Comprehensive Analysis of Staples

Comprehensive Analysis of Staples Harding University Angela Maloch Ashley Perez Keith Miller Ricky Griffin Abstract This paper will review Staples, Inc. comprehensively. The authors will discuss Staples’ visions, missions, and objectives, in addition to outlining the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses and their external opportunities and threats. Several matrices will be included to provide visual aid and better observations of the operations and current practices of the company. Recommendations will be provided on new courses of action that may benefit the company and help increase sales and brand awareness.Vision and Mission Staples, is the world’s largest office product organization, and a reliable source for office solutions. The company products and services include office supplies, copy and print supplies, and technology to support these products. Staples, also provides supplies for facilities, break-room, and furniture (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples c onceptualized the office superstore in 1986. It has more than 88,000 associates worldwide, in 26 countries, and fosters annual sales of 25 billion (Staples, Inc, 2012).Many organizations foundations began with a vision and an organizational mission. The vision and mission are set to be accomplished by setting objectives, and implementing strategies to achieve the goals set by the organization. According to Business Improvement Architects: Creating a compelling vision and developing the strategies to achieve it is one of the organization's most difficult challenges. The vision is more than a dream; it must convey a larger sense of organizational purpose, so that employees are able to picture themselves â€Å"building the dream company† rather than â€Å"laying the stones. It is an ambitious view of the future that everyone in the organization can believe in, one that can be realistically achieved, yet offers a future that is better in important ways than what now exists. (Bus iness Improvement Architects, n. d. ) Staples mission is â€Å"to make it easy to buy office products (David, 2013). † The mission is simple yet it encompasses what the organization strives to do with the products and services it provides to its customers throughout the world. Staples, does not have a written vision, but he the organization utilizes a unique approach in identifying the future direction of the company.Staples Soul program is a program designed by Staples, Inc. to help make the organization an employer and neighbor of choice, and sets Staples brand apart from competitors. The program is also aimed at allowing Staples to grow profitably and responsibly (Staples, Inc, 2012). Objectives and Strategies In Staples 2011 Annual Report, Ron Sargent who serves as the organization’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer stated: At Staples, we take great pride in our consistent execution and our ability to evolve and meet the changing needs of our custo mers.Throughout our 25 year history we’ve succeeded by setting aggressive goals, acquiring and retaining customers, and being accountable for our performance. We took the same approach in 2011 and made progress on many of our key initiatives, despite the challenging economic environment. (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples has established goals and objectives to keep the organization viable in the fast changing market, and the sluggish economy. The Staples Soul program, separates the organizations objectives into four pillars, and outlines the strategies to obtaining those objectives.The four pillars of focus of the Staples Soul Program are community, ethics, diversity, and environment (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples Community Objectives and Strategies Staples is dedicated to bring education, hope and opportunity to the communities of where their customers live. The community efforts are strategically approached through local grassroots programs, and large scale initiatives that build ties in the global community (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples has donated more than $17 million to nonprofit organizations, in the United States, and around the world in 2011.Through its Choose a Charity program, Staples has enabled associates to donate nearly $1. 9 million to organizations, in which they care about (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples has also been established volunteer programs, and associate volunteer programs which has led to more than 33,000 hours of volunteer work to being performed in 26 countries (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples and Ethics and Strategies Staples 2011 Annual report discusses their objective to meeting the ethical component of the organization.The report states: We believe that doing right is just as important as doing well. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of honesty, fairness and integrity, and continually implement strategies to ensure ethical conduct from the boardroom to the supply chain to the store. Our strong ethical foundation, demonstr ated in the daily relationships with our stakeholders, and ensures our continued success. (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples stress the importance of ethics in the business organization. The good business ethics must span throughout the entire organization.In efforts to achieve and maintain an ethical environment Staples has done the following: * Ethics, helpline, and training and awareness program in every business unit and function worldwide (Staples, Inc, 2012). * Established a new Ethics scorecard that allows senior leaders and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to monitor compliance with program requirements (Staples, Inc, 2012). * Created and established a monitoring and measurement framework to assess how well we are preventing, detecting and responding to ethics and compliance risks (Staples, Inc, 2012). Updated the Staples Suppliers Code of Conduct, by adding an Environmental and Business Ethics section, while modifying other sections (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples, the Environment and Strategies Staples Annual Report focused on environment as its third organizational objective. The organization’s 2011 report states: At Staples, our vision is to generate business and environmental benefits for ourselves, our customers and our communities by leading the way in sustainable business practices. his vision through a continued focus on sourcing more sustainable products; improving our offering of recycling and other green services; maximizing our energy efficiency and renewable energy use; and eliminating waste. In 2011, we communicated several new global sustainability goals and continued to work in several program areas to help move us closer to our sustainability vision. (Staples, Inc, 2012) As mentioned before the environmental pillar of the Staples Soul programs is beneficial to the organization, the environment, the community and the customer.Staples has been instrumental in environmental progress by: recycling more than 67 million ink and toner cartridges, and 13 million pounds of technology waste in the United States. Staples has continued the implementation of its Race to the Top Initiative, which is focused on key suppliers reducing the environmental impact of their product (Staples, Inc, 2012). At the end of 2011, Staples had 286 facilities in the U. S. that have received the ENERGY STAR ® for buildings certification. By the close of 2011 Staples had 36 solar installations at 33 facilities and purchased a large sum of renewable energy certificates.Staples has a goal of reducing operational electrical intensity by 25%, and global carbon emissions by 50% by 2020 from a 2010 baseline (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples, Diversity and Objectives Staples believes that being a successful company is dependent on people with rich backgrounds and diverse views. Staples commitment to diversity and inclusion opens the doors for the people of different races, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability, background and thinking styles. This in turn allows the company to be more innovative, because the organizations associate base reflects the diversity of the customers.Staples’ diverse workforce and suppliers help to build and enrich relationships with customers. While building upon these customer relationships, the organization is able to adapt to the ever changing global market place (Staples, Inc, 2012). Although Staples does not have a written vision statement, the Staples Soul Program has outlined the path, in which the organization wants to proceed over its business life. Fred R. David states: â€Å"A vision statement should answer the basic question, â€Å"What do we want to become? † (David, 2013, p. 45) David also states that a comprehensive mission statement is formulated by a clear vision.It is suggested that the vision statement be established first, and should be short approximately one sentence (David, 2013, p. 45). Many organizations have both a vision and a missi on statement. David states that an organization’s mission statement distinguishes one organization from another in the same industry. An organization’s mission statement is â€Å"its reason for being. A mission statement is important for effectively establishing objectives and forming strategies (David, 2013, p. 45). It is important when formulating a vision and mission statement, it is important to include the managers and the employees.When employees and managers work together to formulate the organizations vision and mission, the statements will reflect the personal visions that employees and managers alike feel passionate towards, and sets the foundation for the future. The shared vision leads to a common objective and can motivate employees and remove the mundane atmosphere in the work environment (David, 2013, p. 47). An organization’s vision and mission statement can: * Ensure unanimity of organizational purpose * Provide a standard for allocation of org anizational resources * Establish organizational climate or general tone Serve as a focal point for people to identify with the organization’s purpose * To help translate objectives into a work structure assignments and task * To specify organizational purpose and translate those into organizational objectives (David, 2013, p. 48). The Staples Soul Program sets the tone for a vision statement for the organization. Staples vision statement could read: â€Å"Staples vision is to be a world leader in providing easy assessable office supplies while being committed to improvements in ethics, environment, community, and diversity for those we serve. The Staples mission as stated before states that the company’s mission is â€Å"to make it easy to buy office products. † (David, 2013, p. 69) Staples mission and vision projected through its Staples Soul Program has set then foundation for the organizational to expand and utilize its strengths and opportunities to contin ue to be a leader in its industry. The organization can also utilize this foundation set to identify weaknesses, and potential industry threats. Eternal Opportunities and Threats External Opportunities Opportunities can give an organization an edge over the competition. Staples, Inc. isplays the potential to increase its growth in additional countries. Currently Staples has 300 stores internationally. An international expansion would increase the profits for the organization. According to David (2013) â€Å"Growth is forecast to reach almost $88 billion by 2013, reflecting a five-year average growth rate of less than 1 percent† (p. SM-66). The advancement in technology can provide Staples with a balanced diversity for its shoppers. New technological gadgets continue to bring additional efficiency for individuals in a number of ways such as online shopping, reading books, and playing games. Staples, Inc. artnered with Barnes and Noble to offer an alternate color reader commonl y known as The NOOK. This technological device competes with Amazon’s Kindle and the Apple’s iPad. The partnership with Barnes and Noble will provide Staples with the opportunity to expand within the digital era. External Threats Threats are external and could occur at any time. Threats most often occur from other competing companies. Staples, Inc. continually competes with a number of organizations in regard to price competition and retail competition. Price competition occurs with equal ground stores such as Office Depot and OfficeMax. Staples, Inc. s the largest office supply company compared to Office Depot classified as the second place organization. David (2013) stated the following interesting fact, â€Å"Staples is larger than Office Depot and OfficeMax combined† (p. SM-76). The three organizations display similar challenges in regard to the reduction of sales because of businesses going paperless. The retail competition includes stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target. These organizations display the need to obtain additional market share. As stated earlier, Staples, Inc. began the route of digital services with the latest product from Barnes and Noble commonly known as The NOOK.With the consumer trend of digital services reduces the need for traditional supplies. Green initiatives continue to be another factor for the reduction of traditional supplies, which reduces the need to stock a lot of cases of copy paper in the distribution centers. Competitive Profile Matrix External Factors External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) Key External Factors WeightRatingScore Opportunities International growth (only 300 stores overseas). 12 4. 48 Trends towards digital items. 12 4. 48 New partnerships (Barnes & Nobles). 11 3. 33 Implement research/development. 15 4. 60Threats Price competition. 10 3. 30 Retail competition. 12 4. 48 Unemployment rates. 06 2. 12 Oil prices. 06 2. 12 New technologies reduce need for traditional supplies . 10 3. 30 Green’ initiatives might shift demand for products . 06 2. 12 Totals12. 04 The External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) demonstrates how opportunities and threats may affect the company. Similar to the IFE, this gives a visual rating of the importance of external factors that may contribute to or inhibit the success of Staples. Seen in the matrix above, new opportunities can greatly contribute to the success of Staples.With such broad expansion opportunities, it would be easy for Staples to make new connections overseas, whether in creating new locations or promoting online sales. New partnerships should be looked into as well. Staples has already teamed up with Barnes & Nobles, but opportunities with other major brands might impact Staples’ sales in a positive way as well. Implementing a research and development team can give Staples the opportunity to study consumer patterns, marketing techniques, and what products to offer to better meet the needs of society.Comp eting companies that offer similar products are the greatest threat the Staples. To best combat this, Staples needs to be prepared to offer the best customer service and technologies to stay in the competition. New technologies are changing what consumers need in regards to office supplies. For example, most consumers have switched to computer filing, rather than paper filing. This reduces the need for so much paper, files, folders, and filing cabinets. While some may still need this, Staples may want to look at reducing their inventory of these items and offering a larger supply of more current and modern items.Internal Strengths and Weaknesses Internal Strengths Strengths refer to the factors that exist within the company and exhibits formations of competitive advantage. The organization has dominance worldwide in more than 22,000 locations to include China, Australia, Germany, North America, and a number of other countries. Staples, Inc. is an established organization with a well developed infrastructure that offers business services such as supplies, technology, furniture, and office machines inside the stores as well as online. Staples, Inc. has a competitive advantage with the use of its online sales market.Instead of keeping a large inventory, the majority of the retail store locations stock approximately 7,000 products. When customers do not find a particular item inside the store, he or she can receive next day service at the local store when ordering from Staples. com. This avenue provides customers the option to review over 30,000 products in approximately 125 distributions. When the customer orders a product, he or she can request to receive shipment at the local store, at work, or at a home address. This type of service provides convenience for Staples, Inc. shoppers. In addition, Staples, Inc. ade an investment in regard to its delivery system with a purchase of small fleet of electric trucks. The purpose of this investment was to improve the org anization’s efficiency and cost minimization by reducing fuel cost by 75% compared to diesel trucks. Internal Weaknesses Weaknesses are the areas an organization needs to try to correct imperfections for improvement. Understanding potential weaknesses can help an organization to both manage and remove possible threats. In contrast to a limited inventory as strength, this concept can be a weakness in regard to customers not wanting to wait for a specific product.Customers may go to a competitor to purchase the needed product or purchase it online. A number of challenges exist because of the advanced technological era. For instance, Staples, Inc. reported a seven percent decline in stock prices according to its 2010 Annual Report. Internal Factors Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) Key Internal FactorsWeight RateScore Strengths Strong international growth and partners. 12 4. 48 Advertising and marketing. 12 4. 48 Strong Online sales market. 10 3. 30 Many convenient Locatio ns. 10 3. 30 Staples Delivery System. 11 3. 33 Weaknesses Only 1. % increase in Sales (2010). 06 2. 12 Stock price fell 7% (2010). 06 2. 10 Poor executive compensation plans. 12 4. 48 Poor inventory management. 11 3. 33 No research/development Budget. 10 3. 30 Totals13. 19 As seen above, the Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) is used to provide a numerical and visual score of key factors of the internal strengths and weaknesses. This gives management an idea of how to prioritize any issues that may be affecting or attributing the growth or success of the company. With more than 1500 locations throughout the United States, Staples is easily accessible to the population.Their advertising and marketing campaigns are successful and catchy; this creates brand awareness, and can potentially bring in more consumers. The internal weaknesses have caused such financial stresses on the company that it is very important that these issues are addressed. For instance, in 2010, there was only a 1. 1% increase in sales and stock prices fell 7%; however, the CEO of Staples, Ron Sargent, took a 41% pay increase. Moves like this can set Staples up for failure, so it is important for management to be aware of these internal issues through the use of an IFE.With no research and development budget, Staples is falling behind the trends of fast-paced society. They are not current on what is popular and what issues may be hurting their sales. * SWOT Analysis According to Thompson, Gamble, and Strickland (2006), â€Å"A SWOT analysis is a simple but powerful tool for sizing up a company’s resource capabilities and deficiencies, its market opportunities, and the external threats to its future well-being (Chap. 3, p. 85). A SWOT analysis is a significant portion of the strategic planning model.An organization uses a SWOT analysis that consists of strengths as internal forces of the organization to accomplish the objective; weaknesses are internal forces of the organization t hat harm the objective; opportunities are external forces that can expand the organization; threats are external forces that can destroy the organization’s success. In developing a strategic plan, leaders must ask if the current strategic plan is adequate to achieve the goal and are there allowances for contingency plans if the current plan is not working.Therefore, an effective strategy will consider the internal and external factors of the SWOT analysis by looking at the big picture of what an organization will face in the course of goal achievement. SWOT Matrix Space Matrix Current Strategies Inventory Staples is looking to reduce physical inventory in stores and offer a wider variety via Staples. com (Donoher as cited in David, 2013). In doing this, they can limit the size of store locations and be able to cut building costs, utilities and floor space on new locations.In addition, research done by Shankar, Rangaswamy & Pusateri (1999) indicates that online shopping is mor e convenient than offline shopping and allows consumers to find products to best fit their needs. This strategy, once fully implemented may promote more business to the website and offer better selections. The only issue that may arise is not having an item in stock that competitors might have. It would helpful to research buying trends and patterns of this industry and keep those items stocked. Prices Low prices have been the ultimate focus of Staples.This is understandable in retail today, however customer service and loyalty programs are just as desirable to consumers. Indicated by Shankar, Rangaswamy & Pusateri (1999), customers are not sensitive just to price increases, but rather a mixture of factors that contribute to the overall buying experience. Slightly raising prices and focusing more on customer service can produce a better experience for in-store shoppers and may encourage them to return. Also, in some cases, low prices can correlate with low quality.When Staples offer s their own brand items for extremely low prices, consumers may consider the price in relation to the quality. Recommended Strategies Based on the case study, Staples, Staples has seen gradually declining sales and profits in recent years (Donoher, as cited in David, 2013). In order to turn that around and be a successful office supply company, they need to implement new strategies. Staples is not a competitor with other office supply companies. They cannot maintain desirable inventories of what consumers are looking for and they cannot beat the prices and leverage that other similar stores offer.If left alone, Staples will go out of business. Suggestions on strategies that may offer aid to Staples are outlined below. Retrenchment â€Å"Retrenchment occurs when an organization regroups through cost and asset reduction to reverse declining profits† (David, 2013, P. 146). If Staples would try this strategy, they might be able to save the company and turn it around. In order to implement this strategy, they would stop opening new stores, and perhaps even close stores throughout the United States. Closing stores throughout the United States can greatly reduce costs and increase revenues.It would be most logical to close the locations with the lowest annual sales. In addition, by reducing the number of store openings would allow for more focus to be within what Staples already has. This means there would be more time to focus on customer service, inventory management, product display, management, and online sales. Online sales are such a large portion of their business, it may be more effective to put more efforts into obtaining sales through that medium, rather than brick and mortar locations. Related DiversificationIn order to remain in the competition, Staples must be open to diversifying the products they currently offer. Staples needs to revamp their current inventory and look at what it is consumers want today. With such a boom in technology, there is a consumer desire for new and up-to-date items. The items they rarely sell need to be taken off the shelves or offer a very limited inventory in stores. That clears up space for new items, and a greater inventory capacity. By stocking items that customers want can increase the traffic flow through the store.Often, consumers know competing stores, such as Office Depot and Wal-Mart have more of what they need, so Staples is eliminated completely. Recommended Annual Objectives and Policies Organizational Annual Business reports are a vital tool in making recommendations for annual objectives, and policies. The annual report identifies the company’s short falls, but more importantly it shines the light on the organizations achievements. The annual report also illustrates the plans and strategies to rectify its weaknesses, and refute potential threats.According an article by Jill Leviticus, an annual report; â€Å"provide information on the health of your company to shareholders, stakeholders, the media and your community. † (Leviticus, 2012) The article also states that the organizational annual report provides financial information, highlights achievements, promotes the organization, and other key information to the stakeholders (Leviticus, 2012). Staples 2011 Annual Business Report outlines the organization’s recommended annual objectives and policies, which is based on the needs of the employees, shareholders, and customers.Annual Business Reports and meetings cover a broad range of objectives and policies. Staples 2011 Annual Business Report covered topics on beneficial of ownership of common stock, corporate governance, and election of directors, employee stock plans, and long-term cash plans (Staples, Inc, 2012). Adjustments to these specific objectives and policies will specifically impact the viability of Staples, Inc. The aforementioned Staples Soul Program has been instrumental in making the organization the â€Å"employer and neigh bor of choice. † (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples has been proactive in implementing policies and objectives to acilitate the organization in achieving goals centered around the four pillars of the Staples Soul Program, which are community, ethics, diversity, and environment (Staples, Inc, 2012). Strategy Review and Evaluation Defining a strategy is an educated guess. The guess is a key process in any organization. The changes that occur in today’s society can make or break an organization. Strategy, as any other process improvement, cannot be determined unless it is measured. There is an old saying that says it is hard to know where you are going until you know where you have been.Strategy has to be evaluated to determine if the direction of change is favorable or unfavorable to the organization. There are acronyms of famous cycles to help lead an organization to improve. PDCA, PDSA or DMAIC are some of the well-known cycles. These cycles define a basic process of evaluati ng changes made to determine if the actions taken reflect the desired results. A similar process of planning, doing, studying and acting has to be defined in each organization. Organizations can vary in the data used but the process will be the same. DataThere are a number of inputs that need to be included into strategy development. External inputs include items such as customer needs, customer survey results, industry trends, regulatory requirements, technological advancements, market risks and competitive intelligence to name a few. Internal inputs include company vision, mission, goals, philosophies, employee survey results, SWOT analysis and balanced scorecard results. These inputs will help determine what a company’s balanced scorecard should be. The balanced scorecard could be used by location moving up to the organizational level.It could also translate down to specific goals and objectives for individual performance management. Measure Once the balanced scorecard has been developed then it is time to capture the results. In most cases these results are measured monthly. There are some cases where the time frame may extend to a longer period of time depending on the metric being measured. For instance, financial information would probably be calculated monthly by an internal team. An external assessment could be used to challenge or protect your company such as Sarbanes-Oxley audit. These measurements help determine direction.Review Periodic reviews of balanced scorecard information are required to determine if the actions taken are effective or not effective. These reviews can occur at different time intervals. Changes or actions taken can immediately take effect or it could be a period of time before the change is realized. An example of immediate effect could be actions taken to reduce inventory levels. Depending on the action the company may see the results on the following month. An example of a longer term effect may be implementing an â⠂¬Å"open door† policy which involves a cultural change that may not be seen immediately.A general understanding of the metric and the anticipated impact time should be rationalized during the review process. Adjustment Once the review has been analyzed actions should be taken to correct metrics that are not performing to the desired results. There are several methods of problem-solving that can be used to help work through the possible contributors of poor performance. The A3 process was derived by Toyota. The process is a collaborative problem-solving tool used to manage individual issues from beginning to end.The A3 process identifies the team, the problem, the metrics used to measure the issue, potential causes, countermeasures to potential causes, responsible party assigned and results. The cycle starts again similar to the Plan, Do, Study and Act cycle mentioned earlier. Recommendation The recommendation for Staples is to have monthly reviews as well as annual reviews. Th e monthly reviews would consist of A3’s developed for each of the metrics. The A3’s would be reviewed to see how the countermeasures are impacting the metric. This type of review will help monitor performance in the short-term time frame.Annual reviews should be conducted on the internal and external inputs and balanced scorecard results. The annual review would be designed to develop the strategic plan for the following year or longer. References Business Improvement Architects. (n. d. ). Understand the organization's vision. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. bia. ca: http://www. bia. ca/vision. htm David, F. R. (2013). Strategic Managment: A Competitive Advantage Approach (14 ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Leviticus, J. (2012). What Is the Purpose of Company Annual Reports? Retrieved November 23, 2012, from www. smallbusiness. hron. com: http://smallbusiness. chron. com/purpose-company-annual-reports-57428. html Shankar, V; Rangaswamy, A. & Pusateri, M. (1999). The online medium and customer price sensitivity. Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology. Staples, Inc. (2012, April). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. thomson. mobular. net: http://thomson. mobular. net/thomson/7/3218/4642/document_0/SPLS_2011AR. pdf Staples, Inc. (2012, November 14). Corporate Profile. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. staples. com: http://investor. staples. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=96244&p=irol-IRHome

Kimi Dora

Blog Number One â€Å"Oh, You are so Funny and I’m Love it† By: Kenneth Esteleydiz de Guzman (Submitted for an Essay Class in DLSUD) I know that you have already watched a lot of funny films around. But one thing you shouldn’t miss is the movie directed by Ms. Joyce Bernal, and was produced by Spring Films. This movie will surely make you giggle and laugh so hard! I swear to you that every minute that you will spend in this film will never make you feel doubtful and regretful for the fact that this is really worth watching. I’ll tell you now the title of this movie.My much loved movie ever for this year is â€Å"Kimy Dora†, starring Eugene Domingo. Kimy Dora is a film that is about twins who are identical. Kimy Go Dong Hae is the older of the two, she was not that smart when she was young but suddenly after she got a typhoid fever (a very high and severe fever), and she became really smart! It was like she ate a dictionary! Doctors said that her bra in could have been affected by the severe illness she had. She became a war freak as well. She is also insecure for having less attention from her dad and from her very much loved man, Johnson (played by Dingdong Dantes) who admires Dora a lot.Dora (Kimmy’s twin sister) on the other side isn’t so smart but not so dumb as well. Dora may be compared to those who are mentally challenged because of the way she acts; this happened because she was born inside a toilet bowl and got her head bumped inside it when she came out from her mother’s womb. Her parents thought that they would only have one daughter who was Kimy but what happened was that when their mom was a I know that you have already watched a lot of funny films around. But one thing you shouldn’t miss is the movie directed by Ms. Joyce Bernal, and was produced by Spring Films.This movie will surely make you giggle and laugh so hard! I swear to you that every minute that you will spend in this film wi ll never make you feel doubtful and regretful for the fact that this is really worth watching. I’ll tell you now the title of this movie. My much loved movie ever for this year is â€Å"Kimy Dora†, starring Eugene Domingo. Kimy Dora is a film that is about twins who are identical. Kimy Go Dong Hae is the older of the two, she was not that smart when she was young but suddenly after she got a typhoid fever (a very high and severe fever), and she became really smart!It was like she ate a dictionary! Doctors said that her brain could have been affected by the severe illness she had. She became a war freak as well. She is also insecure for having less attention from her dad and from her very much loved man, Johnson (played by Dingdong Dantes) who admires Dora a lot. Dora (Kimmy’s twin sister) on the other side isn’t so smart but not so dumb as well. Dora may be compared to those who are mentally challenged because of the way she acts; this happened because sh e was born inside a toilet bowl and got her hea bout to poop in a toilet bowl, and it was Dora who came out!Their mom died due to severe bleeding and shame due to what happened. Knowing the fact that Dora is a bit mentally challenged, Kimy hated her so much. But one thing that proved that Dora was not retarded was when Kimy was kidnapped; she was able to take over of their company even though Dora only pretended as Kimy to make sure that people won’t panic for the lost of Kimy. At the end of the film, Dora and Kimy were able to be good sisters again and Kimy realized that she shouldn’t mistreat her sister as to what she usually did before.The reason why I really love this film is that Eugene Domingo is also one of my favorite comedians. She has that kind that of humor that would make me burst out. This was the first movie wherein she got the major role and the great thing is that she got the best actress award for this movie. Another reason is that the movie also has m oral lessons, lessons that would surely make your heart cry. I bet you should really watch this movie not just for fun but for simple lessons as well. Just go and grab a copy of this now and be astonished of the laughter that this movie might bring to you.

Critical Discourse Analysis

CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF AN EDITORIAL NOTE In this text, I am going to analyze an editorial column which is called â€Å"Improcedente paralizacion en el SML†, written by Diario La Tercera. I am going to analyze it taking into account three dimensions of analysis. First, I am going to analyze textual practice, follow by the discourse practice, and finally the social and ideological practice. Textual practice: According to this dimension, I could say that it is not a co-operatively constructed because it is not representing any conversation but it is constructed by three paragraphs which are connecting the text.Besides, I could mention that the author follows a rule of politeness because it is written in an academic and formal way. Although, the image of the author is not represented in any features in the text, the author's attitude itself is expressed in the text because the author expresses her/him opinion about the mobilization of Servicio Medico Legal, this is respres ented by this phrase: â€Å"Lo ocurrido en este caso es inaceptable†. The meaning is being affected by syntactic structures and lexical choice.They help readers to understand the meaning and the purpose of the editorial note. The syntactic structures are â€Å"se genero un desacato a la autoridad y el incumplimiento de una orden emanada de un tribunal† resulta muy grave que escudandose en demandas laborales, los funcionarios del servicio descuiden la delicada labor que cumplen. Those phrases provide the reasons of the author to mention: â€Å"Lo ocurrido en este caso es inaceptable†.Also, the lexical choice is represented for these words: provoco, paralizacion, movilizaciones, genero, causo, tardanza, afecta, peritajes, among others. Moreover, it is important to include that there are some paradigms the first one is about strike: paralizacion, movilizaciones, paro de actividades. The second one is about social authorities: Servicio Medico Legal de Santiago, orga nismo publico, Carabineros, tribunal, director de la entidad, ministro de Justicia.And the third one is about people: familiares, funcionario, trabajadores, perito, miembros del servicio. Following with this analysis, I could mention that some expressions used by the author to characterize the text are â€Å"Improcedente paralizacion en el SML† this sentence is the title of the editorial column, so at the beginning the author is characterized the text as an editorial which is a text of opinion because with the word IMPROCEDENTE, he/she is exposing his/her stance about the problem.Discourse Practice According to this dimension of analysis, I consider that this text is conventional first because it is referring to a current event and likewise it is not the first time that a Chilean public entity performs a stoppage of its activities. This editorial note remind me others mobilizations that have occurred in Chile for example when the public institutions, like hospitals, kindergar tens, among others, went on strikes during this year.Moreover, this text represents an editorial note because the author is expressing his/her opinion about a current social event. This text is more accessible to different kinds of readers because it is represented an current news so it is not necessary for the readers to read between lines because the text is clear and direct, and it is representing the stance of the author. Also, I could mention that the text is presupposing that the readers know this event and therefore they are going to understand the stance of the author.It could be reflected by this expression: â€Å"Se trata de hechos que no deben repetirse, tal como se comprometio el director de la entidad†. Finishing this dimension. I can say that the producer is the Diario La Tercera and the intended receivers are the people who read this newspaper that could be characterized as people from middle class. Social practice According to this dimension, I can say that th e social identities that the author represents are Diario la Tercera, and also the families affected by this issue.The relationship between the social identities that the author represents is that both parts the newspaper and the families believe that it is a painful issue and it cannot happen again, it could be representative with this expression: â€Å"El paro de actividades causo la tardanza en la entrega de varios cuerpos a sus familiares, prolongando innecesariamente ese doloroso momento† . n addition, I can say that the newspaper is exerting power through the language on the readers, because the newspaper is in charge of selecting the editorial note published and with this kind of editorial column the newspaper is trying to persuade the reader. On the other side, the social goal of the text is to demonstrate that this social problem and create conscious about the topic for this reason the text is mportant to accomplish the goal because without it the reader would not un derstand the meaning of the text. The social situation that the editorial note is produced is a today? s event. It happened a week ago and every day this fact is being showed as regrettable news. Besides, it is a very conventional as I mentioned before because it is a controversial topic which remind us it is not the first time that a public institution goes on strike neglecting their duties and triggering problems to society.It is a fact to say that the author appeals that this event is a serious incident and it has not happened again for that reason he/she claims expression like these: â€Å"Lo ocurrido en este caso es inaceptable†¦se genero un desacato a la autoridad y el incumplimiento de una orden emanada de un tribunal†¦Asimismo, resulta muy grave que escudandose en demandas laborales, los funcionarios del servicio descuiden la delicada labor que cumplen†¦ Se trata de hechos que no deben repetirse†.Finally, the social consequences of the text are to persu ade readers that this incident cannot happen again in a country that claims to be developed. Another social consequence can elicit a response from readers to the public health institutions in order to avoid that these facts do not continue to happen.

Discuss the motives underlining M&A and compare the outcomes of the Essay

Discuss the motives underlining M&A and compare the outcomes of the different methodologies used to analyse M&A - Essay Example There are two types of acquisitions; â€Å"private and â€Å"public†. This depends on whether the company acquiring is or is not listed on a public stock market. The difference between Merger and Acquisition is that Merger deals with two companies joining to become one while Acquisition has one company, which is doing the buying (Sherman and Hart, 20016:11). The work that follows discusses the motives underlying M&A, and compares the outcomes of the different methodologies used to analyze M&A. All companies that engage in any business are under one rule: grow or die. Those companies that plan to grow take away market share from their competitors look for the creation of economic profits and provide returns to shareholders (Sherman and Hart, 2006: 1). Those that lack plans on growth are stagnant, do not plan any growth strategies, they end up losing customers and market share and lose shareholder value. Mergers and Acquisitions contribute a lot to these two conditions. It help s the stronger company to grow faster than the competition and ensures quick swallowing of the weaker companies or them making irrelevant through exclusion (Sherman and Hart, 2006:1). Motives underlying M&A Different business enterprises and companies have used Mergers and Acquisitions as a means of growth strategies. ... The three differ according to the ideas behind them (Schmidt, 2010: 67) Economic motives Different authors have devised different theories to explain economic motives that encourage people to engage in Merges and Acquisitions; Efficiency theory This theory presents the motive of benefiting shareholders and managers of the acquiring company (Farschtschian, 2012:18). According to this theory, companies plan and execute Mergers and Acquisitions to achieve financial, operational and managerial synergies (Faulkner, Teerikangas and Joseph, 2012). The shareholders with this motive aim to benefit from net gains through synergy. Monopoly theory Under this theory, companies engage in Mergers and Acquisition with the motive of achieving market power. Mergers and Acquisitions under this motive may allow companies to cross-subsidize products, at the same time limit competitions in more than one market, and discourage potential entrants from the market. All of this result to monopoly power for the company. The shareholders under this motive aim at the wealth transfers from customers. Managerial Motives Theories that explain managerial motives include; Empire/Agency building theory This theory shows the motive aimed at benefiting managers. In this motive, managers plan for Mergers and Acquisitions aiming at maximizing their own utility instead of shareholders’ value (Karenfort, 2011: 9). The managers, according to this theory, plan to engage the company in mergers and Acquisition aiming at benefiting or creating their own reputation. Another motive is the need to transform to a corporate identity or recognition. This is where companies merge to gain popularity (Sherman and Hart, 2006:13). Financial motives The following theories explain the

Job interview questions (Advertising) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Job interview questions (Advertising) - Essay Example While working, I allocate adequate question time to my team members in order to attain the feedback. My objective is to involve all individuals in the decision making process. In this regard, I use democracy leadership style. I value this style since it creates a good working relationship between leaders and members of an organization. I like seeking the opinions of others during my leadership. As a result, once I make changes in the benefits program for example by introducing a computer course, there is no resistance to change from the workers since they are involved in the plan. One of the challenges faced by sales team is lack of product awareness. I will tackle this challenge by coming up with roadside shows in road junction and public places especially during the weekends. As a result, more potential consumers will be aware of our brands (Matt, 2005). I will also create songs that our sales team will sing while advertising in the television. By use of IT, and in collaboration with company designers, I will come up with well-designed advertisements that inform the customer about our brands once they are launched in the market. My objective is to have a strong marketing team and effective PR that is able to handle customer complaints. Using face book and twitter, I will come up with a group that our consumers will join as friends thus creating a strong positive customer-brand relationship. As an intern, I came up with an innovative idea of using plastic bags that were green and recyclable. In this way, there was minimum pollution within our premises as well as in the neighborhood. I value teamwork and assisting individual members to achieve their goals. However, at one time I experienced a challenge when some members of my team were involved in a conflict resulting to failure to achieve our objectives. To address this problem, I arranged a meeting with each of the member, then with both of them and lastly we solved the issue and the positive

Qualitative and quantitative research styles of nursing research Essay

Qualitative and quantitative research styles of nursing research - Essay Example The term Nursing Research refers to the application of scientific inquiry to phenomena of concern to nursing. The systematic investigation of patients and their health experience is the primary concern of nursing. Nursing Research seeks to find new knowledge that can eventually be applied in providing nursing care to patients. It includes both Qualitative and Quantitative methodologies. The distinction between qualitative and quantitative research in nursing is representative of a complex issue which will be simplified for the purposes of clarity and brevity. Qualitative researchers collect their data in real world, naturalistic settings. And, whereas a quantitative researcher usually strives to collect data in one type of setting to maintain constancy of conditions, qualitative researchers may deliberately strive to study their phenomena in a variety of natural contexts. Qualitative research reports are written in a more inviting and conversational style than quantitative ones, whic h are more impersonal and include information on statistical tests. Qualitative nursing researchers also strive to share their findings with others at conference and in journal articles. Qualitative findings because of their depth and richness, also lend themselves more readily to book-length manuscripts than do quantitative findings.Regardless of researchers’ position about when a literature review should be conducted, they usually include a summary of prior research in their reports as a means of providing context for the study.... Although this rate is somewhat better than rates reported elsewhere, it still concern that control of pain for dying patients is simply not good enough. Interestingly, families had more complaints about the management of pain for decedents who died at home, even though they did not report higher levels of pain. Perhaps this is because in the home setting, family members are more aware of pain management problems and bear more responsibility for direct care of such needs. Research reports tell a story. The style in which many research reports are written- especially reports in quantitative style, makes it difficult for beginning research consumers to become interested in the story. To unaccustomed audiences, research reports may seem stuffy, pedantic, and bewildering. Four factors contribute to this impression: -> Compactness. Journal space is limited, so authors try to compress many ideas and concepts into a short space. Interestingly, personalized aspects of the investigation often cannot be reported. And, in qualitative style, only a handful of supporting quotes can be included. ->Jargon. The authors of both quantitative and qualitative reports use research terms that are assumed to be part of readers' vocabulary, but they may seem esoteric. ->Objectivity. Quantitative researchers normally avoid any impression of subjectivity and thus research stories are told in a way that makes them sound impersonal. For example, most quantitative research reports are written in the passive voice. Use of the passive voice tends to make a report less inviting and lively than the use of the active voice, and it tends to give the

Business Environment Demand and Supply Assignment

Business Environment Demand and Supply - Assignment Example 2. If the price of Snickers increases, then the substitute for the Mars bar has become more expensive. As a result at each price, people will buy more Mars bars. Therefore, at each price there will be a higher quantity demanded of Mars bars. So the demand for Mars bars will increase. In figure 2 suppose the initial demand curve at the old price of Snicker bars is D0. This curve shows at price ?0.6 per unit of Mars bars, Q1 units are demanded. Now if the price of Snickers bars goes up, at the same price of Mars bars, more units are demanded. So, the demand curve shifts up to D1. In this new situation, at the old price of Mars bars Q2 units are demanded. Figure 2: Effect of increase in the price of substitutes 3. In figure 3, D0 is the initial demand line for Strawberries. If the price of cream fell, then a unit of Strawberries and cream together is less expensive. Since Strawberries and cream is consumed together, the quantity demanded of strawberries and cream together rises. As a re sult, at each price, the quantity demanded of Strawberries is now higher. So, the demand curve for Strawberries shifts out to the right to D1. Figure 3: Effect of fall in price in cream on demand for Strawberries 4. If the interest rate increases, then people have to pay more to repay the same amounts of loans. As a result, the income falls. If income falls, given the same price of cars, people can afford to buy fewer cars. Therefore, at every price, the quantity demanded of cars falls. As a result, there is a decline in the demand of cars. This is shown in figure 4. The demand for cars drops from D0 to D1. Figure 4: Effect of rise in interest rates on demand for cars 5. If the cost of production of Mars bars falls, then every unit of Mars bars can be supplied at lower price. Therefore, at each price the quantity supplied increases. This leads to an outward shift in the supply on the Mars bars. The effect is shown in figure 5 below. The initial demand and supply curves are D0 and S0 respectively. The equilibrium occurs at point A where these two curves intersect one another. Note from the vertical axis that at the initial equilibrium the price is 0.6p. Now, suppose the production cost falls. As a result, the supply curve shifts out to the right to S1. The new equilibrium is point B. Note from the vertical axis, the new equilibrium price of Mars bars is lower than the initial equilibrium price. Figure 5: Effect of reduction in producing costs 6. In figure 6, the effect of a reduction in a tax on the sales of the product is shown. Suppose initially, the tax is ‘t’. The relevant supply curve is S0+t. If the tax is taken off, the cost of the firm goes down, as a consequence the firm can supply more at each price. The supply curve without the tax is S0. Observe, if a tax is charged, then to supply an output of Q1 the firm has to charge a price of P0+t. But if there is no tax, the firm can supply the same output at a lower price of P0. Therefore, the ef fect of a reduction in tax is to shift the supply curve out to the right. Figure 6: Effect of a reduction in tax on the supply 7. If there is an increase in technology, the inputs become more productive. As a result, at the same per unit cost, the firm can now produce more. Therefore, at each price, the firm now is able to offer a higher quantity supplied. Therefore, due to the improvement in technology, the

Racing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Racing - Essay Example Hence, only those with an unyielding attitude are found willing to accept struggles and unceasingly proceed with the race. Though it typically pertains to a sport in which racers compete for speed and strategizing at the maximum speed to emerge as the first on the finish line, people in general form varying connotations about ‘racing’. Often times, racing is valued for the idea that life is only lived once so one should seize every opportunity that comes his way. It becomes worthwhile as well to consider that racing may represent people who are optimistic enough to not lose heart with their depressed conditions and keep the race with life instead, positively hoping for recovery no matter what it takes. To others, racing is a means to demonstrate potentials of being tough amidst crises or in contending against an opponent who wishes to maintain a tight competition, hence, only those with an unyielding attitude are found willing to accept struggles and unceasingly proceed with the race.Perhaps it is through the ambiguity of the term ‘racing’ that the world has been led to further inclination and fondness of a racing sport in view of its associated principles which are applicable to a person’s life. As it turns out, the fascination to reach a goal or beat the rest who go after the same goal creates the basic idea about racing which eventually serves as a guide for a racer to live a life of purpose regardless of the type of field or endeavor chosen.

The Phamaceutical Sector in Madagascar Coursework

The Phamaceutical Sector in Madagascar - Coursework Example These can then be developed into drugs in the western world and marketed in ventures where a pharmaceutical company can make millions if not billions of dollars. To do this, they have encouraged conservation efforts of the rainforests as well as speedy cataloguing of all the different species that are largely unknown to date. Thorough all of this, it must be taken into consideration that while Madagascar does not have the financial resources to develop the drugs themselves, these pharmaceutical companies are working in a sovereign country where the biological flora present is, in fact, a property of that country. This must be delicately balanced with attaining the materials needed for research as well as keeping within the legal framework of the country. For a start, this paper will first take a brief look at the country of Madagascar. It will examine some general facts, the political and economic situation in the country and the tropical rainforests. The interest of pharmaceutical c ompanies lies primarily in these forests and the importance of conservation of these forests will be detailed. Some examples of plants that have been successfully developed into drugs will be made mention of as well as the legal aspects of exporting biodiversity such as this to other countries. In addition, the financial aspects that are considered why a pharmaceutical company will be detailed followed by a discussion of whether it is worth investing in the pharmaceutical industry of Madagascar by companies based in the western world. Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean that is located about 400km away from the coast of Mozambique. It is the world’s fourth largest island. It covers an area of 587,041 sq km (226,658 sq miles) (BBC News) and has a population of 20.1 million (UN, 2010 from BBC News). The inhabitants of Madagascar, the Malagasy are descendants of the both Africans and Indonesians who moved to this island over 2000 years ago (BBC News). Madagascar used to be a French colony and only gained independence 1960 (BBC News). Due to this colonialism, Madagascar has strong ties both culturally and economically both to France and other West-African countries where French is spoken (BBC News). The two main official languages in the country are Malagasy and French though English was recently introduced as an official language too (BBC News). Due to its positioning, Madagascar is prone to being affected severely by massive flooding and torrential rains, the latest being in 2000 and later in 2004 (BBC News). Natural disasters have not been the only challenge the people of Madagascar have faced. The country has been in political turmoil for a number of years. Andry Rajoelina, along with the army’s support overthrew the president at the time Marc Ravalomanana. Rajoelina Rajoelina’s government has not been recognized internationally and no agreement has been reached with other political parties in the country. Due to this stalemate, Ma dagascar’s economy has suffered with private investment slowing down and international donors suspending support (BBC News). It has been approximated that up to 70% of people in Madagascar survive on less and a dollar a day (World Bank from BBC News) and the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita was US $420 (World Bank, 2009 from BBC News). Poverty is widespread and there has been much competition for agricultural land (BBC News), which is where the next aspect of this paper leads us to. The forests are home to much of the products that foreign

Current Economic Issues in the Asia-Pacific Region Research Paper

Current Economic Issues in the Asia-Pacific Region - Research Paper Example Japanese political administration and economic pundits are working hard to revive the ailing Japanese economy. However, these efforts were not met with success yet. Economists have different opinions about the reasons of economic crisis in Japan. Some of them blame macroeconomic factors whereas others blame microeconomic factors for Japan’s economic crisis. In any case, it is a fact that the present economic climate in Japan is not so good compared to that in the 60’s and 70’s. Chris Burges, in his article, "Can Immigration Reform Really Save Japan?" argues that immigration may help Japan immensely in regaining its economic growth back on track. He has pointed out that out of the forecasted 86 million population in Japan by 2060, 40% would be over the age of 65. In other words, rising life expectancy and falling birth rates cause rapid ageing in Japan. Burges argue that without immigration, Japan may struggle to find enough labor power to meet the requirements in near future. This paper analyses the claim that immigration reform can really save Japan. According to Hidenori Sakanaka, a former director of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, Only immigration can save Japan. He proposes bringing in 10 million migrants over 50 years (Burges). It is a fact that Japanese products are still number one in terms of quality in global market. Chinese products are dominating in global market at present, primarily because of the cheap price. On the other hand, quality conscious consumers still go for Japanese products if they are capable of spending few dollars more. In other words, higher price is the major problem which prevent Japanese products from competing in international market. The major reason for the higher prices of Japanese products is the expensive labor. In other words, manpower shortage is a severe problem in Japan at present. It should be noted that China

Introduction to Project Managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Project Managment - Assignment Example In this scenario our project main responsibility involves installation of artificial ice rinks. For this reason we will manage and plan the overall project for the enhanced performance. The main aim and objective of this project is to present a better handling, management and support for the establishment of the winter themed event at the new holiday park. For this project we are aimed to offer better facilities of project management and handling for the better performance of the overall project. In this scenario we are indentured to complete the project with the given cost and time based constraints. This will offer us a better opportunity for the overall successful completion of project. Here we will also encourage the project HR for the showing their best performance for a great deal of enhanced and successful project completion. In this project we are having a number of main project stockholders. In this scenario main project stockholders are having main intention for the project successful completion with the minimum disturbance to local residential areas. Here below I have outlined some of main project stockholders: There are lots of risks involved in every project. Here successful project management is about the effective management and handling of main project activities and tasks on time. This project for the Ice Rinks is also having some of main project risks and issues those are outlined below: Budgetary Risks: There is a number of project cost and budgetary risks at any project in case of our project for installation artificial ice rinks is also involving some of main project cost based risks. This project is going to held for 2 days. In this short time period we can take risks regarding effective resource availability. For this reason we need to invest in great deal of much better way. This can lead to overall high cost of effective project management that can cause overall project

Domestic Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Domestic Terrorism Essay According to Section 802 of the Patriot Act, the definition of domestic terrorism is one that encompasses acts committed within the borders of the United States, and is one where a person or organization commits an act that is: â€Å"dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or the United States, if the act appears to be intended to: (i) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping† (ACLU, 2002). It is safe to say that the face of terrorism has always been changing, and domestic terrorism is not something new in the wake of 9/11; rather it is now run by smarter operations, elaborate infrastructures, and with perhaps strong connections to international terrorism groups and organizations. Domestic and internationally based groups have come to realize they can help one another in achieving their goals, or aiming at specific targets. Their common enemy is US Policy – be it domestic or foreign – and both types of organizations have made attacks at government agencies and bodies. The most notable of recent domestic terrorism attacks, is perhaps that of McVeigh and Nichols and the Oklahoma City Bombing. Their target was the FBI headquarters, and there has been circulated discourse on the foreign connections Nichols had prior to the bombing. It has been also cited that he had domestic militant group connections, in particular Posse Comitatus: â€Å"He attended meetings in Michigan of the Posse Comitatus, a militant, right-wing organization founded by Col. William Potter Gale and headed by James Wickstrom. Members of Posse Comitatus, according to legal documents released prior to McVeighs trial, have for years been in contact with Iraq and other rogue Arab nations that share a hatred of Israel† (O’Meara, 2001). Another such example of domestic terrorism is â€Å"They Army of God† and their crusade against gay night clubs, anti-abortion clincs, and doctors. They have been known to bomb clinics and nightclubs, having taken claim for 1997 bombings of a clinic and a nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia. It was also suggested, that the 2001 anthrax letters could have been connected to the group: â€Å"That letter spoke of the ungodly communist regime in New York and called for death to the New World Order and bore the nom de guerre signature of accused abortion-clinic bomber Eric Rudolph. In addition to the letters sent to Daschle and Brokaw, more than 100 abortion clinics also received letters containing white powder, of which a handful made reference to the Army of God, an extremist antiabortion group† (2001). There is a connection of Rudolph with the Aryan Nation, another organization who has been referenced to have foreign connections. What is significant in these examples is the opportunist attitudes of the domestic militant groups, and arguably, vice versa. The chief element is fear when it comes to how both domestic and international terrorism groups work, and in this way they certainly help each other. Domestic terrorism, however, is not just based on right-wing militants with political agendas. Left-wing and environmental groups aimed at ‘protecting’ society are often overshadowed by their right-wing counterparts. â€Å"Notable early participants in left-wing terrorism were various socialist and anarchist groups from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Leon Czolgocz, who shot President William McKinley in 1901, embraced anarchist beliefs, though no anarchist group would accept him for membership† (Knight, 2004). However, it is perhaps religious- and social- militant groups labeled under â€Å"right-wing† that have been of more concern in recent times, despite heavy protest often seen by environmental and anti-globalization groups. With the changes in the Patriot Act, and the steady advancement of technology, it is little wonder that the Internet be considered such a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism; as well as the fight for terrorism. Many militant and terrorist groups freely use the Internet to advertise, broadcast and relay messages to one another. It is no surprise, then that monitoring Internet usage should spark such a controversy. FBI and law enforcement should monitor activity of known militant groups, but it is such a hazy area in regards to First Amendment rights. Were monitoring to become a daily occurrence on the Internet, no doubt there would be another means of communication and way to incite violence – as there was in the decades prior to the Internet. â€Å"In August, 2004, the Electronic Frontier Foundation compiled a best-practices list for online service providers (OSPs) wherein it recommended that OSPs set policies to minimize data retention to limit their liability risks, avoid the high cost of having to search through all their data upon the receipt of a subpoena, and protect the privacy of their users† (Gardella, 2006). The Internet is the embodiment of First Amendment rights, with the exchange of ideas and the ability to converse freely at the heart of its ongoing success. Should legislation make Internet monitoring an acceptable practice, it could undermine the fabric of society and only force groups to work more underground than they already are. The innocent civilian would still be the victim. The grant-funded Hamm Report evaluated and compared the methods undertaken by domestic and international terrorism groups. Predominantly, it highlighted the different means favored by each organization and uncovered that: â€Å"International jihad groups are statistically more likely than domestic right-wing groups to commit aircraft and motor vehicle-related crimes; violations of explosive materials; and firearms violations. Right-wing domestic groups are more likely to commit mail fraud; racketeering; robbery/burglary; and violations involving machine guns and destructive devices† (Hamm, 2005). What this largely suggests is that, not only are domestic groups more ready and able to work within the infrastructure of the country, but are prepared to commit small-scale â€Å"warfare† on national targets. International groups, given distances and so forth, were more liable to commit terrorism acts of a larger scale, though not any less devastating than their domestic counterparts. What was also significant in the report was the â€Å"type† of person which domestic groups would recruit: â€Å"Unlike the jihadists, domestic right-wing groups recruit individuals specifically for their criminal skills. Typically headed by charismatic leaders, domestic groups are most successful at acquiring false identity documents, manufacturing illegal firearms, armored truck and bank robbery, and murder. They are surveillance experts, often spending weeks taking into account every moment in the taken-for-granted order of daily routines in and around their targets† (Hamm) It is logical to consider, if not also alarming that many right-wing groups have branches and feelers within the penal system and arguably do a lot of recruiting from the inside. International groups, as noted in the Hamm Report, do not rely heavily on specialists for mundane tasks, however there is prestige considered in both groups – it is an honor to be chosen. The concept of terrorism is two-fold: the act itself, and the fear of an act occurring. It is in this sense that domestic and international terrorism wave the same banner and are equally responsible for devastating lives – be it from bombing a nightclub, to an underground network behind car bombings. It is the threat that it could happen that has become imprinted in people’s minds. Arguably though, perhaps the more concern should be placed on domestic terrorism and the measures used to not only prevent it but to track the groups involved. They are using the system – from the postal system, to recruitment through the penal system – and this is as dangerous if not more so as an international group â€Å"training† overseas. The threat, as they say, is in our own backyard and we can not combat other threats if we are unable to contain the ones running rife within our own borders. References _. â€Å"How the USA PATRIOT Act redefines Domestic Terrorism† ACLU, 2002 (http://www. aclu. org/natsec/emergpowers/14444leg20021206. html ) Gardella, T. M Beyond Terrorism: The Potential Chilling Effect on the Internet of Broad Law Enforcement Legislation. † St. Johns Law Review. Spring 2006. (http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa3735/is_200604/ai_n17173795 ) Hamm, M. â€Å"Crimes Committed by Terrorist Groups: Theory, Research, and Prevention† Department of Justice, NCJRS, September 2005 (http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/211203. pdf ) Knight, J. Terrorism, Domestic (United States). Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security. (2004). (http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_gx5211/is_2004/ai_n19126728 ) OMeara, K. P. Iraq connections to U. S. extremists Nation: Domestic Terrorism Cover Story. Insight on the News. Nov 19, 2001. (http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_43_17/ai_80309410 )

Human Growth And Development

Human Growth And Development Human existence is not static and people are developing constantly (Thompson and Thompson, 2008: 83). For this reason, an understanding of development is central to undertaking professional social work at a high level of competence (Ibid.: 99). This case study focuses on Tony and Jan, their adopted nine year old son Sam, new baby and Jans mother Dorothy. It is evident from reading this familys background information that a social worker should consider theories of human growth and development in order to fully assess their circumstances and behaviour. Hence, this is where our attention will now turn but as time does not permit consideration of all family members, for the purpose of this assignment two will be concentrated on; Sam and Jan.   Sam Sam was adopted by Tony and Jan at four years old, a move which, despite initial reservations, was successful. However, in recent months Sams behaviour has deteriorated and this, alongside other problems, has led to the family seeking support. has long been regarded as significant in childrens development (Aldgate, 2007: 57). Bowlby (1977: 203) described attachment behaviour as behaviour resulting in a person attaining or retaining proximity to another differentiated and preferred individual, usually considered stronger and/or wiser. He considered it integral to human nature, seen to varying extents in all human beings and performed the biological function of protection (Bowlby, 1988: 22). can be affected when separated from a main attachment figure; especially if this happens involuntarily such as when a child is removed from their parents care (Aldgate, 2007: 64). Irrespective of their previous attachment experiences, they will find this frightening because â€Å"they do not know who to turn to help them return to a state of equilibrium† (Ibid.). This explains why children who have experienced abuse may still want to be with their parents, even if they are insecurely attached to them (Ibid.) and could illustrate why Sam was recently protesting that he wanted to go back to his real mother. Daniel (2006: 193) asserts children between the ages six months and four years are most vulnerable when separated from attachment figures because: â€Å"during these early years children lack the cognitive skills to comprehend the events leading to separation and this coupled with the propensity for magical thinking, means young children are highly likely to blame themselves for the loss†. Sam was adopted at four years old and although we know little about the circumstances with his birth parents, importantly his attachment bond was broken at this point. Aldgate (2007: 65) notes children who have lost attachment figures through entering the care system are at risk of further harm by insensitive responses to their attachment needs. Furthermore,   children beginning new placements with insecure attachment behaviour may test the parenting capacity of their carers (Ibid.) which could explain Sams recent deteriorating behaviour. Following two decades of research demonstrating that placement breakdown is an ongoing problem in the UK (Ibid.), practitioners working with this family should be especially careful to try to prevent this. Attachment theory differs from traditional psychoanalytic theories because it rejects the model of development proposing an individual passes through a series of stages, in which they may become fixated or regress (Bowlby, 1988: 135). Instead, this model sees the individual as progressing along one of many potential developmental pathways, some of which are or are not compatible with healthy development (Ibid.). Yet, the role of parents in shaping a childs personality has been critiqued by Harris (1999: xv; 359), who offers an alternative viewpoint in The Nurture Assumption and proposes it is experiences in childhood and adolescent peer groups that modify a childs personality in ways that will be carried forward to adulthood. Whats more, OConnor and Nilson (2007: 319) argue that amongst children in the foster care system, attachment is considered a powerful but diffuse source of behavioural and emotional problems. Almost any disruptive behaviour can be attributed to attachment diffic ulties in early relationships and the early experiences are often suggested as the only source of their problems, subsequently minimising the role of the current placement experiences (Ibid.). They contend following research demonstrating foster parents attachment and caregiving does influence the childs attachment to them, it is crucial that the impact of early attachment experiences on later development should not be considered independently of current caregiving environments (Ibid.: 320). Finally, providing that new attachment figures for children can respond to childrens attachment needs sensitively and are committed to handle any behaviour that may test their staying power, it is believed early patterns can be modified or discontinued (Aldgate, 2007: 66). Bronfenbrenners (1979) Ecology of Human Development looks beyond the impact of attachment to caregivers on development and offers much in terms of aiding our understanding of this families situation and behaviour. Bronfenbrenner (Ibid.: 3) developed his broader prospective to development, providing new conceptions of the developing person, the environment and the evolving interaction between them. He focussed on:   Ã‚   â€Å"the progressive accommodation, throughout the life span, between the growing human organism and the changing environments in which it actually lives and grows. The latter include not only the immediate settings containing the developing person but also the larger social contexts, both formal and informal, in which these settings are embedded†. (Bronfenbrenner, 1977: 513). According to Bronfenbrenner (1979.: 22), the ecological environment is comprised of a nested organisation of concentric structures with each one contained within the next. He labelled these the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem and each layer of a childs environment affects their development. When looking at the microsystem, the pattern of roles, interpersonal relations and activities experienced by the developing person in a given setting (Ibid.), there are ways this could have affected Sams development. For instance, within the family setting Jan has struggled to cope since the unexpected arrival of their baby, which subsequently could have affected Sams relationship with her. He now has to share his mothers attention with his sibling and may be feeling left out or jealous. Furthermore, the expense of IVF has resulted in Tony working more, rendering him absent from the household more frequently. This change may have influenced Sams relationship with Tony and he may be missing having his father around as in the past. Additionally, following his adoption, Dorothy felt uncertain whether to regard Sam as her real grandson, a tension which Sam may sensed himself. Bronfenbrenner   (Ibid.:7) also regarded the connections between other people in the setting of equal importance because of their indirect influence on the developing child through the effect they have on those who deal first hand with that person. Sams development could have been affected by strained relations between his parents as a result of Jan not receiving the support she needs from her husband due to his work commitments. Similarly, relations between Jan and Dorothy have become tense since the babys arrival with Jan expecting Dorothys assistance, which has not materialised. Beyond the microsystem, an exosystem refers to settings that the developing person is not involved in as an active participant but â€Å"in which events occur that affect, or are affected by, what happens in the setting containing the developing person† (Ibid.: 25). Bronfenbrenner (Ibid.) offered a childs parents place of work as an example and with the need for Tony to work as much as possible, a ny stresses he experiences in the work environment could impinge upon Sams development even though Sam spends no time in this setting himself.  Ã‚   This theory recognises everyone exists within a context influencing who they are and how they respond to situations in life (Phelan, 2004: online). Whilst   the building blocks in the environmental aspect of this theory were familiar concepts in the social and behavioural sciences, the way in which these entities relate to one another and to development was new (Bronfenbrenner, 1979: 8). Hence, before this theory, sociologists, psychologists and other specialists studied narrow aspects of childrens worlds (Brendtro, 2006: 163). However, Tudge et al.(2009: 6) evaluated the application of Bronfenbrenners theory in recently published work and found only 4 out of 25 papers claiming to be based on his theory had utilised it appropriately.   They contend if theory is to play an important role in developmental studies it must be applied correctly because:    â€Å"a failure to do so means that it has not been tested appropriately; data apparently supporting the theory do no such thing if the theory has been incorrectly described, and a misrepresented theory is impervious to attack from nonsupportive data† (Ibid.: 206).   Adoption is required when it is not possible for a child to return home, either because the parents are unable to care for them or change their lives in a way that would be safe for that child (Brent Council, 2010: online). Whilst we are uncertain of the circumstances leading to Sams adoption, we can speculate that the care provided by his birth parents was deficient. Infant brain research demonstrated that â€Å"if there is grossly inadequate care in infancy, the infants brain and other abilities that depend on brain development can be compromised† (Linke, 2000: online). The majority of the critical times for brain development occur before the age of six months and research indicated orphans adopted after this age made less progress than those adopted earlier (Ibid.). Furthermore, parts of the brain that regulate emotions and stress responses are organised early in a childs life and may not be changeable later (Ibid.). Subsequently, parts of the body and brain that respond to stress may become over sensitive and ready to respond to threat even when a threat is not manifest if the infant is continually exposed to trauma and stress (Ibid.). If Sam experienced   inadequate care in infancy it is possible that he has developed over sensitive stress responses and now regards the new baby as a threat, which could provide an explanation for his defiant behaviour and disinterest in his sibling. Pollak and the University of Wisconsin Child Emotion Lab are active in researching how early life experiences affect brain development (see Child Emotion Lab, 2009: online). However, he and his colleagues stress that not all children experiencing neglect develop the same problems (Wismer-Fries et al., 2005: 17239). In their work on the role of early social experience in subsequent brain development they found children experiencing lower hormonal reactivity may go on to develop satisfactory interpersonal relationships and highlighted potentially significant individual differences operating across the control group and the previously neglected group of children (Ibid.). Furthermore, other research led by Pollak has demonstrated how adjustable the brain can be when in the right environment (University of Wisconsin News, 2003: online). Their study of 5-6 year olds who lived in orphanages during their first seven to 41 months of life found that children performed better in many tests the longer they had lived with their adoptive families (Ibid.). Pollak (quoted in University of Wisconsin News, 2003: online) hopes these findings will encourage children to be placed in families rather than in institutional settings and â€Å"offer new avenues for designing more effective interventions that could help children who spent their early years in deprived environments reach their full potential†.  Ã‚   Jan Eriksons life cycle approach proposes at certain points in their lives, people encounter life crises creating a conflict within themselves as individuals and between themselves and other significant people in their lives (Gibson, 2007: 74). Each life crisis provides a conflict, characterised by a pull in different directions by two opposing dispositions, and if the individual achieves a favourable balance between these then they are as prepared as possible to move onto the next stage in the process (Ibid.). However, if one does not achieve this favourable ratio, this renders succeeding in subsequent life crises problematic (Ibid.). Generativity vs Stagnation is Eriksons seventh and penultimate stage of psychosocial development covering middle adulthood and generativity â€Å"is primarily the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation† (Erikson, 1965: 258) and represents the major conflict in adulthood (Slater, 2003: 57). As Slater (Ibid.) asserts, everybody has to face the crisis of parenthood whereby: â€Å"mmake a deliberate decision to become parents, but some become parents without conscious decision, others decide not to become parents, and still others want to become parents but cannot. The decision and its outcome provoke a crisis that calls for a re-examination of life roles†. Successfully achieving this sense of generativity is important for both the individual and society and parents demonstrate it through caring for their children (Slater, 2003: 57). A failure to achieve this leads to a feeling of stagnation and unproductivity (Heffner, 2001: online). Jan spent a long time trying to become a mother to fulfil this stage in Eriksons model and achieve a â€Å"favourable ratio† (Erikson, 1965: 262) of generativity over stagnation. After two years of trying to conceive, three unsuccessful attempts at IVF and two gruelling years of the adoption process, they adopted Sam and have since unexpectedly conceived naturally. However, as Erikson (Ibid.: 259) asserts â€Å" the mere fact of having or even wanting children does not achieve generativity†. Blyth (1999: 730) writing about assisted conception, importantly highlights parenthood after such efforts will not necessarily match expectations and Jans feelings of being a useless mother and finding mo therhood a struggle may be unexpected after trying for a family for such a long time. Furthermore, in this stage, the importance of adult mature dependency is implicitly inferred and suggests there are psychological rewards for those adults who can meet the needs of others and have other people dependent on them (Gibson, 2007: 83). Jan reports feeling unable to comfort her baby and meet their needs and this should be addressed by a social worker to prevent a â€Å"pervading sense of stagnation and impoverishment† (Erikson, 1965: 258) in this stage of the life cycle.   Slater (2003: 53) acknowledges Eriksons work, whilst grounded in psychoanalytic theory, rejects Freuds notion that personality is fixed by childhood experiences alone and provides an extension of the stages of development to cover adolescence, adulthood and old age. However, Rutter and Rutter (1993: 1-2) criticised theories such as Eriksons viewing psychological growth as a systematic progression through a series of stages in a predetermined order, through which everyone moves, taking them closer to maturity represented by adult functioning. This reliance on the universals of development and the notion of one developmental pathway has ignored individual differences (Ibid.). They   believe that whilst this theory made significant contributions to understanding the processes involved in development, Eriksons approach does not fit with what is known about socio-emotional development and â€Å"it is likely that children take a variety of paths, and adult outcomes cannot sensibly be re duced to mere differences in levels of maturity† (Ibid.: 2). Goffman (1963: preface- 3) employed the term stigma to refer to a deeply discrediting attribute of an individual that disqualifies them from full social acceptance. Their possession of this attribute that makes them different means they can be reduced in peoples minds from a whole person to a discounted and tainted one (Ibid.: 3). Furthermore, the wider societies standards mean the individual is aware of what others regard as their failing, which can inevitably cause them to believe they fall short of what they ought to be and subsequently shame becomes a central possibility (Ibid.: 7). His work offers insight into how Jan may be feeling about herself after being unable to conceive for such a long time because for many women, â€Å"infertility carries a hidden stigma born of shame and secrecy† (Whiteford Gonzales, 1995: 27). Involuntary childlessness can adversely affect an individuals relationships, their feelings about themselves and their ability to function, develop and pa rticipate in society â€Å"may be compromised by their inability to undertake conventional roles associated with parenting† (Blyth, 1999: 729-730). Whiteford Gonzalezs (Ibid.: 27-35) research on 25 women who sought medical treatment for infertility, demonstrated the hidden burden of infertility reflected in the stigma, pain and spoiled identities of those interviewed. The women in their sample experienced the consequences of their social identity and suffered because they had: â€Å"internalized the social norms expressed in dominant gender roles, and in so doing see themselves as defective. They suffer from being denied the opportunity proceed with their lives as others do† (Ibid.: 35). Goffman (1963: 9) believed the stigmatised person often responds to their situation by making an attempt to correct their failing. This is evident in Whiteford Gonzales (1995.: 35) study where the women attempted to remedy their problem and fix the broken part of them, giving all they could to become a   normal and whole person and remove the stigma of being infertile. Unfortunately, failure is the most likely outcome of infertility treatment (Blyth, 1999: 729-730), as experienced by Tony and Jan, who had three unsuccessful attempts at IVF before withdrawing from the programme. Moreover, Goffman (1963: 9) emphasised that where such a repair is possible, this does not necessarily lead to the acquisition of fully normal status. Instead â€Å"a transformation of self from someone with a particular blemish into someone with a record of having corrected a particular blemish† (Ibid.) occurs, which Jan, who has successfully overcome her infertility and become a mother may be experi encing. One significant criticism levelled at Goffmans theory is of the apparently helpless role attributed to individuals with stigmatic qualities (Carnevale, 2007: 12). Furthermore, Nettleton (2006: 96) reiterates the importance of recognising stigma is not an attribute of the individual but a â€Å"thoroughly social concept which is generated, sustained and reproduced in the context of social inequalities† instead. Nonetheless, Goffmans model remains dominant and highly respected and his representation of the social difficulties people with stigmatic qualities face is still considered highly valid (Carnevale, 2007: 12). Whilst attachment behaviour is especially evident in childhood, it also characterises people from cradle to the grave (Bowlby, 1977: 203). Furthermore, the capacity to form intimate emotional bonds in both the care giving and care seeking role is considered a principal feature of effective personality functioning and mental health (Bowlby, 1988: 121). Bowlby (1977.: 206) proposed there was a strong relationship between a persons experiences with their parents and their later ability to form affectional bonds and that: â€Å"common variations in that capacity, manifesting themselves in marital problems and trouble with children as well as in neurotic symptoms and personality disorders, can be attributed to certain common variations in the ways that parents perform their roles† (Ibid.). Subsequently, attachment theory advocates believe many forms of psychiatric disorders can be attributed to failure of the development of attachment behaviour (Bowlby, 1977: 201). This is supported by et als. (1996: 310) research which found insecure attachment appeared to impact upon self-esteem and self worth contingencies resulting in depressive symptoms in adulthood. Whilst we know little of Jans attachment behaviour as a child, her relationship with her mother is precarious at present and when looking at the symptoms that Jan is displaying they could infer she is experiencing postnatal depression. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was developed by Cox et al. (1987) to assist health care professionals recognise postnatal depression. Statements used to identify the condition include: â€Å"Things have been getting on top of me†; â€Å"I have been feeling sad or miserable†; â€Å"I have been anxious or worried for no good reason† and â€Å"I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong†, all of which could be applied to how Jan is feeling at present. Moreover, her constant low mood and feelings of inadequacy as a mother match some of the symptoms of postnatal depression described on NHS Directs (2008: online) website. Therefore, whilst this is only a tentative explanation of Jans feelings, it should be explored by the social worker working with this family.   Additionally, unresolved childhood attachment issues can leave adults vulnerable to experiencing difficulties in forming secure adult relationships (Evergreen Consultants in Human Behaviour, 2006: online). Attachment problems can be handed down transgenerationally unless the chain is broken and therefore, an insecurely attached adult may lack the ability to form a strong attachment with their own child (Ibid). Subsequently, uthis theory offers the possibility that poor formation of affectional bonds in Jans own childhood could explain why she is struggling to form an attachment bond with her own baby. Furthermore, new relations can be affected by expectations developed in previous relationships and there is a strong correlation between insecure adult attachment and marital dissatisfaction (Ibid.). This could offer an explanation for why Jan believes Tony does not provide the emotional support she requires. Nonetheless, whilst trauma experienced in the early years can be associated with problems in the long term, it should not be assumed this is disastrous for a childs physical, cognitive and emotional development and will automatically blight the rest of a their life (Daniel, 2006: 195). As Barth et al. (2005: 259) contend, while attachment problems may predispose a child towards later problems, these problems must be evaluated and treated within the context of their current environment. Social work practitioners providing appropriate interventions can make a long-term difference because adversity experienced in the early years can be compensated for and the worst effects ameliorated if support is given (Daniel, 2006: 195). Evidently, an understanding of human development theory provides more than an interesting background topic and is indispensable to good social work practice (and Thompson, 2008: 139). Whilst no theories providing insights into development are foolproof, in combination they have much to offer to a practitioners understanding of those they work with. Thus, it is imperative a social worker should consider biological, psychological and sociological approaches in order to carry out a full and holistic assessment of this familys needs. However,as Thompson and Thompson (Ibid.) assert, it is easy for practitioners to wrongly believe the knowledge base will offer off-the-peg, ready-made answers and simply apply theories to practice in a mechanical, blanket fashion. Therefore, it is important for skilled reflective practitioners to be competent at drawing out relevant aspects of the theory base and employ them in a way that is tailored to fit the situation instead (Ibid.). Moreover, as Thompson (2009: 63) emphasises, there is a danger that when looking at   development across the life course it can be used as a rigid framework that we expect everyone to fit into and then regard those who do not as abnormal or having a problem. Consequently, it must be recognised that this traditional approach taken to development across the the life course can be very oppressive and discriminate against those who do not conform to the trend (Ibid.). For this reason, the life course should be considered as a means of â€Å"beginning to understand common stages of development and is not a rigid framework for making judgements about abnormality† (Ibid.). To conclude, as Thompson and Thompson (2008: 99) remind us, understanding development is not making everyone fit into a stereotypical assumption about what is normal but rather to recognise there are significant patterns that underpin growth and development and to the attitudes and behaviours associated with thes e.

Brave New World Compared To Utilitarianism

Brave New World Compared To Utilitarianism The story Brave New World presents us to the future world A.F (after Ford) where the government institutionalizes the advantages of technology to the fullest. The reader is informed that human beings are no longer produced naturally anymore. In A.F, technology is used to generate identical boys and girls and place in to classes where they are programmed to be the most efficient at what they do. The utilitarian view and Brave New World both claim that individualistic views are irrelevant. Both the utilitarian and the philosophy of the world state both promote the greatest good principle. On the other hand Mill would oppose to Brave New World because it does not take up that course of nature and or is not based off real human experiences. Mill opposes to social arrangements. The foundation of the world state in Brave New World reveals similar philosophy to the utilitarian view, but not completely. In the sense of Brave New World and the utilitarian view, both cases take a stand point that reject individualisms. In Brave New World, there is no room from individual views or thoughts. In fact it is impossible for any case to even create their own thought. From the second they are obtained from the test tube, babies are conditioned to have limited thoughts and ideas. They are conditioned to only the progression of their function once labeled into the five categorize of castes. For example the Delta caste, once the babies reach the age of eight months, they are conditioned to hate flowers and books. Babies were placed on the floor where they could see a flower and book across the room. The director waited for the babies to show signs of happiness while playing with the flowers and books. A signal was given in which released a terrifying noise accompanied by an electric shock. Why go to the trouble of making it psychologically impossible for deltas to like flowers? (Huxley, 22) The D.H.C replies by explaining that if the delta class was conditioned to like the nature (flower), less time would be spent in the factories where they are most efficient. A love of nature keeps no factory busy. (Huxley, 23) I like to compare the brave new world to a business or a team. The old saying that reflects the brave new world could be said like this, Theres no I in TEAM. The brave new world is programmed around profit and efficiency just as a business is structured around supply and demand. In order for the world state to obtain its social goal of social stability; every caste has to work in concordance of their function. Therefore with each caste being conditioned / taught their function at any early stage will set aside or leave no room for their behavior to act out of concordance. In other words castes are conditioned to fear anything else then what their duty is. That is the secret of happiness and virtue- liking what youve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny (Huxley, 16) By obtaining their objectivity of social stability will then reinforce or create a happy community. This principle in terms refers to Mills greatest happiness princi ple. Both Brave New World and the utilitarian view share the greatest happiness principle. Both Mill and Brave New World reject the importance of individualism. It is wrong to make all individuals happy because it is nearly impossible to obtain such a thing. In doing so it would disrupt the natural balance of experiences. This is where Brave New World and the utilitarian view have their differences. In the utilitarian view Mill provides to tell us that individuals need to experience pain and pleasure. Huxley sets up a perfect world where no pain is experienced. Mill takes into account that it is nearly impossible conceal people from pain. If we did try to conceal humans from pain this would distort humans nature itself. This is very important to a utilitarian because the ultimate end of happiness/pleasure come through pre existing experience. This is why Mill claims we should not have social arrangements. In the philosophy of Brave New World, alpha through gamma castes are given reason to why they should behave in a particular form or matter. Mill would oppose to the brave new world. I think mill would argue chapter two of the book where babies are being conditioned to fear books and nature. Mill would come to say that social stability comes through the natural course of what humans learn through their own experiences. In other words, mills view of human nature itself should conduct people to work together. The brave new world would seem non-natural to Mill. Another difference between Brave New World and the utilitarian is on the topic of pleasures/happiness. In Brave New World, Huxely creates his perfect world where everyone is happy, but happiness is never defined. Brave New World only accompanies one type of pleasure, which is a bodily pleasure. In the utilitarian view, Mill distinguished between two types of pleasure: intellectual pleasures and bodily pleasures. This is to disprove that Brave New World practices a perfect utilitarian standpoint. When answering the question to whether Brave New World practices utilitarianism the answer is yes and no. However it does highlight the fundamentals of utilitarianism. Both Brave New World and utilitarianism do reject individualism and also formulate around the greatest good principle. It is more important to have general happiness for the greatest amount as it is to reach to social goal of social stability which creates for a happy community in Brave New World. But Brave New World lacks the course of nature. A utilitarian does oppose to social arrangement. It is important for humans to have their own experiences through the course of nature. Another aspect that Brave New World is missing is pain and the variety of pleasures. Brave New World only allows for one pleasure (bodily pleasures) and has an absence of pain. Where as a utilitarian can experience two types of pleasures (bodily and intellectual) and also experiences pain. Therefore Brave New World does not practice perfect util itarianism.