Organisational Change Case Study

Introduction This essay will explore a case study of Origin Energy to illustrate an organisation that has undergone a change. The organisational culture before and after the change will be described, management styles within the organisation will be analysed, the relationship between motivation and performance will also be explored and finally the change management strategies used by the organisation will be discussed as well. Each of these sections will be explored to support the hypothesis that culture is an integral part of an organisation.Before the individual sections are discussed however, the essay will look at the background of Origin Energy. Background Origin Energy is a leading energy provider within the Asia-Pacific region. It is involved in finding new sources of energy, producing and retailing it. After the de-merger of Origin Energy from Boral in 2000 it officially became an energy company. It began as a gas company that later ventured into the electricity industry as w ell. Origin Energy has made many investments and undertaken many acquisitions of various businesses in both industries to ensure its place on the market.The environment that Origin Energy trades on is ever changing due the deregulation of the energy market in Australia (Waddell, Cummings & Worley, 2007). Therefore, certain measures have been undertaken by Origin Energy to increase the efficiency of its work and provide better service to its customers. Origin Energy did not have the resources in the founding years of their business to manage the credit and billing sections of their business and therefore it outsourced these functions to a financial business named Wipro.After many years of this function being performed by Wipro and the constant expansion of Origin Energy it was decided in 2007 that to increase the proficiency of Origin Energy’s billing and credit processes the teams that were performing this function at Wipro were provided with the opportunity to be transitione d across to work internally for Origin Energy. Organisational Culture Culture is said to be the representation of social discourses such as belief systems, attitudes, values, behaviour and norms that distinguish a society Wood et al. , 2010). This definition on culture is closely matched to the definition of culture as the accumulation of human traditions and customs and that culture is a social construction (Berry & Sam, 2006). Culture exists on a nationalistic level, however it also exists within organisations (Wood et al. , 2010). Organisational culture can often be derived from the national culture’s shared discourse (Wood et al. , 2010). It is also possible because organisations are sub-systems of a society (Wood et al. 2010). Although organisations share similarities to the host culture each organisation has their own individual culture (Select Knowledge, 2001). Organisational culture can be defined similarly to the definition of culture provided previously in that it i s the shared discourses of the people belonging to it (Bartol, 2008). It is through the process of interacting with others that a person learns culture and cultural discourses are transmitted (Schein, 1987).Organisational culture is reflected by the shared assumptions held in the organisation as well as in its rituals, policies, systems, and procedures which influence the assumed desired behaviours that the organisation believes is part of their culture (Bartol, 2008). The culture of an organisation can be explained by using Hofstede’s (1997) dimensions of values, which for the purpose of this essay will only include power distance and masculinity versus femininity.In diagnosing Origin Energy’s existing culture within its billing team after their transition from Wipro, it has been suggested that firstly the culture before the transition was completed should be compared to the current culture so that the current culture can be more clearly identified (Waddell, Cummings & Worley, 2007). The first dimension power distance describes the level at which power is distributed throughout the organisation, meaning that an organisation might have levels of power for its employees or not (Hofstede, 1997).In terms of this relating to Origin Energy’s billing teams before their transition from Wipro is that their experience with Origin Energy has let them be less subject to a power hierarchy than they were at Wipro where the structure of power is more rigid (Origin Energy, 2010). Origin uses a more collaborative approach to making decisions in that the managers communicate with and value input and feedback from their employees (Origin Energy, 2010). Also employees have autonomy is handling complex issues, although the managers hold a position of power in aking the final decision and are involved in the maintenance of procedures and behaviours (Origin Energy, 2010). This was not their experience at Wipro where they had less autonomy, as they were boss-sub ordinate and this means that they needed their manager’s approval to make decisions on issues (Waddell, Cummings & Worley, 2007). In the other dimension used to illustrate the culture before and after the billing teams were contracted to Origin is masculinity versus femininity (Hofstede, 1997).Masculinity refers to the emphasis on competition and assertiveness in an organisation and there is more attention placed on success (Hofstede, 1997). In regards to the billing team they have experienced a stronger sense of this strive for success with Origin Energy than they did with Wipro as the energy market that Origin Energy trades on is more competitive than the finance industry in light of the deregulation of gas and electricity which was mentioned previously (Origin Energy, 2010; Waddell, Cummings & Worley, 2007). Femininity refers to the emphasis on relationships and the quality of life (Hofstede, 1997).The billing team have experienced higher value on the quality of life and t he fostering of relationships with Origin Energy as they were more openly communicated to by their managers at Origin Energy as it has a more collaborative approach to involving staff participation in organisational processes than they had at Wipro where they experienced a more authoritarian approach to decision making from their managers and this is evident by the use of fortnightly meetings conducted by Origin Energy’s managers (Origin Energy, 2010).Origin also offers more flexible start and finish times for employees as long as their hours are properly completed where Wipro was more rigid about their working times (Origin Energy, 2010). Throughout this comparison of culture various leadership styles have briefly been mentioned, as they are part of organisational culture and help to facilitate it (Hoffman, 2005). Management and Leadership Styles Two leadership theories can be used to explain how Origin Energy has fostered this culture and explain their approach in managing their newly contracted billing team.These two theories include House’s Path-Goal Leadership Theory and the Transactional Leadership Theory. House’s Path-Goal Theory gives insight into the reason for the identified culture of Origin Energy as it factors in that leaders affect the motivation of employees to accomplish tasks to receive rewards and the leader’s style will influence the performance and satisfaction of their employees (Shriberg & Shriberg, 2006). The theory states that a leader is responsible to motivate employees to achieve goals and the level of motivation of the employees is dependant of the clarification of expectations (Lussier & Achua, 2010).It can be used to identify and explain different leadership styles (Shriberg & Shriberg, 2006). As mentioned previously Origin Energy takes a more collaborative approach in the process of decision-making and is less power distant (Hofstede, 1997) with its employees than Wipro. According to House’s Pat h-Goal Theory, Origin’s managers use a participative leadership style as the managers consult with and account for employee’s suggestions before a decision is made and provide employee with an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the decision (Landy & Conte, 2007).Another theory that demonstrates Origin Energy’s approach to leadership is the Transactional Leadership Theory. Transactional Leadership Theory involves the agreed expectations between managers and employees that are exchanged daily between the two parties to ascertain routine tasks on performance are completed successfully (Wood et al. , 2010). According to this theory leaders are more task driven and make employees more compliant in striving to achieve organisational goals (Martin, Cashel, Wagstaff & Breunig, 2006).Importance is placed on employees’ contribution and responsibility regarding the organisation (Kakabadse, Bank & Vinnicombe, 2004). The transactional leadership perspectiv e states that leaders will be involved with their employees when the employees require direction (Martin et al. , 2006). The focus is on the self-purpose of the employees and therefore the manager has little involvement with the employees (Kakabadse, Bank & Vinnicombe, 2004). This is evident in the organisational culture of Origin Energy as the billing teams’ employees have autonomy in their roles as discussed previously (Origin Energy, 2010).Like House’s Path-Goal Theory there are elements to leadership styles in Transactional Leadership Theory (Wood et al. , 2010). Transactional Leadership Theory may state that managers have little involvement with their employees however the theory applies to task-orientated leaders that are able to facilitate the achievement of goals (Martin et al. , 2006). The leadership styles of this theory reflect that and the style used by Origin Energy’s managers is the active management by exception approach (Wood et al. , 2010). This means concentration is placed on the correction of irregularities and mistakes of the employees’ activities (Wood et al. 2010). This is the case for Origin Energy as mentioned earlier the managers allow employees autonomy in their roles, although they are responsible for maintaining expected norms and standards of the organisation and therefore can correct any deviation from the organisations procedures and standards of behaviour (Wood et al. , 2010). Leaders have an impact on the motivation of their employees and motivation is also influenced by organisational culture, which in turn has an influence on performance (Bartol, 2008). Motivation and Performance Theories of motivation can be used to describe the relationship between performance and motivation.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is one of the theories that can be used to demonstrate this. In this theory Maslow identified five basic human needs (Maslow & Stephens, 2000). Namely these needs Maslow identified, in orde r from the most fundamental, are physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualisation (Pattanayak, 2005). Physiological needs refer to the basic needs of eating, having shelter and wearing clothes (Hodgetts & Hegar, 2008). As Origin Energy has contracted the billing team from Wipro they aid employees in satisfying this need. Safety needs involve security and stability (Wood et al. 2010). Origin Energy’s managers openly communicates with their staff to ensure they are made aware of change and understand the reasons for it which allows the employees to feel more secure in their positions within the organisation (Wood et al. , 2010). Third is the need for affiliation and acceptance, which comes from a desire to belong, and as previously discussed Origin Energy’s culture is feminine (Hofstede, 1997) in the sense that the organisation fosters relationships between its staff and this can be seen through the use of their fortnightly meetings.The esteem need rel ates to self-esteem, respect, achievement and recognition of performance (Hodgetts & Hegar, 2008). Origin Energy aids employees to satisfy this needs by allowing their participation in organisational processes. The highest need on the hierarchy is self-actualisation and this need is about realising one’s own potential as well as the growth and development desired to fulfill that potential (Agarwal, 1982). Origin Energy allows their employees autonomy in their roles, training to be successful in them and there are opportunities for advancement (Origin Energy, 2010).Another Theory that helps to describe the relationship of motivation and performance is Herzberg Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Herzberg’s theory is based on the assumption that there are factors that add to employees’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Daft, 2005). Hygiene factors relate to factors in context to the job such as organisational policies; supervision, salaries, communication and the condition s at work (Borkowski, 2010). Motivation factors are associated to factors related to job content (Montana & Charnov, 2000).Motivators directly influence individuals’ attitudes and performance at work (Waiguchu, Tiagha & Mwaura, 1999) and consist of having recognition, achievement, responsibility, advancement and the work itself (Borkowski, 2010). When motivators are present they affect the satisfaction of the job for employees and in turn creates high motivation, which leads to job enrichment (Daft, 2005). Job enrichment relates to the use of hygiene and motivators within the job roles (Sapru, 2006). Participative management is a product of this theory (Sapru, 2006).As Origin Energy is seen to use participative management, incorporate the motivators and provides the hygiene factors specified by Herzberg into their roles to lessen job dissatisfaction, they have increased the performance of the billing teams and this is evident in their productivity and behaviour since they wer e contracted to work for Origin Energy (Origin Energy, 2010). The successful performance of the billing teams and their adaption to Origin Energy’s culture can also be attributed to the implementation of effective change management strategies.Change Management Strategies Organisations are affected by the changes that occur not only in their internal environment but also from the external one in which they exist (Wood et al. , 2010). Therefore, from this awareness organisations are required to respond to change (Anderson & Anderson, 2010). The reasons for change are crucial to understand as they provide the context for the change to occur in (Anderson & Anderson, 2007). As mentioned reviously Origin Energy contracted the billing teams from Wipro in an attempt to improve operational efficiency to meet ongoing customer requirements (Origin Energy, 2010). Origin went about implementing certain strategies to successfully implement this change. Firstly, Origin Energy analysed the c urrent and future states of their business regarding the issue, which is essential to begin and prepare for the process of organisational change (Origin Energy, 2010; Anderson & Anderson, 2010).Secondly, Origin Energy and Wipro planned for the change in attempt to create communication with all stakeholders as well as evaluate and pre-empt the risk involved and ensure that there was an operational way for the change to occur, which according to Oakland and Tanner (2007) is a measure for successful change management (Origin Energy, 2010). Origin Energy implemented the change by understanding communication was the key for the success of the transition (Anderson & Anderson, 2010; Origin Energy, 2010).The managers of Origin Energy and the ones moving over from Wipro were engaged regularly by briefing meetings to inform them of the processes being undertaken to confirm the change flowed down and directed their teams, which is an effective way to implement change (Oakland & Tanner, 2007; O rigin Energy, 2010). Another change management strategy used by Origin Energy was the training of each team as they moved them over in stages (Origin Energy, 2010). This was performed by Origin Energy to align the billing teams with Origin Energy’s culture and processes (Oakland & Tanner, 2007).Origin Energy’s evaluation of the change indicated the objective of increasing the proficiency of its credit and billing function was achieved (Origin Energy, 2010. ) Conclusion Earlier in the essay the background of Origin Energy was described. A definition of organisational culture as well as Origin Energy’s culture before and after it underwent the change was discussed. It explored the management and leadership styles within the organisation, the relationship between motivation and performance and the change management strategies utilized by Origin Energy.Each of these sections was analysed to support the hypothesis that culture is an integral part of an organisation a nd this was proven through each discussion as culture influenced the process of Origin contracting the billing teams to work internally for it. References Agarwal, R. D. (1982). Organization and management. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw-Hill. Anderson D. , & Anderson, L. (2010). Beyond change management: How to achieve breakthrough results through conscious change leadership (2nd ed. ). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Bartol, K. (2008). Management: a Pacific Rim focus (5th ed. . NSW, Australia: McGraw-Hill. Berry, J. , & Sam, D. (2006). The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Borkowski, N. (2010). Organizational behavior in health care (2nd ed. ). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Daft, R. (2005). The leadership experience (4th ed. ). OH, USA: Thompson Higher Education. Hodgetts, R. , & Hegar, K. (2008). Modern human relations at work (10th ed. ). OH, USA: Thompson Higher Education. Hoffman, S. (2005). How do motivation a nd leadership affect the corporate culture of multinational firms?.Germany: GRIN Verlag. Hofstede, G. (1997). Cultures and organisations: Software of the mind, intercultural co-operation and its importance for survival. New York: McGraw Hill. Kakbadse, A. , Bank, J. , & Vinnicombe, S. (2004). Working in organizations. Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing Limited. Landy, F. , & Conte, M. (2007). Work in the 21st century: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology (2nd ed. ). Carlton, Victoria: Blackwell Publishing. Lussier, R. , & Achua, C. (2010). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development (4th ed. . OH, USA: Cengage Learning. Martin, B. , Cashel, C. , Wagstaff, M. , & Breunig, M. (2006). Outdoor leadership: Theory and practice. Maslow, A. , & Stephens, C. (2000). The Maslow business reader. New York, USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Montana, P. , & Charnov, B. (2000). Management (3rd ed. ). New York, USA: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. Oakland,J. S. , & Tanner, S. (2007). Successful change management. Total Quality Management, 18(1-2),1-19. Origin Energy. (2010, November 12). Source. Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://source. riginenergy. com. au Pattanayak, B. (2005). Human resources management (3rd ed. ). New Delhi, India: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited. Sapru, R. K. (2006). Administrative theories and management thought. New Delhi, India: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited. Schein, E. (1987). Organisational culture and leadership. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Select Knowledge. (2001). Succeeding in the modern organizational culture. Retrieved from Google Books database. Shriberg A. , & Shriberg, D. (2006). Practicing leadership: Principles and applications.United States of America: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Waddell, D. , Cummings, T. , & Worley, C. (2007). Organisation development and change: Asia Pacific (3rd ed. ). South Melbourne, Victoria: Thompson. Waiguchu, J. , Tiagha, E. , & Mwaura, M. (1999). Manag ement of organisations in Africa: A handbook and reference. USA: Quorom Books. Wood, J. , Zeffane, R. , Fromholtz, M. , Wiesner, R. , Creed, A. , Schermerhorn, J. , Hunt. , & Osborn, R. (2010). Organisational behaviour: Core concepts and applications (2ND ed. ). New York, USA: John Wiley & sons, Inc.

A Woman Named Martha Josey Essay

Barrel racing is one of the rare sports developed initially for women. It is a â€Å"rodeo event in which a horse and the rider attempts to make a run as fast as possible and complete the given pattern† (Hubbard 1999). Any device that has a timer will be the judge for this kind of sport as it aims to record the level of speed. The timer â€Å"begins when the rider cross the start line and ends when the rider successfully executed the barrel pattern or when they cross the finish line†. Apparently, this kind of sport needs a great deal of strength, athletic ability, intelligence and drive; and therefore needs a lot of training. Barrel racing and horsemanship to be executed by women is somehow amazing. Some suggest that this kind of sport must only be played by men. It is said that the arena is more unhealthy and dangerous to women since they are apparently weaker than men physiologically. Martha Josey though is one of the few women who took the courage to try this kind of sport despite its high level of physical risks. Martha Josey is a world champion barrel racer and thus an inspiration to everyone in the sport of rodeo. She is now considered a â€Å"Cowgirl Hall of Famer after qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo on eight different horses in four consecutive decades from 1968 to 1998† (Hubbard 1999). Horses played a great contribution on Josey’s success. Some of her most famous horses that brought her to national finals and championship are â€Å"Cebe Reed, Sonny Bit O’Both and Orange Smash† (Diccus 2006). The horse â€Å"Cebe qualified Martha for her first National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1968 and 1969† (Diccus 2006). In later years when Martha teamed up with â€Å"the big bay gelding, Sonny Bit O’ Both, she was again qualified to the NFR four years in a row from 1978 to 1981† (Diccus 2006). Furthermore Sonny set an all time record in 1980 â€Å"as he was the only horse in history to win the AQHA and WPRA World Championship† (Diccus 2006). But due to Sonny’s oldness later on, Martha introduced Orange Smash who gave her â€Å"the NBHA Senior Championship and Reserved Open 1- D Championship in Augusta, Georgia† (Diccus 2006). Moreover, Orange Smash made Josey â€Å"qualified for the NFR in 1998 and received the Gold- Round Winner Buckle† (Diccus 2006). Due to the consistent win of Martha Josey, Orange Smash received the â€Å"1999 AQHA Best of America’s Horse Award†. What is unique about Martha Josey is her calmness in arena every time. Her exterior disguises with â€Å"her impeccable manicure, makeup and outfit†, Martha looks to be attending a simple luncheon instead of a dusty and dangerous arena (Hubbard 1999). Her external manifestations, her better looking horses and her calmness made her stood out in crowd for past decades. Her reputation as a horse racer is radiating every time she wins. Meanwhile, throughout her career, Martha Josey also helped others to build their careers who are interested in barrel racing. Josey also â€Å"has helped build barrel racing’s recognition as a professional rodeo event, and in part through her efforts, barrel racing is held in the same arena and with the same respect and spectator interest as any of the other rodeo events† (Broyles 2006, p. 13). At this point of time, Martha Josey continues to compete for World Championship and is often featured in â€Å"Equine magazine† (Broyles 2006, p. 12). In addition, she manage to produce educational videos and documentaries about rodeo, markets her own line of equine products, establishes various clinics throughout America and helps promote Purina products. Right now, â€Å"she and her husband also train and market the very best in barrel horses at their home ranch in Marshall, Texas. The ranch is also home to world-class competitions† (Broyles 2006, p. 12). Martha Josey is one of the successful women in history who prove that women can be equal than men in whatever areas. The criticisms she received just because she is a woman did not affected her at all. In fact, she approach those criticisms constructively. Moreover, she emphasizes the fact that in sport in order to be successful, one should undergo a lot of training and one should intelligently approach every challenges. She is now currently living in Texas constantly fulfilling her passion in rodeo sport through helping others to be a winner too just like her. Reference: Broyles, J. (2006). â€Å"Barrel Racing†. New York USA. The Rosen Publishing Group. Diccus, T. (2006). â€Å"Martha Josey- The Legend by Ron Atwood†. Tamara Hillman on line. Retrieved on June 4, 2009 from http://www. rodeocountry. org/tamarahillmanbuckinbroncos. htm Hubbard, C. (1999). â€Å"Smash Success Martha Josey eyes her fifth decade at the National Finals†. Active Interest Media, Inc. from the book of American Cowboy.

Family marriage Essay

On the night of Feb 28th, the last day of classes, Nilesh proposed to Geeta, his MBA classmate of nearly a year and a half. Geeta agreed immediately and wondered if all her classmates will be able to attend their wedding as once they all go back to their homes it would be really very difficult for everyone to get together again. Suddenly, Nilesh came up with the idea: what if they got married on March 22nd? â€Å"But how could it be? Our convocation is on March 21st Geeta said. â€Å"Exactly! All our classmates will definitely come here for convocation and they would not mind staying an extra day for the wedding. In fact, we will get the blessings of even their parents as many are planning to come for the convocation. † Geeta: Right. But so many things have to be done. That is also when the wedding season starts and all the reception halls become unavailable. For our send-off party, juniors were saying that hotels were insisting on 17 days notice. Of course, for Rs 5000/- extra the notice period can be reduced to 10 days. Nilesh: I want my brother and sister-in-law to come for the wedding. Geeta: But, they are in US and working. They will require at least 10 days before they can be here. Also my parents will have to buy your sister-in-law a sari-set (sari with matching blouse and petticoat) as per the tradition. She will have to be here well in time so that they can be fitted well. Nilesh: And catering! It takes two days to choose the menu and Pandal decorations. Hotel Sayaji wants at least 10 days notice period before the formal engagement ceremony (one night before the wedding). Geeta: And what about our dresses? These days, it is better to get it made after choosing the pattern and buying the material yourself. It would take three days to choose the pattern and eight days to order and receive the material after Nilesh: Yes. But the material supplier can deliver in five days if we pay an extra of Rs 1000/- for expediting it. Geeta: I want Joyti of Asha Boutique to work on our dresses. Nilesh: But she charges Rs 500/- for one day of work. Geeta: If I got my mother to do all the services, we could finish the dresses in 11 days. If Joyti helped, we could cut that down to six days, at a cost of Rs 500/- for each day less than 11 days. Nilesh: It would take another two days to do the final fitting. Then dry-cleaner will take two days to clean and press the dresses unless we pay Ps 1000/- for the express service of single day delivery. Geeta: That’s right. By the way, have you thought about invitations? Nobody will come unless we invite them formally. Nilesh: Anand Printing Press will take 12 days to print the invitation cards. Of course, they do have an express service and can deliver in five days if we pay them extra Rs 1500/Geeta: It will take three days to prepare the matter which will be printed and select the styles. Nilesh: Given the postal delays, the invitations have to go out at least 10 days before the wedding. Geeta: Mailing them will take a day and that cannot be done until we write addresses on them. Addressing will take four days unless we hire some help. We can finish addresses in two days if we hire a part-time help for Ps 200/-. Geeta: We also have to buy some jewellery items to be given as gift to my brother-in-law. It will take a day to do that Nilesh: But before we start writing address, we will have to prepare a guest list. We can’t afford to miss out on anyone important, as that will have an impact on the relationship with them forever. We will have to be really thorough on that. I think it will take four days to prepare an exhaustive guest list. Geeta: That does sound like a lot. Now it certainly looks much easier to earn an MBA degree than get married!!! QUESTIONS:1. Given the activities and precedence relationships described in the (A) case, develop a network diagram for the wedding plans. 2. Identify the paths. Which are critical? 3. What is the maximum cost plan that meets the March 22nd deadline? Case -2 {Continuation of Case 2} Marks-15 Several complications arose during the course of trying to meet the deadline of March 21, for the Nilesh— Geeta engagement. Since it was important for Nilesh and Geeta to get married on March 22nd, the implications of each of these complications had to be assessed. 1. All hotels informed that the express booking had to be withdrawn that year as there was a mad-rush for getting married, and therefore Nilesh and Geeta would have to give 17 days’ notice. 2. A call to the US revealed that brother and sister-in-law couldn’t leave till March 1st as they had urgent deadlines at work. 3. Nilesh came down with four day flu just as he started to work on the guest list. 4. The dress material was lost in transit. Notice of loss was delivered to Geeta on March 10th. 5. There was an unplanned repair work at Sayaji on March 8. They informed that they would be closed for two to three days. QUESTIONS :1. Given your answers to the (A) case, describe the effects on the wedding plans of each incident noted in the (B) case. SECTION B Attempt any 5 questions:- Marks-50 1) What is the linkage between product choices and process choices in an organization? 2) How can the internet affect the practice of operations management? Does it have any implications for operations strategy? 3) Does the organization structure influence the product development process and way? Explain. 4) Distinguish between assignable and common causes of variations. Why is this distinction important quality control? 5) How does the choice of the layout affect of the operational performance of an organization? 6) Explain how forecasting helps an organization handle uncertainties.

International Change and the Social World II Essay

International Change and the Social World II - Essay Example Family can be formally defined on the basis of two aspects namely as a social institution and as an ideology. The paper is aimed to discuss the two aspects of the family. In addition the, different theoretical bases in the study of sociology, the functionalist approach and the feminist perspective will be used to understand the different concepts within the family. In the study of the family, the common and universal knowledge that every individual in the society possesses is related to the function of the family as a social institution. Through the course of history until the present era though, the concept of the family is continuously developing and changing. During the early part of the 20th century, specifically the 50’s and 60’s, the concept of the family had been defined through the functionalist approach proposed by Talcott Parsons. The said theoretical perspective is mainly based on the different functions of the family as a whole as well as the role of the different members for the family. The functionalist approach can then be considered as a structured definition of the concept of the family. He defined the different functions of the family in the society such as the development of the children in terms of socialization and the stabilization of the adult personality. Parsons’ view specifically presented the family as an independent unit. The father as the one who defined the occupational role in the family and the stratification of the family based on gender were included in the said theoretical perspective (Unit B Introduction, p.58). The functionalist approach can be considered as a classical view on the concept of the family. This can be attributed to the fact that during the said era the family was more structured and there was strict cultural norms related to the roles within the family and in the society. As the needs of the people and the society changes, the theoretical perspective

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Early childhood education- case analysis - Essay Example This paper makes a conclusion that teachers develop a curriculum from observing the children and noting down their developmental skills, interests and other possibilities they can discover on their own within the parameters of safety. This curriculum envisions implementation in an environment organized by teachers to be rich in possibilities and provocations that challenge children to explore, problem-solve, usually in small groups while the teachers act as keen observers or recorders of the children’s learning. Teachers get to balance their role by sometimes joining the circle of children and sometimes objectively remaining outside the loop. In doing so, children are allowed feelings of success as they manage to be architects of their own learning. This exercise of analyzing the case helps teachers be more aware of the learning that goes on during play, link it to theory, and guide these children to pursue their interests in a safe and conducive environment. This paper talks that children had the freedom to communicate with whoever they wanted in the environment. Children relate to others on their own. Imogen felt the need to share the information she learned from her exploration with her friends. The learning environment provided the children with opportunities to explore and to learn for themselves. Learning ensues in a conducive environment that offers interactions with peers and supportive adults. Piaget contends that children learn a lot from interactions with the environment, at the same time, Vygotsky theorizes that children learn through conversations and involvement with peers and adults. ... dges (2008) explains that the play-based curriculum of Te Whaariki provides children with several opportunities to express, represent, explore and extend their numerous interests (Strands 4 and 5, all goals). She offers that a socio-cultural approach can bring out children from the comforts of their own culture; hence, the quality of teaching relationships should encourage and extend such interests of the children to venture into the real world. Allowing Imogen to pursue her interest in caterpillars and equipping her with the knowledge and skills in this area gave her confidence to show her â€Å"expertise† to her peers (Principle of Empowerment, Strand 3, all goals, Strand 4, goal 4). What was impressive was the adults’ approach in the children’s learning as they threw stimulating questions at the children to deepen their explorations and discoveries. This is consistent with Te Whaariki’s belief that young children need adults who can provide them with th e resources, challenges and support they need for their widening interests and problem-solving capacities (Principles of Family and Community and Relationship) (MOE, 1996). Hedges (2008) advises teachers to be more responsive to the â€Å"here and now†. They need to loosen the reins of control over curriculum planning and share the construction of learning experiences with the children. This empowers children to learn for themselves and not just to respond to what the teacher offers (Principle of Empowerment, Holistic Development, Strands 3 and 5, all goals). Malaguzzi (1993) concludes that teachers should be researchers that think and produce a true curriculum centered on children’s needs. Teachers develop a curriculum from observing the children and noting down their developmental skills, interests and other

Osborn-Parnes Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Osborn-Parnes Model - Essay Example However, by searching for several good answers through the combination of divergent and convergent thinking using imaginative techniques at all stages of the Osborn-Parnes model, it becomes possible to arrive at several workable and innovative solutions. This model has five major steps, although the mess-finding step, which is preliminary in nature, is also added to locate a problem or challenge to which the model can be applied. These steps are mess or objective finding, fact finding, problem finding, idea finding, solution finding or evaluation of ideas, and acceptance finding or implementation of ideas (Treffinger et al, 2012). Each of these steps first employs divergent thinking, whereby there is generation of ideas, after which convergent thinking is applied for the selection of the most promising ideas to be explored further. This paper will apply the Osborn-Parnes model to solve a problem related to opening a maternity shop in a retirement village. The mess-finding or objective-finding stage is the preliminary phase of the creative problem solving process. During the start of the creative problem solving process, one may not have an idea concerning where their creative thinking skills are applicable. This is the phase where one becomes aware of the concerns, challenges, and problems that require to be solved, during which opportunities and challenges are identified (Arp, 2012). Here, both divergent and convergent thinking styles are used with the aim of identifying the business, objectives and concerns. To begin with, because people living in retirement villages are not looking to get children, the sales and marketing process will face several objections. This type of shop, firstly, would be quite profitable if it was opened in a retirement village because there are no such shops open, which would provide first move competitive advantage.

Obsessive compulsive disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Obsessive compulsive disorder - Research Paper Example In many cases it’s onset begins in childhood at about the age of ten. It is thought to be two or three times more common than schizophrenia or manic depression. The Amercian Academy of Family Physicians (2006) describes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as â€Å"an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and to repeat certain behaviors (compulsions) over and over again†. They point out that although everyone has daily routines and habits for people with OCD the patterns of behavior get in the way of their daily lives. Thurkington (2009) describes OCD in the Encyclopedia of Medicine as a type of anxiety disorder. She defines Anxiety Disorder as â€Å"the experience of prolonged, excessive worry about circumstances in ones life†. OCD she explains is characterized by â€Å"distressing repetitive thoughts, impulses or images that are intense, frightening, absurd, or unusual. These thoughts are followed by ritualized actions that are usually biz arre and irrational†. The ritual actions are the compulsions and are thought to help to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessive thoughts. People with OCD usually have both obsession and compulsion but there are occasionally people with only one. OCD can be accompanied by other anxiety disorders such as eating disorders or depression. A person with OCD can have ideas, images and impulses going through his mind repeatedly and not be able to control them. These obsessive thoughts make the person anxious and scared and they keep trying to get rid of these feelings by performing certain behaviors. These then become compulsive behaviors. The American Family of Physicians (2006) lists some of the common obsessive feelings and the common compulsive behaviors. Among the most common obsessions are the fear of dirt or germs, disgust with bodily waste, fear of harming someone, obsession with order and exactness and need for

Health Care Costs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Care Costs - Assignment Example Physicians will benefit from the experience if they focus on a medical specialty that will lower the costs and improve health care quality with better patient outcomes (Porter & Teisberg, 2004). Health care reforms are expected to add 32 million people to those who are already covered and this will put new pressures on the system (Kovner & Knickman, 2011). There are ways to reduce costs like putting caps on prices and taxation of hospital income. Recommendation – one measure is tort reform (Brill, 2013) by re-inserting the â€Å"safe harbor† provision. This defense against medical malpractice lawsuits will address most of the costs involved in health care delivery by doing away with unnecessary procedures, tests, and treatments which are costly and being ordered by doctors just to be on the safe side. Feasibility – a â€Å"safe harbor† provision is viable because doctors will not be accused of medical negligence. If standards of care and treatment comply with benchmarks in medical practice and considered adequate, doctors will not charge so much or order so many tests. Hindrance – a barrier to this solution is political partisanship and strong political lobby. The medical-health care industry complex spent about $5.36 billion which is three times what is spent by the military-industrial complex for lobbying Washington so there is strong resistance. Address the central issue – implementing tort reforms will remove a major incentive for doctors to practice defensive medical practice by ordering so many unnecessary laboratory tests. This is one of the main cost drivers in health care and so tort reforms will encourage doctors to be more prudent; taxation will just make hospitals increase their billing to make up for the tax. If a cap is put on prices, it will not work either because quality might suffer as a result. Brill, S. (2013, February 20). Bitter pill: Why medical bills are killing us. Time Magazine. Retrieved

Aristotle Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aristotle - Term Paper Example One of his biggest accomplishment as was the classification of knowledge into disciplines such as mathematics, biology and ethics (Iep). Aristotle is considered the father of the field of logic. He was the first person to develop a formalized system of reasoning. Based on Aristotle’s philosophy the validity of any argument can be determined by its structured rather than by its content. The scientific method was used by Aristotle in his reasoning arguments. Aristotle founded a school in Greece called Lyceum. He taught in this school for thirteen years where he developed his philosophical treatises. During his discourses Aristotle would always walk around. His followers imitated his walking around and as a consequence they became known as peripatetics which meant â€Å"to walk about† (Iep). The writings of Aristotle were held by his student Theophrastus. Eventually the writings were given to Theophrastus protà ©gà © Neleus. Neleus protected the books from being stolen by keeping them locked in a vault. The dampness and moths of the vault damaged some of the books. The books were in hiding for over a century. Then in 100 B.C. they were discovered by Apellicon who brought them to Athens. A few decades later the books reach Rome. It was in Rome that Aristotle literature caught the attention of scholars. The Aristotle writings studied in Rome are the same literature today’s academic community is studying. The works of Aristotle is classified into three categories: dialogues and works of popular character, collections of fact and material from scientific treatment, and systematic works (Iep, 2005). One of Aristotle most famous writings is One the Polity of the Athens. The systematic treaties of Aristotle were group into five divisions which are logic, physical works, psychological works, works on human history, and philosophical works (Iep). The aim of Aristotle logical treatises was to develop a universal of reasoning by it which it could be

Allen, Douglas and Truth Essay Example for Free

Allen, Douglas and Truth Essay Conclusion A great deal of literature has been devoted to the subject of Black Christian Leadership during 1820 to 1860. How an enslaved people challenged yet still participated in the established religious system by founding, ad hoc and or organized significant religious groups with a social underlying movement. The essence of the multitude of visions was rooted simultaneously in a political, social and religious storm. However, thus knowing that a race has a strong or weak identity image based on current media of the day will not inform the listener about the nature of their true intent or power; however, since the records of the day is the only evidence we have, it gives considerable insight into the societal value system, political posture, and cultural stance. While Black leaders and churches were portrayed to have a greater capacity for audible and visible response to a speaker than any other group of religious listener at the time, the images were quick to focus on the probable survival of the comfort and consolation syndrome prevalent in black plantation churches. In these churches, the listeners, moved by sin and guilt but much more by the need to release tensions brought on by the daily miseries of slavery, came forth with vocal responses to particularly consoling passages in the preachers sermons. Allen, Douglas and Truth’s methods were clearly beneficial for the improvement of African Americans for then as well as well as any period. Promoting racial success was the most fundamental element in the struggle for racial uplift through the universal message of the religious institutions. Understanding and able to recognize the changing conditions would allow the national objective of racial equality be the sole purpose. As active leaders in the religious and social revolution of the late 1800’s, they knew that access to religious and social opportunities would lead to greater possibilities, i.e. education and commerce. Many of their contemporaries of the day given relatively few choices signed on to the teachings and messages presented by Allen, Douglass and Truth. This was option was clearly the proper path, noted by the number of successful Post slavery organizations and movements that flourished following the civil war. Even though African Americans had limited political power and remained segregated socially, pure religious and economic growth accelerated true racial uplift and the issue of economical inequality. Before the war, black spokespersons had unfailingly demanded that white America simply give them a chance to demonstrate the truths underlying their analyses of a prejudiced American society. Through the Civil War and Reconstruction, whites grudgingly conceded that chance. Everything was at stake in vindicating antebellum black religious and social thought. The role Black Religious leaders as spokespersons and positions as black leaders have assumed the destiny of the race and of America. Antebellum black northerners had been correct to employ the universalism of the American Revolution. This was an effort call the nation back to its first principles. In finality, the right to stress self-help, moral uplift, and elevation as the keys to rising in a liberal economic order and thus compelling the majority of American to yield rights to African Americans was the remaining position to assume. In a tacit understanding, Black religious leaders were clearly justified in their growing sense that the conversation with white America mattered when seeking the power of national acceptance and the eventually the ability to establish their own interests. Never before had visionaries of slave ancestry faced the hope and challenge of so practical a test of their ideas. Bibliography Satterwhite, John H. The Black Methodist Churches, unpublished background paper prepared for The Black Church in the African American Experience research project, p. 29. Campbell, James T. Songs of Zion: The African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States and South Africa. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1995. Page Number: 3. Rupe Simms Controlling Images and the Gender Construction of Enslaved African Women Gender and Society, Vol.15, No. 6 (Dec. , 2001), pp. 879-897 Deborrah E. S. Frable , 1997, Article Title: Gender, Racial Ethnic, Sexual andClass Identities. Journal Title: Annual Review of Psychology. Volume: 48. Page Number: 139+. Cedric J. Robinson, 1997, Black Movements in America. (New York: Routledge,. p. 179, 92 ) Conyers, James L. Black Lives: Essays in African American Biography. Publisher: M. E. Sharpe. Place of Publication: Armonk, NY. Publication Year: 1999. Page Number: 44. Bay, Mia. The White Image in the Black Mind: African-American Ideas about White People, 1830-1925. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. http://www. questia.com/PM. qst? a=od=90463626. Burrowes, Carl Patrick. Black Christian Republicanism: A Southern Ideology in Early Liberia, 1822 to 1847. The Journal of Negro History 86, no. 1 (2001): 30+. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5000633712. Douglass, Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: His Early Life as a Slave, His Escape from Bondage, and His Complete History. Publisher: Collier Books. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1962. Page Number: 202. Martin Jr. , Waldo E. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. Publisher: University of North Carolina Press. Place of Publication: Chapel Hill, NC. Publication Year: 1984. Page Number: 18. Mcfeely, William S. Frederick Douglass. Publisher: W. W. Norton. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1991. Page Number: 217. Lampe, Gregory P. Frederick Douglass: Freedoms Voice, 1818-1845. Publisher: Michigan State University Press. Place of Publication: East Lansing, MI. Publication Year: 1998. Page Number: 1. http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part3/3narr3. html PBS, Allen, The Black Church Graham, Peter W. Byron, Sully and the Power of Portraiture. Wordsworth Circle 36, no. 4 (2005): 149+. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5014835905. http://www. pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4narr2. html PBS Africans in America Kirby, John B. Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol. The Historian 61, no. 2 (1999): 429. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5001250782. Mandziuk, Roseann M. Commemorating Sojourner Truth: Negotiating the Politics of Race and Gender in the Spaces of Public Memory. Western Journal of Communication 67, no. 3 (2003): 271+. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5002554424. Rael, Patrick. Black Identity and Black Protest in the Antebellum North. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=101423509.

The Financing Structure Of Unilever Plc Finance Essay

The Financing Structure Of Unilever Plc Finance Essay Unilever Plc (Unilever) operates as a single business entity. It was formerly known as Lever Brothers Limited. Unilever NV and Unilever Plc are the two parent companies of the Unilever Group having separate legal identities and separate stock exchange listings for their shares. Unilever Plc (Unilever) is a leading food and personal care product offering company in the world. The company is engaged in the manufacturing and distributing foods, home care and personal care products. The company along with a strong and well differentiated portfolio of 400 global and regional brands operating across 14 categories operates in 150 countries with around 174,000 employees. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Unilever operates in four business segments namely, Personal Care; Home Care; Savoury, Dressings Spreads; and Ice Cream Beverages. The company also offers solutions for professional chefs and caterers. It has around 270 manufacturing facilities worldwide. The Personal Care segment includes business in the mass skin care, daily hair care and deodorants product areas. These products are sold under Dove, Lux, Rexona, Sunsilk, Axe and Ponds, Suave, Clear, Lifebuoy, Vaseline, Signal and Close Up. Its Home Care segment includes laundry products such as tablets, powders and liquids for washing of clothes by hand or machine. It also offers soap bars. In this segment, the principal brands are Omo, Surf, Comfort, Radiant, Skip and Snuggle. The household care products include surface cleaners and bleach that are marketed under the Cif, Domestos and Sun/Sunlight brands. The companys new products include Dove pro-age range of products, Dove Summer Glow self-tanning and body lotions, Clear antidandruff shampoo and Small Mighty concentrated liquid laundry detergents. The Savoury, Dressings and Spreads segment includes sauces, soups, salad dressings, bouillons, snacks, mayonnaise, spreads, olive oil, margarines and cooking products like liquid margarines, and frozen foods. These products are sold worldwide under Calve, Knorr, Hellmanns, Becel, Flora, Wish- Bone, Rama, Blue Band, Amora, Ragu and Bertolli brands. The Ice cream and Beverages division includes ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight management products, and nutritionally enhanced products. These products are marketed worldwide under various brand names such as Magnum, Cornetto, Carte dOr and Solero, Walls, Kibon, Ola and Algida, Ben Jerrys, Breyers, Klondike and Popsicle. The tea-based beverages are sold under Lipton, Brooke Bond and PG Tips brands. The weight management products are sold under Slim-Fast, and nutritionally enhanced products are marketed under Annapurna and AdeS/Adez brands. In the the Home Care division, it holds the global number two position in laundry, with a number one position in man developing and emerging markets. The company holds global number one position in mass skin care and deodorants, and the number two position in hair care where as in oral care and household care the companys strategy is focused on strong regional and local leadership positions in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the Foods division, it holds number one position in savory and dressings, spreads, tea-based beverages and ice cream. Unilever is the category leader in margarine and spreads in most European countries and North America. The companys UKs foods division is the number one producer of savory and dressings business. Products and Brands Unilever owns more than 400 brands as a result of acquisitions, however, the company focuses on what are called the billion-dollar brands, 13 brands, each of which achieve annual sales in excess of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 billion. Unilevers top 25 brands account for more than 70% of sales. The brands fall almost entirely into two categories: Food and Beverages, and Home and Personal Care. Unilevers billion$ brands are Axe/Lynx Lipton Blue Band[14] Lux (soap) Dove Omo/Surf (detergent) Flora/Becel Rexona/Sure Heartbrand Sunsilk Hellmans TIGI (haircare) Knorr Products of the company are distributed through distribution centers, group-operated facilities, satellite warehouses, and public storage depots, wholesalers, independent grocery stores, co-operatives, and various food service providers. Unilever invests around EUR 1 billion in research and development activities through five laboratories to develop new products and technologies. Geographic Presence Unilever has geographically diversified operations. It is engaged in manufacturing and distributing foods, home care and personal care products. Its products are sold in more than 150 countries which include Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. During the fiscal year 2008, the company generated 32% revenue from Western Europe, 32% from the Americas and 36% from the Asia, Africa and Central Eastern Europe. It is the category leader in margarine and spreads in most European countries and North America. The companys UKs foods division is the number one producer of savory and dressings business. Thus, wide geographic presence decreases the business risk of the company. This also acts as an easy way for the expansion plans of the company, as wider reach in terms of geography would mean reaping more benefits eventually improving the profit margins, attaining economies of scale and recognition on a worldwide basis. following are the name of some of the countries with Unilevers presences. Ireland Sudan Italy Sweden Japan Switzerland Pakistan Thailand Singapore Tunisia Spain United States Sri lanka United Kingdom Industry Comparison Revenue Growth Rate The companys compounded annual growth rate for revenue was 1.39% during 2005-2009. This was below the SP 500 companies average* of 9.67%. A lower than sector average* revenue CAGR may indicate that the company has underperformed the average sector growth and lost market share over the last years. The companys underperformance could be attributed to a weak competitive position or inferior products and services offering or lack of innovative products and services. Return on Equity The companys return on equity (ROE) was 30.62% for fiscal year 2009. This was above the SP 500 companies average* of 18.69%. A higher than sector average ROE indicate that the company is efficiently using the shareholders money and that it is generating high returns for its shareholders compared to other companies in the sector. Operating Profit Margin The companys operating margin was 12.91% for the fiscal year 2009. This was below the SP 500 companies average* of 18.74%. A lower than sector average* operating margin may indicate inefficient cost management or a weak pricing strategy by the company. Financial Analysis Instead of 2 year analysis of the financial position of the company analysis is performed on a five year data as this will provided with better coverage of the companies performance. Current ratio Current ratio of the company has been on the rising trend since 2005. Current ratio of the company has increased from 0.75 time in 2005 to 0.93 times in 2009. This trend shows that the company is moving toward a stable liquidity position. Whereas, in comparison to the averages of the industry trend and S P 500 companies Unilever is not able to maintain sound current ratio. Currently industry averages at around 1.53 times whereas; SP 500 companies averages around 1.91 times. This is almost as double to where Unilever currently stands. Quick ratio Quick ratio of the company has shown similar rising trend as that of current ratio. Quick ratio of the company has moved to 0.5 times in 2009, which is a rise of approximately 35% during the five year period (2005: 0.37 times). This ratio of the company is quite close to the industry averages (i.e., 0.78 times), whereas, SP 500 companies quick ratio averages to around 1.36 times. Considering the rising trend of the company, it appears that its liquidity position will improve in the near future to meet the industry averages. Gross Profit margin Gross Profit margin of the company has shown a mix trend over the years. During the period from 2005-2009 gross profit margin of the company stood at 48.32%, fall of just 2%. This shows that the company is in a stable position as it is able to stay consistent in maintaining its Gross Profit Margin. On the other hand, Industry average stands at 44.72%. Being on the higher side of the industry shows that the company is able to effectively manage its cost and pricing policies. Net Profit Margin Similar to the Gross profit margin, net profit margin of the company has shown a mix trend. On average the net profit margin of the company has increased by 4% during the 5 year period to 8.46% in 2009. This is higher then what the industry average is (Industry average: 7.25%). On the other hand SP 500 companies average net profit margin to approximately 12.59%, showing that the company is not meeting the SP 500 companies standards. Return on Assets Return on assets of the company has shown an increasing trend during the 5 year period. During the said period, ROA increased to approximately 10% in 2009 from 8.74% in 2005, this is a rise of 14%. In comparison, the industry averages the return on assets at around 7.71% and SP 500 averages assets at around 7.91%. This shows that the company is able to used the employed assets efficiently and effectively then what the normal industry trend depicts. FINANCING STRUCTURE Unilever PLC is a highly un-geared company. Its total debt to total equity ratio stood at only 0.82 in 2009, which is a decline of around 46% during the 5 year period (2005: 1.51). Similar fall in the total debt to total capital ratio was observed, which fell by approximately 25% to 0.45 in 2009. On the other hand a slight increase of just 9% was observed in the Long term debt to total capital of the company during the same five year period. In contrast to the leverage ratios, a significant fall in the payout ratio was observed. Payout ratio of the company fell from 61.37% in 2005 to just 38.54% in 2009. This shows that currently the company is in the phase of financing its activities from its retained earnings instead of taking long or short term financing. In comparison to a competitor Reckitt Benckiser Group, the leverage of this company is similar to the leverage of Unilever PLC. During the year 2009, Total Debt to Total Equity ratio Reckitt Benckiser Group is only 0.82. Payout ratio of the Reckitt Benckiser is 50.28% in 2009, which is higher than that of Unilever PLC, representing the fact that Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc is utilizing higher portion of its retained earnings as compared to Unilever Plc In comparison with the industry trends, average total debt to equity is approximately 1.16 times whereas, as per SP 500 it is around 0.73. In view of these average industry and sector trends, company is performing quite well. On the other hand, companys payout ratio is on the higher side when compared to the industry and SP 500 averages. Average industrys payout is almost is 42% whereas, average payout as per SP 500 is 28.82%. This shows that company is not availing its short term financing options. Taking up these short term financing will release some pressure from the retained earning and can be paid out to the shareholders of the company because as the low payout trend of the industry indicates that the shareholders are prone to short term gains in comparison to long term capital gains. 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Unilever PLC Total Debt/Equity 0.82 1.1 0.77 0.78 1.51 Long Term Debt/Total Capital 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.22 0.32 Total Debt/Total Capital 0.45 0.52 0.44 0.44 0.6 Payout Ratio 38.54% 43.04% 56.62% 83.71% 61.37% Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc Total Debt/Equity 0.03 0.48 0.21 0.53 0.09 Long Term Debt/Total Capital (?) 0 0 0 0 0.04 Total Debt/Total Capital (?) 0.03 0.32 0.17 0.35 0.08 Payout Ratio (?) 50.28% 50.76% 41.93% 48.65% 42.39% WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF CAPITAL As discussed in the above section, Unilever PLC has a very low (nominal) gearing of 0.35%. Virtually the company is debt free; hence cost of equity of the company will be its weighted average cost of capital. In order to calculate Cost of Equity of Unilever PLC Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) has been used. Beta for the company has been taken from the Dow Jones Report, which is 0.76 whereas; many technical issues were presents when indentifying risk free rate (Rf) and risk premium (Rm-Rf). Hence, the risk free rate and the market rate (Rm) are assumed to be 8% and 12% respectively for the purpose of this calculation. Cost of Equity = Rf + (Rm-Rf)b Cost of Equity = 8% + (12% 8%) 0.76 Cost of Equity = 11.04% Here, Cost of Equity = = WACC Hence, WACC = 11.04% NEW PROJECT Project Description Company has recently conducted a market survey for deodorant target only toward a young generation. Evaluation of the investment proposal to manufacture product XARI was performed. The product has performed well in test marketing trials conducted recently by the research and marketing department of the company. Key Elements of Project Initial investment cost Evidences for the initial investment cost can be found from various sources, research reports related to the particular industry, information from the companies which have recently invested in the respective sectors can prove quite useful, internal budget preparation etc. Annual revenues / operating costs Evidences of independent annual revenues and operating cost can be also be found from various sources, demand and supply of the particular products and projected by various research houses such as Business Monitor, by analyzing past trends of the company and peer analysis of the companies already operating in the industry/segments Rates of inflation Information related to the past and future rates related to inflation can be found in abundance. In addition to the government bodies, numerous independent research houses provided forecasted/projected inflation rates of different countries. These rates are calculated after critically analyzing and assessing various factors that affect the inflation rates. Report from Economic Intelligence Unit is one of the research houses which provides rates of inflation, both past trends as well as forecasted for different countries. Rates of taxation, and tax reliefs and allowances Best sources for finding information related rates of taxation and tax reliefs and allowance is to go through government regulated bodies. Legal regulations related to tax and updates in the upcoming changes can be found on government operated website and accurate and up to date information related to any legal issue is available there. Risk and Uncertainty After a through research I came to the conclusion that identification of risks is best done by a sequential manner. Firstly brainstorming exercise was done with some colleague of mine in order to evaluate what factors ,both beneficial and adverse, can be faced by the new project that the company was going to undertake. This exercise was purely for the identification of the risk that the project might face during the tenor of its operations. After my initial task of risk identification I assessed the likelihood of the occurrence of that risk and categorized them on the scale of high, medium and low. Then I assessed the consequences of each of risk if they occurred and whether, there occurrence will have a major impact on the operation of the company or its future prospect or not. Risks with low chances of occurrence and low negative impact were ignored and emphasis was placed on the risks that have high chances of occurrence or which could have measurable impact on the companys performance. This risk was than further classified into quantifiable and non-quantifiable risk (uncertainty). The impact of the quantifiable risk, such as rate of inflation, increase in the cost of raw material, fall in demand of the product etc, were incorporated when calculating the Net Present Value of the Project. Uncertainties such as war, political instability, change in government regulation etc, were a bit hard to incorporate. In order to overcome these problems sensitivity analysis was used. Via Sensitivity Analysis result of the project are categorized into three possible outcomes Best Case Scenario, Moderate Case Scenario and Worst Case Scenario. These 3 cases will show the performance of the company in the two most extremes situations that the company might operate. Result should then be interpreted keeping in mind of all the expected scenarios. Net Present Value After the successful test, following information has been prepared by me in order to assess the viability of the project. The research team has prepared the following forecasted demand of the product along with that various other variables such as selling prices and inflation rate are also estimated. These forecasts reflect, along with others, the expected life of the products, change in the economic conditions in the long run etc. Weighted average cost of capital has been calculated as above at 11.04%. The product has no terminal value at the end of four year. NPV of the project with respect to the following data is almost about 348,578 pounds Forecasted Information for Product XARI Initial Investment 2 million Pounds Selling Price (Current Price) 20 pound/unit Expected Inflation in Selling Price 3% per year Variable operating cost 8 pound/unit Fixed Operating Cost 170,000 per yar Tax Rate 30% Year 1 2 3 4 Demand (units) 60,000 70,000 120,000 45,000 Quarterly Report It appears that the company has performed reasonable well when compared to the forecast that the management prepared. Minor variances were witnessed by the company in most aspect of the project. Initial investment of the company exceed by just 100,000 pound. Company just sold 100 less units in first quarter as compared to the forecasted data. The reason for this relate to the factor that market awareness was not created by the company as it incurred less operating cost as anticipated. Company managed to sell units at a selling price 15% more the forecasted price. On the other 13% more cost was incurred on each unit than was projected. The reason for such a change could relate to the fact that the company underestimated the price of it project, and once market started to accept the product its selling price increased

Gender Analysis of Anna and the King Essay -- Movie Film Anna King ess

Gender Analysis of Anna and the King If you are not the lead elephant, the scenery never changes. (Moonshee, Anna’s servant) One of the main issues in â€Å"Anna and the King† is the differences between men and women. What is less obvious is that those differences are of two types: the existing inequality of the social status of men and women, and the ways in which men and women try to deal with (end or prolong) this inequality. First of all, let us observe the structure of the Thai society. Men occupy the dominant position in all aspects of life from top to bottom of the Thai social structure. The King rules the society, and men enforce all the laws and government regulations (we see no women participating in the King’s council or in any government office). In addition to that, the ritual and custom behavior point to the humiliating position of women in Thai culture. According to Prince Chulalongkorn, men never apologize to women. The body language of the relationship between the two genders in the movie indicates that a woman always bows in the presence of a man and usually stays bowed until he dismisses her. All these customs, laws, and regulations separate Thai society into two unequal classes: men and women. In the situation of inequality, there is always a group of people who are not satisfied with the life around them. We will call them the agents of change. Although, the women in Thai society are very submissive, we can observe the attempts to change their life and/or social status. For example, the slave woman acts directly. She pays money to her mistress to buy her freedom (i.e. to change her life). She is acting according to the law that â€Å"bond-servants have the right to buy their own freedom.† However, her a... ...country to change: the King. He invites the â€Å"imperialistic† teacher to teach his eldest son. Why? In the letter confirming Anna’s employment, the King says that he wanted Siam â€Å"to take its place among the nations of the modern world.† As a man and as a king, he acts very carefully. He wants to ensure that in his country â€Å"no man is above the law.† He does not make any extraordinary changes, but he allows Anna to teach his children anything she wants (he knows Anna’s liberal position). His decision determines the future of Siam: his son abolishes slavery, institutes religious freedom and reforms the judicial system. In conclusion, we should say that it does not matter how big the social separation between men and women is and how unequal their statuses are – there are always ways to make that gap smaller, but this requires efforts on the part of both men and women. Gender Analysis of Anna and the King Essay -- Movie Film Anna King ess Gender Analysis of Anna and the King If you are not the lead elephant, the scenery never changes. (Moonshee, Anna’s servant) One of the main issues in â€Å"Anna and the King† is the differences between men and women. What is less obvious is that those differences are of two types: the existing inequality of the social status of men and women, and the ways in which men and women try to deal with (end or prolong) this inequality. First of all, let us observe the structure of the Thai society. Men occupy the dominant position in all aspects of life from top to bottom of the Thai social structure. The King rules the society, and men enforce all the laws and government regulations (we see no women participating in the King’s council or in any government office). In addition to that, the ritual and custom behavior point to the humiliating position of women in Thai culture. According to Prince Chulalongkorn, men never apologize to women. The body language of the relationship between the two genders in the movie indicates that a woman always bows in the presence of a man and usually stays bowed until he dismisses her. All these customs, laws, and regulations separate Thai society into two unequal classes: men and women. In the situation of inequality, there is always a group of people who are not satisfied with the life around them. We will call them the agents of change. Although, the women in Thai society are very submissive, we can observe the attempts to change their life and/or social status. For example, the slave woman acts directly. She pays money to her mistress to buy her freedom (i.e. to change her life). She is acting according to the law that â€Å"bond-servants have the right to buy their own freedom.† However, her a... ...country to change: the King. He invites the â€Å"imperialistic† teacher to teach his eldest son. Why? In the letter confirming Anna’s employment, the King says that he wanted Siam â€Å"to take its place among the nations of the modern world.† As a man and as a king, he acts very carefully. He wants to ensure that in his country â€Å"no man is above the law.† He does not make any extraordinary changes, but he allows Anna to teach his children anything she wants (he knows Anna’s liberal position). His decision determines the future of Siam: his son abolishes slavery, institutes religious freedom and reforms the judicial system. In conclusion, we should say that it does not matter how big the social separation between men and women is and how unequal their statuses are – there are always ways to make that gap smaller, but this requires efforts on the part of both men and women.

Character Analysis of Katherine Anne Porters He Essay -- Katherine An

Character Analysis of Katherine Anne Porter's He In Katherine Anne Porter's short story "He," she presents several themes that she develops primarily through the actions of the main characters, particulary Mrs. Whipple. Porter portrays a poor, lower class Southern family and the difficulties they encounter. More importantly, she centers the story around the feelings of shame, pride, and an exaggerated concern for appearances through Mrs. Whipple's's relationship with her mentally retarded son and her behavior toward Him. Other characters, such as her husband Mr. Whipple and their two "able-bodied" children Adna and Emly serve to expand the story's themes and highlight the extremity of Mrs. Whipple's actions. Early in the story we see how vital appearance is to Mrs. Whipple. She remarks to her husband that no one should ever hear them complain (324). Her real effort to maintain a front for her neighbors, however, surrounds her "simple-minded son," who never has any identity other than "He." It seems that Mrs. Whipple fears that if those around her know He is retarded, this would reflect badly on her character. Many times, unfortunately, parents of children with any birth defect worry they have some blame to account for. Mrs. Whipple, unfortunately, represents a rather extreme case. She seemed to believe that by "over-loving" her son in public and refusing to acknowledge his handicap, she could avoid social stigma and somehow quell her own insecurities. Mrs. Whipple comments to whoever would listen that He is strong, capable, and "He can do anything . . . " (325). Such exclamations, the author tells us "seemed to ease her mind" (324). In these quotations we see clearly how Mrs. Whipple's actions... ...ok sick" (332). Furthermore, she takes care to dress in her good clothes, so no one will think she looks like charity. Even as she is about to lose her son, she cannot let go of her need to put on a performance for the society she feels has shunned her. Porter's story gives its audience a powerful lesson that extends far beyond social standing or mental handicaps. The pathetic example of "Him" shows us just how far many of us go for mere illusions. Mrs. Whipple was willing to sacrifice her son and her family's welfare in order to mask their situation. To a world of airbrushing and political propaganda, Porter shows how dangerous the game of pretense can become and how the innocent often bear the brunt of the harm. Work Cited Porter, Katherine Anne. "He." The Literature of the American South. Ed. William L. Andrews. New York: Norton. 1998.

History of the Origins of Environmental Ethics Essay -- Ethics Philoso

History of the Origins of Environmental Ethics The inspiration for environmental ethics was the first Earth Day in 1970 when environmentalists started urging philosophers who were involved with environmental groups to do something about environmental ethics. An intellectual climate had developed in the last few years of the 1960s in large part because of the publication of two papers in Science: Lynn White's "The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis" (March 1967) and Garett Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons" (December 1968). Most influential with regard to this kind of thinking, however, was an essay in Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, "The Land Ethic," in which Leopold explicitly claimed that the roots of the ecological crisis were philosophical. (Although originally published in 1949, Sand County Almanac became widely available in 1970 in a special Sierra Club/Ballantine edition, which included essays from a second book, Round River. Most academic activity in the 1970s was spent debating the Lynn White thesis and the tragedy of the commons. These debates were primarily historical, theological, and religious, not philosophical. Throughout most of the decade philosophers sat on the sidelines trying to determine what a field called environmental ethics might look like. The first philosophical conference was organized by William Blackstone at the University of Georgia in 1972. The proceedings were published as Philosophy and Environmental Crisis in 1974, which included Pete Gunter's first paper on the Big Thicket. In 1972 a book called Is It Too Late? A Theology of Ecology, written by John B. Cobb, was published. It was the first single-authored book written by a philosopher, even though the primary focus of the b... ...n environmental phenomenology. On the theoretical level, Taylor and Rolston, despite many disagreements, can be regarded as objective nonanthropocentric intrinsic value theorists. Callicott, who follows Aldo Leopold closely, is a subjective nonanthropocentric intrinsic value theorist. Hargrove is considered a weak anthropocentric intrinsic value theorist. Sagoff is very close to this position although he doesn't talk about intrinsic value much and takes a Kantian rather than an Aristotlian approach. At the far end is Bryan Norton who thought up weak anthropocentrism but wants to replace intrinsic value with a pragmatic conception of value. The anti-intrinsic value pragmatic movement includes such philosophers as Anthony Weston and Andrew Light, although Ben Minteer has recently indicated that intrinsic value could be included in an environmental pragmatism. History of the Origins of Environmental Ethics Essay -- Ethics Philoso History of the Origins of Environmental Ethics The inspiration for environmental ethics was the first Earth Day in 1970 when environmentalists started urging philosophers who were involved with environmental groups to do something about environmental ethics. An intellectual climate had developed in the last few years of the 1960s in large part because of the publication of two papers in Science: Lynn White's "The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis" (March 1967) and Garett Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons" (December 1968). Most influential with regard to this kind of thinking, however, was an essay in Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, "The Land Ethic," in which Leopold explicitly claimed that the roots of the ecological crisis were philosophical. (Although originally published in 1949, Sand County Almanac became widely available in 1970 in a special Sierra Club/Ballantine edition, which included essays from a second book, Round River. Most academic activity in the 1970s was spent debating the Lynn White thesis and the tragedy of the commons. These debates were primarily historical, theological, and religious, not philosophical. Throughout most of the decade philosophers sat on the sidelines trying to determine what a field called environmental ethics might look like. The first philosophical conference was organized by William Blackstone at the University of Georgia in 1972. The proceedings were published as Philosophy and Environmental Crisis in 1974, which included Pete Gunter's first paper on the Big Thicket. In 1972 a book called Is It Too Late? A Theology of Ecology, written by John B. Cobb, was published. It was the first single-authored book written by a philosopher, even though the primary focus of the b... ...n environmental phenomenology. On the theoretical level, Taylor and Rolston, despite many disagreements, can be regarded as objective nonanthropocentric intrinsic value theorists. Callicott, who follows Aldo Leopold closely, is a subjective nonanthropocentric intrinsic value theorist. Hargrove is considered a weak anthropocentric intrinsic value theorist. Sagoff is very close to this position although he doesn't talk about intrinsic value much and takes a Kantian rather than an Aristotlian approach. At the far end is Bryan Norton who thought up weak anthropocentrism but wants to replace intrinsic value with a pragmatic conception of value. The anti-intrinsic value pragmatic movement includes such philosophers as Anthony Weston and Andrew Light, although Ben Minteer has recently indicated that intrinsic value could be included in an environmental pragmatism.

A Rose for Emily: A Character Analysis Essay

Nobel Laureate William Faulkner’s short story centers on a unique character – Emily Grierson mirrored in the fish -eye vision of the townsfolk of Jefferson. Miss Emily was a celebrity in her own right, with her sense of haughty lineage and her mysterious closeted life. â€Å"Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town† (Faulkner, 1970, p. 9). The author’s way of story-telling to and fro on the rails of time helps the reader glimpse Emily from diverse angles at different ages. The final exposure of the corpse in the house gives an insight into the disturbed psychological state of her mind. Physically, Emily has distinctive features – â€Å"a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head. Her skeleton was small and spare; †¦ She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Faulkner, 1970, p. 10). She was a living testament to the bygone days of noble rule, and even the decayed depressing house reflected her spirit. The father’s horse-whip dominance and restrictions compelled her to slowly turn away from the world: even his demise failed to liberate her from the caged lonely existence. Later she proclaimed her sovereignty by cutting her hair short like a girl and having a secret affair with the Yankee foreman Homer Barron. There is a stream of subtle insinuations about her mental state – â€Å"crazy† (Faulkner, 1970, p. 11), â€Å"sick† (Faulkner, 1970, p. 12), impervious. When she bought the arsenic, her eyes looked like the haunted watching stare of the lighthouse –keeper. Emily was placed on a pedestal of awe and notoriety, curiosity and suspense by the townspeople. She maintained that image of cold hauteur throughout her life, dismissing the bureaucratic officials as well as gossiping public alike. New rules of post or tax did not permeate her world. â€Å"Emily is characterized by her ability to understand and utilize the power that accrues to her from the fact that men do not see her but rather their concept of her† (Staton, 1987, p. 274). Desperate for love and passion she claimed possession of this dysfunctional love forever by killing him- as the decomposed body was found, with all the material belongings, in a pose of embrace, and the startling evidence of her iron-gray hair on the adjoining pillow. Her lifetime grandeur paralleled with the gruesome evidence of her necrophilia and self-imposed solitary imprisonment makes her a unique character of Faulkner’s creative imagination. References Faulkner, William. ( 1970). A Rose for Emily. In M. Thomas Inge (Ed. ), A rose for Emily (pp. 9 -17). Columbus: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company Staton, Shirley F. (1987). Literary theories in praxis. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

How Does Recycling Effect the Environment Essay

Why Is Recycling Important, you may ask. Recycling is reusing materials in original or changed forms rather than discarding them as wastes. In reusing material or changing material into new materials rather than throwing it away the environment as well as we benefit from it. The process of recycling protects the environment. With the world witnessing a global environmental decline, this is considered as one of the most important benefits of recycling. As we, all know that paper is manufactured from trees. As the demand for paper increases, a number of trees are being cut to produce paper. By recycling paper, we can prevent the destruction of forests. Today, a number of forests are being destroyed to meet the ever-increasing demand of paper. Recycling a ton of mixed paper or newspaper is equivalent to saving 12 trees. Given that the trees keep the surrounding environment clean by sucking up carbon dioxide from the air we breathe, it would be wise to use recycled paper as much as possible. Most people would agree that recycling not only affects the environment but it also makes the world a better place for plants and animals. For example, recycling paper products can in the end, preserve a large number of trees that otherwise be used to make new paper. This is one way that recycling directly affects the environment. Trees provide homes for birds and other animals, they provide shade for what would otherwise be a hot and dry land, and they are crucial to the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance in our atmosphere. Recycling can definitely have a positive effect on our world. Paper is not the only item that should be recycled. Glass bottles and plastic containers have become a problem for cities and private companies who operate landfills. The sheer numbers of containers thrown away take up a lot of landfill space, which puts companies and municipalities in the position of having to take up more land for another landfill area. Several decades ago, activists who demonstrated against large companies and their waste products used the phrase, â€Å"There is no away!† What this meant was that we could not really get rid of anything. We can only change its shape and form. Recycling is a way to make this change so that it clutters and pollutes less. Recycling also takes used materials from â€Å"trash† to usable products if handled properly. Scientists and social activists have also pointed out that making new products from recycled materials means less manufacturing. With the correct methods, we can have a comfortable, convenient life without the pollution and massive use of natural resources that manufacturing brings. Reducing the number of landfills might mean a healthier food chain for both humans and animals. When we place materials in landfills and they do not break down over time, we are creating a potentially dangerous situation. The chemicals used in manufacturing many modern-day products can filter into the soil, pollution the water and any plants that grow on or near that area. This is especially true with computer parts, batteries and other items that contain certain chemicals. Recycling used products is one of the best ways to save the environment. It is important to recycle, to avoid environmental harm. Used plastic bottles, glass, and newspapers can be effectively recycled to make useful items. In the long stretch of time, recycling affects the planet positively because we will use less of our natural resources – trees, water, minerals etc. When it comes to the environment, using less means we have more.

Prime Candidates of Vigilantism

All law stems from one source of order. In a time of anarchy and chaos a man brought for from a mountain top two stone tablets from which all law branches. Those two tablets, the Ten Commandments, were to be the seeds of lawful civilization. Those seeds have since become the roots of modern humanity. A prime example of this is the United States government. The phrase â€Å"In God we trust† is imprinted on every piece of legal tender and on most documentation. The purpose of law and government is to â€Å"protect† the people, but the fact that punishment need be imposed only illustrates the fact that it does not protect. Punishment is imposed only after harmful actions against society have been carried out. In order for punishment and legal intervention to be applied there first must be a crime or an action that is the government†s responsibility to prevent from taking place. When law is applied the government has already failed to protect the individual; punishment will do nothing to help the victim after they have been victimized. Law does not, in truth, prevent such behavior; it only deals with it once it has occurred. Law does nothing to prevent socially harmful behavior, it therefore does not protect in accordance with the tenets set forth in the theory of the Social Contract. Why then, in such a modern civilization, do we have vigilantes? The answer is simple. The fact is that although humanity has advanced, law has failed to keep up. The prime candidates for vigilantism are those who abide by the law. They acknowledge the existence of the law and respect it. They expect that if one day they are the victim of a crime the offender will quickly go through trial and be punished. The truth is that that is rarely the case. It can take months for an offender to even go to trial. The U. S. criminal justice system, however the best in the world, is not nearly efficient enough to properly handle the workload placed upon it. Still the situation comes up that even in a clear-cut case with hard evidence and witnesses, law enforcement will fail to properly pass down punishment to those who commit a crime. This is the time when people take the law into their own hands. Impatience and frustration drives and individual to do what he or she believes what the government has failed to do. It can happen to anyone. But can crime be prevented in the first place? The law often frustrates teenagers and adults alike. The major difference between these two groups is experience. Teenagers are usually more likely to go out and â€Å"punish† those who violate them or their friends. An example of a teen vigilante is when a teen goes out to defend his/her name in order to prevent slander. This is seen very often. Unfortunately, these teens have either not been educated or have exhausted all legal means in order to halt the crime (slander). Adults are often confronted with the same situation but by having experienced this before, they are more prepared to take action against this. But in adults we often see something not usually seen in teens, the involvement of alcohol. Alcohol clouds judgment and increases violent tendencies. Although teens do consume alcohol, they cannot obtain it legally. Because of the age difference, punishment should not be the same for both adults and teens. Although there are some difference, for some reasons adults seem to have more choices in terms of education and correction. In adult prisons, inmates can attend GED classes and earn degrees. Teens however do not have that same option. Instead, they have clean-up punishments such as Saturday detention at the high school. What should be done is Saturday corrective classes. Instead of cleaning the school, clean their minds. This is where education comes in. In order to eliminate criminal behavior, we first must rehabilitate and educate those who are at high risk to or have already committed a crime. In most forms of punishment, such as seen at the Douglas Juvenile Corrections office, there is actually no correction. Lawn maintenance does in no way educate the offenders. Punishment does not promote understanding not does it allow analysis. Education, unlike punishment, is not a restriction, but a guide. Education is a positive behavioral influence that promotes freedom and instills morality. With education comes understanding. Without those two key elements there cannot be the wisdom necessary for correction. Regarding the disciplinary action taken on juvenile offenders, some of which I have seen working outside during school hours, should not be out there. Instead, they should be forced to attend school. Whether it is high school or a form of military school, they need education. Becoming a vigilante is almost never a result of free choice of an individual. Rather, it is forced upon one by poor or slow action on part of law enforcement. If we as society ever hope to live in peace and prosperity as guaranteed to us by the constitution, we need to not only enforce the laws, but preach the law.

The Kite Runner Chapter Review (Narrative Aspects) Chapter 1

The Kite Runner Chapter Review of Narrative Aspects Chapter 1; It is December 2001, and our narrator, recalls an event that occurred in 1975, when he was twelve years old and growing up in Afghanistan. He doesn’t say what happened, but says it made him who he is. He follows this recollection by telling us about a call he received last summer from a friend in Pakistan, Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan asks Amir, to come to Pakistan to see him. When Amir gets off the phone, he takes a walk through San Francisco, where he lives now.He notices kites flying, and thinks of his past, including his friend Hassan. Narrative aspects: Narrative voice: 1st person narrative, ‘I became what I am today’ – Amir tells us a story about his past, and what he remembers, from his point of view. Indirect speech, ‘I thought about something Rahim Khan said†¦. There is a way to be good again. ’ – it doesn’t let the reader make a relationship with the other cha racter, as this chapter is all about Amir.Setting: Introduces the alley almost straight away, ‘I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years’ – it gives us a mysterious setting, and the alley becomes a key symbol of misdeeds in the novel. Talks about where he is while telling the story, ‘like a pair of eyes looking down on San Francisco. ’ – gives us a brief idea of where he is and wants us to find out why he is there, as it also talks about Afghanistan and Pakistan.Structure: the repetition of kites, ‘saw a pair of kites, red with long blue tails, soaring in the sky. ’ ‘twin kites. ’ – significant because it sticks in a reader’s brain as they try to work out how the kites may be significant in the rest of the novel. Which they find out they are. Also ‘twin kites’ can refer to Hassan and Amir, as they are brothers and the last kite they ran together made their fr iendship fall apart. Non- linear, it talks about different points of his life in a very short amount of time, because he is ooking back on his life as well as telling the reader what is happening in his life while he is telling the story. Form: Monologue, speaks in broken language, almost like in his thoughts he can’t put in words what he is thinking and what he remembers, ‘I looked up at those twin kites. I thought about Hassan. Thought about Baba. Ali. Kabul. ’- it gives the reader an impression that there is a lot to find out about Amir. Retrospective Narrative, he is looking back on his past, and the opening chapter makes us curious about what will happen next. The Kite Runner Chapter Review (Narrative Aspects) Chapter 1 The Kite Runner Chapter Review of Narrative Aspects Chapter 1; It is December 2001, and our narrator, recalls an event that occurred in 1975, when he was twelve years old and growing up in Afghanistan. He doesn’t say what happened, but says it made him who he is. He follows this recollection by telling us about a call he received last summer from a friend in Pakistan, Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan asks Amir, to come to Pakistan to see him. When Amir gets off the phone, he takes a walk through San Francisco, where he lives now.He notices kites flying, and thinks of his past, including his friend Hassan. Narrative aspects: Narrative voice: 1st person narrative, ‘I became what I am today’ – Amir tells us a story about his past, and what he remembers, from his point of view. Indirect speech, ‘I thought about something Rahim Khan said†¦. There is a way to be good again. ’ – it doesn’t let the reader make a relationship with the other cha racter, as this chapter is all about Amir.Setting: Introduces the alley almost straight away, ‘I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years’ – it gives us a mysterious setting, and the alley becomes a key symbol of misdeeds in the novel. Talks about where he is while telling the story, ‘like a pair of eyes looking down on San Francisco. ’ – gives us a brief idea of where he is and wants us to find out why he is there, as it also talks about Afghanistan and Pakistan.Structure: the repetition of kites, ‘saw a pair of kites, red with long blue tails, soaring in the sky. ’ ‘twin kites. ’ – significant because it sticks in a reader’s brain as they try to work out how the kites may be significant in the rest of the novel. Which they find out they are. Also ‘twin kites’ can refer to Hassan and Amir, as they are brothers and the last kite they ran together made their fr iendship fall apart. Non- linear, it talks about different points of his life in a very short amount of time, because he is ooking back on his life as well as telling the reader what is happening in his life while he is telling the story. Form: Monologue, speaks in broken language, almost like in his thoughts he can’t put in words what he is thinking and what he remembers, ‘I looked up at those twin kites. I thought about Hassan. Thought about Baba. Ali. Kabul. ’- it gives the reader an impression that there is a lot to find out about Amir. Retrospective Narrative, he is looking back on his past, and the opening chapter makes us curious about what will happen next.