Theories of Late Capitalism in the World System Essay

Theories of Late Capitalism in the World System - Essay Example The global market was significantly expanding in the late 1960s and early 1970s, resulting to rivalry on both the US labor and capital. Moreover, the post-war long cycles of expansion saw the US manufacturers investing enormously in fixed capital and capacity building such that by late 1960s, profits margins for these investors were beginning to decline due to the significantly high capital-labor ratio of operations. Rephrasing this, the huge amounts of â€Å"sunk costs† especially in the form of plant, equipment, or fixed capital, had enormous eroding impacts on their profit rates. These changes in the realignment of the global market and the actual production conditions led to the abandonment of Keynesian economics, contrary to what Keynesian and liberal partisan claims. Actually, it was globalization of capital and then labor, making the New Deal-type and Keynesian economic policies loose their favor to capitalist profitability, paving way for Neoliberal and Ronald Reagan a usterity economics (Wallerstein 132). This is according to the theory of capitalist crisis, globalization, and theory of falling profit rates emphasized by Harvey and Frieden. The integral dynamics of capitalism lies at the center of the theory of falling profit rates. ... Part 2 With the falling profit rates, political leaders sought to make some amendments to capital accumulation laws and regulation with an objective of increasing or maintaining rates of profits. These changes came in as state policies seeking to regulate capitalism, essentially raising the living standards of the working class and their working conditions and increase capitalist profits (Harvey 168). Consequently, capitalist states introduced social welfare cuts, geographic expansion of capitalist production, and a series of mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcy. These policies brought together led to the revival of profitability, particularly in the US beginning early 1980s. Lean production generalization through service and industry significantly increased the rate of exploitation (labor productivity). The series of mergers, bankruptcies, and acquisitions was the primary source of the financial sector growth, leading to desertion of old and inefficient operations. Political leader s also enacted regulations to reduce production capacity in some industries such as steel production, leading to a shift of investment to other fields of production (diversification of steel production into oil exploration). The boundaries of the world economy expanded due to the construction of global production chains, enabling labor-intensive operations shift to low-wage regions in the global south (Postone, 15). The economic policies of neoliberal capitalist states encouraged capital restructuring. The deregulation of labor and capital markets, together fiscal policies that focused on disinflation, enabled capitalist firms to respond to rising profits with more equipment and plant investment (majorly inventory systems

Strategic Analysis Of Nestle Company Management Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Nestle Company Management Essay The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the strategic decisions that have occurred over the corporate history of Nestle mentioned in the case and to what extent has Mergers and Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances played a role in NESTLEs strategy in that period. In order to evaluate these strategic decisions, the paper shall outline Nestlà ©s historical strategic decisions; give a brief description of each decision and how mergers and acquisitions contributed to the growth of the company. The paper goes on to explain the current strategies of Nestlà © and how sustainable these strategies may be in the future. It explains the rationalisation of these current strategies and the new strategies that ought to be developed. The paper then looks at the future strategies of Nestle to outline the issues that are likely to be faced when these strategies are implemented .Likely actions are then suggested which may help give solutions to problems faced by Nestle on implementation of its future strategies. The strategic decisions involve new product development, extensive research development and entry into new product category which were mostly achieved through mergers and acquisitions. The current strategy was noted as unsustainable in the long term due to the fact that most of the products of Nestlà © cannot be classified as healthy .The suggestion made was that Nestle should come up with strategies that will make them healthier than their competitors. Nestlà ©s future strategies were also scrutinized and possible solutions given to overcome some of the strategic implementation issues the organization is likely to face. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate the strategic decisions that have occurred over the corporate history of NESTLE mentioned in the case and to what extent has Mergers and Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances played a role in NESTLEs strategy in that period?    Expansion According to Bell and Shelman (2009), Nestlà ©s sales expanded rapidly across Europe a few years after its inception. The company started developing an international reputation, and in 1905 it took the strategic decision of acquiring its main competitor, the Anglo-Swiss Condensed milk company (Bell and Shelman, 2009). The Federal Trade Commission refers to this as a horizontal merger where a firm acquires a former competitor allowing for a consolidation of companies in the same industry (Barney, 2011). As a result, Nestle in the early 1900s began positioning itself as a powdered milk, and infant food company. Furthermore, the combined companies through the Nestle brand name continued to grow through product and market extension mergers. Barney (2011) describes a product extension merger as one which adopts a complementary product through an acquisition, as seen in the case of Nestle which aligned product adoption in categories such as sugar, milk, cocoa and coffee. Nestlà © further undertook market extension mergers which involve gaining entry into complementary markets through acquisitions (Barney, 2011); whereby Nestle entered the confectionary, coffees, cereals, soft drinks, ice cream, water and prepared foods markets (See Ansoff Matrix below). Ansoff (1965) would argue that Nestlà © uses four different approaches to grow its products and markets. To explain the reasoning behind Nestlà ©s past MAs they can be assigned into these categories of growth which include: market penetration, product development, market development and diversification (See Ansoff Matrix above). During the 1920s, Nestle diversified its portfolio from infant formula to include Milo. This was its first powdered drink not created for infants. Spanning from 1938 to 1948, Nestlà © made the decision to enter into coffee and tea sector with the launch of Nescafe and Nestea. Nestle also diversified into the confectionary market, prepared foods, water, pet foods, energy bar and weight loss markets with the acquisitions of Peter, Cailler, Kohler Swiss Chocolate Company, Maggi, Vittel, Friskies, Powerbar and Jenny Craig respectively. Diversification outside the food and drink industry to enter pharmaceuticals and cosmetics was executed in the 1970s when it became a minority shareholder of LOreal (25%) and later acquired Alcon Laboratories. Barney (2011) highlights that acquiring new companies leads to reduction in production or distribution costs through economies of scale and vertical integration. Mergers and Acquisitions are also beneficial In increasing market share For industry know how and positioning For Financial leveraging (See appendix 3) Reasonable for this industry To improve profitability and EPS (See exhibit 2 for EPS 2006 and 2007) Source: Lasserre (2012) According to Lasserre (2012), MAs can also create several types of values for a company. He argues that they are justifiable if the economic value of the two entities is worth more combined than the sum of independent values before the merger (2012). Thus, the businesses must create shared economic values through synergy by increasing revenues whilst decreasing costs. Lasserre assumes these created values can be both short-term (one-off value) and long-term (synergistic effects). Diversification and global reach were the main values created for Nestlà © in its acquisitions. For example, Carnation enabled Nestle to extend not only in its product range but also to reach new areas around the world. The following table outlines the values created through Nestlà ©s MAs. Nestlà ©s MAs Value created Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consolidation Maggi  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Acquisitions in canned and frozen foods, water, ice cream and pets food  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Alcon Laboratories  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Options (to monitor the evolution of the technology) Carnation  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global reach  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Ralston-Purina  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Jenny Craig  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification Novartiss Gerber  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global reach  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Options (to monitor the evolution of the technology) Table: Nestlà ©s MAs and their value created. Source: Authors own creation based on information from Bell and Shelman (2009) and Lasserre (2012). Furthermore, the relationship between Nestle and LOreal developed further when they created two joint-ventures: Galderma and Laboratories Inneov. According to Barney (2011), joint ventures are undertaken in order to manage risk, share costs, and enter into new markets and industries. It is assumed that Nestle saw the benefits of alliances rather than acquisitions into the cosmetics market due to its lack of knowledge on the industry. Once Nestlà © diversified its portfolio, they followed-up by expanding brands through what Ansoff (1965) refers to as market penetration. In order to utilise its current resources, and take advantage of the market opportunities created by Milo and Nescafe, Nestle developed new brands such as Nesquik and Nespresso (Bell and Shelman, 2009).   Additionally, Nestlà © acquired more brands consistent with its presence in the water and pet foods market: e.g. Vittel and Friskies.   Ã‚   According to Ansoff (1965), market development is the introduction of existing products into new markets. This can be seen through Nestlà ©s acquisitions of Stouffer, which enabled the company to sell its food products to different markets: frozen prepared meals. Lastly, Nestle used product development to introduce new products such as Buitoni, Carnation, and Kit Kat to grow within its existing market of food, powdered drinks and confectionary. Nestlà ©s diverse portfolio provides it with a competitive advantage, and has enabled the company to become the worlds largest food and Beverage Company (Bell and Shelman, 2009). However, it seems that some product diversifications through mergers and acquisitions led to the downfall of its profits; especially visible in the years leading up to Mauchers administration (Bell and Shelman, 2009). Barney (2011) suggests that mergers and acquisitions between strategically unrelated businesses do not necessarily create significant economic profits. Thus, it can be assumed that Nestlà ©s strategically unrelated acquisition of Alcon and partial acquisition of LOreal between 1974 and 1977, contributed to a decline in profits between 1978 and 1981. Supply Chain Rationalisation As Nestle grew and entered new markets, they worked towards horizontally integrating their supply chain. According to Christopher (2005), companies such as Nestle seek to spread geographically, whilst reducing costs through economies of scale by prioritising manufacturing and operational processes. This can be seen throughout the 1900s as Nestle invests in its value chain by: opening processing plants within the U.S., Britain, Germany and Spain; manufacturing in Australia; warehouses in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bombay; and factories in the U.S. and Brazil (Bell and Shelman 2009) (See Nestlà ©s value chain). Firm infrastructure Decentralized organization Executive Committee consists of the CEO and 12 top managers The company is structured through 43 regional organisations reporting to directors of three geographic zones (zone Europe, Asia/Oceania/Africa and zone Americas). Country managers are given a large degree of autonomy when dealing with customer matters. Nestlà ©s Value chain Human Resource Management Focus on developing local management Investment in training and providing cross experiences People start from the bottom and move their way up in the organisation Unique culture/ focus on long term results Developing people from acquired companies. Technology Development Strong RD platform/ open innovation model Big investment in RD (investment to support pharmaceutical businesses and food, nutrition, health and wellness) Creating an innovation acceleration team to support rapid product introductions. Initiating a common technology infrastructure/ a comprehensive information system named the GLOBE. Margin Procurement Purchasing some raw materials instead of processing them in-house. 60% of materials purchases from emerging economies Direct sourcing -In developing countries agricultural commodities are bought from local markets and often directly from farmers- rather than on the world market Service Jenny Craig -personal nutrition counselling / Jenny Direct website and phone /Home delivery. Personalized services 24/7 service though telephone and internet help line for Nestlà ©s premium products. Marketing sales Positioning the company as healthy Strong brands product and brand differentiation. Dealing directly with consumers. Medical nutrition: market to professionals Outbound Logistics Synchronization of data between manufacturing and retailers- through the GLOBE system. Introducing new distribution channels for some brands (e.g. Nespresso corners, boutiques and home delivery) Inbound Logistics Ware- Housing Operations -Manufacturing, food processing plants -Producing locally -About half of the factories are in developing countries/ production for the local market. -Partnership with local farmers -providing advice and support -Implementing quality control processes. Moreover, Nestle made the strategic decision of establishing local supply chains which meant deploying its agricultural capabilities down to  the farm level through strategic alliances. This is referred to as their milk district model which allows farmers to supply milk to the company directly and in exchange Nestle provides its resources and know-how, such as providing storage and chilling facilities (Nestle, 2012). This highlights the fact that Nestle was seeking to establish its value chain activities, or Global business system, earlier on in its history (See value chain above).   According to Hill and Hill (2009), this type of model has the capability of reinforcing a companys competitive advantage as it is able to overcome barriers to integration, better respond to delivery speed, simplify sharing of information and reduce costs of production (Bell and Shelman, 2009). Adapting to a Global Role Nestle recognised that for it to sustain its competitive advantage it needed to establish a global technological platform to capture data, manage information and create knowledge (Bell and Shelman, 2009). Consequently Brabeck made the strategic decision of initiating the GLOBE system. Using this common technological infrastructure, it would be able to share information amongst all Nestlà ©s businesses and allowed for a synchronization of data in its supply chain (Bell and Shelman 2009). Refocused Strategy: Nutrition, Health and Wellness Nutrition has always been an integral part of Nestlà ©s vision, dating back to its first nutritious infant formula. However, due to Nestlà ©s realisation of consumers being increasingly aware of the link between food, health and personal wellbeing, there has been more of a shift away from a technology and processing-driven image towards health and wellness (Bell and Shelman 2009). Under Brabecks tenure, a Nutrition Strategic Business Division was created, along with the acquisitions of Proteika, Musashi (nutrition business), Jenny Craig (diet centres) and Novartis Medical Nutrition (Bell and Shelman 2009). Restructuring of Research and Development Unit Nestlà © also made a strategic decision of restructuring its RD unit to satisfy customer needs and internal growth. This was by shifting away from small decentralized units set up globally to limited large resource-intensive centres. This was done to renovate old brands by finding multiple uses for its product. Under Brabecks tenure, a 60/40 preference rating system was introduced where products were either discontinued or sold if they did not achieve the 60% level. This was done in order to ameliorate the companys performance and market orientation (Bell and Shelman, 2009). 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   To what extent is the current strategy of NESTLE competitively sustainable in the future? How should it be rationalised and what new strategies ought to be developed in the future? Current strategy Nestlà ©s current strategy was to achieve worldwide sustainable competitiveness through four strategic pillars: low cost, efficient operations, renovation and innovation of the Nestle product line, universal availability and improved communication with consumers through better branding. They also had a vision of transforming the company from a technology-and processing-driven food and beverage company towards a vision of nutrition, health and wellness. (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p.3). Nestlà ©s current strategy of reorganizing its operations did come as an advantage as in some cases moved away from its agricultural and processing roots to buying the ingredients from outside suppliers (Bell and Shelman, 2009). This can be argued on the basis of Nestlà © reducing the steps of its value chain activities as Brabeck explained some of these activities could not add value to some businesses. An example would be the fact that Nestlà © exited from cocoa roasting but still carried on producing chocolate. This in turn reduced the costs and made the value chain more efficient. In fact, in terms of strategic operations, Lasserre (2012) argues that making fundamental changes in the value chain can lead to developing new products and services which can help a company sustain its innovative advantage. Moreover, to enhance the reliability of its suppliers, Nestlà © implemented a strategy of forming partnerships with its suppliers by creating direct links with them and providin g them with support and technical advice. This helped the company cope with the volatility of the supply market and enhance its operations.   Therefore, in terms of operational efficiency, Nestlà © can be seen to be sustainably competitive. Secondly, Nestlà ©s current strategy was focused on renovating and innovating its product line through reorganizing its RD.   Lasserre (2012) suggests that organizations such as Nestlà © could be trying to gain a critical mass advantage. He further explains that in order to achieve this, a minimum amount of resources needs to be mobilized for an activity to perform efficiently and effectively. Hence, Nestlà ©s shift from decentralized units of RD to few large resource-intensive centres. As a result of its RD centralization, Nestlà © was able to reinvigorate old brands; an example was finding multiple uses of the Nesquik brand from not only being a powder but to also present it as syrup and into ready to drink varieties. However, this strategy came at a disadvantage to Nestlà © as they lost the benefits of decentralization. These benefits include proximity to markets which gives a firm the ability to create products that fit local customer specificities, gaining access to geogr aphical clusters of knowledge creation and development access to good-quality scientists and the capability of a firm to learn from different market and cultures (Lasserre, 2012). Therefore, in terms of its RD strategy, it could be argued that Nestlà © will have trouble sustaining its competitive advantage in the future since part of its future strategy is to expand to other markets. Thirdly, with the introduction of GLOBE in the mid-2000s, Nestle initiated an era of capturing data by tying all of Nestlà ©s entities together under a common technological platform. This led to the company standardizing its data to manage its vast information and create and share knowledge among its Strategic business units, manufacturers and retailers. The main idea was to use shared knowledge to enhance the collaboration between all the different units of the company which can reduce costs and produce value all over the organisation. Bauwens (2012) outlines this as a social innovation where knowledge is shared and can be used by others. A good example would be the fact that the Globe system allowed for a synchronization of data leading to an improvement in order fulfilment between manufacturers and retailers. This has allowed Nestlà © to sustain its competitive advantage by adapting much faster to change and delivering value to customer (Lasserre, 2012). Therefore, knowledge sha ring has the potential to play a big role in helping Nestlà © maintain its competitive advantage.    Nestlà ©s final strategic pillar of improving communication between the organization and consumers through better branding could signify the companys efforts to differentiate its products. Barney (2011) would argue that Nestlà © could be trying to alter perceptions of current and potential consumers by altering its product features. In fact, Nestlà © focused on reducing fat and calories as well as incorporating healthy and natural ingredients into a wide range of products. It could be argued also that better branding is linked to its vision of moving from a food and beverage company to a wellness, health and nutrition company. This could also be Nestlà ©s way of differentiating its products by taking advantage of its reputation in the marketplace as a leading company in its industry. Therefore, customers would, in the long term, respond positively to the companys efforts of producing healthier products. Thus, if Nestlà © actually succeeds in changing peoples perceptions and posi tion itself as a health driven company, it can manage to maintain its competitive advantage in the future. It is through these four strategic pillars that Nestlà © derives its current model, the Nestlà © model, which refers to the companys long term of objectives of organic growth (target of 5% and 6% each year), continuous yearly improvement in EBIT and improve capital management which determines the assets of the company against the profit it generates (Bell and Shelman, 2009). The company seems to be achieving its objective as it has slightly improved its earnings before interest and taxes as seen in exhibit 6; it has slightly made progress in its capital management through its improved return on capital employed as seen in Appendix 2; and it has been able to achieve its objective of organic growth between 5% and 6% except for 3 years between 1996 -2007 years also indicated in Exhibit 6. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Nestlà ©s current strategy is competitively sustainable in the present however it remains to be seen if it can be successful in the future with its new vision . This is due to the fact that Nestlà © is possibly trying to implement both product differentiation and cost leadership strategies. Porter (1980) defines such firms as stuck in the middle (Barney, 2011). On the one hand, three of its strategic pillars indicate the companys intention of becoming a cost leader through low cost operations, restructuring its product line and efficiently managing its knowledge. On the other hand, it wants to differentiate its whole portfolio of products and services by changing the product features or by diversifying their products. Porter (1980) cited in Barney 2011 further explains that if a firm tries to implement both strategies then one of them will fail. He continues to add that for a firm to be economically superior in a single industry then they need to sell   at a high price and have small market share (product differentiator) or sell at a low price and gain significant market share (cost leader) therefore Nestlà © needs to decide which of the two it wants to become . As a result, a lot of their organizational requirements such as organizational structure and management control systems are stuck in the middle for example the fact that certain products need to be managed globally especially in the nutrition division while others are locally managed. Nestlà ©s current strategy could be rationalized by foregoing their vision of being a nutrition, health and wellness organization. Instead they should focus on being more of a healthier food and beverages company as a cost leader with its current Nestlà © model. First of all, if Nestlà © was to pursue a health, nutrition and wellness strategy Nestlà © would then have to restructure its product portfolio by getting rid of its unhealthy products such as Hot Pockets, and Kit-Kat. In exhibit 8 it can be seen that these products do not deliver growth to the company yet in exhibit 9 they seem to have a higher market share. This shows that the unhealthy products are in fact the cash cows of Nestlà © which indicate that they are the foundation of the company. It should try and follow Unilevers example of focusing on its core products. Therefore, Nestlà © should frame new strategies and make changes to its vision. Instead of holding on to unrealistic goals, the company could reposition itself in the market as becoming healthier than the competition. In fact, Nestlà © has already implemented this approach in the past with several products by introducing some nutritional improvements. As an example, Nestlà © reduced ice-cream fat by 50% and calories by 30% for Dreyers Slow Churned ice-creams and added healthy ingredients to some chocolate snacks (Bell and Shelman 2009). This indicates that the company has the resources needed to deploy this repositioning strategy. The company should also revaluate its SWOT analysis in terms of switching its vision to Health, Nutrition and Wellness. (refer to Appendix 2) Indeed, the strong RD platform enables Nestlà © to produce more healthy products while maintaining its taste. Moreover, Nestlà © has the capabilities of doing so with its open innovation model (global network with 5,000 scientists and technologists as well as RD centres worldwide) which enables the company to maximize its chances of coming up with new and innovative products. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regards to future strategies what are the strategic implementation issues likely to be faced by the company and what actions should they take to overcome them? Future strategies One of the future strategies of Nestlà © is to grow internally instead of growing through mergers and acquisition. Implementing this strategy could be catastrophic for the company as its growth has been largely relying on acquisitions and joint ventures. Nestlà © would also lose the benefits of using joint ventures, strategic alliances and acquisitions (Appendix 4). This would then imply that Nestlà © would have to use its own resources and core competencies to expand thus placing a greater risk on the business. It can also have a negative impact on the liquidity position of the company. A way in which this issue could be overcome is by applying both strategies. By applying both strategies, the company would be able to spread its corporate risk and share its costs as its return on capital employed still continues to generate profits for the company. Additionally, Nestlà © has managed to build strong foundations through mergers and acquisitions which has led it to improve its financial position. As seen on Exhibit 4, the acquisition of businesses has increased from 447 million in 2006 to 456 million in 2007 which has improved its cash flow. Therefore, in order to maintain a strong position, Nestlà © should carry on with mergers and acquisitions as well as growing internally. Another of the future strategies initiated by Bulcke is to shift the structure of Nestlà © from an organisation by country to an organisation by business through sharing best practices using GLOBE (Bell and Shelman 2009, p.10). He argues that this would enable Nestlà © to start managing its operations globally instead of adapting to every market. However, using the McKinsey 7s framework, many issues can be foreseen as seen on the table below. Factor Strategy Produce variety of quality products, wide variety of brands. Focus on nutrition, health and wellness. 4 strategic pillars (low cost, efficient operations, renovation and innovation of the Nestle product line, universal availability and improved communication with consumers through better branding) (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 3) Structure Decentralised and relatively flat organisational structure which helps to cater for local needs thus increasing flexibility. organized by country/ every country is like a small kingdom It has operations worldwide through strategic business units. System Comprehensive information system:   the GLOBE Employees move from the bottom up in the organisation. Style Democratic leadership style: managers are given autonomy to take decisions.   As such, they feel a sense of belonging in the organisation Staff Nestlà © maintains local companies with regional staff in local markets as they better understand the needs of customers. 43 regional organisations. More than 275,000 employees. It has a pool of experts- its staff consists of scientists, technologists from top universities (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 6) Skills Nestlà ©s competitive advantage is its RD. It has a high level of technology (23 Product Technology Centres), and  a network of experts around the world. (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 9). Shared Values Deliver long term value to shareholders. Focus on long term results. Unwritten culture strong personal culture (Bell and Shelman, 2009, p. 8). Although the change in the structure and the strategy was supported with a change in systems by adapting the GLOBE, other elements of the framework have not been adapted. For instance, the style used by Nestlà © was a democratic leadership style where management in the different countries are given a great deal of autonomy. By changing to a more centralized and global management style some internal resistance from the people can emerge.   The different markets are used to operating as small kingdoms (Bell and Shelman 2009, p.10). Therefore, given that country managers in the different countries were used to be given a great deal of freedom especially when dealing with issues related directly to the customer, this new strategy can produce some internal problems for Nestlà ©. To overcome this issue, other elements of the 7s framework have to be adapted. The main element that links everything together is shared values. Nestlà © has to work on making changes to its internal culture by introducing new shared values between its people. Implementing the GLOBE is not enough to implement the new strategy, a culture of sharing information and best practices should also be introduced and reinforced. Nestlà © should teach its people to move from a management style of taking control and matters into their own hands to a style of sharing control and producing decisions globally and collectively. The implementation of this approach may differ across countries due to the cross-cultural differences between countries. According to Lasserre (2012), country specific cultural values influence managerial values and assumptions in an organisation. As an example, Lasserre (2012) illustrates that western countries are more individualistic while Asian countries are collectivists which heavily impacts how business is done in these countries. In terms of implementing a culture of sharing, it can be assumed that Asian countries would respond more positively to the change than western countries.   Ã‚   Nestlà © intends to achieve its future growth by implementing four platforms for growth which are health, nutrition and wellness (to be the centrepiece), emerging markets, out of home consumption and premiumisation of existing products. (Bell and Shelman, 2009).The aforementioned strategy for growth is expected to double Nestlà ©s sales in the next 10 years. (Bell and Shelman, 2009)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bulcke emphasized that the priority should be on health, nutrition and wellness to implement the vision into every product segment and every country. This vision is in line with Brabecks strategies of going beyond food to Nutrition, Health and Wellness (Bell and Shelman, 2009). The total sales for Nestlà © Nutrition segment has significantly increased from 5,964 million in 2006 to 8,434 in 2007, which represents an improvement of 41% as shown in Exhibit 11. Although total sales have increased, most products that have led to this increase in sales were unhealthy. So, in order to maintain its vision as a Health, Nutrition and Wellness, Nestlà © should give up its unhealthy products in the long term. However, this would negatively impact on the financial position of the company as these are its core products. Moreover, making the same products available in every market might not be adapted to the needs of every customer in terms of tastes, preferences and nutritional value so Nestlà © should make sure at least every different product are tailored to the needs of every different market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regarding emerging markets, Bulcke found out that these markets are growing at a faster pace and therefore Nestlà © should integrate further into it as there is a high potential for growth. The implementation of popularly position products (PPP), a strategy designed for low income earners so they can afford good nutrition products on a daily basis, is ex

The Existence of God †A Very Brief History :: Analysis, Descartes, Leibniz

The subsequent essay will cover a brief history on the existence of God from Renà © Descartes through Immanuel Kant. First, section (1), examines Descartes’ ontological argument for the existence of God. Following this, in (2), I consider G.W. Leibniz’s view which seeks to rectify some of Descartes shortcomings. Descartes and Leibniz believed that the existence of God could be proved via reason. The remainder of the essay then examines two additional philosophers, David Hume in section (4) and Immanuel Kant in (5), who content that God’s existence cannot be rationally proved. (1) Being a devout Catholic, Descartes, undeniably believed in God. He makes this clear in the beginning of Meditations on First Philosophy. He writes that we must â€Å"believe in God’s existence because it is taught in the Holy Scriptures, and, conversely, that we must believe in the Holy Scriptures because they have come from God† (Descartes, 1). Nonetheless, in his search for absolute certainty, Descartes casts doubt on everything, including religion. In the Third Meditation, Descartes considers the existence of God, conceding that, â€Å"I do not yet sufficiently know if there is even a God† (25). Succinctly, Descartes does not know if God exists with any certainty. He then deliberates â€Å"whether there is a God† (25). However, even though he questions God’s existence, Descartes still maintains an innate idea of a substance that is an â€Å"infinite, independent, supremely intelligent and supremely powerful† perfect being who create d everything (30). After deliberating, he concludes that because of his innate idea of God, (which was not conjured by the mind or drawn from the senses), it must therefore be God who endowed him with the idea. Moreover, because Descartes exists and has an idea of God, he concludes that God must also exist. He explicitly states this in the following: â€Å"I have no choice but to conclude that the mere fact of my existing is and of there being in me an idea of a most perfect being, that is God, demonstrates most evidently that God too exists† (34). Then, in the Fifth Meditation, Descartes claims to provide a proof for the existence of God. The proof operates on the idea of a triangle which has â€Å"a certain determinate nature, essence, or form which is unchangeable and eternal† (43). Descartes continues his proof stating that the properties of a triangle are not fabricated by or dependent on his mind. The Existence of God – A Very Brief History :: Analysis, Descartes, Leibniz The subsequent essay will cover a brief history on the existence of God from Renà © Descartes through Immanuel Kant. First, section (1), examines Descartes’ ontological argument for the existence of God. Following this, in (2), I consider G.W. Leibniz’s view which seeks to rectify some of Descartes shortcomings. Descartes and Leibniz believed that the existence of God could be proved via reason. The remainder of the essay then examines two additional philosophers, David Hume in section (4) and Immanuel Kant in (5), who content that God’s existence cannot be rationally proved. (1) Being a devout Catholic, Descartes, undeniably believed in God. He makes this clear in the beginning of Meditations on First Philosophy. He writes that we must â€Å"believe in God’s existence because it is taught in the Holy Scriptures, and, conversely, that we must believe in the Holy Scriptures because they have come from God† (Descartes, 1). Nonetheless, in his search for absolute certainty, Descartes casts doubt on everything, including religion. In the Third Meditation, Descartes considers the existence of God, conceding that, â€Å"I do not yet sufficiently know if there is even a God† (25). Succinctly, Descartes does not know if God exists with any certainty. He then deliberates â€Å"whether there is a God† (25). However, even though he questions God’s existence, Descartes still maintains an innate idea of a substance that is an â€Å"infinite, independent, supremely intelligent and supremely powerful† perfect being who create d everything (30). After deliberating, he concludes that because of his innate idea of God, (which was not conjured by the mind or drawn from the senses), it must therefore be God who endowed him with the idea. Moreover, because Descartes exists and has an idea of God, he concludes that God must also exist. He explicitly states this in the following: â€Å"I have no choice but to conclude that the mere fact of my existing is and of there being in me an idea of a most perfect being, that is God, demonstrates most evidently that God too exists† (34). Then, in the Fifth Meditation, Descartes claims to provide a proof for the existence of God. The proof operates on the idea of a triangle which has â€Å"a certain determinate nature, essence, or form which is unchangeable and eternal† (43). Descartes continues his proof stating that the properties of a triangle are not fabricated by or dependent on his mind.

Wells Anti Lynching Campaign

Ida B. Wells was a well-established journalist who lived during the late 19th century and the early 20th century. She was born in Mississippi in 1862 to James and Elizabeth Wells, who were enslaved until the Emancipation Proclamation. When Ida was 16, both of her parents and her youngest brother were killed by a yellow fever epidemic. Ida took the responsibility of looking after and providing for her five remaining siblings. Wells moved to Memphis with her aunt where she made many connections with nationally renowned figures focused on the betterment of African-American society. While in Memphis, Wells became a leading figure in the community. She wrote her first article in 1884 and by 1889 was the co-owner of the Free Speech and Headlight paper. Wells was also elected to the position of National Press Association secretary. In 1892, three of Wells’ friends were wrongfully lynched. Until this event, Ida had supported the idea of lynching as a punishment for crimes. She began to take a closer look at lynching and was astonished by what she discovered. This prompted Ida to launch her anti-lynching campaign. After being exiled from Memphis, Ida found a writing position for the New York Age. On June 25, 1892, Ida published an article depicting her exile from Memphis. This gave her anti-lynching campaign the momentum it needed to get off the ground. Lynching was a common practice in the south during the late 19th century. At first it was used as a way to serve justice for crimes. But it quickly evolved; whites used lynching as a way to control the African-American population with the fear of being killed. These events were not isolated what so ever. The events occurring following the Robert Charles manhunt in New Orleans are a prime example of how lynching was not isolated to the perpetrator at all. Charles was being wrongfully arrested and retaliated. After injuring one of the officers and escaping, the man hunt ensued. Mobs formed quickly began to lose focus. Instead of focusing their anger and rage against Charles, they directed it at any African-American they saw. It was no longer an isolated incident and innocent people were being brutally beaten and killed. Ida Wells told the story of what happened in New Orleans to help raise awareness to the events that took place. She wanted to show the rest of America that lynching was not isolated and was completely race biased. Mobs of people were walking through the streets beating or killing ever African-American in sight. They didn’t stop there; they killed innocent people while they were sleeping in their houses. While this started with one man, it turned into a city-wide, bloodthirsty, racially biased conviction. Ida Wells published â€Å"Mob Rule in New Orleans† on September 1, 1900. The text within depicted the events that took place during the manhunt and the mass mob lynching. She describes all of the events in detail, starting with the initial confrontation with Charles. Ida also focused on the innocents caught by the mob, and newspaper articles regarding the individuals. Ida Wells writes, â€Å"its[the mob] only purpose was to pursue, beat and kill any colored man or woman† (Wells, 191). In the publication, Ida expresses that these events were motivated in no way. She explained that the only cause behind this was race, and that America did have a race problem. The South was very divide, and the division was dictated solely by race. Lynching was used as a deterrent, a way to scare African-American into accepting oppression. Ida Wells brought light to the nation on the truth about lynching. She showed the North that it was no longer a practice of justice; instead it had become a crucifixion of anyone with dark skin. The anti-lynching campaign kicked off in 1892. In that year there were 241 lynchings as reported by the Chicago Tribune (Wells, 206). By then end of the century, that number was reduced to 107. It’s no coincidence that the numbers decreased as the campaign grew in strength. The campaign spread the truth about lynching to the nation. Ida Wells was focused on improving the quality of life for all, and she was successful in doing so. She was a very influential person, not only the aspect of anti-lynching, but also on the civil rights front. Her message was heard loud and clear across the nation. Her efforts to stop lynching and improve the quality of life were very successful, paving her way into the history books.

Operations objectives at Penang Mutiara Essay

Qn 1a) Describe how you think Wernie will make sure that the way he manages the hotel is appropriate to the way it competes for business; Penang Mutiara, being one of the most prestigious hotels in Penang, have managed to secure a foothold in this lucrative and highly competitive environment. Wernie has the vision and very clear focused beliefs about the importance of running an effective operation where customers have every right to demand for first class service which they are obliged to provide for. Assuming neighbouring competitors such as Pelangi Beach Resort Langkawi and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort who is adopting common strategies like pricing and product strategies, Penang Mutiara aim at providing impeccable quality and customer orientated strategy to provide a personal touch as part of its uniqueness to retain customers. In order to compete for business and to keep abreast with stiff competition in the hotel industry, currently, Wernie adopted impeccable quality strategy where he recognizes that â€Å"it is impeccable service which gives us our competitive advantage, not price.† Since it is cheaper to retain regular guests than to attract new ones, he understand the advantage of retaining regular guests through providing impeccable services which will in a way retain high occupancy rates to keep costs down while achieving reasonable profitability. To achieve that, he set basic standards for his staff to be well trained, knowledgeable, sensitive and anticipative to think ahead in order to provide basic and value-added services to satisfy customer’s needs. The ability to remember regular customer’s information and personal preferences can also add on to a personal touch upon their next visit. Additionally, quality services in terms of providing stylish design and top-class materials and being able to practise good preventive maintenance to the building structure and equipment is also another way of sustaining high class image and luxury atmosphere to create a comfortable feeling to welcome visiting guests. Wernie also measure the performance based on five performance objectives of Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost. To conclude, even though Penang Mutiara managed to maintain its competitiveness with their current strategy in the short run, however it is not sufficient to remain competitiveness due to volatile market demand. Moreover, with the emergence of the global tourism, hospitality industry and globalization with competition from ubiquitously, the need to augment existing and new strategies need to be address speedily. Qn 1b) Describe how you think Wernie will implement any change in strategy; Wernie should introduce new strategies to supplement and implement further changes to enhance the existing strategy. To implement speedily new changes in the short term, supply chain management method can be used to improve internal processes rapidly can also be utilised to stay competitive. The strength of Penang Mutiara includes the strategic location of being secluded and tranquil and with Wernie who has vast experience at managing luxury hotel worldwide, he has the ability to lead and influence the staff to bring about better internal functions. To sustain existing quality strategy, Wernie can adopt proactive approach to enhance and maintain consistentancy in quality and level of services by conducting staff training, retrain and upgrading of skills to meet the volatile market demand and unpredictable customer expectation. He should always review and set new service standards for the staff for continuous improvement, conduct regular focus group studies to predict future customer requirements in terms of service and facilities, minimise and eliminate high employee turnover at the front desk by taking good care of staff welfare, and exercise job rotation of staff to promote innovation and creativity in the job. To supplement the informal channels of communication, regular consumer’s opinion surveys can be conducted for rating to monitor the quality of its services and quality and efficiency as part of the feedback method. With the target group of corporate businessman and to enhance its competitiveness, Wernie can adopt new flexibility strategy by utilisation of most advance reservations technology and internet for hotel reservations. He can also offer online competitive rates while ensuring complete security of customers’ personal information and credit card details and offer instant confirmation for hotel reservations to promote efficiency. Marketing strategies is an important vision for growing of the profitability and value of the hotel such as introduction of frequent user programme, loyalty card program with further savings for travel and vacation plans. Hotel can also host elite social and sporting events which include International wine and food festival, polo championship, international cup to provide a platform to showcase its various expertises in lifestyle creation which can help to boost high occupancy rates also. With business travel growing at a faster pace than leisure, Wernie should expand target group to include corporate, business travel package and tourist group to bring in more profits. New lifestyle experiences and F & B concept strategy can also be implemented to define the highest standards of service excellence. 1c) Describe how you think Wernie will develop his operation so that it drives the long-term strategy of the hotel. In 3 to 5 years time, operations challenge and threats which include globalization of markets, social responsibility, influence of new technologies and emergence of knowledge management will have an immense impact on Penang Mutiara. Since majority of the revenues in hospitality will be generated from the Internet. By 2006, the Internet will contribute over 24% of all hotel bookings which will be direct-to-consumer (i.e. via hotel-owned websites). To overcome the threats, Wernie can enhance the technology strategy, stay ahead of his competitors and capture new market share with an effective Direct Online Distribution Strategy with the advantages of having direct online distribution cuts costs, attracts affluent customers and lessens the dependency on online discounters and more traditional and expensive channels. It will also provide the hotel with long-term competitive advantages and lessen their dependence on intermediaries, discounters and traditional channels that are about to become obsolete. Wernie can also employ all Direct Channel strategies such as email and pay-per-click marketing, link creation, lowest price guarantee, loyalty and retention programs, and trust building to encourage, entice, and convert lookers into bookers on his website. Other measures also includes: re-evaluate his exposure in the Indirect Online Distribution Channel to avoid brand and price erosion with long-term negative repercussions ; limitation of exposure in the Indirect Channel to only a selected number of hotel-friendlier intermediaries ; institute a comprehensive Total Online Distribution Strategy, which turns the direct-to-consumer distribution model into the main focus of his Internet strategy and optimizes the Direct vs. Indirect Channel balance for the hotel ; subscribe competitive intelligence to allow him to help him to identify hotel pricing and positioning on major indirect channels throughout the Internet, and assure he maintain control of pricing with positioning without having to necessarily match lower competitive rates. He can also adopt further strategies such as Website Optimization Strategy, comprehensive Destination Web Strategy, perform a robust Search Engine Strategy and partner with an experienced eBusiness hospitality consultancy to help him navigate the Internet and utilize the Direct Online Distribution Channel to its fullest potential at reasonable cost, with quick turnaround. In the long run, Wernie should look into diversification and expand globally, divest non-core properties, target new source markets such as Southeast Asia, China and India. As part of human resource management, Wernie should encourage two way communications between higher management and staff. Participation by all levels of staff should be encourage to provide feedback and suggestions to improvise operations and services since they are the people who have the most contact and are in direct contact with the customers. They are the ones who knows customers demands and are able to receive immediate feedback and valuable responses which are necessary for continuous improvement. While implementing operation changes, Wernie must be able to deal with cultural changes and changes in mindset of the staff in order to succeed in any minor or major restructuring of operations management of the hotel As part of its long term strategy, Wernie can adopt performance management to achieve long term, strategic cost reduction. Secondly, Total quality management, which is concerned with the continuous improvement of all aspects of operations performance, can also be adopted to continually meet and exceed unanticipating expectations of customers. To conclude, achieving competitive advantage through achieving accolades by winning several prestigious international awards in the long run can also enhance the hotel name to bring in stable revenues and profits. Qn 2) The case describes how quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost impact on the hotel’s external customers. Explain how each of these performance objectives might have internal benefits. The five performance objectives of Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost will have an impact and benefits on both internal and external customers of the hotel. Quality objective, which means doing things right can benefit external  customers by  delivering impeccable quality service to achieve service excellence. Internally, staff can achieve satisfaction by providing error-free goods and services to give quality advantage to the external customers. With the minimization of blunders, time and cost of rectifying the mistakes are reduced effectively. Achieving high customer satisfaction will lead to the likelihood that the customer will return. Dependability also increases as it leads to a stable and efficient organization. It also enables high motivation, high morale, and great satisfaction of staff. Staff will have a sense of belonging and security for being part of the organization. All these will lead to efficient organization. Speed objective which means doing things right, can benefit external customers by giving them a speed advantage to receive the services in the shortest possible time with minimum delay. Internally, it effectively minimizes the response time to deliver services to the customers which in turn reduce the labour cost and increasing the availability of services, allow speedy decision-making and speedy movement of materials and information inside the operation. It also reduces risks and inventories. Help to establish and maintain hotel’s image and reputation, reduce backlog since there won’t be much follow up. Reduce wastage of labour and can concentrate on providing good service to other guests. Dependability objective, which means to do things on time and to deliver timely promises made to the customers. External customers can gain a dependability advantage should operations staff are able to succeed this objective. Internally, it enables staff to win mutual trust and increases operational reliability of internal customers in delivering services thus saving time, money due to ineffective use of time. It can also achieve a high level of trust between departments and minimize disruptions. If all departments are  dependable and everything in an operation is perfectly dependable and in the case of any emergency or disruptions, each department knows what to do and their roles and duties of how to overcome the situation where everything will be predictable with no â€Å"surprises†. Flexibility objectives, with the ability to make changes to allow flexibility to vary and adapt the operations activities to cope with unforeseen circumstances. Externally, customers are able to enjoy the flexibility advantage to receive customised services according to their personal preferences should they have any. Internally, it can speed up response time, save time wasted in changeover and maintain dependability. Flexibility in deployment of staff who is able to multi task during emergency or peak season as extra help can help to avoid work overload by hiring temporary staff. Staffs enjoy the benefit of empowerment to make speedy decisions in order to achieve efficiency so as to reduce seeking high authority approval which take ages. Cost objectives by doing things cheaply, seek to influence the cost of the hotel’s goods and services. Externally, it can pass good value and savings to consumers. Internally, by allowing a good return to the organization, low operating expenses and low employment overhead by engaging temporary staff during peak period to avoid abundant staff after the season can achieve cost reduction which means more incentives, welfare and bonuses for staff (Total word count : 1957 words) BIBLIOGRAPHY 1) Operations management – 3rd edition, Nigel Slack 2) Cases in Operations management – 2nd edition, Robert Johnston 3) Business strategy in Asia (A casebook) – 2nd edition, Kulwant Singh 4) http://asiatravel.com/malaysia/penangmutiara/index.html 5) www.penang-mutiara.com.my 6) http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_1st/Feb04_OnlineStrategy.html

Aguilar Surname Meaning and Origin

Aguilar Surname Meaning and Origin The popular Spanish last name Aguilar likely denotes that the surnames original bearer  came from any of numerous places called Aguilar or Aguilas, from the Latin aquilare, meaning haunt of eagles. Those of Spanish origin, for example, may have come from the city of Aguilar (also called Aguilar de la Frontera) in Spain, near Cà ³rdoba. Some other possible localities of origin include Aguilar de Campoo in Palencia, Spain, and Aguilar de Segarra from the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.   Aguilar is the 45th most common Hispanic surname. According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, the name is most commonly found today in Spain, especially in the Andalucia region, followed by Argentina. Top cities include the Spanish cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, and Sevilla, plus Los Angeles in the U.S. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Catalan, Jewish (Sephardic from Spain or Portugal) Alternate Surname Spellings:  AGUILERA, AGUILER, AGUILLAR, AGUILLARD Famous People with the Surname Aguilar Grace Aguilar - English novelist and poet, best known for her writing on  Jewish history and religionChristina Aguilera - American pop singer, song writer and actressJeronimo de Aguilar -  Franciscan friar involved in the 1519 Spanish conquest of MexicoPepe Aguilar - American-born Mexican  singer-songwriter and actor Genealogy Resources for the Surname Aguilar 50 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 50 common Hispanic last names? AGUILAR Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Aguilar surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Aguilar query. FamilySearch - AGUILAR GenealogyDiscover historical records and lineage-linked family trees for individuals with the Aguilar surname and its variations from this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. AGUILAR Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Aguilar surname. DistantCousin.com - AGUILAR Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Aguilar. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Nursing ethics

Nursing ethics For the purpose of this assignment, ethics in relation to nursing will be discussed. "Ethics; A code of principles governing correct behaviour, which in the nursing profession includes behaviour towards patients and their families, visitorsand colleagues" (Oxford Dictionary of Nursing 2004).This assignment will consider autonomy as identified in a practice placement, but will also look briefly at the ethical principle of non-malefience that is relevant in this assignment. It will also closely look at this issue and will describe how the principles of ethics apply to practice. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2004).Any names of patients referred to in this assignment have been changed to protect their confidentiality. The NMC states as a registered nurse you must guard against breaches of confidentiality by protecting information from improper disclosure at all times. The placement referred to in this assignment is an Elderly Mentally Infirm (EMI) home, which is located on Merseyside.The logo of NHS WalesThe United Kingdom Central Midwifery and Health visiting Council (UKCC 2002, clause 6)). Which is now known as The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Also state that "Health Care Professionals should recognize the respect the uniqueness and dignity of each patient and client, and respond to their need for care irrespective of their ethnic origin, religious beliefs, personal attributes, the nature if their health problems or any other factor".Autonomy ("Greek: Auto-Nomos - nomos meaning "law": one who gives oneself his own law) means freedom from external authority": Wikipedia, encyclopedia (2004).On this placement, there were several examples of how autonomy influenced care delivery; this assignment will address two of these examples. The first incident involved an eighty six year old lady called Betty, who suffered with severe dementia, the Practice nurse from her surgery was coming into the home to...

How to Talk About the Weather in German

How to Talk About the Weather in German Regardless of the language, everyone likes to talk about the  weather. Learning how to talk about the weather in German is a key part of learning the language. This means youll need to learn more than just the  terms for the weather in German. You will also need to adjust  how  you talk about the weather. As with many other countries, Germany measures weather-related issues like barometric pressure and temperatures differently than in the U.S. There are even a few hidden vocabulary traps youll need to learn to avoid when talking about how warm or cold you are in German. When youre in German-speaking Europe, you also need to learn how to listen to a typical weather forecast. For example, you may need einen Regenschirm (an umbrella )  if Regen  (rain) is in the Wettervorhersage (weather forecast). Weather-Related Vocabulary and Phrases in German The tables  list common weather phrases and vocabulary. Review the chart below to learn many common German weather words and weather-related expressions. The table offers the German phrase or question on the left with the English translation on the right. In German, weather phrases can begin with  es  (it is, or its) or  es  ist  (which also means it is or its). You use  es  with a verb  and es ist  with an adjective.   Das Wetter Expressions DEUTSCH ENGLISH Fragen Questions Wie ist das Wetter heute? Whats the weather like today? Ist es warm/kalt/khl? Is it warm/cold/cool? Wie viel Grad sind es? Whats the temperature?How many degrees is it? Scheint die Sonne? Is the sun shining? Wo ist mein Regenschirm? Wheres my umbrella? ES + VERB Es regnet. Its raining. Es blitzt. Theres lightning. Es donnert. Its thundering. Es schneit. Its snowing. Es hagelt. Its hailing. ES IST + ADJECTIVE Es ist schn. Its nice. Es ist bewlkt. Its cloudy. Es ist hei. Its hot. Es ist kalt. Its cold. Es ist windig. Its windy. Es ist schwl. Its muggy/humid. So ein Sauwetter! Such lousy weather! MIR + IST Mir ist kalt. I feel cold./Im cold. Ist es dir zu hei? Do you feel too hot?/Are you too hot? A Note About Dative Phrases Although it is OK to say Im hot/cold in English, this is not the case in German. To express that you feel hot or cold in German, use a dative pronoun -   dir (to you) and  mir (to me) in the examples above. In German, you say, to me, it is hot rather than I am hot, which in German would roughly translate as you are in heat. Indeed, if you want to  speak German, youll also have to know your dative prepositions. Many dative prepositions are common terms in German, such as  nach  (after, to),  von  (by, of) and  mit  (with). Its hard to speak without them. Simply put,  dative prepositions  are governed by the  dative  case. That is, they are followed by a noun or take an object in the dative case.

Unit 6 Case Management Discussion Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 Management Discussion - Case Study Example The client was unusually perfect and smartly dressed. On the aspect of personality assessment, the client was apparently guarded in his responses. With respect to Summers (2012), the client remained significantly conservative and evasive, with minimum contributions accompanied by a substantial degree of suspicion. The client also appears awkward in behavior and posturing. He displayed consistent impairment in holding inappropriate sitting postures. The client was anxious throughout the entire diagnosis. During conversations, he appeared distressed and worried by the interview setting. Apart from anxiety, the client also showed significant degrees of emotional withdrawal. He was unexpressive and displayed no sign of change in moods and emotions. According to Summers (2012), this could be seen from the consistent and blunt facial expression of the client throughout the interview. Based on results from the mental status exam, numerous syndromes were established within the client’s mental problem. One symptom is that the client remained blunt and unexpressive for fear of being embarrassed or humiliated by his inappropriate actions. He also displayed elevated self-consciousness by dressing in an unusually smart manner. Summers (2012) say that additional clinical symptoms include the client’s display of extreme worry of being judged by other on what he says. In this regard, he remained rather guarded and evasive during the interview. The client’s sustained and inappropriate sitting postures suggests impairment in physical aspects when placed within a social

Power within organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power within organization - Essay Example Referent power originates from being trusted and/or respected. One gains this power when employees in the organization trust what they do and respect them for how they handle various situations. For instance, a manager who uses his power positively to ensure policies are in place for ensuring employees is fairly treated. Sin, this form of power subordinate, comply since one is in authority, for instance, the boss. This power exists when employees recognize the authority of their leader. For instance, the executive manager who determines budgetary needs of the company. His positive or negative consideration boost his legitimacy Many junior workers are motivated by rewards and incentives to be submissive to the superior. This inner motivation is a positive example of reward power. Other examples would include salary increment, job promotion, etc. The role of reward power is to trigger that human feature that appreciates recognition for high achievement. Expert power originates from an individual’s experiences, knowledge, and skills. Whenever an individual gains experience they become thought leaders in those fields and gather expert power enough to get others to help them meet their goals. For instance, the senior engineer who is an expert designing various unique applicants can positively use his or her power to get

Six sigma method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Six sigma method - Essay Example Firstly, process outputs usually confront variations that are reduced by continuous efforts of the executives, in order to develop the business in an effective manner. Secondly, measurement, analysis, and controlling of different business processes, such as manufacturing, supply, marketing, etc. is done by the people at managerial positions. Thirdly, entire organization should be encouraged to participate in the different business processes, in order to achieve a quality position of the company. In this regard, every employee from the top-level management to the clerk has been emphasized in the Six-Sigma method. In definition, when quality production according to the specifications is acquired by the highly capable procedures and strategies, the ability of these processes has been referred as the Six-Sigma. Particularly, improvement of all the processes involved in a business is the major objective of the Six-Sigma method. In the year 1986, Motorola Company registered the service and trademark, Six Sigma. One of the major achievements of utilization of Six-Sigma method is the savings of more than fifteen billion dollars that was achieved by the Motorola in the year 2006. In addition, some of the major multinational companies have acquired and implemented the strategies of six-sigma method in their practices and have achieved significant results, such as Honeywell International, General Electric, etc. In specific, standard deviation of a population is generally represented by the Greek letter '' in lower case and referred as Sigma. In this regard, every item can be produced and supplied according to the given specifications, is the chief objective and theory of the six-sigma method. However, a number of experts have criticized the practicality of its approach, but this method has been able to achieve implementation in a number of companies around the globe. (Brue, 2002) A business process that implements a six-sigma method usually results in the production of approximate four defective parts out of every million production according to the definition of a six-sigma method, which has been significantly accepted by most of the business companies around the world. In terms of supply, 3.4 products will be supply beyond the specifications in every one million products in a six-sigma method. The process mean and the closest limit of specification share the number of standard deviations that is referred as the sigma in a capability study. The six-sigma method usually implies perfection rather than imperfection; however, the creators of six-sigma method have accepted that this method usually works effectively in short term processes, rather than the long-term procedures that usually produce more products that are defective. Methodology Generally, two important methodologies of six-sigma method have been accepted by most of the businesses around the world. In this regard, W. Edwards Deming was the first person to introduce and inspired others to the two strategies of the six-sigma method. Specifically, DMAIC and DMADV are the two abbreviations of the important methodologies found in the six-sigma method. When efforts are made to improve an existing business process, the efforts under the six-sigma met

Government grants for alternative energy research Proposal

Government grants for alternative energy - Research Proposal Example Moreover, in case of a successful research, state can export the resources to gain wealth and improve relations with other countries. It will also provide the country with a more self-sufficient structure of its own and external facilitation in terms of loans and aids will be significantly reduced (Gibilisco, 234). The alternative energy is a vast range of possibilities and so this research will only focus the energy derived from hydropower i.e. water. An important reason for this selection is the surplus availability of water due to the presence of the coastline. Once the literature review is complete, further narrowing of the topic can take place. For instance what sort of water etc. Nevertheless, by what is thoroughly known presently, it is safe to say that the research will analyze the efficiency of seawater from the south shore as an energy source. It will also extend to observing the hazards faced by the sea life and the civilians in case of execution and measures that could be performed to lessen the hazardous effects. Works Cited Gibilisco, S. Alternative energy demystified, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006. Simon C. A.

The Movie Unforgiven As An Anti-Western Western Essay

The Movie Unforgiven As An Anti-Western Western - Essay Example The flimsy nature of this explanation is shown by the need for hyperbole whenever the story is told. The Kid, Munny, and Ned categorically attempt the assassination for egocentric goals (Sarat 308). They are particularly interested in attaining glory, to bring back former glory, or just for the money. This portrays the westerners as men of leisure. Their motivation is selfish, fulfilling their calling. Although to some extent, the material gain can be viewed as secondary in the film, Munny is in need of money. Apart from the farm, he has a family to support. His passion is no longer gun fighting. Munny has abandoned that life and only returns to it for what that life can offer him, an opportunity to make a fresh start with his family (Sarat 309). The western convention of gentlemen goes on in Beauchamp's story of English Bob. Little Bill disapproves this story and views Bob as a fearful rogue with a need, and yet a limited aptitude for violence. He gives Beauchamp an account of the s tory. In the process, he relates what he believes takes to be a western hero. According to him, accuracy and coolness of head, rather than speed, makes a western hero. The Westerner is also painted as lonely and somehow melancholy (Kamir 195). Munny faces Little Bill as well as his disputes singlehandedly, which is quite usual in the western. However, their loneliness is not imposed on them by their situations. Rather, it belongs to them intimately and testifies to their completeness. This loneliness is organic, but Munny is not portrayed in the film as being organically alone. At the beginning of the movie, Munny has two partners (Kamir 196). They somehow leave him as a result of the film’s narrative developments. Both the Kid and Ned abandon the gunfighter lifestyle. Munny to some extend ends up alone since that is what is required by the genre, a lone hero. The film also concerns the generic conventions of the western.

Leadership degree level Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership degree level - Essay Example This compels junior employees to trust the manager with the problems of the facility thus making the manager adequately informed. Additionally, the manager requires a friendly personality to enable interaction with other top-level managers who are often the policy makers. This way the mid-level manager influences he policies that govern the organization (PETRICK & QUINN, 1997). 3. Management is one of the most vital components in an organization. A manager conceives and supervises the implementation of the day-to-day operational policies of an organization. In doing this, managers perfume a number of functions including planning, organizing and controlling the resources of the organization in order to achieve the set objectives of the firm. In doing this, managers must posse a number of skills key among which is versatility. This refers to the ability to adapt to different situations and work with different people within a short period. Time is normally of essence in the management p rocess and managers therefore need to possess the proactive personality (Thomas & Michael, 2001). One, which is capable of identifying problems and immediately conceptualize a solution. Proactive personality unlike the reactive personality foresees the probable problem and works out the possible solutions thereby cushioning the organization from incurring losses. 4. The position of a store manager is integral in the operation of the organization. A store manager plans for the resources kept in the store and provides a detailed account of their daily condition and ability to work efficiently. As a store manager, therefore one requires a number of basic management skills key among which include the dedicated personality. 5. Management is tedious and therefore requires dedication to ensure that one completes his tasks in time. Dedication to the organization results in the development of the spirit of patriotism. Such a feeling is motivational since it makes one become more accountable with the resources at the organization thereby preventing any form of wastage or misappropriation of the organization’s resources. In retrospect, the spirit of patriotism natures a more accountable personality within the managers thereby ensuring the conservative use of the resources. Such a personality is of immense importance to a store manager since he accounts for every resources that leaves the store. 6. A proactive individual is industrious and portrays commitment in his roles at the organization. Proactivity is the ability to predict future situations and therefore make present decisions to influence the productivity of the future. This requires adequate research skills and the ability for one to commit to the job in order to carry out such effective market researches. It is important for managers to commit to their duties since the position includes the management of all other resources including the human resource. The human resources present different personalities and are often numerous yet they all require effective understanding. The store manager is in control of all the organization’s resources and works with numerous other human resources to ensure the completion of the daily assignment. This requires commitment to develop favorable policies that motivate the labor and encourage the appropriate management of the other resources. Question 2 Action plan Month 1 and 2 The plan runs for a duration of six months, a time within

The Movie Unforgiven As An Anti-Western Western Essay

The Movie Unforgiven As An Anti-Western Western - Essay Example The flimsy nature of this explanation is shown by the need for hyperbole whenever the story is told. The Kid, Munny, and Ned categorically attempt the assassination for egocentric goals (Sarat 308). They are particularly interested in attaining glory, to bring back former glory, or just for the money. This portrays the westerners as men of leisure. Their motivation is selfish, fulfilling their calling. Although to some extent, the material gain can be viewed as secondary in the film, Munny is in need of money. Apart from the farm, he has a family to support. His passion is no longer gun fighting. Munny has abandoned that life and only returns to it for what that life can offer him, an opportunity to make a fresh start with his family (Sarat 309). The western convention of gentlemen goes on in Beauchamp's story of English Bob. Little Bill disapproves this story and views Bob as a fearful rogue with a need, and yet a limited aptitude for violence. He gives Beauchamp an account of the s tory. In the process, he relates what he believes takes to be a western hero. According to him, accuracy and coolness of head, rather than speed, makes a western hero. The Westerner is also painted as lonely and somehow melancholy (Kamir 195). Munny faces Little Bill as well as his disputes singlehandedly, which is quite usual in the western. However, their loneliness is not imposed on them by their situations. Rather, it belongs to them intimately and testifies to their completeness. This loneliness is organic, but Munny is not portrayed in the film as being organically alone. At the beginning of the movie, Munny has two partners (Kamir 196). They somehow leave him as a result of the film’s narrative developments. Both the Kid and Ned abandon the gunfighter lifestyle. Munny to some extend ends up alone since that is what is required by the genre, a lone hero. The film also concerns the generic conventions of the western.

Chromosome Markers in the DNA Tests Research Paper

Chromosome Markers in the DNA Tests - Research Paper Example Forensic DNA testing is currently performed by using the complex STR multiplex systems. This testing allows the testing of several loci in a single – tube PCR system. A highly variable STR is chosen for the analysis such that they should be within the detection range of 90 – 500 base pairs. These STRs should also be present in the other chromosomes too. Highly polymorphic markers and gender identifying markers are widely used in the STR multiplex systems. All these loci are labeled with different fluorescent dyes for the automated Genotyping. The fluorescent dye is attached to the PCR primers and these dyes get incorporated into the target DNA sequence during the process of amplification.   5-FAM (blue) dye is used for the STR loci D3S1358 and NED (Yellow) dye is used for D19S433 STR loci. By using the two different fluorescent dyes, it was observed that the height and the peaks of the STR loci D3S1358 and D19S433 are similar between them. If we use the same fluoresce nt dye then it may lead to confusion whether the source of DNA is from a single person or from multiple persons because the peak areas are very important for the determination of the amount of DNA. If the sample is homozygous and have only one peak with the area equal to the two individual peaks then it will be very difficult to analyze the results. This is very frequent if we use the same fluorescent dye for D3S1358 and D19S433. Since D3S1358 and D19S433 are similar to each other, the use of two different dyes will easily differentiate them. (Thompson 2006). The specific dye is incorporated into the PCR product and the level of emission of light and the intensity of light emission gives the details about the size of the DNA. The level of emission may vary for the two STR loci but since they are of same size, the emission level will be same and it will be very difficult to identify the two STRs. The factors for choosing the Fluorescent dye are based on the dyes, optical filters, las er and matrix to which it binds. The D3S1358 is 119 bp to 147 bp in size with the average repeats of 15. These loci will accept the blue dye more readily than the yellow dye. Similarly D19S433 is 206 bp with 9 repeats. (Foster and Laurin 2012). This also will absorb yellow dye more readily than the blue dye. The variation in the base pair is thus an important factor for the choice of fluorescent dyes. The peak heights of the two STR loci D3S1358 and D19S433 vary with the annealing temperatures. Similarly the relative intensity of the loci also varies. (Foster and Laurin 2012). First generation dyes were used for the analysis of the loci initially; later the development of the second generation dyes with more specificity replaced them. The fluorescent dyes used for the multiplex were amandine dyes that emits the color when bind properly to the DNA fragments. The fluorescent dyes NED and 6 - FAM currently for the identification of the D19S433 and D3S1358 produces standard results for the different populations in many parts of the world. (Li et al. 2013). Thus it is concluded that D3S1358 and D19S433 STR loci cannot have same fluorescent dye because they have the similar base pair length and produce the same peak. (Butler 2005). If the same dye is used then they will form only one peak but with

The Social And Legal Factors Economics Essay

The Social And Legal Factors Economics Essay Barratt Development plc, a national house builder in the UK construction industry, listed in the FTSE 250, is the second largest house builder in the UK by revenue and by market size (LSE 2010). Like its two biggest competitors, Taylor Wimpey plc and Persimmon plc, it has within the last two years been badly affected by the recession which hit the UK economy in 2008. Before then the company, which was founded in 1958 in Newcastle upon Tyne, had enjoyed relative boom in the UK house building sector, culminating in the acquisition of Wilson Bowden plc in 2007. This acquisition enabled the company to effectively expand its commercial property development arm. As at present, Barratt Developments is represented in all house sectors in the UK, with Barratt Homes in the residential housing market, David Wilson Homes in the up-scale housing market, Ward Homes (a regional brand operating in Kent and south-east), and Wilson Bowden Developments in the social housing and commercial property deve lopment market. The onset of the recession has however presented unprecedented challenges to Barratts operations, causing it to have to rethink strategies and policies in a bid to reduce mounting debts and cope with falling house prices and a drop in sales due to falling demand for new homes. Business-related events Political Factors Political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors in the UK have in the past determined strategies adopted by Barratt Developments plc and will continue to do so. Political decisions determine economic and regulatory policies which have to consider in formulating strategy. For example, the governments Home Owners Mortgage Support Policy Scheme assists home owners who have met certain criteria and are unable to meet their mortgage commitments to pay off their mortgages by providing up to 80% of total interest guaranteed (Communities and Local Government 2010). This policy will in some way determine part of Barratts strategy because the more people who can afford mortgages, the more houses developers like Barratt will sell. Social and Legal Factors Social and legal factors also affect the strategies Barratt adopts because change in patterns of living may dictate what type of houses become more in demand, (for example, family style houses as opposed to flats or vice versa), while changing laws and regulations also have to be satisfied in the course of carrying out their core business activity. Economic Factors The main focus here however is on the prevalent economic factors and how Barratt responds in term of strategy. Lets look into the GDP and unemployment rate, the GDP has been fall even seriously compared to the previous recessions, most sectors of the economy are still struggling with the effects of the down-turn. The result, coupled with high unemployment rates, is that people have less money to spend, and tend to spend their limited resources on essential commodities. This invariably means that the high end market where Barratt is represented by the David Wilson brand may suffer. However, the government has made efforts to ensure that more credit is available for people through the banks by issuing bailout funds. These measures may yet still be inadequate, as depicted in a recent Financial Times Online article, where Barratt called for banks to increase lending and review current stringent mortgage criteria (FT 2010). These developments also means that Barratt may have to sell its c onsiderable stock of built houses at prices far lower than were originally estimated, in order to raise cash and improve liquidity. Porters 5 Forces Buyer Power Depends on individual buyers. Barratt sells to individuals and groups and the government. Individual customers have less bargaining power, while groups and government have more bargaining power. Supplier Power Many suppliers and therefore high competition, several alternative materials are available. Suppliers depend on the major house building firms like Barratt for repeat work and are likely to agree price discounts. Threat of substitute products Most products in the market are known already. Barratt is at the forefront of developing new products, so the threat of new products is relatively low for now. Barratts competitors Taylor Wimpey: Largest sales revenue, market size of 130,000 Persimmon Group: 3rd largest sales revenue, market size of 12,000 Berkeley Group: 4th largest sales revenue, market size of 6,000 Threat of new entrants to the market Barriers to entry: High capital requirement, land acquisition expertise, economies of scale, depresses property market. SWOT Analysis Strengths (internal positive factors) These will include Barratts diverse product portfolio which allows it to switch products with demand. The board of Barratt consists of five executive and five non-executive members from diverse. Barratts leading role in innovative house building technology is an advantage. Weaknesses (internal negative factors) Lack of adequate finance and debt is a continual setback to the survival of the company. Timing of merger with the Wilson Bowden brand has affected Barratt negatively in terms of finance within the last few years. Unsold stock of houses is still a problem as it ties up much needed cash. Opportunities (external positive factors) Advancement in technology and emphasis on sustainability means that Barratt can take advantage of its innovativeness to gain competitive advantage. The underdeveloped nature of the specialized retirement home market means that Barratt can expand to that market. The economic forecasts show that the recession has technically come to an end. Barratt can position itself to take advantage of the recovering economy when it fully sets in. Threats (external negative factors) Government plans to cut spending in future could hamper Barratts ability to reach full recovery. While is still tries to return to profitability, some of Barratts competitors are already profitable. This could pose challenges to Barratts progress. Consumer confidence in the market may not return to pre-recession levels long after the recession reverses.

Teh Great Gadsby Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Gatsby is a novel that is about the rich people of the roaring twenties and in particularly about a man named Gatsby in search of the American dream. The story starts out with the narrator Nick Carraway moving from the west (Chicago) to a New York suburb called West Egg. His is trying to become a successful bond salesman. Just across the bay is where his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom Buchanan live. But right next door is where the main character Jay Gatsby lives in a huge house, where every weekend he holds an enormous party. In the beginning Nick goes to the Buchanan mansion. There he meats Jordan Baker(a pro golfer) and he also learns that Tom is having an affair. Next Nick and Tom go to The garage where Tom tells Myrtle to be on the next train. They picked her up at the station in New York and as they are driving to the apartment Tom has rented for the affair Myrtle buys a dog. The go to the apartment and have a little party and Tom and Myrtle get in a fight and Tom breaks her nose. Next Nick is invited to Gatsby’s party, there he hears many rumors about Gatsby. Then at almost the end of the party Nick finally meets Gatsby and he learns a little about him, That he’s an Oxford man and that he inherited his fortune from his family. At the end of their conversation they set up a lunch date for the following day. At the lunch date Gatsby introduces Nick to another important character named Meyer Wolfsheim, whom is the man that rigged the 1919 World Serie... Teh Great Gadsby Essay -- essays research papers The Great Gatsby is a novel that is about the rich people of the roaring twenties and in particularly about a man named Gatsby in search of the American dream. The story starts out with the narrator Nick Carraway moving from the west (Chicago) to a New York suburb called West Egg. His is trying to become a successful bond salesman. Just across the bay is where his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom Buchanan live. But right next door is where the main character Jay Gatsby lives in a huge house, where every weekend he holds an enormous party. In the beginning Nick goes to the Buchanan mansion. There he meats Jordan Baker(a pro golfer) and he also learns that Tom is having an affair. Next Nick and Tom go to The garage where Tom tells Myrtle to be on the next train. They picked her up at the station in New York and as they are driving to the apartment Tom has rented for the affair Myrtle buys a dog. The go to the apartment and have a little party and Tom and Myrtle get in a fight and Tom breaks her nose. Next Nick is invited to Gatsby’s party, there he hears many rumors about Gatsby. Then at almost the end of the party Nick finally meets Gatsby and he learns a little about him, That he’s an Oxford man and that he inherited his fortune from his family. At the end of their conversation they set up a lunch date for the following day. At the lunch date Gatsby introduces Nick to another important character named Meyer Wolfsheim, whom is the man that rigged the 1919 World Serie...

Clarissa or The History of a Young Lady :: Clarissa History of a Young Lady

Clarissa or The History of a Young Lady    In the Johnson age there are many popular writers.   One of these authors is Samuel Richardson, who was a novelist.   His most popular novels were Pamela and Clarissa, which are both constructed of a series of letters.   Clarissa, however, was regarded as one of his most popular European novels.   "His masterpiece, Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady, one of the greatest European novels, was published in 1747-8" (Richardson, 1).    When Richardson wrote Clarissa his intention was to write a novel of a series of letters that were written by an unskilled author.   This book contains 537 letters written by various characters in the novel.   Because the book is so long I could not read the whole thing nor have   I ever read it before.   As a result I can not say a lot about it.   Because I find it is a little hard to read I was not able to read as much as I would have like to in the four hours that we were to set aside to read the book.   I did, however, manage to read the first eight letters in the novel.   The first letter was written to Clarissa Harlowe from her good friend Anna Howe.   This letter is used to introduce the reader to the problems that have been going on in the Harlowe home that lead to Clarissa being the topic of gossip.    The letters that follow this one are from Clarissa to Anna and they explain what had happened.   The trouble begins when Mr. Lovelace begins to visit the Harlowe home; it is believed that he is there to court the eldest daughter.   However, this does not work out and he then decides the he would like to date the younger daughter, who is Clarissa.   This is not well liked by her brother because Mr. Lovelace was his enemy all through college and there is now a grudge between the two.   As a result, Clarissa's brother and Mr. Lovelace get into a fight and Clarissa's brother is injured.   It is because of this that no one else in the family cares for him anymore either.   However, this does not stop him from pursuing Clarissa.

Military Commander & the Law Essay

Both in the civilian and the military population, the issue of legal drinking age has been a contentious issue. The proposal to lower the minimum drinking age among members of the military in different states has attracted a lot of debate all over the United States. The basic argument has been individuals who are able to defend the country and participate in combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq among other areas are responsible enough to be allowed to legally buy and consume alcoholic drinks irrespective of the age. However, any debate that deals with changes in the law is always a controversial issue. There are a large number of people in support of the lowering of the drinking age in the military to 18 years irrespective of the laws in the state in which the military base is located. On the other hand, it has been opposed by a large number of individuals and groups (Bray & Hourani, 2007). However, it is important to note that if an individual is mature enough to take part in military duties, he is mature enough to drinking and therefore the drinking age in the military should be lowered to 18 years. Surveys carried out in the United States have always indicated that majority of Americans support the abolishment of legal drinking age limits in the military. The Americans are generally for the argument that all individuals in active duties in the armed forces should not be limited by the law to consume beer. Being a democratic country, the policy makers have no option but act according to the will of the majority. In the past, all military officials in active duty were allowed to consume alcohol in their military bases irrespective of the laws limiting the drinking age in the state. This changed in the 1980s when the congress enacted laws that required the states and federal laws on legal drinking age be enforced in the military bases (Powers, 2009). Since then, there have been suggestions to abolish this law in different states. The basic argument has always been if the individual is man enough to be in a battlefield, he should be able to handle beer responsibly. Common sense indicates that an individual is recruited and allowed to work in the military because they are adults and therefore should not be limited by the law (Hoellwarth, 2007). An 18 years individual in the United States has attained the majority age and is considered to have the ability to make informed decisions such as participating in general elections. The person can also take a weapon to defend his country. Does it make sense really for such a person to be denied the right to consume alcohol? I don’t think so. The common believe that tolerance to alcohol increases with age is not necessarily true. There are cases where younger people have been found to be more tolerant. Moreover, tolerance to alcohol is an issue of responsibility and discipline rather than age. Many young people serving in the US military are more responsible that some senior members of the society (Jacobson, et al, 2008). In conclusion, it does not make sense the limit the military personnel from consuming alcohol based on their age. The fact that they are mature enough to take part in combat missions and defend their country suggests that they are mature enough to control their drinking. Moreover, majority of the Americans are in support of abolishing legal drinking age in the military. Reference Bray R. M & Hourani L. L. (2007). â€Å"Substance use trends among active duty military personnel: findings from the United States Department of Defense Health Related Behavior Surveys,† 1980-2005. Addiction; 102(7):1092-101 Gittins, R. A. (1996). The Military Commander & the Law, ISBN 0788172603, DIANE Publishing Hoellwarth, J. (2007). Corps lowers drinking age to 18 in some cases, Retrieved on July 22, 2010 from: http://www. marinecorpstimes. com/news/2007/05/marine_alcohol_070511/ Jacobson I. G, Ryan MAK, Hooper TI, Smith TC, et al. (2008). â€Å"Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems before and after military combat deployment. † JAMA; 300:663–675. Powers, R. (2009). U. S. Military: Military Drinking Age. Retrieved on July 22, 2010 from: http://usmilitary. about. com/library/polls/blmildrinkingage. htm