Mother Teresas Style of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mother Teresas Style of Leadership - Essay Example As indicated by the studyâ by the time Mother Teresa began her preacher work, she had minimal expenditure in her grasp, however she demonstrated to the whole world that an individual can accomplish anything and thrive inâ this world without cash. Mother Teresa instructed people that being well off doesn't really mean the world. She demonstrated to such it is conceivable to flourish without cash. Mother Teresa made a world loaded with affection where the impeded are thought about and showered with unequivocal love. Mother Teresa was so mindful to the degree that she used to ask others to give her food so she can give the vagrant kids kicking the bucket of craving with something to eat. A portion of these people had no benevolence on her and spit on her hand when asking however she would react serenely that she would keep saving the spit for herself and keep beseeching them to give food to poor people and stranded kids. What's more, toward the end, they understood her delicate charac ter and gave something for the poor at whatever point she requested. This gives her generosity, which is extraordinary compared to other initiative characteristics she possessed.From this paper it is clear that Mother Teresa showed an incredible mental quality by building homes for the desperate through gathering pledges and looking for help. Besides, Mother Teresa was an educator and a guardian who significantly centered around how to mitigate experiencing poor people and the hindered in the general public  Â

Morality Play Pattern in Pride and Prejudice

Austen is especially uncommon among excellence ethicists over a significant time span in concurring affability so much significance, despite the fact that it is so clearly vital to the vast majority's lives working, if not living, in close control with others with whom one should and ought to get along. Austen presents these ideals as not just a fundamental settlement to troublesome conditions, yet as better than the harmful vanity and pride of the rich and titled, which she regularly mocks.So, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet dismisses Darcy's haughty loftiness without a second thought; the glad consummation must hold up until Darcy comes to see past her modest associations and unaristocratic habits and completely perceive her actual (average) ethicalness. That is a good glad consummation significantly more than it is a sentimental one. Like any great ethicalness ethicist, Austen continues by giving illustrative models. This is the reason her characters are good instead of mental constructs.Austen's motivation isn't to investigate their internal lives, yet to uncover specific good pathologies to the consideration of the peruser. Try not to act this way: Don't remove your family members without a penny in the wake of promising your dad you would care for them and legitimize it with self-serving casuistic legitimizations (as John Dashwood does in Sense and Sensibility). Try not to be this way: Morally incontinent like Mrs Bennet; or hit through with a solitary immense imperfection, similar to Mr Bennet's egotistical wish to carry on with a private life while being the leader of a family (Pride and Prejudice).But just as abrading such evident however ordinary good failings of human instinct, Austen goes to deliberately, and with a fine brush, to delineating the fine detail, and adjusting, that genuine righteousness requires. To give us what genuine friendliness ought to be, she gives us what it isn't exactly. Fanny Price, the courageous woman of Man sfield Park, is so unnecessarily obliging as to put her own nobility and interests in danger, so self-destroying that her genuine affection nearly doesn't see her (until occasions intervene).Mr Bingley's affability inPride and Prejudiceâ is pitch great, yet neglects to separate between the meriting and undeserving. Emma, in the mean time, is segregating, however she is a stiff neck about it: she is fairly excessively aware of her economic wellbeing and doesn't really regard others as she should (which, obviously, pushes her into difficulty). At that point there are the outlines of what upright direct resembles. Here one sees why the plot is so solidly in the creator's hands, not the characters'.Austen is essentially worried about setting up specific scenes †moral preliminaries †in which we can perceive how idealistic characters act in testing conditions. These ethical exercises to the peruser are the parts she focused on; where her words are consummately picked and shimme ring with knowledge and profound good understanding. These are the parts that she really thought about; the rest †the customs of the lighthearted comedy kind and â€Å"social realism† †is simply background.We see Austen's characters exploring the disagreeable considerations and remarks of animals, blockheads and scoundrels with propriety and poise: â€Å"Indeed, sibling, your tension for our government assistance and flourishing conveys you too far,† Elinor reprimands John Dashwood, obligingly in Sense and Sensibility. In each novel we see Austen's focal characters working through good issues of assorted types, weighing up and thinking about what appropriateness requires by talking it through to themselves or trusted friends.We see them gaining from their missteps, as Elizabeth and Darcy both gain from their initial errors about his character (Pride and Prejudice). We even observe them taking part in unequivocal, practically specialized, moral way of thinki ng investigation, for example, bantering to what degree Frank Churchill ought to be considered ethically liable for his inability to visit Highbury (Emma), to the clear weariness of the less ethically created characters stuck in a similar room as them.Austen completes her crucial good training with energy and splendor, while beneficently regarding the premiums and limits of her perusers (which is the reason she is a great deal more lucid than most good scholars who, similar to Kant, appear to be regularly to compose as though understanding is the peruser's concern). However there is one further striking component that separates Austen's books: herâ moral look. The omniscient writer of her books sees directly through individuals to their ethical character and uncovered and dismembers their habits, blemishes and self-deceptions.I can't peruse one of her books without deduction †with a shudder †about what that entering moral look would uncover whenever coordinated at myself. This is uprightness morals at an alternate level †about good vision, not simply moral substance. Austen tells us the best way to take a gander at ourselves and examine and recognize our own ethical character, to address Socrates' difficulty to â€Å"Know thyself. † We have all the data we have to take a gander at ourselves along these lines, to consider ourselves to be we truly are †we have a creator's omniscient access to the subtleties of our own lives †however we by and large incline toward not to open that box.Indeed, scholastic good thinkers since the edification have teamed up with this common repugnance by on the whole dismissing their consideration from awkward self-assessment and towards explaining rational frameworks of decides that any operator ought to follow. However perusing Austen shows a definitive insufficiency of this system. I don't accept that all the modern Kantian and utilitarian hypothesis on the planet could shield you for long from Aus ten's good gaze.We should peruse Austen today since she is insightful just as sharp, and in light of the fact that she shows us how to live well not exactly how to adore well. We should peruse past theâ delicious ritualsâ of her lighthearted comedy plots to her more profound interests and purposes in making her ethically unpredictable characters and setting them in plain view for us. We should peruse past her undisputed scholarly virtuoso, and her place throughout the entire existence of artistic developments and impacts, to her unrecognized philosophical virtuoso in explaining and propelling an ethical way of thinking for our middle class times.

How to Cite I Have a Dream

How to Cite I Have a Dream (4) One of the most iconic and prolific speeches ever delivered in US history is Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in August of 1963, Dr. King spoke in front of a quarter of a million people during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In a speech that lasted a total of 17 minutes, Dr. King shared his vision and desire for equal civil rights for African Americans. Millions of websites display a full transcript of Dr. King’s speech and YouTube views also rack up into the millions. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day upon us, it’s possible your teacher or professor asked you to use Dr. King’s famous speech in your work. If you’re unsure how to cite Dr. King’s speech, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Included on this page are instructions to cite Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech in MLA format, APA format, and Chicago format. To cite a transcript of Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech found online, you’ll need the following pieces of information: Speaker’s name or the name of the individual who posted the speech online Title of the speech Title of the website the speech is found on Publisher of the website Date the transcript was published Date the speech was delivered URL of the website the speech is found on Event the speech was delivered at Location of the event Remember, citations are created to help the reader find the exact source used. While there are numerous transcripts of Dr. King’s speech available online, your goal is to help the reader easily understand and locate the same exact source you used for your project. Why? This speech could appear differently on various sites. Structure to cite a transcript of I Have a Dream found online in MLA 8: Speaker’s Last name, First name. “Title of Speech.” Title of Website the speech is found on, Publisher of the Website (only include if it’s different than the name of the website), date the transcript was published, URL (remove http:// or https://). You’ll notice elements of an MLA website citation, but with additional information on the speaker. Here’s an example of how to cite a transcript of I Have a Dream found online in MLA 8: King, Martin Luther. “I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr; August 28, 1963.” The Avalon Project, Yale Law School, avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mlk01.asp. Structure to cite a transcript of I Have a Dream found online in APA: Individual who posted the speech’s Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year the transcript was published online). Title of webpage [Speech transcript]. URL Here’s an example of how to cite a transcript of I Have a Dream found online in APA citation format: Yale Law School. (2008). I have a dream by Martin Luther King, Jr; August 28, 1963 [Speech transcript]. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mlk01.asp Structure to cite a transcript of I Have a Dream found online in Chicago: Speaker’s Last name, First name Middle initial. “Title of speech.” Speech presented at Title of Event, Location, Date presented. URL. Here’s an example of how to cite a transcript of I Have a Dream found online in Chicago format: King, Martin L. “I Have a Dream.” Speech presented at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C., August 1968. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mlk01.asp. Trying to cite Dr. King’s speech from a YouTube or Vimeo video? Maybe you need a parenthetical citation definition? Or maybe you are trying to learn the basics. For all of the above, try our citation tools at easybib.com.

Learning Disabilities and Career Development Essay

Learning Disabilities and Career Development The lifelong process of career development poses special challenges for people with learning disabilities (LD). Although the career development of individuals with disabilities is not widely discussed in the literature, key pieces of legislation enacted or reauthorized in the 1990s—Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Rehabilitation Act (now Title IV of the Workforce Investment Act)—have helped increase the numbers of individuals with LD in postsecondary education and the awareness of their needs in the workplace (Hitchings and Retish 2000). This Brief reviews research on the career development needs of persons with LD and†¦show more content†¦In some of the literature, on-the-job problems are framed in terms of individual deficits: persons with LD are said to encounter difficulties in establishing routines and processing information correctly (Ohler, Levinson, and Barker 1996); often exhibit low sel f-esteem and learned helplessness (ibid.); have impaired ability to assess strengths and weaknesses (ibid.); and lack career maturity and social awareness skills (Hitchings and Retish 2000). Others recast employment issues as a function of the significant societal barriers faced by those who do not fit the norm, for example, biased attitudes, low expectations, or overprotectedness toward persons with disabilities (Michaels 1997). Although IDEA mandates Individualized Education Programs and Individualized Transition Plans, the latter often focus on academics, not career counseling or living skills; lack coordination among secondary, postsecondary, and community agencies; and are often developed too late in the educational process (Cummings et al. 2000). Career Development Processes and LD These employment issues underscore the need for a multifaceted career development program. Career development is a cyclical process that involves self-knowledge about personality, interests, skills, and abilities; understanding of the world of work and the requirements of specific occupations; and the ability to match ones abilities andShow MoreRelatedAcademic Motivation And Career Development1358 Words   |  6 Pages†¢ Academic motivation and skills: As they explore their career interests and options, youth increase their understanding of the value and relevance of formal education to pursuing their career goals. This increases their academic motivation and engagement which leads to increased academic skills. †¢ Leadership skills: Youth develop leadership by taking the lead in their personal career development process. †¢ Social skills and positive relationships: By working with their family, school or youthRead MoreCareer Fields Of Interest Using Free Online Tools1288 Words   |  6 Pagesexploration skills, and research career fields of interest using free online tools like Get My Future and My Next Move. Both tools enable youth to self-assess their interests and learn about various industries as well as how to write a resume, get work experience/ job training and other assistance.. Postsecondary credentials and work-based learning are important aspects of youth career development. Once your organization is aware of the youth’s potential career interests, you can invite professionalsRead MoreCommunity College Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesU.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Pathways to Careers: Community Colleges for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Demonstration Project (SCA 14-03) Why the Focus on Community Colleges Community colleges are the post-secondary institution of choice for youth with disabilities. Enrollment of students with disabilities in community colleges is growing faster than at 4-year institutions. Newman et al. found that between 1990 and 2005, community college enrollmentRead MoreExploring Inquiry Based Spatial Sense Activities1236 Words   |  5 PagesExploring Inquiry-based Spatial Sense Activities with Students with Moderate to Severe Developmental Disabilities to Improve Number Sense Development In 1983, President Reagan’s administration released the publication, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Since then, the American educational system has been undergoing an all-encompassing paradigm shift. Subsequently, our political leaders have championed two initiatives, No Child Left Behind and Common Core State Standards.Read MoreAlternative Education Programs1010 Words   |  5 Pages In the world of education today many middle schools and high schools are looking at alternative education programs that truly prepare students with severe disabilities for the â€Å"real world† after high school. Unfortunately, many high schools are so concerned with high school credits that they do not even look into better alternative education programs. Numerous high schools rely on computer programs that assist students in obtaining their high school credits without being in the regular schoolRead MoreWhy Learning Theories And Learning Styles Is Important For Your Career Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding of learning theories and learning styles is important for your career in nursing? In this essay, I will start by discussing the four main aspects of learning theories and how having an understanding of these will help me in my nursing career. I will also be identifying my own strongest and weakest learning style and how having an understanding of this will enhance my practice as a learning disability nurse. In my understanding, a learning style is your own way of learning, and who youRead MoreExamples Of Software For Disabled Operators1248 Words   |  5 Pageswithout the proper aids, a physical or developmental disability can hinder their ability to live a productive life. In today’s technology-dependent world being unable to access a computer or other mobile device is not only inconvenient, it can seriously inhibit access to employment and services, as well as social media. Assistive software designed to bridge the gap between the user and the interface is crucial to helping those with disabilities gain access to the same prospects as those who are notRead MoreObp Case Study919 Words   |  4 Pageswill give greater priority to: 1) career preparation and work-based learning; and 2) student use of the Learning Center for tutoring, participation in study groups and study skills workshops, and as an academically-focused space to complete assignments Additionally, the OPC program will pilot the modeling and requirement that all new OPC students provide their accommodation letters to relevant faculty for classroom and related accommodations, and to the Learning Center for use by tutors. We anticipateRead MoreWhat Are Some Obstacles You May Face as a Teacher ?1411 Words   |  6 Pagestheir careers, teachers face many obstacles in their classroom that may hinder their teaching. These obstacles come in many different shapes and sizes. It is the effective and successful teacher who is able to overcome these obstacles while maintaining a happy, positive and joyful attitude. A teacher must remember that it is not the information they possess along with various skills that affects teaching, rather it the ability to overcome challenges in a positive manner that impacts on learning. SomeRead MoreBEH/225 Finals Essay example1059 Words   |  5 Pages Careers in Psychology By: Allyson Griffith Course: BEH/225 Instructor: Shawn Miller Due Date: 6/01/2014 Review Ch. 18 of Introduction to Psychology and the American Psychological Association website (www.apa.og) to review career possibilities for psychology majors. Determine which two careers interest you the most. Respond in 750 to 1,050 words to the following: Why do these careers interest you? Provide a detailed overview of each career and what each

Where to Find Good Topics for an Organization Essay

Where to Find Good Topics for an Organization Essay What You Should Do About Good Topics for an Organization Essay Starting in the Next 5 Minutes Thus, you commit to writing a paper of mediocre quality because you believe's the best that you can do with the time you've got at hand. No matter your plans after, being a fantastic writer and very clear thinker will provide you with a leg up your competition. Create an extremely basic outline, either on a sheet of scrap paper or only in your head, to aid you decide in what order to present your ideas within the body of the essay. It's normal for all of us to be extremely modest and not speak about our finest sides. An essay is a fairly brief bit of writing on a specific topic. It is a short piece of nonfiction writing. If you're stuck on the best way to compose an example essay, you can stick to a few basic actions to dig yourself out of the rut and compose an example essay that you are able to be pleased with. An exemplificati on essay is a kind of persuasive essay which uses examples in its body paragraphs to supply evidence for its thesis. What instantly makes the personal narrative essay stick out from the other essay types is the fact that it is written in the very first person. In the debut, the author attempts to communicate the principal concern of the essay. More important is to select an essay topic that you're going to be interested in writing with passion. Learn how to construct a text around points that you wish to make in essays. Be sure your critical essay doesn't have any grammatical errors. After you are satisfied, you're done and prepared to file your article to the publication. Want to Know More About Good Topics for an Organization Essay? If you've selected leadership as the region of your research but cannot choose the particular topic or the way to begin selecting then here are some topics to help you begin. For an expert, even the fantastic old Google Scholar is sufficient to discover as many excellent sources since they will need to develop a fantastic essay. Otherwise, there's a wide selection of exemplification essay topics to pick from. Even a fast search at Google Scholar results in as many fantastic sources like I need. Use transition words to get your text coherent and simple to read. Anyway, keywords will definitely assist you a lot without even consider the structure of your essay first. Quite a huge collection of topics it is possible to find here. What Does Good Topics for an Organization Essay Mean? In an effort to stick out among your classmates and receiving good grades, you will need to make sure that the topic you will write about is interesting enough to impress your professor. It's important to compose an essay that could stick out amongst the crowd of applicants. Don't forget, all type of activities you're speaking about in the essay must be associated with the scholarship program. If you're sending exactly the same essay to numerous schools, the cover letter is a chance to tailor the essay to the institution to which you're applying. Top Good Topics for an Organization Essay Choices Read the job on which you're writing your insight paper. Everyone will probably be working off the exact same prompt, so you are going to want to be certain your essay stands out, gets right to the point, and doesn't waste any of the reader's time. So when you're writing an essay, you're harnessing the complete might of culture to your life. A perspective essay is a chance to voice your ideas and opinions on a particular topic. Good Topics for an Organization Essay and Good Topics for an Organization Essay - The Perfect Combination Each body paragraph presents a slice of evidence as a portion of the essay general argument. A thesis statement is frequently the previous sentence in an introduction. The essay has to be a whole argument, with a strong start, middle and end. To make it simpler for you to compose a vital analysis essay, we've got a very helpful analysis writing template that will direct you through the most crucial points. New Questions About Good Topics for an Organization Essay Inside my opinion, each communication is a chance for individual growth. I t's also worth to mention ways to contribute to that organization. Your organization can inform you whether you're analyzing. Want to Know More About Good Topics for an Organization Essay? You can't write a great essay in a rush and a half before the exam end understand that you can't finish it. Bear in mind your teacher would be happier if you wrote a high quality paper no matter the sum of paragraphs it contains.

Women in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Free Essays

Name: Date: French van Errors 9 March 2014 Archimedes Teacher Training Institute, university of Utrecht Course: Institute: Highlights of English Literature Essay on the role of women in Heart of Darkness by J. Conrad Assignment: Lovers In a Male-Dominated World: the Witch and the Widow ‘The last word he pronounced – was your name. ‘ It is ironic that this utter lie to a woman concludes the story of a man’s Journey into the dark African jungle. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marrow, the story protagonist, is the one who lies to the fiance ©e of the infamous Mr.. Kurt, he reason for his African adventure. In Joseph Concord’s novella Heart of Darkness (1899), women are scarce. Men drive the story and the two women portrayed In the story are sketchy, nameless characters who only serve as female prototypes: the Witch and the Widow. Both have been lovers of the story’s pivotal Mr.. Kurt and symbolize his transformation. The first woman that appears is the Witch – traditionally an unmarried woman outside the normal structure of society, a priestly woman who possesses unique knowledge of medicine and the supernatural. She comes on stage when the story Is well underway. Until then, only men have played a role In the tale: sailors, company officials, soldiers, station managers, explorers, servants and other staff. The Witch belongs to the tribe where Mr.. Kurt ruthlessly ruled. When he is taken away on Marrows steamer, she stands at the river bank: Along the lighted shore moved a wild and gorgeous apparition of a woman. (†¦ ) bizarre things, charms, gifts of witch-me n, that hung about her, glittered and trembled at every step. She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent. Her long shadow fell to the water’s edge. Her face had a tragic and fleece aspect of wild sorrow and of dumb pain. ‘ (up. 75-76 Penguin Classics) These words suggest she was Kurt’ lover, but nothing beyond her awe-inspiring presence is revealed. Apart from the powerful African Witch, there is the brittle European Widow: two opposites that symbolize the former Kurt (nurtured by European civilization) and the new Kurt (transformed by African Nature). This black-clad woman also had an amorous relationship with Kurt, but she is completely unaware of Quartz’s ramification and new love. She was engaged to him, waiting for his return and hoping to get married to him one day. Little did she know of his intentions to stay in the Jungle forever, had Marrow not got him out. She is presented as the prototypical widow that only exists because of her loss: ‘She came forward, all in black, with a pale since his death, more than a year since the news came; she seemed as though she would remember and mourn forever. ‘ (p. 92) We can conclude that males reign supreme in Concord’s novella. They rule the world and they conquer the dark interior of the African continent. The primps inter pares of these conquerors is Mr.. Kurt, who nearly gets a mythical status in Marrows imagination. The two women that love Mr.. Kurt are the only women that play a role, and they are presented as symbols: the one a strong African Witch, the other a weak European Widow, enforcing the two-sided personality of Mr.. Kurt and his personal battle between the dark powers of Africa against the ‘enlightening civilization of Europe. How to cite Women in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Papers

Women in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Free Essays

Name: Date: French van Errors 9 March 2014 Archimedes Teacher Training Institute, university of Utrecht Course: Institute: Highlights of English Literature Essay on the role of women in Heart of Darkness by J. Conrad Assignment: Lovers In a Male-Dominated World: the Witch and the Widow ‘The last word he pronounced – was your name. ‘ It is ironic that this utter lie to a woman concludes the story of a man’s Journey into the dark African jungle. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marrow, the story protagonist, is the one who lies to the fiance ©e of the infamous Mr.. Kurt, he reason for his African adventure. In Joseph Concord’s novella Heart of Darkness (1899), women are scarce. Men drive the story and the two women portrayed In the story are sketchy, nameless characters who only serve as female prototypes: the Witch and the Widow. Both have been lovers of the story’s pivotal Mr.. Kurt and symbolize his transformation. The first woman that appears is the Witch – traditionally an unmarried woman outside the normal structure of society, a priestly woman who possesses unique knowledge of medicine and the supernatural. She comes on stage when the story Is well underway. Until then, only men have played a role In the tale: sailors, company officials, soldiers, station managers, explorers, servants and other staff. The Witch belongs to the tribe where Mr.. Kurt ruthlessly ruled. When he is taken away on Marrows steamer, she stands at the river bank: Along the lighted shore moved a wild and gorgeous apparition of a woman. (†¦ ) bizarre things, charms, gifts of witch-me n, that hung about her, glittered and trembled at every step. She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent. Her long shadow fell to the water’s edge. Her face had a tragic and fleece aspect of wild sorrow and of dumb pain. ‘ (up. 75-76 Penguin Classics) These words suggest she was Kurt’ lover, but nothing beyond her awe-inspiring presence is revealed. Apart from the powerful African Witch, there is the brittle European Widow: two opposites that symbolize the former Kurt (nurtured by European civilization) and the new Kurt (transformed by African Nature). This black-clad woman also had an amorous relationship with Kurt, but she is completely unaware of Quartz’s ramification and new love. She was engaged to him, waiting for his return and hoping to get married to him one day. Little did she know of his intentions to stay in the Jungle forever, had Marrow not got him out. She is presented as the prototypical widow that only exists because of her loss: ‘She came forward, all in black, with a pale since his death, more than a year since the news came; she seemed as though she would remember and mourn forever. ‘ (p. 92) We can conclude that males reign supreme in Concord’s novella. They rule the world and they conquer the dark interior of the African continent. The primps inter pares of these conquerors is Mr.. Kurt, who nearly gets a mythical status in Marrows imagination. The two women that love Mr.. Kurt are the only women that play a role, and they are presented as symbols: the one a strong African Witch, the other a weak European Widow, enforcing the two-sided personality of Mr.. Kurt and his personal battle between the dark powers of Africa against the ‘enlightening civilization of Europe. How to cite Women in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Papers

Make Your Homework an Easy Thing by Following Our Guide

How to Simplify Your Homework Sometimes it’s really hard to cope with multiple tasks every day, week after week. Even if you’re interested in what you’re writing about, such a routine may turn into a stressful yet not so productive process. If you want to stay on top of your homework, we suggest planning it in details, so that you’ll follow a strict schedule without rush and stress. Plan your time and make sure that you can complete all your tasks on time. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help.Manage Your TimeIf you think that you have not enough time for work, let us tell you the opposite: you can work whenever you want. Use any free hour or even any free minute to work on your assignments. If you catch yourself doing something that doesn’t require your concentration, use this time for doing your homework. In case you have a complicated assignment, plan your work and take some notes to facilitate the brainstorming process. Planning is a simple thing, and you can do it whenever you want, for example, when you’re having lunch.We suggest noting all necessary details on your assignments in a specific place. Plan your work in advance. For example, you can write down a list of your tasks every Sunday, following it during a week, and cross the complete tasks off. Of course, you have to estimate your time properly, taking into account deadlines and the difficulty of each particular task.Start with the most important assignments. In other words, if some task is due tomorrow, it has the highest priority, so do it first. Keep the list of your assignments in front of you so you can see it all the time, and don’t procrastinate. In addition, it’s good if you are able to work on multiple tasks simultaneously but make sure that such an approach really works well. If you’re not sure that you can stay focused on several tasks at the same time, we suggest completing one of them and then going further. This will improve the quality of yo ur work significantly.We also suggest taking into account hours when you’re most productive. You can work at morning, after lunch, or even at night if you work best before going to bed.In order to not feel tired, take a little break every 30 minutes. It’s a great way to let your brain relax and reward yourself for a good work. Set a timer for 15 minutes, move around, or take a little walk outside. You can eat a snack or do stretching — the point is that you have to re-energize.Set your goals. Look at your schedule and think what you wish to accomplish during this week, month, and year. Be realistic about your possibilities, and remember that no one can show excellent results every day. However, you have to keep in mind your long-term goals because it’s a great motivation. For instance, if you have a research assignment that is due in a month, you can complete the research part of your task in advance so that you’ll have enough time to analyze resul ts and write a great paper without being in rush. Don’t forget about other important things, such as shopping or laundry, so you won’t do it when you have to work on your homework.Be ProductivePay attention to everything you hear during classes. Always ask questions and note everything that seems to be important for your further work. The more information you receive, the easier your homework — it’s a simple rule. If some subjects are too boring for you, find something interesting in them. For example, if you don’t like history but enjoy sports, you can read more on the history of sports and learn many interesting facts about the origin of basketball, football, soccer, etc. You may use some of such information in your homework.Always note all important details on your assignments. Read all the prompts you’ve been given before you start working. This will simplify your work and will give you an understanding of what exactly to focus on. Talk with your classmates about homework: their opinion may be quite useful when you cannot figure out what to do.Always Do Your BestPay special attention to every part of your assignment. This is the only approach that will allow you be confident in the quality of the final result. Such an approach is also quite useful on exams: it’s better to write anything you know than leave a blank place like if you knew nothing.Don’t forget to read your assignments. Check them as many times as you need to make sure that you fixed all mistakes. Even brilliant ideas, wrapped in a bad grammar, won’t be appreciated with high grades.

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments The WritePass Journal

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments Introduction Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments Introduction History of InternationalizationReasons of FailureRecent DevelopmentRecommendation and Conclusion References Related Introduction Marks and Spencer Group plc, a leading and century-old Britain retail giant, which is selling of clothing, food and home products all over the world. After experienced the failure of international expansion about a decade ago, the company stages a comeback on internationalization and intends to form good relationship with customers worldwide. Therefore, this report is going to explore the reasons why MS failed in the past, identify the recent development on international operation and give recommendations for the future expansion. History of Internationalization MS has a long history of international expansion. It makes use of diverse types of entry modes worldwide which combined of entry modes from organic growth, joint venture, and franchise agreements to partly or wholly-owned subsidiaries (Whitehead 1994, p.41). This kind of widely use of ownership models and countries give the priority of the company to perform well globally even when some individual markets may not that good. The company began its tentative internationalization activities by exporting its St. Michael brands products in the 1940s (Alon 2000, p.5). Then MS formalized some of its export activities through franchise agreements in the 1970s. In the next two decades, a gradual expansion occurred both in number and geographic scope. By 1998, MS had almost 500 stores in over 30 countries with the retail sales of almost  £8bn. Meanwhile, the company owned Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarkets in the United States (Burt et al 2002b, p.200). However, three years later, Marks and Spencer sold its Brooks Brothers brand and Kings Supermarkets (USA) businesses, turned the Hong Kong stores into franchises in a downgraded regional structure, closed the European stores which were unprofitable (Burt 2002a, p1). Under these circumstances, MS faced a survival crisis on its overseas market and most of the company’s direct international activities were compelled to stop. As a consequence, the reputation of the company went downhill both at home and abroad. Reasons of Failure Marks and Spencer suffered sluggish sales, slump in profits and a sharply declining market share owing to all sorts of external and internal reasons. Externally, more ambitious and vigorous competitors entered this market and therefore MS faced more stiff competition over the 1990s. Moreover, technological changes happened in retailing industry. New entrants were more likely to use the computerized systems and adopted new methods of operating which could improve effectiveness and efficiency. Nevertheless, Marks and Spencer still depended on the old systems and approaches. Therefore, the company gradually fell behind (Mellahi et al 2002, p23). Internally, first of all, the company did not have a unified, well-recognized and trusted brand name when exploring the international market. The company did not build up the brand effect. For instance, MS did not change the names of the US chains after it bought Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarket and used Brooks Brothers’ chain to open the market in the Far East (Alon 2000, p.8). Therefore, the company could not touch customers through its brand image, whereas brand image is vital in marketing literature. Then, MS did not consider the customer’s needs on global market in early years. The company transferred their business formula from the United States to Canada without any modifications. Nevertheless apparently, the Canadian stores required customization to local needs (Alon 2000, p.7). It is an economy that driven by customers. If a business could not satisfy its customers’ needs and keep the customers in a cost-effective way and then it would confronted with losses. Moreover, the company â€Å"lack of clear retail positioning and design† (Burt et al 2002b, p.213). After enter each markets, MS did not have a long-term plan for the sustainable development. Supply chain always to be a problem and the company did not solve it properly. Canada had these problems for years which gave no guidance on the United States purchase. Moreover, many elements make MS run smoothly in the UK market but did not work on the global market and the business became a series of activities with little synergy and cooperative effect (Burt et al 2002b). Last but not the least, the company did not have an overall and long-term development plan of international expansion. Such as the company signed franchise agreements in numerous countries, but used diverse franchisees and different types of franchise arrangements. Therefore, over a long period of time, the international activities of the company were directionless and lacked internal communication (Burt et al 2002b, p.213). Recent Development After the failure of first-round international expansion, Marks and Spencer utilized contraction strategy that focus on domestic market to deal with the crisis. Ten years later, MS is rebuilt as a trustworthy brand which demonstrates its quality, fit, and service are reliable and consistent. Globalization is imperative and overseas expansion is regarded as an opportunity for future growth. Therefore, the company is fully equipped to renew global extension. Circumstances change with the passage of time, now MS has 327 stores overseas in 41 territories (includes Republic of Ireland)(Marks and Spencer Group plc 2010). As can be seen from the chart below that Southern and Eastern Europe is the key area to expansion and there would be great opportunities in emerging markets such as the Middle and Far East, as well as the Indian subcontinent. Source: Marks and Spencer Group plc Moreover, MS set a five year plan to raise international business to 15 to 20% of total Group Revenue from 2008. The company established some guiding principles to help complete the plan in 2010. Specifically: â€Å"Growing our Central and Eastern European partnerships; building sustainable businesses in India and China; accelerating growth with our franchise partners; and continuing to explore new opportunities.† (Marks and Spencer Group plc 2010) Therefore, MS focuses on the sustainable development of the company and proceed with internationalization sequentially. In addition to the European market, emerging markets, such as India and China, are potential areas which need to pay close attention for the next step. Furthermore, the company intends using multiple channels to drive the international business. Recommendation and Conclusion In order to achieve better performance in international expansion, MS needs to use past history for guidance and look to the future. To begin with, the company needs to transfer the â€Å"MS† from a national into an international brand. It is unlikely for a company to deliver a brand into a new market without any further consideration. Therefore, the first decision should be made is whether â€Å"use a brand in all chosen markets or to differentiate it depending on market peculiarities† (Kuvykaite and Mascinskiene 2010, p.446). Since a brand is a promise to make customers know who you are and then help the company generate customer trust. Therefore, the company need identify the brand positioning, symbol, logo and other images to arouse brand awareness. Following the point mentioned above, the company must have detailed market research and expansion strategy. The business strategy should generally cover the ambition, positioning, investment and organisation (Lasserre 2007). Under the strategy, the company need has clear defined short-term and long-term objectives with a suitable value proposition to the market. The company also should organize itself properly and excavate a sustainable competitive advantage which is difficult to replicate or imitate. Moreover, analyze each specific market and meeting customer needs such as supply good quality products at a lower price playing a vital role in the overall strategy. Another important point is that the company should choose a suitable entry mode for each individual target market and come up with the follow-up ways of development. The company can choose any of these entry modes (namely export, license and franchise, alliance, joint venture or wholly owned subsidiary) or some combination of them to enter a host country. It is depending on the country’s specific situation because the choice of entry confines the firm’s overall strategy (Johnson and Tellis 2008). In order to be able to resist challenges of entering a new country and has an efficient operation, the company should be concern with activities after establishment. Finally, all the plans and strategies must be implemented smoothly and adjust according to the changes of the market timely. It is well known that an effective implementation is always superior to a great strategy. A company can never succeed unless it can implement and carry out its strategy effectively (Sterling 2003, p.27). Moreover, the strategy should also keep pace with the newly developed technologies, the changes of market environment of a specific country or region and most important thing is looking squarely at the alteration of customer’s needs. Only in this way can the company use the market knowledge and power to tackle all the difficulties and successfully entering a new market and survive. Marks and Spencer is gaining momentum in internationalization which helps the company seeking new markets and reduces the dependency on the UK economy. Moreover, as the company has a rich experience on international expansion in the past, therefore, it could learn from the past mistakes and create a better future. In this way, the company’s international business offers considerable opportunities for long-term growth, as well as helps it grow into a world famous enterprise. References Alon, I. 2000. Marks Spencer: a case study in international retailing[Online]. Available at: elearning.ulg.ac.be/old_demos/HEC/html/marks.pdf   [Accessed: 12th March 2011]. Burt, S.L. et al. 2002a. The failure of retail internationalization in Marks and Spencer. European Retail Digest. 35, pp.1-4. Burt, S.L. et al 2002b. Retail internationalization and retail failure: issues from the case of Marks and Spencer. International Review of Retail, Distribution Consumer Research. 12 (2), pp191-219. Johnson, J. and Tellis, G. J. 2008. Drivers of success for market entry into China and India. Journal of Marketing. 72 (3), pp.1-13. Kuvykaite, R. and Mascinskiene, J. 2010. Transformation of a national brand into an international brand. Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Economics. 21(4), pp.446-455. Lasserre, P. 2007. Global strategic management. 2nd Edition. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan. pp.34-61. Marks and Spencer Group plc. 2010. MS Annual Report 2010[Online]. Available at: http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/operating-and-financial-review/where-we-sell.aspx [Accessed: 12th March 2011]. Mellahi, K. et al. 2002. An exploratory study into failure in successful organizations: the case of Marks Spencer. British Journal of Management. 13(1), pp. 15–29. Sterling, J. 2003. Translating strategy into effective implementation: dispelling the myths and highlighting what works. Strategy Leadership. 31(3), pp.27 – 34 Whitehead, M. 1994. Marks Spencer – â€Å"Britain’s Leading Retailer: Quality and Value Worldwide†. Management Decision. 32(3), pp. 38-41.

How Teflon Sticks to Nonstick Pans

How Teflon Sticks to Nonstick Pans Teflon is DuPonts brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE, a fluoropolymer in which the fluorine atoms are so tightly bonded to the carbon atom that everything else slips right off. Its a miracle of modern chemistry that you encounter whenever you use non-stick cookware. But... if Teflon is non-stick, then how do they get it to stick to pans in the first place? How Teflon Sticks to Pans You might guess Teflon somehow sticks to metal better than it does to eggs, but in reality, the polymer slides right off of metallic surfaces, too. In order to get Teflon to stick to a pan, the metal is sandblasted. A primer coat of Teflon seeps into the tiny holes and cracks. The Teflon is baked into the pan. It doesnt stick to the metal, but the plastic has a hard time working its way out of the nooks and crannies. A finishing layer of Teflon is applied and baked onto the primed surface. Teflon has no trouble polymerizing with itself, so this layer bonds to the prepared pan without any problem. Keeping the Teflon in Place You can ruin your Teflon-coated pan two ways. You can damage the Teflon coating or scratch beneath it if you use metal utensils or too much force stirring or scraping food. The other way to ruin the pan is by applying too much heat, which can happen if you burn your food or heat the pan without any food in it. When too much heat is applied, the carbon bonds break, releasing fluorocarbons into the air. This isnt great for either the pan or your health, so non-stick cookware shouldnt be subjected to extremely high heat. What Is Plastic? | Make Plastic from Dairy

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example But it happened again two days later. It was Sunday and Sonakshi had not even stepped out of home since morning. She had only eaten the porridge Mumta poured into her plate in the breakfast. Her exams had been over for two days and she had not even opened any book since then. Her dizziness and vomiting could not be associated with any eating disorder. Mumta was worried more than ever before. She took her to a doctor, and after a couple of tests, she was declared pregnant. That was the doom’s day for Mumta and Mithlesh. Their 15 year old daughter had been in a physical relationship with John Good, the boy next door for the last four months. They could not hurt her against the law, though they so wished they had been in India where they could ferociously beat their daughter. Mumta could not bear it and poisoned herself to death. Having lost the wife and the love for his daughter, Mithlesh got extremely depressed. What worried Mithlesh more than everything was that Sonakshi had n ot respected the cultural traditions of India, according to which, girls do not fornicate outside marriage. He thought it did not matter in USA, but it would certainly not be approved of in India. So he thought about marrying his daughter to John. He explained the whole scenario to John’s parents, Martha Good and Andrew Good who were pure Americans.

HUMAN SERVICES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HUMAN SERVICES - Essay Example This also shows that he has the determination to work hard and make it in life despite his current situation. Concerning Phil’s family, the parents are still married, and the family is in need of support. Regarding the case of Rachel, the strengths include the ability to make friends, being a good student, self-confidence, survival skills, and optimism. Rachel’s family is still intact despite the challenges they are facing. The strengths that Phil exhibits have great influence on his life. For instance, Phil lives in a difficult environment because of constant fights by his parents, but the strengths give him a strong will to excel despite the family challenges. In addition, though Phil drinks alcohol, the strengths allow him to keep on track of becoming someone better in the future, and not losing his life to street vices. The strengths also have an effect on the family; they bring out the attributes of the family necessary creating an effective collaboration and intervention strategy. Similarly, strengths demonstrated by Rachel influence her life. For instance, she has developed survival skills that allow her to be independent at her young age. These strengths make her a strong-willed person and shape her attitude towards life. With respect to the family, the strength allows the family to function as one unit despite the challenges they have. Strength-based approach is an effective theory as it extends the idea that every individual has inherent capabilities. As a social worker, I believe that each person is unique with capabilities and strengths that determine their story and define whom they are. Additionally, this theory gives the opportunity to turn challenges into capacity in order to create optimism and hope out of a difficult situation (Saint-Jacques, Turcotte and Pouliot 454). Since individuals have the belief that change is inevitable, every person has the urge to explore the world around them, succeed, and help one

And Learning English With The Help Of Computers Education Essay

And Learning English With The Help Of Computers Education Essay This study attempts to explore and analyse the role of computers in the process of teaching and learning English in an Argentinean private school of English. The main aim is to investigate and understand the use of computers in the classroom and to discover whether they contribute to foster the process of learning English. The different teaching situations are examined as well as the activities carried out in the classroom and the students and teachers roles. The environments in which students learn and the ways in which people work and live are constantly being transformed by existing and emerging technologies. Hence, technological changes appears to influence everyone in society and challenge the traditional process of teaching and learning, as well as the way in which education is managed. The emergence of the radio, television, tape players and videos became important resources for teachers to support their lessons and the same occurred in the seventies and eighties when personal computers reached the markets. It seems to be useful to carry out this research in order to find the advantages that technology, especially computers, offers to education considering two groups of learners from two different school of English in Olavarrà ­a, which is a city in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many theories have been presented by various researches and there is still controversy among this topic. Thus, delving into such important aspects is essential to be experimented in order to formulate our own conclusions. This paper will be aimed at gathering meaningful findings which may help teachers in general to start considering the use of computers and the Internet in the different classrooms. (change or accommodate) Warschauer (1996) suggests that technology turned out to be an essential tool in education as it provides students with valuable connections with teachers, other schools and pupils, as well as a wide network of professionals around the globe. Nowadays, these significant technologies are used in education in order to improve it and make students take full advantage of them. Nevertheless, fostering the use of computers seems to be complex issue to be implemented in Argentineans classrooms due to the lack of resources. As a result, few schools have the possibility to take advantage of the available technology and teachers tend to avoid this new tool. The purpose of this work is to show whether the use of computers and the Internet stimulates students to learn a foreign language and help them to develop the different macro skills efficiently. Expectations are directed towards the activities that learners are able to do with technology that they would not be able to do without it. The findings of this research will bring valuable foundations to reflect upon the advantages of introducing computer assisted language learning (CALL) in the process of teaching and learning a foreign language. Literature review The roles of computers in the classroom The integration of computers in education has been discussed widely and much attention has been devoted to their role in the classrooms. The first implementation of computers in education was around the 1960s but their use was very limited. From that time onwards, the developments of computers grew and the role it has in education nowadays is that of an instructional tool for delivering information that can stimulate teaching and learning. Computer assisted language learning (CALL) is becoming a relevant area and might help teachers to motivate students to learn through technology. Bergel and Gonzà ¡lez (2009) states that web-based tools might cater for real life communicative needs, and they allow students to become more autonomous and to interact with other learners, teachers and society in general. It has also been stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ certain types of learners may be better suited to some CALL materials than other students (Chapelle Jamieson, 1986, p. 27). The authors assured that students who are not field independent, for example, show a significant preference for using CALL. There are three stages of Computer assisted language learning identifiable in recent years. According to Warschauer (1996), there exists three phases of CALL: Behaviouristic: is based on behaviourist learning theory, and it focuses on repetitive language drills. In this stage, the computer is viewed as a tutor acting as a medium for sending instructions and materials to students. Communicative: The second phase of CALL emerged in the !970s and 1980s when the communicative approach to the teaching of a foreign language was in vogue. This stage emerged when educators felt that the drilling approach did not allow enough authentic communication. The computer is used for skill practice, but there no drilling techniques are used. There is more learner choice, control and interaction. Now, the emphasis is on learning as a creative process of discovery, expression and development. In this case, the purpose of the CALL activity is not so much to have students discover the right answer, but rather to stimulate students discussion, writing, or critical thinking (Warschauer, 1996, p. 3). Integrative: it focuses on a social o socio-cognitive view of learning. The use of language in a more authentic context is emphasised, which encourages students to construct meaning using computers. This phase is based on two important technological developments: multimedia and the Internet. Multimedia technology, brings many advantages and it can only be found in a computer. What makes multimedia even more powerful is that it also entails hypermedia. That means that the multimedia resources are all linked together and that learners can navigate their own path simply by pointing and clicking a mouse (Warschauer, 1996, p. 4). The Internet with the Web 2.0 offers all users the possibility to create, upload and edit texts, besides other interactive tools. Learners can create and exchange information freely. The development from one stage to another does not mean the rejection of the previous stage. All of them are integrated and complement to each other. At present, CALL is in vogue and many researchers have agreed on the advantages it gives to learn a foreign language. It is noticeable that CALL might give the possibility to learn a language as it can be a tutor which offers language drills or skill practice; a stimulus for discussion and interaction; or a tool for writing and research. With the advent of the Internet, it can also be a medium of global communication and a source of limitless authentic materials (Warschauer, 1996, p. 7). As said by Garret (1991), computers can serve a variety of uses for language teaching but the use of the computer does not constitute a method but a medium in which a variety of methods, approaches, and pedagogical philosophies may be implemented (p. 75). Teachers appear to be the ones who are responsible for introducing new technological methods to their classes and guide students towards a better learning. Computers as teaching and learning tools Reading and vocabulary: using computers in the classroom for reading, which include articles taken from the Internet, might support the development of reading skills among students. Kasper (2000) states that these reading materials which are taken from the Internet supply a variety of modern, authentic texts if compared to materials sourced from textbooks. As some researchers have conducted various studies on the use of technology in foreign language teaching, there is one empirical study which showed that two dissimilar group of students were given the same language activity, but in different modes: in the traditional pen-and-paper format and using computers. After the activity, Bruce Levin (1997) were able to identify the different degrees of motivation towards both tasks arguing that computer-assisted version of the activity was found more highly motivating and beneficial for the group of learners which were observed. The skill of writing, for example, is at present the subject of a considerable amount of research. Mills (1996) affirms that writing is mainly a social act concerned first and foremost with cognition and always associated to context. In general, writing seems to be a solitary act in which students generally fulfil an assignment either at home or at school to be handed in to their teachers. The social aspects of writing are diminished when there is a restriction on the social space where readers and writers come together (Mills, 1996, p. 2). Thus, using the tools that the internet is offering might help to abridge the distance between writers and readers. Communication with native speakers allows learners to practise specific skills such as discussing, asking for clarification, negotiating meaning, persuading others, clarifying different aspects, asking for information, etcetera. Warschauer and Meskill (2000) state that Computer based discussion which takes place outside the classroom increases students opportunities to communicate in another forum, affording both general language practice and practice in writing (p. 8). According to Larson (1999), the transactional nature of the Internet and the pedagogical relevance of state-of-the-art web-based interactive technologies make web-based instruction a viable vehicle for foreign language education. There could more research done in this area to further investigate the option of using the Internet to facilitate foreign language learning and thus, main findings will serve as sharing research-based knowledge which will enrich the different investigations that have been done so far. Bergel and Gonzà ¡lez (Ibid.) argues that word-processors, blogs, wikis and emails among others seem to contribute to the learning of a foreign language and increase students motivation promoting contact with authentic language. Computers ought to be integrated in the school environment as it has become an increasingly important feature of the learning situation for students in general, as well as a significant element to the teaching of a foreign language and that is the reason why teachers should find a way to introduce it in the teaching-learning situation The invention of the printing press has transformed the intellectual life of the world and has improved the learning conditions. By the same token, computers have done a similar work nowadays for, with the click of a mouse, we are able to see what is taking place in the world. Therefore, Larson (Ibid.) claims that it is extremely significant to consider these opportunities that technology offers to the educational system taking account of the students level that is the most suitable in each situation. In the present study, the advantages of using technology for learning a foreign language will be discussed, trying to demonstrate such advantages upon a group of learners. What role does the instructor (teacher) play in this aspect, and how important is the instructors presence? What is the technologys effect on the learning of the foreign language and skills? Do students enjoy the experience and feel motivated? Do students perceive that they improved their skill or performance in learning with the help of technology? The answers to these questions will be examined in the present research.

Wwii: the Good War?

US History: Surv Since 1877 The Good War? Many Historians call World War II â€Å"The Good War. † The Second World war consumed every corner of the globe, pitting the world’s biggest powers against each other. There were two sides the Axis powers and the Allied Powers. The Axis included many Germany, Japan, and Italy. The Allied powers included the Soviet Union, United States, British Empire, China, and France to name a few. World War II was caused by several things. One was the Treaty of Versailles which Germany could not afford to pay.In turn they empowered a man who vowed to rip up the treaty. Two other reason were the failure of appeasement and the failure of the league of Nations. There are many reasons why people think that World War II was â€Å"The Good War,† Paul Fussell gives a good account on the subject. A Good War, A Just War, A Moral: Fussell's accounts simply show that these terms are simply not possible for the teenage kid being shipped off to fig ht in the war at the tender ages of 18, 19, 20, or even 17. For American troops, the first unpleasant act in their active and dangerous participation in what has been misleadingly termed the Good War was throwing up in the transport conveying them to the United Kingdom (Fussell pg. 15). † Fussell references to how the war is misnamed â€Å"The Good War† here. He suggests how can the war be good when we are putting these young boys in situations were they are throwing up out of fear. The fear is not the only problem, the men ate terrible food twice a day standing up while the officers ate at white linen tables with nice cutlery and better food.This was not the firs blow to his morale though. In training, many draftees were greeted with the letters R. T. C. which the draftee quickly learned meant replacement training center (pg. 95). Many thoughts would enter the draftees head after reading those letters, â€Å"Why, he wondered, were so many hundred of thousands of draft ed boys needed as replacements? For whom or what? Was the army expecting that many deaths or incapacitating wounds (Fussell pg. 95). † He soon learned that the answer was yes which as you can imagination was quite demoralizing and does not condescend to â€Å"The Good War† idea.Another Concept that Fussel used to support his motion that World War II wasn’t the good war everyone was talking about; was disproving the idea that only the germans spared innocent life's. He talks about the measures that the Allied forces used to protect the german assumption that the FUSAG was going to attack at Pas De Calais (Fussell pg. 32). â€Å"To move troops and reserves quickly to this fancied battlefield, Hitler would have to use railways, railway stations, and alas, railway towns, where many French civilians were killed (Fussell pg. 32). The allies bombed many french railroad structures and in the process killed many innocent citizens. The innocent killing of civilians could not relate to World War II being called the â€Å"The Good War. † If World War II, was â€Å"The Good War† then why was there so much desertion. Relating back to one of the problems I mentioned earlier, one of the main causes of desertion was fear. â€Å"Many GIs were so scared that they required special attention. Says an American woman who worked with the Red Cross, â€Å"Just before they went across to France, belts and ties were removed from some of these young men.They were very, very young (Fussell pg. 108). † Fussell tells of a battle in france, where a fresh battalion arrived to relive a unit that was battered from fighting and many of the men had been killed. Their bodies not yet been removed, but were laid out neatly just behind the foxholes and decently covered with pine boughs (Fussell pg. 107). When the reinforcements say this, they instantly disappeared only to show up many months later. How can World War II be â€Å"The Good War† when youn g men are disbanding out of pure fear.World War II may be being fought for a just reason. Hitler is clearly an uncontrollable menace who needs to be put down. On the other hand, World War II cant be â€Å"The Good War† that many historians claim it to be. Just as Fussell suggests a war can’t be good when we are sending our teenage young men in extreme situations which cause them to vomit out of fear. Also how can a war be good when we are taking the lives of innocent civilians. In the end, World War is not â€Å"The Good War† that many suggest it to be.

Climate Change The Change Of The Environment And World...

Climate Change Climate Change is the, the change of the environment and world around us. The climate has hit a dramatic decrease in the last ten years; everything around us has gone down hill. Including a dwindle in plant species, and a dwindle in animal life. When the plant life decreases we loose valuable resources, such as oxygen and valuable resources for animals. When the animals do not eat, humans cannot eat. When the ozone layer goes away, certain rays from the sun can come down and affect us. One major layer is the UV rays, UV rays can affect the skin of a person and whether or not they can contract skin cancer. Some UV rays are good, when we tan those are good UV rays. UV rays can cause the ocean to dry up, ocean goes away everything is lost. The planet then becomes a dessert, valuable animal species and major plant life is all depleted. The earth is covered in seventy one percent water, a humans body has the exact same number of water in them. When humans start too loose wa ter, our bodies can tell and then they react. We must treat the planet how we treat our bodies, with respect and love. Everyday the ozone layer is thinning and the ocean levels are rising, the reason behind the ocean levels rising is because the glaciers around the world are melting. Some things we can do to help stop or slow down climate change are, recycle, do not burn plastic, compact stuff and start using natural ways for energy. If we keep burning coal for our fuels we will continue toShow MoreRelatedSocial Issues Plaguing Our Planet Today Is Climate Change1301 Words   |  6 Pagesstigmatizing social issues plaguing our planet today is climate change. It is causing fluctuation in temperatures all around the world, which is resulting in other major issues like the death of many animals, and a struggle to use land for agriculture, along with much more. 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There is no definite solution to this problem, nevertheless as the people of this planet, we can at least do something regarding to it. By

Strategy Project McDonalds and Beef - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 22 Words: 6744 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/09/21 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: McDonalds Essay Did you like this example? The Category Strategy Project McDonalds and Beef Introduction Commodities are necessities for the success of numerous businesses throughout the world. Preparation and research concerning a commodity must be completed in order for a company to source that commodity successfully. The purpose of this study is to provide purchasing management and top management with specific information that can be used to construct an advantageous procurement strategy. If a company does not have reliable useful about a commodity, that commodity’s market, and that commodity’s suppliers it will be very hard for them to be able to source that commodity efficiently and effectively which will greatly diminish their ability to succeed in the market place. We chose McDonald’s because of its tremendous success in the global market place. We wanted to choose a company who everyone is familiar with and has been successful at what they do. Another reason why we choose this company i s because we believed that, given its huge popularity, it would not be too hard to find information about it. We chose beef because we believed that beef was the company’s most critical commodity. Company Description The McDonalds Corporation is one of the worlds largest chains of hamburger fast food restaurants; it serves nearly 47 million customers daily. The first McDonald’s restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, CA in 1940; it now serves customers at over 31,000 locations in over 120 countries. The McDonald’s restaurant serves a wide variety of items on their menu including a large number of beef items. The most popular of these beef items include: the Big Mac, the Quarter Pounder, the Hamburger, the Cheeseburger, and the Big N Tasty. Our report will focus on the sourcing of the beef for these beef items. â€Å"McDonald’s beef procurement is operated through its four global geographic divisions; North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia/P acific/Middle East/Africa† (Murphy, 2009). â€Å"They form what is termed the ‘McDonald’s Global Beef Board’† (Murphy, 2009). â€Å"All four procurement functions are involved in any significant changes in procurement in any of the other divisions† (Murphy, 2009). â€Å"McDonald’s is currently looking to leverage its global scale in order to improve its long term beef sourcing capabilities† (Murphy, 2009). Their new Worldwide Beef Supply Chain director Jose-Luis Bretones is â€Å"planning on working towards creating a more integrated global supply network, more open global beef trading options and a procurement system with greater flexibility overall† (Murphy, 2009). However, since McDonald’s is a global corporation with an extremely complex worldwide supply chain, our report will focus predominantly on the procurement of beef by McDonald’s to their locations in the United States. In the past McDonalds has bought mostly American beef for use in their U. S. estaurants and much of their beef still comes from within the country. However, according to McDonalds, â€Å"due to a well-documented shortage of lean beef in the U. S. , and to meet the needs of (their) customers, (they have started to)†¦ purchase a relatively small percentage of high quality imported lean beef from New Zealand and Australia. (They) do this to supplement (their) domestic beef purchases† (McDonalds Customer Response Center, personal communication, November 7, 2009). Description of the Commodity Beef is the name of meat that comes from cattle and other bovines (Travisl, 2009). It is typically served to consumers in the form of steak, burger patties and other ground beef products, hot dogs, beef jerky, roast beef as well as other dishes (Travisl, 2009). The United States, Japan, Brazil and China are world’s largest consumers of beef products (Travisl, 2009). It is a staple of the diet of a very large number of Americans (Travisl, 2009). The largest exporters of beef are Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Canada (Travisl, 2009). It is also heavily sourced from of Uruguay, Nicaragua, Russia and Mexico (Travisl, 2009). McDonalds’ hamburger patties are made of 100% pure beef, the beef is hand-seasoned on the grill with salt and pepper (McDonalds). The hamburger patties are grilled to a temperature of at least 155 °F which is in accordance with the Food Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code (McDonalds). Two substitutes for beef that are served at McDonald’s are chicken and fish. However, many of McDonald’s customers would not be satisfied if they were forced to settle for fish or chicken due to beef being unavailable. Therefore, McDonald’s must make sure that they are able to consistently meet their customers beef demand. Part of this effort entails having an efficient and effective purchasing strategy. Some companies may use beef to feed anima ls but McDonald’s has no use for it other than serving it to their customers to be consumed. Most of McDonald’s beef comes from USDA-inspected United States suppliers (McDonalds). In order to maintain demands, they import a small percentage of USDA-inspected quality beef from Australian and New Zealand suppliers (McDonalds). Angus burgers such as the Angus Bacon Cheese, Angus Deluxe, and Angus Mushroom Swiss are also menu items (McDonalds). The patties for these burgers are made of Angus beef â€Å"come from two Scottish breed of cattle (Black and Red Angus), which are naturally polled; that is, they do not have horns† (Drakew, 2009). McDonalds started to test hamburgers made with Angus beef at some of their restaurants in the United States of America. According to McDonald’s customer’s response to the burgers was positive and so they began selling the burger at all of their US locations in July 2009. Angus burgers are generally more expensive due to their beef being of higher quality than what goes into typical hamburgers. A portion of McDonald’s Angus beef currently comes from New Zealand. Since Angus is a specific type of beef, whose supply may differ from that of regular beef, McDonald’s should monitor its domestic production and supply and to determine if they might need to increase their foreign importation of the product or perhaps find a way to increase its domestic supply. Depending on to what degree market forces for Angus beef differ from that of regular beef McDonald’s might have to pursue a different sourcing strategy for it. Industry Analysis McDonald’s Industry Although McDonald’s is a fast chain superpower and the largest buyer of domestic beef, they must still concern themselves with the competitive forces within their market to maintain their position as a market leader. Porter’s five forces model best outlines these forces, taking into account: market int ernal competition, threats of new entrants, pressure from substitutes, supplier bargaining power, and buyer bargaining power (Monczka, 207, SCM355). First it is necessary to define McDonald’s industry as the fast food industry, specifically the burger fast food industry, in which it is the industry leader. It’s key competitors, or market internal competition, are Jack in the Box, Carl’s Junior, Burger King, and Wendy’s/Arby’s (Northrop, 3). The high cost of entry into the fast food industry makes it unlikely that McDonald’s will face increased competition from new entrants in the near future. A new entrant would need to be able to achieve similar economies of scale to McDonald’s in order to be a real threat and that is unlikely to happen. However, the threat from substitutes is one that McDonald’s should be concerned over. Subway has nearly as many locations and differentiates its products from McDonald’s as the healt hy alternative. With an increasingly health conscious consumer base and a menu that consist of primarily red-meat, high calorie items, McDonald’s is at a disadvantage when it comes to offering a healthy eating experience. In addition, YUM! Brands (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, AW, Long John Silver’s, KFC) has just as many locations collectively and competes with McDonald’s by offering fast food alternatives to burgers. Their menu items are similarly priced and served up just as quickly and conveniently as in McDonald’s. The buyer is the consumer in McDonald’s industry and in the food industry it is the consumer who has the last say. As previously stated, U. S. consumers are more health conscious than ever and there is increased pressure on McDonald’s to provide an overall healthier menu. Lastly, there is the force of supplier power. There is no real substitute for beef from their perspective; McDonald’s cannot continue to do business if they do not procure the beef they need. McDonald’s has to be concerned over the cyclical shortages of U. S. lean beef because if their suppliers’ capacity is fully utilized they need to know where they are in the pecking order for their suppliers (Conagra, SCM455). Fortunately, as stated previously, McDonald’s is the largest buyer of U. S. beef and that allows them mitigate this risk. Supplier Industry Australia, the U. S. , and Canada are the dominant participants in world beef production, with McDonald’s sourcing the large majority of beef from the U. S. (Brocklebank, 7). There is internal competition between suppliers of beef for large, condensed farmland suitable for grazing. However, the strongest force for the supplier beef industry is the threat of substitutes. The poultry industry is blessed with both multiple offspring and a short generation interval – an ideal situation for rapid genetic improvement† (Brocklebank, 5). U. S. fast food restaurants including McDonald’s continue to diversify menu offerings in an effort to decrease their dependence on beef. Economies of scale are greater for poultry and pork, and therefore so are their costs. Poultry and pork production has moved to large scale proportions and standardization levels that beef is likely never to meet. The beef industry faces the buying power of McDonald’s as well. McDonald’s buy is so great that they do not have to pay wholesale for beef. Although there is no data on exactly what McDonald’s pays for beef, it is reasonable to assume that they pay significantly less than the market wholesale price. It is possible that McDonald’s buys all of many of its suppliers supply, forcing the suppliers to meet most of McDonald’s demands, leaving them no other option but bankruptcy if they don’t oblige. Although we have no idea if this is actually the case. Demand Analysis The total amount of beef that was c onsumed by the United States in 2008 was 27. 3 billion pounds (Mathews, 2009). McDonald’s U. S. purchases about 1 billion pounds of beef per year (Ishmael, 2003). Approximately 1/27 of all beef consumed by the United States is consumed by McDonald’s U. S. This should afford McDonald’s a huge economies of scale benefit. McDonald’s U. K. states that their current sourcing strategy includes: not searching on the commodity market for the lowest cost suppliers and sourcing only from dedicated suppliers who do not compromise on safety or quality, and not squeezing suppliers too hard on price but instead paying more for high performance (Food Chain Centre). Since McDonald’s U. S. alleges to have â€Å"the highest standards for food quality and food safety (including feed certification) in the fast food industry† (McDonalds Customer Response Center, personal communication, November 7, 2009) it is reasonable to assume that their sourcing strate gy is similar to that of their British counterpart’s. The immense amount of product that McDonald’s demands, puts them in a very powerful position. A beneficial course of action for McDonald’s would be to pursue a strategy of supply base rationalization and optimization, as opposed to sourcing from many different suppliers. This would put them in a good position to take advantage of economies of scale from those suppliers as well as insist on certain quality requirements (Monczka, 318 SCM355). If McDonald’s were to rationalize its supply base down to its best most dedicated suppliers and offer very large contracts to those chosen few, the use of economies of scale could help them achieve a price closer to, if not at the price offered by the lowest cost suppliers. This way the company can stay within the confines of their current philosophy of only sourcing from the most dedicated suppliers while simultaneously minimizing costs. Additionally, with th e size of the orders which McDonald’s would be able to place with a supplier it should not be too hard to get that supplier to comply with whatever reasonable quality requirements McDonalds might desire. One supply base improvement that McDonald’s might be able to achieve through supplier rationalization and optimization could be obtaining more American grass-fed beef. Although McDonalds currently sources most of the beef used at their U. S. establishments from within the country, a portion of it is sourced from Australia and New Zealand (McDonalds Customer Response Center, personal communication, November 7, 2009). This is because, according to McDonalds, â€Å"it cannot satisfy its need for lean beef by buying solely from American sources and has to turn to beef exporters outside the USA to make up the shortfall† (Mikkelson, 2009). â€Å"American beef cattle are primarily grain-fed and produce fattier meat, while grass-fed cattle (raised in Australia and N ew Zealand) produce leaner beef† (Mikkelson, 2009). Clearly, the company must incur significant logistics costs from having to transport the beef to America from the other side of the Earth. American ranchers claim that McDonalds leanness standards are too high, and that if McDonalds lowered its standards they would be able to supply the company with the lean beef that they need (Mikkelson, 2009). Or perhaps McDonalds could take advantage of their huge demand by giving contracts to American farmers that are large enough for the farmers to justify changing their cattle feeding practices. This would be a win-win supplier optimization solution (Monczka, 695 SCM355 and SCM455). The farmers would be able to increase their revenue and McDonald’s would be able to save money on distribution costs by sourcing the beef from within the country in which it will actually be consumed as opposed to having to source it from all the way across the world. Additionally, buying beef for American restaurants from only American farmers would be better for McDonald’s from a public relations perspective. Supply Analysis The beef supply chain is not a cooperative one; there is little trust between those who engage in transactions up and down the supply chain. This puts it at a competitive disadvantage when compared to the supply chain of poultry and pork which has achieved much greater levels of coordination through vertical integration and complex contracts (Brocklebank, 6). Such a lack of integration across the beef supply chain makes it difficult for them to respond to changing consumer demands quickly. In 2008, the production of meat animals comprised over $66 billion of added value to the American economy (AssociationNational, 2008). In 2008, 34. million cattle were slaughtered and 26. 6 billion pounds of beef was produced (AssociationNational, 2008). More than 660,000 cattle are harvested in the U. S. on a weekly basis (AssociationNational, 2008). Mc Donald’s has to be concerned that it is highest in the pecking order for fulfilled orders by its suppliers. This is due to the fact that a â€Å"†¦large portion of beef production in the U. S. is boxed and sent to retailers for further processing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Brocklebank, 8). Suppliers of beef are at a production crossroads however. Although artificial insemination has increased the rate of breeding of beef cows, â€Å"†¦a beef cow only typically produces one offspring and there is a long lag between when a heifer is born and when it can be bred† (Brocklebank, 5). The point is the process of beef cow breeding is close to being optimized and that makes it difficult for farmers to keep the rate of increase of production even with the increasing rate of demand for beef. Cargill, Tyson Foods, OSI, Keystone and Lopez Foods are five of the American suppliers of beef to McDonald’s (McDonald’s, 2006: Gigeman76, 2009). Silver Fern Farms and Anzc o are the two suppliers of beef to McDonalds from New Zealand (Morgan, 2009). FJ Walker Foods and Australian Food Corporation are the two suppliers of beef to McDonald’s Australia and are likely the Australian suppliers of beef to McDonald’s in the U. S. (Austrade, 2007). Due to shortages in the U. S. lean beef supply, McDonald’s was forced to look to foreign suppliers. A trend that is likely to increase as McDonald’s grows its business and increases market share as well as the world demand for beef increases. However, McDonald’s has to consider its brand image when deciding how much of its beef it sources outside of the U. S. When McDonald’s first began sourcing some of its beef from outside the U. S. there was an up rise by its U. S. suppliers. There were also concerns over the quality and production standards of beef sourced from other countries. For example, beef sourced from South America was thought to have traces of dangerous pesti cides because grazing areas were sprayed with them. However, all beef used by McDonald’s is USDA approved even if it is not necessarily raised in the U. S. Price Analysis Market Structure McDonald’s accounts for 19% of market share in the fast food industry. However, they dominate the Fast Food Hamburger Restaurant (FFHR) industry with 90% of the market share in 2008. Because each fast food hamburger restaurant offers similar menus and prices, the purchasing of beef is highly competitive (McDonalds). Because of McDonald’s large market share in the fast food industry, especially in United States, the company has significant advantages when it comes to lowering production costs, lowering input costs and bargaining power over suppliers. However, they like every other company are susceptible to conditions of supply and demand when it comes to products they source. Also, external factors such as natural disasters and mad cow disease can cause changes in beef pr ice. McDonald’s pricing strategy needs to account for these aforementioned factors. The U. S. Cattle Supply and Trends Weather has significant control over the cattle supply because the availability of grass and wheat that is used to feed cattle in the summer and fall is dependent on weather conditions (McDonalds). In order to make sure farmers have enough hay for the winter, they send surplus cattle to market, increasing supply in the short term, but reducing breeding stock and decreasing supply in the long run† (McDonalds). Considering this fact, it might be beneficial for McDonald’s to purchase excess beef before the winter and stockpile it for when prices inevitably increase later on. Strong Demand for Beef and Forces Consumer spending on beef has grown $26. 9 billion over the past ten years, last year it was $76 billion (Association National, 2008). Per capita spending for beef in retail and foodservice was about $249 last year, an increase of approximate ly $50 from 2001 (Association National, 2008). â€Å"In 2008, per capita consumption of beef was 59. 9 pounds, compared to 59. 2 pounds for chicken† (AssociationNational, 2008). McDonald’s needs to take overall beef into account in their procurement strategy because it has an effect on price. The United States has historically banned cattle imports from other countries when tainted beef becomes an issue causing a decrease in available supply and a spike in price (Wolcutt, 2003). Such was the case in 2003 when an incident of mad-cow disease in Canada led to a ban of Canadian beef imports to United States, this decreased U. S. supply by 8% and caused a 30% rise in cattle prices (Wolcutt, 2003). McDonald’s must stay alert to any possible incidents of mad-cow disease or other beef tainting problems for both price and quality control reasons. Managing Price Changes in beef prices are predominantly effected by economic conditions of supply and demand. Hence McDonal d’s, in their pricing strategy, needs to be conscious of the flow of market price fluctuations. There are two indexes that the company can use to do this: the Producer Price Index (PPI) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) both of which are maintained by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A consumer price index (CPI) is a measure that estimates the average price of consumer goods and services as well as changes in the price of those goods and services from one period to the next within a certain area (Cretog8, 2009). The percent change in the CPI indicates estimated inflation, the prices of a variety of different items such as beef, chicken, bananas, and eggs are available to be investigated in addition to their average price data. In addition to price fluctuations and inflation, McDonald’s should also take quality into consideration when deciding on what price to negotiate. When McDonald, as a buyer, purchases beef from their suppliers, the PPI may also give Mc Donald’s useful information concerning price fluctuations. The Producer Price Index (PPI) â€Å"measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output† (Bureau of Labor Statistics), â€Å"it allows buyers to shift their pricing strategies by historical suppliers’ price change compared with the PPI† (Bureau of Labor Statistics). If beef suppliers are not following the market price trends and either not decreasing prices as much as they should or increasing prices too greatly, McDonald’s can use this tool to negotiate with suppliers while also taking into account such considerations as the company’s break-even analysis, quality requirements, or quantity discounts based on competitors’ pricing (Monczka, 398, 404, 275, 595 SCM455). Other sources of commodity price data are â€Å"Pink sheets†, and global commodity market data which are available at the World Bank website (Moncz ka, 398 SCM355). Through this price information about the domestic and international market, McDonald’s can observe economic market situations and commodity trends and alter their pricing strategy to confront them. Based on the price data from the â€Å"Pink sheets†, quarterly price changes of USDA Choice beef are as follows in the graph below. [pic] A USDA chart showing past beef production and average market prices is shown below: average market price per 100 pounds, and beef production in hundred million pounds (McDonalds). [pic] [pic] The volatility of beef price is shown to the chart above (Triarc Companies). McDonald’s can use this information to estimate when to stockpile larger quantities of beef in order to hedge against anticipated rises in price. Cost Analysis The production of beef incurs costs at many different levels. Beef production starts out with the cattle being raised. At this point the farmers who raise them incur such costs as the cost of the farm land, labor, and feed for the cows. After the cows are ready they are sent to a slaughterhouse and from there to a meet processing plant. The meat processing plants are where McDonald’s purchases their beef from. Since these plants are where McDonald’s gets their beef directly from, this is where they have good opportunities to cut costs. We do not have information about exactly what costs are incurred by each step at a meet processing plant but we do know that there are certain things that these plants can do in order to control their costs. McDonald’s should encourage their current suppliers to control costs as far as possible in order to obtain cost savings for both of them. For example, when it comes to what quantities of beef the plants should be ordered at a time; when frequent order are economical and it is possible to implement just-in-time inventory replenishment it is recommended that the plants use a lot-sizing technique called â₠¬Å"lot-for-lot†. This is when the organization only orders exactly what quantities of inventory are needed for a certain period (Pearson, 214, SCM432). If making frequent order and implementing just-in-time inventory replenishment is not practical for the processing plant then it is recommended that they place orders in accordance with their â€Å"economic order quantity†. The Economic order quantity is the level of inventory that minimizes the total inventory holding costs and ordering costs† (Faridani, 2009). EOQ is a good lot sizing technique especially when demand is relatively constant (Pearson, 214, SCM432). Other ways of controlling costs include building and implementing close to accurate forecasts for labor schedules in order to make sure that there are enough workers to perform the necessary tasks for the day while ensuring that the company does not end up paying workers who do not need to be present. Also, the plants should make sure that their proce ssing equipment is set-up and laid out in a way that minimizes errors and inefficiencies in their operations. If McDonald’s pursues a strategy of supply base rationalization and optimization and maintains close open relationship with their suppliers it will be easier for them to encourage their suppliers to take these actions. After the beef is finished being processed it is sent to McDonald’s who sells it to the final customer. McDonald’s should also keep some of these aspects of cost control in mind if they want to keep costs down on their end as well. They also need to find to most cost effective way to order, store and transport the inventory. For example, it would be inefficient for the overall supply chain for them to order small lot sizes from a supplier that requires long runs to minimize costs. If they cause the supplier to incur greater costs those costs may end up being passed on to McDonald’s. Recommendations Since we do not have access to information regarding any price bids given by suppliers to McDonalds, the price that McDonald’s themselves or any of their fast food competitors pay for beef, or the costs that go into making a beef patty, our price recommendation will be market-based as opposed to cost-based. The change in the quarterly wholesale price of beef over the past few years has exhibited no discernable pattern or trend (Figure 1). Therefore, we believe that a moving average forecast is appropriate for forecasting the price of beef in the future (Pfund, lecture, SCM432). By taking a five year moving average for the wholesale price of beef we find that in the near future beef will probably cost around $2. 27 per pound for those buying it wholesale (Figure 1). However, given McDonalds’ tremendous demand and their opportunity to take advantage of economies of scale in procurement, they should clearly be paying much less. One large American buyer of beef whose price information we were a ble to access was the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA has purchased about 31,384,000 lbs. of beef so far this year for various purposes (Figure 2). Although it is unclear exactly how many different beef suppliers the USDA has, it is likely that they take advantage of large economies of scale in their procurement practices because the price that they paid for beef in 2009 was about 69% of the average wholesale price for beef this year. The average wholesale beef price for 2009 was $2. 18 per pound (Figure 1) and the price that the USDA bought it for this year was about $1. 49 per pound (Figure 2). If the USDA, making a purchase of 31,384,000 lbs of beef, is able to buy it for that price through the use of economies of scale or other price reduction practices, then McDonalds who purchases 1,000,000,000 lbs of beef per year should be able to get it for at least an equivalent price if not less. 69% of $2. 27 (the projected price of beef in the fourth quarter of 2009) is $1. 56. Therefore, we suggest that McDonalds should set their target negotiating price for $1. 56 per pound for beef. The greatest amount that McDonalds should pay for beef should be around $2. 27 per pound or whatever the average wholesale price turns out to be in the future because there is no way that an organization with the buying power of McDonalds should be having to pay full wholesale price for the item. If any supplier tried to charge them full wholesale price for beef we are sure that they could easily get a lower price by going with another supplier. According to the USDA efficiency gains obtained through larger and more commercialized livestock systems will cause a long-term increase in beef production after 2010 (Westcott, 2003). This increase in production however will be counteracted by a simultaneous increase in the domestic demand for beef, resulting in a net increase in beef prices in the future (Westcott, 2003). As a result, in order to ensure a continued stead y supply of beef McDonald’s might have to increase their sourcing of beef from outside the United States in order to access cheaper markets. If the price of beef is expected to rise McDonald’s might want to try to establish fixed-price contracts with their current beef suppliers in order to lock in a price at the current market rate before it increases (Monczka, 508 SCM355). However, since suppliers might not agree to that type of contract, and since contracts do have to get renegotiated at some point, we have outlined procurement strategies below that go beyond simply locking in a low market price with a supplier. As we previously stated in the demand analysis, McDonalds needs to take advantage of economies of scale in their procurement process. They buy roughly 1/27 of all the beef that is consumed by the United States. Exactly what quantities of beef McDonalds buys from each of their suppliers is proprietary information. However, what we do know is the more pr oduct a company sources from a certain supplier the lower of a per unit price they will probably be able to get. Therefore, it makes sense for a company who buys so much of a certain product to use economies of scale in procurement to their benefit to as great of a degree as reasonably possible. McDonalds says that they do not want to simply seek out whichever supplier will offer them the lowest price, and they do not want to compromise on quality and safety (Food Chain Centre). We also know that beef is a critical commodity for McDonalds. We know this because it is critical to the success of McDonalds, it is a large expenditure for the company, its quality is critical, and because as a result of McDonald’s high quality standards there are probably not a very large number of suppliers for them to choose from (Monczka, 211, SCM355/SCM455). In order for McDonalds to get high quality beef at a low price they need to determine a small group of highly performing, well-truste d, strategic preferred suppliers and source their beef exclusively from them (Monczka, 211, SCM355/SCM455). In addition to allowing McDonalds to gain from economies of scale and guarantee that they are sourcing high quality products this will also allow them to achieve a high level of information sharing and continuous process improvement with each of these chosen providers (Monczka, 211, SCM355/SCM455). Of course before McDonalds chooses who these suppliers will be they must first go through a process of supplier evaluation. One criterion that McDonalds might want to look at might be the supplier’s process capabilities; McDonalds must make sure that any supplier they choose has sufficient capability to process the amount of beef that they require (Monczka, 214, SCM355/SCM455). McDonalds should also asses each potentials supplier’s management capabilities, they need to make sure that they choose a company whose management is committed to continuous process and qu ality improvement, has a high level of professional ability, has sufficient experience, can sustain a good relationship with their workforce, and is willing and able to develop a close working relationship with the buyer (Monczka, 214, SCM355/SCM455). The financial condition of a supplier is also something that McDonalds should look at. McDonalds should also look at each potential supplier’s financial ratios in order to determine if a supplier can invest in the resources necessary to supply the company, if they can pay their own suppliers as well as their workforce, and if they can continue to meet their financial obligations (Monczka, 214, SCM355/SCM455). McDonalds would not want to begin a strategic sourcing relationship with a supplier who ends up going out of business. McDonalds should also evaluate the suppliers planning and control systems, these systems can have significant impact on the performance of the supply chain (Monczka, 214, SCM355/SCM455). Another impor tant criterion for McDonalds to consider is the extent to which the potential supplier complies with environmental regulations, if the supplier is hurt by fines or sanctions from the government for violating environmental regulations it could hurt their customers too (Monczka, 214, SCM355/SCM455). Furthermore, since McDonalds claims to have â€Å"the highest standards for food quality and food safety (including feed certification) in the fast food industry (and state that they) use only the products that meet or exceed (their) highest standards† (McDonalds Customer Response Center, personal communication, November 7, 2009) we are sure that they would want to thoroughly inspect any potential supplier’s operational practices to make sure that they meet McDonalds’ safety and quality requirements. Finally, McDonalds should make certain that the suppliers that they choose are able and willing to share the company’s goals, establish metrics to ensure an o ngoing improvement of processes, and commit to having discussions on how to resolve issues in a manner that is mutually beneficial (Monczka, 215, SCM355/SCM455). Since we do not have access to any of this information concerning any of McDonalds’ actual potential or current suppliers, we cannot actually make any recommendations as to which beef suppliers McDonalds should purchase from. However we do believe, based on the information that we do have, that if McDonalds were to follow this strategy of sourcing from a few carefully selected strategic suppliers, it would help their ability to maintain a steady flow of beef in order to meet their customer’s demand at a price that is good for them. Pursuing a strategy of supply base optimization and rationalization will not only allow McDonalds to achieve a lower product cost, be better equipped to ensure the safety and quality of their beef, and be able to work towards continuous process improvement with their suppliers. It will also allow them to achieve lower administrative costs. By having to interact with fewer suppliers McDonalds will save money on the costs associated with those interactions in terms of time, effort and having to clear up any miscommunications (Monczka, 318, SCM355). The costs that McDonalds saves here could serve as a buffer against any price increases the suppliers may ask for during negotiations (Brown, lecture, SCM455). However, McDonalds should be aware that there are risks associated with the strategy of supply base optimization and rationalization (Monczka, 319, SCM355). Yet, most of these risks can be mitigated. McDonalds should make sure that they do not lose the advantage of a competitive market place and get taken advantage of by a supplier (Monczka, 319, SCM355). McDonalds can avoid this through selecting suppliers carefully and constructing contracts that emphasize continuous supplier improvement with them (Monczka, 319, SCM355). Supplier disruption is also s omething that McDonalds should look out for (Monczka, 319, SCM355). Occurrences such as natural disasters, labor strikes, vandalism, or problems with the supplier’s suppliers can prevent McDonalds from obtaining the inventory that they need (Monczka, 320, SCM355). This is one of the reasons why we suggest that the company source beef from a small group of suppliers as opposed to just one. Moreover, McDonalds might want to practice cross-sourcing which is a practice in which a company selects suppliers with multiple capabilities so that the buying company can source more than one product from them if they have to (Monczka, 319, SCM355). For example, when choosing chicken suppliers McDonalds may want to choose ones who could sell them beef too just in case something happens to all of their beef suppliers. Another strategy that McDonalds could utilize to keep their procurements costs down is stockpiling. The price of beef is somewhat volatile due to factors such as weather conditions, mad-cow disease, and economic situations in the area from which the beef is sourced. McDonalds should purchase large amounts of beef when they know they can get it for a relatively low price in order to stockpile it for the future when beef prices rise. McDonalds is well equipped to do this because they freeze their beef after it is bought. This gives them an advantage over competitors like Wendy’s who insist on never freezing their beef and would therefore have a harder time stockpiling this inventory (Wikinvest, 2009). Of course this approach should only be pursued to the extent that the increased holding costs that will be incurred from stockpiling the beef do not outweigh the cost savings gained from not having to buy beef at a higher price. One more way for McDonalds to decrease the overall costs of their beef procurement is through the use of commodity derivatives to hedge against the fluctuations of beef price. â€Å"A derivative is a financial instrum ent whose payoffs and values are derived from, or dependent on, something else† (Ross, 2008, FIN303). If McDonalds believes that the price of beef is going to increase they could purchase a commodity derivative for beef for a certain price and date anticipating that that the actual price of beef on that date will be higher than the price stated on the derivative (Dye, 2009). This will allow McDonalds to purchase the beef on that date for the (hopefully) lower price stated on the derivative as opposed to the (hopefully) higher market price at that time (Dye, 2009). Although this investment tool, like all other investment tools, carries with it a certain egree of risk, some of McDonalds’ competitors already use it as a method of controlling procurement costs (Wikinvest, 2009). This strategy would also be in-line with McDonald’s new Worldwide Beef Supply Chain director Jose-Luis Bretones’ wish to implement the use of more global beef trading options into M cDonald’s beef supply chain (Murphy, 2009). Appendix Figure 1 |Quarterly averages |Retail Wholesale Farm Byprod. Net Farm Total Whl. to Rt. Farm to W Fr. share 5mkt steer Fresh Rt. | 2006 |IV. |394. 4 |223. 1 |209. 9 |21. 3 |188. 6 |205. 8 |171. 3 |34. |47. 8 |87. 44 |363. 0 | |2007 |I. |405. 4 |235. 8 |218. 6 |22. 8 |195. 8 |209. 6 |169. 6 |40. 0 |48. 3 |91. 09 |368. 2 | |2007 |II. |426. 5 |241. 5 |226. 8 |24. 8 |202. 0 |224. 5 |185. 0 |39. 5 |47. 4 |94. 48 |379. 4 | |2007 |III. |417. 7 |222. 5 |221. 6 |25. 6 |196. 0 |221. 7 |195. 2 |26. 5 |46. 9 |92. 34 |381. 9 | |2007 |IV. |413. 4 |224. 4 |223. 2 |26. 1 |197. 1 |216. 3 |189. 0 |27. 3 |47. 7 |93. 01 |380. 1 | |2008 |I. |416. 3 |224. 8 |218. 5 |27. 3 |191. 2 |225. 1 |191. 5 |33. 6 |45. 9 |91. 05 |386. 9 | |2008 |II. |423. 6 |235. 3 |223. 0 |27. 3 |195. 7 |227. 9 |188. 3 |39. 6 |46. 2 |92. 0 |389. 2 | |2008 |III. |445. 9 |249. 7 |236. 9 |29. 5 |207. 4 |238. 5 |196. 2 |42. 3 |46. 5 |98. 72 |406. 5 | |2008 |IV. |444. 0 |229. 5 |214. 3 |20. 7 |193. 6 |250. 4 |214. 5 |35. 9 |43. 6 |89. 29 |404. 0 | |2009 |I. |433. 1 |216. 3 |197. 8 |16. 4 |181. 4 |251. 7 |216. 8 |34. 9 |41. 9 |82. 43 |396. 1 | |2009 |II. |429. 4 |221. 5 |202. 6 |17. 4 |185. 2 |244. 2 |207. 9 |36. 3 |43. 1 |84. 43 |391. 4 | |2009 |III. |417. 6 |216. 8 |200. 1 |21. 6 |178. 5 |239. 1 |200. 8 |38. 3 |42. 7 |83. 37 |381. 5 | |(Hahn, 2009) Figure 2 USDA 2009 Beef Purchases [pic] (USDA, 2009) Works Cited Association, N. 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