The Effects of Misconduct on the Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United States is one of the most feared and respected military organizations in the world. This image is helped by documentaries, news reports and even by the movies. But the real reason why the US military is considered very powerful and a dangerous enemy can be understood after reading the following explanation:The United States military is unique in the amount of power it can project globally. Although France and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, Spain, Italy, PRC, and European Union, are capable of projecting power overseas, the United States military is the only one with the higher military capacity to fight a major regional war at a distance from its homeland. The U.S. is also one of the few nations in the world that has a sizable nuclear arsenal and maintains active doctrines for plausible nuclear attack operations. (see Wikipedia: US Military).This is why America is feared and respected. Although there is reason to believe that Americans would pr efer that their country and its citizens are respected rather than feared; there is also a lot of apprehension over the notion that U.S. superpower is a bully in the global theater.This negative image which others believe to be the dark side of this great institution is   putting a lot of pressure on the military organization to behave appropriately and to borrow from their lingo: there should be no conduct unbecoming a military officer. For when this happens the chain reaction can be unbelievable. One indiscretion and the whole structure will be placed in a bad light. Consider for example relatively recent events about U.S. soldiers abusing POW’s and some of its members involved in an alleged rape case overseas are a few instances when the rest of the world shakes its head and would love to believe that all this power had corrupted the men and women in uniform.In order to prevent such misconduct and to keep its integrity intact the U.S. military is keeping in place a syste m of rules, regulations, traditions, and protocols that would ensure that the rest of the world will hold the said institution in high esteem.Military DisciplineThe word discipline when put inside the world of soldiers takes on a different meaning. This has nothing to do with the kind of discipline kids get at home when they fail to do their homework or when they do not clean their room. Discipline in the ordinary day to day life of normal people can sometimes mean a temporary abstinence on doing something or a temporary increase in work volume to accomplish a task or simply to grit ones teeth and do something that is normally not done if the circumstances are more favorable. In the military soldiers do not wait until things are worse before they will begin to be disciplined.In other worlds soldiers do not wait until they are overweight before they start doing morning jogs and calisthenics. They trained before the need arises, they practice long and hard before the fight and they pr epare before the crisis. Discipline in the Army, Navy and the Air Forces is a lifestyle. It can be said that it is more than a lifestyle in fact it is the blood that keeps the institution alive and the invisible force that holds it together. Without discipline the armed forces can easily disintegrate in quickly destroying everything in its path including itself. The infamous tortures at the Abu Ghraib prison – where prisoners of war were being held – was well documented and shown around the world.It was an example of a breakdown in discipline. And noncommissioned officers figured prominently in this fiasco. CNN reporters J. Johns, D. Ensor and M. Mount quoted Rep. Jane Harman in a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Harman said, â€Å"The fog of war is thick, but these acts of abuse and humiliation contradict international norms, military regulations and the very values that our military fights to defend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see CNN.com)The report adds that a ll the perpetrators were, â€Å"†¦all officers or noncommissioned officers† (Johns, Ensor & Mount). In an ideal setting this should not have happened especially in the presence of NCOs.The Role of Noncommissioned OfficersNCOs are leaders, period. The military cannot function without leadership as much as a body cannot survive without a head. Everything depends upon leadership and in this regard NCOs play a major role.An Army Officer’s guidebook expounds on the meaning of the term and it says:A leader is people fitted by force of ideas, character, or genius, or by strength of will or administrative ability, to arouse, incite, and direct men in conduct and achievement. Leadership is the art of imposing one’s will upon others in such a manner as to command their respect, their confidence, and their whole-hearted cooperation. (Bonn, 320)In the NCO guidebook leadership is seen as basic in the structure of the U.S. armed forces and it says, â€Å"Leadership, des pite the great strides in technology, remains the same – influencing and motivating people to get the job done† (Rush, 34).  With regards to the NCOs taking up a part of the burden of leadership, Rudyard Kipling was quoted as saying, â€Å"The backbone of the army is the noncommissioned man!† (as qtd. in Fisher, 3).An article in Wikipedia’s website expounds on the words of Kipling:The noncommissioned officer corps is the junior management of the military. An experienced NCO corps is a key component of Western armies: in many cases NCOs are credited as being the metaphorical backbone of their service. By contrast, the weak NCO corps of the modern-day Russian armed forces, and those modeled after it, is widely blamed for the general ineffectiveness of those militaries. (see Wikipedia: Noncommissioned Officers)NCOs and the Concept of DisciplineThe U.S. military structure amounts to a pile of junk without discipline and the people that are tasked to instill discipline and order in the ranks are the noncommissioned officers. NCOs do the dirty work and this is very much evident in shaping a bunch of boys who know nothing about authority and following orders prior to enlistment into hardened men who will obey first before they complain.  Discipline is very important in the military because it is an organization tasked to do jobs that are out of the ordinary and in many instances, in life and death situations. These kinds of jobs will determine the safety of a country, the lives of their fellow soldiers or the civilians under their sphere of influence.NCOs instills this concept of a more serious kind of discipline by being an example for his men. In Semper Fi, a book about the highly respected U.S. Marine corps, a description of the NCO’s methodology – in terms of how he earns the respect of his men and how he hammers discipline into their system – was provided by the authors:The authority of the Marine NCO does not rest on fear; its foundation is the well-earned respect of equally tough men. He leads, and inspires, by being the man he wants his troops to become. The NCO personifies his expectations of the men he commands. He wants his Marines to look â€Å"squared away† and so he dresses and marches smartly himself. Since he wants to instill instant obedience, his men will see him obey instantly when an officer commands. He wants his men to be aggressive in combat, so he himself is the epitome of aggressiveness. The Marine Corps NCO, through his own behavior, creates a desire to be like him. (Carrison and Walsh, 69)The apt description of what an NCO is all about as presented by Carrison and Walsh answers the question on what happens when NCOs misbehave. Using the ideas discussed earlier it would be easy to list the reason why NCOs should always be the quintessential soldier.First of all it is due to his position as part of the leadership of the armed forces. An NCOs actions does not go unobserved and will always be an influence and guide to the new recruit and those under his command. If the NCO is unruly, does not follow orders and breaks the code of conduct then it is not surprising for the rest of the soldiers to do the same.An NCO could not afford to appear irresponsible and uncontrollable or speaks in a manner that show disrespect to his superiors and fellow officers simply because he is not in a normal setting. In an office or in a school perhaps undisciplined behavior and a rebellious attitude towards authority will not really cause too much damage in relative proportion to a similar behavior in the army. When NCO acts like a spoiled brat men dies and blood flows unnecessarily. Worse, the unit can be in grave physical danger and the morale of the troops would significantly decrease leading in more losses and more damage.The chain reaction from an NCO’s lack of prudence can not simply be taken lightly as the repercussions will be felt for many generat ions. And this is not an exaggeration. The following is an account of what happened more than 200 years ago – in America’s war of independence – that helped changed the course of history. It is a testament to the fact that undisciplined men would cause a series of events that will lead to catastrophe:Following the British victory at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, Queens County came under military’s control [†¦] From the outset, military officials realized that the war had both military and political dimensions. [†¦] Military misconduct against civilians would only create enmity, hinder the effective prosecution of the war and make post war reconciliation more difficult [†¦] By wars end the people of Queens had become, not loyal subjects, but Patriots – as much by British default as by personal choice. (Fingerhut and Tiedermann, 50)ConclusionThe effect of military misconduct especially when an NCO exhibits such undesirable behavior will first result in a breakdown of discipline but it will not end there. The men under the NCOs command will use said breakdown as an excuse for caving in under pressure. Thus when the going gets tough the men who witnessed insubordination and disrespect to senior officers will use that as an excuses for not following orders and then a chain reaction follows.When things begin to turn really uncontrollable, when the spirit of discipline that holds the army together is gone, the same soldiers who are selfless, hard workers, united and having one mind and heart will suddenly transform into a selfish monster who will do everything that seems to be right base on selfish interests. The result of which is written in the annals of military history. These events are labeled as infamous but it has cost more than shame it has resulted in the deaths and humiliation of the innocents. But from a military’s point of view it all boils down to failure in accomplishing a mission and for some cases it means losing the war.Works CitedBonn, Keith E. Army Officer’s Guide. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.Carrison, Dan and Rod Walsh. Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way.New York: American Management Association, 1999.Fingerhut, Eugene R., and Tiedermann, J.S. The Other New York: The American RevolutionBeyond New York City. New York: State University of New York Press, 2005.Fisher, E. F. Jr. Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned officer corps of  the U.S. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001.â€Å"Military of the United States.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .â€Å"Non-commissioned officer.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .Rush, Robert S. NCO Guide. 7th ed. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.

Loftus and Palmer Evaluation Essay

The Loftus and Palmer study is a laboratory experiment. This means that the study is artificial. The artificiality of the setting can intimidate participants or make them more obedient. This in turn can produce unnatural behavior and results that do not generalize to real life. This can be seen in experiment 2 when 12% of the control group reported seeing broken glass even though they were unaffected by the verb. This could be attributed to the leading question or to demand characteristics when participants look for cues as to what the research is about and behave accordingly, perhaps to please the researcher, especially as the participants in this case are students that may even be familiar with the researcher as they are from the same environment. In a nutshell, due to the nature of the experiment, it lacks ecological validity. In a real life situation there would be an element of surprise and an increase in emotion. Basically the eye-witness would be in some way involved, which is not the case while watching the video the eye-witness is not part of the event. Furthermore, an eye-witness in a real life situation may discuss the event with other people which may alter their memory of the event. Lastly, an eye-witness may think more carefully about giving an answer when in a real life situation when they realize that their answer could judge how innocent or guilty a person is, they may hesitate and realize the importance, although when taking part in a study they may just give an answer without as much thought. The participants were students meaning that the researchers used an opportunity sample. This means that all the participants share certain common characteristics and are not representative of society, these may include age, driving experience and educational background. If the study used a random sample the results could be generalized. This study was very useful because it introduced the notion of reconstructive hypothesis and that eye-witness testimony isnt’t reliable. This study, and studies similar to it, have led to changes nowadays as to how the police question and use the information given by witnesses. Certain other details that could also have influenced the participants answers include: the colour or make of the car; the driver; the ability to estimate speed.

Natural Selection for the Birds Lab Report Essay

Purpose: To determine which birds with which beaks survive best in their environment depending on the type of food available. Question: What is the effect of the type of food available on the frequency of different types of bird beaks? Hypothesis: If the food type changes in the environment, then the amount of each type of bird beaks will change because birds with beaks more suited to the available food will be more successful over time. Variables: The independent variable of the lab is the type of food that is available to the birds. The dependent variable of the lab is the frequency of each type-size and shape-of beaks. Materials: 100 sunflower seeds 100 raisins 100 grains of rice 2 forks 2 spoons 2 knives Plastic cup Procedure: 1. Gather around the edge of the table cloth, mixing the three groups fairly evenly. 2. Pick up food pieces only with your tool, using the pair of utensils in one hand, simulating the action of a beak. 3. Pick up one piece  of food at a time, and put it in your cup (â€Å"stomach†) before picking another piece of food. 4. Keep your body off the table cloth and pick up food only within your reach. 5. Start only when the teacher says â€Å"Go† and finish when all food has been â€Å"eaten.† Data—Environment with Equal Amounts of Insects, Seeds, and Fruit Second Generation Flock X Flock Y Flock Z Insects Eaten 35 32 33 Seeds Eaten 34 46 20 Fruit Eaten 78 15 7 Total 147 93 60 Percentage 49% 31% 20% Simulated Number of Birds in Flock for 3rd Generation 15 9 6 Data—Changed Environment with Equal Amounts of Insects and Seeds but No Fruit. First Generation Flock X Flock Y Flock Z Insects Eaten 30 60 60 Seeds Eaten 27 93 30 Total 57 153 90 Percent 19% 51% 30% Simulated Number of Birds in Flock for 2nd Generation 6 15 9 Second Generation Flock X Flock Y Flock Z Insects Eaten 15 100 44 Seeds Eaten 17 80 44 Total 32 180 88 Percent 11% 60% 29% Simulated Number of Birds in Flock for 3rd Generation 3 18 9 Analysis: Based on the data in the first table flock X consumes mostly fruit. When fruit was taken away there was a decrease in the number of birds that flock X contained. Flock Y consumes mostly seeds. There was no effect on flock Y when fruit was removed. Due to the fact that flock Z eats mostly insects, the flock was not affected by the removal of fruit. Conclusion: In this lab I learned about how favorable traits are important when nature selects what organism will survive and pass down its genes for the next generation to inherit, I also learned that most species learn to adapt to their environments so that they can have a favorable trait to be able to survive in their environment. I was able to observe that in the wilderness you need that favorable trait so that you are able to reproduce and pass down your genotypes for the next generation of you species to inherit. I  gained useful skills such as how to determine the next generation’s population by analyzing results from experiments I conducted relating to the bird populations

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Economics - Essay Example The emergence of many studies on Chinas’ FDI shows the importance of FDIs to the Chinese economy. The importance of FDI for China’s economy has been demonstrated by empirical research (Kueh, 1992; Zhan, 1993). At the micro level, studies examine technology transfer by multinational enterprises (MNEs) and linkages between foreign subsidiaries and Chinese local firms (Li and Yeung, 1999). Previous studies within these dimensions were generally qualitative and support the view that the entry and operation of MNEs promote the development of Chinese indigenous firms. Research on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the past has attracted much attention from the field of international finance and international marketing. FDI refers to a situation where, a firm invests directly in facilities to produce or market product in another country (Hill 2007:238, Sumulong et al., 2003, Buckley 2004, Shen et al., 2006). Once a corporation or firm undertakes a foreign direct investment, it becomes a Multinational Enterprise (MNE). Examples of foreign direct investment initiatives include: CEMEX a Mexican corporation operating in more than fifty countries; British petroleum, Texaco, ASDA, TESCO (Hill 2007). Hill (2007) contends that FDI takes on two main forms: Greenfield investment, mergers and acquisitions. Hill (2007) went further and argues that, in Greenfield investment, the firm in question establishes a new operation in a foreign country while the later involves acquiring or merging with an existing firm in the country. Acquisition however is usually hostile, because this is usually done against the wish of management (e.g. CEMEX’s acquisition of RMC of Britain and Southland in the United States (Hill 2007, Buckley 2004). In the years that follow after the Second World War, trade and investment have become increasingly intertwined. Within the first few decades after the war, most countries

Major Incident Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Major Incident Management - Essay Example Those who are categorized as serious have a deathly consequence in their circumstances; those categorized as major may suffer from a major permanent loss of function; next comes those who may suffer with a permanent reduction in bodily functions; those categorized as minor require increased level of care; and finally those classified as minimum are patients with no injury or increased level of care (New South Wales Government, 2005). Based on corporate consequence, impact on staff, visitors, services, finances, and the environment shall also be assessed by the first responder. The likelihood of the incident happening again shall also be assessed by the first responder. He shall classify the likelihood from the rating ‘frequent’ (the highest possible rating) to ‘rare’ (the lowest possible rating) (New South Wales Government, 2005). The risk or the magnitude of the incident also needs to be assessed by the first responder. The incident is rated at 1 if the ris k is extreme; 2 if the risk is high; 3, if there is medium risk; and 4 if the risk is low (New South Wales Government, 2005). The initial triage of the first responder is to assess the patients with life threatening conditions. The first responder has to deliver immediate treatment to these patients first by delivering CPR after airway clearance. For those classified as urgent or are unable to walk with RRs at 10 bpm-29 bpm and CRT at 2 seconds or less, urgent treatment has to be delivered by the crew. For those with minor injuries, but are walking, their treatment may be delayed; and for those who are dead, no treatment can be delivered. The crew then has to render appropriate emergency care and then transport the patients to the nearest hospital the soonest time possible, starting with those needing immediate care. In case of possible contagion, the emergency ambulance crew also has the duty of decontaminating the patients and themselves

Paraphrase the answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paraphrase the answers - Essay Example The project’s compatibility with various platforms is taken into consideration in this phase. This focuses on all the financial aspects of the project. Operational and development expenditures are assessed in order to establish the feasibility of the project and to ensure that everything runs according to the budget as well as cost competitors. The time available for project completion and project delivery are of primary concern. The analysis of time frame and project delivery is done in accordance with the project’s timeline and development time. The purpose of this project is to provide the users with various online services. The investigation was mainly conducted by the project manager with the assistance of other people. The aim of the project is to aide patients in choosing their preferred doctors as well as initiate and get appointments online. This system executes various activities of patients and also protects how doctors work. The system permits patients or users to easily identify doctors’ schedule, which helps them to settle for suitable appointment dates with the doctors. After a patient or user gets an appointment, the system then generates a tracking key that can be used in the future. The patient also gets a nod from the system upon getting an appointment. Doctors and other medical staff also have the chance to access the schedules and alter them as they deem fit. The project’s scope is to define various dimensions of the project requirements. It assess if all the project requirements have been met and explains how the system intends to operate and its security features. The login areas for doctors and patients are separate. After intensive review, my conclusion is that the system works in accordance with the users’ requirements and the entire system operations remain within the project scope. The total estimated project cost is $3500, which incorporates

Close reading a poem and thesis-driven essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Close reading a poem and thesis-driven - Essay Example The negative disposition intensified due to the dominance in her life. As such she perceives her problems as resulted to by the parent. Sylvia uses similes, allegories, various types of rhymes as well as enjambment between stanzas in reinforcing the contrasting themes of love and hate. Sylvia uses allegories and similes when she makes references to the Nazi of Germany. In doing this, she directly compares her relationship with her father to the relationship between a Nazi and a Jew. There are many circumstances where the persona or the poet mentions the Nazi of Germany or makes statements that allude to the Nazi regime. The poet says, â€Å"Not God but a Swastika† (46). Swastika was a symbol associated with the Nazi Germany. Through referring to his father as a Swastika, he tends to associate him with the Nazi Germany. Therefore, she indirectly refers to the symbol of the Nazi to depict the weakening bond between her and her fathers as she grows old. Another instance where the author mentions Nazi Germany is when she uses it to refer to the fear that he had for her dad. The narrators’ fear of the father compares to the Jew’s fear of the Nazi in the period of the Holocaust. Even though the Nazi Germany is not mentioned directly, the following lines insinuate that the poet made a direct reference to the Nazi. When the speaker elucidates the relationship between the Nazi-Jew cases she explains, â€Å"I thought every German was you / and the language obscene. Chuffing me off like a Jew The poem also uses nursery rhyme motif significantly to foster her message. In the very beginning, the poet mentions the lines, â€Å"You do not do† twice repeatedly. The verse portrays the seriousness of the narrator. She introduces the difficult or hard time that his father created. Additionally, the poet in describing his father says, â€Å"And your Aryan eye, bright blue† (43-45) The rhyme displays widespread

HR and CSR connection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR and CSR connection - Essay Example The employees, staff, and other personnel make up the bulk of the organization. The HR department serves as the glue that binds all employees together to form one strong team. Without the HR department, the company would definitely fall apart. In addition, the HR staffs ensure that what the organization projects in public is consistent with how the employees are being treated internally. More often, people are seeking for a company that â€Å"walks the talk†. For employees to remain working for the company and forge a sense of loyalty for the organization, their basic employment needs such as timely release of pay checks, health benefits, provision for salary increments, and the like must be attended to. Rewards and compensation packages for those who show outstanding performance must be offered. This way, it is easier for the company to encourage the employees to adhere to the organization’s CSR goals. CSR policies serve as the company’s guiding principles for the proper compliance to legal, ethical, and social standards in delivering services to the public. By ensuring that every employee acts and works according to the CRS policies of the company, the mission and vision of the organization will be realized. Since CRS policies must be acted upon by the staff and employees of the organization, the HR department is seen as an indispensable body in making sure that these policies are being followed by the employees. By showing to the staffs that they are appreciated and recognized, their efforts can easily be directed towards achieving the company’s CSR

Elements of a Contract Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elements of a Contract - Research Paper Example These include: an offer, acceptance, contractual capacity, consideration, formalities, illegality/legality, intention, terms of a contract, vitiating elements, misrepresentation, discharge of a contract and remedies for the breach of a contract. Elements of a Contract To enter into a contract, one party makes an unequivocal manifestation of his/her intentions to contract with another. An offer refers to the intent to contract. The part making an offer is called the offeror while the party to which the offer is made is called an offeree. An offer can be in a written form, verbal or merely implied through the parties conduct. Therefore an offer is an expression, a promise or an act committed by an individual from whom the law is able to construe his intentions to contract with another part as long the other part agrees to perform their duties in the contract. In this case, the Fabulous Hotels made the offer. The offeree accepted to the terms and conditions of the offeror and signed the contract which made the contract legally binding. Acceptance of an offer is the external demonstration of assent by the offeree (DiMatteo, 1998). When an offer is agreed upon the contract comes into existence. This occurs when the two parties consent and agree to perform their duties as defined by the contract. However, for an agreement to constitute a contract, it must be supported by a legal consideration. This refers to the rights, benefits, interest or profit, loss or forbearance, or a responsibility that one of the parties suffers or the other party undertakes. It also refers to anything that has value attached to it according to the law, moving from the plaintiff. Individuals getting into a contract must have the capacity to contract. Capacity to contract refers to the legal right a person has to enter into a legally binding agreement. There are varying contractual capacities that are allowed by the law depending on the age, the mental state and the influence of drugs on the person. The head chef and the fabulous hotels managers had the contractual capacity since they were adults. According to DiMatteo, (1998), for every contract to be valid the purpose for which it is meant to accomplish must be valid. An agreement to do something unlawful does not constitute a contract. The contract was also legal since the business involved is a legal business. Therefore the contract was binding. Enforcement Fabulous hotel and the head chef entered into a contract of restraint in trade. For the contract to be enforceable, the employee must have accepted the restraint. The restraint must also have been for the beneficial purposes of the restraining party and the whole public. The restraint is also enforceable if it is reasonable to both the hotel and the head chef. Therefore, the contract is enforceable because the offer was made by the offeror (fabulous hotel) and was accepted b the offeree (head chef). The contract was also signed by the two parties. The contract wa s also entered for the legal purpose. Therefore, any breach of the contract by the head chef would result to a legal consideration. The employee would be required to pay for any damages caused to the hotel. This is because the contract was signed by the two parties with an intention. The contract also involved various terms and the breach of these terms by either part would result to repudiation of the contract or form the basis for the hotel to sue the chef. However, the chef should have entered into the contract

Riordan Gap Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Riordan Gap Analysis - Essay Example Consequently, changes within the company have left Riordan to cope with a mass of challenges. Current changes have led to a decline in morale, work ethics, and employee retention. The consistent two-year regression means that the company has to focus on increasing sales and profit, aligning the staff, reducing turnover rates and increasing job satisfaction. The R & D department has the challenge of developing three new products to meet the following year. The strategic choice at the function level is â€Å"how should total compensation help gain and sustain competitive advantage† (Milkovich & Newman 2004). The company is faced with creating a new rewards system that includes compensation, salary, and benefits. The cost of implementing such a plan is also a concern for Riordan. The problem is the company is divided into three groups that do not agree or have different perspectives on rewards motivation, how to disburse incentives and what department should receive compensation. Some chief officers do not agree that a compensation system should be implemented, which has lead to an even bigger dilemma. Ultimately, while the challenges are seemingly overwhelming, there is a silver lining of opportunities available to Riordan. â€Å"Managing compensation strategically means fitting the compensation system to the business and environmental conditions† (Milkovich & Newman 2004). The CEO has allocated $50,000 to higher a consultant. This allows the company the opportunity to develop a solutions study survey that can help with job satisfaction, decrease turnover, and increase employee morale. This study will identify the underlying issues leading to decreased employee satisfaction and recommend potential mitigations for addressing the issues. Equally important are the stakeholders’ needs and ethical dilemmas that have developed with the challenges and

Pirates Of Silicon Valley Essay Example for Free

Pirates Of Silicon Valley Essay The movie â€Å"PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY† is all about how Apple and Microsoft got started. This creation was made because of the two intelligent people: Steve Jobs for Apple and Bill Gates for Microsoft. It shows how the first Apple computer was made which is the Macintosh. The movie is also about how the two intelligent persons compete to each other in order to be a successful or famous. It also shows how a good leader handles his employees or team. Just like with Steve Jobs. He is so abusive to his workers. It just like he is only the good person. He always wants to follow his decisions and not giving chance to listen to the opinions or decisions of his teammates. That’s why he had also a problem when it comes to his family. It is quite opposite to Bill Gates. Because Bill is just a simple man and he used his intelligence in good way. That’s why he succeeds much compared to Steve Jobs and became a wealthiest man in the world. I learned from that negative attitude of Steve Jobs. It teaches me not to be high regard to yourself in whatever achievements you will have. It’s because we cannot conclude what the future will holds, sometimes those who are not considered now might be the one who will succeed more. In everything we do, we should be humble. We should also consider the opinions of others. Their points of view will sometimes help us succeed not only for our own interest but to the whole organization as a whole. Because in an organization, it’s not only a matter of one mind functioning but it’s a sharing of thoughts, information and ideas to make the organization successful. But if there’s a negative point out in the movie, there is also a positive value that I admired. First is the companionship of each main character. The companionship of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniac and with Bill Gates and Paul. Despite also of the negative attitude of Steve Jobs, I admired how he persists to be successful. After he was fired in the Apple for after five years, he started a company named NEXT and another company named Pixar. Despite of being a loser in Apple, he didn’t lose his hope to be successful again but still dreams that someday he  will be a successful one. That’s good. We should not think that rejections in our life will still be there. Let’s make it as our inspiration to achieve our goals. We should learn from our mistakes because failure is success. The more we fail, the more we will be a better one if we learned from it.

Is Odysseus a Hero Essay Example for Free

Is Odysseus a Hero Essay I feel that Odysseus, like any person, can be a hero at some times and very selfish at other times. During the war in Troy, Odysseus was surely a hero, thinking smartly and protecting his men well. However, in books nine through twelve, Odysseus is definitely not playing the role of a hero among his crew. On almost any page you turn to in the book, you can find some act of selfishness coming from Odysseus. During his journey, Odysseus performs many courageous acts. At the island of the Lotus Eaters, he rescues his men from the addiction of the lotus flower. After the Cyclops captures them in his cave, Odysseus blinds the Cyclops with a sharpened log. Then Odysseus’ men sneak out of the Cyclops cave under sheepskins. Odysseus also performs a courageous act when he steers his ship around the deadly whirlpool Charybodis and valiantly tries to defend his men from Scylla, but she strikes to fast for him causing him to lose six men. When Odysseus arrives at the island of the Sun God’s cattle, he and his crew face famine. Therefore, when Odysseus falls asleep his men slaughter some of the Sun God’s cattle. Odysseuss extreme pride and arrogance seems to cause trouble for him on many occasions throughout the book. Epic heroes ought to be proud of their accomplishments but they should not brag or expect things from people because of it. Odysseuss pride and arrogance show up throughout the book. However, one occasion seems to stick out best. In book 9 of The Odyssey, Odysseus lands on an island bordering the land of Cyclops. He watches their brutish ways for days yet he still decides to pay them a visit. His men suggest taking the cheeses and animals but Odysseus refused (The Odyssey, Book 9). Odysseus fought gloriously on behalf of the Greeks in Troy and was considered a war hero of sorts because of it. However, he became to full of himself and did not give the Gods credit for helping him. That is why Poseidon punished him. He bravely endured Poseidons punishment and in the end learned that Man is nothing without the Gods. Therefore, I guess that makes him a hero, that he endured so much and learned a valuable lesson in the end.

Basic token economy

Basic token economy Abstract According to Martin and Pear (2007), a token economy is a system of behavior modification based on the principles of operant conditioning. The original proposal for such a system emphasized reinforcing positive behavior by awarding tokens for meeting positive behavioral goals. Token economies have also been implemented to decrease disruptive behaviors and increase appropriate behaviors. Tokens can then be redeemed for reinforcing objects or activities at a later point in time. Basic Token Economies According to Martin and Pear (2007), a token economy is a form of behavior modification program in which individuals can earn tokens for performing desirable behaviors, and can cash in their tokens for various backup reinforcers. Individuals receive tokens immediately after displaying desirable behavior. The tokens are collected and later exchanged for items or privileges (such as food or free time) and punishing undesirable behaviors by taking away tokens. Shapiro and Goldberg (1986) have provided research to show that the use of an individual contingency token system proves to be an effective method for increasing positive student behaviors History of Token Economies Kazdin (1982), reports that programs based upon the administration of rewards developed long before the emergence of behavior modification systems such as token economies. One such system from the 1800s has been discovered in England. According to Kazdin and Pulaski (2006), Joseph Lancaster posted a notice that read, All who will may send their children and have them educated freely, and those who do not wish to have education for nothing may pay for it if they please. When attendance rose to 1,000 students, Lancaster developed a system by which selected children served as helpers or monitors. The selected monitors would check other childrens work and tokens were given to the children and the monitors. The tokens could be exchanged later for various prizes. Risley and Wolf (1997) state that unlike the token economies used today, the 19th century system was not well defined in that it did not detail the responses that led to the delivery of tickets or give specific exchange rates. In addition, the delivery of back-up reinforcers could be delayed for exceedingly long periods, These rewards will be exchanged, three times a year, for objects of value and useful for the children. Risley Wolf state, Nevertheless, the basic elements of a token economy are clearly present in this classroom discipline system developed in the 19th century. Kazdin (1982) states that token economies with regard to motivating behavior were first formalized in studies performed by Ayllon and Azrin in the 1960s. Ayllon and Azrin worked with mental health institutions and prisons to test token economy systems. They found great success in motivating the change of behavior through token economies. Kazdin (1982) reports on a study performed by Rollins, Thompson, and their colleagues who developed token economies in several elementary school classrooms. These programs were very effective in raising the students academic achievement. When the researchers returned to evaluate the long-term effects they found that the school had discontinued the token economy system and behaviors returned to preprogram behavior. Description Martin and Pear (2007) list several elements that are necessary when developing a token economy. First, tokens can be anything that is visible and countable and can be exchanged for privileges or merchandise. It is best to have tokens that are attractive, easy to carry and dispense, and difficult to counterfeit. Commonly used items include poker chips, stickers, point tallies, or play money. Martin and Pear (2007) contend that tokens are to be administered in a positive manner. When an individual displays desirable behavior, he or she is immediately given a designated number of tokens. Tokens are not to have any value of their own. They are collected and later exchanged for meaningful objects, privileges or activities. In some programs individuals can also lose tokens (response cost) for displaying undesirable behavior. Clearly Defined Target Behavior Martin and Pear (2007) stated that individuals participating in a token economy needed to know exactly what they must do in order to receive tokens. Desirable and undesirable behavior is explained ahead of time in simple, specific terms. The number of tokens awarded or lost for each particular behavior is also specified. Back-up Reinforcers Back-up reinforcers are the meaningful objects, privileges, or activities that individuals receive in exchange for their tokens. Examples include food items, toys, extra free time, or outings. The success of a token economy depends on the appeal of the back-up reinforcers. Individuals will only be motivated to earn tokens if they anticipate the future reward represented by the tokens. A well-designed token economy will use back-up reinforcers chosen by individuals rather than by staff. Developing a system for exchanging tokens Martin and Pear (2007) have stated that a time and place for purchasing back-up reinforcers is necessary. The token value of each back-up reinforcer is pre-determined based on monetary value, demand, or therapeutic value. For example, if the reinforcer is expensive or highly attractive, the token value should be higher. If possession of or participation in the reinforcer would aid in the individuals acquisition of skills, the token value should be lower. If the token value is set too low, individuals will be less motivated to earn tokens. Conversely, if the value is set too high, individuals may become easily discouraged. It is important that each individual can earn at least some tokens. Consistent Implementation by the Staff Martin and Pear (2007) state that in order for a token economy to succeed, all involved members must reward the same behaviors, use the appropriate amount of tokens, avoid dispensing back-up reinforcers for free, and prevent tokens from being counterfeited, stolen, or otherwise unjustly obtained. Staff responsibilities and the rules of the token economy should be described in a written manual. Staff members should also be evaluated periodically and given the opportunity to raise questions or concerns. Initially tokens are awarded frequently and in higher amounts, but as individuals learn the desirable behavior, opportunities to earn tokens decrease. (The amount and frequency of token dispensing is called a reinforcement schedule.) For example, in a classroom, each student may earn 25 to 75 tokens the first day, so that they quickly learn the value of the tokens. Later, students may earn 15 to 30 tokens per day. By gradually decreasing the availability of tokens (fading), students should learn to display the desirable behavior independently, without the unnatural use of tokens. Reinforcers that individuals would normally encounter in society, such as verbal praise, should accompany the awarding of tokens to aid in the fading process. Efficacy Mathur (1996) states that many behavior management techniques, if applied correctly and consistently in a systematic fashion over an extended period-of-time, token economies can be a highly effective method for changing or controlling student behavior. Many factors make a token economy effective. One such factor is that tokens can be easily dispensed without disrupting the teaching/learning process. Another effective factor is that tokens can be exchanged for a variety of individualized backup reinforcers. Requirements for earning reinforcement can be adjusted as the needs of the students change. A token economy system may give the teacher flexibility in adjusting the relationship between certain behaviors and rewards, and may allow for continued pairing of tokens with more natural social reinforcers. Finally, token economies can be used to help the student acquire skills that will eventually lead to other more natural reinforcers such as good grades (Mathur, 1996). Limitations According to Martin and Pear (2007), some include a form of response cost in their token economy. This involves penalizing students for inappropriate behavior by taking away tokens they have earned. The ethics of taking away what a student has fairly earned is questionable. In addition, a threat to the student is implicit in response cost. Response cost may lead to a student behaving appropriately only out of fear or anxiety of losing points or tokens. Additionally, it may lead to power struggles that become setting events for undesired behaviors. Martin and Pear (2007) state some disadvantages of implementing a token economy include cost, effort, and extensive staff training and management. If staff members are inadequately trained or there is a shortage of staff, desirable behaviors may not be rewarded or undesirable behaviors may be inadvertently rewarded, resulting in an increase of negative behavior. Some professionals find token economies to be time-consuming and impractical. Conclusion A token economy, when used correctly, is an effective form of behavior modification that increase desirable behavior, and decrease undesirable behavior with the use of tokens and back up reinforcers. The tokens are collected and later exchanged for a meaningful object or privilege. According to Martin and Pear (2007) token economies have been used effectively in psychiatric wards, in institutions and classrooms for persons with developmental disabilities, in classrooms for children and teenagers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in normal classroom settings ranging from preschool to college university classes. References Ayllon, T. (1999). How to use token economy and point systems (2nd ed.). Austin, Texas: Pro-Ed. Kazdin, A. E. (1982). The token economy: A decade later. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 15, 431-445. Kazdin, A. E., Pulaski, J. L. (2006). Joseph Lancaster and behavior modification in education. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 13(3), 261-266. Martin, G., Pear, J. (2007). Token Economies. In Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it (pp. 323-334). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Mather, S. (1996). Why token reinforcement works. Teacher Mediator, 2, 10-14. Risley, T. R., Wolf, M. M. (1997). The origin of the dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30, 377-381. Shapiro, E. S., Goldberg, R. (1986). A comparison of group contingencies for increasing spelling performance among sixth grade students. School Psychology Review, 15, 546-557. Token Economy System Definition. In Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders [Web]. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved 4/9/2009, from http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Token-economy-system.html.

What Is Satanism? :: essays research papers

What is Satanism? Satanism is the religion of the flesh. Happiness, to the Satanist must be found here and now. No heaven exists to go to after death and no Hell of burning punishment awaits the sinner. Strongly attached to our family and close associations, we make excellent friends. Satanists do not believe that you can love everyone and treat every person the same. By failing to hate you make yourself unable to love. Feared by their enemies and loved by their friends, Satanist's build their stronghold in the community. The term occult means "hidden" or those things or teachings that are unknown information, knowledge that is gained beyond the five senses. Therefore, knowledge is received by some supernatural involvement or connection. Anton LaVey of the first church of Satan in San Francisco, California, says that "Satanism is a blatantly selfish brutal religion- It is based on the belief that man is inherently a selfish, violent creature†¦ that the earth will be ruled by those who fight and win." Satanism challenges the biblical teachings regarding mans relationship to others. Young Satanist's believe that the strong will rule with Satan. Power has become an obsession with young Satanists. It is sought after on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. Gaining knowledge that others do not posses is another aspect of the occult. When an individual has more knowledge it allows them a degree of power over those who do not have access to that knowledge. The Ouija Board has proven particularly useful. The Ouija Board is an instrument for communication with the spirits of the dead. The Ouija Board is an open door into the world of the occult and demonic activity. Disembodied speak to the living through the medium of the Ouija Board. This information is believed to be truth from the other side; Lucifer's delusion to gain our allegiance. Most cases are with people who have used the Ouija Board. The Ouija Board is the easiest way to become possessed. The greatest danger of the Ouija is that an individual begins to place his trust and future hope in the message the board brings. Christians can offer several reasons as to why one should not be involved in the use of the Ouija Board. One is simply that the bible condemns it as being involvement in the occult. And then theirs the fact that the message received is often false and misleading. According to scripture (Matt 4:9, Rev, 12:19) "Satan's goal is to deceive man by blinding him to the truth of the gospel and to receive worship for himself. Satan desires to alter an individuals values and turn them against

Free Song of Solomon Essays: Father and Son Relationship :: Song Solomon essays

The Father and Son Relationship in Song of Solomon    The book called Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, deals with many real life issues, most of which are illustrated by the relationships between different family members.    One archetypal relationship that Morrison includes in her book is the father:son relationship. Although it is obvious that Morrison does talk about this topic, it is not so obvious what she is trying to say about it. So, one might ask, how does the author establish the father:son relationships throughout Song of Solomon and do they fit some sort of archetype? To answer a question such as this, it would be beneficial to examine the actual father:son relationships throughout the book.    One established father:son relationships that is significant to this issue is the one between Milkman and Macon. From the start, Macon objected to Milkman even being born; he forced Ruth to do things to her body that could possibly kill the fetus. With a little help from Pilate, however, Milkman was allowed into the world.    Macon, perhaps instigated by never having a mother and seeing his own father killed, has always appeared to be a cold and unforgiving parent even to his other children besides Milkman, but since Macon heard that his son ¹s nickname was  ³Milkman ² he has seen him as a symbol of his disgust for his wife and lost a lot of respect for his son and became even colder towards him. The only time Macon did spend time with Milkman, he spent it boasting about his own great upbringing, warning him to stay away from Pilate and telling him about the embarrassing actions of Ruth. This is the manner in which Morrison establishes the relationship between Macon and Milkman in the first part of the book.    As Milkman grows up, he recognizes the emotional distance between his father and himself. He goes his own way with a few skirmishes here and there and later he even manages to hit his own father. As Macon and Milkman grow apart and go their separate ways, Milkman doesn ¹t even think twice about it and just continues on with his life as if nothing was different.    Near the end of the book Milkman seems to change his view of his father, with some help from the positive memories of the old men in the passage.

Essay --

1. Describe how your company will address the five product levels: core benefit, basic product, expected product, augmented product, and potential product. Core Benefit – Every consumer while purchasing a deodorant has an inner urge to feel inflated with the smell of deodorant. The most fundamental benefit or service the customer is buying is towards meeting the urge of every activity. As a company, we would like to meet the customer needs like good fragrance, better price etc. Basic Product – At this stage, it is the basis product which would try to satisfy the inner needs of the consumer. On this stage the product only contains values those are totally necessary for it to function. Hence while manufacturing and selling product, it would be ensured that the product deserve the value for which it is purchased. Expected Product – A set of attributes and conditions buyers normally expects when they purchase the product. Hence starring from manufacturing till selling the deodorant, it would be ensured that, we have met the customer needs from the product. Further, we should try to manufacture different variety of deodorants with many specifications to meet the customers’ expectations in this section. Augmented Product- As per this level, it exceeds customer’s expectations. The new competition is not on what firms manufacture in the factory but between, what they add to their factory output in the form of packaging, services, advertising , customer advice, financing, delivery arrangements, warehousing, and other things that people value. Hence we would prefer to understand the products of competitors and try to bring the different features in the product which will allure the customer. Each augmentation adds costs and slowly becom... ... utilization of the product. Consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious, so it is essential to display the contents of the product especially in the case of food products as most people prefer to avoid high calorie products. Injurious products such as a cigarettes and other related items should carry a statutory warning. Governments issue regulations about labeling from time to time. The government encourages the manufacture of products that are ecofriendly. One such step in this direction is to provide a labeling with the name â€Å"ECOMARK† for those products that meet certain criteria. Such criteria could lead to effective reduction in the harm caused to the environment, when such products are disposed of. In United States, government issues â€Å"ECOMARK†, when the products meet the set of standards along with the requirements of the American Standard Institute.

Commentary: An Advancement of Learning by Seamus Heaney Essay

In An Advancement from Learning by Seamus Heaney, he describes a retrospective childhood experience. The narrator compels himself to face a deep-seated and preposterous fear which he consequently conquers. He shares his terror and revulsion by implementing vivid and vibrant imagery presented in nine quatrains. The conquest of an irrational fear depicted in this poem is perhaps a metaphor for overcoming greater fears in life. As the title suggest, this poem is about An Advancement of Learning- facing and subsequently conquering sometimes strong and private fears. Heaney describes a lone stroll along a polluted, ‘oil-skinned’ river bank. The almost sombre introspective tone of the opening two stanzas rapidly changes into one of revolt and terror as a rat emerges from the river. In a moment of panic, the poet attempts to escape, only to find another on the far bank, which encouraged a deeper impact. The second rat provoked the author to question his response to and fear for these animals. He then ‘incredibly’ decides to courageously maintain his ground and face the rodent. Despite Heaney providing the reader with a vibrant image of the animal to reinforce his contempt, he almost battles the rat until he ‘stared him out’. Eventually, as if the narrator won the ongoing battle, the rat retreats into a sewage pipe. Heaney then advances his way and triumphantly crosses the bridge, as he conquered a fright which has bedevilled him since childhood. An Advancement of Learning is written in nine quatrains consisting of short and sharp lines, which almost present the reader with a succession of flashing images. Heaney employs a loose and alternate rhyming scheme- stanzas one, three, six, eight and nine follow the pattern abcb, whereas stanzas two and four follow the abac pattern. Where the seventh stanza follows the abab pattern, Stanza five has the different but effective rhyming scheme abbc. The regularity of the rhythm in this stanza contributes to the reader’s sense of the poet’s rising self control. Heaney makes active use of enjambment and caesura to emphasise many of his emotions and sentiments. The astute use of enjambment from lines ten to sixteen increase the tempo and excitement of the poem, which in turn aid to convey the poet’s  fright and aspiration to flee. Furthermore, the writer applies enjambment between one stanza and the next to allow his descriptions to flow smoothly, which appropriately reflects the fluidity of the river described. Interesting is that the verses reflect the writer’s gradual gaining of self control. The main entity in the poem is the bridge as it symbolises the tree stages in the writer’s conquest of fear. At the sight of the first rat, the poet initially refuses to cross the bridge. Once faced with his ‘enemy’, he establishes a ‘dreaded Bridgehead’ which in military terms means to hold a defensive position. He is fearful but determined. Finally, as the poet defeats his foe and fear, he, with a vestige of triumph, ‘walked on and crossed the bridge.’ The bridge is mentioned at these three key stages of Heaney’s experience as well as structurally in the first, central and closing stanzas to emphasise the stages of overcoming his fear gradually. Heaney’s most striking feature in terms of style and language are unmistakably his effective use of alliteration and sibilance, as well as the appealing use of lexis. The repetition of the sharp consonant sounds s and c, especially conspicuous in the third stanza, contribute to both the sickening nature of the rat and the writer’s feelings towards it. An example of words carefully chosen to enhance and reflect the meaning of the poem is ‘Insidiously listening’, which is despite its impact, neither alliteration nor assonance. The narrator also employs extraordinary and emotive vocabulary, such as ‘slimed’ and ‘nimbling’ to describe the rats, allowing the reader to accurately experience the fear and loathing which he suffered. Remarkable about this poem is that as the writer overcomes his revolt and fright, the description of the animal becomes more forgiving. Where at the beginning the rodents were Insidious, ‘slobberedâ€℠¢ and ‘slimed’ around, they are, less forbiddingly, observed as animals with ‘the raindrop eye’ and ‘the old snout’ towards the end. This indicates how the writer’s fear and terror disappears with the rat into the sewage pipe, and how he now views the rodent in its proper perspective. An Advancement of Learning successfully conveyed the writer’s feelings and  emotions while conquering a lifelong phobia. The use of enjambment and caesura as well as the alternating rhyming patterns, which reflected the increasing order of the situation, all contribute to the vibrant image the reader is provided with. Furthermore, the poet employed the motif of the bridge as a foundation for the poem’s structure while adding more dimension to the text by enforcing it as a symbol of the poet’s route to overcoming his deep-rooted fears.

Org 581

ORG 581 Facilitating Change Paper Timothy Kirk ORG/581 William Gillis, PhD December 22, 2012 * * * * Introduction Starbucks Facilitating Change to China Starbucks current structure is categorized as a mechanistic organization, which is comprised of highly vertical and horizontal complexities, highly formalizations, highly centralizations, tapered lengths of control, and highly standardizations. The CEO of Starbucks, Howard Shultz, has worked to create a more efficient and streamlined structure where information can flow freely from customer and low-tier employee to the corporate level.To facilitate this process has allowed Starbucks to expand to locations like China. Starbucks divides its labor into cross functional work teams, which allows employees to report to multiple supervisors. â€Å"This structural behavior has allowed the corporation to have successful communication upward, downward and laterally with its employees† (â€Å"Successful Application of Organizational Beh avior: Starbucks,† 2009). The matrix structure seems to work for Starbucks, as they maintain effective communication, great product development, efficient production, and exemplary customer service as a result.Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz helped facilitate in the companies structure a matrix of communication that both works internal and external, this key to the primary benefits of the success of the company. On the inside, Starbucks’ reinforcement of exposed communication among workers, higher administration, and administrators permits more open innovation in ideas, correcting problems through a process of identifying, discussing, plan of action, and follow through to solutions in a timely manner. On the outside are the clients that are loyal and are given ownership in that the company solicits their input on a regular basis.For instance, Starbucks integrated a community website for networking where clients help to shape the future of Starbucks as we know it today. Th e loyalty of the customers help in developing an emotional bond that creates a family type network open to discussion, ideas, and innovation to services and merchandise. As an example of the recommendations presented to the challenges of the existing organizational design, our recommendations in this paper will assist in summarizing the need for positive changes in current strategies at Starbucks.One recommendation is to add programs that would highlight staff successes / achievements and assist in locations both locally and internationally for more exposure. In the second recommendation, social media programs would be implemented to allow broader cross training, updates on corrective actions to local issues with products, equipment issues and solutions, and selling techniques. Starbucks already has a winning situation by expanding efforts to achieve these ideas in their company services in China and also to a global market using their website as an anchor with Facebook pointing bac k more opportunities.While Starbucks is setting new standards for selling products, marketing services, and the development of new products, there are always room for improvement. Each day as the Staff and Managers begin their day there is a sense of loyalty that permeates throughout the organization that is in the air. While the last recommendation that seems to have a major impact is when customers enter into the stores there is a feeling of calm and peace, but not so much interaction outside the corner. Customers are more willing to buy and linger in the store and browse.This opens of doors of opportunity if the staff is watching to see the roaming of customer in asking them if they had something in mind as they browsed the floor. Maybe when a staff member observed a customers looking at merchandise they could come from around the counter and visit and ask if there was something they may be looking for as a gift or for them personally. I can see an up in the personal experience f or customers. Social connection is key to staff interaction with customers as these services to products and merchandise just adds to the Starbucks experience.Now changing things in the structure of selling coffee is what Starbucks does best. The easy going stages of the processes are streamlined. Culturally they are very good at fitting in to provide employees with training that allows not only greater knowledge, but a chance to be a part of not just a company, but a family of teams that work very close together. The only thought that if I could influence the change would be that some of the locations selected are very hard to get access to, and cause traffic issues.Over-all Starbucks has a strong leadership team and is very focused on keeping the flow of coffee going for years to come. To improve the effectiveness of Starbucks the main item that needs more attention is a stronger sense of community with employees in the training programs. It appears that Starbucks can expand train ing by using the Starbucks website. Furthermore, these types of business pages would have to be geared towards the staffing groups at each store.Starbucks would be able to place items like training videos, current calendar events, up and coming announcements, Ads, Promos, and to have more ‘likes’ that generate exposure. As much as family and community are for Starbucks that type of account would build confidence, cultural connections, and building solid teams. The department here is the Training Center and would be directly connected to the website through an Intranet to allow uploading, changes, editing, and training through a custom based interactive website.The site would allow team members to have 24 hour access to newsletters, memos, updates, and training documentation. The site would facilitate training in all aspect of Starbucks. Recommended Changes regarding technology Strategies to China As an example of the recommendations to the Starbucks strategies the progr am would highlight staff successes and highlights at locations providing both locally and internationally. In this recommendation a social media program would allow more cross training, updates on corrective actions to local issues with products, equipment issues, and selling techniques.Starbucks has a winning situation by expanding efforts to achieve company services in China to a global market by using their website as an anchor with Facebook to point back using these media products opportunities. While Starbucks is setting new standards for selling products and services, marketing to foreign countries, and development, there is always room for improvement. Every day as the Staff and Managers begin their day there is a sense of loyalty that permeates throughout the organization that is in the air.When customers enter into the stores there is a feeling of calm and peace. Customers are more willing to buy and linger in the store and browse. This opens of doors of opportunity if the staff is watching to see the roaming of customer in asking them if they had something in mind as they browsed the floor. Maybe when a staff member observed a customers looking at merchandise they could come from around the counter and visit and ask if there was something they may be looking for as a gift or for them personally. I can see an up in the personal experience for customers.Conclusion * * Starbucks has done an exceptional job at expanding its exposure and market share. What I find disturbing is that so many employees are burned out, others do not have enough hours to keep up with the changes, and some are not happy even though Starbucks is a very good company to work for in all the aspects of the word job. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * References * * * Agence France-Presse – Starbucks plans China expansion * http://business. inquirer. net/54427/starbucks-plans-china-expansion Anthony, W.P. , Gales, L. M. , & Hodge, B. J. (20 03). Organization Theory: A Strategic Approach (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. * Efrati, A. and Gasparro, A. – (2012), Starbucks Invests in Square – The Wall Street Journal * http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10000872396390444423704577575803898185594. html * * Facebook. com. (2011). Starbucks. * Retrieved from http://www. facebook. com/#! /Starbucks? sk=wall * * Starbucks Training Technologies – (November 2011) * http://starbuckstrainingtechnology. blogspot. com/

Expanding Target to China Essay

China is, without a doubt, the fastest growing economy in the world today. Companies from around the world have wanted to tap into China’s market to cash in on the tremendous success that it continues to experience. There had been many restrictions for foreign companies who tried to do business in China, limiting the number of foreign companies, and allowing only the big players to come into China. Even then, these big players from around the globe faced more restrictions and rules once they entered China. But things have changed since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001; a new milestone for this country, as well as for other economies. Since then, restrictions for foreign investors and businesses to enter China’s market had begun to ease up. By December 11th, 2004, China must remove remaining restrictions on the retail sector in order to comply with the WTO rules. This means it will be much easier for foreign retailers to enter the market, and for c urrent foreign retailers in China to expand (1). Many retailers from all over the world will seize this golden opportunity, and Target should do so too. Target, a Minnesota based national retail company, has come a long way from being Dayton’s department store back in 1961 to being one of the biggest players in United States’ retail market, as we know it today. Over the last ten years, Target has experienced a continuous incline in growth year after year. Sales reached over $48 billion this past year, a 10 percent increase from the year prior (2). Just like its revenue, the number of stores across the United States has been on the rise. Currently there are 1313 Target stores operating in 47 states, including 136 SuperTarget stores in 20 states (3). Not surprisingly, Target ranks number four in Triversity’s Top 100 Retailers in the United States behind Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Kroger (4). Globally, Target is ranked number 7 in the top 100 retailers worldwide (5). With this kind of statistics, Target has the potential and the resources to begin expanding into the international market, such as China. Comparing to Metro AG, a German retailer, which ranks a couple spots ahead of Target on the worldwide list, is not that much ahead of Target in terms of sales. And yet, Metro AG is one of the largest foreign retailers in China, along with  Wal-Mart and Carrefour (6). Not only should Target continue to expand domestically, but it should also start looking to expand in other markets around the world as well, such as China. This will allow Target to become a multinational company and begin creating a global recognition for itself in the retail sector. Now of course Target cannot dive right into the China Market and expect everything to just work out. Like any other company entering a foreign market, there are challenges and factors that Target must consider and evaluate before doing business in China. In this report, different reasons why Target should enter China’s retail market and the benefits it offers to the company will be presented. China’s economic status, political status, and economic status, along with options of entry and other factors that will affect Target’s business, will be discussed. China’s Economic Status China is currently the world’s most potential market for consumer goods. Its average annual GDP growth rate of nearly 10 percent for the last 10 years is the strongest among other major economies around the world (7). This is mainly due to the increase in manufacturing investment from foreign companies over the years because China is full of resources and cheap labor. Many products we see today are labeled â€Å"Made in China† since China has essentially developed into â€Å"a manufacturing centre for the world’s consumer goods production† (8). With a population of 1.3 billion people and having more consumers than Europe and the United States put together, it is obvious that China is by far one of the most attractive markets to invest in for foreign companies that are in the retail and consumer sector (8). When combining the strong, continuous growth of the economy with a population of this magnitude, the results are more money in consumers’ pockets, meaning more money to spend on goods. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, â€Å"the retail sales of consumer goods in China quadrupled with a span of 10 years† (7). With this kind of statistics, it will be Target’s best interest to pursuit an expansion into China’s retail market. China’s economy and consumer market will continue to grow. The more people there are in a  market, the more money will be spent. Everyone will always need food and daily accessories regardless of how much money they have, and those that have more money to spend will spend that extra money on other goods. So by setting up operations there, Target will have a chance to go along with the ride and reap the promising rewards that China’s consumer market offers, which is what other foreign retailers are looking for. China’s Political Status One of the major milestones for China, which made a global impact, is its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. This is the main reason why the forecast of China’s growing economy remains strong. Since then, China’s has begun to ease up restrictions on imports and exports, and also for foreign businesses entering China’s market, most significantly the retail sector. By December 11, 2004, all restrictions on foreign retailing in China will be lifted, including restrictions on foreign ownership, number of branches, and geographic locations for where to set up stores (9). Currently, there are limited foreign investments in China’s retail sector. In 2000, the Retail and Wholesale sector only accounts for 2 percent of the total foreign direct investment in China (7). Today, this percentage is not much higher than it was in 2000. This is because prior to China’s accession to the WTO, there were many restrictions and regulations for foreign companies entering China. Some of the main restrictions were the annual sales volume requirement, assets requirement, and the minimum registered capital requirement. Before, in order to enter China’s retail sector, a foreign company must have annual sales volume of at least US $2 billion, assets of at least US $200 million, and minimum registered capital of at least RMB 50 million, or about US $6.1 million. Also, they were only allowed to enter the market with approval, and in a form of a joint venture with local partners with no more than 49 percent ownership (10). This limited China’s retail market to only the big international players such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Metro AG, etc, who all have already established a presence in China. But after China starts to comply with WTO rules next month; dramatic changes will take place in China’s retail sector. Once all the restrictions for foreign retail companies are lifted by China, the number of foreign retailers entering China will increase sharply, both small and medium retailers. All a company will need is a good reputation and a minimum registered capital requirement of US $36,000. Other than a joint venture, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise will become an option (10). Also, the foreign players that are currently in the market will be able expand more rapidly under the new rules. This is another reason why Target should enter China’s retail market, and soon. The percentage that the retail sector represents in the total direct foreign investment is still low, meaning there is a lot of room to grow. The sooner Target steps in, the more market share will be available for Target to gain. If Target delays its entry, other foreign retailers from all over the world will start to swarm in and the big players that are currently in the market will expand quickly; therefore making it more difficult for Target to create a significant presence. If Target decides not to enter this goldmine, then an incredible opportunity will be missed. WFOE or Joint Venture There are two options for Target to start business in China, establishing a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) or a joint venture with a local Chinese company. There are advantages and disadvantages for both options, and it will be important to understand each. Joint ventures were the only way to enter China for any foreign company due to the restrictions set by China prior to joining the WTO. With joint ventures, foreign companies were able enter China’s market easier. It really helps to have a local partner that is already familiar with the market and know the laws of doing business in China. Also, with a joint venture, it is much less capital intensive since the local partner will be contributing to the business. The downside of a joint venture is that it is difficult to find the right partner, and it requires a lot time because a good relationship must be formed before any negotiations take place. In China, a good relationship is the key to doing business. Some major causes of joint  venture failures have been overestimation of the partner’s capabilities, differing expectations, and different management styles (11). These are some of the reasons that limit a foreign company’s desire to expand. WFOE, an option that will be open to foreign retail companies doing or planning to do business in China after next month, would probably be the direction that most foreign retailers will choose. It should be Target’s choice as well when entering China. But before a WFOE can be set up, an application must be submitted to MOFCOM’s (Ministry of Commerce) provincial-level counterparts. The applications will then be forwarded to MOFOCOM for approval. The approval process takes about three to four months, but approval is only granted if the proposed business will help the development of China’s economy (12). Target will have no problem getting approved because it will help create more jobs in China, bring in more sophisticated technology to run its stores and operations, and increase manufacturing production in China since a good portion of the products that will be in Target stores will be made in China. The disadvantage of setting up a WFOE is that it is much more capital intensive. Foreign companies do not have anyone to share the investment costs with in the country. China only allows money coming from outside of the country when foreign companies want to set up a WFOE (12). However, the advantages that WFOE offers outweigh the disadvantages. A WFOE can enjoy the exclusive management control and operational controls with less interference from the Chinese government (13). A foreign company can bring in sophisticated technology without having to worry about losing its intellectual property or figure out how many shares the technology is worth in a joint venture (14). Because of all this, a WFOE can expand into other areas more freely. Although WFOE would be a capital intensive option for Target, it will pay off in the long run. Having complete control over its management and operations, less governmental interference, and less limitations to expand will be beneficial for Target. China’s Social Status There are some other things that it must take into account before Target jumps into China’s retail market, one of which is the social landscape of China. Just like in the United States, knowing where the customers are and where to set up stores are important strategies. The more wealthy cities are concentrated in China’s east and south-east coastal provinces. The top ten most prosperous provinces in China are: Shanghai, Guangdong, Beijing, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Liaoning, Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Chongqing. These areas are obviously where foreign investors want to go because of higher per capita income and consumer spending in those areas. Consumer activities in some major inland cities are slowly on the rise, but are still fairly undeveloped compared to the east (7). But it may be a good idea to start investing in those areas and capture those markets while competition level is still low. Target should obviously start with investing in a couple of the more prosperous areas, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, or Zhejiang. These four provinces have the highest per capita income and household consumption, which means there are more money spent by consumers (8). Besides this, Target should start investing in the major inland cities that are beginning to develop, such as Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, and Sichuan. Almost half of China’s population lives in the central and northwest provinces (7). Take advantage of the new rules that will lift restrictions on locations and the number of stores, and enjoy the benefit of being able to expand easier by being a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. The developing areas should be Target’s concentration. It may be a little more risky, and sales may be lower at first, but it will be beneficial in the long run. The biggest competitors, both domestic and foreign, are mostly located in the prosperous areas (8). It will be more difficult to establish a solid foothold in China’s retail market if Target starts off trying to compete with big foreign players such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, or big domestic players such as Lianhua and Hualian, all of which are much more familiar with the market. So it will be a good idea for Target to tap into the less developed major  inland cities and create a niche market while competition is still very low in those areas. This can help them develop a presence in China, and become one of the major foreign players in China’s retail market. U.S. Commercial Service After understand all the details described previously throughout the report, Target still needs some help entering China’s retail market. Target is very successful in the United States, but China is a totally different market. There are different consumers, different languages, and different laws. Target needs to find someone that is familiar with the languages (Chinese and English), the Chinese retail market, and all the rules that foreign business must comply with. It would be the best if Target has some managers that fit these criterions within the corporation because then those people can be assigned to assist in Target’s plan to enter China. They will be familiar with China’s market and rules, as well as Target’s objectives and operations. But if there are no qualified candidates within Target, then this is where the U.S. Commercial Service comes in play to help. The U.S. Commercial Service offers customized solutions to help US companies enter and expand in the China Market. They have six offices in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. There are several services that a US company can purchase, one of which is the Gold Key Service (GKS). This service identifies and arranges appointments with the people that the company will need to meet in order to break into the China market successfully. The U.S. Commercial Service will tailor the service to the company’s needs. They can assess the competition, and/or find lawyers, consultants, government officials, agents and distributors, etc (15). This is a great service that Target should use if they do not have people to use internally. Going into a foreign market, especially China, without being knowledgeable in the country’s laws and regulations, competition, consumers, and business environment is very risky. Any company that does this is essentially setting up for failure in the new market. This is why Target  needs to find experts that know how to do business in China. By being able to access competition, access the business environment, and working with a consultant or lawyer that knows the business laws in China will definitely help Target develop a safe and successful entry into China’s retail market. To order the Gold Key Service from the U.S. Commercial Service, all Target have to do is contact the nearest U.S. Commercial Service assistance center, call 1-800-USA-Trade, or email their FCS Beijing Office at Export.China@mail.doc.gov (15). Other Factors In the Chinese culture, the colors red and gold are favorable colors. They represent happiness, good luck, and good fortune. During festive holidays, such as Chinese New Year, red is seen every where. All businesses, as well as households, would put up red lanterns and decorations. This may be beneficial to Target since red is Target’s color. By having red in the stores in China, it may attract more consumers because people may associate the Target stores with the same meanings that they associate with the colors, especially during festive holidays. Aside from culture, Target should look into other things, such as education in China. Education is very important to China’s future development if it is to be sustainable, but it is not an easy task. The government has been focusing on the country’s economic development, and has neglected to improve the education system and health. However, the government’s new goal is to raise education spending to about 4 percent of GPD, with help from the private sector (8). In the United States, Target currently have a Community Giving Program where Target gives back over $2 million a week to neighborhoods, programs, and schools across the country (16). If Target sets up a similar program in China, it may help build its reputation in the China market. By helping the community receive better education, improving living conditions, and improving living standards will help Target gain favoritism from both consumers and the government, which can only help Target’s goal for success in the market. Conclusion China offers a golden opportunity for foreign retailers, such as Target. Target should take advantage of China’s accession to the WTO and seize the opportunity by entering China’s retail market. There are many factors that Target must review and consider before entering China. Main factors like China’s economic status, political status, and social status. As well as evaluating options of entry (WFOE vs. JV), understanding the culture, assessing both foreign and domestic competitions, and become knowledgeable in business rules and regulations in the country. Target will be very successful in establishing a foothold in China’s retail market and become a major foreign retailer in the country as long as all aspects are carefully reviewed, planned, and understood. Target’s presence and success has been well established in the United States, and now it is time to expand to the next big thing – China. End Notes (1) http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/public/0401/01.html (2) http://quicktake.morningstar.com/Stock/Income10.asp?Country=USA&Symbol= TGT&stocktab=finance (3) http://www.targetcorp.com/targetcorp_group/investor-relations/investor- relations.jhtml (4) http://www.stores.org/pdf/04TOP100chart2.pdf (5) http://retailindustry.about.com/library/bl/03q2/bl_rf100603.htm (6) http://www.bjreview.com.cn/200414/Business-200414(C).htm (7) http://www.pwchk.com/home/webmedia/1024303622085/RetailMarket_ China.pdf (8) http://www.pwcglobal.com/gx/eng/about/ind/retail/wef%20jan04_external.pdf3 (9) http://en-1.ce.cn/subject/RetailinginChina/Regulation&Policy/200409/29/ t20040929_1882374.shtml (10) http://www.osec.ch/~0xc1878d1b_0x0001b994/Investments/foreign_investment_ restrictions_in_trade_and_retail_lifted/en/china_fipdf (11) http://www.sinomedia.net/eurobiz/v200404/story0404.html (12) http://www.isinolaw.com/jsp/fie/fie/FIE_wfoe1.jsp?LangID=0 (13) http://english.sohu.com/2004/07/04/81/article220848132.shtml (14) http://www.businessweek.com/adsections/country/asia/ (15) http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/gks.html (16) http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/index.jhtml

Game theory application for lowest price guarantee Essay

The game theory is applicable to a host of issues especially in economics. The theory is applicable where there is a multiplicity of decision makers and each player’s action affects or is affected by what the other party does. To cite a specific example, it is worthy examining how firms make production decisions relating to quality, quantity, pricing, etc. the game theory is equally useful in auctions, contract negotiations, and in voting exercises. Literature review Price setting is a difficult task as there is a multiplicity of players in each business or industry. This is furthered by the fact that each player intends to make the best out of every situation. However, decisions are always taken while accounting for what the rest of the players are going to do. This case holds true especially when the industry being studied is a free market where there is free entry and exit. The fact that competition calls for the adoption of the best possible alternative dictates that a god approach is employed in decision making regarding pricing (Axelrod, 43). Maintenance of a brand is important in the pricing game. A business which has a dominant brand has little work to do since sellers want to stock the products and customer loyalty remains high (Axelrod, 45). At times, changes may prove worthy undertaking. For example when a company is operating excess productivity, it may be forced to lower prices to increase its sales. However, this is only commendable if it does not spark a price war. The chances of achieving minimal interference in the market are desirable though difficult to achieve. This is held because lowering prices of a player’s products will lead to an increased demand for the party’s products assuming that the quality produced is similar to other players’ products (Kalai and Stanford, 400). Even if such products may be of lower quality, it is held that the demand for these products will rise. A rise in a player’s products will definitely lower the demand for other players’ goods in the industry (Kalai and Stanford, 400). This is bound to lead to a price war as the other players must take similar action if they are to remain in business. In the same line of thinking, measures to increase the prices of certain commodities may be counter productive. This means that an attempt to hike the price may lead to resistance from the part of the customers. Such resistance is reflected by the unwillingness to make purchases after a rise in price. An indication of reduced sales also point to an attempt to raise the prices. This indicates that players in any industry or business will always be forced to adopt the lowest possible price. It is only at the lowest prices where firms sell an equilibrium quantity while providing room for profit making. However, lowering of prices below the normal price may send a wrong signal to the customers who may mistake that act as a deceiving ploy to offer them products of a lesser value or quality and thus scare them away (Kalai and Stanford, 402). Such acts not only lead to brand failure as they also hold the potential of reducing revenue to a business entity. A reversal of the price to reflect the actual market pricing may fail to bring back the deserting customers. This may call for re launching of the brand, an expensive issue to any business. However, a gamble of this nature may win customers albeit in the short run. On the other hand, if the businesses in the industry respond by lowering prices, the leading party in lowering prices may have failed as the market share will most likely revert to the normal point. But such lower prices can only be sustainable if they allow a business to enjoy certain profit levels (Chamberlin, 45). Sustainable margins are created through three major ways. The first one centers on product differentiation, the second, on economies of scale, and the third, on the barriers to entry (Hotelling, 41-43). Game theory is useful in pricing strategies especially in oligopolistic industries. In an oligopoly, firms may make decisions regarding whether to increase, to reduce prices or to keep them unchanged (Hotelling, 47-51). The nature of the demand curve in oligopoly is kinked (Kalai and Stanford, 397). This suggests a presence of price stability in the industry. This is possible because in an event of firms increasing prices while others do not change, the end result is a significant fall in demand. On the other hand, if firms reduce the prices, they will gain a market share, the other firms in the industry do not want such a scenario as they also follow suit and consequently prices drop across the industry (Kalai and Stanford, 398). Such a decline in price would see all firms in the industry lose significantly due to poor pricing. In this market a decision by one firm holds a significant bearing in the industry. However, in real world, the kinked curve may never be attained (Kalai and Stanford, 410). This is attributable to the game theory and the complexities involved. To begin with, firms may collude and set prices and production quotas which they stick to. Though this is illegal in some countries like the UK, imposing it is very difficult. Firms may not always pursue profit maximization as they may be willing to make lesser profits if this can raise their market share. Wal Mart supermarket is one such example utilizing this strategy in a bid to expand its activities (Kalai and Stanford, 409). Firms could not be aware of the reactions f other players or may simply choose to ignore the reactions of other players in the industry. To cite an example, a small firm in an oligopoly may avoid cutting prices if it perceives that its action may fail to occasion a significant impact on an industry (Robinson, 22-25). In a monopolistic type of market, the presence of only one buyer implies that price setting is exclusively held by one firm which also happens to act as the industry (Sraffa, 534). This firm can change prices but it must do that carefully (Sraffa, 546). This is held because in as much as the firm can price its products highly, it holds the potential of failing to sell if it goes beyond a certain level of pricing unless it deals in basic goods. So the game theory applies in this case by dictating to the firm to set its price at the point where it maximizes sales and profits. In a duopoly, the presence of two companies or firms is likely to lead to bidding wars and subsequently benefit the customer as a move by one player is easily countered by the other player (Sraffa, 500). This is however based on an assumption that both players are in a position to produce same or slightly identical products. So in a duopoly, prices charged are lowered if the two engage in a game of trying to outdo the other. Findings and conclusion This paper presents pricing as a game in which businesses engage in. it is discernable that every business entity seeks to achieve profits and sustain its growth. This depends on such business’s ability to sell its products. Apart from monopolistic markets the rest have a multiplicity of players. This implies that price setting is a function of other firms’ behavior on the same products. In a competitive environment as realized above, if one player changes the price, other players will counter that move by carrying out a similar adjustment. This may in the end lead to a loss for all players. On the basis of the above realization, industry players are forced to operate on the Nash equilibrium. At this position, each player in an industry is well of playing by the rules of the game. This means the pricing at this point is the lowest the firms can charge, any reduction on the price would seriously affect the profitability of the company. if a player chose to reduce prices in the hope of making profits as a result of increased sales, the other players will follow sit and the end result is a loss for all. In reference to a monopolistic market, the cost of products is the lowest possible as further increments on the price would portend ill for the business’ profits due to reduced sales. On the basis of the evidence adduced in this paper, the game theory holds a huge influence on pricing of products in all markets. The aim of the firms remains the pursuit of pricing their products at a point where they can sustain the businesses. However, the game theory may not lead to the lowest prices if firms collude and if other firms use underhand tactics like issuing threats to other players. Cited Works E. H. Chamberlin. The Theory of Monopolistic Competition. Cambridge: MA Harvard University Press, 2003. Ehud. Kalai and William, Stanford. â€Å"Finite Rationality and Interpersonal Complexity in Repeated Games,† Econometrica 56(2008), 397-410. Harrison, Hotelling. â€Å"Stability in Competition,† Economic Journal, 39 (Mar. 1929):41- 57. John, Robinson. The Economics of Imperfect Competition. London: Macmillan, 2003. Paul, Sraffa, â€Å"The Laws of returns under competitive conditions,† Economic Journal 36(2006), 535-550. Robert, Axelrod. The Evolution of Cooperation. NY: Basic Books, 2004.

Animal Farm in England

Animal Farm in England Today animals celebrate an heroic victory against the odds. They were never expected to be able to outsmart and out muscle the men. Earlier reports had indicated that the farm’s previous owner, Mr Jones, had been forced out of the farm one night after he forgot to feed his animals. To regain ownership of the farm Jones and his fellow neighbours have planned to attack the farm. The catalyst was apparently the claim that Jones and his men had heard rumours that the animals from the farm were bleating â€Å"The only good human being is a dead one†. Reports suggest that Jones was expecting to catch the animals off guard but the animals had other ideas. According to the animals all the men were armed with sticks except for Jones, who had a gun. As the men approached, the animals prepared to go into battle. Once the men were close enough to pose a threat, the animals first line of defence was to attack. Although the men easily fended off the geese and the pigeons this was apparently part of the animals plan to lure the men into thinking the animals would be an easy beat. The animals then launched their second attack which included Snowball their leader, the sheep and the goats. Once again the men were too powerful with their weapons and the animals were forced to retreat back into their yard. Whilst the animals retreated the men started celebrating their efforts, but what they didn’t realise, was that the animals still had further plans up their sleeves. As the men forced the animals further into their yard the three horses, the three cows and the rest of the pigs appeared from the cowshed. The men suddenly found themselves cut off. The animals led by Snowball then charged at the men from all angles creating havoc. First Snowball took down Jones and then blind panic reigned as the other men desperately tried to find a way to escape the yard. According to human sources all the men who were forced to accept defeat escaped, apart from a young stable-lad who was stomped on and reportedly accidentally killed by a horse known as Boxer. It iss said that Snowball had been studying an old Julius Caesar novel, which documented Caesar’s previous campaigns. Undoubtedly this was pivotal to the animal’s success. A funeral was held at Animal Farm for the single sheep which Jones had killed with his gun. During the funeral Snowball emphasized the fact that all the animals had to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be. The battle has unofficially been named ‘The Battle Of The Cowshed’, as this was where the fight was based. Despite attempting to seek comment from Mr Jones, he was not willing to provide his version of events in relation to the battle. This appears to be an evolving story and we will attempt to keep you informed of further information as it comes to light.