Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing

Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. is manufacturing over 200,000 units annually and has current worth in excess of a billion dollars. Thorr is a leading name and holds around 40% of the total market. It not only sells motorcycles but also offers dealer training, dealer software support and mechanical training. For customers, it offers motorcycle rentals and biker training. Projected image of CruiserThorr is of â€Å"masculinity, mobility, and freedom†. Currently Thorr is experiencing decline in sales and wants to know the reason.Thorr can inquire from customers what they want to have in the motorcycle and then change it accordingly. Another way is to change the customer perception about the motorcycle. Phase I: Where is the Thunder? The first phase is the problem statement that the sales are decreasing, â€Å"The motorcycle industry is growing annually, but sales of Thorr Motorcycle’s existing product CruiserThorr (a 1500cc power cruiser priced at $25,800) are deceasing† (U niversity of Phoenix, 2008). This may be because of change in target market characteristics.The people being targeted are now old, their lifestyles have changed and they are not interested in getting a motorcycle. On the other hand, younger generation has comparatively smaller disposable incomes and they are more interested in buying an affordable motorcycle. Thorr needs a new redesigned marketing strategy to win back the sales. In this paper, market position of CruiserThorr motorcycles will be determined by using a perceptual map. This positioning on the map will be based on four fundamental parameters that can used to promote Thorr.Lifestyle reflection, price, quality engineering and offered services, were the chosen fundamental factors. Lifestyle image is the most important factor in this mapping because production motorcycles always sell on their image rather than specifications. Quality engineering is also important as no one likes to buy unreliable products. Quality of a motor cycle can also initiates word of mouth promotion for the company. In addition, no company can continue in the long term without providing quality products to the customers. Pricing is the next fundamental factor and it is on the base of price most people buy products.However, in case of motorcycles, customer’s image of a motorcycle is directly linked to its price that is why there is a small risk if company tries to decrease the prices that its image may get hurt in eyes of the customers. Services are also important to keep the dealers and distributors happy. This also ensures that customers remain loyal to the company. Recommendations and suggestion that were provided at the end of phase I proved to be successful. Phase II: Revving up the Market Phase II notifies about Thorr’s market position and its sales are not improving due to poor positioning.There are two ways out of it; repositioning of CruiserThorr or launching of a new motorcycle called RRoth. Phase II shows a SWOT analysis along with customer demands and income clusters. In addition, financing documents were also provided. Customer preferences are the most important factor here as the company is trying to target a much younger audience than that of CruiserThorr. Age group of target audience is chosen to be 25-35 years so the product should be according to their preferences. Thorr has decided to launch RRoth. $12,649,000 is spent out of allotted $13 million dollars for the marketing plan.Keeping the young people and their salary range in mind, new motorcycle will be priced between $13000 and $15000. Wide range of promotional techniques will be used including sponsoring mega events like Daytona and getting celebrity endorsements. It also included insurance facility, protection offerings, and featuring of RRoth in Hollywood movies. Movies were specially focused because of young target audience. Dealers will sell the motorcycle all over the country. Official website will give complete info rmation about the product including financing options.Planned services include customization options, club memberships and dealer training program. Financing option will ensure the customer from lower income group. Thorr is performing much better after the implementation of all the recommendations. Now, young people are opting for the new product enhancing company’s market position as well as sales. Phase III: Thundering Success? Phase III includes plotting of CruiserThorr based on market research. It will be plotted on a perceptual map. Characteristics of CruiserThorr relevant to RRoth will be chosen and then RRoth will be plotted on perceptual map based on those attributes.A comprehensive survey was conducted and people were asked about both productions of Thorr Motorcycles Inc. Three hundred fifty people from age 25-55 were surveyed and perceptual map was plotted based on their feedback. Research for CruiserThorr showed that around 37% people planned to spend $13000 to $15 000 on a motorcycle in near future. Around 57% people liked financing and customization options as it not only catered to those with little money, it also attracted people with extra money who wanted something better. Forty-five percent voted that dealership training is important for them.Service enhancements were demanded by 38% people. They were asked if all the services provided by Thorr are satisfactory and 25% replied with â€Å"strongly disagree†. After analyzing this data, lifestyle image factor was escalated to level 9 while price, quality engineering, and service offerings were changed to five, eight and seven respectively. Positive feedback confirmed that we are heading in the right direction. Positioning on perceptual map was corrected accordingly. Price attribute for RRoth was placed at level 8 and lifestyle image at level 9.Quality engineering stood at 8 while cool was also given an 8. Results from survey show that Cool and Price parameters were rightly placed at 8 and 8. As for lifestyle image and quality engineering, they needed to be revamped. Lifestyle image attribute was lowered to a 7 instead of already planned 9. It was done because of existing high image of Thorr. Quality engineering was also lowered at 7 rather than 8 because, although customers rated it high, they had positive views about its fuel-efficient engine. Relationship between Differentiation and PositioningPositioning and differentiation both are necessary for the success of a product. A product cannot be a Hit if any of these is missing. If a product is positioning accurately but does not differentiate itself from others then it will not become a leader. Similarly, if a product is very well differentiated from its competitors, but has not positioned itself accurately, it will also fail. Thus, it is imperative for a company that is planning to be the market leader, to not only introduce a unique product but projects it as a unique product as well.Repositioning in case of Thorr was inevitable because sales were decreeing and there was no option left. They repositioned and targeted a younger market to get the much-needed growth a good spark. Product life changes were being experienced and CruiserThorr was in declining phase. Something new was needed to keep the company in growth phase. Introduction of RRoth was great as it benefited the company in two ways; loyal customers did not leave CruiserThorr and stayed and secondly, new market was found that helped the company earn desired profits.Two products being offered at the same time gives the choice to the customers. They can choose any product that meets their requirements of style, fuel consumption or engine power etc. As for the differentiation, or uniqueness, the company has many ways in which it can differentiate its products. It can be price based, service based, or delivery options based. A common challenge in keeping both the differentiation and positioning is that the company must ensure incr eased sales along with company growth. Thorr should position its new motorcycle so that it attracts the young generation.After that, an aggressive marketing campaign should be launched to lure the target market into buying the motorcycle. The Effect of the Product Life Cycle on Marketing Marketing styles and techniques constantly change with the change in product lifecycles. Customer desires, wants and needs of customers keep on changing and so does the marketing scheme. For the same reason, marketers are always presenting their ideas in new and novel ways. Success of a product is always affected by the change in product lifecycle and it is the job of a marketer to show, through marketing plan, how to revitalize the product perception.Best way to do it is through repositioning of the product lifecycle. Product positioning is essentially how a customer feels when he goes out for buying a motorcycle. The Effect of the Product Life Cycle on Thorr Marketing plan should always be based o n the position of product in the product lifecycle. At this moment, CruiserThorr is almost on the verge of leaving maturity and entering decline phase. It would be very difficult to stop the decline of CruiserThorr. RRoth on the other hand is still in the introductory stage. ‘Thorr should know about the positioning of its products  according to the product lifecycle, only then will it be able to anticipate whether it is going to retain market position or need a new target market. Thorr faced a critical situation when it was time for differentiating and positioning of both its products but marketing research solved the issue in no time. Marketing research is vital to any company’s success and the data collected through the research should be used in decision-making. Data collected from surveys and marketing research can be used to produce perceptual map. This map will help in development of marketing plan.Opportunities also can be identified, through the perceptual map , and then they can be taken advantage of by acting accordingly. Thorr Motorcycles has designed a more redefined marketing strategy based on market research and perceptual maps. This hard work has put Thorr back on the right track of profitability and success. Creation of a marketing plan, according to research and conceptual maps, shows how a product can be repositioned in customer’s minds. This will not only change the overall image of the product but will also bring in profits.

Marketing Mix of Mcdonalds

Marketing Mix Marketing mix must focus on the product, pricing, promotion, and placement of item in order to make it successful. Marketing strategies must feature customer orientation, input, and accessibility in the fight to the top of the market. McDonald's is no different. An example of this is illustrated with a comparison of McDonalds and Wendy's. At first glance, they may appear to have roughly the same marketing mix and target markets. Both are fast food and provide similar products. However, looking closer, one can recognize that McDonald's primary target market is children ages 3-11 and their parents. McDonald's understood that the parent was making the purchasing decision, most likely based on price. What McDonald's marketing executives did was ingenious. They put a $. 50 toy in with the hamburger, french fries, and drink and gave it a special name, the â€Å"Happy Meal†. Then McDonald's marketed the Happy Meal to the kids. If you have you ever asked your child where to buy a Happy Meal, they will tell you that there is only one place you can buy one, and that is at Fun McFactsWhen Was Your McDonald's Favorite Introduced? 1955 – Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, shakes, soft drinks, coffee and milk 1963 -Filet-O-Fish 968 -Big Mac and Hot Apple Pie 1973 -Quarter Pounder and Egg McMuffin 1974 -McDonaldland Cookies 1977 -Breakfast Menu 1978 -Sundaes 1979 -Happy Meals 1983 -Chicken McNuggets 1986 -Biscuit Sandwiches 1987 -Salads 1998 -McFlurry Desserts 1999 -Breakfast Bagels 2000 -Chicken McGrill and Crispy Chicken 2001 -Big N' Tasty 2003 -Premium Salads, Newman's Own ® salad dressings and McGriddles 2004 -2004 Chicken Selects ® Premium Breast Strips McDonald's. McDonald's has Ronald McDonald, playgrounds or PlayPlaces, â€Å"Happy Meals,† and fun advertisements with brightly colored â€Å"Fry Guys† or the â€Å"Cheese Burgerler†. Contrastingly, Wendy's targets a more adult market and the restaurants represent a more mature atmosphere with carpet floors and Dave Thomas advertisements. Wendy's does have children's meals that offer a toy, but overall the atmosphere attracts a different demographic group. McDonald's restaurants have a variety of strategies that apply to product, placement, promotion, and price that makes them one of the most successful, well-recognized organizations in the world. Product Strategies McDonald's marketing strategies should be looked at historically in order to see the larger picture of the firm's success. There have been so many strategies since the inception of the firm that it is difficult to account for them all, the two most memorable are the development of the â€Å"Golden Arches† and â€Å"Ronald McDonald†. These two icons have given customers a mental image of what to look for when they want quality food for a low price fast. The firm revolutionized the fast food industry and positioned itself as the market leader with low-priced, quality food and provided an entertaining atmosphere for the children. These things were what that the market wanted at the time and the firm answered in spades. The perceived secret of McDonald's success is the willingness to innovate, even while striving to achieve consistency in the operation of its many outlets. For example, its breakfast menu, salads, Chicken McNuggets, and the McLean Deluxe sandwich were all examples of how the company tried to appeal to a wider range of consumers. The long history of innovation and experimentation resulted in new profit centers like Chicken McNuggets and the breakfast menu. Innovation and experimentation also produced some disappointments like the McLean Deluxe, but inevitably experimentation in limited outlets provides McDonald's a way to retain its key strengths-quality and consistency-while continuing to evolve. The use of franchising, again, provides various perspectives that, in turn, lead to innovation for products and solutions. Franchisees agree to operate their restaurants in the â€Å"McDonald's way† but there remains room for innovation. Many ideas for new menu items come from franchisees responding to customer demand. Developing new products is crucial to any business even those that successfully relied on a limited menu for many years. As consumer tastes change, menu innovation injects enthusiasm allowing the firm to explore markets previously overlooked or ignored. The â€Å"Egg McMuffin†, for example, was introduced in 1971. This item enabled McDonald's to accommodate consumers of the breakfast market. Filet-o-Fish, Drive-thrus, and Playlands were all products or concepts developed by franchisees. McDonald's tries a few new concepts simultaneous in different parts of the country to find the most promising new menu item. Those with the most potential could be rolled out further, while the ineffective ideas could be left to die quickly. This strategy may be expensive, but the potential to unleash new areas of growth in a maturing market seems to be right in line with what McDonald's has always done. In addition to the local flavors that have been created in the US, McDonald's international restaurants have been conforming to local, regional, and ethnic tastes, too. In a recent McDonald's case study this was explained further: â€Å"For example, ‘Maharaja McBurger' is a vegetarian burger marketed in India. The special requirements for ‘Kosher' foods are followed in Israel. Similarly, McDonald's offers ‘Halal' food in Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. During promotions, McDonald's also introduces several other products. For example, its ‘Prosperity Burger' is popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore at the time of the Chinese New Year celebrations. In order to respond to the growing phenomenon of health consciousness, McDonald's has moved in favor of lean ground beef, 100% vegetable oil, 1% low-fat milk, low sodium, and low fat This product strategy shows that McDonald's is interested in becoming part of the culture and is looking for ways to appeal to the market internationally. McDonald's menu is based on five main ingredients: beef, chicken, bread, potatoes and milk. Their main products are hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and beverages. In addition, they serve a variety of breakfast items and desserts. Every McDonald's is uniform; you know exactly what you will get no matter what store you go in to. Although McDonald's has thousands of restaurants around the world, it standardizes menus and operating procedures in these restaurants to insure consistency throughout. To maintain consistency in the current menu while the firm tests new products to expand the product line, McDonald's relies on test marketing new menu items in pilot locations. New products are rigorously market tested so that the franchisee will have a reasonable idea of its potential before it is dded to the menu. The introduction of new products, which have already been researched and tested, considerably reduces the risk for the franchisee. The franchisees additionally benefit from the extensive national market research programs that assess consumer attitudes and perceptions. What products do they want to buy and at what price? How are they performing compared to their competitors? This approach allows the firm to id entify which items are likely to prove popular with consumers while ensuring that the company can deliver new products with consistent quality nationwide. McDonald's already has a history of doing this so it will not require major changes to its operations strategy-at least initially. If the product line-up gets too large, then the task of maintaining quality becomes exponentially harder. The trick is to consider how to eliminate some of the existing menu items when you introduce new ones, while making sure the staff is fully trained in how to execute these products successfully. McDonald's serves the world some of its favorite foods – Fries, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, and the Egg McMuffin. To this end, McDonald's had done well with a limited product range. Declining per unit sales and competitors gaining ground, may indicate that McDonald's menu needs a face-lift. One way to do that is by inserting a couple of new, highly promoted menu items. This would refresh the product menu and provide new, satisfying experience for dinner consumers. McDonald's has the opportunity to apply its core competencies of rigorous adherence to quality standards and continual promotion of experimentation in new venues. Imagine McDonald's opening a new casual dining restaurant under a different name, like Mac's, and sliding away from the fast food industry. The firm could franchise that concept nationwide and target the market of consumers who have grown past fast food. McDonald's, or Mac's, meticulous approach to operations would ensure that consumers everywhere would experience the same dining experience at each restaurant. This consistency presents a wonderful advantage for consumers who don't want to be surprised with a bad meal. Consumers would expect the same as they do currently with McDonald's-the Big Mac in Minneapolis is the same as the one in Beijing . Placement Strategies McDonald's focuses on store placement and are always looking for the best locations. This strategy created some weakness in the last 10 years because it seemed that too many stores were put in some areas, cannibalizing sales from the other McDonald's. The company has also made convenience a focus, not only through how fast it serves customers, but also in the location of its outlets. Freestanding restaurants are positioned so that you are never more than a few minutes away by foot in the city or by car in the suburbs. In addition, McDonald's is tucking restaurants into schools, stores, and more . Because McDonald's has pretty well saturated the U. S. arket, it's only real opportunities for growth lie abroad, where the competition is not so cutthroat or by introducing new restaurant concepts under brands other than McDonald's. The organization's overall objective is to increase market share. In this instance, the focus is purely on localization with different strategies for different countries. Pricing could not possibly be standardized across the globe without aliena ting many countries with poorer economies, thus defeating the initial objective. McDonald's set an appropriate price for their product by looking at its competitors in each country. McDonald's is attempting to localize marketing communications due to the realization that it couldn't possibly appeal to all countries at the same time. The firm sees the necessity to â€Å"brand globally, act locally†. For example, in China it was recognized that advertising on television would be a waste of money because commercials between programs are generally ignored. Instead, McDonald's uses newspapers and magazines to promote its image. Similarly, in East Asia, McDonald's targets children in order to gain optimum results. Of course, the ultimate message (brand) is the same; the medium is what is strategically modified. Pricing Strategies McDonald's strategy is to offer quality food quickly to customers at a good value. The pricing structure for McDonald's over years has supported this message. The company strives to differentiate itself from other fast food restaurants by offering a variety of menu items that appeal to a variety of people from those who just want great hamburgers, to those who just want a quick healthy meal. McDonald's differentiates itself by offering a dollar menu, combination meals, and a free toy with Happy Meals McDonald's, over the years, has also ran many promotions to increase traffic or product sales. For instance, the most recent roll out has been the 2004 Chicken Selects premium Breast Strips. Right now, you can go to your local McDonald's and â€Å"try them free. † With this new product is offered a variation of the â€Å"usual† sauces for the Chicken Nuggest – a Chipotle Barbeque sauce is most commonly advertised. Another promotion was the â€Å"Campaign 55† where diners could buy a featured sandwich, like the Big Mac in April, for 55 cents when purchased with fries and a drink. This campaign wasn't as successful as the fast food giant found would have hoped. Many other promotions with food, toys, collectibles, videos, and other prizes have been used by McDonald's restaurants over the past 50-plus years. These promotions, some better than others, have helped to keep McDonald's growing and gaining in the fast food world. Value has been an area in which McDonald's has strengthened over time, not only with customers, but within their distribution, channel management, and logistics strategies as well Distribution, Channel Management, and Logistics. A company the size of McDonald's requires the value chain to be increasingly important. Not only does McDonald's want to add value for the customers, but also the firm looks for ways to improve the operations that makes McDonald's a more efficient business. Promotion Strategies McDonald's knows that some customers go to its stores to take a quick break from their day's activities and not because McDonald's made the food ten seconds faster than their competitors could. Therefore, McDonald's marketing executives then put together the phrase, â€Å"Have you had your break today? † They continued to develop this idea with â€Å"You deserve a break today,† and now are in the â€Å"I'm Lovin' It! mantra. â€Å"I'm Lovin' It! † doesn't seem to have as much punch as the earlier catch phrase, which still seems to be the favorite. McDonald's sees the use of these catch phrases and the use of the Golden Arches as a very successful way of differentiating the restaurants from other fast food competitors. McDonald's has taken price competition out of the picture because the customer feels they have gotten quality, convenience, service, and value – and McDonald's still makes you feel like you are getting a break in your hectic day. Creating catch phrases are only one kind of promotion, and McDonald's uses many kinds of promotions to keep the restaurants at the top of the industry. With the rise of health consciousness it has become more difficult McDonald's to compete because their reputation brands them as cheap food served fast . The firm's response to obesity claims against the organization and other unfavorable public sediment is to add healthier items to their menu and promote and offer health-conscious alternatives to the â€Å"would you like fries with that† legacy. In addition, McDonald's has modernized their advertisements, pamphlets, and website to include nutritional information and addressing diet restrictions. Breaking the unhealthy association is difficult on its own, but with media and movies such as â€Å"Supersize Me† adding to the fray, McDonald's has had to look for alternative strategies to keep consumers happy. Another promotional strategy McDonald's uses is the huge investment in sponsorship. This is also a central part of the image building process. Sponsorship of the 1998 football World Cup, the Premier League and the European Championships increases awareness of McDonald's brand . However, McDonald's still follows Ray Kroc's community beliefs today, supporting the Tidy Britain Group and the Groundwork Trust, as well as local community activities. McDonald's has become a known community partner with Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation for the use of families whose children are hospitalized and getting treatment far from home. This organization has created an image of partnership and community investment with these and other kinds of philanthropic activities . Rob Leavitt, ITSMA e-zine editor, reported in the June 2004 edition that Larry Light, McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer, railed against those claiming brands must have only one identity that appeals to increasingly fragmented audiences. Leavitt also reported, â€Å"Identifying one brand positioning, communicating it in a repetitive manner, is old-fashioned, out-of-date, out-of-touch brand communication,† he said. A brand is multidimensional. No one communication, no one message can tell a whole brand story. † According to Light, marketers that continue to follow a simplistic mass marketing approach are committing â€Å"brand suicide†. Determining which way to market McDonald's and its products is a very important decision that can either cause products to fail or take flight. These same decisions must be made in regards to the ma rketing of the company as a whole. Strategy is the name of this game.

Analysis Of Environmental Conditions Marketing Essay

Analysis Of Environmental Conditions Marketing Essay Analysis of environmental conditions is based on the framework put forward by Lynch (2009) that assesses the general degree of turbulence in the environment. This can be done by using the two measures of ‘Changeability’ and ‘predictability’ (Lynch, 2009, p80), which can be subdivided into complexity and novelty (changeability), and rate of change and visibility (predictability). Establishing a level of turbulence in the environment allows us to know with how much confidence we can predict the future (Lynch, 2009). In the fourth quarter of 2009 the UK GDP rose by 0.1% (www.statistics.gov.uk, 2010) which means Britain is officially out of recession. While this means recovery is under way, many analysts remain sceptical of the extent of recovery. Andrew Sentance of the Monetary Policy Committee has claimed that ‘pace of recovery would remain uncertain’ (Sentence in the Telegraph Newspaper, 2010). So, as far as predictability and visibility go, it appears very difficult to predict with confidence the extent to which the UK economy will recover in 2010, with many anticipating a slow process because ‘the economy remains weighed down by a still fragile banking sector and high consumer and government debt levels’ (Seager, 2010). With regards to Changeability and complexity, there is a general election expected in May this year and there is a strong possibility of a change of Government (www.yougov.co.uk, www.ipsos-mori.com, 2010), which will bring about a change in Government policy towards businesses, for example, the Conservative Party are pledging a cut in corporation tax. (www.conservatives.com, 2010). Adding to the complexity is the recent return to a 17.5% VAT rate that adds more financial pressure to consumers in an already struggling market. The recession may have ended but analysts are not expecting too much change in spending as ‘economic downturn is squeezing spending power and that pressure will con tinue into 2010’ (Mintel, Oct 2009). Given the reasonably turbulent conditions, organisations must change its strategies, and possibly its beliefs if it is to maintain its ability to handle changes in the environment (Thompson, 2005). So strategy cannot be made for years into the future because of the uncertain nature of the environment. Strategy should focus on the upcoming year until the turbulence reduces. 4.2 PEST Analysis PEST Analysis is a focus on the macro environment and which factors will change the external environment in the years to come. Johnson et al (p.54) states â€Å"The environment is what gives organisations their means of survival. However the environment is also a source of threats.† â€Å"The macro environment is the highest-level layer. This consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on almost all organisations.† Therefore a good analysis of the macro environment is critical to success but should als o be as general and non-specific as possible, this leads to one of the down falls of PEST that it can be a very useful tool when analysing the macro environment but also its general nature can be its downfall if it becomes little more than a huge list of factors in a shopping list fashion.

Do you believe Girl or Sabbat function as Little Red Riding Hood Essay

Do you believe Girl or Sabbat function as Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) Rewrites Why or why not In your response, you may respond to only one text and you must compare it to a traditional version of LRRH - Essay Example In as much as â€Å"Sabbat† appears to be in the tale, â€Å"girl† is more dominant and serves as the Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH). In all versions of the tale, there are human relationships evidenced by the presence of people such as grandmother. Certainly, a â€Å"Sabbat† cannot have a grandmother unless in a fiction. Evidently, the girl had a grandmother and was anxious to learn various things. As a result, when given a Red Riding Hood by her grandmother she ends up wondering around in the forest. Certainly, the latter plays a more important role in shaping perception and understanding of the tale (Hillert 71). The original versions make the wolf a dangerous animal that eats the girl. Nevertheless, the following versions make it difficult for the story to end in the direction as she gets saved before the actual process. For instance, in one instance a saviour disguises as her father to initiate a safe retrieval from the dangerous situation. In other instances, the saviour appears as a hunter or woodcutter to rescue the Little Red Riding Hood. The moral ambiguity in all the stories appear to focused on a human experience. Variation in moral message among the different versions of Little Red Riding Hood represents different issues. Conceivably, the theme of not talking to strangers dominates the story that makes it easy for children to learn. Undoubtedly, many parents have been on the verge of teaching and educating their children not to talk to strangers. The educative book makes it easy for parents to educate children without going through hard lessons (Mays 46). Contrary to Perrault version that has additional text located at the end of every story, others leave the unintended version for readers to employ different measures. Interestingly, the human experience of the girl in the tale makes this possible. Without a consistent word layout, it is difficult to bring into light

The Emotionally Abused Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Emotionally Abused Population - Essay Example By seriously addressing and analyzing each of these issues, not only will we be able to see the current state of the emotionally abused population, but as well will be able to better recognize and understand about the solutions that can be sought and hoped for in the future. The aim of this paper is to do this, as well as discuss any and all other key and related issues. This is what will be dissertated in the following. The 'emotionally abused population' is a term which basically refers to just what it sounds like - the percentage of people in the world who would be medically classified as being emotionally abused. Emotional abuse can be caused by many different things and people, and in many different ways, and the worst part of all is that most of the time, people do not even realize that they have been or are being emotionally abused until it is too late. Emotional abuse "refers to a long-term situation in which one person uses his or her power or influence to adversely affect the mental well-being of another. Emotional abuse can appear in a variety of forms, including rejection, degradation, isolation, corruption, exploitation, and invoking terror" (Evans, 1996). There are many different indicators which may be a sign that a person is suffering from emotional abuse, and this includes that of the following: depression, withdrawal, low self-esteem, severe anxiety, fearfulness, failure to be able to establish a mutually acceptable manner in which to manage differences, failure to thrive in infancy, aggression, emotional instability, sleep disturbances, extreme dependence, and inability to trust, for example - there are many more. However, some persons who suffer from emotional abuse actually tend to show no signs at all, and this can be frustrating because it can thus often be basically impossible to notice whether or not someone is suffering from emotional abuse. Only a few studies actually have been able to provide any worthwhile insight into the matter of the prevalence of emotional abuse in North America, let alone the rest of the world, and there are many different reasons for this. The subject of emotional abuse is actually quite hard to research, for several different reasons in particular, including: in comparison to other forms of abuse, its effects have only recently been recognized; there are no consistent definitions and it is quite hard to define; it is difficult to detect, assess, and substantiate; and the majority of emotional abuse cases go unreported, thus resulting in a lacking of substantial evidence and data. However, there is a quite significant amount of statistical data which has been attained over the past few years in regards to emotional abuse, and in one study in particular, it was shown that "77 percent of women reported emotional abuse in combination with physical abuse81 percent of male respondents reported that they had psychologically abused a female partnerandthat

Philosophy topic - Persuation paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy topic - Persuation paper - Essay Example to meet I Doc and reason with him, heart to heart, with the argument that, â€Å"evil is to be abandoned and slavery holds no purpose or value compared to the good that can be shared in life.† As Doct Man was riding his bike to I Doc’s lair, the evil villain suddenly appeared in his Doc-mobile and swept him off the road, kidnapping him. When Doct Man awoke, he found himself in the I Doc lair with the villain’s own henchmen guarding his prison door. Suddenly, Doct Man heard the door open and the guards appeared, ordering him to march to dinner to be the guest of I Doc. As all in the tri-state region knew of the reasoning and persuasive power of Doct Man, it seemed that I Doc had also heard of his reputation as a philosopher and wanted to see if he could be convinced under threat of torture to join the mayhem as part of his team. Doct Man, however, was certain of his ability to persuade I Doc to the opposite view. As he sat in his chair at the dinner table, I Doc welcomed Doct Man and apologized for the abduction. He explained his plan to conquer and subjugate the tri-state through the I Slave technology. Doct Man replied that, â€Å"I fear not any man, nor any thing in this earth, for I cannot be harmed by evil.† Surprised, I Doc asked him how this is possible. Doct Man replied by saying, â€Å"I am not identified with this body, and this body is not I. As the universe is eternal, a cycle of cycles, so too am I an eternal being, and will survive whatever evil you can muster without wavering in the slightest. My power comes from my Soul, eternal and wise, and this world is but a moment, a blink of the eye, in the context of my Being. You will exhaust yourself within days in your evil plan. The people will rise. Reinforcements will come from abroad. No matter how much you may wish to repress them with your technology, the will of the people is strong. There are billions ready to assist in the war of resistance to I Slave. But I alone come here in peace and tell you

Filtration and Packaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Filtration and Packaging - Essay Example the determination of the packing material depends on the nature, type, use and duration of the product. The other factors that influence packing are attractive designs, costs, customer preferences etc (History of packaging and types of packaging.2009). One of the significant determinants in selecting the ideal packing material is of course its cost effectiveness. It this regard, glass stands to be the most appropriate one because around 25% of the raw material cost can be attributable to a glass packing material. Whereas it is around 70-80% for a metallic packing material. Use of chemicals and innovations in this area has made glass one of the most popular packing materials now. But this enthusiasm is limited because due to the increased capital expenditure that is related to use of modern sophisticated glass in the packing industry (Packaging Materials. 2011). Glass has lots of interesting peculiarities to be the most popular packing material that consumers prefer. Among other thing s that make glass ideal for food and beverage packing is that they are either transparent or opaque. This makes the customers to have a first hand vision of the product before they buy it. Moreover the strength, and the ability to have a barrier to water as well as gas and inertness to toxic chemical substances, makes glass the ideal choice (PACKAGING MATERIALS. 2009). Consumers all around the globe prefer glass as packing material especially in the case of packing food and other beverages. They are reluctant to use plastic because of its non friendly environmental and health nature. The main facts that make glass popular among the consumers are purity, recyclables, quality, safety and versatility. Glass packaging supports all these things therefore consumers prefer it. Although almost ninety percentages of the consumers prefer glass to be their preferred choice for packing, it is estimated that glass accounts to only ten percentage of the market share for packaging in the food and beverage category. This clearly suggests that some thing is wrong somewhere. Glass packaging even though popular has not been seen in shelves of stores (Glass is The Consumers Preferred Packaging Material. 2011). In spite of being popular with the customers who prefer glass as a packing material, glass suffers from lots of disadvantage. Predominant among them is its disability to withstand shocks. Glass containers are easily breakable. This prompts the customer to take extra care on it. Other that that breakage of containers also creates small glass pieces inside. This if not noticed enters the body of the person who use it resulting in serious health damage and even death. Therefore use of glass containers is not at all recommended especially for children who are more vulnerable to injuries caused by glass through its use. Other main draw backs are compromise on the hermetic seal of the containers, color changes of the product due to more exposure to light. This draw back is so acu te for beverage products where glass containers permit more sunlight to penetrate inside thereby resulting in damages and loss to the product. Although glass has high barrier properties as well as inertness and adaptable to microwave processing, it is sometimes overweight. This overweight somewhat affects the moods of customers too. More and more customers prefer to carry less weighable things rather those products having more weight.

Multinational Enterprises Regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Multinational Enterprises Regulation - Essay Example From the report it is clear that international HRM is based on factors such as consistency, expertise, internationalisation experience, and resource power. These factors realise objectives such as the functional re-alignment of operations owing to a multinational corporation’s global operations, and the localisation of HRM policies when necessary. In the practice of HRM within the majority of multinational corporations, there is usually the transfer of the company’s HRM practices and policies, which is referred to as ‘knowledge transfer’, to various foreign organisational units. This process takes place in several stages as the multinational corporation in question first needs to determine what needs to be transferred, and then carries out the actual process of transferring the HRM knowledge. The last stage involves the utilisation, by the foreign branches, of the transferred knowledge.According to the essay findings  the transfer process needs to not onl y occur from the multinational corporation’s headquarters to the foreign branches, but also between the subsidiaries themselves.  The transfer of HRM knowledge and practices to subsidiary organisations from the headquarters of the multinational corporation is based on the assumption that it is best for the organisation to make use of the most superior practices in order to retain its competitive edge over the local firms in places where subsidiaries are based.

Business information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Business information system - Essay Example There are many factors that are contributing to the increasing vulnerability of organizational information assets. Given below are some of the important factors that play significant role in making the organizational assets vulnerable (Prentice Hall, 2010; KingCounty, 2009; Turban et al., 2005): Internet Vulnerabilities The research has shown that open or public networks such as the Internet are more vulnerable than internal networks for the reason that they are virtually open to everyone. Hence, when the Internet turns out to be an important part of the business network, and the most of the business tasks are supported by this network then the organization’s information arrangements also become open for attacks from outsiders. Wireless Security Challenges Wireless networks based on radio technology are also vulnerable to security penetration for the reason that radio frequency bands are easy to scan and detect for the attackers. These days Wi-Fi technology is extensively avai lable and offering great deal of support for connectivity and information sharing. However, these networks always remain the major target of attackers which can cause problems for the organizations and attacks against information system. Malicious Software: Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, and Spyware A malicious software program can cause a variety of threats for example worms, computer viruses and Trojan horses. These threats can cause massive destruction to organizations’ resources in the forms of theft of organizational information, personal data theft and huge danger to corporate and personal information. Hackers and Cybervandalism A hacker is a person who aims to obtain illegal access to an information system. However, in the hacking community, the term cracker is normally employed to demonstrate a hacker with criminal objectives, though in the public press, the terms cracker and hacker are employed interchangeably. These hackers can get access to an organization’s network and launch a variety of security attacks such as: (Prentice Hall, 2010; KingCounty, 2009; Turban et al., 2005): Spoofing and sniffing Denial of service attacks Identity theft Question 2: Contrast unintentional and deliberate threats to an information resource. Provide two (2) examples of both. Information systems are vulnerable and in danger due to a number of possible threats and hazards. However, there are two major types of threats known as deliberate threats and unintentional threats. Given below are acts with no malicious determination and with malicious determination (Rainer, 2009; Safari Books Online, 2013; E.Whitman, 2004): Unintentional Threats Device Loss Human errors or mistakes are the major causes of un-intentional threats that can happen due to human error or due to negligence of human. For example, a person who has lost his device, mobile or laptop which be misused by an attacker for carrying out illegal activities. Temporary Hires Temporary hires are also ma jor type of unintentional threats. In this scenario, temporary workers including contract labor, janitors, consultants, and guards can also create serious security loss for the organizations. Contract labor, for example temporary hires, can be ignored in information security policy. Though, these staff members can unintentionally access the

Thinking critically simulation review Essay Example for Free

Thinking critically simulation review Essay In our every day lives, we are called to have decisions every minute, even every second. The start of our day is merely our decision, and even our breathing is also controlled by our decision to be living another day. Our lives are affected by how we make it and the decisions that comprise our day. Strategies of coming up with a decision vary with every person depending on how they have been trained. The effectiveness of such decision will depend on the attainment of the goal of the activity. There are a number of suggested strategies that are cited in journals so as not to encounter stress and problems upon the implementation of the decision. In this project, we have encountered problems in laying down our thoughts for our personal differences. Moreover, there are instances that we are reaching a debate in giving up our ideas. Personality difference is sometimes a problem in coming up with a decision. Good thing, there are those who are matured enough that we are able to talk about things in a normal way. Communicating what we want is not that difficult because we agreed that we are going to attain a single goal, and that is to become successful with the project. Resources should also be adequate so that the performance of the activity will not come into a halt whenever materials are drained. I realized that it is important that before I give into a subject matter, I should first think of it a number of times so that I may be familiar to the possible consequences of the action. Indeed, having the goal to finish the activity is helpful in doing the task. The simulation helped us view some of our agreements and decision in a different way rather than the usual. It is necessary that we are able to examine early the good and bad outcomes of our decision. Decision making process is really something that should be paid attention to. It must not be regarded as a simple thing for it can affect a number of people whether in the group, community, city or country. Reference Mind Tools. 2008. Decision Making Techniques. Retrieved 31May 2008 from http://www. mindtools. com/pages/main/newMN_TED. htm

Employees Perception About Merger Management Essay

Employees Perception About Merger Management Essay The present economic scenario has witnessed a large number of merger and acquisitions in banking industry all over the world. One of the principal objectives behind the merger Acquisition in banking sector is to reap the benefit of economies of scale. The growing competition has compelled banks to expand their size and to penetrate in market place; it indicates the rule of the ocean that big fish will eat small fish. Consequently, one of the most widely used tools is mergers and acquisitions. However, the market situation is such that there is bombardment of many new and divers products from large pool of bankers. For survival, deliberate decisions are required to mitigate the diverse effects of market forces. At the time of taking decision of MAs, generally financial issues are taken care of and HR issues are ignored which is most important issue for success of any merger. Therefore, the aim of this research paper is to assess the level of satisfaction among employees of the merged bank i.e. the erstwhile bank of Rajasthan ltd. This study is based on a pilot survey; small sample of 30 employees, which is taken from the 14 selected branches from Udaipur city, and paired sample t-test, is applied to test the significant difference of the sample along with weighted average method. The results revealed that post merger satisfaction level is low and stress level is high among bank employees after merger. The implication of the study is for policy makers, strategist, bankers, future researchers, and scholars. Key Words: Merger, Acquisition, Bank, Employees, Perception 1. Introduction: In recreation of organizational growth, augmenting geographic networks, to accelerate market share, creating strategic fit and synergy; organizations are adopting strategic tools like Mergers and Acquisitions (MAs). It is evident from the pages of history that MAs is the most widely used inorganic strategic tool for growth. A merger is a combination strategy of two or more organization in which one acquires the assets and liabilities of the other in exchange for share or cash. At this point of time, it becomes imperative for strategist and policy makers to undertake the confidence of their employees, customer, shareholder and subsidiaries and to understand how they perceive any strategic move because this surely affects the image of the company. Kotler (1997, p. 185-86) has illustrated in his book that perception is the process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets information inputs to create a meaningful picture of the world. Since the world market is shrinking and consumers are becoming aware about various products and services offered by global players due to the emergence of ICT, it has become strategically important for banks to understand the perception of employees under the purview of MAs, this is so, because they deliver the services. Many researchers have proved that human factor is the key element in delivery of services. Thus, we can say that core reason for success and failure of mergers are human resources i.e. personnel and behavioral issues, blends of cultures and sets of policies practices. Therefore, Transferee Company must create an environment where the employees of Transferor Company can project merger as a steps towards growth. Consequently, employees will strive to work with integration of vision and mission of Transferee Company. Thus, this study can contribute in the field of strategic management as a view point of employees and human resource management. Strategist can consider this view as an input in strategy formulation. In this scenario, this study on employees perception may be a modest attempt to trace the hard realities regarding employees perception of ICICI Bank Ltd. It will be helpful for ICICI mangers, executives, and employees, government, banking industry, RBI, research scholar, strategic managers, HR managers and policy makers. 2. Review of Literature: Schneider and Bowen (1985) reported significant relationships between branch employees perceptions of organizational human resources practices and branch customers attitudes about services. Schweiger and Weber (1989) suggested that Mergers and acquisitions (MAs) are corporate events that have the potential to create severe personal trauma and stress which can result in psychological, behavioral, health, performance, and survival problems for both the individuals and companies involved. With the increasing size and number of MAs transacted and the number of employees affected, it is essential that executives and human resource professionals pay greater attention to understanding the sequence of actions and reactions associated with the process. Schweiger and Denisi (1991) conducted a longitudinal field experiment to evaluate the various effects of a communication program on employees of an organization; they called it a realistic merger preview. This study was intended to measure the effects of mergers and acquisitions on employees. Their results suggested that realistic communication during a merger process in the form of a realistic merger preview can help the employees to get through the process of merger. As illustrated by the significantly lower measures on global stress and perceived uncertainty and significantly higher on job satisfaction, commitment and self-reported performance for the experimental group, exposed to the communication program. Schneider and Dunbar (1992) suggest that media plays an important role in shaping the social context for mergers and acquisition. Weber (1996) assessed the role of corporate cultural fit, autonomy removal, and commitment of managers to the merger in predicting effective integration between merger partners in different industry sectors. He found that relationship was very complex; they varied across industries and had different relationships with different measures of performance. Further, he found that cultural differences at the top management level were most likely to influence the merging organizations ability to realize synergies. Literature shows that communication also plays vital role in the success of a merger. Nikandrou, Papalexandris and Bourantas (2000) explored a number of variables which bear an impact on managerial trustworthiness, for example frequent communication before and after acquisition, and already the existing qualities of employee relations seem to play the most important role. Therefore, a carefully planned, employee-centered communication programme, together with a good level of employee relations, seem to form the basis for a successful outcome as far as employee relations in the face of mergers and acquisitions is concerned. Therefore issues related to human resource management are also raised by researchers in articles. Appelbaum, Gandell, Yortis, Proper and Jobin (2000) conclude that communications throughout the MA process plays a crucial role in its eventual success. Providing clear, consistent, factual sympathetic and up-to-date information in various ways will increase the cooping abilities of employees, which will in turn increase their productivity. This increased productivity will positively impact on firms performance and create sustained competitive advantage by achieving the projected strategic fit and synergies. Communication and a transparent change process are important, as this will often determine not only how a leader will be regarded, but who will be regarded as a leader. Leaders need to be competent and trained in the process of transforming organizations to ensure that individuals within the organization accept the changes prompted by a merger. Hurtt, Kreuze and Langsam (2000) suggest that growth is the primary reason for MAs. Panchal and Cartwright (2001) investigated post-merger stress in a sample of field sales employees. A survey methodology was used to examine group differences, comparing those from the two pre-merger companies and those newly merged organization. Results revealed that group differences in both sources and effects of stress existed. Those from the dominant pre-merger company reported the highest stress levels and most negative work attitudes. Lynch and Lind (2002) also suggest that mergers and acquisitions is one of the major tools for organizational growth and on the other hand Dario, Fabio and Carmelo (2002) investigated using Italian data that mergers seek to improve income from services. Bryson, (2003) reviewed the literature around managing HRM risk in a merger. He found that poor merger results are often attributed to HRM and organizational problems, and that several factors related to maintaining workforce stability are identified as important in managing HRM risk. Schraeder and Self (2003) also found that organizational culture is one factor as a potential catalyst to MA success. DeLong (2003) studied sample of 54 bank mergers announced between 1991 and 1995, tests several facets of focus and diversification. The study found that upon announcement, the market rewards the merger of partners that focus their geography and activities and earning stream. Only of these facets, focusing earning streams enhances long-term performance. Shanmugam and Nair (2004) identified factors in their study on mergers and acquisitions of banks in Malaysia like globalization, liberalization and information technology developments have contributed to the need for a more competitive, resilient and robust financial systems. George and Hegde (2004) reported a case for the delicate aspect of employees attitudes, their satisfaction and motivation, which are posited as prerequisites for customer satisfaction, which is, again, sine qua non for the competitive sustenance of the organization. Chew and Sharma (2005) examined the effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) and organizational culture on financial performance of Singapore-based companies involved in mergers and acquisition activities. They used the method of content analysis to collect information on cultural values and HRM effectiveness, using Kabanoffs content analysis. Culture profiles were then assigned to organizations in the sample following the results from cluster analysis. Various financial ratios were used to measure organizational performance. Finally, regression analysis was performed to test various hypotheses. The key finding of the study suggests that organizations with elite and potential leader, when complemented by human resource effectiveness, had a better financial performance as compared to other organizations. At the end it was concluded that to achieve better financial results by undertaking merger and acquisition activities organizations need to have elite or leadership value prof ile. Seo and Hill (2005) identified six theories viz. anxiety theory, social identity theory, acculturation theory, role conflict theory, job characteristics theory, and organizational justice theory to explain problems in managing the merger and acquisition and organizational change process. These theories have implicitly or explicitly formed the basis for the past MA literature. The authors integrate these theories into one conceptual framework that clearly delineates unique sources of problems that can emerge in different stages of MA integration, their psychological and behavioral effects on employees, and prescriptions to address the problems. According to Mylonakis (2006a) an important parameter in the relationship between the number of branches and employment is branch size. He has used most well-known indicators for the evaluation of staff efficiency in banking sector i.e. operating revenue per employee, personnel expenses per employee and pre-tax profits to personnel expenses. He observed that operating revenue either fall or remains stable, administrative expenses per employee increase for every examined bank and pre-tax profits to personnel expenses indicator showed how many Euros are gained by the bank for every euro spent in staff payroll. Mylonakis (2006b) has examined in his article that how bank employees perceive bank MAs and how it is expected to affect their personal and professional career. The results showed that bank employees feel personally threatened by mergers and acquisitions, which are not considered to be justified and necessary entrepreneurial activities conducive to enhanced, quality banking services. Mergers and Acquisitions often have a negative impact on employee behavior resulting in counterproductive practices, absenteeism, low morale and job dissatisfaction. It appears that an important factor affecting the successful outcome of acquisitions is top managements ability to gain employee trust. Wickramasinghe and Chandana (2009) took views of 109 employees of two banks of Sri Lanka, which had undergone an extension merger and a collaborative merger and reported that employee perceptions are affected by the type of the merger and employees are less satisfied in the collaborative merger than in the extension merger. Further findings revealed that age, gender, and marital status influence the perceptions of the respondents and among those age is the most influential. DeYoung, Evanoff and Molyneux (2009) have found in their study that the changes in deregulation, allowed commercial banks and other financial services firms to expand through mergers and acquisition into geographic markets and product markets. Marmenout, K (2010) conducted experimental study to examine how employees make sense of a merger announcement and investigates the relationship between deal characteristics (culture clash potential, degree of integration, position in deal structure) and employee attitudes. As employees make sense of the merger, higher perceived uncertainty is associated with greater dysfunctional outcomes. Calipha, Tarba and Brock (2011, p. 1-24) have reviewed MA motives and success factors in their article such as entering a new market, gaining new scarce resources, achieving synergies and other managerial and organizational factors that are associated with MA i.e. relative size of MA partner, managerial involvement, culture and organizational structural issues etc. Goyal and Joshi (2012a) identified the general sentiments, challenges and opportunities for the Indian Banking Industry. They concluded challenges and opportunities like rural market, transparency, customer expectations, management of risks, growth in banking sector, human factor, global banking, environmental concern, social, ethical issues, employee and customer retentions. They further concluded that banks are striving to combat the competition and the competition from global banks and technological innovation has compelled the banks to rethink their policies and strategies. (2012b) studied the growth of ICICI Bank Ltd. through mergers, acquisitions, and amalgamation. The article concluded that a firm must devise a strategy in three phases i.e. Pre-merger phase, acquisition phase and post-merger phase. 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Objectives of the Study: To identify the factors responsible for employees satisfaction. To assess the satisfaction level of employees, after merger. To assess the stress level of employees (post merger). 3.2 Sampling Distribution 3.2.1 Universe Total 463 branches of BoR were operating across India before merger and out of this total 293 Branches were operating in Rajasthan. Out of these 293 branches, there were total 31 branches operating in Udaipur before merger and merely 14 branches were situated in Udaipur city. 3.2.2 Sample unit There were total 14 branches of erstwhile BoR, which are now functioning as ICICI Banks branches after merger, Employees of these branches are considered for sampling purpose. 3.2.3 Sample Size A small sample of 30 bank employees from erstwhile BoR is drawn by using stratified purposive sampling. 3.2.4 Data Type Primary and Secondary data will be used to achieve the objectives. 3.2.5 Research Instrument Schedules (structured) and personal interviews methods are used for primary data collection. Publications from company, books, journals, magazines and various websites are referred for secondary data collection. 3.2.6 Research Tools Paired sample t-test and is used to test the hypothesis and process the data. Data processing is done by SPSS 13 software (student version) and weighted average method is used. Where; d = x -y 3.2.7 Limitation of the Study The limitation of the study is that it is based on small sample size with geographical constraint and time. The respondents were contacted at the respective bank and appointments were taken. Then, they were contacted as per their convenience and ease. The budget was a major constraint for this study. 3.2.8 Hypotheses H01: There is no significant difference between employees satisfaction level (pre-merger and post merger). H02: There is no significant difference in stress level of employees between pre-merger and post-merger. 4. Conceptual Framework: Mergers and acquisitions is a phenomena which has been used as a tool for growth and a tool for survival of sick units in banking industry. There are certain provision in the Banking Regulation Act 1949, which helps us to understand the basic concept of mergers and acquisition. 44A of Banking Regulation Act 1949 clearly defines procedure for amalgamation of banking companies. According to it a draft of amalgamation scheme should be produced before shareholders of each banking company. If the scheme of amalgamation is approved by the requisite majority of shareholders in accordance with the provisions of this section, the sub-section (4) states that it shall be submitted to the Reserve Bank for sanction and shall, if sanctioned by the Reserve Bank by an order in writing passed in this behalf, be binding on the banking companies concerned and also on all the shareholders thereof. Section 45 of the act defines the power of Reserve Bank to apply to Central Government for suspension of business by a banking company and to prepare scheme of reconstitution of amalgamation in certain condition like public interest, depositors interest, for the interest of banking system and reconstruction of the banking company. 5. Conceptual Analysis of Merger of the Erstwhile Bank of Rajasthan Ltd. and ICICI Bank Ltd. 5.1 Historical Background: The Bank of Rajasthan Ltd. (BoR) was incorporated on May 7, 1943 as a Company defined under the Companies Act, 1956 and has its Registered Office at Udaipur, Rajasthan. The Bank of Rajasthan had a network of 463 branches March 31, 2009. The primary object of the Transferor Bank was banking business as set out in its Memorandum of Association. For over 67 years, the Bank of Rajasthan had served the 24 states with 463 branches as a profitable and well-capitalized Bank in India. It had a strong presence in Rajasthan with branch network of 294 which is 63 percent of the total branches of BoR in India. The men power strength of BoR was more than 4300 employees across India. The balance sheet of the Bank shows that it had total assets of Rs. 173 billion, deposits of Rs. 150.62 billion and advances of Rs. 83.29 billion as on March 2010. The profit and loss account of the bank shows the net profit as Rs. -1.02 billion as on March 2010, which shows that bank, was not in good financial condition. On the other hand The ICICI Bank Ltd. was incorporated on January 5, 1994 under the Companies Act, 1956 and has its Registered Office at Landmark, Race Course Circle, Vadodara, Gujarat. The Transferee Bank, as on May 21, 2010, has a network of 2,000 branches and extension counters and has over 5,300 automated teller machines (ATMs). At present the bank has 79,978 employees with strong financial position like total assets of Rs. 3634 billion, total deposits of Rs. 2020.16 billion, advances of Rs. 1812.06 billion and net profit of Rs. 42.25 billion as on March 2010. 5.2 Scheme of Amalgamation: According to the scheme of amalgamation of the Transferor Bank with the Transferee Bank, it is clearly stated that the Scheme was formulated as per the Section 44A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, as per the guidelines of Reserve Bank of India for merger/amalgamation of private sector banks and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 1956, and the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Transferor Bank and the Transferee Bank and other applicable provisions of laws. 5.3 Strategic Intent: The objectives and benefits of this merger are clearly mentioned in the scheme of this merger by ICICI Bank that its customer centric strategy which places branches as the focal points of relationship management, sales and service in geographical micro markets. As it is evident that the BoR had deep penetration with huge brand value in the State of Rajasthan where it had 294 branches with a market share of 9.3% in total deposits of scheduled commercial banks. It was presumed that the merger of BoR in ICICI Bank will place the Transferee Bank among the top three banks in Rajasthan in terms of total deposits and significantly augment the Transferee Banks presence and customer base in Rajasthan and it would significantly add 463 branches in branch network of ICICI Bank along with increase in retail deposit base. Consequently, ICICI Bank would get sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors in Indian Banking. 5.4 Issues Emerged: When the information about this merger was communicated to the employees, they did not accept this merger. All the employees were against this merger as it was evident from the strike and agitation by all the three major employee unions i.e. All India Bank of Rajasthan Employees Federation, All India Bank of Rajasthan Officers Association and Akhil Bhartiya Bank of Rajasthan Karmchari Sangh, subsequently demanding the immediate termination of the ICICI-BoR merger proposal. It is a very strong phenomenon from the behavioral aspects of employees in the growth strategy like mergers and acquisitions. It is quite possible that this human aspect may hamper the whole strategic challenges of the bank or any other organization adopting the strategic tool. 5.5 Future Implication: The issue of employees perception towards mergers needs special attention from researchers and thinkers in order to convert mergers as synergy. At this juncture, the prevalent challenge for ICICI Bank Ltd. was to encounter the agitation from the 4300 BoR employees. Now, since the merger has taken place the critical issue for discussion is the management of Human Resources in the course of Mergers and Amalgamation. The mist of human aspect in the process of MAs can be removed by the turning the pages of available literature for better vision in strategy formulation. 6. Data Analysis and Interpretation: Demographics Table 1: Age * Gender Cross tabulation Gender Total Male Female Age 20-30 1 2 3 31-40 2 7 9 41-50 3 5 8 51-60 8 2 10 Total 14 16 30 Table 2: Designation of the Employees * Gender Cross tabulation Gender Total Male Female Male Designation of the Employees Branch Manager 10 0 10 Senior Manager 2 1 3 Manager 2 3 5 Senior Executive 3 4 7 Executive 2 3 5 Total 19 11 30 In analysis, following scale (Table 3) will be used to interpret the mean values of ranks. Results Interpretation 1.00-1.80 Very poor 1.81-2.60 Poor 2.61-3.40 Moderate 3.41-4.20 Good 4.21-5.00 Very good Table 4: Pre-Merger Rank Analysis S. No. Factors Weight Total Weighted Total Weighted Mean Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Very Poor Poor Moderate Good Very Good 1 Satisfaction Pre-Merger 0 8 12 9 1 30 93 6.20 9 2 Work Culture Pre-Merger 0 7 16 6 1 30 91 6.07 12 3 Quality of Management Pre-Merger 0 7 18 5 0 30 88 5.87 17 4 Infrastructure Pre-Merger 0 7 9 12 2 30 99 6.60 2 5 Salary Pre-Merger 0 7 17 6 0 30 89 5.93 16 6 Time Schedule Pre-Merger 0 7 19 4 0 30 87 5.80 18 7 Communication with Senior Pre-Merger 0 4 21 4 1 30 92 6.13 11 8 Authority Provided by the Bank Pre-Merger 0 7 17 5 1 30 90 6.00 13 9 Responsibility Level Pre-Merger 0 9 18 3 0 30 84 5.60 21 10 Designation Provided by the Bank Pre-Merger 0 10 15 5 0 30 85 5.67 20 11 Benefit Provided Pre-Merger 0 7 16 7 0 30 90 6.00 14 12 Involvement In Decision Making Pre-Merger 0 6 22 2 0 30 86 5.73 19 13 Job Security Provided Pre-Merger 0 7 16 7 0 30 90 6.00 15 14 Opportunity for Advancement Pre-Merger 0 3 21 6 0 30 93 6.20 10 15 Working pattern Pre-merger 0 3 18 6 3 30 99 6.60 3 16 Stress Level Pre-Merger 0 4 19 6 1 30 94 6.27 5 17 Ambience Pre-Merger 0 4 20 4 2 30 94 6.27 6 18 Training Development Pre-Merger 0 4 17 8 1 30 96 6.40 4 19 Compatibility Pre-Merger 0 4 19 6 1 30 94 6.27 7 20 Perks Responsibility Pre-Merger 0 4 20 4 2 30 94 6.27 8 21 Redressal Pre-Merger 0 3 14 12 1 30 101 6.73 1 Table 4 reveals the ranks of the variables used in the study and derived by weighted average method. The responses were taken from bank employees on five-point Likert scale and as per the above table it can be observed that the most ranked variables are redressal, infrastructure, working pattern, training and development, stress level, and ambience and so on. Thus, we can say that employees were on the verge of merger and they were in ambiguous situation what to do. On the contrary, in table 5, the employees rated one of the most important factor is Benefit Provided Post-Merger, infrastructure, compatibility, working pattern, stress level, perks and responsibility and so on. Thus, it can be said that financial benefits provided by the transferee banks like salary hike has affected employees. Some more variables rated by employees like working pattern which has also affected the employees. BoR employees were not exposed to high end technologies in banking sector. Stress management in the course of mergers and acquisition is one of the most debatable issue as MAs brings new working culture, new technology, infrastructure, colleagues and peers and it takes time to make adjustments with these. Table 5: Post-Merger Rank Analysis S. No. Factors Weight Total Weighted Total Weighted Mean Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Very Poor Poor Moderate Good Very Good 1 Satisfaction Post-Merger 0 2 8 16 4 30 112 7.47 12 2 Work Culture Post-Merger 0 2 7 14 7 30 116 7.73 8 3 Quality of Management Post-Merger 1 2 11 11 5 30 107 7.13 19 4 Infrastructure Post-Merger 1 1 3 19 6 30 118 7.87 2 5 Salary Post-Merger 1 3 8 14 4 30 107 7.13 20 6 Time Schedule Post-Merger 0 3 8 14 5 30 111 7.40 13 7 Communication with Senior Post-Merger 0 2 11 13 4 30 109 7.27 16 8 Authority Provided by the Bank Post-Merger 0 6 6 6 12 30 114 7.60 10 9 Responsibility Level Post-Merger 0 4 9 12 5 30 108 7.20 18 10 De

Death Penalty :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of â€Å"The Death Penalty in America†, capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty has been used since ancient times for a wide variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should be done to anyone who commits murder, kidnaps, or witchcraft. Treason, murder larceny, burglary, rapes, and arson was major felonies in England 1500’s. By 1800, the death penalty was being used quite frequently. I believe the death penalty is not a way to stop crimes. It sometimes kills innocent people and gives the criminal what they wanted. Sentencing someone to die should be taken more into thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A personal experience dealt with a lady named Marlene Newcomer, who worked with my mom twenty years ago. Two men were on a â€Å"New Year’s Eve Murdering Spree.† The two guys were hitch hiking until Marlene saw them and picked them up. They shot her and left her body in the back of her Blazer. Two other people were killed also. The two men are on death row still today. Another capitol punishment case that everyone has heard of was Timothy McVeigh getting the death penalty. He was involved in the Oklahoma bombing. Timothy wanted to be put to death instead of living the rest of his life in jail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The website deathpenalty.org shows many reasons that I agree with saying how the death penalty is not a good punishment. Deterring people from killing others has failed with execution. People keep committing crimes. Other studies have shown that four hundred innocent people were on death row and ninety-nine innocent people in the past twenty years were sentenced. Almost every religion goes against the death penalty. If it says on money â€Å"In God We Trust† then shouldn’t we stop this capitol punishment?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe that the death penalty is a good punishment. They say and believe in â€Å"an eye for an eye.† People say if the criminal took the life of another, their life should be taken away. I think that the law is contradicting itself when they want to kill someone for killing another person. People should be left in jail to suffer and think about what they have done.

The Spiritual Athletes Path to Enlightenment :: Expository Description Essays

The Spiritual Athlete's Path to Enlightenment Throughout this world, there are many mysterious and amazing feats that can be found. People are capable of doing most incredible things that we have never deemed possible. Only by truly believing in ourselves can we accomplish what were thought as impossible goals. In Mount Hiei of Japan, there can be found a small group of monks who live in a monastery and can accomplish many remarkable challenges. This mountain had been a main attraction in Japan of Buddhism. "The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei" by John Stevens says that it "offers the seeker every type of religious experience--sacred scholarship, grand ritual, austere meditation, heartfelt repentance, heroic asceticism, mystical flight, miraculous cures, ceaseless devotion, divine joy, and nature worship-while promising enlightenment in this very body." This mountain monastery began in 1787 and the monks feel that Hiei still flourishes today. It is a beautiful place populated with all types of animals. No hunting is allowed. There is lots of rain in Japan and many tall trees which block the sun so it can get very cold there; snow covers the ground far into April. At the base of Hiei, there is a cute little temple-town where most of the retired priests go to live. The Tendai priests generally marry and raise families. Many of the trainees at Mount Hiei who hope to qualify for priesthood are their children. There are many who just appear from the general public though such as college drop-outs searching for the meaning of life, retired military men, reformed drunks, and a few women. These fascinating marathon monks began their story in the year 831 with a boy named So-o. He came to Hiei at age 15. An abbot called Ennin noticed this boy and initiated him into the mysteries of Tendai. He named him So-o which meant "one who serves for others." The legend is that the God, Fudo Myo-o, appeared before So-o by a waterfall. So-o was overwhelmed and jumped into the falls. He collided with a large log which he was able to drag out of the water. He then carved the image of Fudo Myo-o into the log . The temple was then built in this area for the God Fudo Myo-o and named Myo-o-in. So-o was an amazing monk who traveled around using his prayers which could accomplish many things such an curing people from terminal illnesses, difficult child births, demon possessions and much more.

The Space Race: USA vs USSR Essay -- The Space Race

The Space Race was a war of firsts between the United States of America and the Union Soviet Socialist Republics. But it was also the culmination of the dreams of man for many millennia and the team who worked on the space programs were able to discover what so many of the people that came before and after them could only dream of. It was an endeavor that all of humanity was invested in at the time. It was a testament to the power of the human spirit and it showed how nothing was impossible if we persevered and strived to be better. The space race did not start as one would expect with the respective American and Soviet space agencies. But rather it began with the German V2 missile launches towards the end of World War 2. The V2 missile was designed by Wernher Von Braun a German scientist who had dreamed of traveling to the moon for many years; however this dream had to be secret as it was considered to be treasonous and not helpful to the German cause. Von Braun and many other amateur rocketeers were drafted into the German war machine in order to help build a super weapon and their base was Peenemà ¼nde. When the war was nearing its end the Third Reich unleashed its secret weapon, the V2 missile. It could hit anywhere within its target range and there would be no warning. When it hit, it caused scenes of mass destruction. The V2 missiles were to be Hitler’s ace in the hole. However by then it was far too late the war had already been lost with Soviets advancing from the East and the other Allies from t he west and when the Allies discovered the German’s V2 missile they knew that they would have to have it as it was decades further than what they had on their own. So when truce was declared it was a race between the Americans and... ...on/timeline/timeline2.html>. "PGM-19 Jupiter." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. "Redstone (rocket Family)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. "The Space Race." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . "Space Race." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . "TheSpaceRace.com - Timeline of Space Exploration." TheSpaceRace.com - Timeline of Space Exploration. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. . "Voskhod Programme." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Nov. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . "Waging Peace." : Cold War: The Space Race and Its' Significance. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.

Pill Bug Behaviors Lab

Pill Bug Behaviors Patricia Full Tiana Crosby P. D. 4-5 9/20/2012 Introduction The pill bug is the only crustaceans that can spend its entire life on land. Their shells look like armor and they are known for their ability to roll into a ball. Sometimes children call them roly-polies. Most pill bugs live for up to two years. They are most active at night. Pill bugs do not bite, sting or transmit diseases. They are perfectly safe to handle and are the perfect specimens for this experiment. This experiment is to test the reactions and behaviors of pill bugs when put in different environments and environmental situations.In the test it was tested how they reacted when 2 different sources of food that were put into the environment which was the choice chambers. The 2 foods we used were an apple and a piece of celery. I concluded by previous observations that the pill bugs would prefer the apple which is sweet over the bitter celery. Materials and procedure * 10-20 potato bugs * 1 choice c hamber * 1 petri dish * 1 apple * 1 stick of celery * Stop watch 1. Get a choice chamber and collect the bugs 2. Cut up the apple and celery and set them in the opposite sides of the chambers 3. Put 5 potato bugs in one chamber 5 in another 4.Observe noting the data for 10 minutes recording every half a minute(30 seconds) Conclusion In this experiment we studied the behavior of pill bugs in different situations. In the situation we put 2 different food sources in the choice chamber and let the bugs decide. The data supported my hypothesis that the bugs would prefer the sweet apple over the bitter celery. At the beginning we put 5 in each chamber and let them decide which they wanted. It showed that by the end of the test all or most of the bugs were in the apple chamber eating the apple. It proves my hypothesis as valid. ( For questions see attachment)

A Protest from a Bushman

201005894| ENG 373 ASSIGNMENT| BOIKANYO MAKAUSU| 1. A PROTEST FROM A BUSHMAN POEM THEME: SADNESS The theme of the poet A Protest From a Bushman is SADNESS. The poet is expressing disapproval or objection to something, thus how his fellowman treats them and undermine the tribe, culture & tradition. TONE MORAL INDIGNATION The tone of the poem is typically a reactive emotion to anger over perceived mistreatment, insult or malice. It is somehow a sense of injustice. The bushman is more concerned with how his fellow countryman treats their tribe.He now feels that his native land not good/ not enjoyable to them as they are now treated as slaves and are now seen filthy. They are seen as a nobody hence this is their native land rather they are not refugees. The tone is the same through the poem. STRUCTURE The poem has 11 stanzas with 111 lines in total. The first stanza has 10 lines followed with the second stanza with 13 lines. The third stanza has 5 lines, seven on the fourth stanza while 19 lines on the fifth. The sixth stanza with also seven lines 15 lines with the seventh stanza and followed by3 lines on the eighth stanza.Then four lines on the ninety stanza. The second last stanza has sixteen lines while the last one has 12 lines. POETIC DEVICES REPITITION From stanza four the poet use repetition of the words, â€Å"life is tremulous like a drop of water on a mophane leaf. † to emphasize that life is shaking or shivering with the bad talks about the bushman by the fellow countryman. The bushman uses repetition to truly show that these talks makes them nervous, that is they don’t feel free in their native land. PERSONIFICATIONLife is personified to a person as it is said to be shivering/shaking hence it is something that’s not human like. It cannot shiver nor shake. He shows his anger by showing the unfairness of life. 2. THE ORATION OF CHIEF JOHN MADAWO NSWAZWI VII THEME SADNESS The theme of the poem The oration of Chief John Madawo Nswazwi i s sadness. The poet is being sad and not happy about how people are being treated. He is using Chief John Madawo Nswazwi giving out a speech to his tribe or nation addressing them about the suffering they were treated with and promising them that it is now over.He shows his sadness by saying, â€Å"We have become slaves Worse than dogs and pigs† By this he clarified how cruel they were being treated as animals. He also explained how heartless they were treated in front of God’s presence thus being weeped showing the immoral signs they discovered. TONE PROTEST The tone of the poem is a formal and solemn declaration of objection. Chief Nswazwi VIII is objecting or protesting against mistreatments of human rights to his fellow beloved countryman and women. The slave suffering of the countryman had put anger on him they now do not enjoy fruits of the country.He uses the African slave trade where missionaries mistreated the blacks as animals to explain their suffering which he feels is against the will of the almighty. The chief is angry to chief Tshekedi’s law where villages are being destroyed and reduced to ashes by his tyrannical rule. By saying â€Å" I shall come back fiercer than the burning sun† The chief promises the fellow countryman & women that if it happens he dies and the slave trade continues he would come back from the dead and display an intensive aggression to help his tribe. STRUCTURE The poem has 10 stanzas with 99 lines in total.In stanza I the poet expresses the feelings of anger that they have been mistreated but that shall stop and that the war brought shall kill the enemies themselves by using the chief. He continues in stanza 2 & 3 that upon his rule suffering would be changed to freedom and stop war with all his strength. He continues from stanza stating the impropriety of other chiefs, how they overexcite power up until stanza 7. In the last stanza the chief promises people that although they have lived throug h obstacles they would live a happy, freely and not disturbed life. 3. GABORONEThe aim of the poem is to briefly describe how the city Gaborone appears to be. In other words what Gaborone is and what happens around the city. However he does this by mainly focusing on the negative aspects in describing the city. It is a clear and short description of the picture behind the city Gaborone. The theme is perfectly reviewed throughout the poem, and to begin with the poet describe the climatic conditions of Gaborone in the first two lines to mention that Gaborone characterizes of high temperature or sunny conditions (Irritating Heat) as well as polluted air or not fresh air (Stale Air).He then continues to describe what happens around Gaborone from the third line to mention the fast moving and growing cockroaches, then large number of poor people (Hungry Smiles). The Poet continues with his description by mentioning foreign investors without identity found in Gaborone and also misleaders w ho feel overly self important (Pompous Misleaders). And halfway of the poem the poet says that Gaborone characterizes of misleading politicians (Visionless Politicians), violated house-wives in this case women abuse and also very poor artists.And towards the end he mentions that in Gaborone one may find rude and strict landlords and relatively increasing number of dealers. In concluding the poem he says Gaborone with its belly about to explode as to say that now population is increasing rapidly, the city is now expanding and hence growing into a huge city. STRUCTURE The poem comprises of only one stanza containing 20 lines, and each line starts by the word Gaborone. TONE The tone of the poem is quite a tone of disappoint or rather I will say the poet if fed up with what the city has turned into.So he writes this with a depressive mood. POETIC DEVICDES However the poet used some poetic devices during his writing such as rhyme, repetition and Hyperbole. He uses rhyming schemes such as the double rhymes like Hawkers and Workers, Mongers and Lovers. And also the triple rhymes like Churchgoers, Investors and Misleaders. Throughout the poem, the poet use repetition device in which he begins each line by the word Gaborone and there is also a hyperbole where by an outrageous exaggeration is used for effect, for example Turbo-Charged Cockroaches. 4.Outside A Hotel in Gaborone THEME The Poem put its focus on the desire or chase for money that people have and on the other hand it shows the power, strength and control that money can posses. This theme is being illustrated throughout the poem, and to start with the poet is trying to show us the picture behind a person who has money. He writes ‘Splash of Strident Colours, Splash of Covetous Smiles' as to show craving for possession or desire for wealth. So this is how a rich person would appear. He then continues to the second stanza to mention â€Å"eyes that lust money† s to say Minds that have a desire for m oney. And then he continues to the third stanza until the last one to illustrate what money does or what one would achieve with his/her wealthy being. and by doing so he write ‘ Purr of sleek cars' as to say Slow, continuous murmuring sound produced by attractive shinny cars driven in a group or a flock in chase for quick money. So this is basically what the poet is illustrating towards the end of the poem TONE So during the in analyzing the poem, it has appeared that the poet wrote this poem in a sad tone or mood as to show how disappointed he is.He is being let down by the impact that money has toward people around his city, Gaborone. STRUCTURE The Structure of poem comprises of 4 stanzas, the first stanza until the third one having a tercent each and the fourth stanza with quintet. POETIC DEVICES The Poem also comprises of some poetic devises such as rhyme, imagery, metaphor, simileys and. Firstly the rhyme, the poet uses sight rhyme that is word that are quite similar in s pelling but rather differ in pronunciations. For examples words like Cars and Curs, Flesh and Flash.He then applies Imagery, which is a sentence that uses the human senses to describe a vivid mental picture. For example he wrote â€Å"eyes that lust money† as to illustrate the picture of someone who has desire for money. He then applied the metaphor and simileys as to compare objects that are not alike, for example ‘Purr of Sleek Cars' and ‘Like Curs on Heat†. Here he is comparing the sound made by cars to the sound made by cats and again he compares an Undesirable dog on heat to Cars, as they are being driven by their owners in search for money. 5. SEROWE REFLECTONS STRUCTUREIt is made up of seven stanzas. The title is relevant in the sense that Serowe that the Poet talks about is different from the one he knew, the one he grew up in therefore it creates or forms on image of the then Serowe. POETIC DEVICES Metaphor ‘There is a permanent roar of your g reat warriors’. TONE The tone is sad because the Poet seems not to appreciate the changes in Serowe. There is so much change that he cannot accommodate. Serowe has become some that he is not proud of. SUMMARY From the poem we can tell that at first Serowe was a place that the Poet liked and enjoyed as his village.It was rich in culture but now Serowe has turned into something else, people use dongas to relief themselves; it is no longer safe for people to walk as night as people are being killed for sacrifices which is believed to bring wealth. Even the Kgotla [main] of Serowe makes people to think deeply about it whether it still potray the meaning of the Kgotla. Serowe has heavily fallen, one may say on the broken back just like the Poet and he continues by asking what could have went wrong with Serowe, the question is posed in such a way that the Poet want to find a solution in restoring the old Serowe.

Phil 235 Paternalism Essay

Paternalism in the Medical Profession Philosophy 235 EC: Biomedical Ethics â€Å"The only appropriate and realistic model of the Dr.? patient relationship is paternalism. Doctors are the medical experts; most patients have little, if any, reliable medical knowledge; implicit trust in one’s physician is essential to the healing process; and doctors have the responsibility for our health and therefore have the duty to make all the important medical decisions. † Critically assess that claim. The issue of doctor patient relationships has become more and more prevalent in our world today.It is hard to draw a clear line in deciding what the appropriate roles are of both the patient and the medical professional. The claim that the paternalistic model is the appropriate and most realistic model will be argued in this paper. This model states that the doctor is the one in complete control, making all decisions on behalf of the patient, and the patient grants the doctor this resp onsibility, obeying any orders. In this model, patients act as children, who are ignorant and unknowledgeable, and doctors act as parents, not only guiding the child in the right direction, but also, actually telling them what to do.Should doctors really hold complete responsibility for our health? Should they be the ones to make all the important medical decisions without patients having any say? This model will be argued in this paper in order to critically assess whether it should be dominant in our present society. â€Å"The traditional view held by physicians themselves was that the physician is the captain of the ship, and that the patient has to follow orders. † This view has only been strongly believed since the 19th and 20th century, when medical professionals were granted almost complete control over all decision making by their patients.Before that time, going to see a doctor was perceived as a last resort, and many would ignore their doctor’s advice altoget her. Over time, this view has shifted and society began to believe that physicians â€Å"knew best, and therefore had not only the right but also the duty to make the decision. † Today, less and less citizens are continuing to agree with this point of view, and instead other doctor patient relationship models have emerged and been identified by Robert Veatch: the engineering model, the priestly model, the collegial, and the contractual model.The three alternative models to the priestly (paternalistic) model have emerged from a more contemporary perspective. The engineering model states that the relationship between the two parties would be nothing more than the doctor simply presenting the patient with the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. Any decision as to which route to take is left entirely up to the patient. As the textbook explains, the doctor is nothing more than an â€Å"applied scientist†, or a â€Å"plumber without any moral integrity†, sinc e ethics and values do not come into play in this relationship.Although I do not entirely agree with this model, the responsibility is lifted off of the physician, and the patient is given freedom to decide. This would follow the argument of self-determination, as said by Dr. Ornstein. This is the belief that all people who are competent should be the ones in control of determining their own fate. Society has not always believed or relied on medical professionals. In fact â€Å"until well into the nineteenth century, the physician was seen as a figure of last resort. † They were deemed useless and even harmful.With this in mind, I wonder why in our day and age, we would rely even more on physicians than we did in the past? Today, we have the privilege of finding out almost anything we need to know within minutes via the Internet, and that is why sometimes, it is the patient that knows more than his own doctor. It is important that patients assume some level of responsibility for their own health, instead of relying on doctors, and the engineering model would display that type of behavior. That is another reason why I oppose the claim that paternalism is the ideal relationship between doctor and patient.Another alternative model identified by Robert Veatch, is the collegial model. This theory emphasizes that both parties are connected through common goals and interests, and that each acts as an independent equal. This model would suggest that the parties work together, and therefore the responsibility is divided equally amongst the patient and physician. There is collaboration here, engaging in activities, which are satisfying to both, and demonstrating an adult-adult relationship, because no one party has greater control over the other.This model goes hand in hand with the partnership model, which expresses that health care professionals and their patients act as partners or colleagues in the pursuit of the shared value of health. There is mutual partic ipation in this model, which demonstrates that, unlike the paternalistic model, the patient can help come to a medical decision. This model stresses, â€Å"the patient uses expert help to realize his ends. † This expert help can come in many forms, and as I have previously mentioned, today society is exposed to numerous modes of gathering any type of information that is of interest.It is of course obvious that the physician has a stronger medical background and is more competent in that field, but that does not diminish the participation or contribution of the patient. With that being said, it is my opinion that the paternalistic model has clearly outgrown our culture, when there are models such as the partnership or collegial model, which are more in sync with our world today. Finally, the third alternative to the paternalistic model is the contractual model.This model is similar to paternalism, in that it questions the assumptions of equality, however it differs in that the re is a â€Å"contract† between both parties, leaving each with their own dignity and moral authority. What is crucial about this model is that it does not neglect the fact that there is an obvious difference in the degree of knowledge between the patient and the physician. Instead of focusing on that discrepancy, the model concentrates on the agreement between the two parties to exchange goods and services and the enforcement of that by government sanctions.In other words, this model compromises between partnership and the reality of medical care, and according to Veatch, is the only realistic way to share all responsibility, while protecting various parties in health care. For example, both parties are freely entering this contract, and therefore are both given the right to leave it, given proper notice. However, while partaking in the contract, there are duties and obligations of each, which may neglect virtues of benevolence, care and compassion, which we do see stressed in other models.Leaving aside the three alternatives to the paternalistic model, there are several other arguments, which come to surface, when critically assessing the above-mentioned claim. The first is that doctors must act like parents because patients know much less than doctors do. This emphasizes the idea that the doctor patient relationship should be one of paternalism. This argument takes into account two different prototypes. The first is the parent-infant relationship, where the parent is the doctor, taking on an active role and the infant is the patient, taking on a passive role.In this case the patient is extremely dependent on the medical professional. The second is the parent-adolescent child relationship, where the physician guides the patient in the right direction, and the patient co-operates to the degree of obeying. Both suggest that the patient has no responsibility, and that the duty and obligation of all decisions rest on the shoulders of the physician. This p roposes that patients are ignorant and unknowledgeable and given the opportunity to make their own decision, they would not be able to.It is likely that doctors know more than the average member of society, however, this is not to say that they are infallible, mistakes can happen. As Professor Ornstein has stated, we cannot choose our fathers, but we can choose our doctors, and in my opinion there is no connection where the two should be related. If a patient feels they should seek out a second, third or fourth opinion, that is their own right. Unlike the ability to seek out a second, third or fourth father. We do not have this option.It is possible and even probable that doctors will differ in their views, and each may guide their patient down a different path. Although a relationship between a physician and a patient should be based on a degree of trust and loyalty, if there is any sort of uncertainty, patients should not feel the pressure of following a path they do not believe i n. Getting another opinion is not disloyal or disrespectful; it is a patient’s right. Additionally, today more patients recognize that it is unfair for doctors to take complete responsibility for our welfare, as we are exposed to so much free medical information.It is my opinion that it is the patient’s duty to also act responsible for his or her own welfare. Another argument that I have come across to oppose this claim is that doctors may be experts in medical matters but there may be other factors to take into account, such as ethical issues, when making a decision. Each doctor has taken an oath, to save lives. This is their main concern, and their main goal for each patient. One must wonder, whether or not this is always ethical. As Professor Ornstein has suggested, do we save someone who as a result must live the rest of his or her life in agonizing pain?Or do we relieve them of that pain, and simply allow them to pass away? This is an ethical issue where many doct ors may have opposing points of view, and may decide that their job would be to save the patient. That would be a paternalistic instinct however; medical decisions should not be purely medical all the time. There are always other factors to consider such as the medical conditions of the patient, their preferences, the quality of life and the socio economic conditions. Each, of course, is given a weight dependent on the specifics and circumstances of the case.In the case of a patient who is experiencing excruciating pain, the doctor may come to the conclusion that the best option would be to remedy that pain with medication. It is important to note, that this paternalistic act is ignoring all ethical issues and only taking medicine into account. Opposing this notion would be to consider how this medication might cloud the patient’s judgment, or recognizing the patient’s preferences prior to formulating a medical decision. Doctors might be experts in medical matters, but the other factors, which are necessary to take into consideration, deem the paternalistic view inadequate.A final argument against the paternalistic view is that physician-patient interactions are negotiations. Viewing the interactions as negotiations, is in itself opposing paternalism because the patient is given some level of autonomy to take part in the decision making process. The goal is to reach a mutual agreement. In order to do so, there are certain steps that must be followed. Firstly, the negotiation should involve adequate disclosures by both parties. This is necessary, so that values and objectives are clear, and a fair negotiation can take place. Secondly, the negotiation should be voluntary, meaning uncoerced.Neither party should feel threatened while entering into the negotiation process. And finally, the solution should be one of mutual acceptance. Of course there are occasions where negotiation is not possible, and that would be for example in the case of an emerge ncy, when the physician needs to save the patient without negotiating beforehand. In that case, the medical professional may act in a paternalistic way, however if there is a competent patient, negotiation is possible and can often be characterized in terms of any of the above-mentioned models (parent-child, friends, partners, etc. ).The aspect that the relationship is seen as a negotiation counters the paternalistic view, in that the patient is given choice. If the patient chooses to give up his autonomy, and lay his destiny in the hands of his physician, that is his preference, unlike the paternalistic model, where that is not a choice, but the only way. The paternalistic model is not the only realistic relationship between doctor and patient. â€Å"As a normative model, paternalism tends to concentrate on care rather than respect, patients’ needs rather than their rights, and physicians’ discretion rather than patients’ autonomy or self determination. As I h ave mentioned previously, there are many other factors that must always be taken into consideration when dealing with a patient. Autonomy, self-determination, and respect, are surely incredibly important when dealing with a patient, and paternalism ignores those factors. The above-mentioned arguments, and alternative relationship models, clearly oppose the claim that paternalism is the only appropriate relationship. As I had asked the questions: Should doctors really hold complete responsibility for our health?Should they be the ones to make all the important medical decisions without patients having any say? I believe the answer to both questions is quite clear, that the responsibility should be shared, and the patient, if capable, should take part in the decision making process. That being said, paternalism is not the most appropriate model and no one relationship trumps another. Instead, all must be taken into account depending on circumstance.