Maya Angelou: A Remarkable Renaissance Woman

A Remarkable Renaissance Maya Angelo: A Remarkable Renaissance Woman Maya Angelo is a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director. Throughout Angelinos writings, she expresses the realities of growing up in difficult circumstances and has now become one of the most influential figures of American literature. The works of Angelo reflect the strength of womanhood and the impact she has made during her lifetime. Despite being abused and molested as a young girl, Angelo has proven to the world her capability of accomplishing her dreams.Maya Angelo, originally known as Marguerite Johnson, was born on April 4, 1928, in SST. Louis, Missouri (Williams). She adopted the name Maya Angelo in 1953. Angelinos parent's divorced when she was only three years of age. Once the divorce took place, she and her brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their grandmother in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas (America's Renaissance Woman) . While living in Stamps, Angelo experienced the racial discrimination that was the legally enforced way of life in the American south, but she also absorbed the deep religious faith and old-fashioned courtesy of traditional African American life (Williams).After living with her grandmother for four years, Angelo went through a phase of silence. The silence was the result of being sexually molested by her mother's boyfriend (Williams). Angelo felt as if she did not have the right to speak after hearing news of her uncle murdering her attacker. Angelo felt guilty and that it were her words that had killed the man. Angelo fell silent and did not speak for five years after the death of her attacker (Williams). It was not until the age of thirteen, when Angelo and her rather rejoined their mother in San Francisco that she began to speak again.Maya was finally able to overcome her fear of speaking. Throughout the years that Angelo attended Mission High School, she excelled in her school work. Angelo was not only able to excel at school, she also surpassed in the workforce outside of school life. When Angelo was seventeen, she became the first African American streetcar conductor on San Franciscans Market Street Railway Cones). She also worked various jobs such as a cook, dancer, and singer Cones). Angelo proved that she was a very active teenager and worked diligently at whatever task she was given.It was during this time that Angelo was exposed to the progressive ideals that animated her later political activism. Maya gave birth to her son, Guy, at the age of sixteen. She and her son moved to New York City in 1957 Cones). While living in New York, Angelo became involved in many different activities. During her time there, she raised money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (CLC) with a show called Cabaret for Freedom Cones). Angelo wrote, directed, and starred in the show. In 1972, Angelo rote the script for another movie titled Georgia, Georgia.The many plays and movies that Maya produced contributed to the fame she has received today. Although Angelo has a varied career as a singer, dancer, actress, composer, and Hollywood first female black director, she is most famous as a writer, editor, essaying, playwright and poet (Angelo). Given Angelinos reallocates existence – from poverty in Arkansas to Journalism in Egypt and Ghana and ultimately to her destiny as a successful writer and professor in the States – it has been no surprise that Angelo has not limited herself to only one or two genres (Meet the Writers).Angelinos career ranges in a wide variety from writing poetry to directing shows. She has written books of poetry, autobiographies, children's books, and screenplays Cones). Angelo has also been a singer, actress, and movie director. As a child, Maya loved to read and dreamed of one day being the author of her own book. Her favorite writers were William Shakespeare, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Longs Hughes, and W. E. B. Dubious Cones). These writers inspired Angelo to be the excellent writer she has become today. Angelo published her first short story in a Journal called Revolute ¶n in 1958 Cones).The events that took place during Mama's childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, led her to writing the well-known auto-biography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This auto-biography illustrates the life that Angelo had to live and the struggles that she had to face to finally reach where she is now. Maya Angelo has been a strong influence in American literature. She has also made an impact with her involvement during the civil rights movement and being a women's rights activist. Angelo was among the first, if not the first, to create a literary franchise based on autobiographical writings (Meet the Writers).Angelo has become a populist poet due to her writings on paper and being a suede-voiced speaker. Angelo has been awarded numerous awards for her various products she produces or writes. An award do es not always have to be materialistic. It is Just as much or a greater award for Angelinos works to still be shared throughout the world today. Angelinos 1993 poem â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning,† written for Bill Silicon's presidential inauguration, was later released as a Grammar-winning album (Meet the Writers). The Springing medal in 1994 was awarded to her for her achievement in literature (Williams).Angelinos 1995 poem â€Å"Phenomenal Woman† is still passed along the Web among woman as inspiration (Meet the Writers). Before Angelo received these awards, she had become involved with helping Martin Luther King Jar. , and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference fight against racism Cones). Angelo also agreed to help Malcolm X, but two days after Angelo returned to the United States from a trip, Malcolm X was killed. Martin Luther King, Jar. And Malcolm X both influenced the decisions that Angelo wanted to change in her life. Angelo realized that she could infl uence people the same as they were both able to.Angelo decided that she would help African Americans achieve equality through her writings. Angelo was able to accomplish her goal, plus take on many more challenges. Angelo is now a great-grandmother and is a professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N. C (Angelo). Angelo states that she does like to be called Dry. Angelo (Angelo). Although she never went to college, she has been awarded more than 30 honorary degrees. Angelo is an American study herself. â€Å"l created myself,† she says. â€Å"l have taught myself so much. † The multi-talentedAngelo is very proud of her accomplishments in life. She still enjoys being politically involved and making a difference in the United States. Angelo shared, â€Å"I'm not a writer who teaches. I'm a teacher who writes. But I had to work at Wake Forest to know that. † This statement Just shows how important it is to Angelo to make a difference in others' lives. Maya Angelo has been a hard worker since she was a young girl. As a result of her hard work, Angelo has written and published many successful pieces of literature. She has also been awarded numerous prestigious awards.

Identity And Belonging: Skin. “We find strength where we belong” Essay

Little Mike is only five years old. Clenching onto his mother’s fingers, he stands intimidated in front of a confronting building, which is seemingly to be called his School for the next thirteen daunting years of his life. Not wanting to leave his mum, his sharp screech breaks through the usual drone of the passing crowd, accompanied by the crocodile tears trickling down his blushed cheeks. It is rather his fear of being separated from his parents which troubles him more than making new friends outside of his niche. â€Å"I can’t do it mom!† Mike roars, â€Å"I don’t want to go!† Unfortunately, his beg for mercy is unheard, or rather disregarded under his father’s order. â€Å"Mike! Get over it, you have to go now; we are freaking late for work!† Although it is expected by Mike to do what his father demands, it is his mum who unwillingly pushes him towards the School. â€Å"You’ll be fine love,† she assures Mike, â€Å" trust me.† The two words, â€Å"trust me,† strike Mike like nothing else present around him; not the School bell, not even his father’s uninterrupted rumble, yet only the two words. Mike somehow gathers the courage to defy his fears, and proceeds several steps further to the School. While the sight of his mother seems to disappear, he notices more children surrounding him, besides whom stands the principal griming at Mike. â€Å"Hey young man!† he waves. Anxious of this unknown domain, Mike bursts into tears and sprints back to his mother, â€Å"Don’t leave me, Please!† he grabs onto her hand. This, is where little Mike belongs, where he finds his strength, his family. â€Å"Enough Mike!† she says, â€Å"go out there and make some new friends!† Mike is compelled to view his parents leave him. He now feels that they have excluded him, in fact, he believes they do not love him anymore, after all, they left him all alone without considering his feelings, however deep down inside, he understands that that’s not the case; he know that his mum still loves him as much as before. Panning his attention towards his classmates, Mik e observes what they are doing. He notices a group of boys hitting a ball around a square, soon enough realising that its his favourite game of down ball. â€Å"Aye come play with us!† one of them calls out to Mike. â€Å"we need more players.† This evokes a strong sense of confidence within Mike, after all he knows he’s the king of down ball, he aces that game! And now, since he has got a chance to show off his skills, he is more than happy to join them. Mike rushes to the squares; â€Å"sure!† he utters. â€Å"Hey man what’s your name?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mike, and you?† â€Å"I’m James, this is Dylan, that’s Andrew, and she’s Bianca. Here, you’re supposed to be in this square.† James continues. The boys start playing their game, and its not late before Mike is promoted to â€Å"Kings† from â€Å"Dunce,† neither is it late before Mike’s friends realize his skills. â€Å"Far out! Andrew he’s actually good,† Bianca compliments. While Mike pretends not to care, he is blushing, and his appreciation is clearly visible on his face. â€Å"Brah do you wanna play tomorrow?† Dylan asks, amazed of Mike’s talent. â€Å"Yeah man,† he replies, feeling much more accepted in the premises of what was once only his anxiety. It seems as if it was just a matter of minutes before Mike would find his strength in his new School and amongst his new strength, his new mates. â€Å"Mike!† his mum screams, â€Å"You forgot your lunch! Come here and get it!† â€Å"Yeah mom, wait a minute!† He shouts back â€Å"We’re nearly finished!†

Effect of Coffee Essay

Abstract The present study was undertaken to evaluate the use of ground roasted coffee (Coffee Arabica; GRC) as a natural feed additive in practical fish diets and its impact on growth, feed utilization, biochemical variables, and body composition of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L. ). Ground roasted coffee was added to the ingredients of tested diets to represent 0. 0 (control), 0. 5, 1. 0, 2. 0, or 5. 0 g/kg diet. Fish (1. 9 Â ± 0. 03 g) were distributed to various treatments at a rate of 20 fish per 80-L aquarium and fed one of the experimental diets for 10 weeks. No growth-promoting influences of GRC were observed; however, the optimum fish growth and feed utilization were obtained at 0. 0 – 1. 0 g GRC/kg diet. The inclusion of GRC in fish diet over 1. 0 g/kg diet reduced fish growth, feed consumption, and the protein contents in fish body. The highest lipids and ash contents were obtained at 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. Glucose, plasma protein, and plasma lipids decreased significantly, meanwhile aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine increased significantly in fish fed 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. Fish survival (93. 3 – 97. 8%) was not affect by GRC inclusion in fish diets. These results indicate that GRC supplement is not a promising growth stimulant for Nile tilapia. Keywords: Nile tilapia, ground roasted coffee, Coffee Arabica, fish growth, feed utilization, body composition, biochemical variables, fish health. INTRODUCTION Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L. ) is one of the most popular species in Egypt and worldwide (El-Sayed, 2006). As the regular use of antibiotics and chemicals as preventative and curative measures for disease leads to drug-resistant bacteria and harmful effects on the environment (Teuber, 2001; Bachere, 2003; Hermann et al., 2003), alternatives to antibiotics and chemicals to improve the quality and sustainability of aquaculture production have been seen as desirable (Meunpol et al. , 2003; Vaseeharan and Ramasamy, 2003; Li et al. , 2006). Medicinal plants have been used as immune-stimulants for human in China and old civilization for thousands years (Tan and Vanitha, 2004). These plants contain many types of active components such as polysaccharides, alkaloids, or flavonoids that have immuno-stimulating activities in mice, chickens, or human cell lines (Cao and Lin, 2003; Lin and Zhang, 2004). The use of medicinal plants as immuno-stimulants in fish diets has been considered (Abdel-Tawwab et al. , 2010; Ahmad and Abdel-Tawwab 2011; Ahmad et al. ; in press). Many studies have been conducted on using coffee pulp in fish diets and they found adverse effects of coffee pulp on fish growth and feed utilization (Fagbenro and Arowosoge, 1991; Moreau et al. , 2003; Ulloa and Verreth, 2003; Chatzifotis et al. , 2008). Some other studies reported that coffee shows an antioxidant activity because it contains many substances like caffeine, cafestol, kahweol, and chlorogenic acids (Pellegrini et al., 2003; Vinson et al. , 2005). Due to the abundance of antioxidant compounds in coffee, these agents must be seriously considered when elucidating potential pharmacological effects of coffee intake. Therefore, the present research aims to evaluate the effect of ground roasted coffee (GRC) supplementation on growth, feed efficiency, feed consumption, biochemical variables, and proximate composition of Nile tilapia, O. niloticus. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fish culture and feeding regime – Ground roasted coffee (Coffee Arabica; GRC) was obtained from the local market. Five different diets containing 0. 0, 0. 5, 1. 0, 2. 0 and 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet were formulated. The dietary ingredients were thoroughly mixed and moistened by the addition of 100 ml warm water per kg diet and then made into pellets by a mincing machine. The pellets were cut into shape manually, dried in an oven at 55 oC till constant weight was obtained and stored in a freezer at -2 oC until use. Nile tilapia, O. niloticus were obtained from fish hatchery, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, Abbassa, abo-Hammad, Sharqia, Egypt. Before starting the experiment, fish were acclimated and hand-fed to apparent satiation twice a day for 2 weeks. For the experiment, 15 80-L aquaria were used and oxygenated to saturation by air pumps. In each aquarium, 20 randomly distributed fish (1. 9 Â ± 0. 03 g) were stocked. The tested diets were administered to five fish groups with three replicates per each. Fish were hand-fed for satiation thrice daily 5 days a week for 10 weeks. Settled fish wastes along with three-quarter of aquarium’s water were siphoned daily. Siphoned water was replaced by clean and aerated water from a storage tank. Average weight per aquarium was assessed every 2 weeks by group-weighing all fish. Fish were starved for a day before weighing. Fish growth and feed utilization – At the end of the experiment, fish per each aquarium were harvested, counted, and weighed. Fish growth and feed utilization variables were calculated as follows: Weight gain (g) = final weight – initial weight; Specific growth rate (SGR; %/day) = 100 (Ln final weight – Ln initial weight) / days; Feed conversion ratio (FCR) = feed intake (g) / weight gain (g); Protein efficiency ratio (PER) = weight gain (g) / protein intake (g); Fat efficiency ratio (FER) = weight gain (g) / fat intake (g); Energy utilization (EU; %) = 100 x (energy gain / energy intake). Chemical analysis of diets and fish – The proximate chemical analyses of the tested diets and fish samples were done for moisture, crude protein, total lipids, and total ash according to the standard methods of AOAC (1990). Moisture content was estimated by drying the samples to constant weight at 95 oC in drying oven (GCA, model 18EM, Precision Scientific group, Chicago, Illinois, USA). Nitrogen content was measured using a microkjeldahl apparatus (Labconco, Labconco Corporation, Kansas, Missouri, USA) and crude protein was estimated by multiplying nitrogen content by 6. 25. Lipid content was determined by ether extraction in multi-unit extraction Soxhlet apparatus (Lab-Line Instruments, Inc. , Melrose Park, Illinois, USA) for 16 hours. Total ash was determined by combusting dry samples in a muffle furnace (Thermolyne Corporation, Dubuque, Iowa, USA) at 550 oC for 6 hours. Biochemical measurements – At the end of the 10-week feeding trial, feed was withhold 24 hour immediately prior to sampling and five fish per aquaria were randomly chosen and anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfate (20 mg/L). Blood samples were collected from the caudal vessel and the extracted blood was collected in Eppendorf tubes contained 500 U sodium heparinate/mL; used as an anticoagulant. The collected plasma was stored at –20 oC for further assays. Blood glucose, plasma total protein, plasma total lipids, and plasma creatinine were calorimetrically determined according to Trinder (1969), Henry (1964), Joseph et al. (1972), and Henry (1974), respectively. Activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in plasma were determined colorimetrically according to Reitman and Frankel (1957). Statistical analysis – The obtained data were subjected to one-way ANOVA to evaluate the effect of GRC supplementation. Differences between means were tested at the 5% probability level using Duncan test. All the statistical analyses were done using SPSS program version 10 (SPSS, Richmond, VA, USA) as described by Dytham (1999). RESULTS In the present study, fish grow gradually by time in all treatments (Figure 1). Final fish weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate were not significantly (P < 0. 05) affected with the increase in GRC levels up to 1. 0 g/kg after which growth declined (Table 1). The lowest fish growth was obtained at 2. 0 – 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. Moreover, fish fed on diets containing 2. 0 and 5. 0 g GRC/kg consumed less diet than the other treatments giving the highest FCR (1. 4 and 1. 5, respectively). Meanwhile, fish fed on 0. 0 – 1. 0 GRC/kg diet consumed approximately the same feed amount giving the same FCR (1. 3; Table 2). Table 1. Growth performance and survival of Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |Initial weight |Final weight |Weight gain |SGR |Fish survival | |(g/kg diet) |(g) |(g) |(g) |(%/day) |(%) | |0. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 03 |14. 5Â ±0. 35 a |12. 6Â ±0. 38 a |2. 90Â ±0. 059 a |95. 6Â ±4. 43 | |0. 5 |1. 9Â ±0. 01 |14. 5Â ±0. 55 a |12. 6Â ±0. 55 a |2. 90Â ±0. 052 a |95. 5Â ±2. 23 | |1. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 01 |14. 0Â ±0. 58 ab |12. 1Â ±0. 58 ab |2. 85Â ±0. 058 ab |97. 8Â ±2. 23 | |2. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 03 |12. 5Â ±0. 55 bc |10. 6Â ±0. 52 bc |2. 69Â ±0. 043 bc |93. 3Â ±3. 84 | |5. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 03 |11. 2Â ±0. 36 c |9. 3Â ±0. 38 c |2. 53Â ±0. 066 c |95. 6Â ±4. 43 | Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. |Fish |[pic] | |growth (g)| | | |Weeks | Figure 1. The weight of Nile tilapia (g) fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in fat efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and energy utilization at 0. 0 – 1. 0 GRC/kg diet levels and the lowest values of these parameters were obtained when fish fed 2. 0 – 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet (Table 2). On the other hand, fish survival range was 93. 3 – 97. 8% with no significant difference (P > 0. 05) among the different treatments. Table 2. Feed utilization by Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |Feed intake |FCR |Fat efficiency ratio |Protein efficiency |Energy utilization (%)| |(g/kg diet) |(g feed/fish) | | |ratio | | |0. 0 |16. 0Â ±0. 88 a |1. 3Â ±0. 033 b |10. 50Â ±0. 876 a |2. 86Â ±0. 238 a |32. 0Â ±1. 271 ab | |0. 5 |16. 0Â ±0. 44 a |1. 3Â ±0. 058 b |10. 08Â ±0. 123 a |2. 86Â ±0. 033 a |32. 8Â ±2. 119 a | |1. 0 |16. 1Â ±0. 44 a |1. 3Â ±0. 033 b |9. 45Â ±0. 568 ab |2. 74Â ±0. 154 ab |31. 4Â ±2. 227 ab | |2. 0 |14. 7Â ±0. 78 b |1. 4Â ±0. 033 ab |9. 22Â ±0. 108 b |2. 62Â ±0. 027 b |30. 1Â ±1. 266 bc | |5. 0 |14. 0Â ±0. 58 b |1. 5Â ±0. 058 a |8. 38Â ±0. 390 c |2. 39Â ±0. 106 c |28. 5Â ±0. 203 c |. Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. The GRC supplementation in the present study significantly affected the whole-fish body constituents except moisture content, which did not vary significantly (P > 0. 05; Table 3). The protein content decreased significantly, meanwhile lipid and ash contents increased significantly by increasing GRC levels. The lowest protein (15. 1%), the highest lipids (9. 7%) and the highest ash (3. 8%) contents were obtained at 5. 0 GRC/kg diets. In addition, fish fed the control diet exhibited the highest protein (61.4%) and the lowest lipid (25. 5%) contents (Table 3). Table 3. Proximate composition of whole-body (%; on fresh weight basis) of Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. | GRC levels |Moisture |Crude protein |Total lipid |Total ash | |(g/kg diet) | | | | | |0. 0 |72. 3Â ±0. 31 |17. 2Â ±0. 29 a |7. 1Â ±0. 03 c |3. 2Â ±0. 09 b | |0. 5 |71. 8Â ±0. 28 |16. 9Â ±0. 17 a |7. 7Â ±0. 19 bc |3. 2Â ±0. 07 b | |1. 0 |72. 0Â ±0. 27 |16. 4Â ±0. 18 a |8. 0Â ±0. 16 b |3. 3Â ±0. 13 b | |2. 0 |72. 1Â ±0. 87 |16. 5Â ±0. 53 a |8. 1Â ±0. 26 b |3. 2Â ±0. 17 b | |5. 0 |71. 7Â ±0. 41 |15. 1Â ±0. 30 b |9. 7Â ±0. 15 a |3. 8Â ±0. 21 a | Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. The biochemical variables were significantly affected by GRC supplementation (P < 0. 05; Tables 4 and 5). The inclusion of 0. 5 – 5. 0 g/kg diet of dietary GRC resulted in significant decreases in glucose, plasma protein and plasma lipids, whereas the highest values of above parameters were obtained with fish fed the control diet (Table 4). Contrarily, AST, ALT, and creatinine values increased significantly with increasing GRC levels and the highest values of these parameters were obtained with fish fed 5. 0 g GRC/kg (Table 5). Fish fed on the control diets exhibited the lowest values. Table 4. Changes in glucose, plasma protein, and plasma lipids in Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |Glucose (mg/dL) |Protein (g/dL) |Lipids (g/dL) | |(g/kg diet) | | | | |0. 0 |67. 53Â ±1. 362 a |1. 77Â ±0. 057 a |2. 69Â ±0. 167 a | |0. 5 |55. 23Â ±1. 468 b |1. 63Â ±0. 064 b |1. 61Â ±0. 067 b | |1. 0 |55. 42Â ±2. 669 b |1. 60Â ±0. 061 b |1. 57Â ±0. 083 b | |2. 0 |52. 63Â ±4. 435 b |1. 51Â ±0. 021 b |1. 53Â ±0. 035 b | |5. 0 |50. 23Â ±1. 386 b |1. 37Â ±0. 056 c |1. 42Â ±0. 059 c |. Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. Table 5. Changes in AST, ALT, and creatinine in plasma of Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |AST (mg/dL) |ALT (mg/dL) |Creatinine (mg/dL) | |(g/kg diet) | | | | |0. 0 |52. 57Â ±2. 919 d |22. 60Â ±2. 023 d |0. 252Â ±0. 0147 d | |0. 5 |63. 60Â ±2. 386 c |37. 23Â ±3. 187 c |0. 328Â ±0. 0117 c | |1. 0 |76. 90Â ±2. 312 b |45. 20Â ±4. 046 bc |0. 386Â ±0. 0684 b | |2. 0 |80. 13Â ±2. 440 b |48. 46Â ±5. 017 b |0. 393Â ±0. 0392 b | |5. 0 |97. 10Â ±5. 103 a |59. 30Â ±1. 350 a |0. 467Â ±0. 0304 a |. Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. DISCUSSION The present study showed that GRC adversely affected Nile tilapia growth at a concentration higher than 1. 0 g/kg diet. These results are in concomitant with Fagbenro and Arowosoge (1991), Moreau et al. (2003), and Ulloa and Verreth (2003) who found adverse effects of coffee-containing diets on fish growth. Similarly, Chatzifotis et al. (2008) reported that sea bream, Sparus aurata did not accept the caffeine-containing diet at a 10 g/kg dose but at doses at or lower to 5 g/kg caffeine appeared not to have a deterrent effect. They also stated that the negative effect of caffeine on sea bream growth can be traced in its increased FCR. Throughout the feeding period the fish in all experimental groups were in good health and dose-related mortalities were not observed, indicating that Nile tilapia can tolerate GRC levels (up to 5 g/kg diet) albeit with reduced growth rate and increased feed conversion ratio. It is worth mentioning that 2 – 5 g GRC/kg diet caused a significant decrease in feed consumption and a significant increase in FCR. These results suggested that GRC did influence the diet palatability, implying that the growth retardation at 2 – 5 g GRC/kg diet may be due to the low diet utilization. It has been inferred that caffeine in GRC, together with polyphenols and tannins can deter feed consumption in fish (Ulloa and Verreth, 2003); possibly because of its bitter taste usually perceived by animals (Mazzafera, 2002; Frank et al. , 2004). Furthermore, Kasumyan and Doving (2003) reported that caffeine inhibited the feeding behavior of turbot, Psetta maxima. The proximate composition of whole-fish body was significantly affected by GRC inclusion (Table 3). However, protein content decreased, meanwhile lipids contents decreased by increasing GRC levels. These results disagree with Kobayashi-Hattori et al. (2005) who reported that caffeine induced lipolysis and thereby reduce the body fat mass and body fat percentage in Sprague–Dawley rats fed on a high fat diet. Chatzifotis et al. (2008) found that caffeine cannot reduce the lipid content of white muscle and liver in heterotherm sea bream when reared in low winter temperatures. These changes in protein and lipid contents in fish body herein could be linked with changes in their synthesis and/or deposition rate in fish body (Abdel-Tawwab et al. , 2006). Glucose, serum protein, and serum lipids decreased significantly, meanwhile AST, ALT, and creatinine increased significantly in fish fed 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. In this regard, Gagne et al. (2006) stated that in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, long-term exposure to caffeine could lead to lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, caffeine is an inhibitor of glycogen phosphorylase in the mantle tissue of mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis; Serrano et al., 1995) and of lactate dehydrogenase in the muscle of rabbit (Gardiner and Whiteley, 1985). The increase in AST and ALT activities is an indicative to liver dysfunction and the increase in creatinine is an indicative to kidney dysfunction. These results suggest that GRC may contain compounds that caused some kind of stress on fish affecting these biochemical variables. Corradetti et al. (1986) found a chronic-caffeine effect on rats. These results indicate that GRC supplement is not a promising growth stimulant for Nile tilapia and in some cases GRC should not exceed 1. 0%. Further work is needed to explore the role of GRC in enhancing antioxidant activity and/or the anti-toxicity effect against water pollutants Acknowledgment The author would like to thank Mohamed N. Monier and Nahla E. M. Ismael, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research (CLAR), Abbassa, Abo-Hammad, Sharqia, Egypt, for their assistance during the running of this study, and Sherien H. Shady, CLAR for doing the physiological assay. REFERENCES Abdel-Tawwab, M. , M. H. Ahmad, S. F. M. Sakr, and M. E. A. Seden. 2010. Use of green tea, Camellia sinensis L. in practical diet for growth and protection of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.) against Aeromonas hydrophila infection. J. World Aquacult. Soc. , 41: 203-213. Abdel-Tawwab, M. , Y. A. E. Khattab, M. H. Ahmad, and A. M. E. 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El-Sayed, A. -F. M. 2006. Tilapia Culture. CABI publishing, CABI International Willingford, Oxfordshire, UK. Fagbenro, O. A. and I. A. Arowosoge. 1991. Growth response and nutrient digestibility by Clarias isheriensis (Sydenham, 1980) fed varying levels of dietary coffee pulp as replacement for maize in low-cost diets. Bioresource Technology 37, 253–258. Frank, M.E. , Bouverat, B. P. , MacKinnon, B. I. , Hettinger, T. P. , 2004. The distinctiveness of ionic and nonionic bitter stimuli. Physiol. Behav. , 80: 421–431. Gagne, F. , C. Blaise, and C. Andre. 2006. Occurrence of pharmaceutical products in a municipal effluent and toxicity to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) hepatocytes. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. , 64: 329–336. Gardiner, N. S. and C. G. Whiteley. 1985. The interaction and inhibition of muscle lactate dehydrogenase by the alkaloid caffeine. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com. , 127: 1057–1065. Henry, R. J. 1964. Colorimetric determination of total protein. In: Clinical Chemistry. 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Comparative study between probiotic bacterium Arthrobacter XE-7 and chloramphenicol on protection of Penaeus chinensis post-larvae from pathogenic vibrios. Aquaculture 253: 140–147. Lin, Z. B. and H. N. Zhang. 2004. Anti-tumor and immunoregulatory activities of Ganoderma lucidum and its possible mechanisms. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 25: 1387–1395. Mazzafera, P. 2002. Degratation of caffeine by microorganisms and potential use of decaffeinated coffee husk and pulp in animal feeding. Scientia Agricola 59, 815–821. Meunpol, O. , K. Lopinyosiri, and P. Menasveta. 2003. The effects of ozone and probiotics on the survival of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). Aquaculture 220: 437–448. Moreau, Y. , J. L. Arredondo, I. Perraud-Gaime, and S. Roussos. 2003. Dietary utilisation of protein and energy from fresh and ensiled coffee pulp by the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Brazil. Arch. Biol. Tech. , 46: 223–231. Pellegrini, N. , M. Sera? ni, B. Colombi, D. Del Rio, S. Salvatore, M. 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Growth of Oreochromis aureus fed with diets containing graded levels of coffee pulp and reared in two culture systems. Aquaculture 217: 275–283. Vaseeharan, B. and P. Ramasamy. 2003. Control of pathogenic Vibrio spp. by Bacillus subtilis BT23, a possible probiotic treatment for black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. Let. Appl. Microbiol. , 36: 83–87. Vinson, J. A. , K. Patel, and G. Agbor. 2005. Polyphenols: total amounts in foods and beverages and US per capital consumption. In: ACS 230th National Meeting. Book of Abstracts (n. AGFD 10). American Chemical Society, Washington.

Visual Literacy in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Visual Literacy in Business - Essay Example These are important to me because the target audience must be considered so as, for example, to capture and hold the attention of men, women or youth. The importance of purpose is that it will define the overall goal of creating the image, which must be reasonably easy to understand but still deliver the intended message and create a desire to take action. Purpose is complemented by context because context entails background information that will enable viewers to analyze and understand the image. In turn, this makes arrangement important because it will determine how text, graphics and images are placed in the advertisement. Then, location will have its significance in the sense that where the advertisement is placed matters. One concept that I would like to explore further is context. This is because if the advertisement does not give sufficient and relevant background information, it may not serve its purpose because the viewers will not be able to analyze what is being communicat ed and, therefore, not take any action (Elkins,

Response to at least 3 student's postings with 2 references each Coursework

Response to at least 3 student's postings with 2 references each - Coursework Example Nancy’s post compares democracies in the United States and in Australia, identifying similarity in their governmental structures and administrative organization into states. It however identifies the Australian system as a constitutional monarch and the United States’ as a federal republic. I agree with Nancy’s post on federalism and people’s sovereignty in the American system as entrenched in the nation’s constitution (Wilson, Diiulio and Bose, 2012). Similarly, the writer’s idea of federalism and monarchy in Australia is valid (Robbers, 2006). Alfred explores Panama’s government system with the aim of demonstrating its level of democracy. The post further discusses similarities and differences between the system and the United States’ such as similar branches of government and roles of presidents. It however reflects differences in the nation’s legislature. I agree with Alfred’s post on the American bicameral legislative system (Wilson, 2011). The writer’s post on panama’s reliance on United States policies is also supported by the American historical involvement in Panama’s governance that indicates a significant degree of democracy in Panama (Harding,

Marketing Plan Phase III Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Plan Phase III - Research Paper Example This new product idea will undergo the phases of a product life cycle. â€Å"The product life cycle describes the stages a really new product idea goes through from beginning to end. The product life cycle is divided into four major stages: (1) market introduction, (2) market growth, (3) market maturity, and (4) sales decline† (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy, 2011). In the introduction stage of the turkey burger, McDonald’s objective is to build product awareness and develop a market for the burger. Informative promotion is an essential method to communicate potential customers about the benefits of the new turkey burger. â€Å"In the market growth stage, industry sales grow fast—but industry profits rise and then start falling† (Perreault et al., 2011). During this stage the company will seek to build brand preference and increase market share. Adding qualities while maintaining the quality of the burger may increase the demand of the product. This stage is the best time to invest in advertisement for a broader audience. â€Å"The market maturity stage occurs when industry sales level off and competition gets tougher† (Perreault et al., 2011). At maturity stage, the strong sales diminish and persuasive promotion becomes crucial for the company. â€Å"The primary objective at this point is to defend the market share while maximizing profit† (QuickMBA.com, 2010). The company can achieve this by enhancing product features and enforcing competitive strategies. During the sales decline stage new products replace the old and competition becomes more vigorous. However, McDonald’s strong brand will continue making profits until the end. During this stage the company has several options: maintain the burger and possibly rejuvenate it by adding new features and offering new benefits; reduce costs and continue to offer the turkey burger to a loyal market segment; or discontinue the product and liquidating the remaining

Dell Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dell - Case Study Example wn design in the year 1985, this was followed by unveiling of the world’s fastest performing computer in 1986 which was to be promoted by the setting up of the first onsite service to compensate for lack of retail in the year 1987. In 1988, the company changed its name to Dell Computer Corporation then tried to change its marketing strategy by selling to retailers in 1990 through warehouse clubs and superstores. However, this strategy did not last owing to dismal performance. They then embarked again on selling custom-built computers online to the customers. In 2000, Dell became number one seller of computers in USA surpassing even the Compaq (123HelpMe.com, 2015). Dell computers corporations has the mission to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. It was created to operate on a direct selling model where customers are to order for their computers online and then the computer is custom-made according to the needs of the customer (Saunders, 2009). Dell’s success is majorly attributed to the better management of its supply chain. Dell applies the best expertise to process customers’ orders and supply it at the fastest speed possible. Where the rivals take weeks, Dell takes only hours to supply the products to its customers. Dell has adopted as one of its strategies, the shortest supply chain. Dell purpose to minimize the involvement of middle men as a way of minimizing time they take to get products to customers and as a way of getting directly in touch with the customers. The company also ventured into customer relationship management (CRM) as a way of staying close to customers. They hire third party logistics to supply their finished products instead of the middle men. Supplier of Dell supply raw materials on a just in time basis directly to the production line at shortest time hence contributing to success of the company. Success is in terms reduced costs on setting up a

How Impairment Testing and Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities Affect the Essay

How Impairment Testing and Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities Affect the Reliability of Financial Statements - Essay Example When an instrument is not traded in an active market there is great uncertainty about the ultimate amount that can be realized from the instrument in a transaction between knowledgeable willing parties in an arms length transaction (Eipstein and Jermacowicz 2007). In July 2002, the European Union issued a regulation requiring all EU-listed companies to prepare their year-end accounting standards in compliance with IFRS as from December 31st 2005. Following the recent wave of accounting scandals at Enron, Tyco International and WorldCom, as well as the greater concern for off-balance sheet liabilities, the IFRS has issued a number of standards (IAS 32 Financial Instruments Disclosure and Presentation, IAS 39 , IFRS 7 Financial Instruments Disclosures, and IAS 17 Leases) to help reduce bright lines that enable companies to use off-balance sheet financing. In this paper the developments in respect of convergence between national and international accounting standards since 1st January 2005 to present day will be discussed. The impact that off-balance sheet financing and impairment testing may have upon the reliability of financial statements will also be discussed. In the light of all these, the next section argues in respect to the theme of thi s paper. 1.1.1 How impairment testing and off balance sheet Liabilities affect the Reliability of Financial Statements IAS 36 requires companies to test assets for impairment. Basically, the standard requires that tangible assets should be tested for impairment when there is an indication that an asset might be impaired. (Epstein and Jermacowicz, 2007). However, intangible assets having an indefinite useful life must be tested annually for impairment. The impairment test is required to be applied to a cash generating unit, that is, the smallest group of assets for which the entity has identifiable cash flows. During an impairment test, the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets in the cash generating unit is compared with the fair value or value in use (value in use is calculated as the present value of the cash flows expected to be generated from using the asset). The higher of value in use and fair value is taken and compared with the carrying amount and an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount is higher than the higher of fair value and value in use. (Epstein and Jermacowiz, 2007). IAS 36 also requires a company to determine at each reporting date whether there are conditions that would indicate that impairment may have occurred and further provides a set of indicators of potential impairment some of which include (Epstein and Jermacowiz, 2007: p. 247): Market value declines for specific assets or cash generating u

Moon Gods and Goddesses in Mythology across Cultures Essay

Moon Gods and Goddesses in Mythology across Cultures - Essay Example The different mythologies that have focused their worship feelings on the moon include Aboriginal mythology (Daramulum), Ainu mythology (Chup-Kamui), Akkadian mythology (Enzu, Sin), Arabian mythology (Illat, Hilal, Hubal, Sin, Ta'lab, Wadd), Aztec mythology (Coyolxauhqui, Metztli, Tecciztecatl), Babylonian mythology (Sin), Basque mythology (Ilazki), Cahuilla mythology (Menily), Canaanite mythology (Jarih, Nikkal), Celtic mythology (Gntia, Lair bln), Chibcha mythology (Chia, Chie), Chinese mythology(Chang'e or Heng O. – unlike in other cultures, in Chinese mythology moon represent the place where fairies and immortals live), Dahomean mythology (Gleti), Elamite mythology (Napir), Egyptian mythology (Chons, Thoth), Etruscan mythology (Losna), Greek mythology (Artemis, Hecate, Phoebe, Selene ), Hattic mythology (Kaskuh), Hindu mythology (Anumati, Chandra, Nandi, Prajapati, Ramachandra, Shiva, Soma, a famous Indian devotee Mira use to cry a lot seeing the moon since it reminded her about Krishna/God), Hurrian mythology (Kusuh), Incan mythology (Coniraya, Ka-Ata-Killa , Mama Quilla), Indonesian mythology (Dewi Shri, Silewe Nazarate), Inuit mythology (Alignak, Igaluk, Tarquiup Inua), Japanese mythology (Marishi-Ten, Tsuku-yomi), Kachin mythology (Shitta), Latvian mythology (Meness), Mandjindja mythology (Kidili), Maya mythology (Ahau-Kin, Ixbalanque, Ixchel, Itzamna), Mochican mythology (Si), Navaho mythology (Yolkai Estasan), Norse mythology (Brunhild, Mani), Orokolo mythology (Papare), Pagan rituals in Medieval Italy (Madonna Oriente), Palmarene mythology (Aglibol), Pawnee mythology (Pah), Persian mythology (Mah, Mao), Philippine mythology (Mayari), Phoenician mythology (Nikkal), Phrygian mythology (Men), Polynesian mythology (Avatea, Fati, Ina, Hina-Kega, Hina-Uri, Lona, Mahina, Marama, Sina, Ul), Pygmy mythology (Arebati), Roman mythology (Diana, Luna), Semitic mythology (Terah), Seran mythology (Dapie), Slavic mythology (Myesyats), Sumerian mythology (Nanna, Ningal), Sumu mythology (Ud), Thracian mythology (Bendis), Tupinamba mythology (Ari), Ugaritic mythology (Nikkal), Urartian mythology (Selardi), Vodun (Kalfu). Greek mythology is a valuable collection of narratives of Greek God, Goddesses, heroes, and heroines (Kerenyi, 1951). In the Greek mythology, Selene or Lunar was an ancient lunar deity, and was sometimes described as Artemis. Titans Hyperion and Theia are the parents of Selene. Helios, the sun is the brother of Selene. Eos, the Goddess of dawn is the sister of Selene. The journey of Selene begins when the earth turns dark at night. The story tells that Eos carried off a human lover Cephalus (Burkert, 1985). The story also narrates that Selene loved a shepherd, or otherwise named Endymion. The man was so handsome that Selene asked Zeus to make him immortal so that they won't ever depart. Endymion made a decision to live forever in sleep. Thus, Selene and Endymion had fifty daughters. The story adds that Selene and Zeus had a daughter called Pandia (full moon). Hecate, originally a Goddess of the wilderness and childbirth is today seen as a Goddess of witchcraft. She had her connotations as a Goddess of sorcery and played the role of Queen of Ghosts. The title, Queen of Ghosts with Hecate has its in-depth association with the then prevalent belief that she can prevent the occurrence of harm

Case comment coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case comment coursework - Essay Example Through the privatization, the government was allowed to retain a special share. This entitled the government, according to the company’s constitution, to appoint two of the eight directors but with no voting rights (Patterson, 2001). History Belize privatized its telecomm network in 1989. Under the privatization, the government was to gradually sealed off its shares and, in the process, retained a special share (Redfem, 2004). According to the company’s constitution, 8 directors would be appointed as per the shareholding in the following manner: The special share holder can appoint 2 of the 8 directors. In this case the government had a special share which entitled it to appoint two directors. Class â€Å"B† shareholders comprising private investors could appoint two directors. Class â€Å"C† shareholders could appoint four directors. The government also owned Class â€Å"C† shares. A further provision for the election directors was made, stating t hat if a special shareholder possessed over 37.5% of the share capital in total, it would appoint two of the 4 Class â€Å"C† directors. The government in 2003 completed the privatization process. A law was passed to this effect to enable the completion (Richardson, 2004). In 2004, Belize Telecommunications bought the special share and the Class â€Å"C† shares from the government. To enable Belize Telecommunications to purchase the shares, the government changed its shares into a loan to enable Belize to finance the transaction. Since this was a loan from the government, it needed security from Belize. Belize gave the government a ‘pledge’ on the shares that it had just sold, i.e. the Class â€Å"C† shares, but not on the special share until the debt was repaid (Robertson, 2006). In February 2005, Belize defaulted in the loan repayment and the government’s pledge under the loan agreement was enforced. The government now had more than 37.5% o f the class â€Å"C† shares but without the special share. Belize now had less than 37.5% of shares. The main issue of the case is on whether the directors subject to appointment by the special shareholder with over 37.5% of class â€Å"C† shares could be removed. In this instance, there was no shareholder who held both the special share and over 37.5% of class â€Å"C† shares. Belize Telecommunications argued that the two directors were not removable whereas the Attorney General argued otherwise. The argument was that the articles of association regarding the appointment of directors should be made to provide that vacation of office by a director should happen if the shareholding specification that brought him there ceased existing. The Belize Supreme Court’s Chief Justice agreed with the government. With its 37.5% shareholding, the government should be given power to dismiss the two directors and recruit new ones (Olivelle, 2005). Analysis Court Analysi s. The Chief Justice in the Belize Supreme Court agreed with the Attorney General that the government may be allowed to remove the directors in question and appoint new ones. The Privy Council’s advice through Lord Hoffman came up with the principles of interpreting the company’s articles of association. The interpretation principles apply, whether it is an act of Parliament or company contract. A search for the meaning of the

Inaccuracies in the Portraying of the American Revolution by Popular C Movie Review

Inaccuracies in the Portraying of the American Revolution by Popular Culture - Movie Review Example American Revolution dates back some years ago and this was the race to independence in America. The revolution also termed as a revolutionary war broke out due to differences between Britain and the colonial government. The war involved other groups who came in to assist one side, like France and this lengthened the conflict further. The troops from the British government and the colonial government men inspired the war as the fight for independence kicked off. Tensions leading to the outbreak of the war were due to the colonists feeling that they had no equal representation in parliament as the British counterparts.Arguably, the American Revolution comes out in different popular cultures like films and history books, although it has been difficult to portray it in these books and films because it turns to be controversial from the readers. An example of the challenges is that of the Americans who only want to refer their founders on only their positive side but ignore their negative actions during the revolution. This is a challenge because; the films that portray their founders’ negative side are highly criticized, whereas those depicting their positive side are encouraged. The filmmakers never wish to depict the British as an enemy to the Americans. To avoid this, therefore, they escape all the stories showing what happened to the founders in the films.From a different perspective, other films try to show exactly what happened during the revolution. For example, the film â€Å"Drums Along the Mohawk† shows how people were killed and even destruction of crops. These were activities done during the war. Although the film showed little about British, it is rated as one of the best films that tried to portray the American Revolution. However, the accuracy of the film is compromised by the fact that people were killed and crops destroyed but it is not clearly presented, on the contrary, it shows the fight as between settlers and Americans. Unlike th e aforementioned film, â€Å"Revolution† film does not clearly depict the hero in the war even the losers can become heroes. The inaccuracy of the film is that it does not show the battle as Americans fighting for liberty from the British, but it shows it as a civil war between the colonists. American Revolution comes out in another film, â€Å"The Patriots†, though there are inaccuracies about the war. It describes the revolution as a war for the liberation of African Americans. It also shows that the workers in the field were not slaves.   In their work, the filmmakers try to give a detailed report on the happenings during the revolution.

Children Reading Essay Example for Free

Children Reading Essay â€Å"Children are not reading as much as they should presents danger† As Mr. Russell states, children not reading presents a risk in terms of their learning abilities. I believe Mr. Russell is correct. When children do not read enough, their development of creativity, attention span, imagination and vocabulary are not as developed as they should be. Overall they fail to develop to their full potential because reading comprehension strengthens our brain by making it active. When children’s brains are not at their fullest potential when they get older, it could lead to a lot of problems. They can receive poor grades, have a difficult time when completing assignments, have a low self-esteem and behavior problems, become shy and get easily frustrated. If a whole generation of children grew up to have these issues, it could lead to many problems in society as a whole. â€Å"A book requires that we think, and that is the great adventure to reading.† When we read a book, it forces us to use or brains. It requires us to take every element in the story such as the characters, plot and setting and putting them together to create a theme. Putting together these elements enhances our creativity and forces us to use our intelligence. While reading a book one imagines in their mind what is going on with the story. This visual then enhances our creativity. It also forces us to use our intelligence. The vocabulary and solutions to the problems makes us think. Personally, I think one of the best things about reading something that you enjoy is the adventure that you have while reading. I forget about my everyday issues and enter into a world where my mind can just explore a whole other world that I cannot physically experience myself. The combination of these aspects makes reading an exciting experience.

Food Inflation In Pakistan: Causes And Policy

Food Inflation In Pakistan: Causes And Policy Inflation and its measures   As defined in the glossary of economics, inflation is a sustained increase in the aggregate or general price level in an economy. In other words, inflation means there is an increase in the cost of living  [2]  . In Pakistan, inflation is measured by three indicators: the Consumer price index, Wholesale price index and the Sensitive Price indicator. Consumer Price Index or CPI is the main measure which gives a general representation of the inflation in the country. About 374 items are included in this list. It measures cost changes associated with these items. Wholesale Price Index or WPI represents the directional movements of prices in the wholesale markets. Items covered in the series are those which could be precisely defined and are offered in lots by producers/manufacturers. These account to 425 items. Sensitive Price Indicator or SPI is computed on weekly basis to assess the price movements of essential commodities at short intervals so as to review the price situation in the country. SPI includes 53 items which are based on the staple diet of the country. HISTORIC TRENDS Inflation in Pakistan in the last two decades Gone are the days when food on its own was considered as a cheap resource and most people could afford at least the basic commodities necessary for their survival. The food crises in our country is not only a local phenomena but it can, to a certain extent, be attributed to soaring food prices internationally, particularly over the last year. This, coupled with ineffective, myopic policy measures by the government has driven millions below the poverty line. Rising food prices was a major factor in driving up inflation between 2007 and mid 2008. The most appalling thing about food price inflation is that it is the most regressive of all taxes, hurting the poor and fixed income group the most. Starting with inflation in double digits in the 90s, the real pressure came in the 1994-1995 when inflation went up by 13%, mainly due to extremely high food inflation of 16.5%.However, from then on, there was a steady dip in the overall inflation with food inflation falling below the Consumer Price Index (CPI) between 1999-2002. This was because of an improved supply position, strict budgetary measures and depressed international markets.  [3]   From then on, mainly because of higher wheat support prices, shortages of wheat and a rise in international prices including oil has pushed the inflation back up again, with food inflation going as high as 12% in 2004-2005. It fell again to single digit in 2005-2006 but has climbed at shocking levels since then. The food inflation average was lowest between 1998-2000 and currently the food inflation figure is around 7.5%. However, eight of the top ten commodities contributing to the overall CPI inflation, were from the food group, having a weighted contribution of 38.3 percent in overall inflation. These items were fresh milk, meat, vegetables, wheat flour, sugar, readymade food, tomatoes, and tea. Of these, four items of food group; fresh milk, meat, vegetables, and wheat flour contributed 71.7 percent to CPI food inflation (YoY)  [4]   Inflation in the last 5 years Inflation in Pakistan in the last five years has been sky rocketing. The following graphs have been drawn after collecting prices from the Business Recorder taken at a six month interval date. (A detailed list of prices is attached in the appendix of the report) In the abpve diagram, Cereals include items: makai, juwar, moong Punjab, barley sindh and Wheat Pak whereas Sugar includes sugar and Gur. All other goods contain their sub types. In the above diagram, the average prices include: Cereals includes 5 different items namely Makai, Juwar, Moong Punjab, barley Sindh and wheat Pak; Sugar includes Sugar and Gur; Whole rice includes Irri 6 Sindh, Basmati 386 new and Sela karnal new; Broken rice includes Irri white and Basmati; Rapeseed 40kg prices of Nawabshah and Dadulane types scaled to 100 kg and Castor seeds 40 kg prices of Lasbela new and Sindh types scaled to 100 kg prices From the graphs , we can analyze easily that generally, the average wholesale price range per 100 kg has increased significantly after January 08 from the average price range of Rs 1000-3000 to Rs 2000-5000.This is approximately a 70-100% increase in the average food prices over the last 2 years. It has brought about a 35-50% year on year with Whole Rice price even touching Rs 7000 mark in July 2008. The average sugar price has also gone up significantly causing sweetened items in the retail market to be beyond the common peoples reach. Therefore, our report will analyze on the causes of these escalating food prices, focusing specifically on the last five years and will also analyze the impact of the food inflation on various segments of the society during this period. We will also be evaluating various food policies in order to cope up with this ever growing problem in the developing economy of Pakistan Causes of Food inflation This section is covered in three categories: Causes for rise in food prices in general Despite the fact that Pakistan has been blessed with all the natural resources such as a cultivable land, a hardworking labour force and a suitable climate for the production of variety of crops, a number of domestic and international factors are causing food prices to escalate. Some of these factors are analyzed below. Although Pakistan derives fifty per cent of its energy needs from natural gas, yet due to rising energy demand, the country has to import oil to fulfill this gap. There has been a trend of increasing oil prices in the last few years globally. A rise in oil prices increases the cost of making fertilizers which are needed for increasing the yield per hectare of the crop. Hence, a rise in price of fertilizer translates into rise in price of crop Not only that, rising fuel prices increase the electricity costs and therefore, farmers using tractors and tube wells have to pay a higher cost for using the machinery. Pakistan has a potential for using hydroelectric power but due to interprovincial disputes, this solution has not been achieved  [5]  . Transportation costs also rise as fuel prices increase. Various other international factors have caused an increasing food prices globally. International food inflation creeps into Pakistan when it has to import these food items to fill the stomach of more than 160 million populations. This includes a move by many countries to substitute biofuels in place for rising oil prices to ensure energy security in the country. Bio-fuel production is seriously affecting the world food markets as its demand is leading to diverting grain to production of biofuel, thus creating supply shortages and increasing international food prices. Various other international factors such as price controls and export bans have hurt the incentives of the food producers which have reduced world supply of food production. Also, many people in the developed nations are now moving towards high end consumption products such as meat, fish and are using pulses for feeding the animals which creates shortages and drives up the prices  [6]  . This international rise in w orld price, along with a weakening rupee has caused imported food inflation in Pakistan as well. In addition, there are other domestic factors also responsible for this trend of increasing prices. Pakistani farmers have outdated farming methods and have not resorted to modernization. Their risk averse attitude is although rational, yet, has disadvantaged agricultural output growth and hence economy. Government has also neglected the agricultural sector with lack of facilities for the farmers to efficiently market their products or even for preserving them for bridging shortages and surplus when there is a demand supply gap  [7]  . This factor, along with inapt fiscal and monetary policies, has seriously affected the agricultural output. Growing political unrest has further diverted the attention of the government which is paying more attention to fight and mitigate the terrorism in the country. As rest of the world is busy competing with other nations, Pakistani government is busy sorting out their internal differences. Also, politics play a dirty part in Pakistan as cartels are easily formed to manipulate the market prices. Such profiteering activities, along with black marketing and hoarding have further drowned the citizens in the already knee-deep flood of problem. Causes for rise in sugar prices- The Sugar Crisis We have all witnessed the tragedy of 18 women who were trying to get free bags of sugar dying in a stampede. This represents the seriousness of the current sugar crisis. Such horrific crises make us wonder about the effectiveness of the regulatory body of the government. Various factors are responsible, most of which are political. As sugar has always been a difficult field to administer, Pakistans feudal lords try to benefit at the expense of poor farmers. They have always conquered politics and fulfill their selfish interests by easily passing on the higher prices of sugar to consumers  [8]   When governments try to intervene by importing sugar so that the prices stay under control, the mill owners who are mostly strong political figures, use their influence which results in government imposing higher tariffs thereby increasing the price of the imported sugar. Hence, domestic sugar prices do not come down. Also, the trolley-owners who transport sugarcane for the mill owners exploit farmers by demanding additional Rs 250-300 per trolley during cane shortage. To make things worse, an extra cost of Rs. 100 per day is paid by the mill owners for a delay in unloading the sugarcane at the gate along with the provision of food and tea.  [9]  This is because the more time elapses, the lower is the recoverable cane juice and hence higher is the millowners profit when a guaranteed price is paid by the government. In this whole process, farmers and the final consumers are the ones who suffer The International markets also experienced an increase in the price of sugar due to poor weather conditions in major sugar producing countries which includes Brazil and India. This automatically led to shortage of supply of sugar and the prices of sugar went up as a result. The price trends in the international market had an impact on prices of Pakistan and aggravated the existing supply issues. Also, this year there was a shortfall in domestic production of the sugarcane crop. The government had no option but to plan for imports. The importation of sugar was delayed because the vested-interest groups used their undue influence and made huge profits by charging exorbitant prices as there was shortage of sugar. The delay in importing sugar resulted not just in shortage in the domestic market and poor availability but also led to loss of foreign exchange, as by the time sugar was procured in the international market, its price had soared. Pakistan Sugar Mills Association was also involved in the creation of the sugar crisis. Khaled Mirza, Competition Commission Chairman told the media in November, 2009 that Pakistan Sugar Mills Association has confessed manipulation to get sugar production and distribution. The association violated competition ordinance and sought courts relaxation under section39.  [10]  Also, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Federal Minister for Industries and Production told the media in August 2009 that hoarding of sugar by the mill owners is the main cause of recent sugar crisis and negotiations with the mill owners are underway to end the sugar crisis. There are some mill owners who are not providing the sugar to Trading Corporation of Pakistan.  [11]   Causes for rise in wheat prices the wheat crisis The dawn of 2008 in the Musharraf era, bought with it, amidst much political turmoil (after the Bhutto assassination) another nail that hammered in the coffin. Early January, there was a heavy spike in the price of wheat; Pakistans staple food crop. Supply shortages caused wheat prices to double from 15 to 30 rupees per kilogram in less than a weeks time  [12]  ; rendering much of the population grief stricken and helpless, out on the streets. The shortage ultimately led to a wheat-producing country importing tons of wheat to cater to local demands. The causes of the shortage were numerous, and as in all situations, all stakeholders boldly showed their prowess in mud-slinging, and everyone put the blame to all but themselves. Let us have a look at the major causes that might have led to the crisis. The most popular reason given was the general world food crisis that was prevalent at that time. Definitely the world wheat shortages somewhat contributed to the local crisis but it was certainly not the sole reason, and as we will see, many other internal flaws had a far major role to play. Firstly the first, crucial shortfall was on part of the government as they unreasonably overestimated the annual wheat yield and allowed 1.6 million tons of wheat to be exported in the earlier year. The consequences were damaging, as the actual yield fell way short and the thus a large supply gap got created as local demand could not be met by a long shot. Moreover, the popular policy of subsidized food prices also played a major role. In times of shortages, still the government decided to fix wheat prices well short of the market price which instigated the mill owners to hoard and pile up stocks to raise the prices at which they thought they could get reasonable profits. The world market price was around Rs 24 per kilogram but the retail price was set by the government at Rs 16 per kg. This also lead to the suppliers indulge in smuggling. The government did decide to monitor this by putting military around mills and warehouses but this was a shallow measure which only worked temporarily. So this bizarre wheat policy has hurt the average farmer and the common man to suffer, and the benefactors being the middlemen, the flour mill traders and the government officials who have connived their way in the smuggling rucket as well at the expense of the commons. Some specific actions by Musharraf though also led to this crisis. Musharrafs desire to promote and use the newly built Gwadar port led to delayed transportation of the wheat from the remote areas of Balochistan to Punjab and other parts of the country  [13]  . The new port lacks the required facilities for swift unloading of consignments, which greatly delayed supply of wheat imports, creating unneeded problems. So all in all, the government was at the focal point of the crisis from the start (the other players joined in though in due course), and it also failed to stabilize the issue afterwards with misguided policies EFFECTS OF FOOD INFLATION The word inflation may not ring bells to the majority of illiterate people of Pakistan but its deep and far reaching consequences may not be stranger to the lives of many. People on fixed incomes are the worst victims when food inflation hits. Their spending power decreases which leaves lesser income to be spent on other goods and services. In order to pay for the higher food prices, many people have to take up multiple jobs, exerting great pressure on their physical health, thus increasing their medical costs. A common man who has other worries to take care of is left with lesser income altogether in this whole process Not only that, food inflation affects the rural region and low income groups more than others, thereby resulting in exacerbating the already uneven distribution of wealth in the economy. Although the rich do not get richer because of inflation but the poor definitely gets poorer. Significant increases in the prices of food commodities lead to an increase in the poverty levels of the country as the real income of people fall, pushing more and more people below the poverty line. In a report titled Summary poverty reduction and Social strategy the ADB states overall a 20 per cent increase in food prices will lead to an 8pc increase in the poverty head count, from 36pc to 44pc, with the negative impact of food price shocks falling disproportionately on rural poor, as opposed to the urban poor.  [14]   Government has to step in to protect the citizens but it leads to a conflict in other macroeconomic objectives. From July 2008 to March 2009, the policy rate had to be increased from 13.5% to 15%.  [15]  This causes a reduction in the investment and overall investor confidence which hampers the rate of growth of GDP. Private investment as a share of GDP fell for the third consecutive year to 13.2% of GDP.  [16]  last year. Rising food prices creates frustration among the people which take the form of protests against the government creating more social unrest in the country. Strikes, abuse of property are common sights when food as basic as sugar and wheat have sky rocketed. Different steps were taken by the government to provide food to the poor at subsidized rates at Bachat Bazars but this is not proving to be as beneficial as one might believe because many people still go back home empty handed even after waiting in line for several hours as the stocks run out.  [17]   Businesses too have far reaching consequences. As there is a decline in the purchasing power of individuals, it results in a lesser demand for their goods and services. This in turn affects the profitability of the organizations. To make matters worse, laborers demand higher wages which in turn increase the cost of doing business. This increase in cost is transferred to the buyers in the form of higher prices, giving rise to more cost push inflation. This forms a vicious wage-price spiral in which expectations of further increasing prices leads to a self fulfilling prophecy. Overall, when the economy inflation rate is making new records, people move the money out of the currency which leads to a devaluation of the currency. Moreover, when the price of these export items made up of agricultural food crop increase, it is not only the exporters who suffer but the entire country has little foreign exchange earning to pay for the rising import costs, thus weakening the balance of payments and increasing debt costs. Policy Recommendations Short term policies It is a well known fact that prevention is better than cure but the miseries of the common man in Pakistan has reached a nadir whereby prevention is a long term and a secondary phenomena and short term quick fixes are immediate requirements of today. What the government is required to do in order to fix escalating food prices in the very short run is to distribute free food through mobile services at different points in the country. The governments first and foremost responsibility is to make sure that no citizen of Pakistan die because he or she could not get a right as basic as food. However, as it was witnessed a few months back that such a free distribution make people rush to the place causing stampedes and deaths, great care needs to be taken while implementing the policy. If the government cannot maintain distribution decorum in the people, then they should subsidize the incomes of the poor. However, the government should make sure that the subsidized income is provided only to those people who are needy enough and cannot even afford living. The government can introduce a compulsory work practice which can screen the needy from those who are not. After curing the immediate side effects of the inflation, the government has to take some preventive measures. Food price mechanism in the country has been severely distorted because of food price controls and when such prices are less than the international prices, the farmers and the middlemen maximize their gains by smuggling their crop to the neighbouring country. If the international prices are also not high, then they have to think twice before planting the seeds of the same crop in the next season which reduces supply and automatically increase price in the next season, again leading to black marketing and hoarding issues. Such disincentives are the by-products of price controls set too low. The government should offer the price which is more than the market clearing price and then purchase the crop from these farmers and give them their minimum guaranteed income. The government can sell the crops at the subsidized rates in the market. However, as various middlemen come in between, such an implementation of policy becomes almost an impossible task. As in the case of sugar, it came under the notice that the sugarcane farmers are exploited by the mill owners who purchase the raw material from farmers at a lower price then prescribed by the government. Also, these poor farmers who have no power of their own have to face delays while transporting the sugarcane to mill, due to political reasons which leads to loss in the value of output. This in turn affects supply of the food crop and hence affects prices. A government intervention at this intermediary phase by employing a better check on such profiteering activities at the expense of poor farmers can help control the soaring food prices. Long term Policies The ever money hungry politicians of the country will continue to play dirty as long as their power is not taken away. These politicians treat the small farmers as slaves just because they own that piece of land. These landlords do not even consider land as a gift of God which can fulfill the hunger needs but more as a status symbol of power and wealth. Pakistan requires such a leader who can come forth and shatter feudalism from Pakistan. Until and unless farmers do not own the piece of land and continue to work as sharecroppers, the agricultural output cannot be maximized. Land Reforms are thus, the requirement of the country which can help increase food output and hence keep the prices under control. Distributing such large pieces of land to the small farmers who often have to work in marginal pieces of land will increase their productivity and hence increase the supply of products. Also, in order to curb inflationary pressure created due to supply shortages, the government should invest in research and development so that better seeds, fertilizers and technology are available to the farmers which can then increase yield per hectare. The government also needs to educate them about not only what to do but also how to do. Also, there is a need to provide the farmers with infrastructure and logistics facilities such as better roads, easier credit facilities, warehouses to store extra produce, better marketing techniques etc. Fuel not only drives machinery but also drives the success of the economy. An economy which relies mostly on such a fuel which has severe escalating tendency will end up destroying its growth engine. In a country like Pakistan where oil, diesel and natural gas serve the basic fuel requirements and where nothing much is done regarding its increasing price tendency, there is a dire need to develop alternate energy sources. The optimal measure for the short term is to subsidize the oil prices but for the long run Pakistan should develop hydroelectric power plants as it is a very cheap source of electricity. The government should also have talks with India over this very sensitive issue as the supply of water is often stopped by India which leaves less water not only for hydroelectric plants but also for agricultural output. For the current hydroelectric power plants especially at Mangla, Tarbela and Warsak, silting is not an uncommon problem. Government should develop technology or purchase it from the foreign countries which can deal with the problem of silting in the dams as it reduces the water supply and hampers the movement of turbines in the hydroelectric plants All these measures will not be fruitful if on an individual level, we continue to play the blame game and fail to perform our responsibility. We all need to go back fourteen hundred years where the rules of an effective society were established by God, the tying thread of which belief in Allah. We have to focus our minds from the benefits of this world to the punishments and rewards of the Hereafter. Once all of us on an individual level realize that we are accountable to Him, neither the policies will be selfish, nor its implementation will require any further checks and balances and only then the chronic problem of food politics and rising prices will come to a halt. Leadership Case Study: Nike Corporation Leadership Case Study: Nike Corporation Nike is the authority of all action artifact providers. Nikes business is on an all-around scale, abundant beyond than best American articles today. Nike is one of the best accepted domiciliary names in American society, if you alive in this decade you own a Nike artifact no amount what it is. There are abounding Nike articles you can accept from the account is about endless. Now lets anticipate how did Nike become so large, how is Nike so successful, how does there articles become such call for todays society and all credit goes to a strong leadership under which all employees work. Leadership at Nike Corporation can be easily understood by having a glance over the term Leadership, and how it varies from managers. What separates amazing leaders from managers? One way to analyze the aberration is to analyze the mindset of leaders and managers. Managers are abundant at analytic problems. Leaders, on the added hand, bleed their abundance by creating problems. Range of Leadership Theories: Situational leadership theories Functional administration is all actual able-bodied but it doesnt advice us to accord with changes, altered situations and the attributes of the bodies actuality led. Situational theories of administration were developed to acquisition acceptable means of adapting administration accomplishments to accommodate the needs of altered situations and circumstances. One archetypal situational archetypal of administration is anxious with anecdotic the adeptness and alertness of those actuality led, and again free the best appearance of administration to follow. Other approaches Lewin, Tannenbaum Schmidt ) Advance of continuums of administration style. Leadership appearance actuality refers to the ample access adopted by a leader. A leaders appearance of administration is generally based on a leaders own beliefs, personality, experiences, alive ambiance and the bearings at the time. Some leaders assignment aural one administration style. Others are added adjustable and can acclimate their appearance of administration to accommodate the needs of altered situations. Autocratic vs Participative leadership theories These theories of administration developed out of the abstraction of administration style. However, they focus actual abundant on the antithesis of adeptness amid the leader and the followers. Autocratic leaders tend to accomplish decisions and appoint them on others. They generally acquire that they are best placed to accomplish the decisions, that others should acquire their authority. Some such leaders accept assertive personality traits, such as a charge to be in ascendancy of situations. Autocratic administration is ill-fitted to assertive situations, such as emergencies or time analytical circumstances. But they dont tend to breeding added bodies or get the best after-effects from followers who are able and motivated. Participative leaders argue others and absorb them in the accommodation authoritative process. They may accomplish the final accommodation but in consulting others they are demonstrating consideration, account for others and the adeptness to listen. The acceptance abaft this access is that it tends to be accepted by followers who acknowledgment the favor by actuality loyal and committed. Participative administration additionally develops added bodies and builds abutment for the all-embracing direction, arch to a aggregate eyes and accepted goals. Participative leaders generally additionally accept a facilitative administration style. That is, they empower and animate others to booty accomplish decisions, booty activity and act with authority, commonly aural authentic boundaries. Transformational leadership Transformational administration is accurate as an administration access that causes change in individuals and amusing systems. In its ideal form, it creates admired and absolute change in the followers with the end ambition of developing followers into leaders. Enacted in its accurate form, transformational administration enhances the motivation, assurance and achievement of his followers through an array of mechanisms. These accommodate abutting the followers faculty of character and cocky to the mission and the aggregate character of the organization; actuality a role archetypal for followers that inspires them; arduous followers to booty greater buying for their work, and compassionate the potency and Achilles heel of followers, so the leader can adjust followers with tasks that optimize their performance. Surroundings Development of perception Research in the region Insinuations for managers References External links Transactional vs Transformational leadership theories Another way of attractive at administration approaches is to do with the blazon of assignment and the accord amid the leader and the follower. Transactional administration access is based on affairs or exchanges amid the leader and the follower. It assumes that the alive accord is one area the leader issues the work, praises or criticizes, rewards or punishes. The addict has little responsibility, added than accomplishing as they are required, correctly. All works able-bodied if both leader and addict backpack out their allotment in the affairs as expected. This access is added generally apparent in low accomplished jobs, area procedures are acutely authentic or area there is little change. Transformational administration access is all about change. Transformational leaders affect others to chase a vision. They actualize opportunities for bodies to appearance ability and to booty albatross for new ideas. They are generally actual extravert, absorbing and strategic. They see the big account rather than the detail. They affect abundant loyalty, accouterment they succeed. If they fail, or are apparent to be hypocritical, the followers may able-bodied become disillusioned or cynical. Transformational administration is added adapted in fast alteration situations, area bodies accept aerial levels of accomplishment and area the leader can allow to get complex in the detail. Trait theories these date a back to the alpha of the aeon and accept been decidedly resilient with analysis continuing in an attack to acquisition the abracadabra ingredients. This assignment has led to long lists of the characteristics of able leaders. The weaknesses of this access are probably already accepted to you but, in brief, the lists of characteristics are so continued that they can be found anywhere and can be inherently adverse e.g. absolute and deliberative/involving. Such theories dont explain how leaders with these characteristics e.g. Margaret Thatcher or Winston Churchill can aback move from actuality successes to failures or carnality versa. Behavioural theories the antecedent assignment in this breadth was done in the 1940s through to the 1960s. It was classically anxious with administration in baby groups but the apropos of these thinkers with administration styles accept connected to the present day Situational and accident theories cerebration of this affectionate began in the 1960s and recognized the accent of ambience in free what administration is bare and what is acceptable to be effective. Current Thinking: Unless we accept how accepted account accept developed, we abridgement an important apparatus in evaluating them. This can leave us in the easily of the airport lounge administration gurus, clumsy to distinguish amid recycled ideas, the latest fad and absolutely accessible developments in thinking and practice. This cardboard provides a abrupt arbitrary of the capital strands of administration thinking. Futuristic Approach for Leadership New Administration charismatic, visionary, transformational. The 1980s saw an improvement of thinking about administration but now in agreement of the accomplished organization and this has connected to the present day. Part of the organizational administration role can be cerebral or meaning making. In these theories leaders accomplish faculty of the complication of the ambiance and the organizations role aural it. Learning organizations and broadcast leadership. Again this is anxious with the whole organization and there are altered strands but this time the accent is on recognizing the key leadership role in creating opportunities for others to apprentice and to booty leadership. This has led relatively afresh to what ability is termed post transformational administration that looks beyond the ballsy or absorbing leader. An appraisement activity is not unavoidably developmental. Three-hundred-sixty-degree acknowledgment should not be a impartial event. In accomplishment to appraisement there allegation to be development planning and aftereffect activities. Boss abutment is analytical for the action itself, as able-bodied as for buy-in for the recipients specific adorning goals stemming from the feedback. The 360-degree acceptance activity works best if it starts with admiral at the top of an alignment and cascades bottomward throughout the organization. Shoddy administering of a 360-degree feedback process can be fatal. The timing of the action accounts for other organizational realities that could adulterate or confound its impact. Outcome It is bright that some of the aloft theories are contradictory. The notions of broadcast leadership fight with the acceptance that difficult times appeal a absorbing or transformational leader. In trying to accomplish faculty of this, I begin John Storeys abstraction accessible that there are a cardinal of enduring themes that are capital to any analytical assay of leadership: context, perceived leadership need, behavioral requirements, capabilities and development methods. Current requirement Transformational administration (TL) and affecting intelligence (EI) are apparently the two most popular angle of administration at the moment. Not that acceptance agency they are right. Indeed one of the absolute problems in the accomplished breadth of administration is the authority of the research PROPOSAL FOR MEETING THE REQUIREMETNS Showing genuine concern Genuine absorption in agents as individuals; vales their contributions; develops their strengths; coaches, mentors; has absolute expectations of what his/her agents can achieve Empowering Trusts agents to booty decisions/initiatives on important matters; delegates effectively; develops staffs potential Being attainable Approachable and not cachet conscious; prefers face-to-face communication; attainable and keeps in touch Encouraging change Encourages analytic of acceptable approaches to the job; encourages new approaches/solutions to problems; encourages strategic thinking PERSONAL QUALITIES Being cellophane Honest and constant in behavior; added anxious with the acceptable of the alignment than claimed ambition Acting with candor Open to criticism and disagreement; consults and involves others in decision making; commendations ethics as basic to the organization Being absolute Absolute back required; able to booty difficult decisions, and risks when appropriate Inspiring others Charismatic; aberrant communicator, inspires others to join him/her Resolving complex problems Capacity to accord with an advanced ambit of circuitous issues; artistic in problem solving LEADING THE ORGANIZATION Networking and achieving Inspiring advice of the eyes of the organization/service to a wide arrangement of centralized and alien stakeholders; assets the confidence and abutment of assorted groups through acuteness to needs, and by accomplishing alignment goals Focusing aggregation accomplishment Clarifies objectives and boundaries; aggregation aggressive to botheration solving and accommodation making, and to anecdotic values Building shared vision Has a bright eyes and cardinal direction, which he engages various internal and alien stakeholders in developing; draws others together in accomplishing the vision Supporting a developmental culture Supportive back mistakes are made; encourages analytical acknowledgment of him/herself and the account provided Facilitating change sensitively Sensitivity to the appulse of change on altered genitalia of the organization; maintains a antithesis amid change and stability The best accessible affection of this archetypal is the amazing complication of the attributes of administration in the UK accessible sector. What emerges is additionally of a actual altered tenor from the US new paradigm models. Typically, the US models abode a cutting accent on allure and vision; that is, on the baton as primarily acting as the role archetypal for his/her followers. One ability speculates that this is the artifact of adopting analysis methodologies, which focus alone on the angle and /or observations of top managers. In contrast, the after-effects which appear in our studies based on allurement the recipients and ultimate arbitrators of administration effectiveness, namely the agents who assignment in the accessible sector, how they perceive administration present a actual altered model. What these agents are acutely advertence is that t he best important role for the baton is what he can do for his/her staff. This is very reminiscent of the archetypal of baton as servant, which is declared in the writings of Robert Greenleaf (1970). However, administration is not alone about affair staffs needs; it is abundant more than that. The UK archetypal suggests that administration is fundamentally about agreeable others as partners in developing and accomplishing the aggregate vision, and, as such, it relates to distributed leadership. The UK abstraction of administration is additionally about creating a fertile, admiring environment for artistic thinking, for arduous assumptions about how accessible casework should be delivered. And it is about acuteness to the needs of a ambit of centralized and alien stakeholders. It is about connectedness and one ability ask, can the alarming challenges of carrying modern public casework be achieved? Another actual absolute affection of the allegation is that what emerges in the UK acce ssible sector significantly reflects aspects of the governments addition agenda, including partnership working, account staff, aiming for best practice, removing the acceptable barriers between agencies alive calm aural the community. What is auspicious is that there would appear to be a aerial amount of accordance amid what those who assignment beyond the accessible sector believe to be administration and the consort administration credo of government. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP The aggregation in the company is able to aggrandize because of their avant-garde and advantageous controlling members, according to the Marvin Wallace, Tamara Watkins and Eartha Simpson. Each being has been with the aggregation for several years. These four individuals set the date for the authoritative ability that exists actuality at Good Sport. Management as far as the leadership of Nikes is amenable for initiating new account and processes. Their added assignment is influencing advisers to acquire the changes that appear with new ideas. Authoritative ability is basically the arrangement of aggregate assumptions, values, and behavior administering the way advisers aural an alignment anticipate about and act on problems and opportunities within a aggregation anatomy with provided, (McShane,S. Von Gllnow, M. 2005). Overall the authoritative ability of Good Sport is an committal culture. The cold in a committal ability is to access a accord apropos the ethics and basal assumptions of the alignment and to aftermath constant actions. This affiliation must bring unity, predictability, and accuracy to assignment experiences. CHOICES TO MAKE: In Nike Corporation, one of the important abilities of acceptable accommodation authoritative is the adeptness to acquisition out or accurately adumbrates the after-effects of assorted choices Every being afflicted by a best is a stake-holder because they accept a pale (an attention) in that choice An acceptable space considers advanced of time how a best will affect others and devises options that abate risks of bad outcomes and access the likelihood of acceptable outcomes There is a huge allegory that cheaters accomplish and alive blessed and safe lives In fact, it has never been added chancy to bluff or lay.

SWOT Analysis Carvel Corporation

SWOT Analysis Carvel Corporation 1) Analysing Your Business The basic design school model most closely associated with the name of Andrews is a prescriptive conception. It is intended as a practical guide for dealing with a complex environment in which there are external as well as internal contexts relevant to the enterprise. The approach is best encapsulated in the SWOT model (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), probably the most commonly applied method in strategy making. It is often reproduced in à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow charts which separate out the key steps in strategy making. SWOT analysis is a technique specifically designed to help with the identification of suitable business strategies for an organization to follow. It involves specifying and relating together organizational strengths and weaknesses and environmental opportunities and threats. In practice this is often an activity that is not carried out well. It is all too easy, having identified all the important points, not to know what to do with the data generated. Many organizations evaluate opportunities utilizing an analysis framework referred to as a SWOT. SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. The ultimate goal of a SWOT analysis includes, on one hand, the matching of vital operational strengths with major environmental opportunities. On the other hand, it provides a basis for improving weaknesses or at least minimizing them and avoiding or managing environmental threats to operations. Ideally, a SWOT study helps identify a distinctive competence, something the organization does exceptionally well. There is one format for evaluating internal strengths and weaknesses in light of external opportunities by considering the application of major organizational resources. Each factor-capacity, personnel, marketing, finance, and management-is rated in relation to an opportunity on a quantitative basis. This approach is used to analyze resources as strengths or weaknesses in relation to opportunities in the organiza tions environment. For each strength and weakness identified, strategy implications are drawn. Analysis of strengths and weaknesses flows logically from the identification of the resources relative to the opportunity. From the information gathered from the external analysis, we seek to establish which influences represent opportunities, and which are, or might develop into, threats. When these are considered alongside the internal strengths and weaknesses, we are able to construct a swot statement. A swot statement is a summary of the internal and external analyses. The swot factors are not strategies; they are observations resulting from the previous analyses. The strengths and weaknesses are based on the internal analysis of an organization and the opportunities and threats are based on the analysis of the environment which is external to the organization. One key distinguishing characteristic between the strengths and weaknesses on the one hand and the opportunities and threats on the other is the degree of control that managers may have. With the internal strengths and weaknesses managers can often exert control whereas with regard to the opportunities and threats, managers are less likely to be able to control such factors. If for example the organization has strong balance sheet strength) this will have resulted from managerial decisions. If, instead the organization is seen as being over-staffed (a weakness), managers can address the issue through reducing staff numbers. Conversely, by way of example, changing government policies, product changes by competitors or a war breaking out (all of, which might produce opportunities or threats to an individual organization depending on the circumstances) are beyond the control of managers. The SWOT represents a position statement stating where the organization is at the time of the analysis in relation to its environment. It is not the strategy itself and should not involve making statements about what should be done next. Instead it provides a firm platform for planning for the future of the organization, i.e. formulating the strategy which is the next stage in the strategic process. In presenting the SWOT a number of rules should be followed: Too much detail should be avoided so that the key points can be clearly seen. Keep each point short and to the point so that an overview can quickly be gained. The detailed justifications for the points presented in the table should be presented separately. Many of the points presented in the SWOT may be relative rather than absolute and consequently a matter of some judgement. Thus it is difficult to say at exactly what level a high level of financial gearing becomes a weakness or a share of a particular market becomes strength. The SWOT should not concentrate solely on hard facts (such as financial measures or market growth statistics) that can be measured or proved. Softer factors such as organizational culture or the leadership skills exhibited by managers may be more difficult to measure but they are nevertheless important for organizational performance. The analysis should prioritise and combine points. The most important points should be shown first and points that are not key or strategic in nature should be excluded. In some cases it may be necessary to combine smaller points to make one large overarching point. For example, if a SWOT is partly based on a financial analysis of an organization which indicates a strong financial position, the SWOT should not have individual points on high level of profitability, low gearing, adequate liquidity, etc., for to do so would confuse the presentation. The point presented in the SWOT should be that is that the organization has a strong financial position. The justification for making such a point would be provided by the assessments relating to profitability, gearing liquidity and so on. The process sometimes involves an additional stage of condensing the strengths, weaknesses; opportunities and threats (SWOT) into a survey of the key issues. These are the most pressing or most important elements of the SWOT statement those which require the most urgent action or which the strategy should be particularly designed to address. Once we have established the organizations internal strengths and weaknesses, and its external opportunities and threats, the challenge becomes to select a strategy that will address the weaknesses and threats whilst at the same time, will build upon its strengths and exploit its opportunities. It is important to understand that a detailed internal and external analysis is a necessary pre-requisite for the SWOT information it emerges from the internal and external analyses. The second stage in the strategic process involves taking the important information gathered from the strategic analysis and using it to make an intelligent and informed selection of the most appropriate course of action for the future. It is at this stage that we come to appreciate the importance of the strategic analysis. If we have gained insufficient or flawed information from the analysis, then we cannot be sure that the strategy selection we make will be the right one. Selection therefore begins with an examination of the strategic analysis. Once we are acquainted with it, we normally generate a list of the options open to the organization, paying particular attention to how each option will address the key issues. After this, we evaluate each option using a number of criteria. Finally, the most appropriate strategic option is selected. A strategy is a plan that integrates an organizations major goals, policies, decisions and sequences of action into a cohesive whole. It can ap ply at all levels in an organization and pertain to any of the functional areas of management. Thus there may be production, financial, marketing, personnel and corporate strategies, just to name a few. If we look specifically at marketing then there may be pricing, product, promotion, distribution, marketing research, sales, advertising, merchandising, etc. strategies. Strategy is concerned with effectiveness rather than efficiency and is the process of analysing the environment and designing the fit between the organization, its resources and objectives and the environment. The strategic process refers to the manner in which strategy is formulated. There are several approaches. First, the rational approach, making use of tools such as SWOT analysis and portfolio models. Second, the flexible approach, which employs multiple scenario planning. The creative approach reflects the use of imagination in planning. The behavioural approach reflects the influence of power, politics and personalities. And finally, the incremental approach is based on small adjustments or changes to previously successful strategies. 2. COMPANY HISTORY Carvel Corporation had one of the oldest and most endearing histories of all the ice cream companies in the U.S. In 1934 Tom Carvel, a Greek immigrant, parlayed a flat tire on his ice cream truck into what would become a multimillion dollar franchise business. As the story had it, after a flat tire forced Tom Carvel into an abandoned parking lot one summer afternoon in 1934, Mr. Carvel quickly realized he could sell far more product in a stationary location than he ever could in the streets of Hartsdale, NY. Mr. Carvel soon borrowed $100 and opened the first Carvel Ice Cream store. Mr. Carvel used a combination of fresh ice cream and innovative products and manufacturing techniques to establish himself as the local, family-oriented ice cream parlor in the New York City area. In 1947, Mr. Carvel franchised his first store and proceeded to become one of the pioneers in fast food franchising. In fact, it was only after Tom Carvel refused his partnership offer that Ray Kroc used Mr. Carvels store design as the model for his McDonalds chain. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the gravely voiced Mr. Carvel used his folksy and savvy style to dominate the greater New York area. By standardizing procedures and providing franchisees with exclusive product designs and marketing material, Mr. Carvel expanded all along the East Coast. By the early 1980s, there were over 800 Carvel stores in operation along the East Coast and in some Midwestern states such as Ohio and Wisconsin. Included in the company chain were over 40 stores in California. However, by the mid 1980s, the recess ion and the strain on Tom Carvel to manage his business began to take its effect on the franchise. Sales and quality control began to decline, and events forced Mr. Carvel to consider changes. In 1989, at age 88, faced with diminishing sales and increasing store closures, Tom Carvel reluctantly sold his company to Investcorp, aBahrainian-based investment banking group. The Investcorp strategy centered on acquiring previously gainful companies whose profitability had diminished in recent years due to recession. Following that strategy, between 1988 and 1992 Investcorp had purchased Macys, Sax Fifth Avenue, Tilecorp, and Carvel. By infusing new capital and bringing in a new management team headed by CEO Steve Fellingham, the former president of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Investcorp focused on growth and revamping Carvels listless image. Management was forced, however, to walk a fine line between creating a new, vibrant image for Carvel and alienating long-time, loyal customers who had grown up with Mr. Carvels occasionally awkward but always folksy style. In 1992, Carvel introduced the Ice Cream Bakery concept to its customers. Under this program, the company continued to offer long-time favourites such as Cookie Puss and Fudgie the Whale, but also introduced a new product line that featured specialty cakes and novelty ice cream treats for special occasions. By focusing on creating Carvel ice cream as a bakery dessert item, Carvel hoped to reduce both the cyclical sale pattern of the company and the perception that an ice cream cake was only for special occasions. To this end, Carvel instituted its current mission statement: Working together, we will make Carvel the leading choice for unique, quality frozen desserts by consistently exceeding customer expectations. In 1993, the company initiated its grocery store program in which Carvel displayed its own dedicated freezers in the bakery departments of supermarkets up and down the East Coast. By 1994, in the face of industry-wide declines, Carvel decided it was time to bring its Ice Cream Bakery to the Peoples Republic. 3. PRODUCT LINE Carvel Corporation offered a wide variety of ice cream products. The companys fundamental product, though, remained its soft serve ice cream and fountain line. Included in this category were: cups and cones shakes floats sundaes hard ice cream-soft ice cream that is frozen in the shock box in tubs so that it can be scooped and served as traditional ice cream. In order to promote the everyday nature of the business, though, management had introduced 4. COMPETITION Carvel Beijing faced a very fragmented market in Beijing. Generally speaking, several domestic and international companies had penetrated the market and achieved moderate brand awareness. However, no brand had yet to break from the pack and establish itself as the market leader in ice cream. The following breakdown describes the most dominant of these fragmented players: Walls was a Holland-based company and one of the market leaders in Europe and Australia. In Beijing, Walls product line was limited to cups, cones, and various other novelty treats. Mainly, their distribution was limited to roughly 3,000 rollhards from which they sold novelty ice creams, namely cups and cones. Walls was also available in several supermarkets. As one of the first western ice creams in Beijing, Walls still enjoyed the benefits of its first mover status. Beijing customers still considered Walls to be the preeminent Western ice cream in Beijing, simply due to breadth and duration of its presence. On average, Walls sold its products for  ¥4, but recently it had raised its prices to  ¥5. It was estimated that Carvel had taken much of its market share from Walls. Buds was a San Francisco-based ice cream company that enjoyed a wide presence and brand awareness in Beijing. Although only a regional brand in the U.S., in China, Buds enjoyed the reputation of being the pre-eminent American brand because it was the first American brand to appear in the PRC. To date, in a country where consumers still prized a companys tradition and longevity, both Baskin Robbins and Carvel had not yet been able to dispel Buds image. Like Walls, Buds did not have any retail store outlets. Instead, Buds sold only from nearly 600 rollhards scattered throughout Beijings markets and supermarkets. Buds only produced cup and cone products, and its prices matched those of Walls. Small cups were  ¥4.2, hard ice cream was  ¥6, and pints sold for  ¥23. Baskin-Robbins represented the most significant long term competition to Carvel Beijing for several reasons. First, Baskin- Robbins was Carvels chief rival in the U.S. and its products enjoyed more national brand awareness than Carvels. Secondly, Baskin- Robbins was the only competitor in Beijing that produced an all ice cream cake and had retail stores in which to promote them. Finally, Baskin-Robbins had a longer and broader presence in Beijing and appeared to have the positioning strategy that Carvel had targeted. Baskin-Robbins presence was mainly limited to its two retail stores. Like Carvel, Baskin- Robbins offered its customers a true ice cream parlor experience. While Carvels cakes were of better quality, Baskin-Robbins relied on its tradition of hard ice cream cones and fountain products to drive sales. Currently, Baskin- Robbins charged  ¥9 for a single scoop ice cream cone and  ¥107 for a cake comparable to Carvels small round. Baskin-Robbins did not have any wholesale outlets at this time. 5. SWOT ANALYSIS (S)trengths Carvel had the best ice cream cake in Beijing and one of the best ice creams. Carvel had received positive reviews from its customers. Training and operations had progressed well and the company was ready to increase production. (W)eaknesses Vaguely defined management roles and objectives hampered definitive marketing policies. Inability to source inputs locally continued to hamper the bottom line. Too many potential customers still did not know of Carvel Beijing. (O)pportunities Carvel was looking into involving the foreign embassy community in its sales promotions as a means of increasing both sales and potential outside business contracts. The approaching summer allowed Carvel to have a seasonal grand opening to reintroduce the brand to first time customers. Wang Mengs offer to use 6,000 New Continent vendcarts offered Carvel the opportunity to increase greatly the brands exposure at minimal cost. (T)hreats The cash flow and sales problems threatened to scuttle the proposed business plan for 1995. The competition, including Wang Meng, were quickly realizing the potential of ice cream cakes in Beijing, and Carvels competitive advantage in this area would be challenged. The dynamic political and economic environment in China presented inherent uncertainty. Beijing residents enjoyed a wide variety of dessert products. Besides ice cream products, there were numerous bakeries that offered a variety of traditional Chinese-designed cakes and pastries. These flour-based cakes were richly designed with traditional Chinese figures and styles and sold on average from  ¥100 to  ¥250 for an ornate wedding cake. Other traditional treats included pastries with a sweetened jelly or fruit paste filling. Chinese also enjoyed various types of traditional dried fruits, and they often ended each meal with a platter of fresh fruit and tea. There were also many styles of Chinese and Western candies. Furthermore, a traditional sweet treat called suan niu nai literally meaning sour milks), a yogurt-like product, was sold throughout the city for  ¥1.5. Chinese of all status enjoyed suan niu nai at all hours of the day, but it was more closely associated with the less affluent segments of society. Finally, the growth of McDonalds, Burger K ing, and Kentucky Fried Chicken had presented Carvel with other possible substitute products. More and more consumers were trying these fast food giants own desserts, such as apple pies, shakes, and their own ice cream cups and sundaes. In short, there were a wide variety of dessert and snack treats from which Chinese consumers could choose. What concerned Phil Fang, though, was that all these alternative treats were cheaper and more widely recognized than his product line. 6. CONCLUSION Having done this analysis, Fang had to plot his strategy for the rest of 1995 and beyond. More important, he had to make some very tough decisions on where he wanted to position Carvel Beijing as it entered its first and, arguably, most important summer in Beijing. Among the most pressing issues he had to face were: how to price the product: competitively or as premium product how to design and position the cakes: as American products or as more traditional Chinese products how to confront the financial problems: with short term or long term policies how to respond to Wangs vendcart proposal how to produce the mix: as the original American mix or as a less sweet mix more appealing to traditional Chinese tastes What complicated these decisions were the problems associated with a multinational joint venture: issues of personality, culture, and the joint venture agreement itself. In the end, though, it was Phil Fang who would have to overcome these challenges and seize upon the unique chance to create the first truly national brand of ice cream in the Peoples Republic of China. A good strategy is designed to fit organizational capability with environmental opportunity. It is best summarized by the SWOT approach and has very close links with the case study approach pioneered by the Harvard Business School. This school sees strategy as based on the classical approach. It is the rational product of a senior manager, usually the chief executive officer, consciously and deliberately à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nding a à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ t between the internal strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise and the external threats and opportunities it faces. A strategy is viewed as an explicit, simple and unique conception. Formulation precedes implementation and is separate from it. There is often a range of options from which the strategy to be implemented is chosen. The one which provides the best à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ t or best design is chosen. Changes from Macro Environment Many changes from the macro environment have the potential to cripple even the best of strategies and must therefore be wa tched. Managers should note any changes in the environmental factors cited above as conducive to innovation. Potential changes in exchange rates, especially unanticipated large ones, central bank policies that raise interest rates, and taxation laws, along with demographic and sociopolitical changes, all have the potential to impact firm strategies. Managers should examine them carefully for potential threats and opportunities. In particular, they should examine the potential impact of changes in tax policies concerning the Internet. This analysis of a firms current performance, appraisal of its business model, appraisal of its competitors business models, analysis of industry attractiveness, assessment of its macro environment, projection of the evolution of the Internet, and a forecast of its environmental changes is sometimes called a strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.