What Is The Social HierarchyHow Is It Being Changed By

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Financial and Ratio Analysis for Vodafone Free Essays

string(36) " increased stakes from 15% to 50 %\." INTRODUCTION (VODAFONE) VODAFONE is one of the largest telecommunication operators throughout the world. Vodafone made the first call in United Kingdom on 1st January 1985. Before that Vodafone was subsidy of Racal Electronics. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial and Ratio Analysis for Vodafone or any similar topic only for you Order Now After Racal electronics got demerged in 1991 the name was changed to VODAFONE GROUP PLC. Vodafone started in 1985 with 50 employees and increased rapidly to 5,000 employees and in 2004 the strength was almost near to 60,000 and by the end of financial year 2009 the number of employees reached to 79,000. I have chosen Vodafone because it is a big brand name in telecommunication industry. Vodafone not only operate in U.K. but throughout the world Vodafone has acquired almost every continent. Within two decades, Vodafone has become the telecommunications leader in Global Systems for Mobile networks (GSM). Vodafone was ranked the second largest multinational in 2004 by the World Investment report. Vodafone Group Plc provides an extensive range of mobile telecommunications services, including voice and data communications, and is the world’s largest mobile telecommunications company. , with a significant presence in Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Far East through the Company’s subsidiary undertakings, associated undertakings and investments. Vodafone’s goal is to integrate data services and telecommunication into a worldwide network. (Vodafone official website) It is operated throughout the world in some countries if the brand name is not a Vodafone but still it is having a joint venture with other local telecommunications operator such as in Japan. In India the Vodafone started as Hutchinson Essar but later on took over that and changed the name to Vodafone Essar. The Vodafone is known for its services throughout the world. The Vodafone story is one of investment, innovation and award-winning customer service. Above all, it’s one of growth and the ability to deliver the tremendous benefits of mobile communications, not just in the UK but worldwide. These are the reason for choosing the Vodafone group PLC for the ratio analysis. (Vodafone official website) BACKGROUND OF VODAFONE Vodafone group PLC is twenty year old multinational company of United Kingdom, one of the leading firms in telecommunication sector throughout the world. Vodafone made the first call in United Kingdom on 1st January 1985. Before that Vodafone was subsidy of Racal Electronics. Then known as Racal Telecom Limited, approximately 20% of the company’s capital was offered to the public in October 1988. It was fully demerged from Racal Electronics Plc and became an independent company in September 1991, at that time it changed its name to Vodafone Group Plc. The Vodafone story is one of investment, innovation and award-winning customer service. Above all, it’s one of growth and the ability to deliver the tremendous benefits of mobile communications, not just in the UK but worldwide. (Vodafone official website) Vodafone group PLC has become the telecommunication leader in Global System of Mobile Networks (GSM) in past two decades. Vodafone has grown rapidly throughout the globe so it is one of the largest telecommunication industries in the world. Vodafone started in 1985 with 50 employees and increased rapidly to 5,000 employees and in 2004 the strength was almost near to 60,000 and by the end of financial year 2009 the number of employees reached to 79,000. (Vodafone official website) In past few years Vodafone has strived for continuous growth and success. The group has spread not only in Europe but also to Africa, Asia, and Australia at a rapid rate. In 1993 Vodafone Group International is formed to acquire licences and supervise overseas interests. In 1994 VO data is the first network operator in the UK to launch data, fax and SMS services over the digital network. In 1996 Vodafone is the first network operator in the UK to launch a Pre-Pay analogue packages. In 1999 on 5 January Vodafone connects with the five million customers in the UK. In 1999 Vodafone Air Touch Plc is created as a result of a successful merger between Vodafone Group Plc and Air Touch Communications Inc. In 2000 The Global star satellite communications service is launched in the UK. In 2000 Vodafone acquires the largest available 3G license in the UK. In parallel with the development of 3G, Vodafone announces its intention to offer GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) to UK corporate custome rs. In 2000 the acquisition of Mannesmann AG almost doubles the size of the Vodafone Group making it the largest mobile telecommunications company and one of the top ten companies, by market capitalization, in the world. In 2001 Vodafone makes the world’s first 3G roaming call between Spain and Japan. (Vodafone official website) In 2002 Vodafone group contributed ? 20 million to community program and Vodafone trials its global mobile payment system in the UK, Italy and Germany and launched the first commercial European GPRS roaming service. In 2003 Vodafone live attracts 1 million customers in its first six months. In 2004 Vodafone live with 3G is launched in 13 markets worldwide and also launched its first 3G service in Europe with the Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS data card. (Vodafone official website) In 2005 Vodafone completes acquisition of control of MobiFon in Romania and Oskar in the Czech Republic. Vodafone reaches 165 million proportionate customers and also announced new four year sponsorship of the England Cricket Team. VODAFONE also acquired 10% of economic interest in Bharti Tele-Ventures in India. Vodafone announces new football sponsorship with the UEFA Champions League in 2005 only. Acquisition of the assets was acquired in Telsim in Turkey. Vodafone signed contract with McLaren and Mercedes for the Title Sponsorship in 2005. Vodafone announces completion of acquisition of 10% economic interest in Bharti Tele-ventures in India. (Vodafone official website) In 2006 completed the sale of Vodafone Sweden and Vodafone Japan to Softbank. Also announced the completion of acquisition of the assets of Telsim in Turkey Vodafone and Softbank agree to form mobile partnership.Sale of 25% stake in Switzerland’s Swisscom and Belgium’s Proximus. South Africa increased stakes from 15% to 50 %. You read "Financial and Ratio Analysis for Vodafone" in category "Essay examples" Also the group share holding in Netherlands increased to 100% and also acquired outstanding shares. In 2006 group also acquired the telecommunication in Italy and Spain for ?537 millions. (Vodafone official website) In 2007 Vodafone agrees to buy a controlling interest in Hutchison Essar Limited, a leading operator in the fast growing Indian mobile market. Also agrees to buy a controlling interest in Hutchison Essar Limited. Vodafone agrees to acquire Tele2 Italia Spa and Tele2 Telecommunication Services SLU from Tele2 AB Group. Indus Towers Limited, an independent tower company in India is formed between Vodafone, Idea and Bharti. (Vodafone official website) In 2008 the Vodafone group increased the share in Arcos for ?366 million and after that owns the 100% Arcos group. Vodafone also acquired Ghana telecommunication for ?486 million. In the last quarter of 2008 the Vodafone group increased the stake in Polkomtel in Poland from 4.8% to 24.4% for ?171 million. (Vodafone official website) In 2009 Hutchinson and Vodafone agree to merge Australian telecom operations to form the 50:50 joint ventures. Telefonica and Vodafone announce milestone Pan European collaboration to share network infrastructure in Germany, Spain, Ireland and the UK. Vodafone completed the full merger between Vodafone Australia Limited and Hutchinson 3G Australia Pty Limited. (Vodafone official website) MAIN BODY COMPARISON OF ABSOLUTES STATISTIC20092008VARIATIONâ€Å"B/W† ?(MILLION)? (MILLION) REVENUE41,01735,47815.61%B COST OF SALES25,84221,89018.05%W OPERATING PROFIT5,85710,047-41.64%W PROFIT AFTER TAX3,0806,756-54.41%W FIXED ASSETS139,670118,54617.81%B COMPARISON OF BALANCE SHEET SOURCES USES 2009200820092008 (MILLION) (MILLION) (MILLION)(MILLION) EQUITY84,77776,471FIXED ASSETS13,96,7011,85,46 DEBT39,97528,826STOCK412417 DEBTORS7,6626,551 OTHER4,9551756 TOTAL C.A13,0298,724 TRADE CREDITORS13,39811,962 BORROWINGS96244532 Others4,9255,479 TOTAL C.L27,94721,973 CAPITAL EMPLOYED12,475210,5297T.A-C.L12,475210,5297 RATIO ANALYSIS RATIO 20092008B/W ROCE =OPERATING PROFIT * 100 / TOTAL ASSETS – C.LIABILITIES5857*100/12,47524.69%10047*100/10,52979.54%W MARGIN(net profit ratio)=OPERATING PROFIT * 100 / SALES5857*100/41,01714.27%10,047*100/35,47828.31%W ASSETS TURN OVER RATIO= SALES / TOTAL ASSETS – C. LIABILITIES41,017/12,47520.32Times35,478/10,52970.33timesW COST OF SALES RATIO= COST OF SALES*100/SALES25,842*100/41,01763.00%21,890*100/35,47861.70%B STOCK TURN OVER RATIO IN DAYS = STOCK * 365 / COST OF SALES412*365/25,8425.81 DAYS417*365/21,8906.95 DAYSB FIXED ASSET RATIO TURN OVER IN DAYS=SALES/ FIXED ASSTES 41,017/13,96700.2935,478/11,85460.29B TRADE CREDITORS TURN OVER RATIO = CREDITORS * 365 / COST OF SALES13,398*365/25,842189.2DAYS11,962*365/21,890199.4DAYSW TRADE DEBTORS TURN OVER RATIO= DEBTORS * 365 / SALES7662*365/41,01768.18DAYS6551*365/35,47867.39DAYSW CURRENT RATIO= CURRENT ASSETS / C. LIABILITIES13,029/27,9470.468724/21,9730.39B QUICK RATIO= C. ASSETS / C. LIABILITIES – STOCK13,029 – 412/27,9470.458,724 – 417/21,9730.37B GEARING RATIO= DEBT * 100 / EQUITY + DEBT39,975*100/12,475232.04%28,826*100/10,529727.37%W DEBT TO EQUITY= DEBT * 100 / EQUITY39,975*100/84,77747.15%28,826*100/76,47137.69%W RETURN ON EQUITY= PROFIT AFTER TAX * 100/ EQUITY3,080*100/84,7773.63%6,756*100/76,4718.83%W SALES PER EMPLOYEE= RVENUE/NO. OF EMPLOYEES41017/79,097*?5185635,478/72,375?49016B MARK UP RATIO=GROSS PROFIT*100/COST OF SALES15,175*100/25,84258.72%13,588*100/21,89062.07%W GROSS PROFIT RATIO= GROSS PROFIT*100/ REVENUE 15,175*100/41,01736.99%13,588*100/35,47838.29%W RATIO ANALYSIS Ratio analysis is a method which can be used to evaluate the account of business. Ratio analysis is an important aspect of the analysis because the ratio analysis provides quick and easy result to the organisation. Ratio analysis is easy to go through as compared to balance sheet and income statement. This analysis also helps company to determine whether the organisation is achieving its desired goals and also helps to evaluate how its competitors are going on. (Jones, Ed 2006; Dyson, 2007) The ratios are divided into 4 categories: Liquidity ratio: 1.Current asset ratio 2. Acid test ratio Profitability ratio: 1. Return on capital employed (ROCE) 2. Gross profit ratio 3. Mark up ratio 4. Net profit ratio Efficiency ratio: 1. Stock turnover ratio 2. Fixed asset turnover ratio 3. Trade debtor collection period 4. Trade creditor payment period Investment ratio: 1. Dividend yield ratio 2. Dividend cover ratio 3. Earnings per share ratio 4. Price ratio 5. Capital gearing ratio INTERPETATION OF RATIOS Profitability ratio: These ratios helps organisation to analyse how profitable is business operating. This is the key ratio o it is watched by the internal management and external share holders. This ratio includes following ratios: 1. Return on capital employed: This ratio tells how efficient company is using its capital employed. This also helps organisation to know whether the organisation is generating the adequate profit in relation to the investment. As in the case of VODAFONE the ROCE in 2008 was 9.54% and then this fall down in 2009 to 4.69%. As the figures shows the operating profit in 2008 was 10,047 and in 2009 operating profit was 5,857 as it dropped almost to half and capital employed increased to almost 1/4th so return on capital employed is going down and is not good for the organisation. So the VODAFONE need to invest their capital in right manner for the future growth. (Jones, Ed 2006; www. findoutinfo.com) 2. Gross profit ratio: This ratio plays the vital role in business. This ratio tells about the profit earned through selling the product or service after buying from wholesaler. In 2008 gross profit ratio for VODAFONE was 38.29% where as in 2009 the ratio dropped to 36.99% there is decrease of almost 1.2% which indicates that net profit is going down. The reason for the deprecation might be the rise in goodwill cost and equipments which company might have bought in this time span. But even though due to world economic recession the company did not have the huge difference between the gross profit between year 2008 and 2009. (Jones, Ed 2006; www.zimbio.com) 3. Mark up ratio: This is gross profit divided by the cost of sales*100. In 2008 the ratio was 62.07% and in 2009 the ratio again came down to 58.71% this might be because as it was the period of world recession so in order to survive in the market VODAFONE might have reduced their mark up price so in order to retain more customers during the global slowdown. (Dyson,1991) 4. Net profit ratio and Margin ratio: This is another financial indicator and one of the most important ratios. This ratio is calculated after all the expenses are paid by the organisation. This can also help the organisation to compare its net profit for the previous years. The net profit ratio for VODAFONE in 2008 was 28.31% whereas in 209 it was 14.27%. The reason behind the downfall of the net profit ratio is might be VODAFONE has increased their administrative cost and exceptional operating items due to which net profit ratio may decrease. As the operating profit has decreased so that could be the other reason for the downfall of net profit ratio. Margin ratio: This ratio helps the organisation to analyse the profit on the goods and services sold in the year. In the case of VODAFONE there is no variation in the profit margin for the year 2008 is 14.27% and 2009 is 28.31%. The reason behind this must be that there is competition in the telecommunication sector so they might have increased their margin to get more revenue. (Pizzy, 2001; www.findtheinfo.com; Jones, Ed 2006; www.zimbio.com) Efficiency ratio: These ratios help in analysing the effectiveness of business. This also helps to tell how long it will take for the organisation to pay its debtors and creditors. This includes following ratio: 5. Trade debtor’s turnover ratio: this ratio helps to calculate how long and how many days will customer take to pay his debt to the company. This can be worked on the daily, weekly and monthly basis. In the case of VODAFONE debtors take 67.39 days in 2008 and in 2009 the days rose to 68.18 days. So it is almost the same in both the years without any major increase in the days. So the reason might be that VODAFONE is using its current assets efficiently. In order to improve more in this sector VODAFONE cut their debtors day to 1 month which will help them to run more efficiently so that would be good for the organisation. (Jones, Ed 2006; www.zimbio.com) 6. Trade creditor’s turnover ratio: This is opposite to trade debtors and shows how long organisation takes to pay its creditors. The more the creditors days the good it is for the organisation. In case of VODAFONE the creditor’s day in 2008 was 199.4 days and in 2009 the number of days fall down to 189.2 days. As the number of days decreased to 10 days in a period of 1 year this might be because the capital must have been used to pay the acquisition and this might have risk for the company and other reason might be that VODAFONE has lot of contracts going on so this might not be good for the organisation. (Jones, Ed 2006; www.zimbio.com) 7. Stock turnover ratio in day: This ratio measures the speed with which stock moves out of business. This ratio varies from business to business and product to product. The stock turnover ratio for VODAFONE in 2008 was 6.95 days and in 2009 it was 5.81 days. So this has stock turnover ratio has improved in 2009 as compared to 2008 so it is good for the company because the sell their stock faster in 2009 as compared to 2008. Since the VODAFONE is the telecommunication company so they will have lower stock turnover compared to other organisation. (Jones, Ed 2006; Dyson, 2007) 8. The fixed asset turnover ratio: This ratio compares sales to total assets employed. Business with large infrastructure will have lower ratios and vice versa. The fixed asst turnover ratio is same in 2008 and 2009 as 0.29. As the VODAFONE is Telecommunication Company so they don’t have big machinery or such big infrastructure like multinationals so it doesn’t make a big difference in this ratio. (Jones, Ed 2006; www.zimbio.com) Liquidity ratio: These ratios are obtained from balance sheet and tell how easily organisation can pay its debt, loan creditor such as bank and financers are particularly interested in these ratios. These ratios are divided into 2 parts: 9. Current ratio: This shows whether short term assets cover short term liabilities. In the case of VODAFONE in 2008 the ratio was 0.39 where as in 2009 this increased to 0.46. the ratio in 2009 is good as compared to 2008 so the VODAFONE has improved in this aspect but overall this ratio should be 1.0 or more so this shows even though VODAFONE has made improvement in this ratio compared to 2008 but still the organisation might be in trouble so they should be careful when dealing with the liabilities and this could also because of the expansion plans which might be helpful for the organisation in near future. (www.zimbo .com) 10. Quick ratio: This is also called acid test ratio. This measure short term liquidity. In 2008 VODAFONE has the result as 0.37 where as in 2009 this figure rose 0.45 which is good for the organisation but still this should be VODAFONE might need some extra funds or should opt to sanction some long term loans to improve the liquidity position and this should be helpful in the future. (Dyson, 2007; www.zimbo .com) Other ratios: 11. Gearing ratio: This ratio is a part of investment ratio. This represents the relationship between the ordinary shareholder funds and debt capital of company. In the case of VODAFONE the gearing ratio in 2008 long term ownership capital was 27.37% and in 2009 the figure rose to 32.04% which is not good for the organisation. The reason behind this might be that organisation has some long term loans and even not making the enough profit to pay the interest as well as give the share of profit to ordinary share holders. (Jones, Ed 2006) 12. Cost of sales ratio: This is one of the important ratio as it helps the organisation to diagnose the sales for the year and shows whether is investing properly in cost of sales or not. In the case of VODAFONE the cost of sale ratio in 2008 was 61.70% and in 2009 it rose to 63.00% which is not good at all for the organisation. The reason might be that VODAFONE is investing lot in advertising and marketing which might be increasing their cost of sales so in order to run smoothly and earn more profit and revenue the group should cut down their cost of sales. (Jones, Ed 2006, Dyson, 2007) 13. Return on equity: This measures corporate profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money which share holders have invested. In the case of Vodafone return on equity in 2008 was 8.83% but by the end of 2009 this decreased to 3.63%. This shows that this is not good for the organisation. The reason might be as the borrowings have increased in 2009 comparatively to 2008 to almost more than half so company might be paying high interest so that’s why they were not able to have good return on equity. (Dyson, 2007) 14. Sale per employee ratio: This is measured to know how much sales has been made by single employee in a year. The sale per employee in case of Vodafone has increased in 2009 to ?58185 as it was ?49016 in 2008. The reason might be as Vodafone has gone global and acquired many parts of the world so there sales have increased comparatively to 2008 so the sale per employee ratio is high in 2009. The other reason could be as in recession the Vodafone has kept their margin constant to 14.27% but their competitors might have increased the margin so they might have got more customers which increased the sale per employee ratio. IMPACT OF CURRENT EVENTS ON VODAFONE Vodafone is operating and dealing in telecommunication sector from past two decades. But however if we have look onto the financial situation of the organisation it was not good at all in the financial year 2009. The foremost reason behind the downfall of the financial situation might be the span of global recession which hit the world badly and all the big multinationals as well. As we compare the revenue for 2009 with 2008 the revenue has increased but if we have a look on to the operating profit and profit after tax they significantly have come down almost the half which is not good indication for the organisation. The operating profit might have gone down because the cost of sales have increased that mean the Vodafone is spending a lot on the marketing and advertisement from their own budget so they need to cut down on the cost of sales. Even though Vodafone kept their margin constant as 14.27% but still got more revenue so the other reason for the downfall of profit might be that the group have invested the money in equipments and expansion plans which will be helpful in the near future. The reason behind the downfall of the profit after tax is that the company have increased the borrowings in 2009 comparatively to 2008 so they might have to pay the higher interest in 2009. But if we have a look on to the fixed assets which have increased in 2009 so that is good for the organisation because if they are investing they will be going to get profit out of that in the near future. These are the impact of the current events on the VODAFONE. CONCLUSION As we know the Vodafone is one of the largest telecommunication industries in the world. We have already analysed in this report the financial situation of Vodafone in 2008 and 2009 and according to the analysis it proved that the year 2009 was not good for the organisation in terms of profit as we compare this with the previous years. The reason behind this could be the world economic recession and other factor might be that the company might have borrowed lots of funds from the bank and other agencies so need to pay higher interest as compared to 2008 so that’s why the profit of the organisation has decreased to almost half. As we know Vodafone has spread throughout the world so in 2010 company would definitely going to achieve lot of revenue and profit as they have invested through their borrowings in 2009. As the organisation has already paid and invested a lot for the globalisation and marketing so they will be able to generate more sales and profit by the end of financial year 2010. The main revenue which Vodafone will be targeting is from the Asian and Middle East countries. Vodafone will also be planning to adopt some new strategies in 2010 to attract the more customers. As the organisation has captured some new shares in India so as it is a big market so they need to work out on their current strategies to acquire more customers in this sector of the world as they do have many rivals. So finally the revenue for Vodafone will improve in 2010 by the growth of mobile data and fixed broadband. Cost reduction targets will be delivered ahead of schedule enabling commercial reinvestment to improve market share which will further strengthen technology platforms. Vodafone, which is positioned to return to revenue growth during the 2010 financial year, as economic recovery should benefit our key markets. On the other hand, the Vodafone group may be going to be profitable in the near future. Their acquisitions and goodwill will still reap the benefits probably in the future and so the ability to be profitable has increased and the main reason is the total group increase of operations. So according to the reasons mentioned above the group will be adopting the different strategies and planning and even the world economic conditions are getting better so the year 2010 will be asset for the Vodafone. REFERENCE LIST: Vodafone official website. Available at www.vodafone.com, accessed on 1st May2010 Zimbo business. ww.zimbio.com/†¦/Vodafone+Insight+2009+Comparison+Relative, accessed on 26th may 2010 Business dictionary. Available at www.businessdictionary.com, accessed 30th may 2010. Financial dictionary. Available at www.financialdictionary.thefreedictionary.com, accessed 30th may 2009. Jones Michael. (2006) Accounting, Chichester: Atrium. Atrill Peter Mclaney Eddie. (2004) Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists, Harlow: Prentice Hall Dyson John R. (2007) Accounting for Non-Accounting Students, Harlow: Prentice Hall Pizzy Alan. (2001) Accounting and Finance, London: Cornwall APPENDIX 1 (BALANCE SHEET) For the years ended 31 MarchNote 2009 ?m 2008 ?m Non-current asset Goodwill9 53,958 51,336 Other intangible assets9 20,980 18,995 Property, plant and equipment11 19,250 16,735 Investments in associated undertakings14 34,715 22,545 Other investments15 7,060 7,367 Deferred tax assets6 630 436 Post employment benefits26 8 65 Trade and other receivables17 3,069 1,067 FIXED ASSETS139,670 118,546 Current assets Inventory16 412 417 Taxation recoverable77 57 Trade and other receivables(DEBETS )17 7,662 6,551 Cash and cash equivalents18 4,878 1,699 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS13,029 8,724 Total assets152,699 127,270 Equity Called up share capital19 4,153 4,182 Share premium account21 43,008 42,934 Own shares held21 (8,036) (7,856) Additional paid-in capital21 100,239 100,151 Capital redemption reserve21 10,101 10,054 Accumulated other recognised income and expense22 20,517 10,558 Retained losses23 (83,820) (81,980) Total equity shareholders’ funds86,162 78,043 Minority interests1,787 1,168 Written put options over minority interests(3,172) (2,740) Total minority interests(1,385) (1,572) Total equity84,777 76,471 Non-current liabilities Long term borrowings25 31,749 22,662 Deferred tax liabilities6 6,642 5,109 Post employment benefits26 240 104 Provisions27 533 306 Trade and other payables28 811 645 DEBT39,975 28,826 Current liabilities Short term borrowings25, 35 9,624 4,532 Current taxation liabilities4,552 5,123 Provisions27 373 356 Trade and other payables(CREDITORS)28 13,398 11,962 27,947 21,973 Total equity and liabilities152,699 127,270 APPENDIX 2 (INCOME STATEMENT) For the years ended 31 March Note2009 ?m 2008 ?m Revenue3 41,017 35,478 Cost of sales(25,842) (21,890) Gross profit15,175 13,588 Selling and distribution expenses(2,738) (2,511) Administrative expenses(4,771) (3,878) Share of result in associated undertakings14 4,091 2,876 Impairment losses10 (5,900) – Other income and expense30 – (28) Operating profit/(loss)4 5,857 10,047 Non-operating income and expense30 (44) 254 Investment income5 795 714 Financing costs5 (2,419) (2,014) Profit/(loss) before taxation4,189 9,001 Income tax expense6 (1,109) (2,245) Profit/(loss) for the financial year from continuing operations3,080 6,756 Loss for the financial year from discontinued operations30 – – Profit/(loss) for the financial year3,080 6,756 Attributable to: – Equity shareholders23 3,078 6,660 – Minority interests2 96 3,080 6,756 Basic earnings/(loss) per share Profit/(loss) from continuing operations8 5.84p 12.56p Loss from discontinued operations8, 30 – – Profit/(loss) for the financial year8 5.84p 12.56p Diluted earnings/(loss) per share Profit/(loss) from continuing operations8 5.81p 12.50p Loss from discontinued operations8, 30 – – Profit/(loss) for the financial year8 5.81p 12.50p How to cite Financial and Ratio Analysis for Vodafone, Essay examples

Does Technology Change Culture or Culture Change Technology free essay sample

| Does technology change culture or culture change technology?  « Diane Rehm radio show on Social Networks on the WebWhat ever happened to KQML?  »Does technology change culture or culture change technology? Tim Finin, 1:00pm 10 July 2006 TweetI attended the CRA’s Snowbird Conference last month. The most interesting talk was a keynote from Genevieve Bell (also see here) who is an anthropologist who works at Intel Research. One of her messages was that while we tend to think that technology changes culture, it’s more often the other way around. Cultures are very robust and change slowly. It’s typical for a new technology to be adapted within a culture and used to support existing patterns of behavior. For example, she said that mobile phone manufacturers have developed popular phones for Muslim users that support their religious practices by (1) reminding them when it is time to pray, (2) orienting them towards Mecca and (3) disabling incoming calls for 20 minutes. She gave many other examples from Africa and Asia that showed how new technology is being used in ways that fit into the existing cultures. I found the message reassuring. Itaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s easy to get worked up into a state of anxiety about what our modern world is doing to our societies. Human cultures are apparently more resilient than we naively assume. Related posts: 1. Computer Science publication culture 2. Interest in Computer Science and Engineering for college freshmen declines 3. On Larrabee and how multi-core computers will change CS education 4. Top technology brands 5. An introduction to Geospatial Semantic Web technologyCategories: Uncategorized Comments: 1010 Responses to â€Å"Does technology change culture or culture change technology? 1. brad mccaul Says: December 21st, 2007 at 3:22 pm I would take exception the notion that technology is not changing culture. Simply put it changes it by controlling. Technology is the predominate medium by which we are increasingly getting things done. It is in this way that technology, quit ubiquitously, shapes culture. It is naive to think otherwise. Let me explain, if your medium/tool to build a house is only a hammer, then that will radically determine how you approach building that house. Contrastingly, if you have a hammer, a saw, and a drill your approach will again be informed, and radically so, by these mediums. If you look at technology as a content, like a cell phone, a cell phone which reminds owners of prayer time and holds calls for 20 minutes then yes culture shapes technology. But, if you look at technology as a process, a process that defines and nurtures the way people make contact, then technology not only changes culture but it changes it in a very particular direction–a de-humanizing direction i might add. It is certainly in our interest that culture does take time to change. However reassuring on the surface, the fact that culture moves slowly means that it moves without us noticing it, without our attentional focus, and consequently is actually cause for even greater anxiety. So, don’t let go of that anxiety, an anxiety that i share with you, just yet. Let me give you another example, the technology of interactive voice recognition, which enables a computer to process voice into text and text into voice, has to come to shape the way many companies do business. The idea is, as a company, we can provide all kinds of services to our clients without ever having to employ a real person and therefor save tons of money and provide good service at the same time. Well, you have used these systems, what is your experience like with them? If it is at all like mine, it is extremely frustrating. Does it save me time from having to wait on hold for a live person? yes. Does it provide some information that may be useful to me? yes. Does it respond in a satisfying way to 90% of my calls? no. It actually builds frustration because it means i will have to spend an extra 15-20 minutes before i can get to someone who might be able to help me. Lets not stop there. We have to realize that companies started asking themselves what kind questions do people call us with and can we write a program that will respond to those kind questions–that is to say can we write a program that provides people with the â€Å"INFORMATION† they need. You see technology has us thinking that what we need is information, that life can be programed, scripted, and controlled with the right set of tools or techniques. Technology does not distinguish between information and knowledge, much less information and wisdom. Lets continue on with our example, I am now about to finish an unsatisfying conversation with a live customer service representative, who often has a limited facility with the English language, and despite the fact that they were clearly unable to give me what I needed, will read their script, with the noted appropriate positive affect, by sayingThank you so much for calling MCI, it has been my pleasure to help you today, is their anything else I may assist you with today, Mr. McCaul ? (Because as you know they are instructed to get your name). Well, thank you for calling MCI and have a nice day. You get off the phone on one of these experiences and wonder what just happened and why I donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t feel as rosy and wonderful as the customer service rep I just spoke to. They think, because they used the right wordsaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ and we start to think that we should alsoaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ that we just had an experience and a positive one at that. We do not get it, using the right words, having the right language, following the script, does not substitute for an actual discussion or real experience between two response-able persons. Did they give me the information to all my questions, yes. Did they help me, no. Did they do there job, yes, because their job was simply to give me information. No, or that is not something i can help you with, is information to my questions. It is information, but it is not knowledge that i can use to solve my problem, answer my question, or resolve my issue. apologize for the length of this example but it points out how a very common and prevalent technology not only shapes how we go about conducting our business, but even more important how we frame the questions of our business and their solutions, how we come to think about what is important and what is not, and worst of all, how we come to think about ourselves in the process–Dehumanized, lowered to the level of a brain only worth the information it holds. . tim hardaway Says: May 12th, 2009 at 12:02 am well said Brad—- exactly correct—frankly tech is often misapplied in organizations being a cheap easy substitute for real community— which tech aint! 3. Technology Culture  « Jacquelyn’s Blog Says: June 6th, 2009 at 12:48 pm [ ] http://ebiquity. umbc. edu/blogger/2006/07/10/does-technology-change-culture-or-culture-change-technol ] 4. messias mateus Matsinhe Says: September 17th, 2009 at 11:15 am For me I thing that the question can be regarded in both sides, in the sense that through the application of new technology, we are building a new way of looking at things and by doing that we are at the same time bringing up a new culture. 5. wa haha Says: August 5th, 2010 at 6:46 pm i think technology is changing culturewith all the cellphone and laptops and ipod and xboxes and everything else things have become easier to do and easier to communicate but they dont do the same thing you d o when people didnt have google or facebook or have an app for everything people put aside an hour or two just to go on the internet when people that dont have it put aside that time going outside and exploring or

Ever Since Midas Lust For Gold, It Appears To Be That Man Has Acquired

Ever since Midas' lust for gold, it appears to be that man has acquired a greed and appetite for wealth. Juana, the Priest, and the doctor have all undergone a change due to money. They are all affected by their hunger for wealth and inturn are the base for their own destruction, and the destruction of society. Steinbeck's The Pearl is a study of man's self destruction through greed. Juana, the faithful wife of Kino, a paltry peasant man, had lived a spiritual life for what had seemed like as long as she could remember. When her son Coyito fell ill from the bite of a scorpion, she eagerly turned towards the spiritual aspects of life. Beginning to pray for her son's endangered life. The doctor who had resided in the upper-class section of the town, refused to assistant the child, turning them away when they arrived at the door. Lastly they turned to the sea to seek their fortune. When Juana set sight on the Pearl of The World. she felt as though all her prayers had been answered, if she could have foreseen the future what she would have seen would have been a mirror image of her reality. Juana's husband was caught in a twisted realm of mirrors, and they were all shattering one by one. In the night he heard a sound so soft that it might have been simply a thought... and quickly attacked the trespasser. This is where the problems for Juana and her family began. The fear that had mounted in Kino's body had taken control over his actions. Soon even Juana who had always had faith in her husband, had doubted him greatly. It will destroy us all she yelled as her attempt to rid the family of the pearl had failed. Kino had not listened however, and soon Juana began to lose her spiritual side and for a long time she had forgotten her prayers that had at once meant so much to her. She had tried to help Kino before to much trouble had aroused, only to discover that she was not competent enough to help. A hypocrathic oath is said before each medical student is granted a Doctors degree. In the oath they swear to aid the ill, and cure the injured. In the village of La Paz there lived a doctor who had earned his wealth by helping those that were ill and could afford his services. Not once in his long career would he have dared refuse to aid a wealthy lawyer or noblemen. However when Kino and the group of money hungry peasants arrived at his door with a poisoned child he had refused them entry saying Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for `little Indians'? I am a doctor, not a veterinary. for the doctor had known that the peasants hadn't any money. He had been to Paris and had enjoyed the splendors of the world, and therefore he wouldn't be seen dealing with the less fortunate as he knew that the less fortunate would surely always be just that-less fortunate. However it seemed that he had been stereotypical of the less fortunate, as he soon discovered when hearing of a g reat pearl discovered by the peasants who had knocked upon his door earlier that day. A hunger for wealth was what pushed him to visit the peasants house and aid their destitute son. However he had already ended Coyito's life without knowing he'd done so, for if he had administered aid to Coyito when they were first at the doctors door, Kino would have no reason to seek his fortune in the ocean, and would not be led down the road to hardships. One might think that a doctor, one who has the image of being passive, and caring should not stoop to such a level. When one is down on their luck, chances are they will turn to superstition in hope to acquire what it is that they would want to achieve. A good example of this would be a good luck charm such as a rabbit's foot. In La Paz the peasants were uneducated and probably had never heard of a superstition.

Mise En Scene in Manhattan essays

Mise En Scene in Manhattan essays This past week I watched Woody Allens Manhattan and was blown away from his full use of the frame throughout the movie. This may be a bit of a biased view since I am a fan of nearly every movie Woody has made, but watching this movie with special attention to mise en scene made me feel reaffirmed on what a great filmmaker I think he is. I had read in the book, Woody Allen on Woody Allen that there is a clause in the studio's contract that says that this film must always be shown in letterbox format in any home video or broadcast. Having read this, it was obvious that he did not want anything cut from the picture and he was going to be using the full frame. IMDB.com states that this is his first and, to date, only film shot using the 2.35:1 anamorphic Panavision process. This movie is shot entirely in black and white. This combined with Gershwins score gives New York a fairytale-like quality in the film. Manhattan itself becomes a character in the movie. The title of the movie is taken off of a street sign that blinks Manhattan as we are first brought into the movie with Isaacs monologue over shots with no actors, just location shots further establishing New York City as a character. Several outdoor scenes are shot from long distance causing the actors to be seen really small on the screen and allowing the city itself to fill the frame. In many of these scenes, the characters themselves arent even centered in the frame, leaving the city to be the dominant thing our eyes are attracted to. In the scene where Isaac (Woody Allen) and Mary (Diane Keaton) are sitting on the park bench after walking and talking throughout the city, we see the two of them staged on the bench on the far right corner of the screen, in front of the 58th St. Bridge. Th e bridge is in the center of the frame and we also see that it is dawn and they have been up walking and talking all night. We have th...

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world Dissertation

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world - Dissertation Example However, some countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and Jordan are offering the services of Islamic banking through traditional banking services. In some countries like Pakistan, there are banks that are operating in accordance with the Islamic laws and at the same time there are some banks that are practicing conventional banking and at the same time some of their branches are offering Islamic banking services. Not only there has been an increasing trend of Muslim majority countries practicing Islamic banking products but certain Western countries including United Kingdom, United States and Australia have been also observing an increasing trend in regard to the Islamic banking. Although the industry of Islamic banking is still growing and an emerging industry, but in different parts of the world this industry has been achieving very high profits unlike United Kingdom. However in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain this industry has been growing. In Pakistan, Islamic banks have reported a profit of 5.7 PKR which is approximately 59% of the total market share in the year 2011 (The News, 2012).). In Bahrain, Islamic banking industry is also one of the fasted growing industries of the countries and still there are several opportunities in the countries (Laxman, 2011). In addition to this, Islamic banking industry is showing good progress and is giving tough time to traditional banks in several other western countries. Financial performance of Islamic financial institutions in UK United Kingdom and particularly London has been considered as an important market place by investors and in this part of the world; both Islamic and non-Islamic banks have inve sted. Initially Islamic banks started their services in London by offering simple products like house financing however with the passage of time the quality of products as well as the complexities involved increased (Ainley, Mashayekhi, Hicks, Rahman, and Ravalia, 2007). after analysing different opportunities for profits and growth, number of Islamic banks invested in United Kingdom and tried to capitalise on these opportunities. Some of the most prominent names of Islamic banks in UK are: Islamic Bank of Britain HSBC Amanah Lloyds TSB The products and services offered by Islamic banks are not only for Muslims but for non-Muslims as well and this is one of the reasons why it has become highly famous in UK despite of the challenges it faces. However recently the performance of the Islamic bank has not been satisfactory and the opportunities that every one identified had not been capitalised by these Islamic banks. This is one of the reasons why one of the leading Islamic banks, Isla mic bank of Britain had to be bailed out in the year 2010 by Qatar after several successive years of losses. After the financial crisis, the Islamic banks in United Kingdom have suffered a lot. Lloyds Islamic bank also removed its investment from United Kingdom as they did not see bright future in the country (Goodway, 2010). Islamic Bank of Britain which has been able to make a name in the United kingdom is also losing its customers. in 2009, the Islamic bank had lost almost 50,000 customers as the total loss of the bank increased to ?9.5 million from ?5.9 million. Considering the situation of the bank, IBB had to raise additional capital of 2009. Then

Guidelines for device based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormalities Research Paper

Guidelines for device based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormalities - Research Paper Example Recommendations in guideline for the device based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormality has proved to be beneficial for reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death and has improved quality of life. However, multi-centric clinical trials are needed to find an optimal timing for the implant for an indication. Guidelines for device based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormalities. Cardiac arrhythmias are still a major threat to human health and are so deadly that they are responsible for 50% of all the cardiovascular deaths related to the cardiovascular system (Piccini, Al-Khatib, Myers, Anstrom, Buxton, Peterson, & Sanders, 2010). Arrhythmias are not always pathological; they can be physiological like bradycardia in athletes and tachycardia during anxiety. Physiological cardiac arrhythmias usually do not need any treatment, they are recovered spontaneously but, pathological arrhythmias require heroic management. Anti- arrhythmic drugs and anti-arrhythmic devices are employed as a treatment strategy for arrhythmias. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, pacemakers and cardiac resynchronization therapy are the devices used to prevent death from arrhythmia; use of anti-arrhythmic devices are significantly associated to reduce mortality associated with arrhythmia (Piccini et al., 2010). Devices are used to prevent arrhythmia according to the guidelines of the American Heart Association, published in 2008. Guidelines for device based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormalities were designed by experts from the American College of Cardiology in collaboration with the American Association of Thoracic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The Recommendations were made after a thorough literature search so that treatment strategy can be standardized and clinical evaluation of patients can be made easy. The Guidelines aim to reduce inappropriate decisions for implantation of cardiac devices, provide confidence to cardiac consultants.When related to devices, guidelines are mea nt for promotion of their appropriate use and to abandon it’s under and over use (Epstein et al., 2008). Critical evaluation of all diagnostic procedures, diagnostic scales, and guidelines is necessary because it is directly related to appropriate health care delivery ( Epstein et al., 2008). Evidence based critical evaluation of guidelines is a scientific means to judge effectiveness of the guideline in promoting good patient care. Critical evaluation of the guidelines for device based therapy is inevitable to judge the pros and cons of the guideline; it also helps to find any danger, if associated with the recommendations. Scientific critics of the guideline are important means to generate new recommendations in order to make the guideline more favorable. Since it is related to the cardiology, critical evaluation of the guidelines for the implanted anti-arrhythmic devices are more demanding because negligence may take a patient's life in a few minutes. The nursing staff is usually the first hand care providers in hospital settings. Being medical professionals, it is inevitable for them to understand the importance of guidelines; they should know the recommended guidelines of device based management of cardiac arrhythmias because after treatment, patient’

Coefficient of thermal expansion ( CTE) laboratory Coursework

Coefficient of thermal expansion ( CTE) laboratory - Coursework Example Coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CET), denoted by ÃŽ ±, is indicative of how much a material will expand when heated. This expansion occurs as a result of increased vibrations of atoms owing of enhanced kinetic energy gained from the heat source. Consequently, the inter-atomic distance increases which ultimately causes the material to linearly expand. CET is an inherent property of material and plays a significant role during material selection phase for fabrication jobs especially where high precision and accuracy is required over large thermal gradients. Following table outline the consolidated results of the experiment. CTE using formula has also been calculated for each reading. Sample calculations are given thereafter. A graph for Extension (mm) against Temperature (oC) has also been plotted. 2) The large error in Aluminum up to 15558% is primarily due to human error. The readings may have not been noted accurately or the decimal place not marked in correct location. Systematic error can safely be ruled out since CTE of steel and brass and within acceptable error of 5.2% and 7.7% respectively 3) The slight error can be attributed to bias in noting down the temperature reading and extension precisely at the same time. Moreover, non-uniform heating, improper contact of temperature element and creep within the specimen due to multiple thermal cycles over time may have contributed to the variance in CTE. A dial gage itself is not an accurate device and electronic stain gages for measurement of extension can give more accurate results. The results comply with the values taken from ASTM Handbook for metals for both steel and brass. Readings for Aluminum must be verified since the large error can only be attributed to human fault. For per degree rise in temperature, aluminum expands most followed by brass and then steel. ASM International. "Thermal Expansion, Thermal Properties of Metals (#06702G)." ASME

Nestle Was Founded In 1866 Management Essay

Nestle Was Founded In 1866 Management Essay Nestle was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestle and has become the worlds biggest food and beverage company by now. Nestle employs around 250,000 people from more than 70 countries and possess operation centres in almost every country in the world. Nestle is one the world largest food producer in the global platform with the success of highly product innovations and business acquisitions. Nestle has diversifying its product line into various type and expanded its market share within the world since years ago. Although there are a huge number of products need to be produce by Nestle but the quality of the products are always the priority of Nestle to renowned throughout the world. The existing products of Nestle are growing through high level of innovation and renovations while maintaining a balance of geographic activities and product lines. The short term performance is the crucial element to fulfil the long term plan of the company in future. The Companys priority is to bring the best a nd most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives. Nestle, a caring company that has produce different taste for each country in the world to fit with the local culture and needs. Nestle is a company that operates with decentralization style. For an example, each operation country is responsible for the efficient running of its business, which including the training of the staffs. The company vision focus on making good food central to enjoy a good and healthy life for consumers all over the world. This implies that Nestle is gaining a deeper understanding in many areas of nutrition and food researches and transforming the scientific advances into applications. By having a broad vision, the company is doing its best for their consumers to show the great sense of responsibility. Everybody knows an operation of a company is frequently come with the conflict and negotiation in workplace. The conflict can be improves the responsiveness to external environment and increase team cohesion. Conflict will be arising even in our daily lives and being experienced since we were a kid. Emotions arising when there is disagreement occurred. When the level of conflict has lifted, it might lead to severe agency problems. Different people will have differed perceptions towards any single issue such as the methods to resolve any kind of problems. Conflict is an unavoidable issue within the business environment due to it relates directly to communication and hierarchy matters. Thus, in this assignment we going to discuss and learning from the topic of Conflict issue of Nestle (Malaysia). Methods used to collect the information. Accurate and thorough use of course concepts in OB relates to the issues.( 5 marks) They are two category of methodology that we required to adopt in this assignment, which are primary and secondary. After much consideration, we choose to use the questionnaire method as primary method to investigate inter-organization conflict. Due to the interview drawbacks, it can be very time-consuming such as setting up, interviewing; transcribing, analysing, feedback, reporting, somehow and it also can be very costly to student like us. Besides thats, different interviewee may have different understand and transcribe interview in different ways. In contrary, the questionnaire isa most economicoffer in terms of expenses and time involved. By using questionnaires, the potential information can be collected from a large portion of a group. Therefore, the yield data more comparable than information obtained through an interview. In the tip to toe questionnaire research, we useda week to done the research from distribute questionnaire questions to collect the employees respond and process the frequency from the outcome. In seven days, we allocate three day in select and distribute those question, another three day for collecting the employees responded the questionnaire, while for the last day to process the frequency from the outcome. The main emphasis here is on the communication conflicts, which cover all the three levels of the companys hierarchy. From the head, top management followed by the middle management and at the bottom part is employees who below the manager level. There were several types of questionnaires were designed for each level, therefore the questionnaires distributed at the top were least and maximum at the lower level Results from Questionnaire Variables Frequency From management (10 person) More than the desired output of the employees make can be harmful to the organization? Yes 09 No 01 There is a free flow of communication among the employees Yes 10 No 00 Employees are properly informed about decision taken? Yes 07 No 03 There is a consistency among the management policies Yes 08 No 02 From employees(20 person) From how long have you been working in the organization? 6 months 04 1 year 02 3 years 10 Or more than 3 years 04 What kind of boss do you like to work with? A competent but difficult boss 13 A lenient but incompetent boss 07 Which type of leaderships style do you like the most? Autocratic 18 Democratic 02 How your management does is doing the evaluating among the employees? Performance base 18 Merit base 02 Preference to work with: Friendly but incompetent colleague 09 Difficult but competent colleague 11 Receiving assignments with proper resources to execute Yes 15 No 05 Favouring the dress code? Yes 20 No 00 Employees are properly informed about decisions taken Yes 10 No 10 There is a free flow of communication among the employees Yes 18 No 02 Employees usually face communication problems with: Top management 04 Manager 16 Who should be blamed Top management 04 Manager 16 More organisational hierarchic conflicts are faced by Top 05 Middle (manager) 15 Lower 00 Level which should be held responsible for that? Top 06 Middle (manager) 14 Lower 00 As for secondary method, we are required to look into several journals and reading materials. In the internet, it provides us thousands of links and website to search for conflict and negotiation management. By apply the theory and practical model from the journal that we selected, we able to plant it into the recommendation part of this assignment. Integration of course concepts with information about the company (15 marks) A basic existential of a company is continuously improving and gain growth together with its employees in the long run view. However, conflicts will be arising to achieve such a desirable outcome. In this section, our team try to locate the conflict and negotiation issue happening in Nestle, and consolidate with the academic part in order to explain how the organization practise in reality situation. By referring to Nestle, there are a few issues that have evoked huge conflicts and resolutions were given to overcome them. The sources of conflict based on the issues that we had discover included differentiation, incompatible goals and communication problem. Issue no.1 Nestle vision and mission stated that, the company want to be a leading, competitive, nutrition, health and wellness company. Thus, milk powder formula has been launched and the main purpose for this product is to let the mothers become even more convenience and able to give their infant with better nutrition formula. The third world mothers hungered for westernization and feed their infant with the milk powder formula. Due to the limited knowledge of the third world mothers do not realize that over-diluted will caused the infants suffered from malnutrition. The infant formula conflict began in December 1970 and turns even worse in the year of 1973. The reason that this issue being arise is due to Nestle accused of getting third world mothers to adapt on the infant milk formula, which consisting less nutrition fact than breast milk. Begin from July 1977 a severe boycott event is held by the public towards Nestle. In January 1981, Nestle has established Nestle Coordination Centre for Nutrition.Inc (NCCN) to reduce the risk of misuse the infant milk formula and the protesters who boycott Nestle. NCCN has gathered all the relevant information from the critics to establish strategies. NCCN has communicated and disseminate the product information to the third world mothers on behalf of Nestle for solving the infant formula conflict. In this issue, we can categorize this conflict into the differentiation as one structural sources of conflict. In such case, Nestle try to promote their product into third world country to enrich their market niche in the same time helping the woman there obtain the benefits from milk powder. From the relevant article shown, Nestle adopt avoiding as conflict handling contingencies at the initial stage of boycott activities. Nestle did not observe issue that is going on around them, they didnt check the initial forum, journals, magazines, and other common news media, in the sense that they didnt handle the issue properly and it means they have used the wrong tactics to handle the problem in early phase. Since thats the case, the avoiding approach had caused the boycott adjacent (frustration) to Nestle had started on 4th July 1977. After the failure in combat the infant issue at 1970s, Nestle finally establish the NCCN, which mean they start to create and claim the value back from publ ics. By managing the information, Nestle successfully resolve the conflict by understand the activists needs, and win back the confidence from public by work together with the group of social auditors to help them improve their weaknesses. Issue no 2. Palm oil is one of the main raw materials to let Nestle to satisfy its productions need and produce the final goods to fulfil the needs of the Nestle products consumers. Due to the scarcity of palm oil and high demanding from its production, the consumption of Nestle has doubled since the last few years. Conflict was arising that Nestle needs a huge number of palm oil to produce its products, however to obtain such a large number of palm oil had endanger the natural environment due to the main supplier (Sinar Mas) led to a vast majority deforestation. In order to fulfil the needs of Nestle, Sinar Mas conducted a huge deforestation event and caused massive pollution. In this case, Greenpeace (a non-government environmental organization) has interfered in this issue and condemned Nestle that encourage the unhealthy trend growth for obtaining the palm oil. Indirectly, Nestle has caused such a huge destructive event that executed by Sinar Mas. This has impacted on the rain forest and nat ural habitat of orang utans and further extinction. Since the unfavourable business practice of Sinar Mas has been disclosed at the early 2010, Nestle has stopped the palm oil purchasing contract with Sinar Mas and decided to co-operate with Cargill, one of the largest palm oil suppliers in the world. In another hand, Nestle has also created: The Nestle Supplier Code (TNSC) and being implemented since August 2010. Under TNSC, Nestle reflects the suppliers need to be full compliance with applicable laws and possess high level senses of responsibility towards the entire stakeholders. In this case there are two serious issues arouse, which are the attitude of Nestle public relationship toward social network and their intention on deforestation decision making. A Kit-Kat sarcastic video clip was released on Youtube which focus on the content of palm oil and deforestation issues that launched by Greenpeace. Nestle social media team was fighting back by chasing the video clip all over the internet and tried to cover all the unfavourable relevant information off from the internet. Nestle also taking action by removed the video clip from Youtube, however the video clip has reposted in another social media platform named, Vimeo. Besides, Greenpeace uses twitter to talk about the censorship attempt by Nestle. The video clip has caused a huge impact towards Nestle, thousands of anti-nestle discussions were removed from the Nestles facebook page. Nestles facebook responds team was responding to those criticism posts and comments by threatening to delete comments. The way of respond by the Nestle social media team has led to further issue. Nestle representative has apologized for the incidents happened in the Nestle facebook wall. But, the image of Nestle has been affected and the stock price was dropped after these incidents happened. In this case, the incompatible goals between Greenpeace and the forest destruction parties had arouse the relationship conflict. Once the conflicts break out, Nestle adopted two different approaches in two different nature issues. In deforestation, Nestle at the very early stage escape from the public eye, try to dodge the column. Until they cant take it off from the public pressure, Nestle then start to compromise to the interest group by distance themselves with Sinar Mas, and subsequently establish a supplier code of ethic in order to prevent similar mistake happen again. However, in social media, Nestle had shown bad public relation to the world, which they uphold high assertiveness while low cooperativeness. Thus, they remove all of the critical comments at the official Facebook page which we think this behaviour completely indicates they have deep conviction about their position. Besides that, by removing the comments also consider as a quick resolution to ease the issue. However, these unwise decision lead to an official apologize from Nestle to public. In the end, the public relation week reported that Nestle was looking to hire a new agency to help with its image online.   Questionnaire analysis The following is a depth analysis of the responses from the management and employees: Communication problem is the third source of the conflict and it is mostly within the inter-organizational level. Employees attitudes, behaviour, individual biases, ethnics discrimination and improper channel to communication may lead to a huge and unavoidable conflict. One of the Nestle employees reveals that, the selection biases of a manager may lead conflict within the company. For an example, if a human resources manager who possessed selection bias interferes in the process recruiting the new employees, the manager might select his or her preference candidates for the job vacancy.   Based on the questionnaire result that we have been distributed to the Nestle Malaysia, bad attitude of the manager may lead to escalate conflict level into a worse stage. Great majority of the employees preferred to work for a cooperative competent boss and also the colleagues. Employees were in fully support for the dress code in the research but the managers statements were totally contrary to that of employees. Maximum number of managers and employees come to consensus that free flow of communication among the employees which is a good sign to two ways communication. There are big number of respondents blamed the manager for hierarchic whether vertical or horizontal, the manager is a key factor and he should be perfect in dealing to all grounds or else, the conflict would emerge of all type. On the other hand, issues of authority and responsibility balance could be further if the manager takes big decisions such as jobs confirmation and salary decisions then, there may be conflicts, and we suggest these decisions must be taken by the top management (directors) in order to reduce the unnecessary conflict. The manager of NESTLE also raised the point of communications problem. They believe that the every information must be communicated from their tables. If in any case any employee bypasses the manger, there may be a conflict arose between them too. Usually, the organizations do have coordinators who are directly answerable to the top management. These coordinators hold responsibility to look at both side and try to look into the factor and solution of inter-organization conflict. Some of the employees reveal that bad attitude of the manager and arrogant nature of the boss could also become one reason of conflicts. They prefer to work with an effective but highly cooperati ve person rather than an efficient but uncooperative one. Extent to which recommendations are consistent with analysis. (5 marks) Training From the questionnaire, the first thing which found, was the insufficient of coaching given to the employees, managers comment that, in an organization employees always have to work together in groups, and if someone feels that he or she unable to co-operate within the group, then there is some trouble lies with particular employee. However at the same time managers said that it is also the organizations responsibility to teach and educate the employees how to work together in groups through proper training. This is a serious topic in order to generate a good working environment in company while each people are concentrating on different task. We found that, without the existence of training, the organizations might face serious types of irresolvable conflicts, which are definitely not fruitful to the organization. To avoid unnecessary conflict took place in the workplace, every staffs and management must participate in organization programming to realize and overcome of conflict sources. Organization could implement conflict management training to all staff members who wished to involve into the training. The objectives of this training are make the participants can gain a clearer understanding of how to deal with conflict and utilized it for maximum opportunity. Participator may able to recognize the various stages of conflict and avoid it from escalating. After completing the program, they could identify their own preferred conflict resolution style and utilized several of ways for managing conflict successfully. However, participator will learn the techniques in handling emotions issue, it bring more productive relationships with each others. Organization can implement Six Steps of the Collaborative Model to strengthen conflict management training program. For instance: Step 1-  Define the problem in terms of needs not solutions Define a problem in terms of conflicting needs but not conflict the solutions. Besides, it is needed for each member to understanding the problem, so that energy will be focused in the same way. Step 2  -Brainstorm possible solutions Barnstorming can define as a quick provide and listing of solution without any clarification and without evaluate of the merits. It must be creative while generate a possible solutions. Step 3  -Select the solution (or combination of solutions) that will best meet both parties needs. Both party should be active listening and genuinely consider the other persons preferences. Make sure both of the parties understand the solution. Step 4-  Planning (who will do what, where, and by when) When both individuals close to a decision, may write down all the details and understand the solution that they made. Step 5-  Implement the plan Immediately after a solution had decided, decide who will do what and when. Carry out respective part of the plan as soon as possible and trust the other to do their part. Step 6-  Evaluate the process and the outcomes After the problem solving session, step back from it for a moment and check that both parties are happy with the process. All decisions are open to modification or repeal, but not unilaterally. Stereotypical problem Besides from the training within organization, there are also problem such as stereotypical idea planted in office and workplace. This empirical study derived from certain factors regarding the employee self thinking especially experienced workers they keep retain their close mind and not willing step out to recognize the new and young blood. In such case, the younger workforces tend to received reproach and stress given from experienced workers. This situation will bring a big impact in company long term developing and operation. To prevent and neutral this issue to be more benefit to company, company implement several types of solution to solve the problem. First thing first, Company could work with local colleges to teach young people how to act and what will be expected of them in the workplace. Hereby, company able to provide an opportunity to senior employee to share their experience to the potential younger worker. Thru this program, the young blood may obtain some lecture and empirical talk before they venture into the company. Secondly, company can organize some interaction event to pull close both parties relationship. It could improve the relationships and tend to consensus employees mindset and goal. By having such seminar, it is aim to encourage the experience workers to develop an open-minded to young worker. In addition, senior worker ought to act as a mentor whom always guides the younger worker to make them feel comfortable in workplace. Undisputable, Nestle had committed very serious mistake in handling the issue towards their external stakeholders. From the case mentioned above, Nestle ought to uphold the value which act and response immediately to the outbreak of dissatisfaction from public. We would like to suggest Nestle should develop a principle that able to response quickly to social issue. The main reason to impute to Nestle had adopted the same tactic, which is drag and try to run away from the responsibility. Despite both incident was happened in different time (1970s and 2010s), the Nestle company still no getting improvement in handling consumer complain instead become worse in the public relation skill. In this part, we suggest Nestle to review the public relation system and operation, in order to eliminate the old way doing it, and develop a better and efficient mechanism. Conclusion After we done all the research and studied the issue of the conflict in Nestle (Malaysia) , we have the conclusions that workplace conflicts  is itself not a problem, but it is a serious symptom of some factors that are usually ignored when designing the organizational structures. From the issues mentioned, structural sources of conflict such as incompatible goal, scarce resources and communicate problems are identified that usually are the root cause of the conflicts, which is ethnicity, personal jealousy, arrogant behaviours and communications problem. We also find out the consequence of unresolved conflict may affect job satisfaction, employee loyalty, and stakeholders interest in any given organization. Superior should mediate a conflict by using the right method. Conflict may affect employees commitment and activist attention through the organization and increase the rate of absenteeism in workplace and reputation destruct. Several ways to deal with conflict, such as avoiding, compromising, collaborating, accommodating and yielding come into picture. Different styles of conflict management have its benefits and weaknesses, users have to identify the most appropriate conflict styles based on the different situation they are in. By following the conflict resolution procedure, conflicts will be solved easily. In conclude, having conflict is not a bad appearance in company, the main reason which is the conflicts serve as a learning curve for all organizations. In this era, a company without conflict and negotiation, it will hardly to improve. Superior and subordinates should learn to resolve the conflicts that occur instead of just avoiding that conflict. Employees should learn and practice the various methods of conflict resolution. Superior and subordinates should start solving conflicts as it is the only way to ensure that conflicts are handled better in the future.

Representation of Society in Euripides Medea Essay -- Euripides Medea

Representation of Society in Euripides' Medea During the time of Euripides, approximately the second half of the fifth century B.C., it was a period of immense cultural crisis and political convulsion (Arrowsmith 350). Euripides, like many other of his contemporaries, used the whole machinery of the theater as a way of thinking about their world (Arrowsmith 349). His interest in particular was the analysis of culture and relationship between culture and the individual. Euripides used his characters as a function to shape the ideas of the play (Arrowsmith 359). In Medea, there was not a "traditional" hero, but a fragmentation between the two paired major characters, which is characteristic of Euripides' work (Arrowsmith 356). Jason and Medea, the initial lovers of the play, were antagonists by the play's end. Euripides sought to take the wholeness of the old "hero" and represent him divisively, thus diffused over several characters. Since Euripides chooses that his characters represent ideas, the paired antagonist Jason and Medea both represent the warlike modes of a divided c... Representation of Society in Euripides' Medea Essay -- Euripides Medea Representation of Society in Euripides' Medea During the time of Euripides, approximately the second half of the fifth century B.C., it was a period of immense cultural crisis and political convulsion (Arrowsmith 350). Euripides, like many other of his contemporaries, used the whole machinery of the theater as a way of thinking about their world (Arrowsmith 349). His interest in particular was the analysis of culture and relationship between culture and the individual. Euripides used his characters as a function to shape the ideas of the play (Arrowsmith 359). In Medea, there was not a "traditional" hero, but a fragmentation between the two paired major characters, which is characteristic of Euripides' work (Arrowsmith 356). Jason and Medea, the initial lovers of the play, were antagonists by the play's end. Euripides sought to take the wholeness of the old "hero" and represent him divisively, thus diffused over several characters. Since Euripides chooses that his characters represent ideas, the paired antagonist Jason and Medea both represent the warlike modes of a divided c...

Human Resource Management Essay

1. What do you think is causing some of the problems in the bank’s home office and branches? ANSWER: Attrition or employee turnover was high during past eight years, as a result supervisors tried to find a suitable employee to replace the worker who had quit. We know that employee turnover is very costly especially in lower paying job roles, for which the employee turnover rate is highest. There was no standardization of recruitment process in organization. Absence of effective communication process is also apparent because all branch office hired employees without communicating with their home office. Bank’s local supervisor failed to train their employees properly. They didn’t spend much time for their employees. A rigorous performance evaluation system wasn’t also in place. 2. Do you think setting up an HR unit in the main office would help? ANSWER: Of course I think it would. Since there are HR-related problems both in the home office and in the branches, it is clear that if an HR office were set up, it would help coordinate the HR activities in the branches more effectively. 3. What specific functions HR units carry out? What HR functions would then be carried out by supervisors and other line managers? What role should the internet play in the new HR organization? ANSWER: Core functions of HR unit  should be recruitment, training and development, employee relations, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation etc. Core functions of supervisors and other line managers would consist of: day-to-day people management managing operational efficiency providing technical expertise allocating work monitoring work and checking quality Measuring operational performance. HR may use the Internet to reach candidates and communicate with them, to create and use an up-to-date employee database, measure the employee’ abilities, communicate with them, train them and monitor them

Nutrients as Major Water Pollutants

Nutrients as Major Water Pollutants According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over half of the nation’s streams and rivers are polluted, and of those, 19% are impaired by the presence of excess nutrients. What Is Nutrient Pollution? The term nutrient refers to sources of nourishment supporting organism growth. In the context of water pollution, nutrients generally consist of phosphorus and nitrogen which algae and aquatic plants use to grow and proliferate. Nitrogen is present in abundance in the atmosphere, but not in a form that is available to most living things. When nitrogen is in the form of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, however, it can be used by many bacteria, algae, and plants (heres a nitrogen cycle refresher). Generally, it is the overabundance of nitrates that causes environmental problems. What Causes Nutrient Pollution? Some common agricultural practices lead to excess nutrients in water bodies. Phosphorus and nitrates are important components of the fertilizers used in agricultural fields – they are present in both synthetic fertilizers and natural ones like manures. If the crops do not pick up all of the fertilizer applied, or if rain has a chance to wash it away before they are absorbed by plants, the excess fertilizer is flushed into streams. Another major source of nutrients also comes from the way agricultural fields are only used seasonally. Most crops are present in the fields over a relatively short growing season, and the rest of the year the soil is left exposed to the elements. Meanwhile soil bacteria is feasting on decaying roots and plant debris, releasing nitrates. Not only do bare fields cause sediment pollution, but this practice allows the massive release and washing away of nitrates.Sewage can carries nutrients to streams and water. Septic systems, especially if older or im properly maintained, can leak into streams or lakes. Households connected to municipal sewer systems also contribute to nutrient pollution. Wastewater treatment plants sometimes function improperly, and are periodically overwhelmed during heavy rain events and release sewage into rivers. Stormwater. Rain falling in urban or suburban areas picks up nutrients from lawn fertilizer, pet waste, and various detergents (for example, the soap used to wash one’s car in the driveway). The stormwater is then canalized into municipal drainage systems and released into streams and rivers, loaded with phosphorus and nitrogen.Burning fossil fuels release nitrogen oxides and ammonia into the air, and when those are deposited in water, they can contribute significantly to the excess nutrient problem. Most problematic are coal-fired power plants and gas- or diesel-powered vehicles. What Environmental Effects Do Excess Nutrients Have? Excess nitrates and phosphorus encourage the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Nutrient-boosted algae growth leads to massive algae blooms, visible as a bright green, foul smelling sheen on the water’s surface. Some of the algae making up the blooms produce toxins that are dangerous to fish, wildlife, and humans. The blooms eventually die off, and their decomposition consumes a lot of dissolved oxygen, leaving waters with low oxygen concentrations. Invertebrates and fish are killed when oxygen levels dip too low. Some areas, called dead zones, are so low in oxygen that they become empty of most life. A notorious dead zone forms in the Gulf of Mexico every year due to agricultural runoff in the Mississippi River watershed. Human health can be affected directly, as nitrates in drinking water are toxic, especially to infants. People and pets can also become quite ill from exposure to toxic algae. Water treatment does not necessarily solve the problem, and can in fact create dangerous conditions when chlorine interacts with the algae and produces carcinogenic compounds. Â   Some Helpful Practices Cover crops and no-till farming protect agricultural fields and mobilize nutrients. The cover plants die out in winter, and the following growing season they give back those nutrients to the new crop.Maintaining well vegetated buffers around farm fields and next to streams allows plants to filter out nutrients before they enter the water.Keep septic systems in good working order, and conduct regular inspections.Consider your nutrient inputs from soaps and detergents, and reduce their use whenever possible.In your yard, slow the water runoff and allow it to be filtered by plants and soil. To accomplish this, establish rain gardens, keep drainage ditches well vegetated, and use rain barrels to harvest roof runoff.Consider using pervious pavement in your driveway. These surfaces are designed to let water percolate into the soil below, preventing runoff. For More Information Environmental Protection Agency. Nutrient Pollution.

The Historical Progression of African Americans Essay Example

The Historical Progression of African Americans Essay Example The Historical Progression of African Americans Essay The Historical Progression of African Americans Essay The Historical Progression of African Americans Jeff Brown HIS 204: American History Since 1865 Prof Carl Garrigus May 16, 2010 The Historical Progression of African Americans America in 1857 was a â€Å"Nation on the Brink. † Relationships between the Northern and Southern states had been strained for decades. During the 1850s, the situation exploded. The Compromise of 1850 served as a clear warning that the slavery issue- relatively dormant since the Missouri Compromise of 1820- had returned. African Americans existence in America has been a disaster ever since they have been here. Every avenue of their cultural, economic, literary, political, religious, and social values has been violated to no avail, and then only until the early 60s were there noticeable changes. Between 1865 and 1876, life for African Americans was nothing but sadness and hardships. Two social issues they faced were discrimination and slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed African Americans in rebel states, and after the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment emancipated all U. S. slaves wherever they were. As a result, the mass of Southern blacks now faced the difficulty Northern blacks had confrontedthat of a free people surrounded by many hostile whites. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation, two more years of war, service by African American troops, and the defeat of the Confederacy, the nation was still unprepared to deal with the question of full citizenship for its newly freed black population. The Reconstruction implemented by Congress, which lasted from 1866 to 1877, was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War, providing the means for readmitting them into the Union, and defining the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. The South, however, saw Reconstruction as a humiliating, even vengeful imposition and did not welcome it. After the Civil War, with the protection of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, African Americans enjoyed a period when they were allowed to vote, actively participate in the political process, acquire the land of former owners, seek their own employment, and use public accommodations. Opponents of this progress, however, soon rallied against the former slaves freedom and began to find means for eroding the gains for which many had shed their blood (Edwards, 2007). The U. S. presidency is a meaningful domain in which to explore perceptions of discrimination for at least three reasons. The first reason for exploring children’s views about the presidency concerns the centrality of work to gender and racial differences in American society. There are significant gender and racial differences in workforce participation, occupational roles, job status, and income. Research indicates that children are aware of many of these differences from an early age. The presidency is an especially compelling example of gender and racial stratification within the workforce because all 43 of the individuals who have held the position have been European American males. Because children understand the presidency and other political roles to be occupations, their views about the role that gender and race/ethnicity play in the presidency may be indicative of their broader patterns of thinking about the role of gender and racial discrimination in the workforce. Furthermore, the presidency is important to examine because it is arguably the most prestigious occupation in the world and is unique in its scope. In contrast, children are aware that all adult American citizens are eligible to vote and that election outcome, therefore, represent the judgments of large, representative segments of society. The second reason for exploring children’s views about the presidency concerns the importance of democracy and civic engagement. The presidency represents the pinnacle of American government, arguably the most important institution in the United States. Perceptions of discrimination within the presidency could have serious repercussions for individuals’ political engagement. Indeed, gender and racial differences in participation in U. S. democracy have long been noted. For example, African Americans report feeling disengaged from the political process and frequently believe that their civic activities make little to no difference to their communities. Perceptions of discrimination that arise in childhood may shape individuals’ later civic behavior. A third and final reason for studying children’s perceptions of the presidency is that knowledge of the domain emerges early in the life course. Most children in U. S. lementary schools are introduced to lessons about U. S. presidents in kindergarten. Although children’s understanding of the methods, purpose, and effects of government increases over time, even young children have a rudimentary understanding of the role of the president as a leader of government. The research questions concerned children’s knowledge of the links among gender, race, and the presidency. And the conclus ions were, that it is unlikely that children are explicitly taught that only European American men have been presidents of the United States. Nonetheless, children might acquire such knowledge through observation and constructive processes (Bigler et al. , 2008). Still between 1865 and 1876, there was a culture identity crisis for African Americans. We cannot explain the roots of African American culture without reference to Africa because African values, beliefs, and practices played a crucial role in the formation of African American cultures. It is basically these historical foundations, that many scholars fail to take into account in their treatment of the origins of African American cultures in the New World. Small wonder we have been saddled with accounts that maintain that African captives, in the dehumanizing experience of the Middle Passage, lost their cultural heritage and simply became acculturated to Euro-American customs and beliefs. According to some authors, African captives were a heterogeneous crowd made up of disparate cultures and unintelligible languages with no prior contact. African captives began to create an entirely new social structure and organization in the form of the dyad of two slaves sharing one space on the slave ship. Various shreds of evidence suggest that some of the earliest social bonds to develop in the coffles, in the factories, and especially during the long Middle Passage were of a dyadic (two person) nature. The bond between shipmates, those who shared passage on the same slaver, can be found in widely scattered parts of Afro-America; the shipmate relationship became a major principle for social organization and continued for decades or even centurie s to shape ongoing relations. Through an examination of African languages, patterns of slave importation, slave uprisings during the Middle Passage, baptismal rites, music, dance, and funeral rites, shared much in common culturally. Despite the horrors of enslavement, common African cultural practices among the various African ethnic groups served as an organizing and unifying principle which armed African captives with some sense of solidarity and cultural continuity in their new environment. Neither cultural diversity nor linguistic multiplicity served as major obstacles to the development of African American cultures in the New World. West and Central African cultural practices provide a suitable reference point for understanding the origins of African American cultures in the New World. More importantly, it should be clear that African captives relied upon organizing and unifying principles of African culture- like language, dance, baptismal practices, funeral rites- to enable them to cope with the horrors of slavery and to create a social and spiritual environment in the New World. Their cultural background sustained them as they adopted and created new practices and institutions that allowed them to survive the oppressive conditions of American slavery (Ntloedibe, 2006). Also during this same time frame, African American’s religion was a tale of variety and creative fusion. Preserving African religions in North America proved to be very difficult. The harsh circumstances under which most slaves lived- high death rates, the separation of families and tribal groups, and the concerted effort of white owners to eradicate heathen (or non-Christian) customs- rendered the preservation of religious traditions difficult and often unsuccessful. Isolated songs, rhythms, movements, and beliefs in the curative powers of roots and the efficacy of a world of spirits and ancestors did survive well into the nineteenth century. But these increasingly were combined in creative ways with the various forms of Christianity to which Europeans and Americans introduced African slaves. In Latin America, where Catholicism was most prevalent, slaves mixed African beliefs and practices with Catholic rituals and theology, resulting in the formation of entirely new religions such as vaudou in Haiti (later referred to as voodoo), Santeria in Cuba, and Candomble in Brazil. But in North America, slaves came into contact with the growing number of Protestant evangelical preachers, many of whom actively sought the conversion of African Americans. By 1810 the slave trade to the United States also came to an end and the slave population began to increase naturally, making way for the preservation and transmission of religious practices that were, by this time, truly African-American. This transition coincided with the period of intense religious revivalism known as awakenings. In the southern states increasing numbers of slaves converted to evangelical religions such as the Methodist and Baptist faiths. Many clergy within these denominations actively promoted the idea that all Christians were equal in the sight of god, a message that provided hope and sustenance to the slaves. They also encouraged worship in ways that many Africans found to be similar, or at least adaptable, to African worship patterns, with enthusiastic singing, clapping, dancing, and even spirit-possession. Still, many white owners insisted on slave attendance at white-controlled churches, since they were fearful that if slaves were allowed to worship independently they would ultimately plot rebellion against their owners. It is clear that many blacks saw these white churches, in which ministers promoted obedience to ones master as the highest religious ideal, as a mockery of the true Christian message of equality and liberation as they knew it. In the slave quarters, however, African Americans organized their own invisible institution. Through signals, passwords, and messages not discernible to whites, they called believers to hush harbors where they freely mixed African rhythms, singing, and beliefs with evangelical Christianity. It was here that the spirituals, with their double meanings of religious salvation and freedom from slavery, developed, and flourished; and here, too, that black preachers, those who believed that God had called them to speak his Word, polished their chanted sermons, or rhythmic, intoned style of extemporaneous preaching. In a massive missionary effort, northern black churches established missions to their southern counterparts, resulting in the dynamic growth of independent black churches in the southern states between 1865 and 1900. Predominantly white denominations, such as the Presbyterian, Congregational, and Episcopal churches, also sponsored missions, opened schools for freed slaves, and aided the general welfare of southern blacks, but the majority of African-Americans chose to join the independent black denominations founded in the northern states during the antebellum era. Within a decade the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) churches claimed southern membership in the hundreds of thousands, far outstripping that of any other organizations. They were quickly joined in 1870 by a new southern-based denomination, the Colored (now Christian) Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by indigenous southern black leaders. Finally, in 1894 black Baptists formed the National Baptist Convention, an organization that is currently the largest black religious organization in the United States (Paris, 2008). As slavery ended between 1877-1920, Blacks developed unique solutions to the many problems they faced in attaining literacy and other educational goals. With beginnings in Reconstruction-era legislation to the implementation of the first public schools for Blacks in 1871, Blacks have long struggled with a wide range of problems in their various efforts to develop primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational opportunities. In the midst of what historian Rayford Logan (1954) termed the Nadir (the suffocating combination of Jim Crow legislation, political disfranchisement, sharecropping, and racial violence). Blacks fought a series of battles to create educational institutions and to define the purposes of these schools. In the era between 1877 and 1901, Southern legislators, lynch mobs, the Ku Klux Klan, and even the U. S. Supreme Court rolled back years of progressive change which Black Southerners enjoyed during Reconstruction. With the election of Rutherford B. Hayes to the presidency in 1876, the Nadir- a low point in Black history- began and, in the eyes of some observers, was a decided move back towards slavery and Southern White supremacy. In the ensuing chaos, the definition and goals of education became an important set of battlegrounds- among many others- for Black communities throughout the American South. In the post-Reconstruction era, educators including Booker T. Washington emerged to stress vocational and industrial training. This would ultimately be viewed as a call for the acquiescence of Black labor to the dictates of paternalistic and racist Whites as a panacea for all of the ills facing Black Southerners. In this problematic view, if Black Southerners demonstrated their industriousness and work ethic. Whites would accept them into the mainstream, eventually granting Black Americans economic opportunities, social equality, and political rights. Washington unmistakably accepted a subordinate position for Southern Negroes. In the end, putting aside constitutionally guaranteed civil and political rights in the hopes that Whites would learn to appreciate the presence of Blacks in the South was a recipe for disaster. William Edward B. Du Bois and Anna Julia Cooper favored the establishment of college preparatory secondary schools and liberal arts colleges. Du Bois envisioned early in his long career, that this would produce classes of Black leaders rising from the ranks of liberal arts college graduates. Du Bois argued that without the presence of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) emphasizing a liberal arts curriculum- the American Negro would scarcely have attained his present position (Rucker and Jubilee, 2007). Paul Laurence Dunbar presented a curious sight to the passengers who rode his elevator in the early 1890s. The clerks, craftswomen, and business managers of Dayton, Ohio, often saw the Century magazine in his hands. The occupants of that elevator were used to seeing elevator operators reading dime novels. But here was young Dunbar reading the Century, then the nations preeminent magazine of culture. The New York monthly held, as one contemporary observed, a position of undisputed primacy among American magazines. † The magazine could make an authors reputation instantly. For a poet of Dunbars day, there was no surer way of forging a literary career than to publish in the Century. Against seemingly impossible odds, Dunbar not only broke into the Century, he also became one of the few poets enshrined in the magazines literary pantheon. The Century had the distinction of publishing three of Dunbars poems in the year before Howells wrote his infamous 1896 review of Majors and Minors. Thereafter, the Century championed Dunbars career. The magazine published more Dunbar poems than it did any other poet during the decade of his productive career. For Dunbar, the magazine was his most important literary outlet. He published more of his poems in the Century than in any other periodical. ^ The influence of the Century on Dunbars career was immense. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the relationship between Dunbar and the Century editors who promoted his work. This relationship is vital not only for comprehending Dunbars literary career, but also for understanding the racialization of US society around 1900. The defining dilemma of Dunbars literary life was having been born and raised in urban black and in the western part of the state of Ohio. Dunbars westemness complicated his blackness. It put him in close contact with numerous whites and allowed him to develop intimate contacts across the color line. In his youth, for example, he was friends with the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilber. This unique background led Dunbar constantly to confront the question of the source of his identity. What defined him more: his race or his region, his blackness or his westemness? Dunbars marginal status would cause him to struggle with the question of identity throughout his short life, both personally and professionally. It forced him simultaneously to employ and reject the regionalism of Cultural Reconstruction. In the years following 1898 until his death in 1906, Dunbar published upwards of 200 original poems in magazines and newspapers across the country. The great majority were in Negro dialect. None was in Hoosier or any other white dialects. A handful was in standard English. Virtually all were on themes of black history or black culture. Dunbar had come to lose all hope of being a regional voice in the national chorus envisioned in the early formulation of Cultural Reconstruction. By 1901, Dunbar was widely hailed, not as an American poet, or a western poet, or even a southern poet. For those searching to establish black culture, he was the laureate of his race, the expression of a racial genius, the historian of his race, the voice of a race (Dunbars Poems; Nelson; The New Slavery). For those who clung to the darkey stereotype, Dunbar was a black threat: I used to read Dunbar quite a lot, W. E. B. DuBois heard a white Texas woman say, until I found out he was a nigger. † Dunbar had become trapped in a prison-house of literary. Dunbars dialect poetry performed a vital if aesthetically suicidal task in the era of Jim Crows caustic ascendancy. By revealing that black authors could write Negro, Dunbar unmasked the racist stereotype of the African American perpetrated by white authors such as Thomas Nelson Page. But Dunbar could only legitimate this act of unmasking by adopting for himself the metastasizing conception of race as an identity prior to all others. Dunbar, Samson-like, brought the regionalist pretensions of Cultural Reconstruction crashing down on himself. His dialect poetry was the sign that US national identity by 1900 was no longer constructed through the production of regional unity, but through the production of racial difference (Scott-Childress, 2007). Between 1921 and 1945 the Great Depression years, hard times were nothing new to African Americans. When the depression struck, black unemployment surged. Even the skilled black workers who had retained their jobs saw their wages cut in half. Migration out of the rural South dropped. In 1934, the average income for blacks cotton farm workers was under $200 a year. Much of the white population that had left the cities for the suburbs was replaced by African Americans and Hispanics. They were part of a larger migration especially of millions of blacks families leaving the South to search for work in urban cities. Most headed for the Middle Atlanta, Northeast, and Upper Midwest regions. While central cities lost millions of white residents, they gained millions of African Americans instead. By the late 50s, half of all black Americans were living in central cities (Davidson et al. , 2008). During 1946 up until 1976, the roots of the civil rights movement lie deep in the history of this nation. The civil rights movement began with the presence of enslaved blacks in the New World, with the first slave mutiny on the ships bringing them here. The black Odyssey includes some of the bleakest examples of repression and terrorism in the history of this or any nation. Through the first three decades of the twentieth century, the mechanisms that circumscribed black lives remained in place. Individual blacks made breakthroughs into the middle class; the New Deal, grassroots protests, and the stirrings in organized labor in the 1930s, culminating in the March on Washington movement in 1941, encouraged a politics of hope and raised the stakes in the struggle for economic justice. For many blacks, World War II was the turning point in the relationship of African Americans to American society. Not only did blacks lose respect for whites, but those who fought in the war also lost another quality that had been instilled in them over several centuries- fear of whites- and that change would have far-reaching implications as the soldiers returned to their homes. With the end of World War II, the conviction grew that the way it used to be did not have to be, and African Americans, many of them veterans, gave voice to that feeling in ways white America could no longer ignore. Long before Martin Luther King Jr. nd Rosa Parks took center stage, black men, and women, acting mostly as individuals but numbering in the thousands, waged guerrilla warfare on the infrastructure of Jim Crow. During World War II, they violated law and custom, sitting where they pleased in buses, trains, stations, restaurants, and movie houses, waiting to be dragged off by conductors, drivers, owners, and police officers. Capitalizing on the gains made earlier in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, the civil rights movement revolutionized black consciousness and mobilized the black community in ways that captured the imagination of much of the world. Extraordinary changes- some of them symbolic, some of them substantive- transformed the South. The civil rights movement struck down the legal barriers of segregation and disenfranchisement, dismantling a racial caste system that had been evolving, sometimes fitfully, over some four centuries. The achievements were impressive and far-reaching, with striking gains in educational achievement, in clerical and professional positions, in skilled labor, in political representation, and in the entertainment and sports industries. Affirmative action opened positions hitherto reserved for whites, significantly expanding the black middle class. Politically, from 1960 to 1980 the number of black registered voters in the South more than tripled. Even as the civil rights movement struck down legal barriers and transformed the face of southern politics, it failed to diminish economic inequalities. Even as the Supreme Court ended school segregation by law, the justices failed to end segregation by income and residence. With the urban uprisings, the Vietnam war, and the heightened rhetoric and new directions of the civil rights movement, the battles over racial change became too much for many whites to absorb. What compounded the problem was the conviction shared by many white Americans that, in general, blacks had made it. Laws had been passed; Jim Crow had been eliminated. Blacks had been elected to public office. Opportunities were available for blacks if they only seized the initiative. If the failures of blacks persisted, the fault had to lie with the victims, not in deeply rooted economic and social inequalities, not in their economic marginalization. The failure of blacks to succeed reflected inferior intelligence, the unfitness, incapacity, and moral, even genetic and cultural, shortcomings of a race; failure lay in their refusal to put their own house in order, to lessen their dependency on government programs and handouts. How free is free? This question persists. Enslaved labor was abolished more than a century ago, but only after 250 years of uncompensated labor. Jim Crow blocked black access to economic and political power for another century. But even with the dismantling of segregation some four decades ago, the images will not go away. Though expressed with more subtlety today, racism remains pervasive; its terrors and tensions are still with us, and it knows no regional boundaries (Litwack, 2009). After the election of President Barack Obama, millions of Americans rejoiced at the prospect of a changing America. Americans were hopeful that the election of President Obama marked a change in the political landscape, financial condition, and social mindset of the American people. For many in the African American community, his election represented how far America has come regarding race relations and provided new hope for future generations that all things were possible for African Americans in this nation. Unlike the civil rights movement of the 1960s, African Americans today are not fighting for basic civil rights such as the right to vote and attend non-segregated schools. This is not to say that overt and covert acts of racism do not still exist in America and do not continue to affect the African American community. However, with the passing of civil rights legislation over the years, individual minorities and minority groups have the right to file grievances against those who choose to discriminate against them based on race or ethnic background. In the media today, even the hint of racial injustice or discrimination draws automatic fire from the media and action from several groups eager to carry the mantel of equality and justice for all. Many of the challenges facing African Americans today are more subtle and involve a struggle that is more within the African American community than without. The struggle involves pushing against institutional barriers that have been strengthened by those in favor of maintaining a historical precedent or the status quo; it also involves a continued determination to resist an apathetic attitude toward the problems in the African American community. In many instances, it is not the opinionated few who determine the overall outcome, but the indifference of the majority who are usually directly affected by the decision that they fail to be a part of. The issues African Americans face are issues all Americans have to address. There is no sole African American solution to these issues because they are not issues that exclusively affect African Americans. Daily we lead or are led by Airmen who struggle with these issues. It is imperative that we all, as Americans, deliberately and effectively meet the challenges of these issues. In doing, so we become better leaders, followers, and citizens of this great nation.