Ethical Counseling Essay

The code of ethics was created to assist and benefit members of the American Counseling Association. The code of ethics mission statement discusses what counselors should aspire to do in an ethical manner and also explains how they can be responsible counselors who protect themselves against complaints. The code of ethics is sometimes revised because individuals of the ACA develop useful material that will protect counselors. The code of ethics focuses on examining benefits of interactions with clients, students, and supervisees within and outside the clinical setting. (Herlihy&Corey, 2006) Similarities in Code of Ethics When comparing the ACA and the AMHCA code of ethics, one will notice they both provide guidance, training and direction toward making ethic decisions for their members. They both explain a variety of professional situations to a practicing counselor. The two codes also share relation due to their commitment of students, employee, and supervisory relationships. When employees become involved with clients this could cause issues and end horribly for all parties involved including companies. Differences in the Code of Ethics One huge difference in the ACA and the AMHAC code of ethics is how violations of the code of ethics are addressed by the organizations and codes. The ACA code of ethics mentions a process for processing ethical violations. The AMHAC does not adjudicate, investigate or mention ethical complaints but it does say actions may be taken regarding a member’s membership based upon their licensure. Record keeping is also different between these two codes. The AMHAC code of ethics has certain guidelines regarding communication, record keeping, use of assessment tools and retention. The ACA code of ethics does not specify such requirements. Future Code of Ethics and Counseling Code of Ethics for counselors was created in order to guide and protect counselors from making unethical decisions and avoiding legal issues. Once I become a counselor I will always refer to the code of ethics, lawyers, mentors, and colleagues for advice with troubling cases. The ethical standards casebook presents different case studies that will allow me to analyze and manage cases of my own. When counseling my clients I will refer to the code of ethics for assurance of unethical choices. The code of ethics will also provide me with guidance and information that will protect me from complaining and dissatisfied clients. Being a counselor involves making ethical decisions and I know decisions will be challenging to arrive at during times. I plan to look at all of my cases in an ethical and professional way. I will take multicultural and diversity values and beliefs into consideration when counseling clients from different cultures. I fully understand that being bias and influencing clients is not ethical performance. (Herlihy&Corey,2006) (page 14) Code of Ethics This course explains the code of ethics and introduces certain dilemmas counselors could very well face while practicing. Referring to the code of ethics may still leave a counselor puzzled as to how to handle a special case if it has not been addressed before. Members of the ACA make revisions to the code of ethics because times are changing and new events occur. I look forward to learning more about ethics, legal and professional issues in this course so I can be an excellent counselor.

What Difference Did the Renaissance Make to Medicine

What difference did the Renaissance make to medicine? The discoveries of the Renaissance didn’t make a significant difference to medicine for many reasons. The main reasons for this are that the discoveries made were primarily about anatomy and physiology, not about cures and treatments, and that even though people had proven Galen to be wrong about several things, they still wouldn’t let the four humours theory go. This meant that when King Charles II became ill even the best physicians in the country couldn’t save him which just shows that medicine didn’t advance very much from the renaissance.The main reason that the renaissance didn’t make a significant difference to medicine was that the discoveries made were primarily about anatomy, not about treatments and cures. For example, Vesalius dissected bodies and produced a book including pictures of the body drawn by renaissance artists. By doing these dissections and producing his book, he realised that Galen was wrong about several things. He proved that we only have one jaw bone, not two as Galen said, he corrected the scale of our skeleton and he proved that there were no holes in the centre of the heart and therefore Galen’s theory about the heart was wrong.Although Vesalius did all this, he had still only improved the anatomical knowledge; he hadn’t discovered any cures/treatments or anything about our physiology, just that Galen was wrong with his ideas about the heart. William Harvey also did a bit of dissection to prove his theory. He focused on the distribution of blood around the body. He discovered that blood flows only one way around the body, and that blood is reused and not constantly produced by the liver as Galen had suggested.He used many complex diagrams which, when combined with the invention of the printing press, became quickly distributed throughout the world in the form of a book entitled ‘An anatomical account of the motion of the h eart and blood in animals'. Although this was an important discovery, it is still just about anatomy and physiology. Harvey didn’t come up with any new treatments or cures during the Renaissance. As well as this, because they didn’t have very good technology at the time, Harvey had no way of proving that we have capillaries and so some people still didn’t believe what he said.Even though both Vesalius and Harvey had proven Galen to be wrong several times, the people still believed in the four humours theory which was really the underlying problem and the reason that renaissance didn’t make a significant difference, and why medicine didn’t develop during the renaissance. It’s easy to see that medicine hadn’t advanced very much and that the renaissance hadn’t made a significant difference when you look at how they handle the plague and King Charles II’s illness.When the plague returned in 1665, they still had no idea that it was carried by fleas. They also still had no real treatments that worked against the plague. All they knew was that it was contagious. Although this was an improvement on their knowledge from the last plague in 1348, it was still not a significant advancement to medicine. Another example that the renaissance hadn’t really made a difference was when King Charles II fell ill. It is thought, from the symptoms of the King, that he had suffered a stroke.The best doctors and physicians in the country tried to save him with treatments of Bezoars stones, blister agents over his head as well as bloodletting, purging and vomiting – based on the four humours theory. The king died within 4days after being treated by these doctors. It’s thought that it probably would have been better if they had simply left the King alone because it seems that he suffered a stroke. This shows just how bad medicine still was and just how little difference the renaissance had made to medici ne as the best doctors in the country couldn’t save their King.In Conclusion, the discoveries of the Renaissance didn’t make a significant difference to medicine for many reasons. The main reasons for this are that the discoveries made were primarily about anatomy and physiology, not about cures and treatments, and that even though people had proven Galen to be wrong about several things, they still wouldn’t let the four humours theory go. This meant that when King Charles II became ill even the best physicians in the country couldn’t save him which just shows that medicine didn’t advance very much from the renaissance.

Letter to Thomas Jefferson Essay

I am writing to you, to express my opinion on the Declaration of Independence. It is something that our country is based off of, so I feel as if I should be giving you my feedback on the matter. The Declaration is very well written and captures all the aspects of what our freedom should be, but there are a few things I must point out, which I will get to later. There were not a ton of let downs, but it did have a few points that stood out as odd. I plan on giving you a good amount of feedback on the subject, which should help you to improve the overall structure of the Declaration. The Declaration of Independence is written in an odd format. Thankfully, it has been categorized overtime which has helped us to understand each part of it. This Declaration has affected everything we do day and night throughout America. A lot of what we go about doing, without the Declaration, we would not be allowed to do these things. Such as: voting rights, same wages between genders, etc.. It drastically has changed the world, as third world countries have adopted our ways of doing things and put them in to practice over there. Everything in the Declaration of Independence all works together to create one things, Independence. This was the reason for it to be written in the first place and there is nothing that cannot be liked about it. When reading it, I found myself agreeing with the majority of it. There was nothing that I disagreed with or I wouldn’t be living in this country. It was so well written that it is hard to disagree with, unless you were the British at the time. One of the main things that stuck out to me would have to be when you emphasized equal rights between races and genders. Overall, it is well written and straight to the point. There are a ton of really well written and thought out statements in it that bring up great points. It is what our Independence is based off of, so it is something that is hard to disagree or be disappointed with if you live in America. If you live outside of America, well you shouldn’t.

Mechanism of Locating the Client's DaTa in the Clouds Research Paper

Mechanism of Locating the Client's DaTa in the Clouds - Research Paper Example Owing to the current rapid prevalence of Cloud computing many clients are increasingly using the clouds to store sensitive information and this necessitates encrypting the data so as to protect the stored data against unsolicited access (Lasica, 76). A major challenge of data encryption in the clouds is that it makes it difficult for the Clients to locate their data. This is particularly with regard to the fact that the encryption of data in cloud computing significantly limits the ability of clients to use the traditional keyword searches in locating their data. Additionally data in the clouds usually require protection of their key word privacy to enhance the security of the stored data. This paper explores the potential use of string matching algorithms as a mechanism to enable clients using cloud computing effectively locates their stored data within the cloud. String matching (Fuzzy keyword) algorithms Generally cloud data systems usually consist of the client, data service prov ider and the cloud server. Advances in computing technology have enabled the use of networks and data identifier algorithms to build a mechanism that allows the clients to locate their data in the clouds based on string matching of the any data. ... data identifiers algorithms are usually designed to enable clients determine the location of their data in the cloud using the infrastructural network. These algorithms are also used to track and monitor the movement of data within the servers. Many methods can be used to determine the string familiarity of the cloud data. For example the edit distance measures string match of the given keywords. This not only allow the clients depending on cloud storage services to locate their data but it also help them to effectively correct potential errors and problems in their stored data. Additionally the similarity of the located data and the intended search may also reveal potential problems such as duplicate data and lack of uniformity in the content and format (Armbrust, 56). String matching algorithm as a data identifier mechanism also enhances the search correctness of the data being searched by the client. For example if the client needs to locate some data using an input that matches t he data in the clouds, then the server will accurately locate the file using the keywords search request. The clients are therefore able to determine the location of their data within the virtual cloud network. On the other hand, any errors in spelling or inconsistencies in the format of the search keyword for the data being searched often bring the possible closest result based on the similarities of the keywords. How string matching data identifier algorithms work String matching algorithms function by allowing clients to locate data within the clouds using exact matching words. According to Abadi (33), the closeness of the match of the data being located is usually measured using the possible number of operations needed to convert the string into the exact match. The number is usually

Personal Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Philosophy of Education - Essay Example Education assists students become responsible members of the society in their adulthood. All learners should develop emotional, cognitive and social skills that are essential for success in life. I believe that a teacher should be a role model and a guide in order to enhance learning. Just like Socrates asserted that unexamined life is not worth living, all students should be allowed to decide the learning styles and goals. I believe that both formal and informal classroom assessments are essential in stimulating the brains of students and improving the knowledge retention capacity. I believe that teachers should examine the learning outcomes of the students after every topic covered in the classroom (Ornstein, Levine & Gutek, 2011). My philosophy of education is based on idealism, experimentalism, progressivism and behavior change. An effective teacher should develop and nurture unique student skills and capabilities. Since knowledge is not static and new methods of solving problems keep on being implemented, teachers should guide students in solving problems through case studies of hypothetical real life scenarios. As a teacher, I will require students to analyze case studies and make recommendations on the effective methods of solving the problem (Ornstein, Levine & Gutek, 2011). ... Emotional skills help the students to have social-control and resolve disputes without engaging in violence. I use different encouraging and motivating words that enable students to express their ideas and participate in discussions during learning. I have taught all my students other essential skills like time management, writing skills and problem analysis skills (Ornstein, Levine & Gutek, 2011). I believe that mental skills, attitudes and psychomotor skills are basic learning capabilities. I am able to guide my students to improve their memory capacity. Students should be able to translate facts and knowledge in problem solving. Students should synthesize knowledge for new meaning. I believe that student attitudes and behaviors should be controlled in order to enhance learning. I believe that a balance of responsibility and personal freedom will assist my students to work independently and also have a good working relationship with peers during group discussions. All students shou ld appreciate individual and unique differences and appreciate cultural diversity in order to minimize chances of stereotyping their peers during learning. In managing the classroom, I believe that learning should occur in a positive environment that is friendly. Learning activities should be supportive and classroom rules that are enforceable are essential in controlling the behavior of learners. The physical environment should not be disruptive or dangerous. The classroom sitting arrangement should allow the teacher the opportunity to move around and monitor the student learning progress. There should be a procedure that students can use while seeking assistance. For instance, the classroom rules will require the student to rise up

About humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

About humanity - Essay Example The main reason that heroes from these two different cultures are so different is because of the vastly differing views in the afterlife. To demonstrate these differences, we can examine Achilles and Sir Gawain, two exemplary heroes from their own specific eras. In Homer’s Iliad, Achilles was the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. His decisions to fight and to not fight turned the entire tide of the entire war. Often times, though, people of today have a hard time accepting Achilles’ place as a great hero. He was prideful, thirsted for glory, did not seem to act with much integrity, and seemed to have abandoned his comrades for a time. However, it is pridefulness and thirst for glory that made him a hero in ancient Greek ties. This is because to the Greeks, the vision of the afterlife was one where people basically disappeared into the underworld. In order for people to earn some sort of immortality, they had to do something so great that they would be remembered as a great hero for all time. This is why Achilles was such a great hero to the Greeks. Achilles was by far the greatest warrior of the Trojan war. No other warriors came as close to slaying as many enemies as he did. When he decided to not participate in the war, the Trojans felt a certain amount of certainty that they could win. After Patroclus’ death, Achilles lets out a great cry, signaling his return to the battle: â€Å"The great sound shocked the Trojans/ into tumult, as a trumpet blown/ by a savage foe shocks an encircled town,/ so harsh and clarion was Achilles’ cry† (6. 251-254). So great was Achilles’ strength that just the sound of his voice alone was enough to send terror through the Trojans. This even more than examples of his fierceness in battle shows the extent of Achilles’ reputation. In this comparison, Homer is stating that the sound of Achilles’ voice is comparable to what a town

Bankruptcy prediction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Bankruptcy prediction - Research Paper Example e year correctly classify the dozen or so listed industrial companies which will fail, but will incorrectly identify about 120 of the remaining 600 as likely to go bankrupt. In fact, analysts who might use the models t help them produce their credit ratings are likely to try them out before relying on them and making them self-fulfulling. It therefore seems unlikely that a misclassification error rate of 1 in 5 for surviving listed companies would be acceptable, even allowing for the substantially greater costs of incorrectly identifying a bankrupt company as sound when compared to those of misclassifying a surviving company as a prima facie failure." Richard Morris This paper examines whether accounting based measures effectively capture publicly available information about a firm's probability of bankruptcy. Section 2 Section 3 describes model and research methodology which includes details about the sample selection procedures, variable estimation and descriptive statistics are reported in section 4. Section 5 present and discuss the results, while Section 6 summarizes and concludes the paper. Also include a list of variables in Appendix A. 1. Literature Review 1.1 Accounting ratios Professor Edward Altman invented a model called Z-Scores by applying multivariate formula to forecast bankruptcy probabilities of the firms over 30 years from 1965-1999. In 2000, he extended his research throughout the year 1999 by improving accuracies of 96% one period prior to bankruptcy to 70% five annual reporting periods prior. Ohlson (1980) also developed a bankruptcy prediction model with logit analysis using a number of bankruptcy firms that were traded on NYSE and AMSE during the 1970s. Begley Joy et al (1997) critised the estimation models of Altman (1968) and...In fact, analysts who might use the models t help them produce their credit ratings are likely to try them out before relying on them and making them self-fulfulling. It therefore seems unlikely that a misclassification error rate of 1 in 5 for surviving listed companies would be acceptable, even allowing for the substantially greater costs of incorrectly identifying a bankrupt company as sound when compared to tho se of misclassifying a surviving company as a prima facie failure." Richard Morris Professor Edward Altman invented a model called Z-Scores by applying multivariate formula to forecast bankruptcy probabilities of the firms over 30 years from 1965-1999. In 2000, he extended his research throughout the year 1999 by improving accuracies of 96% one period prior to bankruptcy to 70% five annual reporting periods prior. Ohlson (1980) also developed a bankruptcy prediction model with logit analysis using a number of bankruptcy firms that were traded on NYSE and AMSE during the 1970s. Begley Joy et al (1997) critised the estimation models of Altman (1968) and Ohlson (1980) were not performed well by using 1980's data.

Pollution of the worlds oceans and the impact on sea life Term Paper

Pollution of the worlds oceans and the impact on sea life - Term Paper Example Overuse of marine resources is based on the growing population at the coast which makes the situation worse and is the main reason for the population problem that has hit marine and marine life (Hofer, 2008). There are various marine pollutants such as sewage and other wastes that are released into the oceans yet there is no facility to counter these. This does not only put at risk marine life but also human and wildlife. Tourism is also affected in the situation thus, low incomes. The pollution could be chemical, physical or biological mainly caused by human activities. Developing industries are also a big involvement in the situation that has proved to be devastating. In some parts, knowledge of the marine life is limited therefore; they do not realize the dangers that are posed. The harm cause to marine ecosystems is an indirect or direct cause of human activity (Xhelilaj, 2010). When some nutrients are introduced in marines, they cause diseases that affect species all over the ec osystem. For some organisms, these are some of the factors that accelerate their growth. These pollutants then affect marine habitats adversely so that marine life is in danger. Some of these nutrients interrupt food chains within the ecosystems causing adverse danger to marine life. Construction of marines leads to the destruction of habitual life that is very important to marine life. This destruction then causes depopulation of fish in the ocean. Overfishing worsens the situation everyday. When power plants affect the temperature in oceans because of the heat produced in the process. This makes these area affected inhospitable and unfit for the marine environment. The species that are evolved there are then in danger because, they cannot survive in such an environment. Targeting particular species is also an environmental problem that leads to decreasing of the population in the marines. Many chemicals end up in the destruction of marine life. They are taken up by planktons and b enthos which are animals that are feeders within the ocean. This therefore destructs the life in these environments. This means that food chains will be interrupted. These chemicals introduce toxins to the marine life thus posing a danger through the feeding system. Pesticides also become quickly incorporated into food that is taken by marine life. This slowly poisons these animals because, these chemicals are slowly absorbed into the food webs within which they feed. Once in the food, they can cause mutations or even diseases that are dangerous to marine life. This is harmful to human life as well as to marine life thus affecting the whole food web. Toxic metals also introduced can cause biochemistry, unknown change to tissue matter or even affect the reproduction of these animals. Ships are also a source of pollution in marine life. This comes along when they spill oil in oceans thus causing devastating effects. They are toxic to, marine life and the effect could last a long perio d because, oils like crude oil are hard to clean (Katsioloudis, 2010). This means that the oil will last in the ocean for quite some time. Oil is also dark and opaque therefore, oil is blocks plants from sunlight. This denies them the ability to synthesize through population. Thick oil also sticks to some parts of sea animals thus making it difficult for them to perform some function. Sea birds are the most affected because, oil sticks to their wings which makes it

Global Technology Workforce Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Technology Workforce Management - Essay Example to provide data flow to take decisions of the bases of narrow characteristics available form international databases iv. List of methods for gaining and sustaining global technology leadership. Transnational IS development Staff training Update of resources Systems originally (intended to be sustain global technology leadership); Technologies deployed as individual solutions or as a part of an enterprise-wide HR information system (HRIS). (Johnson, 2005). Global technology supply chain as it relates to Technology Globalization i. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of a technology enabled global supply chain. Advantages: It integrates the supplier, distributor, and customer logistics requirements into one cohesive process. It links processes such as procurement or logistics, to supply goods or services from source through consumption. It makes more efficient the company's internal operations; It reduces inventory costs by asking suppliers to put off delivery of goods; It integrates demand planning, forecasting, materials requisition, order processing, inventory allocation, order fulfillment, transportation services, receiving, invoicing, and payment. It allow a company to deliver goods more rapidly to the customer Disadvantages: high cost of software solutions are very different from buy-side and sell-side perspectives. Security of data cannot be guaranteed by both sides ii. Address security concerns in deploying global technology solutions Data security ensure that valuable business data files on either disk or tape are not subject to: virus protection data protection unauthorized access unauthorized change Destruction (McNurlin, Sprague, 1997). Global... Systems that allow on-line inquiry and reporting must have data files secured. One set of users consists of all employees who perform clerical functions such as inputting employee data into the system. All individuals with this type of profile can update the system but can neither read nor update sensitive fields such as salary, medical history, or earnings data. Another profile applies to divisional managers, who cannot update their systems but who can read all employee data fields for their division, including medical history and salary. These profiles would be established and maintained by a data security system. A multilayered data security system is essential for ensuring that this information can be accessed only by authorized persons. Web pages can be constructed from bits of text, graphics, sound, or video that may come from many different sources. Each item may belong to a different entity, creating complicated is of ownership and compensation. Global Technology involves changes to the workflow system.

Compare the representations of Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Compare the representations of Frankenstein Essay Compare the representations of Frankenstein in Branaghs Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and the 1931 film Frankenstein directed by James Whale Language- 1931: Camera    Close ups are not used on Frankenstein as Branagh wants people to wonder what he looks like. There are lots of pans to show the set and the people there.   There is a close up on the monsters hand when it is twitching. There arent many edits which makes it boring and not very interesting. Sound    Diegetic sound is the machines, Frankenstein shouting, noise of the monster being taken up. Non-diegetic sound is the thunder; there is no music at all in the extract. Mise-en-scene    Henry Frankenstein is wearing a lab coat/straight jacket, which gives the impression that he is crazy.   He has slicked back hair using hair oil.   The acting style is very over the top, like theatrical acting. Frankenstein is side lit, to make him look scared and horrified.   Overall the lighting is mostly by top lights and sometimes the lightening. 1994: Camera    There are lots of frantic zooms, pans and also up and down shots, which makes the audience intimidated. The camera follows Frankenstein and shows his emotions/feelings.   The edits are very fast and unnoticeable, using cuts and jump cuts.   By making the editing quicker, this builds up the tension. Sound    Diegetic sound are the chains, machines moving, bangs, slots into the body, the electricity sparks and also Frankensteins voice and movements.   Non diegetic sound is the dramatic theme music, building up to create much more tension. Mise-en-scene    Victor Frankenstein is dressed in trousers but with no top. However the monster is naked. Frankensteins hair is shoulder length, which is very messy and sweaty. The acting style is exciting and energetic but not mad.   Frankenstein is mainly lit on his upper body.   There are lots of side lights and candle light, however the room looks dark. Institutions 1931:   In black and white.   Universal studios made the film, as they knew horror would be a big money spinner.   It was voted one of the best films of the year by New York Times. 1994:   It wasnt as brand new as it was in 1931, as in 1994 many horror films had been out. The technology was much more advanced and a lot had changed from 1931, new ideas and there was a new effect on people. Audience 1931: The big actor, Boris Karloff was used to attract the audiences.   People in 1931 were different to 1994, as it was all fresh and new to them.   Cinema was a get away for people.   Frankenstein was a big horror, and scared the audiences of its day.   The monster, which was thought as Frankenstein became a big horror icon, with a built up brow and a bolt through his neck. 1994: Kenneth Branagh and Robert de Niro were used to attract audiences. Horror films were the norm to people in 1994. They were a lot more sophisticated.   Money was much more wide-spread in 1994 but wasnt as much in 1931. Representation 1931: Frankenstein was dressed very much like a man in 1931.   His movements, delivery of the lines and his acting style is all over the top, like in the way of a theatre play. The light is normally based on the monster and when its on Frankenstein, the light would be on his upper body. The 1931 film changes Frankensteins name to Henry, rather than Victor The audience are supposed to react to Frankenstein in a scary way and that he comes across very mad. 1994:   Frankenstein dresses and looks very much like a man of the time that the novel was written.   His movements and acting style is energetic and exciting however doesnt come across at all mad. The light is mainly based on Frankensteins upper body; the rest of the room is very dark.   The music interprets Frankenstein very well, as he is running around being busy. The music is a fast, dramatic orchestra. Frankensteins name stays the same as the novel, which is Victor.   The audience are supposed to think that Frankenstein is very involved with his work and wants to get it done to see the result.

Main aim of education to promote individual differences education essay

Main aim of education to promote individual differences education essay This essay endeavours to analyse the statement that the main aim of education is to encourage individual differences. It puts forth the ethical claim that our education systems should not standardise students but help them develop as individuals in their own right. In order to present a balanced view to the reader, this literary piece draws upon the works of philosophers and educators from as far back as 360 BC. It is concluded that given the challenges faced by man in the 21st century, it only makes sense that education should support individuality. Introduction In the discourse of this paper, I aspire to investigate the aim of education as a facilitator for encouraging individual difference. The paper has been divided into four parts. I first discuss the significance of the nature of the student-teacher relationship and then explore the theoretical and practical realms of the two main educational systems of the 21st century. In the third segment of the essay, I compare the two educational structures on the basis of their support for promoting individuality. The paper is drawn to a close with a conclusion that authenticates the claims of this essay. Importance of the Student-Teacher Relationship In the opening chapter of their book, The Study of Education (2009), Bates and Lewis present an autobiographical account on education written by Wendy, an early years educator. While exploring the early years of her childhood, Wendy puts forth her feeling of disconnect with education due to the ineffective teaching practices that built up a foundation of fear around the very term. She describes her head teacher as being a strict authoritarian whose teaching philosophy was modelled on Lockes empirical pedagogical approach that described the childs mind as a blank sheet of paper that needed instruction from an exterior source in order to form ideas and opinions ( Locke, 1924). Wendy says, I loathed her for her remoteness and retreated into myself whenever she taught a lesson in our class (Bates and Lewis, 2009, p. 10). This diminished Wendys confidence and interest in learning and made her question her intelligence quotient. However, when she shifted to a slightly progressive learning environment where the teacher was not a scary figure, she not only became an A student but thoroughly enjoyed the learning process. Her fear of education disappeared and there was a sheer boost in self confidence (Bates and Lewis, 2009). Bates and Lewis (2009) use this example to put across the criticality of the relationship between the learner and educator. The online pocket Oxford dictionary (2006) defines the term relationship as the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected. Thus, it goes to say that the nature of the connection between two human beings is the most important feature in a relationship. This principle can be applied to student-teacher relationships as well. Studies have proven that a close and positive relationship between teachers and students has a direct impact on the academic achievement, behaviour and adult life of the student (Jones, 1981). For instance, as Jacqueline Zeller (n.d.), lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, points out, when children are provided with a sense of safety and security afforded by close relationships with teachers, they not only enjoy the process of education but also develop into well-rounded adults. However, when children are yelled at by the teacher, they feel rejected and frightened and tend to shun education (Zeller, n.d.). When students choose to drop out of high school, it is usually not a spontaneous decision but one that has been reached over a period of time mainly due to the presence of feelings of academic frustration and defeat or socio-cultural issues (Alliance for excellent education, 2009). A paper written by Rouse (2005) for the symposium on the Social Costs of Inadequate Education, New York, points out that these high school dropouts earn, on average, $260,000 less than a high school graduate. Thus, the ineffective flow of communication between the teacher and student has more consequences than we manage to comprehend. This brings up the question that if a positive student-teacher relationship is so important, why do we still see such varying student-teacher dynamics in the current day classroom scenario? The best way to understand this would be by exploring the two main teaching methodologies which define our academic world today: the traditionalist and progressive education system. Traditionalist education system A traditional teaching environment is a teacher-centric setup, where the role of the teacher is directive and rooted in authority (Novak, 1998). This teaching methodology arises from the realist philosophy of education that promotes the integration of the mind and body. Therefore, here theoretical learning is on the same footing as experiential education. This approach is mostly based on John Lockes educational philosophy (Locke, 1693). Locke, the 17th century British philosopher, believed in the immanent perspective of the child (James et all, 1998). He was of the opinion that the childs mind is a blank slate and knows nothing. It is up to extrinsic factors to provide information in order to instigate thoughts and opinions (Locke, 1813). Thus, while the student is important in this educational system, the main role is played by the teacher, who is more knowledgeable and experienced in matters of the world. Textbooks and workbooks are used as the primary teaching aids that help the t eacher fill up these knowledge holes in the minds of the students (Novak, 1998). In this educational setup, students are assessed via written and oral examinations (Novak, 1998). Since this a standardised testing system, the results are variable within the classroom, depending on each childs cognitive ability (McNally, 1974). However, there is a demand for a more balanced academic result with an exceptionally high class average, which affects the reputation of the school (Novak, 1998). Thus, teachers tend to spend most of their time perfecting students via repetition and rote learning. Traditionalists usually tend to adhere to a fixed curriculum; therefore, it is usually not possible to learn the content in context (Johnson and Johnson, 1991). Also, since there is more emphasis on the realist ideology of individualized learning rather than on group activities (Novak, 1998), the teachers prefer a linear classroom layout. Thus, desks and chairs are generally arranged in rows. It is interesting to note that though this education system has its roots in the realistic realm, the lack of implementation of the established education policies and rules makes learning more abstract. For instance, Locke laid emphasis on the soundness of the body and mind (Locke, 1693). He also believed that character-building and morality did not have to be formed by forcing children in a particular direction. He was of the opinion that once the knowledge was imparted to children and they were shown the path, they would be capable of integrating theory with practice. However, the present day scenario in traditionalist schools suggest otherwise. The teacher has to grill the students over and over again in order to attain a half decent result (Novak, 1998). Also, Locke was not very keen on the idea of punishment. In his essay, Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) he states that punishment does more harm than good to the child. However, what we see in traditionalist schools is a belief in the Kantian notion of the original sin (Kant, 1900). The system practices the concepts of sin and virtue, where a sin is met with punishment and a virtue with a reward. Thus, force is generally used by educators to discipline students and make them obedient (Novak, 2008). Another example is that of the nature of education. Contradictory to Lockes belief, traditionalists look upon education as a duty and obligation that students must fulfil. The Kantian view that education is not a matter of desire but a call of duty holds much weight here (Kant, 1900). This idea can be understood through an elaborate example presented by Plato, an idealist Greek philosopher whose work has affected generations in philosophical thought. In his book The Republic (360 BC), Plato puts forth the allegory of the cave, which mainly focuses on the process of attaining enlightenment. This is a brilliant allegory since it covers the metaphysical, epistemological and ethical aspects of the idealist education philosophy and also sheds some light on human nature (Plato, 360 BC). The allegory is written in the form of dialogues between Socrates, Platos teacher, and Glaucon, Platos older brother. Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine an underground cave with its mouth opening toward the light (Plato, 360 BC). A group of people have lived here since birth, their legs and heads are chained so that they cannot move and they sit facing a blank wall (Plato, 360 BC).There is a fire blazing at a distance behind them and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised walkway with a wall in front of it. The prisoners watch the shadows projected by people carrying all shapes and sizes of objects and stuffed animals while walking down the raised path. Socrates describes these shadows as the closest versions of reality available to the prisoners (Plato, 360 BC). When these prisoners are liberated they move around the cave and find it hard to adjust to their new realities. The bright light from the fire hurts their eyes causing them to flinch with pain. It is not a welcoming change (Plato, 360 BC). What Plato is trying to convey here is that the prisoners have suddenly moved from a position of relative ignorance to a position of relative knowledge and the entity responsible for liberating them is the teacher. Thus, Plato makes a blatant point that education is not a pleasurable process but a painful procedure that needs to be forced upon people. Socrates then describes the prisoners journey to the higher world where they have the sun. The sun is used as a non-religious metaphor for attaining enlightenment. He states that the prisoners had to be forced to reach the mouth of the cave, implying the requirement of a compulsory authoritarian approach adopted by the teacher (Plato, 360 BC). Socrates then illustrates to Glaucon how the enlightened prisoner journeyed back into the cave to share his newfound knowledge with the others (Plato, 360 BC). Naturally, his ideas were refuted by the prisoners; for them the images on the wall still defined the ultimate truth of their realities. However, out of a sense of moral Platonic responsibility, which here is to pity the unenlightened minds, Socrates put forth the idea of using compulsion to educate the prisoners; after all the current teacher also had to be forced to go out into the light (Plato, 360 BC). This allegory echoes a resonating theme in the traditionalist education system. Progressive teaching methodology A progressive education system follows a student-centric teaching approach. Here the role of the teacher is that of a facilitator of education rather than an authoritarian instructor (University of Vermont, n.d.). Today we can find a number of different styles of progressive educators. However, the common thread running through them all is that they share the conviction that democracy means active participation by all citizens in social, political and economic decisions that will affect their lives (University of Vermont, n.d.) This approach has its roots in John Deweys model of education. Dewey was an American philosopher and educator who played an important role in defining the meaning of education during the late 19th and early 20th century. He founded the philosophical school of pragmatism with Charles Sanders Pierce and William James (Weber, 1960).Unlike ancient philosophical movements, such as idealism and realism, that trace their origins to Europe, the pragmatic system of thought first emerged in the United States of America. For the pragmatists, democracy is a deep concept rather than a political decision-making plan. It is the idea through which people form their social theories and beliefs about the nature of their world (Dewey, 2004). Dewey applies this concept of democracy to education in his book Democracy and Education (Dewey, 2004). He describes education as that reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience, and which increases ability to direct the course of subsequent experience (Dewey, 2004, p. 83). Thus he considers education a social process and believes that students learn best when indulging in real-life group activities. It is interesting to note that unlike the ancient idealist dualism of the mind and body or the realist collaboration of theory and practice, pragmatism majorly advocates experiential learning. It harbours a general mistrust in theoretical abstraction or ideal speculation of any kind (Weber, 1960). It is a grounded ideology that believes in the functionality and practicality of the real world. It can be said that pragmatism is a derivative of realism. However, stark differences can be found between the two ideologies in terms of their metaphysical, epistemological and ethical principles (Ulich, 1961). Dewey did not believe in formulating fixed aims of education, since he opposed the segregation of the means from the end. In his opinion, the means, or journey, could result in more pleasure than the desired end (Dewey, 2004). Conquering the world, as Alexander the Great learned, is less desirable than having more worlds to conquer (Weber, 1960, p.265). Similarly, in a progressive classroom the main aim is to insure that the children are comfortable, since this is where their actual learning takes place. Here, children are not educated to be prepared for life; instead, education is considered life itself (Dewey,2004). The education system supports an interdisciplinary curriculum, which is more focused on the needs of the students rather than pre-defined tasks and subjects set out by the management or the teacher. By doing so, the students are not only given the power to participate in the decision-making process but are also given the freedom to learn by constructing their own knowledge (Dewey, 1956). In his book Democracy and Education (2004), Dewey talks about the humanistic nature of living beings. He describes the student as the biological child, the psychosocial child and the social child. Thus, when the learner comes to school he brings with him all the connotations, principles and experiences associated with his persona, which are appreciated and nurtured. Since progressive educators consider education to be a social phenomenon, more emphasis is laid upon group work rather than on individual learning (University of Vermont). Most of the classroom activities are tailored according to the group dynamics in the class, while keeping in mind the democratic theme of the education philosophy. However, with freedom comes responsibility (University of Vermont).It then becomes the duty of the teacher to instil the correct value system in the students. Keeping such points in mind, there has been a debate on the ultra child centric approach adopted by this school of thought. To summarise, it can be said that in a progressive teaching environment, the process of education is considered one that makes learning enjoyable (Novak, 1998). Here, learning is usually carried out as a collaborative or a co-operative process and seldom an independent task. Education then is not limited to the individual but to the community as a whole. Due to this approach, the students not only develop a social work ethic but also learn to engage in the exchange of ideas and opinions (Novak, 1998). Comparison between the two methodologies: promotion of individual differences On average, a child spends five to seven hours a day for approximately ten months a year at school (Labaree, 1999). Since students spend most of their childhood and youth at their place of education, it is necessary for the institution to have a calm and happy environment. However, not many children can call their school a fun and pleasurable place (Labaree, 1999). Teachers across the world are aware of the differences in cognitive ability of children in the same class (Perdew, 1953). However, usually only children studying in a progressive learning environment benefit from this awareness. The main reason behind this is the inflexibility and lack of time in the traditionalist curriculum (Novak, 1998). The traditionalists consider children as socially constructed beings who live in a world structured by adults, where the code of conduct, rituals and language belong to the dominant group. It is, therefore, the moral responsibility of the adults to prepare the child for his or her entrance into the real world (James et al, 1998). The child is looked upon as an object that lacks the characteristics of functioning as an independent entity (Toren, 2006). Thus the attention of the teacher is mostly focused on the childs aim of becoming instead of the concept of being. The student is not given much space to learn by exploration and experiment. He is se en as a future adult rather than as a young human being in his or her own right (Uprichard, 2008). Therefore, the majority of a childs school years in a traditionalist setup can be looked upon as: a becoming; tabular rasa; laying down the foundations; shaping the individual; taking on; growing up; preparation; inadequacy; inexperience; immaturity (Jenks, 2005) With such ideas in place, where is the time for the teacher to work on the individuality of the students, promote their differences and appreciate them for who they are? This gives rise to the infamous thought process through which students get accustomed to extrinsic motivators and attend school for attaining a certificate or a degree rather than knowledge (Labaree, 1999). Therefore learning becomes a grade-oriented process. In his book The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, Maslow (1993) states that students in a traditionalist system respond to grades and scores like chimps do to poker chips. Socio-cultural differences like class, creed, gender, physic, language, ethnicity and differences in economic backgrounds usually tend to be a major cause of concern for teachers. However, given the restraints of the traditionalist setup, the teachers are often forced to believe that the number of differences among the children in a classroom is less than the number of similarities among them. Thus, they should focus more on the positive, the similarities (Perdew, 1953). On the other hand, in a progressive classroom, instant care would be provided to make sure that the students feel welcomed and at ease in their learning environment. It must be noted that when the traditionalist education system was developed it was the ideal education structure, considering the composition and requirements of the society in the pre-modern era(Weber, 1960). The child not only attended school but also took part in activities such as farming, weaving, animal husbandry and milling. This helped with his/her over all development (Weber, 1960). Thus, it successfully met the need of the hour. However, since times have changed, societies have advanced, economies have undergone a sea change and people have become more conscientious of their needs and desires, the ideals of such an education system have become rather obsolete (Weber, 1960). Let us take the example of the Maple Bear teaching methodology. Maple Bear is a Canadian early childhood and elementary education system. Its progressive education charter concentrates on learning through experience and exploration (Maple Bear, n.d.). Our Mission is to provide a high quality Canadian  style early childhood and elementary education in a safe, secure and stimulating environment that will provide students with a foundation for lifelong learning (Maple Bear, n.d.). Today, there are Maple Bear schools in countries such as Korea, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and Morocco. Each of these schools attracts students from diverse cultural and economic background with varying levels of cognitive ability. It is noteworthy that the demand for Maple Bear schools is increasing by the day, which speaks volumes about their education philosophy. Currently, India is leading the tally with twenty-four Maple Bear institutions (Maple Bear, n.d.). This is especially interesting because the country already has a well-established education system in place (The World Bank, n.d.). Since the early years are the most formative for a childs development, could the increase in the number of Maple Bear schools possibly be due to a lack in the present, mainly traditionalist Indian education system? Are people beginning to realise the importance of promoting individual differences? Conclusion In todays world, where economic paradigms are changing at the drop of a hat, where education systems are modelled on the interests of industrialisation, where there is no guarantee that a degree will provide a job, why are we still slotting students into water-tight compartments? (Robinson, 2010) Why are we alienating children on the basis of their cognitive and socio-cultural differences? Why are we killing their individuality and in turn costing them their creativity? The majority of schools today adopt a production line mentality wherein little emphasis is laid on divergent thinking and the child is mostly taught to indulge in linear and convergent thought processes (Robinson, 2010).With the progress in educational research, teachers can now easily use tactics such as the aptitude-by-treatment-interactions which is a research methodology used to explore alternative aptitudes, attributes or traits and alternative instructional methods (Jonnasen and Grabowski, 1993, p. 10). The German Philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, (Brainy Quote) had said, You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist. This statement can be interpreted to support the belief that it is only natural to have differences among individuals. Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, stated that All men are created equal (Jeudwine, 1919). This statement is a traditionalist claim that has caused much unrest in the present society. If all men were created equal, why are there differences among us? This statement should be altered to the democratic idea that all men should be treated as equals (Dahl, 2003). It is only then that people can learn to maximize their potential. Throughout human history, people have been shunned by society due to their differences. However, many of these societal rejects did great things and helped the human race move forward. Thomas Edison, Galileo Galilei, Jean-Jacques Rousseau are only a few examples. It is difficult to envision a world without their contributions. They succeeded in spite of the system. Imagine what could happen if the system itself promoted and rallied for encouraging individual differences among people? In the cutthroat competition of the 21st century, where everyone is exploring their niche to get ahead in the rat race (Robinson, 2010), it seems only fair that differences in individuals should be supported from a very early age. Therefore, schools should employ teachers who have the right motivation for teaching, increase the student- child ratio and invest in teachers training programs which are extensive and rigorous in nature. What the teacher really needs to learn is how to put pedagogical theory i nto practice rather than the details of fifth grade mathematics. Difference is the course of invention and adoption of new idea and new behaviour patterns. It is the challenge to the old, to the formal, to the status quo, and to reaction. it instigates the dynamism of change. The success of individual differences in the area of technology suggests to us the potentiality of a similar expression in social invention. Our culture suffers from a dearth of new ideas and new approaches to life. Our need is to encourage difference and evaluate it, selecting among new proposals whose which seem to suggest the most fruitful outcome (Perdew, 1953) Thus, for us to move forward by promoting a sense of social justice and facing the economic and cultural challenges of the 21st century, the main aim of education should be to encourage individual differences.

Strategy Implementation Procter Gamble Company

Strategy Implementation Procter Gamble Company Procter and Gamble Company (PG) is USs leading maker of household consumer products. With its headquarters in Downtown Cincinnati Ohio, PG is also a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation highly recognized for a chain of business innovations (Katrina, 1999.p.146). PG for instance has been admired for effective brand management and the soap operas. The company has operations representation in at least 80 countries internationally providing a range of products in diverse categories including; beauty care, health care, baby care, beverages, home care, and snacks among others (Griffin, 2006.p.138). Corporate strategy is every companys tool for competitive advantage attainment. This paper undertakes to evaluate how corporate strategy and other structural changes impacted on PGs competitive advantage since the 1990s. Specific focus is directed toward the key changes that occurred in the company in the 1990s and the contribution made by Al Lafley in his nine year tenure at PG. PG company was formed with intention of providing quality branded products and services for the consumers in the international market. As a profit company, it aimed at winning consumers in the competitive market environment through exploiting excellent leadership, quality and value service provision. PG started in 1837 as a partnership between William Procter and James Gamble to manufacture and sell candles and soap. Today, PG has over 300 brands marketed and sold in over 160counties across the globe. PG has 16 of her key products producing revenue in excess of $1 billion per year. These products include; Ariel, Downy, and Tide (laundry products); Actonel (for osteoporosis treatment); Always (feminine protection); Bounty (paper towels); Charmin (bathroom tissue); Crest (toothpaste); Folgers (coffee); Iams (pet food); Olay (skin care product); Pampers (diapers); Pringles (snacks); and Head Shoulders, Pantene, and Wella (hair care products) (Katrina, 1999.p.146). Reading PGs company history, the company had performed quite well over the ears since its inception, overcoming market challenges (social, economic and political) through tactful brand management and innovative strategies until brand equity challenges emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some of the earlier successes of PG Company included; rapid growth and expansion during the 1850s amid strong competition, prosperity during the civil war period during which her competitors outputs plummeted, the introduction of innovative employee benefits in 1903 hence becoming a renowned employee-benefit programs leader, and the one man one brand brand management debut of 1931 which made brand management at PG become a fixture to be replicated by other companies (Boyer, 2009.p.494). PG Company was also able to successfully circumvent around the Great depression to emerge virtually unscathed. With radio playing a key role to deliver PG information into homes at the time, PG began sponsorship of radios serials in 1933 which were later referred to as soap operas Her fame for packaging expertise earned PG a military application by government to oversee Ordinance plants construction and operations. Talking of the successes at PG can not be complete without mentioning the Companys post World War II growth miracle that was fueled by the introduction of a synthetic detergent (Tide) in 1946 which brought a complete shift in the cloth washing trends at the time. Investing in further research and the tapping into acquisition strategy made PG to remain on profit making axis over years since the 1950s (Redmond, 2010.p.162). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the weakening of economy coupled with the resulting consumer value bias started to weaken the brand equity for PG. These occurrences favored performance of private labels in both health and beauty lines. PG responded to this threat by launching Every Day Low Pricing (EDLP) strategy to induce consumers while implementing promotional kickbacks for wholesalers. The EDLP covered 50-60%of the companys product range which included; pampers and Luvs diapers, Cascade dish soap, and Jif peanut butter. Although the Company strategy was met by mixed reactions with some retailers rejecting it, many others supported the Companies value-conscious positioning efforts. With this support, PG actually made good savings from trade promotions which were then ploughed back into direct marketing activities meant to reach out to some target groups for narrow market base brands through the coupon and sample programs. The target products for the program included Pampers, Cl earasil, and Oil of Olay (Harmon, 2003.p.352). PG also joined the green bandwagon of environmental marketing by adoption of reduced packaging strategy which saw the company provide concentrated product formulations in relatively smaller packages, as well as refill packs applied for 38 of the companys brands across 17 countries in the 1990s. In July 1991, PG acquired the international Max Factor and Betrix lines from Revlon, Inc., thus expanding PGs presence in cosmetics and fragrances. As part of her strategy to attain meaningful growth, PG also divested her holdings in those areas the company considered to have outgrown. For instance, in 1992, PG sold almost 50% of her cellulose and specialties pulp trade to Weyerhaeuser Company (Katrina, 1999.p.147). Vertical integration had been observed to have helped PG develop her paper products in the past. However, with time, things had change and he 1990s saw unprofitable and distracting forest trade. Therefore in 1992, PG decided to sell off the Italian coffee business to allow more focus on the core European brands. The Companys strategy was to tap into the well established regional markets through introduction of pan-European packaged, branded and advertised products. In the next section, this paper explores PGs major restructurings and Acquisitions pursued in mid to late 1990s period (Griffin, 2006.p.138). The main objectives of PG at this time were to enhance its competitive advantage in the market through various designed strategies and policy options. Specific goals for the company included; ensuring that her brand-name products became more price-competitive so that they could effectively compete the private label and generic brands in the market; enhancing efficiency so that products reach the market aster, and increasing the companys profit margins. To achieve, these, PG pursued a number of cost cutting policy measures including winding up of 30 of her international plants and laying off 12% of her total workforce (13000 jobs). The estimated cost of the restructuring program was $2.4 billion and the estimated accrued savings for the company were to a tune of over $600 million. Together with these, the program raised the companys net income margins from 7.3% to 10.2% in 1994 and 1998 respectively (Dana, 1997.p.D1). The restructuring period was to reach its culmination in 1997. But in the course of the restructuring process, PG increased its pace for acquisitions, making a considerable number of acquisitions in the period, some of which were quite successful, while some became a big failure. These acquisitions included: the 1994 purchase of Vereinigte Papierwerke Schickedanz AGs European tissue unit with aim to venture into European tissue and towel trade. PG also acquired Giorgio Beverly Hills, Incs prestige fragrance business. During the same year 1994, when the US lifted the existing sanctions, PG ventured back into the South African market and subsequently changed its geographic management framework in 1995; apportioning its operations into two (namely- US and International) with four regions in total (i.e. Asia, North America, Latin America, and Europe/Middle East/Africa). At the same time, IN July 1995, the company leadership (CEO) changed hands from Artzt to Pepper. Durk I. Jager (Harmon, 2003.p.352). It was during 1996 that PG bought the Eagle Snacks brand that that was before then a property of Anheuser-Busch. Other brands purchased the same year included; the Latin American brands Lavan San household cleaner and Magia Blanca bleach and Baby Fresh of US. Perhaps the most memorable event of 1996 for this company was the receiving of approval from the U.S Food Drug Administration (FDA) to use the controversial olestra (Boyer, 2009.p.494). Olestra was a fat substitute to be applied in snacks and crackers. PG had spent about $250 million to conduct research about olestra and by the time FDA was approving the product, a stipulation had already been circulated by FDA that a label must be attached to any food with these substance in it to warn the public of possible gastrointestinal side effects. This impacted heavily on the products ability to gain market, and even with concerted test marketing efforts, products with olestra never ever caught on in the market. In the long run, Olestra was declared one of PGs biggest product failures in the companys history (Boyer, 2009.p.494). After acquisition of Tambrands, Inc. and the Tampax tampons line in 1997, PG launched a new restructuring plan in 1998 and named it Organization 2005. This was after PG had failed to realize the 1996 set goals of doubling profits to $70 billion by 2005 from the then $35 billion. The calculated growth rate had to be 7 annually, but the actual realized growth rate was only 4% hence profits had stagnated around $37.5 billion figure. PG therefore aimed to make a structural shift from the 1995 Organization centered model (of four regions) to a one centered model with seven business units defined on product line basis. The product lines were as follows; Tissues Towels, Baby Care, Fabric Home Care, Beauty Care, Feminine Protection, , Health Care Corporate New Ventures, and Food Beverage (Katrina, 1999.p.146). These changes were important to PG since they aimed at attaining higher innovation and speed through the deliberate strategy and profit responsibility positioning of brands internationally as opposed to centering on geographic locations. These events coincided with the scheduled take over of Jager as the companys president and he subsequently was given the mantle to lead the strategy implementation. Aiming at enhanced innovation and high revenue and profit levels, Jager introduced new initiatives in 1999 to extend those introduced in 1995. These included resolve to continue with more acquisitions, cut down the number of workers by 15000 by year 2005, close down at least 10 factories, and spent an estimated $1.9 billion on restructuring by the year 2005. It is during this period that PG acquired the Iams Company, marking PGs biggest deal that cost $2.22 billion in cash. Iams Company was among the leading manufactures of premium pet food in the US with established global yearly sales estimated at $800 million. Next to acquire was the Recovery Engineering, Inc. at an estimated cost of $265 million. This newly acquired company was based in Minneapolis and produced the water-filter brand PUR that had been on a fast growth path. Attempts by Jager to join the company with the Warner-Lambert company into a risky drug business in 2000 flopped Jagers intention to take over Gillette (razor making) company was rebuffed very quickly in the same year (Dana, 1997.p.D1) While this was happening, PG had by June 2000 issued a 3rd profit warning in a year. These developments forced Jager to resign and subsequently A.G. Lafley assumed the company leadership in capacity of the President and CEO of PG in June 2000 (Dyer, 2004.P.496). The new CEO, A.G. Lafley had joined PG in June 1977, starting as a brand assistant for Joy product. Before his promotion to CEO position, he had been heading the global beauty care unit. What a time t be promoted to the top seat! In the next section, this paper considers Lafleys contribution to the company during his entire 9 year tenure. Having made his first impression at PG simplifying life in the laundry room as he led colleagues in launching liquid Tide, Lafleys strategy applied Druckers back-to-basics formula to overhaul and clean up the entire PG House (Redmond, 2010.p.162). Right from the beginning of his tenure of the top job A.G. Lafley became famous for his four word business winning principle The consumer is boss. In what would perhaps appear like a fools errand to attempt at narrowing down the matching orders that govern an estimated 138000 employees in over80 nations to simple chestnut, Lafleys keep it simple strategy would emerge to speak a lot for itself through the four word phrase The consumer is boss, as the business mantra which he kept on singing to his team (Redmond, 2010.p.163). Lafley started off by slowing down the existing rush to send products into markets. He did this purposely to ensure that the products would be given adequate marketing support before getting into the competitive arena. Lafley then re-focused the companys resources towards shoring up PGs top brands that could earn the company global revenue of at least $1 billion annually. These were just about a dozen products. He immediately re-branded the Oil of Olay to be simply called Olay. This was aimed at allay the notion that Oil of Olay was greasy. Focused on a small number of key brands, the company sold of Clearasil (the acne-treatment brand) for an estimated $340 million to Boots PLC. In the same period FDA gave approval to PG for Actonel brand (prescription treatment for osteoporosis), which was later marketed and attained a remarkable $1billion yearly sales for the trade year 2004 (Boyer, 2009.p.494). Lafley changed the traditional Company approach which tended to favor externally sourced product ideas. He significantly reduced development projects, promoted culture of collaboration with external world as opposed to self centered tradition initially pursued, and went ahead to outsource PGs including manufacturing of oldest brands in the company such as Ivory bar soap. Lafley also significantly restructured the companys workforce through focusing on top-priority countries, advocating for enhanced collaboration within the company divisions, and considerable reduction in number of the total company workforce (by an estimated 20,000 jobs) which included significant number of top level management staff (about 50%) (Harmon, 2003.p.352) A.G. Lafley entrenched some goal winning principles in the remaining team, which he referred to as two consumer moments of truth- first, buying PG products and then, liking them so much that its memorable-at least satisfying and ideally delighting. Lafley argued that since more than 50% of PGs workforce did not have English as their native language, he need to make use of simple slogans which when repeated again and again would keep everyone at pace with current state of affairs in the company. Therefore he maintained Human beings dont want to stay focused, so my job is to get them to focus their creativity around the focus; focus their productivity around the focus; focus their efficiency or effectiveness around the focus (Griffin, 2006.p.138). In summary, aside from the simple effective strategies he pursued to turn around PG, Lafleys 9 year tenure left took the company to the top, more than doubling the sales and significantly expanding the companys range of top brands (those with sales between $500million to $1billion annually) fivefold. Lafley is recognized for shaping PG into a more externally focused and consumer-driven alongside developing a more advanced innovations and employee relations culture at Procter and Gamble (Redmond, 2010.p.163).

Cognitive Theory Essay -- Essays Papers

Cognitive Theory There is no one way to learn! Throughout life is faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have made a better impact than others on different people. At one time in everyone’s life one has seen or have been the child who will attempt to read a single page from a book and become so frustrated and disorientated because she or he does not comprehended nor can one retell what one has just read. This was me, the child who struggled and just did not understand what I was reading. My teachers would present reading material and I would have to read it countless times and sometimes still I did not understand what the reading passage was about. However, with time I started to develop step by step process to help me better understand what I was reading, and finally it all came together. One way to help things to come together for a person is through the Cognitive Theory. The Cognitive Theory presents different theories for the way that one can be taught in different subjects, the different types of learners, and advantages of understanding the process in which one can go through to learn better. There are several different ways in which one learns. One way to learn is by adapting the cognitive style which sets a structure that one should go through a process of perceiving, thinking, problem solving and remembering. James Poon identifies two different types of learning approaches associated with the cognitive theory, reflective and impulsive. â€Å"Reflective individuals tend to be analytical, cautious, accurate, and slow in their approach to problem solving† (66). Poon also says that â€Å"reflective individuals are found to be an effective predictor of an academic achievement in first grade... ...s full potential. In addition one can waste his or her whole life trying to learn and never realize there is a process that one must adapt to before everything will make sense and one will completely understand what one is learning. In addition one must remember that everyone is different, therefore this particular style is not for everyone. When follows The Cognitive Theory one can define a different way to learn in particular core subjects, the different types of learners, and some advantages that come available when one changes. In today’s society Americans have create a place where everything revolves around money, with the smartest people obtaining the most amount of money. The lawyers, chemical engineers and doctors are the role models of today’s society but within each of these fields each individual has establish a learning style, to help one to succeed.

Critical Analysis of Group Work Essay -- Organizational Dynamics, Grou

After completing the group task of preparing a presentation on, transferring individual facilitation skills into a group work setting I will critically reflect upon my own participation. I will evaluate my self-awareness while working in the group, as well as those around me. The way that I personally dealt with any issues that arose within the group and how that affected the group dynamics. I will also briefly discuss the roles in which each member of the group took and how role allocation affected, the group dynamics and the working relationships. Finally I will evaluate my work having discussed it with my fellow group members. In order to evaluate my role within the group it is important to identify what makes a group. A group must firstly consist of more than three members, â€Å"Two members have personal relationships; with three or more there is a change in quality† of the personal relationship. (Bion 1961, p26) The group must have a common purpose or a goal in order to succeed. Having now completed my group work task, I can look back and reflect upon the process that my group went thought it get to the presentation end point. Firstly my group had to form (Kottler, Englar-Carlson 2010 p.93). There are many theories on how groups come together and the stages they go though. Tuckman is a commonly used theories due to the simple nature of his five stage theory. Tuckman believes that in order for a group to form they must go through his five stages: forming, storming, norming and performing (Tuckman 1965 p.17). In 1977 along side Jensen Tuckman added mourning to his process. Tuckman’s theory of development claims, â€Å"In the first stage of team development or organization, individuals come together to establish the ground ru... ...in Groups and other papers. London: Tavistock Publications. BENSON, J.E. 1987. Working More Creatively with Groups. 2nd edn. London: Routledge COREY, G. COREY, M.S. CALLANAN, P. RUSSELL, J.M. 2004. Group Techniques. 3rd edn. London: Thomson Learning COREY, M.S. COREY, G. COREY, C. 2010. Groups: Process and Practice. 8TH edn. Canada: Brooks/ Cole JAMES, N. 2010. Individual and Group Work Facilitation Skills. Newport: Newport University Press. KOTTLER, J.A. ENGLAR-CARLSON, M. 2010. Learning Group Leadership, An Experiential Approach. 2nd edn. London: Sage TUCKMAN, B. 1965. Developmental Sequences in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin 63, p 384 – 99. cited in DOEL, M. and SAWDON, C. (2001). The Essential Group Worker: Teaching and Learning Creative Group Work. London: J Kingsley. SCHNEIDER, M. 2003. Building a Team. New York: Delmar Learning Critical Analysis of Group Work Essay -- Organizational Dynamics, Grou After completing the group task of preparing a presentation on, transferring individual facilitation skills into a group work setting I will critically reflect upon my own participation. I will evaluate my self-awareness while working in the group, as well as those around me. The way that I personally dealt with any issues that arose within the group and how that affected the group dynamics. I will also briefly discuss the roles in which each member of the group took and how role allocation affected, the group dynamics and the working relationships. Finally I will evaluate my work having discussed it with my fellow group members. In order to evaluate my role within the group it is important to identify what makes a group. A group must firstly consist of more than three members, â€Å"Two members have personal relationships; with three or more there is a change in quality† of the personal relationship. (Bion 1961, p26) The group must have a common purpose or a goal in order to succeed. Having now completed my group work task, I can look back and reflect upon the process that my group went thought it get to the presentation end point. Firstly my group had to form (Kottler, Englar-Carlson 2010 p.93). There are many theories on how groups come together and the stages they go though. Tuckman is a commonly used theories due to the simple nature of his five stage theory. Tuckman believes that in order for a group to form they must go through his five stages: forming, storming, norming and performing (Tuckman 1965 p.17). In 1977 along side Jensen Tuckman added mourning to his process. Tuckman’s theory of development claims, â€Å"In the first stage of team development or organization, individuals come together to establish the ground ru... ...in Groups and other papers. London: Tavistock Publications. BENSON, J.E. 1987. Working More Creatively with Groups. 2nd edn. London: Routledge COREY, G. COREY, M.S. CALLANAN, P. RUSSELL, J.M. 2004. Group Techniques. 3rd edn. London: Thomson Learning COREY, M.S. COREY, G. COREY, C. 2010. Groups: Process and Practice. 8TH edn. Canada: Brooks/ Cole JAMES, N. 2010. Individual and Group Work Facilitation Skills. Newport: Newport University Press. KOTTLER, J.A. ENGLAR-CARLSON, M. 2010. Learning Group Leadership, An Experiential Approach. 2nd edn. London: Sage TUCKMAN, B. 1965. Developmental Sequences in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin 63, p 384 – 99. cited in DOEL, M. and SAWDON, C. (2001). The Essential Group Worker: Teaching and Learning Creative Group Work. London: J Kingsley. SCHNEIDER, M. 2003. Building a Team. New York: Delmar Learning

Police Powers

Legal Studies | Outline some of the power police have to conduct an investigation. How does the current system balance the need for justice with the rights of citizens? The law defines what a crime is and whether a particular act constitutes an offence. The responsibility for enforcing criminal laws and ensuring they are adhered to lies with the police. The police are a part of an executive arm of government and so are separate from the legislature who makes the laws and the courts that make enforceable legal decisions and judgements.The responsibility that police have is the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order, but most importantly it is the police that are responsible for ensuring the criminal laws are observed. The role the police have in the criminal investigation process is to investigate crimes, make arrests if necessary, interrogate suspects and gather evidence against the accused. Once all evidence is collected police will then present the ev idence for judgement to the court on behalf of the state, either directly or through a prosecutor.An example a newspaper article titled â€Å"tougher terror laws† gives us an example of police having power to enter a home without a warrant and re-entered after twelve hours during an emergency under new anti-terror laws. Labour and the collation voted together in the senate last night to pass the legislation, this then create a joint parliamentary committee to monitor the AFP (Australian Federal Police) and the Australian Crime Commission. After a seven day detention limit for someone arrested on suspicion of terrorism the legislation was disregarded.This is an example police not using a warrant to enter a home. The article was specifically about terrorism and creating new legislation for anti-terror laws; in this case the legislation did no pass and was disregarded. Since this case there has been much legislation that has passed for instants The Anti-Discrimination Act 2004 w hich includes amending the Crimes Act 1914 to strengthen the powers of Australia’s law enforcement authorities setting minimum non-parole periods for terrorism offences and tightening bail conditions for those charged with terrorism offences as well as other initiatives.To the Anti-Discrimination Act 2004 there has also been The Anti-Discrimination Act (No. 2) 2004, The Anti-Discrimination Act (No. 3) 2004 as well as Anti-Terrorism Act (No. 2) 2005 which this basically which amends the Criminal Code to allow for the listing of organisations that advocate the doing of a terrorist act as terrorist organisations, establishes procedures for preventative detention and control orders, updates the offence of sedition and other measures.Another example I have is also from a newspaper titled â€Å"DNA on demand† which basically talks about New South Wales police having the power to demand DNA samples from any offender regardless of the severity of the crime. The power was appro ved by cabinet as part of a legislative package focused largely on anti-terrorism measures. Police have been given the tools to fight terrorist and other criminals. Under this new legislation police will be able to demand a hair sample or mouth swab after any arrest no matter how minor. All police have to do is believe that the sample will link the offender to the crime.There are also other measures which include police being able to use spikes as a weapon against terrorism or major crime suspects. But the civil libertarians accused the government of creating a peace state monitoring every aspect of the lives of its citizens. Both â€Å"tougher terror laws† and the article above both obviously is about creating anti-terrorism laws and how there should be tougher laws to make Australia terrorism free and keep the citizens safe because everyone has the rights to feel safe in the environment that they are living in. Police Powers Police Powers INTRODUCTION Police powers are defined as â€Å"legal abilities to perform actions that would otherwise be legally forbidden; they are not duties to perform actions to which the law would otherwise be indifferent† (Shiner, 1994). Police exercise powers with respect to detention and arrest, search and seizure, use of force, and interrogation of crime suspects’ . The degree to which police exercise these powers vary from one case to another. A police force with unlimited power might be more effective, but it would interfere with the freedoms citizens to enjoy.Thus, one major problem permeates the whole field of police powers: how to frame the law to give police adequate powers to perform their law enforcement duties, while at the same time ensuring that such powers do not allow arbitrary and unreasonable interference by the police with the freedom of the individual (Lambert, 1986). Lambert (1986) has stated that, police forces are expected to use powers of c oercion to function efficiently. He acknowledges that powers to detain suspects against their will are essential elements of the investigative process.He also suggests that, there will always be circumstances, where police forces will need to stop and question people, search them and their premises or vehicle and take them to the police station in order to proceed with the investigation, if need be, by force. This would enable them to carry out their job successfully. This term paper looks at two police powers namely the power to detain and arrest and the power to search people and places to seize evidence that are essential to ensure order and pursue criminals, while protecting the rights of citizens.Canadian criminal offences do not all have the same degree of severity. Understanding the classification of criminal offences is essential before discussing about arrest and detention. Arcaro (Arcaro, Classification of offences, 2003), has classified criminal offences in two categories : 1. Summary Conviction: Minor criminal offences that include indecent acts, disturbances, trespassing at night et cetera. 2. Indictable:Major criminal offences that include first degree murder, infanticide, kidnapping et cetera. ARREST AND DETENTIONThe term arrest has been defined as ‘actual restraint on a person’s liberty, without that person’s consent’, and ‘physical custody of a person with the intent to detain’ (Arcaro, Arrest without warrant, 2003). It involves a statement that person is under arrest and may/may not involve physical touch of the person In Canada, The power to arrest is provided by the Criminal Code and other federal statues as well as by provincial legislation such as motor vehicle statues. An arrest can be made to prevent a crime from being committed, to terminate a breach of the peace, or to compel an accused person to attend the trial (Griffiths, 2007).Griffiths (2007) proclaims that only a handful of criminal suspec ts are â€Å"formally arrested† when they are charged with an offence. He claims that most of them are issued an appearance notice by the police officer or are summoned to court by a justice of the peace (JP). He states that, sometimes, the police have to respond quickly without securing a warrant from JP. Section 495(1) C. C states four circumstances where a police officer can arrest a criminal suspect without a warrant: 1. Find a person committing a criminal offence 2. Reasonable grounds that a person has committed an indictable offence. . Reasonable grounds that a person is about to commit an indictable offence. 4. Reasonable grounds that a valid warrant exists in the territorial jurisdiction in which the accused person is found. (Arcaro, Arrest without warrant, 2003) Two additional conditions apply to making an arrest. First, the officer must not make an arrest if he or she has no â€Å"reasonable grounds†. Reasonable Grounds has been defined by case law as â€Å" a set of facts or circumstances which would cause a person of ordinary and prudent judgment to believe beyond a mere suspicion (Arcaro, Arrest without warrant, 2003). A police officer must have reasonable grounds that an indictable offence has been committed. Second, the officer must believe on â€Å"reasonable grounds† that an arrest is â€Å"necessary in the public interest. † This is defined specifically as the need to: 1. Establish the identity of the person; 2. Secure or preserve evidence of or relating to the offence; and/or 3. Prevent the continuation or repetition of the offence or the commission of another offence. (Griffiths, 2007) In practice, arrests are usually made only in the case of indictable offences.For summary conviction offences, arrest is only legal if the police finds someone actually committing the offence or if there is an outstanding arrest warrant or a warrant of committal. The Supreme Court of Canada has held that a detention occurs when a p olice officer â€Å"assumes control over the movement of a person by a demand or direction that may have significant legal consequence and that prevents or impedes access to legal counsel. (Griffiths, 2007)†. Detention is a part of arrest, but a person can be detained without being arrested.Upon arrest or detention, the suspect can choose between exercising charter rights or not. According to Section 10 of the Charter, anyone who has been arrested or detained has the right to be informed promptly of the reason for the arrest or detention. That person also has the right to instruct counsel without delay and to be informed about that right. Suspects have a right to retain counsel but do not have an absolute right to have that counsel paid for by the state. When an arrested or detained person does not have a lawyer, police must inform the suspect of a toll-free number that offers free preliminary advice.They must hold off on further questioning to give the suspect an opportunity to access this advice. Failure to do so is considered as an infringement of suspects’ Charter rights. SEARCH AND SEIZURE â€Å"Search and seizure† is defined as the power of the police to search people and places and to seize evidence. Griffiths (2007) suggests that, historically, under the common law, the way evidence was gathered did not affect its admissibility in a criminal trial. This scenario was changed by Section 8 of the Charter which protects all citizens against â€Å"unreasonable† search and seizure.Section 24 of the Charter requires evidence from an illegal search to be excluded from the trial as is would bring the justice system into disrepute. As a result, conditions and requirements have emerged regarding prior authorization for a search. Generally, a search warrant must be issued. A search warrant is a written document that represents judicial authorization for peace officers to enter and search a specific place for specific items, and to seize those items that are evidence to the offence, if they are found (Arcaro, Search and Seizure, 2003).Arcaro (2003) explains that search warrants must be preceded by an application; they are not automatically granted on the basis of a request by a police officer. He states that, justice may issue a search warrant if reasonable grounds exist to believe that there is in a building, receptacle or place: 1. Anything on or in respect of which any criminal offence under any federal statute has been, or is suspected of having been committed, or 2. Anything that is reasonably believed to be evidence of an offence against the criminal code or other federal statutes. . Anything that will reveal the whereabouts of a person who is believed to have committed any classification of criminal offence; 4. Anything that is intended to be used for the purpose of committing any criminal offence, against the person for which a person may be arrested without a warrant. Essentially the warrant authorizes the search for and seizure of tangible, physical items that are evidence that proves the commission of any classification of offences under any federal statute.The general contents of a search warrant include applicant’s name and signature, the place intended to be searched, description of the items to be searched for, the offence that the evidence to be searched for will prove, and reasonable grounds for belief that the items are in the place (Arcaro, Search and Seizure, 2003). All of the above contents must be sufficiently proven to a justice. If one area is deficient, the application will be rejected. Box 4. 4 (Griffiths, 2007) illustrates a situation where Supreme Court expanded police practice with respect to searches.Police responded to an anonymous tip from a caller regarding young men brandishing weapons by setting up a roadblock, searching for weapons in cars leaving the club. While doing so, they seized weapons from an unsuspecting vehicle. These weapons were ruled out as evidence by the Ontario Court of Appeal in acquitting the two accused, as it was obtained by means of a blockade, which was unlawful since there had been no evidence that anyone was in danger and that the police had not limited their search to vehicles described by the caller.However, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the decision, deciding that the search was justified. It was agreed that stopping any vehicles from leaving the parking lot of the club was a reasonable response. This example illustrates that the Supreme Court has adopted more of a law-and-order stance in recent years. Works Cited Arcaro, G. (2003). Arrest without warrant. In G. Arcaro, Basic Police Powers (p. 353). Toronto: Thomson/Nelson. Arcaro, G. (2003). Classification of offences. In G. Arcaro, Basic Police Powers (p. 353). Toronto: Thomson/Nelson.Arcaro, G. (2003). Search and Seizure. In G. Arcaro, Basic Police Powers (p. 353). Toronto: Thomson/Nelson. Griffiths, C. T. (2007). Police Powers and Decisio n Making. In C. T. Griffiths, Canadian Criminal Justice (p. 367). Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd. Lambert, J. L. (1986). Arrest and Detention. In J. L. Lambert, Police Powers and Accountability (p. 230). London ; Dover, N. H. : Croom Helm Ltd. Shiner, R. A. (1994). Citizens rights and police powers. In R. S. Macleod, Police Powers in Canada: The Evolution and Practice of Authority (p. 76). Toronto: University of Toronto Press . ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Formal arrest takes place when an arrest warrant has been issued against the criminal suspect. Arrest warrant is a document that permits a police officer to arrest a specific person for a specified reason. It is issued by the Justice of Peace. [ 2 ]. A document issued by a judge directing prison authorities to accept a person into custody upon his or her sentencing or a document issued by parole board to revoke an offender’s co nditional release.

Vineyard

Calaveras Vineyards Calaveras Vineyard was originally established in 1883 to make wine for the Catholic Church. They occupied 220 acres in California out of which 175 acres was occupied by the vineyard. They had now expanded into production of table wines for retailers and restaurants. It had changed three ownerships in the last nine years. The most recent owner was Stout Plc. which was looking to sell Calaveras and the management of Calaveras was the interested party in this transaction.The main strategy from 1987 was broadening the company’s position on premium brand category and this is evident from the fact that they were now concentrating on wines in the premium and super-premium category. The five C? s analyses is an important approach to evaluate the creditworthiness of a potential client. The five metrics that will be analyzed are character, capacity, capital, conditions, and collateral. Character will translate the quality of the management team and major owners and h ow these major players behave related to business.Related to Lynna Martinez, she has a high level of education and is graduated from important universities in France and USA. She has done researchers in the field and has experiences as a professional in the industry, being Vice president of Calaveras Vineyard since 1987. The other partner – Peter Newsome, has a degree in Business Administration and has experience in the field in different areas of this industry, such as operating and purchasing. It is possible to say that this metric is maybe one the most important for the future of this business since both of them have strong experience in the field.Related to the capacity analysis, it is unclear, based on historical data, the ability of the company in handle a high debt level, since there no information about Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 debt from the balance sheet. However, the company has a significant position as current assets what provide quick l iquidity for the business as well as a strong free cash flow in both considered scenarios to repay the loan, even though the free cash flow in 1994 is negative. The apital metrics will measure whether the company has enough capital, in this point also matter the commitment of the owners with the business. In the management leveraged buyout, the new owners will have $ 1 million invested and thus they would have invested 25% of the total demanded fund. It seems that the new owners are putting an great effort on this business since they are buying a company that they have experience in and they believe it can do better than what the previous owners were doing.The economic conditions for the wine business seems to be in a good moment, even though the alcoholic market has been stagnated, the wine market has grown by 7. 4%, new researches about the benefits of wine has driven the demand up and thus the market is being benefited. Based on the Pro Forma Historical Financial Statements, it s eems that the management team is able to control the expenses and cost of goods sold as the sales increase and decrease. It is possible to see it using the decreasing trend of the COGS related to sales and the SG&A related to sales that has been the same (14. 9%) for the last 4 years. The company has as collateral, the Accounts Receivables and fixed assets. In 1993 the company had $316,782 as receivables, $2,332,241 as inventories and $4,487,193 as gross fixed assets. In case of liquidation, the Receivables may be sold at 85% of the face value, or $292,264; Inventory can be sold at 75% of its face value or $1,749,180. The fixed cost can be sold by 40% of the book value that is $1,794,877. This liquidation would provide a total of $3,836,321 which is more than Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 8-Feb-2013 the total loan provided in 1994 ($3,122,000). It provides a good standard for the potential creditor of this company. Moody’s SGL framework can also be used to assess th e creditworthiness of Calaveras Vineyards. The rating system gives a score ranging from SGL-1 to SGL-4, where one represents companies with very good liquidity and four represents companies with weak liquidity. There are several characteristics that are evaluated in rating a company using this framework. The first point is the capacity for financing capital expenditures and net working capital internally.Calaveras has an expected negative free cash flow in 1994 based on Anne Clemen’s projection (Exhibit 3), so it will not be able to fund internally. However, the company still has the flexibility of drawing money from its revolving credit line since the borrowing base has sufficient amount. Exhibit 3 also shows that the negative cash flow is due to a significant addition to net working capital. The addition is larger than average because the company is increasing its sales to the same level of 1992. The company is projected to have positive free cash flows starting in 1995 and will be able to finance internally.The EBIT/(interest and principal) ratio is moderate in 1994 but projected to increase throughout the years (Exhibit 3) and has an average of two. The second characteristic that needs to be analyzed is the flexibility of the company in generating cash from selling its assets in times of distress. Anne Clemen expected that Calaveras’ accounts receivable would able to generate 80% of book value and inventory for 85% of book value, while land, plant and equipment would only generate 40%. However, these assets are crucial to the operations of Calaveras and cannot be sold.Thus, the company has no flexibility in generating additional cash flow. Additionally, the assets mentioned before are used as collateral for both the term loan and the revolving credit. This relates to the final characteristic that is the extent Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 in which the company’s assets are encumbered. Calaveras is expected to secu re its term loan through land, plant and equipment, and its revolver’s borrowing base is equal to 85% of receivables and 75% of inventories. In other words, most of Calaveras’ assets are encumbered and this limits the financial flexibility.After analyzing Calaveras’ through the SGL framework, we believed that the company should receive a score of SGL-3. The increase in the size of the wine market is an opportunity for Calaveras to increase their market share especially in the premium and super-premium category where the company has secure brand position and stable relationships with the distributors. It is heavily dependant on two dealers who account for 50% of their sales. It might bode well for them to increase their dealership base. Financial ratio analysis: To better understand Calaveras Vineyards’ financial ondition, we analyzed those financial ratios that Anne prepared. EBIT coverage ratio and current ratio in 1994 were already larger than 1 and was increasing from 1994 to 1998, indicating this company was profitable enough to pay off its interest expense and short-term obligation. Although current ratio was not so good compared with comparable companies, it was improving through years. The debt ratio was less than 1 and reduced quickly from 1994 to 1998, which was a good signal to investor and creditors that the risk of this company was decreasing.In addition, its decreasing assets/equity ratio indicated the quick increase of equity, which was the result of quick increase of net income. The return on sales and return on assets were much higher than the comparable companies and were increasing from 1994 to 1998, indicating this Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 company had good profitability in the industry. Its increasing sales/assets ratio showed an improvement of its ability to generate sales revenue from each dollar of asset, indicating this company operated more and more efficiently.Through analysis, we found these ratios looked good and some of them were even better than the industry level. The ratio analysis showed Calaveras Vineyards was a healthy company and had an optimistic future. New Scenario A new scenario was drawn in order to assess how the financial health of the company would be if the COGS and SG&A were higher than the predicted by the company initially. In this situation, it is possible to see that the company is still able to operate under the conveants imposed by Goldengate Capital.Additional consideration and recommendation: We based our analysis on the ratio analysis done by Anne Clemen. The ratio analysis shows us favourable trend about financials about this company. The leverage ratio goes on reducing and the times interest earned as well as Profit margin show favourable forecasts. Based on our current analysis, we think Calaveras had good profitability and has enough ability to service the debt, and we agreed that Anne Clemens should participate in the loan. H owever, there are still some factors that can influence our evaluation of Calaveras.For example, if the price of its wine decreased quickly because of intensive competition or there was a big drop in the production of grape due to some catastrophe, the sales revenue will decreased dramatically, which would result in a shrunken free cash flow and influence its ability to pay back the loan. In Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 addition, if the cost of goods sold increased quickly because of a sudden increase of material price or the SG&A soared up for expanding marketing and advertising to compete with competitors, the free cash flow would also decreased dramatically.So we suggested Anne to keep monitoring these unstable factors carefully to see whether Calaveras would have a credit risk. Additionally, to decrease the default risk, Anne could also make covenants with Calaveras to regulate its financial ratios and make part of its assets as collaterals. Calaveras Vine yards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Exhibit 2 Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Exhibit 7 – New Forecasted Income Statement 1994 1% Sales Revenue Cost of Goods Sold Estates Selected Chardonnay California Generic Special Accts.Winery TOTAL Gross Profit Selling, General and Admin. Amortization of Organizational Costs EBIT Interest Expense (avg. balance) Profit Before Taxes Tax Expense Net Income Dividends to Common Shareholders Retentions to Equity $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 448,180 272,027 432,977 179,934 224,371 655,916 90,130 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 594,307 325,923 535,400 121,580 233,639 683,012 93,853 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 678,342 383,808 645,546 126,603 243,291 711,228 97,730 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 706,365 399,663 733,324 131,833 253,341 740,608 101,767 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 31,406 416,173 763,618 137,279 263,807 771,203 105,971 2,081,995 (966,861) (60) 1,115,074 (134,514) 980,559 362,807 617,752 617,752 $ 3,707,423 1995 1% $ 4,199,960 1996 1% $ 4,693,764 1997 1% $ 4,984,664 $ 1998 1% 5,371,451 $ (2,303,533) $ (2,587,715) $ (2,886,547) $ (3,066,901) $ (3,289,456) $ 1,403,889 $ 1,612,246 $ 1,807,216 $ 1,917,763 $ (667,336) $ (755,993) $ (844,877) $ (897,239) $ $ $ (60) $ 736,493 $ (60) $ 856,193 $ (60) $ 962,279 (60) $ $ $ 1,020,463 (109,625) $ (214,987) $ (198,101) $ (170,752) $ $ $ $ $ $ 626,869 231,941 394,927 394,927 $ $ $ $ $ 641,206 237,246 403,960 403,960 $ $ $ $ $ 764,178 282,746 481,432 481,432 $ $ $ $ $ 849,711 314,393 535,318 535,318 $ $ $ $ $ Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Exhibit 8 – Forecasted Balance Sheets (At Closing) Cash Accounts Receivable Inventory Organization Costs-Current Total Current Assets Land Plant and Equipment Gross PP&E Accum. Depreciation Net PP&E Organization Costs-Noncurrent Total Assets Payables & Accruals Debt-Current Portion LTD Revolving Line of Credit Total Current Liabs.Debt, non-current Total Liabilities Common Stock Retained Earnings Total Equity Total Li abilities & Equity Memorandum: Borrowing base (85% AR, 75%Inv) Revolver $ $ $ $ 2,255,917 2,304,288 $ $ 2,521,907 2,218,955 $ $ 2,699,146 1,949,595 $ $ 2,890,789 1,643,991 $ $ 3,025,581 1,187,490 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1,124 60 1,184 1,124 582 1,706 1,706 240 3,130 130 400 530 1,600 2,130 1,000 1,000 3,130 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1994 50 370,742 2,587,715 60 2,958,567 1,124 832 1,956 116 1,840 180 2,960,587 258,771 400 2,304,288 2,563,459 1,200 2,564,659 1,000 394,927 395,927 2,960,587 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1995 50 419,996 2,886,547 60 3,306,654 1,124 1,082 2,206 283 1,923 120 3,308,697 288,655 400 2,218,955 2,508,010 800 2,508,810 1,000 798,887 799,887 3,308,697 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1996 50 469,376 3,066,901 60 3,536,387 1,124 1,332 2,456 499 1,957 60 3,538,404 306,690 400 1,949,595 2,256,685 400 2,257,085 1,000 1,280,319 1,281,319 3,538,404 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1997 50 498, 466 3,289,456 60 3,788,033 1,124 1,582 2,706 766 1,940 3,789,973 328,946 400 1,643,991 1,973,337 1,973,337 1,000 1,815,637 1,816,637 3,789,973 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1998 50 537,145 3,425,344 3,962,539 1,124 1,832 2,956 1,082 1,874 3,964,413 342,534 1,187,490 1,530,024 1,530,024 1,000 2,433,389 2,434,389 3,964,413 Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013Exhibit 9 – Forecast Assumptions Key Assumptions: Case Sales $/Case Gross Margins Estates Select-other Chardonnay California Generic Special Accts Winery Dividend Payout: Now-1996 1997&After 0 0 0. 47 0. 35 0. 37 0. 35 0. 26 0. 35 0. 46 Exhibit 11 Exhibit 11 Cash Minimum (m) AR/Sales INV(T)/COGS(T+1) CL(T)/COGS(T+1) SGA/Sales Depreciation Capital Expenditures Interest Rate Tax Rate Inflation Rate Real Price Growth 50 0. 1 1 0. 1 0. 18 5-yr, S-L 250 0. 095 0. 37 0. 031 0. 01 Amortiz. Organization Costs: 5 years. Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Exhibit 10 Solvency ratio EBIT/ ( Interest and Principal) Current ratio Debt ratio Assets/Equity Efficiency ratio Sales/Assets Profitability ratio Return on sales Return on assets Return on equity 1994 1. 32 1. 24 0. 67 3. 6 0. 75 11% 8% 28% Anne Clemen's Ratio Analysis 1995 1996 1997 1. 53 1. 8 2. 05 1. 24 1. 33 1. 48 0. 59 0. 5 0. 39 2. 82 2. 22 1. 8 0. 79 12% 9% 26% 0. 85 13% 11% 24% 0. 88 14% 12% 21% 1998 2. 48 2. 16 0. 25 1. 45 0. 94 15% 14% 20% Comparables ratio Upper Quartile Median Lower Quartile 5. 5 0. 97 2. 5 0. 99 1. 5 0. 995 1. 04 7. 30% 8. 10% 16. 60% 0. 73 2. 80% 2. 30% 7. 70% 0. 35 -0. 20% -0. 10% 1. 10% Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Exhibit 11 Cash Flow Components Cumulative Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Cash Flow Components Cumulative Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Cash Flow Items Initial Inputs Net Results Initial Inputs Net ResultsOperating Inflows (Net Sales) Operating Outflows COGS – Depreciation SGA Exp Taxes Other Total Operating Outflows Total Net Operating Cash Flo w (NOF) Changes in Working Capital Receivables (AR) Inventory (INV) Other Current Assets (OCA) Accounts Payable (AP) Other Current Liabilities (OCL) Total Changes in Net Working Capital (NWC) Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow after Working Capital Investment Capital Investment Change in Net Fixed Assets Depreciation Net Investment Flow Free Cash Flow to Firm Surplus or Deficit (FCFF) Interest Income (II) Fixed Coverage Expenditures (Interest) (FCE) Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Avaiable for Dividends Dividends (DIV) $ 2,836,062. 00 $ 1,899,853. 00 $ 528,456. 00 $ $ $ 2,428,309. 00 $ 407,753. 00 $ 43,356. 00 $ 654,835. 00 $ (7,012. 00) $ (121,880. 00) $ $ 569,299. 00 $ 977,052. 00 $ 4,193,000. 00 $ 2,294,000. 00 $ 587,000. 00 $ 287,000. 00 $ $ 3,168,000. 00 $ 1,025,000. 00 $ (49,000. 00) $ (281,000. 00) $ $ 28,000. 00 $ $ (302,000. 00) $ 723,000. 00 $ 268,332. 00 $ (394,512. 00) $ (126,180. 00) $ 850,872. 00 $ $ – $ (83,000. 00) $ (167,000. 00) $ (250,000. 00) $ 473,000. 00 $ â€⠀œ $ (308,000. 00) $ 165,000. 00 $ – $ 850,872. 00 $ – Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 Cash Flow Statements – Contd.Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Avaiable for Dividends Dividends (DIV) Management's Discretionary Cash Flow Surplus Financial Cash Flow Change in Long-Term Debt Change in Short-Term Borrowing Change in Preffered Stock Change in Common Stock Change in Other Total Change in Net Finncial Cash Flow (NFF) Goodwill/Other Assets & Other Liabilities Change in Goodwill & Other Asset Change in Other Liabilities Change in Gwill&OAssets & Other Liabilities Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow (Sum of 13 Cash Flow Components) Change in Cash (Cash) Surplus or Deficit after all Cash Flows $ $ 45,006. 00 13,241. 00 $ 850,872. 00 $ $ 850,872. 00 $ $ $ $ (729,402. 00) $ $ (729,402. 00) $ (400,000. 00) $ 236,000. 00 $ $ $ $ (164,000. 00) $ 165,000. 00 $ $ 165,000. 00 $ (153,235. 00) $ $ (153,235. 00) $ (31,765. 00) $ $ $ $ $ $ 1,000. 00 1,000. 00 Calaveras V ineyards – CASH FLOW STATEMENT 1000 Dec-96 Cash Flow Items Initial Inputs Net Results Cash Flow Components Cumulative Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Initial Inputs Dec-97 Net Results Cash Flow Components Cumulative Surplus or Deficit Cash FlowOperating Inflows (Net Sales) Operating Outflows COGS – Depreciation SGA Exp Taxes Other Total Operating Outflows Total Net Operating Cash Flow (NOF) Changes in Working Capital Receivables (AR) Inventory (INV) Other Current Assets (OCA) Accounts Payable (AP) Other Current Liabilities (OCL) Total Changes in Net Working Capital (NWC) Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow after Working Capital Investment Capital Investment Change in Net Fixed Assets Depreciation Net Investment Flow Free Cash Flow to Firm Surplus or Deficit (FCFF) Interest Income (II) Fixed Coverage Expenditures (Interest) (FCE) $ 4,681,000. 00 $ $ 2,526,000. 00 $ 655,000. 00 $ 349,000. 00 $ $ 3,530,000. 00 $ 1,151,000. 00 $ (49,000. 00) $ (169,000. 00) $ $ 17,000. 00 $ $ (201,0 00. 00) $ 950,000. 00 $ 4,967,000. 00 $ $ 2,644,000. 00 $ 695,000. 00 $ 394,000. 00 $ $ 3,733,000. 00 $ 1,234,000. 00 $ (29,000. 00) $ (208,000. 00) $ $ 21,000. 00 $ $ (216,000. 00) $ 1,018,000. 00 $ (34,000. 00) $ (216,000. 00) $ (250,000. 00) $ 700,000. 00 $ $ $ (280,000. 00) $ 17,000. 00 $ (267,000. 00) $ (250,000. 00) $ 768,000. 00 $ $ $ (235,000. 00) Calaveras Vineyards – Cash Flow Statements – Contd.Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Avaiable for Dividends Dividends (DIV) Management's Discretionary Cash Flow Surplus Financial Cash Flow Change in Long-Term Debt Change in Short-Term Borrowing Change in Preffered Stock Change in Common Stock Change in Other Total Change in Net Finncial Cash Flow (NFF) Goodwill/Other Assets & Other Liabilities Change in Goodwill & Other Asset Change in Other Liabilities Change in Gwill & Other Liabilities Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow (Sum of 13 Cash Flow Components) Change in Cash (Cash) Surplus or Deficit after all Cash Flows $ $ $ 420,00 0. 00 $ $ 420,000. 00 $ (400,000. 00) $ (20,000. 00) $ $ $ $ (420,000. 00) $ (400,000. 00) $ (132,000. 00) $ $ $ $ (532,000. 00) $ 533,000. 00 $ $ 533,000. 00 $ $ $ $ – $ $ $ $ $ $ 1,000. 00 1,000. 00 Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013 CASH FLOW STATEMENT Dec-98 Cash Flow Items Initial Inputs Net Results Cash Flow Components Cumulative Surplus or Deficit Cash FlowOperating Inflows (Net Sales) Operating Outflows COGS – Depreciation SGA Exp Taxes Other Total Operating Outflows Total Net Operating Cash Flow (NOF) Changes in Working Capital Receivables (AR) Inventory (INV) Other Current Assets (OCA) Accounts Payable (AP) Other Current Liabilities (OCL) Total Changes in Net Working Capital (NWC) Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow after Working Capital Investment Capital Investment Change in Net Fixed Assets Depreciation Net Investment Flow Free Cash Flow to Firm Surplus or Deficit (FCFF) Interest Income (II) $ 5,348,000. 00 $ 2,803,000. 00 $ 749,000. 00 $ 461,000 . 00 $ $ 4,013,000. 00 $ 1,335,000. 00 $ (38,000. 00) $ (126,000. 00) $ $ 12,000. 00 $ (400,000. 00) $ (552,000. 00) $ 783,000. 00 $ 66,000. 00 $ (316,000. 00) $ (250,000. 00) $ 533,000. 00 $ – Calaveras Vineyards – Team No. 1 18-Feb-2013Net Investment Flow Free Cash Flow to Firm Surplus or Deficit (FCFF) Interest Income (II) Fixed Coverage Expenditures (Interest) (FCE) Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow Avaiable for Dividends Dividends (DIV) Management's Discretionary Cash Flow Surplus Financial Cash Flow Change in Long-Term Debt Change in Short-Term Borrowing Change in Preffered Stock Change in Common Stock Change in Other Total Change in Net Finncial Cash Flow (NFF) Goodwill/Other Assets & Other Liabilities Change in Goodwill & Other Asset Change in Other Liabilities Change in Gwill&OAssets & Other Liabilities Surplus or Deficit Cash Flow (Sum of 13 Cash Flow Components) Change in Cash (Cash) Surplus or Deficit after all Cash Flows $ $ $ $ (250,000. 00) $ 533,000. 00 $ (1 73,000. 00) $ 360,000. 00 $ $ 360,000. 00 $ $ (360,000. 00) $ $ $ $ (360,000. 00) $ $ $ $ –