Stimulation Review

University of Phoenix Material Simulation Review Paper Review the Analyzing Financial Indicators for Decision Making simulation. Prepare a formal 1,050- to 1,400-word paper describing the decisions you made in the simulation. Specifically address the following: Financial Accounting from a Cardiac Care Hospital’s Perspective †¢ Bridge a working capital shortage. †¢ Evaluate funding options for acquiring medical equipment. †¢ Evaluate funding options for capital expansion. Phase I: Capital Shortage †¢ Which cost-cutting options did you select? Why? †¢ Which loan option did you select? Why? †¢ What was the outcome of your decision? Phase II: Funding Options for Equipment Acquisition †¢ Which cost-effective equipment selections did you make? Why? †¢ What was the outcome of your decision? Phase III: Funding Options for Capital Expansion †¢ Which source of funding did you select? Why? †¢ What was the outcome of your selection? Summary and Conclusions †¢ What did you learn from this simulation? †¢ What would you do differently if you performed the simulation again? How will you apply what you learned at your current or future job? Support your ideas, analysis, and conclusions with references to scholarly external sources, such as the texts and journal articles. 1. Individual Assignment: Simulation Review †¢ Resource: University of Phoenix Material: Simulation Review Paper and SIMULATIONS: Analyzing Financial Indicators for Decision Making   Review the Simulation Review Paper docume nt located in the materials section in Week Four on the student Web site. Review the grading criteria located in Week Four on your student website. †¢ Review the Simulation Review Paper and the Analyzing Financial Indicators for Decision Making documents located on the student website. †¢ Write a 1,050- to 1,500-word summary of your choices and the reasons for your choices. †¢ Format your summary consistent with APA guidelines. http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Simulation-Review-Paper/530452? topic

Old Times and New in “Goodbye, Lenin!”

Old Times and New in Wolfgang Becker’s Goodbye, Lenin! There are many themes in Goodbye, Lenin! The most obvious is the contrast between the old times and the new and the question of nostalgia or embracing the past. Two scenes which show this theme includes the scene when the main character’s mother, Christiane, asks Alex (the main character) for some Spreewald gherkins. The second is when Christiane ventures outside and sees all the changes that have affect East Germany since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.The story unfolds in the year following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989. Alexander Kerner constructs the GDR in one room of his family’s apartment in East Berlin for his mother who has recently woken up from a coma. His mother, Christiane Kerner, has experienced nothing of the tumultuous events of 1989-1990. When she regains consciousness the doctor tells Alex that she will not survive another heart attack and to keep her excitement levels at a low.Alex decides to keep the events of the last year a secret and thus keeps the old GDR alive in their apartment. Alex uses systematic disinformation to manipulate his mother’s beliefs. One day, Christiane asks Alex for some Spreewald gherkins, her favourite. Unfortunately, the shops have got rid of their East German products. As he walks around the supermarket all Alex sees are jars of pickles from Holland. These foods were produced and sold in the old East Germany where often it was impossible to produce enough to meet demand.The director, Wolfgang Becker, juxtaposes shots which compares both systems of government (the old and the new). The supermarket shelves have been ‘invaded’ by new brands from Holland and the rest of the world. The differences between the two halves of the city are highlighted by a montage sequence where we see in bland colours the empty shelves of old East Berlin supermarkets. A single, defrosting, bloody chicken lies at the bottom of a huge freezer – this shot is juxtaposed with the vibrant colours of the brightly packaged goods on the shelves of shops in the new Berlin.These images in this scene shows the contrast and lacking that both the old and the new both have. The second scene which portrays the theme of old and new is when Christiane ventures outside of the apartment into Berlin. For Christiane, venturing out into the ‘real world’ means that she must confront this new world around her. For Alex, it means confronting the lies that he has been telling to build up the imaginary world in the apartment. Christiane has to face the changes that have been made in the past years and must see the new.She gazes upon the sights for the first time – West German’s moving into the apartment building, the new western vehicles, and of course the statue of Lenin. Good Bye, Lenin! is a thematically rich film, delving into politics, family dynamics, and, most especially, the contrast be tween the old and the new. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a tumultuous event for East Germany, triggering rapid changes in every aspect of the lives of the people who lived there.Overnight, the economy would be transformed from a socialist system to a capitalist one, Western consumer goods and ideas would come flooding in, and people could pass freely into the Western sector of the city. In these scenes we see the influence of the new on the old. We see Alex trying to keep his mother in the old East Germany by creating a world in their apartment with everything from the old GDR. Christiane eventually ventures outside and sees the new Germany and comes out of this experience with new strength and understanding.

British Poetry Essay

The comparison and contrast of Wilfred Owen’s and Rupert Brooke’s approaches to the subject of war The Soldier by Rupert Brooke and Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen were both written during world war one. War and death are the themes of both poems but they are written from different perspectives. The two poets take different approaches in portraying the effect that war has on the people involved. The Soldier by Rupert Brooke idealises and glorifies war while Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen highlights the horror and cruelty of war. Wilfred Owen gives the reader the impression that war is horrible and that dying for one’s country is not all the glory and honour that it seems, and that in reality, dying in a war, no matter for what cause, can be both painful and full of suffering, while Rupert Brooke, on the other hand, gives the reader the impression that dying in war for one’s country, is very honourable, and glorious. In ‘Soldier’, Brooke expresses his love for England and how he believes it is right to fight and die for his country. However, Brooke never knew what war was like, as he died in 1915. Therefore, his poem is very idealistic. This is expressed when he writes, â€Å"†¦ there is a corner of a foreign field that is forever England†. Here, he sees the English soldiers’ bodies as parts of England. If they die on foreign soil, that land will be forever part of England because their soul remains there along with their values and love for England. Brooke does not describe the horrible nature of death in war and only tells how the soldier honors England by dying while defending the nation. He evokes positive feelings toward the war and describes optimistically the soldiers’ thoughts once the war has finished by using words like â€Å"happy dreams† and â€Å"laughter† By contrast, Wilfred Owen uses irony to portray war not as a glorious duty but as a barbaric massacre. â€Å"Dulce et decorum est/ pro patri mori† which mean: â€Å"it is sweet and honorable to die for one‘s country†. He considers this a lie for most soldiers after they see and live the reality of the war as soldiers. War can not be called sweet but horrible. Owen opposes to the idea of fighting in a war. Wilfred Owen focuses on the tragedy of war and the conditions of the soldiers. For example, he depicts the soldiers as â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†. Generally, one thinks of a soldier as a man full of strength, who looks brave with his uniform and marches confidently to war. In contrast, Owen tries to make the soldiers look like penniless men and gives a sense of their non-glorified reality. Their uniforms, their psychological and physical health are destroyed. That shows how the battle has severely damaged the spirits of the soldiers. As can be easily seen, Brooke’s poem supports fighting for one’s country and patriotism, whereas Owen’s poem questions the reasons for fighting a war.

Interacial marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interacial marriage - Essay Example Hohman (2002) relates this to cultural intolerance. Family members quest to protect their own culture prompt many to encourage marriage from the same race. Those involved in interracial relationships are perceived to be endangering their indigenous culture. Intolerance problem may persist especially in families who are cocooned in their traditional beliefs and are opposed to multicultural approaches. Families would go to the largest expend to protect their values. These values may be oppressing to some extent. The social status of an individual could be affected in an event family members are not familiar with interracial marriages. Stereotype is a major concern to those involved in interracial marriages. Family members could neglect or reject children from mixed races. This may have psychological effect to the children and their parents. Mockery and verbal abuses directed to such children could affect their social wellbeing. The parents’ role in crucial family decision-making processes could be minimized on the assumption that marring from a different race makes them less equal to other family members. In conclusion, one marring from a different race could caught between prioritizing his or her new family and protecting the values of the extended family. Family members may feel betrayed in an event choices do not favor their wishes. The married couple could face a psychological war triggered by other family members. Children would suffer the most as they would face stereotypes and could be subjected neglect to do their cross-cultural approach. In the end, family members could be the reason as to why such marriages may fail to

The Obamacare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Obamacare - Research Paper Example The second objective of the program is to create stock exchange for insurers, which will purchase insurance at a reasonable price to those Americans who dont have it yet. At the same time, Obama is going to provide loans and preferential prices for those businesses and individuals who do not have sufficient resources (Tate, 12). The third point of the plan provides the introduction of compulsory health insurance, which would reduce unplanned budget expenses for treatment of uninsured persons. This innovation will affect only those individuals and institutions that will be able to pay the appropriate fees (Tate, 12). Thus, I consider that this reform is necessary for the USA. The current medical system differs with unresolved interaction between the public and private sectors. Despite the fact that the government allocates huge sums into the health care system, it has no effective levers of control over prices and costs of services and drugs and it will get those levers due to this reform. So, as you see, this plan would entail mainly positive effects. The average American will likely see a reduction in the cost of his health insurance, and up to 30-44 million citizens who now do not have insurance will get access to insurance coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or public insurance plans (Wilensky). In addition, they will be able to include in their insurance the child until he will reach the age of 26. It wont depend on whether a child has own family or whether he lives with parents/separately/on the university campus or whether he depends or not on parents financially. Previously, this kind of insurance was limited by age of 18 years. ObamaCare also brings unprecedented reforms in Medicare for pensioners. Now they do not have to pay a certain amount of money from their own pocket – the program will cover it. Millions of pensioners are already exempt from additional payments "out of

Characteristics or habits of an effective political leader Essay

Characteristics or habits of an effective political leader - Essay Example This debate has been going on, ever since different forms of governance and political representation evolved. What Sima Qian, a second century BC historian, Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor of the second century AD, and Niccolo Machiavelli, a fifteenth century political philosopher have in common is their observations on the leadership qualities that a political leader ought to have. And the most interesting part of this comparison is that all these three political historians, in spite of them being very remote to each other in history, many times do prescribe the same qualities for a political leader. Aurelius has focused on the eternal and philosophical virtues that a leader needs to have. He has also advised an emperor to have a clear thought process, a good sense of reason, a composed mind and control over one’s emotions, especially, anger (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks). He has commanded, â€Å"look always at the whole. What is it that has made this impression on your senses ? Analyze it by breaking it down into cause, matter, purpose, and duration† (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks, 139). Aurelius (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks) has also stressed that â€Å"the character of reason and justice is one and the same† (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks, 123). ... Aurelius (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks) has reminded this by saying, â€Å"purge your mind of all aimless and idle thoughts, especially those that pry into the affairs of others or wish them ill† (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks, 34). Instead it is declared that â€Å"enjoyment is meant to be found in work too and that those who enjoy their work become totally absorbed in it, often forgetting to eat and drink and seek other forms of enjoyment† (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks,53). Controlling anger has been a recurring theme in Sima Quin, Aurelius and Machiavelli. It is suggested that a leader can become a success only when he/she has â€Å"unshakable composure, even in the midst of acute pain† (Aurelius, Hicks and Hicks, 20). But Quin has revealed that his emperor, the first emperor of China, had a habit of getting angry for small reasons and acting upon it (78). But still he had been a success because he had his own effective means to make people fear or love him irrespective of his anger. His character is reflected in what Aurelius said almost 4 centuries after: Be like a rocky promontory against which the restless surf continually pounds; it stands fast while the churning sea is lulled to sleep at its feet. I hear you say, â€Å"How unlucky that this should happen to me!† Not at all! Say instead, â€Å"How lucky that I am not broken by what has happened (51). A prince should be able to win people over to his side (Machiavelli, 60). But he (Machiavelli) has also prescribed to rule by evoking fear rather than love because he believes that â€Å"men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared† (90). Sima Quin has also expressed faith in the effectiveness of fear and elaborated upon how the

Limitations of Wacc as a Method of Investment Appraisal Essay

Limitations of Wacc as a Method of Investment Appraisal - Essay Example The present paper has identified that, despite its use in investment appraisal, there are various assumptions that are made when using WACC, hence, limiting its use in appraising investment. The first restrictive assumption that has to be met is that the investment project should be small compared to the investing organization. This, therefore, limits the use of WACC in appraising small investment but cannot be used when a small organization wants to acquire a large organization. The second limitation in the use of WACC is that the business activities of the investment project should be similar to those presently being undertaken by the investing organization. In the light of this, a company cannot use WACC when appraising an investment to diversify its business activities. Student Account describes that when using the weighted average cost of the capital method in appraising an investment, the financing mix adopted to undertake the investment project must be similar to the present c apital structure being used in the investment company. This, therefore, means that if a company uses shareholders money to finance its capital investment, it cannot rely on borrowed capital to make an investment. This, therefore, limits those companies that do not have adequate resources from using this method to appraise investments. Student Account further describes that when using a WACC, the existing providers of finance to the investing company will not change their required rates of return following the investment project that is being undertaken. This is, however, not possible since the rates keep changing following changes in the rates of inflation. In addition, the rates of return on borrowed capital from banks change from time to time due to changes in the rate of interest. This also limits companies that may agree to reduce the number of dividends paid to shareholders from what is paid during the previous years to use these resources in an investment.

Effectiveness And Efficiency Of Government Website Essay

Effectiveness And Efficiency Of Government Website - Essay Example The chief work of the Ready Government website is to educate the public through communication. Therefore, the question is has the website managed to reach the public thorough communication? Is the website effective and efficient in its vital mandate to the public? Lastly, what means has the ready government website used to dispense information? Various bodies have been set up in the America from way back that handle emergency situations in the country like Red Cross and AMREF (Bullock, 281). Furthermore, there are departments like homeland security, national response framework, central intelligence agency, federal bureau of investigations and many more (Bullock, 81).  There are numerous procedures put in place by Ready Government website to communicate with the public, most obvious is the website itself. The website has all the information that the public needs in case of emergency whether it is preparedness or emergencies. The website also educates the public on safety locations i n case of disasters and also affected and dangerous areas. The website receives letters and also sends out letters to the public free of charge. This shows that there is a flow of communication. Additionally, publications are available for download in disaster management (Abramson, 22).  Another way that the Ready Government website communicates effectively with the public is through its corps volunteer’s activities that ensure the safety of the society by ensuring that communities get a fast response in emergency situations (Matthews et al, 121). The pledging sector is easy to access on the website (Abramson, 23). Furthermore, the Ready Government website has managed to communicate with the public effectively and efficiently by taking into consideration the disabled.

Tabloid, Celebrity Internet Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tabloid, Celebrity Internet Assignment - Essay Example The new Internet values, therefore, undermine the traditional internet values whereby infotainment becomes rampant. The audiences, therefore, get obsessed with tabloids and the tabularization culture in the modern society. Hence, there is something beyond the social media or the Internet availability factor that is a driving force towards this appetite (Holmes and Redmond 46). More important, the desire towards this move is by the fact that tabloid significantly immersed in exploring the privacy of various celebrities. It is obvious that this counts towards the sales of tabloids. For instance, the tabloids had sold millions of issues to the public through the internet by the ridiculous heading of the cover reading: ‘Obama gay scandal.’ Therefore, the celebrities such as entertainers and athletes considerably advance the spread of tabloids as their names and their images sold to the public in an engaging manner. In many occasions, the lives of the famous people end up revealed by the camera through the Internet drawing on a set of stylistic features. More often, such actions taken by media persons in the move to the sale or reach to the public in a massive manner thereby, use celebrities to make a profit (Holmes and Redmond 49). The proliferation of the electronic media also changed people’s taste of reading news with a view to the general generation. The public has developed the culture of learning about the everyday life of top celebrities through the internet. For instance, many celebrities have their twitters, Facebook and blog most managed by them. Therefore, this makes the celebrity issues a neighbor to the public on the internet. Hence, the public ends up more interested in peeking onto the affairs of the new neighbors (Barkin 34). The move also fueled by the means of getting the news related to celebrities in the modern society. For instance, the advancement

Personal Wellness Paper Essay Example for Free

Personal Wellness Paper Essay Personal Wellness Project I decided to choose stress reduction for my personal wellness project. I chose this topic because it hits home base extremely hard. I want to definitely reduce my stress intake and be able to cope with challenging situations. I want to be at least eighty percent in control of my life. I find myself getting stressed when unexpected things happen, and I am not prepared for it. I also want to improve my way of handling circumstances which make me stress. Reducing my stress will make me a better person as a whole. When I reduce my stress level, it may lengthen my life by _____ years. I will also be able to function in an everyday atmosphere that requires me to have a clear head. My attitude will be more pleasing and I will become extra attractive. Stress reduction will help in many ways, as mentioned above. Therefore, less stress, makes me live a healthier life. When my stress level is reduced, I can take care and groom myself properly. I feel this behavior change is significant to me because of the environment I am in. At this moment right now, I am a student, worker, and tenant. I have many obligations, and if I am stressed, things will not flow right. I know I would not be able to organize and function what so ever. Being less stress might even bring along important people into my life. No one likes to be around someone who is steaming and on the edge on the time. When I am in control and calm, I can enjoy the simple things in life. Some strategies known to help with reducing stress is exercising. Exercising helps release endorphins, which improves moods and their overall wellness.

Study into the Variable causing conflict in Nestle

Study into the Variable causing conflict in Nestle 1.0: INTRODUCTION TO NESTLE Nestle was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestle with headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland. It has employed around 250,000 people and has factories or operations in almost every country in the world. It is one of the worlds biggest food and Beverage Companies. The Companys priority is to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives. 1.1: PURPOSE OF RESEARCH The study of the research is to find the variable which has leads towards conflicts in Nestle Organization. The main purpose of the research is, firstly, to identify the causes of conflicts in Nestle and, secondly, to manage conflicts in Nestle organization. This report will be helpful for students who want to conduct a research as well as the company improving or solving the problems. 1.2: BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY All of us experience some type of conflicts in our daily lives. Tensions, antagonisms, and frustrations always occur when people work together. There are disagreements, perhaps even fights, between employees and the supervisor or between co-workers. Aside from personality clashes, people simply have different viewpoints about the way things should be done. The main purpose of conducting the research is to find out the conflicts, and finding the ways to manage and solve them in an organisation. In this context we have got the opportunity to conduct our research on one of the top organizations (Nestle). 1.3: DEFINITION OF CONFLICT Conflict is defined as the state of discord caused by perceived or actual opposition of needs, interests and values. A conflict can be internal or external. The concept of conflict can help to explain many social aspects of life such as social disagreement, fights between individuals, groups, or organizations and conflict of interests. Conflict as taught for graduate and professional work in conflict resolution which is defined as when two or more parties, with perceived incompatible goals, seek to undermine each others goal-seeking capability. However, conflict can also occur in cooperative situations, in which two or more individuals or parties have consistent goals, because the manner in which individuals or party tries to reach their goal can still undermine the other individuals or party. 1.4: NATURE OF CONFLICT Conflict may constructively be viewed as resulting from differing belief systems, varied perspectives on the situation and values resulting from participants accumulated life experience and conditioning, differing interests and objectives. Effectively dealing with conflict requires the expression and management of participants varying interests, belief systems, perspectives and values. Through the integration of participants perspectives, belief systems, interests and values, conflict and conflict resolution play important roles in individual and social evolution and development. Conflict arises when one or more participants view the current system as not working. At least one party is adequately unhappy with the position, that they are willing to own the conflict and speak with the hope of being able to influence the situation to arrive at an improved condition. Conflict may be sight as a process we put ourselves through to attain a new condition and self definition. Through conflict we have opportunities to be artistically self-defining. If nothing else, conflict allows us in future to do things differently. Through the resolution of conflict, we can evolve and redefine ourselves, our community, our relationships our society and our world. 1.5: LEVELS OF CONFLICT 1.5.0: Inter divisional conflict Inter divisional conflicts exists between the perceiver and another individual within the organization. Although the other person does not need to be aware of the conflict, the perceiver of the conflict situation recognizes the present or future impact conflict can have on job performance. 1.5.1: Intra group conflict Intra group conflicts occur between perceiver and his or her immediate group within the organization. The immediate group can consist of work team, department or union. Whether fully or only superficially aware of the conflict issue, the perceiver realizes that the conflict can directly or indirectly affect job performance. 1.5.2: Inter group conflict It arises between the perceivers immediate group and another group within the organization. Again, the perceivers involvement may not be critical, but he or she must be aware of the situation and the potential impact the conflict can have on work performance. 1.5.3: Organizational conflict Organizational conflict is a state of disagreement caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests between people working together. 1.6: TYPES OF CONFLICT A conceptual conflict can rise into a verbal exchange or result in fighting.Conflict can exist at a variety of types. These are Community conflict Diplomatic conflict Emotional conflict Environmental resources conflict Group conflict Ideological conflict Interpersonal conflict Inter-societal conflict Intrapersonal conflict Organizational conflict Religious-based conflict and Workplace conflict . 1.7: CAUSES OF CONFLICTS 1.7.0: Authority relationship Authority Relationship conflicts occur because of the existence of strong pessimistic emotions, misperceptions or stereotypes, poor communication or miscommunication, or repetitive negative behaviors. Authority relationship problems often increase disputes and lead to an unnecessary rising spiral of destructive conflict. Supporting the secure and balanced expression of perspectives and emotions for acknowledgment (not agreement) is one effective approach to managing relational conflict. 1.7.1: Management style For any organization to be effectual and efficient in achieving its goals, the people in the organisation need to have a common vision of what they are determined to achieve, as well as clear objectives for each individual, group/ team and department. Management style also needs ways of recognizing and resolving conflict between people, so that conflict does not become so serious that collaboration becomes impossible. The management of any organisation needs to have ways of keeping conflict to a minimum and of solving problems caused by conflict, before conflict becomes a major obstruction to work. Management style helps to avoid conflict where probable and organizing to resolve conflict where it does happen, as rapidly and smoothly as possible. 1.7.2: Communication barriers: Conflict will be greater when barriers to communication exist. If parties are separated from each other physically or by time e.g.; the day shift versus the night shift-the opportunity for conflict is increased. To illustrate suppose a company employs only one plant supervisor, who works the day shift and leaves orders at the beginning of each week for the workers on the night shift. By the end of the week, how ever, these orders have been only partially carried out. The supervisor cannot figure out why. Obviously, the supervisor absence from the night shift has posed a communication barrier, which in turn causes decreased output. As Bryans, P, Cronin argued in 1984 that Space or time separations could promote isolated group interests rather than advance a common effort towards joint goals. 1.7.3: Personal factors 1.7.3.0: Behavioral The way emotional experience gets expressed which can be verbal or non-verbal and intentional or un-intentional. 1.7.3.1: Physiological Its defined as the bodily experience of emotion. The way emotions make us feel in comparison to our identity. 1.7.3.2: Cultural values Culture tells people who are a part of it, Which emotions ought to be expressed in particular situations and what emotions are to be felt. 1.7.3.3: Physical This escalation results from anger or frustration. 1.7.3.4: Verbal This escalation results from negative perceptions of the annoyers character. 1.8: WAYS OF ADRESSING CONFLICTS There are basically five ways of addressing conflicts which were identified by Thomas and Kilman in 1976. These are 1.8.0: Accommodation Ones party surrenders its own needs and wishes to accommodate the other party. 1.8.1: Avoidance Avoid conflict by ignoring it, changing the subject, etc. As an expedient means of dealing with very minor, non-recurring conflicts or Avoidance can be useful as a temporary measure to buy time. In many cases, conflict avoidance involves severing a relationship. 1.8.2: Collaboration Working together can find a mutually beneficial solution. Collaboration can also be inappropriate and time-intensive. When there is not enough respect, trust or communication among participants for collaboration to occur. 1.8.3: Compromise Finding a centre point where each party is partially satisfied. 1.8.4: Competition Take the ones point of view at the potential expense of another. It can be more useful when achieving the ones objectives outweighs ones concern for the relationship CHAPTER # 2 2.0: LITERATURE REVIEW Different researchers have published their reviews on conflicts in the organization. We are viewing two best reviews of the researchers articles. Mr. Philips in 1982 threw light on some of key conditions, which may lead to serious organizational conflicts; he gave his views in the book named as Community in Organization. According to M Phillips certain social relationships characterized various kinds of conflict behavior. Each one could occur in your work area. The more aware the managers are of these conflict settings, the better are the chances of correcting them and running a smooth operation. Mr. Philip identified communication as problem in his research. The causes of conflicts are structural factors, authority relationships, common resources, goal differences interdependence, jurisdictional ambiguities, specialization, status-inconsistencies, personal factors, communication, conflict management style, cultural differences, emotions, perception, personalities, skills and abilities, values and ethics. According to the researcher, possible solution; it is obvious that a perfect communication system is unlikely. But also per fection like rationality will not be achieved; organizations do have mechanism by which they can attempt the communication system as clear as they can. Philips also suggested that there are such devices available which can reduce the distortion and complications in communication process and suggested that communication recipients should be aware of the biases of the message senders and protect their own counter biases as protection devices. James M Leif John M Penrose in 1997 in the book Business Strategies Skills 5th Edition explained the nature of organizational conflicts identify the causes of conflicts i.e. Structural Factors, Common Resources , Goal Differences , Interdependence ,    Jurisdictional Ambiguities, Inconsistencies ,Personal Factors Communication barriers, Conflict management style ,Cultural differences ,Emotions Perception, Personalities, Skills and abilities, Values and Ethics, Behavioral and Physiological Cognitive. The researchers says that it is possible to avoid conflict by having mechanism such as voting to make decision without the disagreement of consensus. They also find that behavioral regulation fail to match the individual need of employee, conflict is bound to occur. In 1995 B R Siwal in his research Resolution Strategies to Conflict describes that conflict is a necessary and integral part of effective problem solving and realistic discussions. It is core sound of decision making because disagreement is the best vehicle for enlargement the perspective, discovering alternatives, and motivating creative interaction among each member. The effects of disagreement, though, depend on how it is administer by team members. Conflict can be integrative and constructive or it can be distributive and disruptive. When mismanagement occur, conflict can demolish team effectiveness, when handled well it can deeply enhance the quality of team work and make members sense proud of their work in the team. Training in the nature of conflict and the ways of managing it is an imperative need of all the people who participates in problem solving groups, such as those that make up work teams. The negative association of conflicts wants to be dispelled and substitute with more practical conceptions that made the justifiable distinction between disruptive and constructive conflict. When team members see that conflict can be a positive strength in conversation, they are better prepared to take up effective proposal attitudes and behaviors in trouble solving situations. Further more the differences between integrative and distributive conflict can help them learn how their own behavior contributes to the atmosphere of the team which they belong. Davor Dujak in 2008 describes in his research that in every organization conflict encounters on a daily basis. The conflict cannot be avoided but it is probable to mange them in a way that we identify them on time. It is essential to constantly track the organizational signals which position to their existence. If Organization does not respond accordingly, this can lead to the condition that conflict itself manages the organization. One of the more important determinants of productivity, performance and efficiency and finally the job satisfaction is also the conflict as an independent variable of organizational behavior. By systematic research of organizational behavior we want to make a positive influence on the dependents variables, but first we have to realize and get a good approaching to the individual elements of organizational behavior. In 2004 Melanie Lewis describes in her research that if conflict managed poorly or avoided, it can be very costly to an organization. If managed well, conflict presents an opportunity to uncover significance and promote a healthy work place. Many organizations are finding that their conflicts management systems have been good by financial investments, generating a healthy return. In additional they are recognizing the value of many less substantial benefits (lower turnover, increased efficiencies, improved morale and improve public relations). A precise four phased process assessment, design, implementation, operation and evaluation helps organizations design effective conflict management systems to gather the maximum benefit of conflict system. Moreover this four phased approach strongly encourages the team actually to seek to understand and incorporate the needs and interests of all affected constituency, and creates an environment in which the benefits of the system can be effecti vely communicated, implemented and administered. In 2010 De Dreu C.K describes in his research that conflict is a multidimensional with both relationship and task forms. Hence it is expected that if they change the managing type of conflicts, it will plays an important role in organizational performance. While if organization did not manage good, the conflict will plays a negative role. However the researcher discussed only two types of conflicts in his research namely affective and task conflict in order to play better role in organizational performance. After studying the reviews of different researchers, we will take help from different researches but our group decided that we will follow the research of M Philip because they dictate information about factors which are important for identifying conflicts and understanding the meaning of conflict and how it influences the organizations internal environment in solving problems. CHAPTER # 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0: Research type: The type of research that we are conducting is applied research because it is conducted for a particular organization. Applied research is practical applicability of research tools on a particular organizational situation. 3.1: data collection We will be collecting our data by using two sources which are as follows. 3.1.0: Primary data Our primary data is collected through conducting interviews and designed questionnaires from directors, managers and employees of Nestle. 3.1.1: Secondary data The secondary data is collected from past records of Nestle and books along with business articles to support our recommendations and suggestions. 3.2: Sample size During this survey we have taken responses from a Sample size of 30 which is further divided into two groups. We also conducted survey from 10 managers and 20 employees. The sampling type that we used is non random sampling technique because we want to get information from every third employee and manager of Nestle organization. Our survey is in questionnaire and interview form, so our questionnaires consist of open ended and close ended questions. We have conducted unstructured interviews, asked from the respondents to get more information. CHAPTER # 4 ANALYSIS 4.0: INTRODUCTION TO DATA ANALYSIS Data analysis is a practice in which the raw data is ordered and organized in order to extract useful information from it. The process of organizing and thinking about data is the key to understand what the data does and does not contain. There are varieties of ways in which people can approach data analysis, and it is infamously easy to manipulate data during the analysis phase to push certain conclusions. There are different methods for analyzing the data for example surveys, charts, frequency tables, graphs and personal observations etc. 4.1: ANALYSING FOR CORRECTION OF DATA We had conducted unstructured interviews for analyzing of questionnaires which we had made for collecting data from employees and managers to check whether the answers given by them are right or wrong. We had found no matches; the interview opposes the answers given by them in questionnaires. We have analyzed our data through frequency tables and bar charts. 4.2: FREQUENCY TABLE Frequency table is one of the important concepts in mathematical statistics and a good analyzing tool. A table divided into cells by category with counts for each category in each cell. It is a kind of display of a given data, in which the frequency of each data item is found. The frequency of a data item is the number of times it occurs in the data set. 4.3: BAR GRAPH A graph consisting of parallel, usually vertical bars or rectangles with lengths proportional to the frequency with which specified quantities occur in a set of data. A bar graph is a pictographic version of statistical data in which the independent variable can attain only certain discrete values. The dependent variable may be discrete or continuous. The most common form of bar graph is the vertical bar graph, also called a column graph. This type of display allows us to: Compare groups of data, and To make generalizations about the data quickly. 4.4: ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES 4.4.0: FROM MANAGEMENT 1) More than the desired output of the employees make can be harmful to the organization?     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a) YES b) NO Variables Codes Frequency Yes 01 9 No 02 1 Table: 4.4.0.0 Graph: 4.4.0.0 2) There is a free flow of communication among the employees:     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a) YES b) NO Variables Codes Frequency Yes 01 10 No 02 0 Table: 4.4.0.1 Graph: 4.4.0.1 3) Employees are properly informed about decision taken?     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a) YES b) NO Variables Codes Frequency Yes 01 7 No 02 3 Table: 4.4.0.2 Graph: 4.4.0.2 4) There is a consistency among the management policies:     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a) YES b) NO Variables Codes Frequency Yes 01 8 No 02 2 Table: 4.4.0.3 Graph: 4.4.0.3 5) Key post should be through:     Ã‚  Ã‚  a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Direct Appointment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  b) Promotion Variables Codes Frequency Direct appointment 01 8 Promotion 02 2 Table: 4.4.0.4 Graph: 4.4.0.4 4.5.1: FROM EMPLOYEES 1) From how long have you been working in this organization?   6 months 1 year 3 years Or more than 3 years Variables Codes Frequency 6 months 01 4 1 year 02 2 3 years 03 10 Or more than 3 years 04 4 Table: 4.5.1.0 Graph: 4.5.1.0 2) What kind of boss do you like to work with?   Friendly Competent Leant Difficult Variables Codes Frequency Friendly 01 17 Competent 02 3 Leant 03 0 Difficult 04 0 Table: 4.5.1.1 Graph: 4.5.1.1 3) Which type of leaderships style do you like the most? Autocratic Democratic Variables Codes Frequency Autocratic 01 18 Democratic 02 2 Table: 4.5.1.2 Graph: 4.5.1.2 4) How does your management is doing the evaluation among the employees? Performance base Merit base Variables Codes Frequency Performance base 01 18 Merit base 02 2 Table: 4.5.1.3 Graph: 4.5.1.3 5) Which management level should be responsible for problems between employees? Choose any of the following Top level Middle level Lower level Variables Codes Frequency Top level 01 2 Middle level 02 17 Lower level 03 1 Table: 4.5.1.4 Graph: 4.5.1.4 Q6: How do you communicate the unforeseen problem with your manager or general manager?   Answer: Most of the respondents suggested that they like to meet the general managers directly for any unforeseen events. Q7: Do you think your organization should involve the employees in decision making? And why?   Answer: Most of employees consider that their managers are capable of taking right decisions and there is no need of involving employees. While few of them suggested that it can be a source of new and creative ideas. Q8: What can you suggest for a better management system?   Answer: Most of the employees have no idea about it. Few of them believe that friendly environment and better salaries can improve management system. 4.6: INTER ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICTS OF NESTLE The nature conflicts in Nestle found out through the unstructured interviews and through questionnaire with the directors the managers of NESTLE Peshawar are as follows: The first thing which found, was the lack of training given to the employees, managers said that in the organization, employees always have to work together in groups, and if some one feels that he/she cannot work within the group, then there is some problem with that employee, but at the same time managers said that it is the organizations responsibility to teach the employees how to work together in groups through proper training. They mentioned that without training the organizations might face serious types of irresolvable conflicts, which are definitely not fruitful to the organization. The second main reason mentioned by the manager of the company was the Selection Biases, manager said that selection biases may also lead to conflicts within the company, and these conflicts are normally personal as well. The manager said that if in cases the top management (directors) interferes in the process of hiring the employees, they might select the wrong person for the right job. On the other hand there may be serious conflicts going on between the managers the directors on the issues of authority and responsibility balance. Further if the manager takes big decisions like job confirmation salary decisions then, there may be conflicts, and these must be taken by the top management (directors). The manager of NESTLE also raised the point of communications problem. They believe that every information must be communicated from their tables. If in any case any employee bypasses the manger, there may be a conflict between them. Manager also said that there is no need of any employee who bypasses the manager to access to the top management (directors). Usually the organizations do have Coordinators who are directly answerable to the top management. He said that the manager will not be able to properly deal with him and conflicts between them will arise. The manager said that young unmarried employees usually indulge in office politics and make conflicts among the employees. According to him only married and experienced persons should be provided with the jobs. Racial problems also create conflicts among the employees. Bad attitude of the manager and arrogant nature of the boss is also one reason of conflicts. The manager said that effective person but highly cooperative person would be proffered in place of an efficient but uncooperative one. The managers presented the following ideas to prevent conflicts: Contractual Jobs Hire fire system. Authority to the managers Some of them had a bit different views. Director held the middle managements capabilities responsible for the conflicts within the organization. He also said that there is no relationship between the authority and reasonability with the conflicts. He proffered the autocratic style of management in the beginning, but it should be shifted to the democratic style in the later portions. Director said that although the centralized system slows down the process of working, but it will also decrease the conflicts between the employees. They said that, if you (Employee) have to be successful in the company, then you have to become a big YES SIR. One of the director also mentioned that horizontal conflicts are more common. Super seeded persons normally indulge in making conflicts. He said that super seeded persons should be terminated in place of super seeding them. Dress code can experience the anger from the employees due to Ethnic affiliations to some dresses. Directors were strongly in favor of Coordinator, they said that a coordinator channels the communication process between the manager and the top management. He also gave the following ideas to prevent the possible conflicts in the organizations: Promotions Clear line of Authority Not more than one employee from same Regional locations and same institutions/Universities. CHAPTER # 5 5.0: CONCLUSION The Organizational Conflicts is itself not a problem, but it is a serious symptom of some factors that are usually ignored while designing the organizational structures. From the literature review, taking samples (convenience) analysis of the data gathered. Some factors are identified that usually are the root cause of the conflicts. Some of these are: Ethnicity Personal Jealousy Arrogant behaviors (low temperament) Communication problems Due to the nature of the issue the responses from the top (Directors), middle (Managers) lower management (Employees) were totally contrary with each other. For this purpose structured questionnaires (covering both open ended and close ended questions) and unstructured interviews were conducted. That made the deductions possible by comparing the verbal and non verbal responses, rephrasing the same questions two-three times to check the consistency of the replies. The ethnic issue is the most important. Due to ethnicity no sampled branch has been successful in implementing the dress code yet. Even though, all the respondents favoured it. It is observed that employees belonging to KHYBER PUKHTUNKHWA are very low tempered. Their frequency of jobs switching is higher than others. It proves that they cannot work in teams and work with an arrogant manager. To conclude, who should be held responsible for conflicts, the manager is the key person who channels the communication whether upward or down ward. 5.1: RECOMMENDATIONS The current thinking should be for the maximum utilization of the companys resources and to push the power and decision making authority down the hierarchy of the organization. This can create more power and flexibility within the company as a whole. Good leaders should not have any problem in delegating power and responsibility. Disagreement with the supervisor should be encouraged as long as it leads to productive results. It is critical for the manager to get diverse work force to work well together and respect their differences. Diversity should be encouraged because it can help the organization in future to adapt to the changing global market. All problems can be prevented from happening and/or rectified, if the middle management (Manager) of the company justifies its position. Middle management plays an anchor role. Manager should be able to deal with all the employees who have different cultural backgrounds, personalities priorities. Hiring experienced and matured managers and providing them training could help the case. On job training of the employees. Open house discussions should be there at least one a month. While assigning the groups to the employees for tasks, it must be assured that all the groups are properly matched. REFERENCE B R Siwal, S 1995, Conflict Resolution Strategies, last viewed date 16 dec, 2010, http://www.scribd.com/doc/19166679/Conflict-Resolution Jacob.Bervich, S 1997, Conflict and Conflict Management in Organizations, last viewed date 12 dec, 2010, .http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:TTsjsLgfD18J:sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/50/5000214.pdf+identifying+organisational+conflict+researcheshl=enpid=blsrcid=ADGEEShq7znNgklQojLZtzDtIpb8Vgf4jN1of_M1wy-yd5fZI-LjOBI4Xj45YLByaD0y5A1_CVEsastRkbrrlGKmH-V1ZA De Dreu C.K, S 2010,

The Importance Of Branding

The Importance Of Branding 1. INTRODUCTION: Now a day, the companies have recognized the importance of branding as an important key to success. This assignment is aims to analyse the importance of branding and its role in ensuring success in business. The scope of assignment covers the introduction to the brand, need of branding, key concepts in branding, importance of branding, brand architecture and role of branding for creating value. The exploratory studies include the both business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) markets. The research is based upon secondary data, collected from secondary sources such as journal articles, scholarly reviews, books and websites. In the end, a conclusion has been presented, based upon the research findings along with recommendations. 2. BRANDING: The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines the brand as, a design, name, symbol, term, logo or symbol or combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. The branding is, endowing products and services with the power of a brand (Kotler and Keller, 2009, p241). The Malhotra (2012) defines the branding as, process of utilizing marketing strategies to enhance their products or services image so that it is more readily recollected by the customer. A product or service is called brand only when its dimensions differentiate from others, but satisfy the same need. The point of difference can be related to products performance (functional, tangible and rational) or related to the image/abstract of brand (intangible, emotional or symbolic). The success of branding strategy of a company is mainly dependent on its brand planning, consists of branding models. The Keller (2009, p2) presents two important models for building brand. (a) Brand Positioning Model: The focus of the brand positioning model is to establish the competitive advantage in the minds of customers. Its all about positioning brand better than others. The competitive positioning can be developed through four steps. Competitive Framework of Reference: identify the competitors and the nature of competition in the market. Creating Point of Difference (POD): identify the attributes and features, different from competitors products. Creating Point of Parity (POP): Identify the attributes and features, similar to the competitors products. Creating Brand Mantra: A core promise or brand essence, three to five word phrases, presents the spirit of the brand. Like Nokia Connecting People, TESCO, every little help, Sony Ericson Finger Talk, McDonald I M loving it (Gangal, 2011); (TESCO-Strategy, 2012). (b) Brand Resonance Model: The brand resonance model focuses creating intense and loyal relationships with customers. The key components of this model are following (Appendix 1) (Keller, 2009); these four steps are also guided by brand pyramid (six building blocks) consist of brand salience, brand meaning, brand response, brand judgement, brand feeling and brand resonance, which help in connoting the sequence. Brand identity: Describe who are you? Through brand awareness. Brand Meaning: Describe what are you? Through defining POP POD. Brand Response: Describe what about you? Through positive actions. Brand Relationships: Describe what about you and me? Through loyalty. 1.1 Need of Branding: The marketers engage in creating brand and promoting brands due to many reasons, because they understand the significance of branding into their business. The different authors / researchers presents the different reasons (motives), behind making their brands. The Kotler and Keller (2009, p241) and CMS (2011) indicates towards differentiating motive as a major reason of branding. The marketers are engaged in branding, because they want to make their products different than other branded and non-branded products, so that the consumer can easily identify their brand, otherwise, without branding, the consumer cannot identify the products of a particular seller (brand). The Malhotra (2012) presents the reason behind branding is to enhance the image of a product that can be recalled by customers. When consumers are having high image of product in their minds, they can easily recognize the brand among other brands. A chocolate lover can easily recognize KitKat Chocolate as it is his favourite chocolate brand and he is having high image in its mind, so he would be only KitKat chocolate among other chocolate brands. The ultimate impact of high brand image results in higher sales and higher customer loyalty. The Foster (2011); Hankinson (2012, p974) states that the branding plays vital role in the success of business. When a company does create brands of its products and services, it enjoys many benefits such as, (a) branding differentiates the companys products from other products. (b) branding provides the company with communication ways in order to communicate the messages, principles, values and characteristics of products to customers. (c) Branding builds the report of company in the market, as new products with good quality and reasonable quality are best known in the market. (d) Branding is an effective way of developing the loyalty of customers. (e) Once the brand is established, the companies also feel ease to launch a new brand or product under its established brands. (f) Strong brands also help the company in difficult times or at the time of crises. (g) branding helps the companys in winning the purchase decisions of customers. (h) branding increases the branding recall among customer and ends up with strong customer loyalty. 1.2 Key Concepts of Branding: The key concepts of branding are the pillars, which help the companies to promote their brands towards their target customers. (a) Brand Positioning: Branding positioning is all about placing an image of the brand in the minds of customers. The Keller (2009, p6) describes the positioning as, act of designing the companys offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the minds of the target market. (c) Brand Attributes: The brand attributes are bundle of features and characteristics which highlights personality aspects of brand (Managementstudyguide.com, 2009). The brand attributes are developed through actions, images and advertising. (c) Brand Elements: The brand elements are components, which creates the identity of brands such as name, slogan, colour, characters, symbol, sound, jingle, shape, graphic, tastes and movements etc. (Kerr, 2012). For example, the symbol of Honda (H), slogan of TESCO every little helps, character of KFC KFC + old man, the yellow colour of McDonalds (M) and jingle of Nokia (Tune) etc. are the examples of brand elements, which creates the brand. (d) Brand Personality: The personality of brand is, sum total of characteristics of the organization or its culture, which reflects the organizations philosophy and mission (brandXpress.net, 2008). (e) Unique Selling Propositions (USP): The effectiveness of branding strategy can be enhanced through better identification and highlighting the USPs. The USPs are the key characteristics and factors, which presents that the companys product is better than competitors products (Kerr, 2012). (f) Brand Image: The brand image is basically customers set of beliefs about a specific brand (Managementstudyguide.com, 2009). The image of a brand is built up with the core association about brand in the mind of customers. (g) Emotional Branding: The emotional branding is consumers attachment to a specific, relevant and strong emotion (bonding), love or companionship to the brand (Rossiter and Bellman, 2012, p291). The focus of companies is to gain the emotional attachment of people, because when people are emotionally attached to a brand, it creates attitudinal loyalty that is beyond of behavioural loyalty. The emotional branding is effective for those products, which seeks the high involvement of people and positively motivated. The traditional advertising (based upon USPs) is also much effective for creating emotional attachment, but the impact of customers positive experience of products is effective in highly competitive dynamic environment. (h) Internal Branding: Due to the paradigm shift from product to services, a need of internal branding has been increased rapidly. There people actually deliver the services to final customers, so their role is vital in service delivery. They can deliver the service only when they truly understand the brand identity, commitments, values and elements, which can be communicated to internal employees through internal branding (Patla and Pandit, 2012, p115). The effectiveness of internal branding can be measured through employee complaints and feedbacks. Further, employees emotional attachment and lesser communication gap also enhance the efficiency of internal branding (Franà §ois-Gagne, 2012). 1.3 Importance of Branding: The most distinctive capability of marketing managers is to create, maintain, enhance and protect the brands, because they know the importance of branding for their business. It is said that the great brands, such as Nike, Sony, Mercedes etc. are not accidently become great, but they are the result of planned and thoughtful branding strategies (Keller, 2009). The important aspect of branding is that it enables the companies to launch their own brands and also protect their brand through registering copyrights (Kotler and Keller, 2009, p242). The high street clothing brands such as Next, Nike, Levis and Wallis etc. are running their own branded products through registering their own brands, which not only differentiate them from market competitors but also protect their brands from the copy. The big retailers such as TESCO, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Primark etc. have also launched their private label brands, which helped the companies establish their own brands in competition and thei r brands and trade market are registered, so its protection for them due to branding. According to CMS (2011), branding also supports the advertising strategy of a company, because when people are quite familiar with the brand name, colour, logo, symbol or any other brand element, then people, when they see advertised, feels their emotional attachment and feelings for the brand. In addition, if the people are having a good branding experience, then a high level of attachment will be formed and it will take the customers towards buying decisions and remain loyal. The key aspect of a brand is that, an effective branding strategy does not work for a sole brand but also works for the entire companys brand. The Kerr (2012) states that an effective branding increases the sales, but the impact of effective branding is not limited to the one brand or service, but all other brands receive the impact, associated with a particular brand. An effective branding of Apply iPhone 4 is not only promotes the brand equity of Apple and promotion of iPhone 4, but also promotes the other iPhone models and products of Apple. The Ashton and Pressey (2011, p1027) claim the branding reduces the competition. This concept is similar to the differentiation strategy, opposite of cost leadership strategy. A company that is facing high competition from its competitor can avoid the competition through differentiating its products from others with the help of branding. There are many examples about avoiding competition from branding. The Mercedes is a brand of automobiles, but it positioned itself as premium and luxury brand, bring out itself out from competition of regular car brands. TESCO belongs to the retail industry, but it positioned itself as wholesaler or cheaper product brand. Redbull belongs to the beverage industry, but it positioned itself as energy drink and separated itself from other beverage brands. This is how branding differentiates the products from the competition. The red action and blue ocean strategy also help the companies to avoid from competition (Appendix 2) (Kim and Mauborgne, 2010). The key responsibility of brands is to create value for their stakeholders. According to Kotler and Keller (2009, p242), the branding works for both consumers and companies. For consumers, brandings help them in identifying their favourite brands, because when brands are identical, consumer can easily recognize them. It also helps the consumers to identify the brands, based upon the experience, which brands satisfy their needs and which dont. Consumers are also saving from risks of buying such products, which are not giving them the true value of money. In the modern world, in which consumers are time starved, complicated and more rushed, so branding makes their lives easy with decision making and reducing risk. From the perspective of the firm, the key form of the value of a company is monetary benefits that means branding increases the returns on investment for their companys stakeholders through increasing sales. Further, brands also provide other benefits to companies. Branding simplifies the product tracing, product handling, maintaining accounting records, organizing inventory, legal protection and predicting demand for a particular product. Nestle UK Ireland is dealing in many brands across the UK, so branding of Nestle provides the company to differentiate its products from other companys products. The in-house facilities include locating the product, handling inventory and maintaining records of products (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Apart from internal attribute characteristics, brand elements and associations the branding strategy also leverages the brand equity from secondary sources such as Things (third party endorsements, events, causes), places (channels, country of origin), People (employee, celebrities, endorsements) and other sources (company, alliances, ingredients and extensions) (Appendix 4). The brand uses the foreign brand names, language and country of origin (Coo) in order to enhance brand equity of their product (Melnyk, Klein and V-lckner, 2012, p21); (Herstein, 2012, p147). The branding creates the value for its stakeholders through increasing sales, profitability and return on investment. When a strong brand is successful in achieving loyalty (both behavioural and attitudinal), then customers make repeat purchase and also recommends its fellows and friends to buy from the particular company (called positive word of mouth and referral group impact) (Kapferer, 2008, p20). Further, the strong brand can easily charge higher from their loyal customers, so using the premium pricing strategy for strong brand is an easy and strong brand also makes the customers less elastic to price increase (Kotler and Keller, 2009, p244). In short, from a financial perspective, the strong brands can get higher returns on investments. 1.5 Role of Brand Architecture: The brand architecture represents the structure of brands in an organization. Brand architecture basically sets of all components of the brand, like brands visual requirements, operational requirements, story, promises, meaning and personality traits, under a single unified structure (Moderandi Inc, 2006). In brand architecture, the corporate brands or umbrella brands (overreaching brand, top brand) are used across the products in the company such as; Virgin Train, Virgin Cola, Virgin Mobiles and Virgin airlines etc. Brand architecture can be unitary (one company name for all brands: Virgins), hybrid (sub-brands work individually but linked with company brand: Nestle SA), and diversified (brands are marketed individually: Yams Food (Pizza Hut, KFC) Pepsi Brands) (MarketingforWAHM.com, 2012, p260). There are several benefits of advantage of brand architecture (Verma, 2009); (Kotler and Keller, 2009); (KENNEDY and McCOLL, 2012); (a) the company can easily manage the products across fa mily brands. (b) The consumers can easily recognize the brands as part of their favourite brand. (c) It develops understanding about brands, how brands are related to specific portfolio and how they are different from each others. (d) It also reflects that how sub-brands along with corporate brand support the core purpose of the overall corporate brand. (d) It helps to develop new brand elements for new products. (e) It can help to assess performance of corporate brand, family brand and sub-brands individually. The characteristics of brand architecture, simplicity, no more than two levels, flexibility and proper arrangement of brands improves the performance of brand architecture (Daye, 2009). 1.6 Branding for Business to Business (B2B) markets: The previous discussion on branding and its importance presents the role of branding for business to consumers (B2C) markets. The business to business (B2B) branding is almost same as B2C branding but there are few differences, which indicates towards using slight approach for B2B branding. (a) The corporate brand is more visible in B2B branding than product branding. (b) The B2B target market is smaller than B2C large customer population (selection of advertising strategy is important). (c) The contracts with customers are long term (so pricing and product details are important). (d) The decisions of branding in B2B are more inclined towards functional aspects. (e) B2B buyers are using rational decision making rather than emotional decision making. (f) B2B buyers focus business relationships more than individual sales. (g) B2B buyers are elastic more on price (Brown, 2009); (Miller, 2007). These differences stimulate the marketers to take different approach for branding in business to business markets. In B2B branding, the companies build their brand equity and achieve competitive advantage through their core brand values. For example, the brand value of Dell is flexibility, Sony is famous due to innovation and IBM is having brand value of quality. So, when buyers (other companies) would like to make purpose decisions, they would focus on key value of company before making buying decision (Hague, 2010). Secondly, the B2B buyers make buying decisions on the basis of product performance, product availability, product price and services (guaranty warranty), so marketers of B2B markets highlights these particular benefits of their products in advertising rather than focusing on attributes of products. Further they focus on tangible advertising materials such as indoor and outdoor material, one to one marketing, relationship marketing etc. One research findings states brands when personified as a human can be used to manage B2B customers relationship with in a B2B network (Gupta, Melew ar and Bourlaskis, 2010, p395). 1.7 Implications for Brand Managers: This section highlights the implications for brand managers, because there are some counter arguments on a few concepts of branding and suggestions for brand managers to understand these keep points in order to correct their focus and ripe the optimal benefits of branding (Malhotra, 2012) (Royston, 2006). Branding should be simple: The people can remember and recall the brands, which are simple and having positive associations. The complex brand elements and ideas are difficult to remember and recall. Brandings should be safe: The game of branding should be played safe. Especially in global brand marketing, brand managers must focus on following local culture, customs, norms and legislations that would keep the brand safe from social or legal threats. Branding should be different: The success of branding is only when it is different from competitors through using innovative strategies and methods as part of branding strategy. Its all about creating opportunities through telling the customers that you are different than competitors. A brand is not only a Logo: Although the logo and brand name is an important element of branding (CMS, 2011), but brand is not only the logo. Brand Loyalty never was telling: The success of branding strategy is not evaluated how good you are doing advertising and promotions in order to tell the people they should trust you, but this trust must be initiated by people by themselves that would reflect the true effect of branding. Positioning is presence: Now a day, actions speak louder than words. The positioning of brand is not what people feel about your brand, but what you really make them feel about your brand. 2. CONCLUSION: The findings of secondary research conclude that the branding is having significant importance for the success of business. The marketers get several advantages of branding such as, greater financial returns, greater loyalty, improved brand perception, larger margins, improved employee performance, opportunities of extensions and licensing, improved communication, less threat from competition and more elastics to price increase and less elastic to a price decrease and overall success of the business. For consumers, the branding helps the customers to select their favourite brand, make buying decisions easily and reduce the risk of buying less valued product against their money. Apart from business to consumer markets, the branding is also very helpful for business to business markets. Brand architecture is good practice of arranging the brand into sequence in accordance with their positions in architecture as corporate brand, sub-brand, line extensions etc. The use of brand architect ure is helpful for companies to manage their brands effectively. The implications for brand managers are to understand the true spirit of the brand, develop effective associations and manage the brand across the architecture in order to reap the maximum benefits of architecture.

The Character of Lady Macbeth :: GCSE Coursework Macbeth Essays

The Character of Lady Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The character of Lady Macbeth is a complex one, there is much that can be said regarding the juxtaposition of ideas concerning her behavior. Within this essay I shall attempt to elaborate on her forceful, selfish and contradictory character. Samuel Johnson within ‘The Plays of Shakespeare’ highlights how ambition of a protagonist leads to detestation on the part of the readers: Or in other words an ambitious nature can be used as a tool by the playwright to produce a sense of loathing and dislike amongst the audience.   The dangers presented by ambition are well described; In Shakespeare's time, it was necessary to warn credulity against vain and illusive predictions. These passions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. (133) In "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth," Sarah Siddons comments on the Lady's cold manner:   [Macbeth] announces the King's approach; and she, insensible it should seem to all the perils which he has encountered in battle, and to all the happiness of his safe return to her, -- for not one kind word of greeting or congratulations does she offer, -- is so entirely swallowed up by the horrible design, which has probably been suggested to her by his letters, as to have forgotten both the one and the other. (56)   In his book, ‘On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy’, H. S. Wilson describes the role of Lady Macbeth: ‘Professor Kittredge used to point out to his classes that Lady Macbeth, in urging Macbeth to act, uses the three arguments that every wife, some time or other, uses to every husband: "You promised me you'd do it!" "You'd do it if you loved me!" "If I were a man, I'd do it myself!" But Macbeth's mind is made up by her assurance that they may do it safely by fixing the guilt upon Duncan's chamberlains. (72)’   L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" describes the unnaturalness of Lady Macbeth's words and actions:   Ã¢â‚¬ËœThus the sense of the unnaturalness of evil is evoked not only be repeated explicit references ("nature's mischief," "nature seems dead," " 'Tis unnatural, even like the deed that's done," and so on) but by the expression of unnatural sentiments and an unnatural violence of tone in such things as Lady Macbeth's invocation of the "spirits" who will "unsex" her, and her affirmation that she would murder the babe at her breast if she had sworn to do it.

Abortion :: essays research papers

Extreme conservatives would have abortion made illegal. If we outlaw abortion it would not stop women from having them   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† Judith Thomson does a good job of poking holes in the extreme conservative argument, she is a moderate liberal. Even though she is defending abortion she states there are still times when it is impermissible. . Her first analogy she compares a growing fetus to a famous violinist who has unknowingly been attached to a person’s circulatory system. Is the person morally responsible to remained attached to the violinist? Thomson says no, because the person was kidnapped and they didn’t volunteer for the violinist to be attached. Thomson states â€Å"it would be very nice of you if you did, a great kindness†. I agree with Thompson here no one should be forced to have a stranger plugged into them unknowingly for nine months. A growing fetus inside a woman is hardly a stranger to her it is her own flesh and blood. Secondly, a fetus is not unknowingly plugged into a woman Except for in the cases of rape no one wa s kidnapped or forced to have sex. When people have sex there is always a risk that the woman might get pregnant. I agree a woman has a right to her body but, I disagree with Thompson’s analogy of a violinist to a fetus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She then speaks on the right to life, some say it is the right to not to be killed she says it is the right not to be killed unjustly. So when you unplug yourself from the violinist you are taking away his right to life. Thomson says you are not because you are not killing him unjustly. I agree, it is not your place to keeps   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Extreme Conservatives would say that an abortion even to save the mother’s life would be impermissible. They have an equal right to life and an abortion would be killing the baby, and doing nothing would be letting the mother die. Thomson does an excellent job of arguing against the conservative point of view with the analogy of the rapidly growing child in a tiny house. Thomson asks us to suppose we are in a tiny house with a child who is growing rapidly and is going to crush us and he will simply bust out of the house and walk off unscratched.

Deaf Like Me Book Report Essay

This book was really interesting and touching. The parents of Lynn, the deaf little girl, were very strong parents and their struggle to be able to make their daughters life as normal as possible was hard for them since everywhere they went the answer the always got was, for Lynn to try to talk and be treated as a normal child. As parents, Louise and Tom did everything they were told and only hoped for the best and that one day their deaf child would be able to talk. Since the beginning when they found out their daughter was deaf they did all the research they could to try and be able to make life better for Lynn. Every doctor and specialist they saw always told me to treat her as a normal child, to talk to her, and to not use gestures or sign language. When Louise and Tom took Lynn to get tested at several different places they finally found that she was profoundly deaf. They got her a hearing aid to see if this would help her hear better but sadly it didn’t make a difference, Lynn still wasn’t able to hear anything. The things the doctors and specialist told them stuck in their heads; if she did gestures or used signs to communicate she would not have a normal life and be labeled as a deaf person. The way they described this made Louise and Tom think that if their daughter didn’t learn how to speak or read lips she would have a miserable life. They didn’t want Lynn to suffer when she got older they wanted her to grow up like any other child and be able to communicate with others and talk. Lynn wasn’t retarded or handicapped, she was just deaf but because of the information they got it seemed like she was and that was what they didn’t want her to be labeled as. When they heard about Star King Exceptional School, which was a school for deaf children, they wanted to see if this was a good place for Lynn to attend. This school was an oral school only and kids there were thought how to read lips and learn how to talk. Since they had heard a lot of good things about this school and the way it was described to them they thought this would be the perfect place for Lynn to learn how to talk. Lynn attended here but throughout the whole time she was there she only made a little progress. With practicing at home and at school Louise and Tom knew that she  would eventually learn how to talk because she made small progress and was slowly learning. Like I mentioned the information they were told repeatedly was only half the truth. When they met Barbara Simmons at the meeting they had at the school their lives would finally become less stressful. She thought sign language was a good way to communicate with deaf children and by them learning sign language it would make their lives easier. She introduced them to Jim and Alice Hudson, a deaf couple, and they talked to them about how sign language would help Lynn to do better in life and how in reality she would probably not be able to talk and read lips perfectly. After talking to them and reading the articles they had gave them Louise and Tom were willing to try it and take the chance. Using sign language was a success and they were able to communicate with Lynn very fast and within a week they were able to understand each other. This was a way faster progress than before. They finally decided to use sign language and Lynn’s progress got better and better and sign language because their new second language. While reading the book I learned a lot and it made me think and wonder why they would put young children through so much struggle just because they don’t want them to use sign language. Every time I came across the comments they made about her not being a â€Å"normal child† if she didn’t learn how to speak really upset me because just because she was deaf it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be able to do things like everyone else. It’s sad how they were never able to communicate with her and the way the struggle could have been avoided. Lynn was a bright child she learned how to read lips very quickly so I’m pretty sure if she had started to learn sign language when she was two-years old she would have picked it up quickly too. Several incidents that happened in the story were very interesting like when Lynn was able to say â€Å"Blue† after touching her father’s chest and then hers. This I didn’t even know it was going to work but it did. When Mr. Hughes went up to talk at the meeting and was saying nothing but negative stuff about sign language it bothered me because he should want to try something that was better for his son and for him. Also when Tom was in the room with Sandra, Mike, Jim and Alice and they were signing he felt like he was the odd ball because he couldn’t understand sign language. When they realized how hard it was for them to try and understand what they were signing to each other, and thought about how hard it must have been for Lynn to try and understand them. In the end I’m glad that Louise and Tom decided to use sign language with Lynn because it made their lives so much easier and they were finally able to understand her and communicate with her without any problems.

Social Mobilization and Political development

Karl Wolfgang Deutsch is a professor of International Peace in Stanfield. Being a great Social Scientist, he was able to come up with an innovative concept on fundamental issues that discusses aspects of nationalism, political integration and political disintegration that occurs within and among many states which have been found to be applicable. He was able to link the concepts of evidence in theory that which are sought to be most preferably systematic and quantitative.In his concept of social mobilization, he defined it to be a process wherein people become deracinated from their ethnicity and turn out to be obtainable for innovative models of communication and behavior and he renowned quantitative pointers to consider it in most countries of the world.He was bale to show how such a process would become a precedent to uplift the probability of what he termed as political integration among the citizens who had been sharing one language, one tradition, and one basic concept of socia l institution whereas it speed up the factors that causes the disintegration of countries wherein citizens do not have the same characteristics. Thus his research and study in effect became enlightenment to the social influences that paved way to the decomposition of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and also to the unification of the people of Germany in the history of the modern world.In his study, he was aloe able to establish the specific working conditions for political integration founded on his concept on the â€Å"security communities† which was greatly manifested in the North Atlantic countries. He identifies that the concepts in the political process that occurred in Europe and in the Atlantic as an integration that occurred through a series of conditional hypotheses which he attempted to examine through a quantitative proof having empirical evidences.In the article Deutsch argued that social mobilization is not merely a matter of having a series of changes that occur in a society among people. Rather, it should be understood to be a process that involves historical accounts and is related to economic developments wherein circumstances are clearly identified and are happening in a recurrent manner that are applicable in most countries which are found to be relevant in the field of politics.Therefore, Social Mobilization should be understood to be as a process that occurs to a large quantity of individuals in a society that goes through the process of modernization wherein there is an introduction of the concepts of innovative technology, practices that are non traditional, advanced practices, and changes in their economic life and that which these are deemed applicable and practicable in their lives that such shall be accepted. It should not be misconstrued to be in paralleled with the process of modernization as a whole.Social mobilization brings along with it the consequences where it deals with some periodic clusters history and tradition. Th ese consequences would therefore imply that such a process would definitely sacrifice such recurrent clusters where it would eventually bring conflict of interest socially of political interest in the process.This is the process involved in social mobilization where in there is a process of breaking down and erosion of the major clusters of the old social, economic, psychological commitments of the citizens making them ready for new models and patterns of behavior and socialization through the process of communication.Deutsch pictured such process to be a major step of any society aiming towards full development. He addressed such issues through the test using real situations of states and many countries. He was able to construe the concepts involved in these series of changes which now are made available to many states and countries a s a theoretical basis for social mobilization.Reference:Deutsch, K.W. (1961). Social Mobilization and Political Development. The American Political   Science Review, Vol. 55, No. 3 (Sep., 1961), pp. 493-514

Mkt week

Do you agree with Virgin's market diversification strategy? If so, what other markets should they pursue? If you disagree, what should be their business focus? Diversification is most commonly understood through the financial world, where one should have a diverse range of investments. Mixing funds that are countercyclical – the performance of certain funds is not correlated to the performance of others.Usually when one set of funds are down, the value of another set of funds is up. This is where companies like the Virgin Group have adopted this kind of strategy to diversify their product line. Dixon (2009) explains what when building a customer base, it is a good idea to begin cultivating multiple customers in different industries. Then, this approach is modified to include target markets that have the countercyclical method that has been proven to work in the financial field.After targeting diverse groups of customers, companies (like the Virgin Group) should then engage in â€Å"aggressive marketing and sales efforts to win new customers in the targeted markets† (Dixon, 2009). In order for Virgin to pursue other markets they should 1) gain clear understanding of the wants and needs of perspective customers ND markets, and 2) show that they have a unique capability for meeting these requirements (Dixon, 2009). I believe the Virgin Group should get involved with renewable energy projects, even on small scale targeting consumers.Sustainability and being green are hot topics right now that consumers like to get behind. Since they have so much information already on current electronics customers, they can use this to target items like solar chargers or recycled material packaging for electronic items. 2. How about some other examples of companies that have built their value proposition around the image variable? Other companies that have been successful are for example Apple, who undoubtedly has created value to its customers who are very loyal to t he brand.Customers recognize the â€Å"bitten apple† image across the spectrum and identify it with quality. BMW and Mercedes Benz are other companies that have used their image to build value for customers. Whenever anyone thinks of these two brands, they immediately think luxury and high end/high quality vehicles.

Health and safety in schools Essay

There are several key pieces of legislation that impact on how schools manage the health and safety of both their employees, and others who come into contact with the school. This will include pupils, visitors, support workers and parents. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 defines original structure and authority for the enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare within the UK. It is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in UK. The HSE/local authorities are responsible for enforcing the act relevant to the working environment. This act places the responsibility of ensuring the health and safety and welfare of employees, with the employer. The main ways that this is usually implemented in a school setting are: Ensuring that there is an effective way of reporting any hazards to the appropriate person so that any required action can be taken. Every school is required to carry out regular risk assessments of the premises and activities to iden tify any hazards in advance, but all members of staff should also be aware that risk assessment is an ongoing process, and that they must remain cautious and report any potential hazards to the Health and safety officer. Each school must put in place its own Health and safety policy and ensure that all staff are trained in its contents. All staff should take ownership for, not just their own safety, but also ensuring that their actions, or lack of action, does not cause harm of danger to others, for example if a staff was using a equipment that is for adult use only, it must be used and put away safely and if the staff can see a potential hazard with the item they are using, it must be reported appropriately. If safety equipment is provided, then staff must ensure it is used at all times. For example if goggles were provided for using hazardous materials in science, then they must be worn at all times till the experiment is over and put away. All equipment used within schools should meet recognised standards of safety. This can usually be checked by ensuring that the product displays on of the following safety symbols, the Kitemark shows that the product has been tested and meets the appropriate British Standard. The headteacher is to take overall responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of the school, t hey should ensure: Allocating sufficient resources to meet health and safety priorities Ensuring attendance on appropriate health and safety training courses Liaising with  the employer [OCC] over health and safety issues and the Health and Safety Trade Union Representatives Regularly checking the Health and Safety website Ensuring good communications by including health and safety issues in Staff briefings, bulletins and meetings Organising and implementing termly inspections in consultation with Trade Union Safety Representatives and Governors Overseeing the completion of the arrangements and â€Å"Risk Assessment† for all on and off site activities Ensuring that health and safety is a criteria for performance management and appraisal scheme Formulate and implement a policy for the management of critical incidents How health and safety is monitored and maintained in the setting The Headteacher will develop an effective management safety monitoring system to oversee the operation of this policy. On a daily basis the head does a walkabout to check for anything that can cause harm to the staff and children. All the staff will monitor their classroom so that any issues that occur can be reported. These will include: Inspections Direct observations of staff compliance Managerial reports monthly/termly/annually [as necessary] Surveys Tours Investigations of good practice/incidents/documents Record keeping â€Å"Risk Assessment† – The Trade Union Health and Safety Representatives together with the Governor responsible for Health and Safety will carry out a â€Å"Risk Assessment† once a term and record their findings Performance Monitoring – This school expects full co-operation from all staff at all times Every school will have policies and procedures for everyone in the setting. As well as staff or any adults visitors who come to the school will be following the health and safety procedures. Children will be taught the basic about health and safety – washing their hands, blowing their nose, so  they understand what to do and they will have the school rules to follow related to their safety e.g not to run inside the building as there isn’t must space and they can trip, slip or fall over anything and that there is plenty of room when playing outdoors. They will be taught how to stay safe through age appropriate talks and stories, crossing the road, not running off, how to protect themselves if they feel vulnerable. Practitioners will have training- ongoing and refreshers, in-house training and staff meetings etc. Staff may hold first aid certificates/handling food certificates; hold regular fire drills to make sure they are working and ensuring all electrical appliances are checked annually. The headteacher will ensure that everyone knows their role and responsibilities to ensure that every health and safety precaution/procedure is followed. All staff should check/monitor that everyone/thing is safe. Child Illness – Making sure if the child can attend school, if the illness is contagious or not. If a child falls ill during school hours, you must follow the procedure of the first aid policy. Risk assessments are carried out daily as well to make sure that staff and students are safe at all times. E.g Check that the outdoor area is safe from ‘unknown objects’ and that all gates are locked during school hours so no one can come in or go out without signing in and out. Visitors will have to sign in and out at the main reception. Policies and procedures should be checked on a regular basis (at least annually) to ensure that everything is in order – or added to adapted or changed as and when needed. How people in the setting are made aware of risk and hazards and encouraged to work safely Information and instructions on health and safety matters are available at reception for parents, visitors. The information will be given to teachers, non teaching staff, pupils, governors and visitors as follows: Staff are informed about all existing information held on site by regular updates at staff meetings / induction packs Health and Safety Act on display in staff room Fire drill / evacuation procedure on display around school Use of white board in the staff room Texts – messaging eg for snow days, emergency closure The Health and Safety Policy is signed by staff Deputy updates staff handbook annually and staff provided with regular updates re: health and safety Health and safety monthly item on the staff meeting agenda Will make a suitable and sufficient â€Å"Risk Assessment† for all its activities where a significant risk is identified Will take the necessary preventative and protective measures to adequately control risk Will comply with the other requirements made under this and other Health and Safety Regulations Personal Safety – Members of Staff are reminded that they must not stand on tables or chairs when putting up or taking down displays, there is a step ladder in the hall for this purpose. Personal Property – Handbags etc. should be locked away. Money and valuables should not be left unattended. A lockable cupboard space is available to all staff Responsibility for personal items rests with the individual member of staff Visitors and contractors are informed of any health and safety arrangements which may affect them. It is the responsibility of the teachers to ensure that pupils are aware of existing and new health and safety information via PSHC, class/whole school assemblies, verbal instruction, and demonstrations on use of equipment, class rules/behaviour protocol, signage eg do not run, yellow hazard cones. Fire Risk Assessment can be found in the deputy head’s office. Identify the lines of responsibility and reporting for health and safety in the setting Everyone working in the setting should be aware of the health and safety policies and that they have a responsibility for the safety of the children and staff, in their setting they should know who to report to if they had any concerns regarding any health and safety issues. Statutory Health and Safety responsibilities fall on the LEA and on the headteacher and staff. Headteacher has overall responsibility for the school, she will, in practice, be responsible for enforcing the Health and Safety policy day-to-day. The deputy head acts as the Health and Safety Officer on Site and staff Trade Unions or other safety representatives may be nominated. The governing body, as the management body, should ensure that school staff and premises comply with the LEA’s health and safety policy and practices. The governing body, having control of the premises, must take reasonable steps to make sure that the buildings, equipment and materials are safe and do not put the health of persons at risk whilst they are on the premises. The Medication is administered by office staff and has a designated person assigned. Designated First Aid Area is by the main office, so if anything occurs during play /lunchtime the children know where to go. There are First Aiders around the school as teachers and T.A’s are trained, the First Aid boxes are located all round the school. Play Equipment – Visual inspection made formally by caretaker and informally by staff on duty at lunch /playtime PE co-ordinator checks equipment regularly, she follows current policy and practice ICT technician – this is outsourced and someone approved comes in to deal with any faults Governing Body: The governing body shares with the Local Education Authority, the overall responsibility for health and safety. For its part the governing body will:- Ensure health and safety has a high profile. Ensure adequate resources for health & safety are made available. Consult with staff and ensure relevant training is carried out. Monitor & review the health and safety arrangements Headteacher: The Headteacher is responsible for day to day health and safety performance and will:- Develop a safety culture throughout the school Take day to day operational decisions Draw up safety procedures Ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities Update governors Monitor effectiveness of procedures Site Manager and Cleaning Staff: Take responsibility for the security of the premises. Ensure the safe condition of the floors. Store potentially dangerous cleaning materials safely Ensure play and external areas are safe and clean from debris Ensure cleaning staff are aware of safe working practices and the school health & safety policyRecognise and respond to emergency situations In the classroom where children are being supervised, it is common to have child illness and some minor injuries from time to time. As a teaching assistant you may find that you are first to respond to an emergency situation and you may have to give emergency first aid. You will be expected to follow the correct procedures until help arrives. It is vital that you send for help as soon as possible, this should be a qualified first aider/trained member of staff and they should call for an ambulance if necessary. Emergency situations include: Accidents Illness Fire Security incidents Missing children or young people If you are not trained in first aid, and if you are unsure about what to do, you should only take action to avoid any further danger to the casualty and others. First aid: There will always be a designated first aider who will have a responsibility to contact emergency services if required and they will regularly check the first aid kit and ensure everyone knows they are individually responsible to let the first aider know when an item has been used and they will know about training opportunities and if asked be able to check the first aid training status of other employees. First aid kit: Know where it is Familiar with what it contains Do you know how to use items appropriately Fire policy: Fire alarms get tested once a term and they are recorded in a fire alarm booklet signed and dated by the headteacher, caretaker and fire officer. Where the fire exits are, they will always be clear of obstruction and there will always be the evacuation routes where all the children learn the routine to come out without panicking and in an ordinary manner. There will be a designated fire assembly point for everyone to meets; the teachers will have the responsibility to take the register for their class to check names to ensure everyone is outside, present and safe. Sickness policy: The purpose of this policy is to: To ensure that sick children are appropriately and correctly identified. To ensure sick children are cared for appropriately. To protect children and adults from preventable infection. To enable staff and parents to be clear about the requirements and procedures when children are unwell. Recognising illness: When anyone has difficulty breathing, high temperature, fever, blueness around the lips, cold extremities, pale or clammy skin – floppy, unresponsive or unconscious. Conditions to be aware of would be epilepsy , asthma, allergy, diabetes. Situations to be familiar with: Bites and stings, bleeding, burns and scalds, choking, electric shock, extreme effects of heat and cold, eye injuries, poisoning, suspected fractures, caring for the unconscious person. Follow the setting’s procedures for dealing with emergency situations All schools need to ensure that they take measures to protect all adults and children while they are on the school premises and undertaking off-site visits. This means there will be procedures in place for a number of situations that can arise. These include the following: Accidents: There should be enough first aiders in schools or on the trips at any time to deal with accidents. First-aid boxes should be checked regularly and replenished regularly, and there should be clear information on what has happened so that accidents are recorded correctly. If you are off site you should always have a first aider with you, along with a first-aid box and any medications that are required to any child who is with you for eg their inhaler. Illness: School will deal with incidents of sickness by sending pupils to the sick room or first aid room for an initial assessment. However, sudden illness may require you to take action yourself while waiting for a first aider. The casualty should be made comfortable and insure that they are warm; there should be no attempt to carry out any further first aid. All staff should be aware of allergic reactions and intolerances to foods such as wheat, nuts and gluten. All staff should identify these children and have clear instructions available on how to deal with each case. Supervisors at lunch time will need to be kept informed. The lunchtime book contains photographs, contact numbers and information about pupils with food intolerance. Care should be taken with book due to confidentiality. Fires: The school may need to evacuate in emergencies for example bomb scare, fire, floods or other emergencies. Security Incidents: Staff should challenge any unidentified people in the school, if you are on outside duty and notice anything suspicious you should always send for help. Missing Children: On school trips you should check the group and keep an eye on children being supervised by helpers. If a child goes missing, raise an alarm straight away making sure you follow the policy. Disabled Children: Wheel chair users should assemble at specific fire assembling point. Oxygen tanks should not be moved, no naked flames in school. Teacher’s assistant should accompany all disabled children to fire assembly point where necessary. Give reassurance and comfort to those involved in the emergency When an emergency arises, they would call one of the main first aider to come and evaluate the injury. There are three main first aiders in school, one in  each area of school. Foundation, Key stage 1 and in Key stage 2. All TAs have undergone St. John’s Ambulance ‘First Aid’ training. Also all staff has undergone ‘Basic’ first aid training. When there is an emergency, all the details of the incident will have to be logged, signed and dated by the main first aider that is dealing with the incident. If the incident is major then the main first aider after judging it will have to call the emergency services to come and treat the injured wound and then decide whether to take the child to the hospital or not. Reassuring the child is very important so the child doesn’t get stressed, acting calm around the child is very important as it promotes a calm atmosphere and is reassuring that everything will be ok. The first aider moves the child to the sick room or first aid room of the school where all the other children can’t see the injury and stress the child even more. Comfort the child depending on the injury, for example if a child bites their inner cheek and was showing signs of distress due to losing lot of blood, the first aider should act in a professional manner showing no signs of distress. If a child has a bump to the head and is showing signs of concussion then the child’s parents should be informed and invited to school to come and see the child. Also if the child has to go with the emergency service’s they would ask the parents if they would come along as it would make the child feel more comfortable. If there is a more minor injury that still needs medical assessment they would take the child in a member of staff’s car to the hospital/walk in – if it would be appropriate. Also other times they would call the parent to come and collect the child. On the way they would reassure the child that it is only to make sure that they are okay. Also when travelling to the hospital they would take a record of what first aid was given to the child at school, or they take the main first aider that dealt with the injured child. Also making sure that other children are okay and safe is also important, maybe taking a buddy for the injured child would help them to be comfortable because then they have a buddy to take to while the first aid is happening or if the buddy could distract the child from the injury. Give other people providing assistance, clear information about what happened In a school placement they have good communication with all the people that provide assistance. For example an incident that happened in the school a couple of months ago that involved all three main first aiders, staff, emergency services, health and safety officer, head teacher, health and safety governor, governors, parents and Tameside. The incident happened after play time when the child has put his fingers in the door even though they had finger guards on already. The member of staff that was on the playground at the time was the first aider for that area of school and they had tried all they could to remove the fingers but was unable to do it alone, so they provided clear information on to the other main first aider so they were able to understand how this has happened. Also trying their best the fingers would not move, while this was happening they had three other members of staff that were providing the correct information onto the parents, emergency services, and one of the m kept the child calm and reassuring them. Once the parent came they comforted the child till the emergency services came and released the fingers from the door, once they were released the parents and the first aider went to the hospital with the child to make sure the fingers were not damaged. The first aider went along to pass on the information as to what happened to the child and this was passing on the clear information to the nurse/doctor that was assisting the child. After the correct information was passed on to the health and safety officer, and the health and safety governor they later went to the door where the child’s fingers were trapped and assessed what could have prevented it from happening. They and the governors from the school came together and after passing on the information they came to an agreement to have rear finger guards fitted on all the doors in school so this wasn’t to happen again. After the incident the correct, clear and detailed information was later sent as an email to Tameside via the head teacher (safety officer) who suggested to Tameside to email all schools to have rear finger guards fitted on all doors in every Tameside school so this would prevent any child to have the same thing happen to them. Once the rear finger guards were fitted the governors of the school went and assessed the interior and exterior of the building to make sure there was not anywhere where this could happen again. Follow the procedures of the setting of reporting and recording Reporting and recording is important even if you are not a first aider you still need to know how to report and record any information. You should know the correct procedure for reporting and recording injuries and incidents in your school placement, as you may be called upon to do so. When reporting or recording any type of injury, emergency, or even a minor incident then this must still be recorded step by step as to what happened and what member of staff is present at the time. Also dated, signed and reported to a senior member of staff. Recording any type of illnesses in a record log is important so all members of staff that need the information has this to relay back too if the child ever falls ill or becomes irritable. Also in some cases this information will have to be passed on to the local authority The office should have signs and posters showing what signs and symptoms of some illnesses that children may have or may show to have. Recording concerns is important so all staff are alert of the concerns that you are having. Recording illness and having information with the record is important, for example you have a child with sickle cell and it is recorded then with this you would have information about sickle cell so all staff then can read and understand what the procedure is when this certain child is looking to have these symptoms or signs. Also in a school setting if a child is having behaviour issues having a home and school diary would also help the parents understand what is happening with their child in school hours. With the class teacher writing in this diary at the end of ever lesson explaining step by step how the child was and then making sure that parents are receiving the information asking them to sign the diary every night so they know that they have read it. An example of how we do it in the afterschool/breakfast club is we write ALL information in a purple book that is left on the side, recording all information like: What children are attending the club morning or after school Who has cancelled What injuries/incidents have happened during the club, who has dealt with the incident If there is any unusual behaviour by a child Messages from parents to teachers or teachers to parents. Many more piece of information that need recording and passing on, which is dated and signed by the member of staff who wrote it. This is later signed by a parent to say that has been passed on, if it information from the club or if its information from the teacher – information from parents to teachers we make sure teachers sign to say that they have read the information. Describe Risk Assessment and associated documentation in your placement. A risk assessment is an assessment that is carried out of the risk to children or adults at the school setting. Risk assessments carried out once a year and also carried out when on school trips or when doing a lesson that may involve a rick for the children/adults in the classroom. They follow 5 basic steps when they risk assess a situation: 1 Look out for the hazards and identify them. 2 Decide who may be harmed and how they can be harmed during the trip/lesson. 3 Evaluate the risks and consider how they can cause any kind of harm and decide whether precautions have to take. 4 Record any findings around the location that can cause harm. 5 Review assessments and revise it if it is necessary. Risk assessments are important because it makes the adults more aware of what could happen and they have to be aware of how we can overcome the risks. Risk assessments contain the hazard, which may be affected by the hazard and how you can overcome the risks. Risk assessments can be carried out on children with broken limbs, school trips, lessons that can be dangerous, for example in class we made hot air balloons and it was important to do a risk assessment because it involved fire and the children/teachers could get harmed. When assessing the risk the steps to follow would be: What are the possible consequences of the risk / hazard? What is the chances that the risk or hazard will occur? Shall provide the appropriate resources to reduce the risk, taking appropriate steps and making sure that it reduces the risk and doesn’t make it more of a risk. All the staff will know the risk assessment policy if  they have under gone the health and safety training. In the mornings the head teacher and the care taker going around the school premises and make sure that there are no risks for when the children enter the premises. For example if there was a few twigs on the path then they would be a risk for when the parents and children walk down the path this means that they would then remove the twigs. When they get back into the building they write on a chart all the different areas of school and if there was a risk and if there wasn’t. This is a type of risk assessment that they do every morning.