Pro Gun Control Speech Essays and Term Papers Essay

Pro Gun Control Essay Persuasive Pro Gun Control Essay Gun control is a vital necessity to the welfare of our nation. Many people out there are supporting the â€Å"anti- gun control cause† with the excuse of â€Å"self-defense†. I believe that not everyone will handle a gun for self-defense. The possession of a gun is†¦ Premium1048 Words5 Pages Gun Control Speech Gun Control Speech By Sam Casey Could we cure the mass gun killings in America by distributing a free, and very effective chill pill? Or is it just the insane people holding guns? The issues with the American Politics and gun control is that A- They don’t consider just putting guns in the hands†¦ Premium488 Words2 Pages Pro Gun Control Name Date Class Professor Pro-Gun Control With the Second Amendment giving American citizens the right to bear arms, and approximately fifty percent of Americans owning some form of a firearm, issues involving the ownership and possession of guns has led to debates in American society. Many†¦ Premium707 Words3 Pages Pro. Gun Control Lashea Williams 11/6/05 In some ways, gun control isn’t as irrational as it may seem. Even though it is said to violate the people’s second amendments right, which says, â€Å"A regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to bear arms shall not†¦ Premium713 Words3 Pages Gun Control Gun Control In 1988, Handguns killed 7 people in Great Britain, 19 in Sweden, 53 in Switzerland, 25 in Israel, 13 in Australia, 8 in Canada, and 8,915 in the United States. The figures are shocking, but what is the solution? Gun control is a problem that our country has faced for many years. In†¦ Premium2068 Words9 Pages Gun Control Is Needed Gun Control Is Needed Regulation of guns is a necessary action that needs to be taken in order to save lives. A good definition of gun control is needed to understand the sides and issues. Gun control is an effort to stop the rise in violent crime by strengthening laws on the ownership of f†¦ Premium1472 Words6 Pages Gun Control Gun control is a controversial issue, opposing and splitting the American society, it is a crossway of different arguments and states on whether there should be stricter gun laws. It could be argued that on the one hand guns provide safe and security, fun and adventure for some people; on the other†¦ Premium1061 Words5 Pages Gun Control Gun Control Issues With the Second Amendment giving American citizens the right to bear arms, and approximately fifty percent of Americans owning some form of a firearm, issues involving the ownership and possession of guns have led to heated debates in American society. Most notably is the is†¦

Human Resource Forecasting Essay

PART 1: HUMAN RESOURCE FORECASTING Reference: Adapted from Human Resource Forecasting Assignment, pp 108 – 110 in Nkomo, S. M., Fottler, M. D., McAfee, R. B. (2008) Human Resource Management Applications: Cases, Exercises, Incidents, and Skill Builders, 6th Edition Due date: Week 9 LEARNING OBJECTIVES †¢Practice in forecasting an organisation’s people needs †¢To familiarize you with some of the factors that affect an organisation’s future people needs †¢To familiarise you with the complexities involved in making human resource forecasts †¢To point out that all human resource forecasting is based on assumptions and that these assumptions are critical to the accuracy of the forecast INSTRUCTIONS It has been a busy year with staff turnover, new employees and new equipment on order. Your CEO has requested a forecast of the human resource needs for North West Regional Hospital for the coming years. North West Regional Hospital (NWRH) is a purpose built, 180-bed inpatient facility and the largest regional hospital in the state. NWRH also has 15 outreach sites located throughout tropical, northern Australia, each of which employs approximately 17 individuals. In total, NWRH currently employs 700 people. Over the coming three years, NWRH is planning an expansion into additional regional areas and expects to add 25 new outreach sites. Each outreach site varies in size according to the needs of the community, so the figures  represent averages. During the past month, NWRH has placed an order for 3 new dialysis machines to increase its renal support services. These machines are scheduled to be in operation December 31, one year from now in existing outreach sites only. NWRH has found that for each new machine purchased requires four (4) additional nurses, on average. In addition, five (5) new doctors are added in year 2. A breakdown of NWRH’s current staffing is shown in Table 1. Your CEO has asked you to perform three human resource-forecasting tasks. First, based on the assumptions given below, you are required to determine employee turnover for the inpatient facility office, the old outreach sites, and the new outreach sites. The CEO would like to know this information for each of the next three years and for each of the major personnel categories (i.e., Doctors, Nurses, and Inpatient Facility Administration staff). Your job is to complete Table 2. Second, your CEO would like to know the number of new employees NWRH will need to hire for each major personnel category for each of the next three years. Your job is to complete Table 3. Finally, your CEO would like to know the total number of employees who will be working for NWRH as of the end of each of the next three years. Your job is to complete Table 4. Table 1: Present staffing Total Employees700 Number of outreach sites15 Doctors per outreach site5 Number of Doctors75 Nurses per outreach site12 Number of Nurses180 Outreach facility employees255 Inpatient Facility Employees445 Table 2: Turnover Employee CategoryCurrent YearYear 1Year 2Year 3 Old outreach site Doctors Old outreach site nurses Inpatient facility New outreach site Doctors New outreach site nurses TOTALS Table 3: Number of Employees to be hired Employee CategoryCurrent YearYear 1Year 2Year 3 Old outreach site Doctors Old outreach site nurses Inpatient facility New outreach site Doctors New outreach site nurses TOTALS Table 4: Year-End Employment Employee CategoryCurrent YearYear 1Year 2Year 3 Old outreach site Doctors Old outreach site nurses Inpatient facility New outreach site Doctors New outreach site nurses TOTALS In order to complete your assignment, your CEO has told you to make a number of assumptions. They are: A.You are making all projections in December for subsequent years ending December 31 B.With regard to the existing outreach offices, assume a.The 15 existing outreach offices employ 5 doctors and 12 nurses each. b.On December 31 (one year hence) 3 new dialysis machines are placed in operation and require an additional 12 nurses (4 per machine). c.On December 31 in the 2nd year, 5 new doctors are employed. d.Turnover rate is 40 percent for nursing personnel, and 20 percent for doctors. C.With regard to new outreach sites, assume a.New outreach sites are added as follows: 6 in Year 1, 10 in Year 2, and 9 in Year 3. b.Each new outreach site employs 17 individuals (5 doctors and 12 nurses). c.Turnover is 30 percent for nurses, and 20 percent for doctors. D.With regard to the inpatient facility, assume that turnover will be 15 percent per year. PART 2: WRITING JOB DESCRIPTION & RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENT References:Adapted from Job Analysis: Writing Job Description, pp 97-99 in Nkomo, S. M., Fottler, M. D., McAfee, R. B. (2008) Human Resource Management Applications: Cases, Exercises, Incidents, and Skill Builders, 6th Edition Note: For your presentation in Week 5, you will use one (1) Job Description to develop one (1) Advertisement to present as a group. The developed advertisement cannot be used in the Portfolio Assignment. LEARNING OBJECTIVES †¢To familiarise you with the job analysis process and with job descriptions †¢Practice in writing job descriptions †¢To make you aware of different methods for recruiting candidates and stand out from the crowd INSTRUCTIONS:Job Analysis, Writing Job Descriptions and Recruitment Advertising You are required to write three (3) job descriptions, one (1) job advertisement, and one (1) selection criteria for the Portfolio Assignment. The job advertisement should reflect one (1) selected job description (choose one (1) – doctor, nurse, and inpatient facility administrator), and the selection criteria should reflect the selected job advertisement to create a flow in your portfolio. A.Draw up a set of job descriptions for each of the (3) positions in the case (doctor, nurse, and inpatient facility administrator). You may use whatever sources you want, including interviewing people you may know in these positions or similar positions or searching relevant web sites as you want job descriptions and lists of duties that apply specifically to regional hospitals and outreach facilities. The Job Analysis Questionnaire (below) can be used as a guide to help determine the major responsibilities and tasks of the job and the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics needed to perform the job. Remember to write the job description using action verbs when describing the employee’s tasks, duties, and responsibilities. It is also important that specific duties be grouped and arranged in descending order of importance. The complete job description should follow the format shown in sample provided (below). B.Choose (1) job description to draft one (1) job advertisement, to attract the right people to apply for that position. Write the advertisement as if it will appear on an online employment agency (e.g. seek.com). It will need to stand out amongst the many thousands of other positions being advertised. Job Analysis Questionnaire A.Job Responsibilities and Duties a.Job title b.Department title and/or division title c.Title of immediate supervisor d.Description of duties (describe the duties in enough details to provide a complete and accurate description of the work) i.Provide a general overall summary of the purpose of your job ii.What are the major results or outputs of your job? iii.Describe the duties and tasks you perform daily; weekly; monthly. iv.Describe duties you perform irregularly. e.List any machines, instruments, tools, machine, materials, and work aids used in your job. Indicate percent of time used. f.Describe the nature of your responsibility for nonhuman resources (money, machinery, machine and so on). What monetary loss can occur through an error? g.What reports and records do you prepare as part of your job? When are they prepared? h.What is the source of instructions for performing your job (e.g. oral or written specifications)? i.Describe the nature and frequency of supervision received. j.How is your work reviewed, checked, or verified? B.Reporting Relationships a.How many employees are directly under your supervision? What are their job titles? b.Do you have full authority to hire, terminate, evaluate and transfer employees under your supervision? Explain. c.What contacts are required with other departments or persons other than you immediate department in performing you job? Describe the nature and extent of the contacts. C.Working Conditions a.Describe the working conditions present in the location and environment of your work such as cold/heat, noise, fumes, dust, and so on. Indicate frequency and degree of exposure b.Describe any dangers or hazards present in your job. D. Job Qualifications (Be certain not to list the incumbent qualifications, but what is required for performance by a new employee). a.Describe the  kind of previous work experience necessary for satisfactory performance of this job. b.What is the amount of experience required? c.What kinds of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are needed to perform the job? d.What is the minimal level of education (grammar, high school, degree etc.) required? e.Are any special physical skills and/or manual dexterity skills required to perform the job? f.Are there any special certification, registration, license, or training requirements? Sample Job Description Job Title: Shift Supervisor (Mining) Position Purpose: The purpose of this position is to maintain a safe and efficient plant operation through directing the activities of the operation’s personnel and providing a management support function for the plant superintendent. Typical Job Duties: 1.Directs the activities of the operations personnel and coordinates the activities of the maintenance personnel. 2.Issues written communication to employees concerning personnel policies and operational concerns. 3.Administers a maintenance request program through collecting requests, scheduling, and recording maintenance activities. 4.Administers the plant tagging procedure. 5.Conducts the training and safety programs for shift employees. 6.Schedules shift assignments to reflect workload and vacation schedules. 7.Performs administrative tasks such as recording workers’ time, maintaining records concerning operational activities, and updating written procedures. 8.Prepares annual budget for assigned plan area and maintains the inventory level on these items. 9.Appraise performance of shift employees annually 10.Counsels employees on disciplinary problems and job-related performance. 11.Assumes plant superintendent’s duties when assigned. Physical Requirements: walking and climbing stairs Working conditions: Remote locations; secure fully furnished housing is provided. Quarterly rotations between locations are available. Four day rotating roster with morning, afternoon and night shifts. Machine and Machines Used: CRT, spectrometer, PH metre, conductivity metre Reporting Relationships: The shift supervisor reports directly to the plant superintendent. The shift supervisor directs the control room operator, two or more utility operators, trainees, and other assigned personnel, and coordinates the activities of the maintenance personnel present on shift. Qualifications: Education: Associate degree or equivalent training (e.g. management training classes) OR five (5) years of management experience Related Experience: Minimum of three (3) years as a control room operator for a coal-fired boiler operation. Job Knowledge/Skills Required: 1.Comprehensive understanding of plant systems. 2.Fundamental understanding of electrical systems and motor control centres. 3.Thorough knowledge of boiler chemistry. 4.Comprehension of flow, logic, and electrical prints. 5.Ability to perform elementary mathematical and algebraic calculations. 6.Communication and human relations skills. 7.Ability to operate CRT, spectrometer, PH metre, and conductivity metre. 8.Managerial skills. PART 3: WRITING SELECTION CRITERIA References: Adapted from Selection Decisions, pp 131-138 in Nkomo, S. M., Fottler, M. D., McAfee, R. B. (2008) Human Resource Management Applications: Cases, Exercises, Incidents, and Skill Builders, 6th Edition Selection Criteria adapted from Practical Exercises: Graduate trainee  selection at Yarra Bank, pp 269–271 in Stone, R. J. (2010) Managing Human Resources, 3rd Edition LEARNING OBJECTIVES †¢To help you develop skills in developing selection criteria and evaluation measures †¢To make you aware of the complex criteria often used to select candidates †¢To help you develop skills in planning and implementing semi-structured interviews †¢To give you practice in preparing for the selection interview INSTRUCTIONS:Selection Criteria Using the job description, you chose for the job advertisement: 1.Develop a list of key selection criteria for an upcoming vacancy in this position in terms of experience, qualifications, skills/abilities, personal qualities and special requirements (see template below). 2.Outline how you would evaluate the candidates on each criterion. What questions would you ask? 3.Identify your interview selection panel. Indicate the number of people to be on the panel, the positions that they hold and provide a brief explanation of why they are required on the panel. Key selection criteria Experience: What type of and how much experience is required to perform this job successfully? Qualifications: What are the minimum formal educational qualifications required to perform this job successfully? Skills/Abilities: What special skills and/or abilities and knowledge are required to perform this job successfully? Personal Qualities: What special personal qualities (physical characteristics and personality  characteristics) are required to perform this job successfully? Special requirements: What special requirements are required to perform this job successfully?

Evidence based practice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence based practice - Research Paper Example However, to generally change the behaviors of all the nurses including those who are off-duties, the following measures will have to take place immediately: Rebuilding the frame work Every organization has structures and policies that form a frame work which guide employees’ behaviors. Therefore, it is crucial to re-evaluate these structures to ensure the framework supports the new desired employees’ behaviors. The ways employees do their business, it involves interacting with each other which is more difficult to change and therefore a good starting point is to answer the question ‘what does excellence in the new behaviors look like’. Clearly demonstrating key indicator tells employees where to aim in terms that it is specific and clears (Pbert et al, 2014). Even the most harmless change can be misinterpreted by employees, therefore the most appropriate way to ensure success is to see how the behavioral changes unfold. This involves following up and regulating progress frequently. To engage the employees in the initiative changes programs. This is to let the employees ‘own’ the changes; employees need to participate by providing opinions of what they feel need to be addressed, not all ideas need to be accepted but at least they feel their ideas have been heard and considered (Sailor, 2009). The assessment should always be done in my presence and a signature or the approved works must be there. In conclusion, this paper has helped even other managers and employees who had no ideas of what they were expected of in their work place. These four actions can turn the odd of success in your

Macroenvironmental Impact on the Company Product Sales Essay

Macroenvironmental Impact on the Company Product Sales - Essay Example This is because they affect the sales of an item or service in one way or the other. Therefore, before Monster Corp launches Monster Gum in the market, it is imperative that it carries out an analysis on the impacts of microenvioronment on the sales of its product. The objective of this paper is to explore the microenviornmental components; demographic, environmental, economic and cultural factors will likely impact on the sales of â€Å"Monster Gum.† Demographics One area of particular interest with regard to market analysis is the demographics. This is refers to population trend study such as population size and movement; birth and death rates; gender, age and ethnic origin (Elearn 85). All these components that make up demographics will affect Monster Corp’s sales of the monster gum. For instance, the company is mainly targeting a specific age group in the society which is 18 to 30 years. This implies that as these group ages out, the sales of the product will likely reduce. In fact, it means that, in case this population age group is faced out, then the company will likely face a closure since the target age group will no longer be there to sell to. On the other hand, the company would likely to gain in areas with high population size of the age group that is targeted. Environment Environment in this case is described as macro and community level factors such as legal, physical, and policy factors that influence individuals and household decisions. Environment influences diet in many households (Hitchner 89). The impacts of caffeine on differ from one individual to the next. Therefore, so people would only prefer products that have no caffeine in them thus affecting the sales. On the other hand, health issues have become a major area of concern as many people become so sensitive to the diets. As a result, some individuals perceive caffeine to pose serious health issue and would, therefore, not want to consume. This affects the sales of the pro duct. Legal issue such as government policies may also affect the sale of the product. This can either be negative or positive. For instance, government assistance in the form of subsidies and loans may fledge the company grow and help it keep its costs low for customers. This will result to an increased sale of the product (Ginter and Duncan 96). However, the impact may also be negative in a situation where it imposes a regulation that increases costs. This will make the company adjust its prices up making the product expensive. This in turn, will scare away consumers who will find it better look for other substitutes that are cheaper thus, affecting the sales of monster gum. Economic Factors There are a number of economic factors that may impact on the company’s product sales. For instance, the growth of a country, unemployment, and the capacity to get funding are all economic factors, just as the exchange rates, interest rates, inflation and per capita income (Gimbert 51). These factors usually exist in the day-today operation of a company or business. For instance, the existence of high unemployment rate in a country will affect the purchasing power of individuals thus leading to a decreased sale of monster gum. High inflation and interest rates of in an economy will make Monster Corp adjust to the economic situation. However, the increase in prices due to increase in inflation and int

Employee referral campaigns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee referral campaigns - Essay Example Another advantage of employee referral campaigns is that they help promote the brand value of a company through word-of-mouth publicity. In order for an existing employee to bring his contacts into the company, he/she must first have a positive perception about the status and worthiness of the company. On the flip side, a poor response to an employee referral campaign can usually indicate an unmotivated workforce perceiving no incentive either for themselves or for their contacts in availing job opportunities with the company. One other obvious advantage of an ERC is that it cuts down recruitment related expenditure by eliminating the need for advertising, job fairs, hiring agencies, etc. In certain domains, highly specialized positions are best filled through personal channels and not through traditional recuitment processes, making a case for ERCs. On the negative side, employee referral campaigns can also create conflict-of-interest scenarios for the management, when they make an assessment that is inconsistent with that of the referring employee's. For example, a candidate being recommended by an employee could be estimated to be either unsuitable or unqualified for the vacant position. In such a case, the management usually ends up causing disappointment for both parties by declining to hire.

Analyzing Rhetoric of the movie Casualties of War Essay

Analyzing Rhetoric of the movie Casualties of War - Essay Example The movie Casualties of War does not overly provide an abundance of detail about the Vietnam War of 1962-1972. Overall, it is a movie that â€Å"tells† rather than â€Å"shows† the reader about what was experienced, as evident in the high use of evaluative adjectives and adverbs in the script. The movie seeks to share with the audience the ambiguous nature of war, and to highlight that those who may be portrayed by media and governments as the â€Å"heroes† or â€Å"saviors,† could in fact be guilty of unethical and undemocratic behaviors that they accuse others of practicing. As such, the movie was more about war itself, and the realities that often go unreported, than about the Vietnam War itself. From this viewpoint, the movie casts the Vietnam War as a dangerous place for marines, as well as a dangerous situation for the Vietnamese for who the marines are supposedly fighting for. It was a time where North American men could consider themselves truly fr ee as they exist together in the field of war, at least if they lived. Casualties of War portrays the event as a ‘war of consciousness,’ thorough the eyes of one marine who bucks the chain of command.

A recent report highlights a large rise in gambling in the UK.Discuss Essay

A recent report highlights a large rise in gambling in the UK.Discuss why this has occurred, whether it is a cause for concern,and, if so, what could be done ab - Essay Example progressive and chronic disorder that encompasses an unrelenting failure to resist impulses to gamble and where this maladaptive behavior disrupts, or damages personal, family, or vocational pursuits’’ (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, p. 615). Problem Gambling is â€Å"persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior that disrupts personal, family or vocational pursuits.† (American Psychiatric Association) â€Å"It avoids the medical and pejorative implications of pathological’’ (Walker & Dickerson, 1996) and the term Problem Gambler’ is used to define someone â€Å"whose gambling is at an earlier stage and to a lesser degree than required by the diagnostic criteria† (Rosenthal, 1989). The third term Compulsive Gambling is more often used by â€Å"laypersons such as Gamblers Anonymous (GA) members†. (Clinical Psychology Review 22 -2002) As this discussion is based on psychology, the main focus would remain on the â€Å"pathological gambling† in order to describe the gambling behaviors. Different forms of gambling are covered by the term PG including casino gambling, pari-mutuels, horse races, lotteries and gaming machines. The pathological gambling has several â€Å"negative impacts on the gamblers’ physical and mental health and performance in vocational situations† (Productivity Commission, 1999). The pathological gamblers often face financial hardships, Interpersonal problems and psychosocial problems in their children. It is also associated with significant problems, including â€Å"suicidal ideation and attempts, marital conflicts, employment problems, alcohol and substance abuse, psychiatric co morbidity and decreased health function†. (Benjamin J. Morasco, Jeremiah Weinstock 2007) During last few decades, there has been a rise in gambling all over the world and in United Kingdom also people are getting addicted of it. Though there are not any specific reasons that convince people to start gambling but there are several factors that

The business plan of Super Stars sports facility Essay

The business plan of Super Stars sports facility - Essay Example This paper discusses that Super Stars will be a sports organization which will be focused on enhancing and inculcating sports values among the community members in Bradford city in the United Kingdom. Currently, there are very few multi-sports facilities in Bradford and hence the company hopes to fill this gap. The kind of sporting activities that will be trained includes swimming, skiing, skate boarding, athletics, rugby, golfing, gymnastics, football and hockey. The organizations planned keys to success involves putting the customers wants first and working hard towards satisfying them. The organization will also use appropriate marketing facilities for its services, creating a conducive environment for its operations, purchase quality sports equipments and hiring qualified staffs to assist in the management of the activities. The Super Stars sports facility hopes to target people who have the passion for getting physically fit. It will provide all the necessary facilities that are required in order for people to exercise and attain maximum satisfaction. The members will be both adults and the children and it involves both genders. The sports facility will be a member’s only facility. The membership will be divided into a adult membership, students membership and junior membership. The juniors include children between the age of 5 and 14 years. The adults are those above the age of 14. The membership fee for the junior plan will be 40 pounds plus a 240 pounds annual subscription fee. The adults’ membership fee shall be 50 pounds plus an annual subscription fee of 360 pounds. ... However, students will be granted a fee waiver to encourage them to engage in sporting activities which include a 45 pounds membership fee plus a 300 pounds annual subscription fee. At the beginning of its operations, Super Stars sporting organization will use funds from the government and community contributions to finance its operations. The government has advanced 9,000,000 pounds towards the setting up of the facility. It hopes that the community will contribute 2,000,000 pounds. These funds will be used to purchase the necessary equipments, setting up the entire business, hiring trainers, and maintenance of the facility and equipments. The organization hopes to achieve 52, 000 pounds at the end of the first financial year. By the end of five years the facility hopes that the profits will have increased to around 250,000 pounds per year. Vision Statement The vision statement is a description of the picture of the organization in the long term or in the middle term. It is a clear picture of the organization that describes its desired outcome that seeks to energize, inspire, influence, and enables one to have a mental picture of what the organization hopes to attain( shank, 2005,p.75). It represents a framework for an individual’s comprehensive strategic planning and refers to the inspiration of the organization. It involves the articulation of the organizations dreams and hopes. It helps the organization in making a choice between the current and the future courses of action. It puts together the goals and objectives of the organization. In connection to sporting activities, the vision statement is set so as to provide it with a blueprint for success and set a foundation for what the long term goal is (Elitesportleader, 2012, p. 1). An effective vision

Bioterrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bioterrorism - Assignment Example Bioterrorism is a deliberate attempt to discharge biological agents to spread illness and eventually death of the inhabitants of particular geographical area. These biological agents may be bacteria, viruses or their toxins, either in their natural form or in their modified forms, or with enhanced virulence developed by humans to bring disaster. These agents can spread into the environment through air, water or food. It is enormously complicated to differentiate and detect the presence or these agents as they do not display any immediate complaints and also may not show symptoms for days. Thus, they serve as weapons which are cost-effective, trouble-free to disseminate and are capable of creating an extensive fear (Web- Bioterrorism Overview). One of the most discussed action was noticed in September-October 2001 in USA where numerous cases of anthrax bust out. These cases were due to the deliberate attempt and extended through letters carrying the potential anthrax agent, letters were delivered to the offices of news media along with the office of U. S Congress. Receivers of the letters were victimized with anthrax. Later on when tests were performed the strains were labelled as from a domesticate source. This incidence has paved the way for bio-terrorism and has wagered the meaning of biodefence and biosecurity, as it is highly focused exploitation of biological techniques (Web- Bioterrorism Overview). Bioterrorism agents can be categorized on the basis of the intensity of ailments or fatal consequences they create. Three categories are enumerated on the basis of the risk they dispose. Category A encompasses agents with highest risk while Category C encompasses agents with up-and-coming terrorization for disease. Agents belonging to Category A include: Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis); Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin); The Plague (Yersinia pestis); Smallpox (Variola major); Tularemia (Francisella tularensis); Hemorrahagic fever (Web-

Holistic Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Holistic Nursing - Essay Example In holistic nursing care, delivery of healing focuses on the relationship with the person, which contrasts with traditional nursing that has an orientation towards diseases and their cures. Holistic nursing emphasizes self-care practices, minding others and therapeutic use of the self to facilitate healing and creating patterns of wellness in others. The holistic nurse (HN), therefore, catalyzes and channels the healing process by respecting individual encounters about health, health beliefs and ideals. The caring process attends to physiological, psychological and spiritual needs of the patients contrary to traditional treatment methods. The HN supplements and enriches the nursing practice and consequently enables individuals to achieve their maximum healing potential (Mariano, 2007). The HN addresses the principles of respect and holism. Human beings differ from one individual to the other. The HN recognizes the totality of an individual’s (body, mind, emotion, and spirit) and their connections to the environment (culture, belief systems, relationships, and context). The second principle is choice and autonomy. Health is an equilibrium and improvement of well-being and not just absence of disease. Therefore, the key focus is on health promotion, prevention of diseases, health restoration, and relief of symptoms. The HN acknowledges that health is dynamic and constantly changes from a state of well being to illness. Therefore, the HN empowers the clients to make the right choices to promote their health. The third attribute in HN practice is autonomy. Nursing practice is a science that uses theory, critical thinking, reflection, and research. The nurse is to respect and give the clients the freedom to make their choices regarding their health irrespective of their knowledge and experiences. The holistic art of nursing stipulates nurses should integrate care, responsibility and deliver spiritual care in nursing.

A Reaction on Aliens’ Ownership Right of Real Property in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

A Reaction on Aliens’ Ownership Right of Real Property in the Philippines Essay A Reaction on Aliens’ Ownership Right of Real Property in the Philippines â€Å"Ang Pilipinas ay para sa mga Pilipino.† (â€Å"The Philippines is for the Filipinos†) Does it sound patriotic or nationalistic? Or does it pertain to selfish motives or mercenary actions? It is a fact that many aliens have been invading to the Philippines. Yes, they are aliens the non-Philippine nationals or foreigners. Most of them are fascinated and attracted to the beautiful sceneries around the Philippine archipelago. Others also pursue their business careers in the country, they are the investors, and the business oriented people who wish to put up their capitals and trade whether in a form of sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. The aliens are granted the right to acquire a land or real property (immovable property) provided that they will consider the provisions under the Philippine Anti-Dummy Law the limitations on certain economic activity including the enjoyment of rights. In line with the Condominium Act of the Philippines, Republic Act 4726, the aliens are given the right to completely own a condominium unit but when it comes to project, the corporation must be composed of only 40%foreign investors. On the other hand, under the Investor’s Lease Act of the Philippines, foreign nationals or corporation may enter into lease agreement with Filipino landowners for an initial period of fifty years and a renewable extension of 25 years. As we try to comprehend to the law, it is really pro-Filipino. We noticed that the there are only 40% foreign investors or the stockholders and the 60% come from Filipinos. It’s also obvious that the aliens are prohibited to completely possess lands which are really in accordance to Article XII, Section 7 of the Philippine Constitution. Talking about the 40% foreign capitalists and investors, the Philippine  government can gain taxes from them which in turn can be used to accommodate common good for the Filipinos. The issue on Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or prominently called pork barrel barges in. That huge amount of money came from the taxpayers, both the Philippine nationals and non-Philippine nationals. But due to institutionalized corruption, the money which is intended for the people in the society are being stole by some of the national officials. This is another dilemma that the Philippine government should take into consideration and action. Back to the issue on aliens, the mediocre are skeptical whether the foreigners are given the right to fully own resources in the country or not. This is to clarify that they are not given the full authority; they are just given the opportunity to get into the business world which in turn both the aliens the Filipinos can gain something. It does not mean that though they have been advancing to the country, they steal what’s ours. There are laws for them to follow, thus, there’s no way for us to worry. The law has been already promulgated. All we can do is to deal with it, just no racial deviation, just focus for the common good of all Filipinos. The aliens are striving for their benefits, the same way should we act for ourselves. Let’s do our part and adhere to our virtues as we keep burning the Filipino spirit!

Leadership And Corporate Social Responsibility The Indian Way

Leadership And Corporate Social Responsibility The Indian Way Abstract Indian society has come a long way. Ancient Culture of India is if full of spiritual and ethical values. In those times, Kings and rulers used to refer Upnishads and Vedas to take guidelines for ideal practices and decision making. Today such kingdoms have converted into business empires where business leaders make decisions that impact the business and the society as a whole. As Business organizations play a vital role in the management of demand and supply in the society at one side and provide employment opportunities on the other to allow the people to possess purchasing power, it is therefore, important for them to follow ethical codes and understand their true social responsibilities other than their financial obligations towards shareholders and financers. With this view, this paper explores the changing phases of leadership and social responsibility from kings to current Indian business leaders. May be, it not a fresh thought on this topic but the authors have tried to showcase the current practices followed by various companies to discharge their social responsibilities towards the society. Key Words: Spiritual Leadership; Corporate Social Responsibility; Indian Ethos, Values and Ethics; Leaders in world business are the first true planetary citizens. They have worldwide capability and responsibility; their domains transcend national boundaries. Their decisions affect not just economies, but societies; and not just direct concerns of business, but world problems of poverty, environment, and security. World business will be a key actor in the ultimate resolution of the macro-problem. It crosses national boundaries with much more ease than do political institutions and the business corporation is far more flexible and adaptive organization than the bureaucratic structures of government.  [1]   Willis Harman, author of Global Mind Change The Above statement reflects the growing importance and changing role of business leaders in the society. Business organizations are the essential components of the social system and therefore, with such an influential role there comes a sense of great responsibilities for these business leaders. In the ancient Indian culture, ethics and moral responsibilities defined by the Vedas and scriptures were the guidelines for behavior of leaders and kings who had to play such roles in the management of social and economic systems. Historical Background: From Raj Dharma to Corporate Social Responsibility The ancient Indian folklore and sacred Hindu texts have embodied rules and regulations pertinent to preservation of environment and ecology. They have repeatedly espoused the notion of Dharma (balancing act between own duties and others rights) and Satkarma (good deeds) through various scriptures and texts. Be socially conscientious, dont mischief the nature by your actions, attain the riches through fairer means and compassion for all creatures is the philosophy of the primordial books. Unlike the present day piecemeal and ad hoc approach towards the issue, ancient Indian environment consciousness was holistic in its approach and it sprang from the Upanishadic gospel Vasudhaiva kutumbakam (all the beings of the whole universe belong to the same family). This is echoed in several verses in the Vedas, especially in Upanishads. Some excerpts are- One shall follow the path of righteousness. (Dharmam kara Taittiriya Upanishad i-11) One shall not sin against his neighbor or a foreigner. (Rig Veda Samhita v-85-7) Wealth has to be won by deeds of glory. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-19-10) One shall be led by the fair path to riches. (Vajasaneya Samhita v-36) A man shall strive to win wealth by the righteous path. (Rig Veda Samhita x-31-2) Help others to win wealth. (Rig Veda Samhita iv-50-9) One shall not be selfish and consume all by itself. (Rig Veda Sam x-117-6) Wealth accumulated through 100 hands should be distributed to 1000 hands. (Atharva Veda Samhita iii-24-5) The leader is the distributor of wondrous wealth. (Vajasaneya Samhita xxx-4) Let the rich satisfy the poor with a broader vision. (Rig Veda Samhita x-117-5) One shall produce fair wealth for today and tomorrow. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-71-6) Earth, atmosphere, sky, sun, moon, stars, waters, plants, trees, moving creatures, swimming creatures, creeping creatures all are hailed and offered oblations. (Taittiriya Samhita i-8-13) One should protect the habitation. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-71-3) Air is God (vayu devta) and it shold be free from pollution. (Atharva Veda) Yajna should be performed by everyone to purify the air. (Atharva Veda) One should not destroy the trees. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-48-17) Plants are mothers and Goddesses. (Rig Veda Samhita x-97-4) Trees are homes and mansions. (Rig Veda Samhita x-97-5) Nature has to be protected from mans exploitation (Rig Veda Samhita vii-75-8) Plants and waters are treasures for generations. (Rig Veda Samhita vii-70-4) Waters bear off all defilements and cleanse people. (Vajasaneya Samhita iv-2) Whoever injures the forests and mountains is a robber who sinks both itself and its offspring into destruction. (Rig Veda Samhita vii-104-10) Offerings should be dedicated to waters of wells, pools, clefts, holes, lakes, morasses, ponds, tanks, marshes, rains, rime, streams, rivers and ocean. (Taittiriya Samhita vii-4-13) Waters and herbs should have no poison. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-39-5) Waters are to be freed from defilement. (Atharva Veda Samhita x-5-24) Besides Vedic Samhitas and Upanishadas; 18 Puranas, Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Dharmasastras, Arthasastras etc. have also enchanted a lot not only about concern for environment but they have specifically emphasized on Raj Dharma (duties of a king) which pertains to modern days Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility is therefore defined as a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations. The notion of corporate social responsibility was untainted in terms of philanthropy or charity up till the 1990s. Welfare programs or initiatives were introduced not as a duty or a responsibility but as a form of charity that was supposed to connote the virtues of the big organisations. However the post-liberalization phase has seen a primary shift from this patronage-based model of corporate social responsibility to a stakeholder-participation based model. In the stakeholder model the community in which the corporation is present is seen as a stakeholder in the company and therefore, the company has certain obligation and duties towards it like it has towards its other stakeholders (customers, employees, shareholders). It is a recognition of the fact that companies have to perform in non-financial arenas too, such as human rights, business ethics, environmental policies, corporate contributions, community development, corporate governance, and workplace issues and company should be held accountable for its triple bottom line that includes social and environmental facet and not just the financial performance. The question that arises at this juncture is what the reasons for the shift are in the basic paradigm of corporate social responsibility. Rationale for Corporate Social Responsibility Successful corporations need a healthy society. This is widely divergent from the perspective of corporate social responsibility in Western economies as well. Reflected in the observation by Arthur Page, vice president of public relations at ATT for around 20 years and former advisor to the US President:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ all business in a democratic country begins with public permission and exists by public approval à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Priority of business is getting widened from 4 P to 7 Ps by inclusion of People and Planet with Profit. Short-term, charity-based welfare interventions are being replaced by long-term, empowerment-based Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Based on the realization, Business cannot succeed in a society that fails, CSR is being considered as an imperative for carrying on business in the society rather than as a charity. Broadly speaking, advocates of CSR have used four arguments to make their case: moral obligation, sustainability, license to operate, and reputation. Business is the element of society, which is operating with the societal resources (land, labour, material) and is providing the output to the society. Therefore society is vital for survival of business enterprise. CSR is an essential starting point in understanding why a new approach is needed to integrating social considerations more effectively into core business operations and strategy. Recognition of the importance of reputation capital for capturing and sustaining markets. Therefore corporate social responsibility is basically a new business strategy to reduce investment risks and maximize profits by taking all the key stakeholders into confidence. The significance of eco-social stability i.e. social and environmental stability and sustainability is necessary for the survival of an enterprise in the long run. The importance being attached to accountability and transparency as the key aspects of corporate governance. Education, health care, and equal opportunity are vital to a prolific workforce which is the very foundation of business unit. Safe products and good working conditions lower the internal costs of accidents and increase the efficiency of employees. Efficient utilization of land, water, energy, and other natural resources makes business more productive. Good governance and property rights are indispensable for competence and innovation which is inevitable for extensive survival. Strong regulatory standards protect both consumers and competitive companies from exploitation. Healthy society creates expanding demand for business, as more human needs are met the aspirations grow. It is used as a tool in building blocks between communities and companies. Frugal financial management and good performance increases the shareholder value thereby increasing the dimensions for surplus funds. Concern for customers increases the market share of the company leading to economies of scale and greater profitability. CSR awards and positive CSR ratings amplify the popularity of company between media, public and state. The mutual reliance of corporations and society denotes that both business decisions and social policies must follow the theory of shared value. That is, choices must benefit both sides. If either a business or a society pursues policies that benefit its interests at the expense of the other, it will find itself on a dangerous path. A temporary gain to one will undermine the long-term prosperity of both. CSR interventions therefore- based on commitment, mobilization of employees-voluntarism, innovative approaches, appropriate technology and continuing partnership -can make lasting differences in the life of the disadvantaged. Further, synergy of corporate action with the government can make the CSR interventions more effective and facilitating the corporate carrying on business in the society. Key Areas of Corporate Social Responsibility From philanthropic concept, social welfare activities have taken the shape of a full-fledged discipline. Corporate governance has also become the part of corporate social responsibility in todays times. Government is giving various awards to the socially responsible companies. In recent years business organisations are proving themselves as good corporate citizens in the following areas: Shareholders and Government Customers and Marketplace Employees and Workplace Community and Health Environment and Ecology Growth and appreciation of capital Constant focus on innovation Nurturing and developing human capital Promoting local employment Ecological diversity Transparency in financial statements Reasonable and affordable prices Following labour laws Infrastructural support (roads, electricity, telecom, water supply) Biological habitat Strong future prospects After sales services Ensuring employee health and welfare Promoting education through schools, scholarships, sponsorship of education programmes Plantation of trees in the locality Consultancy to government in various policy matters and Use of lobbying Avoid misleading through wrong publicity and advertisements Consistency between work and remuneration Maintaining ecological balance of the local community Sustenance of natural resources Constant efforts for value maximisation Providing information with dangerous products Better career prospects Disease awareness programmes (AIDS, Hepatitis, Dengu, Cancer etc) and family planning Recycling of waste and obsolete material No such practices like insider trading Avoiding unfair trade practices like high sales commission and heavy discounts Job security, provident fund, group insurance, pension, retirement benefits etc. Protecting, supporting and respecting social values, local culture and human rights Greenhouse gas emissions Accountability towards all operations Quality consciousness Promoting conducive environment Ethical research practices (e.g., animal testing, Genetically Modified Organisms) Conservation of wildlife Compliance with laws, regulations and conventions Product and consumer safety Good working conditions Upliftment of weaker and backward sections of the community Non pollution of rivers and water bodies to save water life and poisoning of water Corporate governance Regular supply of goods Promoting safety from accidents Modernisation and development Packaging use and disposal Payment of taxes to government Under weighing and adulteration must be avoided Housing, eating joints and transportation facilities Rehabilitating the population displaced Transportation impacts (congestion, logging roads) Not to indulge in corruption Dealing with customer grievances Crà ¨che facility for women employees Relationships with universities Energy water usage Thus business has to execute number of social tasks, as it is a part of the society. It should be bothered of those who are instrumental in securing its subsistence and survival. However, while doing so two things need to be distinguished to view it as social responsibility of business. First, any such activity is not charity. It means that if any business bestows some amount of money to any hospital or temple or school and college etc., it is not to be considered as discharge of social responsibility. Secondly, any such activity should not be that it is noble for some sections and dire for others. Social responsibility implies that a corporation should not do anything detrimental to the society in course of its business activities. Therefore, the concept of corporate social responsibility dampens businessmen from adopting unfair means. Instead, it persuades them to make yield through judicious administration of the business, by providing healthier working and living conditions to its personnel, providing superior products, after sales-service, etc. to its customers and concurrently to control pollution and conserve natural resources. Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives by Indian Companies Even much before the issue became a global concern, India was aware of corporate social responsibility, due to its deep religious roots and the efforts of organisations like the Tata and Birla Group. The corporations have moved away from the charity and are focussing on initiatives that are people-centric that would make a real difference in the target communities. Following are the niceties of CSR activities undertaken by topmost Indian companies. Corporate Social Responsibility programmes at the Tata group of companies extend across a wide spectrum including rural development, community development and social welfare, family initiatives, tribal development and water management. About 7000 villages around Jamshedpur and Orissa benefit from development programmes run by the Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS). Programmes of TSRDS cover issues like education, irrigation, afforestation, adult literacy, vocational training, handicrafts and rehabilitation of the handicapped persons. The Community Development and Social Welfare Department (CDSW) at Tata steel carries out medical and health programmes, blood donation drives, mass screening of Tuberculosis patients immunization camps and drug de-addiction. In 1999, Tata Steel embarked on an AIDS awareness programme, which has now become an integral part of all training programmes. Tata Steels Centre for Family Initiatives (CFI) was successful in influencing 59 per cent of Jam shedpurs eligible couples practicing family planning, compared to the national figure of 35 per cent. To build upon this heritage the Tata Council for Community Initiatives (TCCI) has created the Tata Guidelines on Community Development, an effort of over three years from the field evolved into a framework of best practices. Infosys is actively involved in various community development programs. Infosys promoted, in 1996, the Infosys Foundation as a not-for-profit trust to which it contributes up to 1%PAT every year. Additionally, the Education and Research Department (ER) at Infosys also works with employee volunteers on community development projects. They have taken initiatives to work in the areas of research and education, community service, rural reach programme, employment, welfare activities undertaken by the Infosys Foundation, healthcare for the poor, education and arts culture. Their CSR team has been distributing books and stationery to underprivileged children across Karnataka since 2001. Infosys also manages a dedicated intranet portal to help employees support education of the children of our housekeeping and security staff. In 2009, 1,500 members contributed approximately Rs. 14, 00,000 to support more than 370 students. Also meritorious students were awarded for their performance. The Birla group of companies is also among the pioneers in the field of corporate social responsibility in India. As part of the Aditya Vikram Birla Groups Social Reach, the Birla group runs as many as 15 hospitals in India; includes adult education and schools conducting as many as 78 schools all over India; rehabilitates handicapped persons having touched more than 5000 physically challenged individuals. More than 1,00,000 patients have been examined under the Groups medical programmes. Over 15,000 children along with 2000 pregnant women have been immunized, over 500 cataract patients operated, 2000 TB patients provided medical care, 100 leprosy-afflicted attended to, free of cost. It also provides Vocational Training, having provided training to over 3000 women and having distributed over 1400 tool kits in a variety of areas like electrical, auto repair, electronic equipment maintenance and repair and tailoring. It has adopted several villages under its Village Infrastructure Deve lopment programme and has provided extensive training to over 10,000 villagers in its Carpet Weaving Center. Lupin India Ltd, Indias third largest manufacturer of pharmaceuticals has started a project for providing sustainable development in 154 villages across Rajasthan. The scheme instead of providing for piece-meal assistance that does not lead to effective alleviation of poverty or adequate development is designed as a holistic action plan that includes an Agricultural Income Generation Scheme, land cultivation and fruit plantation programs, fodder preservation schemes, sericulture and water-recycling programs, establishment of medical and educational centres, adult literacy programs and credit schemes. ITCs initiatives are not only praiseworthy but innovative in this regard. ITC partnered the Indian farmers for close to a century. It is now engaged in elevating this partnership to a new paradigm by leveraging information technology through its trailblazing e-Choupal initiative. ITC is significantly widening its farmer partnerships to embrace a host of value-adding activities: creating livelihoods by helping poor tribals make their wastelands productive; investing in rainwater harvesting to bring much-needed irrigation to parched drylands; empowering rural women by helping them evolve into entrepreneurs; and providing infrastructural support to make schools exciting for village children. Through these rural partnerships, ITC touches the lives of nearly 3 million villagers across India. Cipla, another Indian pharma major has found a novel approach to fulfil its corporate social responsibility obligations by offering to sell a cocktail of three anti-HIV drugs, Stavudine, Lamivudine and Nevirapine, to the Nobel Prize-winning voluntary agency Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF) at a rate of $350, and at $600 per patient per year to other NGOs over the world. This offer has to lead to an significant decrease in the prices of these drugs worldwide increasing the accessibility of these drugs especially in the developing countries. Cipla also donates several million rupees every year to the Cipla Cancer and AIDS Foundation for the cancer and AIDS patients. Mahindra and Mahindra dedicates 1% of its profit (after tax), on a continuous basis towards Corporate Social Responsibility. A unique kind of ESOPs Employee Social Options was launched to enable Mahindra employees to involve themselves in socially responsible activities of their choice. The Group also announced a special gift: to provide free cochlear (hearing loss solutions) implants to 60 profoundly hearing-impaired, under-privileged children. In addition to giving impetus to the Nanhi Kali project for the girl child and the Mahindra All India Talent Scholarship for the economically disadvantaged, the Mahindra Group has also set up Mahindra Pride Schools. These schools are offering a variety of courses, with an emphasis on employability, including training for information technology, retail, automotive engineering etc. They are supposed to provide new skills and capabilities to the weaker sections of society, particularly the scheduled castes and scheduled tribe youth. Similar commitment to CSR has been displayed by other corporates in India. The list, which at best can be far from complete, includes Arvind Mills, Escorts, Dabur, Bajaj, Godrej, Hero Honda, DCM Sriram, Ashok Leyland, Ballarpur Industries, Eicher, Kinetic Group, Kirloskar, Reliance, Ranbaxy, Wipro, each of these has been deeply committed to their communities engaging in programmes encompassing education, health, education, integrated rural development. Beyond the private sector, corporate players in Indias public sector too have been actively involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives. The Indian public sector has had a long tradition of corporate social responsibility and the initiatives of corporations like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) and Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) have been remarkable in the development of several backward regions of the country. Indian Airlines and Bharat Heavy Electronics Ltd. (BHEL) have been widely acclaimed for their disaster management efforts. Most public sector units in the heavy engineering industry have not only set up townships around the plant, but also established schools, hospitals and several other civic facilities for their employees and those that live in that area. Several organizations have introduced benchmarking exercises for their CSR activities and industry bodies like Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Fed eration of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have introduced cross-sectoral programs in CSR related areas. Future Outlook: Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility The new economic era embarked the total renovation in CSR related practices in the country. The change was two fold: makeover of the conceptual understanding of corporate social responsibility and innovations at the implementation level. At the abstract level, there is a fundamental transformation from the charity-oriented approach to the stakeholder-oriented approach where stakeholders are seen as target group whose well-being is integral to the long term success of the corporation. The real revolution is experienced at the implementation stages where companies have started committing other resources in addition to financial ones so as to provide a host of services, programs and schemes catering to the needs of the intended community. The CSR initiatives have also seen greater participation and rigid accountability standards. The issue of norms for corporate social responsibility seems to have been adequately dealt with by industry practices like benchmarking, CSR ratings and certif ication by different agencies. While the performance of the honchos seems satisfactory, there is fierce debate on the social role of the MNCs and small companies. The social concern in these companies is too little and whatever miniscule they are performing it is only for fulfilling obligation and keeping records. MNCs are rather found to be engaged in unethical and unfair business practices as well. Corporations escape from CSR by counting on the hurdles like: Lack of interest of the local community in participating and contributing to CSR activities of companies. No awareness and confidence in the local communities about CSR initiatives. Dearth of trained and efficient organisations that can effectively contribute to the ongoing CSR activities initiated by companies. Lack of transparency on the part of the local implementing agencies. Non-availability of statutory CSR guidelines, the scale of CSR initiatives of companies should depend upon their business size and profile; bigger the company, larger its CSR programme. Narrow outlook towards the CSR initiatives. CSR initiatives are viewed as donor-driven than local in approach Strategic approach to Corporate Social Responsibility is the pathway to all these hurdles and lack of interest in CSR activities. Strategic CSR is all about integrating the societal issues into the core business strategies to gain competitive advantage. While practising Strategic CSR corporates have to identify the on-going social setbacks and have to invest in them so as to strengthen their competitiveness. The success of the company and the success of the community become mutually reinforcing therefore. Characteristically, the more closely tied a social issue is to the companys business, the greater is opportunity to utilise the firms resources and capabilities, and benefit society. For any company, strategy must go beyond best practices. It is about choosing a unique position-doing things differently from competitors in a way that lowers costs or better serves a particular set of customer needs. These principles apply to a companys relationship to society as readily as to its relationship to its customers and rivals. Strategic CSR moves beyond good corporate citizenship and mitigating harmful value chain impacts to mount a small number of initiatives whose social and business benefits are large and distinctive. Strategic CSR involves both inside-out and outside-in dimensions working in tandem. Many opportunities to pioneer innovations to benefit both society and a companys own competitiveness can arise in the product offering. Citing the examples from west. Toyotas early response to public concern about auto emissions gave rise to the offering Prius. Toyotas Prius, the hybrid electric/gasoline vehicle, is the first in a series of innovative car models that have produced competitive advantage and environmental benefits. Hybrid engines emit as little as 10% of the harmful pollutants as compared to conventional vehicles. The Prius has not only significantly reduced pollutants; it has given Toyota an enviable front over rivals in hybrid technology. Toyota has created a unique position with customers and is well on its way to establishing its technology as the world standard. Urbi, a Mexican construction company, has prospered by building housing for disadvantaged buyers using novel financing vehicles such as flexible mortgage payments made through payroll deductions. It engages in purchasing land, and designing, building, marketing, and selling housing developments for the low- and middle-income and residential markets in Mexico. Crà ©dit Agricole, Frances largest bank has differentiated itself by offering specialized financial products related to the environment, such as financing packages for energy-saving home improvements,  energy-saving loans, support to organic farming, financing for renewable energy etc. conducting audits to quantify their carbon emissions   and to certify farms as organic. They also sponsor projects to restore and conserve the treasures of Frances regions, projects to renovate historic sites, buildings and religious edifices in France. To penetrate Indian market, Nestle required establishing local supply of milk from a large, diversified base of small farmers. It obtained government permission to erect a dairy in Moga (Punjab). But there, farmers were impoverished, death rate in calves were high, and lack of refrigeration vetoed farmers from distributing milk and keeping it fresh. Nestle erected refrigerated dairies as milk assortment points and sent its trucks to the dairies to collect the milk. With the trucks went veterinarians, nutritionists, agronomists, and quality assurance experts. Farmers learned that milk quality centred on adequate feed crop irrigation. With financing and technical assistance from Nestle, farmers dug deep-bore wells. The ensuing improved irrigation reduced calves fatality rate 75%, amplified milk production 50-fold, and allowed Nestle to compensate higher prices to farmers than those set by the government. With steady revenues, farmers could now obtain credit. Mogas standard of living im proved with supply of electricity and telephones; primary, secondary, and high schools; and adequate medical facilities. Meanwhile, Nestle gained a stable supply of high quality commodities-without having to pay middlemen-and saw demand for its products increase in India. Above are few illustrations to reckon but their approach and practices are commendable and well known. Hence, by identifying crossroads between own company and society, selecting social problems to address and endowing small number of initiatives can generate large and distinctive benefits for society and business unit. If approached strategically, CSR can be much more than just a

Benefits of Keeping a Fish Aquarium at Home

Benefits of Keeping a Fish Aquarium at Home THE AQAURIUM THERAPY: POSITIVE EFFECTS OF FISH- KEEPING ON HEALTH AND LIFE. Omkar Pokharkar Abstract: Fish-keeping is a fantastic hobby enjoyed all over the world. It is simply amazing how one individual can sit in front of the aquarium spending hours staring and admiring colorful fishes and their habitat. It is mind boggling how people can kill time with this interesting hobby. This hobby is a boon to the people who lead a stressful life and have cardiovascular disorders/problem. By pursuing this hobby one can experience calmness and happiness effectively reducing stress levels and hence keeping the blood pressure in check. This paper points out only the outline of possible events occurring in the brain and not the detailed mechanism of action of each neurochemicals. With the help of neuroscience it is now possible to understand the correlation between the aquarium and brain neurochemicals which are secreted when an individual gazes at fishes and the dà ©cor of the aquarium. People practicing aqua-hobby are less susceptible to heart diseases, and live a longer and happy life. This concludes that by having an aquarium in the house, the illness caused by stress and other emotional trauma can be effectively tackled to some extent without any mental health medications. Keywords: fish, aquariums, health, therapy, ornamental, neurochemicals. INTRODUCTION: Humans had a long history of capturing and domesticating the animals for their benefits. Humans used animals for production of dairy products, for agricultural production, to obtain meat etc. But certain animals such as fish were also kept captive in tanks for decorational purposes. History of fish-keeping can be traced back to Sumerians around 2500 B.C. Egyptians used to worship fish and romans too used fish as both food and decoration in 1st century A.D. These evidences are based on archeological findings. Chinese during the sung dynasty kept large number of fishes such as ‘carps’ just for decorative purposes and not for consumption. People during these days were not familiar to the concept of â€Å"water change† to remove the excess ammonia caused due to fish waste in the tank and as a result the fishes used to die frequently. In 1805, Robert Warrington found out the concept of water change to keep the fish healthy for long time. First public aquaria were opene d in London at Regents Park in 1853 and took fish-keeping to a whole new level. In 1853, German Emil Robmaber wrote an essay stating that; sea can be captured in a glass, which introduced fish-keeping hobby to the public making it popular. Now in 21st century due to advancement in the field of aquarium technology it has become more convenient to master the hobby and gain health benefits from it, modern aquarium technology acts as the life support system for fishes in the tank making them thrive comfortably in captive for a long period of time. BENEFITS OF FISH-KEEPING ON HEALTH: Stabilizes Blood pressure and induce calmness: Ideal blood pressure is below 120/80, and it must remain in this range for good health. When the blood pressure stabilizes there is a drop in stress levels which is necessary for optimum health. Studies around the globe proved that gazing at a fish aquarium stabilizes the blood pressure which offers a great health benefit for an individual suffering from cardiovascular disorders. Watching the fish swimming in the aquarium with their dazzling colors can induce deep relaxation state. This is extremely therapeutic as it takes away the anxiety and clears the mind of all unnecessary thoughts. This practice of gazing the aquarium and watch beautiful ornamental fishes swim in shoals triggers neurochemicals in the brain called as ‘GABA’ which is an amino acid acting as a neurotransmitter in CNS and it acts by inhibiting or slowing the nerve transmission in the brain reducing the anxiety hence called as Anti-anxiety neurochemical. (See Figure I) and ‘Serotonin’ or 5- hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter produced both in brain and gastrointestinal tract which is capable of stabilizing the mood. Serotonin maintains a balance between breathing and heart rate, it regulates the sleep cycle, regulates body temperature and pH levels in blood. (See Figure II). (smith, 2014) Figure I. Structure of a GABA molecule Chemical formula-C4H9NO2 Figure II. Structure of serotonin molecule Chemical formula-C10H12N2O Helps Alzheimer/dementia patients Alzheimer’s disease is brain disorder that gradually destroys the memory, thinking skills and ultimately destroys the ability to perform the routine tasks. Fish aquariums induce general sensory stimulation which helps individuals suffering from Alzheimer to eat better, gain weight and stay mentally active. Watching the fish swim, the attention span of patient increases and aggressive behavior reduces to a great extent. The technique that emerged from Neuro-research clinics involved restoring appropriate levels of the master neurotransmitters like serotonin and the catecholamine group such as dopamine and adrenaline. There is an opinion that watching a nicely decorated aquarium with beautiful fishes can naturally induce these neurotransmitters in the brain to some extent. Adrenaline is the neurochemical which is produced by the adrenal glands located at the top of the kidneys and is responsible for an energy surge in the body which takes away the dullness (see Figure III) and d opamine is a neurochemical which acts as a messenger that aids in the proper transmission of signals in brain and other organs. This neurotransmitter is produced in several parts of the brain such as substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. It is also released by hypothalamus (see Figure IV). (darling, 2015) Figure III. Structure of adrenaline molecule Chemical formula- C9H13NO3 (Macà ©us, 2011) Figure IV. Structure of dopamine molecule Chemical formula- C8H11NO2 Induces a sudden sense of happiness In this competitive and challenging world, there is a huge amount of stress which every individual experiences and it leads to depression or sadness. An aquarium in the house is a perfect solution to get refreshed and it gives a break from the outside world. The sadness and dullness is washed away by simply gazing and admiring the fishes that swim in the tank (see Figure V). Neurochemical such as Endocannabinoids are self-produced cannabisthat acts on the ‎Cannabinoid receptor type 1and 2 of the cannabinoid system. The word ‘Anandamide’ is derived from a Sanskrit word â€Å"Ananda† meaning Bliss or happiness (see Figure VI). It is the most well-known endocannabinoid. This neurochemical is responsible for surge in happiness. (jeffrey senske, 2015) Figure V. Red Discus fish and tetras (Cronk, 2014) Figure VI. Structure of ‘Anandamide’ molecule Chemical formula-C22H37NO2 Benefits hyperactive children Hyperactive kids sometimes can cause a lot of mess in the house; they often have very low focus span and are more notorious. Bringing an aquarium in the house can reduce their hyperactivity and will stay more focused and calm, simply because the fish swimming inside the tank distract children from their hyperactive behavior. In this case, the excess adrenalin rush in hyperactive kids is minimized by a surge in secretion of GABA which occurs due to watching fishes swim. It simply eliminates the transmissions in brain, producing calm effect. Benefits the eyes The fast pace of urbanization is putting lot of pressure on the urban infrastructure in the cities. To see a green patch in the concrete jungles has become nearly impossible. Human eyes can see up to 7 million colors out of these some are eye irritants for instance; bright yellow and some are relaxing like different shades of green. The green color is more desired by the eyes as it feels more relaxing. So an aquarium planted with variety of live plants and driftwood can help stimulate greenery in the house which would be soothing for both eyes and mind (see Figure VII). Many eye specialists have an opinion that, gazing at planted fish aquariums daily for at least 1 hour can significantly improve the vision of an individual. (huachinango, 2013) Figure VII. Blue Discus fish and tetras BENEFITS OF FISH-KEEPING ON LIFE: Education for both children and adults: When children see an aquarium filled with beautiful ornamental fishes in hotels or restaurants they get excited and at the same time start asking questions about the fish. Adults too sometimes get confused and often don’t know anything about the fish species or their natural habitat. A solution to this problem is to simply buy an aquarium and house some fishes from a wide range of habitats. And many books on fishes are available in market which describes in detail the origin of fishes for instance (see Figure VIII). Children can learn how to care for pets; they will become more responsible towards another living creature. They can witness the life cycle of a fish and appreciate biology. They may choose to become a marine biologist or aqua culturist. ( Atsushi Sakurai, 1993) Figure VIII. A Book describing 650 fish species Enhances the interior look of the house: Bringing a fish aquarium can incredibly enhance the inside look of an average house. A big aquarium with live plants, driftwoods and small tropical or other ornamental fishes placed in the right directions in such a way that the tank is visible from every corner of the room would intensify the look of that room. Many people buy aquarium just to improve the look of their living room and bed room (see Figure IX below). Flowing Water from the Filter units in the aquarium make continuous water trickling sound which is music to the ears. (Melissa, 2012) Figure IX. Bedroom with an aquarium for a peaceful sleep CONCLUSION From the points mentioned above it is clear that having an aquarium can significantly influence life and health. Aquariums can heal a stressed out body and mind making it clear of all unwanted thoughts which reduces the stress and blood pressure. Watching beautiful fishes swim in the aquarium provides a break to the viewer from all the routine work in life and cause a sense of relaxation or calmness. It helps kids to gain knowledge about variety of fishes and learn how to care for them. Hyperactive kids become quite and calm. These positive effects on health are caused due to secretion of neurochemicals influenced by gazing at colorful active fishes swimming in the tank. This paper contains a simple explanation of how neurotransmitter in brain can get influenced by this hobby. These neurochemicals include Endocannabinoids, serotonin, GABA, and adrenaline which when are deficient or secreted in low amounts can cause high stress and depression levels. So it’s safe to say that aq uariums can reduce suicidal tendencies in people by regulating these heavenly chemicals in the brain. REFERENCES: [1] smith, P. (2014). balancing brain chemistry with peter smith. Retrieved april 2015, from www.balancingbrainchemistry.co.uk: http://www.balancingbrainchemistry.co.uk/33/GABA-Deficient-Anxiety.html [2] darling, D. (2015). Encyclopedia of science. Retrieved april 2015, from The worlds of david darling: http://www.daviddarling.info/images/adrenaline.png [3] Macà ©us, J. (2011, april 1). Dark side of the bigO. Retrieved april 2015, from sexual health site: http://www.sexualhealthsite.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Dopamine.png [4] jeffrey senske. (2015). aqaurium design group. (j. s. mark senske, Producer, ADG) Retrieved april 2015, from www.aqauriumdesigngroup.com: http://www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/index.php#mi=2pt=1pi=10000s=14p=0a=0at=0 [5] Cronk, J. D. (2014, november 15). Biochemstry dictionary. Retrieved april 2015, from www.guweb2.gonzaga.edu: http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/cronk/biochem/A-index.cfm?definition=A [6] huachinango. (2013, october 10). petco. Retrieved april 2015, from www.community.petco.com: https://community.petco.com/t5/General-Discussions/Planning-a-future-aquarium/td-p/42577/page/2 [7] Atsushi Sakurai, Y. S. (1993, november 1). Aquarium Fish of the World: The Comprehensive Guide to 650 Species. Retrieved april 2015, from http://www.amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Fish-World-Comprehensive-Species/dp/0811802698 [8] Melissa. (2012). the home decoration. Retrieved april 2015, from melissasheartandhome: http://melissasheartandhome.blogspot.in/2014/05/aquarium-design.html

The Stance of Political Magazine, The Nation :: Media

The Stance of Political Magazine, The Nation The Nation magazine has been in operation since 1865 as the independent voice of America’s people. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, weekly political magazine in America and is one of the most popular opinion journals. According to The Nation’s original prospectus, The Nation will not be the organ of any party, sect, or body. It will, on the contrary, make an earnest effort to bring to the discussion of political and social questions a really critical spirit, and to wage war upon the vices of violence, exaggeration, and misrepresentation by which so much of the political writing of the day is marred.(Original Prospectus) It is easy to seen from the articles in the magazine that it is a voice for liberal opinions. Contributors to the magazine consist of such liberalists as Katha Pollitt, Eric Alterman, Alexander Cockburn, Christopher Hitchens, and Patricia J. Williams. Some past contributors include T. S. Elliot, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, H.L. Mencken, Hannah Arendt, W.E.B. Du Bois and Jean-Paul Sartre. Even though the founders intended the magazine to be non-partisan, it is evident that The Nation is democratic. You can really tell that the magazine is democratic from the cover of their November 13, 2000 issue. On the cover is a picture making fun of recently elected President George W. Bush by picturing him as some kind of idiot who accidentally became president. More evidence of The Nation’s political stance is evident in the article â€Å"Nader and the Politics of Fear† by William Greider. In the article, Greider talks about how Ralph Nader and the Greens could be both harmful and helpful to the Democratic Party. Greider first addresses that Nader received 2.7% of the vote in the last Presidential Election that could have ensured Al Gore a clean victory. This has caused a lot of democrats in the party to despise Nader and the Greens. Portraying Nader in this fashion shows that The Nation is not extremely left winged. Later on in the article, Greider talks about how the Democrat Party has â€Å"fallen† in the House and the Senate. He describes how the Democrat Party is now a minority party for the first time since 1950s, and that the party must get used to this fact in order to survive.

Epiphany :: Literary Analysis, Joyce and Calvino

World War I and World II are basically the same, right? If so, Araby, written around WWI by James Joyce, and The Flash, written around WWII by Italo Calvino, are also the same, no? Indeed, these short stories have many similarities. At the same time, both stories have many differences. Thus, it is difficult to compare both stories when considering all the details. If the subject of comparison is more specific, such as epiphany, then more emphasis and effort can be put into the comparison. In Araby, the protagonist falls in love with a girl, but love deceives him. In his moment of epiphany, â€Å"[g]azing up into the darkness [he] saw [himself] as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and [his] eyes burned with anguish and anger† (Joyce 1). In The Flash, the protagonist suddenly grasps a reality, but only for an instant: â€Å"[He] stopped, blinked: [He] understood nothing. Nothing, nothing about anything. [He] didn’t understand the reasons for things or f or people, it was all senseless, absurd. And [he] started to laugh† (Calvino 1). The comparison between the epiphanies of both short stories reveals the relationship amongst the similarities and differences regarding theme, symbolism and setting. Most importantly, comparing the themes of both epiphanies reveals they can simultaneously be similar and different. An important common theme in both epiphanies is facing reality. In Araby, the protagonist realizes â€Å"[his] stay was useless† (Joyce 6) since the young lady only â€Å"spok[e] to [him] out of a sense of duty† (Joyce 6). Likewise, in The Flash, the protagonist realizes he â€Å"accepted everything: traffic lights, cars, posters, uniforms, monuments, things completely detached from any sense of the world, accepted them as if there some necessity, some chain of cause and effect that bound them together† (Calvino 1). Both characters face the reality and randomness of the world. Even so, each epiphany implies each protagonist faces a different sort of reality. The protagonist of Araby faces the reality of love and â€Å"[sees himself] as a creature driven and derived by vanity† (Joyce 6). On the other hand, the protagonist of The Flash faces the reality of existence and hopes â€Å"[he] shall grasp that other knowledge† (Calvino 2). Therefore, reviewing the theme similar to both epiphanies leads to discovering different themes as well. Conversely, looking at the differences in the symbolism of each epiphany hints at a comparable aspect of symbolism.

Vaccine Testing :: essays research papers

HIV Vaccine Testing in Africa   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United Nations estimates that 5.8 million people per year become infected with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Ninety percent of these infections occur in sub- Saharan Africa, where infected persons do not have access to antiviral therapy. Approximately 2.4 million Africans died of AIDS in 2002, and 3.5 million occurred in the region. Where in the United States $12,000-$15,000 is usually spent on treating an HIV-infected person per year, only $6 is spent annually per person in Uganda.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only method presently available to prevent the spread of HIV in less-developed countries is counseling against the behaviors that increase the risk of infection. It’s obvious that a vaccine would be more beneficial to these countries. There are several HIV vaccines in various stages of development that need to be tested to see their effectiveness. It seems reasonable to carry out such trials in less-developed countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since 1984, when HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS, the development of a HIV vaccine has been a goal for the science world. Researchers have many different strategies that may lead to an effective HIV vaccine. Scientists take small parts of the HIV virus and change them in a laboratory to create synthetic copies. The experimental vaccines do not use whole or live HIV. The vaccines cannot cause HIV or AIDS. The vaccines being tested should produce either antibodies or cytotoxic T cells to fight the infection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several types of experimental HIV vaccines. A peptide vaccine is made of tiny pieces of proteins from the HIV virus. The recombinant subunit protein vaccine is made of bigger pieces of proteins from the HIV virus. Examples of a recombinant subunit protein are gp120, gp140, or gp160 produced by genetic engineering. The DNA vaccine uses copies of a small number of HIV genes which are inserted into pieces of DNA called plasmids. The HIV genes will produce proteins very similar to the ones from real HIV. A live vector vaccine is made of HIV genes that have been taken out of the virus and altered. The genes are inserted into another vector, which carries them into the body’s cells. The genes in turn produce proteins that are normally found on the surface of the HIV virus. This type of vaccine most resembles the HIV virus but isn’t harmful. Many vaccines that are used today, like the smallpox vaccine, use this method. A vaccine combination uses a ny two vaccines, one after another, to create a stronger immune response. Vaccine Testing :: essays research papers HIV Vaccine Testing in Africa   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United Nations estimates that 5.8 million people per year become infected with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Ninety percent of these infections occur in sub- Saharan Africa, where infected persons do not have access to antiviral therapy. Approximately 2.4 million Africans died of AIDS in 2002, and 3.5 million occurred in the region. Where in the United States $12,000-$15,000 is usually spent on treating an HIV-infected person per year, only $6 is spent annually per person in Uganda.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only method presently available to prevent the spread of HIV in less-developed countries is counseling against the behaviors that increase the risk of infection. It’s obvious that a vaccine would be more beneficial to these countries. There are several HIV vaccines in various stages of development that need to be tested to see their effectiveness. It seems reasonable to carry out such trials in less-developed countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since 1984, when HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS, the development of a HIV vaccine has been a goal for the science world. Researchers have many different strategies that may lead to an effective HIV vaccine. Scientists take small parts of the HIV virus and change them in a laboratory to create synthetic copies. The experimental vaccines do not use whole or live HIV. The vaccines cannot cause HIV or AIDS. The vaccines being tested should produce either antibodies or cytotoxic T cells to fight the infection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several types of experimental HIV vaccines. A peptide vaccine is made of tiny pieces of proteins from the HIV virus. The recombinant subunit protein vaccine is made of bigger pieces of proteins from the HIV virus. Examples of a recombinant subunit protein are gp120, gp140, or gp160 produced by genetic engineering. The DNA vaccine uses copies of a small number of HIV genes which are inserted into pieces of DNA called plasmids. The HIV genes will produce proteins very similar to the ones from real HIV. A live vector vaccine is made of HIV genes that have been taken out of the virus and altered. The genes are inserted into another vector, which carries them into the body’s cells. The genes in turn produce proteins that are normally found on the surface of the HIV virus. This type of vaccine most resembles the HIV virus but isn’t harmful. Many vaccines that are used today, like the smallpox vaccine, use this method. A vaccine combination uses a ny two vaccines, one after another, to create a stronger immune response.

Project on McDonald’s Corporation Essay

Introduction and Background In 1940 two brothers Dick and Mack Macdonald opened their own restaurant. Eight years ago the first concepts and rules of fast food production and sales were formulated by them. Initially the business was created in a such way that everything should be very fast and effective. Brothers spent much time elaborating the layout of the kitchen in their first restaurant, so  they achieved the goal. Inspire of the fact that later they sold their business and their family no longer the owners of it, nowadays mcdonalds have the same efficient system of production and sales that it is able to introduce and maintain all over the world using different strategies and methods. External Environment External environment is a bunch of various outward forces that may have a great impact on the company’s performance. The external environment of every company comprises of three levels: the general, industry and competitor environments. The integration of information received from these environments helps to identify and shape the company’s strategies. Thereby, in order to understand what hindrances company faces or may encounter in the future, it is essential to analyze all the levels of its external environment. It was mentioned earlier that the headquarters of McDonald’s locates in the U.S. so we will analyze general and industry environments in this region. General Environment The general environment is usually examined by the analysis of 7 segments: demographic, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological, global and physical environment segments. First of all, the demographic segment is concerned with the population structure and Ã' omposition. The USA’s population is estimated at 313 286 000 people in 2012. By analyzing population composition, it can be said that there is very high level of immigration. Moreover, it can be said that the birth rate is sufficient: 13.68 births/1,000 population in 2012, according to CIA World Factbook. Thereby, these statistics help to understand that the region is quite profitable and comfortable to operate in due to the large population size and excessive number of potential employees. Last but no least, according to U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income during period of 2006 to 2010 is $51914 which is quite high. Secondly, the political/legal segment is quite important for the analysis because the industry is highly contingent on the different kind of taxes imposed by the governments. McDonald’s  Corporation is obliges to pay business taxes, payroll taxes, Food Product Association taxes (19% of the total profit and 19% in the price of each product) and health and social insurance for the employees. The changes in government’s tax policy may utterly affect the company’s revenue. As regards the economic segment, one of the major challenge for fast food industry is that to keep the price is low for the customer. However, it is quite hard because nowadays the USA is still suffering from the financial crisis which can be a possible reason to decrease in outside food consumption in a whole. The dimension influencing the fast food industry the most is the sociocultural. The reason is that the industry is dependent on people’s preferences and opinions that’s why even tiny changes are crucial. From 2000 to 2002 McDonald’s profits dropped from $1.977 million to $893 million. It was caused by the increase of customer’s health-consciousness and fears of obesity, as a consequence, some customers prefer more healthier options which offer a greater variety of food for health conscious customers. Furthermore, it is quite important to devote attention to technological segment because the technologies always mean faster operation and cost minimization. McDonald’s uses different modern appliances to prepare its food without many dangers and in a quick way. Moreover, the majority of McDonald’s restaurants provides free Wi-Fi. In addition, McDonald’s improved the technology of its supply chain management. Regarding the global segment, it should be highlighted that most U.S. companies are focused globally which means that they operate in many different countries. McDonald’s is not an exception. It is located in 119 countries and is known as one of the most spread fast food restaurants’ chain. Last but not least, nowadays more and more companies are concerned with social responsibility and environmentally friendly policies. Industry Environment The industry environment is usually analyzed by Porter’s five forces model. Firstly, it is the Threat of New Entrants. The threat of new entrants in the fast food industry is high because there are no legal barriers which would keep them from entering the industry. The major barriers in which a firm faces in the industry are the economies of scale and the access of the distribution. In order for a firm to enjoy success in the industry, they must spend a large amount of capital on advertising and marketing. The industry is very competitive because firms are always attempting to steal customers from each other. Access for distribution is crucial in the restaurant industry because if the customer can’t see you or access you easily it’s possible that they won’t go out of there way to eat there. Franchise options also make is easier to enter the market, for example Subway has built their strategic plan around franchise options. Therefore, initially the only cost to enter the market is the starting capital required to open a restaurant. However, it can cost upwards of millions of dollars for all the equipment, licensing, and the property. This costly barrier is the most probable reason that people do not enter this business. The food-service industry doesn’t have any exit barriers, which allow firms to easily leave the industry if they’re not successful, at virtually only the cost incurred. The second force is Bargaining Power of Buyers. McDonald’s, and the industry, has attempted to gain market capitalization, by keeping the customer satisfied, due to the fact there are relatively no switching costs. For this reason, they have adopted the slogan, â€Å"the customer is always right.† The industry must try to maintain a hold on the market by conforming to a changing society as well as maintaining high quality. One of the industry’s most recent concerns is that of creating a healthier society and prevention of obesity. McDonald’s corporation has faced previous law suits on being held accountable for obesity, similarly following the litigation process of cigarettes and tobacco companies. The courts ruled against this issue in McDonald’s favor, making this a remote future risk factor. McDonald’s has had to paid legal fees in order to defend itself in this type of litigation;  however, even with this incremental cost they are still achieving a significant rate of earnings growth. In addition, McDonald’s, in it’s effort to be a more socially responsible corporate citizen by supporting a healthier society, has developed â€Å"light† and healthy menu items in order to give customers additional eating options and in doing so, broadening the array of its customer base while offering it’s existing customer base with healthier menu options. Thirdly, it is Bargaining Power of Suppliers. It can be said that McDonald’s has a large bargaining power because of the fact that they spend 4.852 billion dollars in food and paper in 2004. This can be argued that the companies that McDonald’s buys from could be largely dependent on McDonald’s business. Although in recent years the industry has had a small problem with beef, because of the outbreak of the mad cow disease. This problem raised the cost of beef in Europe tremendously but the cost actually went up around the world because of the beef shortage in Europe. In this case it can be argued that the suppliers of beef have a strong voice as well. The suppliers that sell to McDonald’s have a strong voice also because of the fact that the switching cost for McDonald’s as a whole would be so tremendous that they would not want to make that change, so any problems or disputes would be worked out with there suppliers. Also, with the competition and the number of buyers in the market place, losing a large company like McDonald’s could destroy any supplier but there are other prospects out there to buy that product like Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Burger King and a few others that they may be able to salvage there losses. As for the paper goods that McDonald’s buy from the manufacturers, if McDonald’s were to change manufacturers the supplier could easily change there manufacturing to note book paper by just readjusting the machines but it would come at a great cost. The fourth force is Threat of Substitute Products. McDonald’s is known for their famous French Fries, Big Macs, and Happy Meals. Competitors of the industry also try to compete with similar products; therefore, leading to price wars. McDonald’s created a Dollar Value Menu, in response to competitors such as Wendy’s 99 cent menu. Overall, the industry has tried various product differentiations in order to accumulate greater market share, but most consumers are drawn to the classics for which the establishment is known for. However, growing concern  to achieve a healthier society has led McDonald’s, as well as other competitors, to make extensive menu changes, in order to conform to a more concerned society. McDonald’s is doing more and more to compete with health focused restaurants like Subway. Nutritionist and other leading experts have been hired to join the McDonald’s team in order to ensure that the correct items are added to the menu, while still keeping and improving the classics that they are famous for. For example, the chicken nuggets that we all grew up on are now 100% white meat. McDonald’s is flexible in their menu to conform to the changing tastes of society, but they always serve with a smile! The fifth and final force is Competitive Rivalry within an Industry. Currently in the fast food industry, there is intense competition for growth in the market. The market growth is rising because of the convenience factor and busy consumers not having enough time to cook a meal. The restaurant industry is also growing rapidly due to opportunities in other global markets. In McDonald’s case, they actually have a competitive advantage because they have already entered many different countries and are succeeding in these countries. Each firm within the food-service industry is susceptible to losing customers because there are relatively no switching costs for consumers, therefore the industry has to rely heavily on their brand image and quality of products. McDonald’s has a number of competitors; however they are currently the leader of the industry in market capitalization with a cap of $39.31 billion. Competitor Analysis It is almost vital to know the competitors in your industry in order to be able to overtake and surpass them. The top competitors of McDonald’s are Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC and Subway. Burger King Burger King is the second largest hamburger fast-food chain in the world and is the number one competitor for McDonald’s. Burger King has 11,400 locations in 58 countries and derives 55 percent of its revenue from the drive-through window. Burger King reported 1.72 billion in 2002 in revenue which is a 17 percent increase compared to a 4 percent increase reported by  McDonald’s over the same period. Burger King’s distinct assets include the unique Whopper with its one of kind charbroiled taste and the company policy of preparing the hamburger any way that the customer wants it. Burger King has distinguished itself over the years in many ways including being the first in the fast-food industry to enclose its patio seating in 1957 thereby offering customer indoor dining experience. Burger King also differentiated itself when it installed the drive-through window in its restaurants in 1975. In addition to the Whopper Burger King also offers a few set items on its breakfast menu that differs it from it competitors including the Croissan’wiches and french toast sticks. The rest of the menu also offered the unique veggie burger and chicken Caesar salad. Wendy’s Wendy’s is the third largest fast-food chain with 9,000 stores in 33 countries world wide. In 2002 they reported 2.73 billion in revenue which is up 14.2 percent from the previous year. Wendy’s offers several unique items including the Frostys and Spicy Chicken Sandwiches as well as healthier items such as salads, baked potatoes and chili. Wendy’s has also distinguished itself through the creation of the special value menu with all items on it under a one dollar. Wendy’s also owns several small companies including Tim Horton’s and Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. It plans on increasingly using acquisitions of smaller brands to further growth. In next decade Wendy’s plans to add between 2 and 4 thousand new stores worldwide. One important weakness of Wendy’s is the lack of easily recognizable product compared to McDonald’s Big Mac of the Burger King Whopper. KFC Strategic Objectives: KFC has the strategic objectives of expansion along with profits and sales growth. KFC has also been applying its strategies at improving services and making them more and more customer friendly. It has not only been customizing its menu according to the countries that it has been operating in, it has also been trying to cater to different ethnic groups like African Americans and Hispanics. Such types of strategies are focused on increasing the customer base by better customization of products. Other than the  traditional eat-in restaurants, KFC has also been expanding into non-traditional facilities like shopping malls, hospitals, universities, stadiums; office buildings etc and a number of strategies have been formulated to aid this kind of expansion. Competitive Advantage: A very strong financial background is one of KFC’s competitive advantages. KFC has been functioning as a multinational corporation for several decades. As a result, the company is familiar with the logistical and quality problems which accompany operating an international food operation, and has demonstrated that it can work with host countries and businesses within the host country to develop a strategy which works in the most cost effective way. With the passage of time, KFC has developed another very important competitive advantage for itself — Environmental Friendliness. In March 2009, the first eco-friendly green KFC was opened in Northampton USA. The restaurant is designed according to environmental goals that include cutting energy and water consumption by 30 percent and reducing CO2 emissions. Operations at the new site are also expected to reduce waste and the amount of rubbish sent to landfills; the restaurant composts and recycles other waste, grease and used cooking oil. Other than this, in an effort to reduce its packaging by 1,400 tons, KFC is now switching from cardboard to recyclable and biodegradable paper wrapping for some of its products. Subway Strategic Objectives: The strategic objectives of Subway focus on creating a global strategic plan to enable Subway restaurants to succeed internationally. Other than this subway is intent upon introducing the concept of ‘healthy fast food’. Sandwiches of Subway have been included in diet plans by experts. Subway’s stand regarding obesity in children is not new to its customers. Strategies at Subway are not only about a really ambitious increase in franchises all over the world but they are also about making the food more and more appealing to the health conscious customers because health conscious attitudes, according to the experts, are here to stay now. Competitive Advantage: One of the greatest competitive advantages that Subway was born with is its healthy menu. The salads and sandwiches appeal much more to the people as compared to fried chicken, burgers, fries and pizzas. With its advertising and promotion, Subway has long been highlighting its healthy food in advertising and promotions and with the passage of time, it has established itself as a healthy brand. Another competitive advantage that subway enjoys is the fact that along with traditional locations, Subway restaurants can be found in more than 4,000 non traditional locations such as food courts, health clubs, hospitals, universities, amusement parks or just about anywhere. In fact, Subway restaurants can even be found in automobile showrooms and Laundromats! This global presence is indeed a sustainable advantage for Subway and needs to be managed properly. Subway’s fresh food is also a competitive advantage because unlike its competitors like McDonald’s it allows its franchisees to choose their own food suppliers, to ensure they can access the freshest ingredients. Resources, Capabilities and Core Competences Resources †¢ Human resources McDonald’s is does its best to reward outstanding employees for exception work. It is also putting more emphasis on its hospitality training to ensure a friendlier and customer focused support staff. †¢ Brand loyalty The long queues to McDonald’s in food courts is the best illustration of high level of brand loyalty, that company continues to develop. In advertising campaigns McDonald’s uses the slogan â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† which it there attempt to make McDonald’s an easy choice for families. They have also started using popular music to appeal to youth population. †¢ Real estate It may be surprising, but real estate ownership is one of the significant Mcdonalds resources. It is estimated that McDonald’s generates more money from its rent than from its franchise fees. One of the ways in which  McDonald’s receives funds from its franchises is in rent money. McDonald’s owns all property in which a McDonald’s outlet was built regardless if the location is a franchise or company owned. Capabilities McDonalds used to have several capabilities, among them hiring process and employees training and product innovation.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Hiring process  It is complicated and systematic. It comprises of 3 main stages. 1. Initial interview and psychometric evaluation. On this step the candidates undergoing simple interview and tests evaluating their verbal and critical reasoning 2. Job evaluation. On this step candidates have 2 days practice in a restaurant that allows them to look at McDonalds as a future employees and HR team to assess candidates performance 3. Final interview. The last stage of hiring process includes overall interview and decision about the candidates is made. Taking into consideration staff training, McDonalds has many training programs on every level of restaurant. Training forums are made for basic workers and they start from the very beginning of working in the restaurant. They are designed to help employees with their communicational skills and encourage growth in the company. Other programs are created for managers of the restaurants, such as Basic Shift Management, Advanced Shift Management, and Systems Management Course . Their main objectives are: providing information about internal standards and procedures, teaching data analyses and strategies of identifying and solving different problems. For higher levels employees McDonalds has internship programs for students and recent graduates. Programs let them practice in different spheres of companies performance such as Information technologies, Marketing, Finance and others. Other McDonald’s project – Leadership Development program is based career planning, Individual Development plans, career maps, succession planning, learning activities and others. †¢ Product innovation The main resource developing product innovation strategy are full-time chief working in studios in Munich, Hong-Kong and Chicago. Moreover, localization of products also plays important role in development of innovative products. For example, in India Beef and pork products are not offered due to Indian religious beliefs. What is more, meat and vegetarian meals are prepared in separate areas of the restaurant again as a result of religious laws about preparation of food for vegetarians and meat-eaters. There is an Indian version of the Big Mac in India is called the Maharaja Mac and made with two grilled chicken slices, onions, tomatoes, cheese and a spicy mayonnaise. In Taiwan company introduced kao fan (literally â€Å"baked rice†), that resembles a burger with rice patties in place of buns. Finally, in Philippines McDonalds serves even spaghetti with in sweet tomato sauce, topped with cheese. Core Competences †¢ Produce quick cheap food to large number of customers With this concept, they are able to expand into many countries be the largest fast-food chain in the world. The process of production is the company core competence. Initially it was designed in such way as to be fast and very effective. There is precise guidance of how to do every activity. Mcdonalds pioneered in the systematization of its processes. Efficiency of operations and synchronization is the basis for success of the company. Also, it may be said, that burgers and fries are themselves McDonalds core competences. McDonald’s classic burgers has always taste the same in any outlet in the world. This consistent quality assures customer’s trust and loyalty to the product. It also provides an assuring brand experience. †¢ Structure Some specialists consider the unique organizational structure of McDonalds as its core competence. McDonalds never used rigid hierarchical organizational structure, that company managed to sustain over the years. It uses â€Å"freedom with framework† mantra, keeping structure decentralized. It allows local managers to make decisions by themselves. It also plays significant role in localization of menu due to local needs. Business-Level Strategy The business level strategy McDonald’s uses integrated cost leadership and differentiation. It means the products of mcdonalds is the cheapest on the market and more over McDonalds does its best to make them absolutely different from what others produce, using localization and launching new products almost every year. So the target of its strategy is to meet the needs of buyers whose preferences are distinctively different from others. So MD deals with the costumers who want very fast service with good quality. And it is different from the visitors of not fast food restaurants. The product line is customized to meet their needs. The marketing emphasis is put on communication and market analysis again to satisfy their needs. Finally the way to sustain strategy is remaining dedicated to serving one niche and be better than competitors in everything and do not dilute the brand image entering other niches. Corporate-Level Strategy Corporate-level strategy is a strategy which is aimed at the long term position of a business. A corporation or business can use plenty of methods to develop a corporate level strategy, however, basically, there are four main strategies that almost all businesses use which are: †¢ Concentrate on a single business, other words, business stays on the same industry on purpose to create a strong competitive position within the industry. †¢ Diversification; which is to move to a new business to provide a new good or service. There are two kinds of diversification, related diversification which is to compete in similar area/industry of activities to build a  synergy and unrelated diversification which is to enter a new industry to compete and build a portfolio strategy. †¢ International Expansion. This means some competition in more than one market to serve the needs of the other markets/countries.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Vertical Integration. This is a way to cut costs by providing your own ways of inputs, backward vertical integration and your own channels of distribution and selling outputs by forward integration. Therefore, now let’s move directly to McDonald’s corporate-level strategy. Nevertheless, before we start to consider all the main points of this particular type of strategy, some overview details will be given. Mc Donald’s is a fast food restaurant operating on a global basis. It is operating on 119countries world wide. Mc Donald’s was opened for the first time in Cyprus in June 1997 and by now there are 16 Mc Donald’s restaurants in Cyprus. So, Mc Donald’s uses corporate level strategies like all other global basis corporations in order to reach corporate goals to be cost effective. MC Donald’s is a business which only concentrates on a single task which is the fast food business industry as stated by Dr. Weber, (2000). This special issue someday will help a lot the business to concentrate directly on one single task and get not only more power and market share, but consumer loyalty also in result. This happens because of the fact that they will run many strategies to find the best solutions of the consumer needs and preferences. However this can be very risky if the business fails to meet the right needs of consumers and therefore will not be profitable and as a result will close down due to the possible bankruptcy. Firstly, as it was stated in Washington post (2005) MC Donald’s diversifies its operations in many ways. Thus, the company uses related diversification in order to produce the same products which are burgers and salads basically, but they provide just an enormous number of choices, such as: Big Mac or Mac chicken, different kinds of salads. Moreover, McDonald’s operates in more than one geographical area but still performing the same task. Also it has opened MC cafes all around the world. McDonald’s gets many advantages by doing related diversification, firstly, if there are two Mc Donald’s restaurants in a city, then the two firms can build a synergy by co-operating with the right to use some special facilities such as the advertisements, suppliers and sometimes events, for instance, charity events. Secondly, as stated by Ricky, W (2003), the firm depends less on a single product, so it’s less vulnerable to competitive or economic threats. Other words, Mc Donald’s having variety of products like burgers, salads, ice creams and drinks is not being threaten of competition because this particular company has diversity in its products, for instance, Mc Donald’s Greek Mac makes it more stable and steady than such rivals as Burger King because the rivals do not have such product. Thirdly, it allows the firm to use technology or expertise developed in one market, for example, fast food to enter a second market more cheaply and easily e.g. MC Cafà ©. However, the only disadvantage that Mc Donald’s faces, is the cost of coordinating the operations of the related divisions. In 2001, McDonald’s launched a new venture by opening two hotels in Switzerland (Zurich and Lully) under the name â€Å"Golden Arch Hotel† Stefan, M (2005). This is a good example of an unrelated diversification because of the fact that Mc Donald’s is taking risks of its business from a single activity to many others like taking part in the Hotel industry. Unrelated diversification provides a portfolio for Mc Donald’s because it is operating on two absolutely different industries and the risk is reduced because if one of the two markets that the business has activity in fails to grow successfully, then the growth of the other market will cover the costs of it. Secondly, such strategy is less vulnerable to competitive threats because any given threat from a competitor is likely to affect only a portion of its total operations. However, unrelated diversification is very difficult to manage since the company has to deal with two markets and their strategies, plans and organization and coordination of each specific market which it is  dealing with. McDonald’s has introduced the American concept of fast food to many foreign Markets as stated by, Francine L, (2005). Moreover, the firm has by now, expanded throughout most of the world by operating on 119 countries. †¢ Thus, Mc Donald’s is known globally today because it is expanded internationally. †¢ Mc Donald’s is using multi-domestic strategy to serve each nations needs. It is customizing the fast food menus for each specific country/nation to suit the people’s wants. For instance there is Greek Mac in Cyprus and Greece. †¢ The advantage of this strategy is that the company is targeting a nation very effectively and gains market share by attracting the customers whereas, the cost of production will increase in order to add a new feature to the firm and the prices will rise to cover the costs. As stated in â€Å"Getting the Facts Straight† leaflet of Mc Donald’s, the firm is working with top suppliers and independent experts on health and safety. The Cyprus Mc Donald’s restaurants’ inputs such as meat, is ordered regularly from Italy with the highest quality and when they enter the island,  it is supplied to all the franchise branches on the island by Mc Donald’s vans and trucks. This shows that Mc Donald’s owns its inputs and has its farms to breed cattle and grow vegetable and potatoes. Therefore, this allows the company to diminish costs by doing vertical backward integration. Moreover, it maintains a guaranteed time, quality and amount of supply to the restaurants when required. The drawback of vertical integration is that, at the beginning of the integration huge amounts of capital should be invested in to the backward integration. Mc Donald’s business has been working since 1956 till now successfully and still operates under these corporate level strategies. Cooperative Strategy A cooperative strategy means interaction between two or group of companies which work together to achieve a shared objective. By measures which are  included in cooperation, companies can create value for the customer at a lower cost or with more benefits than it is able to do by itself. The primary type of cooperative strategy used is strategic alliances. Such kind of cooperations means that companies partly share their resources and capabilities between each others to produce new resources and capabilities, e.g. gain shared objectives. Such corporations as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Disney are the biggest multinational corporation with outstanding profits.But how can they enlarge their profits with the same amount of resources? The answer to this question is cooperation. Let’s look through some strategic alliances formed by McDonald’s. Alliance with Coca-Cola McDonald’s alliance with Coca-Cola has  «no piece of paper to fall back on—just  «a common vision and a lot of trust », according to Mr Ivester (Coke’s chairman) ». On setting up in the burger business in the 1950s, one of Ray Kroc’s first successes was persuading a Coke executive Waddy Pratt to provide him with their drink. Coke’s relationship with McDonald’s goes far beyond than just a supplier – It has helped McDonald’s to go to the new markets all over the world, because Coke is sold in almost twice as many countries as McDonald’s. Michael Quinlan, McDonald’s chairman,  «runs off a long list of areas of cooperation, from banking relationships to equipment design ». There is also very close relations between the members of this alliance at board level. When Coke’s chairman Robert Goizueta died, flags flew at half-mast at McDonald’s around the world. Alliance with Disney The alliance between McDonald’s and Disney has moved â€Å"way beyond doing only movie promotions with Happy Meal toys.† Nowadays this alliance has made enormous amounts of progress, for example McDonald’s being a sponsor of Dinoland, one of Disney’s attraction in Animal Kingdom, has built its restaurant outside this attractions park. This new â€Å"smart McDonald’s† is decorated in DisneyWorld style. The staff wear uniforms which is approved by  Disney, which demonstrates McDonald’s characters. Alliance with Master Card and Visa McDonald’s has announced an alliance with MasterCard and another alliance with Visa USA to bring cashless payment options to McDonald’s restaurants in the US. By this cooperation with MC and Visa, a company has provided more comfortable system of payment in McDonald’s which attracts customers. Alliance with Malls and Gas Stations McDonald’s latest expansion targets call for approximately 3,000 new restaurants world-wide both 2008 and 2009. Two-thirds of new restaurants will be built outside the USA. On the other hand, in the US approximately 600 new restaurants will be so-called satellite units mini-McDonald’s found in malls and especially in nationwide retailer. McDonald’s has formed alliances with Amoco Oil Co. and Chevron Corp. in the US to built restaurants in tandem with gas stations to cover more and more destinations all over the country. Global Strategy McDonalds has initially expanded to international markets in the conditions of strong regulations and overcrowded market in the USA. In the very beginning they offered a standardized products and attracted new clients with clean environment policy and brand equity. Recently the company adapt to new conditions by providing new product line and redesigning retail space in order to meet local needs and tastes. This strategy has allowed McDonalds to adapt quickly to new countries, but at the same time it created a long-term threat of diluting the brand and loosing its association with American culture. For instance, in Europe McDonalds becomes going beyond fast-food conception. In order to compete with coffee shops, McDonalds started offering more comfortable conditions, such as WI-FI and iPods for rent. Moreover, they created new healthier and locally adopted foods. Some specialists suggest, that if the company continue to expand with this strategy, it will be quite difficult to remain recognizable and meaningful brand.  Now it is time to consider McDonalds global strategy in more detail, taking China, South Africa, Brazil and Saudi Arabia as examples of strategy realization. But firstly, it is worth mentioning a few background facts. There is an incredible opportunity to expand in the world. McDonalds annual growth rate is about 1000-1500 restaurants and by 5-10 countries. According to the statistics, the company employed about 2 million people worldwide in 2000. The company adapts easily to new customers preferences by incorporating in the menu pommefrite sauce in Belgium and Holland and special mayonnaise based sauce in Iceland. China The McDonalds strategy in China is vary specific and it is aimed for adaptation to local culture. In comparison with the US, it was important for Chinese clients to focus not only on the food, but also on the restaurants’ atmosphere. That is why in China McDonalds restaurants are very similar to the American coffee houses with comfortable conditions for conversation and meetings. An other part of McDonalds strategy is introducing national tastes in its menu, such as the teriyaki burger. South Africa In South Africa McDonalds decided to focus on high populated cites. The point is to serve people where they eat, shop or play. The companies survey figured out that drive thru facilities are much effective then restaurants themselves, that is why there was made a decision on improving retail spaces. Moreover, McDonalds marketing strategy was concentrated on potential customers with different income level. In South Africa McDonalds has 90 branches spanning all nine provinces. It has 3 000 staff in just 39 restaurants, most working for franchisees. Each new restaurant opening creates as many as 80 new jobs, which is really important in current conditions. Brazil The eighth largest McDonalds market is concentrated in Brazil. Management team here is mostly focused on quality improvement and customer satisfaction and it was awarded for these efforts with Franchising Hallmark of Quality. Furthermore, McDonalds Brazil is one of the best employers and fifth among most admired companies in the country. Saudi Arabia and India The most characteristic feature of McDonalds in Saudi Arabia is that it closes five times a day for muslim prayers. McDonald’s India offers aloo tikki and paneer. And it doesn’t serve beef or pork at all. The Big Mac becomes Maharaja Mac in India. The company created special conditions for vegetarians with separate kitchen, cook and utensils. Moreover, in Ahmedabad the company decided to open an all-vegetarian outlet. Holding in respect Muslim tenets of belief, the company does not serve pork in all Islamic countries. There are two absolutely unique restaurants in the Holy City of Makkah, where Moslem customers are exclusively served by the staff, fully consists of Moslem employees, from the Service Crew to the Restaurant Manager level . And finally, McDonalds efforts have improved the local industries and national economy due to the fact that more than 50% of the products used are manufactured locally and in the gulf regions. Recommendations For Business-Level Strategy The main recommendation in terms of business-level strategy is to remain in the same niche. McDonald’s pioneered the whole concept of the fast food restaurant, that is why it should go to some other businesses, such as higher-level restaurant, because it can dilute their image of best fast food restaurant. For Corporate-Level Strategy Due to the fact that not every family has a direct access to McDonald’s cafes or just their place is too far from the restaurants, the idea to provide fast food to supermarkets. The products will be sold in the special vacuum package, so that it would have their original taste. This way the restaurant will loose nothing because there are only advantages which consist of making extra profit and gaining customer loyalty through spreading their production into the farplaced (far located) regions. For Cooperative Strategy As we have seen in the examples of McDonald’s alliances – cooperation is very efficient way of development. In my opinion, McDonald’s can cooperate with greater amount of companies. However, it should be very selective in choosing partner not to dilute its image. For example McDonald’s can cooperate with Apple: McD’s can provide free rechargers to Apple gadgets in its restaurants, while apple spread some apps by the AppStore. I think that McDonald’s also should create alliance with some attraction park companies, as they’ve made with Disney. Of course it would be more profitable for McDonald’s because of the amount of clients concentrated in one place. On the other hand, ones park logo and symbolic in MacDonald’s is worth it. For Global Strategy In spite of the fact, that McDonalds has great expansion opportunities, it is essential for the company to remember about its strength and to prevent brand dilution by means of concentrating on traditional American fast-food menu and including no more then 30% of specific dishes. Talking about the company’s pros, it is essential to continue developing and improving marketing campaign towards children and adults in foreign countries. In addition, such fresh ideas as creating vegetarian restaurants should be adopted in more countries in order to give customers alternative choice. Moreover. It would be a great idea to install Internet access terminals in each restaurants in order to reduce the amount of lag time between a customer’s orders and pick up of the order. This will show the innovative company level and improve its brand image for customers. Conclusion In the conclusion it is worth mentioning that the best prove of fantastic effectiveness of McDonald’s strategy is the fact that it’s competitors trying to copy its standards and processes to become more competitive at the market where McDonald’s still remains the leader. View as multi-pages