Intergroup Relations.Group behavior in organizations Essay

Intergroup Relations Introduction                   Organizations are made of individual employees who are grouped using different criteria for the achievement of certain goals and objectives. Groups can be formed in terms of departments, related tasks or shared goals. Intergroup relations occur since the groups have different functions but, they all serve the interest of the same organization(Robbins, 2014). Therefore, this leads to two types of relations; namely, intergroup conflict and intergroup competition. The two are distinct terms with different meanings and firms are capitalizing on strategies that yield positive outcomes out of this relations.                   Intergroup conflicts is the differences and disagreements that rises among groups in a given organization. According to Losh (2011),conflict is considered harmful to the effective working relations in a company. However, intergroup conflict is categorized into functional conflict and dysfunctional conflict. Functional conflict is regarded healthy when it occurs between two or more group. Example of intergroup conflict is a department fighting to have most of the company’s resources at the expense of jeopardizing the functionality of others                   On the other hand, intergroup competition is of a positive perspective in organizations. It is where the various groups fight to outdo each other in terms of performance and input to the realization of the corporate goals. Intergroup competition is catalyzed by awarding best groups or departments, financial incentives, and acknowledgment for their effort(Losh, 2011). A good example of intergroup competition is departments competing to be named as the most accountable for resources assigned to them.                   Management of organization needs to take advantage of conflicts and competition among groups by applying necessary strategies that will give positive outcomes. One of the strategies is ensuring efficient communication channels within the company to ensure equal access to information by all the groups(Robbins, 2014). Another strategy is providing a clear definition of role and responsibilities for each group to avoid a clash of roles. Equal resource allocation among the different groups is also an important strategy for limiting conflicts and enhancing positive competition between groups. References Losh, S. (2011). Group behavior in organizations. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education. Robbins, S. (2014). Organizational Behavior(Group Dynamics in the Modern Corporate World). New York: Prentice Hall. Source document

Marketing Strategies of Godrej

Godrej Marketing strategies of Godrej UNIT-1 INTRODUCTION Marketing is defined by American Marketing Association [AMA] as â€Å"the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. † Broadly â€Å"marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and organizations obtain what they want through creating and exchanging value with others. † Marketing has always been one of the most important and decisive tool in determining the sales and success of a particular company. Marketing does not only include advertising and publicizing about a particular product or service, but also means keeping up with the changing trends in the market and customer tastes and preferences. Thus, it includes the 4 P’s of marketing namely PRODUCT, PRICING, PROMOTION and PLACE (DISTRIBUTION). This project is based on the marketing strategies adopted by Godrej Company with reference to Godrej Interio & Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL). Godrej Interio is the largest company in the Rs 3000 crore organized furniture market. It has been upgrading its products to match the consumer’s tastes and preferences. GCPL became the first company in the world to develop the technology to manufacture soap with vegetable oils; that spirit of innovation has continued throughout the organization's history. Today Godrej is delivering consumers exciting innovations across a spectrum of businesses. Objectives and scope a) To study the marketing strategies of Godrej Interio & Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. b) To study the expansion of Godrej group by adopting the diversification strategy. c) To study the 4 P’s of marketing in relation to the steps taken by Godrej. Product: new product lines introduced and diversification of products. ? Price: kind of pricing adopted and comparison with other manufacturers. ? Place: manufacturing plants, wholesalers, retail outlets. ? Promotion: promotion and advertising of the products of the group. d) To conduct a SWOT analysis to list out the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the group. e) To study the profitability of various products of the grou p. f) To compare and analyze the products of the group with the major competitors in the market segment. The performance of any company in an industry is dependent on various micro and macro environmental factors, this projects extends to the marketing aspects of the group, the profitability of various products manufactured by the group, the various strategic alternatives adopted by the group since its inception to increase their market share. Methodology 1) The data collected for the study of marketing strategies of Godrej & Boyce group is largely secondary data which will be taken with the help of Google search engine, websites related to the products of the group, text books, magazines and newspapers. ) The help of Godrej outlets and marketing team members of the group will be taken to understand the strategies of the company. 3) Various tables, graphs, matrix and ratios will be used to analyze the profitability, growth and market share of the company. Limitations a) The study is only related to a particular company in the industry. b) The information to be used in this project is se condary as it will be taken from newspapers, internet and magazines. The ratios, graphs and tables are based on my observations and do not refer to the views of experts in the industry in general. Hence, there may be chances of discrepancies in the observations. c) The prices of various products to be mentioned are subject fluctuation depending on the sales, discounts, state and period. UNIT-2 INDUSTRY PROFILE Furniture and Interiors Industry in India The furniture industry in India is estimated to be worth Euro 5 Billion. Within this, the wooden furniture accounts for Euro 750 million. Of this the imported furniture market is currently worth Euro 75 million and is growing at 50 – 60% each year. The furniture sector in India only makes a marginal contribution to the GDP, representing about 0. 5 per cent of the total GDP. The major part of this industry is in the informal sector that is, about 85%. The remaining 15% is in the formal sector and is made up of manufactures and importers catering to the various segment of the industry. Some of the major segments in furniture industry are Residential, Office, Contract and Institutional. There are other segments also based on the application (Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, etc. or on the raw material (wooden, plastic, metal, bamboo, etc). These industry segments includes big payers from the formal sector such as Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. , BP Ergo, Featherlite, Haworth, Style Spa, Yantra, Renaissance, Millenium Lifestyles, Durian, Kian, Tangent, Furniture Concepts, Furniturewala, Zuari, Truzo, N R Jasani & Company, V3 Engineers, PSL Modular Furniture, etc. According to one market survey home improvements (38%) and leisure holidays (37%) as the two pursuits Indian consumers are willing to indulge in. Many of the world's leading home fashion brands are available in India through domestic retail outlets. Interior decorating is a burgeoning industry in India. Though formerly seen as a facet of architecture, the growing middle class has caused an increased demand for custom-designed decor and furnishings. This extends from residential design to other sectors, such as public offices and retail centers. As of 2010, India is faced with the challenge of introducing new interior design education options that will not only increase the number of professional esigners in the country, but also set guidelines for practicing environmentally and socially responsible design. The major competitors of Godrej Interio are †¢ Zuari †¢ Alder †¢ Greaken †¢ Durien †¢ Vista INDUSTRY PROFILE OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS IN INDIA FMCG industry,  alternatively called as CPG (Consumer packaged goods) industry primarily deals with the production, distribution and marketing of consumer packa ged goods. The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) is those consumables which are normally consumed by the consumers at a regular interval. Some of the prime activities of FMCG industry are selling, marketing, financing, purchasing, etc. The industry also engaged in operations, supply chain, production and general management. FMCG industry  provides a wide range of consumables and accordingly the amount of money circulated against FMCG products is also very high. The competition among FMCG manufacturers is also growing and as a result of this, investment in FMCG industry is also increasing, specifically in India, where FMCG industry is regarded as the fourth largest sector with total market size of US$13. billion. FMCG Sector in India is estimated to grow 60% by 2010. FMCG industry is regarded as the largest sector in New Zealand which accounts for 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Common FMCG products Some common FMCG product categories include food and dairy products, glassware, paper products, pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, packaged food products, plastic goods, printing and stationery, household products, photography, drinks etc. and some of the examples of FMCG products are coffee, tea, dry cells, greeting cards, gifts, detergents, tobacco and igarettes, watches, soaps etc. Market potentiality of FMCG industry Some of the merits of FMCG industry, which made this industry as a potential one, are low operational cost, strong distribution networks, presence of renowned FMCG companies. Population growth is another factor which is responsible behind the success of this industry. Leading FMCG companies Some of the well known FMCG companies are Sara Lee, Nestle, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Kleenex, General Mills, Pepsi and Mars etc. UNIT-3 Godrej profile The Godrej Group is one of the respected business houses of India. The group has diverse business interests ranging from engineering to personal care products. Companies operating under the Godrej Group are involved in a host of businesses – from locks and safes to typewriters and word processors, from refrigerators and furniture to machine tools and process equipment, from engineering workstations to cosmetics and detergents, from edible oils and chemicals to agro products. Godrej Group is also well-known for its philosophy and initiation of labour reforms. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd Godrej Consumer Products is a leading player in the Indian FMCG market with interests in personal, hair, household and fabric care segments. Godrej Consumer Products is the largest marketer of toilet soaps in the country with leading brands such as Cinthol, Fairglow, and Godrej No 1. The company is also leader in the hair colour category in India and offers a vast product such as Godrej Renew Coloursoft Liquid Hair Colours, Godrej Liquid & Powder Hair Dyes to Godrej Kesh Kala Oil, Nupur based Hair Dyes. Its liquid detergent brand Ezee is the market leader in its category. Godrej Interio Godrej Interio, the furniture arm of Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd is the largest company in the Rs 300 crore organized furniture market with a market share of 20%. It offers home and office furniture along with solutions for laboratories, hospitals and health care establishments and education and training institutes. In view of growing competition, Godrej & Boyce has been upgrading its products more often to keep up with consumer’s tastes and preferences History In 1897 a young man named Ardeshir  Godrej gave up law and turned to lock making. Its founder, Ardeshir Godrej, was a staunch nationalist and believed that India cannot win freedom unless it is economically self-reliant Ardeshir went on to make safes and security equipment of highest order, and in 1930 he stunned the world by creating toilet soap from vegetable oil. His brother Pirojsha Godrej carried Ardeshir's dream forward, leading  Godrej towards becoming  a  vibrant,  multi-business enterprise. Pirojsha  laid the foundation for the sprawling industrial garden township (ISO 14001-certified) now called Pirojshanagr in suburbs of Mumbai. In the 1944 Mumbai docks blast, Godrej safes were the only security equipment whose contents were unharmed; an equal level of product quality continues to be expected from every product bearing the Godrej brand name. Godrej management understands that the company’s greatest asset is the trust and faith that customers place in it, and recognizes that the company must continue to earn this trust. This translates to the organization delivering outstanding quality and value in everything it does. Godrej’s ethical and visionary practices have allowed the company to successfully expand into a number of businesses. COMPANY OUTLOOK: Started in 1897 as locks manufacturing company, the Godrej Group is today one of the most accomplished and diversified business houses in India. Godrej's success has been driven by the company's commitment to delivering innovation and excellence. Through the consistent application of this commitment and a century of ethical business conduct, Godrej has earned an unparalleled reputation for trust and reliability. In 1930, Godrej became the first company in the world to develop the technology to manufacture soap with vegetable oils; that spirit of innovation has continued throughout the organization's history. Today Godrej is delivering consumers exciting innovations across a spectrum of businesses. The company's pursuit of excellence is equally well established and enduring. In the 1944 Mumbai docks blast, Godrej safes were the only security equipment whose contents were unharmed; an equal level of product quality continues to be expected from every product bearing the Godrej brand name. Godrej management understands that the company's greatest asset is the trust and faith that consumers have reposed in it, and recognizes that the company must continue to earn this trust. This translates to the organization delivering outstanding quality and value in everything it does. Godrej's ethical and visionary practices have allowed the company to successfully expand Into a number of businesses. Today Godrej is a leading manufacturer of goods and provide of services in a multitude of categories: home appliances, consumer durables, consumer products, industrial products, and agri products to name a few. A recent estimate suggested that 350 million people across India use Godrej products. The group has more recently entered the real estate and information technology sectors, and management views these as avenues for enormous growth. The Godrej Group stands in a strong position today. With annual sales in excess of $1 billion, a workforce of approximately 18,000, and a strong diversified portfolio, Godrej has proven its ability to deliver strong financial performance. Board of Directors J. N. Godrej (Chairman and Managing  Director), A. B. Godrej, N. B. Godrej, V. M. Crishna, K. N. Petigara, B. A. Hathikhanavala, F. P. Sarkari, P. D. Lam, K. A. Palia and P. P. Shah Hierarchy Personal department comprises of four employees- one deputy and 3seniors under him. Over all there  are  19 plants make all different products like security systems, locks, doors, etc. Each of this plant is considered as a  separate  profit making center. Profits made by each of the plants are accounted  for  separately in its Annual report also. Management. Different levels of management are as follows: A  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Base  level  of  management In this level, new-entrants are trained about the various levels of the department’s  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Operation  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Promotion  of  product  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Technical  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Sales  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  This  level  consists  of  owners  and  M. D. Each of this level consists of three sub-sections, through which each employee has to pass to reach a higher  level. An employee, before moving into the next level, he has to  be in each sub section for  at least two years. Products and pricing of Godrej Interio Bedroom concept ? RoyaleLinea Matt ? ZurinaSquadro ? FionaLinea Glossy ? Adrianasquadron ? EROSFlutter ? MegnusChloey ? PeareMorpheus ? Dark chocolat Price Starts from Rs 450000 to 1200000 and more [pic] Living room concept ? Coffee tables ? Sofas ? Living Room concepts Price Price starts from Rs 280000 to 800000 and more. [pic] Cupboards ? Fanfasia ? Kreation ? Similire miror ZS Slimline with locker & drawer Price Price starts from Rs 1000 to 32000 for steel cupboards and Rs 25000 to 100000 for wooden cupboards [pic] Beds ? ESCAPeare Bed ? AristaVienna Bed ? OpelWilmer Bed ? Eudora BedRoyal Bed ? Megnus BedZurina Bed ? OscarEros Bed ? Thrill Hastel BedWindsor Bed ? Zeal Hastel BedFlute Bed Price Beds price starts from Rs 29000 to 210000 and more. [pic] Study Room ? Computer furniture ? Genius study centre †¢ ACE †¢ Genius study centers †¢ Talent Price Study room price starts from Rs 10000 to 70000 [pic] Dining room ? Dining rooms ? Dining chairs ? Multi purpose chairs ? Tables They also provide dining room concepts Price Dining room concept- Rs 180000 to Rs 300000 Dining table sets – Rs 17000 to 200000 [pic] Kitchen ? Accessories units ? Kitchen layouts ? Shade cards They also provide kitchen concepts Price Price depends on sq. feet of area [pic] Home Accessories ? Potpourri ? Candles and incense sticks ? Bean bags Price Price starts from Rs 2000 to 20000 [pic] Office ? Desking ? Work stations ? Seating ? Green product ? Storage Price Price depends on space [pic] Lab products ? Anti vibration tables ? Fume-woods ? Chem storage cabinets ? Safety equipment [pic] Mattress ? Coir mattress ? Latex Mattress ? Spring mattress ? Bed accessories Price Price of single mattress starts from Rs 8000 to 70000 and the price of double mattress starts from Rs 12000 to 80000 [pic] Carpets They provide various carpets in different colours [pic] Tactical pricing strategies used by Godrej Interio ? Differential pricing strategy ? Product bundle pricing ? Value pricing Targeted segmentation 1) Demographic a) Occupation 2) Psychographic b) Social class c) Lifestyle 3) Behavioral a) User status b) Purchase occasion c) Attitude towards product or service Distribution Channels They have 150 showrooms in 21 cities. They also have 800 dealer outlets. West ~ Mumbai, Ahemdabad, Pune, Bhopal, Raipur. East ~ Kolkata, Ranchi, Patna, Guwahahti, Bhubaneshwar. North ~ Delhi, Chandigarh, Faridabad-Gaziabad, Luknow, Jaipur. South ~ Kochi, Vizag, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore Godrej distributes its products from head quarters located at Piroishanager Vikhroli Mumbai Sales promotion ? Discounts and offers offered by Godrej interio for New Year. [pic] ? Exchange offer by Godrej [pic] Interio’s Green initiatives †¢ Use of natural lighting in plants saving upto 15% power. †¢ Recycling of water with reverse osmosis plant †¢ Effective utilization of in-process water. †¢ Sale of hazardous wastes only to â€Å"pollution control board† authorized parties. Community Development Godrej was one of the nation’s first corporate houses to initiate worker welfare programs. They support the Indian heritage society in Mumai. They also established schools at Udayachal. Godrej Interio partners with Anjaana Anjaani Godrej interio a well known name in home and office furniture and Godrej portal for online gaming, virtual reality and social networking both have entered into exciting associations with the movie Anjaana Anjaani. The two Godrej product offerings rewarded their lucky customers with a special meeting with the stars of the movie Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in Mumbai on 1st October 2010. Godrej consumer products Ltd Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL) is a major player in the Indian FMCG market with Leadership in personal, hair, household and fabric care segments. The company employs 950 people and has three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Malanpur (M. P. ) Guwahati (Assam) and Baddi (H. P. ). Their focus is on providing our customers with innovative, value for money solutions for meeting their daily needs and improving the quality of their life. This is achieved through the brands the company markets. They are among the largest marketer of toilet soaps in the country with leading brands such as CINTHOL, FAIRGLOW, and GODREJ NO 1. Their FAIRGLOW brand, India's first Fairness soap, has created marketing history as one of the most successful innovations. They are the leader in the hair colour category in India and have a vast product range from GODREJ RENEW COLOURSOFT LIQUID HAIR COLOURS; GODREJ LIQUID & POWDER HAIR DYES to GODREJ KESH KALA OIL, NUPUR based Hair Dyes. Their Liquid Detergent brand EZEE is the market leader in its category. They are also the preferred supplier for contract manufacturing of toilet soaps be some of the most well-known brands in the country. They are supported in our endeavour by a state-of-the-art Research Centre based in Mumbai. Their quality products have been received very well in the international market and they are present in more than — countries across the world. They are an Equal Opportunity Employer and offer very rewarding career opportunities to People who join them. They have adopted the Total Quality Management system and our factories have received ISO certifications. Established in 1990 by Brian Boyce and Vicki Dryden Wyatt, Keyline Brands Ltd was acquired by the Godrej Group in October 2005. Keyline operates in the toiletries and personal care sector, and its portfolio includes a number of important niche brands, some of which are household names such as Cuticura, Aapri, Erasmic and Nulon. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL) acquisition of the South African business of Rapidol, U. K. as well as its subsidiary Rapidol International gives the company ownership of strong ethnic hair colour brands like ‘INECTO’ and ‘SOFLENE’ in ten countries. It also gives GCPL an opportunity to enhance its global presence through the Modern Trade Network and the ownership of customer listings of the INECTO and SOFLENE brands. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL), one of India's leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies acquired Godrej Global Mideast FZE on October 1, 2007. [pic] Godrej Global Mideast FZE is a 100% subsidiary of Godrej International Limited. It was established in Sharjah with the objective of distributing Godrej FMCG products in the Middle East. It has a strong network of distributors and sales personnel in countries such as Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Godrej SCA Hygiene Limited is a Joint Venture Company between SCA Hygiene Products AB, Sweden, (SCA) and Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) It will manufacture and market paper based absorbent hygiene products, specifically sanitary napkins and baby diapers, in India, Nepal and Bhutan. SCA and Godrej Consumer Products Limited will be equal partners in the Joint Venture. FEW BRANDS REVIEW WITH PERFORMANCE Godrej renew: Renew cream hair colour is a breakthrough formulation from the Godrej Hair Care Institute, a centre dedicated to the art and science of hair care in India. The renew cream hair colour is specially designed to give vivid colours on Indian hair so that the new Renew conditions your hair, not once but twice. Thus you get twice the shine and softness. New Renew cream hair colour contains Aloe + Protein conditioners that protect and revitalize your hair while you colour it. The special after colour conditioner provides nourishment and moisture to your coloured hair, giving it a healthy shine. Renew transforms your hair and personality effortlessly. The rich, non-drip formulation is so easy to apply that it makes hair colouring a real pleasure. Renew spreads evenly on your hair to give a rich attractive colour all over that lasts for a long time. Renew cream hair colour is available in two sizes. 50ml priced at Rs. 65 (after a price discount of Rs. 15) and the new 20ml pack priced at a never before Rs. 35 (after a price discount of Rs. 5). The bigger pack is sufficient for colouring shoulder length hair and offers a range of attractive shades viz. Natural Black, Natural Brown, Burgundy, Light Brown, Light Golden Brown and CINNAMON RED (New shade). Renew 20ml is specially formulated for men and women with short hair. The new Renew 20ml pack is also ideal for touch ups. This means that you use and pay only for the quantity that you require. Now that’s a great colour at a great value. The 20ml pack is available in popular colours – Natural Black and Burgundy. About Godrej Hair Care Institute (GHCI) The Godrej Hair Care Institute is dedicated to the art and science of hair care. Set up by Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL), the leaders in the hair colouring business in India, GHCI’s key objectives are to; Promote the cause of hair care in India, Develop products to meet the unique needs of Indian consumers, Bring international quality products within easy reach of Indian consumers, Break attitude barriers, Change perceptions and create an Understanding in the consumer about hair care and Provide a knowledge base and hands-on experience to Indian professionals through world-class hair care educational programmes. Renew Highlights: Renew Highlights is a breakthrough formulation from the Godrej Hair Care Institute, a centre dedicated to the art and science of hair care in India. Renew Highlights is a specially formulated kit that can give vivid highlights on Indian hair so that it enhances your personality. It can also be used on previously coloured hair. The special after colour conditioner provides nourishment and moisture to your coloured hair, giving it a healthy shine. You can use it at home without the hassles of going to a salon. Renew Highlights transforms your hair and personality effortlessly. The rich, non-drip formulation is so easy to apply that it makes hair highlighting a real pleasure. Renew Highlights is available in 2 vibrant shades – Blonde and Red. The product is so versatile that you can get a range of shades from a dramatic look to a subtle look by varying the time. Thus you can easily get the look that you desire. You can vary the timings to get a range of shades from Luminous Copper to Vivid Gold through the Blonde Highlights kit and from Red Burgundy to Vivid Red Streaks through the Red Highlights Kit. Renew Highlights is available at an unbelievable price of Rs. 125. â€Å"From just wanting to camouflage grey hair, colouring has evolved to a fashion and grooming accessory. There is growing awareness and appeal of different techniques of enhancing hair. The launch of Renew Highlights now offers the convenience of highlighting one’s hair within the comforts of your home. Its attractive price point of Rs. 125 will allow consumers all over the country and from all socio-economic backgrounds to transform their hair and personality in a jiffy. † All Renew Hair color Products: Renew Powder Hair Colour †¢ Uses Water as its developer. †¢ Easy to apply and does not drip. †¢ Gives natural colour to hair from root to tip. †¢ Ensures 100% grey coverage [pic][pic][pic] Godrej No. 1 Godrej No. 1, the flagship brand of Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. , is now the largest selling Grade I Soap in India. Grade 1 is the highest quality standard laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Grade 1 soap is a soap which has a minimum TFM (Total Fatty Matter) content of 76% and also has the least number of additives, thus making it a pure soap. In a similar manner, depending on the TFM content and the level of additives present in the soap, they can be further classified as Grade 2, Grade 3 as well as Bathing Bars. Consumer Feedback: -â€Å"The name of my Godrej product is Godrej No. 1 Ayurvedic soap (healthy skin). By using this Soap i feel my skin starts to glow and I think it also helps in cleaning my skin complexion. Your Product is very good†¦. — Mohsina Khan (M. P. ) -â€Å"The True Natural Beauty† Godrej No. 1 soap available in six fragrances is a wonderful product by Godrej. The soap lasts longer. Many soaps from Sunlight to Lifebouy have come in market but Godrej No. 1 Sandal is a soap with difference. Congratulations to the R&D team of Godrej !!! — Ghanshyam Bahadur Singh (U. P. ) – Hi I have been using your Godrej No. 1 Sandal soap for some time now. I came to know the Goodness of this soap from my mother who has been using it for many years now. After constant use I have seen that your soap makes my skin soft and smooth. Thank u very much for discovering such a good product I will never stop using this soap. – David Majhi (Hooghly) -We lived in India for two years and its been a few years now since we left India. We miss India terribly. But the strangest thing is we miss your Godrej No. 1- Sandal soap the most. We feel your product Godrej No. 1- Sandal is the nicest soap we have ever tried. — Bonne Wagenaar (Netherlands) -I used your Godrej No. 1 Ayurvedic some for a month and felt the difference. I no more get pimples whe n I use this soap. Even my marks have reduced. I don’t think I will ever be able to stop using this soap. — Pushpa (Nagpur) – Godrej No. 1 is really No. in my opinion. I have been using it for a long time and I am highly satisfied with this soap because of its good quality and reasonable price. — Gaurav – Hi I have been using your No. 1 sandal soap for quite some time now. Its a beautiful soap and not so costly as all the other soaps in the sandal variant. This soap is real value for money. — Mayura (Mumbai) Godrej Expert hair dye Godrej powder hair dye, the flagship brand of GCPL and market leader in the hair of colourants has won the most trusted brand award, from reader’s digest in the colour category. About product: Godrej powder hair dye, is the world’s largest selling hair dye, trusted and used by millions everyday. With its decades of expertise and unparalleled understanding of Indian hair godrej expert now brings to you 5 experts benefits to get youthful looking hair. Expert’s benefits: Colour lock formulation: It ensures uniform color absorbtion in each strand of hair and gives you longer lasting 100% grey coverage. Shampoo based dye: It helps in convenient and easy application of color. This dye spreads evenly through your hair right to its root and leaves your hair soft, young and natural. No ammonia: It assures gentle and safe dying of your hair. Nourishing conditioner: It makes hair luxury, soft, silky and shiny. Perfume: It gives you pleasant fragrance. It is available in 2 convenient sizes- a 3gm sachet for men and 6gm sachet for women which is adequate for long hair. Facts: †¢ Every second 6 experts sachet are purchased in India . †¢ If all sachets GCPL s old in year 2007-08 are lined up , they would more than cover entire parameter of India . †¢ If all experts cartoons GCPL were to be stacked the height would 300 times of that Mt. Everest. Godrej researches spent decades in researching for hair color solutions to youthful looking hair. Researchers experienced understanding of the unique hair colouring needs of Indian men and women, they continuously strive to develop products and solutions that ensure youthful looking hair. It is their appreciation and trust that has propelled godrej expert to use by millions everyday. The expert offers consumers 5 benefits which ensures that your hair looks young and so that young at heart can also look young for longer. With its unique and innovative color lock formulation the color is absorbed uniformly in each and every strand of your hair thus ensuring a longer lasting 100% grey coverage. So godrej expert has unique solution to combat effectively and ensure 100% grey coverage. It is available in super convenient powder form with a wick presence in 22lakh outlets across the nation – so you can find right near you. When it comes to looking younger trust the expertise of godrej expert – expert solutions to younger looking you. Cinthol Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. major player in the Indian FMCG Market with leadership in the personal care, hair care and fabric care categories, today unleashed 24-hour Confidence with the launch of the new, improved and expanded Cinthol range of soap, talc and deo with Bollywood’s hottest hunk Hrithik Roshan as the new brand ambassador. Cinthol the popular and much-loved brand of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), now offers a Deo range of s oaps, talc and deo sprays in three exciting fragrances – Classic, Cologne and Sport in a trendy new packaging. It also offers Cinthol fresh soap and Cinthol Regular soap with new exciting packaging. The eye-catching and vibrant packaging symbolizes a sense of adventure, zest and action. Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and President (Marketing) Godrej Industries, said â€Å"The new Cinthol range is a result of research with consumers and stands for Confidence of Achievers who constantly strive to realize their aspirations without stopping. Cinthol give them 24-Hour Confidence and enables them to lead a â€Å"Don’t Stop Life†. Hrithik Roshan with his boundless energy and passion to excel was our obvious and most appropriate choice for Brand Ambassador. He exudes Confidence and doesn’t stop till he meets the high benchmarks he sets for himself. † Cinthol Brand Ambassador, Hrithik Roshan added, â€Å"It’s an honour for me to be associated with a brand like Cinthol which has such a strong legacy. As Cinthol is all about 24- Hour con fidence, energy and a ‘Don’t Stop' attitude it was very natural for me to associate with this brand. Its in perfect sync with my lifestyle & attitude† The new Cinthol range brings 24-Hour Confidence through Active Deo Formula, which controls body odor, Powerful Dry Shield that absorbs sweat, Ultra Scent Technology for long lasting fragrance and Freshness that revitalizes you 24Ãâ€"7. The New Cinthol range will be available across the country at modern retail and other outlets and will be supported by high-impact advertising on television, print, out-door, online and radio. In a significant move, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd is currently test-marketing ‘Cinthol Skin Stimulating Deo Soap’ in West Bengal and Gujarat. Depending on the consumer response, the company can going to plans a national roll-out of the new product in the near future. Godrej aim to provide consumers with their new technological breakthrough soap that has skin-stimulating beads producing essential oil. The company is also planning to beef up its distribution network by an additional 15 per cent—includes both urban and rural markets—within a year. At present, the company has around 2,000 distributors across the country. Researches revealed that the company are also planning to extend our on-going customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives called ‘Collaborative Planning, Forecasting And Replenishments (CPFAR) to additional distributors in the near future. Thus, they will reduce our inventory levels by 10 per cent. † They have also released an advertising campaign with a new tagline called ‘Get Ready’ to promote their existing product ‘Cinthol Lime Fresh’ in West Bengal and Gujarat. In the near future, they will be nationally rolling out an advertising campaign for this product as well. Cinthol Lime Fresh is the largest urban lime soap brand and its psychographic research has revealed a high correlation with the vitality segment. For the purpose, the company’s ad budget this year will grow by an additional 10 per cent, compared to the previous year. According to experts, at present, Cinthol operates in three categories and its contribution to topline is soaps 92 per cent, talcum powders 6 per cent, and deodorants two per cent. The size of the total soap market is 4. 2 lakh metric tonnes. †¢ Industry Scenario – FMCG sector growth continues to be satisfactory Strong GDP growth & good economic fundamentals – Vegetable oil prices high but show declining trend – Rupee weakened versus the USD †¢ The Company has one business segment in which it operates viz. Personal & Household Care OPERATIONS DOMESTIC BUSINESS Soaps †¢ Soap sales expanded by 26% to Rs. 183. 4 crore from Rs. 145. 3 crore during the quarter . †¢ GCPL continue s to be the second largest toilet soaps player with a market share of 9. 5% for Q2 FY20010-11 Hair Colorants †¢ Launched a new range of colours, in ammonia free powder and liquids, under the ‘Godrej Expert Hair colour’ brand Formulation incorporates colour balance technology which delivers a uniform shade to every strand of hair – Powder range is available in 4 shades –Gentle Black, Burgundy, Dark Brown and Natural Brown each priced at Rs. 10 per sachet – The liquid form is available in 3 shades – Gentle Black, Dark Brown and Natural Brown. †¢ This offers a quality colour brand at an affordable price †¢ Overall market share of the Company stood at 33. 7% for the quarter under review Liquid Detergents †¢ Launched a new range of detergent, Ezee Bright and Soft Product possess a unique Colour Guard Technology which protects the colours of the clothes – Available in 3 sizes – 500 g pack, 200 g pack and 18 g sache t Toiletries †¢ All offerings including the Cinthol range of talc and deo sprays and Godrej Deluxe shaving cream continue to deliver strong growth †¢ New range of Cinthol Deo Sprays launched in compact 75ml bottles. Category endorsed by popular Bollywood star and youth icon Hrithik Roshan Q2 Highlights Key initiatives during Q2 FY1011 †¢ Soaps – Market share for Q2 FY 10-11 is 9. 5 %. – Cinthol Deo Musk Soap Launched – Price Increase effected Hair Colours – Market share for Q2 FY 10-11 is 33. 7%. – Godrej Expert Hair Powder Hair Colour launched in 4 shades – Burgundy, Gentle black, Natural Brown & Dark Brown †¢ Liquid Detergents – Market share for Q2 FY 10-11 is 77. 1%. – Ezee Bright & Soft Liquid Detergent launched with Colour Guard Technology for non woolen clothes INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Godrej Netherlands B. V. (Consolidated) – Comprises performance of Godrej Netherlands BV, Godrej Consumer Product s (UK) Limited, Keyline Brands Limited, Inecto Limited & Inecto Manufacturing Limited) †¢ Revenue for the quarter was GBP 7. million compared to GBP 6. 4 million in the same quarter of the previous year . †¢ PAT for the quarter stood at GBP 0. 3 million in Q2 FY2008-09. †¢ The â€Å"Cuticura† Hand Hygiene range was relaunched, featuring new products such as Hand Foamer, Kids Foamer, Kids wipes and Crackling Mousse †¢ The hair color brand â€Å"Hint of Tint† was launched in Canada. †¢ Bio Oil achieved a â€Å"Signature Brand Status† in Boots – one of the highest rated qualifications for a product finding excellent consumer franchise. Rapidol Pty Ltd. †¢ Sales for the quarter were ZAR 21. 7 million as compared to ZAR 20. 50 million in the same quarter of the previous year . †¢ PAT for the quarter was ZAR 2. 6 million compared to ZAR 1. 3 million in Q2 FY2007-08 . †¢ Inecto† – Super Black, the largest sell ing hair color sub-brand in Rapidol portfolio launched its 30 Years Birthday celebrations promotions achieving a record growth in sales during the quarter. †¢ Launched two new colors under the â€Å"Inecto† Powder Hair Colors (PHC) range. The new colors Natural Brown and Auburn have been extremely successful. Kinky Group Proprietary Ltd. â€Å"Renew† Hair Colors marketed and distributed by Rapidol in South Africa for GCPL, has found excellent support Godrej Global Mideast FZE (GGME) †¢ GGME is a 100% subsidiary of Godrej International Ltd and distributes its soaps, hair colours and toiletries in the GCC and other adjacent countries †¢ Sales for the quarter under review were AED 2. 4 million †¢ New Cinthol Deo Spray launched is rolling out successfully in to new markets of GCC and the Middle East and getting new listing in retail chains Kinky Group (Proprietary) Ltd. (Kinky) †¢ This represented the second quarter of performance of the Company as a subsidiary of GCPL. For the quarter under review the Company’s sales amounted to ZAR 22. 45 million. †¢ Kinky sells a variety of products which include hair braids, hair pieces, wigs and wefted pieces along with hair accessories like styling gels, hair sprays and oil free shampoo. †¢ Kinky products are manufactured at plants located in South Africa at Johannesburg and Durban and the final products are sold through cash n carry outlets and owned stores. †¢ Opened a new â€Å"Kinky† Owned store in King Williams town, which became the 17th Owned Store for the Company. This was in quick succession to the 16th Owned store that was opened in the previous quarter after GCPL’s acquisition of the â€Å"Kinky† business. Owned Store model for the â€Å"Kinky† business is the driver for the image of the â€Å"Kinky† products, service to the consumers, pricing power and execution of high standard of merchandising which differentiates â€Å"Kinky† from the rest of the brands in this category. Installed new Information Technology systems, including Syspro and upgrading hardware as well as connectivity between factories and the H. O. and between H. O. and the Owned retail stores. Tied-up strong suppliers for raw material from China to ensure sufficient stocks to meet the growth plans †¢ The Company increased prices to match up with sharp increase in input costs which were rising in Q 1 and Q 2 and the Rand depreciating vs. US $. Godrej Consumer Products Limited. (GCPL) is one of the leading companies in the Indian FMCG market with presence in the personal and household care products. It is also one of the largest marketers of toilet soaps in the country with leading brands such as Cinthol, Godrej Fairglow and Godrej No. 1. The Company has manufacturing acilities at Malanpur (Madhya Pradesh) Baddi- Thana (Himachal Pradesh), Baddi- Katha (Himachal Pradesh), Sikkim and Guwahati (Assam). With the acquisition of 100% ownership of Keyline Brands Limited, a FMCG Company in the United Kingdom, GCPL now owns international brands and trademarks in developed markets that include Europe, Australia and Canada. The acquisition of Rapidol (Pty. ) Ltd. , South Africa ha s given GCPL ownership of Inecto and other brands in several African countries. GCPL has a 50:50 joint venture with SCA Hygiene Products AB, Sweden, known as Godrej SCA Hygiene Limited. GCPL acquired Godrej Global Mideast FZE, a 100% subsidiary of Godrej International Limited. GCPL completed the acquisition of Kinky Group (Proprietary) Ltd. , one of the leaders in the South African hair business. With this GCPL gains entry into a new line of business in the hair product portfolio. Chapter4: SWOT analysis SWOT analysis of Godrej Interio STRENGTHS: †¢ The company has wide range of branches within the country †¢ The company has wide range of product line †¢ It has a respectable and believable brand name †¢ It has large number of customers with higher satisfaction WEAKNESS: †¢ The company does not go for advertising which is one the biggest disadvantages of Godrej interio. †¢ Manpower is less at the sales officers level which directly effects on sales of the company. †¢ Lack of effective selling schemes like payment on installments etc. †¢ The sales force is not properly trained. OPPURTUNITIES: †¢ Godrej has more opportunities to grow as it has earned a good market share in the country †¢ Technical up gradation from time to time is also one of the opportunities THREATS: †¢ Growing competition in the furniture sector is a threat for Godrej

Moda Operandi A New Style of Fashion Retail Case Study

Moda Operandi A New Style of Fashion Retail - Case Study Example The essay "Moda Operandi A New Style of Fashion Retail" discovers New Style of Fashion Retail. Moda Operandi dealt with demand and tastes’ uncertainty in fashion. It also addressed the conditions (commercial and aesthetic which caused inefficiency of the system and messed about the most creative pieces of the designers. This organization allowed direct access to runway pieces and facilitated the purchase of great designs that buyers kept away from due to lack of mainstream appeal. The pre-order system allowed buyers to receive their products of choice despite their location or size of clothing. The system also gave instant feedback to designers on runway styles, thus easy prediction of demand patterns. Magnusdottir and Santo Domingo had their responsibilities split by expertise. Magnussdottir was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and dealt with strategic planning and daily operations. Santo Domingo was the Creative Director, managed the reach of the brand and was in charge of the Moda Operandi magazine whose aim was to provide online editorial content. The founders realized that the website was essential for the success of the firm. Therefore, they hired Matt Pavelle, who was an expert in search engine marketing and e-commerce, as CTO. Other major positions of management were covered up by persons with experience and skills complementary to that of the founders. Magnusdittor and Santo Domingo positioned their firm towards the hitting end of the market. Initially, they only associated with prestigious.

Explain the 2 clauses and 3 Key elements Contained in the fourth Essay

Explain the 2 clauses and 3 Key elements Contained in the fourth Amendment that specifically pertains to search and seizure. be - Essay Example As provided by the second clause and explained in the Johnson case a valid search warrant must contain the following requirement: 1.) It must be issued by a neutral and detached magistrate; 2.) there must be presented to the magistrate an adequate showing of probable cause supported by oath or affirmation, usually in the form of an affidavit from a police officer; 3.) the warrant must describe with particularity the place to be searched and the items or persons to be seized. A neutral magistrate as provided in Shadwick v. City of Tampa (1972) must be â€Å"neutral and detached† and â€Å"capable of determining whether probable cause exists for the requested arrest or search.† Probable cause on the other hand means contemplates facts and circumstances within an officer’s personal knowledge that are sufficient â€Å"to warrant a man of reasonable caution in the belief that an offense has been or is being committed.† Carroll v. United States (1925). And the s tandard of particularity as required for a valid warrant that the description be sufficiently precise in so that the officer executing the warrant can â€Å"with reasonable effort ascertain and identify the place intended (Steele v. Unites States [1925]) and that it leaves nothing to the discretion of the officers to inquire further (Marron v. United [1927)]).

The wife of Bath from Canterbury Tales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The wife of Bath from Canterbury Tales - Essay Example The Wife discusses how she has been frequently criticized in all these years. The Wife makes references to the history of religion in order to satisfy the concerns of people because she knows that nobody would object to the religious reference. She considers the fifth marriage justifiable for the reason that figures of the great Old Testament such as Solomon, Abraham and Jacob each had several wives simultaneously. She confesses that virginity has conventionally been defined as a very important and sacred thing, though she says that even by marrying, she is doing her bit to promote this ideology about virginity in her own way since virginity only has significance as long as there are procreators. The Wife of Bath believes that virginity is too sacred a thing to be endorsed by ordinary people like her. Her sexual power plays the role of an instrument with which The Wife of Bath controls her husbands. The Wife of Bath tells that three of her five husbands have proven â€Å"good† while the rest have been â€Å"bad† husbands. What primarily made the first three husbands good were their submissiveness, wealth and seniority. She giggles while recalling the agony she caused to them and a typical conversation with them. She used to accuse her good husbands of having multiple affairs and get favors from them when they drank. The Wife of Bath says to the pilgrims that she had been lying to her good husbands and that she blamed them to put them into grief. She went to the extent that she would not satisfy her husbands in the bed until they paid her for that. She is proud that she has been able to make full use of her oratory and sexual power to make her husbands submissive. The Prologue is different from The Wife of Bath’s Tale in that in the former, she justified her own fifth marriage while in the latter, she discusses the story of a knight who was supposed to bring the answer of what women want the most in the whole world to the

Why 70s generated and accepted new definitions for family structures Essay

Why 70s generated and accepted new definitions for family structures and gender roles - Essay Example This meant that even servants were part of the family (Ellwood and Christopher, 34). In the present structure, even the non-parental adults qualify as family members as long as they are actively involved in the upbringing of the children of others. The implication of this is that there is no universal definition of family. One of the reasons is the fact that the family has evolved over the years. In the middle ages, the nuclear family was the most common family setup. Ideally, a nuclear family consisted of the father, the mother and the children. However, there were some instances around the same time where sets of nuclear families resided together. The family in the United States has also seen a high degree of evolution. The evolution was mainly as a result of the changing perceptions in the culture of marriage starting from as early as the 18th century (Furstenberg, 34). Most views on family change are usually not representative of the facts on the ground. For instance, there has been a general increase in single-parent situations since the 1970s. This is mainly attributed to out of wedlock and fatherless children. The American society largely views the changes in gender roles as well as the new family definitions to be mainly caused by three factors namely, economic factors, development factors and last but not least, moral factors (Furstenberg, 40). The economic problems of single motherhood are mainly stemmed in the fact that very few single moms can actually get a good wage. In addition to this, they have to juggle between their professional deities as well as their role of upbringing their children. This ultimately reduces the amount of money they make at the end of a typical month. The government often offers some financial support to single mothers but the money is not usually substantial. These are the main reasons why the issue of

ASSIGNMENT 5 PLAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 PLAY - Assignment Example Therefore I gather a few of my friends and decided to play cricket. The game is usually played with twenty two players with eleven players on both sides. We however made teams of four and it made it much more exciting. On the second play day I decided to play soccer. Due to the world cup fever small groups in our society regularly play soccer these days. I decided to become part of their training session. We tried a few free kicks and penalties. Answer: As mentioned the first play day was based on cricket. The teams were much smaller and there was no padding. Therefore the players were in a lighter mood altogether. In nature it is a very competitive game but due to a smaller number of players it became much friendlier. It really felt good hitting the ball over the top. There was no motivation to win or defeat our opponents. Most rules were made spontaneously along the way. On the second play date it was a training session and I was a rookie therefore there was no pressure. The other players applauded and laughed at my each short it was all fun. A couple of time the goal let my ball in willingly just to have a good laugh. Answer: To understand anything in life one has to be in their shoes. This is why I think learning to play is an important part of being a parent. Most parents force their children to spend extra time in study or work. I for once have felt the joy of the game and know that no amount of success in life can match the freedom of playing on the field. Answer: The responsibilities in life had a different perspective as I reflect now after my experience. There are no reasons that life can not fun. For example in a game you have to score a goal but you do it without worry or pressure. Similarly I think that one should not try to run away from the responsibilities of life but in fact learn to enjoy them. Answer: The play days really gave me mental freshness and agility. One back home I was eager to move from my couch and get work done. This shows

Buffalo Wings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Buffalo Wings - Essay Example Buffalo wings are â€Å"chicken wings that have been deep fat fried and coated with a signature spicy hot sauce, served with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks† (The History of Buffalo Wings, par. 1). Although it had nothing to do with buffalos, this American food got its name from the place where it originated, Buffalo, New York. It was first served in 1964 at Anchor Bar, a restaurant owned by Frank and Teressa Bellissimo (Suddath, par. 3). So, what makes Buffalo wings very popular not only in the United States but also all over the world? What makes this recipe a unique American tradition? Buffalo wings are chicken wings â€Å"deep fried without any coating or breading, after which they are slathered in that zesty bright orange sauce which is a combination of melted butter, hot sauce and red pepper† (Suddath, par. 4). The plump wings are cooked just right to make it crispy, even if it is not breaded. It is very juicy yet not too saucy. The sweet and salty taste of the wings is perfectly combined with the hot and spicy blends in the sauce. Its peppery taste does not over power the other flavors. It simply adds to the zestiness of the wings. This dish is truly mouth-watering and sumptuous. This delicious dish does not only boasts of its splendid taste. While the wings are being cooked, one cannot resist the aroma that it evokes. It has a very savory scent brought about by the mixture of the various spices and flavors infused in the wings.

Ethical issues in organization communication Assignment

Ethical issues in organization communication - Assignment Example All the ethical issues and social responsibilities that come with communication must thus be given the attention they deserve in the communication structures of the company. Clients, consumers, and even various stakeholders would to an extent prefer to carry out businesses with such organizations deemed ethical in their operations (Seeger, Sellnow & Ulmer 2003). Two aspects are considered in dealing with the ethical communication issues in an organization: one that involves internal communication structures and the other that deals with external communication. Internal communication addresses internal audiences majorly the employees while external communication addresses the general public. A case analysis can be done of the Apple’s Rotten Business, reported on the CNN website, updated on the 4th of April in 2014. The case reports various accounts of unethical practices involving among them business malpractices, tax dodging and surveillance for profit. With a large customer base and a dominant presence in the market, one would have expected the Apple firm to conduct its business in the most fair and open terms, as noted by the writer of the news story. This wasn’t the case as revealed by the assessment that was carried out by Nicki Lisa Cole. The malpractices within the company included: Apple, unlike other tech companies in the industry, refused to disclose the sources of their tin which is normally used in soldering electronic devices. They were also involved in unlawful labor practices that extended into China. They employed underage students and subjected them to deplorable working conditions with unlivable wages. The company, according to Cole, acted too as a ‘personal shopper’ for its wares and products, creating apps that pushed sales offers and notifications to its online clients. Since the publication of its tax

Measuring Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Measuring Performance - Essay Example It comprises of Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats. Strengths are internal factors that can be concluded as advantages to the business (current advantages). Factors such as a focused management, hardworking employees, low costs are positive points for the firm. For Jengo Ltd, a high regard for their clothes by the customers is an impressive point for the future of the business. Weaknesses are internal factors as well that maybe termed as disadvantages for the firm (current disadvantages). Negative factors like a poorly trained workforce, ageing equipment etc need to be evaluated for a solution to arise. For Jengo Ltd, the failure to produce budgets or forecasts for the financial year hints weak planning on the part of the management. However, Opportunities are potential areas for expansion of the business (advantages that can arise in the future). These areas are obtained after an external audit in the market the firm operates in. Identifying new markets, expansion of t he product portfolio and favorable government policies amalgamates in outdoing competitors. Moreover, threats are not to be forgotten while forecasting future business plans (problems that may arise in the future). These usually comprise of the macro environment factors that alter the economic environment, strength of the competition, globalization etc. Jengo Ltd should be careful about changing customer demands as it operates in a highly uncertain business. SWOT analysis draws the primary sketch for foreseeing the future for any business. It is an effective way of gathering information and generating interest in the business activities quickly, mostly used to plan the marketing strategy (Hall, D et al. 2004) Factors in the macro environment effect decisions by the top management. Demographic change, government laws, trade barriers etc are some examples of macro change (Varoufakis, Y. 2007). These factors can be categorized by the PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors). Political developments regionally, nationally and internationally might effect a business’s strategy. Political decisions can change vital areas of the company such as education for the employees, health benefits, infrastructure, and subsidies for instance. Economic factors may involve the effect of consumer demand patterns, willingness to spend, inflation, fiscal and monetary policies, exchange rates, fixed and variable costs, and changes in the labour market on the business. Businesses may also need to plan out the effects of government policies to haul out the country from a recession (Hall, D et al. 2004). Changes in social trends can create competitive advantages for businesses. Falling birth rate, ageing population, increase in life expectancy can all effect a business. An ageing population would mean a shift in the sort of products demanded and more pensions paid to employees. Pressure groups can also force a business decision leading to serious consequences. Technology uplifts products and processes. Online shopping, bar coding, CAD and CAM are all technological advancements that aid in the advent of superior products. Furthermore, environmental factors might include a legislation to control pollution or views of certain groups about the ingredients of the product. Major climatic changes due to global warming have significantly impacted many industries and external factors related to a

Louis Riel Essay (Canadian History) Essay Example for Free

Louis Riel Essay (Canadian History) Essay In my opinion Louis Riel was a hero because he fought for the rights of everyone who lived in the northwest, he was rebelling against a government, not a country and he was against acts of violence and loss of life. Furthermore Louiss acts might be considered crazy by todays standards but in the 1890s it was not uncommon or insane. Louis lived in the Red River settlement and wanted to protect their rights but he also fought for the rights of the white settlers in the area and for the natives. Louis was a patriot, he was proud to be Canadian, he just didnt agree with the government at the time. Louis Riel was a freedom fighter, not a rebel against his country. He was rebelling against the men in government who suppressed his people. The entire process which saw the spread of the Canadian Governments imperialistic authority over the west, ignored the people who were there long before England decided to give it to a new country. Riel was a freedom fighter for the west and should be recognized as such. He faced and fought a central Canadian government, ignorant of the west, long before Preston Manning was born. (Richard Brown, Alberta, July 7th, 1999 http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/quotes/). If Louis hadnt stood up for the Meti people, the government would have let them starve and their culture would be lost. Likewise if any minority was treated like that now, they could only be so fortunate to have someone like Louis Riel to stand up for them. Louis was against violence unless it was absolutely necessary. He only wanted to ensure that the people of the Northwest would retain their rights and traditions after the Canadian government took control of the area. When he and his Mati people used violence it was because they had no other options. John A MacDonald breaks the law of the time by inducing rebellion. (Sir Wilfred Laurier http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/quotes/). Two examples of Riel using non-violent solutions first are when he sent Meti to confront the land surveyors instead of sending them to kill the surveyors. And when he seized fort Garry and its munitions, instead of burning it down or shooting the people inside. His method of not being vicious helped him be victorious in many situations. You can be sure that we would have beaten  them had it not been for Louis Riel who always counseled us not to spill their blood Gabriel Dumont. Today, if someone came up to you and said they were chosen by god to lead their people to freedom would you believe them or laugh and call them insane? Chances are most modern people would do the laughing. But in the 1880s things were different, people were more religious and it was less than impossible to voice your opinions to the government. Riel lived in a time when the country was still being shaped, new provinces were being formed, and he was not out of line to demand that his people be included. Today we have a responsible government, for example when native people in BC felt cheated out of their ancestors land, our government gave some of the land back and took steps to see that that doesnt happen again. Ironically this is the same land the post-confederation government took away! When you look at all the facts and consider the time period, Riel doesnt seem like such a bad guy. He did what any patriotic, freedom loving Canadian would have done in his shoes. Sure some of his beliefs and ideas may have been a little deranged, but when you compare it to all the exemplary things he accomplished, it dosent seam like a big deal. I am more convinced everyday that without a single exception I did right and I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it. (Louis Riel http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/quotes/) Maybe it wouldnt be so bad if some of our modern politicians were a little more like Louis Riel.

Changes In Health Care Policy Health And Social Care Essay

Changes In Health Care Policy Health And Social Care Essay Medicaid is the federal governments largest single welfare program for the poor. Its costs now exceed the costs of all other public assistance programs- including family assistance, SSI, and the food stamp program. Medicaid was established in 1965 and grew quickly into the nations largest welfare program. Since then, there have been many policy changes in the program implemented by the government, like the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, because of the issues rising in the series of its implementation and based on the evaluations done by research organizations of government, private institutions, and interest groups. The way government implements and administers such programs for the welfare of the public can be best illustrated with the process of Policy making, their evaluation, and the issues arising out of their implementation. Public policy is said to be what the governments wish to do or not to do. Governments implement several laws which may or may not be accepted by the people. It provides many services, facilities, and entitlements, in lieu of some taxes. Thus, the policies implemented may regulate the way people behave, provide services, and collect taxes. Thomas R. Dye has cited other definitions of Public Policy by several political scientists and philosophers: David Easton, a political scientist, defines public policy as the authoritative allocation of values for the whole society; Harold Lasswell, a political scientist and Abraham Kaplan, a philosopher, define public policy as a a projected program of goals, values, and practices, and political scientist Carl Friedrick says, It is essential for the policy concept that there be a goal, objective, or purpose' ­ (Dye, 2008). There are other ways of defining public policy by breaking down this general notion into various component parts. This was brought about by a political scientist Charles O. Jones, proposed the distinction among various proposals (specified means for achieving goals), programs (authorized means for achieving goals), decisions ( ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­specific actions taken to implement programs), and effects (the measurable impacts of programs) be considered. (Dye, 2008) Models of Politics A model can be a way of illustrating some aspect of the real world. In politics, political scientists use a flow chart to show how a law is derived from a bill. The models used or employed for studying policy are conceptual models which make it easy and clear to know about politics and public policy, recognize the important aspects of policy problems, derive explanations for public policy and predict its consequences. (Dye, 2008) The different policy models used to examine public policy are: Institutional model Process model Rational model Incremental model Group model Elite model Public choice model Game theory model Here the Policy is reviewed, using the Incremental model of politics. The Incremental model is a conservative model, in which, considering the existing programs, policies, and expenditures as a base, attention is concentrated on new programs and on increases, decreases, or modifications of existing programs. The process can be exemplified with budgetary policy for any government activity or programs for a given year. This process is preferred for many reasons, first being, economic hardships, absence of details on demand survey, authenticity or inappropriate statistical feed-back from the relevant fields and time required to investigate all the alternatives in the existing policy. The others are, legitimacy of the existing policies is accepted by policy makers, since they do not want to try any new programs due to lack of enthusiasm and creativity in the bureaucracy, fearing the uncertain consequences of the new policies. Then, the existing policies, which are deep-rooted enough, bec ause of heavy investments, make it difficult for the policy makers to take any radical decision. Lastly, policies like these are accepted easily compared to new policies. Thus, incrementalism is important in maintaining stability and preserving the political system in almost status-quo with sight variations. The issues being addressed here may not be totally termed as correlated with this incrementalism model, since they are budgetary policies being addressed by the New York state government, with utmost care and dedication with profound application of sincerity. Thus, the programs Medicaid and Affordable Care Act, which have been successful mostly in serving most of the needy, had a few challenges which aptly require only few changes. Contrary to the rational changes, which require a lot additional resources, the solutions provided appear to be easier and less expensive to implement, like the ones suggested by the Medicaid Redesign Team, for the New York State Budget for the year 2011-2012. The Policymaking Process The process of policy making is a process of how policies are made, in a step-by step sequence, but these processes never occur in a sequence in reality. Problem identification: Though the society may sustain many issues, only a few are considered to become a policy, to become an agenda for the government. This is influenced by the interest groups, pressure groups, media who communicate the issues to the government. Thus influencing the decision making process. If such groups do not come up with any objections on a certain policy implemented by the government, it is considered that the policy has been accepted by most people. Thus the mass media, interest groups, citizen initiatives, public opinion become the major participants of this step (Dye, 2008). Agenda Setting: The process by which ideas or issues are brought up by the various political channels to be considered by a political institution such as legislature or court. Moreover, the administrative agencies of a government often generate and formulate proposals, which may be incorporated into the executives legislative recommendations for a careful consideration by the legislative body (Shafritz, E. W. Russell, Borick, 2008). Non decision making: Though there may be many public issues arising, politicians try to suppress them from becoming policy issues. Non decision making occurs when some powerful elite groups which always keep an eye on Government policies, implementation programs and reactions of the people, act openly or covertly to suppress an issue because of the fear that if attention is focused on certain policy issues, something will be done and it may not be in their interest (Dye, 2008). Formulating policy: It is way of drafting a document on policy alternatives for dealing with issues in the interest of public welfare and development on public agenda. It takes place in the government bureaucracies; offices agencies of interest group/pressure- groups; legislative committee rooms; meetings of special commissions appointed by the Government; and policy planning organizations otherwise known as think tanks. These are considered to be the central coordinating points in the policy making process. Some of them are the Council on the Foreign Relations, the American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, and the Brookings Institution. They can influence a wide range of important policy areas. Other policy planning groups-the Urban Institute, Resources for the Future, the Population Council, for example -concentrate on a particular policy area. Interest groups: The interest groups influence the government policy in a variety of ways like Direct lobbying, Contributions made through Political Action Committees (PACs), Interpersonal contacts, between government offices and the industries and organizations representing them, Litigation designed to force changes in policies through the court system, and grassroots mobilization efforts to influence Congress and the White House by encouragement from individual constituents and campaign contributors (Dye, 2008). Policy Legitimation: The process by which a public policy is enacted into a law, after verification by all the legal institutions. The people involved with this process are called proximate policy makers, who include the president, congress, courts, federal agencies, congressional committees, White house staff, and interest groups. They are the ones responsible for bringing a public policy into action, by putting up a bill in the congress, or by any other way. Policy Implementation: It includes all of the activities designed to carry out the policies enacted by the legislative branch. These activities include the creation of new organizations- departments, agencies, bureaus, and so on -or the assignment of new responsibilities to existing organizations. They must translate laws into operational rules and regulations. They employ and deploy personnel, draw up contracts, sanction required funds and perform tasks. The bureaucrats or executional bodies of public administration in Government play a major role in this process, since the political leaders give only broad instructional outlines in the legislature meetings to the Government to define these policies and set rules at the basic level (Dye, 2008). Policy Evaluation: It is the process which helps the Congress, the President, interest groups, bureaucrats, the media, think tanks know whether or not the policies implemented by them are achieving their stated goals; at what costs; and with what effects, intended and unintended, on society. Thus evaluations of current policy may recognize new problems and restart the policymaking process. It may be mostly impressionistic rather than systematic, where impressionistic would indicate the complaints and the media stories about the laws passed and implemented, and systematic evaluation indicates what is done by the government in a systematic, careful, objective, scientific assessment of the current and long-term effects of policies on both target and non-target subjects or groups, and the costs and benefits involved (Dye, 2008). Medicaid Medicaid is the United States health program for people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states (Overview-Medicaid Program General Information). Being the federal governments largest single welfare program for the low income group as a pure welfare measure, its costs now exceed the costs of all other public welfare/ developmental programs- including family assistance, Social Security Income, and the food stamp program. It was begun in 1965 and is now the nations largest welfare program (Dye, 2008). The Medicaid serves certain U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including low-income adults and their children, and people with certain disabilities. Poverty alone may not necessarily qualify someone for Medicaid. It covers almost one-third of the total child population, and deliveries also, most of them from families at or below the Federal poverty level. It also covers 8 million people with disabilities, and only one-fourth of the poor young adults, since their eligibility is higher. Medicaid also supports Medicare enrollees by paying their Medicare premiums and a few critical services that are not included in Medicare (The Kaiser Commision on Medicaid and the Uninsured, 2011). The Program can be said to have served the maximum number of people, and when needed, like during the economic recession in the years of 2007-2009. The enrollment increased by nearly 6 Million during the Recession. This also put additional burden on the state budgets. The increased enrollment in-turn led to a rise an increase in the spending for Medicaid. It was of great help to the individuals who lost their jobs during this period and forced into poverty (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, 2011). Medicaid also helped the people in other ways, being a large source of the federal funding, and fuelling the economies of the states, and thus in turn increasing the number of jobs, like physician, pharmacists, nursing staff, and other auxiliaries. Eligibility: The individuals or groups eligible for Medicaid are decided by the states. The eligibility groups will be considered one of the following (Medicaid At-a-Glance 2005 Medicaid Data Sources): The Categorically needy, The Medically needy, or The Special groups. A brief description of each of the key eligibility groups included is given, though these descriptions may not include all groups. The Categorically Needy Pregnant women and children under age 6 whose family income is at or below 133 % of the Federal poverty level. Children ages 6 to 19 with family income up to 100% of the Federal poverty level. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients (or, in certain states, aged, blind, and disabled people who meet requirements that are more restrictive than those of the SSI program). Individuals and couples who are living in medical institutions and who have monthly income up to 300% of the SSI income standard (Federal benefit rate). The Medically Needy The medically needy have too much money (and in some cases resources like savings) to be eligible as categorically needy. If a state has a medically needy program, it must include pregnant women through a 60-day postpartum period, children under age 18, certain newborns for one year, and certain protected blind persons. States may also provide Medicaid to: Children under age 19 who are full-time students can be categorized by deciding the age-limit Caretaker relatives (relatives or legal guardians who live with and take care of children). Aged persons (age 65 and older). Blind persons (blindness is determined using the SSI program standards or state standards). Disabled persons (disability is determined using the SSI program standards or state standards). Persons who would be eligible if not enrolled in a health maintenance organization. Special Groups Medicare Beneficiaries-Medicaid pays Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance for Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMB)-individuals whose income is at or below 100% of the Federal poverty level and whose resources are at or below twice the standard allowed under SSI. There are additional groups for whom Medicare related expenses are paid by Medicaid-Medicare beneficiaries with income greater than 100% but less than 135% of the Federal poverty level (Medicaid At-a-Glance 2005 Medicaid Data Sources). The Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act, which was passed by the Congress and put into law by the President Barack Obama in March 2010, puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will hold insurance companies more accountable, lower health care costs, guarantee more health care choices, and enhance the quality of health care for all Americans. The Act gives an individual better control of his own decisions about his health coverage, like, to get the health benefits through work, buy insurance for himself, or if he has small business and desires to provide health coverage to his employees, who are on Medicare, or do not have an insurance (About the Affordable Care Act / HealthCare.gov). This act soon makes insurance more affordable by providing small businesses with a tax credit to provide coverage, and by 2014, by providing tax credits to those who need help in buying insurance representing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history (About the Affordable Care Act / HealthCare.gov). This Act was aimed at helping reduce the costs of insurance premiums for millions of American families and small business owners who are not eligible for the Medicaid, thus making health coverage affordable. The Affordable Care Act will ensure that most of the uninsured individuals are brought under coverage by 2014, and if they do not have access to affordable employer coverage, they will be able to purchase through a health insurance exchange. It also imposes new regulations for employers who do not provide coverage for their employees, by levying new penalties and taxes, with exceptions for small employers. Medicaid may also be expanded to 133% of the Federal poverty level for all individuals under 65. Discussion In spite of being the most successful public programs implemented by the government, the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid programs had challenges. A few of them have illustrated here. Though the Affordable Care Act is deemed to extend the health insurance coverage by both expanding Medicaid eligibility and offering premium subsidies for the purchase of private health insurance through state health insurance exchanges, the eligibility, by definition, for these programs is sensitive to income and can change over a period of time with fluctuating income and changes in family composition. Since the law specifies no minimum enrollment period, subsidy levels will also change as income rises and falls. (Benjamin D Sommers, 2011) The author estimated using national survey data that within six months, more than 35 percent of all adults with family incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level will experience a shift in eligibility from Medicaid to an insurance exchange, or the reverse; within a year, 50 percent, or 28 million, will. The states and the federal government should adopt strategies to reduce the frequency of coverage transitions and to mitigate the disruptions caused by those transitions, so that it minimizes the effect on continuity and quality of care (Benjamin D Sommers, 2011). The greatest achievement of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 has been its ability to deliver a guarantee of access to affordable health insurance. This is accomplished by the law through two principal pathways. The first being, expanding Medicaid eligibility to all nonelderly citizens and eligible legal residents whose family income does not exceed 133 percent of the federal poverty level, then, enabling Medicaid-ineligible people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty to receive premium subsidies through tax credits for health plans offered through state health insurance exchanges (Benjamin D Sommers, 2011). Though the Affordable Care Act helped subsidize the cost of health insurance, it had impact on income-related eligibility, because of the fluctuating incomes, and changing family sizes and compositions. As there was no specification in the Act, regarding minimum enrollment period, there was a constant change in the eligibility and subsidy levels with fluctuations in incomes. Moreover individuals are required to report changes in income frequently, more than once a year, thus eligibility can cease in any month. This potential for movement between Medicaid and exchange coverage was discussed previously by many authors like Short. P F, Graefe. D R, Schoen, C. in 2003, and Gerry Lynn Fairbrother, Heidi Park Emerson, Lee Partridge in 2007, can be thought of as an update to the classic problem of churning (frequent changes back and forth, in and out of Medicaid), a problem with which Medicaid has long grappled. Thus, issues like these may cause a disruption in the Medicaid coverage within a short period. Though Affordable Care Act may be rectifying the total loss of coverage when the individual loses eligibility for Medicaid, by providing an alternative source of coverage, there have been challenges in the implementation of the two programs, like increasing the administrative costs. The author Benjamin D Sommers, also proved the increase in the administrative costs and also the adverse effects on the access to the health coverage. There has also been a controversy in the public opinion regarding the Affordable Care Act, since it also made it necessary for all Americans to have coverage by the year 2014. And moreover, it had opposition from Political candidates such as Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, on his presidential campaign trail, tried to use the laws unpopularity for his benefit. He also said in one of his statements, that he would be repealing the acts, if he became the president. (Oliphant, 2011) Options The author Benjamin D Sommers suggests some options for these issues: Reduce likelihood of frequent eligibility changes: this may be achieved by setting a minimum eligibility period, the governments can use annual re-determination procedures rather than the frequent ones, in practice now. This was recommended by the Medicaid Redesign team, have been brought about in the New York State Budget for the year 2011, like allowing the aged and permanently disabled with fixed incomes to be automatically renewed based on cost of living increases. Currently, Medicaid recipients must complete and mail-in a renewal form once a year in order to continue to receive health care coverage. (Medicaid RedesignTeam, 2011) Another policy decision regarding the Act was established, that is introducing a standard 5% disregard in the income, furthermore expanding the Medicaid coverage, by raising the eligible income from 133% of poverty level to 138% of Poverty, which is to be implemented by 2014. Individuals with incomes between 139% and 400% of poverty, who are not covered by employer or any public plan, will be eligible for tax credits, if he buys private insurance through new state based Health insurance exchanges. (Focus on Health Reform, 2011) Efforts should be made to align the markets and the provider networks in such a way, that they offer coverage under both plans. The individuals facing the shifts between the programs should be supported appropriately. Conclusion Thus, these issues illustrate about how a policy, implemented by the government can have some advantages and disadvantages and affects the public, and how it is brought out in the limelight by the media. This illustrates the evaluation part of the policy making process, and how it was corrected by the government by implementing corrections to the program in the recent State Budget of New York State, for the year 2011,which can be considered as drafting a new policy again. A Public Policy is deemed to be successful when it serves the society without causing any further burden on the public and the government. And the media and the public should project such drawbacks and see that they are corrected by the government. The Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid, were beneficial to the public in many ways, like they provided coverage to many uninsured, and also to those who were pushed into poverty because of the Economic Recession in years 2007-2009, and they covered many children and the child births, the elderly, and those conditions which were not covered by most of the private plans and the individual was not eligible for Medicaid, directly. They also became a large source of federal funds, providing employment and creating a market. Though issues can rise in any major policy decisions, if they can be corrected, like the issues of eligibility, they will definitely prove more successful. Thus Policy making process can be called a never ending process, since issues keep on coming, in the process of their administration.

Effect of Superstition on the Perception of Control

Effect of Superstition on the Perception of Control The Effect of Superstition on the Perception of Control over a Partially Uncontrollable Situation The effects of superstition on the an individuals behaviour has long been an area of interest in psychological research. Matute (1994, 1995) showed that an individuals response to uncontrollable circumstances is dictated by their level of superstition. Individuals with low levels of superstitious belief tend to show a decrease in cognitive capacity motivation, known as learned helplessness (Abramson, Seligman, Teasdale, 1978; Hiroto Seligman, 1975). Whilst individuals with high levels of superstitious belief, on the other hand, do not appear to develop this learned helpless, and it has been hypothesised superstitions provide an individual with an illusion of control (Matute 1994, 1995). Likewise, Dudley (1999) suggested that superstitious beliefs inhibit the learned helplessness effect by provided participants with an external locus of control. Conversely, it has been suggested that there may be other factors which inhibit the learned helplessness effect, such as attribution style (Abramson et at., 1978). Seligman (as cited in Rudski, 2004), conducted an experiment which showed that individual who formed particularly pessimistic attributions were susceptible to learned helplessness, in addition to depression. Furthermore, many studies which investigate superstitious belief the illusion of control do so by utilising judgements of contingency from the participant. Contingency judgements are useful as they help to explain how the illusion of control develops in participants (Yarritu, Matute, Vadillo, 2013). Blanco, Matute Vadillo (2011) showed that a participants contingency judgement is dependant on their level of action. It has been suggested, that the this combination with this level of action effect, and the high probability of a specific outcome, even when that outcome is uncontrollable, is what caused the participant to develop the illusion of control (Yarritu et at., 2013). This study aims to build on pre-existing research by investigating whether an individuals perception of control over a partially uncontrollable situation is impacted by their level of superstitious belief. To do this, participants were asked to perform a contingency judgement task, the results of which were then compared in relation to their level of superstition. It is hypothesised, firstly, that individuals with higher levels of superstition will report having higher levels of control in the active condition, when compared to individuals with low superstition and secondly, that this effect will be less apparent in the passive condition. Method Participants The participants were 996 undergraduate psychology students from the University of New South Wales (mean age = 19.8 years; 644 females: 352 males). They participated in this experiment as part of their week 5 tutorial class. Design This study took the form of a quasi-experiment, as it assessed the participants perception of control over a partially controllable situation, in relation to their level of superstition. As such, the independent variable, high or low superstition, was determined by the Superstitious Beliefs Questionnaires (SBQ). Participants were divided into the high superstition and low superstition groups based on a median split of the SBQ score. Based on the responses given, 492 participants (mean age = 19.7 years; 320 females: 172 males) were allocated to the high superstition group, whilst the remaining 504 participants (mean age = 19.9 years; 324 females: 180 males) formed the low superstition group. This experiment then tested two conditions, dubbed the active and the passive condition. The dependent variable, that is, the participants perception of control, was then measured, by self-report. Materials The experiment was carried out on standard computer terminals in one of the universitys computer labs. Inquisit software (Millisecond Software, Seattle) was used to present the experimental stimuli. In the active condition, participants were presented with a light bulb graphic button. Participants could choose whether or not to press the button, and the light bulb would either light up, or remain off as a result of their decision. As a result, there were four categories of trial: press with light, press without light, no-press with light and no-press without light. After 10 trials participants were asked to rate how much control they felt they had over the light bulb. In the passive condition, participants were only presented with a light bulb graphic, and informed that they would observe an imaginary friend, Bob, perform the task. As in the active condition, there were four categories of trial, and after 10 trials, participants were asked to rate the level of control they perceived Bob had over the light bulb. Participants completed the Superstitious Beliefs Questionnaire (SBQ), a demographic survey, and were asked if they were aware of the experiments design. The SBQ is a 26 item scale, designed to measure the level of superstitious belief in an individual. Each item of the SBQ can be scored from 0 up to 4, making a maximum score of 104 points possible. Participants who scored less than or equal to 46 on the SBQ were placed in the low superstition group, whilst those who scored above 46 were placed in the high superstition group. Procedure The participants were asked to complete a contingency judgement task, in two conditions. Each condition consisted of four sets of 10 trials. In the active condition, participants were instructed to choose between pressing or not pressing a button on the screen. This action or inaction then lead to a light bulb on the screen being illuminated. After 10 trials of this, participants were asked to rate how much control they had over the light bulb, using a sliding scale displayed on the screen. In the passive condition, participants were informed that they would observe an imaginary friend performing the task. The participants were able to observe the outcome (whether the light turned on or remained off) and were informed of the imaginary friend action (pressing or not pressing the button). Participants were again asked to rate how much control the imaginary friend had over the light bulb. References Abramson, L. Y., Seligman, M. E. P., Teasdale, J. D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87(1), 49–74. Blanco, F., Matute, H., Vadillo, M. A. (2011). Making the uncontrollable seem controllable: The role of action in the illusion of control. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64(7), 1290–1304. Dudley, R. (1999). The effect of superstitious belief on performance following an unsolvable problem. Personality and Individual Differences, 26(6), 1057–1064 Hiroto, D. S., Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Generality of learned helplessness in man. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(2), 311-327. Matute, H. (1994). Learned helplessness and superstitious behavior as opposite effects of uncontrollable reinforcement in humans. Learning and Motivation, 25(2), 216-232. Matute, H. (1995). Human reactions to uncontrollable outcomes: Further evidence for superstitions rather than helplessness. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 48B, 142–157. Rudski, J. (2004). The illusion of control, superstitious belief, and optimism. Current Psychology, 22(4), 306-315. Yarritu, I. Matute, H. Vadillo, M.A. (2013). Illusion of control: The role of personal involvement. Experimental Psychology, 61(1), 38–47.

The Mosaic of American Culture, Its No Melting Pot Essay example -- S

The Mosaic of American Culture, It's No Melting Pot Culture is a behavior that consists of several critical elements, such as language, religion, race and ethnicity, clothing and politics. Culture is what one does in his/her daily life. In order to understand others, we must first keep in mind that every culture carries its own set of values and assumptions. Culture is an evolving, ever changing civilization, which includes several different groups people. For immigrants, America is a land of opportunity; for others it is just the best country in the world because of its economic success and/or its democratic political system. Americans usually value independence a lot, believe in equal opportunity, and have a direct communication style. In exploring the future American society, specifically regarding relationships among various communities of racial, ethnic, and others we are groping for an image. Some hold on to the notion of a melting pot, in which all groups would be assimilated into one homogeneous American amalgam. As I see it, the image of a mosaic, if properly understood, serves better than a melting pot. The immigrant population within the United States is not being blended together in one ?pot, but rather they are transforming American society into a truly multicultural mixture where every person acts as a piece in a Mosaic. When looked in closely you will see people with different cultures, but when looked from a far distance you will not see a specific cult...

Louis Riel: A Summary of Man :: Riel

Riel A Summary of Man Author: J. A. W. The Canadian hero Louis Riel shows mankind that life is fraught with controversies and battle with establishment. Moreover, establishment is the very ruin of Mankind. Riel's live was in more ways parallel to the human life cycle than one would guess. From the birth to the death of the notorious Riel, we can see how little control an individual really has over life. Louis Riel started out life living in the sticks far from 'civilization,' caring parents, who taught him the basics of life, raised him. His early home was simple, uncomplicated, his family farmed and hunted on the side to make a living. Like the hunter/gatherer people in prehistoric times, as these people lived mainly of the Wooly Mammoth1, so lived Riel's people of the giant buffalo herds, both people depending with their very life on these beasts. Just as the sudden extinction of the Wooly Mammoth complicated things for early mans' hunting habits, politics complicated Riel's outlook on life. Life got swiftly more complicated as Riel grew up. As the country came into the hands of "civilized people", it's people were forced into a lifestyle which was more complicated than the hunting and gathering lifestyle the Riels and other Metis families were used to. Establishment is the biggest complication in life, Riel fought this all his life, in the end it won. What advances did civilizati on make in this killing? It benefited them little other than the satisfaction of routing their enemy. Are people satisfied; was that the end? That remains to be proven; people are still fighting to gain amnesty for Riel. Life did not stay simple for people, problems started. As people established customs and started to stray from the hunter-gatherer society things got more complicated. Slave labor was one of the prominent drawbacks of people establishing new cultures. People needed slaves to build the huge monuments that they used to show their power and their allegiance to their Gods. The huge prehistoric stone calendar called Stonehenge2 may be the first example of slave work ever built. Canadians built up the West using methods that were essentially the same; they actualized it at the cost of the Metis' and Natives' lives and their livelihood. Riel's people, because they learned to depend the staples they could get in trade for hides and pemmican, were slaves of buffalo hunt and fur trade, thus slaves of the whites.