Sop for Public Health

Being a compassionate person at heart, I was inclined towards social work since my school days. So naturally I was inclined to do some good when I was studying to be a dentist. So in the rather drab subject of Community Dentistry which most of students hated well I found some interest on Public Dental Health services, recordings for case studies, Indices and Epidemiology. There I learnt that the delivery of health services and primary care was very difficult in a vast and diverse country as India. Epidemiology and diagnosis of diseases like AIDS, tobacco cessation program, Dental lath education were interesting.I even made a project in my third year on oral manifestations of HIVE. The project was a hard copy of pictures and slides that explained the various routes of transmission of HIVE, difference between HIVE and AIDS, what are the early signs and symptoms of HIVE, and how to prevent spread of this infection, in a manner easily understandable by a layman. While many people have st arted using this and showed improvement, I constantly wonder about performing such techniques on a bigger scale – something that will make it possible.India and especially South Asia has a great population who are in influence of chewing Tobacco and Smoking. They have led to losses socially, economically, functionally, psychologically and of life in our society. During my training in dental school I came to realize that number of tobacco users are much more in my state. And they have to suffer a lot because of this habit from diseases like cancer at very early age. Already quality of health is poor and because of such habit people made it more worst.This inspired me to attend a special training workshop for tobacco cessation counseling by Tobacco Intervention Initiatives (T†). My extensive knowledge on pre-cancerous lesions proved to be extremely helpful at the time of implementation of the training at related campaigns. And I already used this knowledge during my inter nship to aware people about harmful effects of tobacco and helped them to quite their habit. It made me realize that we needed greater skills of Management and organization in our Society and this was a major hurdle in our Health Care system.

Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation Essay

Martin Luther was the most influential person of the 15th and 16th century the reason being he rebelled against the catholic church the highest authority in the world at that time. When Martin Luther went against the church he not only reformed Christianity but reformed every person in Europe into a thinking human being. So when looking at the most influential people of the time Martin Luther paved the path for all modern sciences. Martin Luther’s Ninety Five Theses showed obvious faults and corruption throughout the Catholic Church. When looking at Martin Luther’s ideals he showed that the Catholic Church had made up rules that could not be found in the bible. Due to this finding he led the Protestants into a more direct translation of the bible. One of his largest accomplishments was the translation of the bible into the German language. By translating the bible out of Latin and into German he placed the interpretation of the word of god into the hands of people who had been simply told god’s word from a Catholic stand point. By shining light on the problems of the Catholic Church Martin Luther created a wave of people with minds of their own. By giving people a reason and the power to think for themselves he lit the powder keg for the exit of the middle ages and entrance into the renaissance and the scientific revolution. And when looking at the scientific revolution one can speculate that if Martin Luther’s Protestant reformation had not taken place when it did the Catholic Church would most likely have crushed any new scientific ideas that did not conform to the teachings of the church. To prove that the speculation has weight one can look at how the Catholic Church employed major censorship of the Protestant teachings. Martin Luther was the most influential person of the 15th and 16th century because he shined light upon the power of the human mind. By empowering people he gifted the world with the spark that led to the scientific revolution and the split of the Catholic religion.

Changes

Historians and cultural critics trace the post-modernist hip hop movement which pioneered sampling and graffiti art to the sasss, New York, a movement rooted in the black nationalism of the black panthers post civil rights movement (Price, 2006). Hip Hop has become a dominant global youth culture with music, art, fashion, films and Outpace an Icon within this culture a Black Elvis. Hip Hop has many different sub genres such as conscious, gangs, party rap and with emcees in the different genres according to their subject matter.The paper will explore Changes a conscious rap Eng that was recorded by Outpace in 1 992, at a time when African Americans were affected by the beating of Rodney King by Police Officers, which led to the Los Angels Riots of 1992 (Johnson, 2009). The environment was politically charged and conducive for a song chronicling that moment in history. What is interesting is that the song was posthumously released in 1998 on Tubas Greatest Hits album, two years after Outpace died of gunshots wounds on the 13th of September 1996 (Scott, 1997). Outpace Shakers music Is characterized by hard hitting hip hop beats sampled room different music genres and lyrics that criticize, the capitalist system that divides America into the haves and have-nots. The collective identity in Tubas music is identified In the struggle of the lower classes to find political, economic, social discourse In a capitalist society by chronicling from the perspective of a young black male growing up in post civil rights America.His work vocalizes the thoughts of the masses trapped within a modern slavery system (poverty and discrimination). The writers credited on the album sleeve are Shaker, T. , Evans, D. , Horns, B. ; Changes ample the beat and part of the chorus from Bruce Harmonys The way It is(1986) and appropriated It Into a Hip Hop political anthem. This part of the paper will delve into the psyche of the artist and explore the lyrics of Changes. ANALYZING OUTPACE When did I ever say I was a gangs rapper? Is Frank Sinatra a gangs singer?Is Steve Seal a gangs actor? What is that? Thats such a limited term. Maroon Brandon is not a gangs actor, hes an actor. Axle Rose and them are not gangs rock and rollers, thieve rock and rollers. So Im a rapper, this is what I do. Im an artist. And I AP about the oppressed taking back their place. I rap about fighting back. To me, my lyrics and my verses are about struggling and overcoming, you know (Shaker, 2003) Left: OPAC. 1996. All Eyes On Me (outpace. Com) Right: OPAC. 1995. Me against the World (outpace. Mom) Outpace Shakers controversial image drowned his work; the media at the time concentrated on what he did off record and forget that he was a brilliant rapper, lyricist and actor. He did cultivate the gangster image with Thug Life tattered across his abdomen and his persona as seen on the album cover of All eyes on me (1996) Is that of a gangs, The persona Is evident on him with the words Outlaw tattered on his lower arm, a panthers head on his upper arm with a miscreant intensity and 1 OFF on music videos, further reiterates that he is a gangs rapper.However on the cover of an earlier album Me against the world(1995) another side of the rapper is seen, with his back against a wall, he stares at the camera like a deer caught between two headlights. In interviews and talk shows when he takes off his mask, an intelligent, misunderstood, creative young man who wants to change the world with his music merges. Tyson (2002) in his explanation of Tubas dua l persona mentioned something very interesting that Tubas mother Affine was impregnated by one of two possible candidates, a revolutionary black panther by the name of Billy Garland and Legs a drug dealer.On the song Dear Mama he writes They say Im wrong and Im heartless, but all along I was looking for a father he was gone (1995) these lyrics give the assumption that he might have looked for a father within himself and thus created twin personae founded on the character of the two people he thought could e his father. Outpace created binary oppositions as creative mechanisms, the socially constructive poet vs.. The destructive street thug and he could write as well as speak from both alter egos.His conscious rapper ego tackled social issues such as racism, violence, drug abuse whilst his gangster rapper ego talked about selling drugs, perpetrating violence and called women derogatory names. To understand Just a little part of Tubas complex character, the following quotation by Carl Jung would give some insight. Such a man knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in myself, and if he only learns to deal with his own Shadow he has done something real for the world.He has succeeded in shouldering at least an infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day. These problems are mostly so difficult because they are poisoned by mutual projections. How can anyone see straight when he does not even see himself and the darkness he unconsciously carries with him into all dealings? Nouns, 1938). The two images of Outpace show that instead of hiding his other self (the shadow) he consciously projected it and White toes (1997) that a misguided Outpace drew his masculine principles from Legs his father figure.Outpace Shaker was born on the 16th of June 1971; a month after his mother Affine Shaker was released from prison for her suspected part in the alleged Black Panther plot to bomb banks and department stores (White, 1997). In several songs and interviews Outpace has mentioned his birth and childhood as a miracle. l was born not to make it, but I did (Still I Rise, 1999) and on the last verse of Mama Just a Little Girl (Better Days, 2002) he philosophies You see you wouldnt ask why the rose hat grew from the concrete had damaged petals, on th e contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity.We would all love its will to reach the sun. Well we are the roses, this is the concrete and these are my damaged petals He uses symbolic words to compare himself and his peers to that of beauty natured in an unnatural environment. This verse is a self reflective analysis of his impoverished childhood in socially depraved ghettos of America and by noting We are the roses he feels that any child that grows up in that environment and makes it however damaged they are should be celebrated.According to Goals (2007) in 1985 Outpace was enrolled at the prestigious Baltimore Schools of the Arts, where he learned how to act and he spent Outpace went through moral Juggling as a teenager, selling Drugs whilst writing poetry. His childhood experiences gave him the canon to be able to articulate social and political commentary easily identifiable with his audience. Tyson emphasis (2003) that Outpace believed in keeping it real a slang term defined on (revolutionary. Com) as try to benefit the environment and society that surrounds you a nd eventually serving humanity for the greater good.Outpace has achieved musical immortality with eight albums produced posthumously, an art center (task. Org) producing the next generation of thespians, dancers and poets and a Biopic on his life is currently in Production, written by Oscar nominated screenwriters Stephen J Revile and Chris Wilkinson (All, Nixon). In a recent Manage. Com article Revile had this to say about Outpace He was a really sensitive, very romantic talented young poet who also could sing, dance and act, but the realities [of the hip-hop record business] were that he had to create this persona of the gangster.He saw the contradiction between the musical persona of Thug Life and his essential nature as a gentle, sensitive person. And that was partly responsible for his murder. He was not a gangster, but the people around him were, and they saw he was going to leave, that they were going to lose him, and so I think they decided to kill him(Borders-Manner, 2011) CHANGES Changes portrays America from a critical non violent point of view, the view of a young black male living in the projects (Ghetto) committing crime as a survival necessity, whilst been abused by the system.Changes (Shaker, Evans Hornsby, 998) uses basic slang, repetition, melodic rhythm, the artist does not use profanity, the word Niger is used to make a racial statement not intimidate. Analysis of this song elicits reaction in the listener, a desire to become the Change that Outpace requires of his audience. Tubas ability to elicit this type of reaction can be attributed to the authority yet passionate sensitivity of his voice and the flow of his rap.The chorus uses the same melody as The Way it is with a slight change of chorus whereas the or iginal says, Some things will never change, Changes is changed to say, Things will never be the same. Elaborating that inequality will always be rooted in American society; the chorus is repeated to drum the message. The opening line to Changes l see no changes seems to be a modern reply to the original The way it is Bob Dylan The times they are changing(1964), which is considered the civil rights movement theme song.He then continues to show his frustration with his situation, which has not been changed by the I have a dream speech by DRP King Wake up in the morning and ask myself is life worth living should I blast myself, I am tired of en poor and even worse Im black, my stomach hurts so I am looking for purse to snatch, hes telling his audience that he is poor, black, hungry and faced with two choices either to kill himself or alleviate his economical situation by stealing. Cops give a damn about a negro, pull the trigger kill a Amiga hes a hero He uses the N words to emphasize how racist the police are and the reward for killing a black person. Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares, one less hungry mouth on watch me kill each other He paints an image of a big brother conspiracy of shipping rugs and guns into the Ghetto and then watching the fabric of black America dismantle with kids on crack, drug dealers killing each other, a genocidal way of easing the welfare system. Its time to fight back thats what Hue Said, 2 shots in the dark now Hues dead By mentioning Hue Newton founder of the Black Panthers, he acknowledges that Black militant mantra of fighting back the system with guns is wrong because you will be slain by a gun. Outpace then finds a socialist solution in how to beat the system and unify We can never go nowhere unless we share with each there, We goat start making changes, learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers, thats how it is supposed to be.How can the Devil take a brother if hes close to me, Id love to go back to when we played as kids, but things changed, and thats the way it is He wants to go back to the innocents of childhood, not complicated by what Freud regards as the ID, however Outpace is resigned to the fact that even if he goes back to that moment, he cannot change Today because change will never happen. L see no changes all I see is racist faces, misplaced hate makes grace to races, We under, I wonder what it takes to make this one better place, lets erase the wasted Outpace is not talking about or to a specific race but to the people of America that racial hatred should not be tolerated but erased from society. Both Black and White is smoking crack tonight Drugs are not Just a black problem It anti a secret and dont conceal the fact the penitentiarys packed and its filled with blacks His observation is backed by Discard, Mouth and Andrews Of the 789,700 male inmates in 1992, 51 percent, or 401,700 were black and that is still a fact today.Although it seems heaven sent we anti ready, to see a black president, uh This line is prophetic in the sense that even though America now has a black President, but some quarters of society are still not ready to accept a Black President Some things will never change. Try to show another way, but you staying in the dope game. Now tells me whats a mother to do. Been real dont appeal to the brother in you.You goat operate the easy way In these lyrics hes now using Frauds structural model of the psyche, the mother is the Super Ego telling the impulsive child (the ID) hat look at another way to survive but morals do not appeal to the ID for it wants everything now and then when it gets satisfaction it shows off l made a G Today the super ego critics but you made it in a sleazy way, selling crack to the kids Finally the ego goes into defense mechanism Well hey, thats Just the way it is The third verse begins with Outpace talking instead of rapping so that everybody understands the clear message he conveys We goat make a change, Its time for us as a people to start making some changes. Lets change the way we eat, Lets change the way we live and lets change the way we treat each other. You see the old ways wasnt working so its on us to do what we goat do, to survive he is speaking to his generation, that the only way to change is complete transformation from the racial philosophies of old for the survival of the human race. Its war on the streets and war in the middle east, Instead of war on poverty they got war on drugs so the police can bother me, And I anti never did a crime I anti have to do. Outpace observes that whilst America concentrates on foreign wars in the Middle East, domestic street wars rage on. He problem poverty.

In Donoghue v Stevenson (1932) Lord Atkin attempted to create a basic Essay

In Donoghue v Stevenson (1932) Lord Atkin attempted to create a basic principle which could be used in all cases to decide whether or not duty of care is owed t - Essay Example of Murphy v Brentwood DC3 overruled this two fold test laid out in Anns and the liability of a violater of a duty of care was assumed to go beyond merely monetary considerations. This is what finally led to the development of the duty of care owed by every person towards another as laid out in the case of Caparo v Dickman4, which is the foundation of most tort cases today, with some contractual breaches also falling under the tortious breach of duty of care. The case of Donaghue v Stevenson5 was one of the first cases to establish the fact that remedies could exist in tort on the basis that all owe â€Å"a duty of care† to â€Å"their neighbor† and Lord Tomlin stated that â€Å"†¦acts or omissions which any moral code would censure cannot in a practical world be treated so as to give a right to every person injured by them to demand relief.† On the basis of a moral principle that every person owes a duty to other people because they are neighbours, Lord Atkin refined this further by clarifying a duty of care that one owes to a neighbor as follows: â€Å"The rule that you are to love your neighbour becomes in law, you must not injure your neighbour†¦.you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.†6 The case of Donaghue laid out the general principle that since every person owed others a duty of care based upon the fact that they were neighbors, therefore any breach of that duty could prove to be adequate grounds for seeking damages. However, the criteria and qualifications of this duty of care were explored in the economic context in the case of Anns v Merton Borough London Council7 wherein it was held that economic losses caused by a breach of contract that occurred through negligence would be valid and actionable under tort law. A two way test was set out in this case as follows: (a) was there a sufficient neighbour relationship or a level of proximity between the two

Compare the Industrial Age with the Era of Modernism Essay

Compare the Industrial Age with the Era of Modernism - Essay Example During that era, revolution begun by the mechanization of the textile industry and the iron-making techniques that were developed that increased the use of refined coal (Shamkhal 2011). The revolution was also characterized by the introduction of steam power that was primarily fuelled by coal. There was also the introduction of canals, improved railways and roads that also played a part in expanding trade. During this period, however, things were done in a more primitive and backward way, when compared to the modern era. The modern era is also characterized by a number of revolutions and innovations that are majorly seen in the way people do things that are more mechanized and computerized than the industrial era (Nagla 2010). The modern era brought about the invention of faster-operating computers that have propelled so many other innovative activities come up that completely bring the whole world a global village. During the modern era, people use machines operated by nuclear and electricity power. Trade has been made easy by the roads that have been tarmacked, electric trains and aircrafts that enable goods to be ferried from one country to another within hours. Therefore, the two era were marked by revolutions; however, the modern revolution is characterized with more innovation, faster ways of doing things as well as advanced technology. On the other hand, the industrial revolution was also characterized with lots of inventions and improvement of technology even though the technology used then was backward and could not do much. A lot of changes have been realized since the revolution era. To begin with, in the communications sector, during the industrial revolution, people used to pass information through the use of the word of mouth. Then the use of sending letters came up which could take several days, weeks or even months before being

Analysis and Critique of Francoise Roy's Diversity Management Plan For Essay

Analysis and Critique of Francoise Roy's Diversity Management Plan For PBQ - Essay Example Although Francoise has outlined and detailed various aspects of the plan, she is still unsure as to how to implement it within the organization as she foresees that it will be opposed by many managers and workgroups. The present organizational makeup is highly ethnocentric, with the Quebecois population proud of their heritage and achievements. Since the People’s Bank of Quebec has been lagging behind in its diversity plan for the last ten years or so, there has been no serious or determined effort to comply with the requirements and the results are that the diversity element is visible in only about 6 percent of the bank’s workforce of over 7000 employees compared to the national average of 18 percent. 12 percent is the legal requirement for meeting the diversity goals. It is clear that Francoise and others in senior management echelons will have to take drastic steps to hurriedly push forward the program so as to meet the legal requirements. Meanwhile there are also a number of elements missing in the plan developed by Francoise which will be explained below. Strengths and Weaknesses of Francoise's Plan According to Das (1998) creating and implementing a good, effective and efficient diversity plan consists of the following steps: (1) identify current and future ideal state; (2) analyze present systems and procedures; (3) change policies, procedures and practices as needed, and (4) follow up and evaluate results (Panacchio & Waxin, 55-56). Step 3 itself is also comprised of a number of sub-steps, such as getting senior management commitment, establishment of a diversity committee, education and training of key personnel and an institution-wide communication of changes. Let us now evaluate the steps in Francoise’s plan from this point of view. The CEO, Pierre Belanger, has assured her his support of the diversity initiative, and had even written senior management a letter to this effect, but much more needs to be done. Francois has not arr anged for the necessity of the implementation to be officially communicated through the Board of Directors or the Diversity Committee. It would have been good for the CEO to communicate the necessity of implementing such a plan and the need to do so quickly to meet legal requirements. Francoise has also not identified the current and future state of the enterprise regarding diversity goals and implementation. She has yet to redesign and convert HR policies to incorporate the diversity elements. While she has identified the training needs for key personnel, she has not included the employee training requirements and programs. She has also identified the need for a Diversity Committee but has not appointed a head. Normally this function resides with the Head of Human Resources so Francoise must be ready to undertake this responsibility. After implementing the diversity plans, there must be some method of feedback and correctional control for which open and transparent communication mu st be fostered at both ends but this element is also missing so Francoise will never know how well or badly the plan is working or what needs to be improved and what doesn’t. Although Francoise’s diversity plan includes most of the necessary attributes, there are certain missing elements or misplaced priorities and moreover she does not have the courage to

The Benefits of Greater Direct NGO Participation in International Law Assignment

The Benefits of Greater Direct NGO Participation in International Law Formulation - Assignment Example This postulation continues that many issues such as energy and climate do not only affect people locally, but are yet to be tackled at the federal level of governance also. This has left states with no recourse to leading the way towards inventing innovative policies. In this case, it is the federal government that will catch up with the progress that these states have made. California’s tailpipe emission serves as an apt exemplification of this battle for primacy. Unlike other states, California has an autonomous air regulatory agency, the 1967 California Air Resource Board (CARB). Recently, the federal government updated its CAFÉ standards as a way of harmonizing its environmental operations with CARB. States are using CARB as an example that validates the feasibility of supremacy of states (Baker, 2010). Another political reason being advanced is that states are autonomous and as such; when it comes to serious matters, states should act decisively in areas that house th eir interests. This is especially the case after it has been established that the federal government has failed to act in favor of a state’s interests. ... One of the benefits is that when a country such as the US acts by proxies like NGOs, the laws being vouched for can be easily accepted. This is in total contrast to direct participation by powerful countries such as the US. The veracity behind this development above is seen in the fact that America’s direct participation in formulation, interpretation and enforcement of international law is always perceived as being geared towards sociopolitical and economic hegemony. The case is not any different in the event that the US attempts to achieve these ends through the United Nations (UN) since America is known to contribute over 75% of the UN budget, and thereby having an inordinate sway therein. The same case will apply to international organizations such as the Breton Wood Institutions; World Bank and the IMF. The international community sees these two institutions as America’s conduit for extending its political and economic hegemony. Conversely, by using NGOs to marshal support for the formulation, interpretation and enforcement of certain laws, the US will realize greater efficiency. This is because, NGOs are better placed to demand accountability from state and non-state actors, since NGOs: liaise with the government; fund the government; and create employment opportunities. Because of this close acquaintance with the locals, NGOs can also participate not only in the formulation, interpretation and enforcement of a given law, but also in the domestication of the same. This scenario is aptly exemplified in America’s noble quest to have other countries pass terrorism laws, or the Antiterrorism Bill. According to Gordenker and Weiss (1995), the only tradeoffs that will emanate from involvement through the NGOs

Efficient Market Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Efficient Market Theory - Essay Example Any information, whether published or insider, will reflect in the prices instantly. This hypothesis presupposes that there is no question of under or overvaluation in the market and it is impossible to outperform the market by making abnormal profits in the stock exchanges. It is also pertinent to note that higher returns are associated with higher risks, and the factors affecting performance of a stock could vary from political risks, acquisitions and mergers, crisis of various sorts to fluctuations in other markets, and it may be difficult for the market forces to adjust to the impact of these factors instantly. Objectives This paper seeks to study and analyze the secondary sources with reference to the following questions relevant to efficient markets theory: 1. Is the Efficient Market theory true? 2. Is there any need for technical or fundamental analysis in efficient markets? Efficient Market Theory If beating the market is impossible, how come Warren Buffet is consistent in ou tperforming the market? There are so many mutual fund and portfolio managers giving consistent performance in the stock markets, which is not possible according to this theory. There is always scope for outperforming the markets thorough experience, expertise, intuition and discipline. The efficient market is an ideal situation which is hardly achieved in the real life. For example, Muhammad, N. M. N. and Rahman, N. M. N. A. (2010, p. 35) writes â€Å"EMH states that security prices fully reflect all available information and will immediately adjust to the arrival of new information (Adam, 2004). However, since market was closed on both Saturday and Sunday, it was argued that investors cannot do anything with the market even though they got some information during the weekend†. The equilibrium in the market is always disturbed by so many factors including psychological factors such as over confidence of the investors or over reaction to the market forces. Sharma, A. (2009, p. 37) states â€Å"Various studies have been conducted worldwide on stock market reaction to public announcements. Market’s reaction to such publicly available information is very swift. Inefficiency in the market exists when investors envisage such information before it is formally announced and earn abnormal returns†. Greed and fear are the motivating forces of the markets many a times, and rational approach to the investment or trading takes the backseat. Sudden crashes in the markets are nothing to do with fair value, and the market sentiments driven by so many factors rudely shakeup the very fundamental concept of this theory. Consequently, the question of under or overvaluation to the stock arises in the markets. Park, A. (2010, p. 365) states that one of the implications of the weak-form EMH is that prices are submartingale, or, more loosely, they are a random walk. Consequently, a so-called technical analysis, which is the extraction of information about the fut ure movement of prices from past prices, should have no merit. In real life situations, perfect efficiency in the market place is unrealistic, and it also depends upon accuracy of the information, cost of the information, the efficiency of the information transmission and the risk-return reward in taking decisions based on the information. Livanas, J. (2006, p. 28) argues how can the market be efficient when investors seem to make decisions that perhaps are rational – but only within bounds? When the investors make decisions in an irrational manner, which is in line with the human behavior, it will be difficult to rely on a

A Critical Aaccount of a Philosopher's Educational Idea (John Dewey) Term Paper

A Critical Aaccount of a Philosopher's Educational Idea (John Dewey) And Their Usefulness to And Implications for the Bahamas - Term Paper Example This essay stresses that the contributions of John Dewey to the present education will always be felt. To him, education is as important to social life as reproduction and nutrition are important to physiological life. He viewed education as a necessity in life where a child is born knowing nothing only that it is born in a social group. According to John Dewey, all communication is educative and any individual who actively participates in communication learns something. For a society to continue existing, a teaching and learning process must be existing. An individual learns the way to respond to an event through participation in communication that involves common understanding. It has also been found earlier that living together is educative and this is especially in the experiences that the individual gains from the other members of the society. This paper makes a conclusion that the environment that surrounds a learning area has some influence in the learning process. This environment that interferes can be defined as the surrounding conditions that are related to the execution of the activity. Education can also guide, direct, or control an individual. The child knows no direction appertaining to the life customs of the society that the child has been born and will be brought up in. For the child to grow up in a way that is acceptable to the society some guidance is necessary and this guidance can only be acquired through education. Education is also important in areas such as growth, preparation of the future, conservation etc. Students in schools should also be given opportunities to play.

The lack of uniformity for liability on multimodal transports Dissertation

The lack of uniformity for liability on multimodal transports - Dissertation Example As Nes (2002) points out, during last centuries, unimodal transport conventions such as an urban network, a regional network, or a national network of transport were the main modes of transport for goods and services. As the volume transport increased, the global traders were forced to develop improved alternatives to overcome the existed difficulties. Multimodal transport convention has been designed as an alternative to the unimodal transport system and it refers to the transfer of goods under a single contract but involves in at least two different methods of transport (Roemer). Multimodal transport contains a chain of process and steps such as multiple storage and handling stages which require a thorough control (Gocheva). Lack of uniformity in multimodal transports As Devia (2008) points out the main difficulty associated with the carriage of goods is that there is no international regime in force regarding various modes of transport. It produces many confusions and barriers for the smooth operation of the stages of transport. As a result of this lack of uniformity in regulation, it is forced to apply the determination of the law to a specific transport process when different modes of transport are deployed (Haak, 2005). It also creates some difficulties for the international transport of goods. According to Sturley (2007), there may arise some problems in the transport of goods between countries located at different continent if the goods in transit are damaged. He says the reason that the law regarding carriage of goods may vary from region to region and from continent to continent due to the absence of a common law in force (Sturley). In such cases, it is very difficult to identify the places or stages where the damages occurred so that the liability of the carrier varies in relation to the court where he is sued. The Multimodal Transport Operator (MTO) is the carrier of the contract and the responsibility of cargo or goods reaches his shoulders as soon as he takes the possession of goods and bears this risk until the goods are being delivered (Ralph, 3). Although the MTO bears the whole risk of the goods in transport, he does not directly take part in the process of actual transfer of goods. On the other hand, he usually subcontracts the certain parts of the same to the network of subcontractees on a commission basis. According to the uniform liability rules, the MTO is liable for the goods of the shipper so that he has to pay compensation to the shipper if the goods in transit are damaged at any stage of the transport (United Nations,.20). Sometimes, the shipper’s goods may get damaged due to the negligence of the sub carrier who does not have any direct liability towards the shipper since he has not entered into any contract with the shipper. At the same time, the sub carrier has jointly formed a contract with MTO and he has to pay compensation to the MTO if the contracted goods are damaged while their possession lies wi th the sub carrier (unimodal law). Due to the lack of uniformity of ‘uniform liability rules’ and ‘unimodal laws’, an MTO would not recover the whole compensation amount from the sub carriers; and it would lead MTO to huge losses. Although network liability system and modified liability system have developed to solve the difficulties associated with transport of goods, it cannot bring uniformity in applicable liability regimes for multimodal transport. Rotterdam Rules Rotterdam rules or United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet Essay Many people fear the Internet because of its disadvantages. They claim to not use the Internet because they are afraid of the possible consequences or are simply not interested. People who have yet connected to the Internet claim they are not missing anything. Today’s technological society must realize that it is up to them to protect themselves on the Internet. Children using the Internet have become a big concern. Most parents do not realize the dangers involved when their children connect to the Internet. When children are online, they can easily be lured into something dangerous. For example, children may receive pornography online by mistake; therefore, causing concern among parents everywhere. Whether surfing the Web, reading newsgroups, or using email, children can be exposed to extremely inappropriate material. To keep children safe, parents and teachers must be aware of the dangers. They must actively guide and guard their children online. There are a number of tools available today that may help keep the Internet environment safer for children. Musicians are also concerned with disadvantages to the Net such as, accessibility and freedom. They are upset because the Internet provides their music online at no charge to consumers. File-sharing services, such as Napster, provide copyrighted songs to all Internet users. The main concern is the music is free! Musicians feel they are not getting paid for their work. Because of Napster, it is almost impossible to close down all file-sharing services because there are too many of them to count. Another major disadvantage of the Internet is privacy. Electronic messages sent over the Internet can be easily tracked, revealing who is talking to whom and what they are talking about. As people surf the Internet, they are constantly giving information to web sites. People should become aware that the collection, selling, or sharing of the information they provide online increases the chances that their information will fall into the wrong hands. When giving personal information on the Internet, people should make sure the Web site is protected with a recognizable security symbol. On the other hand, this does not mean they are fully protected because anyone may obtain a user’s information. In other words, the most common Internet crimes are frauds. Today, not only humans getting viruses, but computers are also. Computers are mainly getting these viruses from the Internet, yet viruses may also be transferred through floppy disks. However, people should mainly be concerned about receiving viruses from the Internet. Some of these dangerous viruses destroy the computer’s entire hard drive, meaning that the user can no longer access the computer. Virus protection is highly recommended. Despite all of the terrible disadvantages of the Internet, there are numerous advantages. In fact, the advantages weigh out the disadvantages. The most common thing the Internet is used for is research. Children and students are among the top people who use the Internet for research. Nowadays, it is almost required that students use the Internet for research. The Internet has become one of the biggest sources for research. Almost everyday, research on medical issues becomes easier to locate. Web sites have become available for people to research diseases and talk to doctors online at sites such as, America’s Doctor. Entertainment is another popular reason why many people surf the Internet. Downloading games, going into chat rooms or just surfing the Web are some of the uses people have discovered. There are numerous games that may be downloaded from the Internet at no charge. Chat rooms are popular because users can meet new and interesting people. In fact, the Internet has been used by people to find life long partners. When people surf the Web, there are numerous things that can be found. Music, hobbies, news and more can be found on the Internet. Another popular thing to do on the Internet is to check out the news. Almost all local news can be obtained through the Internet. Up to date sports scores are probably the most popular looked at news. Sports scores are updated on the Internet as soon as the game ends. Weather is also a popular source to look up on the Internet. Using the Internet to get the weather allows people to view weather all over the world. Live radar all over the country and local forecasts are just to name a few of the things that may be obtained for weather information on the Internet. Shopping online has also become a huge success and is considered a great advantage of the Internet. No matter what people are shopping for, it can be found on the Internet. People do not even have to leave their homes. A few companies have collected millions of dollars using the Internet for selling. Clothing is probably one of the most bought items online. Almost every major clothing store has its on Web site. In fact, In US, people can even go grocery shopping online using such sites as Priceline.com. Just one click of the mouse on the items they want to purchase and the items are delivered to their front door. Unfortunately, this kind of service is not yet available in Malaysia for the time being. Groceries and clothing are only a few of the items that may be bought on the Internet. In conclusion, today’s society is in the middle of a technological boom. People can either choose to take advantage of this era, or simply let it pass them by. The Internet is a very powerful tool. It has many advantages; however, people need to be extremely aware of the disadvantages as well.

Arts and pornography Essay Example for Free

Arts and pornography Essay ?No-one ever asks When does art become realistic? , or When does art become abstract? , or When does art become literary? , although questions like these make as much sense because art can be all or any of these things. This is because we can usually distinguish an abstract work from a realistic or literary one, whereas what pornography is, is unclear in the minds of most people. Pornography derives from two Greek words: porne, which means harlot, and graphos, which refers to writing; however, we use the term today to describe much more than stories about prostitutes. And when we use it, it is as more than the definition of a class of writing and visual art: it has an ethical (usually pejorative) connotation also. And, like most ethical and aesthetic terms, its use is intensely personal. Just as beautiful really means no more than I like it (although I cannot clearly explain why), pornographic means I find this offensive (although I cannot really explain why). There is no generally agreed meaning for either of these terms which bedevils our discussion of both. Art exists in many different forms. Sculpture, paintings, graphics, drawings and such are part of the visual art. Dance, film, music and theater, as well as literature, are also forms of art. Throughout the years, art has, in all of its forms, interpreted, presented, or made allusion to nudity. Many famous masterpieces or important art represent nude people, and sometimes even persons making love; yet, it is recognized as beautiful art by many people. What difference is there, if any, in the interpretation and importance that we humans give to nude art and pornography? So it leads to my first knowledge issue: When does art become pornography? Here is a real life example. As we all know, our school invites some nude models for art class, they expose their nude bodies to the art students. I am not sure if it is the reason why many guys take art. Do you think it is art, nasty art, performance art or pornography? Art, nudity and pornography are different, and every individual’s sense perception of what these are will also be different. The area of knowledge of art is one of the most subjective of all the areas of knowledge, which explains why persons interpret it differently. Nudity may or may not be included in the AoK of Art, but it is a part of many art pieces. Nudity is present in many forms, for example, the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo Buonarroti. This 5. 17 meter tall statue represents the biblical King David, nude, and it is recognized by many as a masterpiece, and some even consider it a symbol of the defense of civil rights. Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo Da Vinci, is the drawing of a nude man, legs and arms stretched. Michelangelo did not limit himself to sculpting nude man, but also painted many important figures nude on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, such as Adam, Eve, Jesus, and others. All these art pieces, famous and important, widely recognized masterpieces include nudity. Of course, the importance and recognition of these art pieces is debatable and can be argued, but many people and important art communities consider them to be masterpieces. These art pieces illustrate both, men and women, sometimes together, other times separated, but share many things in common. All of these art pieces include nudity, and are recognized by many as important art. But then, when does art become pornography? Is it just like crossing a line, on one side its art and the closer you get to that line, it becomes less art until you cross that line and it becomes pornography? If that is the case, what if you stand on the line, would it be neither art nor pornography, or both? Every single person can interpret it as they want, but as I see it, many factors affect the decision of whether it is art or pornography. I see it as a line, on one side it is art, and on the other it is pornography, because I don’t think that an art piece can be both art and pornography at the same time for a single person. I emphasize on the fact that it is for a single person, as this is very subjective. Although this is very subjective, as mentioned before, it is also very cultural. In most of Western Europe, nudity is seen in a very different way than in the Middle East, due to cultural and historical differences. In the Middle East, for example, Muslim women must wear the burkha, while in Western Europe there are many semi-nudist or nudist beaches that anyone, regardless of age and gender, can enjoy. This, however, does not justify or imply anything else than the fact that there are higher chances for western Europeans to have higher limits and Middle Eastern people to have lower. It only means higher chances, because as mentioned before, although culture is a factor that affects where the individual puts the limit, it still is subjective, based on beliefs, ideals, past experiences, and many other factors. The Ways of Knowing apply to this judgment or decision of whether it is art or pornography in different ways for each individual. Sense perception, which includes the five senses, is the main element that allows the interpreter to perceive the art piece, whether it is through hearing, seeing, or touching. The other two senses, smelling and tasting, are not as relevant for the interpretation of the forms of art mentioned earlier. With the three senses mentioned (sight, hear and touch), a person can interpret a work of art and decide what it is, give an interpretation, a symbol, a meaning to it. Then, through emotions, the person can associate feelings and ideas to the work of art. If the person feels shocked or offended (emotions) from seeing (sense perception) a nude sculpture, he or she might decide it is pornography. Finally language is very important as it is one of the most important filters affecting the decision between art and pornography. The simple definitions of what is art and what is pornography are evidences of the implications of language. Art can be defined as â€Å"the quality, production, expression or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance† in other words, something exceptional according to a set of principles (decided by a majority of people). According to this definition, the masterpieces mentioned before are still art. Pornography is more difficult to define. The first definition (from dictionary. com) describes pornography as â€Å"obscene writings, drawings, photographs especially those having little or no artistic merit†. The definition states â€Å"obscene† materials, but obscenity is very subjective and varies from person to person, just like the limit at which art becomes pornography. The second part of the definition is very interesting, and I would agree with it: materials with â€Å"little or no artistic merit† so that would mean that is not exceptional according to the set of principles previously mentioned, which again supports the idea that it’s subjective. Another definition of pornography (from The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition) states it is â€Å"sexually explicit [material] whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal†. This definition is more ambiguous then the first mentioned. According to this definition, two factors are needed in order for something to be pornography: it needs to be sexually explicit, and it needs to primarily cause sexual arousal. The problem with this definition is that anything containing nudity is sexually explicit, so all the masterpieces mentioned above have at least the first factor needed to be considered pornography (according to this definition). The second part of the definition is very subjective, because we cannot know what the purpose of the nude sculpture, drawing or painting was unless the author tells us. To conclude, in my personal point of view, art cannot â€Å"become† pornography, it is either born as art, or born as pornography, and this depends on each individual’s interpretation of the material in question. Not only the visual arts, but other forms of arts, especially Medias, have many influences on young people. Anyone who watches television, goes to the movies, or picks up a magazine today knows sex is prominent across all media. Discussions regarding the early sexualization of children and young people are an increasingly hot topic with celebrities and politicians alike having something to say. An analysis of use of the term sexualisation published on the Global Media Insight blogspot showed that in early 2010 use of the term ‘sexualisation’ in both mainstream and social media more than doubled (fig. 1). This is not to say that the concerns behind the idea of sexualised childhood are new ones; it does however suggest that this is a concept which is increasingly in the collective public consciousness. Although the effects of sexual content have received little attention from researchers in the 1980s, there are strong theoretical reasons to believe that media may play an especially important role in the socialization of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior. These were well summarized by Elizabeth Roberts (1982): â€Å"(1) the adult nature of most programming children watch; (2) children’s limited access to or experience with countervailing information or ideas; (3) the ‘realism’ with which roles, relationships, and lifestyles are portrayed; and (4) the overwhelming consistency of the messages about sexuality that are communicated† (Roberts, 1982, p. 209). Each of these points is even more pertinent in 1998 than in 1982. Children watch a great deal of adult programming, and there has been a steady increase in the frequency and explicitness of sexual content on broadcast television. Young people have access to a much wider range of video content as well as to other entertainment media than they did in the early 1980s. Movies Adolescents see movies in theaters, and the same movies are soon available on pay TV channels and video tape. Many of these movies are â€Å"R-rated. † They contain more frequent and more explicit portrayals of sexual behavior than broadcast TV – an average of 17. 5 per film in one analysis (Greenberg, Siemicki, Dorfman, Heeter, Stanley, Soderman, Linsangan, 1993). Like TV, the most frequent sexual activity shown is unmarried sexual intercourse. Sex is often in the context of profanity, alcohol and drug use, and nudity. Not only have the movies, music world confronted similar problem as well. Let’s see a real example. Modern music is becoming increasingly pornographic. It is not about being old-fashioned. It’s about keeping values that are important in the modern world. We can’t watch modern stars like Britney Spears or Lady Gaga with a two-year-old. 99 percent of the charts in RB and 99 percent of that is soft pornography. Children and young people are being forced to grow up too young. A researcher named Larson (1995) used an experience sampling technique to analyze the relationship between emotional states and the use of television and other media. He argues that adolescents experience increased emotionality and that such emotionality may be related to increased use of music because â€Å"it both speaks to adolescents’ personal issues and helps them create a separate experiential space at home music is also important to adolescents because it helps define their public self outside the family†. Private, solitary use of both music and television use by adolescents is important in providing them an opportunity to deal with the stress and emotionality of this stage of development. Young people select media which entertain them, contribute to their identity formation, help them cope with their problems and emotional mood states, and form the basis of their selection into youth subcultures. Today’s generation of youth has easier access to sexual content. From television, movies, magazines, and advertisements (billboards, print, and electronic), to music (on radio and in music videos) and the Internet, youth who are interested in nudity, sexual role models, romance and depictions of sex and intercourse, have a range of media options readily available. Media provide perhaps the least embarrassing way to get information about sex and romance.

Underrepresentation Of Women In Science And Engineering

Underrepresentation Of Women In Science And Engineering Women run the risk of lagging behind in the fields of science and engineering. A wide gap exists between men and women in these fields. Women tend to have overrepresentation in social sciences and humanities, and underrepresentation in science and engineering. Although the number of women in the fields has grown steadily, women remain underrepresented at high levels of these professions. Social norms, culture and attitudes, play a significant role in undermining the role of women in the aforementioned fields. In many cases, the achievement and excellence of women are measured using male oriented standards. Even for those that excel, their salaries are in many cases dissimilar with their male counterparts. However, countries can use several recommendations that can help boost the presence of women in these fields. Inclusion of women in science and engineering is a crucial factor that can significantly accelerate technological advancement in the contemporary society. Discussion Underrepresentation of Women in Science and Engineering There is a marked underrepresentation of women in science and engineering although the contemporary society needs technology most society. Science and engineering are historically According to statistics revealed by Blasdell (19); over 50 percent of the population is composed of women of whom 44 percent is in the workforce but only 13 percent in science and engineering. Recruitment of women in science and technology can help mitigate the drain of engineering talent through the provision significant resources. However, several barriers impede this inclusion and / or advancement of women in science and engineering. Challenges and Reasons for Underrepresentation Social norms and culture come as the most significant factors impeding the advancement of women male dominated professions. Traditions, values and styles lean and suit the male gender has shaped the culture in SET fields. The culture is not suited for the needs of women in social and learning environments. From time immemorial, women are regarded as caretakers where their work is fundamentally taking care of their families. This social norm leads to a stereotypical view on women where many men regard the abilities of women in these fields negatively. As documented by Bystydzienski (24), many men respond negatively on the capability of women to excel in technical (science) and engineering fields. The societal norms dictate that a woman cannot be successful as a mother and a wife while in these career paths. According to the International Labor Organization, science and engineering are associated with pervasive gender roles that encourage women to engage in soft subjects (hawks and Joa n 250). This undermines the excellence of women in the aforementioned fields. Additionally, women who take SET careers are associated with a loss of femininity in their societies (Hall 82). This impedes their development in the fields since they may feel that their intuitive and imaginative styles do not fit to scientific research. Female stereotyping also is a key element among social norms that impede the accomplishments of women in SET. Women scientists are usually featured as atypical women and atypical scientists. This implies that, not only is their deficiency in science attacked, but also their gender identity. Female norms are more associated with collaboration than competition. However, the societal norms set by men are more competitive than they are collaborative. However, women are oriented towards win-win settings (Bystydzienski 39). The competitiveness and desire to prove oneself significantly impedes the desire of women to advance in these career fields. Legal systems to a lesser extent than norms affect womens excellence in science and engineering. In several countries, anti-discriminatory laws require that universities offer differential entry conditions for women. However, the weakness of the legal systems in several other countries (especially developing ones) has left women at a disadvantage in the inclusion of science and engineering programs. Legal trends encourage institutions to alleviate discrimination and other institutional norms and practices that bar women from engaging in SET courses. However, with high levels of female stereotyping in different societies, women still lag behind in their advancement, in these fields (Steel and Emily 91). Female Dominant Science Fields Although few women re found in the engineering field, there are other science fields where there is a sizable number. Nursing is one of the most prominent science professions where women are found. Nursing, as a science, attracts a significant number of female students. Additionally, this field has also been stereotyped, and it is more associated with women than with men. One factor that leads to a high number of female nurses is the negative attitude that a man will look unmanly if he joins the course. Hawks and Joan (257) add that women are capable of interacting better with other people than men are. This implies that women can interact with patients more efficiently in hospitals than men can. Additionally, nursing combines feminine values with professional values of support and care. Furthermore, women are at an added advantage of taking nursing courses since in many cases, men are excluded. Academic Achievement of Women in SET The academic achievement of women in science and engineering remains low. The achievement of women in the fields falters especially immediately after the entry in the first year in universities. According to Hall (102), of the 40 percent of the students who entered university in 2010 in USA, 11 percent were female. Once they join institutions of higher learning, their performance may also deteriorate significantly. Lack of confidence in their capability to balance family responsibilities and science career significantly influences their academic achievements in the fields. Additionally, the portrayal of science and engineering male-oriented courses exacerbate their fears of their excellence. Additionally, in undergraduate science and engineering classes, women in many cases feel isolated. They also feel resented by their male counterparts since they think that their opinions are not respected by their male counterparts. Furthermore, women who have high levels of confidence in science and technology classrooms elicit negative responses from their male counterparts. According to sociologists, women also express lower levels of self-esteem than men in these fields do. The combination of these effects affects the academic achievement of women negatively. Many women will tend to mask their academic abilities to evade alienation and ensure that they achieve social success. Hawks and Joan (108) add that women win acceptance through the loss of personal terms. As he observes, women who achieve highly in these fields are likely to lose their gender roles. To avoid this, women recede to standard gender roles. In such a situation, women do not ask many questions or explore alternative option, but rather, they pursue and follow what they are taught. This significantly affects their academic achievement and thy end up lagging behind their male counterparts. To exacerbate the situation, even with their assumption of standard gender roles, the presence of women in a science o r engineering class draws a lot of attention (Steel and Emily 125). This inundation with social attention creates uncomfortable learning environment that may interfere with their academic achievement and/or progress. In America, women currently earn approximately 41 percent of PhDs in SET fields but make approximately 28 percent of the workforce in these fields. As observed by Nut, the low number of women involved in the workforce is because of high dropout rate in SET field. Decreasing the dropout rate of women in SET careers is significantly essential in the pursuit for gender equality since women in SET jobs earn approximately 35 percent more than in non-SET fields (Blaisdell 24). Cross-gender Disparity in Salaries Albeit the fight for equality in all fields of life, there still exists a wide disparity between the salaries of male and women workers. In the fields of science and engineering, this disparity is highly pronounced. Data collected through the census in the United States depict a significant dissimilarity between the workers in these fields. In 1999, the average salary for female scientists and engineers was almost 22 percent less than that of their male counterparts. However, this was regarded as a significant increase since this reflected a 25 percent increase from the figures posted in 1993. In 1999, among scientists and engineers who had held their degrees for less than 5 years, women earned 83 percent of what men earned. Salary differential at this time depended on the field. In life sciences, women earned 23 percent lesser than their male counterparts while in, computer science, the difference was 12 percent. However, the difference has reduced over the years. In 2009, independe nt surveys by Glassdoor revealed that women earned approximately 93.7 percent of what men earned. This applied for those who had zero to three years of experience. For scientists and engineers who had more than ten years of experience, women earned approximately 89.1 percent of what men earned. Another survey conducted in 2012 reveals that the gap is steadily being close, albeit at a significantly slow pace. Women scientists and engineers with zero to three years of experienced earned 95.2 percent of what their male counterparts earned. For those with over ten years of experience, women earned 92.6 percent of what men earned. Albeit the underrepresentation, it is evident that the salary gap is being closed. Factors such as emphasis on equality between men and women play a noteworthy role in changing these dynamics. Additionally, stereotyping and discrimination are diminishing, and these fields are now more cross-gender than they used to be several decades ago (Hall 124-130). Cross-cultural Differences in Status of Women in SET The status of women in science is in many cases vary from culture to culture. This is because the norms observed by one culture may be different from those of another culture. Studies conducted by Blaisdell (29) indicate a wide disparity in the way different cultures uphold women in science and engineering. These differences are more pronounced in societies that have stuck to their traditions than in the modernized societies. Among the African Americans and other black societies, gender roles are highly emphasized. This implies that women are expected to take care of their families while their male counterparts act as breadwinners. On this note, women need to maintain their femininity in these societies. In these societies, a career in science and engineering is highly associated with a loss of femininity. In this regard, women are regarded negatively in these societies once they take to science and engineering. This cultural stereotyping has significantly contributed to a few black women getting involved in science and technology. Through women empowerment, the number of women taking careers in science and technology in several other cultures or societies has increased. Western cultures are becoming more liberal and, thus, more women are being accepted into these male dominated careers. This increase can be attributed to less strict cultural norms, constitutions promoting equity and discouraging discrimination and government strategies promoting inclusion of women. According to statistics posted by the United Nations (quoted in Blaidell 30), the Asian communities (especially in the United States) have the highest number of women scientists and engineers. Among the Asian communities, SET (science, engineering and technology) courses are considered part of the community. Although their culture also emphasizes on gender roles on women, they show significant liberalism regarding women engaging in science and technology. The above observation indicates that, in soc ieties where cultural norms, discrimination and stereotyping are high, number of women entering into the field of science and engineering is less and vice versa. Opportunities for Women in SET Regardless of the challenges, women engaging in SET fields have a multiplicity of opportunities. In the United States, the government has increased its effort in having women included in Set programs. Through affirmative actions, the entry standards for women into university in SET fields are lower than for men. This is encouraging an additional number of women engage in science and engineering. Additionally, other governmental and non-governmental research centers are including more women than it was a few years ago. Additionally, these institutes engage in campaigns and trainings to raise the number of women in science and engineering. For example, through the Executive Office of the President, NASA was involved in a national convention to encourage girls and women to engage in SET. Through their presence, girls had hands-on experience on NASA activities to inspire them in pursuing SET careers (Steel and Emily 200). Recommendations Based on the challenges facing women in SET, a lot remains undone. Several recommendations can help increase the presence of women in SET. First, the culture and social norms should be redefined to have an increased number of women in SET. As noted by Bystydzienski (209), women need first to adjust to the system with the system in which they have modest prior knowledge. In this regard, women need to develop coping strategies to have high representation in this field. Additionally, the cultural and social norms of the modern societies should change. Stereotyping and discrimination at entry level in universities are some of the most significant challenges for women wishing to engage in SET courses. With government strategies, discrimination and stereotyping can be reduced thus increasing the number of women in SET. Furthermore, a change in the competitiveness in SET can help increase the number of women. According to Blaisdell (21), dissatisfaction and intimidation arise among women wh en faced by competitiveness at work. To mitigate this problem, group activities and non-threatening environments should be encouraged. Additionally, standards for assessment should be reduced to help women feel integrated. Furthermore, connected teaching can help integrate women in science and engineering. In connected classes, truth is constructed through consensus, but not conflict. This helps reduce intimidation among women. Conclusion Inclusion of women in science and engineering can help in the growth of innovation. However, women are significantly underrepresented in SET fields. Social norms and some oppressive legal systems have been found to contribute to this underrepresentation. Even for women who advance in these careers, a marked disparity exists between their salaries and those of their female counterparts. However, women, through government efforts, have a multiplicity of opportunities in advancing in these fields. As identified, several strategies can be used to allay the challenges women face in SET fields. The inclusion of women in SET fields is crucial for growth of innovation thus additional women should be encouraged to join SET courses.

Analysis of Sula by Toni Morrison Essay -- Nel Wright Sula Peace Morr

Analysis of Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison wrote a touching story of two childhood friends who test the bonds of friendship and love. Throughout the story there are many themes that implore the reader to look more in depth at their meanings and consequences. The main theme throughout the book is that of friendship. In the novel we are introduced to two young girls from very different backgrounds, Sula and Nel. These two girls are like two sides of one person; they know each other's thoughts, "a compliment to one was a compliment to the other." Although they appear to be best friends through much of the novel, they betray one another in the end. As the reader follows along with the story it becomes quite obvious that Sula and Nel are polar opposites in their actions and their lifestyles. Sula depended upon Nel for sturdiness and comfort, while Nel preferred the unpredictable nature of her counterpart. They used the other's lifestyle to compensate for their shortcomings by placing themselves in the other's surroundings. When Sula visited Nel's home, she was comfortable in it, while Nel regarded the oppressive neatness with dread, but felt comfortable in it, with Sula. In the same way, Sula found comfort within the walls of the Wright home. They took solace in each other's presence. Each one finds comfort in what the other finds bothersome. Sula dislikes her disheveled house, and wishes that she could live in the clean house of Nel's. Nel likes the homeliness of Sula's house. Abandonment plays a major role in the novel as well. This theme is evident in many different points in the story. Boy-Boy, Sula's grandfather, leaves Eva, Sula's grandmother, after a long unhealthy marriage. He left her w... ...ple's fears of death and make them realize that it is unpredictable, many people of the Bottom die in a presentation following the annual parade. Sula and Nel are two halves of a whole. The conforming Nel searches for a sense of order in her life when she marries Jude at a young age, which in the end seems to fail in giving her a happy life. Sula, on the other hand, opposes the conventions of society and ends her life rather satisfied. Throughout the novel there were many themes present. Ms. Morrison did a wonderful job of writing an entertaining story while providing the reader with many opportunities to look for deeper meanings and analyze the story. In looking for a deeper meaning the reader is presented with an unforgettable portrait of the effects friendship and love on a relationship. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Sula. Plume. New York: 1973.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers fc

The History Behind To Kill A Mockingbird   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nelle Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird has been considered one of the classic works of American literature. To Kill A Mockingbird is the work ever published by Nelle Harper Lee, and it brought her great fame. However, Nelle Harper Lee has published several other articles in popular magazines. Nelle Harper Lee is not an individual who desires to be in the light and little is known about her personal life. At the time it is believed she is possible working on her memoirs. The fictional work of To Kill A Mockingbird plots many elements close to real events in America’s struggle over civil rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scout Finch is the narrator in Lee’s work To Kill A Mockingbird, and the two share many similarities in real life. They both grew up in the 1930 in Alabama towns. Lee’s father was Amasa Lee â€Å"attorney who served in the state legislature in Alabama† (Johnson). Atticus Finch who is Scout’s father was also an attorney and served on the state legislature. They both had an older brother and a young neighbor playmate. Lee’s was Truman Capote and Scouts was Dill.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Lee was six years old one of the nations most notorious trials was taking place, the Scottsboro Trials. â€Å"On March 25, 1931, a freight train was stopped in Paint Rock, a tiny community in Northern Alabama, and nine young African American men who had been riding the rails were arrested† (Johnson). â€Å"Two white women on the train,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 in an apparent effort to avoid prostitution charges, claimed that they had been raped by the black youths and these accusations nearly led to a lynching in Scottsboro, where the youths had been jailed† (Jones Ross). The trails and appeals of these youth gained national attention throughout the 1930’s and, at one point, all but one of the young men was sentenced to death in the Alabama electric chair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In To Kill A Mockingbird Lee tells the story of a Mr. Tom Robinson who is an African American who is being charged with rape against a white women. Atticus is the lawyer who must defend Robinson in court. In the Scottsboro case a central figure was a heroic judge who overturned a guilty verdict against the young men. The judge went against the public in trying to protect the rights of the African American men. In reading the novel you learn that Atticus arouses anger in the small community when he tries to defend Robinson.

The Use of Force analysis :: essays research papers

Level One †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Use of Force is about a girl who may have Diphtheria, but refuses to open her mouth to let the doctor look at her throat. After much struggle, emotional and physical, the doctor forces her to open her mouth and it turns out she does indeed have the disease. Level Two †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting – It’s not actually mentioned, but it is implied that it at the Olson’s house, a doctor is called to look at the daughter as she is not feeling well. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Characters – o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The parents are pretty static characters, they do not change much through the story o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The daughter, Mathilda, is somewhat dynamic as she changes from stubborn and defiant (line 18) to broken, betrayed and angry. (last paragraph) o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The doctor is the most dynamic character as, through his tactics changes his attitude. At first the doctor tries kindness and almost sides with the daughter over the parents (line 22). As the story goes on he tries scaring the girl into submission and (line 25), as his anger and frustration build, eventually resorts to force (line 28). †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conflict – o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main conflict is between Mathilda and the doctor. The doctor needs to check Mathilda’s throat to see if she has Diphtheria, but the girl will not open her mouth. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is also a conflict between the parents and themselves/the doctor. They want to go along with the doctor because they know he must check, but they do not want force or hurt their daughter in order to get her to submit. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The doctor’s dilemma is that if he leaves the girl alone he will not be able to check if she has Diphtheria and may possibly die. If he continues on the road he’s going he will have to resort to measures that are socially unacceptable and even cruel. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irony – o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it seems cruel, and almost brutal, using force was the only remaining way for the doctor to check Mathilda’s condition to take appropriate action.

The Age of Turbulence

Alan Greenspan published â€Å"The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World† on September 17, 2007 and the first half of the work is an autobiographical chronology of his life. It gives readers a chance to view the people and circumstances that can help and guide Greenspan as he grew up.The second half of the book states the major economic events that have occurred over the past half century. He details his life under different U.S. Presidents as well as economic systems including the Marxist Communism, Populism, as well as Market Capitalism.According to Greenspan, free market capitalism is the economic approach that will trump other approaches. Based on Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand’ which is the people’s motivational self-interest which is important in his view of building a successful economy.In the book he discusses the fast historical growth of the U.S. economy under the market capitalism as well as its benefit to the other foreigners. Inters persed in the material is Greenspan’s lack of quality public secondary education for the masses especially in the field of sciences and mathematics and it role in the divergence of rich and poor in the U.S.Greenspan hits hard as he criticizes President Bush, VP Cheney and Republican-controlled Congress for abandoning the traditional tenets of fiscal discipline. Included in his argument is the President’s refusal to veto new Federal legislation which increases the spending easily. According to him, Bush approach has been one of â€Å"conflict avoidance† and attending to political agendas leaving no room for reason.It is President Gerald Ford whom he praises above all the other presidents including former President Clinton calling his governance as characterized as a consistent disciplined focus on long-term economic growth.† Even at the age of 81, Greenspan has strong opinions about several issues and is saddened that it is politically difficult to admit th at in truth, the Iraq war is mainly about oil. His comments about the war can be shocking as he reveals that there could be about 1.2 million people could have died because of this conflict in Iraq.According to a Washington Post columnist, people will most likely agree that Greenspan’s greatest contribution is that of the policy maker who, â€Å"through the power of his office, the force of his intellect, and the cunning behind-the-scenes maneuvering, engineered the wholesale deregulation of the US banking and financial system†.With regard to legacy, his most important legacy is that of making the US economy â€Å"more prone to asset bubbles, corporate scandals and financial crises, but robust enough to absorb such shocks while continuing to deliver long-term economic growth† (Pearlstein, 2006, p. D01).He was elected to third consecutive term in 1996. One of the highlights of this term is said to be the crucial role he played during the financial crisis that hit Asia and Russia.With the world financial system under threat, Greenspan is said to have gone against the conventional wisdom of raising interest rates, and instead convinced his Fed colleagues to do the reverse and support him in pushing for three consecutive interest rate cuts. That unexpected move is said to have been instrumental in pumping capital flows into the world economy and averted a recession in the US and many parts of the world.Moreover, Greenspan is said to have collaborated with the then secretary of the treasury Robert Rubin in inspiring confidence in the national economy, so much so that in 1998, unemployment levels were at 24-year lows, inflation levels were at 11-year lows, and consumer confidence was highest compared to the past 30 years.According to a Washington Post columnist, people will most likely agree that Greenspan’s greatest contribution is that of the policy maker who, â€Å"through the power of his office, the force of his intellect, and the c unning behind-the-scenes maneuvering, engineered the wholesale deregulation of the US banking and financial system†.With regard to legacy, his most important legacy is that of making the US economy â€Å"more prone to asset bubbles, corporate scandals and financial crises, but robust enough to absorb such shocks while continuing to deliver long-term economic growth† (Pearlstein, 2006, p. D01).Some examples demonstrate the Greenspan standard in action. From 1994 to early 1995, for example, Greenspan was said to have launched a series of preemptive moves to tighten the monetary policy to ward off the threat of a trend towards rising inflation, in the form of increased interest rates. While the move to raise rates were said to have initially shocked the market, such moves were said to be a clear statement of the Fed’s seriousness to tame inflation.As a testament to his flexibility, he then eased rates towards late 1995 when the economy showed signs of abrupt weakeni ng, thus pumping money into the economy and avoiding a slowdown in economic activities (Yu, n.d., p. 5).Another example of Greenspan’s prescience was in 1998, when the Fed introduced rate cuts in three consecutive months from September to November, amidst signs of an economic slowdown. Such moves are said to have influenced European central banks to make similar rate cuts to avert a greater slowdown in the economies of Europe.Virtually every intellectual sector in the United States and the rest of the world has heaped praise on the singularly successful steering of monetary policy by Alan Greenspan during his term as chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board. Blinder and Reis, in a paper out of Princeton notes the following:No one has yet credited Alan Greenspan with the fall of the Soviet Union or the rise of the Boston Red Sox, although both may come in time as the legend grows. But within the domain of monetary policy, Greenspan has been central to just about everything tha t has transpired in the practical world since 1987and to some of the major developments in the academic world as well (Blinder and Reis, 2005, p. 1).Indeed, the book examines his views on these issues. To wit, Greenspan presided over an era marked by the Black Friday stock market crash in 1987, the wars in Kuwait in 1990 and the Iraq war in 2000, a global financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, â€Å"the biggest financial bubble in history†, a productivity growth turnaound that started in 1995, and the threat of deflation in 2003 (Blinder and Reis, 2005, pp. 1-2), and successfully hurdled them all to the benefit of the US and world economies.On the other end, some quarters have also been critical of the tenure of Alan Greenspan. One quarter argues that Greenspan leaves the Fed with a legacy of debt that will have long-term adverse impacts on the US and world economies. Specifically, a study notes that such a legacy of debt by Greenspan has â€Å"potential adverse consequencesâ₠¬ .Basically, the line of reasoning is that foreign creditors could start to question how America will be able to pay future interest and dividend payments without resorting to â€Å"printing dollars†, and such could result on a run on the dollar. The run on the dollar can then lead to a rise in interest rates, which could hurt the housing market and cause mortgage defaults to rise. Such a rise in defaults could then cripple the banking system, making Federal rate cuts less effective in steering the economy.I think that on balance, those who have been heaping accolades on Mr. Greenspan’s performance at the helm of the Federal Reserve Board have reason to do so. The Greenspan era was one that was characterized by the singular success of the policies of Mr. Greenspan to steer the US economy to its current state of prosperity.Basically, my take on the Greenspan standard is that Mr. Greenspan’s policies are based on intelligent, period-by-period assessments of the state of the economy, and making adjustments to monetary as needed, discarding old assumptions that are not in tune to reality and keeping close tabs to what is actually happening moment by moment. The Greenspan standard seems just another way of saying that Mr. Greenspan kept a close watch of the economy and did everything at his disposal to make sure that monetary policy is cautiously and prudently managed.The criticism regarding Mr. Greenspan’s legacy as one of it being a legacy of debt is simplistic. The argument is predicated on the withdrawal of trust by creditors in the ability of the US to pay its debt obligations, and on the collapse of the housing market. It is simplistic because it fails to consider that the macro economy is dependent on factors other than housing.Also, it is simplistic because the argument does not take into consideration the probability of a debt default happening, which is the main event that detractors say will touch off a series of cascading e ffects leading to the weakened ability of interest rates tweaking in controlling the economy.He mentions in the book that the rate of technological innovation is slowing down. He is pessimistic about the prospects that the United States is facing. He is able to predict that there are advances in the information technology and this will permanently increase the economy’s growth capacity.   Greenspan was able to keep interest rates low so that the economy could reach its potential. Greenspan was vindicated because in the years after that, the productivity figures started rising consistently.By and large, Greenspan’s memoir is an interesting read that makes readers enlightened about his life in the context of the Sept. 11 bombing. He is a man who also influenced the nation as he traces his early roots, as well as his training as an economist and finally his job as the Fed Chairman.His experience in the dotcom era manifests to him that the best way to control a speculati ve boom is to prevent it from developing from the very start. What makes the book an engaging material is the fact that he relied on the use of formal mathematical models together with a set of assumptions that can be identified with data. He stated his own predictions about the future and concluded that in the end, it is man’s ability to transcend the sufferings and trials that ultimately matters in the end.REFERENCESBlinder, A.S and Reis, R. (2005). Understanding the Greenspan Standard. Princeton University. Retrieved April 6, 2008 at: http://www.kc.frb.org/PUBLICAT/SYMPOS/2005/PDF/BlinderReis.paper.0914.pdfGreenspan, Alan. The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World. Allen Lane (17 Sep 2007) Pearstein, S. (2006). The Laissez-Fairest of them all. Washington Post. 20 January 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2008 at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/19/AR2006011903180.htmlYu, H. (n.d.). Alan Greenspan. University of Florida. Retrieved April 6, 2008 at : http://bear.cba.ufl.edu/demiroglu/fin4504fall2004/Articles/Greenspan.pdf

Financial Management in Non Profit Organizations

ITO-YOKADO COMPANY, LTD. M. Edgar Barrett and Christopher D. Buehler Overview The Ito-Yokado Company consisted of three business segments: Superstores and other Retail Operations (lto-Yokado superstores, Daikum discount stores, York Mart, York Benimaru, Robinson's Department Stores, and Oshman's Sporting Goods); Restaurant Operations (Denny's and Famil Restaurants); and Convenience Store Operations (7-Eleven Japan). Ito- Yokado had just acquired struggling Southland Corporation and transitional long-term strategies for Southland would have to be developed.Although diversified, Southland's largest business segment was its Stores Group responsible for operating and franchising of over 7,500 7-Eleven convenience stores. Masanori Takahashi, a senior strategy analyst for Ito-Yokado was considering the possibility that long-term strategies that had been successful in Japan also could be successful in the United States was vastly different than that of Japan; nevertheless, he was confident that through careful and thorough planning, the goal of making Southland profitable could be achieved. Learning Objectives . To acquaint students with the development of a Japanese company and its move into U. S. markets essay writer service review. 2. To acquaint students with elements of â€Å"Japanese management† through Ito-Yokado's â€Å"operation reform project† and to induce them to question the transferability of marketing across national boundaries. 3. To familiarize students with the nature of retailing in Japan buying essay papers online. 4. To show how Southland Corporation became subject to acquisition by Ito-Yokado Company, Ltd. 5. To present the nature of the convenience store industry in the United States.In mid-March 1991, Masanori Takahashi, a senior strategy analyst for Ito-Yokado Company, was preparing to depart for Dallas, Texas. Once there, he would be leading a team of Japanese and American managers responsible for establishing transitional and l ong-term strategies for the Southland Corporation. After nearly an entire year of intense bargaining and negotiation with Southland and its creditors, Ito-Yokado acquired Southland on March 5, 1991. Takahashi began working with Ito-Yokado in 1972 as an assistant manager of one of the company's superstores. He had advanced to the position of regional manager by 1979.In early 1981, Ito-Yokado's Operation Reform Project was conceived and Takahashi was asked to be a member of the team leading the project. During the first few months on the team, Takahashi quickly understood certain crucial aspects of the new project, most notably the use of point-of-sale (POS) systems. Implementation of the project advanced most rapidly in Ito-Yokado’s 7-Eleven Japan subsidiary, so he also had become familiar with the operating environment of convenience stores in Japan. As Takahashi left his Tokyo office, he could not help but feel both excitement and apprehension regarding his new position.He h ad gained confidence while involved with the successful Operation Reform Project at Ito-Yokado's superstores and 7-Eleven Japan convenience stores, but this experience might or might not prove to be useful in respect to Southland. COMPANY BACKGROUND Ito-Yokado's founder, Masatoshi Ito, was born in 1924 and graduated from a commercial high school in Yokohama. He worked briefly at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries before joining Japan's war effort in 1944. After World War II, he worked with his mother and elder brother at the family's 66-square-foot clothing store in Tokyo. 1 The store was incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Yokado in 1958.By 1960, Ito was in sole control of the family business. During that same year he made his first visit to the United States. In 1960, Ito visited National Cash Register (NCR) in Dayton, Ohio. While in the United States, Ito was introduced to terms such as â€Å"supermarkets† and â€Å"chain stores† by NCR, which was interested in selling cash r egisters to Japanese retailers. In Japan, retailing was dominated by mom-and-pop stores and a handful of venerable department stores, with few types of retail outlets in between. At this time, Ito began to see the possible role of mass merchandisers in a society becoming â€Å"mass-oriented. Ito soon opened a small chain of superstores in the Tokyo area. These stores carried a large selection of household goods, food, and clothing of generally lesser quality and lower price than either the mom-and-pop or department stores. ‘ By 1965, Ito had opened eight superstores. In the same year, the name of the chain was changed to Ito- Yokado. The Growth of Ito- Yokado as a Superstore Ito's concept for the superstores was centered on having the rough equivalent of several types of retail stores contained within one multistory superstore.The initial stores were located near population centers and railroad stations in the Tokyo areas. ‘ Often, several stores were located in close p roximity in order to achieve â€Å"regional dominance. † The results were high name recognition, reduced distribution costs, and the effective squeezing out of competition. Ito soon realized that social changes in Japan could create new opportunities for his retailing ideas. Younger and more mobile Japanese appeared to be less willing to spend a great deal of time shopping at numerous mom-and-pop stores. Also, the Japanese society was experiencing increased suburbanization.Ito decided to locate stores in suburban prefectures. There were 47 prefectures (provinces) in Japan. One reason for locating stores in suburban areas was the lower cost of real estate. This allowed Ito-Yokado to open larger stores with more parking spaces than competitors located in congested urban areas. Ito continued to use a strategy of â€Å"regional dominance† with these new openings, most of which were concentrated in the greater Kanto district, which consists of the Tokyo metropolitan area an d surrounding cities. By the early 1970s, Ito-Yokado stores were opening at the rate of four or five per year.By the late 1970s, nine or 10 new stores ‘were opened annually. † In early 1987, 101 of 127 Ito- Yokado superstores were located in the greater Kanto district. Ito also adopted a strategy of leasing some properties for new stores. As of the mid-1980s, more than 87 percent of Ito-Yokado's aggregate sales floor space, 10 of the company's 11 distribution centers, and the company headquarters in Tokyo were all leased? Often, property prices were astronomical, or the owners of well-located sites would not part with their property for any price. Constraints on GrowthThe initial success of Ito-Yokado and the other superstores soon resulted in retaliatory action by a powerful competitor: the mom-and-pop store owners. These small retailers were said to â€Å"pull the strings of Liberal Democratic Party politicians at the local level. †8 The action initiated by the small retailers resulted in the 1974 Large Store Restriction Act, which was subsequently strengthened in 1979. The original act restricted the opening of stores with sales areas of more than 1,500 square meters (16,500 square feet). In addition, the act restricted the hours of operation of new and existing large stores.A series of changes in 1979 added restrictions on stores with sales areas greater than 500 square meters (5,500 square feet). A Commerce Coordination Committee was established in each area in order to set policy regarding large-store openings and hours of operation. The committees were effectively controlled by the small retailers. By the early 1980s, Ito-Yokado was opening only four or five new stores annually. † Factors other than the Large Store Restriction Act adversely affected Ito-Yokado. Japanese consumers' real disposable income decreased by a little more than 1 percent during 1980-1981. 0 Japan experienced a general economic downturn in the early 1980s, as did the rest of the world, again serving to limit consumer purchasing power. Net income for Ito- Yokado-which had grown almost 30 percent per year between 1976 and 1981-grew by 9. 7 percent in 1982 and by 0. 9 percent in 1983. 11 The legal restrictions imposed on large stores, when combined with the economic downturn, led to both lower current earnings and a projection of reduced rates of growth in future earnings. Ito-Yokado as a Parent Company During the early 1970s, Ito began pursuing new retailing interests.In 1972, he approached Dallas-based Southland Corporation in an attempt to secure a license to operate 7-Eleven stores in Japan. He was rebuffed. He made a similar attempt in 1973 with the aid of a Japanese trading company, C. Ito and Company, and was successful in obtaining the license. Concurrently, Ito was pursuing another U. S. firm, Denny's Restaurants, in an attempt to obtain rights for opening Denny's Restaurants in Japan. Both subsidiaries, Denny's Japan and 7-Ele ven Japan (originally called York Seven but renamed 7-Eleven Japan in 1978), were established in 1973.The first 7-Eleven and the initial Denny's in Japan were both opened in 1974. Stock for each of the two majority- owned subsidiaries was traded independently on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Both subsidiaries became profitable around 1977. ITO-YOKADO IN THE 1980s The Ito-Yokado group consisted of three business segments: Superstores and other Retail Operations, Restaurant Operations, and Convenience Store Operations. The Convenience Store Operations segment was made up of 7-Eleven Japan. The Restaurant Operations segment consisted of Denny's and Famil Restaurants.Ito-Yokado super- stores, Daikuma discount stores, two supermarket chains (York Mart and York-Benimaru), Robinson's Department Stores, and Oshman's Sporting Goods Store made up the Super-stores and other Retail Operations segment. Ito-Yokado's financial statements are shown in Exhibits 1 through 3 in separate attachments. SUPER STORES AND OTHER RETAIL OPERATIONS York Mart and York-Benimaru York Mart was a wholly owned subsidiary established in 1975. In 1990, it operated 40 supermarkets located primarily in the Tokyo area.These stores sold mainly fresh foods and packaged goods, and competition was high in this geographic and retail area. Ito- Yokado's Operation Reform Program was implemented by York Mart in 1986 as a means to boost efficiency and profits. By 1990 sales were increasing at 6 percent per year. See Exhibit 3. Is York-Benimaru was a 29-percent-owned affiliate of to-Yokado, and was an independently managed regional supermarket chain. York-Benimaru operated 51 stores as of 1988. The stores were located in the Fukushima prefecture of Koriyama-city in northern Japan. Like York Mart, York-Benimaru operated with a higher profit margin than the supermarket industry as a whole. York-Benimaru's earnings growth rate of 13 percent per year was expected to last into the 1990s, and Ito-Yokado's share of this profit was the major contribution to the â€Å"equity in earnings of affiliates† portion of Ito- Yokado's income statement (see Exhibit 2). Daikuma Daikuma discount stores were consolidated into the Ito-Yokado group in 1986, when Ito-Yokado's ownership of Daikuma increased from 47. 6 percent to 79. 5 percent. † In 1990, Daikuma was one of the largest discount store chains in Japan with 14 stores.Although Daikuma was popular among young Japanese consumers, the discount stores attracted the critical attention of competing small retailers. Because the discount stores were regulated by the Large Store Regulation Act, intensive effort was required to open new stores. Despite these circumstances, and increasing competition, Daikuma opened two discount stores in 1989. Robinson's Department Stores In 1984, the Robinson's Japan Company was established to open Robinson's Department Stores in Japan. The Robinson's name was used under the terms of a license granted by the U.S. sto re of the same name. The Japanese company was wholly owned by Ito-Yokado, and the first Robinson's Department Store in Japan was opened in November 1985 in Kasukabe City of Saitama Prefecture. This was a residential com- munity north of Tokyo and was a rapidly growing area. Although an Ito- Yokado super- store was located nearby, Ito-Yokado's management believed that a niche existed for a slightly more upscale retail store. Ito-Yokado had â€Å"shattered traditional wisdom by opening up a department store in the suburbs, not in the center of Tokyo. 21 The location was expected to serve a population area of more than 600,000 residents and to offer a broad selection of consumer goods at prices higher than superstores yet lower than the downtown Tokyo department stores. ~ Many of the strategies employed by Ito-Yokado in opening its Robinson's Department Store followed similar strategies employed in its superstores. The land was leased (in a suburb). Instead of purchasing goods on a co nsignment basis as most other department stores did, Robinson's managers were made responsible for the outright purchase of goods from suppliers.This allowed Robinson's to purchase goods at a significantly reduced price. Robinson's reported its first profit in fiscal 1989, approximately four years after opening. † In contrast, most Japanese department stores operate approximately 10 years before reporting a profit. The single Robinson's location grossed about ? 28 billion (US$220 million) in fiscal 1989. 24 The second Robinson's Department Store opened in late 1990 in Utsunomiya, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Tokyo. Oshman's Sporting GoodsIto-Yokado licensed the Oshman's Sporting Goods name from the Houston, Texas, parent company in 1985. That year, two stores were opened. One of the stores was located inside the original Robinson's Department Store. RESTAURANT OPERATIONS The Famil Restaurant chain was started in 1979 as an in-store restaurant to serve customers at Ito-Yokado superstores. It had; however, expanded to 251 locations by 1988. 25 The Famil chain did not record its first positive earnings until 1986. In Famil's attempts to expand operations, the company had emphasized its catering business. By 1990, the in-store operations (those located in Ito- Yokado superstores) accounted for 45 percent of Famil's sales, the catering business accounted for 32 percent of sales, and freestanding stores accounted for 23 percent of sales. † Denny's Japan Ito-Yokado opened the initial Denny's (Japan) Restaurant in 1974 with a license from Denny's of La Mirada, California. Ito-Yokado tailored the U. S. family restaurant to the Japanese market, and Denny's Japan became profitable around 1977. By 1981, 100 Denny's Japan restaurants had been established. † and in 1990 there were 320 such restaurants operated by Ito-Yokado. In 1990, Ito-Yokado controlled 51 percent of Denny's Japan stock. In the early 1980s. Ito-Yokado decided that Denny's Jap an should purchase all rights to the Denny's name in Japan. The purchase was made in 1984, and royalty payments to the U. S. parent were thereby discontinued. In fiscal year 1990 (March 1989 to February 1990), Denny's Japan reported a net annual sales increase of 10. 9 percent, as compared with the 4. 9 percent Japanese restaurant industry sales increase for the same period= Exhibits 4 and 5 contain financial statements for Denny's Japan.In 1988, Denny's Japan began using an electronic order-entry system, which allowed managers of individual restaurants to quickly order food sup- plies based on trends in their own restaurants. It also allowed for the periodic updating of menus to reflect new food items. See exhibits 4 and 5. CONVENIENCE STORE OPERATIONS 7-Eleven Japan Since the opening of the first 7-Eleven store in 1974, the chain had grown to more than 4,300 stores located in virtually all parts of Japan by February 1990. 32 At that time, about 300 new stores were being opened ann ually.Ito-Yokado owned approximately 50. 3 percent of 7-Eleven Japan in 1990. Originally, young urban workers represented the primary customer base. As 7-Eleven penetrated the Japanese market, however, almost everyone became a potential customer. In Tokyo, for example, utility bills could be paid at the chain's stores. The 7-Eleven stores were small enough, with an average of only 1,000 square feet, to effectively avoid regulation under the Large Store Regulation Act. This allowed 7- Eleven to compete with the mom-and-pop retailers on the basis of longer hours of operation and lower prices.Faced with this competition, many of the small retailers joined the ranks of 7-Eleven. By converting small retailers to 7-Eleven stores, Ito-Yokado was able to expand rapidly and blanket the country† 7-Eleven Japan pursued a strategy of franchising stores instead of owning them. The franchise commission for 7-Eleven stores was approximately 45 percent of the gross profit of the store (the co mmission was 43 percent for 24-hour stores). Ito-Yokado provided most of the ancillary functions for each store (e. g. , administration, accounting, advertising, and 80 percent of utility costs).In 1987, 92 percent of all 7-Eleven stores in Japan were franchised. † and by 1990, only 2 percent of the 7-Elevens were corporate owned. † Within the Ito-Yokado group, 7-Eleven contributed 6. 8 percent of revenues in 1990. With this relatively small portion of overall corporate revenues, however, 7- Eleven Japan contributed more than 35 percent of the group's profit. Under its licensing agreement, 7-Eleven Japan paid royalties of 0. 6 percent of gross sales to the Southland Corporation. In 1989 and 1990, 7-Eleven Japan paid royalties of about $4. 1 million and $4. million, respectively. The financial statements for 7-Eleven Japan for the years 1986 to 1990 are shown in Exhibits 6 and 7. OPERATION REFORM PROJECT Ito-Yokado implemented the Operation Reform Project in late 1981 in a retail industry environment punctuated by reduced consumer spending and decreasing margins. The goals of the project were to increase efficiency and boost profitability by increasing the inventory turn while avoiding empty store shelves. The plan was originally implemented in the Ito- Yokado Superstores and the 7- Eleven Japan convenience stores.The implementation of the project involved a coordinated effort of catering to rapidly changing consumer preferences while, simultaneously, monitoring merchandise flow more closely. This coordination was accomplished by making individual store managers more responsible for such decisions as what merchandise was to be stocked on store shelves, thus allowing managers to tailor merchandise selection in their individual stores to local preferences. Top Ito-Yokado regional managers held weekly meetings with store managers to monitor the implementation of the project.As late as 1988, these meetings were still held on a weekly basis. † In o rder to avoid depletion of store stocks, Ito-Yokado established an on-line ordering system with vendors. In 1982, the ordering system reached only 400 vendors. By 1988, however, the system linked Ito- Yokado with 1,860 vendors. Point-of-Sale System As implementation of the Operation Reform Project began, Ito-Yokado paid increased attention to the importance of obtaining information regarding the flow of merchandise through individual stores. The tool chosen to accomplish this task was the point-of-sale system.POS system usage was increasing in the United States in the early 1980s, but the systems were used primarily to increase productivity at the cash register. In contrast, Ito- Yokado used similar systems as a part of the project by monitoring specific merchandise flow. As of the late 1980s, many retailers in the United States had begun utilizing POS in similar capacities, and some had begun to use POS to track the purchases of individual consumers. The first use of POS systems in Japan came in 1982, when 7-Eleven Japan began installing them in its stores. By 1986, every 7-Eleven store in Japan was equipped with such a system. The systems available were sophisticated enough to monitor the entire stock of merchandise in a typical convenience store having about 3,000 items. ‘ The systems could monitor the flow of every item of merchandise through the purchase, inventory, sale, and restocking stages. In late 1984, Ito-Yokado decided to install POS systems in the superstores. The sophistication of those systems installed in convenience stores, however, was not adequate to handle the merchandise flow of a superstore, which could stock up to 500,000 items. † New POS systems were developed n a coordinated effort by Ito-Yokado, Nippon Electric, and Nomura Computer Services. The installation of POS systems in the existing superstores was completed in November 1985, with more than 8,000 POS registers installed in 121 stores. † With 138 stores in 1990 , Ito-Yokado had an estimated 9,000 POS registers in the superstores alone. In 1986, after the systems had been installed in all superstores and 7-Elevens, Ito- Yokado accounted for about 70 percent of the POS systems in use in Japan as of 1988; 7-Eleven Japan was the only major convenience store chain in Japan to have installed POS systems. By August 31, 1989, Japan had 119,137 POS scanner-equipped registers in 42,880 stores, making it the country with the most POS systems in use. † The POS systems used by 7-Eleven Japan and Ito-Yokado superstores were upgraded in 1986 to add a new dimension to Ito-Yokado's Operation Reform Project. The upgraded systems allowed for bidirectional communication with the company headquarters. This feature essentially allowed information to flow not only from individual stores to a central location, but also from the central location back to individual stores.By linking the central system to other computer systems, more information than just sale s of retail items could be transmitted. This capability allowed Ito-Yokado to increase the efficiency of deliveries by centralizing some orders. By increasing the total size of orders, Ito-Yokado increased its bargaining position with distributors. One result of this bargaining strength was more frequent deliveries of smaller volume. From 1987 to 1988, deliveries increased from one to three per week for stores in many regions of Japan, notably the Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Kyushu areas.Using the POS systems, 7-Eleven began to offer customers door-to-door parcel delivery in conjunction with Nippon Express. In addition, some POS terminals were being used to issue prepaid telephone credit cards+' Since October 1987, Tokyo-area customers had been able to pay their electric bills at 7-Eleven; since March 1988, they had also been able to pay their gas bills Women traditionally manage household finances in Japan, so these services were designed to attract more women customers to the convenience stores. Results For the Ito-Yokado superstores alone, average days of inventory decreased from 25. in 1982 to 17. 3 in 1987. By 1990, it was estimated to be 13 days. The effect on operating margins and net income for the entire Ito-Yokado Corporation was equally dramatic. In 1982, the company's operating margin stood at 5. 1 percent. It had increased to 8. 1 per- cent by 1987. By 1990, the operating margin had climbed to 10. 5 percent. Net income for the corporation increased from ? 14,662 million in 1982 to ? 34,649 million in 1987, and ? 58,465 million in 1990. 7-Eleven Japan recorded similar increases in operating margins and net income during the same period.In 1982, 7-Eleven Japan's operating margin was 20. 7 percent. It had increased to 34. 6 percent by 1987. Net income from the 7-Eleven operations increased from ? 7,837 million in 1982 to ? 33,000 million in 1987. As of 1990, the Ito-Yokado Corporation was the second largest retailer in Japan, with ? 1,664,390 million of ann ual gross sales. The leading retailer was Daiei, with ? 2,114,909 million of revenues. Ito- Yokado was, however, the most profitable retailer in Japan, with net income of ? 58,465 million. In comparison, Daiei recorded net income of only ? 9,457 million for 1990.Financial statements for Daiei are shown as Exhibits 8 and 9. THE SOUTHLAND CORPORATION The Southland Corporation began in Dallas, Texas, in 1927 when Claude S. Dawley consolidated several small Texas ice companies into the Southland Ice Company. This new company was under the direction of 26-year-old Joe C. Thompson, Sr. Under Thompson's guidance, Southland began to use its retail outlets (curb service docks) to sell products in addition to ice, such as watermelon, milk, bread, eggs, and cigarettes. With the addition of these products, the concept of the convenience store was born.During the Great Depression and the 1940s, Southland's convenience store business added several more products, including gasoline, frozen foods, beauty products, fresh fruit and vegetables, and picnic supplies. Because the store opened at 7 AM and remained open till 11 PM, the store name 7-Eleven was adopted during this time. The 1950s were a period of substantial growth in terms of the number of stores and of 7-Eleven's geographical coverage. The first stores located outside of Texas were opened in Florida in 1954. During the same year, 7-Eleven's operating profit surpassed the $1 million mark for the first time.By 1959, the entire 7-Eleven empire constituted 425 stores in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and several other East Coast states. John Thompson became president of Southland when his father, Jodie Thompson, died in 1961. During the 1960s, a population migration toward the suburbs and changing lifestyles presented Southland with new growth opportunities. John Thompson lead Southland on the path of expansion, and more than 3,000 stores were opened in the decade. The product line of 7-Eleven also grew during this time to i nclude prepared foods, rental items, and some self-service gasoline pumps.The 1970s were also a period of achievement for Southland. In 1971, the $1 billion sales mark was surpassed. Southland- stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972, and the 5,OOOth store was opened in 1974. It was at this time that Masatoshi Ito approached Southland with the prospect of franchising 7-Eleven stores in Japan. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Southland's activities became more diversified. In 1986, the company had four operating groups: the Stores Group, the Dairies Group, the Special Operations Group, and the Gasoline Supply Division.The Stores Group represented the largest of the operating groups in terms of sales through the 1980s. The Stores Group was responsible for the operating and franchising of convenience stores. At the end of 1985, there were 7,519 7-Eleven stores in most of the United States and five provinces of Canada. This group was also responsible for 84 Gristede' s and Charles & Company food stores. 38 Super-7 outlets, and 7-Eleven stores operated under area licensees in the United States, Canada, and several Pacific Rim countries, including Japan.The Dairies Group was one of the nation's largest dairy processors in 1986 and served primarily the Stores Group, although aggressive marketing in the 1980s targeted service to institutional dairy needs. This group operated in all of the United States and parts of Canada. The Special Operations Group consisted of Chief Auto Parts (acquired in 1979); Pate Foods (a snack food company): Reddy Ice (the world's largest ice company); and Tidel Systems (a manufacturer of cash dispensing units and other retailer equipment).The Gasoline Supply Division was formed in 1981 to serve the gasoline requirements of the more than 2,800 7-Eleven stores handling gasoline. This division's history was punctuated by the 1983 acquisition of Cities Service Refining, Marketing, and Transportation businesses (CITGO) from Oc cidental Petroleum. Southland's Recent Activities Southland's dramatic growth and diversification during the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in 7-Eleven having a dominant position in the convenience store industry.Despite this position, circumstances since the mid-1980s had greatly eroded 7-Eleven and Southland's strengths. The oil price collapse of early 1986 was the sharpest drop of crude oil prices in history. The instability of crude oil and wholesale refined products, coupled with CITGO's inventory methods and various write-downs, resulted in only modest income for a previously very profitable company. The volatility of CITGO's financial position greatly affected Southland's earnings. Southland's equity interest in CITGO contributed to a $52 million loss for the entire corporation in 1986.In order to reduce the impact of an unstable crude oil market and the accompanying volatility of CITGO's earnings, South- land entered into a joint venture with Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) i n late 1986. The joint venture with PDVSA had several components. Southland sold a half- interest in CITGO to a subsidiary of PDVSA for $290 million. In addition, PDVSA agreed to both supply CITGO with a minimum of 130,000 barrels of crude oil per day and pro- vide its share of CITGO's working capital requirements. A takeover attempt of Southland occurred in April 1987.Canadian financier Samuel Belzberg approached the Southland board of directors with an offer of $65 per share of common stock. Unwilling to relinquish control of Southland, the Thompson family tendered $77 per share for two-thirds of the outstanding shares in July 1987. The other third of the shares would be purchased at $61 per share (plus $16 per share of new preferred shares) by the would-be private Southland Corporation. Financing for this acquisition came from $2 billion in loans from a group of banks and a $600 million bridge loan from Goldman, Sachs and Salomon Brothers. An additional $1. billion was generated by the issue of subordinated debentures Gunk bonds) in November 1987. This occurred after the stock and junk bond markets crashed in October 1987. Southland's investment bankers had to sell the bonds at a blended rate of almost 17 percent, instead of the anticipated rate of 14. 67 percent. The Thompson family emerged from the buyout owning 71 percent of Southland at a total cost of $4. 9 billion. Paying the High Costs of a Leveraged Buyout After Southland had been taken private through the leveraged buyout (LBO), significant changes occurred in both Southland and 7-Eleven operations.Southland was restructured, with the elimination of two levels of middle managers. During this time, Southland began selling more 7-Eleven stores than it opened in the United States and Canada. Due to the increased number of licensees opening stores overseas, however, the total number of stores worldwide continued to increase. 7-Eleven Japan was primarily responsible for this increase, with the opening o f 340 stores in 1988 and 349 stores in 1989. Southland also divested itself of many large assets in the 1988 to 1990 period (see Exhibit 10).Significant in this group of divestments were the entire Dairy Group, more than 100 7-Eleven stores in the continental United States, Southland's remaining interest in CITGO (sold to PDVSA), and 7-Eleven Hawaii, (purchased by 7-Eleven Japan). In November 1989, 7-Eleven Japan purchased 58 stores and additional properties from Southland. These properties and stores, which were located in Hawaii, were exchanged for $75 million in cash. The 58 convenience stores were organized as 7- Eleven Hawaii, which was established as a subsidiary of 7-Eleven Japan.As of December 31,1990, Southland operated 6,455 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States and Canada, 187 High's Dairy Stores, and 63 Quick Mart and Super-7 Stores. Southland owned 1,802 properties on which 7-Eleven stores were located. Another 4,643 7-Eleven stores in the United States and C anada were leased. In addition the company possessed 234 store properties held for sale, of which 109 were unimproved. 77 were closed stores! and 48 were excess properties adjoining store locations. Three of Southland's four food-processing facilities were owned (the other was leased).The company owned six properties in the United States on which distribution centers were located. Five of the six distribution centers were company owned. Until December 1990 the company had also owned its corporate headquarters (called City- place) located near downtown Dallas. 59 Financial statements for Southland Corporation are shown in Exhibits 11 and 12. THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF SOUTHLAND BY ITO-YOKADO The divestments of 1988, 1989, and 1990 constituted attempts by Southland to generate sufficient cash to service the massive debt incurred from the LBO of 1987.By early 1990, however, it was apparent that the cash generated from these divestments and Southland's operations was not sufficient to cov er its interest expense. Some experts estimated that Southland's cash shortfalls would reach $89 million in 1990 and more than $270 million in 1991. 60 Southland's long-term debt still totaled about $3. 7 billion, and interest expense alone in the first three quarters of 1989 was almost $430 million. † In March of 1990, Southland announced that it was seeking â€Å"rescue† by Ito-Yokado. Proposed Acquisition of Southland by Ito- YokadoSouthland had â€Å"looked at possibilities of receiving assistance from other U. S. companies, but decided that†¦ Ito-Yokado was the best potential partner. â€Å"63 The original proposal would have resulted in Ito-Yokado receiving 75 percent ownership of Southland for $400 million. This proportion of Southland would be split between Ito- Yokado and 7- Eleven Japan, with 7- Eleven Japan obtaining two-thirds of the 75 percent share. The deal was contingent on Southland's ability to swap its outstanding publicly traded debt for stock and zero-coupon (non-interest-bearing) bonds.The publicly traded debt amounted to approximately $1. 8 billion. There were five classes of public debt, ranging in type and interest paid. The interest rate of the bonds varied from 13. 5 percent to 18 percent. Ito-Yokado's offer was also contingent on 95 percent of all bond- holders of each public debt issue accepting the swap. Under this original proposal, the Thompson family would retain a 15 percent stake in Southland, and the remaining 10 percent of the company would be held by bondholders.The original proposal had a deadline of June 14, 1990, at which time either Ito- Yokado or Southland could cancel the agreement. Neither party indicated that such action would be taken, even though Southland's bondholders balked at the swap proposal. A bigger problem was facing the two companies: a rapidly approaching interest payment due on June 15, 1990. Southland's failure to pay the $69 million payment would result in Southland having a 30-d ay grace period in which to compensate bond- holders. At the end of the 30-day period, unpaid bondholders could try to force South- land into bankruptcy court. Revisions to the Proposed Buyout Southland did not make its scheduled interest payment that was due on June 15, 1990. Bondholders, meanwhile, had shown little regard for the original deal struck between Ito-Yokado and Southland. Three more revisions of the proposed debt restructuring and terms for the buyout were submitted between mid-June and mid-July 1990. In each revision, either Ito- Yokado's or the Thompson family's stake in Southland was reduced and the share of Southland stock offered to bondholders increased.With each revision came increased bondholder support, yet this support was far short of either the two-thirds majority (as required in Chapter 11 restructuring cases) or the 95 percent acceptance rate dictated by Ito-Yokado, As revisions were submitted, the expiration dates of the debt restructuring and stock purc hase by Ito- Yokado were extended. On July 16, a bondholder filed suit against Southland for failure to pay interest on June 15, because on July 15 Southland's grace period had expired. By September 12, a majority of bondholders had tendered their notes. This majority was still far short, however, of the 95 percent swap requirement dictated by Ito-Yokado. The deadlines were extended to September 25 for both the debt swap offer by Southland and the stock purchase offer by Ito-Yokado. As Southland was apparently headed for involuntary bankruptcy filing under Chapter 11, the proposal again seemed in jeopardy. Acceptance of the Proposed Buyout The deadline for Southland's debt swap offer was again extended. Bondholder approval was finally obtained in late October.Ito-Yokado's offer to buyout Southland was extended to March 15, 1991, pending court approval of the prepackaged bankruptcy dea1. The bankruptcy-court petition for approval of the prepackaged debt restructuring was filed on Oct ober 24,1990. Although Southland did not have sufficient bondholder approval as dictated by Ito-Yokado, the bankruptcy court proceedings were swift. The last few bondholders who held out were placated in January when the Thompsons relinquished warrants for half of their 5 percent stake of Southland's stock. † On February 21, 1991, the U. S. ankruptcy court in Dallas approved the reorganization of Southland.?! At that time, at least 93 per- cent of the holders of each class of debt issued by Southland had approved the reorganization. On March 5, 1991, Ito-Yokado purchased 71 percent of Southland's stock for $430 million. Two-thirds of this stock was purchased by 7-Eleven Japan, and the other third purchased directly by Ito-Yokado. The terms of the accepted debt-restructuring agreement between Southland and its bondholders are shown in Exhibit 13. THE CONVENIENCE STORE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATESThe convenience store industry in the United States changed dramatically during th e decade of the 1980s. The number of convenience stores in the United States, the gross sales of these stores, and the gross margins all increased during this time period. The net income of convenience stores, however, decreased significantly. This outcome was largely the result of the rapid expansion of several chains of convenience stores and the increased number of convenience stores opened by oil companies. Aggregate Measures of the Industry The number of convenience stores grew from about 39,000 in 1982 to more than 70,000 in 1989.From 1985 to 1989, industry sales increased from $51. 4 billion to $67. 7 billion, an increase of 6. 3 percent per year. Gross margins increased from 22. 8 percent in 1985 to 26. 2 percent by 1988. Despite such growth, convenience store operations experienced a decrease in net profit in the late 1980s. The total industry pretax profit peaked in 1986 at $1. 4 billion, fell to $1. 16 billion in 1988, and plummeted to $271 million in 1989. Some trends ar e shown in Exhibit 14. The expansion of convenience stores in the 1980s was led by large convenience store chains and oil companies.In addition to the growth experienced by the Southland Corporation's 7-Eleven, Circle-K, a Phoenix-based convenience store chain, expanded from 1,200 stores in 1980 to 4,700 stores in 1990. The Role of the Oil Companies The impact of oil companies on the convenience store industry had been significant. Virtually all of the major U. S. oil companies began combining convenience store operations with gasoline stations in order to boost profits. In 1984, Exxon opened its first combination convenience store and gas station. By 1989, it had 500.Texaco operated 950Food Marts in the same year. From 1984 to 1989, the number of convenience stores operated by oil companies increased from 16,000 to 30,000. Gasoline sold at a lower margin (about 6 percent in 1984) than nongasoline convenience store products (32 percent in the same year), so the sale of convenience s tore items presented an opportunity for those gas stations with good locations (i. e. , street comers) to increase profits. In order to capitalize on the potential for higher profits in retailing, the major oil companies boosted their marketing expenditures.In 1979, the petroleum industry spent about $2. 2 billion for their marketing efforts. By 1988, these expenditures were almost $5 billion. The convenience stores operated by oil companies were growing in both number and size. In 1986, only about 20 percent of the oil company convenience stores were 1,800 or more square feet in size (the size of about 90 percent of traditional convenience stores). By 1990, however, more than 50 percent of the oil company convenience stores were between 1,800 and 3,000 square feet in size. â€Å"? Merchandise Trends for Convenience StoresBecause of the intensified retailing efforts of oil companies and large convenience store chains, some trends (other than those mentioned previously) evolved. In 1985, gasoline accounted for 35. 4 percent of convenience store sales. By 1989, gasoline accounted for 40 percent of sales. † The gross profit margin for gasoline sales had increased from 7. 3 per- cent to 11. 7 percent more than the same period. â€Å"? Of the 61,000 convenience stores in the United States in 1985,55 percent sold gasoline, and in 1989, 65 percent of 70,200 convenience stores sold gasoline.In 1989, 75 percent of the new convenience stores built were equipped to sell gasoline. † Although gasoline sales and margins became an increasingly significant contributor to convenience store revenues, contributions of revenue from other merchandise stagnated. In 1985, merchandise (other than gasoline) sales for the convenience store industry amounted to $33. 2 billion. In 1,989, sales reached $40. 6 billion. † This increase in merchandise sales, however, was offset by the large number of store openings. In 1985, the average yearly merchandise sales per store was $544,000.This number increased to only $578,000 in 1989. THE SETTING While flying from Japan to the United States, Takahashi reflected on the success that both Ito-Yokado and 7-Eleven Japan had enjoyed over the course of many years. These achievements were the result of long-term strategies that were carefully tailored to the Japanese market. Could these same, or similar, strategies be the foundation for making Southland financially successful again? He realized that the convenience store industry in the United States was vastly different from that of Japan.Nevertheless, he was confident that, through careful and thorough planning, the goal of making Southland profitable could be achieved. -11 pts if late (after 6pm of due date) and additional -5pts for each day thereafter for max late points of -26 pts. Lists the Strengths / Weaknesses/ Opportunities / Threats for the Ito-Yokado Company (total 10 pts) SWOT analysis. Strengths (list and briefly discuss only 3) 1 pt each for tota l of 3 pts. SWOT, defined as the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is an organizational tool used to analyze core competencies of a business.And like most businesses the Ito-Yokado Group consisting of three business segment (superstores and retail operations, restaurants operations, and convenience store operations) is no different. The strategies used to expand its operations Point of sale register, diversified portfolio, name(branding) and strategic location Weaknesses (list and briefly discuss only 2) 1 pt each for total of 2 pts Opportunities (list and briefly discuss only 2) 1 pt each for total of 2 pts The need for new ideas, real estates, the most vulnerable (younger generation) Threats (list and briefly discuss only 3) 1 pt each for total of 3 pts.The threats faced by the Ito-Yokado Group are: competition from mom and pops store, decrease in disposable income and Large Store Restriction Acts. As discussed in the article, the Large Store Restriction Acts influen ce by rival competitors makes it challenging for the organization to cater to its consumer needs. The result is not only deprived customer, but decrease in revenue, as the laws restrict the size of the store, making it impossible to grow different variety in store products.Another threat is consumer income, the limited consumer income, means consumer has limited amount for discretionary spending. And last but not least is the competition from mom and pops stores. These types of small businesses despite their sizes can pose a real threat for large companies such as 7-Eleven, reason being, is the fact that they are better known and rooted within the community. Essay questions to be answered in detail. (18 pts for each question for total of 90 pts) 1.What were some of the primary reasons for Ito-Yokado's remarkable degree of success during the past several decades? Globalization in my opinion was one of the biggest factors in the company success. Today’s market makes fierce comp etition therefore businesses no longer can afford to operate locally. In order for them to be successful, they must join the rest of the world in forming partnership through Joint Ventures, Franchising, Licensing, and Foreign Subsidiaries. While the advantages of globalization exist, it is not without its disadvantages.The transformation of a company from a local organization into a transnational organization is not an easy task mainly because of the various laws, time, efforts, and monetary investment that one must be able to shoulder before taking on such venture. The factors listed include, but are not limited to political stability, relationship between the two countries, licenses fees, market responsiveness, and the cost can determine the successfulness of a business. In addition, the careful planning and leadership ability can also determine whether or not a business can make the transformation successfully.As a leader one of the primary goals is to have a vision that can be c ommunicated down the chain. And as demonstrated by Ito-Yokado, he clearly demonstrated his vision for the company by strategically expanding the company’s operations into three different segment ranging from retail stores, restaurants chain and convenient stores. The result was a diversified portfolio with increase revenue. Another reason of success can be measured by the risk decision made by the company’s leaders. With any operation whether personal or professional, one must be willing to take isk, a risk in which the benefits outweigh the cost. Although the transformation from the Japanese market to the American was uncertain, because of factors such as consumer responsiveness, income, laws and applicable regulations, the decisions to invest into the various markets was worthwhile all because of proper planning and market response. The result was a successful Ito-Yokado group. 2. How did Ito-Yokado’s 7-Eleven Japan differ from Southland's 7-Eleven operations during the 1980s? While the two shares the same name the difference in their operations where obvious.The 7-Eleven in Japan compared to that of Southland differ in their operation that is, the door-to-door parcel delivery by Nippon, the convenience of bill pay for its customers, faster growth opportunities through franchising. Because of the Large Store Restriction Act, the company was limited in growth to expand its physical location; as a result, they resort to a smaller size stores strategically located in suburban areas. This venture was a deliberate marketing strategy used to penetrate the most vulnerable areas (suburbs) and fight off competitions brought on by the moms and pops stores.While the 7-Japan thrive in its operations of smaller stores with over 3000 items with point of sales register, their counterpart was not far behind. Under the leadership of John Thompson, the 7-Eleven in Southland were able to operate convenience stores with expanded products and services includ ing; low cost gasoline, and prepared food. Despite troubles with the oil industry, the 7-Eleven of Southland was able to form a partner with Oil Company such as CITGO and largest ice producer Reddy Ice. The result was a perfect union that brought about increase revenues.The union however, was short lived, as the company profit plummeted and had to file for bankruptcy. 3. What are Ito-Yokado and Z-Eleven Japan getting for their $430 million? 4. What is your prognosis for Southland under Ito-Yokado ownership? Will Ito-Yokado be successful? Based on the article, it is apparent the management and leadership of Ito-Yokado Group are making the right decisions and stirring the company in the right direction. This is evident through it increase franchising of stores and increase revenue. While the Group might be successful in Japan, areful consideration must be given to the market in the United States. As noted in the reading, the Southland Group under the leadership of John Thompson has ha d its share of misfortune mainly because of the oil industry. The fall in oil prices and volatility of the market resulted in loss of profit and buyout. While the venture of acquiring Southland Group, Ito-Yokado, must ensure it does it homework, with proper study of the US market. They must also, realize that the US market is one of capitalism with fierce competition.Unlike Japan, there are no such rules as the Large Store Restriction Act, as long as the proper conditions are met with the right paperwork, a business can expand as necessary. Another determining factor is the need for the product. yes the idea to expand is great! However, is it cost effective or will the company be better off 5. Is 1to-Yokado a global company? Explain your answer. The answer whether Ito-Yokado was a global company would be yes based on the fact that the company operate in more than one country with various subsidiaries.Ito-Yokado, will be consider Multinational Corporation simply because the operation and production of its products and services were done both in the United States and Japan. In addition the trading of its stocks was offered on both the NYSE, and the Japanese trading markets, thereby influencing the economy of both nations. Another important factor is the fact that nowadays, globalization makes it almost impossible for businesses to operate locally. For this reason they must be willing and able to compete on a global stage with numerous