Ethnic Groups and Racism Essay

Race and ethnicity are important concepts in the field of sociology and are ones that are studied a great deal. Race plays a large role in everyday human interactions and sociologists want to study how, why, and what the outcomes are of these interactions. A race is a human population that is believed to be distinct in some way from other humans based on real or imagined physical differences. Racial classifications are rooted in the idea of biological classification of humans according to morphological features such as skin color or facial characteristics. An individual is usually externally classified (meaning someone else makes the classification) into a racial group rather than the individual choosing where they belong as part of their identity. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, are often controversial due to their impact on social identity and how those identities influence someone’s position in social hierarchies. Ethnicity, while related to race, refers not to physical characteristics but social traits that are shared by a human population. Some of the social traits often used for ethnic classification include: †¢nationality †¢tribe †¢religious faith †¢shared language †¢shared culture †¢shared traditions Unlike race, ethnicity is not usually externally assigned by other individuals. The term ethnicity focuses more upon a group’s connection to a perceived shared past and culture. II. CONTENT/ CREATIVE REPORT DEFINITION OF RACE AND ETHNICITY Race is a socially defined category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people. Ethnicity is a socially defined category based on common language, religion, nationality, history or another cultural factor. Sociologists see race and ethnicity as social constructions because they are not rooted in biological differences, they change over time, and they never have firm boundaries. Example: White The distinction between race and ethnicity can be displayed or hidden, depending on individual preferences, while racial identities are always on display. THE SOCIOLOGICAL MEANING OF ETHNIC GROUPS AND RACISM The classification of people into races and ethnic groups carries deep implication on the social and political life of different racial and ethnic groups. These classifications led to the notion of racial superiority and racial inferiority, culturally advanced groups and culturally disadvantaged, the use of derogatory undertones and parody, apartheid policy, discrimination and prejudice, and stereotyping of groups of people. Ethnic conflicts have been regular process within the same territorial borders and among the nations of the world. Ethnic conflicts have been pervasive and dangerous because they cause massive humanitarian suffering, civil wars, and destabilizing effects. Sociologically, â€Å"race† refers to a group of people whom others believe are genetically distinct and whom they treat accordingly. This term is commonly used to refer to physical differences between people brought about by physical characteristics of genetic origin. This commonness of genetic heritage may be manifested in the shape of the head and face, the shape and color of the eyes, the shape of the nose, lips, and ears, the texture and color of the hair, the skin color, height, blood type and other physical characteristics. Among the significant racial categories studied by early social scientists were the Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and the subgroups of primary and derived races. Racial differences are seen as physical differences singled out by the community or society as ethnically significant. It is preferable to refer to ethnicity or ethnic groups rather than race for its historical and biological connotations. An ethnic group represents a number of persons who have a common cultural background as evidenced by a feeling of loyalty to a given geographical territory or leader, a feeling of identification with and unity among historical and other group experiences, or a high degree of similarity in social norms, ideas and material objects. Members of ethnic groups see themselves as culturally different from other groups in the society and are viewed by others to be so. SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF MEMBERSHIP IN RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS. Membership in racial and ethnic groups influences people’s social status and roles as they interact with others. Physical characteristics, especially skin color and certain distinctive cultural traits, complexes, and patterns, become badges for social and economic status. Frequently, they establish a person’s or groups position in the social stratification system and make up the foundation for prejudice, discrimination, and other forms of differential treatment. Furthermore, when an ethnic group becomes a target of discrimination, such group may utilize the unique physical or cultural traits as the rallying force for promoting common loyalties and enhancing collective action. When people’s definition of physical characteristics greatly affects their relationship, such definitions generally become interlinked with cultural differences. A classic example is the white man’s justification of his technological, economic, political and military superiority. Examples are such ideologies as the God-chosen race, the white man’s burden and more recently, the apartheid policy. Since the early days of the United States, Native Americans, African-Americans and European-Americans were classified as belonging to different races. But the criteria for membership in these races were radically different. For Africans, the government considered anyone with African appearance to be purely African. Native Americans, on the other hand, were classified based on a certain percentage of Indian blood. Finally, European-Americans had to have purely white ancestry. The differing criteria for assigning membership to particular races had relatively little to do with biology; it had far more to do with maintaining a group’s defined roles and position. Racial and ethnic membership leads to a sense of people-hood. By this, we mean a sense of identification with a relatively small segment of the world’s population- those who by virtue of common ancestry or heritage we consider â€Å"our own kind†. Erich Fromm wrote in 1941: â€Å"The identity with nature, clan, religion, gives the individual security. He belongs to, he is rooted in, structuralized whole in which he has an unquestionable place. He may suffer from hunger or suppression, but he does not suffer from worst of all pains- complete aloneness and doubt. † PATTERNS OF ETHNIC GROUP RELATIONS. People who occupy a subordinate status are usually called a minority group. What determines a minority group is not the unique racial or ethnics traits nor their great number but the relationship of different groups in the society of which they are a part. A minority group, then is one that, because of the power of differences among the groups, is singled out for unequal treatment in the society. A minority refers to a group which, because of physical and cultural characteristics, occupies a subordinate position in the society and subjected to collective discrimination, in some cases, even segregation, oppression, slavery, peonage, military subjugation, religious persecution, and economic, political, educational, and social suppression. The patterns of ethnic group relations include the following: 1. Patterns of Racism a. Prejudice and discrimination †¢Racism – is behavior that is motivated by the belief that one’s own group is superior to other groups that are set apart on the basis of physical characteristics Structural racism refers to inequalities built into an organization or system. An example of structural racism can be seen in recent research on workplace discrimination. [37] There is widespread discrimination against job applicants whose names were merely perceived as â€Å"sounding black. â€Å" These applicants were 50% less likely than candidates perceived as having â€Å"white-sounding names† to receive callbacks for interviews, no matter their level of previous experience. †¢Prejudice – prejudged negative attitude or opinion about a group without bothering to verify the merits of the opinion or judgment The relationship between prejudice and discrimination is complex. Robert Merton’s study and typology of the relationship between prejudice and discrimination Four patterns 1. Unprejudiced nondiscriminatory – integration 2. Unprejudiced and discriminatory – institutional discrimination 3. Prejudiced and nondiscriminatory – latent bigotry 4. Prejudiced and discriminatory – outright bigotry In his study, (1974), Bulatao listed impressions on some ethnic groups by respondents from five Philippine cities: Ilocanos and Chinese were viewed as most industrious, serious, thrifty; Tagalogs, progressive; Bicolanos and Cebuanos, humble, friendly, warm, and peaceful; Warays, lazy but strong; and Ilongos, proud and extravagant. b. Discrimination refers to the act of disqualifying or mistreating people on the basis of their group membership or on ascriptive rounds rationally irrelevant to the situation. Whereas prejudice is a state of mind, discrimination is actual behavior. Prejudice and discrimination work hand in hand to create and sustain racial and ethnic stratification, (Jarry J. 1987) THEORIES OF PREJUDICE Light gives the following explanations on the origin of prejudice: 1. Economic Theory- assumes that racial prejudice is a social attitude transmitted by the dominant ethnic majority class for the purpose of stigmatizing some group s as inferior so that the exploitation of the group resources will be justified. 2. Symbolic Theory- asserts that prejudice arises because a racial or ethnic group is a symbol of what people hate, fear, or envy. 3. Scapegoat theory- maintains that human beings are reluctant to accept their mistakes for their troubles and failures so they look for an ethnic-minority to shoulder the blame. 4. Social norm theory- asserts that ethnocentrism is a natural development of group living. Hatred and suspicion for the out-group are the standard and normal way of doing things, particularly in dealing with people. c. Stereotypes are often simplified and unsupported generalizations about others and are used indiscriminately for all cases. A few examples are Ilokano, â€Å"bantay kuako† (heavy smokers) and â€Å"kuripot† (stingy); Pampangueno, â€Å"dugong aso† (dog blood or traitors); Batangueno, â€Å"balisong† (knife-wielding); Bicolanos, â€Å"sili† ( pepper or hot people). 2. Patterns of Competition, Conflict and Domination When ethnocentric attitudes are coupled with intergroup competition for territory and scarce resources, an explosive social situation may arise. When two groups both strive for the same things- and they perceive their respective claims to be mutually exclusively and legitimate- the stage is set for conflict. In modern societies, the state has become the vehicle that enables one group to dominate and keep the other group subordinate. In sum, competition supplies the motivation for systems of stratification, and ethnocentrism directs competition along racial and ethnic lines, but power determines which group will subjugate the other (Noel, 1972; Barth and Noel, 1975). 3. Economic and Political Subjugation The economic takeover of one nation by a more powerful one and the subsequent political and social domination of the native population is called colonialism. If the takeover of one nation is trough the military superiority of the more powerful one for the purpose of territorial expansion and establishing colonies, it is termed as military colonialism. On the other hand, if the economic takeover is made through the great technological superiority of the more powerful one, the institutionalization of their businesses in their former colonies, the control and domination of most of a colony’s natural resources, the imposition of trade policies and economic treaties favorable to their side; the establishment of outlets for their surplus capital; the need for more cheap labor, raw materials, and markets to fuel their growing economy, the process is termed neo-colonialism or economic imperialism. 4. Displacement and Segregation of the Native Population. Economic and political subjugation of a minority population by a more powerful group is not the only pattern of conquest that occurs when different racial and ethnic group meet. Displacement of native population can be made possible through the influx of powerful settlers or invaders with their vastly superior weapons. It is typically found in areas rich in natural resources and similar in geography and climate to the homeland of the invading group. Displacement takes the following forms: a. ) by attrition, that is, numbers of the weaker group may die of starvation or disease either deliberately or not; b.) by population transfer; and c. ) by genocide- deliberate and ruthless extermination of the weaker group. Segregation involves the enactment of laws and/or customs that restrict or prohibit contact between groups. Segregation may be ethnic or racial or based on sex or age. 5. Patterns of Accommodation and Tolerance Interracial and interethnic accommodation can be carried out through miscegenation or amalgamation- the intermarriage of members of the majority and minority groups. This can result in the blending of their various customs and values and the creation of a new cultural hybrid. This involves a cultural and biological blending in which the customs and values of both groups are to some extent preserved and their biological characteristics appear in the offspring. 6. Patterns of Acculturation and Assimilation Acculturation and assimilation are two very important concepts in sociology and anthropology that describe cross cultural effects on both minorities as well as majorities in societies that are multi ethnic and multi cultural in nature. Assimilation is a broader concept as described by sociologist Jean Piaget and refers to the manner in which people take new information. There are many people who think of the two concepts as same and even use them interchangeably. If you belong to a minority community in a country and retain your own culture but cannot remain isolated and are affected by the majority culture in such a way that you adapt to some aspects of the majority culture, the process is referred to as acculturation. Assimilation is a process whereby people of a culture learn to adapt to the ways of the majority culture. There is a loss of one’s own culture as a person gives more value to the cultural aspects of the majority community in the process of assimilation. What is the difference between Acculturation and Assimilation? †¢ Meeting of cultures always produces results in terms of changes in both the cultures, and acculturation and assimilation refer to two important and different changes in these cultures. †¢ Assimilation refers to the process where some of the majority community’s cultural aspects are absorbed in such a manner that the home cultural aspects get mitigated or lost. †¢ Acculturation is a process where the cultural aspects of the majority community are adapted without losing the traditions and customs of the minority community. †¢ Minority culture changes in the case of assimilation whereas it remains intact in the case of acculturation. 7. Patterns of cultural Pluralism or Ethnic Diversity Cultural pluralism refers to the coexistence of different racial or ethnic groups each of which retains its own cultural identity and social structural networks, while participating equally in the economic and political systems. (Light, 1985) In pluralistic society, each group retains its own language, religion and customs, and its members tend to interact socially primarily among themselves. Yet all jointly participate in the economic and political systems and live in harmony and peaceful â€Å"coexistence†. A prime example of such an arrangement can be found in Switzerland. There, people of German, French, and Italian heritage preserve their distinct cultural ways while coexisting peacefully and equally. No one group enjoys special privileges or is discriminated against. ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE PHILIPPINES Ethnic groups in the Philippines are classified according to certain physical, cultural, linguistic, religious and geographic criteria. A. According to distinctive physical traits 1. The Negritoes who are regarded as the aborigines of the Philippines. 2. The Indonesian- Malayan stock which is predominant among the Filipinos. 3. The Chinese who make up the largest national group. 4. The Americans and the Spaniards, and a few other Europeans who came as colonizers. B. According to cultural standpoints 1. Cultural minorities or cultural communities 2. Muslims 3. Christian groups C. According to linguistic groupings PANAMIN reports that there are about 87 ethno linguistic groups in the Philippines-e. g. , Tagalog, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Ilonggo, etc. D. According to religion 1. Roman Catholics 2. Muslims 3. Aglipayans 4. Protestants 5. Iglesia ni Cristo 6. Buddhists 7. Jehovah’s witnesses 8. Other religious sects. E. Muslims of Southern Philippines The Muslims make up the largest single non-Christian group. They have nine ethno-linguistic groups, namely: 1. Taosug 2. Maranao 3. Maguindanao 4. Samal 5. Yakan 6. Sanggil 7. Badjao 8. Molbog 9. Jama Mapun From the Spanish regime to the present, Muslim and Christian intergroup relationships have been characterized by animosity and suspicion. This has been expressed in the Muslims’ ongoing resentment of Christian settlers and attempts at secession to form an independent Mindanao. Muslim revolutionary groups the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Bangsai Moro Liberation Front (BMLF) want Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan to secede from the Philippines. THE CULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND THE CHRISTIAN FILIPINOS The non-Christian Filipinos now known as cultural communities make up 10% of the total national population. They have maintained their culture in their clothes, art, religion, ethnic dialect, customs, traditions and other superficial differences. There are 77 major ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines. A. Northern Luzon 1. Isneg 11. Ivatan/Itbayat 21. Malaweg 2. Kalinga 12. Ilocano 22. Yogad 3. Ifugao 13. Apayao 23. Pangasinan 4. Bontok 14. Balangao 24. Palanan 5. Kankanai 15. Bago 25. Kapampangan 6. Ibaloi 16. Kalanguya 26. Tagalog 7. Gaddang 17. Iwak 27. Bicol 8. Tinggian 18. Isinay 28. Negrito 9. Ilongot 19. Ibanag 29. Sambal 10. Ibalahan 20. Itawit B. Smaller Groups in Luzon 1. Aetas 2. Dumagats of Quezon Province 3. Mangyans of Mindoro 4. Hanunoo C. Visayas 1. Bataks 7. Aklanon 13. Solud 2. Keney 8. Rombloanon 14. Bukidnon. 3. Negritoes 9. Bantoanon 15. Boholano 4. Alangans 10. Hiligaynon 16. Cebuano 5. Masbateno 11. Kiniray-a 17. Waray 6. Abakon 12. Hamtikanon D. Mindanao 1. Tagurays 8. Mansakas 15. Kamiguin 2. Tagabilis 9. Maranao 16. Mamanwa 3. Bilaans 10. Sangil/Sangir 17. Butuanon 4. Mandayas 11. Ilanun 18. Kamayo 5. Manobos 12. Maguindanao 19. Bagobo 6. Tasadays 13. Tiboli 20. Kalagan 7. Magtisalugs 14. Subanon 21. Kalibugan E. In Sulu/Tawi-Tawi 1. Yakan 2. Sama 3. Sama Dilaut 4. Tausug 5. Jama Mapun F. In Palawan 1. Tagbanua 2. Agutayanen 3. Kuyonen 4. Molbog 5. Palawan 6. Batak 7. Tau’t Baten III. GROUP REFLECTION Within sociology, the terms race, ethnicity, minority, and dominant group all have very specific and different meanings. To understand the sociological perspective on race and ethnicity, it is important to understand the meanings of these concepts. An ethnic group is a social category of people who share a common culture, such as a common language, a common religion, or common norms, customs, practices, and history. Ethnic groups have a consciousness of their common cultural bond. An ethnic group does not exist simply because of the common national or cultural origins of the group, however. They develop because of their unique historical and social experiences, which become the basis for the group’s ethnic identity. For example, prior to immigration to the United States, Italians did not think of themselves as a distinct group with common interests and experiences. However, the process of immigration and the experiences they faced as a group in the United States, including discrimination, created a new identity for the group. Some examples of ethnic groups include Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Mexican Americans, Arab Americans, and Irish Americans. Ethnic groups are also found in other societies, such as the Pashtuns in Afghanistan or the Shiites in Iraq, whose ethnicity is base on religious differences. Like ethnicity, race is primarily, though not exclusively, a socially constructed category. A race is a group that is treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics. Because of their biological or cultural characteristics, which are labeled as inferior by powerful groups in society, a race is often singled out for differential and unfair treatment. It is not the biological characteristics that define racial groups, but how groups have been treated historically and socially. Society assigns people to racial categories (White, Black, etc. ) not because of science or fact, but because of opinion and social experience. In other words, how racial groups are defined is a social process; it is socially constructed. A minority group is any distinct group in society that shares common group characteristics and is forced to occupy low status in society because of prejudice and discrimination. A group may be classified as a minority on the basis of ethnicity, race, sexual preference, age, or class status. It is important to note that a minority group is not necessarily the minority in terms of numbers, but it is a group that holds low status in relation to other groups in society (regardless of the size). The group that assigns a racial or ethnic group to subordinate status in society is called the dominant group. There are several sociological theories about why prejudice, discrimination, and racism exist. Current sociological theories focus mainly on explaining the existence of racism, particular institutional racism. The three major sociological perspectives (functionalist theory, symbolic interaction theory, and conflict theory) each have their own explanations to the existence of racism. Functionalist theorists argue that in order for race and ethnic relations to be functional and contribute to the harmonious conduct and stability of society, racial and ethnic minorities must assimilate into that society. Assimilation is a process in which a minority becomes absorbed into the dominant society – socially, economically, and culturally. Symbolic interaction theorists look at two issues in relation to race and ethnicity. First, they look at the role of social interaction and how it reduces racial and ethnic hostility. Second, they look at how race and ethnicity are socially constructed. In essence, symbolic interactionists ask the question, â€Å"What happens when two people of different race or ethnicity come in contact with one another and how can such interracial or interethnic contact reduce hostility and conflict? † The basic argument made by conflict theorists is that class-based conflict is an inherent and fundamental part of society. These theorists thus argue that racial and ethnic conflict is tied to class conflict and that in order to reduce racial and ethnic conflict, class conflict must first be reduced.

Using a Ghost During the Elizabethan Period. Hamlet

During the Elizabethan period, a ghost was seen as a common feature in most tragedy plays. Shakespeare's Hamlet is a prime example of the use of a ‘ghost' to entice fear and apprehension amongst the Elizabethan audience. The ghost can be seen as projecting several functions throughout the play, all of which are vital to the play's ultimate impact. An Elizabethan audience were highly superstitious, held Roman Catholic beliefs of purgatory and were extremely fearful of afterlife and the uncertainty that surrounded it. Such views were powerful connotations that aided Shakespeare to influence his audience with considerable impact. However, the implications of a ghost were seen as very different for a Elizabethan audience as compared with the perception of a ghost by a modern audience. Therefore it could be said that the disparity in how the ghost is received may diminish the play's impact for a modern day audience. The audience of Shakespeare's time were surrounded with highly religious concepts. During the period, whilst many were deemed protestants, there were many who challenged the idea of souls and their sins in relation to heaven and hell and continued to practise the old faith. Therefore an Elizabethan audience would have been familiar with the concepts of heaven and hell and the uncertainty surrounding ghosts. Whether the ghost of Old Hamlet is living in hell or purgatory is an issue which Shakespeare leaves open and unresolved. This leaves the Shakespearean audience with the question of whether there was hope of redemption for old hamlet and in relation, themselves. This can be seen as one of the various functions of the ghost in hamlet, by engaging into the religious mindset of Elizabethans, they would question its presence and would be intent on discovering its existence and nature throughout the play.

Basic discription of microbiology

Basic discription of microbiology Essay Basic discription of microbiology Essay Theyre out there! You cant see them but they can see you. Right at this very moment they are living on and in your body, and there is nothing you can do about it! This may sound like the beginning of a horror movie, but it isnt. It is actually a very basic description of a very broad subject: microbiology. Microbiology is a complex subject that spans out into a variety of areas. I am a person who is entering the health care field, and it is inparitive that I know the subject of microbiology and how if effects the world in which we live. Part one of this essay will deal with defining bacteria, viruses, fungi, microbes, and pirons. Part two of the essay will focus on indigenous micro flora that is on and in the body, and part three will describe the structure and replication procedure of viruses. Part one As stated by Prescott, Harley and Klein (1990) microbiology is the study of organisms that are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye. According to Jenson and Wright (1989) a pathogen is a disease-producing organism. They also describe microbes as organisms that are often too small to be seen without the aid of a microscope. Microbes, also known as microorganisms, can be broken down into four classifications that are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Prescott, Harley Klein (1990) describe bacteria as prokaryotic cells (cells that lack a true membrane enclosed nucleus). Bacteria are both small and simple in structure; they usually are between o.5 and 5cmm yet they have many characteristic shapes and sizes. Some bacteria are circular or oval shaped, they are known as cocci bacteria. Other bacteria are rod-shaped, they are known as bacilli bacteria, and some bacteria are spiral and coil-shaped and it is know as spirilla bacteria. Engelkirk Burton (1979) state that bacteria can reproduce asexually by simple division of cells and some bacteria reproduce sexually by conjunction. A bacterium is a waste producer of products and secretions. This allows pathogens to invade their hosts to cause disease some of these harmful diseases are Scarlet fever, an acute illness, characterized by a reddish skin rash, which is caused by systematic infection with the bacterium streptococcus. St. Anthonys Fire is another bacterial disease. St. Anthonys Fire which is an acute superficial form of celluitus involving the dermal lymphatic, usually caused by infection with streptococci and chiefly characterized by a peripherally spreading hot, bright red, oedematous. Its medical name is Erysipelas (Jenson Wright, 1989, p. 453). A third disease caused by harmful bacterium is Gonereah. A contagious bacterial infection spread through sexual contact, including vaginal, oral or anal sex. Also called the clap, it is one of the most commonly infectious diseases in the world. It is treated with antibiotics (Jenson Wright, 1989, p. 452) Viruses, as described by Englekirk Burton (1979), are a particular type of microbes that are very tiny in design, and they are classified as living cells. Viruses, like bacteria, are classified as prokaryotes. Viruss conceits of a core of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein shell. Some viruses have an outer lipid capsule. Viruses can cause disease and change the genetic make-up of a cell. They do this by injecting its DNA or RNA into the host cell. The host cell is then taken over by the genetic material of the virus. The infected host cell will then burst; thus infecting the surrounding cells. A disease caused by a harmful virus is A.I.D.S. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome which is caused by the human immonodeficiency virus (HIV) (Jenson Wright, 1989, p. 476) Another disease caused by harmful viruses is Rubella, (German measles) A viral infection which is dangerous to the fetus of pregnant women as it may cause various birth defects (Jenson Wright, 1989, p. 477). A third viral disease is Influenza, Commonly called the flu, influenza is a virus that infects the respiratory tract and may cause fever, headache, and general body aches, runny nose, sore throat, or cough (Jenson Wright, 1989, p. 477). According to Englekirk Burton (1979) .

Strategic Management and the Health Care Facility Essay

Strategic Management and the Health Care Facility - Essay Example In order to build a template for interview, it was necessary to conduct preliminary research into certain strategic issues which might be present in a variety of health care settings. Two health care professionals identify that the hands of health care workers can spread â€Å"both normal and pathological microorganisms† and is the â€Å"main route of infection spread† (Green-McKenzie and Caruso, 2006, p.57). This led to the development of interview questions dealing with the potential risks of worker-to-patient infection spreads to induce discussion from the participant about this aspect of health care delivery and patient liability.  The Senior Risk Manager advised that these types of problems are present in most health care settings, with the hospital administration continuously having to work within guidelines from multiple regulatory forces (such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention). With there always being a risk of transmitting dangerous infections or diseases from worker to patient, part of the risk manager’s role is to procure literature on the subject, coordinate the distribution of alcohol-based hand rubs, and ensure compliance to certain individual staff guidelines on clean health care delivery. In this role, the risk manager also works on various informative programs for community citizens regarding better hygiene in the home and professional environment as part of the hospital’s growing focus on sending the public image of a socially-conscious organization. Thus, at the senior level, it would seem that in-house sanitation and community hygiene and the promotion of better health care are regular concerns and considerations.  It is not only disease transmission concerns at the strategic level which cause concern, it is also the safe and accurate administration of medication to patients. It was identified that there have been several instances of patients receiving incorrect dosages due to illegible documen ts which were translated incorrectly. This represents a problem with physician quality-of-service. As part of this risk assessment, it was decided at this facility that sloppy physician writing was a reality of patient care, thus instead of reprimanding physicians, the hospital installed a new, touch-screen system for patient care. This was designed to improve the communications between physicians and support staff and also ensure that the hospital was reducing its potential liability for accurate medication dosing. â€Å"For many years, medication errors have been a source of serious concern within the health care community† (Skiba, 2006, p.70).

The Expansion of Multi-National Corporations in the UK Essay

The Expansion of Multi-National Corporations in the UK - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the role of multinational corporations is perhaps the most critical aspect of evaluation regarding the impacts of the functioning of these corporations in the national systems of the host countries. Though different types of multinational companies choose to enter different economies with distinctive intention like market seeking, efficiency seeking, strategic asset seeking and resource seeking intentions, yet the intensity to which these companies influence the functionalities of the host industries and economies cannot be overlooked. Multinational corporations are recognized as the emerging internationally accepted class of business organizations which have the inherent potential to develop their own organizational field and influence the functioning of industries in the foreign country to a noticeable and recognizable extent. This also includes the major effects of the functioning of the multinational enterprises on the way employment practices and poli cies are conducted, modified and developed in the host countries in which these enterprises operate. Capitalism refers to an economic system in which the industries, trade systems and the means of production are entirely or largely controlled by the privately owned enterprises functioning in the economy. The main features of capitalism may include capital accumulation, private property, wage labor and the development of fully competitive sectors. There are different models and varieties of capitalism based on the role of the government in the country, the intensity of competition in the market, the influence of regulations and interventions on the economy and the scope of private and state ownership in the country. The various forms of capitalism may include welfare capitalism, free market capitalism or laissez-faire capitalism, state capitalism, â€Å"third way† social democracy, crony capitalism, and corporatism. All of these models of capitalism have their unique character istics based on the employment of different degrees of dependency of the market economy, constraints in the way of free capitalism practices, public ownership structures and consideration of the state-sanctioned regulatory and social policies.

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

Business Ethics - Essay Example The leadership style of Robert Nardelli is described as autocratic and directive. He was a task oriented and directive leader who employed severe strictness and inflexibility in Home Depot during his tenure as the CEO in the organization. The leadership style of Nardelli was characterized by centralized control without considering the behavior and acceptance of the employees and the customers. The incorporation of extensive technologies and new organizational procedures harmed Home Depot bringing down its stock prices in the long term and negatively affecting the shareholders. Though the immediate effects of his leadership were not erosive but after few years the growth of the company slowed down to a great extent due to the increased dissatisfaction of the employees as well as the customers of Home Depot (Baack, 2012). The management style of Nardelli was criticized to be inflexible and callous. But the leadership style of Nardelli was much influenced by his tenure at GE as a result of which he focused more on technology and goal driven business plans. But this kind of leadership was not suitable in the retail industry as the leadership style required in Home Depot needed to be more people oriented creating better employee and customer satisfaction. The reputation of home Depot suffered and the share prices feel whereas the competitor companies succeeded through the creation of better customer experience and satisfaction levels. Home Depot needed a constructive and participative leadership style as opposed to the autocratic leadership style of Nardelli. Due to the directive leadership style of Nardelli, the financial metrics of the company improved initially but the metrics of customer service and employee satisfaction declined. Home Depot need a situational leadership from the CEO but Nardelli was not able to respond to the requirements of the changing situation related to the

C. G. Jung about Dreams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

C. G. Jung about Dreams - Essay Example Jung was Freud’s main collaborator and most probable successor as leader of the psychoanalytic movement, but his own researches led him away from Freud’s emphasis on the psychosexual origins of neurosis, founding his own analytic psychology in response to Freud’s psychoanalysis. This differed from the Freudian model in downgrading the importance of sexuality a childhood conflicts in the treatment of neuroses, and concentrating more on a patient’s current conflicts. Jung’s doctoral dissertation was entitled â€Å"On the Psychology and Pathology of So-Called occult Phenomena† and was presented at Basel University in 1902. This stuffy sowed the seeds of ideas that became pivotal in the practice of Jung’s system of analytical psychology, namely that the unconscious contains â€Å"complexes† or part-personalities that can manifest in dreams and visions, and that personality development and integration (individuation) occurs at the un conscious level. A †complex† is a pattern of suppressed thoughts and feelings that cluster-constellate-around a theme provided by some archetype (archetype will be explained further on). Jung describes a â€Å"complex† as a â€Å"node† in the unconscious; it may be imagined as a knot of unconscious feelings and beliefs, detectable indirectly, through behavior that is puzzling or hard to account for. Jung found evidence for complexes in the â€Å"word association test†; here a researcher read a list of words to each subject, who was asked to say, a quickly as possible, the first thing that came to mind in response to each word. Researches timed subject’s responses and noted any unusual reactions- hesitations, slips of the tongue, and signs of emotion. In Jung’s theory, complexes may be related to traumatic experiences or not. There are many kinds of complex, but at the core of any

Why does the US continue to label Hezbollah as a terrorist Research Paper

Why does the US continue to label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization - Research Paper Example The US perceives Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and is constantly urging the European nations and the United Nations to brand it a terrorist organization. The British have the perception that it has two wings, one that is political and the other, the military which is responsible for terrorism. This claim has since been refuted by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (ITIC, p. 2). Other governments mostly Muslim and Islamic nations, consider Hezbollah a legitimate resistance group. The problem is, the branding is based on government’s perceptions (Stewart 137). Terror is perceived as war against Islam. So why does the US continue to label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, yet the organization has well defined manifesto of resisting Israeli invasion, and any other colonialist invasions? The aim of this essay is to explain the other side of the organization. It is to show that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization, but a political party that fights against invasion as well as development. It is also to show that the branding of the organization as a terrorist organization needs more facts and explanations as to why. ... This shows how dominating the organization is, a characteristic of a political party. Anti Defamation League, notes that Hezbollah has been labelled as a terrorist group, but its actions have shifted its political stand to advocating for the electoral interests of the Shii’s community. Shi’i community is about 40% of the population of Lebanon (2008). Hezbollah is a political entity that does not only fight against Israeli invasion, but for its existence and power as well. In May 2008, an agreement was formed between Lebanon’s western backed government and Hezbollah. This was meant to end a political crisis that had lasted 18 months and was on the brink of causing a civil war in Lebanon. From the agreement, Hezbollah and its allies obtained prohibition powers over the government decisions and were awarded 11 seats out of 30 cabinet seats (ADL 2008). In 2009 parliamentary elections however, Hezbollah and its allies were defeated and remained with 11 out of its 128 seats. A new unity government formed in November, which now holds two cabinet seats belonging to Hezbollah (ADL 2008). All these are indications of a political party with its own strategies of getting power from the Lebanese government. There are several reasons why Hezbollah is considered a Terrorist country and these will be discussed, but the main reason why Hezbollah exists in the first place is because of the Israeli Invasion. The formation of Hezbollah explains all their actions. The Formation of Hezbollah Hezbollah was founded in 1985 and is a major political force (Tucker p. 529), although considered a terrorist group or organization by the US, the British and some other countries. In 2001, President George W. Bush in his speech to a joint session of congress, noted that there

Management report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management report - Essay Example The approach of this research has been kept unbiased and elaborate, keeping in mind to study the past trends and the current scenarios of the industry in question and to get get a crystal clear litmus result of whether the company would benefit from such an association. Browsing through the trends and the financial records of UIS and other companies, it was found out that there was little chance of falling prey to default and that the company would likely benefit from such a trade. United Industrial Services is one of the most well known firm in its industry winning loyalties in different partners. Till date the issue of import and export has become more and more important since the advent of globalisation. Too many debates have been held, too many groups formed to cater to this need. Ergo, it is no wonder that UIS is found to be of utmost importance and its decisions, crucial. This research basically deals with the question of international trade. Must UIS indulge in such a trait? Would it be of any advantage to it? Is it an attempt to increase profits or a tragedy that would result in the vice versa. To get an unbiased and reliable view of this, history of the trends had to be read. What did international trade stand for? What were its economical, political or environmental impacts? What, if it could, UIS end up affecting other of its competitors. For this, an intense study was conducted in an attempt to look at both sides of the coin and getting a better picture. The research produced remarkable results for just as it was expected not only was the firm greatly enjoying an increase in profits and revenue, it was also ending up growing as a company. There were little chances of default, thus making it less risky. The costs reduced, profits increased. This paper indicates the reasons for international trading and brief history of

The Beveridge Report of 1942 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Beveridge Report of 1942 - Essay Example These payments were recommended to be used to pay benefits to the poor and unemployed. In this way, the Beveridge Report argued for a universal welfare system where the care of people will be the responsibility of the state. Such a welfare system was never suggested before in the country and therefore this particular recommendation holds great value in history. In the Beveridge Report, it was also recommended that revolutionary measures were required to solve problems that were in front of the country. The report also called for an end to â€Å"sectional interests† (Beveridge Report Executive Summary, 1942, 7) and argued for a system that treated everyone equally. The report recommended that it was time to grow past philosophy of inequality and to treat everyone equally. This was another ponderous recommendation of the Beveridge Report. The report also called for a health care system of a public nature that will offer free health service to all the citizens of the country (BBC, 1942). This was also a unique recommendation given in the report. Such a system had never been proposed by anyone in the country before. Another important recommendation of the Beveridge Report was that there should be a balance between the role of state and the individual citizen. The report made it clear that it was not arguing in favor of communism as it acknowledged the right of an individual to earn more than that is required for him and his family (Beveridge Report Executive Summary, 1942, 9). This was another important recommendation that differentiated the reforms suggested from communist ideas. A person was free to live an economic life but had an obligation towards the state in the form of insurance payments and other payments, in the return of which state promised free health care, unemployment, and other necessary benefits.

Overview of Marketing and Branding Products of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Essay Example for Free

Overview of Marketing and Branding Products of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Essay The correct usage of these Lubricants of right quality ensures prolonged and trouble free vehicle operation, providing maximum benefits to the users of present day modern vehicles. Overview In line with the economic liberalisation in India, Lubricants was the first downstream Petroleum product to be totally deregulated with effect from 1991. Since then a large number of players National, MNCs as well as Global Players have entered the Indian Lubricants market. Despite operating in a totally competitive environment, BPCLs Lubricants SBU has been registering a growth in lubricant sales continuously over the past couple of years. In 2007-08, an overall growth of 10% has been registered, with a healthy turnover of Rs. 1680 crores (approx USD 350 million). In 1998, we re-launched our Lubricants in new attractive packs, mainly in Automotive category with three major brands depicting each segment- Mak for Diesel Engine oils, Automol for Petrol Engine oils and Glide for Two/Three wheelers(mainly 2T then). In the year 2003, we decided to go for Umbrella Brand-MAK Lubricants, in subsequent years, branded all our industrial grades with MAK. Retail Channel Our core strength is our retail outlet network across the country, this comprises of about 7530 retail outlets. Our Lubes SBU have undertaken various initiatives in co-ordination with Retail Business to grow our sales volume through this channel. Initiatives undertaken by the SBU are setting up of Hero Honda City Works, Tata Authorised Service Station (TASS) and installation of Quick Oil Change Machines at retail outlets. Bazaar Channel With a network of 190 PLDs, 600 MAK Garages and MAK Mobile Vans established to improve reach and penetration in rural and unrepresented areas of MAK Brand, the SBU could reach to the last mile as far as the customers are concerned! We continue to improve our brand visibility across the network and there by increasing our market share across the segments. Industrial Channel Large number of prestigious customers has been added during the year to our already existing prestigious customer list. We are also suppliers of initial engine oil fill to TATA Motors, TVS, and Hero Honda etc. We also hold respectable share of Railway and Defence business. Infrastructure The Lube Plants at Wadilube (Mumbai), Budge Budge (Calcutta), Loni (Delhi) and Tondiarpet (Chennai) have organised themselves as close-knit teams to maximize levels of production and dispatch. The Plant at Wadilube is an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 ;amp; OHSAS 18001:2007 certified Plant. As part of the ongoing improvements in packaging, the new series of packages developed entirely in-house have been introduced. Other initiatives To support the business initiatives, a major thrust has been given to improving BPCL’s product offering and increases its market presence. The new R;amp;D Center at Sewree, Mumbai, has developed a number of new products in the automotive and industrial categories. Towards higher visibility, substantial investments have been made in revitalising the brands through product quality and package improvements. The entire distribution system has been revamped with the formation of Supply Chain Management department to ensure that products are more conveniently available and distinctively visible in the market price. Exclusive branded Lube Shoppes have been opened all over the country to improve our reach, as well as many innovative amp; unconventional methods are being used to create brand awareness especially in the diesel oils segments. Another major initiative has been to reach the products to the rural population through the tie-up with ITC – e-choupal network which has spread the MAK brand across the country in rural areas also. Currently this network is available in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh and is likely to extend to other states also shortly. MAK also embarked on another thrust area of enrolling garages across the country in the network of â€Å"MAK Garages† there by providing standardized service across the network. This initiative not only rovides opportunity for the garages to enhance their business opportunity but also provides an assurance to the end customers that their vehicles are getting the right kind of lubricants. Brand Ambassador To promote MAK brand among the youth and improve the brand visibility, MAK signed up M. S. Dhoni as Brand ambassador in the year 2006. The rise of MAK brand in the minds of the consumers as well as market share coincided with the rise of Dhoni also, who today is the Youth icon of the year and also the Captain of the Indian team for all versions of the game – like MAK being the â€Å"Champion of All Engines†. BPCL is confident that it will continue to make substantial and sustained efforts with appropriate investments, synergies business between channels, improve quality and quantity standards, invest in Ramp;D for new product development and aggressively build the brands to result in maximising the value addition for both the business and its customers. Research and Development Vision To create a centre of technical excellence for Product amp; Application Development through pursuit of knowledge and fostering creativity / innovation to be a pacesetter and achieve cost leadership in petroleum industry. Introduction The Research amp; Development Centre at Sewree, Mumbai was established in 1983 and recognized by Department of Scientific amp; Industrial Research, MoSamp;T. The Ramp;D Centre has highly skilled and experienced Scientists amp; Engineers capable of developing various types of lubricant products, innovatively, using modern technology. It is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment / facilities for testing of lubricants, greases and fuels besides certain rig amp; performance tests required for developing new lubricants as well as upgrading the existing products on continuous basis.

The difference between Project Finance and Corporate Finance

The difference between Project Finance and Corporate Finance Companies across the world frequently employ Project Finance for their large investments. Their importance is underscored by the following fact: Though US corporations used Project Finance less often than their overseas counterpart, 1 their savings of $34 billion in Project Finance in 2004 exceed the $25 billion that business enterprise capital funds invested in startups in that year, and was concerning half the $73 billion raise by US companies from side to side IPOs in the similar year (Esty, 2005). While academic research in finance has provided a lot of insight into business enterprise assets financing and IPOs, Project Finance has conventional scant notice.2 an obvious query arises: What factor drive the option of Project Finance vs Corporate Finance? 3 As Esty (2003a) points out, Project Finance involve important costs compare to Corporate Finance.4 What are the offsetting payback then of Project Finance vs Corporate Finance? Why 64% of huge investments were finance through Pro ject Finance in the French lawful source countries while this proportion was 26% in the English legal origin country? In other terms, how do the lawful and institutional surroundings in a country shape this option of Project Finance vs. Corporate Finance? This paper attempt to fill a number of these gaps in our in sequence. Two major contributions We create two major contributions. First, to our information, our paper is the primary to formally examine and empirically document the reimbursement of Project Finance vs Corporate Finance. Second, we supplement the law and finance journalism (see references below) by presentation a micro channel from side to side which lawful origin could have an effect on economic outcome from side to side the stipulation of saver defense to decrease decision-making agency outlay. Esty (2003b) argues casually that Project Finance reduce the group costs of free cash flow encounter in Corporate Finance:The first incentive to use Project Finance, the agency cost motivation, recognize Those sure assets, namely large, tangible possessions with high free cash flows, are susceptible to costly agency conflicts. The creations of a project company provide a chance to create a new, asset-specific ascendancy system to lecture to the disagreement between possession and control. . . Project Company utilizes co mbined possession and high influence to dishearten costly organization conflicts in the middle of participant. Two distinguishing characteristics of Project Finance vs Corporate Finance However, it is indistinct precisely how Project Finance operates to alleviate these association costs while other shape of finance cannot. For example, why cannot corporations affect domination systems particular to the nature of their property, or utilize joint possession and influence to alleviate these agency expenses? What is it about Project Finance as different to Corporate Finance that reduce agency conflict? We build up a simple replica to shed light on this query. We emphasize two distinguishing characteristics of Project Finance vs Corporate Finance: (a) improved verifiability of cash flow, and (b) lack of option to sponsors cash flows and assets. We quarrel that the verifiability of cash flow in Project Finance stem from contractual preparations made probable because of a solitary, discrete project that is lawfully alienated from the sponsor, and the resultant nonattendance of future growth opportunity in the Project finance Company. Since Corporate Finance involves multiple present and future projects, the similar contractual preparations cannot be effect in Corporate Finance. Therefore, cash flow is less demonstrable in Corporate Finance than in Project Finance, chiefly in countries where the protection against executive self-dealing is weaker. Project money due is also non-recourse: the lender does not have alternative to the sponsors property or cash flow. Corporate Finance Thus, in Corporate Finance, the lender has a potentially improved pool of cash flows from which to get paid. Since Project Finance company are first and leading debt economics (Esty, 2005), we implant the choice Of Project Finance versus Corporate Finance in a reproduction of debt financing comparable to that in Hart (1995). Since the pool of property and cash flows is better, but less provable, in Corporate Finance, creditors human rights play a more important role in Corporate Finance. Specifically, the lenders believable threat to seize security matters more with Corporate Finance, where cash flow are less demonstrable and borrower opportunism is therefore more probable. The threat of insolvency serves to deter this opportunism. Furthermore, Project Company invests in solitary, discrete property. Therefore, tradeoffs between inefficient continuance versus unproductive liquidation that arise from the attendance of future increase opportunities and typify bankruptcy in Corporate Fin ance (see Gartner and Scharfstein, 1991) are not present in Project Finance. Thus, ex-post inefficiencies created in insolvency affect Corporate Finance additional than Project Finance. Given these two reasons, i.e., the higher probability of opportunistic non-payment and the assistant inefficiencies from bankruptcy, we model non-payment in Corporate Finance but theoretical from the same in Project Finance. Of course, the lenders threat to pay debt assets is credible only if the insolvency laws in the country allow the lender to seize the security assets. Therefore, we take for granted that the lender can seize possessions with a higher likelihood if the bankruptcy laws give creditors stronger human rights. Further, we take for decided that insolvency values in bankruptcy are lower if the burden costs in bankruptcy are senior. Given this setup, we get hold of the subsequent result. In countries where insiders can confiscate minority investor more easily, Project Finance is more probable than Corporate Finance. In exacting, in such countries, Project Finance is excessively more probable than Corporate Finance in industry where Free Cash Flow is higher. To appreciate better this difference-in-difference prediction, think two industries: Drugs and Cement. Given the lack of important investment 2 opportunity in Cement when contrast to Drugs, the organization price of free cash flows would be higher in Cement than in Drugs (Jensen and Heckling, 1976, Jensen, 1986 and Blanchard, Loped- Silanes and Shleifer, 1994). Since Project Finance mitigates these organization costs by making cash flows demonstrable, ceteris paribus, the dissimilarity in the use of Project Finance in Cement versus that in Drugs would be better in Venezuela than this dissimilarity in the United States since the laws defensive managerial self-dealing is stronger in the United States than in Venezuela. Project Finance loans We give empirical confirmation supporting this forecast by comparing, across forty country,Project Finance loans next to Corporate Finance loans from the Loan Pricing Corporations Dealscan database. To limit our analysis to those Corporate Finance investments where scheme Finance is a viable option, we comprise loans to corporations under the category of equipment Purchases, capital expenditures, gaining of assets or company, and takeover. To capture differences crossways countries in the protection provided to investors against managerial self-dealing, we use the index of confidential control of self-dealing construct by Djankov, LaPorta, Lopez-de- Silanes and Shleifer (2006) (hereafter, DLLS) . These directory events the hurdles that the controlling saver in a firm must bound in order to indulge in a self-dealing business. In the spirit of our reproduction where ex-ante financing outcome are affected by the ex-post probability of a sponsor/manager being wedged self-dealing, we focu s on DLLSs gauge of ex-post confidential manage of self-dealing. We go after Opler and Titman (1993) and Lang, Stulz, and on foot (1999) in proxying agency expenses of free cash flow by means of the ratio of Free Cash Flow to Assets. Since our most inclusive disaggregated data is at the 4-digit SIC business level, we build this calculate for the middle firm in a 4-digit SIC manufacturing in a country. We use several empirical stipulations: controls for the legal source of state, fixed effects at the country, manufacturing, and year levels, and chance effects at the height of each industry in each country. We discover that in country that provides weak defense to alternative investors against expropriation by insiders, Project Finance is moderately more probable than Corporate Finance in industries where the ratio of Free Cash Flow to Assets is superior. If we contrast two industries for which the ratio of Free Cash Flow to Assets is one normal deviation apart, then a one standard deviation diminish in the ex-post personal control of self-dealing increase the probability of Project Finance in the industry with superior free cash flow by 5% more than in the manufacturing with lower free cash current. Since Project Finance is 25% probable on standard in our example, this 5% increase in the dissimilarity in likelihood of Project Finance represent a 20% change over the model average. W e also find that Project Finance is more possible in countries with weak guard against executive self-dealing; a one standard difference decrease in the ex-post confidential control of self-dealing increase the probability of Project Finance in a country by 14.5%, which represent more than a 50% enlarge over the example average of 25%. Project financial mode: Fig 1: Project finance model (Estry, 1999). Capital Structure theory The effect is economically significant too: A one point increase in the strength of creditor rights decreases the marginal effect of weaker protection against self-dealing by 32 %. We investigate further as to which component of the creditor rights index affects this choice between Corporate Finance and Project Finance. In line with our model, we find that in countries with no automatic stay imposed on the collateral assets in bankruptcy, the effect of managerial self dealing is mitigated. The other components of the DMS creditor rights index do not matter here. In the strongest piece of evidence supporting our theory, we consider this interaction effect between creditor rights and managerial self-dealing for the treatment sample of countries where creditor rights underwent a change during our sample period, and the control sample of other countries. As predicted by our model, we find that the decrease in the rights provided to creditors in our treatment sample enhanced the marginal effect of ex-post private control of self-dealing on the choice of Project Finance. Thus, we infer from our cross-country evidence and from the within country changes in creditor rights that laws protecting minority equity holders from managerial self-dealing and rights provided to creditors in bankruptcy are marginal substitutes in mitigating agency conflicts. Finally, our model predicts that larger deadweight costs incurred in bankruptcy increase the likelihood of Project Finance. As argued above, bankruptcy costs are lower in Project Finance than in Corporate Finance since project companies invest in single, discrete assets. Features of project Finance To examine the robustness of our above result to various source of endogeneity at the industrylevel, we go after Rajan and Zingales (1998) in employ the center Free Cash present to Assets for US firm at the 4-digit SIC urbanized level as an tool for our cross-country measure. The profusion of a business and the resulting level of free cash current is partially a purpose of the technical aspect of the developed as well as the life-cycle phase of the manufacturing. Therefore, we wait for the free of charge cash run for US business to be linked with the cross-country calculate.6 Furthermore; the practice of Project Finance is 19% in the US in dissimilarity to 53% for the obtain it easy of the earth. Therefore, the US developed level compute of Free Cash run to Assets make happy the two supplies needed to serve as an active uneven. As physically influential evidence of our theorys forecast, we obtain the identical consequences to the higher than by means of this caught up changeable. A second forecast of our model is that the creditors skill to seize the firms property upon Default, as well as those placed with him as security, mitigates the consequence of weak protection against administrative self-dealing, since the lender can resort to the assets ex-post in the face of self-dealing. Therefore, when stronger protection is provide to creditors, the effect of weaker defense against decision-making self-dealing in hopeful Project Finance is excessively lower. To proxy the legal rights of creditors across the world, we use the creditor rights directory (a score between 0 and 4) construct in Djankov, McLiesh and Shleifer (2005) (hereafter, DMS). A senior value for the DMS creditor rights index indicates stronger rights to creditors. Across our entire rider, which include chance effects at the country level, and fixed possessions at the year level, we find that the coefficient of communication between guard against self-dealing and creditor rights to be optimistic.

McDonalds Advertising and Marketing

McDonalds Advertising and Marketing Welcome to McDonalds what can I get for you today? A very warm saying that might sound similar to many consumers, who attend fast food restaurants on a frequent basis. Have any one ever wondered why we keep on going back to McDonalds week after week? This is mainly because of McDonalds advertising and marketing. McDonald has an image that is more than just food; it is a place for the families. Over 9500 restaurants in nearly 45 countries is the strength of McDonalds. None of the single brand name has ever matched McDonalds marketing budget. McDonalds approximately spends more than $800 million dollars each year on their marketing and promotion. McDonalds began a major advertising campaign in the year 1987 that aimed to neutralize the misconception of junk food about their good food. This marketing strategy of theirs did not last long as newspapers started to write that the food in McDonalds is not so nutritious and people do not come to McDonalds for nutritious food. From then onward s McDonalds started to offer only a nourishment card rather than trying to stamp their food products as nutritious one. According to Mr.Peter Cox, a former consultant of marketing belonging to the vegetarian society, did quotation from the book, Behind the Arches, the reason why Japanese people are small and have yellow skin, because they have consumed only fish and rice for the past 2000 years. McDonalds soon came out with the marketing slogan that if you eat Hamburgers and potatoes for nearly 100 years then you will grow taller and have a white skin with blonde hair this slogan was ruled out. However, their marketing to children was not ruled out. Most of the McDonalds marketing are aimed towards children. According to the researchers, they say that when a child looks at Ronald he or she thinks only of French fries and hamburgers. Researchers also say that many children admire Ronald and want to be like him, as Ronald loves McDonald and so will they. According to the Childrens thi nking it doesnt matter how much fast food they should be eating because Ronald says its always good and fun. In the 1980s Childrens love towards Ronald went haywire and the major man Geoffrey Guillano, Ronald, give up and apologized for his actions. He personally believed that he brainwashed the children into doing things that are wrong, he also admitted that he was sorry to the children everywhere for selling out to concerns that make millions by killing animals. In the UK McDonalds also does marketing to young children, aged between 2 and 8. Their McDonalds adverts contained a simple song that was easy to remember for children. According to John Hawkes, the McDonalds United Kingdom Chief Marketing Officer their song was to reach each family through their children. He said the song was stored in the front position of the brain of the childrens mind. This made children to attach hunger with McDonalds and inquire their parents to take them there. McDonalds also tried to target young adults, ages 16-25. McDonalds took a new move toward to target young adults, where they used discounts and coupons. McDonalds offered twenty nine cent and thirty nine cent hamburgers and cheeseburgers. McDonalds never make cash off the price the customers pay to these burgers but rather they did from the soda they bought and the fries they bought. This leads to the subliminal marketing, also known as the trade-off result. For example, when the customer went to pay money for a small coke they usually end up buying a large one. This is mainly because the small one is $1.09, the medium $1.24, and the large $1.29. A customer looks at the prices and tries to figure out the most excellent deal possible for their money. The medium sells for $0.15 cents more than the small that gave the customer 5 more ounces of drink but the large sells for $0.05 more cents than the medium one and the customer will end up getting 11 more ounces for their nickel. This makes the customer to buy their soda th at is two sizes larger than what they originally planned to buy. Even though the customer spends $0.20 more than their usual, however McDonalds spends close to nothing. The customers will also do the same process for their french fries. A medium portion of fries costs $1.29, large is $1.59, and a super is $1.79. The large sells for $0.30 more than the medium but the super are only $0.50 more than the medium and $0.20 than the large. The customer in their mind will think, that if they spend the extra $0.30 to get the large fry they might as well spend $0.20 more cents and get the best value possible for their dollar. In conclusion, everyone are targeted for something. Whether it is for McDonalds or or some other fast food chain. Marketing is what makes one store better than the other, and McDonalds are very good in that. This is a research about McDonalds and their marketing strategy under the credit crunch situation. In this research I aim to explore on the below mentioned objectives. First of all I am going to start with the research background, where I will go through McDonalds history, their hold in the market, their main competitors etc, that will hold as a base to this particular research. Next I will talk about the different literatures that, regarding where research has been done on the similar topic. According to my though previous literatures will not have much information on the effect of credit crunch, however my literatures will include more on the marketing area involving fast food chains. After the literature review I will give the methodology for the research, where the research methodology for the purpose of the research will be discussed based on the research objectives and the type of the research. In the next section I will do the main research, where the primary data will be coll ected relevant to the research that is based on the research methodology. After doing the primary research the findings will be analyzed and possible results will be arrived at before conclusion. OBJECTIVES Effect of tight economic condition on the food industry. What do people perceive about McDonalds even in the tight economic condition? McDonalds brand management Marketing strategies adopted by McDonalds to attract people keep coming towards their shop. RESEARCH BACKGROUND With over 35,000 locations in hundred countries, McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest fast food restaurant chain. McDonalds operates its own restaurants and franchises its brand to local businesspeople (about seventy percent of the worlds McDonalds are franchised.) The company experienced a theatrical turnaround in 2003, driven by a two-pronged plan. In countries such as the US and the UK., McDonalds focused on rising sales at existing locations by renovating their stores, increasing menu options and also extending store hours. Globally, McDonalds expanded aggressively, opting to franchise rather than operate its new locations which provide new income with little overhead. Both strategies have paid dividends- despite its dimension, sales have full-grown by a 3rd since 2003 Domestically, McDonalds continues to do strongly in spite of a pullback in customer spending and is even benefiting as customers trade-down from more expensive eating options. During this same time, global operations were driving profit growth. A rising global middle class, particularly in emerging markets like China, India and Latin America, is a massive opportunity for McDonalds. McDonalds violent efforts to get bigger its global presence- most notably in 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics- have produced strong similar sales and profit growth. McDonalds Business Strategy McDonalds has pursued 2 strategies since 2003. To be in the run with the fast changing customer preferences, demographics and spending patterns, McDonalds has introduced novel items in their menu including angus beef burger and premium chicken sandwiches and does campaigns to create more healthy foods including salads on the side. This strategy basically reflects the beliefs that innovation as opposed to reliability to traditional products is the key determinant towards success in the fast food industry. They have also focused more on increasing their sales at their current restaurants instead of opening new ones. To do so, McDonalds has redesigned many of their restaurants, kept their stores open till late and increased menu options. Nonetheless, new restaurants are still getting opened around the world at a rapid pace the company plans to open nearly 1,000 units in 2010, and continues to produce its new restaurants at a 1%-2% rate each year. Size Matters Size of McDonalds has three main advantages: McDonalds has a strategy of uniform menu offerings that can be accumulation produced, lowering production costs. Bargaining power with their suppliers reduces input costs with improved margins. Large advertising costs mean lots of exposure towards domestic and international market. International Expansion McDonalds is well-established in Europe, the Middle East, Asia/Pacific Islands, and Africa. Its enlargement in Europe is dominated mainly by Germany, France and the UK. In Asia, the general management has indicated that there is important potential in the China market. McDonalds have adapted its menu items to different local cultures, such as the Teriyaki Mac in Japan, Filet-O-Fish in China, and using lamb instead of beef in India. Although McDonalds is the obvious leader of the fast food industry in terms of revenues generated and restaurants recognized, it faces rivalry from other fast food chains, which are introducing new products themselves. Major direct competitors in the (hamburger-based) fast food industry include: Burger King Holdings is the 2nd largest hamburger fast food chain. Although more of their restaurants are franchised than McDonalds restaurants, revenues of Burger King Franchise fall behind that of McDonalds, mainly due to the their size advantage. Wendys is the 3rd largest hamburger fast food chain. They have a lower operating margin than that of McDonalds, hence it is more likely that they suffer negative impacted during a recession. Yum! Brands runs Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silvers, and AW All-American Food Restaurants. Currently, Yum! Brands are dominating the Chinese market, posing a threat to McDonalds in their attempts to enter the market. Where McDonalds Corporation focuses on its core brand, Yum! divides its resources among a wide variety of different restaurants. In addition to the above competitors, McDonalds also competes with non-hamburger-based fast food restaurants (such as Panera Bread Company (PNRA), Panda Express and Qdoba), local and national dine-in restaurants (such as Red Robins and Sharis), pizza parlors, coffee shops (Starbucks), street vendors, convenience stores and supermarkets. McDonalds revenue decreased by 7% to $5.65 billion in Q2 09 (ending March 31st, 2009), a decrease from $6.08 billion the previous year. However, operating income increased 2% over the previous year, from $1.65 billion to $1.68 billion. Much of the decline in revenue can be attributed to company-operated restaurants, whose revenue numbers decreased by 10% from $4.3 billion in the previous year to $3.8 billion. Revenue from franchised restaurants, on the other hand, actually increased 1% from $1.78 to $1.80 billion Since the margins on franchised restaurants are higher than those of company-operated restaurants, the higher contribution from franchised restaurants in the revenue mix positively impacted McDonalds operating margins (from 27.2% to 29.8%). McDonalds also noted that McCafe, which they labeled as a long-term home run, had met sales expectations and has benefited from the high level of advertising that McDonalds has committed to it. Coffee sales now make up 5% of McDonalds total sales. The effect credit crunch has driven a record numbers of consumers from across different social spectrum to buy food under the golden arches of McDonalds. The fast-food giant is serving close to 100 million customers every month at its 1,200 restaurants in Britain, revealed in the recent times. That is about 12 million more than its own previous record last December, which is typically the busiest month. The UK chief executive Mr.Steve Easterbrook, in the recent times have said that it is the 10th consecutive quarter of growth for them in the UK,Which s a real momentum in the business. McDonalds UK delivered like-for-like sales growth, taken from restaurants open for 12 months or more, of more than 8 per cent for the three months to 30 September. Mr Easterbrook declined to provide a specific sales figure for McDonalds UK, but said it was above the 8.2 per cent underlying growth at the American companys European division. He said the sales figures were a further testament to the changes McDonalds had made over the past few years, with improvements to its menu, extended opening hours and new restaurant formats. It also illustrated that companies perceived to offer value for money were attracting more middle-class customers, he added. Mr Easterbrook said: Those people who are coming back to McDonalds, and who have not been there for a while, are finding a whole new McDonalds. Discount retailers, such as Aldi and Poundland, are also profiting as hard-pressed customers seek out bargains. Mr Easterbrook said: We have always had a very broad appeal and we are picking up more people across the board, but some people are trading down. A family of four can come in and have a meal for  £15. We are seeing growth across the menu from the Extra Value Meals to our Rainforest Alliance coffee and premium burgers. McDonalds is also reaping the rewards of extending the opening times of its restaurants. Some open at 5am and 200 British branches trade for more than 24 hours at weekends. Mr Easterbrook said early opening was having a positive effect because if had increased the numbers of people coming into its stores throughout the morning. Sales of its coffee were up by more than 20 per cent, he added. Globally, McDonalds operating income rose by 20 per cent over the three months to 30 September to $1,823.7m, and its total worldwide sales increased by 7.1 per cent. Marketing at McDonalds McDonalds is one of the best known brands worldwide. Through marketing, McDonalds establishes a prominent position in the minds of customers. This is known as branding. Branding develops a personality for an organisation, product or service. The brand image represents how consumers view the organisation. Branding only works when an organisation behaves and presents itself in a consistent way. Marketing communication methods, such as advertising and promotions, are used to create the colours, designs and images which give the brand its recognisable face. At McDonalds this is represented by its familiar logo the Golden Arches. In all its markets, McDonalds faces competition from other businesses. Additionally, economic, legal and technological changes, social factors, the retail environment and many other elements affect McDonalds success in the market. Marketing involves identifying customer needs and requirements and meeting these needs in a better way than competitors. In this way a company creates loyal customers. By identifying their target audience McDonalds Marketing department will determine the correct marketing mix. Which products are well received What prices consumers are willing to pay What TV programmes, newspapers and advertising consumers read and view Which restaurants are visited Accurate research is essential in creating the right marketing mix which will help to win customer loyalty and increase sales. As the economy and social attitudes change, so do buying patterns. McDonalds needs to identify whether the number of target customers is growing or shrinking and whether their buying habits will change in the future. By Doing SWOT analysis on McDonalds Strength E.g. the brand, and detailed market research to create the right marketing mix. Weakness McDonalds has been around for a long time. (therefore important to keep innovating). Opportunities E.g. increasing numbers of customers looking for food that is served in a quick and friendly way. Threats New competitors, changing customer lifestyles. LITERATURE REVIEW According to Nazlin Imran(1999), in one of his works says that the study of consumer perception regarding food quality and acceptability is complex and interdisciplinary, encompassing scientific disciplines including food science and technology, nutrition, psychology, physiology, marketing and hospitality. Food having possessed with physicochemical characteristics arising from ingredients, processing and storage variables resulting in the sensory characteristics of the food product. These sensory properties are detected by consumers using the human sense organs producing experiences of the taste, appearance, smell and texture of the product. The basic study of the interaction between these human senses and the physicochemical properties is known as psychophysics. In food science, sensory evaluation is nothing but applied forms of psychophysics. The sensory attributes of a food product interact with consumer physiological, behavioral and cognitive factors within the consumer experienc e to exert influence on consumer perception. Context and background also affects this interaction, e.g. cultural setting and psychosocial influences in which the consumers encountered the food product which also affects the consumer hedonic response, i.e. the individual feeling of like or dislike, of the consumer. Sensory and hedonic experience interacts with post-consumptional experiences to produce responses that feed-back into the consumer physiological state, the learning process and memory building. Consumer expectation is in turn affected by this process. Expectation can be generated from cues such as packaging, labeling, product information and stereotypes. Thus, consumer food choice is determined by many factors as shown in the below figure. Food choice factors were being individually studied in the past by other disciplines, e.g. psychobiology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, nutrition and marketing. However, in the recent times, the the factors involved in the per ception and acceptance of the food quality food quality are being studied collectively in sensory science. Sensory science has been described as a place of meeting in science, bridging the gap between humanities and the pure sciences. It has been shown that many individual factors affect the perception of a food product. These factors include taste, odor, information from labeling and images, attitudes, memory from previous experience, price, prestige, nutritional content, health belief, familiarity and brand loyalty (Krondl and Lau, 1978, 1982; Raats et al., 1995). Sensory attributes have been known to play an important role in overall perception and acceptance of a food product. It has been well recognized that the intensity of food-related sensory attributes affect the level of pleasantness or unpleasantness of a food product (Cardello, 1994). Texture and flavor have been shown to have a profound effect on perception and acceptability (Szczesniak, 1972). However, the first taste is almost always with the eye, i.e. visual sensations always help contribute to this perception since the first encounter with food products is often the contact of the eye and will affect subsequent willingness to accept a product. The effect of visual sensations should never be underemined. Human perception of quality is dependent on the visual image (Hetherington and MacDougall, 1992). It has been well established that color and appearance can have a halo effect which modifies subsequent flavor perception and food acceptability (Hutchings, 1994; Kostyla and Clydesdale, 1978). Appearance, flavor and texture are important quality attributes which characterize raw food materials and processed products (Schutz and Wahl, 1981). Kramer and Szczesniak (1973) use a circle diagram to describe the sensory quality of food. In this sensory circle, the perimeter of the circle is divided into three merging zones defined by appearance, flavor and texture. These zones are often regarded as an individual and seperate characteristic, however some properties do overlap indicating that the perception can be affected by more than one sense. However, the significance of different product attributes varies with the situation and time . For example, a product that is seen on a supermarket shelf may have different attributes affecting perception when compared to the same product seen on a plate. The same product on a plate would be affected by anticipatory and participatory attributes (Hutchings, 1977). In other words, at the point of consumption, anticipatory factors such as the initial product appearance and also consequent participatory factors such as product flavor and texture may dominate the acceptance level for many foods. Appearance encompasses several basic sensory attributes such as colour, opacity, gloss, visual structure, visual texture and perceived flavor. Of all these visual aspects, the effect of color is the most obvious and well-studied. The strong association between food and color was established as early as 1936 by Moir and 1939 by Dunker. Extensive research has confirmed the importance of color in taste recognition and intensity (Johnson and Clydesdale, 1982; Kostyla, 1978; Maga, 1974), in f lavor detection and recognition, in food preference (Christensen, 1983; DuBose et al., 1980) and food acceptability (Johnson and Clydesdale, 1982; Maga, 1974). Consumer perception of an acceptable color has been shown to be associated with other quality attributes: flavor, nutrition and level of satisfaction (Christensen, 1983). Rolls et al. (1982) showed that manipulation of color in some products can be used to enhance intake and presumably to enhance sales. The effect can be achieved by manipulation of one or more variables: color within a formulation, incident light, packaging color and even color and appearance nomenclature and brand name (Martin, 1990) (Nazlin Imran, 1999) Perceived service value has been a critical construct in marketing because it is assumed to have a significant influence on purchase or patronage behavior (Bolton and Drew, 1991; Zeithaml, 1988). Although value is an indistinct and elusive construct, service value as perceived by consumers has narrowly been defined as a trade-off between perceived quality (or the benefit component) and perceived sacrifice (or the cost component) regarding a service being evaluated (Dodds and Monroe, 1985; Dodds et al., 1991). Consumers would make their value judgment on a service by trading off the positive utility of the quality against the negative utility of the cost inferred from various service characteristics. Then, what specific aspects of a service imply the quality and the cost for the value judgment? This question is dealt with in the sections below. Perceived service quality. Perceived quality is one of the major determinants of perceived service value. It is assumed that consumers consider various dimensions of a service to reach their overall judgment of service quality. Parasuraman et al. (1988), based on a survey with 200 consumers about five different service categories, have developed a standardized instrument called SERVQUAL, which can be used to measure customer perceptions of service quality. They then have retested and refined their original SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman et al., 1991). SERVQUAL consists of 22 items measuring customers expectations and another 22 items measuring their perceptions of five dimensions of service performance. Specifically, they have suggested that when consumers make their judgment of service quality, they would generally consider the service providers: Physical facilities and equipment (tangibles); Ability to perform promised service dependably and accurately (Reliability); Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service (Responsiveness); Knowledge, courtesy and ability to inspire trust and confidence (Assurance); and Caring and individualized attention to its customers (empathy). However, SERVQUAL is a generic measure; researchers have found that the relative importance of the five dimensions varies across different service industries (e.g. Crompton and Mackay, 1989; Johnson et al., 1988; Parasuraman et al., 1988, 1991). Perceived service cost. Consumers compare service quality with cost to determine service value. Service cost is basically what consumers have to give up or sacrifice to obtain a desired service. Since it has a negative impact on consumers budgets, it would have a negative influence on their perceptions of service value. The concept of cost can be extended to include nonmonetary cost such as service time (see Murphy and Enis (1986), for a detailed review of time costs). Service time is the amount of time during which a service is provided. Since most customers would like to have faster services, service time would affect perceived service value in the same way monetary cost would. Some services require customers to be present physically where the services are provided (e.g. hairstylists, hotels and motels, restaurants, etc.). For such service categories, service locations, like service time, are an important cost/benefit factor determining service value because the more convenient the locations are, the fewer amounts of time consumers need to get there, and vice versa. (Moonkyu Lee, Francis Ulgado, 1997) The UK fast-food marketplace is value an estimated  £7.82 billion annually (Keynote, 2003), an average amount spends of twenty pound per month per adult (McDonald, 2003). Due to busier client lifestyles and dual-working families with children, stress is increasingly being placed on fast meal solutions (Atkins and Bowler, 2001). This has resulted in a market enlargement of more than 18 per cent in fast food since 1998 (Keynote, 2003). United Kingdom customers tend to look upon expediency and wholesomeness as polar opposites, rather than a balancing type of food value (Jack et al., 1997, 1998). These researchers found that convenience is likely to be associated with wide food processing, as in the example of manufactured snack foods; such snacks are apparent as suitable but unhealthy, while natural fruit as a snack are perceived as healthy but inconvenient. Fast food meals based on burgers and fried chicken (e.g. MacDonalds, KFC) also tend to be perceived as suitable but unhealthy. T here has been a sustained increase in the demand for expediency foods and snacks over a number of years (Traill, 1994; Keynote, 2003). Moreover, a better volume of fast food is enthused in the United Kingdom than in any other country in Europe (Schlosser, 2001). Recently, the thought that processed convenience foods are contributing to a fatness epidemic has led to litigation proceedings against McDonalds. At the same time, a figure of fast-food companies and food manufacturers have reviewed the fat and sugar contents of their manufactured goods ranges, and reconsidered the dimension of the portions they offer. New healthy options (e.g. pasta salad, fruit bags,) can now be purchased from fast-food outlets next to customary burger and chicken meals. Another new innovative strategy by McDonalds and KFC enables nutritional information for each meal to be accessed via nutritional calculator tools on each companys web site (see www.mcdonalds.co.uk and www.kfc.com). From the early stages of post-war nourishment policy in the UK, food manufacturers have responded to nutritionists calls for better products to some degree. However, they have also asserted there are no good or bad foods only good or bad diets (Richardson and Brady, 1997). In the meantime, the UK Food Standards Agencys (FSA) present diet and nourishment strategy emphasizes a key role for the food manufacturing in helping to get better the nutritional excellence of dietary intakes (Scottish Food Advisory Committee, 2002). For caterers, this means offering a greater option of healthier tableware, and for manufacturers and retailers, rebalancing foodstuff ingredients, in particular, reducing the attendance of fat, salt and sugar and rising that of fruit, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Health branding initiatives, such as the Department of Healths 5-a-Day campaign promoting fruit and vegetable eating, have clearly helped to lift the profile of nutrition targets (Department of Health, 2003; Parker, 20 03). Food companies desire the logo but obtainable processed foods may not meet its strict supplies (Laurance and Mitchell, 2003). As a result, manufacturers and retailers have begun to open their own logos and claims. Customer value plays a vital role at the heart of all advertising activity as it refers to things of worth that have been created for a specific marketplace (Holbrook, 1999). Customer value is a highly multifaceted concept in that it integrates a collection of possible product excellence attributes, process-related attributes and less touchable sources of value, in particular, brand image (Schro ¨der, 2003). For fast foods, manufactured goods attributes may be further broken down into dietary, sensory and clean quality. The nature of food production and processing is becoming more significant to customers (Baltas, 2001; Bredahl et al., 1998), even if these aspects cannot be established through the real consumption of the food (credence attributes). Ethical manufactu re in terms of animal and human welfare, and environmental guard are key issues here (Wier and Calverley, 2002;Harper and Makatouni, 2002; Grankvist et al., 2004). Holbrooks (1999) typology serves as a mapping tool for generic customer value and is highly applicable to the food background. For example, it highlights both functional customer value (which might be interpreted as food security and dietary make-up) and ethics. However, business image is only partially built on touchable product and process attributes. Equally significant is the manner in which companys converse with stakeholders through their marketing strategies, including CSR initiatives. CSR may be defined as an organizations rank and activities with admiration to perceived communal obligations (Brown and Dacin, 1997). Through the Business Excellence Model (British Quality Foundation, 1998), the crash of an association on society has been highlighted alongside the require for worker and customer satisfaction. Clearly , the better the perceived power and influence of an association the more likely it is to draw the attentions of campaign groups. The activities of influential organizations will be improved understood by the community and have an effect on more customers than those of smaller competitors. When campaigners single out such organizations for inspection or even assault, they can wait for more media interest for the issues they want to make public. It is therefore not surprising that worldwide players in the fast-food sector, such as McDonalds, be inclined to find themselves in the dismissal line of groups concerned with the a variety of aspects of food quality. (Schroder McEachern, 2005) According to Peter Jones et al (2002) there are a wide variety of elements in the UKs retail catering industry but fast food are perhaps the most prominent, the most dynamic and the most rapidly growing. While there are va

Jesse Owens Essay -- Sports, Olympics

One of the most influential events in American history occurred when Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This accomplishment and others that he would achieve in his life time, given the historical context in which he rose to fame, inspired people for many generations. Jesse Owens created a historic legacy not just because of his record finishes on the track, but also due to the challenging times in which he competed. Born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama, Jesse Owens grew up working on several farms. Jesse’s father, a sharecropper, worked for little pay farming other peoples’ land. As young children, Jesse and his six siblings picked cotton on a rich man’s farm in Alabama. At age nine the Owens family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Jesse worked in grocery stores as a nine year old in Cleveland to bring in extra money for his family. (Raatma 8-9) Jesse began running track and field in middle school. In 1928 he set many middle school records including jumping almost twenty-three feet in the long jump (â€Å"About Jesse Owens† 1). Jesse went to East Technical High School in the 1930s where he continued to set records and develop as a track and field star. In fact, in his Junior Year, at the National Interscholastic Championship, Jesse set the 220-yard dash record and tied the world record in the 100-yard dash. The city of Cleveland, in order to demonstrate their p ride, honored Jesse Owens with a citywide parade marking his debut into the spotlight. (Raatma 13) After an impressive high school track and field career, Jesse Owens studied at Ohio State University. He did not receive a scholarship for his athleticism, so he had to work many jobs to pay for his education. Jesse did not love academics... ...d Field hall of fame inducted Jesse Owens into its ranks. Two years later, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ford. In 1979, President Carter presented Jesse Owens with the Living Legend Award. That year Jesse also learned he had lung cancer. Jesse Owens died from lung cancer on March 31, 1980. (Raatama 35-37) Jesse Owens accomplished more than just four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. He showed the world that anyone can do whatever they want if they follow their dreams. Owens created a lasting legacy not just because of his record running times, but also due to the obstacles he overcame that plagued minorities in Hitler’s Germany. Jesse Owens’ influential story of the Berlin Olympics became an important part of American history since it symbolizes the drive of the American spirit to succeed despite the challenges we may face.