Coca-cola GB claims to have sold 228million cases in 2008. Pic. 1.1 The Coca-Cola Company Great Britain brands Available on this link- http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/brands/ 1.2 An overview of the soft drink industry in Great Britain Mintel (2010) stated that close to one-quarter of companies in the UK soft drinks market is growing at more than 10% per year. Some of the main players in the UK soft drink industry include Coca-cola, Pepsi cola UK, Tropical UK, Nestle UK etc to mention but a few. The British Soft Drinks Associations 2010 UK Soft Drinks Report found that the overall market grew by 1.7% in 2009, with total consumption reaching 14,140 million litres, at a retail value of  £13.224 billion (Mintel, 2010). The British Soft Drinks Assocaition (2010) stated that it was encouraging to see that the soft drinks market was holding up during the economic downturn. According to M intel (2010), for the second year running, Coca-cola topped interbrands best global brands table, placing it above its competitors in the soft drink industry. The coca-cola company has continued to focus on expanding its business through taking tactical places in niche soft drinks producers, by purchasing a stake in UK smoothie produce r, Innocent Drinks (Euromonitor, 2010). 1.3 The recession in United Kingdom Recessions occur during the down or contraction phase of the business cycle. The term business cycle refers to the familiar ups and downs of economic activity. (Pearce and Michael 2006). Furthermore, Pearce and Micheal (2006) opined that recessions cause significant declines in resources available to the firm because customers spend less, lenders lend less, and competitive rivalry increases. Initially, the behaviour of consumers changes during recessions. They have less money to spend and cut back personal spending in response to the overall decline in economic activity. Industrial and business customers may become disloyal, demand renegotiated contract terms, and alter purchase patterns. Also by Pride and Ferrell (1995), recession is a stage in the business cycle during which unemployment rises and total buying power declines, stifling both consumers and business peopless propensity to spend. The UK economy was growing faster than the average for the Euro zone throughout most of this decade. However, an abrupt slowdown began in 2008 and the economy entered a recession in the third quarter. According to Euromonitor (2010), real gross domestic profit fell by 4.9% in 2009, making this the UKs longest post-war recession. The UK has been harder hit than many countries because of its large financial sector. The fiscal position has deteriorated over the past several years. The deficit was pushed even higher as a result of the bailout of large banks. The number of unemployed also rose by 50% during the recession with 800,000 jobs being lost (Euromonitor, 2010). The recession led to business closures, job losses and a lack of employment opportunities in the UK (Athey, 2009). This first global recession in the new era of globalization, started in the US, spread to Europe, and eventually became global; its the worst economic crisis since the great depression. (Stiglitz and Joseph, 2 009). 1.4 The Coca-Cola Company and the recession TCCCs gross profit margin decreased to 64.2 percent in 2009 from 64.4 percent in 2008, primarily due to foreign currency fluctuations, adverse geographic mix as a result of expansion in their up and coming markets, current focus to steer better reasonable initiatives across different major markets and unfavourable channel and marketing mix in some certain markets. (Coca-Cola, 2010). Even though there was a slight decrease (0.2%) in their profit margin compared to the previous year, TCCC arguably performed well despite the economic downturn. The unit case volume in TCCC is one of the measures of the fundamental strength of the company because it helps to measure progress at their consumer level. In Europe, the sales volume of year ended 2009 versus year ended 2008 shows that the unit case volume in Europe decreased 1 percent, caused mainly by the ongoing hard macroeconomic situations in most part of Europe. These hard macroeconomic conditions influenced major markets and caused a decline in the unit case volume of 8 percent in South and Eastern Europe, 4 percent in Iberia and 2 percent in Germany. The volume declines in these markets were partially made up for by 6 percent unit case volume growth in France and 4 percent growth in Great Britain.(Coca-cola, 2010). Table 1.1- Financial result of The Coca-Cola Company Year Ended December 31, 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 (In millions except per share data) SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS Net operating revenues $ 30,990 $ 31,944 $ 28,857 $ 24,088 $ 23,104 Net income attributable to shareholders 6,824 5,807 5, 981 5, 080 5, 872 GROSS PROFIT 19,902 20,570 18,451 GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 64.2% 64.4% 63.9% PER SHARE DATA Basic net income $ 2.95 $ 2.51 $ 2.59 $ 2.16 $ 2.04 Diluted net income 2.93 2.49 2.57 2.16 2.04 Cash dividends 1.64 1.52 1.36 1.24 1.12 BALANCE SHEET DATA Total assets $ 48,671 $ 40,519 $ 43,269 $ 29,963 $ 29,427 Long-term debt 5,059 2,781 3,277 1,314 1,154 1.5 Scope of Study The interest of this study lies mainly with The Coca-cola Company, focusing on Coca-cola Great Britain as the scope of study. This study also examines the level at which the recession affected the sales in coca-cola and the consumers attitude towards the purchase of coca-cola. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Key Consumer Behaviour Aspects According to British Soft Drinks Association, (2010), Consumers are loyal to the drinks they know and trust but remain open to innovative products and brand extensions which meet their ever-evolving needs. The industrys ability to provide the public with a wide range of enjoyable and affordable drinks will ensure it remains resilient despite the tough economic climate. Three key consumer aspects have been carefully selected from Jiang (2010) as explained in the Consumer Behaviour Lectures; the following aspect of the consumer behaviour may have influenced the continuous purchase of coca-cola products despite the economic downturn- the buying process, Attitude formation and Motivation. 2.1 The Buying process A buying decision making process is the selection of an option from two or more alternative choices (Jiang, 2010). Coca-colas consumers can be explained in Consumer as a Problem Solver (Habitual Decision Maker). A habitual decision maker makes choices that are characterised by an impulse made with little effort and without conscious control (Solomon et al, 2006). Coca-colas brands are low involvement products and so require little information search. Most decisions made by people who consume coca-cola are with little or no conscious effort. Coca-cola consumers purchase Coke for example based on a habit that has been formed over time. Also the Evaluation of alternatives can be used to explain the brands resistance to the recession, much of the consumers effort that goes into a purchase decision develops at the stage in which a choice must be made from the accessible alternatives (Solomon et al, 2006). In many cases, there are a number of alternatives (such as water, soft drink or alcohol) a consumer could consider in satisfying a biogenic need, i.e. to conquer thirst. A consumer that has formed a habit overtime to purchase diet Coke for example will always have in mind a diet coke whenever hes thirsty. Branding can also be an influence on the evaluation of alternatives. In a survey of Global Brands, Inter Brand and Business Week identified the significance for companies to create communities around their products and services, which gives the customers the opportunity to feel as if they own the brand (Solomon et al, 2006). Fill (2009) also supported that as a brand becomes established with a buyer, so the psycholo gical benefits of ownership are preferred to competing offerings, and a form of relationship emerges Coke is not only seen as a drink by its consumers, but seen in the light of its heritage and relationship with them( Payne,2007). Brands also create impressions and strong feelings so much that when people see the coke bottle with its red label, and the content, people suddenly feel thirsty and the need to have a drink (Riesenbeck and Perrey, 2007) According to Mintel, (2010), the Interbrand ranked Coca-cola as the number one global brand in the year 2009 and 2010 respectively. Brands can influence a consumers choice in a decision making process, in a study conducted, 51percent of consumers preferred Pepsi over Coke , while in an open test, only 23percent preferred Pepsi over coke(Jenkinson, 1995). In my opinion, Coca-cola consumers have developed a relationship with the brand, which makes them to choose coca-colas brands amongst all other alternatives even in a recession. The econom ic downturn did not affect consumers choices, habits did not change despite the recession; coca-cola consumers did not change their product preferences because a habit has been formed over time. Table 2.1 Buying Decision making process Evaluations After purchase behaviour/feeling Involvement Information search Need recognition Need Purchase Decision Identity Alternatives Source- (Jiang, 2010) 2.2 Attitude Formation and change Attitude is a persons learned predisposition, tendency to respond to an object in a consistently favourable or unfavourable way (Allport, 1935) as cited by (Jiang, 2010). An attitude formed, lasts over a period of time, an attitude towards what a person eats or drink or developing an attitude towards different brands (such as drinking diet Coke rather than drinking diet Pepsi) or also having an attitude towards a general consumption pattern(such as eating twice to eating once in a day) (Solomon et al, 2006). The Utilitarian Function which is related to the basic principles of reward and punishment will be used to explain why TCCC was not entirely affected by recession. Attitudes are formed based on the presumed product qualities (either pleasure or pain) (Solomon et al, 2006). Attitudes influence a consumers decision making and the goal of a marketer is always to create a positive attitude towards a product or change existing attitudes (Fill, 2009). In a recent research conducted by TCCC to evaluate consumers attitudes towards its brands, it revealed that coca-cola is the brand most associated with happiness (Coca-cola, 2010). The result of the survey revealed that over a half of the people that participated in the research said its the taste that makes them smile others said sharing a bottle of coca-cola with family and friends can provide an opportunity to spend time together (Coca-cola, 2010). Coca-cola consumers have developed an attitude overtime, so the recession would not change their product preference but might just alter their consumption pattern (such as reducing the intake of one three bottles per day to two bottles per day). The theme of the TCCC also stresses straight forward benefits (Coca-cola.Open Happiness). TCCC develops strategies to penetrate their consumers lifestyle to pass a message. In order to promote Coca-Cola Zero (one of Coca-Colas brands),TCCC partnered with the Twentieth Century Fox and director Ja mes Camerons for his epic-adventure and blockbuster film Avatar. This promotional strategy helped to form an attitude towards Coca-Cola Zero and raise its awareness. They also use promotional activities and sponsorship of events such as the Olympic Torch Relay in 11 countries, and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games(Coca-Cola 2010) and also Attitudes towards coca-cola could also be formed by the yearly coca-cola adverts, as supported by Pearce and Micheal (2006) aggressive marketing campaigns may be more effective during recessions, as competitors feeling the pinch might attempt to forestall losses by reducing their advertising. During the recession, TCCC, engaged in massive paid advertising to reinforce their brands in the minds of the consumers. Also towards the end of each year, coca-cola does an advert, using the Christmas theme to convey its message to its viewers. The viewers feelings about the context in which an advertisement appears can also influence brand attitudes (Solomon et al, 2006). Liking this Christmas themed adverts would naturally link us to Attitude Formation (three hierarchies of effects), Affect, Behaviour and Beliefs. Affect (like the brand), behaviour (buy the brand), belief (feel satisfied with the brand) or belief (create awareness of the brand), behaviour (buy the brand), affect (like the bra nd) or belief (create awareness of the brand), affect (like the brand), behaviour (buy the brand). Attitude formed over time influences a consumers purchase behaviour, in spite of the recession, it can be argued that the attitude of the coca-colas consumers did not change, and there was a continual process in consumers purchase pattern. Coca-cola was not so affected by the recession because of the consumers attitudes towards their products Table 2.2 Three Hierarchies of Effects Attitudes based on cognitive information processing Affect Attitudes based on behavioural learning processes Behaviour Behaviour Behaviour Beliefs vvv Beliefs vvv Beliefs vvv Attitudes based on hedonic consumption Affect Affect Source- (Jiang, 2010) 2.3 Motivation Motivation is the driving force within individuals that impels them to action, this driving force is produced by a state of tension which exists as the result of an unfilled need (Jaing 2010). Every action is done for a reason. Motivation refers to the process that cause people to behave as they do, motivation occurs when a need (Utilitarian-consumers practical benefits or Hedonic-consumers emotional benefits) is aroused that the consumers wishes to satisfy. The desired end- state is the consumers goal. The degree of arousal is called a drive (Solomon et al, 2006). The purpose of purchasing a drink would be to satisfy a biogenic need, i.e. to conquer thirst. For a consumer to now choose a diet coke because hes thirsty is called psychogenic. Coca-cola motivates its consumers through its themed message (Open Happiness), and this can be explained in the hedonic needs (Consumers emotional benefits) The survey TCCC conducted for their consumers shows that the taste of coca-cola makes them happy. What motivates a consumer might be different compared to the other consumer. A regular coke consumer willing to reduce his sugar consumption will be happy to switch to coke zero which has no sugar and less calories. Also viewing it from the Consumer involvement angle, TCCC also motivates its consumers by connecting with millions of them every day through their brands Facebook pages, Twitter and influential blogs, creating a dialogue that allows TCCC to build their brand assets and strengthen their consumer relationships. Solomon, (2006) defines involvement as a persons perceived relevance of the object based on his/her inherent needs, values, and interests. Through this Fans page on facebook, consumers can access their advertisements, Coca-Cola applications and downloads, and get live updates from the Company. Also TCCC involves their consumers through the Coca-Cola Freestyle, this makes the consumers beverage innovators by giving them choices and variety to make more than 1 00 different branded beverages at the touch of a button, this provides fun, and a relationship that connects the company with its consumers. (Coca-cola, 2010). TCCC motivates their consumers by associating with things that will be of interest to the consumers, for example; on their website is a calculator used for checking amount of calories and quantity of drinks consumed every week so as to help consumers monitor their calorie intake in having a healthy diet and lifestyle. This can help motivate a consumer to purchase TCCCs product because they have shown the consumer the consumer that in as much as they want to make profit, they also care about them and their health. The recession did not really affect TCCCs sales because of the motivation TCCC tries to create and the relationship they have been able to build overtime with their consumers. CONCLUSION 3.1 Conclusion Understanding consumers behaviour is key to having a successful company; marketers need to deepen their research on their consumers because the consumers are becoming aware of the important role they play in their consumption pattern. Competitors are always also looking for tactics to grow and influence new consumers, and any organisation that does not meet up with consumers expectations would be losing a consumer. Companies should look for ways to retain their current customers and also focus on getting new ones attracting new customers should be a priority in a recession (Pearce and Michael 2006). Organisations should actively engage their customers more than before.

Outline and Evaluate Research Into the Breakdown of Relationships

Outline and evaluate research into the breakdown of romantic relationships. (24 marks) One piece of research into the breakdown of romantic relationships conducted by Thibaut and Kelly, can explain why a relationship may breakdown using the Social Exchange Theory. A relationship may breakdown due to the ‘profits’ and ‘losses’ in the relationship, one of the participants in the relationship may compare the current relationship to a previous one and realise they are not getting what they should be out of it.However, Hatfield’s Equity Theory suggests that individuals in a relationship are not trying to maximise the benefits and minimise the costs, but the happiest individuals were the ones where the rewards for both parties were equal. Therefore, a relationship may not breakdown because a person is under-benefitting but because there is an imbalance in the rewards. This research is supported by further research carried out by Hatfield which shows that th e happiest newlyweds were the ones who felt like they both inputted equally into the relationship and had equal rewards.The ones under-benefitted had feelings of anger, resentment and deprivation, and those over benefitted felt guilty and uncomfortable. However, this may not mean that a relationship will break down. Karney and Bradbury (1995) found that marital unhappiness did not strong predict a future divorce. A problem with both of the theories is that they cannot explain why people stay in unhappy relationships, where the costs are clearly outweighing the benefits, or where the rewards are unequal.For example in an abusive relationship, many partners stay in the relationship even though they are not having any benefits from it. Another criticism of the social exchange theory is that they imply that people are extremely selfish and underestimates the role of altruism. There are also problems when trying to quantify the costs and benefits in a relationship. A problem with the equ ity theory is that there are strong individual differences as to how much equity people expect from a marriage or romantic relationship.These two theories focus on individualist cultures, where there is an emphasis on personal freedom. They may not apply to collectivist cultures where there is an emphasis more on what is best for society. Another researcher, Duck (1992) looked at findings from several longitudinal studies into the breakdown of relationships. He found that there are many predisposing factors that could influence the dissolution of a relationship. These factors can either be internal; which is where the risk lies in the partners background and personality, or external where it is events outside the relationship that may threaten it.Graziano et al (1996) supports the fact that personality has shown to be an important factor in the breakdown of relationships and says that individuals who are high in agreeableness (co-operative, supportive and non-confrontational) tend t o be in relationships which last longer and there is less conflict. They also believe that relationships where one of both of the couple is high in neuroticism are more likely to end in a divorce. Duck’s predisposing factors do offer reasonable explanations for why some marriages may fail.However only some of the marriages that meet most of all of the criteria will actually end in a divorce, many divorces will involve couples that do not meet any of the criteria. This then suggests that the predisposing factors oversimplify the complex behaviour. This would make the theory reductionist and therefore is not good in explaining the breakdown of relationships. Another problem with the research is that a lot of it can be troubled by various factors such as individual differences with the individuals involved in the relationships.Many of the couples interviewed were often white and middle class, this is culturally biased and therefore means that the results found from the studies c annot be generalised to the cultures of the rest of the world. The data gathered from the research is often mainly retrospective self-report, this is bad because the retrospective means looking back after the event has happened and therefore may be unreliable as it relies on the memory of the individuals meaning that it is not reliable, the self-reports also may lack in validity because it is possible for the participants to lie.

Leadership & Ethics- Research Paper Essay

Introduction With the collapse of major corporations like Enron, Tyco International, WorldCom and the like, corporate corruption and mismanagement has been in the forefront of some of the major issues that corporate organizations have to overcome and manage. With this research paper, my aim is to review and present three scholarly journals that highlight the impact that leadership can play on the ethical performance of an organization. Firstly, in the â€Å"Cultural & Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries†, the study states, that with the spread of globalization, it has become imperative to understand managerial values that guide their actions. The authors suggest that the three main dimensions of managerial values that are relevant to the study of CSR are: shareholder/owner values where the aim is to maximize profits, stakeholder relations which refers to ethical and positive relations towards employees, consumer groups and the like and thirdly, community/state welfare which is based on the principle of public responsibility. In a more in-depth analysis the study explores the correlation of societal culture factors such as institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism and power distance on the above three managerial values that impacts managerial decision making. Furthermore, the paper proposes that visionary leadership and integrity enhances corporate social responsibility (CSR) values on moral and ethical grounds. Secondly,† The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case† will help understand the value in gaining employee commitment and trust through effective ethical leadership skills. This article studies the impact of ethical leadership on the employee outcomes in areas such as organizational commitment and trust. A micro study was done on the country of Malaysia which has experienced a tenfold increase in corporate crime over the last 15 years. From the study one gathers that the main reason for such an exponential increase in such crimes is due to fact of the failures on part of corporate leadership to act ethically in their decision making process. Lastly, with â€Å"Leadership Styles & the Moral Choice of Internal Auditors† I will examine how an employee’s self interest and management leadership guides their ethical decision making. This study plays close attention to one set of an organization’s workers – the Internal Auditing professionals, in order to understand the how their choice in making ethical decisions are subjective to various factors , one of them being leadership. The primary viewpoint of this study indicated that an auditor’s decision making is enhanced by the leaders who adopt a standard achievement oriented leadership style and when they see clear benchmarking, fair performance assessment and growth opportunity. In conclusion, this can be held true for any employee within an organization. Hypothesis According to the GLOBE study, there were three main hypotheses that the researches proposed. The first hypothesis testing was split in two parts wherein, they proposed that â€Å"societies stressing institutional collectivist values will have a positive relationship with stakeholder’s relations and community/state welfare CSR values while societies stressing in-group collectivist values will only have a positive relationship with shareholder relations CSR values (Waldman et al).† The second theory states that cultures that have a high power distance tend to have low CSR values (Waldman et al). Lastly, visionary leadership and integrity on part of CEO’s, adds variance to the prediction of followers (stakeholders) CSR values that go beyond the effects of societal cultural values (Waldman et al). With the Leadership and Employee Outcome – The Malaysian Case, the two main hypotheses of the study were based on the notion that â€Å"there was a significant relationship between ethical leadership behaviour and employee’s organizational commitment and, that ethical leadership behaviour was positively associated with employee’s trust in leaders (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† This study aimed to examine the empirical significance of ethical leadership on employee attitudinal outcomes. The main hypothesis of the â€Å"Leadership Styles & the Moral Choice of Internal Auditors† study was to understand the motivational factors that influence internal auditors when faced with ethical dilemmas pertaining to â€Å"spilt loyalty, expectation gaps and conflict of interest (Woodbine , Liu).† The authors proposed that the dependent and independent variables such as â€Å" personal needs strengths, leadership styles, the interaction between needs strength and leadership styles and situational factors impact an internal auditors moral choices when faced with an ethical issue (Woodbine , Liu).† Sampling In the GLOBE research paper the selected firms were picked from diverse sectors such manufacturing, information systems and tourism, however government run and educational institutions were excluded from the sample. Each firm had an average of 500 employees with six or more respondents from each firm. The final analysis was based on the responses of 561 firms from over 15 countries from various regions and a total of 4656 individuals completed the survey. The respondents comprised of CEO’s and several of their subordinates i.e. top executives. The leadership (two variables- vision and integrity) and societal cultural dimensions (three variables – institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism and power distance) were measured using reliability and confirmatory factor analyses. Cronback’s alpha for the above measures ranged from 0.70 to 0.90 for a five factor model. A two factor model was also used however it was not considered to be a good enough of fit. Control Variables such per capita gross domestic product, firms performance, average of age of respondents, average education and average gender, were used to enhance precision of the model (Waldman et al). Mean, standard deviations and correlations amongst the variables were interpreted and a hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the three main hypotheses. All survey items were standardized by country using Z – scores, so as to control potential differences in items scores and rating processes between countries (Waldman et al). Lastly various data collection strategies were put in to play in order to avoid single source bias issues. The Malaysian cross sectional case study was based on the primary data collected from 172 intermediate managerial employees from a wide variety of industries within the corporate sector in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The sample included 77 males and 97 females, age range from 20 to 53 and with 84% of the respondents holding bachelors or post graduate degrees. The data was collected through self administered questionnaires and â€Å"convenience sampling was used in drawing samples ((Ponnu, Tennakoon).† SPSS Version 14.0 was used to analyze the data and test the studies hypothesis. Correlation matrix and reliability analysis was done all variables to determine relationships among constructs and lastly in order to allow for correlation amongst factors,† exploratory factor analysis using principle components with oblique rotations was conducted (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† With the Internal Auditors case study, the sample population description comprised of full time internal auditing jobs with respondents that had at least one year experience with their respective organizations. The study was conducted in Australia and comprised of mailed out questionnaires. The total sample size was 128. The demographics were as follows: 84 males and 44 females, average male age 44 years and average female age of 36 years. Out of the 128 respondents, 48 of them were audit managers of equivalent. Organizations involved in the sampling were government departments, private sector and accounting firms. Statistical methods that were employed included correlation analysis for the dependent variables using a two tailed test and significant relationship amongst the three variables was found to exist and Q-Q plots and detrended normal plots were used to validate normality and reliability. For the independent variables such as leadership styles, growth needs and the like principal component analysis was used. Reverser measurement and regression analysis using stepwise method was used to explore relationships between the variables and in certain instances to test validity of model. Major Results & Findings From the two GLOBE tables listed below the hypothesis that in-group collectivist values results in positive shareholder/owner is unconfirmed. The statistical analysis has confirmed and supported the authors proposal in that institutional collectivism positively predicts stakeholder CSR values, with a positive ÃŽ ² coefficient of 0.13 (P ≠¤ 0.01); power distance is negatively predictive of stakeholder CSR values, with a ÃŽ ² coefficient of -0.20; and that the leadership variables of vision and integrity enhanced CSR values, with ÃŽ ² coefficients of 0.23 and 0.13 respectively and variance of 9% (P ≠¤ 0.01) (Waldman et al). With GLOBE table 2, total variance amongst the three main managerial values are: shareholder/owner dimension equals 22%, stakeholder values is 45% and community/state welfare is 28% with a 5% significance level. Hence the model best suits stakeholder CSR values. The main findings with the GLOBE study are as follows: 1.The authors multidimensional of managerial values with the dimensions of shareholder/owners, stakeholders and community/state welfare values were appropriately construed. 2.The research indicates that manager from wealthier countries are more inclined to favor shareholder/owners values and less likely to consider the welfare of the state or community at large. In comparison, managers from poorer countries feel a greater personal responsibility towards society. 3.Managers from institutional collectivist societies tend to have greater value for the three managerial values while there has been no significant relationship between the two variables for in-group collectivism. 4.In societal cultures that have great power distance, managers tend to devalue CSR values, thus leading to a more manipulative use of power with little consideration given to stakeholders such as employees, customers, environmentalist. This could pose a definite risk for multinational firms in today’s global economy. 5.Organization variables such as CEO leadership in terms of vision and integrity are very likely to account for variance in managerial attitudes and decision making. One of the major recommendations of the GLOBE study is the need for multinational firms to pay close attention to cultural and leadership factors that have a critical impact on management CSR values. For example CSR values and policies of a multinational firm could be strong and this may be due to the home country’s high institutional collectivism and low power distance however managers in a subsidiary country may have weaker stakeholder CSR values as a result of weak institutional collectivism and high power distance (Waldman et al). The resulting scenario could lead to conflicting policies and business practices that can have an adverse effect on multinational firms. This further reiterates the authors’ proposal that in cases such as this, it’s the firm’s leadership values of integrity and vision that help managers look beyond the economic and cultural limitations. In the Malaysian case as mentioned earlier, correlation analysis was preformed to test strength and linear relationship amongst the variables. With the first hypothesis there was a medium positive correlation between ethical leadership behaviour and organizational commitment. The Malaysian Table 1 below shows correlations r = .46 and p < .0 5 and, co-efficient of distribution is 21% of the variance, which can be explained. Hence with the supporting empirical data the research shows that â€Å"high levels of perceived ethical leadership behaviour are associated with higher levels of employee’s organizational commitment (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† As for the second hypothesis, there was a strong positive correlation between ethical leadership behaviour and employee trust. The Malaysian Table 2 below shows correlations r = .634 and p < .0 5 and, co-efficient of distribution is 40% of the variance, which can be explained. Hence with the above results supporting hypothesis 2, it can be safely concluded that â€Å"high levels of perceived ethical leadership associated with higher levels of employee’s trust in leaders (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† Some of the main antecedents to the Malaysian case findings are as follows: 1.If leaders make ethics a cornerstone of all business practices they gain internal organizational fellowship and employees tend to value a more social exchange with the organization rather than an economic exchange. Employees reciprocate these sentiments through organizational behavioral commitment and are â€Å"willing to exert considerable effort in terms of job dedication and job commitment, on behalf of the organization (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† 2.When an organizational leader priortizes the group’s interest first, who does not wish to seek personal gain at the expense of others, who respects the rights of others and treats them fairly; tends to harness employees trust. 3.When leaders empower employees and involve them in decision making processes they not only facilitate employee well being and growth but increases their trust in them as well. With the Internal Auditors case the major findings of the study support Path goal and ERG theories (Woodbine, Liu). As per the table below, internal auditors are motivated to make ethical decisions based on their personal growth needs. Leadership styles play a significant role as well especially Standard achievement oriented approach that encourages individual performance and achievement (Woodbine, Liu). Lastly gender, age and experienced was an important predictor, as female respondents that were younger and less experienced showed less motivation towards making moral ethical choices. Conclusion The GLOBE study has been extremely informative and clearly structured to provide an in-depth understanding of how societal cultural factors and leadership guide managerial values when it comes to decision making within an organization. Some of the key limitations to the study were that the analyses were limited to 15 countries and the surveyed firms did not represent a wide range of industries (Waldman et al). Actual CSR performance was not measured and lastly, due to multiple levels of data to be collected, additional insight could not be gained. The study indicates that even though leadership integrity is a significant and unique predictor of managerial CSR values, it remains to be an under researched variable. This may be due to the fact that leadership integrity is associated with more tangible organizational outcomes such as reductions of business of costs. However, the authors still believe that it a significant factor that enhances managerial decision making and is worth future examination and research. My personal opinion would also include a more directed research towards in-group collectivism in order to find a relationship between individualistic societies and importance of CSR values towards society at large. The study concluded that, organizations that have strong corporate social responsibility values gain the trust of both internal and external stakeholder which in turn solidifies the foundations for an ethical culture. It also states that Neo – charismatic leadership that is guided by the principles of visionary leadership and integrity have a strong impact on an organization’s ethical performance. The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case† study showed me a direct link between leadership ethical behavior on employee commitment and trust. It empirically proved that unethical leadership can adversely impact employee outcomes that in turn affect organizational performance. I noted related some factors such supervision, leadership honesty, trustworthiness, fairness and care, have an impact on employee perception and outcomes. The key limitations of the Malaysian study as noted by the researchers due to time and budget constraints, was that, convenient sampling may not be representative of the entire population due to insufficient representation of the entire corporate sector of the country and could be subject to self-selection bias; secondly the study could not measure if distance with top/senior management has an effect on employee perception of ethical leadership. Hence lower level employees who have very minimal contact with upper level management may rely more on information based on public opinion then direct leadership experience (Ponnu , Tennakoon). Both authors found that their study although valid and reliable, needed to be border in terms of sample size and area of study in order to fully understand and demonstrate the importance of ethical leadership. It was also suggested that since the research focused on† superior direct relationships â€Å"(Ponnu, Tennakoon) it would be recommended to gather relevant data from lower level employees within the organizational hierarchy. Finally they suggested further research on the relationship between â€Å"employee psychological empowerment and authenticity of ethical leader behavior (Ponnu, Tennakoon)†. As per my personal suggestion further research can be geared towards relating individual organizational commitment and performance. In conclusion to the Malaysian study, the authors state that corporate crime is still rising as a large number of top executives do not see the importance of ethical leadership values in their business operations. Corporate leaders should set an example of strong ethical and moral values in order to earn loyalty and trust of all major internal and external stakeholders. Organizations that have strong ethical leaders and principles are held in high esteem and enable the organization to employ and retain the best human capital available in the market. The case study on the internal audit profession, provided for a keen micro analysis on the personal motivations that guide employees to make moral decisions especially in professions that require a high level of ethical decision making. The limitations of this study as mentioned by the authors included variable identification and measurement, sample size and the use of a far too simple three vignette based model (Woodbine, Liu). Further research in to gender differences and issues that affect one’s ethical and moral decision making ability. Lastly a broader analysis that analysis the organization as whole as opposed to a particular profession would help enhance understanding of the internal motivations that guide moral decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas. The authors also recommend a new variable for research i.e. â€Å"employee religious affiliation† as a possible predictor to moral choices. Even though the authors conclude that codes of conduct and governance systems provide for an internal control mechanism, whistle blowing channels and develop cultures of honesty and accountability, the study strongly suggests that employee’s moral choices are still subject to their motivation needs. Finally, employee’s motivation to making moral decisions can be difficult to predict however they can be encouraged with proper leadership (Woodbine , Liu). All three scholarly articles empirically supported the main objective of this study, which was to reiterate the sound business principle that, ethical leadership lead to the responsible management of business processes and decision making that will in turn help an organization manage its risk of failure as a result of unethical business practices. Works Cited Ponnu, Cyril H., Tennakoon , Girindra. â€Å"The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case.† Electronic Journal of Business Ethics & Organizational Studies 14:1 (2009). Web. Sept 19th, 2010. Walman, De Luque, Washburn et al. â€Å"Cultural & Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries.† Journal of International Business Studies 37:6 (2006). Palgrave Macmillan Journals. Web. Sept 19th, 2010. Woodbine, Gordon F., Liu, Joanne. â€Å"Leadership Styles & The Moral Choice of Internal Auditors.† Electronic Journal of Business Ethics & Organizational Studies 15:1 (2010). Web. Sept 19th, 2010.

Physiological effects of stres essays

Physiological effects of stres essays Stress has been an ever increasing problem in our fast paced lives, especially here in North America. We constantly feel under pressure by many different factors, for instance, our place of work is a major aspect of our lives which we consider to be extremely stressful; as well there are other different situations and aspects of life that some people find more stressful than others. The ultimate question is, is our constantly changing environment the reason for our society to be under stress? Actually research has shown that we create a great deal of our own stress, particularly because of what most of us define success to be. It is the constant strive for materialistic rewards as a means to an end in our lives. I believe that the main reason and cause of stress is the inability to create a balance in ones life. It is fundamentally important for everyone to reach a balance in life, a balance in leisure, work, social connections, and physical and mental relaxation. It seems as if attaining such a balance in our lives is becoming more and more difficult because we are living is such a fast paced and demanding world. Stress affects almost every aspect of who we are along with our health and our performance whether you are an athlete, student, teacher, construction worker, etc. It damages our minds creating a busy brain, which is a thought pattern of constant worry. As well, stress can make us physiologically unhealthy. Unfortunately, no matter what we do there will be events and situations in our lives that will create anxiety and stress, fortunately there are measures that we can taken to help cope with our problems and have been proven to be effective. One of the most effective methods to help cope with stress, feel energized from day to day and increase performance in either sports or at work, is the ability to effectively learn relaxation techniques. Most people often associate relaxation with sleep, however, that is...

Macbeth And Lennox Essays - Characters In Macbeth, Free Essays

Macbeth And Lennox Essays - Characters In Macbeth, Free Essays Macbeth And Lennox LENNOX. Lennox is a political power-seeker, and we saw him on stage every time we saw Duncan on stage. He is one of those people who gravitates to power and gets as close to it as possible so that he can feel it and share it as much as possible. Once Macbeth is king, then Lennox is around him all the time, too. At the banquet when Macbeth saw Banquo's ghost, he was the one to invite Macbeth to sit next to him. He was the one to have the last word even when Lady Macbeth shouted for everyone to leave the room: Better health attend his majesty. Macbeth brought Lennox in to a place of great trust, as can be seen when Macbeth went to see the witches again: he took Lennox with him. At the end of the play, when the power changed sides, so did Macbeth. He was with the forces fighting against Macbeth. Therefore, Lennox would do ANYTHING to be in the glow of the power. In order to secure a better position with Macbeth, he became the third murderer. Macbeth asked him to go because he needed a warrior to make sure the job got done; he could not trust the two men he had hired to kill the great warrior, Banquo, without the help of another thane/warrior. Lennox was the one for the job. Macbeth knew he would do anything to stay near the power, and he took advantage of this. Another take on Lennox as the third murderer has him as a spy in Macbeth's castle, loyal to the forces opposing Macbeth. Lennox had been loyal to Duncan and ended up as one of the leaders of the forces opposing Macbeth in the end of the play. In fact, it was Lennox who knew where every soldier was, so he must have had the master plan for the battle in his possession. (When the question was asked in the end, Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother? it was Lennox who knew for certain that he was not. Lennox had a list of all the gentry. A political power-seeker would not earn that kind of position so quickly in the rebellion, so he must have been against Macbeth all along. His negative opinion of Macbeth was clearly expressed in Act III, scene vi, when he calls him a tyrant and rails against him openly to the unnamed Lord. Macbeth himself talks about how he has spies in every one else's castle: There's not a one of them but in his house/ I keep a servant feed (Act III, scene iv). Therefore, Lennox is a spy in Macbeth's castle. In the position of trust he has managed to obtain, he is sent out at the last minute to help with the killing of Banquo. Although he does not want to blow his cover, he cannot let Banquo die. However, the light is extinguished, the two murderers set upon Banquo immediately, killing him before Lennox can stop them, so he does the best that he can by helping Fleance to escape. He then returned to the banquet, where he would not have been missed. He maintains his close link to Macbeth, but does not give him any information that would help Macbeth. Note the fact that he does not tell Macbeth about Macduff's flight to England until his hand is forced by the two or three riders who came by in Act IV to report the information to Macbeth. The audience knows, though, that he already knew this from the conversation he had earlier with the unnamed Lord. He kept this information from Macbeth because he was a spy.

Essay on the Movie Minority Report (2002) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On the Movie Minority Report (2002) - Essay Example Under great protest, the husband is arrested and incarcerated, away from harm. When Cruise's character, John Anderton, begins to question the validity of the Pre-Crime system, he is soon himself targeted as an "enemy of the state", as it were. He notices that the female precog has an extra vision; one that is not registered on the official Pre-Crime system, and begins to investigate. This brings about the events that lead to the conclusion of the film; the founder of Pre-Crime is himself shown as no more than a murderer. After losing everything in the pursuit of this truth, including his eyes, Anderton regains the most important part of his life: his family. This is only possible after he has accepted that his kidnapped son would never return to him. After this devastating realization, Anderton is able to make a new beginning; his wife returns to him, and they have the promise of a new child. The precog siblings are also able to make a new beginning in a sort of paradise setting, secluded from the world that would exploit them. When the corruption of those in power is exposed in the film, those who suffer, namely John Anderton and the precogs, find peace. In this way, the sacrifice of the good results in corruption, while the exposure and punishment of the corrupt means peace and redemption. I. THE ROLE OF POWER AND POLITICS In terms of politics, power is a prominent theme in the film. This manifests itself in a variety of ways. Most obviously, the powers that be in terms of the Pre-Crime Department are corrupt. Secondly, there are underlying elements of social and personal morality that seek to overthrow and expose the corrupt power that rules, as well as often oppress society and also individuals. Thirdly, some authors have suggested an underlying religious theme of suffering and redemption. The most direct manifestation of political power in the film is the founder of Pre-Crime. Like many politicians, he hides the true corruption of his past under a veneer of creating the perfect, crime-free world. In this, he succeeds only for a while. The film appears to suggest, according to Tricia Snell (2007), an underlying social code of morality that continually attempts to restore the good where it has been corrupted. The main power in the film is the Pre-Crime Department. It has however itself been corrupted by means of a murder its founder committed. The representative of morality in the film is John Anderton, who has himself been so damaged by crime that he initially fails to recognize the corruption of the one thing that still provides meaning to his life. After losing his son and wife, Anderton is blind to the faults of his one remaining anchor in life. When this final connection betrays him, Anderton is forced to use his inner sense of morality as a new anchor in a world that has betrayed him on both a personal and professional level. Snell (2007) also mentions the issue of human rights in terms of how the precogs are practically imprisoned and drugged for life in order to serve the well-being of humankind. The rights of the precognitive siblings are sacrificed for the right of society to a crime-free life. In this, Anderton serves as the connection between restoring the rights of the precogs and exposing the corruption of the Pre-Crime

Two Types of Groups in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two Types of Groups in Society - Essay Example The people that I work with have been participating in the volunteer group since its inception. The second primary group I belong too is the card playing group. Typically such a group would be considered a secondary group, but in my case, it is a primary group because all the members of the group are immediate or extended family members. We meet every Saturday from 6:00 P.M to midnight to play cards while enjoying a home cook meal and a few drinks. These two primary groups are very important to me because they help me engage in social activities that I value. The primary groups provide me with moral support. I usually discuss my problems with my church buddies and with my family member during our meetings. Both groups are important for me and I value their existence. Secondary groups also serve a social purpose in life. The main difference between the primary and secondary group is that the person that compose the group are acquaintances or people we know such as co-workers. Also, these types of groups seem to be temporary. A secondary group I currently belong too is a team that formulated in school to complete a classroom project. The members of the group are fellow students who I just recently met. My behavior and the behavior of the other members of the group are impersonal. Our objective is to complete the classroom project on time and to get the best grade possible with the minimum requirement being that we obtain a passing grade. A second secondary group I belong to with a subgroup within my Facebook account. There are many secondary groups that a person can enter when they sign up for a social network. After the Haiti earthquake joined a secondary Facebook group called â€Å"Help for Haiti†.