Monday, September 30, 2019
Characteristics of Modern English Drama Essay
Godotââ¬â¢s 60th: The University of Reading archive shows the first night Pic: Roger Pic So why are we still waiting for Godot? How has Samuel Beckettââ¬â¢s play grown from a tiny avant garde performance in Paris to become part of the West End theatre coach party circuit? Itââ¬â¢s 60 years since Samuel Beckettââ¬â¢s play Waiting for Godot received its premiere in the Theatre de Babylone in Paris. The first public performance, in its original French form of En attendant Godot, drew an audience of high-brow Parisians, taking in the latest experimental theatre. ââ¬Å"All the thousands who claimed they were there could never have been at the premiere. There werenââ¬â¢t enough seats,â⬠says James Knowlson, Beckettââ¬â¢s friend and official biographer. They also couldnââ¬â¢t have realised that this play, beginning its shoestring-budget run on 5 January 1953, was going to be seen as one of the pivotal moments in modern drama. International appeal So why has Waiting for Godot proved so durable? How has Beckettââ¬â¢s work outlasted the other iconoclasts and angry young writers of the 1950s and 1960s? ââ¬Å"I would suggest the answer lies in its ambiguities. So much is suggested rather than explicitly stated,â⬠says Prof Knowlson. A programme from Godotââ¬â¢s first setting at the Theatre de Babylone in Montparnasse, Paris ââ¬Å"People can read into it what they want to read into it.â⬠This openness to interpretation has helped the play to avoid becoming dated, he says. For a play thatââ¬â¢s about the passing of time, itââ¬â¢s curiously timeless. It asks all the big philosophical questions ââ¬â about life and death and the uncertain purpose of what goes on in between ââ¬â but in a way that isnââ¬â¢t limited to a particular place or era. And the play has acquired a remarkable record for being performed in very different international settings. No disaster or civil strife is complete without its own Godot. It was performed in Sarajevo under siege in the 1990s, in South Africa it was seen as a critique of apartheid and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina a performance in New Orleans was seen as an emblem of the cityââ¬â¢s wait for recovery. Inmates in San Quentin prison in California saw it as their own story in a famous production in the late 1950s. Prof Knowlsonââ¬â¢s friendship with Beckett has also created a rich and unexpected legacy for his university, the University of Reading, which now holds the biggest archive of Beckett-related material in the world. From the early 1970s, the playwright began giving manuscripts and notes to Prof Knowlson, stuffed into bags, boxes and suitcases. And this Beckett International Foundation has grown to become the definitive European collection for researchers. ââ¬Å"He adopted us,â⬠says Prof Knowlson ââ¬â although the attention-shunning writer was never persuaded to visit the archive in person. As Waiting for Godot reaches its 60th anniversary, the university has artefacts and pictures from the original performances. ââ¬ËSomething extraordinaryââ¬â¢ Itââ¬â¢s also a reminder of how easily the play might not have happened at all. Samuel Beckett at the BBC recording a series of his plays in 1977There were no famous faces or big funders to back the play. Instead it depended on the actor and director Roger Blin to hustle for cash and a venue ââ¬â and once it had begun it relied on word of mouth for survival. None of the original cast are still alive ââ¬â and the theatre itself shut down a few years after staging Beckettââ¬â¢s play. In an interview with French television in the 1960s, Roger Blin suggested the initial power of the play. When Beckett showed him the script: ââ¬Å"I said to myself: This is something extraordinary and it must be put on.â⬠Another playwright who was enlisted in the search for funding fervently promised Blin: ââ¬Å"I will defend this play to the death.â⬠It was still proving controversial when the first English version of the play was performed two years later in London, directed by a 24-year-old Peter Hall. Harold Pinter, also then in his twenties, saw Beckett as the the ââ¬Å"most courageous, remorseless writer goingâ⬠, while reviewer Bernard Levin described Waiting for Godot as ââ¬Å"a remarkable piece of twaddleâ⬠. Not a ââ¬Ëmiserabilistââ¬â¢ Prof Knowlson is himself now one of the most important living links with Beckett. Continue reading the main story ââ¬Å" Start Quote He could be very convivial, very witty, very good company, with a great sense of humourâ⬠Professor James Knowlson Beckettââ¬â¢s friend and biographer. And he recognises that the continuing interest in Beckettââ¬â¢s writing is wrapped up in the fascination with the enigmatic character of the author. His photogenic alienation has become a kind of literary brand. But Prof Knowlson argues against the view of Beckett as a ââ¬Å"miserabilistâ⬠. ââ¬Å"He could be very convivial, very witty, very good company, with a great sense of humour. ââ¬Å"But there was an element of depression and despair that was part of his life, particularly after the war when he was deeply involved in writing the novels.â⬠He says that Beckettââ¬â¢s idea of a happy Christmas would have been a solitary occasion. ââ¬Å"He would have been preferably on his own and writing. He hated that kind of thing.â⬠The underlying humour is also part of the continuing appeal of Waiting for Godot, he argues. Itââ¬â¢s often a peculiarly bleak comedy of resistance, but the thread of humour is always there to leaven the gloom. Itââ¬â¢s now a commonplace to see Waiting for Godot described as one of the most important plays of the 20th Century ââ¬â with its reputation gathering momentum rather than fading away. The kind of movie actors who would have reached the career point of wanting to be in King Lear now want to shuffle across the stage in Godot. Design conscious A key reason for this growing resonance with audiences, Prof Knowlson says, is the visual appeal. Beckettââ¬â¢s strong images appeal to a design-conscious, visually-literate culture. ââ¬Å"They have this strong visual element. Iââ¬â¢ve become much more conscious of the filmic quality.â⬠A handbill advertising the first run of Waiting for Godot Prof Knowlson says that he increasingly believes there is a direct link between the plays and Beckettââ¬â¢s interest in painting. ââ¬Å"He was passionately involved in painting, not just that he loved to be with painters, but he was a real expert on 17th Century Dutch painting.â⬠ââ¬Å"He knew these pictures so well, he was so engrossed in these scenes. It seems to me that these pictures are really echoed in Waiting for Godot.â⬠Beckettââ¬â¢s life was changed by the success of Godot ââ¬â the international impact of the play helped him to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His publisher John Calder also recalled how the enigmatic Godot could haunt his creator. He recounted how he had once met an anxious Beckett getting off a flight at Heathrow airport. When the plane doors had closed on the runway in Paris, Beckett had heard the loudspeaker announcing: ââ¬Å"Captain Godot welcomes you on board.â⬠ââ¬Å"I wondered if my destiny had caught up with me at last,â⬠Beckett had told his publisher. The Beckett International Foundation at the University of Reading will hold a series of seminars on Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot in April 2013.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Chart
Adolf Hitler created Nazis and took aways Jews rights, deported them to ghettos and concentration camps, and were killed during World War II. The Nazis and Hitler tried to abolish all Jews and go against them because they thought the Jews were the reason for Germany's crisis. Together the Nazis killed the ââ¬Å"largest remaining Jewish population In Europe- the Jews of Hungary. â⬠In this documentary, it tells the story of the five Hungarian survivors. Many stories are similar to each other.Some of these urvivors has stories similar, with some differences to Elie Wiesel's book, ââ¬Å"Night. â⬠The story that was very much like Elie's was Irene Zisblatts. Irene grew up in Polena, Hungary, a small town with two maln streets. and a church where everyone knew each other, like Elie Wiesel. Like Elle, she was an inmate in the Auschwits concentration camp and the Birkenau concentration camp. Irene was liberated on the ââ¬Å"eve of VE Day by soldiers of the U. S. Third Army. She attended school at the ime when they said Jews couldn't go to public school anymore, so her mom had to teach her at home. In 1944, they were to get deported to the ghetto. Her family had to give up valuables and wear the yellow star. While in the camps, she witnessed people getting their gold teeth pulled out. Another story was the story of Renee Firestone, from Ungvar, Hungary, lived in a small town but was like a big town. During the time that Jews were getting their rights taken away, her father's business had been taken away from him.Like Elle, she had to go In cattle cars that were very uncomfortable and were crammed with people in It. She also went to Auschwits, where many others were dehumanized sand murdered in crematories. My reaction to all theses stores, including Elle's, is that many of the survivor's stories are a lot alike because most of them didn't even know or expect to see something like this happen. It came out of no where and they couldn't really stop It. It's a shame they had to go through this because many of them were innocent people. ton
Friday, September 27, 2019
What is Identity and what does it do Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
What is Identity and what does it do - Essay Example Ethnic groups (that is groups with real or apparent genetic similarity) are a central source of values and identity, significantly more so than class, so much so that the modern state has been unable to absorb them. What the modern state has done, however, is to carry through a far-reaching integration of ethnic groups, so that those living in the same state share a range of features, attitudes, values when it comes to politics. Such groups are the central mechanism for providing individuals with their identity; "rather than thinking about individuals 'sacrificing' part of their identity when the become part of a group, [we should regard] individual identity as possible only in the context of secure group attachments...The notion of individuals apart from groups...is a product of western thought, not the human experience" (Gellner, 1993: 76). "Groupism" then as a primary human behavioural pattern is the readiness to form groups round any observed or imagined differences in bodily or mental characteristics; almost anything will serve: proximity, language, age, sexual inclination, skin colour, eye and hair colour, shared historical or individual experience, metaph
Ethics and Environmental Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Ethics and Environmental Economy - Essay Example In a world where the poor are drastically more in number then the rich and where the force of the economy are more powerful than the investment by the rich to ease create viable and sufficient income for the poor is perhaps more important than redistribution of earnings. In a world entwined in multiple predicaments simultaneously, active commitment to solving the problems is conceivably more serious than charitable sharing. And in a world where some people are particularly wealthy while others are besieged, measures to improve the standard of living of the well-off are positively of lower precedence than measures to advance the welfare of the less well off. In the past it was understood that firms could keenly follow the private good because governments would look after the public welfare. But the change in the balance of corporate and government power, with more and more control in the hands of a few corporate giants, based on the globalization of the economy, means that governments are less keen and able to guarantee suitable outcomes and the old distribution of labor will no longer work. Firms are now so powerful collectively that the private interest is expected to prevail over the public good. In recent years, environmental performance and economic performance of the firms has drawn significant importance in the literature of business ethics and environmental economy. Some researchers have looked at the obligations of a firm to meet the goal of its shareholders, (Clarkson 115). These reports definitely have some historic implications for corporate, ecological and social activities (Epstein, 74). On the other hand other researchers have established that the economic objectives of a firm do not clash with the environmental objectives for instance Russo and Fouts (534) concluded that environmental consciousness and economic performance are completely connected in the US, with environmentally aware portfolios, attaining better returns balance That is, firms' ecological consciousness may, in fact, be definitely associated with economic functioning as environmentally oriented firm introduce its reputation among customers that are aware about environmental issues. For instance, research through the resource based theory shows that positive reputation produced economic rents for a firm. It is, however, a reality that the economic goals of a firm-like profit maximization, may be in variance with those stakeholders and environment, above all in the short-run. A firm may consider the fixed cost acquired on waste removal, remediation, and sanitization as damaging to its productivity in the short run. Consequently, the short-term income maximization purpose of a firm may collide with what the society wants: a secure and fresh environment, and may generate a motivation for it to act in ways which are not environmentally ethical, depending on how information is spread among shareholders. The misinformation between a firm and the society may occur because a firm usually knows more about the ecological influence of its goods, method and the waste it discharges into the environment than the community. For this reason, a firm's unethical behavior yield fee in the short run and firm avoids the costs of waste removal, relocation and environmental cleaning. Even self-interest among the management can invade their individual ethics and result in augmented unethical behavior
Thursday, September 26, 2019
New and Old Emergent Criminal Threats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
New and Old Emergent Criminal Threats - Essay Example For example, many cases are reported throughout the world where criminals have used the internet to illegally obtain bank and credit details of customers and used such information to withdraw cash from their accounts. There are also many cases of the internet being used by individuals to attack and harass others, commonly referred to as cyber bullying. There are many theories that have been used to define and understand criminality and criminal behavior. One of such theories is the social process theory. According to this theory, people become criminals as a result of their interactions with other individuals, organizations and the various processes that exist in their society. Therefore, one learns to be a criminal based on what he/she sees and interacts with in the society. The events and processes that exist in the environment go a long way in influencing oneââ¬â¢s behavior. This theory has two other approaches. The first is the social control theory which basically argues that a personââ¬â¢s behavior is influenced by his interactions with institutions and other people. Secondly, there is the social reaction theory which emphases that if an individual is seen or labeled as a criminal early on in life, he is likely to become a criminal later on in life. In order to evaluate if the cybercrime applies to the social process theory, the causal research design can be applied. In this type of research design, researchers attempt to show evidence of a cause and effect relationship. In this case, the researcher tests how a particular variable results in a particular behavior. In this case, researchers could attempt to show how some of the existing institutions and process determine cyber criminal behavior. For example, a researcher could attempt to relate how oneââ¬â¢s interactions with fellow college students in a university make the individual a cyber
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Citrus industry in Florida Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Citrus industry in Florida - Research Paper Example In 1834, citrus groves were being cultivated by farmers, which were interrupted by the occurrence of a freeze in February of 1835 (Floridaââ¬â¢s Citrus Production 2013). The freeze, which happened on February of 1835, killed all the fruit trees in St. Augustine as temperature dropped to seven degrees above zero, thus, robbing people of their income (Dobson 2009). The farmersââ¬â¢ recovered production for the succeeding fifty-one years as the state only experienced warm winters; during this time, northeast Florida, as well as St. Johnââ¬â¢s County, became the hub of citrus supply (Dobson 2009). In the 1890ââ¬â¢s, citrus production increased to five million boxes per year due to the demand for the said fruit in the northeast and the existence of rail lines, which promoted long distance shipping of the citrus fruits (About Citrus 2012). In fact, in the year 1894, the shipment of crates of citrus to the north amounted up to 5,000,000 (Dobson 2009). On December of 1894, anothe r freeze happened, killing all of Floridaââ¬â¢s orange crops in its wake. On the eighth of February the following year, another freeze came about, bringing about the same disastrous effects; such was its impact that on 1896, Florida was only able to ship a little above 100,000 crates of oranges (Dobson 2009). The freeze caused the abandonment of citrus groves in the North of Florida and the production of melons and potatoes in its place (Dobson 2009). This was the most severe in the history of freezes that Florida had undergone (Timeline of Major Florida Freezes 2013). In 1901, there were little above 1,000,000 crates produced (Dobson 2009). In 1917 and 1934, still the state was plagued with the same natural calamity; the freeze of 1934 resulted in the formation of the Federal Frost Warning Service -- a replacement of the train whistles, which warned people of imminent frosts in the previous years (Dobson 2009). The occurrence of continuous freezes in December of 1934, as well as on February of 1935, yielded a negative impact as it reduce production from a million boxes to just below 150,000 boxes of citrus (About Citrus 2013). Again, the farmers planted their citrus crops, yet another freeze took its toll in
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Creating a plan for addressing the needs and issues in a Essay - 1
Creating a plan for addressing the needs and issues in a muliticultural classroom - Essay Example an that empowers students to achieve their highest potential, which in turn demands an equal, fair, and a culture sensitive teaching-learning process. This process involves specific teaching methods and practices that address the different needs of a multicultural environment. To successfully decide on teaching methods that facilitates studentsââ¬â¢ learning, a teacher must initially be familiar with the students, both as an individual and as a group (Burnette, 1999).These students will originate from varied backgrounds and may have different learning needs. A classroom may have students with different ethnic, cultural and religious beliefs, or may consist of immigrants who speak only their own native language. Some students may have a different sexual orientation; others may come from lower economic status, or have been raised by a single parent. Instances are also rampant when students have specific learning and physical disabilities that require special teaching provisions. At the beginning of the school year, it may prove beneficial for teachers to complete a student profile. Profile includes anecdotal records, questions that elicit helpful information regarding their individual backgrounds. Informal interviews may also help gain further informatio n and build teacher-student rapport. Promoting Human Relations with Emphasis on Respect and Dignity Because the classroom environment influences effective learning, a teacher must ensure that all students feel welcomed and accepted. In an open and friendly environment, rules must be firmly set against oppressive remarks and verbal abuse that are highly discriminatory. While teaching general values such as human respect and justice may be vague, setting positive examples and providing reinforcement to positive behaviors may be effective. The way teachers relate with the students impacts the studentsââ¬â¢ confidence, outlook and their capacity to learn. However, some students may be misinterpreted by their teachers. A
Monday, September 23, 2019
Robin Hoods Band as an Example of Financial Control and Authority in Assignment
Robin Hoods Band as an Example of Financial Control and Authority in Resolving Disputes between People - Assignment Example Imposing a fixed tax on the route through the forest would make Robin unpopular with the band which in turn could lead to a revolt against Robin and his supporters (Burke, Lake and Paine). It is also important to mention here that a fixed transit tax would have Robin lose the support of the villagers. Expanding into new territory would allow Robin and his band to generate greater revenue than they are currently generating. This would not only solve financial problems of the band but would also make it harder for Prince John and the Sheriff to track down members of the band and interrogate them regarding the whereabouts of the entire band. Expanding into new territory would also provide the opportunity to hide their loot in different more secure places. Killing the Sheriff would not yield the result of Robinââ¬â¢s financial problems and there is a good chance that killing the Sheriff would create more troubles for him than it would solve. Killing off the Sheriff might help Robin get the authorities off his back temporarily but Prince John and the Sheriffââ¬â¢s political allies would be even more determined to apprehend Robin. Furthermore murdering the Sheriff would not be an easy task. The Sheriff would probably be guarded by his men at all times and getting close to him would not be an easy task. The Baronsââ¬â¢ proposal has a lot of advantages but there are also a large number of disadvantages to the acceptance of their proposal. The greatest advantage of helping the barons ensure the return of King Richard would not only get rid of Prince John and the Sheriff but it would also put Robin and his band in King Richardââ¬â¢s good books. However, there is a chance that a plan this big would grab the attention of Prince John before it can be carried out. The participation of Robin in such a plan could increase the determination of Prince John to capture Robin and his band of men. The best course of action for Robin would be to opt to expand into new territories.à Ã
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Gathering Research Data Paper Essay Example for Free
Gathering Research Data Paper Essay Within the criminal justice system there are various types of data gathering research methods that can be utilized. The method chosen for this research paper is the email survey method. The proposed research for this paper is job satisfaction within the police field with emphasis on the patrol officers. With patrol officers being the backbone of the police departments the research should be pretty insightful. The main goal of this research is to pinpoint the patrol officersââ¬â¢ main dissatisfactions during their workdays. The specific interview structure that will be used is an email questionnaire survey. This type of survey will allow and hopefully enable every patrol officer to participate and it will also allow graphical results. Just about every criminal justice case begins and ends with a patrol officer. Beginning with the criminal offense report, to the arrest, and ending at the testifying in court. Although there are many various key players in most cases besides the patrol officer, it is highly unlikely that crime reduction would exist without the patrol officer. Understanding the needs of a patrol officer and what is pleasing and displeasing on the job is key to crime reduction. A happy employee does their job successfully and to the best of their ability. An unhappy patrol officer will definitely not complete tasks let alone risk their lives for another individual. The department has the responsibility to ensure that the majority of its patrol officers are satisfied with their working conditions to prevent silent strikes and to also prevent behavior manifestation. Using an email questionnaire survey would be the interview structure used to conduct the research regarding the employee satisfaction. This survey will involve the simple format of a YES or NO option only. Constructing a different variables list will enable determination of what issues the questions will be based on. This list will also ensure that main concerns and topics are covered along with not duplicating any issues. Configuring what type ofà data and data analysis is needed will be the next venture followed by figuring out how to word the questionnaire. Taking into consideration patrol officer lingo and technical wording to avoid any biased or compounding variables to each question. Some examples of questions that would be asked are: 1. Do you intentionally avoid police functions when off duty? 2. Do you take a level of pride when wearing your uniform? 3. Do you take sick days when you are not ill? 4. Do you hide your profession when off duty? 5. Do you take extended training courses or classes to avoid fieldwork? 6. Do you use cellphones, tablets, or any other devices to entertain yourself while on duty? 7. Do you avoid public interaction while on duty? Using these initial questions will not only help me gather data on satisfaction but will also help me gather data on other issues as well. An example of other issues would be the topic of whether or not response time intertwines with officer satisfaction and how this affects crime statistics. This type of qualitative data gathering is a great advantage because it records attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. (Analyse This!!! Learning To Analyse Qualitative Data, (2008)). As mentioned also opens up new topic areas that were not initially considered. These initial questions are also structured or closed ended questions in which will involve the needed information. Which means the data collected from the answers wonââ¬â¢t involve thorough answers that need to be explained. In completion of the questionnaire questions, a small group of similar respondents will take a pretest that will point out any confusion or misunderstanding of question formatting and wording. To have the best outcome of participants and to ensure the best results, compensation would be offered in the form of extra paid time. This will also ensure a more quantitative data analysis due to a larger number of people responding to the survey. Some researchers believe that rewards and/or incentives given to people who participate in surveys increases response and reliability A tailored design method or TDM will be used with this email survey question. According to Hagan ((2010)), ââ¬Å"The ââ¬Å"tailored design methodâ⬠or TDM, ââ¬Å"uses multiple contacts seeking response and endorsements to increase response ratesâ⬠by ââ¬Å"tailoring the survey to theà group being studied in order to foster trust, increase rewards, and decrease the cost of participation.â⬠This phase would be to get endorsed by the patrol unions to ensure and response, respect, and acceptability of the survey in the patrol officerââ¬â¢s eyes. These unions were founded and organized to assist and defend patrol officers, with the backing of these unions the participation and legitimacy would be highly prosperous. In turn, the unions will be knowledgeable with the results of the survey. One of the main focuses of this survey will be that it is truly an anonymous survey, and that each individual who fills out a survey remains anonymous and has no ties or repercussions from their answers. A few approaches to this could be survey kiosks or ballet boxes. These would allow no log on requirements or have any tracks on keystrokes. It is detrimental that informed consent and confidentiality be withheld and not compromised. According to The Role Of Numeracy In Informed Consent For Surveys ((2009)), ââ¬Å"Two key ethical issues for survey researchers are obtaining informed consent and maintaining the confidentiality of responses. Informed consent implies that two requirements have been met: (1) that research participants have been informed about the essential elements of the research, including the risks and benefits of participation, and have understood the information; and (2) that they have given their consent to participateâ⬠. If compromised the survey answers could potentially cause issues with employment or job environments. This type of outcome could cause the survey to become unreliable and null and void. References: Analyse This!!! Learning to analyse qualitative data. ((2008)). Retrieved from http://archive.learnhigher.ac.uk/analysethis/main/qualitative1.html Hagan, F. E. ((2010)). Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology (8th ed.).Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. The Role of Numeracy in Informed Consent for Surveys. ((2009)). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2857726/
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Rent-A-Captive Insurance Company Development
Rent-A-Captive Insurance Company Development A Critical Analysis of the Benefits, Risks andà Implications of Creating an Off-shoreà Rent-a-Captive Insurance Company in Bermuda. Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 1 à Methodology Chapter 2 ââ¬âà Research Process Chapter 3 ââ¬â Findings and Evaluation of Findings 3.1 Captive 3.2à Analysis of Benefits, Risks and Implications 3.3 Rent-A-Captive 3.4 Pestle Analysis 3.5 Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Abstract The potential for utilizing a rent-a-captive facility in Bermuda represents a method that is a business proposition to examination the risks, benefits and implications of utilizing this as a viable strategy. Inherent in equating any strategy are its suitability, ease of entry and exit as well as costs and weighing these against the learning curve and relative benefits that will accrue in best and worst case scenarios. To reach such a determination, the examination will employ a number of strategic as well as financial tools, along with the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology to determine its viability in a general, specific and overall sense. The use of any business strategy has either direct and or indirect implications which represent variables that must prove their worth in their ability to further the overall aims, objectives and purpose of the entity and to be particularly of benefit in adverse economic conditions and or unforeseen occurances. The preceding tough evaluative climate represents the acid test via which to effectively prove or disprove its potential worth to the enterprise. A ââ¬Ëcaptive insurance companyââ¬â¢ represents an entity that is set up for the limited purpose by parent insurance companies to finance risks from the main organization and or its subsidiaries (Bawcutt, 1997, pp. 8-9). Rather than representing a new concept, captive insurance companies have been around since the mid 1870s, borne out of ââ¬Ëprotection and indemnityââ¬â¢ clubs of that period which offered marine insurance in coverage of third party liabilities as well as expenses emanating from either operating or owning ships as a principle (Braithwaite and Drahos, 2000, p. 157). The preceding was a result of the passage of the Lord Campbell Act of 1846 (Alabama Law Review, 2004, p. 884), which ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ was enacted by the English Parliament â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ and titled the ââ¬ËFatal Accidents Act of 1846ââ¬â¢ whose purpose was ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ to alleviate the harsh results â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ from either serious injury or death on ships during that period (Alabama Law Review, 2004, p. 884). Claim liability potential was increased as a result of the flood of immigrants traveling to the United States as well as the higher value of cargos and injuries to crew members. The Protection and Liability Clubs pooled resources to cover claims arising from the passage of the act and minimize exposure for the primary insurance carriers such as Lloydââ¬â¢s of London (Alabama Law Review, 2004, p. 884). Captive insurance companies can be utilized to provide insurance coverage for commercial purposes, as well as industrial and governmental entities to insure either all or part of the risks facing an organization (Geisel, 2004). Captive insurance companies also can be formed as a result of companies that have similar business risks joining together to pool said risks in a cost effective manner to have the needed insurance coverage for these types of areas (Geisel, 2004). The increased growth in this industry segment is a result of the change in the way businesses and organizations see the way to finance their risks as it represents a more flexible approach against potential losses, augmenting catastrophic risk that is covered via conventional means (Sammer, 2001). Critical to the preceding is understanding that insurance represents ââ¬Å"coverage by a contract binding â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ one party to ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ indemnify another against specified loss â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ as a return for pr emiums paid covering said insurance (Houghton Mifflin, 2006). It, insurance, represents a form of ââ¬Ërisk managementââ¬â¢ that is a hedge against some type of financial loss that has a probable incidence of occurring, thus insurance represents the transfer of this risk from one entity to another as a result of the exchange of premiums calculated based upon the potential of occurrence. The preceding summary will provide an understanding of the purpose and niche regarding captive insurance companies as well as how they fit into the overall realm of the insurance industry represents important background information that is germane to the topic of ââ¬Ëa critical analysis of the benefits, risks and implications of creating an off-shore rent-a-captive insurance company in Bermudaââ¬â¢. Chapter 1 ââ¬â Methodology The methodology that will be utilized in this examination will consist of understanding the nuances involved in the process of single parent captives as well as rent-a-captives to determine the subtle and or obvious differences that represent either positive or negative factors which a company would need to be aware of as well as consider to have a full understanding of the process. Inherent in such is the understanding of the legal, business, regulatory, financial, operational and administrative facets of the process and how these impact upon each other in the utilization of a rent-a-captive facility. The preceding represents a broad based understanding as well as in depth with regard to the benefits, risks, implications and related factors. In equating such this examination will employ such tools as Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces framework, a SWOT analysis, as well as a Pestle Analysis and a discussion of the Balanced Scorecard to aid in reaching a determination of the foregoing. The limitations to the methodology may be in that the tools of analysis are not directly suitable to analyze the process, and or they may be too many business, operational and or industry variables to enable equating if the process is or will be effective in all or most instances. The methodology is limited by the complexity of the problem in that the decision branch tree factor may be too large to adequately cover all of the potential nuances and aspects which might be important. As the basis for the study is the suitability of a certain structure for potential utilization, the methodology is thus simplified into gathering and comparison as a means to uncover the basics and related detail factors which appear in multiple sources. Chapter 2 Research Process The research process will consist of secondary measures utilizing books, journals and online sources to provide a wide cross section of ideas, viewpoints, concepts, theories and practices to ensure that the salient foundational information is based upon the true and actual conditions present. Through a comparative analysis entailing systematic methodologies of collecting, review and analysis of data, the foregoing will provide for such an outcome. Yin (1994) advises that in conducting research, one should seek to equate the positioning of such against real life phenomenon by virtue of gathering a number of viewpoints to reach a balanced understanding. Yin (1994) also adds that the broader the examination, the better will be the grasp of the information and thus conclusions reached. Maxwell (1996) supports Yinââ¬â¢s (1994) approach and cautions that quality is more important than quantity, thus the research process will seek to weed out lesser sources in favor of more established ones through a comparative process. The preceding represents the suggested approach as put forth by Lieberson (1991), as well as King et al (1994). As the subject represents a pragmatic consideration whereby theory is less important, the comparative analysis of sources is easier as the base information should be relatively close, if not identical, depending upon the jurisdictional locale. Said variable renders the research process as relatively straight forward. Chapter 3 ââ¬â Findings and Evaluation of Findings In examining the subject matter, background information as well as facts, details and information pertaining to the field of captive insurance companies is an important foundation to understanding the benefits of a rent-a-captive as a comparison. The forgoing includes an understanding of the jurisdiction in which the rent-a-captive is located. 3.1 Captive 3.1.1 Bermuda Bermudaââ¬â¢s entrance into the international insurance market got its start in 1947 when it was selected by C.V. Starr ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ as the location for his American International Company, Limited (Bermuda Market Solutions, 2005, p. 3). The captive concept was promulgated by Fred Reiss in the mid 1960s as ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ an insurer owned by a non-insurance parent â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (Bermuda Market Solutions, 2005, p. 3) which was established to finance the insurable exposures of the parent. Bermuda is the global leader in the captive insurance market, growing dramatically during the 1980s as a result of group captives that were created to permit smaller companies to align with those of similar interests to thus gain greater control over their insurance through the pooling of risks (Bermuda Market Solutions, 2005, p. 3). One of the largest of these was the OIL Insurance Ltd. that was formed by petroleum companies in the early 1970ââ¬â¢s as a result of difficulties they were facing in the property insurance market. Table 1 ââ¬â Total Insurance Assets for all International Insuredââ¬â¢s (in billions) (Bermuda Market Solutions, 2005, p. 3) Bermuda, is the premier domicile for captive insurance companies as well as rent-a-captives with in excess of 1700 insurers (Lowtax.net, 2004). The captive insurance market has slowed over the last couple of years in contrast to its rapid growth pace of the late 1980s and 1990s with other locales offering similar advantages thus effectively bringing its share of the global market down to approximately one third of all captives from a high of 40% in the mid 1990s (Crombie, 2005). Locations such as the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Guernsey, and Barbados as well as Dublin, along with an addition 45 other jurisdiction as well as a number of states in the U.S. have slowed Bermudaââ¬â¢s growth and market share as a result (Crombie, 2005). Other factors in this trend have been (Crombie, 2005): the increased popularity of risk retention groups whose small size, in general, does not make them really suitable for location in Bermuda, increased marketing by new jurisdictions such as Hawaii and Vermont which have the advantage of being American states, developments in the varied types of corporate vehicles that are available, notably segregated account companies, and lastly, the ways in which some jurisdictions count their captives, including those that have formed and not removing them once they have been dissolved. Another important consideration is cost. Bermuda is expensive and thus since cost does matter to smaller captives as well as those operating on slimmer margins, there selection of locale takes this facet into account. Bermudaââ¬â¢s client base primarily consists of large U.S., European and South American companies whose presence has been in that location for some time (Crombie, 2005). The cost is offset by Bermudaââ¬â¢s reputation, quality of professional expertise as well as the ease of access thus minimizing the cost variable over the long term as a result of the foregoing and the localeââ¬â¢s stability. Another factor that must be considered with respect to Bermudaââ¬â¢s global positioning in terms of the attraction of new captives is the limited infrastructure on the island for residences, schools and traffic. Bermuda is basically more of an exclusive club which is based upon quality as opposed to quantity (Crombie, 2005). As the third largest insurance local after Ne w York and London, Bermudaââ¬â¢s new business formations in 2004 saw approximately 50% in the form of captives (Lowtax.net, 2004). The country is the number one location for segregated account companies with 83 that include 6,234 cells within cells as compared to 126 protected cell companies in all other locations as of 2003 (Lowtax.net, 2004). Table 2 ââ¬â Captives by Domicile Year End 2002 (Towers Perrin, 2004) Table 3 ââ¬â Leading Captive Domiciles (Elliott, 2005) The preceding represents data on captives as of year end 2002, thus accounting for the higher figures indicated above, showing captive numbers for domiciles mentioned as a comparison. 3.1.2 Rent-a-Captive Insurance Companies A rent-a-captive insurance company provides ââ¬Ëcaptiveââ¬â¢ insurance facilities to other companies for a fee and protects itself from any losses via individual programs that are further isolated from losses via other programs in the same company (Banham, 2001). Banham (2001) provides the analogy of thinking of a rent-a-captive insurance company ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ as a mall of stores â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ and each store represents ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ the self insurance program of a particular companyâ⬠. The rent-a-captive concept represents the fact that a company does not have to go through the procedures and regulations entailed with incorporating its own captive as it is able to lease one instead. The preceding represents a business rationale for creating an off-shore rent-a-captive insurance company, leasing out its existence. The concept of the rent-a-captive provides much of the same benefits that corporate owned captives do in that it provides (Banham, 2001): increased control regarding losses as a result of improved claims management, the ability to derive a profit from underwriting along with investment income from the funds that are set aside for claim reserves, various tax benefits, and avoidance of accounting and audit issues, which are the responsibility of the rent-a-captive sponsor. The advantages of the establishment of a rent-a-captive insurance company depend upon a number of factors on the part of the interested company. These aspects shall be discussed in the analysis of the benefits, risks, and implications of a rent-a-captive. 3.2 Analysis of Benefits, Risks and Implications In equating the reasons, as well as benefits, risks and implications of forming a rent-a-captive it is important to have an understanding of the reasons as to why captives are formed, thus providing an understanding of the benefits of a rent-a-captive. The following represent the foregoing (Elliott, 2005): To reduce and or stabilize cost Generally, the financing of risk under a captive lowers overall cost and aids in stabilizes costs long term as a result of being less susceptible to changes in the insurance market. Examples of cost savings are represented by the fact there is: no profit load, the reduction and or elimination of commissions to brokers, lower costs for administration, the owners in a captive share in all of the earnings through policyholder or shareholder dividends, a captive avoids costly insurance regulations as well as the exclusion of payments into residual market pools and premium taxes, savings in loss ââ¬â cost is another area as captives serve to increase the awareness of risk management as well as cost awareness among top management. The savings benefits, in general, exceed the expense of both setting up the captive as well as administering it. Increase capacity and provide access to reinsurance A captive can access the capacity of reinsurance markets and might be able to provide more coverage limits than available within the retail market. An example of the preceding is whereby multiple insurers participate in what is termed as a slip to offer millions in added capacity which would not otherwise be available. A ââ¬Ëslipââ¬â¢ is a binder that often includes more than one insurer. An example of the preceding is provided by Lloydââ¬â¢s of London whereby the slip is passed from underwriting to underwriter to initial and subscribe to specific parts of a risk (captive.com, 2006). Control One of the reasons for the origin of captives is due to insurance buyers that were tired of the vagaries of the market regarding insurance and looked for more control concerning underwriting, rates, investments and claim settlements. Captives provided them with these benefits. Coverage An advantage of captives is that they can provide coverage to subsidiaries and other firms that might not otherwise be possible or available for such areas as professional liability, certain business risks and punitive damages. Rate and form freedom The benefits of special constructed wording can be written by captives as a guide for reinsurers to follow to thus provide coverageââ¬â¢s for obscure areas. Establishment of better than average claim experience As the claim history for a captive insured may be improved or batter than the overall class of business for an insurer in the commercial category, this aspect makes a sound argument for retention of that risk in this framework as opposed to the broader and poorer claims experience as a whole. Recapture of investment income and to accelerate and or manage cash flow The investment income derived from a captive may be completely or partially retained by the captive as opposed to staying with commercial insurers thus providing revenues that would otherwise be lost. Insurance accounting Special tax treatment accrues to insurance companies, such as tax deductible reserves for claims not paid and in the instance of life insurance reserves no taxes are paid on the internal build up of interest income. Tax deductibility Other tax advantages are possible such as in the case of multiple owners or insured as well as in the cases where the insured and shareholders are not the same. Another area is in the deductibility of premiums along with the deferred taxation of insurance income. Careful consideration of tax benefits need to be investigated prior to adding such advantages to the list of benefits. Perceived safety of formalized services As the books and records of captives are audited along with the claim reserves being under constant review by actuaries, investments managed by professionals and accounts that are maintained by managers that are independent, these services represent checks and balances with so many differing external factors checking the books and accounts that the system has extra measures of safety that in most cases is superior to other means whereby a number of these functions is performed in-house or by the same company. Favorable regulations Many captives are formed offshore to avoid certain unnecessary regulations concerning solvency. However, just as in onshore solvency regulations, offshore captive solvency regulations are designed to protect policyholders. In some instances this regulation is weak in offshore locales, which is not the case for Bermuda as well as the state of Vermont in the United States. Administrative tool for funding retentions In many instances, large organizations create captives to fund differences between their large corporate deductibles or retention and smaller deductibles or retention of its individual business units. Under the captive format the main organization is able to offer fixed cost rates that are above the smaller deductibles and balance the equation of as a result overall larger rate, thus spreading the deductible or retention and achieving savings. Risk management Captives provide the risk manager with more leverage than the annual cost allocation process. Innovative deals Captives can increase the access to certain deals, such as more creative loss portfolio transfers achieved by transferring liabilities from one balance sheet to another. Warehouse data Being in a captive can provide a tool for the collection of better as well as more data in support of its cost management efforts. An example of this is that a captive can be the central repository for what is termed common disability cost management for instances when an organization elects to finance certain employee risk benefits as well as worker compensation risks. Strategic partner support Coverage can be made available by organizations for their various business partners as represented by key suppliers and or customers, as well as independent contractors, etc. when the normal market pricing and or terms are not favorable. The preceding may very well provide tax management as well as profit advantages. Profit In some instances captives are created to underwrite the risks of a customer or to provide third party insurance. Such undertakings can provide and or add value to an organization as a result of tying the customer to the owner. Some of the preceding areas represent clear financial aspects as well as non financial operating areas which can in certain instances turn out to be as important or more important than the financial considerations in creating or utilizing a captive. The understanding of the benefits, advantages and implications of a captive are integral in the discussion of a rent-a-captive in that the reasons and rationales that are found in the former also apply to the latter. As such, a discussion of the structuring of captives is an important aspect to be considered in this context, as such aids in the understanding of a rent-a-captive. There are three primary aspects of captives, the financial, operational and of course personnel. Captive financial resources consist of premiums along with capital and investment income. The premiums and or capital can consist of non-investment instruments such as a letter of credit and these financial resources must be sufficient to accomplish three tasks (Geisel , 2004). First is the facet of financing the legal obligation as part of the insurance and or reinsurance agreements. Secondly, the financial resources must be sufficient to finance a reasonable level attributed to adverse development, and lastly, the financial resources needed to fund the expenses of operating the captive. It is important to understand that captives, as well as rent-a-captives operate in a somewhat similar fashion as traditional insurers. It, the captive, directly issues policies to insuredââ¬â¢s, and or reinsurers via a fronting insurance company (Geisel, 2004). It also collects the premiums and pays claims as well as setting reserves aside to pay for legal obligations stemming from its insurance and or reinsurance agreements, and pay for the captiveââ¬â¢s operating expenses, and dividends (Geisel, 2004). One of the advantages is that captives usually utilize a captive management company to run the day to day operations, maintain books and serve as the liaison with the regulators and Board of Directors (Towers Perrin, 2004). Captives also can and often do utilize specialty service providers, accountants, legal council and actuaries to aid in the operational aspects thus eliminating the need for finding, retaining, and setting up office space to house these aspects, which represent a considerable cost savings in internal administration. In terms of managing costs, captives have the following benefits and or advantages (Elliott, 2005): Actuarial Bermuda requires an actuarial analysis as an aspect of the feasibility study concerning the area(s) of insurance and or reinsurance being contemplated for setting up a captive. The premiums as well as losses are thus based upon this information and when the actuarial review has established a level of confidence in these figures, the captive will thus make a better impression on regulators, tax advisors and reinsurers. Bermuda requires ongoing actuarial analysis. Expenses In most circumstances a captive should be able to operate in a more efficient manner than commercial insurance companies. The captiveââ¬â¢s expenses should be in the area of below twenty percent of premiums, unless loss control dictates a higher ratio. Investment It is a general practice among captives to set premiums to reflect the time value of cash in the assumption that the investment returns will closely approximate the amortization of the premium discount over time. The captive investment policy should thus be in keeping with the assumptions that are utilized to set premiums. 3.3 Rent-A-Captive The foregoing analysis and details concerning captive insurance companies provides the needed foundational and structural information to better understand the nature of the entity and thus the implications, benefits and other facets associated with electing to utilize a rent-a-captive format. Given the preceding, the reasons and rationales for electing to choose a rent-a-captive format takes on increased meaning. Rent-a-captives represent the fastest growing segment of the captive category and the indications are that they will continue this trend and become even more broadly utilized in the future (International Risk Management Institute, 2004). Large corporations usually establish a captive to aid in the underwriting of its risk as well as to assume portions of its losses based upon the prospect of making or deriving a profit from these operations (Elliott, 2005). In essence, the corporation enters the business of insurance in an attempt to gain control over its losses as well as t o lower the cost of its insurance as a result of deriving a return of profit from underwriting and or investment income. Smaller companies lacking the financial resources to cover the costs of setting up and meeting requirements for a captive can derive much the same benefits through renting a captive as the alternative to receiving the indicated benefits from their insurance program(s). Rent-a-captive insurance companies are in general funded, created and ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ rented by insurers, brokers or groups of affiliated businessesâ⬠(International Risk Management Institute, 2004). The determination as to whether a rent-a-captive represents a viable as well as sound proposition is dependent upon a number of facets that can be summarized as follows (Geisel, 2004): size of the company considering utilizing a captive, or rent-a-captive, the amount of losses it ha
Friday, September 20, 2019
Heinz Business Strategy
Heinz Business Strategy Heinz Company is a marketer and manufacturer of branded foods in the industry of global food. The company is recognized for its ketchup with a comprehensive presence in condiments, tuna, baby foods, soup and ready meals. Heinz is the US-based global food company, with a world-class portfolio of powerful brands holding no-1 and no-2 market positions in more than 50 countries. The Heinz brand has an estimated value of $20 billion with Heinzs top-15 power brands accounting for two-thirds of annual sales.The company has no-1 or no-2 brands in 200 countries around the world, showcased by Heinz Ketchup. Other brands in the companys portfolio include Classico pasta sauce, Ore-Ida frozen potato products, Heinz weight watchers, Plasmon baby food, and John West tuna. Heinz also uses the famous names Weight Watchers, Boston Market, T.G.I. Fridays, Jack Daniels, and Linda McCartney under license. Due to potential loss in manufacturers brand equity, large public food manufacturers face the greate st threat from the expansion of private retailer brands and the increased power of the retail sector. The H.J. Heinz Company has a long tradition in the US market of being a number one brand, retaining a dominant position in the US and the world market. Ketchup is a case in point. However, as with many large food manufacturers, the growing share of private labels is creating a challenge . In response, rather than relying solely on its long held brand image, Heinz has made a strategic decision to invest heavily in differentiating itself further from private label offerings by improving the quality of its product to attract more quality-conscious consumers, Heinz might easily be viewed as a company with a dominate product-orientation based on its Chairmans statement I am convinced that quality and innovation are the way forward for Heinz. Traill and Grunert (1997) 2-PRODUCT INNOVATION ACTIVITY Much of the innovation has been focus on what is considered core products where it has strong existing competencies and expertise. New product development constitutes an vital part of Heinzs growth strategy. Product introductions are focus on meeting consumers demand for convenience, health, improved taste, and lifestyle changes. The company has made attractive consumer products by offering packaging innovations and the promotion of the health benefits of its existing products. The health dimension is critical factor in its product differentiation strategy for Heinz.There are no of examples of recent product innovations. The company introduced a new range of soups, offering nutritious contents with alternative ingredients with less salt, sugar, and fat particles. Various specialty soups were introduced in the UK, such as Spicy Butternut Squash and Mediterranean Tomato and Bacon. Other examples are the first microwaveable French fries tasting like restaurant fries. This product is a s trong complement to its ketchup. The most successful package innovation in the US was the Heinz Easy Squeeze ketchup designed in an upside down ketchup bottle for faster and less messy dispensing. This packaging was successfully launched in 19 European countries as well as in the US and the Canadian food service. In recent years, the company has also made substantial packaging innovations in other food products with a conversion from traditional cans to more convenient solutions in single-serve microwavable packaging. Traill and Grunert (1997) 3-PROCESS INNOVATION ACTIVITY Heinz created four imperatives to gain better performance, drive profitable growth, remove the clutter, squeeze out costs, and measure and recognized performance. By removing the clutter, Heinz seeks to remove inefficiencies and reduce complexities of product portfolio and supply chain. The company execute a major restructuring initiative named Streamline aimed at reducing overhead costs. Heinz has also made a series of divestitures in an effort to refocus its business more closely on its core products. The company is focusing on its top 15 power brands, which account for 60 percent of total sales. The squeeze out the cost initiative has mainly concentrate on promotional expenditure as new systems have been execute to better track promotional spending. Through a new global procurement initiative led from World headquarters in Pittsburgh, Heinz is aiming to cut costs in both direct and indirect sourcing activities. Traill and Grunert (1997) MARKETING STRATEGY OF HEINZ COMPANY The company launch its first national foodservice advertising campaign, using the slogan Insist on Heinz. The objective of this advertisement is to attract consumers to insist on Heinz Ketchup, when it is not available in fast food restaurants or other food service establishments. Furthermore, to take full advantage of its strong position in the foodservice market, the company has created Group 57, a culinary expert team that supplies customers with new ideas and support. Heinz invests in consumer education by promoting the health benefits of lycopene in tomatoes. Heinzs advertising expenses have also increased in recent years, mainly due to the launching of a new product, Ore-Ida extra crispy fries in the US. In response to increasing competition, especially from private labels, Heinz introduced a every day low pricing initiative across many product groups. The aim of this initiative is to fight off competition by creating a positive value impression among consumers. Traill and Grun ert (1997) CORPORATE STRATEGY OF FONTERRA COOPERATIVE GROUP 1-USING RD AND INTERNATIONAL VENTURES The Fonterra Cooperative Group was formed by the merger of New Zealand Dairy Group, Kiwi Co-operative Dairies and the New Zealand Dairy Board in late 2001. It is owned by its nearly 12,000 dairy farming shareholders. Fonterra has sales of $2.15 billion and is organized in three divisions; New Zealand Milk Products (NZMP), New Zealand Milk, and Fonterra Enterprises. NZMP is the worlds largest dairy ingredients company which focuses on separating milk to its various components and then marketing these components. New Zealand Milk is the business unit manufacturing dairy based consumer and branded food products, while Fonterra Enterprises comprises an innovative venture and growth businesses supporting Fonterras core business activities. Since the merger there have been a number of acquisitions. Fonterra has a 50 percent stake in Australian dairy producer, Bonlac Foods Ltd, and has undertaken the formal merger of both companies consumer products operations in Australia and New Zealand. Other acquisitions and strategic alliances include joint ventures with Nestlà © through Dairy Partners Americas in South and Central America, Dairy Farmers of America with DairiConcepts in the US, Britannia Industries Ltd in India, and Arla Foods in the UK. A handicap of traditional cooperatives is their orientation toward producers and lack of consumer awareness. However, this is changing as cooperatives discover more suitable market-oriented strategies and increasingly operate in global markets. Although capital constraints have been a primary barrier to internationalization, risk aversion is one of the most important factors discouraging the extent of internationalization (BuccolaÃâà et al., 2001). The Fonterra Cooperative Group has successfully internationalized, breaking away from most models of traditional cooperatives. Its two distinct businesses structure, specialty ingredients and consumer milk products provides a hedge against fluctuating international dairy prices. Fonterra is a supplier of both consumer product and dairy ingredients. The consumer business, New Zealand Milk, was renamed in 2005 becoming Fonterra Brands. The name change was made to better reflect the companys core brand business. Fonterra is now pursuing a strategy called Winning Through Brands where the Fonterra name and product brand will appear on packaging as an endorsement and its worldwide reputation as a leader in dairy. Fonterra uses its expertise in dairy technology for creating value from milk as both ingredients and consumer dairy products. It is a leader in several country markets for branded consumer products such as milk, cheese, powder milk, butter and yogurt. Fonterra is ranked as the sixth largest dairy company in the world with more than two-thirds of its sales in dairy ingredients, and accounts for more than a third of international trade in dairy (Rabobank International, 2008;Ãâà Fonterra, 2007). In addition, Fonterra supplements its New Zealand product s with milk supplies from foreign affiliates to assure a stable supply of products for its customers. 2- FONTERRA PRODUCT INNOVATION ACTIVITY Fonterra views milk with sophistication, seeking to lead the race to develop its nutritional potential by meeting the needs of an increasingly health-conscious world. Science and biology underpins the dairy industry both in on-farm production and in dairy product manufacturing. Biotechnology is the technology that allows Fonterra to modify biological systems, either using natural means or more advanced tools.To develop specialized products, Fonterra uses a health and nutrition team that focus on the unique health benefits of milk-derived bioactives. This team targets specific areas in response to global consumer health concerns namely: immune health, gastrointestinal health, infant nutrition, dermatology, sports health, therapeutics, bone health and animal health. Fonterras concentration on the development of new products to drive growth is evident in both the consumer products and the ingredient business. It established new research and development facilities in 2004 to expand its p otential of new products. Fonterra also established a number of joint research projects with pioneering German vitamin producer BASF. This agreement includes developing dairy-based products for the health ingredients market, and a collaboration to develop customized, instantly-vended convenience foods for a variety of dietary needs, which will be marketed as or point-of-sale individualized foods. 3-FONTERRA PROCESS INNOVATION ACTIVITY Fonterras management states that operational excellence has to be embedded in our culture[3]. An important part of Fonterras global business operations is procurement of raw milk and gaining access to product markets. Fresh milk products, by their perishable and bulky nature, cannot be economically transported across long distances. Furthermore, high trade barriers on dairy products restrain global product movements. Fonterra established several strategic alliances and partners to increase efficiency and flexibility in its global supply chain. Fonterra and Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), the largest milk-collecting cooperative in the US, formed a joint venture company called DairiConcepts which combines DFAs manufacturing sites with Fonterras technological expertise and innovations. DairiConcepts both strengthened Fonterras position in the US market and offered the cooperative the ability to better exploit its new opportunities.In addition to improving efficiencies in its South Ameri can operations, Fonterra established a joint venture with Nestlà © to form Dairy Partners Americas. Comprising over 13 plants in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Americas, with more than two thirds of them ex-Nestlà © staff, Dairy Partners Americas has been successfully implemented in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela (Datamonitor, 2008). These and other partnerships provide alternative sources of raw milk for its ingredients business, enable optimization of Fonterras production plan and inventory levels, and ultimately facilitate meeting customer demand in all regional markets MARKETING ACTIVITIES OF FONTERRA COOPERATIVE GROUP Fonterra focuses on conveying the message that it has high quality products stemming from research and development activity, which use healthy, natural and ecologically responsible products that are consistent with Fonterras rural roots. The company takes a science-based approach to developing and promoting these products by employing scientific results found in research studies and commissioning research papers and clinical studies to support its claims. In 2004, a report was published illustrating the positive benefit of feeding fortified milk powders to children. Fonterra aims to establish the image of its products in the minds of young consumers, viewing them as potential life-long consumers. For example, its website for children, (www.milkzone.com), offers interactive games, fun information, contests and links to other milk-related sites. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT CRITICALLY ANALYSE According to SLACK,N.CHAMBERS,S.JOHNSTON,R.2007 it refers to the listening to customers, indentifying what they want and striving to meet their requirement get it right first time-every time, with zero defects. Peter Drucker writes that The purpose of business lies outside itself-that is creating and satisfying customer. The decision process is central, and structure has to follow strategy and management has to be management by objectives and self control. The search for the genuine keys to success in TQM implementation has become a matter of deep concern to management of companies in the world. Organizational lack of information and data on the critical factors is an obstacle to implementing TQM effectively. So, research studies on the critical factors of TQM implementation are needed. In other words, more data are required so that industries can avoid and prevent the same problems from occurring (companies which adopted TQM ended up failing or dropping the system initiative before it could really take hold), (Lau and Idris, 2001).Ãâà Idris and Zairi (2006)Ãâà also stated that there is a need for more empirical research to clarify how the TQM evolutionary path is related to critical success conditions within an economic sector, industry, and era. With more empirical proof, an approach to a sustainable quality strategy could be established. More research in the form of a longitudinal approach is also needed since a snapshot d esign alone would not be sufficient to capture success conditions holistically (Idris and Zairi, 2006). However, the success of the TQM research depends on the development of valid and reliable measures which replicate actual TQM practices companies adopt in the real world. Not only should the measurement be consistent within a certain study, but also across many studies (Jitpaiboon and Rao, 2007) Ãâà TQM can be studied from three different approaches, contributions from quality leaders, formal evaluation models and empirical research.Ãâà Deming (1982,Ãâà 1986). The use of statistical techniques for quality control, and proposed his 14 principles to improve quality in organizations, based on the following idea- leadership an improvement philosophy, the right production from the beginning, training for managers and employees, internal communication aimed at the elimination of obstacles for cooperation and the suppression of quantitative objectives.Ãâà Juran (1986)Ãâà pointed out the importance of both technical and managerial aspects, and identified the three basic functions of the quality management process: planning, organization and control, as the stages for quality improvement; he indicated that the aim of the management is to reduce the cost of mistakes, reaching a point where the total costs of quality are minimal improvement.Ãâà Crosby (197 9)Ãâà defined 14 steps for quality improvement, including top and intermediate management commitment, quality measurement, evaluation of quality costs, corrective action, training, a zero-defect philosophy, objective setting and employee recognition. The research by all these authors shows both strengths and weaknesses, for none of them offers the solutions to all the problems encountered by firms (Dale, 1999), although some common issues can be observed, such as management leadership, training, employees participation, process management, planning and quality measures for continuous improvement. These ideas have exerted an influence upon later studies, in such a way that the literature on TQM has progressively developed from these initial contributions, identifying various elements for effective quality management. Taking the initial research as a basis, the critical factors of TQM found in the literature vary from one author to another, although there is a common core, formed by the following requirements (ClaverÃâà et al., 2003),customer focus, leadership, quality planning, management based on facts, continuous improvement, human resource management (involvement of all members, training, work teams and communication systems), learning, process management, cooperation with suppliers and organizational awareness and concern for the social and environmental context. Alongside these factors, identified both in theoretical and empirical studies, there are standardized quality models used by firms in practice as a guide for their implementation, or in order to carry out self-evaluations of their quality practices. The main models are the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award model in the USA, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model in Europe and the Deming Application Prize model in Japan. The USA model lists in seven categories the main concepts and values in quality management: leadership, strategic planning, human resources orientation, process management, information and analysis, customer and market focus and business results. The EFQM model consists of the following principles: leadership, employee management, policy and strategy, alliances and resources, process management, people results, customer results, society results and key results (EFQM, 2000). The Japanese model is grouped into ten chapters, which are in turn divided, as in the two previous models, into a number of subcriteria, in the following way- policies, organization, information, standardization, development and usage of human resources, activities ensuring quality, activities for maintenance and control, activities for improvement, results and future plans. These principles, in general, summarize the aspects defined in the literature. Thus, issues related to the participation of employees, staff, work teams and communication, amongst others, may be included within the factor of human resource management. EVALUATE THE MIX OF CONCEPT Impact of supply chain management The maximization of firm value is an accepted goal of all publicly held firms. Value however is not a term well understood by all managers. In his bookÃâà The Power of Now, the CEO of Tibco Software, VivekÃâà Ranadive (1999)Ãâà explains that many business executives confuse value with profit. Ranadive makes the distinction by saying profit is a consequence of creating value. Ranadive emphasizes that creating customer value is one of the few existing differentiators that can create competitive advantage while the other classic differentiators outlined by Michael Porter and others cost leadership, quality, focus and speed have themselves become commodities. They are simply the price of market entry (Ranadive, 1999). Thus, firms must seek other avenues to build value for their customers. Many firms have turned to supply chain management (SCM) to give them a competitive advantage in the twenty-first century. A supply chain includes all the activities, functions and facilities involved (either directly or indirectly) in the flow and transformation of goods and services from the material stage to the end-user (Russell and Taylor, 2000, p. 373;Ãâà Handfield and Nichols, 1999, p. 2). SCM aims to integrate the various structures and processes of the supply chain, facilitating and coordinating the flow of goods and services and the flow of information necessary to provide the value that customers demand. The need for such coordination grows out of several trends in the marketplace. Globalization has led to the availability of a vast set of alternative sources of materials and other inputs as well as a wider array of potential customers. Customers changing expectations regarding value of goods and services, combined with advances in technology and the availability of information, have driven the formation of new forms of inter-organizational relationships (Handfield and Nichols, 1999, p. 5 ). Such factors have stimulated changes in the nature of organizations supply chains and have led to an emphasis on coordination and integration of supply chain activities.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
How John Keats used Symbolism in his Ode to a Grecian Urn Essay
How John Keats used Symbolism in his ââ¬Å"Ode to a Grecian Urnâ⬠à à à à à John Keats was born in 1795 in Moorfields, England. He was the son of a stableman who married the ownerââ¬â¢s daughter and eventually inherited the stable for himself. He was fourteen when his mother died of tuberculosis. Having been apprenticed to an apothecary at the age of fifteen, John felt the need to leave medical field to focus primarily poetry. Keatsââ¬â¢s imagery ranges from all of our physical sensations: sight, touch, sound, taste, and sexuality. Keats is one of the most famous for his Odes. Traditionally, the ode is lengthy, serious in subject, elevated in its diction and style, and often elaborate in its stanza structure. ââ¬Å"Symbolism seems the obvious term for the dominant style which followed nineteenth-century realismâ⬠(Wellek 251). According to an article found in Jstor journal, written by Vyacgeslav Ivanov, titled, Symbolism, ââ¬Å"symbols are far from being an invention and convention of mankind, constitute in the universe, all pulsating with life, a primordial imprint in the very substance of things and, and it were, an occult language by means of which is achieved a preordained communion of innumerable kindred spirits, no matter how these spirits may differ in their individual modes of existence or whether they belong to different orders of creationâ⬠(Ivanov 29). Keats uses symbolism in ââ¬Å"Ode to a Grecian Urnâ⬠to illustrate his love for ancient Greece. à à à à à à à à à à ââ¬Å"Ode to a Grecian Urnââ¬â¢ was written by John Keats at some unknown date. ââ¬Å"The Urn, as Keats described it, was a classical vase, decorated with a frieze of engraved figures in scenes from pastoral life. In reality it was more than any particular vase which he had seen on his museum excursions with Haydon or Severn. The Grecian Urn represented poetic vision, the timeless, enchanted world into which the artistââ¬â¢s imagination alone can enter,â⬠as stated in Robert Gittings and Jo Mantonââ¬â¢s book titled The Story of John Keats (Gittings and Manton, pg. 148). In this poem Keats wants to create a world of pure joy, but the world is of make believed of people living in a moment in time. In an article titled, ââ¬Å"Thought is sacrificed to sensation in the poetry of John Keats,â⬠author Iain Morrison states that ââ¬Å"Existing in a frozen or suspended time, they cannot move or cha... ... to know.â⬠The beauty lies in the urn. ââ¬Å"What the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth,â⬠as stated by Catherine Owens Peare, author of a book titled John Keats a Portrait in Words. ââ¬Å"John Keatsââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Ode on a Grecian Urnâ⬠was both inevitable and incredible. It was inevitable that he should by now have struggled free of the sonnet with its fourteen-line prejudice to create this ten-line stanza and its two pairs of lines and two sets of triple rhymes, inevitable that in developing his own style he should have resolved his philosophic search at this his period of most superb creativityâ⬠(Peare, pg. 174). Douglas Wilsonââ¬â¢s article in Jstor titled ââ¬Å"Reading the Urn: Death in Keatsââ¬â¢s Arcadia,â⬠ââ¬Å"Like Blakeââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Mental Travelerâ⬠and so many other Romantic poems, ââ¬Å"Ode on a Grecian Urnâ⬠invites the reader into a landscape of consciousness. As S.T. Coleridge puts it, the primary function of the poetic work, like the visual language of painting, is ââ¬Å"to instill energy into the mind, which compels the imagination to complete the picture. The odeââ¬â¢s speaker responding to an imaginary urn conjures up, as part of a mental dram, the underside of a vanished culture that created such urnsâ⬠(Wilson 823).
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers
à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à Of Mice and Men à à à à à In the story Of Mice and Men, there are two main characters, names George and Lennie. On their journey, they encounter many different themes, such as the toughness of life and euthanasia. Friendship is also a very important theme, probably the most important, because these two peopleââ¬â¢s friendship grows and crumbles. The last theme is also very important; it is the question of fate. à à à à à Friendship is a very complicated word. What does it mean? Does it mean always protecting someone, looking out for them, or does it mean killing them you so someone else will not torture them? Whatever it means, it happens in this story between the two main characters, George and Lennie. George used Lennie for protection; he also looked out for Lennieââ¬â¢s feelings. But he killed Lennie in his darkest hour, so he would not be tortured after Lennie killed Curlyââ¬â¢s wife. What does it mean? No one really knows the hole meaning. à à à à à Life is hard, plain and simple. Nothing comes easy to anyone, whether it is deciding someoneââ¬â¢s fate or just giving one person who may be different respect. For all the characters in this book, something stands in the way of their life being perfect. Like George has to protect Lennie from being hurt mentally but also wants to fit in with the rest of the people. Or Crooks, who just happened to be, black and crippled and has to sleep in a different bunkhouse than the rest of the farmhands. So life is hard and sometimes there is no way around it, but the best thing you can do is cope with it. à à à à à Euthanasia means a rightful killing. This happens many times in the story, George killing Lennie and Carlson killing Candyââ¬â¢s dog. But is there such thing as euthanasia? George was not happy when he had to kill his best friend, and Candy was not happy to see his dog die. So what does that mean? Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à Of Mice and Men à à à à à In the story Of Mice and Men, there are two main characters, names George and Lennie. On their journey, they encounter many different themes, such as the toughness of life and euthanasia. Friendship is also a very important theme, probably the most important, because these two peopleââ¬â¢s friendship grows and crumbles. The last theme is also very important; it is the question of fate. à à à à à Friendship is a very complicated word. What does it mean? Does it mean always protecting someone, looking out for them, or does it mean killing them you so someone else will not torture them? Whatever it means, it happens in this story between the two main characters, George and Lennie. George used Lennie for protection; he also looked out for Lennieââ¬â¢s feelings. But he killed Lennie in his darkest hour, so he would not be tortured after Lennie killed Curlyââ¬â¢s wife. What does it mean? No one really knows the hole meaning. à à à à à Life is hard, plain and simple. Nothing comes easy to anyone, whether it is deciding someoneââ¬â¢s fate or just giving one person who may be different respect. For all the characters in this book, something stands in the way of their life being perfect. Like George has to protect Lennie from being hurt mentally but also wants to fit in with the rest of the people. Or Crooks, who just happened to be, black and crippled and has to sleep in a different bunkhouse than the rest of the farmhands. So life is hard and sometimes there is no way around it, but the best thing you can do is cope with it. à à à à à Euthanasia means a rightful killing. This happens many times in the story, George killing Lennie and Carlson killing Candyââ¬â¢s dog. But is there such thing as euthanasia? George was not happy when he had to kill his best friend, and Candy was not happy to see his dog die. So what does that mean?
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Open Market Operations
Open Market Operations ââ¬â Macroeconomics ââ¬â Ari Davis Open market operations (in short) are the process of implementing monetary policy. This occurs due to a central bank which controls the short term interest rate and the supply of base money in an economy, and as a result ultimately the total money supply. This involves meeting the demand of base money at the target interest rate by buying and selling government securities. The Fed conducts open market operations when it buys or sells government bonds.When there is an increased demand for base money the Fed takes the necessary action to increase the base supply of money. In order to increase the money supply the Fed instructs its bond traders in New York to buy back bonds from the public in the bond markets. Because the Fed is paying for these bonds there is an increase in the number of dollars in the economy. Some of this new money is held as currency (the owner literally holds onto the money in their ââ¬Ëhandââ¬â ¢). This means that for every dollar the money supply increases by exactly one dollar.Whereas the new money that is deposited into banks increase the money supply by more than a dollar (for every new dollar) because of the money multiplier effect. The money multiplier is the amount of money the banking system generates with each dollar of reserves. Therefore the fractional reserve banking system is the facet that dramatically increases the money supply. On the other hand, if the Fed wishââ¬â¢s to reduce the money supply they will sell government bonds to the public through the bond markets.The public pays for these bonds (which goes to the Feds) and thus money is withdrawn from the economy and the money supply is decreased. People will often withdraw money from banks in order to purchase government bonds. Thus the money that is withdrawn leaves the banks with fewer reserves and thus the banks must reduce the amount of money they lend out. Nowadays most money is in the form of el ectronic records rather than cash. Therefore open market operations are conducted simply by electronically increasing or decreasing (ââ¬Ëcrediting' or ââ¬Ëdebiting') the amount of base oney that the bank has in its reserve account at the central bank. As a result, Open Market operations do not literally require new currency. However, this will increase the central bank's requirement to print currency when the member bank demands banknotes, in exchange for a decrease in its electronic balance. In The USA, the Fed sets an interest rate target for the Fed funds market. When the Fed funds rate is higher than the target, the Reserve Bank will most probably increase the money supply. When the actual Fed funds rate is lower than its target, the central Bank will usually decrease the money supply.Monetary targets such as inflation, interest rates or exchange rates are used to guide this implementation. I believe Open Market Operations are a good system because they are easy to conduct and they help keep the money supply at a manageable level. The Fed has complete control and therefore they are usually conducted in the hands of professionals (who know what is best for the economy). Open market operations are flexible, easily reversed and can be implemented quickly. With the state of trading and the modern markets today, Open Market Operations are a necessity in order to keep the economy strong.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Past Movements in Education and Analysis of Curricuar Reforms Essay
For an individual, it must be treated as a continuous process that should not end when graduation rites in each particular level of schooling are being held. True education is life, it must always be a part of our daily living, whether through formal or informal means. Educational systems in general, and educational curriculum in particular, also need not to be static. The curriculum should respond to the demands of a fast-changing society. To some extent, it should also be global or internationally-aligned. These are the reasons why foreign and local educational educators in the past and until now have been introducing educational reforms and innovations. They have been searching means to address the problems being met in the implementation of a certain curriculums and to ensure the total development of every learner. I. The Past Movements for Social Change in the School System Social change affects education. Centuries ago, pioneers of education have sought to introduce renewal in education. Their ideas were far ahead than the actual renewal that took place later on. Among them were Commenius, Condorcet, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Froebel, Dewey, Drecoly, Montessori and Freinet. 1. Johann Amos Commenius -ââ¬Å"Father of Modern Educationâ⬠Most permanent educational influences: a. practical educational work Comenius was first a teacher and an organizer of schools, not only among his own people, but later in Sweden, and to a slight extent in Holland. In his Didactica Magna (Great Didactic), he outlined a system of schools that is the exact counterpart of the existing American system of kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school, college, and university. Didactica Magna is an educational treatise which aimed to seek and find a method of instruction by which teachers may teach less but learners may learn more, by which the school may be the scene of less noise, aversion, and useless labor, but of more leisure, enjoyment and solid progress; and through which the Christian community may have less darkness, perplexity (confusion) and dissension (disagreement), but on the other hand, more light, orderliness, peace and rest. b. formulating the general theory of education In this respect he is the forerunner of Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Froebel, etc. and is the first to formulate that idea of ââ¬Å"education according to natureâ⬠so influential during the latter part of the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century. c. the subject matter and method of education -exerted through a series of textbooks of an entirely new nature His published works: Janua Linguarum Reserata (The Gateway of Language Unlocked) ââ¬â contained his c onviction (certainty) that one of the prerequisites for effective educational reform was a fundamental change in language of instruction. Orbis Pictus (The World of Sensible Things Pictured) ââ¬â contributed to the development of the principles of audio-visual interaction. It was the first successful applications of illustrations to the work of teaching, but not the first illustrated book for children. Schola Ludus (School as Play) ââ¬â a detailed exposition of the doctrine that all learning should be made interesting, dramatic and stimulating. These texts were all based on the same fundamental ideas: (1) learning foreign languages through the vernacular; (2) obtaining ideas through objects rather than words; (3) starting with objects most familiar to the child to introduce him to both the new language and the more remote world of objects: (4) giving the child a comprehensive knowledge of his environment, physical and social, as well as instruction in religious, moral, and classical subjects; (5) making this acquisition of a compendium of knowledge a pleasure rather than a task; and (6) making instruction universal. He also developed the pansophic scheme, the view that education should take the whole of human knowledge as its universe. For him, truth was indivisible and was to be seen as a whole. Thus by relating each subject to every other subject and to general principles, pansophia was to make the learner capable of wisdom. 2. Marquis De Condorcet Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat took his title Marquis de Condorcet from the town of Condorcet in Dauphine. He advocated that the aims of education were: o cultivate in each generation the physical, intellectual and moral facilities and, thereby contribute to the general and gradual improvement of the human race. He envisioned a national system of public education designed to develop the natural talents of all, making real equality possible. His proposals of the five levels of public instructions areas follows: 1. Elementary- for the teaching of the ââ¬Ëelementsââ¬â¢ of all knowledge (reading, writing, arithmetic, morals, economics and n atural science)and would be compulsory for all four years 2. Secondary school- of three yearsââ¬â¢ duration, teaching grammar, history and geography, one foreign language, the mechanical arts, law and mathematics. The teaching at this and the first level would be non-specialized. 3. Institutes- responsible for ââ¬Ësubstituting reasoning for eloquence and books for speech, and for bringing philosophy and the physical science methodology into the moral sciencesââ¬â¢. The teaching at this level would be more specialized. Pupils would choose their own course of study (at least two courses a year) from among four classes: mathematics and physics, moral and political sciences, science as applied to the arts, and literature and fine arts. 4. Lycee ââ¬â the equivalent of universities, with the same classes as the institutes and ââ¬Ëwhere all the sciences are taught in full. It is there that scholars-teachers receive their further trainingââ¬â¢. Education at this and the first three levels was to be entirely free of charge. 5. National Society of Science and the Arts ââ¬â a research institute responsible for supervising the formal education system as a whole and for appointing teachers. Its role would be one of scientific and pedagogical research. 3. Jean Jacques Rousseau According to the history of education, he was the first great writer to insist that education should be based upon the nature of the child. Rousseauââ¬â¢s Emile is a kind of half treatise, half novel that tells the life story of a fictional man named Emile. In the history of education, the significant contributions of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi are: 1) his educational philosophy and instructional method that encouraged harmonious intellectual, moral, and physical development Pestalozziââ¬â¢s most systematic work, How Gertrude Teaches Her Children (1801) was a critique of conventional schooling and a prescription for educational reform. Rejecting corporal punishment, rote memorization, and bookishness, Pestalozzi envisioned schools that were homelike institutions where teachers actively engaged students in learning by sensory experiences. Such schools were to educate individuals who were well rounded intellectually, morally, and physically. Through engagement in activities, students were to learn useful vocations that complemented their other studies. 2) his methodology of empirical sensory learning, especially through object lessons Pestalozzi designed object lessons in which children, guided by teachers, examined the form (shape), number (quantity and weight) of objects, and named them after direct experience with them. 3) his use of activities, excursions, and nature studies that anticipated Progressive education. He also emphasized the importance of the nature of the child and propounded (advocated) that in the educational process, the child must be thought in relation to the subject matter. He sought to understand the nature of the child and to build his teaching around the natural, progressive and harmonious development of all the powers and capacities. He is an advocate of each manââ¬â¢s right to education and of societyââ¬â¢s duty to implement that right and pave the way to universal national education. His motto ââ¬Å"Learning by head, hand and heartâ⬠is still a key principle in successful 21st-century schools. 5. Friedrich Froebel The German educator, Friedrich Froebel, was one of these pioneers of early childhood educational reform. Froebelââ¬â¢s educational principles: a) free self-activity As an educator, Froebel believed that stimulating voluntary self-activity in the young child was the necessary form of pre-school education (Watson, 1997a). Self-activity is defined as the development of qualities and skills that make it possible to take an invisible idea and make it a reality; self-activity involves formulating a purpose, planning out that purpose, and then acting on that plan until the purpose is realized (Corbett, 1998a). Corbett suggests that one of Froebelââ¬â¢s significant contributions to early childhood education was his theory of introducing play as a means of engaging children in self-activity for the purpose of externalizing their inner natures. ) creativity Froebel designed a series of instructional materials that he called ââ¬Å"gifts and occupationsâ⬠, which demonstrated certain relationships and led children in comparison, testing, and creative exploration activities (Watson, 1997b). A gift was an object provided for a child to play withââ¬âsuch as a sphere, cube, or cylinderââ¬âwhich helped the child to understand and internalize the concepts of shape, dimension, size, and their relationships (Staff, 1998). The occupations were items such as aints and clay which the children could use to make what they wished; through the occupations, children externalized the concepts existing within their creative minds (Staff, 1998). Therefore, through the childââ¬â¢s own self-activity and creative imaginative play, the child would begin to understand both the inner and outer properties of things as he moves through the developmental stages of the educational process. c) social participation A third component of Froebelââ¬â¢s educational plan involved working closely with the family unit. Froebel believed that parents provided the first as well as the most consistent educational influence in a childââ¬â¢s life. Since a childââ¬â¢s first educational experiences occur within the family unit, he is already familiar with the home d) motor expression Motor expression, which refers to learning by doing as opposed to following rote instructions, is a very important aspect of Froebelââ¬â¢s educational principles. Froebel did not believe that the child should be placed into societyââ¬â¢s mold, but should be allowed to shape his own mold and grow at his own pace through the developmental stages of the educational process. 6. John Dewey He contributed the educational philosophy which maintains that education is life, education is growth and education is a continuous reconstruction of human experiences from the beginning to the end of life. He was the spokes person of progressive education which states that aims have significance only for persons, not for processes such as education, and arise only in response to problematic situations in ongoing activities. Aims are to be viewed as anticipated outcomes of transactions, as intrinsic aspects of the process of problem-solving, and as a motivating force behind the individualââ¬â¢s approach to problem-solving situations. The Progressive Education Association, inspired by Deweyââ¬â¢s ideas, later codified his doctrines as follows: a. The conduct of the pupils shall be governed by themselves, according to the social needs of the community. b. Interest shall be the motive for all work. c. Teachers will inspire a desire for knowledge, and will serve as guides in the investigations undertaken, rather than as task-masters. d. Scientific study of each pupilââ¬â¢s development, physical, mental, social and spiritual, is absolutely essential to the intelligent direction of his development. . Greater attention is paid to the childââ¬â¢s physical needs, with greater use of the out-of-doors. f. Cooperation between school and home will fill all needs of the childââ¬â¢s development such as music, dancing, play and other extra-curricular activities. g. All progressive schools will look upon their work as of the laboratory type, giving freely to the sum of educational knowledge the results of their experi ments in child culture. He believed that education has two sides: the psychological and the social on the same plane. Education must start from the psychological nature of the child as the basis for directing his energies into totally useful channels. Schools must be set up to include bond the individual and social goals. The needs of a new society are to be taken into consideration in modifying methods and curriculum. 7. Ovide Decroly He influenced instruction in the kindergarten, the aim of which was to guide the childââ¬â¢s desire for activity and to give him a sense of discipline and norms for his social behavior (same with Dewey) 8. Maria Montessori Maria Montessori left a long lasting mark on education around the world.
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