Monday, January 27, 2020

What drives teenagers to commit suicide?

What drives teenagers to commit suicide? Suicide can be defined as an act or an instance of taking ones own life voluntarily and intentionally. Suicide is not a choice to survive or a choice to escape. Instead, successful suicide is inevitably mortal. Suicide is the third leading cause of death and injury among adolescents and young adults in the worldwide. Suicide is a serious public health problem. According to the World Health Organisation (2004) an estimate approximately one million people die from suicide worldwide annually, and 10 to 20 times more people attempts suicide. A study by Lee.M.B Lung.W (2008) showed that suicide and psychiatric disorders have a strong connection; 16.3% of the general population and 25% of general medical patients outside of psychiatric departments have had suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts. There are many causes for youths wanting to commit suicide. Thus, we must be aware of the symptoms for suicide in order to prevent suicide from happening. What drive teens towards suicide? Stress Caruso (2007) believes that stress is not intrinsically appalling. Every human living in this world has stress that may cause them to take action to events and to improve themselves to be better and rise to the challenge. However, he mentioned that if overly exposed to stress, stress can be catastrophic. Too much pressure can cause or exacerbate suicidal feelings. Level of stress is seems to be playing a vital role in affecting people especially the youths towards committing suicide. Many researchers have discovered that stressful life events increases the risk of youths choosing suicide as the only solution. Stressful events such as family and romance conflicts or the presence of disciplinary problems frequently predate suicidal behaviour. (Brent, 1993; Vijayakumar Rajkumar, 1999; Yen et al., 2005) From Engars research (2004), he found that suicide is the second-leading cause of death in college students. It is believed that high anxiety levels and tensions cause them to attempt suicide. Take South Korea as an example, approximately six in every 10 South Korean youths have thought of suicide at least once, showing to the seriousness of the teen suicide issue. (Yonhap, 2008; Yein Jee, 2008) This is further proven from the survey, carried out by the state-run Korea Youth Counseling Institute, of 4,700 secondary school students in South Korea, 50-60 percent of the respondents had thought of suicide whereas 10-20 percent of them attempted suicide. (Yonhap, 2008) Youths there felt suicide urges when experiencing conflicts with family members, utterly lacking of hope, had problems with friends, or if friends took their own lives, having to do much more at school than expected, strivingfor a higher standards of education in this globalised era in order to get a better job etc. Depression Lickerman (2010) believes that depression is unquestionably the most common reason why people take their life. Depression is a severe dejection that is accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and meagerness typically felt over a periods of time. In another words, it is an illness where peoples thoughts, moods, behaviour and feelings are infected. Since depression can affect thinking, things will seems to get even harder when one is feeling down and he or she may not be able to look at the possibility of a good outcome. They will never be happy nor think that things could go right for them again. The person does not envisage when a problem can be overcome. (Eveleth, 2008; Lyness Nock, 2010) Suicide is the permanent solution for depressed people as they think there are no other solutions to the temporary problems they are experiencing. A depressed youth may feel that there is no another way out from issues, no other getaway from emotional pain, or no way outof a desperate sorrow. (Lyness Nock, 2010) According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, more than 19 million Americans which aged 18 and above are severely affected by depression every year. Another analysis of the result is that one out of ten men and one out of four women will experience depression in their life. Kyle Eveleth, a Prudenville junior and psychology major believes the loss of support from family and friends could lead to this illness, which is one of the risk factor towards suicide attempts. Substance Abuse Teens under the influence of alcohol and drug are also more at risk for suicidal behaviours and suicidal thoughts. They may become over-sentimental and impulsive and may result in attempts to end their own lives. (Lickerman, 2010) Alcohol is a depressant that slows the function of the central nervous system. This alters a persons five senses as the brain is blocked from getting the right information. (Dowsen Shatz, 2009) Under the right amount, alcohol can aid a person to feel relax and less worried. However, if one overused, alcohol may cause wobble, lose their coordination, blurred vision, and slur speech. They will be confused and disoriented. (Dowsen Shatz, 2009) Drugs on the other handare chemicals that change the way our bodies function. A drug may be helpful or harmful. Drugs dull our senses, alter our sense of consciousness, and reduce physical pain in the brain. (Dowsen Vranken, 2008) Misuse of these substances can mean serious misery and danger. Situations is worse for teens with propensity to illness due to their biologic, or family history, or other life stresses. Suicide attempts occur especially when both substances are consumed together. (Lyness Nock, 2010) According to National Statistical Office (NSO) in South Korea, there were about 12,000 suicides representing 5 percent of all deaths in 2007, a shocking increase of 14% compared to previous year. A poll taken by NSO shows that girls and teens who drink alcohol are more likely to feel the suicidal urge compared with non-drinkers and boys. (Yonhap, 2008) Several studies (Miller, Mahler Gold, 1991; Way et al, 2005) have found that teenagers with alcohol or drug abuse contributesup to 70% of alchohol-drug related suicides. Therefore, it is undoubted that substance abuse significantly influence teens towards suicide. Family risk factors Under family risk factors, inherited biological factors may also contribute towards suicide and suicidal behaviour. From the family, twin and adoption studies, this factor has been proven to lead to the increase of risk of attempted and completed suicide. (Nock, Borges, Bromet, Cha, Kessler Lee, 2008) There is evidence to suggest biologic factors may give rise to suicidal behaviour via gene-environmental interactions. This is said to be disruptions in the functioning of the inhibitory neurotransmitter serotonin. (Pandey, 1997) When it is disrupted, humans mood and emotion will be affected. Dr. Boeree (2009) says that inadequate serothin may be associated to increase in aggressive behaviour, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders and suicide. As for twins, some studies had been conducted to prove the relationship between suicide. Researchers Roy, Segal and Sarchiapone (1995) ascertained suicide is more prevalent in monozygotic co-twins than dizygotic co-twins where this tendency is very rare. These results strongly shows that genetic factor do play a role in suicidal behaviour in twins. Furthermore, teens who has family history involving depression or substance abuse are most liking associated with suicide, as are those who have been abused sexually. (Fritz, 2010) Another factor that is included in family risk factor is the frequent change of residence. Most families that often move their place of residence may bring a considerable effect on their children. Children that experience this frequently may be distressed or psychologically disturbed and, therefore, affect his or hers physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being. They may feel instable and insecure in their living conditions. The frequent breakdown of connection with peers, discontinuation of group activities, distress, and worries due to the new environment can be distressing and confusing. Those childrens psychosocial well-being may be largely affected, and hence, rise suicidal thoughts and behaviours if they are not capable to handle. Parents may be unable to provide sufficient love and care which include neglecting their childrens psychosocial needs. To get more attention from their parents, a suicide attempt may be carried out to express them. (Ping, Mortensen, Pedersen, 2009) How does teens with suicidal tendencies behave or react ? Depression Depressive symptons is a significant indicator. Depressive symptoms includs crying a lot, lost of interest, weight changes, sleep disturbances, restlessness, and feeling a low energy. An epidemiological study shown that hopelessness and low self-esteem were the most predictive symptoms for suicidal behaviour. In this analysis, almost 56% of the patients attempted suicide. (Yaldizli.O, Kohl.H.C, Graf.M, Wiesbeck.AG, Wurst.M.F (2010) Anxiety The suicidor will feel fear, worry, and hopelessness. In this situation, symptons of anxiety will be shown physically and mentally. For instance, sweating, stomach aches, muscle weakness. Someone who has anxiety might experiences sense of panic. A study examined the rates of anxiety, mood and substances abuse disorder among teenagers. The result of the study shown that the level of anxiety will have higher risk of suicide.(Galera C, Bouvard MP, Encrenaz G, Messiah A, Fombonne.E 2008) In conclusion, suicide does not solve the problem but brings more sorrow and hardship to the victims family members and friends. We can help potential suicide victim by watching out for early suicidal symptoms or signs. These can be highly unsociable and introvert behaviour and frequent mentioning about ending ones life. We should bring the victim immediately to a psychiatrist or counsellor to set the victims life back on the right path again. The most effective way of preventing suicide is to find the main reason or reasons why the victim is contemplating suicide. This will help to reduce the number of suicide cases in the world.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Coca Cola Marketing Mix Essay

Soft Drink demand market is very strong all over the world. Now there are 2 major Company of Soft Drinks †¢ Coca Cola †¢ Pepsi Co they are competitors to each other. The world’s largest beverage’s company Coca Cola began more than a century ago. The Coca Cola company world headquarter is at Atlanta Georgia, USA. Formation of Coca Cola company was in a simple way, but today it is spread worldwide. It has a Wonderful history and an exciting future. From sometime before 1970-s Coca Cola had started doing business in India. But due to changes in the policy of Indian Government, Coca Cola had to wind up its business from India in 1977. After 16 years, in 1993 it again started doing business in India through one of its subsidiary company Coca Cola India Private Limited. It gradually went in for merger by acquisition the various well known products to stop the direct competition from the local market. Coca cola is the brand with the highest brand equity. No doubt it has gone through the ups and downs of business to reach that position. The marketing mix of Coca cola has been changing over time with more and more products being added such that today it has 3300 products. So what is the marketing mix of Coca cola? Product The company has the widest portfolio in beverage industry comprising of 3300 products. Beverages are divided into diet category, 100% fruit juices, fruit drinks, water, energy drinks, tea and coffee etc. As per Nielson’s data, Coca cola is the No.1 brand in sparkling beverages, juice, and retail packaged water in 2010. Coca cola has its market presence around 200 countries. Coca cola brands in India are Fanta, Maaza, Limca, sprite, Thums up, Minute Maid, Nimbu fresh, Nested iced tea etc. Coca-Cola made its return to India COCA – COLA in 1993 and made significant investments to ensure that the beverage is available to more and more people, even in the remote and inaccessible parts of the nation. Sprite has not only established itself as a brand which successfully boasts it’s ‘cutthru’ perspective with an authentic, edgy, irreverent, urban and straight forward style, but has also achieved status of an undisputed youth ‘badge‘ brand. Fanta entered in the year 1993. Perceived as a fun youth brand, Fanta stands for its vibrant color, tempting Taste and tingling bubbles that not just uplifts feelings but also helps free spirit thus encouraging one to indulge in the moment. Limca has remained unchallenged as the No.1 Sparkling Drink in the Cloudy lemon Segment. The success formula is the sharp fizz and lemoni bite combined with the Single minded proposition of the brand as the provider of â€Å"Freshness†. Maaza has today come to symbolize the very spirit of mangoes. Universally loved for its taste, color, thickness and wholesome properties, Maaza is the mango lover’s first choice Price Due to the availability of wide range products the pricing is done according  to the market and geographic segment. Each sub-brand of coca cola has different pricing strategy. Their pricing strategy is based on the competitors pricing, Pepsi is the direct competitor to coke. Beverage market is said to be a oligopoly market (few sellers and large buyers), hence they form into cartel contract to ensure a mutual balance in pricing between the sellers. Price strategies are important to Coca Cola because the price determines the amount of sales and profit per unit sold. Businesses have to set a price that is attractive to their customers and provides the business with a good level of profit. Long before a sale was ever made Coca Cola had developed a forecast of consumer demand at different prices which inevitably determined whether or not the product came on the market, as well as the allocation of adequate money and resources to produce, promote and distribute the product. Place Coca cola is the world’s most favourite brand and is available all over the world. The distribution system of coca cola follows the FMCG distribution pattern. The effective distribution network of coke has almost eroded the small and middle level players in the market. In India they have captured even the rural market by extensive distribution and have eroded the market share of Bo onto, Kalmar etc. Promotion Coca cola adopts various advertising and promotional strategies to create an increased demand in the market by associating with life style and behaviour and mainly targeting value based advertising. You are more likely to see a coke ad individualised for a particular festival or in with a general positive message. Coca cola uses CSR as its marketing tool to gain emotional benefits in consumers mind. The current promotions through CSR include â€Å"Support my school† campaign with NDTV. It has many brand ambassadors like Shahrukh khan, Hrithik Roshan, South Indian Actor Vijay and Trisha , Ghambir, Aamir khan etc and has signed contract recently with Imran khan. It allows price discounts and allowances to distributors and retailers in order to push more products into the market. It employs both push  strategy through promotions and pull strategy through advertisements and campaigns. Company introduces different themes and concepts to sell their product and advertises mainly in electronic media and out of home advertising. These advertisements build brand image and create awareness. ïÆ'ËœBig names of Indian film industry mainly become the brand ambassadors of the Company. ïÆ'ËœThroughout the years, the slogans of the Coca-Cola have been memorable. For E.g. Thanda Matlab Cola-Cola Jo chaho ho jae Cola-Cola enjoy Coca-Cola-Piyo sir utha ke Brrrrrrr!!! Coca Cola on a regular basis Advertise through Billboards, Hoardings. They occupy the prime locations of the Urban and Semi Urban areas to advertise their products †¢ Bill Boards are used on Highways, main City roads, Across big buildings, Shops etc. †¢Also in India the Coca-cola can be seen painted on walls, bus stands, dhabas etc focusing in rural areas if India Coca-Cola uses direct marketing in many ways. First, the company partners with various restaurants, movie theatres, etc. to carry its product. This way, when a customer orders a drink, the only brand they are offered is Coca-Cola, which forces them to buy a drink from that brand. By doing this, Coke forces out other competition, and keeps the restaurants, or other businesses, purchasing their product over and over again. E.g. Mc Donald’s. According to mobilemarketingmagazine.com, Coke uses mobile graphics and texts to appeal to markets on a more personal level. Coca Cola also sponsors various sporting events in India and around the world in major sport events like Cricket, Football, Hockey, Olympic and Motor Racing etc. Coca-Cola uses the internet to promote its products. The company has its own website, which is quite simple to navigate through. The website allows customers to become interactive through various games, contests, shopping, and through a special section of the website that enables consumers to find out how they can help their community. ïÆ'ËœAlso in the modern era of communication and networking, the company uses various social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter to connect with the consumers. The  internet marketing thus helps to reach to those consumers who can’t afford to spend time on T.V and are always online

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

For men, I think, love is a thing formed of equal parts lust and astonishment. The astonishment part women understand. The lust part they only think they understand. Very few perhaps one in twenty have any concept of what it really is or how deep it runs. That's probably just as well for their sleep and peace of mind. And I'm not talking about the lust of satyrs and rapists and molesters; I'm talking about the lust of shoe-clerks and high-school principals. Not to mention writers and lawyers. We turned into Mattie's dooryard at ten to eleven, and as I parked my Chevy beside her rusted-out Jeep, the trailer door opened and Mat-tie came out on the top step. I sucked in my breath, and beside me I could hear John sucking in his. She was very likely the most beautiful young woman I have ever seen in my life as she stood there in her rose-colored shorts and matching middy top. The shorts were not short enough to be cheap (my mother's word) but plenty short enough to be provocative. Her top tied in floppy string bows across the shoulders and showed just enough tan to dream on. Her hair hung to her shoulders. She was smiling and waving. I thought, She's made it take her into the country-club dining room now, dressed just as she is, and she shuts everyone else down. ‘Oh Lordy,' John said. There was a kind of dismayed longing in his voice. ‘All that and a bag of chips.' ‘Yeah,' I said. ‘Put your eyes back in your head, big boy.' He made cupping motions with his hands as if doing just that. George, meanwhile, had pulled his Altima in next to us. ‘Come on,' I said, opening my door. ‘Time to party.' ‘I can't touch her, Mike,' John said. ‘I'll melt.' ‘Come on, you goof.' Mattie came down the steps and past the pot with the tomato plant in it. Ki was behind her, dressed in an outfit similar to her mother's, only in a shade of dark green. She had the shys again, I saw; she kept one steadying hand on Mattie's leg and one thumb in her mouth. ‘The guys are here! The guys are here!' Mattie cried, laughing, and threw herself into my arms. She hugged me tight and kissed the corner of my mouth. I hugged her back and kissed her cheek. Then she moved on to John, read his shirt, patted her hands together in applause, and then hugged him. He hugged back pretty well for a guy who was afraid he might melt, I thought, picking her up off her feet and swinging her around in a circle while she hung onto his neck and laughed. ‘Rich lady, rich lady, rich lady!' John chanted, then set her down on the cork soles of her white shoes. ‘Free lady, free lady, free lady!' she chanted back. ‘The hell with rich!' Before he could reply, she kissed him firmly on the mouth. His arms rose to slip around her, but she stepped back before they could catch hold. She turned to Rommie and George, who were standing side-by-side and looking like fellows who might want to explain all about the Mormon Church. I took a step forward, meaning to do the introductions, but John was taking care of that, and one of his arms managed to accomplish its mission after all it circled her waist as he led her forward toward the men. Meanwhile a little hand slipped into mine. I looked down and saw Ki looking up at me. Her face was grave and pale and every bit as beautiful as her mother's. Her blonde hair, freshly washed and shining, was held back with a velvet scrunchy. ‘Guess the fridgeafator people don't like me now,' she said. The laughter and insouciance were gone, at least for the moment. She looked on the verge of tears. ‘My letters all went bye-bye.' I picked her up and set her in the crook of my arm as I had on the day I'd met her walking down the middle of Route 68 in her bathing suit. I kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose. Her skin was perfect silk. ‘I know they did,' I said. ‘I'll buy you some more.' ‘Promise?' Doubtful dark blue eyes fixed on mine. ‘Promise. And I'll teach you special words like â€Å"zygote† and â€Å"bibulous†. I know lots of special words.' ‘How many?' ‘A hundred and eighty.' Thunder rumbled in the west. It didn't seem louder, but it was more focused, somehow. Ki's eyes went in that direction, then came back to mine. ‘I'm scared, Mike.' ‘Scared? Of what?' ‘Ofi don't know. The lady in Mattie's dress. The men we saw.' Then she looked over my shoulder. ‘Here comes Mommy.' I have heard actresses deliver the line Not in front of the children in that exact same tone of voice. Kyra wiggled in the circle of my arms. ‘Land me.' I landed her. Mattie, John, Rommie, and George came over to join us. Ki ran to Mattie, who picked her up and then eyed us like a general surveying her troops. ‘Got the beer?' she asked me. ‘Yessum. A case of Bud and a dozen mixed sodas, as well. Plus lemonade.' ‘Great. Mr. Kennedy ‘ ‘George, ma'am.' ‘George, then. And if you call me ma'am again, I'll punch you in the nose. I'm Mattie. Would you drive down to the Lakeview General'-she pointed to the store on Route 68, about half a mile from us ‘and get some ice?' ‘You bet.' ‘Mr. Bissonette ‘ ‘Rommie.' ‘There's a little garden at the north end of the trailer, Rommie. Can you find a couple of good-looking lettuces?' ‘I think I can handle that.' ‘John, let's get the meat into the fridge. As for you, Michael . . . ‘ She pointed to the barbecue. ‘The briquets are the self-lighting kind just drop a match and stand back. Do your duty.' ‘Aye, good lady,' I said, and dropped to my knees in front of her. That finally got a giggle out of Ki. Laughing, Mattie took my hand and pulled me back onto my feet. ‘Come on, Sir Galahad,' she said. ‘It's going to rain. I want to be safe inside and too stuffed to jump when it does.' In the city, parties begin with greetings at the door, gathered-in coats, and those peculiar little air-kisses (when, exactly, did that social oddity begin?). In the country, they begin with chores. You fetch, you carry, you hunt for stuff like barbecue tongs and oven mitts. The hostess drafts a couple of men to move the picnic table, then decides it was actually better where it was and asks them to put it back. And at some point you discover that you're having fun. I piled briquets until they looked approximately like the pyramid on the bag, then touched a match to them. They blazed up satisfyingly and I stood back, wiping my forearm across my forehead. Cool and clear might be coming, but it surely wasn't in hailing distance yet. The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west black-satin thunderheads continued to stack up. It was as if night had burst a blood-vessel in the sky over there. ‘Mike?' I looked around at Kyra. ‘What, honey?' ‘Will you take care of me?' ‘Yes,' I said with no hesitation at all. For a moment something about my response perhaps only the quickness of it seemed to trouble her. Then she smiled. ‘Okay,' she said. ‘Look, here comes the ice-man!' George was back from the store. He parked and got out. I walked over with Kyra, she holding my hand and swinging it possessively back and forth. Rommie came with us, juggling three heads of lettuce I didn't think he was much of a threat to the guy who had fascinated Ki on the common Saturday night. George opened the Altima's back door and brought out two bags of ice. ‘The store was closed,' he said. ‘Sign said WILL RE-OPEN AT 5 P.M. That seemed a little too long to wait, so I took the ice and put the money through the mail-slot.' They'd closed for Royce Merrill's funeral, of course. Had given up almost a full day's custom at the height of the tourist season to see the old fellow into the ground. It was sort of touching. I thought it was also sort of creepy. ‘Can I carry some ice?' Kyra asked. ‘I guess, but don't frizzicate yourself,' George said, and carefully put a five-pound bag of ice into Ki's outstretched arms. ‘Frizzicate,' Kyra said, giggling. She began walking toward the trailer, where Mattie was just coming out. John was behind her and regarding her with the eyes of a gutshot beagle. ‘Mommy, look! I'm frizzicating!' I took the other bag. ‘I know the icebox is outside, but don't they keep a padlock on it?' ‘I am friends with most padlocks,' George said. ‘Oh. I see.' ‘Mike! Catch!' John tossed a red Frisbee. It floated toward me, but high. I jumped for it, snagged it, and suddenly Devore was back in my head: What's wrong with you, Rogette? You never used to throw like a girl Get him! I looked down and saw Ki looking up. ‘Don't think about sad stuff,' she said. I smiled at her, then flipped her the Frisbee. ‘Okay, no sad stuff. Go on, sweetheart. Toss it to your mom. Let's see if you can.' She smiled back, turned, and made a quick, accurate flip to her mother the toss was so hard that Mattie almost flubbed it. Whatever else Kyra Devore might have been, she was a Frisbee champion in the making. Mattie tossed the Frisbee to George, who turned, the tail of his absurd brown suitcoat flaring, and caught it deftly behind his back. Mattie laughed and applauded, the hem of her top flirting with her navel. ‘Showoff!' John called from the steps. ‘Jealousy is such an ugly emotion,' George said to Rommie Bissonette, and flipped him the Frisbee. Rommie floated it back to John, but it went wide and bonked off the side of the trailer. As John hurried down the steps to get it, Mattie turned to me. ‘My boombox is on the coffee-table in the living room, along with a stack of CDs. Most of them are pretty old, but at least it's music. Will you bring them out?' ‘Sure.' I went inside, where it was hot in spite of three strategically placed fans working overtime. I looked at the grim, mass-produced furniture, and at Mattie's rather noble effort to impart some character: the van Gogh print that should not have looked at home in a trailer kitchenette but did, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks over the sofa, the tie-dyed curtains that would have made Jo laugh. There was a bravery here that made me sad for her and furious at Max Devore all over again. Dead or not, I wanted to kick his ass. I went into the living room and saw the new Mary Higgins Clark on the sofa end-table with a bookmark sticking out of it. Lying beside it in a heap were a couple of little-girl hair ribbons something about them looked familiar to me, although I couldn't remember ever having seen Ki wearing them. I stood there a moment longer, frowning, then grabbed the boombox and CDs and went back outside. ‘Hey, guys,' I said. ‘Let's rock.' I was okay until she danced. I don't know if it matters to you, but it does to me. I was okay until she danced. After that I was lost. We took the Frisbee around to the rear of the house, partly so we wouldn't piss off any funeral-bound townies with our rowdiness and good cheer, mostly because Mattie's back yard was a good place to play level ground and low grass. After a couple of missed catches, Mattie kicked off her party-shoes, dashed barefoot into the house, and came back in her sneakers. After that she was a lot better. We threw the Frisbee, yelled insults at each other, drank beer, laughed a lot. Ki wasn't much on the catching part, but she had a phenomenal arm for a kid of three and played with gusto. Rommie had set the boombox up on the trailer's back step, and it spun out a haze of late-eighties and early-nineties music: U2, Tears for Fears, the Eurythmics, Crowded House, A Flock of Seagulls, Ah-Hah, the Bangles, Melissa Etheridge, Huey Lewis and the News. It seemed to me that I knew every song, every riff. We sweated and sprinted in the noon light. We watched Mattie's long, tanned legs flash and listened to the bright runs of Kyra's laughter. At one point Rommie Bissonette went head over heels, all the change spilling out of his pockets, and John laughed until he had to sit down. Tears rolled from his eyes. Ki ran over and plopped on his defenseless lap. John stopped laughing in a hurry. ‘Ooofl' he cried, looking at me with shining, wounded eyes as his bruised balls no doubt tried to climb back inside his body. ‘Kyra Devore!' Mattie cried, looking at John apprehensively. ‘I taggled my own quartermack,' Ki said proudly. John smiled feebly at her and staggered to his feet. ‘Yes,' he said. ‘You did. And the ref calls fifteen yards for squashing.' ‘Are you okay, man?' George asked. He looked concerned, but his voice was grinning. ‘I'm fine,' John said, and spun him the Frisbee. It wobbled feebly across the yard. ‘Go on, throw. Let's see whatcha got.' The thunder rumbled louder, but the black clouds were all still west of us; the sky overhead remained a harmless humid blue. Birds still sang and crickets hummed in the grass. There was a heat-shimmer over the barbecue, and it would soon be time to slap on John's New York steaks. The Frisbee still flew, red against the green of the grass and trees, the blue of the sky. I was still in lust, but everything was still all right men are in lust all over the world and damned near all of the time, and the icecaps don't melt. But she danced, and everything changed. It was an old Don Henley song, one driven by a really nasty guitar riff. ‘Oh God, I love this one,' Mattie cried. The Frisbee came to her. She caught it, dropped it, stepped on it as if it were a hot red spot falling on a nightclub stage, and began to shake. She put her hands first behind her neck and then on her hips and then behind her back. She danced standing with the toes of her sneakers on the Frisbee. She danced without moving. She danced as they say in that song like a wave on the ocean. ‘The government bugged the men's room in the local disco lounge, And all she wants to do is dance, dance . . . To keep the boys from selling all the weapons they can scrounge, And all she wants to do, all she wants to do is dance.' Women are sexy when they dance incredibly sexy but that wasn't what I reacted to, or how I reacted. The lust I was coping with, but this was more than lust, and not copeable. It was something that sucked the wind out of me and left me feeling utterly at her mercy. In that moment she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, not a pretty woman in shorts and a middy top dancing in place on a Frisbee, but Venus revealed. She was everything I had missed during the last four years, when I'd been so badly off I didn't know I was missing anything. She robbed me of any last defenses I might have had. The age difference didn't matter. If I looked to people like my tongue was hanging out even when my mouth was shut, then so be it. If I lost my dignity, my pride, my sense of self, then so be it. Four years on my own had taught me there are worse things to lose. How long did she stand there, dancing? I don't know. Probably not long, not even a minute, and then she realized we were looking at her, rapt because to some degree they all saw what I saw and felt what I felt. For that minute or however long it was, I don't think any of us used much oxygen. She stepped off the Frisbee, laughing and blushing at the same time, confused but not really uncomfortable. ‘I'm sorry,' she said. ‘I just . . . I love that song.' ‘All she wants to do is dance,' Rommie said. ‘Yes, sometimes that's all she wants,' Mattie said, and blushed harder than ever. ‘Excuse me, I have to use the facility.' She tossed me the Frisbee and then dashed for the trailer. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself back to reality, and saw John doing the same thing. George Kennedy was wearing a mildly stunned expression, as if someone had fed him a light sedative and it was finally taking effect. Thunder rumbled. This time it did sound closer. I skimmed the Frisbee to Rommie. ‘What do you think?' ‘I think I'm in love,' he said, and then seemed to give himself a small mental shake it was a thing you could see in his eyes. ‘I also think it's time we got going on those steaks if we're going to eat outside. Want to help me?' ‘Sure.' ‘I will, too,' John said. We walked back to the trailer, leaving George and Kyra to play toss. Kyra was asking George if he had ever caught any crinimals. In the kitchen, Mattie was standing beside the open fridge and stacking steaks on a platter. ‘Thank God you guys came in. I was on the point of giving up and gobbling one of these just the way it is. They're the most beautiful things I ever saw.' ‘You're the most beautiful thing I ever saw,' John said. He was being totally sincere, but the smile she gave him was distracted and a little bemused. I made a mental note to myself: never compliment a woman on her beauty when she has a couple of raw steaks in her hands. It just doesn't turn the windmill somehow. ‘How are you at barbecuing meat?' she asked me. ‘Tell the truth, because these are way too good to mess up.' ‘I can hold my own.' ‘Okay, you're hired. John, you're assisting. Rommie, help me do salads.' ‘My pleasure.' George and Ki had come around to the front of the trailer and were now sitting in lawn-chairs like a couple of old cronies at their London club. George was telling Ki how he had shot it out with Rolfe Nedeau and the Real Bad Gang on Lisbon Street in 1993. ‘George, what's happening to your nose?' John asked. ‘It's getting so long.' ‘Do you mind?' George asked. ‘I'm having a conversation here.' ‘Mr. Kennedy has caught lots of crooked crinimals,' Kyra said. ‘He caught the Real Bad Gang and put them in Supermax.' ‘Yes,' I said. ‘Mr. Kennedy also won an Academy Award for acting in a movie called Cool Hand Luke.' ‘That's absolutely correct,' George said. He raised his right hand and crossed the two fingers. ‘Me and Paul Newman. Just like that.' ‘We have his pusgetti sauce,' Ki said gravely, and that got John laughing again. It didn't hit me the same way, but laughter is catching; just watching John was enough to break me up after a few seconds. We were howling like a couple of fools as we slapped the steaks on the grill. It's a wonder we didn't burn our hands off. ‘Why are they laughing?' Ki asked George. ‘Because they're foolish men with little tiny brains,' George said. ‘Now listen, Ki I got them all except for the Human Headcase. He jumped into his car and I jumped into mine. The details of that chase are nothing for a little girl to hear ‘ George regaled her with them anyway while John and I stood grinning at each other across Mattie's barbecue. ‘This is great, isn't it?' John said, and I nodded. Mattie came out with corn wrapped in aluminum foil, followed by Rommie, who had a large salad bowl clasped in his arms and negotiated the steps carefully, trying to peer over the top of the bowl as he made his way down them. We sat at the picnic table, George and Rommie on one side, John and I flanking Mattie on the other. Ki sat at the head, perched on a stack of old magazines in a lawn-chair. Mattie tied a dishtowel around her neck, an indignity Ki submitted to only because (a) she was wearing new clothes, and (b) a dishtowel wasn't a baby-bib, at least technically speaking. We ate hugely salad, steak (and John was right, it really was the best I'd ever had), roasted corn on the cob, ‘strewberry snortcake' for dessert. By the time we'd gotten around to the snortcake, the thunderheads were noticeably closer and there was a hot, jerky breeze blowing around the yard. ‘Mattie, if I never eat a meal as good as this one again, I won't be surprised,' Rommie said. ‘Thanks ever so much for having me.' ‘Thank you,' she said. There were tears standing in her eyes. She took my hand on one side and John's on the other. She squeezed both. ‘Thank you all. If you knew what things were like for Ki and me before this last week . . . ‘ She shook her head, gave John and me a final squeeze, and let go. ‘But that's over.' ‘Look at the baby,' George said, amused. Ki had slumped back in her lawn-chair and was looking at us with glazing eyes. Most of her hair had come out of the scrunchy and lay in clumps against her cheeks. There was a dab of whipped cream on her nose and a single yellow kernel of corn sitting in the middle of her chin. ‘I threw the Frisbee six fousan times,' Kyra said. She spoke in a distant, declamatory tone. ‘I tired.' Mattie started to get up. I put my hand on her arm. ‘Let me?' She nodded, smiling. ‘If you want.' I picked Kyra up and carried her around to the steps. Thunder rumbled again, a long, low roll that sounded like the snarl of a huge dog. I looked up at the encroaching clouds, and as I did, movement caught my eye. It was an old blue car heading west on Wasp Hill Road toward the lake. The only reason I noticed it was that it was wearing one of those stupid bumper-stickers from the Village Cafe: HORN BROKEN WATCH FOR FINGER. I carried Ki up the steps and through the door, turning her so I wouldn't bump her head. ‘Take care of me,' she said in her sleep. There was a sadness in her voice that chilled me. It was as if she knew she was asking the impossible. ‘Take care of me, I'm little, Mama says I'm a little guy.' ‘I'll take care of you,' I said, and kissed that silky place between her eyes again. ‘Don't worry, Ki, go to sleep.' I carried her to her room and put her on her bed. By then she was totally conked out. I wiped the cream off her nose and picked the corn-kernel off her chin. I glanced at my watch and saw it was ten 'til two. They would be gathering at Grace Baptist by now. Bill Dean was wearing a gray tie. Buddy Jellison had a hat on. He was standing behind the church with some other men who were smoking before going inside. I turned. Mattie was in the doorway. ‘Mike,' she said. ‘Come here, please.' I went to her. There was no cloth between her waist and my hands this time. Her skin was warm, and as silky as her daughter's. She looked up at me, her lips parted. Her hips pressed forward, and when she felt what was hard down there, she pressed harder against it. ‘Mike,' she said again. I closed my eyes. I felt like someone who has just come to the doorway of a brightly lit room full of people laughing and talking. And dancing. Because sometimes that is all we want to do. I want to come in, I thought. That's what I want to do, all I want to do. Let me do what I want. Let me I realized I was saying it aloud, whispering it rapidly into her ear as I held her with my hands going up and down her back, my fingertips ridging her spine, touching her shoulderblades, then coming around in front to cup her small breasts. ‘Yes,' she said. ‘What we both want. Yes. That's fine.' Slowly, she reached up with her thumbs and wiped the wet places from under my eyes. I drew back from her. ‘The key ‘ She smiled a little. ‘You know where it is.' ‘I'll come tonight.' ‘Good.' ‘I've been . . . ‘ I had to clear my throat. I looked at Kyra, who was deeply asleep. ‘I've been lonely. I don't think I knew it, but I have been.' ‘Me too. And I knew it for both of us. Kiss, please.' I kissed her. I think our tongues touched, but I'm not sure. What I remember most clearly is the liveness of her. She was like a dreidel lightly spinning in my arms. ‘Hey!' John called from outside, and we sprang apart. ‘You guys want to give us a little help? It's gonna rain!' ‘Thanks for finally making up your mind,' she said to me in a low voice. She turned and hurried back up the doublewide's narrow corridor. The next time she spoke to me, I don't think she knew who she was talking to, or where she was. The next time she spoke to me, she was dying. ‘Don't wake the baby,' I heard her tell John, and his response: ‘Oh, sorry, sorry.' I stood where I was a moment longer, getting my breath, then slipped into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I remember seeing a blue plastic whale in the bathtub as I turned to take a towel off the rack. I remember thinking that it probably blew bubbles out of its spout-hole, and I even remember having a momentary glimmer of an idea a children's story about a spouting whale. Would you call him Willie? Nah, too obvious. Wilhelm, now that had a fine round ring to it, simultaneously grand and amusing. Wilhelm the Spouting Whale. I remember the bang of thunder from overhead. I remember how happy I was, with the decision finally made and the night to look forward to. I remember the murmur of men's voices and the murmur of Mattie's response as she told them where to put the stuff. Then I heard all of them going back out again. I looked down at myself and saw a certain lump was subsiding. I remember thinking there was nothing so absurd-looking as a sexually excited man and knew I'd had this same thought before, perhaps in a dream. I left the bathroom, checked on Kyra again rolled over on her side, fast asleep and then went down the hall. I had just reached the living room when gunfire erupted outside. I never confused the sound with thunder. There was a moment when my mind fumbled toward the idea of backfires some kid's hotrod and then I knew. Part of me had been expecting something to happen . . . but it had been expecting ghosts rather than gunfire. A fatal lapse. It was the rapid pah! pah! pah! of an auto-fire weapon a Glock nine-millimeter, as it turned out. Mattie screamed a high, drilling scream that froze my blood. I heard John cry out in pain and George Kennedy bellow, ‘Down, down! For the love of Christ, get her down!' Something hit the trailer like a hard spatter of hail a rattle of punching sounds running from west to east. Something split the air in front of my eyes I heard it. There was an almost-musical sproing sound, like a snapping guitar string. On the kitchen table, the salad bowl one of them had just brought in shattered. I ran for the door and nearly dived down the cement-block steps. I saw the barbecue overturned, with the glowing coals already setting patches of the scant front-yard grass on fire. I saw Rommie Bissonette sitting with his legs outstretched, looking stupidly down at his ankle, which was soaked with blood. Mattie was on her hands and knees by the barbecue with her hair hanging in her face it was as if she meant to sweep up the hot coals before they could cause some real trouble. John staggered toward me, holding out a hand. The arm above it was soaked with blood. And I saw the car I'd seen before the nondescript sedan with the joke sticker on it. It had gone up the road the men inside making that first pass to check us out then turned around and come back. The shooter was still leaning out the front passenger window. I could see the stubby smoking weapon in his hands. It had a wire stock. His features were a blue blank broken only by huge gaping eyesockets a ski-mask. Overhead, thunder gave a long, awakening roar. George Kennedy was walking toward the car, not hurrying, kicking hot spilled coals out of his way as he went, not bothering about the dark-red stain that was spreading on the right thigh of his pants, reaching behind himself, not hurrying even when the shooter pulled back in and shouted ‘Go go go!' at the driver, who was also wearing a blue mask, George not hurrying, no, not hurrying a bit, and even before I saw the pistol in his hand, I knew why he had never taken off his absurd Pa Kettle suit jacket, why he had even played Frisbee in it. The blue car (it turned out to be a 1987 Ford registered to Mrs. Sonia Belliveau of Auburn and reported stolen the day before) had pulled over onto the shoulder and had never really stopped rolling. Now it accelerated, spewing dry brown dust out from under its rear tires, fishtailing, knocking Mattie's RFD box off its post and sending it flying into the road. George still didn't hurry. He brought his hands together, holding his gun with his right and steadying with his left. He squeezed off five deliberate shots. The first two went into the trunk I saw the holes appear. The third blew in the back window of the departing Ford, and I heard someone shout in pain. The fourth went I don't know where. The fifth blew the left rear tire. The Ford veered to that side. The driver almost brought it back, then lost it completely. The car ploughed into the ditch thirty yards below Mattie's trailer and rolled over on its side. There was a whumpf! and the rear end was engulfed in flames. One of George's shots must have hit the gas-tank. The shooter began struggling to get out through the passenger window. ‘Ki . . . get Ki . . . away . . . ‘ A hoarse, whispering voice. Mattie was crawling toward me. One side of her head the right side still looked all right, but the left side was a ruin. One dazed blue eye peered out from between clumps of bloody hair. Skull-fragments littered her tanned shoulder like bits of broken crockery. How I would love to tell you I don't remember any of this, how I would love to have someone else tell you that Michael Noonan died before he saw that, but I cannot. Alas is the word for it in the crossword puzzles, a four-letter word meaning to express great sorrow. ‘Ki . . . Mike, get Ki . . . ‘ I knelt and put my arms around her. She struggled against me. She was young and strong, and even with the gray matter of her brain bulging through the broken wall of her skull she struggled against me, crying for her daughter, wanting to reach her and protect her and get her to safety. ‘Mattie, it's all right,' I said. Down at the Grace Baptist Church, at the far end of the zone I was in, they were singing ‘Blessed Assurance' . . . but most of their eyes were as blank as the eye now peering at me through the tangle of bloody hair. ‘Mattie, stop, rest, it's all right.' ‘Ki . . . get Ki . . . don't let them . . . ‘ ‘They won't hurt her, Mattie, I promise.' She slid against me, slippery as a fish, and screamed her daughter's name, holding out her bloody hands toward the trailer. The rose-colored shorts and top had gone bright red. Blood spattered the grass as she thrashed and pulled. From down the hill there was a guttural explosion as the Ford's gas-tank exploded. Black smoke rose toward a black sky. Thunder roared long and loud, as if the sky were saying You want noise? Yeah? I'll give you noise. ‘Say Mattie's all right, Mike!' John cried in a wavering voice. ‘Oh for God's sake say she's ‘ He dropped to his knees beside me, his eyes rolling up until nothing showed but the whites. He reached for me, grabbed my shoulder, then tore damned near half my shirt off as he lost his battle to stay conscious and fell on his side next to Mattie. A curd of white goo bubbled from one corner of his mouth. Twelve feet away, near the overturned barbecue, Rommie was trying to get on his feet, his teeth clenched in pain. George was standing in the middle of Wasp Hill Road, reloading his gun from a pouch he'd apparently had in his coat pocket and watching as the shooter worked to get clear of the overturned car before it was engulfed. The entire right leg of George's pants was red now. He may live but he'll never wear that suit again, I thought. I held Mattie. I put my face down to hers, put my mouth to the ear that was still there and said: ‘Kyra's okay. She's sleeping. She's fine, I promise.' Mattie seemed to understand. She stopped straining against me and collapsed to the grass, trembling all over. ‘Ki . . . Ki . . . ‘ This was the last of her talking on earth. One of her hands reached out blindly, groped at a tuft of grass, and yanked it out. ‘Over here,' I heard George saying. ‘Get over here, motherfuck, don't you even think about turning your back on me.' ‘How bad is she?' Rommie asked, hobbling over. His face was as white as paper. And before I could reply: ‘Oh Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Blessed be the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Oh Mary born without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. Oh no, oh Mike, no.' He began again, this time lapsing into Lewiston street-French, what the old folks call La Parle. ‘Quit it,' I said, and he did. It was as if he had only been waiting to be told. ‘Go inside and check on Kyra. Can you?' ‘Yes.' He started toward the trailer, holding his leg and lurching along. With each lurch he gave a high yip of pain, but somehow he kept going. I could smell burning tufts of grass. I could smell electric rain on a rising wind. And under my hands I could feel the light spin of the dreidel slowing down as she went. I turned her over, held her in my arms, and rocked her back and forth. At Grace Baptist the minister was now reading Psalm 139 for Royce: If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light. The minister was reading and the Martians were listening. I rocked her back and forth in my arms under the black thunderheads. I was supposed to come to her that night, use the key under the pot and come to her. She had danced with the toes of her white sneakers on the red Frisbee, had danced like a wave on the ocean, and now she was dying in my arms while the grass burned in little clumps and the man who had fancied her as much as I had lay unconscious beside her, his right arm painted red from the short sleeve of his WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS tee-shirt all the way down to his bony, freckled wrist. ‘Mattie,' I said. ‘Mattie, Mattie, Mattie.' I rocked her and smoothed my hand across her forehead, which on the right side was miraculously unsplattered by the blood that had drenched her. Her hair fell over the ruined left side of her face. ‘Mattie,' I said. ‘Mattie, Mattie, oh Mattie.' Lightning flashed the first stroke I had seen. It lit the western sky in a bright blue arc. Mattie trembled strongly in my arms all the way from neck to toes she trembled. Her lips pressed together. Her brow furrowed, as if in concentration. Her hand came up and seemed to grab for the back of my neck, as a person falling from a cliff may grasp blindly at anything to hold on just a little longer. Then it fell away and lay limply on the grass, palm up. She trembled once more the whole delicate weight of her trembled in my arms and then she was still.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Essay on Human Resource Management in Business - 3064 Words

Human Resource Management in Business Abstract Human Resource Management (HRM) is no longer a personnel office that is simply a record-keeping and maintenance function. Huselid (1995) points out that there is a positive correlation that has developed between HRM as a strategic ally and company performance. HRM research has grown from an atheoretical origin to view organizational activities from an interdisciplinary perspective (Jennings, 1994) that is concerned with a movement toward methodological and theoretical development (Ferris Judge, 1991). This review will look at the different ways HRM plays into the overall scheme of providing an organization with a more sustainable competitive edge. Table of Contents†¦show more content†¦Additionally, McNamara (1999) points out three other activities that fall within the realm of HRM—managing the approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records, and personnel policies. Several HRM practices may influence individual performance by providing incentives that bring out appropriate behaviors (Minbaeva et al., 2003). Such incentive systems may include performance-based compensation and the use of internal promotion systems that focus on employee merit and help employees overcome barriers to career growth (Huselid, 1995). Previous research has shown that employees are more motivated when they are informed about the organization. Sharing of information on strategy and company performance tells the employees that they are trusted. Additionally, it is important that employees are kept current on company performance so that they can use the knowledge that resides in the organization to its fullest potential (Pfeffer, 1998). And by factor-analyzing HRM practices, Huselid’s (1995) influential study of the impact of ‘high performance work practices’ points out the importance of HRM as it relates to organizational turnover, productivity, andSh ow MoreRelatedHuman Resource Management And Business Strategy Essay1307 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween human resource management and business strategy is one of the most m important demands that are placed upon modern strategic human resource management. In both the management and the academic literature, it is generally acknowledged that the strategic deployment and management of personnel can contribute to the success and continuity of the firm. Some go even further by stating that a firm’s human resources form the basis of the firm’s competitive advantage. In this view, the human resourcesRead MoreHuman Resource Management At A Large Business934 Words   |  4 Pagestoday is that I am the Human Resource Manager of a large business called â€Å"Achieving better people management†. The main content in Human resource management that I will be covering is the recruitment stage. What is HRM? Well what is Human Resource Management; it is the management of the employee relationship that covers establishing, maintaining and terminating employment. Why is it Important? Human Resource Management is very important in an organisation/business, human resource managers will hireRead MoreBusiness Intelligence For Human Resource Management1426 Words   |  6 PagesThere are considerable of business intelligence applications in real world that are composed by the four basic elements of business intelligence to access the data [6] .see Figure above. The system of Humana Resource Management uses also business the tools ofintelligence tools. Using business intelligence for human resource management, it predicts which workers are likely to perform well; it predicts which workers are likely to get their leave, recruiting intelligently based on performance recordsRead MoreHuman Resource Management in Business Context1189 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Human resource management or mostly named simply as HRM is a strategic method thoroughly thought out for managing industrial relations which accentuate the fact that workforce efficiency and commitment are the key fa ctors in achieving constant competitive advantage or high quality work performance. This is accomplished through a peculiar set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practices intruded in an organisational and social context (Bratton and Gold, 2012). The new HRM model isRead MoreBusiness Administration And Human Resource Management845 Words   |  4 Pagesvery frequently. I am studying in both business administration and human resource management and will identify how both fields could benefit from this research method below. Additionally, the pitfalls or negatives will be analyzed to ensure that there is a clear understanding of how best to use this method of research to the absolute maximum. First, let us examine how the world of business uses quantitative research methods on a daily basis. In the business world, numbers generate all outlooks viaRead MoreHND Business Human resource management5390 Words   |  22 Pagesï » ¿ Difference between Human Resources and Personnel management (1.1) Personnel Management Personnel Management is essentially an administrative record-keeping function, at the ground level. Personnel Management professionally manages employee’s activities for individual departments for example in Bhs you will have a personal manger for customer services. It is assumed that the outcomes from providing justice and achieving efficiency in the management of personnel activities will resultRead MoreEssay on Human Resource Management in Business3172 Words   |  13 PagesRunning Head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS Human Resource Management in Business Sylvan R. Wilcox Warner Southern College Abstract Human Resource Management (HRM) is no longer a personnel office that is simply a record-keeping and maintenance function. Huselid (1995) points out that there is a positive correlation that has developed between HRM as a strategic ally and company performance. HRM research has grown from an atheoretical origin to view organizational activities from anRead MoreBusiness Ethics For Human Resource Management1309 Words   |  6 PagesWhat are the implications of business ethics for human resource management? Explain the potential roles of human resource managers in the ethical conduct of business. By Shehan Perera (100684161) Ethics in HRM suggests the treatment of employees with common decency and justice. Ethical business practices contributes to the long and short term business objectives as the employees will feel motivated thus they will work efficiently and effectively . The conduct ofRead MoreHuman Resource Management and Business Strategy5165 Words   |  21 Pages| Human Resource Management and Business Strategy | | | Abstract Human resource strategies of the group Sun City International have been identified and analysed for purposes of this report. While reviewing the different related literature this report attempts, through an analysis of external and internal factors, to examine how strategic management may help to deal with challenges and changes in a company, closely linked to the human resource department of the group. Finally, the impactsRead MoreHuman Resource Management in Business Context1884 Words   |  8 Pagesmotivator for employees and is it an effective way for organisations to gain and retain high performing staff. This is questionable especially as organisations differ in size, organisational culture (therefore differing needs), the ability and/or resources to manage an effective process to support PRP. This study will explore whether performance bonuses offer a win-win for both the organisation and the employees, using primarily the public sector, with reference to the private sector. â€Å"PRP was the

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Social Stratification And Its Effects On Physical And...

For as long as there has awareness of physical differences in people there has been social stratification. Social stratification is the separation of based on physical and mental differences. Every society exhibits a pattern of separation between its people. We will focus mainly on the United States and how they organize people based on the three main organizing principles, class, race, and gender. Social class is defines as â€Å"the grouping of individuals by economic position† (Larkin, Para. 9). Members of each social class share similar income, wealth, lifestyle, social norms, behaviors, and life opportunities. Sociology theorists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A. Kahl developed a six class stratification system by grouping individuals by education, income, and occupation. The six classes are capitalist or elites, upper middle class, lower middle class, working class, working-poor class, and underclass. There is a huge difference in the income and education levels between the capitalist class and the underclass. The capitalist class, for example, makes on average about two to four million dollars per year, while the underclass makes less than twelve thousand per year. The one percent of people in the capitalist class have high degrees of education from well known, prestigious universities, while the underclass, the bottom five percent of people, may sometimes not even have a high school diploma. It is very difficult for someone to move up a class, but is easy from someone toShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Social Stratification On Minorities1195 Words   |  5 Pages†¨During the course of this class I have learned about social problems within the society in which we live and around the world. It is disturbing to learn that poverty, social inequality, race and cultural discrimination, gender stratification, environmental damage, population growth, and urbanization are among the social problems and controversial issues that still exist in the United Sta tes. What is Social Stratification Social stratification is defined as a system by which society ranks categoriesRead MoreAge Stratification1183 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Social stratification is not a new phenomenon; its roots extends far back into antiquity with some contending that archaeological evidence reveals that social stratification existed in Cro-Magnon society 10,000 or more years ago (Tattersall 1998:178). Social stratification may be based on many attributes; according to Arredondo Biological differences can produce, directly or indirectly, social stratification by factors such as age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Age stratification andRead MoreThe Impact of Social Class and Stratification1728 Words   |  7 Pages101 30 November, 2010 The Impact of Social Class/Stratification Stratification and the division of people into social classes is a fundamental part of American society. Stratification is a concept that is universal; it is found in every country, every nation of the world. It is a system in which large groups of people, not individuals, are divided into different layers according to their relative property, power, and prestige. Stratification applies not only to the different nationsRead MoreStratification And Social Mobility On A Person s Chances For A Higher Life Expectancy Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesidea that stratification and social mobility can influence a person’s chances for a higher life expectancy is very possible. The concept of â€Å"stratification is defined as the structural ranking of an entire group of people that maintains unequal economic benefits and power within society.† This system allows individuals opportunities only based on the tier that they occupy. â€Å"There are four major systems of stratifica tion which are slavery, caste, estate and class.† â€Å"The current stratification withinRead More Socialization and Social Stratification Essay1927 Words   |  8 Pagesappropriate and accepted values, attitudes and behaviours of their society. Nevertheless, separate groups exist within societies for reasons including ethnicity, class and culture and these can bring their own set of ‘norms’. Bond and Bond in Sociology and Social Care (2009 pg28) states â€Å"From the cradle to the grave we are being socialised†. Primary socialisation occurs from infancy to early adulthood. Secondary socialisation follows into the later stages of maturity. Anticipatory socialisation is where weRead MoreThe Sociological World : Functionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism978 Words   |  4 Pages(Mills, 1959). There are three main theoretical perspectives in the sociological world: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Functionalist â€Å"see society as a structure of interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of the individuals in that society† (Keirns et al., 2015, p.15). Conflict theorists see society â€Å"as a competition for limited resources† (Keirns et al., 2015, p. 16), while symbolic interactionist focus on the relationships among individualsRead MoreRelationship Between Suicide Contemplation And Early Life And The Patients Physical Health, Disability, And Social Support1407 Words   |  6 Pagesthe highest rate of suicide. These two growing incidences make the issue of late-life suicide a major health priority. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders that are experienced by the older adult, which has a strong association to suicide rate. Too often depression is under reported and older adults do not seek treatment for mental health problems. Assessing for risk factors for potential suicide in the elderly is a necessary part of proper health care. Suicide is 100% preventable andRead MoreUnderstanding Of Psychosocial Perspectives Within Health And Social Care2159 Words   |  9 Pageshealth and social care In this assignment I aim to discuss the sociological and psychological theories applicable to mental health practice. The sociological theories I will discuss are poverty and social stratification and the psychological theories will be attachment and social learning. I will base this on the John case study and will also look at the social, cultural, environmental and psychological factors that may have had an impact on his behaviour. I will then look at a range of social structuresRead MoreMedia, Youth And Culture : Application Of Theory1664 Words   |  7 PagesInteraction. Both gender identities will test the typical affiliated gender stereotype; which are created by social interactions – what a person sees and interprets in their world is what they believe and act accordingly to. The media has a very powerful effect on culture. Media has the ability to shape societal structures and operations. Dominant media forms (such as television and social media – the mediums) have assisted in the construction of gender roles and generalised norms. (Udel.edu) AdvertisingRead MoreWalk A Thon : Family Violence843 Words   |  4 Pagesparticipated in the walk, I had a least four people wondering what the was purpose of the walk. Having people come out and supporting a cause makes a huge difference because it lets people know that their not alone and people are here to help them in their time of need. It s important for us as a community to address family violence because its effects individuals mentally and physically in a negative manner that causes them to lack interaction in the community. Unfortunately for some individuals, home

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Terrible Trade Of The Slave Trade - 2289 Words

Maddie Long Mrs. Smith Research Essay 19 October 2015 The Terrible Trade Screams for relief, cries for comfort, and moans for death all revolved around the slave trade. The slave trade is an event that not only impacted Africa, but the whole world. This essay will explain how cultures were ruined and families were torn apart. The slave trade has influenced history worldwide because it has impacted countries economically, socially, and politically. The Middle Passage received its name because it is in the middle of the Triangular Trade. Legs of the triangular trade stretch from Europe to Africa, Africa to the Western Hemisphere, then back to Europe again. This was a great route for Europeans to get ships around the world quickly and efficiently. This is how the slave trade began (Meltzer 9). Most everyone in the world today has a descendent from slavery. Enslavement is a human being that is possessed by someone else, who does labor for free unwillingly. An owner could range from a King, Queen, Noble, Tribe, Government, Clergy, or Business owner. Slaves were considered similar to horses in a way because they could be bought, sold, hired out, exchanged, given as a gift, or inherited (Meltzer 9-1). The slave trade was more than five hundred miles long from Africa to the Americas. At least 30,000-55,000 ships went through the middle passage in the time of 1508-1888. In addition, only 9,778,500 out of the 11,698,000 slaves made it to the Americas. Slavery has been dated backShow MoreRelatedThe Terrible Trade Of The Slave Trade2324 Words   |  10 PagesMaddie Long Mrs. Smith Pre-AP English 10 19 October 2015 The Terrible Trade Screams for relief, cries for comfort, and moans for death all revolved around the slave trade. The slave trade is an event that not only impacted Africa, but the whole world even still today. This essay will explain how cultures were ruined and families were torn apart. 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Linda said of her master, â€Å"He had an iron will, and was determined to keep me, and to conquer me.† Then, about her lover, she said, â€Å"Even if he could have obtained permission to marry me while I was a slave, theRead MoreWhy Did Slave Trading Intensify in Nineteenth-Century East Africa?1103 Words   |  5 Pagesthe 19th century the East Africa was marked by the sadness event of slave trading in response to larger demanding markets. For a long time the exportation of slaves was made through the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to supply the Muslin world. However there was a greatly expansion of slave trades to the Atlantic ocean during 19th century. The slave trading increase during the 19th century due to the fact that the exportation of slaves was a profitable business, more than five times the export of ivoryRead MoreThe Difficult and Devastating Lives of African People725 Words   |  3 Pageswere the most common day for Africans. 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Monday, December 9, 2019

Accounting for Managers Global Reporting Framework

Question: Describe about the Accounting for Managers for Global Reporting Framework. Answer: Introduction The Global reporting framework is the most widely used Global Reporting initiative that gives direction to the company. This guideline helps the companies to improve their disclosure relating to the sustainability (Milne Gray, 2013). In Australia Blackmore is one of the largest health care businesses. In this, report the social and environmental impact of the operation of Blackmore is discussed. The guidelines of the GRI and the changes that are required to be made in the annual report are also discussed in this report. The benefit that will be derived by the shareholders, potential investors and other stakeholders of Blackmores on implementing the GRI guidelines is also highlighted in this report. Blackmores features History Maurice Blackmore established the Blackmore Company in 1932 and it has now become the leading health care company in Australia. The founder had a strong believe on preventive measures, natural health and recycling process so he led the way in developing a health care system based on these principles. The company opened its first health food store in Brisbane in 1938 and by 1985; it has become a public listed company (Bebbington et al., 2014). The company has a history and reputation of providing best quality product and services to its customers. The main aim of the company is to gain the leadership position in the health market and to achieve growth and success for shareholders and other stake holders. Size The company is listed in ASX and it has a market capitalization of $2.3 million. The market of the company was rapidly expanding in Asia and the company was unable to maintain the stock. In order to overcome this problem the company has entered into partnership agreement and invested heavily in the capacity building of the company (Ioannou Serafeim, 2014). In order to maintain the stock of the product in the vulnerable market the company is also maintaining inventory of scare material. In 2016, the company has experienced an increase of sale of 52% during the year and the total operational and sales related expenses incurred are of $454.00 and $225.00 million during the year. The operational and the sales related expenses have increased by 43% and 46% respectively during the year. This increase in expense shows that the company is focused in product innovation and sales. There has been a positive effect of the heavy expenditure as can be seen that in the last 12 months that the company has managed to produce 486 million tablets and 43 million capsules. This tablets and capsule were then shipped to the 25000 retail partners around the globe (Lozano, 2013). This shows that the demands of the companys product are continuously increasing. In order to address the increasing demand the company is continuously undertaking various capacity building measures and to main the quality of the standard. The company has also increased the staff and has changed the packaging facil ity to suit the increasing demanding. The company in order to maintain the high quality of product chooses supplier after appropriately auditing the supplier. The company increased the warehouse facility so that demand of the domestic and international market can be met. The company has also increased the production capacity from 4000 tablets to 13000 tablets per minute by heavily investing in the plant and equipment (Fonseca et al., 2014). Locations of the Blackmores The head office of the Blackmore is New South Wales in Australia and the company has also office in another states like west Australia, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. The company also has its operations in the regional areas of the states. The company also has its operation in many different countries like Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and many other countries. Product of the Blackmores The company has more than 250 health products of vitamin, mineral and herbal products that is of highest quality. The company has uniquely combined the modern and traditional method of medicine for providing the best health care facility across the globe. The company produces range of product and the ingredients provided are sourced from around the world (Eccles et al., 2012). The products that are made by the company comply with all the rules provided in the Australian Manufacturing standards and the company at regular intervals conducts quality checks of the products. Environmental and social impact The company for its wide range of product is heavily dependent on natural environment. The company is therefore committed in performing operation in an environmentally sustainable manner. The sustainable environment means progressing economically or developing without damaging or affecting the environment. The Blackmore focuses on environmental protection by incorporating sustainable development in the corporate governance responsibility in the community and workplace (Alonso?Almeida et al., 2014). Impact on Environment In order to minimize the impact of its operation on the environment the company is continuously engaged in innovation and exploring alternative ways of reducing the impact on the environment. The company has signed the Australian packaging convent in order to reduce the impact of the packing operation in the environment. The operating culture of the business is changing with the combined effort of the community, business and government so that a sustainable packaging solution for the business could be established. In order to reduce the waste the company uses glass for packaging its product so that impact of the environment could be reduced. The company has initiated a process of close loop in the year 2014 for bulk deliveries in the packaging facility. This initiative had helped the company to reduce the waste and cost of the company as a result the operating efficiency of the company has increased. The company has also adopted a process of paper less order picking to make its opera tion more environmental friendly. The environmentally sustainable features were adopted in the headquarters of the company by using its own electricity generating plant that runs parallel to the local grid. The company in local environment also helps in promoting bio diversity (Maas et al., 2016). Impact on Society The company followed the principle that if the people are taken care of then the people will take care of other issues. Based on this principle the company is committed for a long term social relationship. The company through education, social participation and research is positively influencing the society and promoting its corporate values. The company is also building global and local partnership so that a healthy and a wealthy culture could be established. The objective of the company is to develop a supportive workforce, marketplace and community. The company supports more than 50 charitable institutes and many individual for creating a better future. Guideline of GRI The Global Reporting initiative has launched the G4 sustainability report so that it is helpful for the shareholders and reporters. The organizations that are preparing the sustainability report the guidance is provided in the GRI guideline that is applicable to all the organization. The guideline requires the organization to disclose the information that are critical to the business operation and has impact on the environment, economy and society. The guideline further states that the impact may be positive or negative but both are required to be disclosed by the organization. This has helped to analyze the opportunities and risk by providing standardized and reliable information. These guidelines are designed in such a way that it can be implemented in any type of organization around the world. In 2001, GRI has recommended a report structure that has six key elements they are CEO statement, executive summary, profile of organization, key indicators, strategy and vision, management policies and performance. The executive summary statement was removed in 2002 and the CEO statement was removed to the vision and strategy sections. It is also provided in the guideline that the company is required to consult with the stakeholders and this consultation should be reported. The sustainability report aims to provide new opportunity for change and helps to make a better social development by providing long-term sustainable financial performance of the company. Blackmore has prepared the first sustainability report in 2016. It provided a basis for future reporting and the report was prepared after consulting with the stakeholders. Analysis of GAP The guidelines provided in the G4 for sustainability reporting should be applied in preparing the report. The contents of the report should have the following: The relevant areas should be identified and their effect on the activities should be assessed; The impact should be analyzed to identify whether it has occurred within the organization or outside the organization; The aspects that are identified should be prioritizing based on materiality and the decision should be made how much coverage is to be given. The approach of the management should be disclosed; The key indicators that has material aspect should be disclosed; The sustainability report was first implemented in the year 2016 so the annual report prior to this are analyzed. The information gap that is in annual report is unearthed by this analysis. The materiality is given more emphasis in the G4 sustainability report. The guidelines in the GRI states that the content of the report should provide in details the matters that are more critical. The report therefore should be focused on Material Aspect and the materiality should be maintained throughout the report. The initiatives that are taken by the management for addressing the material aspect should also be included in the report and it is provided under the heading Disclosure on management approach. The process of identifying the material aspect, the impact of the material aspect identified and the stakeholders that are involved in the process are provided in the report. The annual report of 2015 was not prepared in accordance with the GRI guideline. Therefore the report does not include the identification of material aspect and no disclosure of the management approach was also provided in the report. If the company would have followed the guideline then the above-mentioned topics should have been included in the annual report. The guidelines require the company to evaluate the impact of the material aspect. This process is known as boundary. If the annual report of the company is to be prepared in accordance with the GRI guideline then it should contain the process that is applied to assess the impact. The companies should maintain the document and the process should be highlighted in the annual report. The guideline states that the report of the company should be prepared by following any of the two methods (Antonia et al., 2013). The first method is in accordance level and the second method is without using the in accordance level and by just complying with the GRI guidelines. The supply chain issue is given more importance in the GRI guideline. The company is required to disclose the environmental and social impact of the supply chain management. The company is required to disclose the following as per the guideline: The procedure for selecting supplier particularly the screening process relating to their social and environmental impact; The identification of the impact of the supply chain whether positive or negative; The action that are taken by the company to minimize the impact; GRI Benefit The guidelines of the GRI provide a framework that highlights the issues relating to the society, environment and economy. It is a popular method of providing reporting and as a result, the comparability among the different organization is increased. The accountability of the company is increased by following the guideline. The trust between the companies and stakeholders are increased by the sustainability report. The potential investors those are sensitive to the environmental impact makes investment decision based on the sustainable business practice. The GRI guideline has provided more focus on the supply chain therefore it ensures that equal attention is given to all the stakeholder and not the investors. Conclusion This study has shown that GRI guidelines related to the sustainability reporting is an integral part of the holistic reporting. The reputation and the efficiency of the company increases if the reporting is based on the guidelines. It can be concluded that the Blackmores has gained immensely from the implementation of the sustainability reporting guidelines. Part B Byron Bay established Global Therapeutics in the year 1999. The company has ancient Chinese medicine and modern scientific medicines as its combination of the product line. The major expenses of the company after analyzing the financial statements is attributed to the expenses relating to the employee benefit and the inventories cost that are being sold and the other expenses comes from the operation of the lease payments of operations. The other expenses of the company in regard to its current costs of operation are the distribution and selling cost. Cost behavior is nothing but the changes that occur in the different types of cost due to the changes in the level of production. According to the cost behavior, there exist three types of cost that is variable cost, semi variable cost and fixed cost. The variable cost changes with the change in the level of production and the cost increases with the increase in the unit of output produced and decrease with the decrease in the output. The variable cost per unit that is the average variable cost does not change and remains constant. Semi variable cost is the mixture of both the fixed and the variable cost (Clinto et al., 2012). The telephonic expense is regarded as the semi variable cost. Fixed cost on the other hand remains fixed irrespective of the changes in the level of output. This cost is incurred by the organization if it does produce any level of output. The cost of operation identified in case of Global Therapeutics are expense related to employees, inventory cost and lease payment. Here, semi variable cost is employee related expense, the fixed cost is the lease payment, and the inventory cost is the variable cost (DRURY, 2013). In order to evaluate the desirability of the break even analysis for Global Therapeutic acquisition, it is essential to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the break even analysis. Break even analysis is nothing but the analyzing the relationship between the cost and profit. Advantages of Break even analysis: Change in the selling price can be easily predicted Loss and profits can be measured at different level of sales and production The relationship between the fixed and variable cost is analyzed using this tool Disadvantages of break even analysis: Time consuming process The sales price is assumed to be constant The tool is applicable to one product and one mix product The break even analysis helps in generating the profit to the business after evaluating and identifying the excessive fixed and reducing it accordingly. The cost behavior of the acquired business needs to be appropriately analyzed. The inefficiencies of the business would be identifying the excess cost and reducing it. The only factor to be considered in decision making is the achievement of the break even early and the fixed cost reduction. The break even analysis is considered suitable if the primary decision making of the business in the short term is profitability (Horngren et al., 2013). The organization is able to align the activities with the vision statement by suing the planning and strategic management tool of balanced scorecard which makes the organizations holistic view. The business is analyzed into internal, financial, customer, business process, growth and learning using the approach of balanced score card (Kaplan Atkinson, 2015). Customer perspective: Customer satisfaction is of primary importance in this regard as this would help in gaining the market share. If the medicines launched by the business helps in curing the disease and is authentic then the company would easily achieve customer satisfaction. The company needs to do the marketing aggressively to capture the share of the market (Merchant, 2012). Financial perspective: The objective of the company from the financial perspective is increase the return on capital employed and triggers the growth in sales. The company needs to create the distribution channel with the practitioner of Chinese medicine and increasing the expense on advertising of the Chinese medicine. The company would be able to generate the profits by increasing sales of medicines and reducing the cost and thereby increasing the return on capital employed (Luft, 2015). Internal business process: The management of the inventory and the modernization of the process involved is the objective of the business under this perspective. The company needs to be prudent in employing techniques as the medicines are based on ancient process. The inventories are needed to be properly accounted either on the basis of LIFO and FIFO if the objective of the inventory management needs to be attained (Shields, 2015). Perception of learning and growth: Under this perceptive, the learning and training opportunities of the employees and the satisfaction of the jobs of employees are the two objectives. The company needs to provide the educational and training facilities to the employees and the company should provide the best environment for the employees to work in and the jobs suited to the expertise of the employees should be provided (Nasseri et al., 2016). Part C a) calculation of Breakeven point and sales Particulars Protein Shakes Power up Vitamin Recharge bars Fixed Costs $ 58,783.78 $ 58,783.78 $ 27,432.43 Contribution per unit $ 4.35 $ 5.55 $ 2.80 Breakeven point 13512 10590 9794 Break even sales $ 105,392.81 $ 100,609.41 $ 54,849.19 b) calculation of profit after tax Particulars Protein Shakes Power up Vitamin Recharge bars Units 15000 15000 21781 Selling Price per unit $ 7.80 $ 9.50 $ 5.60 Sales $ 117,000.00 $ 142,500.00 $ 121,973.60 Less: Variable costs Ingredient costs $ (46,500.00) $ (54,000.00) $ (59,897.75) packaging costs $ (5,250.00) $ (5,250.00) $ (1,089.05) Contribution $ 65,257.80 $ 83,259.50 $ 60,992.40 less: Fixed costs $ (42,003.82) $ (42,003.82) $ (60,992.35) Profit Before Tax $ 23,253.98 $ 41,255.68 $ 0.05 Less: tax @30% $ (6,976.19) $ (12,376.70) $ - Profit After tax $ 16,277.78 $ 28,878.97 $ 0.05 Suggestions for the strategic alternative To: Retail head of Blackmores From: Strategic consultant Date: 06.10.2016 Subject: Suggesting the alternative changes Introduction The memo is intended to show the initiatives, which are required to be achieved. The requirement is related to provide the attainment of the breakeven in the initial stages and increase the overall profit. Strategic initiatives The level of breakeven can be attained in the early stages by making an increment in the contribution. Moreover, the increasing contribution will able to reduce the variable cost or make an increase in sales price. The increase in the selling price will decrease the competitive edge and increasing the marked price is not an option. The companies can look forward in reducing the cost excess expenses. In the event of excess expenses company should look forward to reduce the same for generating more profit and achievement of the early breakeven sales. Company can also consider increasing the overall sales (Bebbington Thomson 2013). The analysis of Profit after tax (PAT) except recharge all the products are able to make profit. Additionally the recharge bar is observed to show a positive contribution, at the same time making a net loss. It has been observed that the recharge bar attains the break even at the level 27181 units. Hence, the company should at least consider selling the afor ementioned number of units to increase the profit and reduce costs. Conclusion The analysis shows that the company should increase its sales to increase the profit. The estimates show that the profit of the company will increase by the implementation of the strategy. Reference Alonso?Almeida, M., Llach, J., Marimon, F. (2014). A closer look at the Global Reporting Initiativesustainability reporting as a tool to implement environmental and social policies: A worldwide sector analysis.Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management,21(6), 318-335. Antonia Garca-Benau, M., Sierra-Garcia, L., Zorio, A. (2013). Financial crisis impact on sustainability reporting.Management decision,51(7), 1528-1542. Bebbington, J., Thomson, I. (2013). 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