Starbucks Analyse Marketing Activities and Performance Essay

Starbucks Analyse Marketing Activities and Performance - Essay Example It opened its very first outlet in Market Place, Seattle’s Pike. In 1986 it was acquired by Schultz, who envisioned it as a home coffee shop where people can get the best coffee with other complementary services. The company was expanded with proper positioning and marketing strategies soon after it was acquired by Schultz. Starbucks then reanalyzed its marketing activities which were solely based upon maintaining a personal and cherished relationship between customers and the company. This was done initially by reviving the experience of Italian Espresso Bars. The company’s primary focus was over the quality services extended to its customers and the overall in-store experience. Therefore they bought the best quality coffee and maintain a consummate brand image. The company had a mission statement stating the real purpose of existence i.e. to serve American population. In exact words: â€Å"To instigate and nurture the human strength through serving them one cup per p erson at a specific area† (Charles W. Lamb 22). After having successful business for twenty five years Starbucks expanded its business into the foreign lands. This was initiated through the opening of their first international outlet in Tokyo, Japan. Currently the company has more than 17,000 stores in 49 countries which has enabled the company to become the most recognizable and reputable brand of the world. From the time when it was established in 1971, the company has shown a significantly increasing growth trend which indicates its outstanding performance and enhanced satisfaction level of Starbucks’ customers (Charles W. Lamb 22). Organizational Chart (Starbucks) Product Portfolio Starbucks has a distinctive product portfolio which encompasses a wide range of coffee flavors. It is divided into five categories, namely: Starbucks, Creamice, Fontana, Tazo Tea and Supplies (Products: Our Complete Product Portfolio). Starbucks: It is further classified into ingredients of beverages which are mostly used in production of different drinks and coffees. They also have branded cups with the name of ‘Starbucks’. Additionally they have hot cocoa which is a very unique, high quality chocolate drink and resale merchandize which includes: ceramic cups, roasted dry fruits, biscuits, etc. Creamice: It includes all the beverages which fall into the category of frozen blend. These are served with flavor treats and customized syrups. It has been divided into further categories: Latte, Mango, Mocha and Raspberry. Fontana: It contains a wide variety of syrups and sauces which turns beverages into specialty offering i.e. unique to Starbucks only. The major categories includes: chocolate syrups, fruit syrups and sauces, nuts and essences. Tazo Tea: Coffee and tea are ever best companions and Starbucks has further intensified their relationship. There is a huge variety of tea which is sold in branded packaging. It is artfully blended to give a superior t aste to the customers. The extended versions include: Gallon Bulk Iced tea I, Gallon Bulk Iced Tea II, Filter bag and Tea Latte Concentrate. Supplies: They supply a wide range of products concerning coffee and tea. For instance, they have filters of different sizes, cleaning powders, brushes, pitchers, cream dispensers amongst other things. Broadly the supplies are categorized in to airpots and carefes, small wares, cups and cleaning stuff. SWOT Strengths (Starbucks SWOT Analysis): They have a wide range of p

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay Example for Free

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay A budget is a tool that helps managers to ensure that the required resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently as the organization moves towards achievement of its objectives. The budgets are determined yearly and are based upon the previous year’s budget and variances. This paper will discuss a development of operating budget, comparison expense results with budget expectations, description of possible reasons for variances and strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommendation some benchmarking techniques that might improve budget accuracy. The operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). In healthcare organization the nurse manager of each cost center involves in the preparation and control of the operating budgets (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The finance office of the organization provides support throughout the budget process development. The budgets for the costs centers are combined, and the executive management of the organization makes final decisions on a budget to be submitted to the board for approval. The nurse managers need a variety of information to begin the process of preparing operating budgets for their cost centers, such as the information generated by the organization’s environmental review and by its development of general goals, objectives, policies, organization wide assumptions, program priorities, and specific measurable objectives (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). For example, the environmental review and the general goals, objectives, and policies allow the manager to understand what the organization wants to accomplish and what it believes it will be able to accomplish. For another instance, the organization-wide assumptions and specific measurable objectives then provide the manager with information needed to start preparing the specific details of the budget. In addition, within nursing administration, additional back-ground information is needed before nurse managers can commence cost center budget preparation (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Especially the organization’s approach to delivering nursing care must be clearly understood by all nurse managers. For example, responsibilities of LPNs as opposed to RNs, role of nursing assistants, or proportion of staff works on each shift. According to Finkler, Kovner, Jones (2007), the primary steps of the operating budget development include the calculation of expense budget for personnel, the expense budget for costs other than personnel services, and the revenue budget, budget submission, and budget implementation. To prepare the revenue or expense portions of the operating budget, the first step is to ascertain the volume of work for the coming year (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The amount of work performed by a unit is referred to as its workload (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Workload budget is budget that indicates the amount of work performed by a unit or department, measured in terms of units of service. Workload may be measured in a variety of ways, such as the number of patients, patient days, deliveries, visits, treatments, or procedures. Each cost center must determine the measure that is most appropriate for its unit of service. Once a cost center defines its key unit or units of service, it must predict the number of units of service that will be provided in the coming year. This will allow development of the operating budget. Expense budget for personnel is budget for all personnel under the manager’s direction, generally within a cost center such as RNs, LPNs, aides, and clerical staff (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Expense budget for other-than-personnel services is budget for all expenses for other-than personnel services such as supplies, minor equipment, including both direct unit or department expenses and indirect overhead expenses (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget submission is another step in budget development, when revenue and expense portions of the budget must be summarized and submitted for review together with detailed supporting calculations and narrative justification (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget revisions may be required as the result of a series of negotiations over the submitted budget (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget implementation is a final step of budget development, when managers must address a number of issues in implementing an approved budget, including development of a staffing plan that provides coverage for staff weekends, olidays, vacations, and sick leave as well as busy and slow periods (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). A budget variance occurs when the actual results of financial activity differ from your budgeted projections (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The expense reports show the difference between the budget and the actual amount spent and the result is called the variance. Variances may be within the budget, which is favorable, or over the budget, which is unfavorable (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The variance is used to predict the budget for upcoming years, help with spending during the current year, and help with evaluating the managers and their departments. To determine the cause of variances the managers must investigate and justify to upper management why the variance occurred. There are a variety reasons for variances, which must be identified and controlled if possible. While analyzing the nursing expense results from various units for a pay period, there were some favorable and unfavorable variances. While reviewing the expense record the paid productive hour’s variance was within the budget and the paid nonproductive hour’s variance was 60 hours over the budgeted hours. The unfavorable variance of paid nonproductive hours may have occurred due to some staff being on modified duty, sick leave, meeting time, or education time, which means they are getting paid with no patient care involved. The overtime percentage of hour’s variance was 7. 5% over the budget and the registry percentage of hour’s variance was 8. % over the budget, both are unfavorable. The overtime may have been caused by bad time management, late arrival of the next shift, or working past shift hours due to not enough staff. The increase in the registry hours may have been due to not enough regular staff due to hiring freeze or staff being off for personal or illness reasons. The hours per patient day (HPPD) licensed productive hours was . 13 over budget, the direct product hours was within budget, and the total productive hours was within budget. The hours per patient day over budget may have been caused by the unit being over staffed or also due to the overtime and registry hours. The average daily census (ADC) per unit varied from being within budget to 7. 50 over the budget. The daily census is very unpredictable and depends on the time of year, the admissions from ER or the clinic, and transfers from other hospitals or facilities. Strategies to keep the results aligned with expectations may be done by performance budgeting, which will analyze key reas such as staffing, cost control, increased productivity, and indirect and direct patient care. The activities affected by analyzing these performance areas would be daily staffing calculations, reduced cost to the unit, working more efficiently and better time management, patient care planning, and time spent on patient charting. Offering incentives could also be a good way to involve the staff by informing them of the budget goals. Benchmarking helps to identify performance gaps and identify where improvement is needed. â€Å"Benchmarking is used by large health systems and smaller practices alike as a tool to identify targets and set goals enabling staff to compare the operation’s service, process, and outcomes with those already attaining best practice† goals† (Borglum, 2008, para 12). There are many benchmarking techniques; for the purpose of this paper three will be discussed, financial, performance, and operational. Financial benchmarking is performing a financial analysis and comparing the results in an effort to assess your overall competitiveness and productivity† (Cimasi, 2006, para 10). â€Å"Financial benchmarking is among the more effective techniques for extracting information from a health care enterprise’s historical operating performance and presenting it in a form that facilitates informed judgments that help predict the subject entity’s future operating performance and financial condition† (Cimasi, 2006, para 16). Performance benchmarking involves comparing the performance levels of organizations for a specific process, this information can then be used for identifying opportunities for improvement and/or setting performance targets† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 26). â€Å"Performance levels of other organizations are normally called benchmarks and the ideal benchmark is one that originates from an organization recognized as being a leader in the related area† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 27). Performance benchmarking may involve the comparison of financial measures (such as expenditure, cost of labor, cost of buildings/equipment, cost of energy, adherence to budget, cash flow, revenue collected) or non-financial measures (such as absenteeism, staff turnover, the percentage of administrative staff to front-line staff, budget processing time, complaints, environmental impact or call center performance)† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 28). In conclusion, the operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year and developed by the nurse manager with support of the finance office of the organization (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Variances may occur at any time, may be internal or external, and in most cases are correctable once investigated by the mangers. Benchmarking is used in strategic management and compares processes and performance to help improve organizations. The use of financial ratios and benchmarking is critical to understanding an entity’s overall historical performance and to the forecasting function of valuation analysis† (Cimasi, 2006, para 28). This paper has discussed specific strategies to manage budgets within forecast, compared five to seven expense results with budget expectations, described possible reasons for variances, gave strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommended three benchmarking te chniques, and identified what might improve budget accuracy, and justified the choices made.

Organic Hair Dyes Essays -- cosmetics, history, ancient rome

Organic Hair Dyes Organic dyes in hair products and cosmetics have been used throughout history for many aspects of culture and art. Today organic dyes are used in the process of hair dying and colouring where many aspects of the organic molecule are taken into account. Some dyes are permanent where they stay until the hair falls out, where some dyes can be washed away due to their binding process into the hair1. Certain dyes have their own way of being set into hair fibres and easier ways to set these are being researched. Hair dyes have been used throughout history and have been remarkably improved on, many new colours and processes have been made and many issues have come with them. Hair dyes have been used throughout history and started out in very simple ways. Around 3150BC ancient Egyptians were one of the first to start using dyes in hair.2 From a plant called â€Å"Henna† they obtained the leaves and mashed them in mildly acidic conditions.3 When the leaves are mashed in these conditions the leaves release a molecule called lawsone.3 This molecule is the organic molecule responsible for the brownish red colour and is the dye acquired from this mixture. With small amounts of the molecule mixed with various other compounds, oranges can even be created. Mashed henna also incorporated with para-phenylenediamine (PPD) to give a dark black red colour. 3 This molecule will not stay in the hair unless it is somehow oxidized once in the hair fibres but was not discovered until the 1900s. It is speculated that the ancient Egyptians used slaked lime and water with lead oxide to make a paste where it was then rubbed into the hair for a long period of time .2 The slaked lime and water solution was very high in alkali metals,... ...hnology improves and the safer the process is becoming for all users. References 1. Clausen, T. Hair Preparations. Wiley . 2006. Volume 1.1-46. 2. Nayland, C. (2006, 10 26). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://carlanayland.blogspot.ca/2006/10/ancient-egyptian-hair-dye-technology.html 3. Wikipedia. (2014, 04 02). Henna. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna 4. The hair in ancient times. (2014, 04 04). Retrieved from http://thehistoryofthehairsworld.com/old_age_2.html 5. Raja et al. Pelagia Research Library. 2012, Volume 3.156-161 6. San Rafael. The Chemistry of Plant and Animal Dyes.1-5. 1981. Volume 58.1-5. 7. Discovery of hair dye. (2014, 04 04). Retrieved from http://humantouchofchemistry.com/discovery-of-hair-dye.htm 8. Morel. Olivier ,Christie. Robert. American Chemical Society. 2011. Volume 4. 2537-2561.

Essay --

â€Å"Currency devaluation is typically an event resulting from a policy (political) decision and is most often associated with the nations that elect to â€Å"fix† the exchange rate for domestic currency in relation to another nation’s (or region’s) currency or some other fixed standard† (Owen, 2005). In other words, devaluation occurs in a situation when a country is operating under a fixed exchange rate regime and its government decides to lower the value of its currency in relation to the currency it is pegged against. In the case of Venezuela, the bolà ­var fuerte is pegged against the US dollar. A government objective generally associated with devaluation is the improvement of a trade deficit. If a country’s imports are greater than their exports, devaluing their currency can help, as it reduces the â€Å"purchasing power of domestic money in terms of foreign goods and increases the purchasing power of foreign money in terms of domestic goods† (Johnson, 1971). This in effect means domestic goods (exports) become cheaper and imports become more expensive, resulting in an increase in the demand for exports, with a fall in imports, and hence improving the balance of payments. Being South America’s largest oil-producing nation, Venezuela receives most of its export income from this industry. It therefore comes as no surprise that devaluation is so attractive to their policy makers as increased demand for their oil exports would allow them to accumulate more domestic monetary resources. However, an implication of this policy has been the negative effect on th e poor who spend the majority of their income on food and other basic necessities that are mainly imported goods. With inflation averaging between 20-30%, this has meant that fewer goods are... ... cites the theory of Mundel(1960) and says that, " According to this theory, it is impossible to simultaneously have a fixed exchange rate, free capital movement (an absence of capital controls), and an independent monetary policy. In conclusion, a currency devaluation whose primary aim is to improve the balance of payments has both its advantages and disadvantages. In the case of Venezuela, it has done more harm than benefited the economy. Even if the government were to try and borrow, very few investors would be willing to hold Venezuelan government debt as it would be deemed very unattractive and risky. Devaluation has in many cases been known to reduce the credit worthiness of an economy on the global markets. In the end, it could also result in an out flow of investments as investors may feel that the risk is too high for them when they invest in Venezuela. Essay -- â€Å"Currency devaluation is typically an event resulting from a policy (political) decision and is most often associated with the nations that elect to â€Å"fix† the exchange rate for domestic currency in relation to another nation’s (or region’s) currency or some other fixed standard† (Owen, 2005). In other words, devaluation occurs in a situation when a country is operating under a fixed exchange rate regime and its government decides to lower the value of its currency in relation to the currency it is pegged against. In the case of Venezuela, the bolà ­var fuerte is pegged against the US dollar. A government objective generally associated with devaluation is the improvement of a trade deficit. If a country’s imports are greater than their exports, devaluing their currency can help, as it reduces the â€Å"purchasing power of domestic money in terms of foreign goods and increases the purchasing power of foreign money in terms of domestic goods† (Johnson, 1971). This in effect means domestic goods (exports) become cheaper and imports become more expensive, resulting in an increase in the demand for exports, with a fall in imports, and hence improving the balance of payments. Being South America’s largest oil-producing nation, Venezuela receives most of its export income from this industry. It therefore comes as no surprise that devaluation is so attractive to their policy makers as increased demand for their oil exports would allow them to accumulate more domestic monetary resources. However, an implication of this policy has been the negative effect on th e poor who spend the majority of their income on food and other basic necessities that are mainly imported goods. With inflation averaging between 20-30%, this has meant that fewer goods are... ... cites the theory of Mundel(1960) and says that, " According to this theory, it is impossible to simultaneously have a fixed exchange rate, free capital movement (an absence of capital controls), and an independent monetary policy. In conclusion, a currency devaluation whose primary aim is to improve the balance of payments has both its advantages and disadvantages. In the case of Venezuela, it has done more harm than benefited the economy. Even if the government were to try and borrow, very few investors would be willing to hold Venezuelan government debt as it would be deemed very unattractive and risky. Devaluation has in many cases been known to reduce the credit worthiness of an economy on the global markets. In the end, it could also result in an out flow of investments as investors may feel that the risk is too high for them when they invest in Venezuela.

Ms hall

I have read your summary regarding your current challenge with changing marketing trends and the upcoming renewal of your 5 year contract with a large quick service restaurant. You have had a long and profitable relationship with this international fast food company and this relationship has been an Important part of your firm's growth. While you do face some obstacles, there are solutions to overcome these. First hand and most Importantly lets point out and discuss the problems you face.First the market trend issue: The marketing trend challenge you currently face is a decline in the sale of kid meals. With technology advancing kids no longer value the toys you market. In addition, child obesity and health problems are receiving greater attention in the media and the threat of advertising regulations is increasing, these regulations are already in place in Europe. Your manufacturing costs in China have gone up 40% due to an increase in raw material costs and export tariffs. And to t op it off the overall time to market these toys is lengthy.Last and most important your team has been ineffective in addressing these market trends, and working collectively to resolve these Issues. Renewing this contract and maintaining relationship Is important to your firm. Are you assuming the USSR wants to renew the contract and do they want toys? Is your firm prepared to take on this large account at this time? These are 3 recommendations to help you. Restructure of your organization this should be done prior to renewing the contract, ask the USSR for extension of contract renewal.Re evaluate and define your mission and goals. Establishing an innovation team or a R and D department. Teams and managers should have regular meetings with an agenda to implement your business strategy, improve communication and use critical thinking as a method to problem solving. Ineffective teams and quality assurance and Improvement should be monitored regularly to address future problems. A fac ilitator may be helpful to gulled the team's decision making process during meetings.You may have employee resistance and cost and there will be cost and time to train and recruit managers, but this must be done to endure success in your firm. Establish a technology based company relationship to market new products/incentives and incorporate into your marketing. Examples Tunes, Apple APS, Play station, Mineshaft, Game Stop, are a few technology ideas you can work with to offer new products or incentives in your marketing. The incentives should be correlated with some type of healthy choice the USSR offers. An example of this would be vegetables or fruit as part of the happy meal.Incorporating the product into a healthy choice will also improve the public and media perception of your organization and demonstrates your flexibility for new innovative ideas that adjust to market trends moving towards health and wellness. Move manufacturing to domestic location- you can respond to the ma rket quicker, avoid Import and export tariffs, and Increase positive media volleyball by supplying more Jobs In the U. S. You an contract or set up your own manufacturing plant to supply your other accounts that use toys and incorporate your new products into production.With and provide Jobs to low income workers and or migrant workers. You can publicize these new opportunities for Jobs and community growth to improve media visibility. One drawback to this would be time. You will have to establish resources and connections to build or contract a manufacturing plant. In conclusion I think you will find these solutions effective with some drawbacks but in the long run will help your organization thrive and adjust to the demanding changes of the future.

Slavery in 19th century essays

Slavery in 19th century essays In the nineteenth century, supporters of slavery in used legal, religious, and economic arguments to defend the institution of slavery. Southern plantation owners depended heavily on slavery. Cotton, their main export, required tedious slave labor. Thus, southern supporters of slavery employed whatever tactics they could in order to keep their slaves from emancipation, which worked and extended slavery for a few more decades. One of the ways Southerners defended slavery was through legal means. In 1831-1832, Virginia legislature debated and eventually defeated various emancipation proposals. This legislation was a turning point in the pro-slavery fight, because soon after all the salave states enforced harsher slave codes and also ban emancipation. Also, when Northern abolitionists were increasingly vocal against slavery, in 1836, southerners charted the gag appeal, which required all antislavery appeals to be ignored without debate. Southerns went so far as to even break the laws in the Bill of Rights. In 1835, the government ordered southern postmasters to destroy abolitionist material and told officials to arrest postmasters who did not destroy abolitionist writing. Thus, they were breaking the 1st amendment in the Bill of Rights which guarenteed Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. Southererns used religious means of supporters their argument as well. They claimed that slavery was supported by the Bible and also by the widom of Aristotle. The slaves were becoming Chistian, which was far better than barbarians of the jungle. Slavemasters therefore encouraged religion in slaves, not only because it would keep them tame, but it would also suppress Northern abolitionist arguments. As to an economic standpoint, Southerners argued that freeing slaves would cause Americas economy to collapse. Free blacks, they said, would cause fierce competition in factory jobs, taking away many of immigrant jobs held by the Irish ...

Skin Cancer Essays - Dermatologic Surgery, Carcinoma, RTT

Skin Cancer Essays - Dermatologic Surgery, Carcinoma, RTT Skin Cancer Every hour one American is killed by skin cancer and every thirty seconds one American gets skin cancer. Cancer is a deadly disease that alters the DNA of a skin cell and causes it to reproduce at a rapid pace. This overproduction of cells can be harmful and in many cases deadly. Out of these cancers the most common is Basal cell carcinoma. Many steps have been made in the treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma, some have been very successful and some not. The cells that have the altered DNA are called malignant or cancerous cells. These cells are found in the outer layers of the skin. The skin's main job is protect the body from infections and to insulate the body to keep it at the proper temperature. The first layer of skin is called the epidermis. This is the layer that is closest to the surface of the skin. There are three types of cells in this layer. The first is the squamace. The squamace cells are flat and scaly and are located closest to the surface of the skin. Second are the basal cells and finally are the melanocytes which give the skin its color. The second layer of skin is the dermis, which is much thicker than the epidermis. This layer contains sweat glands, nerves and blood vessels. The dermis also contains follicles which are tiny pockets from which the hair grows. (Jablonski) The most common malignant cells are the basal cells. Cancer in the basal cell is called nonmelanoma cancer. This means that the cancer did not start in the melanocytes located in the epidermis. (Prestan 1650) Basal Cell Carcinoma is caused by overexposure to the sun. The sun gives off ultraviolet rays which are harmful to the human body. Basal cell carcinoma will affect body parts such as the eyes, ears and nose. If it is detected before it gets deep into the skin there will most likely be no problem treating the cancer. The problem is when it is detected after it has progressed into the deep portions of you tissue. If Basal cell carcinoma is left untreated it can be very hard to treat and may even cause death. (Elson, 1) The common methods of treatment involve the use of Mohs micrographic surgery, radiation therapy, electrodesiccation and curettage, and simple excision. Each of these methods is useful in specific clinical situations. Depending on the case, these methods have cure rates ranging from 85% to 95%. Mohs micrographic surgery, a newer surgical technique, has the highest cure rate for surgical treatment of both primary and recurrent tumors. This method uses microscopic control to determine the extent of tumor invasion. Although Mohs micrographic surgery method is complicated and requires special training, it has the highest cure rate of all surgical treatments because the tumor is microscopically outlined until it is completely removed. While other treatment methods for recurrent basal cell carcinoma have failure rates of about 50%, cure rates have been reported at 96% when treated by Mohs micrographic surgery. (Thomas 135-142) "Mohs micrographic surgery is also indicated for tumors with poorly defined clinical borders, tumors with diameters larger than two cm, tumors with histopathologic features showing morpheaform or sclerotic patterns, and tumors arising in regions where maximum preservation of uninvolved tissue is desirable, such as eyelid, nose and finger." (Thomas 135) Next there is a treatment involving simple excision with frozen or permanent sectioning for margin evaluation. This traditional surgical treatment usually relies on surgical margins ranging from three to ten millimeters, depending on the diameter of the tumor. (Abide 492-497) Tumor recurrence is not uncommon because only a small fraction of the total tumor margin is examined pathologically. Recurrence rate for primary tumors greater than 1.5 cm in diameter is at least twelve percent within five years; if the primary tumor measures larger than three cm, the five year recurrence rate is 23.1%. Primary tumors of the ears, eyes, scalp, and nose have recurrence rates ranging from 12.9% to 25%. Third there is electrodesiccation and curettage. This method is the most widely employed method for removing primary basal cell carcinomas. Although it is a quick method for destroying tumor, adequacy of treatment cannot be assessed immediately

Word Clipping

Word Clipping Word Clipping Word Clipping By Maeve Maddox Shortened forms of words like rhinoceros (rhino), synchronization (sync), and limousine (limo), common in conversation and informal writing, are usually used in their entirety in formal contexts. These shortened words are called clippings. Sometimes a clipping drives out its longer original and becomes a standard word in its own right. Some standard English words that began as clippings are: taxi: a shortening of Taximeter, a device for measuring distance and figuring the fare. cab: a shortening of cabriolet, a light two-wheeled chaise drawn by one horse. Later the word was applied to a motorized vehicle. Note: The word taxi-cab combines two clippings. lunch: a shortening of luncheon, a word documented from 1580. Although lunch is documented as early as 1829, it was still considered to be vulgar a century later. Luncheon is still around, but it has acquired something of a precious connotation. bus: a shortening of omnibus. Classical Latin omnibus means â€Å"for all.† As a term for a public transportation vehicle, omnibus was borrowed from French. The wealthier classes had enjoyed the services of carriages for hire as early as the 17th century. The omnibus offered inexpensive public transportation to the masses. plane: a shortening of aeroplane/airplane. Words are clipped from front, back, or both ends. Back clipping Most clippings keep the front part of the word, dropping the remaining syllables: chimpanzee > chimp synchronize > sync examination > exam gasoline > gas memorandum > memo Some clippings change the spelling of the first syllable in order to keep the desired pronunciation. For example, the shortening of business is spelled biz because severed from business, the syllable bus is pronounced like the word for the vehicle. The shortened form mike for microphone has been in the language since 1911. Beginning in the 1960s, the use of the abbreviation â€Å"mic† on electronic devices began to be confused with the word mike. As an abbreviation under an audio port, â€Å"mic† is a useful space-saver. It fails as a spelling, however, because mic rhymes with Bic. Fore-clipping Some shortenings drop the beginning of the word: robot > bot parachute > chute cockroach > roach telephone > phone Middle Clipping In middle clipping the middle of the word is retained: refrigerator > fridge influenza > flu pajamas > jammies Only time will tell which of the current shortened words so popular in social media will stick to the language. Here are some linguistic terms related to word formation by clipping: apocope [uh-POK-uh-pee]: The cutting off or omission of the last letter or syllable/s of a word: pic from picture, vocab from vocabulary. apheresis [a-fuh-REE-sis]: omission of one or more sounds or letters from the beginning of a word: possum from opossum. syncope [SEENK-uh-pee]: contraction of a word by omission of one or more syllables or letters in the middle, like ma’m from madam, specs from spectacles, and fo’c’sle for forecastle. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadIn Search of a 4-Dot EllipsisCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Psychology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology - Term Paper Example It is possible for us to measure the behaviour of a person both qualitatively and quantitatively and hence psychology is now considered as a branch of science. Clinical psychology is the most important branch of psychology because of the immense contributions it gives to the treatment of mental problems of human beings. There are many branches of clinical psychology at present. Psychoanalysis is one among them. Psychoanalysis theory was developed by Sigmund Freud which deals with psychological method of investigation, systematic set of theories about human behaviour and the treatment of psychological disorders. Feminists were among the earliest proponents of psychoanalysis because it acknowledged sexual desires in all people including women, who at the time were considered asexual. But over the course of the century, the theory fell out of favor among feminists, many of whom maintained that it contributed to women’s oppression instead of their liberation. In the 1970s interest in psychoanalysis among feminists enjoyed a renaissance, and by the end of the century it formed part of the canon of feminist theory in the humanities. However, the theory still faces a great deal of resistance from feminists in the social sciences (Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010) This paper briefly explains the feminist theory in psychoanalysis Freud argued that boys and girls begin life with similar psychological dispositions, but they follow different paths to adult heterosexuality owing to their anatomical differences and the expectations placed upon them by their families and society in general (Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010). According to feminists the interpretations of sexual development by Freud is unacceptable. Freud believed that the environmental parameters control the sexuality more than the genetic parameters. In other words the boys and girls develop heterosexuality mainly from the environment rather than any genetic predispositions. Freud argued that the boys and girls learn a lot form the family and the society about the sexual patterns and they try to follow the same pattern. For example, boys realize their similarity with their father at an early age itself and will try to imitate the father in every respect. Same way girls will try to imitate their mothers. Freud pointed out that â€Å"When individuals did not successfully progress through the stages of development, mental illness could result. Freud maintained that unresolved early childhood traumas associated with these stages of sexual development become lodged in the unconscious and reappear in neurotic symptoms†(Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010). Many of the psychological disorders occur at the latter stages of one’s life is attributed to the unresolved childhood traumas by Freud. For example, it is quite possible that a child could not relieve his/her sexual energy in the childhood because of the social restrictions. In family and society, children are prohibited from engage in any sexual activities because of the traditions, customs and beliefs. On the other hand, childhood is a stage during which the sex hormones are hyperactive. In other words, most of the sexual requirements were remain unsolved or unmet during childhood which will negatively impact the life of the child latter, according to Freud. In short, Freud’s theory succeeded in giving a comprehensive account about the sexual development. Freud observed that

Eygpt problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eygpt problems - Essay Example Giving the example of Lebanon, Shadid shows just how confused the state of affairs is, where people cannot decide on their own just what exactly they want from their country. Though Shadid concedes that Western powers are to be blamed for merely giving lip-service to the cause of the people while turning a blind eye towards the dictators as long as their interests are looked after by the despotic governments, however, he is quick to point out that the blame does not rest with them alone. The frustration caused has much to do with the failure of the states to satisfy their citizens in giving them a good life. All this, Shadid opines, has left the door open for people’s revolutions, as is evident from what happened in Tunisia and Lebanon and Egypt. This, he contends, marks the beginning of the end of the status quo that has existed in the Arab world. The article is a very well thought out piece of work. It is thought provoking indeed. While those in the West are quick to point o ut at the actions of the leaders of the Arab World and blame them for a lot of human rights abuses, for instance, what we do not realize sitting here is that in some way, our government has to carry the blame for letting these despots come to power and letting them stay in power as long as our interests are served. However, as Shadid pointed out, the state of affairs has been brought to this because of the way the states have been treating their citizens. For far too long the despots of the Arab World have treated their citizens as if they are less than human. Hiding behind the force of their police or armed forces, they sought to create fear in the hearts of their citizens, and they succeeded in doing so too. They ruled with an iron fist and accepted no dissension whatsoever. However, the rules of the game have changed. As is evident from what happened in Tunisia, and what happened in Egypt after this article was written, it is clear that the masses still have the power to bring ab out change in the system. Things have come to the point where even Libya’s Gaddafi is facing a similar demand from his people: he should resign from his tyrannical rule and let someone else rule the country for a change. With all that has been happening in the Arab world, it is clear to see that the politics of the twentieth century will not hold credence. With globalization and the technological advancement in methods of mass communication, it is now next to impossible to hold information from people. It is this free flow of information that has caused people to get together and speak for their rights. It is only a matter of time before this fire spreads throughout the Arab world. It is, therefore, needed that the rulers of the region talk heed of the warning signs and start implementing a more humane and more tolerant policy, both towards the citizens, in general, and their opposition, in particular. However, it can be contended that it might be too late, as now, when peopl e have seen how much the masses can attain by just banding together; they would not be willing to back down and remain obedient servants to their tyrannical rulers. The repression by

The process of scholarly writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The process of scholarly writing - Essay Example The process of scholarly writing As a function of this particular analysis, the author will consider and review a scholarly publication entitled â€Å"driving a green economy through public finance and fiscal policy reform†. This particular article, published by the University of Oxford and authored by Benjamin Jones, argues that immediate and far-reaching global changes must be engaged through a strategy and framework of policy, regulatory, and financial reforms as a means of creating a greener and more sustainable planet. Whereas there are invariably a great many strengths that this individual paper represents, there are also a high level of drawbacks and/or weaknesses that should also be analyzed. In such a way, this rhetorical analysis will engage the reader with a collection of each of these in the hopes that such a rhetorical analysis will be beneficial and hoping to categorize, classify, and delineate which elements of the analysis are particularly strong and should be engaged in a more full and complete manner as well as which elements of the research are naturally flawed and might need a level of further analysis order to consider them for inclusion in such a level of argumentation. Firstly, it is necessary to note that the level of research and analysis that went into the publication of this particular piece was profound. Residents always easy to point to shortcomings of particular author may have with respect to the way in which subject matter is presented, it must be recognized and appreciated that the level of research and the scope of analysis which was included within this particular analysis was profound. ... Although it is the opinion of this particular analyst that many of the points that are argued within the analysis are ultimately flawed, it cannot be stated that they are not well presented and scholarly. Finally, the introduction itself posted of a powerful overview with regards the topics that will be discussed; rather than merely mentioning them briefly and delving directly into a framework and methodology that would be employed (Jones 339). Another noted strength is with regards to the entire section dealing with subsidy reform within the current system. Due to the fact that the current level of subsidy delineation is ultimately corrupt and flawed, a change in the structure would create a high level of existing funding through which green industry and practice could be promoted. With all of this being said, a rhetorical analysis in and of itself would not be complete unless it analyze some of the specific failures and weaknesses that the piece in question engenders. As such, one of the first of these is with regards to the element of â€Å"green taxation† that was presented within the research. Even though the rationale for this was understood, the reader is left with a distinct concern with respect to the way in which deadweight loss to the economy and the difficulties of managing such taxation would be engaged. The reader does not have to have a background in economics to understand that the imposition of tax and/or a duty or subsidy necessarily creates a level of deadweight loss to the entire economy. However, even though the author advocates green taxation as a means of engaging further element of environmental protectionism and sustainability throughout the world, no

Using the data and information from the Why we still love IKEA case Essay

Using the data and information from the Why we still love IKEA case study - Essay Example According to Kwapong (2005), IKEA’s diversification strategy has been characterized by a direction and a scope targeting long term achievement through configuration of resources for manufacturing of the best furniture to fulfill the expectation of the customers. As clarified in the above case study, it is very clear how IKEA has implemented the Bowman’s Strategy Clock model together with the diversification strategy effectively through organizational activities. From an organizational perspective, IKEA Company has diversified into production of varied types of types of furniture stationed at different outlets across the world (Verbeke, 2013; Plunkett, 2008). As such, it has been possible for an organization to charge affordable cost on organizational products while still able to meet the market demand. Using the Bowman’s Strategy Clock, the case study has pointed out that the company communicates the organizational contents while encouraging the customers to adop t the concept of building IKEA’s brands in the market. With the adoption of perceived value characterized by low pricing, IKEA Company has gained popularity in different outlets thus achieving the organizational competitive advantage. As such, it has embraced the Bowman’s strategy clock as a framework for achieving more edge against various competitors in the furniture industry. As mentioned below, IKEA has incorporated varied directions as part of the strategy to ensure that potential customers receive a more affordable pricing in the market clarifies (Thomson, 2009). Based on the In Doyle (2011) clarification, IKEA Company has never chosen to compete in the furniture trade. As such, it has embraced the concept of bargain basement since some of the organizational furniture has not drawn the element of differentiation in Asian countries. However, IKEA has won customers loyalty

Contract between criminological theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contract between criminological theories - Essay Example Some of the most common approaches that explain crime include the classicism and the positivism approaches. Under the classicism approach, there are control theories, which explain the causes of crime. With regard to the positivism approach, there is biological positivism, which can be regarded as instrumental in explaining the causes of crime. This paper will explore the usefulness of biological positivism and control theory in explaining assault as offense. The usefulness of control theory in explaining assault as a crime Unlike other theories of crime, which aim at exploring why people commit crime, control theories aim at examining the reasons why many people do not commit a crime. According to control theorists, the reasons why people commit crime should not be explained because people tend to suffer from some weaknesses that make them commit crime. Control theories focus on controlling factors, which can be considered as absent in people’s personality. While explaining c rime, the control theory focuses on the interplay between sociological, psychological, and psychiatric factors. The most notable theorist who expounded the control theory is Travis Hirschi who developed the theory in 1969 (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). Control theory can be termed as instrumental in explaining assault as an offence. ... As such, those who choose to carry out assault are motivated to do so by the choices they make. This shows that the social control theory can be said to be connected more with the classical school that the positivist school (Gottfredson & Hirschi 2001, p.70). The social control theory holds that there tends to be shared beliefs, norms, as well as values in the society. Criminals who engage in assault share the belief that there is a need to follow the rules in society. Moreover, based on the social control theory, offense such as assault can be regarded as behaviour that can be predicted, but the society cannot control it. The social control theory contends that although every person is taught to conform to the norms of society, offenders find it hard to cope to these norms. Rather, they break down the rules even if they know the sanctions and consequences that result from breaking the rules. Based on the social control theory, crime can be seen to result from the lack of relationshi ps with other people in society. Therefore, delinquency such as assault results from the failure to engage in these relationships, which leads to the freeing of individuals from social constraints (Siegel 2012, p.45). The social control theory is useful in understanding crime with its explanation of the role of parenting in the acquisition of delinquent behaviour. Based on the theory, family bonds and social bonds play a crucial role in determining whether people will become offenders. At a young age, children’s social control emanates from interactions with their parents. Poor parental attachment can be regarded as a cause of delinquent behaviour. In this regard, children who are overly attached to their parents have the possibility of not

Using the data and information from the Why we still love IKEA case Essay

Using the data and information from the Why we still love IKEA case study - Essay Example According to Kwapong (2005), IKEA’s diversification strategy has been characterized by a direction and a scope targeting long term achievement through configuration of resources for manufacturing of the best furniture to fulfill the expectation of the customers. As clarified in the above case study, it is very clear how IKEA has implemented the Bowman’s Strategy Clock model together with the diversification strategy effectively through organizational activities. From an organizational perspective, IKEA Company has diversified into production of varied types of types of furniture stationed at different outlets across the world (Verbeke, 2013; Plunkett, 2008). As such, it has been possible for an organization to charge affordable cost on organizational products while still able to meet the market demand. Using the Bowman’s Strategy Clock, the case study has pointed out that the company communicates the organizational contents while encouraging the customers to adop t the concept of building IKEA’s brands in the market. With the adoption of perceived value characterized by low pricing, IKEA Company has gained popularity in different outlets thus achieving the organizational competitive advantage. As such, it has embraced the Bowman’s strategy clock as a framework for achieving more edge against various competitors in the furniture industry. As mentioned below, IKEA has incorporated varied directions as part of the strategy to ensure that potential customers receive a more affordable pricing in the market clarifies (Thomson, 2009). Based on the In Doyle (2011) clarification, IKEA Company has never chosen to compete in the furniture trade. As such, it has embraced the concept of bargain basement since some of the organizational furniture has not drawn the element of differentiation in Asian countries. However, IKEA has won customers loyalty

Strategic Fit between HR Strategy and Business Essay

Strategic Fit between HR Strategy and Business - Essay Example Strategic fit is basically related to a review of organizational resources in consideration of the fact that the important aspect to profitability is not only achieved by industry selection and positioning, but also through a strategy that seeks to utilize resources and capabilities. Capabilities and resources, which have unique characteristics, are matched to develop a competitive advantage in the long run. Fit as Strategy Integration Fit as strategy integration provides organizations with assess criteria with which integrations transactions may be optimized for achieving production frontier before, during, and after integration. The strategy elaborates how well an organization can meet the merger criteria without compromising on performance success. Organizations under mergers process and plans need to put into consideration smooth operations in merging deals, alongside maintaining successful asset combination production through strategy. Strategy integration comes in handy to enab le organizations to effectively manage added asset combination value and leverage positioning. Strategy integration, alongside due diligence, goes a long way in maintaining an organization’s profitability during mergers (Gleich, Kierans & Hasselbach, 2010, p.5). Strategy integration allows an organization to exercise more control performance measures and value added integration, rather than mere integration that may compromise on performance. Backward strategy integration may be undertaken to enable organizations access needed raw materials from a more dependable source. On the other hand, forward integration strategy enables a manufacturing company to build a more reliable market to its products. The integration strategy also allows an organization to gather more control on how it sells products and services and pursue product differentiation to build competitive advantage. The strategy generally outlines a clear perspective on what particular activities organizations should engage in with relation to its situations and visions to achieve increased profitability and success (Tan, 2002, p.48). The processes enable an organization to evaluate viability of mergers prior to proceeding with the transactions. More so, the process seeks to establish best practices that would enable growth, improvement, and attainment of better profitability prospects, alongside possible performance success obstacle identification and elimination. Strategic fit basically enables organizations to successfully launch merger integration amidst continued present successes, value added asset combination, and long-term performance success. Through strategic fit, organizations are able to optimize available technologies, human resources, and operation systems. Fit as an Ideal Practice Strategic fit is the best practice between human resource and business, although a number of practices may still be wanting for an organization. The human resource is widely actualized for its commitmen t and competencies that need to be governed by strategic focus that forms the best practice available. Through strategy, the organization is able to actualize its potentials with regards to complexities and multiple dimensions involvement of organizational human resource capabilities matched with available resources. Considering

Single Parent Homes and Academic Achievement Essay Example for Free

Single Parent Homes and Academic Achievement Essay There are several theories that can be used to study the way family structure influences academic achievement, as well as to demonstrate the influence of other factors such as poverty and family resources. When these factors are more closely examined it is evident that within any family structure a lack of necessary financial and supportive resources will negatively affect children’s academic achievement. As the number of both single and two-parent families living in poverty rises, this research is important in helping to develop an educational system in the United States that is both equal and effective for the growing changes in family demographics. Keywords: academic achievement, single-parent homes, Family Deficit Model, Risk and Protective Factor Model, social capital theory, parental involvement Children from single parent homes are not as negatively impacted academically as some in the popular media suggest. Raising children without a partner presents many challenges, but there is research that points to strategies to mitigate these issues. Specifically in terms of children’s academic achievement, studies show that it is other social and environmental factors, not single parenthood itself, which accounts for the achievement gap between children from single-parent homes and their peers from nuclear families. Statistics In 2007, there were approximately 13. 7 million single parents in the United States (Wolf, 2011). This number was an increased from an estimated 11 million on 1994 (Engber, 1995). In roughly 81% of these homes, the mother is the custodial parent, with just 17% of fathers as the primary custodian. Of the mothers who are head of household, 45% are divorced or separated, 34. 2% have never been married, 19% are remarried (to someone other than other parent), and 1. 9% are widowed (Wolf, 2011). Other important statistic regarding single-parent homes is that almost 40% are living at or below the poverty line in the United States. Nearly 90% of single-parents however, are employed full-time (Wolf, 2011). This places many families in a situation where their income is too high to receive state funded services such as Medicaid and cash assistance, but not high enough to meet the family’s financial needs. Research models Different models have been used throughout the years to study the effects of single parenting on children. In the 1970’s the Family Deficit Model suggested that single-parent homes have a negative impact on children because the model starts from the assumption that the traditional nuclear family structure is ideal. This model did not take into account economic or other social factors that influence families. In the early 1990’s the Risk and Protective Factor Model was developed. This model states that family structure is one of several risk factors. Under this model, a risk factor can be any environmental, familial, or social factor that has the potential to have a negative impact on a family. Protective factors, as described by this model, are those that positively support a family and can lessen the effects of risk factors (Adoption Media LLC, 2011). A third theory used to research the effect of single-parent homes on academic achievement is social capital theory. Social capital refers to a person or family’s ability to access resources such as income and education. According to Shriner et al. (2010), â€Å"As a construct, social capital is measured by the quality and quantity of networks connecting children to the resources of their parents† (p. 447). Using this model, researchers have identified factors other than family structure that influence academic achievement. One article stated: Although similar to each other, adolescents in single-mother and stepfather family structures had lower grades and vocabulary scores compared to their two-biological-parent counterparts. In these family structures, the academic outcomes were more likely related to mothers’ race, education, monitoring, and attachment, than family structure. (Shriner, 2010, p. 446) Academic Achievement The phrase academic achievement refers to the level of mastery in certain subject areas, not including one’s potential to achieve (Center for American Progress, 2006). Beginning with the No Child Left Behind Act, states are required to measure academic achievement of public school students using standardized tests and other tools (Center for American Progress, 2006). There has been much debate over the effect of single-parenting on children’s academic achievement. Some studies have shown that children from single-parent homes do not perform as well in school and have higher dropout rates than children from two-parent homes (Entwisle, 1996). In 1988, it was reported that the rate of grade repetition for children of single parents was 75% higher than children from nuclear families (Entwisle, 1996). Other studies have stated that children from single-parent homes are less likely to attend college and perform less well on standardized tests (Hampden-Thompson, 2005). In contrast, other research demonstrates that being from a single-parent home is not necessarily detrimental to academic achievement. According to one website devoted to research and information on single-parenting: Exceptionally achieving individuals in virtually every human endeavor are more likely to have lost a parent Roe (1952a) learned from her examination of notable contemporary scientists that 15% had lost a parent by death before age 10. Broken down by field, this happened to 25% of the biologists, 13% of the physical scientists, and 9% of the social scientists. To place this figure in perspective, Roe referred to data showing that only around 6% of college students lost a parent by age 10. Roe also mentioned Bells (1937) work on illustrious mathematicians, in which around one-quarter had lost a parent before age 10 and nearly one-third before age 14 parental loss can occur by means other than orphanhood, such as alcoholism, abandonment, and divorce (The Liz Library) One of the reasons for the change in views on this issue may be that earlier research was conducted mainly with single-parent families that became that way through divorce. The research did not include the trauma of divorce and the change in socioeconomic status that is often the result of divorce. It could be these factors, not the family structure itself, that accounts for the differences in academic achievement (Entwisle, A Parents Economic Shadow: Family Structure Versus Family Resources as Influences on Early School Achievement, 1995). Parental education, particularly that of the mother, is also pinpointed as having a major influence on a child’s academic achievement (Shriner, 2010). Children who have mothers who did not complete high school scored lower on standardized tests in math and reading. Conversely, when those mothers acquired more education, children’s test scores improved (Shriner, 2010). Many young mothers who become pregnant in high school are amongst the group of single-parent families. If these women are not able to complete high school or go on to college, the result could be lower academic achievement for their children (Shriner, 2010). Another possible explanation for research that shows lower academic achievement in children from single-parent homes is lack of financial resources and policies that support various types of families. Of 11 countries studied by Pong, et al. (2003), the Unites States ranked lowest in achievement differences between children from single versus two-parent homes. The researchers in this study also found there are several countries with equally high rates of single-parent homes as the United States. A major difference however, is that the United States is the only country that did not offer government funded family allowances. Countries such as Austria, Norway, and Canada, offer these family allowances to lower-income families, which offer a major source of financial support (Pong, 2003). This extra income can provide enough support that a single parent can work just one job and be available to be more involved in the lives of their children. Parental Involvement In both single and two-parent homes, parental involvement in a child’s education is found to be a major factor influencing academic achievement (Shriner, 2010). Anne Lewis provides an example of this fact in her article: For example, factors that together explain almost 90% of the differences among eighth-graders in math performance on the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress are ones parents control: student absenteeism, variety of reading materials available in the home, and excessive television watching. Reading aloud to young children, the report says, is the single most important activity that parents can undertake to influence the future reading success of their children. (Lewis, 1995, p. 431) Several studies are now showing that factors such as time spent doing homework with children, mother’s level of education, and volunteering at a child’s school, contribute to higher levels of academic achievement (Shriner, 2010). Discussion Combining the vast body of research, one conclusion that can be drawn is that there are factors beyond family structure that impact academic achievement more than family structure itself. Poverty is consistently identified as a major contributor to lower achievement scores. While supporting children on one income rather than two makes it more likely that a single-parent family falls below the poverty line, as the economy continues to decline and unemployment numbers rise, more and more two-parent families find themselves in poverty as well (DeNavas-Walt, 2011). According the 2010 information from the U. S. Census Bureau, there are 46. 2 million people in this country living at or below the poverty line. This is the largest number found in the 52 years that poverty has been studied (DeNavas-Walt, 2011). In countries that have developed policies that help support and supplement families below the poverty line, the achievement scores on standardized tests have improved (Pong, 2003). Without solid support policies in place to assist families in poverty, despite the structure of that family, achievement scores will continue to fall in the United States. Building on the issue of poverty and academic achievement is the issue of parental involvement. With parental involvement being a key factor in academic success, it stands to reason that in families where one or more parent has to work more than one full-time job or one job with an excessive amount of hours, there is less opportunity for parental involvement in education. Despite the changing structure and economics of families in the United States, the educational system and governmental policies have not caught-up in terms of supporting family involvement (Lewis, 1995). There is research to indicate that stronger policies that support parental literacy and financial resources for low-income families is correlated with higher achievement scores (Pong, 2003). There is a great deal of research about family structure and academic achievement. Though it was previously thought that being in a single-parent household was in itself detrimental to a child’s achievement, research has now brought to light factors that are more specific and are now disputing the original conclusions about single-parent homes. This research will be instrumental in helping educators, parents, and policy-makers to make changes that will better support families and improve academic achievement in children in the United States. References Adoption Media LLC. (2011, November). Single Parenting and Childrens Academic Achievement. Retrieved from adoption. com: http://library. adoption. com/articles/single-parenting-and-childrens-academic-achievement. html This article cites significant research on the issue of single-parenting and academic achievement. Specifically the article discusses two of the major theories researched in terms of family structure, the Family Deficit Model and the Risk and Protective Factors Model. Adoption Media LLC provide community service information and resources to families considering adoption from any angle. This company has provided assistance and information to several news media organization, and thoroughly cites research for the articles on the website. Center for American Progress. (2006, July 26). Measuring Academic Achievement. Retrieved from americanprogress. rg: http://www. americanprogress. org/issues/2006/07/b1982011. html The Center for American Progress is a political action committee which reviews and advocates on different political issues. The website for this organization provides a detailed definition for the term academic achievement and how it is measured. DeNavas-Walt, C. P. (2011). U. S. Census Bureau, Current Populations Reports, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in t he United States: 2010. Washington D. C. : U. S. Government Printing Office. This

Introduction To Sony Corporation Commerce Essay

Introduction To Sony Corporation Commerce Essay Sony Corporation has a history of almost more than 60 years. It has a wide sales network and is registered in approximately 200 countries. However, the primary manufacturing facilities of Sony Corporation are located in Asia. Sony Corporation is involved in the developing, designing, manufacturing and selling electronic equipment and devices, game consoles and software. It is also producing and distributing motion picture, home entertainment, television products, and recorded music. In addition to this, it is also rendering its services in the financial services sector which involves insurance operations through the Japanese insurance subsidiaries and banking operations through a Japanese Internet-based banking subsidiary. Sonys products are largely marketed in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Major Problems and Challenges Faced by Sony Corporation Sony is a multinational organization and has to deal with the dynamic industry in which it is operating. It has developed itself by formulating a steady work environment where engineers had thoughtful appreciation of technology and have worked without restraint as they pleased to focus on development of dynamic technologies and creation of products that people have always desired (Mintzberg, 1989). Sony Corporation, which has been a leading corporation once, has reported losses for almost four consecutive years. It declared a record annual net loss of 520 billion yen ($6.4 billion) for the year ends in March 2012. The main strategic problem of Sony Corporation is embedded in its several product lines that provide too many parts of the entertainment value chain. The companys innovation and operations slowed down due to the introduction of the empire-building strategy. It has lead to the weakening of its competitiveness in all of the market segments of its business. In addition to the internal problems faced by the wide product lines by Sony, it is facing other external challenges as well. In late 2000s, global economic crisis caused a significant decline in consumer spending as of recession and resultantly caused a decrease in the profitability of Sony. The overall demand of the products of Sony has declined due to the appreciation of the Japanese Yen as it has lead to negativel y affect the purchasing power of non-Japanese consumers of Sony Products. Further, the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster and its consequences also effected Sonys operations badly and resulted in extensive re-establishment costs. In the presence of these external and uncontrollable challenges, Sony was unable to cope with the increasing competition and it became difficult for Sony to retain its market share within the electronics and game industry. In accordance with such problems the top management team of Sony was comparatively conservative. As a result, Sony lost its competitive edge in the industry due to decrease in its technological innovation. In a nutshell, the primary emphasis of Sony Corporation on restructuring strategies in such alarming and challenging situation leads to enormous and continual losses. Overview of Sony Corporation Strategies and its Implications Sony Corporation is a giant in its industry having well-built core competencies. It has economies of scale and wide scope both in production and research and development because of its huge network in Japan, the United States and other countries all around the world. Moreover, its unique quality, technology and differentiated products are other top strategic benefits that can help it to attain competitive advantage in market. Sonys business operations have been restructured many times in last two decades. Sonys first signs of loss began in early 1990s when it experienced a loss of  ¥ 293.36b in 1995. The reason behind this loss was primarily the unrelated diversification and the dearth of innovation. New products are imitated very soon by the competitors in the digital era because these products can be produced by assembling widely-available parts. So there always remain the dangers of being entangled in price wars (Kusunoki, 2003). This can only be avoided by readily adapting changes in a way that competitors cannot keep up. In reaction to this, Sony put all its efforts into restructuring the corporation considering it as a way towards success as there was general trend of diversification in leading companies (Itami, 2001). It faced heavy restructuring costs in this course but these efforts failed to attain the expected results and outcomes. In 1994, Sony formulated an eight company structure with an a im to create a market-responsive company but the losses prevailed. In 1996, it designed a ten-company structure with a same goal to get the company back to profits. Again, due to unrelated diversifications, heavy decentralization and minimal involvement of board room in major decisions, the losses cannot be reduced. After 1999, the company focused on Internet based products due to dot com burst. This major shift in business focus further worsened the situation. The major reasons for further losses were the lack of consolidation and hence substantial fall in sales. In addition to this, the economic slowdown in the US was also a key reason. Consequently, the focus on core competency was re-established which resulted in regaining profits slightly. Sony must focus on increasing sales immediately so as to meet their short-term goals and attain success in long run. In addition to restructurings among Sonys product lines, it should ensure stable profitable trend to avoid more severe decline. In the past few years, it has been able to reduce it cost. It should maintain this reduction so as to increase gross margin in the long run. Moreover, it should utilize the increased leverage and other assets in the ways that can lead to optimum and efficient boosting of sales. Most importantly, it should try to reduce or mitigate the macroeconomic risk which has been a major cause of unexpected losses in previous years. Critical Evaluation of the One Sony Strategy The most important challenges for Sony are the high competition in industry and the macroeconomic risks. In this regard Sony should re-develop its competitive advantage, regain focus, ensure quality and reduce external factors effect on companys performance and profitability. The chief executive of Sony Corporation has emphasized on the fact that its the time for Sony to change now. He has given a revival plan that elucidates a major shift from the companys unprofitable television business. It also planned to cut 10,000 jobs as well. In the new strategy, it is emphasized that the Sony would concentrate on three businesses namely the mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets; cameras and camcorders; and games. Sony has fruitfully expanded into various business segments (Electronics, Game, Pictures, Music, and Financial Services) since the beginning of the company as a telecommunication company in 1946. It has diversified its product lines and has attained remarkable reorganization in a wide range of sectors. It has enhanced many other resources like research and development, marketing, customer services and even unrelated areas. All this has lead to both positive and negative effects simultaneously. As diversification has lead to the expansion of the company, it has also resulted in decreasing its specialized capabilities. Hence, Sony was unable to keep hold of its competitive advantage in any sector or segment of its business and lost the competitive edge against the highly specialized competitors within each segment. So its the need of the hour that Sony locates a specific segment or sector to focus and specialize in it and then it should restructure the company around that focused segment. This type of restructuring can help the company to utilize maximum of its resources in the most productive and optimal way. The current move of Sonys strategy is exactly in this line. Sony is about to terminate or integrate its least profitable segments. Such restructuring will lead to the development of a proprietary product collection and special set of Sony hardware and software products that can be used against the highly specialized competitors like the products of Apple. In this way, Sony can have an edge over the competitors in long run as no other company is operating in such wide range of sectors currently as Sony is. Sony, no doubt, will have an incomparable experience in this regard. This type of restructuring can reverse the recent unprofitable trend of the company as it will be a strong positive s ignal to the market and its competitors enhancing the confidence of consumers and investors. The segments or sectors of business that should be focused should have the specific features. Sony should focus on such sectors which are already its main segments, namely the consumer, professional devices segment or the networked products services segment. Moreover, such segments should also have the prospect or potential to get integrated with various remaining segments. In this way, Sony will be able to leverage most of its current resources. Most importantly, this market segment should be moderate in competition as well. Sony would be able to implement the strategies in such segments where it has bigger market share recently. Keeping these benefits in view, the mobile devices of Sony are extremely desirable sector to be focused by it. The series of Sony Ericsson smartphones launched with the Xperia brand in 2011 which operated on Android gained an extensive market share and have much more potential. Similarly, the Xperia smartphones can also be integrated with Sony tablets, personal computers and game consoles in this concern. In this way, Sony can be able to lower the cost and increase the demand for such Sony products in the long run keeping the main focus on the abundant competition in the smartphones and tablets markets. Another sector to be focused by Sony can be of the games. The main reason behind it is that its the major segments for Sony in which it has competitive market share. The sector of games can induce synergies among Sonys product lines. Moreover, the competition in the segment of games business is not as extreme as it is in the other market segments. Sony intends to replace the operations of disjointed lineup of content delivery platforms to expand its PlayStation game network which will offer music and video as well. This is no doubt a good strategic step. However, one Sony strategy is intending to focus on Sonys digital imaging business that involves digital cameras and camcorders. This policy is again not very appropriate as Sony will have to face intense competition from Canon, Nikon, and Olympus. Moreover, Sony will also face threats from substitutes such as tablet computers which are highly equipped with advanced digital imaging functions. Keeping all these factors in view, it can be deduced that Sony will encounter great problems in the integration of digital imaging sectors with its other businesses. Another appropriate feature of the new strategy is the decision of shrinking the TV business as the severe competition from Samsung and LG, the deficiency of synergy potentials and the comparatively low share of market is making it impossible for Sony to attain or retain its competitive advantage. The focus on certain sectors will provide various benefits to Sony. Sony can start acquisitions within related segments once it has established strong focus. The acquisition strategy will lead to increase market share, to get the economies of scale, decrease manufacturing costs, and provide access to new technologies and patents. An increase in the market share will provide Sony with higher pricing power. The economies of scale will raise its productivity. The reduction in the manufacturing cost will lead to give benefit in a price competition. The technologies and patents will allow Sony to speed up their innovation progress which is slow right now. Sony must start by acquiring smaller companies in its focused market segment and should overpay premiums for the expected synergies as well. Another main focus of this new strategy is to improve the quality of its products by managing such features at the top level of management in integrated way. The major strength of Sony is its brand name because consumers deem Sonys products as trustworthy and having high quality generally. Whereas the quality of products of Sony has decreased in last few years. For instance, Sony declared that almost around 535,000 of their VAIO laptops might be in danger of overheating because of the temperature gauge error in 2010. Similarly, Sony had also recalled eight models of Sony digital cameras because of the problems with the image pick-up shortly after its multiple delays in launching PlayStation3. Such quality problems have lead to cost lawsuit expenses and have damaged the corporate image as well. Now, Sony is seriously emphasizing on attaining specialization in its products to avoid any such circumstances in future which is a positive action of this strategy. Moreover, Sony is expecting to enhance its business in emerging markets with greater focus on the innovation. It is a vital strategy for any business so as to keep itself in the market successfully. This will provide it with more markets availability in the long run increasing the sales and hence profits. However, this strategy is lacking in one very important aspect which is handling the macroeconomic factors. The presence of Sony in the international market has lead to its sensitivity to exchange rates and local economies. No doubt, Sony cannot get direct control over such factors but it can utilize its Financial Services segment to mitigate the risk exposure. Sony can apply this strategy by making derivatives contracts (currency swaps and interest rate swaps) or by taking short positions in particular securities as long as these practices comply with laws and regulation. The most problematic task is goal congruence. It means alignment of the managers incentives with the overall firm because such hedging measures can impact the profitability of the financial services segment. If these factors are ignored, they will again lead to unexpected losses to Sony in the long run making all other measures unrewarding. Sony took the direct action in introducing the company system in the first place (Kunii, 2000). It then performed an organizational improvement synchronized with the changes in the surrounding environment. Its strategy shifted in accordance with Chandlers proposition that organization follows strategy. Sonys organizational reforms and responding to environmental changes after the bubble collapse were significant (Nishiwaki,1990). The one Sony and one management system will lead to solve many problems and have the capability of improving the performance of the company as all the major decisions are now to be taken and implemented by the top management. The new approach emphasizes on the strengths of the entire Sony Group as One Sony by implementing a rapid decision-making process. With the help of this, Sonys primary goal is to revive and cultivate the electronics business to create new value in addition to further escalation of the stable business foundations of the Entertainment and Financial Service businesses. This management structure has reduced the previous complexity of the system and efficiency is expected to be increased. The more top-down leadership is expected to start to attain Sonys goals for the next years as it is said its the key to spot the requirement to create visions, motivate, establish direction and align people (Kotter, 1999). The focus is on development of six components for successful strategic leadership that involves determining a firms vision, retaining core competencies and mounting human capital. All these aspects are introduced to develop new technology and benefit from a centralized decision making system in the long run (Hannan and Freeman 1977, 1984). Conclusion Sony has faced many difficulties for several years and has now been able to properly identify many of its real problems. The latest strategy will lead to address them to some extent. Although some improvements have been shown in the recent times but still many areas are to be focused on in this strategic change. The basic reason behind it is that Sony is not a market leader now. Resultantly it does not have that old power to influence the direction of the market and follow its own plan. Moreover, the policy of defending its own interests has proved to be exigent. The strategies need not be deliberate always, they can emerge as well (Mintzberg, 1980). This strategy is good in many aspects and can lead to revive Sony Corporation but still Sony needs to work hard if it wants to survive and regain its market-leading position again. Recommendations A wide range of unrelated businesses operations are usually justified on the basis of scale and scope economies but this unrelated diversification can be more harmful than helpful in long run. So, Sony must perform a due diligence to assess the financials and brand worth of its different business units as its competitor Samsung has done. Sony should regain focus and invest in development and make improvements in its core competence. It will be helpful in regaining brand leadership. Sony should restore its RD, design, and marketing departments as well. Innovation should be induced in both products and services that will improve the relationship between the brand and the consumer. The innovation should make valid brand sense. It can be done by reflecting consumer preferences. Sony should promote the marketing function to the board room again and allow marketing to take a lead of the business and the strategy as marketing and branding cannot be transferred to a tactical level handled by marketing managers who dont have an appreciation of the broader vision in the long run. The market has become tremendously competitive. In this situation Sony should follow the old branding techniques only in case they are steered by a brand oriented leadership. The top management including the CEO of Sony should assess the meaning and identity of the brand to its customers in these dynamic and challenging times in a way that they innovate and lead the industries in which Sony is operating. It is extensively important for Sony to regain the cool factor. It should enhance its designs and features all over again as this is the main strategy which can help Sony to survive in competition of the industry having strong competitors like Apple, Nokia, Samsung and others. The supremacy in designs and customer oriented features are very essential to be attained.

Aquinas? Fifth Way Of Proving Essay -- essays research papers

Aquinas Fifth Way of proving the existence of God Question:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Briefly summarize Aquinas’ Fifth Way of proving the existence of God. What counter-argument does Hume cite in answer to this argument from Design? What is John Hick’s answer to Hume’s argument from Evil? Is he right? Thomas Aquinas theorized five different logical arguments to prove the existence of God utilizing scientific hypotheses and basic assumptions of nature. In the fifth of his famous â€Å"Five Ways†, Aquinas sets forth the assumption that all natural bodies move toward an end. Since bodies are constantly moving in the best way possible to achieve that end, the path must be designed. God, of course, is the ultimate designer of the universe. The natural hypothesis that follows is that God created the universe, including the human race, for a purpose or to achieve an end, and thus the universe and all life moves toward that end constantly and in the best manner possible. Later philosophers who studied Aquinas’ fifth way realized that this theorem is plagued with a problem, the problem of evil. In David Hume’s Design, through the art of conversation and Socratic debate, the two main characters in his essay set forth and decipher the problems of evil and how it may disprove Aquinas’ fifth way among countless other theories of creation by a omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent God. Hume explains that if God created the universe to achieve an end, and if the path toward that end is the best manner to that end, then how does one explain the existence of evils in the universe such as natural disasters, pain, disappointment, anger, sickness and despair. Hume uses the two characters in his essay to display the human point of view regarding the problem of evil, so that he can theorize using actual human experience, feelings, and sensations rather than logical assumptions and scientific hypotheses regarding a universe outside and beyond our own human existence. The essay suggests that the human experience is usually, for the most part, an unhappy one. Hume believes that all humans experience pain, sickness, anguish, nervousness, fear, sadness, embarrassment in some point during their lives. The â€Å"good† feelings humans experience in life, such as joy, love, excitement and pleasure are often few and far between and always less enduring than the â€Å"evil† feelings. For example, I... ... the existence of God and the problem of evil, my mind keeps wandering to one example of human life, Christopher Reeves. He is a man who was blessed with looks, career success as an actor and celebrity, and a happy marriage. One day he becomes paralyzed from the neck down losing everything even the capacity to breath. If God sees this and can change his condition, why doesn’t He? Has is made Reeves a better man or enriched his soul as Hicks would say? Surely Reeves’ life is filled with unhappiness and suffering. Does one have to be aware that they are in the process of soulmaking? And is soulmaking supposed to be good for the individual, for the world at large or just for God? If I could answer these questions, there would be no need for the study of philosophy, as they have no correct answer. I do believe in God, but I do not know why except for a feeling inside which may be inborn or the result of my environment. David Hume’s philosophies are based upon trusting one’s feelings as is evidenced by his reliance on poets instead of scientists. I think I will also go with my feelings on this issue. God does exist but humans may never have the capacity to understand the Hows and Whys. Aquinas? Fifth Way Of Proving Essay -- essays research papers Aquinas Fifth Way of proving the existence of God Question:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Briefly summarize Aquinas’ Fifth Way of proving the existence of God. What counter-argument does Hume cite in answer to this argument from Design? What is John Hick’s answer to Hume’s argument from Evil? Is he right? Thomas Aquinas theorized five different logical arguments to prove the existence of God utilizing scientific hypotheses and basic assumptions of nature. In the fifth of his famous â€Å"Five Ways†, Aquinas sets forth the assumption that all natural bodies move toward an end. Since bodies are constantly moving in the best way possible to achieve that end, the path must be designed. God, of course, is the ultimate designer of the universe. The natural hypothesis that follows is that God created the universe, including the human race, for a purpose or to achieve an end, and thus the universe and all life moves toward that end constantly and in the best manner possible. Later philosophers who studied Aquinas’ fifth way realized that this theorem is plagued with a problem, the problem of evil. In David Hume’s Design, through the art of conversation and Socratic debate, the two main characters in his essay set forth and decipher the problems of evil and how it may disprove Aquinas’ fifth way among countless other theories of creation by a omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent God. Hume explains that if God created the universe to achieve an end, and if the path toward that end is the best manner to that end, then how does one explain the existence of evils in the universe such as natural disasters, pain, disappointment, anger, sickness and despair. Hume uses the two characters in his essay to display the human point of view regarding the problem of evil, so that he can theorize using actual human experience, feelings, and sensations rather than logical assumptions and scientific hypotheses regarding a universe outside and beyond our own human existence. The essay suggests that the human experience is usually, for the most part, an unhappy one. Hume believes that all humans experience pain, sickness, anguish, nervousness, fear, sadness, embarrassment in some point during their lives. The â€Å"good† feelings humans experience in life, such as joy, love, excitement and pleasure are often few and far between and always less enduring than the â€Å"evil† feelings. For example, I... ... the existence of God and the problem of evil, my mind keeps wandering to one example of human life, Christopher Reeves. He is a man who was blessed with looks, career success as an actor and celebrity, and a happy marriage. One day he becomes paralyzed from the neck down losing everything even the capacity to breath. If God sees this and can change his condition, why doesn’t He? Has is made Reeves a better man or enriched his soul as Hicks would say? Surely Reeves’ life is filled with unhappiness and suffering. Does one have to be aware that they are in the process of soulmaking? And is soulmaking supposed to be good for the individual, for the world at large or just for God? If I could answer these questions, there would be no need for the study of philosophy, as they have no correct answer. I do believe in God, but I do not know why except for a feeling inside which may be inborn or the result of my environment. David Hume’s philosophies are based upon trusting one’s feelings as is evidenced by his reliance on poets instead of scientists. I think I will also go with my feelings on this issue. God does exist but humans may never have the capacity to understand the Hows and Whys.

My Brother Cried :: Personal Narrative Death Papers

My Brother Cried I stand there shivering as tears stream down my face and roll onto my coat. I cannot believe she is really gone-- she was only four months old. It is not fair to take her away from her family; she was only a baby. I listen as the bishop and the priest try to comfort our pain, but somehow they make it more of a grievous reality-- Stephanie is really gone. When the bishop finishes blessing the grave, I hear the echos of Stephanie's anguished mother, "Don't take my baby away, I love her!" I ponder her words as they ring in my head; it makes me think, "Did I really love her?" I know I did, but at first I tried not to. I cry because of my heartlessness; Stephanie only needed love and attention while she existed on earth. As I watch her mother weep, I condemn myself-- a terrible aunt. Despite my crude heart, I soon realize that Stephanie touched all of our lives, not just mine, in some way or another. Stephanie Becomes Extremely Sick Stephanie Christine Schank was born on a quiet, rainy Sunday in October. Immediately after church, my older brother Chris and I traveled over thirty miles north from Silver Spring, Maryland to Gaithersburg to see our newborn niece. Despite the familiar picturesque autumn scenery, we drove on Interstate 270 in dismal silence. We heard something might have gone wrong during the birth. Chris and I did not know what to expect. Upon arrival at Shady Grove Hospital, a nurse guided us to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. A million troubling thoughts raced through my mind. Could something possibly be wrong with the baby? No way! That would never happen to a righteous Mormon family. Why would God give a honorable family an affliction as serious as this? I never expected anything unfortunate to happen to my family or me, and especially not to my brother and his wife. I thought about Marisel, Stephanie's mother: perhaps she had a hard birth and the doctors needed specialists. I rationalized an y possible problem and convinced myself that everything was fine. Chris and I sat in painful silence as we waited patiently for someone to come answer our many questions. Finally, Mike, my oldest brother, and his home teacher strolled down the hallway. I assumed that Mike had taken him back to see Stephanie and Marisel.

Social Security Coverage- Tanzania

SOCIAL SECURITY POLICY – GLOSSARY . ILO Minimum Standards. International Labour Organisation set an instrument which was adopted at its 35th session in June 1952, popularly known as ‘Social Security (minimum Standards) Convention No. 102. Itemised number of contingencies and benefits required in the minimum standards convention include’ Old Age, Invalidity, Survivorship, Employment Injury, maternity, medical Care, sickness, Unemployment and Death. Indexation of Benefits: It is an adjustment of pensions and other cash benefits to take account of price movements and protection against inflation to the beneficiaries.Indexes may include prevailing statutory minimum wages, yearly average earnings of the contributors e. t. c. Portability of Benefits: This is a system which ensures that members accrued benefits are not lost by a member changing employer, changing employment from one sector to another or by migrating from one country to another. The system ensures continu ity of benefit rights accrued. Means-tested Basis: It is the basis of provision and adjustment of social assistance benefits by the government depending on a person’s means of living.The most considered group of people for the provision of social assistance benefits by meanstesting include, elderly, sick, invalids (disabled), survivors, unemployed. Normally these groups of people fall out of contributory schemes. In other words assistance is provided to citizens according to their inability to meet basic needs for survival, or defending themselves against natural calamities. Three- Tier System: According to ILO framework, Three Tier system is an arrangement/system designed to cater for different needs of protection for different categories of people depending on their level of incomes.Tier one, which is financed by the government, caters for those who are not able to purchase social security services e. g. sick, disabled, elderly e. t. c. Tier two caters for those who can con tribute and is compulsory and supervised by the government. Tier three caters for those who can afford to supplement their Tier two security by purchasing commercial insurance benefits. Tier three is voluntary and privately managed. Three-Tier system is designed to reduce the government expenditure on social assistance/security programs through expansion of coverage of Tier Two and Three. . 3. 4. 5. iii 6. Actuarial Valuation: It is the process which involves assessing the current level of funding of the scheme by comparing scheme assets with liabilities accrued to the date of valuation and to determine the level of contributions that need to be paid in future to achieve the level of funding necessary to pay out the benefits promised. Actuarial reviews are conducted in intermediate periods to ensure that the fund is sustainable and this is reflected in the projections are of a long time frame e. . 25 years. 7. Social Insurance Principles: Is a social security administration where th e resources are pooled together for meeting various contingencies, every one is included regardless of the level or risk exposure and the motive is social protection as opposed to profit maximization. Defined Contribution v/s Defined Benefits: Defined contribution is a situation where benefits from a social security is not known, but depends on the contributions to be made and interests rates obtainable.Defined benefits is a situation where benefits to be obtained are known well in advance regardless of the contributions to be made, provided that the members meets prescribed minimum conditions. Defined contributions are associated with provident fund schemes, while defined benefits are associated with social insurance schemes. 8. iv FOREWORD The socio-economic and political changes, which are taking place in Tanzania, have prompted the formulation of the National Social Security Policy in order to address such changes for the benefit of its citizens and to ensure that sectoral progr ammes and activities are well coordinated.The formulation of the National Social Security Policy came at a time when Social Security Providers are reorganizing their activities to respond to the market demand as related to free market economy. Since independence to-date, some few institutions have been enjoying monopolistic status of providing social security services in the country. However under this policy social security sector will be liberalized. The National Social Security policy is a product of a series of consultations with stakeholders which started in year 2001. The policy was adopted by the government early in year 2003.The aim of this policy is to realize the goals and objectives set out in the vision 2025 by extending social security services to the majority of the Tanzanians. The structure of the Policy document provides background information of social security, status and challenges of the sector in Tanzania, and the rationale for its formulation. There are also ch apters that provide policy issues and statements, institutional frame- work and responsibilities during its implementation. With great pleasure I would like to welcome the social security policy for the development of our country. Hon. Prof. J. A.Kapuya (MP) Minister for Labour, Youth Development and Sports v CHAPTER 1 1. 0 1. 1 INTRODUCTION Background Every human being is vulnerable to risks and uncertainties with respect to income as a means of life sustenance. To contain these risks, everyone needs some form of social security guaranteed by the family, community and the society as a whole. Such socioeconomic risks and uncertainties in human life form the basis for the need of social security. Social security is rooted in the need for solidarity and risk pooling by the society given that no individual can guarantee his or her own security.Formal social security system in Africa and other developing countries is a product of colonialism. In Tanzania during the colonial era, social security coverage was extended to the few people who were in the colonial employment. Most of the people were excluded from any type of public social security scheme. The majority of the Tanzanian people depended upon the traditional social security system for their protection, which is still the case to date, though effects of urbanization and difficult economic environment have weakened the same.After independence, the Government of Tanzania introduced a series of policies and measures to reverse the situation that prevailed during the colonial era. The measures included access to free education and healthcare, provision of social welfare services to marginalized groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities and children in difficult circumstances, as well as establishment of statutory social security schemes.However, tax financed social services have proved to be unsustainable as evidenced by introduction of cost sharing in sectors such as education and health. 1 1. 2 The Concept of Social Security Social security means any kind of collective measures or activities designed to ensure that members of society meet their basic needs and are protected from the contingencies to enable them maintain a standard of living consistent with social norms.The social security concept has been changing with time from the traditional ways of security to modern ones. As societies became more industrialized as a result of industrial revolution in the 19th century and more people became dependent upon wage employment, it was no longer possible to rely upon the traditional system of social security. The negative impact of industrialization and urbanization attracted the attention of policy makers to formalize social security system that addressed the emerged social issues.Social security is defined in its broadest meaning by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as: â€Å"The protection measures which society provides for its members, through a series of public m easures against economic and social distress that would otherwise be caused by the stoppages or substantial reduction of earnings resulting from sickness, maternity, employment injury, unemployment, disability, old age, death, the provision of medical care subsidies for families with children. The ILO framework of social security is based on a three-tier structure, which seeks to utilize various funding sources for provision of better protection to the country’s population. This structure also seeks to address needs of different groups in the 2 society with respect to income and degree of vulnerability. The structure consists of the following: a) Tier One – Social Assistance Schemes This constitutes provision of services such as primary health; primary education, water, food security and other services on a means tested basis.These services are usually financed by the government and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs. b) Tier Two – Mandatory Schemes These are usually compulsory and contributory schemes financed by both employer and employee during the working life for terminal and short-term benefits. c) Tier Three – Voluntary or Supplementary Schemes The schemes under this tier include personal savings, co-operative and credit societies, occupational pensions schemes and private schemes; managed by employers, professional bodies, communitybased organizations and other private sector actors. CHAPTER II 2. O SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM IN TANZANIA 2. 1 Objectives of the Social Security Services Social security in Tanzania covers a wider variety of public and private measures meant to provide benefits in the event of the individuals’ earning power permanently ceasing, being interrupted, never developing, being unable to avoid poverty, or being exercised only at an acceptable social costs. The major domains of social security are: poverty prevention, poverty alleviation, social compensation and income distri bution.Many issues relating to social security are sensitive, as they touch on the material interests of organized workers and the unorganized poor as well as insurance industry and employer organizations. The social security system in Tanzania has the following key elements:†¢ Social assistance schemes which are non-contributory and income-tested, and provided by the state to groups such as people with disabilities, elderly people and unsupported parents and children who are unable to provide for their own minimum needs.In Tanzania social assistance also covers social relief, which is a short term measure to tide people over a particular individual or community crisis; †¢ Mandatory schemes, where people contribute through the employers to pension or provident funds, employers also contribute to these funds; 4 †¢ Private savings, where people voluntarily save for retirement, working capital and insure themselves against events such as disability and loss of income and meet other social needs. Despite the existence of this framework, service delivery has not reached the majority of Tanzanians due to inadequate financing and fragmented institutional arrangements.The estimated total population of Tanzania is 33. 5 million1. Out of this, 70 per cent are in the rural areas, while the rest are in urban areas. The total labour force of Tanzania is estimated at 16 million, where 5. 4% of the total labour force or 2. 7% of the total population is covered by the mandatory formal social security system. 93 per cent of the capable workforce is engaged in the informal sector in both rural and urban areas; out of that 80 per cent is in engaged in the agrarian economy2. 2. Informal Social Security System Tanzania, like many other countries in the developing world has had strong informal and traditional social security systems built on family and/or community support.In times of contingencies such as famine, diseases, and old age; individuals have depended on f amily, clan members and members of the community for assistance in the form of cash or in kind. While it is recognized that over time, traditional social security system has tended to decay and change forms in response to the forces of urbanization and industrialization, there is evidence that in Tanzania family and 2 National Bureau of Statistics, 2001 National Labourforce Survey, 1999 5 community social support system have remained as means of social security within different social groups. Overtime, socio-economic reforms have slowly resulted into disintegration of the family-based social security protection leading to the formation of self-help groupings such as UPATU, UMASIDA and VIBINDO. 2. 3 Formal Social Security System Formal social security is a regulated mechanism of protecting citizens against social contingencies.This system has existed in Tanzania well before independence; whereby various policy statements have been made and Acts passed in regard to the protection of t he population against contingencies like injury, loss of employment and old age. These include the Master and Native Ordinance Cap 78 as amended by Cap. 371, Provident Fund (Government Employees) Ordinance Cap 51, Provident Fund (Local Authorities) Ordinance Cap. 53 and the Workmen’s Compensation Ordinance Cap 262. After independence new legislations were enacted and others amended.These include the Severance Allowance Act No. 57 of 1962; the National Provident Fund Act No. 36 of 1964 amended by Act. No. 2 of 1975 which was later repealed and replaced by the National Social Security Fund Act No. 28 of 1997; the Parastatal Pensions Act No. 14 of 1978, the Public Service Retirement Benefits Act of 1999, the National Health Insurance Fund Act No. 8 of 1999 and Local Authorities Provident Fund Act. No. 6 of 2000. 6 Currently, there are five major formal institutions that provide social security protection in Tanzania.These are the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) offering soc ial security coverage to employees of private sector and non-pensionable parastatal and government employees, the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) providing social security protection to employees of central Government under pensionable terms, Parastatal Pension Fund (PPF) offering social security coverage to employees of the both private and parastatal organizations, the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPF) offering social security coverage to employees of the Local Government and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) offering health insurance coverage to pensionable employees of central government.The formal social security total coverage in Tanzania is about 871,000 members distributed as 363,000 for NSSF, 193,000 for PSPF, 180,000 for NHIF, 90,000 for PPF and 45,000 for LAPF. This represents about 85% of the persons employed in the formal employment sector. 2. 4 The Impact of Social Security System in Tanzania Efforts by the government to provide social security protect ion in the country have brought about significant development. However, due to the absence of an elaborate social security policy to guide effective functioning of the industry, there are some structural, operational and policy weaknesses inherent in the social security system. a) i) Achievements Investment of Social Security Funds 7Social security institutions in Tanzania have been investing in portfolios such as commercial loans, real estate, government securities, Loanable funds, bank deposits and equities; all of which have contributed to social and macro-economic development of the country. ii) Awareness on Social Security Matters There has been an increase in the level of public awareness on the social security system in respect of benefits offered, coverage, investments and general operations of the sector. iii) Organized Self-help Groups Informal social security scheme in the form of self-help groups has been more organized than before. (b) Shortcomings in the Current Social Security System The existing social security system in Tanzania is characterised by a number of shortcomings, which need to be addressed by this policy.Among these shortcomings are: – i) Limited Coverage Persons covered by the social security schemes are those who are employed in the formal sector estimated at 1. 0 million. This is only about 5. 4% of the whole labour force of over 16 million Tanzanians. This means the remaining 15 million labour force, engaged in informal sector and comparatively more vulnerable are not covered by the formal social security protection. ii) Inadequacy of Benefits Paid (Number and Meaningfulness) 8 The number of benefits offered by most of the existing schemes fall below the ILO Minimum Standards in terms of number, quality and indexation to the current levels of earnings. ii) Fragmentation and Lack of Co-ordination The social security sector lacks co-ordination at national level as each Fund reports to a different Ministry with differing ope rational rules and procedures. As a result, contribution rates, benefit structures, qualifying conditions as well as plans and priorities differ form one institution to another. iv) Lack of Mechanism for Portability of Benefit Rights There is no established mechanism that can allow benefit rights of a member to be transferred from one scheme to another. This results in employees losing some of their benefit rights when they move from one sector to another. v) Social Security Benefits In some of the Tanzania’s social security schemes, members’ benefits are not rights but privileges.Normally, members loose some of their benefits if they leave employment before attainment of their pensionable ages. nature of termination. vi) Conflicts in the Existing Legislations Establishing legislations of the current social security institutions have provisions that conflict in terms of operations. In other circumstances, members’ benefit rights are determined by the employers d epending on the 9 vii) Non-contributory Social Security Benefits Currently, there is a segment of salaried workers who are getting social security benefits fully financed through tax revenues; this is a strain to the Government budget. viii) Liberalization There has been a monopoly in the operation of social security institutions in the country. ix)Investment of Social Security Funds There has been inadequate guidance on investment of social security fund at national level 2. 5 i) Challenges In The Social Security System Weakening of Informal Social Protection System Socio-economic developments taking place in Tanzania have resulted into a slow but steady disintegration of the kinship or family-based social support systems on which the majority of Tanzanians have depended for protection against contingencies. Economic hardships have made it difficult for individuals, families and/or kin members to provide assistance to each other in time of crisis and need. The high rate of urbanisa tion has also taken its toll on traditional social protection systems.There has been increasing fragmentation with families becoming more dispersed thereby eroding the capacity of extended families to function as social safety nets. ii) Limited Growth of the Formal Employment 10 Public sector reforms have resulted into retrenchment of workers, freezing employment in the public sector and privatisation of public enterprises. These have led to increased unemployment, which in turn has forced more people to resort to employment in the urban informal sector where earnings are often inadequate and/or uncertain. There is however a limited growth in employment in the private sector. iii) Reduced Access to Social Services Despite the deliberate measures by the government to improve provision of ocial services to the public, considerable part of the population has either limited or no access to services. In some instances, cost sharing in the provision of social services has reduced the capa city of the people to access the services. iv) Low levels of incomeIncomes for the majority of the people in Tanzania are generally inadequate to meet their basic requirements and save for future use. v) Declaration of Low Insurable Earnings Some employers provide remunerations composed of basic salaries and allowances, while deductions for social security are based on basic salaries only, leading to lower benefits from social security institutions upon retirement. 2. Rationale For A Social Security Policy The existing social security system has many shortcomings that include low coverage of the Tanzanian Society, fragmentation of 11 legislation, lack of regulatory framework, lack of a mechanism for portability of benefits and inadequacy of benefits provided. Therefore, the need for a well-articulated national social security policy is more eminent now than ever. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for having a comprehensive national social security policy that shall address t he needs of employed people in the formal sector, self employed population in the informal sector, the elderly, people with disabilities and children in need of special protection.Therefore the social security policy is expected to: Widen the scope and coverage of social security services to all the citizens; Harmonize social security schemes in the country so as to eliminate fragmentation and rationalize contribution rates and benefit structures; Reduce poverty through improved quality and quantity of benefits offered; Institute a mechanism for good governance and sustainability of social security institutions through establishment of a regulatory body; Establish a social security structure that is consistent with the ILO standards but with due regard to the socio-economic situation in the country; and Ensure more transparency and involvement of social partners in the decision making with respect to social security institutions 12 CHAPTER THREE 3. POLICY ISSUES AND STATEMENTS The g eneral objective of the policy is to ensure that every citizen is protected against economic and social distress resulting from substantial loss in income due to various contingencies. Underlying the above–mentioned general objective, this policy shall therefore address the following specific issues: 3. 1 Policy Issue: The Structure of Social Security Sector Different social groups face different contingencies, hence calling for varied types of protection. Provision of comprehensive social security services should follow a structure that recognises different levels of needs, utilises different funding sources and reflects roles of various stakeholders.Policy Statement: Provision of social security services in the country shall be structured as follows: a) Social Assistance Programmes The Government shall enhance the capacity to attend to the social assistance programmes that constitute services such as primary health; primary education, water, food security and social welfare services to vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, the elderly and children in difficult circumstances on a means tested basis. Moreover, the government shall create an enabling environment for other institutions such as Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), charitable organisations, families and mutual assistance groups to supplement the government’s effort in the provision of such services. 13 b)Mandatory Schemes Mandatory social security institutions that shall operate under the social insurance principles in accordance with minimum acceptable standards and benchmarks. c) Supplementary Schemes Supplementary schemes shall be established to cater for different social services like health, pensions and other types of insurance over and above those provided by mandatory and social assistance programmes. These schemes shall be run by employers, bodies private and companies, professional community-based organisations (CBOs). 3. 2 Policy Issue: Coverage The existin g mandatory social security schemes currently cover only 5. 4 % of the labour force estimated at 16. 0 million.The larger part of the labour force engaged in the informal sector that includes smallholder agriculture, small-scale mining, fishing, and petty businesses are inadequately covered by self-help initiatives. Moreover, accessibility to the social welfare services by the disadvantaged groups is limited; hence the majority of the people are not covered by the formal social security schemes. Policy Statements: a) Social Welfare Service shall be improved and extended to enhance accessibility to disadvantaged groups including people with disabilities, the elderly and children in difficult circumstances. b) A legal framework shall provide for all employees in the formal sector and devise means of extending coverage to the informal sector such as agricultural, 14 ining, fishing and small businesses. c) There shall be an act to support the formation of mutual assistance initiatives b y the NGOs, CBOs and other groups operating at community level. d) Employers, financial institutions, professional associations, insurance companies, social security institutions and other organisations shall be enabled to establish supplementary schemes to provide social security benefits over and above those provided by mandatory and social assistance programmes. 3. 3 Policy Issue: Social Security as a Right According to Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10th December 1948; social protection is a rights issue.Likewise, Article 11(1) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania stipulates that:â€Å"The state authority shall make appropriate provisions for the realisation of a person’s right to work, to self education and social welfare at times of old age, sickness or disability and in other cases of incapacity†¦.. †3 In view of such provision there is still inadequate coverage of social security services to the Tanzanian Socie ty. Policy Statement Efforts shall be made to enhance awareness and 3 United Republic of Tanzania (1998) â€Å"The Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977† 15 sensitisation of the society regarding the important and provision of social security services as a right.3. Policy Issue: Inadequacy of Benefits offered The number and quality of benefits offered by most of the existing social security funds are not adequate to meet the basic needs of beneficiaries; in terms of the number of benefits, magnitude and indexation to the current levels of earnings. Policy Statement: Social security schemes shall have a standard minimum number of benefits offered and indexed to the current levels of earnings of contributors. 3. 5 Policy Issue: Portability of Social Security Benefits Benefit rights are not portable when a member moves from one scheme to another due to differing legislations, operational rules and procedures. As a result members loose some of their benefit righ ts just by moving from one scheme to another. Policy Statement There shall be regulated mechanisms established to enable portability of benefit rights when a member moves from one scheme to another. 3. 6Policy Issue: Lack of Co-ordination 16 The current social security institutions are placed under different Ministries with different rules and procedures, as a result there is a conflict in the administration of social security matters. Policy Statement: The social security sector shall be coordinated by the Ministry responsible for social security matters. 3. 7 Policy Issue: Reciprocal Agreements for Transfer of Benefits Labour mobility across nations has become a common phenomenon due to globalisation and foreign investment, there by require people work and live in different countries; and hence find themselves contributing to various social security institutions.Lack of a mechanism for transfer of benefit rights across nations may result into some members loosing their rights or b eing unable to qualify for better benefits. Policy Statement: Legal mechanisms shall be developed to provide for reciprocal agreements with other countries for transfer of social security benefits across nations. 3. 8 Policy Issue: Partial Withdrawal of Benefits Social security schemes do not provide for pre-mature withdrawals of benefits by members before attainment of the pensionable age. However, due to unstable employment environment, low level of income of most of the workers and little awareness on social security matters, members have a tendency of demanding total 17 withdrawal of benefits upon termination of employment before the attainment of pensionable age.Policy Statement: Legal mechanisms shall be developed to allow for withdrawal of part of the accumulated benefits; while the balance shall remain for long-term benefits on premature termination of their employment. 3. 9 Policy Issue: Financing of Social Security Services The Government has the responsibility of providin g social security services to its citizens. However, due to limited resources the Government still provides limited services for salaried employees and individuals who can afford to contribute for the services. Policy Statements: (a) Services under Social Assistance Programs shall be offered on a means-tested basis and financed by the general tax revenue and other grants. b) Mechanisms shall be established to ensure that all salaried employees and individuals, who can afford to contribute to the mandatory schemes, do so to ensure enhancement of benefits.3. 10 Policy Issue: Guaranteeing of Mandatory Schemes The Government has the responsibility to guarantee members’ benefits in the event the established mandatory social security 18 schemes become insolvent. So far there is no concrete commitment by the Government to instil contributors confidence in their membership Policy Statement: (a) (b) The Government shall continue to guarantee members’ benefits in the established mandatory schemes. The Government shall ensure that Social Security Schemes are managed efficiently. 3. 1 Policy Issue: Taxation on Contributions, Investment Income and Benefits Contributions and income accrued from investment by social security institutions are being taxed thus weakening the capacity of the schemes to offer quality benefit to members. Policy Statement: The government shall continue to review tax policies to ensure contributions, benefits and income from investments to enable mandatory schemes offer meaningful benefits to members. 3. 12 Policy Issue: Investment of Social Security Funds Investment of social security funds is an inseparable function of social security institutions. Sustainability of the schemes and improvement of benefits depend on investment income.Social security funds have often been directed to areas where there is no stimulation of economic growth. There are no clear-cut guidelines directing investments of social security funds at the national l evel. 19 Policy Statement: Guide lines will be developed based on principles of safety yield and liquidity. 3. 13 Policy Issue: Good Governance Good governance is the key to smooth functioning and efficiency in all social security schemes, as they are entrusted to manage funds on behalf of the contributors. There has been poor governance in social security services. Policy Statement There shall be guidelines to ensure that all social security schemes are transparent and accountable to the members and the public at large.3. 4 Policy Issue: Legal Framework and Minimum Standards There is fragmentation of social security system in the country with respect to different legislations and design of the schemes. These schemes also lack minimum standards to guide their operations. Policy Statement: There shall be an act to govern and standardize operations of the social security sector. The law shall also provide for the establishment of a regulatory body that shall ensure smooth and efficien t operations of the sector. 20 3. 15 Policy Issue: Liberalization of the Social Security Sector The current trend in the country is to liberalize various sectors in the economy. However, the current social sector is based on organization/institution monopoly in its operation.Policy Statements: Social security institutions shall operate in a regulated liberalized market as follows:While the existing Social mandatory Security social Services security under institutions shall operate and compete among themselves supplementary schemes shall be fully liberalized. 21 CHAPTER IV 4. 0 ROLES OF STAKEHOLDERS The different stakeholders shall have the following roles to play in the social security sector:4. 1 The Government †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 4. 2 Coverage of the social assistance programmes Put an enabling environment for smooth operations of the social security To institute regulatory and legal framework Supervision of the sector. Guarantor of mandatory schemesSocial Secu rity Institutions †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Offering quality benefits and services Good governance of the schemes Involvement of Stakeholders Widen coverage Awareness creation and sensitisation 4. 3 Employers †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Registration of employees Timely and accurate remittance of contributions Awareness creation and sensitisation Adherence to safety and occupational health rules 4. 4 Workers’ Unions †¢ †¢ †¢ Representation of workers’ interests in the social security Awareness creation and sensitisation Support the social security industry. 22 sector 4. 5 NGOs/CBOs †¢ Complement efforts by the Government in the provision of social †¢ assistance programmes and establishment of supplementary schemes Awareness creation to the public 4. 6 Communities †¢ †¢ Responsiveness to the needs of the vulnerable persons Maintain self-help traditions 23