Feminism in Jane Eyre and the wide sargasso sea Essay

Ladan Abdullahi Feminism in Jane eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea A patriarchal society is a world in which men are the sole decision makers and hold positions of power and the highest authority. Patriarchy occurs when men are dominant, not necessarily in numbers but in their status related to decision making and power. As a result, women are introduced to a world made by men, and a history refined by a mans actions. In jean Rhys Wide Sargasso Sea, the author focuses on the history of Bertha, one of the characters who are not given a voice in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre. Although, Jane and Bertha have disparate lives, they are both victims of the patriarchal society in which they inhibit.The novels Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and†¦show more content†¦This story is presented in a three part narrative, the middle part being in the first person voice of Rochester (although he is never named), the other two being the voice of Antoinette who later became the mad woman, Bertha in Charlotte Bro ntes Jane Eyre. In the Wide Sargasso Sea, the main character refuses to be controlled by her husband, Mr.Rochester. Rochester renames her, it is evident that he uses this as a means to controls her.By altering her name, he believes that she is his property. Although, Mr.Rochester is attempting break her down physically and mentally, Antoinette, informs Mr.Rochester that she does not agree with him,and speaks up for herself in the process She says: ‘Bertha is not my name. You are trying to make me into someone else, calling me by another name’ (Rhys 115). Renaming her is one way in which Rochester exerts his masculine power over his wife, but Antoinette only seems to submit to it. By standing up to Mr.Rochester, she is not allowing herself to be controlled by a man. In the end, however, after all the abuse she suffers under the hand of Mr.Rochester, she manages to break free from the suffering by making her last act of self-determination. By setting Mr.Rochester`s home on fire, the main character is committing an act of female liberation. Knowing that her fate is doomed, and the future is inevitable, Antoinette decides toShow MoreRelatedComparing Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesJean Rhys’s fiction book, Wide Sargasso Sea is an interesting relation to Jane Eyre. The female character of Jane Eyre forms into a furiously, passionate, independent young woman. The female character of Jean Rhys’s illustration is a character that Jane will know further on as Rochester’s crazy wife who is bolted in an attic. Jean Rhys further studies this character, where as Charlotte Bronte approved that it was left explained (Thorpe 175). Antoinette, considerably like Jane, evolves in a world withRead MoreCharlotte Brontes Jane Eyre And The Wide Sargasso Sea1612 Words   |  7 PagesAuthors write for many different motives. Some authors write to tell their story, while others write to provoke thought. Charlotte Bron te’s Jane Eyre and Jean Rhys’ The Wide Sargasso Sea are intriguing stories that tell more than just a story. The authors of both these novels are able to explore unimagined social standards, which allows for their characters to rebel against the current standards of society. As the authors seem to make their characters rebel against society, they are able to exploreRead MoreExamine the Ways in Which Rhys Demonstrates How Women Are Victims of a Patriarchal Society in Wide Sargasso Sea.1605 Words   |  7 PagesExamine the ways in which Rhys demonstrates how women are victims of a patriarchal society in Wide Sargasso Sea. A patriarchal society is one whereby men are the decision makers and hold positions of power and prestige. Patriarchy refers to a societal structure whereby men are dominant not in number or in force but in their access to status related power and decision making power. In these societies, women are presented with an interpretation of the world made by men, and a history of the worldRead MoreJane Eyre Essay3572 Words   |  15 PagesGleaden Word Count: 3238 Compare and contrast the ways in which Bronte and Rhys construct the adult selves of Jane and Antoinette and consider how this shapes their relationship with Rochester. Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea present the childhoods and later lives of two women, who similarly marry the complex character, Mr. Rochester. Both begin their lives as outsiders, Jane because of economic differences to the rest of her family and Antoinette because of racial distinctions to the restRead MoreBeing the Meat in the Sandwich: Implications of the double colonisation of empire and patriarchy by the female characters in Wide Sargasso Sea2201 Words   |  9 Pagesdeveloped directly or indirectly], and unveils [its colonialist] assumptions, subverting the text for post-colonial purposes’. (Tiffin, 1987) Such a revolutionary literary project is evidently realised in Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, a prequel that ‘writes back the centre’ of Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre (1847). Rhys is categorical about her conscious authorial intention: ‘I immediately thought Id write a story as it (the story of Bertha/Antoinette) might really have been.â⠂¬â„¢ (Rhys, 1986) The novel revitalizesRead MoreRepresentation of the Other in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essay4463 Words   |  18 PagesRepresentation of the ‘Other’ in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Abstract This study aims at examining the representation of the’ other’ as portrayed in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre (1847). It attempts to inspect how the ‘Other’ is viewed in Nineteenth century England and the cultural ideology behind such specific representation. It poses crucial questions as to why the ‘Other’ is always represented negatively in main-stream western narrative as in the case of Bertha Mason who is portrayed asRead MoreAnalysis Of Antoinette Cosways Defiant Journey In Wide Sargasso Sea1920 Words   |  8 PagesThe Importance of Self-Truth and Active Protest: Analysis on Antoinette Cosway’s Defiant Journey in Wide Sargasso Sea Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys calls forth ideas of feminism and self-worth in the fight against colonization during the 19th century. Antoinette Cosway lived in Jamaica her entire life, and yet, as a white woman, remains alienated from her neighbors throughout the novel. Just a few short years after the Emancipation Act, her family is still greatly suffering from the loss of slave

The Pursuit of Self-Identification Free Essays

In the novel The Jade Peony, author, Wayson Choy, intelligently writes about two siblings who struggle in the pursuit of self-identification. Their struggles vary as they do not share the same problems during this tough period of their lives. This leads to the debate, whose childhood experiences will affect them more as an adult? Although Jook-Liang had to go through the tough situation of always being under prioritized and always being undermined, her childhood troubles and experiences could never truly be compared with the experiences of Jung Sum. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pursuit of Self-Identification or any similar topic only for you Order Now To put it bluntly, Jung Sum’s childhood experiences will affect him more as an adult than Jook-Liang’s experiences would. The reason for this is because, firstly, Jung Sum, as a child, was never truly showered with love, neither was Jook-Liang, but she did not have to suffer the pain of losing her birth parents as Jung Sum did. Also, Jung Sum had to experience the pain of losing a treasured person or pet multiple times, and while Jook-Liang did lose a person close to her heart, she only experienced it once. Finally, as both Jook-Liang and Jung Sum struggled with identification, Jung Sum was met with problems while identifying his sexual identity, which was not accepted by any society at that period of time. On the other hand Jook-Liang was only required to identify culturally which would cause problems but eventually allow gain acceptance into at least one society. To start with, Jung Sum never had the privilege of being showered with love during his childhood and even though Jook-Liang was greatly oppressed and unfairly treated by people around her, such as Poh-Poh, she would still ocassionally be loved by those surrounding people. This is evident when Poh-Poh helped Jook-Liang to tie her shoelaces while she was getting ready to dance for Wong Suk (Choy 30). As for Jung Sum, although he was only a child, his birth father would violently abuse him and his mother when he was drunk. The quote â€Å"I waited for Daddy to get up from the kitchen floor, half-drunk, waited for him to beat me with his belt. † (Choy 96) clearly shows that Jung Sum had to face the unlucky circumstances of child abuse, something Jook-Liang had the privilege of avoiding as her family never resorted to physical abuse. It would be a scarring memory to be violently abused by ones’ own father as a child, a memory that could be carried for a lifetime. This may affect Jung Sum in his latter years as he may recall the abuse of his father and feel dysfunctional. These unresolved issues could cause a severe case of depression in his life. Furthermore, as Jung Sum was adopted into a new family, he immediately felt like an outsider. â€Å"He thought I was too weak to be his brother, a real brother,† (Choy 93) shows that Jung Sum clearly felt marginalized by his new older brother, Kiam. To be adopted into a family full of new and unfamiliar faces and be rebuked immediately by his own â€Å"brother† was a tough situation to be in, especially after losing both his parents. Jook-Liang did not have to go through the process of being adopted into a new family or having to lose her family members prematurely while Jung Sum did. This could possibly go on to affect Jung Sum and make him feel as though he had no one to rely on but himself, possibly causing him to have a lack of trust for other people in the future. Additionally, his childhood experiences may lead him to develop into an adult influenced by those experiences. These unresolved child issues could dwell within him and could cause him to either be more aggressive or more reserved as an adult. He may recall those experiences when dealing with his own children in the future and could possibly treat them the same way his own father treated him or otherwise, might not even attempt to have a close relationship with them. As Jook-Liang did not undergo any extreme circumstances of child abuse, she would probably be less affected as an adult when compared to Jung Sum. Therefore, Jung Sum has a relatively greater impact on his future life from his adolescent experiences as his experiences produces permanent scars where the problem was not greatly alleviated afterwards. Another problem faced by both of the siblings was with different aspects of identification. Jook-Liang had to struggle with cultural identification while Jung Sum faced problems with sexual identification. Homosexuality is an unaccepted identification which will not be tolerated by any society back in the 1930s, while switching cultural identities will still allow the person to gain acceptance in at least one society. His sexual identity was first suggested in the novel by Poh-Poh as he says that â€Å"Jung Sum is the moon† (Choy 88). Jung Sum then figures out his own sexual identity as it was Frank Yuen that he desired most at that moment during Frank Yuen’s farewell instead of courage (Choy 138) and that â€Å"Frank Yuen is the Sun† (Choy 132) while he is the moon. Having to figure out his own sexual identity at such a young age without any guidance was a hard chore as back then love relationships were known to be present only between females and males. In addition, love between the same gender was not only unaccepted in the society, it was greatly rejected. As a result, Jung Sum had to keep his love for the same gender a secret. The inability to reveal his sexual identification would cause him to have the lack of freedom in the pursuit of a preferred life partner. This could affect his happiness as a whole as he is unable to share life experiences in the love aspect of his life as others normally do because of the inability to express his love for his preferred partner. On the other hand, even though Jook-Liang struggled with her cultural identity, no matter which culture she decides to identify with, she would be still accepted, eventually. Jook-Liang’s desire to assimilate into another culture is evidently shown as she looks up to Shirley Temple, an American dancer and actress. Wanting to assimilate into the western culture, she even hoped to see her own reflection in the mirror possessing a westerner’s features, specifically, Shirley Temple’s features (Choy 41). Her struggle comes in as Poh-Poh constantly reminds her of her cultural roots and where she belongs. In the novel, Poh-poh repeatedly tells Jook-Liang that she is not from Canada†¦ and that she is from China (Choy 34). In comparison of their situation as they struggle to identify themselves in the different aspect, Jung Sum is clearly portrayed to have a harder time even in the future. Not being able to be what he really is, his future would be oppressed as he suppresses himself, such that his secret would not be revealed. To put on a mask his entire life and never reveal his sexuality will take a toll on his adult life and he could never truly bring himself to enjoy his life as a whole. Jook-Liang’s preference of either culture will still allow her to be accepted and although she may not gain the acceptance of one society, she will still gain the acceptance of another, allowing her to lead a normal life. Thirdly, both parties went through the turmoil of losing their loved ones, but Jung Sum had to experience losing many loved ones, losing his mother to violence Frank Yuen to the marines and even his pet turtle, Lao Kwei, to Dai Kew. On the other hand, Jook-Liang only had to experience losing her loved one, Wong Suk, as she never saw him again after he left to go back to China (Choy 71). From when Jung Sum was just a kid, life was tough for him as his father would often abuse him and his mother when he was drunk. His mother was the only one who would protect him from harm from his drunk father as Jung Sum would always be waiting for her to â€Å"tell him to stop†¦[and] twist against the falling belt and take the blows† (Choy 96). Having such a rough childhood is scarring enough for Jung Sum and yet, he lost his mother at that young age. He went through various foster homes and eventually ended up with the Chen family where he finally found a place called home. In the Chen family, the life for him from the beginning was not exactly hard, as Father and stepmother treated him relatively well. However, he still took time to adapt and at his time with the Chen family, he discovered Lao Kwei and was ecstatic that he could finally own something, having something that he felt that truly belonged to him. Not long after, he lost his beloved turtle as his family decided that it would be okay for Dai Kew to claim back his turtle as he required it for his own personal purposes (Choy 85). Next, when he came to realize that he had a strong attraction to Frank Yuen, it was not long after that he Frank Yuen left him too. As Frank Yuen left to Seattle to join the marines, he left Vancouver and was not expected to return for the next few years (Choy 134). It is evident that Jung Sum had to experience more pain and suffering than Jook-Liang as he had to repeatedly lose loved ones to different circumstances while Jook-Liang only had to go through that process once. This could cause Jung Sum to gain an insecure mentality that will cause him to always expect the least out of something, possibly causing him to lose hope in many things in the future. Although Jook-Liang may feel sad and depressed about the departure of Wong Suk, she would not have to endure the pain of losing another loved one anytime soon. Coming to a conclusion, both Jook-Liang and Jung Sum had to undergo many challenges and experiences as a child which could affect them as adults. Although Jook-Liang did experience tough trials during her childhood, Jung Sum was a victim of severe turmoil as a child and therefore, his experiences will affect him more as an adult. As a child, Jung Sum never had the opportunity of being showered with love by his own family as Jook-Liang did. Other than that, he also had to experience the pain of losing a loved one or a treasured pet a few times while Jook-Liang only experienced it once. Lastly, his homosexuality was adamantly not accepted by any society in the world at that moment in time while Jook-Liang had to only face the troubles of cultural identification, which still allowed her to be accepted by at least one type of society. All in all, Jung Sum had a tougher childhood experience than Jook-Liang and that would affect his adult life greatly in the future. How to cite The Pursuit of Self-Identification, Papers

The Influence of Conflict Management-Free-Samples for Students

Question: What steps would you take to resolve this Conflict? Please note that for this mid-term assignment you must take into Consideration that, Independently of your approach to this Conflict, you will get different reactions from the staff, thus you have to indicate the possible/probable scenarios/outcomes. Answer: Introduction The workplace, in the contemporary global scenario, id of immense importance in the life of people in general as a significant share of their everyday life is spent in these places and these places not only contribute to the professional aspect of an individuals life but also to the overall well being of that individual. Therefore, it is of considerable importance for any individual to work in a healthy environment. However, in any workplace, issues arise time and again between the different participants and interest groups which are the constituents of the workplace (De Wit, Greer and Jehn). These conflicts, most of the times, arise due to lack of communication and understanding between the different working groups, ego clashes between different levels in the workplace and the inappropriate distribution of power among different people working in the same place. The assignment tries to take into account the different aspects of workplace conflicts with reference to a given workplace situation. The assignment also takes into account the different strategies, which can be taken to resolve these conflicts and which can help in maximizing the welfare of all the groups or individuals involved in these conflicts, effectively (Cahn and Abigail). Conflicts in the given scenario In the given scenario, the primary concern is the emergence of a toxic environment in the concerned workplace, as has been complained by the workers in the concerned company. These issues came under observation after an in-house review was conducted. Broadly, the issues reported were that of low morale, low productivity, high favoritism and differentiation among the workers, high level of turnover and also a lack of team spirit and faith among the different levels present in the company (Choi). The primary issues are classified and highlighted as follows: Leadership Conflict This type of conflict arises in the workplace when there arises conflict between the different leaders present in the workplace. As the employees work under different leaders, managing different aspects of the operations, if there arise difference between the working styles and mentalities of the different leaders and then it creates huge level of confusion, group mentality and de-motivation among the workers (Avruch). In the current scenario, there are conflicts of this nature arising between the supervisor under whom the employees are directly working and the person to whom the supervisor reports. According to the workers, the difference in opinions, working styles and expectations of these two people often led to open clashes, which made the working environment bitter. The problems were not solved even after a new person joined as the boss. The conflict being open and known to all has also led to group division among the employees, which hampers the overall team mentality in the workplace (Roche, Teague and Colvin). Interdependency Based Conflict In any workplace, the individual contribution as well as the group effort of the employees as a whole matters for the welfare of the company as there are many works which cannot be done individually and for which the employees depend on each others efficiency and commitment. In the concerned company there are also issues regarding the commitment of the supervisor. The workers complained about the frequent late coming of the person and the lack of diligence and dedication of the same, in providing required guidance and support to the workers as and when needed. This in turn has created unfavorable environment in the office as the emergency issue, which arises in the office. The absence of the supervisor has also led to greater turnover among the employees, as they did not get adequate training and mentoring from the supervisor, which left them felling less motivated and less willing to work in the concerned company (Moore). Inequality in workload distribution In any workplace, proper allocation of work among the employees is required as skewness in distribution of workload leads to dissatisfaction and conflicts among the employees. Due to high turnover and de-motivated environment, many experienced and trained workers have been quitting and due to lack of adequate training of the new recruits, most of the work burdens are falling on the few experienced workers. This in turn is affecting their work life as well as increasing their stress level and as the employees have to work over time (Barsky). Favoritism Favoritism in work place is one of the primary reasons behind most of the conflicts in the work place. It leads to demoralization of the less favored employees and often leads to low motivation among the more capable workers, which in turn leads to decrease in the overall efficiency and productivity of the firms. In the given scenario, in the concerned company, there are accusations regarding the presence of favoritism in the behavior of the supervisor. As the review suggests, the supervisor tends to favor new recruit over other according to a change in his personal priorities, which in turn is contributing to the conflict and toxic environment of the company. Conflict of interest and trust issues In any workplace, conflicts may frequently arise between the different working units and hierarchies due to the presence of difference in interests and incentives among these groups. In this context, the current company is also experiencing the same type of situation as there are clashes between the employees and the supervisor and also between the supervisor and the higher management. The supervisor has also complained about the issues of lack of support from the higher problems, especially in the cases of cropping up of issues, where the management to deal with the issues all by himself left the supervisor alone. Steps for resolving the conflicts Given the situation of conflicts in the current workplace scenario, it can be asserted that much of these conflicts are arising due to lack of understanding and coordination among the different employees in the company. Avoiding the issues will not solve the problem and may lead to increase in the intensity of the problem. However, much of which is expected to get solved if proper mediation is done, specifically by any external mediator, to solve these conflicts among the employees of the company (Li, Zhu and Gerard). There may be several steps, which can be taken by the external negotiator, to solve the conflicts arising in the workplace. The important ones are as follows: Meeting with the conflicting parties together The nature of the workplace conflicting, arising in the concerned company being highly due to misunderstanding and lack of communication, it is important for a direct interactive forum for the conflicting parties. This is because much of the tensions can be released if these conflicting personnel openly discuss their issues with each other, stating where the opponent is right and wrong, in the presence of the negotiator. However, it is of importance for the negotiator to be always present and actively monitoring the process of open interaction. The negotiator needs to intervene in case of any employee attacks any other employee on grounds other than those of the relevant workplace conflict, such that no unfavorable situation arises during the process of open interaction among the conflicting parties (Fisher). Individually interacting with each employee participating in the interaction Much of the workplace conflict arises in the companies due to the feeling of the presence of favoritism and partiality for different individuals. Therefore, when the negotiator to facilitate easy and free conversations and exchange of opinions among the employees establishes the discussion forum, it is to be kept in mind by the negotiator that each of the employees should feel equally important for the process (Cahn). A conflict can be easily solved if the opinions of all the members are given equal importance. Therefore, it may be an effective conflict resolution strategy to talk to each of the individuals participating in the forum individually, in the forum itself and to observe what side they take. Establishing of a common goal For resolving any kind of conflict in the workplace, it is important to fix a common goal for the conflicting parties and to make them realize that reaching the common goal will be beneficial for them. This may help in creating an understanding and tolerant environment among the conflicting parties and may thus help in making the resolution of conflicting issues among them smoother. It is also important for the employees to commit to the objective of resolution of the conflict and reaching to a mutually agrees set of solutions (Ã… ½iki?, Marinovi? and Trandafilovi?). For this purpose, several common goals can be sited in front of the employees, by the negotiator, before starting the discussion. These goals may include safeguarding the reputation and goodwill of the company itself, which in turn benefits the firms in terms of revenue and profitability and also the employees of the company. Discussion of points of disagreement and arriving at a solution The most crucial part of any conflict resolution and negotiation process is the discussion of the different issues in which disagreements arise in the workplace. In the given scenario, there are three conflicting parties in the concerned conflict, which includes the workers, the supervisor and the higher management. The negotiator thus needs to zero down on the issues of conflict between the employees and the supervisor and between the supervisor and the higher management (Dyer and Dyer). There may arise situations of tensions during this process as every individual is expected to have his or her share of opinions and interest in the workplace and the interest of one of the individuals may be conflicting to interest of the other parties. In this situation, it is important for the negotiator to constantly assert on the fact that the employees need to reach to a common mutually agreed solution for their own benefit (Kanske). Removal of barriers to common goals The discussion regarding the problems and conflicts may result in identifying the actual barriers, which are causing the differences and miscommunications in the concerned case. Here, as the main problem of the workers is the way in which their supervisor operates, this can be treated as one of the primary barriers. Another barrier can be the lack of proper communication channels between the supervisor and the management. These barriers can be removed by proper negotiations between the concerned parties where each of them make some compromises and adjustments such that the interests of all the parties are accommodated as far as possible, which can in turn lead to improvement of the concerned workplace (Nishizaki and Sakawa). Broadcasting of praise impartially One of the most effective factors, which encourage the employees to work or participate in any activity, is motivation. If the employees are made to feel that their capabilities are trusted on and they are valuable for the organization, then their performances increase to a considerable extent automatically. Therefore, it can be an effective strategy on part of the mediator, to praise the employees and make them feel that the mediator has trust on their conflict resolving capabilities. This should, however, be done impartially such that no unfavorable situation arises in the procedure of negotiation and the employees do not feel that the negotiator is inclined to any particular party (Halperin). Committing to the advised solutions Once the mutual interaction among the workers is done and the set of solutions is being decided upon, it is important for the negotiator to make the different conflicting parties to commit to work towards the implementation and appropriation of the set of solutions on which the parties have mutually agreed (Kerr). Conclusion Handling workplace conflicts can be tricky at times because the mediator needs to deal with the objectives, perceptions and problems of different conflicting groups working under the same roof, at the same time. However, as discussed above maintaining transparency can help in solving the problems easily, especially in the context of the current situation of the concerned workplace. In the given situation, it can be seen that much of the complains and conflicts are against the supervisor as his way of working clashes with those of the workers working under him. The supervisor also has clashes with the higher management, which according to him, is attributed to the lack of support he gets from the higher managements during the times of emergency. The mediator can handle all of these accusations by sitting with all the conflicting parties together, making them listen to the other parties point of view and talking clearly about their own, discussing the individual problems and expectatio ns and then working on the strategies, which can be beneficial for all the conflicting parties. References Avruch, Kevin.Context and pretext in conflict resolution: Culture, identity, power, and practice. Routledge, 2015. Barsky, Allan.Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions: Negotiation, Mediation, Advocacy, Facilitation, and Restorative Justice. Oxford University Press, 2016. Cahn, Dudley D., and Ruth Anna Abigail.Managing conflict through communication. Pearson, 2014. Cahn, Dudley D., ed.Intimates in conflict: A communication perspective. Routledge, 2013. Choi, Younyoung. "The influence of conflict management culture on job satisfaction."Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal41.4 (2013): 687-692. De Wit, Frank RC, Lindred L. Greer, and Karen A. Jehn. "The paradox of intragroup conflict: a meta-analysis." (2012): 360. Dyer, William G., and Jeffrey H. Dyer.Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance. John Wiley Sons, 2013. Fisher, Ronald J. "Third party consultation: A method for the study and resolution of conflict."Ronald J. Fisher: A North American Pioneer in Interactive Conflict Resolution. Springer International Publishing, 2016. 37-71. Halperin, Eran. "Emotion, emotion regulation, and conflict resolution."Emotion Review6.1 (2014): 68-76. Kanske, Philipp. "On the influence of emotion on conflict processing."Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience6 (2012). Kerr, Mary Margaret. "Conflict resolution." (2012). Li, Ya, Zhichang Zhu, and Catherine M. Gerard. "Learning from conflict resolution: An opportunity to systems thinking."Systems Research and Behavioral Science29.2 (2012): 209-220. Moore, Christopher W.The mediation process: Practical strategies for resolving conflict. John Wiley Sons, 2014. Nishizaki, Ichiro, and Masatoshi Sakawa.Fuzzy and multiobjective games for conflict resolution. Vol. 64. Physica, 2013. Roche, William K., Paul Teague, and Alexander JS Colvin, eds.The Oxford handbook of conflict management in organizations. Oxford University Press, 2014. Ã… ½iki?, Sr?an, Aneta Marinovi?, and Igor Trandafilovi?. "PROMOTION OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN TERMS OF MODERN BUSINESS."Megatrend Review9.1 (2012).

Julius Caesar, The Tragic Hero Essays - , Term Papers

Julius Caesar, The Tragic Hero Julius Caesar, the tragic hero Only the ignorant would deny that the title of a novel or play has no relevance to the play itself. Unfortunately, those ignorant minds have caused the true tragic hero of Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar, an area of dispute. Brutus seems to be a candidate because he appears more than Caesar in the play, but without Caesar the whole play would be lost. It is an indisputable fact that Julius Caesar is the Tragic Hero. It is arguable that Brutus fits Aristotle's guidelines for a tragic hero. He has a high position in society, which is evident through that fact that he is a senator. Brutus also has a noble and famous family name. In the play, even his enemies speak well of him (Shakespeare V, 5, 73-75). Brutus is also very prosperous. He is very wealthy and has many loyal friends. It also seems that he has a great relationship with his wife, because when she was concerned about him, he spent time to talk to her and comfort her. Furthermore, his tragic flaw causes him it make a mistake. He ends up murdering Caesar because of his overwhelming patriotism. Brutus is more concerned about his nation than he is about any single man. Although Marcus Brutus seems to fit Aristotle's qualifications of a tragic hero, the fact that Caesar fits it better is undeniable. Shakespeare makes his point almost too clear. First, the citizens of Rome love Caesar so much that they offer him the thrown three times. Brutus is barely known by the citizens. Julius Caesar had already been the leader of Rome without being king, and had led his own army to many great victories, which is obviously a sign of much power. Caesar can brag of his prosperity, through his wealth, his many friends, and his loving wife. Caesar's tragic flaw helps to make his death more of a tragedy. He is too trusting and over-confident in the loyalty of his friends. In no part of the play did Caesar imagine that his closest friends were plotting to assassinate him. The fact is, the title of the play is not titled The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus; it is titled The tragedy of Julius Caesar, which obviously leads the reader to believe that the story will be focused around Julius Caesar. Shakespeare creates the entire story around Julius Caesar and the events that lead to his tragedy. Brutus' death isn't much of a tragedy, supported by the fact that he took his own life. Brutus' last words even spoke of Caesar. Brutus is too unimportant to be the tragic hero. If Brutus was taken out of the play, another character, like Cassius, could take his place as the betrayer; but if Caesar was taken out of the story, there is no one that could take his place, and there would be no story. There are some small reasons why someone would mistake Brutus as the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must die in the fifth act (like Brutus did), but Caesar did not. Caesar is actually present, even after his death, in the form of a ghost. His ghosts appears several times in the story to haunt Brutus, and in the end, he is truly laid to rest. Second, the last speech is not about Caesar, when most of Shakespeare's tragic heroes are the subjects of the last speech. It can be explained by saying that Shakespeare felt is necessary to break one small rule in order to complete the novel successfully. Most of the other arguments that can be stated on Brutus' behalf are just opinions, and cannot be backed up with facts. Although Marcus Brutus can reasonably be seen as the main character of the story, the tragic hero is unmistakably Julius Caesar. Brutus is merely Shakespeare's main tool in moving the play along. The play Tragedy of Julius Caesar is the story of a hero who is tragically killed, and that hero is Julius Caesar.

Mel Gibson as a Genuine American Hero in The Patriot essays

Mel Gibson as a Genuine American Hero in The Patriot essays In a period of warfare, brutality, and injustice, when no hope is left and optimism is evanescent, a miracle is the only uplifting means that would suffice. That miracle, perhaps, could be a hero. A hero is someone who others look up to, admire, or respect because of his or her outstanding qualities and achievements. A hero is a person who helps others find their way when they are lost and makes people realize their dreams, helping them to make their aspirations come true. Mel Gibson, as Benjamin Martin in The Patriot, embodies these heroic traits. In times when no one else could help, Martin is able to stand up and represent integrity by means of his just actions. Through valor and humility, Martin perseveres among the enmity and illustrates the authentic characteristics of an American hero. Martins courage in The Patriot, by far, surpasses any of the other characters. Near the beginning of the movie, Martins son, Gabriel Martin-played by Heath Ledger-is taken off by Colonel William Tavington, acted by Jason Isaacs, of the British forces to be hanged for committing treason against the empire of Britain. One of Martins younger sons, Thomas, played by Gregory Smith, daringly attempts to rescue his older brother, but instead, Colonel Tavington shoots him. Colonel Tavingtons malevolent actions of shooting innocent civilians and burning their houses bewilder Martin. He, on the other hand, believes that generals should restrain themselves and their men from targeting civilians, women, children and such (The). This event sparks Martins willingness to fight in the Revolutionary War, not only to retrieve his oldest son, but also for the freedom of his nation. He, therefore, sets out with his two oldest boys and guns for each of them so that they can shoot down the small h orde that captured Gabriel. Being a modest individual adds to the many exceptional features of Benjamin Martin. H...

Causes and Preconditions for the Industrial Revolution

Causes and Preconditions for the Industrial Revolution Historians may disagree on most aspects of the Industrial Revolution, but one thing they do agree on is that 18th-century Britain experienced a huge change in the economic field of goods, production and technology, and the social sphere (through urbanization and treatment of workers). The reasons for this change continue to fascinate historians, leading people to wonder if there was a set of preconditions present in Britain shortly before the Revolution which enabled or allowed it to take place. These preconditions tend to cover population, agriculture, industry, transport, trade, finance, and raw materials. Preconditions for Industrialization in Britain Circa 1750 Agriculture: As a supplier of raw materials, the agricultural sector was closely linked to the industrial; this was the main source of occupation for the British population. Half of the arable land had been enclosed, while half remained in the medieval open field system. The British agricultural economy produced a large surplus of food and drink and had been labeled the Granary of Europe because of its exports. However, production was labor-intensive. Although there had been some new crops introduced, and there were problems with underemployment. Consequently, people had multiple occupations. Industry: Most industries were small scale, domestic and local, but traditional industries could meet the domestic demands. There was some inter-regional trade, but this was limited by poor transport. The key industry was wool production, bringing in a substantial portion of Britain’s wealth, but this was coming under threat from cotton. Population: The nature of the British population has implications for the supply and demand for food and goods, as well as the supply of cheap labor. The population had increased in the earlier part of the 18th century, especially closer to the middle of the era, and was mostly located in rural areas. The people were gradually accepting of social change and the upper and middle classes were interested in new thinking in science, philosophy. and culture. Transport: Good transport links are seen as a basic requirement for the Industrial Revolution, as the transport of goods and raw materials were essential for reaching wider markets. Generally, in 1750, transport was limited to poor quality local roads - a few of which were turnpikes, toll roads which improved speed but added cost - rivers, and coastal traffic. While this system was limited, interregional trade did occur, such as coal from the north to London. Trade: This had developed during the first half of the 18th century both internally and externally, with a great deal of wealth coming from the triangle slave trade. The main market for British goods was Europe, and the government maintained a mercantilist policy to encourage it. Provincial ports had developed, such as Bristol and Liverpool. Finance: By 1750, Britain had begun to move towards capitalist institutions - which are considered part of the development of the Revolution. The produce of trade was creating a new, wealthy class prepared to invest in industries. Groups like the Quakers have also been identified as investing in areas which contributed to the industrial boom. Raw Materials: Britain had the raw resources necessary for a revolution in plentiful supply. Although they were being extracted in abundance, this was still limited by traditional methods. In addition, the related industries tended to be nearby because of poor transport links, exerting a pull on where industry occurred. Conclusions Britain in 1870 had the following which has all been stated as necessary for an Industrial Revolution: good mineral resources, growing population, wealth, spare land and food, ability to innovate, laissez-faire government policy, scientific interest, and trading opportunities. Around 1750, all of these began to develop simultaneously. The result was a massive change. Causes of the Revolution As well as the debate over preconditions, there has been a closely-related discussion over the causes of the revolution. A wide range of factors is generally considered to have worked together, including: The end of medieval structures changed economic relationships and allowed for change.A higher population because of less disease and lower infant mortality allows for a larger industrial workforce.The Agricultural Revolution frees people from the soil, allowing - or driving - them into cities and manufacturing.Proportionally large amounts of spare capital were available for investment.Inventions and the scientific revolution allowed for new technology to increase and cheapen production.Colonial trade networks allowed the import of materials and the export of manufactured goods.The presence of all the required resources close together, such as coal near iron.Culture of hard work, risk-taking, and the development of ideas.Demand for goods.

The Yield Curve Kink Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Yield Curve Kink Decision - Essay Example For example, Tony Boeckh had extensive skills in bank credit and was a skilled economist. On the other hand, James Hymas, who was the president and the chief executive officer, was the portfolio manager while Eric Deckert and Bing Li were the company analysts (Hunger, 2002). Currently the company is managing over $1.7 billion, pension funds. As the company portrayed strong record of accomplishment, it attracted more clients and within 7 years, it gained over $400 million in pension business even though it lost small pension accounts that were worth $10 million in total (Iansiti and Levien, 2004). By the end of September 1997, Greydanus, Broekh and Associates annualized return stood at 13.80% rising above the SCM universe bond index that stood at 13.56% (Steve, 2010). At the same year, the company monthly returns at the end of September stood at 1.97% while the duration was 5.56 as compared to the SCM return and duration which stood at 1.72% and 5.47 respectively. According to the independent pension consultant, GBA investment style includes 20% pure interest rate anticipation while the quantitative value strategies stood at the remaining 80%. Given its effort to make sustainable investment decisions, GBA makes its investment decisions based quantitative as well as computer models. In order for the company to increase its revenue, sometimes it times the market for example in 1994 and 1995. During this time, GBA noted that the market had overshot and the possibility of interest rates declining was high. As a result, the company limited its investment portfolio to avoid losses. In most of the times, the company managed its investment portfolio in a range within 1.5 years of the recognized standard fixed income benchmark unless the customers applied a different benchmark (Steve, 2010). One notable aspect to note for GBA is that it invested entirely in government bonds, and a strategy the company adopted in ensuring the maximum earnings of

What makes someone human The movie Nell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What makes someone human The movie Nell - Essay Example This film revolves around bringing Nell to the world of civilization and this is strange as Nell had never made any contact with human beings apart from her own mother and her twin sister who died as an infant. Lovell and Olsen discover Nell and they deliberate on how to help her and decide to introduce her to the outside world as the courts will demand Nell to be hospitalized for psychiatric examination. Lovell tries to understand the Nell and discovers that she is a grown normal woman who like any other human being needs love. The main characters of this film are: Nell, Jerome Lovell, Paula Olsen, Alexander Paley and Todd Peterson. The ability to love other human beings makes us human beings. Nell loved her mother and their existence in the woods was based on the virtue of love which requires proper socialization. Nell was taught by her mother how to love and treats her sister’s remains with love rather than repulsion as a result of her socialization. ... Her language of communication was different from the language of people from the civilized world. People from the civilized world considered her to have mental problems due to her mysterious language which was not the case. Their judgment was based on her ignorance of language, technology and other things which is wrong assumption as placed in a similar situation they could have been any different (Gazzaniga, 2008). Nell lacked a set of values which were followed by the people from the civilized world which are based on decency, discipline, morality among others. Nell skinny dives while Dr. Olsen dons a bathing suit with make-up and in the court room session, she makes an insensitive and misguided speech. Despite her innocence and ignorance to the civilized world, she existed very well in her home at the woods by her own values and this shows that human beings can exist without a set of values. Though human beings from a civilized world have their own set of values someone can live w ithout a set of values as they are determined by one’s environment and in the case of Nell lacked these values and still lived like other humans (Gazzaniga, 2008). It is possible that someone can be a human without learning how to love. Nell lived a life of solitude with no company apart from her own mother who later died hence learnt to live life without depending on anyone or sharing her feelings with anyone (Gazzaniga, 2008). She had been socialized by her mother to be cautious of men as her mother had once been raped by a man. She therefore existed without learning how to love as her home environment had no males around to socialize with. This is evidence by her experience with some boys at the pool where her ignorance and innocence is brought

The HR Consultant Essay Example for Free

The HR Consultant Essay Introduction Texas Roadhouse is a chain restaurant throughout the United States. There are approximately 340 locations in over 46 states, and they are quickly expanding. Its menu specializes in steaks and ribs, as well as adding a western atmosphere for guests to enjoy. In the restaurant business, there are many different positions held by a variety of different people. There are cooks, dish washers, bus boys, hostesses, bartenders, servers, and also nightly management. On average each night, there are approximately 19 servers, 6 bus boys, 6 hostesses, 3 bartenders, and large amount of kitchen staff. All of these different positions are crucial in the nightly success of the company. Without any of these positions, the restaurant would not be able to run as smoothly. Objectives of The study In this report we are trying to find out the way to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the restaurant using five models:- 1) Self-Efficacy Model 2) LMX Model 3) Job Characteristics Model 4) Goal Setting Model Strategic Mapping Using Models Self-Efficacy Model The term self-efficacy is used to describe an individual’s perception of how competent they find themselves and their abilities to achieve complex tasks. People with strong self-efficacy are more likely to accept more responsibility and accept more challenging tasks. They also believe that no obstacles can get in the way from stopping them achieve their goals. Individuals with low self-efficacy are more apt to looking as difficult tasks as intimidating and do not believe they that are capable of achieving personal success. Overall, self-efficacy plays an important role in influencing the tasks that people perform and how well they perform them. The most important factor that is impacting through self-efficacy is persistence. This is found important because the higher the person perceives themselves on the scale, the more persistent that they will be with performing a complex task. Analysis and Recommendations as per Self Efficacy model Self-efficacy is something that is important in any organization. However, it is important at Texas Roadhouse to hire individuals who have a High level of self-efficacy so that employee perceives themselves capable of achieving many complex tasks. This could prove to be an issue within the organization because individuals could become bored or feel not challenged by the tasks designated in their position, which could lead to frustration for the employees and employer. Hence, Challenging tasks should be given to such individuals. 1) The individuals with moderate level of self-efficacy provides opportunity for the organization to designate tasks to that are challenging but also still attainable. It is good to hire large no. of employees in this category. There were three individuals who scored close to the lower end of the self-efficacy scale. 2) The individuals with low self-efficacy can pose a problem for Texas Roadhouse as they might hinder the productivity and success of the organization. Hence, in order to ensure more confident and driven individuals, Texas Roadhouse could moderately delegate more difficult tasks to these individuals in order to boost their confidence and the way they perceive themselves. Also, they could provide more positive feedback in their jobs and reinforce that the individual is doing well at their job. 2) Leader-Member Exchange The leader-member exchange (LMX) is a model that suggests that leaders develop different relationships with each of their subordinates through a series of work-related transactions. There are two important groups to consider that a subordinate may fall under depending on which phase they fit into. The in group is defined as a low number of subordinates with high LMX relationships. The second group is known as the out group in which the number of subordinates is large and contains relatively low level LMX relationships. Employees who find themselves in the out-group are likely to face high job turnover. This should be important to all management because high turnover is a very large investment for the organization. The level of LMX has a significant relationship to subordinates satisfaction with their manager. Employees with low-quality LMX are more likely to become dissatisfied, less motivated, and more prone to quitting. Whereas employees with high level LMX are likely to be satisfied with their work, more motivated, and committed to staying and contributing to the organization. LMX has three critical components which are mutual affection, contribution to work activities, and professional respect. When a subordinate has high mutual affection for a superior, the subordinate likes the superior as a person and will often come to the superior’s defense if attacked. High contribution to work activities comes into play when a subordinate goes above and beyond their job description to help the superior out. High Professional Respect is when the superior admires the subordinate’s knowledge and competence of the job. Analysis and Recommendation as per LMX 1) The Texas Roadhouse management does take steps to increase the mutual affection score of its staff else they will likely to enter the realm of the out group which could potentially lead to the employee leaving the organization because Why stay at an organization if you’re not happy with your manager? 2) One way management can increase the mutual affection is to take a more active role and listen to the complaints of the employees and to take the time to establish supportive and trusting relationships with the employees. 3) Another suggestion might be to engage the staff in team building activities and icebreakers. We can conclude that the superiors and managers of Texas Roadhouse are not providing proper support to their staff and needs to make a drastic change soon because the organization as a whole could be affected. 4) Some possible solutions include taking the time to reassess what kind of support is needed for staff. One way to do this is anonymous comment cards. Have all the employees fill out comment cards anonymously and identify specific instances where an employee failed to receive support. This must be down anonymously by the employer because the employee might be unwilling to respond for fear of termination. 5) The manager may have a tendency to interact with other employees in an unprofessional manner. The manager can decrease this perception by keeping to policy or by adjusting his/her interactions in front of employees. 6) Management needs to do a better job of developing better relationships with its employees. Some improvement strategies include the use of assertive communication, appropriate communication openness, and constructive feedback with all of the subordinates. Job Characteristics Model The job characteristics model has to do with the idea of increasing the amounts of five job characteristics: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback in a job. Skill variety can be defined as the degree to which a job requires an assortment of skills in order for an employee to carry out the task at hand. Task identity is the extent to which a job requires an employee to complete a task from beginning to end with a visible, tangible outcome. Task significance is the extent to which an employee perceives the job as having an impact on the lives of other individuals, if it makes a difference in society, within or outside of the organization. Autonomy is the level to which a job provides empowerment and discretion to an employee by choosing their own way to complete and schedule a task. Job feedback is the clear information about how effective an employee’s performance is. The different levels of these five job characteristics affect three important psychological states. The first, to experience meaningfulness of the tasks performed, second, to experience personal responsibility for results of the task at hand, and last is the knowledge of the results of task performance. If all three psychological states are positive, strong work motivation based on self-generated rewards is triggered. If they are in the negative zone, meaning the job is not meaningful, lacks responsibility or feedback, the job is incomplete, which does not strongly motivate an employee. This model can be related to Texas Roadhouse since it looks into how well an employee has the opportunity to be motivated to work in the restaurant. It highlights the areas that need work in the restaurant and what the employees enjoy or dislike about working there. It also demonstrates which employees are content with working there for a while and which view it as a stepping stone towards another opp ortunity that has not yet befallen upon them. Analysis and Recommendations as per Job Characteristic Model 1) The model demonstrates a need for change in the structure of Texas Roadhouse in order to increase their employee’s motivation to continue their work there. Generally, there are two main approaches recommended to superiors for designing/redesigning jobs which are vertical loading and the formation of natural work teams. Vertical loading is when tasks that were considered reserved for management level staff are delegated to all employees. It includes the power to set schedules, decide work methods, breaks, and seek solutions to their own problems. Natural work teams combines individual jobs into a unit which are logical and meaningful including geographic location, types of business, organizational, alphabetical or numerical, customer groups. If Texas Roadhouse implemented vertical loading into their structure and gave their employees the opportunity to decide their own breaks and more flexible schedules, it could aid in their desire to maintain their positions at the restaurant. Most of the employees are pretty satisfied with the way things are run at Texas Roadhouse, however, according to the data, one of the biggest issues the employees have with Texas Roadhouse is the lack of variety, out of twenty surveys; eleven scored less than a four on the scale. The employees also feel that they do not have the opportunity to see projects through to completion which affects their task identity characteristic. This can be fixed with a simple solution, which is to allow employees to complete a task before assigning them another. Goal Setting Model Goal setting is a very integral part of any job. Whether you are attempting to better yourself or complete a project, setting goals is one of the most helpful tools to assist you throughout the process. Goal setting can definitely help a business such as Texas Roadhouse in raising their standards for employees which will end up helping the bottom line. The goal setting model that we used for our survey seems to have a big impact on job performance. According to the model, if employees felt good about the goals they set, they were better at their jobs. Five essential pieces must come together in order for the managers to gain benefits of a goal setting program. The first piece is that the person must be knowledgeable about the topic of the specified goal and have the sufficient capacity to attain the goal. The second step is that the person must be committed to the goal, especially if the goal is difficult. The third step is that people need feedback on their goals. According to the text, employees will raise their performance because they are afraid they will have past performance. The forth step is that complex tasks must be broken up into simpler more short term goals so that the goals can be attained. It is stated in the text that employees are more responsive when they know about their progress. The fifth and final piece is to have a situation constraint. One of the most important aspects of a leader is to ensure that employees have the resources to attain their goals and to help eliminate any troubles that may lie in the way. Now to discuss some of the benefits that goal setting can have on performance. One of the consequences of goal setting is that it motivates individuals to achieve high performance. Some of the benefits stem from developing difficult goals. When it comes to Texas Roadhouse, such goal setting can be setting goals for a certain dollar amount each table waited on per person. The benefits can be such as encouraging people to develop action plans to reach a goal, focusing people’s attention on goal-relevant action, and encouraging people to develop action plans to reach these goals. Having such goal setting systems in place, you will have to be able to adequately reward your employees. Such reward systems could be like the high-performance work system which is used to describe a well-established method of motivation with new technology that links pay and performance. This isn’t very easy to do, especially when considering the many factors. Such factors could ask questions such as, do you reward individually or as a team. Analysis and Recommendation as per Goal Setting Model Going through a few of the steps that go into goal setting and based on the results provided from the study, we have developed some recommendations for the restaurant. The first recommendation is to put groups of waiters and hostesses into teams in order to create an atmosphere of meritocracy. When there are teams, it’s easier to have tasks done and team members will have the mentality of â€Å"if I scratch your back you scratch mine.† Going along with more of the recommendations through the analysis of the process of effective goal setting, a proper high performance work reward system must be put into place in order to motivate employees. Our recommendation for the work reward system is a system that rewards waitresses on the amount of money per person that they serve. So for example if a team earns on average $15 per customer and another team earns $20 per customer, we reward the team with the $20 per customer with a bonus on top of their normal tips. To further develop their goals, we can get input for the teams on how they would like to improve the model because it is stated that the more input the employees feel like they are giving, the more they would buy into the program. To improve on that, we would also make the goals a little bit more challenging. For example we could expect a higher dollar amount per customer over last month. For example a ten percent increase could be viable. The last of our recommendations is to give each employee a step by step plan on how to achieve their goals and to give them a monthly review. These recommendations would help Texas Roadhouse by improving their trust between one another, their individual and team goals by giving them more input which leads to more buy-in and lastly, it helps them raise their revenue by setting higher goals for each customer. Works Cited Bernardin, H. John, Joyce E. A. Russell. Human Resource Management: An Experiential Approach. McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2013.

Epic of Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

I have just completed the reading of Beowulf, which was translated by Burton Raffel. 1) Beowulf is an extremely exciting and fascinating story about a character who lived in medieval Europe. The shocking thing for me about this work was to find out that it is the earliest poem in a modern European language. Beowulf is to the English what Homer and the Odyssey were to the Greeks. Although this is the earliest poem, it is still fun and exciting to read. I didn't believe that a poem which has been around for more than twelve centuries, could keep my interest. I was wrong. The book is filled with more blood and guts then the average summer horror flick. After the battle with Grendel, the monster which has been ravaging the Danish countryside and killing countless men, Beowulf makes sure that all people know that he had injured the great monster. It is translated that, "...no Dane doubted the victory, for the proof, hanging high from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's arm, claw and shoulder and all" (Raffel, 49). It was the shocking use of detail and exciting battles that was left with me when I finished the book. I guess all books, regardless of their age can still be fun and entertaining to read. 2) Good literature has a very precise definition for me. I judge a piece of literature on three different criteria, 1) does it have memorable characters, 2) does the work take me to a place and let me experience things that I have never experienced before, and 3) will the work stay with me long after I have completed reading it. This is the criteria on which I judge a book and according to this, I believe that Beowulf should be considered "good" literature. I always ask myself, when I am done reading a book, did the book have memorable characters. In Beowulf, the characters were memorable. A minor character in the book, the king of the Danes, named Hrothgar, is a character who sticks out greatly in my mind. Hrothgar was a king of the Danes and built for them a huge mead hall in which men were able to eat drink and be merry. It was then that the great monster, Grendel, came and destroyed the utopia which was Herot by eating and feasting on the Danish warriors. Hrothgar sticks out in my mind because I could envision him, in the time before Beowulf came to the Danes, in anger and despair over this monster that wouldn't stop killing his soldiers and friends.

Effects of Education Essay

Education is an act of learning which enables one to realize his or her full potential and know areas that one is talented in order to exploit them[Grusky, 2001]. Education basically entails impacting of knowledge to individual. Social inequality on other hand is lack of basic necessities in life example access to health care and employment opportunities and others. Those individuals who are socially unequal with others are excluded form full and equal participation from what is important is one’s social life. Education has not had effect in increasing opportunity for all but instead it has reinforced existing social inequality. This is evidenced since one can only be educated on basic of his or her social class and their results to division between individuals, those who are educated continue to prosper while those who are not remain in poverty. It can also be evidenced in economic inequality since this is mainly as a result of social inequality. Economic inequality links with social inequality in that poor financial status hinders people from obtaining some education while some standards as others is , they cannot obtain the same housing, healthcare and also education. Lack of these basic necessities results to people living in the different classes to use different technologies according to their income. Socially education places people in different status which are mainly achieved through education because it determines over occupation which is the main determinant of one’s status in a community. In this, education brings about these differences since those who are educated bring up their siblings in the same status but for those who are not educated they cannot afford good education for their siblings. The position of a person in community can be determined by the social class one is in due to what he or she has achieved. This mainly comes in varying level of education that one has attained since those who are educated are employed and subsequently their standards of living are raised which make them different from common man who did not access education and therefore has not been able to achieve anything. People in different status are positioned differently in the society in regard to the way they can access different goods and services. Therefore the issue of education in status makes it clear that the social standards are very different between the education and those who are not learned because they have no opportunity to experience the high status of life. The difference brought about by effect of education on reinforcing social inequalities has resulted to basic life change. Such changes include physical health where by people don’t get access to the same health intervention which results in deterioration of health in those individuals who did not benefit from education. Apart from Medical intervention, learned individual have gained access to learning how one can live healthy, eat well to prevent diseases and they can readily access healthy product as compared to those who have no money nor basic education to help them overcome the poor health. The educated tend to keep the knowledge to themselves and help those who are also educated and leave the less fortunate to suffer with no =one to help them since they do not have money or basic education to help them overcome poor physical health. More also, social inequality brought about by difference in education background has brought about life change in psychological health in that those who are not educated have so many problems which keeps on torturing the affected person mentally. The psychological health can be brought about by depression or isolation from the others who consider one to be of low life since he or she has not gone through education system. Others engage in excessive drinking of alcohol and other illicit drugs which end up in destroying their mental capability which results to poor psychological health. In contrast social inequality comes in since those who are educated, even if problems comes their way they have different means of dealing with them and thus why they are always in good psychological health unlike the unlearned ones. Inequality can also be evidenced in basic life changes in food and shelter one uses. The issue of education does not benefit all since the educated can have good standards of life and live in good houses and eat better food than those who are not educated. These differences make people to have different social style since poor will only socialize with those whom they share the same social class with and the same applies to the rich. Particularly, social inequality comes in when one is wealthy which make them to use their money power to achieve various political powers but in contrast the poor remain poorer since they have no one to represent them due to lack of education. In other words education only benefits those who are educated but it’s not for all. The poor who are basically not educated, politically are much different from the uneducated since they are not equally represented which increases inequality in the society. Education has also brought difference in different racial; and ethnic group. This is because a different group views the value of education differently and the educated one continues to benefit while those who are not remain poor and poorer. Some groups values education while others do not which makes them to live in two distinct social classes. Their social inequalities are much strengthened by education since the educated and uneducated persons cannot interact freely. Also the level of education is different in different races and ethnic groups regarding to the way each group values the concept of education. Those who are learned can afford different technologies example the use of computer as compared to those who can not afford advanced technology and end up using manual methods to carry put their tasks. These differences makes individual not to interact freely with each other. Education has brought existing social inequality since it has brought difference in accessing job opportunities. Those who are educated mainly gets better jobs which distinct them from their uneducated counterparts who can not be offered the same job since they belong to different social class brought about by the level of education. Also operation of basic businesses requires educated individuals which entirely create a gap in operation between those who are educated and those who are not. The amount of wealth one has determines his social class which creates a gap between the rich and the poor. Those who are not learned are at a risk of social inequality since they lack access to basic education. This creates difference between the learned individual and therefore they can not relate freely. Socially these people are discriminated by those who are learned. Education has also brought about inequalities in goods and services taxes. During payments of these taxes inequality based on social class is evidenced since different individuals are taxed differently and in this, less educated may pay less taxes as compared to those who are educated since they have many assets as compared to poor. Sex and gender can also cause social in equality (Grusky, 2001). Many people view works differently and see to it that different jobs are for different sex. For example in most countries women are considered to perform domestic chaos while men go to work in offices. This creates inequality since even women can work in their areas and they should not be denied chance to work. Like in military jobs are viewed to be for men but in real sense even there are some women who can perform those tasks better than men. Geographical location of individual also matters since it depends on how those living in that geographical area view education and the impact it have in their lives. Citizenship is another factor since you find those living in different countries has achieved different levels of education which is different from each other. Their differences shows that the two groups cannot interact freely which brings about social inequality. Social inequality can Stimulate social conflicts and lead to political instability. People of different social background do not interact freely and incase of political instability you can see the two groups fighting. These social inequalities can result to family violence and breakups and this is evidenced when one is more educated than the other and therefore they share different social background. They can also stimulate street crimes whereby some people see to others as more advantaged than others since may be they are looking for jobs which are not forthcoming due difference in their educational backgrounds. Therefore, they can end up fighting those who they consider their rivals. These inequalities can also result to hate- crimes where one consider another person as a hindrance to his or her success or may be you hate your parents since they did not give basic education which is much needed. Therefore education has effect in increasing opportunity for all can only be achieved if everyone has had access to basic education which can be used to unify everyone. Otherwise, for unequal distribution of education it results to social inequality which is the case in real life today. So education has reinforced the existing social inequalities because not every one has an access to basic education to give opportunity to all.

Cosmetics and Products

AVON -STUDY CASE- Analiza contextului global al afacerilor prin prisma factorilor de impact asupra industriei cosmeticelor The cosmetic industry is one of which products tend to be countercyclical. Demand for such products normally remains constant and unaffected by economic distress. The color cosmetics are predicted to see a slowdown in volume demand. A growing trend in the cosmetic industry is the introduction of ‘green’ products. More than one in seven (16%) of global beauty products launched in 2008 were certified organic, ethical or natural.There are concerns that the global economic climate will stifle new product development, innovation and sustainability programs in 2009. An economic slowdown usually curbs companies from investing in research and development and it is that research that has brought forth a wealth of green cosmetics. For example, retailers such as Wal-Mart are increasingly requiring more ecofriendly supply chain. There are forecasts that consumer s are unlikely to give up their commitments to organic products just to save a few pennies. 8% of consumers will remain loyal to a company that has a social and environmental commitment. Many consumers are now ‘voting with dollars’ for organic products and supporting brands that support values similar to their own. Economic factors mainly affect the purchasing power of customers. The more customer demand for the product the more profit to the organization, at the same time if there is no customers demand it’s going to affect the organization in a negative manner.So economic factors are very important external factors and affect the cosmetic industry. Economic factors include: Unemployment rate, Economic growth rate, Interest rate. Other factors that influence the cosmetic industry are the government and legal basis. Also for AVON some of the risk factors are: Success depends on our ability to execute fully our global business strategy, May experience financial an d strategic difficulties and delays or unexpected osts in completing our multi-year restructuring programs or long-range business review, including achieving any anticipated savings and benefits of the initiatives thereunder, The key personnel, The business is conducted worldwide primarily in one channel, direct selling, The taxes, political issues, legal and regulatory risks are also to be taken intoconsideration on international markets, May be subjects to financial risks related to their international operators, including exposure to foreign currency fluctuations, Competition,A general economic downturn, a recession globally or sudden disruption in business conditions, A disruption of a key information technology system, process or site could adversely affect their operations, The ability to anticipate and respond to market trends and changes in consumer preferences, Government reviews, inquiries, investigations, and actions could harm our business or reputation, Protection the i ntellectual property rights, specifically patents and trademarks, Involvement in future, in the legal proceedings. Analiza mediului ramurii Avon Production considers its two closest competitors to be Mary Kay and Revlon.Avon is nearly 8 times larger than Revlon. In terms of channel of distribution, Mary Kay most closely resembles Avon because both use a direct marketing approach. Revlon in contrast sells its products through cosmetic counters in department stores and pharmacies. Avon has 42000 employees worldwide and Mary Kay has 5000 and Revlon has 5600. The large difference in company representatives is attributable to the necessity of employing more people to sell directly to customers than selling products through a storefront. The revenues of Avon also far exceed those of its closest competitors, with Mary Kay selling $2. 0 billion and Revlon selling $1. 35 billion in 2008 as compared to Avon’s $10. 37 billion. [pic] We face competition from competing products in each of our lines of business, in both the domestic and international markets. Worldwide, we compete against products sold to consumers by other direct-selling and direct-sales companies and through the Internet, and against products sold through the mass market and prestige retail channels. We also face increasing competition in our developing and emerging markets. Within the direct selling channel, we compete on a regional and often country-by-country basis, with our direct-selling competitors.There are also a number of direct-selling companies that sell product lines similar to ours, some of which also have worldwide operations and compete with us globally. Unlike most other beauty companies, we compete within a distinct business model where providing a compelling earnings opportunity for our Representatives is as critical as developing and marketing new and innovative products. Therefore, in contrast to a typical consumer packaged goods (â€Å"CPG†) company which operates within a broad-based consumer pool, we must first compete for a limited pool of Representatives before we reach the ultimate consumer.Direct sellers compete for representative or entrepreneurial talent by providing a more competitive earnings opportunity or â€Å"better deal† than that offered by the competition. Representatives are attracted to a direct seller by competitive earnings opportunities, often through what are commonly known as â€Å"field incentives† in the direct selling industry. Competitors devote substantial effort to finding out the effectiveness of such incentives so that they can invest in incentives that are the most cost effective or produce the better payback.As the largest and oldest beauty direct seller, Avon’s business model and strategies are often highly sought after, particularly by smaller local and more nimble competitors who seek to capitalize on our investment and experience. As a result, we are subject to significant competition for t he recruitment of Representatives from other direct selling or network marketing organizations. It is therefore continually necessary to innovate and enhance our direct selling and service model as well as to recruit and retain new Representatives.If we are unable to do so our business will be adversely affected. Within the broader CPG industry, we compete against large and well-known cosmetics and fragrances companies that manufacture and sell broad product lines through various types of retail establishments. In addition, we compete against many other companies that manufacture and sell in more narrow Beauty product lines sold through retail establishments. This industry is highly competitive, and some of our principal competitors in the CPG industry are larger than we are and have greater resources than we do.Competitive activities on their part could cause our sales to suffer. We have many competitors in the highly competitive gift and decorative products and apparel industries globally, including retail establishments, principally department stores, gift shops and specialty retailers, and direct-mail companies specializing in these products. Our principal competition in the highly competitive fashion jewelry industry consists of a few large companies and many small companies that sell fashion jewelry through retail establishments.The number of competitors and degree of competition that we face in this beauty and related products industry varies widely from country to country. If our advertising, promotional, merchandising or other marketing strategies are not successful, if we are unable to deliver new products that represent technological breakthroughs, if we do not successfully manage the timing of new product introductions or the profitability of these efforts, or if for other reasons our Representatives or end customers perceive competitors’ products as having greater appeal, then our sales and financial results may suffer.Global cosmetic and t oiletries market is witnessing significant growth in terms of sales and technological advancements over the past few years because of increasing consumer awareness towards personal hygiene and health. Growing concerns regarding skin care is particularly fueling the robust growth across all market segments and geographies. Increasing demand for organic and natural cosmetic and toiletries products is creating new growth opportunities in this field which is encouraging the emergence of new market players in this arena.One of the major reasons behind the considerable growth of global cosmetic and toiletries industry is the shifting of production units to cost effective Asian economies like India and China. Emergence of new distribution channels like online retailing is driving the growth of this market. Increasing consumer preferences towards the use of herbal and natural cosmetic products is forcing the cosmetic and toiletries manufacturers to change and adapt strategies according to c onsumer preferences.Worldwide market for cosmetics and toiletries products was severely affected by economic downturn, but with the global economy recovering, this market is projected to witness a significant growth and reach the value of USD 19. 2 billion by the year 2015. However, difficulty in obtaining credit and weakening consumer confidence are affecting consumer spending on cosmetics which is one of the major challenges faced by this industry. Presence of large domestic markets is helping emerging economies to recover from deepening economic crisis.Cosmetics and toiletries market is still in its embryonic stage and holds strong growth potential in near future. Consumption of cosmetic and toiletries products is no more limited to female population alone. Male grooming products are emerging as an important segment of this market. Skin care products, hair care products, face cleansers, and premium shaving products are important offerings for male grooming products market. The US and Europe is the largest market for sun care and skin care products. Products with natural and organic ingredients are in increasing demand in European and North American markets despite of high cost.Major reason behind this increased demand of organic products is better health benefits offered by these products. Rising environmental concerns, carcinogenic nature of synthetic cosmetic ingredients, and increasing awareness about sustaining resources are some of the major factors propelling the growth of organic and natural ingredients in cosmetic industry. Worldwide market for cosmetics and toiletries is categorized into skin care, hair care, fragrances, make-up, oral care, baby care, bath and shower, deodorants, color cosmetics, men’s grooming, sun care, and others.For the environmental analysis, it should be taken into consideration the five forces of Porter: 1 Threat of new entry This factor analyzes the ease with which firms may enter into an industry. Competitive indust ries are likely to attract many firms which will strive to capture a market share. This is likely to reduce the overall profitability of firms which are present in the industry. In order for firms to enjoy long term profitability, they should develop customer loyalty within their industry.This will ensure that although new firms enter an industry, their market share is unaffected since customers have faith on their products. Development of customer loyalty is achieved through innovating new products which meet the unique market needs. The cosmetic industry has a low threat of new entrants. This is due to several factors. The first is the huge costs of entry. Developing unique cosmetic products requires a lot of resources both in terms of research and development and the actual manufacturing process. Few middle and small scale firms have access to the funds and expertise required to perform this effectively.Another factor which discourages entry into this industry is the huge competi tion present in the industry. In addition to the huge competitors such as Avon, Revlon, Clinique, Estee Lauder, LR, Mac and Unilever, who have a large market share, there are many other small scale competitors who also have a small market share and who reduce the overall profitability of firms in the industry. 2 3 Bargaining power of customers The bargaining power of customers analyzes the power which consumers have relating to price changes in the industry.This factor analyzes the power which consumers have in manipulating price changes due to shifts in demand (Aaker, 2000: 102-120). When consumers have a high bargaining power, the manufacturers and sellers may not adequately predict future demand by the market. This may make them unable to achieve long term profitability due to unpredictable demand patterns. The cosmetic has a high bargaining power of customers. This is due to the increase competition and availability of cosmetic products from a variety of manufacturers.Since thes e products have high substitutes, then it is possible for consumers to force manufacturers to reduce their product prices through purchasing those of their competitors. This is a challenge which manufacturers of cosmetic products face across the world. 4 Bargaining power of suppliers This factor analyzes the power which suppliers have regarding making price changes for their products. Suppliers who have a high bargaining power are able to influence price changes through using techniques such as market manipulation through hoarding and restraining supply.Although some of these strategies are illegal in many countries, suppliers usually apply them when they want to effect price changes. The cosmetic industry has a low bargaining power of suppliers. This is due to the high number of market players and large supply of diverse products to the market. There are many cosmetic products which are developed by both large and small scale manufacturers. Due to the huge supply, consumers have th e power to influence the market prices as opposed to the suppliers. 1 Threat of substitutesThe threat of substitutes arises when there are similar products developed by competitors which satisfy the market needs. When consumers have access to substitute products which can satisfy their market needs, then manufacturers and suppliers lose their bargaining power. Consumers are able to purchase competitor’s products if they are not satisfied with product price or quality. In order for suppliers to tackle the challenge of threat of substitutes, they have to innovate products which meet the needs of their target market segments. In the cosmetic industry, there are many competitors as has been discussed.There is therefore a high threat of substitute products. If manufacturers sell their products at higher prices, or if the products are of low quality, then consumers are able to purchase substitutes from the many competitors who are present in the market environment. It is therefore essential for the market players in the cosmetic to be innovative if they are to tackle the challenge of the threat of substitute. 2 Barriers to entry and exit Barriers to entry and exit refer to the challenges firms face when entering or leaving the industry respectively.It has been discussed that there are huge costs which are associated with entry to the cosmetic industry. These costs include costs for developing the products as well as research costs. These are some of the barriers to entry in the cosmetic industry. In addition, there are many competitors who reduce the overall profitability of the industry, which makes it a barrier to entry. Finally, the many large scale cosmetic firms which enjoy economies of scale make it a barrier to entry especially for middle and small scale firms. Barriers to exit include the high development and research costs.Due to the high costs associated with developing cosmetic products, it is difficult for firms to leave the industry without achie ving the costs for production. There are also many machines and equipment used in developing cosmetic products and disposing these at a fair market value is difficult hence making it an exit barrier. 3 4 Seller and buyer concentration The cosmetic industry is appealing fir people of all age groups and social backgrounds. There are many cosmetic products which are tailored to meeting the needs of different market segments. The buyer concentration can herefore be deemed as low since there are many buyers who cut across different market segments both in the developed countries and the developing countries. However, the seller concentration may be deemed as high in developed countries. Many large scale cosmetic producers are concentrated in develop countries such as the United States, France and Germany. For instance, the cosmetic industry is valued at $6 billion in France and $12 billion in Germany. In the US, it is valued at over $20 billion. However, the seller concentration in devel oping countries and emerging markets is relatively low.Few firms have ventured into developing products which meet the specific needs of this market segment. In order to achieve long term profitability, new market entrants should focus on this neglected population segment. The high seller concentration in the developed countries leads to high competition and an overall reduction in profitability for cosmetic firms in this industry. Analiza competentelor functionale Avon Distribution We presently have sales operations in 65 countries and territories, including the U. S. and distribute our products in 42 other countries and territories. Unlike most of our competitors, which sell their products through third party retail establishments (e. g. drug stores, department stores), we primarily sell our products to the ultimate consumer through the direct-selling channel. In our case, sales of our products are made to the ultimate consumer principally through direct selling by approximately 6 . 4 million active independent Representatives. Representatives are independent contractors and not our employees.Representatives earn a profit by purchasing products directly from us at a discount from a published brochure price and selling them to their customers, the ultimate consumer of our products. We generally have no arrangements with end users of our products beyond the Representative, except as described below. No single Representative accounts for more than 10% of our net sales. A Representative contacts customers directly, selling primarily through our brochure, which highlights new products and special promotions for each sales campaign.In this sense, the Representative, together with the brochure, are the â€Å"store† through which our products are sold. A brochure introducing a new sales campaign is usually generated every two weeks in the U. S. and every two to four weeks for most markets outside the U. S. Generally, the Representative forwards an order for a campaign to us using the Internet, mail, telephone, or fax. This order is processed and the products are assembled at a distribution center and delivered to the Representative usually through a combination of local and national delivery companies.Generally, the Representative then delivers the merchandise and collects payment from the customer for his or her own account. A Representative generally receives a refund of the price the Representative paid for a product if the Representative chooses to return it. We employ certain web enabled systems to increase Representative support, which allow a Representative to run her or his business more efficiently and also allow us to improve our order-processing accuracy.For example, in many countries, Representatives can utilize the Internet to manage their business electronically, including order submission, order tracking, payment and two-way communications with us. In addition Representatives can further build their own business through pe rsonalized web pages provided by us, enabling them to sell a complete line of our products online. Self-paced online training also is available in certain markets, as well as up-to-the-minute news about us. In some markets, we use decentralized branches, satellite stores and independent retail operations to serve Representatives and other customers.Representatives come to a branch to place and pick up product orders for their customers. The branches also create visibility for us with consumers and help reinforce our beauty image. In certain markets, we provide opportunities to license our beauty centers and other retail-oriented and direct to consumer opportunities to reach new customers in complementary ways to direct selling. In the U. S. and selected other markets, we also market our products through consumer websites (www. avon. com in the U. S. ). Promotion and MarketingSales promotion and sales development activities are directed at assisting Representatives, through sales aid s such as brochures, product samples and demonstration products. In order to support the efforts of Representatives to reach new customers, specially designed sales aids, promotional pieces, customer flyers, television and print advertising are used. In addition, we seek to motivate our Representatives through the use of special incentive programs that reward superior sales performance. Periodic sales meetings with Representatives are conducted by the district sales or zone managers.The meetings are designed to keep Representatives abreast of product line changes, explain sales techniques and provide recognition for sales performance. A number of merchandising techniques are used, including the introduction of new products, the use of combination offers, the use of trial sizes and samples, and the promotion of products packaged as gift items. In general, for each sales campaign, a distinctive brochure is published, in which new products are introduced and selected items are offered as special promotions or are given particular prominence in the brochure.A key current priority for our merchandising is to continue the use of pricing and promotional models to enable a deeper, fact based understanding of the role and impact of pricing within our product portfolio. From time to time, various regulations or laws have been proposed or adopted that would, in general, restrict the frequency, duration or volume of sales resulting from new product introductions, special promotions or other special price offers. We expect our pricing flexibility and broad product lines to mitigate the effect of these regulations.Competitive Conditions We face competition from various products and product lines both domestically and internationally. The beauty and beauty-related products industry is highly competitive and the number of competitors and degree of competition that we face in this industry varies widely from country to country. Worldwide, we compete against products sold to co nsumers by other direct-selling and direct-sales companies and through the Internet, and against products sold through the mass market and prestige retail channels.Specifically, due to the nature of the direct-selling channel, we compete on a regional, often country-by-country basis, with our direct-selling competitors. Unlike most other beauty companies, we compete within a distinct business model where providing a compelling earnings opportunity for our Representatives is as critical as developing and marketing new and innovative products. As a result, in contrast to a typical CPG company which operates within a broad-based consumer pool, we must first compete for a limited pool of Representatives before we reach the ultimate consumer.Within the broader CPG industry, we principally compete against large and well-known cosmetics and fragrances companies that manufacture and sell broad product lines through various types of retail establishments. In addition, we compete against many other companies that manufacture and sell more narrow beauty product lines sold through retail establishments and other channels. We also have many competitors in the gift and decorative products and apparel industries globally, including retail establishments, principally department stores, gift shops and specialty retailers, and direct-mail companies specializing in these products.Our principal competition in the fashion jewelry industry consists of a few large companies and many small companies that sell fashion jewelry through retail establishments and direct-selling. We believe that the personalized customer service offered by our Representatives; the amount and type of field incentives we offer our Representatives on a market-by-market basis; the high quality, attractive designs and prices of our products; the high level of new and innovative products; our easily recognized brand name and our guarantee of product satisfaction are significant factors in helping to establish an d maintain our competitive position.International Operations Our international operations are conducted primarily through subsidiaries in 64 countries and territories outside of the U. S. In addition to these countries and territories, our products are distributed in 42 other countries and territories. Our international operations are subject to risks inherent in conducting business abroad, including, but not limited to, the risk of adverse currency fluctuations, currency remittance restrictions and unfavorable social, economic and political conditions.See the sections â€Å"Risk Factors – Our ability to conduct business, particularly in international markets, may be affected by political, legal, tax and regulatory risks† and â€Å"Risk Factors – We are subject to financial risks related to our international operations, including exposure to foreign currency fluctuations† in Item 1A on pages 7 through 15 of our 2011 Annual Report. Manufacturing We manufac ture and package almost all of our Beauty products. Raw materials, consisting chiefly of essential oils, chemicals, containers and packaging components, are purchased for our Beauty products from various suppliers.Most of our Fashion and Home products are purchased from various third-party suppliers. Additionally, we design the brochures that are used by the Representatives to sell our products. The loss of any one supplier would not have a material impact on our ability to source raw materials for our Beauty products or source products for our Fashion and Home categories or paper for the brochures. Trademarks and Patents Our business is not materially dependent on the existence of third-party patent, trademark or other third-party intellectual property rights, and we are not a party to any ongoing material licenses, franchises or concessions.We do seek to protect our key proprietary technologies by aggressively pursuing comprehensive patent coverage in major markets. We protect our Avon name and other major proprietary trademarks through registration of these trademarks in the markets where we sell our products, monitoring the markets for infringement of such trademarks by others, and by taking appropriate steps to stop any infringing activities. Research and Product Development Activities New products are essential to growth in the highly competitive cosmetics industry.Our research and development department’s efforts are significant to developing new products, including formulating effective beauty treatments relevant to women’s needs, and redesigning or reformulating existing products. To increase our brand competitiveness, we have sustained our focus on new technology and product innovation to deliver first-to-market products that provide visible consumer benefits. Our global research and development facility is located in Suffern, NY.A team of researchers and technicians apply the disciplines of science to the practical aspects of bringing products to market around the world. Relationships with dermatologists and other specialists enhance our ability to deliver new formulas and ingredients to market. Additionally, we have satellite research facilities located in Argentina, Brazil, China, Mexico, Poland and South Africa. In 2010, we invested in our R&D facility in Shanghai, China to increase our ability to develop products to better meet Asian consumers’ needs. In 2011, our most significant product launches included: SuperShock MaxMascara. Moisture Seduction Lipstick, Outspoken Intense by Fergie Fragrance, Step Into Fragrance, Anew Genics Treatment Cream, Anew Solar Advance Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 45, Solutions Youth Minerals Restorative Night Cream, Skin So Soft Perfecting Oil, Advance Techniques Damage Repair 3D Rescue Leave-in Treatment, Super Enchant Mascara, and ExtraLasting Makeup. The amounts incurred on research activities relating to the development of new products and the improvement of existing prod ucts were $77. 7 in 2011, $72. 6 in 2010 and $65. 4 in 2009.This research included the activities of product research and development and package design and development. Most of these activities were related to the development of Beauty products. Environmental Matters In general, compliance with environmental regulations impacting our global operations has not had, and is not anticipated to have, any material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, financial position or competitive position. Employees At December 31, 2011, we employed approximately 40,600 employees. Of these, approximately 5,400 were employed in the U. S. nd 35,200 in other countries. Seasonal Nature of Business Our sales and earnings typically have a seasonal pattern characteristic of many companies selling Beauty, gift and decorative products, apparel, and fashion jewelry. Holiday sales generally cause a sales peak in the fourth quarter of the year; however, the sales volume o holiday gift items is, by its nat ure, difficult to forecast. Fourth quarter revenue and operating data was as follows: | |2011 |2010 | |Fourth uarter revenues as a % of total revenue |27% |29% | |Fourth quarter operating profit as a % of total operating profit |2% |33% | The fourth quarter operating profit comparison between 2011 and 2010 was unfavorably impacted by a $263. 0 impairment charge, or 31% of full year operating profit, recognized in the fourth quarter of 2011. The fourth quarter operating profit comparison was partially offset by lower costs to implement our restructuring initiatives in 2011 compared to 2010.The fourth quarter of 2011 included costs to implement our restructuring initiatives of $8. 7, whereas the fourth quarter of 2010 included $58. 3 of costs to implement our restructuring initiatives. Finance The financial statement of the company in 2011 is: Internationalizare Avon [pic] As the world's largest direct seller, Avon markets leading beauty, fashion and home products to women in more th an 100 countries through more than 6 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives. The countries are:Albania, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grand Cayman Island, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand,Nicaragua, North Cyprus, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Africa, Spain, St. Croix, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay,Venezuela. When the Avon lady comes knocking at the door, she'd better speak good Portuguese. Or Spanish. Or even Russian. Cosmetics giant Avon Products (AVP) is increasing its revenue these days, with sales outside of the United States really driving business. The company reports first quarter 2011 total revenue of $2. billion, 7 percent higher than that of first-quarter 2010 and in line with company targets. Net income jumped 238 percent to $143. 6 million, thanks to stronger sales and restructuring. â€Å"We are pleased with the early progress against our commitment to return the business to mid-single digit revenue growth,† says Avon's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Jung in an earnings statement. â€Å"We are squarely foc used on restoring growth in Brazil and Russia in the second half, and ensuring execution in gross margin improvement and cost control. † Revenue in Latin America, which includes Mexico, was up 16 percent during the quarter while North American revenue was down 2 percent.Central and Eastern European sales were flat although Russia was up 3 percent, while Western Europe, Middle East & Africa's first-quarter revenue increased 16 percent and Asia Pacific, which includes China, reported a first quarter revenue decline of 6 percent. Analysts are pleased with the company's results, but some wonder if the company can keep the momentum going. Zacks Investment Research has assigned a short-term hold rating, although the long-term recommendation is currently underperform. Restructure, then compete Avon is currently in the middle of a multi-year restructuring program designed to accelerate investments toward growth opportunities, streamline manufacturing operations, and improve cost effec tiveness and efficiency in general. Restructuring should save the company $430 million a year when fully implemented by 2012. After that, keep an eye on the competitors. Avon faces competition from various products and product lines both domestically and internationally,† Zack says. The internationalization of Avon most take into account some factors, such as: Political Factors †¡ Tax policies †¡ Employment laws †¡ Trade restrictions and tariffs †¡ Political stability Economic Factors †¡ Economic growth †¡ Interest rates †¡ Exchange rates †¡ Fluctuation in oil and gas prices Social Factors †¡ Emphasis on safety †¡ No animal testing †¡ Green Environment †¡ Philanthropic Issues †¡ Technology Factors †¡ Automation †¡ Technology incentives †¡ Rate of technological change †¡ Technologies Adaption External Assessment: Avon Opportunities 1. A growing trend in the cosmetics industry is the introductio n of ? green? products.More than sixteen percent of beauty products launched in 2008 were certified organic, ethical, or all natural. 2. Eye makeup market 3. The cosmetics industry tends to be countercyclical. This means that those are industries for which the demand is either not correlated with the business cycle. The demand for their products is not much affected by availability of current income, but by other personal, social or economic factors. The recession also contributes to the industry being counter-cyclical. There is an upsurge in people joining the industry in the past six or eight months and there's absolutely no doubt that this is because of the recession and the effect on employment. 4.Aveda cosmetics found that sixty eight percent of consumers will remain loyal to a company that has a social and environmental commitment. 5. Urban Trendsetters markets 6. Geographic growth  ± enormous growth opportunities existed in countries with huge populations such as China, Ind onesia and India. 7. Demand for cosmetic products normally remains constant and unaffected by economic distress 8. The baby boomers are aging and they are more conscious on their appearance, beauty and also improving their looks. Emphasize direct selling in emerging and developing markets External Assessment: Avon Threats 1. Competition such as Mary Kay and Revlon 2. Rejection of internet selling by sales representative 3.Global economic climate stifled new product development, innovation and sustainability programs in 2009. 4. In terms of color cosmetics, environmental International Inc. predicted that many of these markets will see slowdown in volume demand. 5. Inflation rate and Rising cost of commodities 7. Direct-selling becoming more popular – Amid the financial crisis Aussie mums are increasingly turning to direct selling and at-home product parties to supplement their household income. 8. They are a multilevel based company that sells inferior quality with a higher pr ice tag than what it is worth 9. Avon products outpaced by ‘jazzier? products to women who favored more exciting product lines 10. Decreased earning opportunities