Struggles of Slavery and the Economy Essay Example for Free

Struggles of Slavery and the Economy Essay The economy was the underlying factor affecting multiple aspects of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel takes place in the 1850’s antebellum era, when slavery was a large portion of the economy – especially in the South. The moral division between the North and South illustrates how the economy differed between those two separate geographical areas. The economy drove the South’s â€Å"need† for slavery which, in turn, also affected family, education, law and government as depicted throughout the novel. The author portrayed this through his characters and specific events. At the beginning of the novel, there was a discussion between Mr. Shelby and Mr. Haley about selling slaves. Mr. Shelby was in debt and needed to sell two of his slaves to get money to support his family and land. To do this, he enlisted the assistance of Mr. Haley, a slave trader. Small farm owners could not afford many slaves, even though they were the most important component to crop production in the south. Mr. Shelby’s small portion of land was genuinely special to him. Without slavery, crop growth would be slowed because the slaves did all the work in the fields and factories. It would adversely affect income for most southern farm and factory owners. Mr. Shelby was so desperate for extra money that he was forced to consider selling his most valuable slave, Tom, to Mr. Haley. He trusted Tom to the point of allowing him to go out alone, knowing he would always return. Unfortunately, the difficult economy forced Mr. Shelby to give up both Tom and a young boy named Harry in order to keep his plantation. During this specific time period, it was not uncommon for slave owners to sell their slaves because of the economic turmoil they endured. As expected, the slave families involved were adversely affected. Eliza, the mother of Harry, overheard Mr. Shelby explaining his decision to sell her son, so she took him and escaped. She could not allow her little boy to be sold off to another family and lose him for good. Eliza did what any mother would do to protect their child. Being on the run during this era was a huge risk, but Eliza had no choice. She and Harry fled to Canada, with Mr. Haley after them. Luckily, she found different families and places to rest and get food for her journey. Thanks to the help of this â€Å"Underground Railroad† and her fellow slaves, Mr. Haley was unable to find Eliza and her son. He finally gave up and sold Tom, who was then taken away in shackles. Fortunately for Eliza, the Quaker families who helped her and Harry were not scared off by the risks involved in helping slaves. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 stated that any person who knew where an escaped slave was must return them to their master in the South. The slaves that were able to escape and make it to the North were continuously hunted by the law. Later, the law was revised to punish anyone aiding and sheltering a slave with prison and fines of one thousand dollars. After this act went into effect, officials were rewarded when they returned runaway slaves and punished if they helped them escape to freedom. Eliza and her son were fortunate to stumble upon Senator Bird’s home to ask for food and shelter. Senator Bird had just signed in favor of the Fugitive Slave Act yet he did not truly believe in it. He gave Eliza ten dollars and brought her to another home, even though he knew he was violating the law. Eliza, after reuniting with her husband George, found another family of Quakers who were more than willing to help her and her family. These families, aware of the law and the financial consequences did what was right to help these people escape to freedom. Tom, however, was initially not as fortunate as Eliza and her family. He was sold off into the slave market with Mr. Haley as his current owner. On a boat headed towards the deep South, Tom met a young white girl named Eva. Tom saved her when she fell overboard. After Tom rescued Eva, her father, Augustine St.  Clare, offered to buy Tom in order to â€Å"make him happy† as requested by his daughter. St. Clare was not a typical Southern slave owner. He was kind and gentle with each of them. He had a different agenda for owning slaves rather than the economic advantage it would give him and his plantation. St. Clare knew that not one single person could end slavery, but he felt he could do everything he could to help protect some slaves like Tom and a girl named Topsy. Topsy was purchased by St. Clare from a slave master who brutally abused her. St.  Clare wanted to give her a better life, including an education like his current slaves had. His alternative views from most of his southern neighbors regarding slavery are obviously displayed when he says, â€Å"I heartily wish that there were not a slave in the land; but, then, I don’t know what is to be done about it! † His wife Marie, a very selfish, unloving person, was an advocate of slavery and that caused altercations within the St. Clare family. This difference within St. Clare’s family member created conflict on how to treat the slaves and resulted in hatred towards one another. Eva and Tom’s friendship grew so strongly that before she died due to illness, she asked her father to promise to set Tom free. Unfortunately, St. Clare, being the caring man he was, died trying to break up a fight before he was able to sign for the slave’s freedom. They were left to Marie. She used this opportunity to obtain money and sold Tom to another slave owner. Marie had different beliefs and morals than the rest of her family. She used the slaves for financial gratification when she was finished ordering them around. Marie’s view on slavery is best represented when she says, â€Å"I’m thankful I’m born where slavery exists; and I believe it’s right, I’m sure I couldn’t get along without it. † Educated slaves had a large impact on the economy of the South. For example, George, who was a mulatoo, invented a machine while working as a slave at a factory. This machine sped up the process of cleaning hemp, which impressed the factory’s owner. This invention greatly increased productivity in the south, because they were able to sell hemp much quicker increasing profit. Having educated slaves was extremely rare during this era, but when they were, it was usually because their owners taught them. â€Å"Mulatoo† is a term used to describe a slave whose one parent was white (most likely the father) and the other was African American (most likely the mother). This is just another example of how slavery impacted African American families. Slave Masters did not like to educate their slaves because they believed the slaves would then become more likely to want to improve their lowly status. African Americans in the 1850’s were bought for cheap labor on the farms, factory work, and typical house duties. The slave masters feared that if they were successful, like when George invented his machine, they would feel superior towards the other slaves and even their white masters. They would probably no longer be satisfied being a slave; this would lead to unrest. Owners did not want the slaves to be educated because they could then learn about freedom, which may entice them to escape. Yet, if slaves were given a basic education, they could have used that knowledge to increase the productivity of the Slave Master’s farms and businesses and improved the economy. On the contrary, the North had a different form of income. Instead of armland, they were industrialized with factories that any race could work in. The abolitionists in the north were against slavery and did not believe in having servants like the south did. Some Northerners, however, were not as opposed to slavery. Many northern people turned their heads and allowed slavery to continue because without it, crop production would be slowed and be more expensive. The north relied on purchasing crops from the south so their economy would also have been negatively impacted. Throughout this novel, it is obvious that the economy was the underlying factor affecting multiple aspects of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. These aspects varied from the pressures of selling slaves in order to get out of debt to whether or not African Americans were educated. Also, the economy affected families, especially the slaves but also the Quakers who helped the runaways. Harriet Beecher Stowe did a fine job illustrating these points throughout Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She was able to humanize the slaves which helps create sympathy for them. While her main objective was to convince others of the horrors of slavery, she was smart enough to use the economy as a motivating factor to achieve her goal.

Study of Initial Public Offerings in Saudi Arabia

Study of Initial Public Offerings in Saudi Arabia This research focuses and does a relative comparison of initial public offerings (IPOs), their motivation and pricing within Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom (UK). It looks at their respective trading bourses or stock exchange markets and the process companies go through in order get publicly listed on these trading bourses and in an attempt to raise capital from the public. The paper also addresses the economic dimension of IPOs within the respective countries, and its impact on the companies that do decide to issue and go through an initial public offering (IPO). The overall approach used to accomplish the research involves a comparative study of initial public offering (IPO) processes, the motivation of going public for companies in both Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, and the pricing structures for the initial public offering (IPO). Needed information or data involves a look at both countries regulatory bodies, in this case the capital markets authority (CMA), from which much needed information on trading processes is be inferred from, as well as looked at. The use of questionnaires to top management of selected firms is used to give an insight into the motivations for private firms desiring to do an initial public offering (IPO). It becomes clear at the end of the study that the motivation for going public remains primarily the same across both countries, the only difference being within their regulatory bodies and requirements for doing so. Background of the Study During the last two decades, initial public offerings (IPOs) have seen a dynamic expansion in markets around the world. A literature search indicated that substantial research has been done on this topic and it has attracted policy makers attention. In addition, the IPO market has proved to involve potential uncertainty and risk due to the large amount of money invested (Ritter, 2002). Initial public offerings of stocks are the foremost important channel of new capital flow to young companies (Gregoriou, 2006). It is also defined by (Draho, 2004) as An IPO is the first time that the shares in a company are sold to public investors and subsequently traded on the stock market. Going public process is a stage when a company sells shares traded equity for the first time. For a private firm to enter the IPO, it needs an established business plan to indicate to stakeholders of the goals in which the firm will be working towards. Moreover, IPOs is a way to increase liquidity of the company that need for growth through the sale of companys owners shares to investors who believe that the company has a successful future. Going public process is preceded by the most vital process which is valuation and the principle behind this process is to justify the price of the shares which are offered to the public. Evaluation process is essential for the company to consider its value in comparison with other firms in the stock market. Moreover, it tells the company the highest price should be offered, and it will inform the buyer that the lowest price should be pay. The company should have a skilled team management, qualified accountants and underwriters to satisfy the requirements of going public and to identify the future aims and strategy after going public. (Stanley, 2005). Thereafter, other stage should take place known as Due Diligence in order to ensure that there is no opportunity for uncertain information. This stage includes advertisements which taken out in newspapers must present the entire company prospectus. The going-public process will also include a group of banks and brokers, as mentioned, to establish a price per share and the proposal must be admitted to the official list by the listing authority in the issuing country. After this is accomplished, an underwriting period allows shareholders to sell their shares to the public at the issue price; this period varies from company to company depending on company goals. It is obvious that this procedure requires time and money however; it is worth if considering long term benefits (Geddes, 2003). With regard to motivations, this study will cover the most common to give a better understanding of the advantages. Several factors are considered by decision makers to encourage companies to go public, including the chance to increase shareholders wealth by expanding operations, to enhance the companies reputation and prestige, create better organization by attraction of employees. Going public promotes a firms acquisition value and boosts customer confidence. In addition, an IPO is an easy way to finance a firm and to diversify its operations (Benton, 2005).Rousseau and Wachtel (2002) argued that the stock market provides a developed mechanism to improve the economy and raise growth rate due to liquidity exist to investors which can be used in new projects. However, financial factors are still the most important considerations in going public (Madura, 1998). IPOs are attractive and occur more regularly when other investment opportunities are not as attractive as these offerings, but as with any decision, going public has disadvantages as well as advantages. If a companys shares are traded on the stock market, it will lead to a change in ownership structure as well as a loss of control by principals; therefore, the decision making will be shared(Albarak,2005) Regarding an IPO in Saudi Arabia, transformation of enterprises companies in the kingdom to the join -stock ones is not a new experience, but the number of joint- stock companies was very little.In 1984, a decision was decree to start trading shares through local banks. In the same year, it was formation of a ministerial committee to oversee the market. Saudi Monetary Agency took over control and supervision of the market operations in 1985. 1990 it was the year of introducing the first electronic system for trading shares in Saudi Arabia. In 2001, was launched (Tadawel) trading system, add modern techniques and characteristics to keep pace with developments in the world. Financial market environment has been developed; rules and the issuance of new regulations were established. As a result of these developments Capital Market Authority was established in 2003 according to the latest standards and foundations. The combination of stock market and oil prices, has given a strong boost t o the Saudi market. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter tends to expound on the comparison between the initial public offering (IPO) process, pricing, and the IPO implication to firms in Saudi Arabia and in the United Kingdom (UK). Several researches have been undertaken throughout the world, discussing IPO processes and its impacts on economies and businesses. Most of these previous researches have been pursued by considering a specific country; have but lacked effective comparisons with other economies. In this study, the extra mile is achieved by selecting two entirely different economies, in terms of IPO processes and financial regulations. Discussion on early researches have been made along with the effective exploration and comparison of the existing IPO process, its implications and pricing issuesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ considering Saudi Arabian and UK economy. Initial public offerings of stocks are the foremost important channel of new capital flow to young companies (Gregoriou, 2006). It is also defined by (Draho, 2004) as the first time that the shares in a company are sold to public investors and subsequently traded on the stock market. The going public process is a stage in which a company sells shares to the general public and traded as equity on a trading bourse for the first time. For a private firm to enter the IPO, it needs an established business plan to indicate to stakeholders of the goals in which the firm will be working towards. Moreover, IPOs are a way to increase liquidity of the company that need for growth through the sale of companys owners shares to investors who believe that the company has a successful future. 2.2 Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) When a private company undertakes to go public via divestment of its private equity or stock, it is said to be getting into an initial public offering (IPO). The two main reasons most firms go public include acquisition of additional capital to finance growth or the raising of finances to pay off debt. Since initial public offerings (IPOs) denote the public trading of a firms shares, it has long been documented by various literatures that many first-day trading is usually abnormal. Huge price gains are the norm in IPOs between the offer price and the closing price by the end of trading on day one. This difference in the gain in prices is rarely justifiable since the main aim of IPOs is to raise money for the company, yet as seen, money is left on the table in most instances that the company could have gained from. Academic scholars and financial experts continue to research and look into this anomaly that has continued to baffle the industry (Ritter Welch, 2002). 2.2.1 The IPO Process in Many Countries For many countries globally, the steps of going public are pretty much the same. The regulatory body in each country is usually the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), whose main role becomes a security agent in the prevention of fraud and in the protection of investor interest. Most IPOs begin with the selection of the investment bank(s) who serve as the companys underwriters. As an underwriter, the bank purchases shares from the company and sells them to the general public on behalf of the company. Due to the legal complexity IPOs can impose, attorneys are used to aid through the entire setup process. In certain instances, some firms opt to sell their shares directly to the public, but this is seldom the case. Registration statements are then prepared and submitted to the SEC. The statement contains reports of the companys fiscal health as well as the business plan during and after the IPO. Since the SEC is the regulatory body, it scans these statements and carries out its due diligence on the bank to ensure that it is in compliance with all rules and regulations needed to carry out an IPO. After finalizing with registration statements and while still waiting for SEC approval, a company needs to prepare what is known as a preliminary red herring prospectus. This is prepared with aid from the firms underwriters. The prospectus details the companys financial records, plans for the future, as well as specifications of what the price for the floated shares will be. This prospectus is primarily used by potential investors seeking more detailed information on a firm prior to buying shares and has a legal warning preceding the IPO as it awaits SEC approval. Completion of the prospectus gives way to a roadshow in which both underwriters and company officials visit various trading hubs within the country and promote the IPO. In other countries, this information is given to the public via gazette notices, broadcast announcements and distribution of prospectuses. The aim of this is to give potential investors as much information as possible regarding the company and attain feedback in relation to what potential investors feel about the whole process. Once the SEC has gone through the prospectus and given information and is satisfied all regulations and requirements have been heeded, it gives a nod for the proceeding of the IPO. Amendments are made by the company if the SEC still needs corrections to be made prior to their approval. In countries which have more than one stock exchange, the company must choose the exchange where its intended floated shares are to be sold and listed against. Arguably the most complex of all decisions in an IPO process is the decision on the price the floated shares will be sold at and how many of the same should be issued to the public. This is done with consultation with the companys underwriters. The underwriters buy huge stakes of the companys shares for sale to the market. Huge investors are also at times given the privilege to buy the same shares a day prior to listing the shares on the stock market. In countries like the US where the general public gets to buy shares in the secondary market and in which the company does not really gain from the sale at this point, the IPO process concludes for the company after underwriters and huge investors have bought the companys shares. In other countries, the general public is permitted to acquire shares from the primary market directly through stock brokers who deal directly for the company. 2.2.2 Initial Public Offering (IPO) Pricing and key Influencers/Players Traditionally, the IPO pricing was done by agreeing upon and fixing an issue price based on the capital they were trying to raise. This price was agreed upon by the company and the merchant banker. The general public was simply left with the obligation of looking at the price offered and deciding whether or not they would fill in an application form at the given price and subscribe to the issue. Researchers worldwide have arguably revealed that this method is the single largest reason for IPO under pricing (Stanley, 2005). Many IPOs are known to under price the value of a companys shares by as much as fifty percent. Said and done, neither the company nor the investment banker really ever knows the real price of the companys shares. Ironically, the answer to how much a share should be sold for falls at the discretion of the buyers since they are the ones who predetermine at the open of trading how much they are willing to pay for a share of stock. This is what can be described as the hallmark of a healthy IPO market (Shah, 1999). While this is not a realistically possible way to determine what price to sell the stock at, the underwriter looks at elements such as the value of the firm and compare it with that of similar firms, how much capital is needed from the IPO, conducts preliminary research to find out how receptive the market may be, and finally, sets upon the final decision on the price that should be floated to the general public for sale. Easy at it sounds, setting the IPO price is a very delicate and sensitive procedure that takes the effort of many stakeholders and combined calculations from accountants (Draho, 2004). Undeniably, the most important player during the IPO process is the underwriter. The underwriter in many instances is also the investment banker and his primary importance becomes that he has the appropriate distribution channels and contacts necessary for the companys shares. The underwriter also assists in determining the price of the IPO and creating enthusiasm for its listing (Geddes, 2003). The other key players include those involved in the IPO process like the SEC who are in charge of ensuring correct practices are adhered to, and last but not least the private equity company itself. The latter is extremely vital in the process as they have all insider information of the newly-to-be-listed company and any action from them can trigger a response within the trading bourse at the stock exchange. 2.3 Initial Public Offering (IPO) Process in Saudi Arabia In comparison with other developed stock exchange markets, the Saudi Stock Market (SSM) is much newer and classified as an emerging market within the Middle East and North African region. According to Al-Barrak (2005, p.32), there is no explicit list of documented IPO cases in Saudi Arabia and of all the listed companies on the SSM, just ten IPO cases occurred in Saudi Arabia from 1988 until 2004. In Saudi Arabia, companies, by law adopt the book-building process to go public. CMA handles all the application process and takes the decision on whether a company can go public or not. Eighty-five investment companies in Saudi Arabia took part in the book building process in 2009. According to the CMA, fraudulent activities can be handled beforehand, and this process ensures transparency, fairness, and equality in the system (Capital Market Authority (CMA), 2009, p 29). Oil revenues have provided great liquidity in the process of introducing new IPOs in Saudi Arabia. Investment banking in Saudi Arabia was still in its infancy until 2004, and very few firms had gone through an IPO (Al-Barrak, 2005). 2.3.1 Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Evaluation of IPOs The CMA binds firms and makes those requesting to have an IPO or seeking permission to get involved in other investment activities adhere and meet all legal, operational and financial regulations. In the process, companies are required to convince the CMA that the financial activity the company intends to get into or start is proper. Firms are also supposed to provide the evidence of all required financial and managerial expertise for any said financial undertaking (Ritter, 2002). 2.3.2 Future Developments Improvements are underway in the IPO and financial regulation process. Many private and family-owned businesses are thinking of going public due to the provision of an exit route through IPO. Regulations regarding any take-over by a company have also been laid out in an attempt to avoid hostile takeovers, and in ensuring fairness and transparency in the process. Other encouraging steps taken by the CMA have been in the defining and writing down of the listing rules, information and disclosures investors can get. These regulations, though not a quantum leap toward an ideal financial market, certainly boosted investors morale. Investors showed confidence, and Saudi Telecom experienced over 900,000 subscribers. Al-Hilad performance was amazing as the bank raised SR9 million of excess capital in 2005  [i]  . 2.4 Initial Public Offering (IPO) Process in the United Kingdom (UK) Within the United Kingdom (UK), there has been only one IPO between 1980 and 2003. The reason for this slow pace was deepened in the poor regulatory frameworks, and dual processes for having a conversion from a Limited Liability Company to publicly listing one. A strong regulatory framework could act as an incentive to the merger or listing, but such benefits have not been found within the UK in the IPO process (Ritter Welch, 2002). 2.4.1 Due Diligence To make sure that the company going public meets all necessary requirements, it is required by UK law that the companys accountants and legal advisors provide a comprehensive written report after reviewing the company from a complete legal, financial, and commercial perspective. In some cases like real estate where valuation matters a lot, the concerned investment banks are also required to submit a detailed due diligence report about valuation (Draho, 2004). 2.4.2 Pre-Initial Public Offering (IPO) Research Prior to starting any IPO promotion activity, the investment banks research analyst is responsible to make a research note on the company. This research note is issued two days prior to the IPO launch. Pre IPO law helps to educate and protect investors by providing the impartial review of the companys valuation. The research analyst provides the financial projections with their own perspective about company; which illustrated an element of impartiality in the entire process. This research also becomes a marketing tool and automatically sets market expectations regarding the company. The research note is written in light of the available companys data (Rousseau Wachtel, 2000). 2.4.3. Investor Presentation of IPO After completing all the pre-IPO requirements, presentations are used by management to promote the companys IPO. This process continues until three weeks prior of the listing. The sales team of the involved investment bank provides all the information needed by investors, and follows up the potential buyers. As investors have the option of submitting orders with their prices, the receiving or investment bank gets an idea about average price of a share that investors are willing and able to pay. While choosing the investors, companies prefer institutional investors due to long-term commitment they show. This is contrary to hedge funds which can affect a share price for short-term gains (Draho, 2004). 2.4.4 Disclosure Document The preparation of the companys prospectus is highly important for an advisor, as it can be used as a marketing tool to attract investors and for meeting the disclosure requirements of AMI and the prospectus rules for the listing companies. 2.4.5 Underwriting Agreement Within the underwriting agreement, two types of negotiations are involved: The first is between a company, its shareholders, and its respective legal advisors. The second is between an investment bank and its legal advisors. Involvement of a private equity investor is highly desired in the process (Benton, 2005). 2.4.6 Post Initial Public Offering (IPO) Requirement After a company registered as a listed company, both the investors and the board must follow the UK law, and operate the companys affairs within the stipulated UK regulatory regime. Adherence according to the financial services and market act of 2000 stipulates that insider trading laws, disclosure, and transparency rules must be ensured, as well.

Marks and Spencer: Human Resource Management

Marks and Spencer: Human Resource Management In 1998 it became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over  £1  billion, though a few years later it plunged into a crisis which lasted for several years. In November 2009, it was announced that Marc Bolland, formerly of Morrisons, will take over as chief executive from Stuart Rose in early 2010; Rose will continue as chairman until mid-2011. MSs Present situation of Recruitment, selection and training: As MS persist to grow the business and invest for the future, it is more essential than ever to keep amplification the team of employees at every level, from the shop-floor through to management. To attract and retain the best talent in the industry, HRM has to exhibit each day that MS is a good employer, dedicated to creating all the people feel respected and providing them with career opportunities and quality training. Recruitment and retention: The company employs around 71,000 people in the UK, 75,000 worldwide. MS has one of the lowest employee turnover rates in UK retail, at 27% for customer assistants and 12% for management. Around 40% of the people have been with it for over 5 years and 22% for more than ten years. MS can offer graduates a fast track into management and last year HRM received a record 8,500 applications in just over two months. Each year the company employ between 150 and 200 graduates and business placement programmed undergraduates for positions in retail, food technology, design, HR, buying, IT and other specialist roles. MS won four major graduate recruitment awards, including the 2008 Times Graduate Employer of Choice for retail. Training and development: The company needs to train people comprehensively to do their jobs, but also want to keep their skills and experience by giving them real opportunities to plan and build a career with Marks Spencer. MS has defined career paths in place for many of its people, including Customer Assistants and store management. During the year it introduced new career paths for store Section Managers and HR and marketing teams. Everyone joining in the stores completes a thorough induction and up to 26 weeks ongoing training the longest on the high street. MS has over 7,500 people in stores who act as coaches to train and support their less experienced colleagues. This year the company has also run specialist training for people moving into senior management roles or taking up international assignments. Additionally, more than 4,000 people completed Buying Academy and Food Academy courses. MS now testing similar types of academies for womenswear and merchandisers. MSs Ethics and Code is communicated across the company and senior management is asked to confirm acceptance annually with breaches reported to the Audit Committee. The recruitment and selection process of human resource in the company go through in two parts, Store and Head Office. Store Retail Sales MS has two schemes available in the stores: Selling and HR. Selling is where most of the graduates join, and offers the chance to be fast-tracked into senior level retail management. HR is where personnel train to be an HR manager, gaining experience into everything from managing recruitment to carrying out disciplinary procedures. Figure 4 Store Roles Store management Managing HR in store Store stock management Head office In a head office role, the personnel get the opportunity to develop professional skills and capabilities, and then use that acquaintance to influence strategies and confine growth across the rest of the business. MS provides opportunities in  IT, design, merchandising, garment, buying and food technology and product development. Figure 5 Designing Store development Accounts and finance Head office Roles Procurement Product development Information technology UK and International marketing Information technology Human resource management Recruitment and Selection Procedure of MS Job centre Recruitment Agencies Recruitment Sources Advertisements On-line application Schools, colleges, universities Friends and relatives of existing employees Executive search agencies Interviews Work-based tests Selection Procedures Bio-data analysis Psychological analysis References Analytical ability test Training and development process: MS wants its people to enjoy their work and feel they have all the skills they need to do their job to the best of their ability. Therefore, the company offers in-depth training and performance coaching, and regularly assess the peoples development needs to ensure everyone has the support to achieve their potential. For once in my life I can truly say that I enjoy going to work every day and I really like the buzz you feel all around the store. Brian MS Staff It does not a matter in which area of the business someone joins, he/she will receive an induction that will help to settle into the team, giving a feel for what role will involve and leave to feel passionate, inspired and excited about the career with Marks Spencer. The following provides the nature of training one can expect in MSs stores and at head office, and how the company looks at developing future leaders of the business. Marks Spencer offers the majority of the training for store teams is on-the-job. It helps them learn in  real life situations. The section managers also receive specific training on stock management, driving sales and motivating their teams, while the store managers are regularly assessed to address any senior level development needs they may have. Finally, the retail business transforms fast and making sure each of the employees has a flexible and diverse range of skills is as significant to the future of MSs business as it is to the people who work in it. That is true whether an employee joins the company for a short period of time or to pursue a long-term career. The training MS offer is designed to help individuals build up their talents and capabilities, develop their experience and fulfill their career ambitions. MS aim is to ensure that the employees have the skills they need to deliver the kind of service that customers expect from MS. Evaluation of the Human Relations School of management in relation to Motivation of staff: In 1920 an experiment conducted by the Hawthorne plant of Western Electric (in Cicero, IL) known as the Hawthorne Experiments from which the human relations management evolved. This human relations management approach includes different models, ways and ideas. Through this experiment an important observation was noted. As the employees were divided in to two groups for the purpose of experiment groups got varied attention from the management. And it was found that the group which got majority of attention got highly motivated and seemed their work as significant one and turn out to be more productive. Because of this particular work people understood that workers also need special attention as they were treated as some force which will do the job otherwise would be terminated at that era. And this observation helped to introduce a new horizon in the outlook of managers and help come into view human relations management. This school of management is now there for quite a long time and withstands the test of time. This view is sometimes regarded as theory of motivation and the treat people working in the organization quite differently than other theories such as autocratic. Among different theories McGregors X and Y Theories presume workers can act in both ways that is some workers may be unmotivated and reluctant about the work imposed on them (Theory-X) and some may seem motivated and treat the work as trust vested upon them (Theory-Y). So management needs to be pretty much careful in handling workers. Management should design its different program by keeping human relations management. In this modern world workers are not only used like machines to make the job done rather they will have to nourish which will in turn provide nourishment to the organization. To motivate employees to the work this approach recommends some steps that management can follow: To treat employees as if work is as common as doing daily activities in normal mode. The target of the employees work is aimed share those objectives to make the work more acquainted with the employees. Make sure employees can take major decision on their own and can prove their own potential. Provide proper training and increase work load as they become more capable. Appreciate and motivate employees on doing successful projects and set standards which are achievable. This approach tells us that employees are not motivated only by monetary benefit but also by different fringe benefits such as appreciation, sense of togetherness etc. Program of Motivational Factors for a Small to Medium Sized Business:. Motivational program is set to achieve the following objectives: To Perform jobs as efficiently and timely as possible and Be ready to take latest challenges as they are presented to them and stood confident to cope with those challenges. So to design a program for a small to medium business the following factors or observations need to be addressed: Ability and motivation: The program designed must be able to locate the areas which will motivate employees and the purpose of the program will be to motivate employees. The program should include something that increases employees eagerness to do the job willingly. Reinforce employees positively and train them as it becomes necessary. Always maintain and ensure fairness, respect, and honesty in treating employees. It is one of essentials of the program. Identify, understand and talk to employees about their miseries, provide assistance if needed. Job rotation, job redesign, restructuring or reorganizing job descriptions when necessary will make the employees more capable of doing different jobs and will reduce dependency on some key employees. Based on the performance establish reward system which may range from providing monetary to non monetary benefits. After the inclusion of all these factors or observations there will be a turnaround in the way of doing things in a small or medium sized business. Classical and Scientific School of Management: To manage work and train the workers to reduce dissatisfaction of the workers Classical management theory evolved during the Industrial Revolution. It mainly find the best way to perform the job assigned. There are two branches of Classical School of Management: classical scientific and classical administrative. Classical scientific school: The  classical scientific branch  deals with the process of work and the skills of the workers and to increase productivity. Taylor, Henry Gantt, and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were the main contributors of this school. Taylor believed that organizations should study tasks and develop precise procedures. Henry Gantt is the creator of the Gantt chart, a bar graph that measures planned and completed work along each stage of production. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth,  studied job motions. Frank was an apprentice bricklayer, he was interested in standardization and method study. He studied about the workers slowness and inefficiency. The scientific management was developed to divide work between employees, methods of doing jobs, the teamwork building and training and developing workers. Classical administrative school: The classical administrative School deals on the total organization such as the development of managerial principles rather than work methods. Max Weber, Henri Fayol, Mary Parker Follett, and Chester I. Barnard were the main contributors.   Max Weber  believed that the organization should be run by structured rules and it should not be run as family-like basis. He didnt think that authority should be based on a persons personality. He thought authority should be something that was part of a persons job and passed from individual to individual as one person left and another took over. This nonpersonal, objective form of organization was called a  bureaucracy. All bureaucracies have the characteristics as Division of work, A good hierarchy and Rule and regulations, competence and the relationships between managers and employees. Henri Fayols 14 principles of management gives clear idea how a manager manage his department and staff. The 14 principles are: Division of work, Authority and responsibility, Discipline, Unity of command, Unity of direction, Subordination of individual interest to general interest, Remuneration of personnel, Centralization, Scalar chain, Order, Equity, Stability of tenure of personnel, Initiative, Esprit de corps. Mary Parker Follett   encouraged managers to share their power with the employees. She began to talk about such things as ethics, power, and leadership. She stressed the importance of people rather than techniques a concept very much before her time. As a result, she was a pioneer and often not taken seriously by management scholars of her time. But times change, and innovative ideas from the past suddenly take on new meanings. Much of what managers do today is based on the fundamentals that Follett established more than 80 years ago. Relevance of Maslows Theory in Todays Workforce: The dynamic world of business needs to motivate employees which contradict the past dictatorship by the top management. Through this process of development different perspectives arise and made their mark in motivating employees. Maslows hierarchy of needs alternatively known as the theory Z is one such remarkable innovation that never lost its eminent prospect in motivating employees and still followed all around the world. The Maslows hierarchy calls for the meet up of employees physiological needs on the first hand. In todays world firms focus on issues such as food, housing etc which falls in the physiological category to motivate employees. In USA Toyota has a village for its employees that provide housing facilities for its employees. The second parameter is safety. Employees need job security, health support for them and for their families so if this can be ensured employees will surely be motivated. The example of Toyota village can be mentioned once again here. People are by nature hungry for love and as human beings employees also need love and affection. So the insurance of appreciation, sense of belongingness will motivate them and theory Z is very much appropriate in identifying it. In self esteem case employees act as confident contenders in performing a job. They will want achieve something for them and to obtain respect from others. Maslow rightly identified this need as low and mid level managers always try to be achievers. And they want top management to believe in them to take some decisions for which they will be responsible. Employees at certain time become more creative in what they usually do. In this process of self actualization employees will need to be handled carefully as they can take the business to a whole new level. So Maslows theory is very much in line with the todays workforce. Evaluation of the autocratic and democratic ways of implementing changes within the organization: Every company always tries to manage the changes by using democratic or participatory managerial style. Change management is a personal journey along with the organization changes. So each stakeholders views, complaints and concerns needed to be heard and this input needs to be incorporated into the change management process. If the organizational changes are imposed on the individuals without showing much respect towards the individual employees the firm should at the same time be prepared for a lot resistance. Change management is difficult as there are negative reaction from the employees. The managers should be very much intelligent and competent to change and they must manage employees that they will not be affected badly. People should be given information be open and honest about the facts, but dont give overoptimistic speculation. The information should be given everyone in the organization. People should be given time, to express their views, and support their decision making, providing coaching, counseling or information as appropriate. Where the change involves a loss, identifies what will or might replace that loss loss is easier to cope with if there is something to replace it. This will help assuage potential fears. Where it is possible to do so, give individuals opportunity to express their concerns and provide reassurances also to help assuage potential fears. Linkage between management style and motivational programs: Generally with the democratic style of management, employees are highly motivated and inverse is the case with the autocratic style of leadership. But this simple statement needs better modification. While answering this question I will try to focus on the different motivational practice backed by the motivational theory and its linkage with the management style. According to the Maslows hierarchy of need theory people at a specific point of time has a specific level of need. After the fulfillment of that need a second stage need occurs. Employee who currently has safety and psychological needs will not care about the style of management for getting motivated. But in case of employees, who have love, esteem or self- actualization needs cares about the motivational level at the workforce and they will be much motivated with the scientific style of management. According to Douglas McGregor of MIT Sloan School of Management Employees can be narrowly divided into two generic classes- one set of people who are innovative and love to work as to them working is equivalent to play. For motivating them he proposed democratic leadership, flatten hierarchy and team work (components of modem management technique). According to McGregor, another set of employee do not work hard since they find no real interest in the job and like to follow the command instead of thinking creatively. For motivating those types of employees he proposed autocratic leadership, strong chain of command (components of classical management technique). Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, has segregated different factors at the workplace that affect the productivity motivators and hygiene factors. If there are no motivators like challenging work, responsibility, good management although he doesnt leave the job but still he is not motivated. Firms which are more concerned about the efficiency not retention should incorporate scientific management to motivate the people. Should Higher Education be free to students? Should Higher Education be free to students? Introduction By the end of this essay I will be explain how the system work I will be talking about how education can effect people i will also carry out a research on the background history of how the higher education system and its funding in UK over past years and I will analyse some off the point which I have researched over the internet and analysed .I will show the advantages and disadvantages if higher education should be free Higher Education University is an important right of passage an opportunity to establish independence, to study on areas of interest and hopefully to do so in, stimulating environment meeting new people, and considering new ideas and .I think it is important that everyone should attend this stage Higher education is provided for free in by most off the countries, or maybe at a a considerate price , but not in the UK, The UK has presumably more money at the institutions disposal. However, it also means that higher education may be not that unaffordable to many people at a lower circumstances. Scholarships and loans As we how that there is scholarships and loans available now but scholarships are obviously not going to be available to everyone and the loans are the loan is a big debt after graduating so as you can see the student dont have a chance in either however to soclize the higher education in the U.K we will need a big overhaul system that will handled with care. The Government has said half of young people are getting into higher education is failing. Far from rising by around 4 per cent a year. maybe this is why higher education is not free the government cant afford to invest money on student education and student are failing . Well we should consider education to be an investment. Statistics suggest that, on average, these with a higher education earn higher incomes. THE Background When the New Labour took power in 1997, students had means-tested maintenance grants and no fees. After a year they took off the grant was gone and a means-tested fee regime of up to  £1,000 a year after 2004 the higher education pushed it up to  £3,000 and this will increase very academic year. As you see that huge increase from 1997 to 2009 the normal fees was 1,000 than was increased to  £3250 The means testing will allow poor people and people with low income to go university .Those how are from low income families should still be able to attend university however the middle classes benefits the most from university education At the moment there has been a very high drop out rate from university and the reason is because students have to drop out because they cant afford the fee Funding Must universities in Britain are state financed, with only one private university à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“University of Buckinghamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  where the government does not support the tuition fees. Undergraduate and posgradute Undergraduate students and the students from EU countries have to pay university fees up to a maximum of  £3,225 09/10. Loans are available to students depending on there income assist. This may only be used for tuition fee costs. However in Scotland it different they have their fees paid by the students awards agency for Scotland rather than student Finance.. However postgraduate students are responsible for all there fees but however postgraduate have a variety of scholarship and assistantship schemes they might chooses from that may provide support e.g Economic and social research council and many more .The main sources of funding for postgraduate students are through research councils Advantages of making Higher Education Free Here are some off the advantages points * Higher Education leads to situations this is when students graduating end up having extremely high debt on them this was lead to the student loan . Also if higher education was free student will take extra courses which is more effectively * It will decrease the students from drop out ,and push up the passing rate This will than boost the economy with the amount off student graduating from there universities with a degree * There will be equal opportunity to everyone to attend higher education this means the poor people and the low-income families will have the right to apply .As you can see that the middle class people are using this opportunity using the money and leaving the poor and low incomes missing the opportunity Disadvantages of making Higher Education Free * There will be less jobs available for everyone the reason because the people who didnt attend university was a high number and by making the higher education free it will increases the graduates and will than decreases the amount of jobs available * The disadvantage about free higher education is that the government will be paying it but however the stistics shows that half off the higher education student fail there course every year this will than show an down decrease in the economic structure Supply and demand The Supply and demand is an economic of price in a market. It explains that in a market, price will function to equal the quantity demanded by consumers, and the quantity supplied by producers, resulting in economic equilibrium of price and quantity. The demand schedule, shows a graphically as the demand curves , represents the amount of goods that buyers who wants to purchase at different prices. The price of goods remain the same however Following the law demand the demand curve is almost always represented as downward line this means that if the price decreases the consumers will buy more of the good. This means that if higher education was to be free the demand on the education will increase .The reason because the people who didnt mange to go for reasons like the fees for the courses they will have an opportunity to apply however there will be a very high demand as because the students use to pay for it now it free. As you can see on the graph Excess Supply If the price is set too high, excess supply will be created within the economy and there will be allocative inefficiency. , but those consuming the goods will find the product less attractive andpurchase less because the price is too high This is how it looks like when higher education is not free ,the fees are too high and student will not be able to attend just how it shown on the graph Shifts A shift in a demand or supply curve occurs when a goods quantity demanded or supplied changes even though price remains the same. For example if the fees for the university was FREE and the quantity of off student applying shows the demanded However this shows that if higher education was free there will be an increase in demand Conclusion In conclusion I have identified how higher education should be free to students managed to find out what the student thought about free education I also showed what the advantages was for the free education and the disadvantages I managed to get some ideas however I also used the supply and demand and excess supply I managed to compare them and analysed them .I researched the background of the higher education and got some important information which I also analysed . http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26storycode=403698c=2 http://ingrimayne.com/econ/Introduction/ScarcityNChoice.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/mar/04/highereducation.tuitionfees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_in_the_United_Kingdom http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2337183.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_in_the_United_Kingdom http://www.economicshelp.org/2007/10/why-top-up-fees-are-good-idea.html

Essay --

What is a fable? A fable is a short story in which characters within the book are played by animals. All fables carry a moral of some kind. Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell, is a fable in the sense that it incorporates characteristics of a fable, such as giving animals, human qualities and the inclusion of several morals is accounted for as well. Although Animal Farm’s morals are not merely stated, it bears a significant deal regarding the concept of the story. The main morals are all tied together by some form of power. Power is the driving force behind the animal society, once abused, an indication of collapse will be evident. Through the pigs’ abuse of language to strengthen their dominance on the farm, Orwell conveys the power of manipulation in language. For example, Squealer takes the sheep away to teach them a new chant, â€Å"Four legs good two legs better†. The continuous incantation planted in the animal’s mind signified the start of a change. In many ways, they are governed by the pigs more than before, their ideas suggested and their minds are molded. The distortion of the meaning of language ultimately brainwashed them into forming ideas that compliment what the pigs want them to think. Another incident of the pig’s manipulation occurs after the rumor about the pigs taking the apples and milk for themselves. Squealer claimed that the pigs were doing so for the sake of the animals, he also stated that â€Å"milk and apples†¦ contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig† and â€Å"Jones would come back!† if they â€Å"failed in [their] duty† (42). This form of propaganda/ threat works in the favor of the pigs because the majority would rather comply and accept the current conditions than have Jones back. The pig... ...al gains. They were never honest with their words or actions until they settle into the temptation of power completely. And once they do, corruption will be seen a lot more often. Power is the force that upholds the structure of Animal Farm and when leaders indulge themselves in excessive power, the structure will be ruined, allowing these leaders with absolute force. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and a cautionary tale warning readers of the pitfalls of revolution. Although, it doesn’t only concern the Russians, it applies to any form of totalitarian government because of the universal structure of power. It all works the same way, power is obtained, greed for power encourages manipulation and intimidation and a totalitarian is formed. In that sense, any hopes of creating a utopian society based on the equality of all animals is eradicated.

Roller Coaster Physics Essays -- physics roller coasters amusement the

The very first â€Å"roller coasters† were created in Russia in the 1600’s, and were nothing like the typical roller coaster that comes to mind today. People rode down steep ice slides on large sleds made from either wood or ice that were slowed with sand at the end of the ride. These sleds required skill to navigate down the slides, and accidents were frequent. A Frenchman tried to cash in on the popularity of the Russian ice slides by building one in France, but the warm climate quickly ended his attempts with ice. A waxed wooden slide proved to be much more feasible, along with wooden wheeled sleds. Just as with the ice slides, the necessity of navigation skills caused many accidents, so tracks were produced to keep the sleds in line. In the 1850’s, the first shot at a vertical loop was made in France. This â€Å"Centrifuge Railway† offered a rail car that would travel through the loop with nothing keeping it there aside from its own centripetal acceleration. Government officials quickly shut the operation down after one accident. The beginning of American roller coasters was near the end of the 19th century when railway companies set up amusement parks at the end of their lines to increase business on the weekends. In 1884 the first real roller coaster in America was introduced: a gravity driven switchback train. Passengers would climb a set of stairs to board the car, which was then pushed from the station to travel down a hill and over a few bumps. At the bottom, the passengers got out and climbed another set of stairs while workers hoisted the car to the top of the second station. The passengers got back into the car and rode to the first station on a second track. Another attempt at a vertical lo... ...changing their direction of movement from down to up. G-forces that are felt when changing direction horizontally are called lateral G’s. Lateral G’s can be converted into normal G-forces by banking turns. Roller coasters today employ clothoid loops rather than the circular loops of earlier roller coasters. This is because circular loops require greater entry speeds to complete the loop. The greater entry speeds subject passengers to greater centripetal acceleration through the lower half of the loop, therefore greater G’s. If the radius is reduced at the top of the loop, the centripetal acceleration is increased sufficiently to keep the passengers and the train from slowing too much as they move through the loop. A large radius is kept through the bottom half of the loop, thereby reducing the centripetal acceleration and the G’s acting on the passengers.

Diversity of individuals with dementia and the importance of inclusion Essay

1.1- explain what is meant by the terms †¢ diversity The Service Users i deliver care to are all different in many ways.This can be along the dimensions of gender, age, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical abilities, political beliefs, religious beliefs or other ideologies. This means that i have to be aware of a person’s individuality and respect their choices. To be understanding and not show prejudice. Valuing the benefits of someone being different from ourselves, not making assumptions. †¢ anti-discriminatory practice Anti discriminatory practice is the measure that is taken to prevent any type of discrimination that is based on race, disability, gender and class where it also takes into account how people behave towards others in society. Service users should not be treated any differently because of the way they live their lives, they should be treated equally. Promoting procedures and systems to make sure that discrimination does not happen. Making sure individuals aren’t excluded. †¢ anti-oppressive practice see more:describe how agreed ways of working relate to the rights of an individual with dementia Anti-oppressive practise is challenging all forms of discrimination e.g. racism, ageism. Challenging inequality and speaking out when someones behaviour is unacceptable. Encouraging service users to report incidents. Being assertive. Using person centred approach. Valuing individuals. Anti-oppressive practice is an attempt within social work to acknowledge oppression in societies, economies, cultures, and groups, and to remove or negate the influence of that oppression. (http://uk.ask.com/wiki/Anti-oppressive_practice?lang=en) 1.2- explain why it is important to recognise and respect an individual’s heritage It is important to recognise and respect an individual’s heritage as their heritage is their past life history , it can tell us a lot about the individual, especially if their lacking in communication skills and  cannot tell us themselves. If we know more about the history of a person with dementia, we can learn their likes and dislikes. We get to know what makes them happy or what makes them sad and then we can deliver the best care possible. It shows that we respect the individuals culture, language, religion which enables the service user to be themselves. It would help the service user to feel valued, and prevent isolation and withdrawal from other people. It would benefit us to build a rappour with the service user, enabling them to form relationships with others 1.3- describe why an individual with dementia may be subjected to discrimination and oppression People with dementia face discrimination for a number of reasons. Because most people with dementia are over the age of 65, they can also face issues of age discrimination. People with dementia are also more at risk of discrimination as they do not have the capacity to make their own decisions on a day to day basis so other people with a lack of understanding towards people living with dementia may make poor decisions for them, and think that because they don’t have capacity that they don’t matter as much. If approached by somebody who doesnt understand the illness, they are more likely to avoid that person with dementia as they dont know how to approach the situation, this could lead to social isolation. May be because they have displayed challenging behaviour and they do not conform to the norms of behaviour,they then may not be included in activities. 1.4- describe how discrimination and oppressive practice can be challenged To challenge discrimination i think we need to be educated about dementia, how it affects the person and there families and how to care for the person in a way that meets there needs.We are all individuals and everyone has their own unique character and personality, which are developed through the different life experiences, cultures and beliefs we follow. It is also through other factors such as social class, age, ethnicity, culture, background and gender. It is important and essential to treat different people as individuals and to try and meet their needs rather than stereotyping people. E.g. all old people are the same. Treating everyone the same is failing to respect diversity. We all want to be treated with dignity and it is a very important part of an individual’s life. Working in the health and social care profession it is important to help people maintain  their dignity so they can keep their sense of self-respect and self-worth. All health and social care professionals should be sensitive and aware of the needs of people and service users. Just because a person has dementia, they still need to be given a choice and not assume that they cannot make a choice. Not everybody is the same, there are different levels of dementia, so getting to know the service user is vital to challenge discrimination. We also need to make sure that the service user or their families are aware of the complaints procedure. Having policies and procedures are put in place and that staff are up to date on their training. Understand that each individual’s experience of dementia is unique 2.1- explain why it is important to identify an individual’s specific and unique needs It is important to identify individual’s specific and unique needs so that they can receive the best care possible. Taking a person centred approach is vital, treating a service user as an individual person and acknowledge that they have different needs to the next person. For example i have a Service User DR who has a grade 3 bedsore. DR is bed bound, it has been identified that DR needs to be turned regularly so that his bedsore can heal affectively, he requires 5 calls a day to make this possible. This is so important to his health. If this hadn’t been identified than DR’s bedsore could get worse, he could be in a lot of pain and discomfort. 2.2- compare the experience of dementia for an individual who has acquired it as an older person with the experience of an individual who has acquired it as a younger person Dementia is more common in people over the age of 65, therefore there are more services provided, such as day care, i recently worked a couple of days in a day centre, all the service users were over 65, we played bingo, dominoes and listened to old war time songs, they got involved and really enjoyed the time they spent there. All these activities are centred around the service users being older. If a younger person under the age of 65 with dementia was to attend this day centre, they may not be able to relate or enjoy these activities as much. I don’t think there are as many serviced available to the young living with dementia. Most of my service users are over 65. I did have one service user AK that was only 46. She was very independent and could still manage day to day living; she often went out and was very active. She conversated very well and was aware of her illness which is a rarity. But there was no other service available for her,  no where that she could meet other young people with dementia. She didn’t have much family, she had a sister who also had dementia, and young nieces and nephews, so they were unable to provide any care or support. This differs from someone older with dementia, if they have children they are normally older, have more time if they have retired, less financial commitments ie. Mortgage paid off. So they have a bigger support network. They also may have have less financial ties if they are older. If a younger person is diagnosed with dementia, they may still have a mortgage to pay for this would be very stressful if the individual had to give up work, they don’t have a pension, or a regular income that they can rely on to pay for care. 2.3- describe how the experience of an individual’s dementia may impact on carers Many carers report personal satisfaction from their caring role. However unpaid caring can have a considerable impact on a carer’s health and wellbeing. Depression, emotional and physical exhaustion and general poor health are common. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers (2011) found that: Two thirds of older carers have long term health problems or a disability themselves One third of older carers reported having cancelled treatment or an operation they needed due to their caring responsibilities Half of all older carers reported that their physical health had got worse in the last year More than 4 out of 10 older carers said that their mental health had deteriorated over the last year. Caring can be an emotionally draining experience. Carers have to come to terms with irreversible and upsetting changes in their relationships, such as a child now caring for a parent. Caring can also be very lonely. Many carers report being cut off from their former social circles which brings feelings of isolation and depression. Two thirds of all people wi th dementia live in their own homes. Unpaid carers provide most of their support. One study found that half of all people with dementia in the community received at least 35 hours of informal care per week (Murray et al, 1999). Many carers of people with dementia are older people themselves, with physical frailty and health conditions of their own. Changes in memory, thinking and feeling mean a person with dementia finds it increasingly difficult to cope with everyday life. Carers are needed to provide emotional support, reassurance and help with a range of tasks, such as bathing and dressing. Sleep disturbances are common in dementia and mean that caring is a 24 hour job  for many carers. Carers of people with dementia may also take on many of the tasks the person with dementia used to do, such as paying the bills or cooking meals. Because dementia is a progressive condition, carers find they are required to provide increasingly intensive support as time progresses. Research shows that carers of people with dementia experience greater strain and distress than carers of other older people (Moise, Schwarzinger and Um 2004). 52% of carers for people with dementia are not getting sufficient support to enable them to carry out their caring role.

How Small Coffee Shops Can Succeed Using Social Media Essay

Everyone has a local coffee shop that they consider to be their favourite. That one place where they know they’ll be welcomed with open arms and the people behind the counter know their name (or at least their face). The place that even if their coffee costs almost double as much as Tim Hortons (Starbucks); that this is the place they’ll always recommend to their friends. A few years ago, it was nearly impossible for a local coffee shop to compete with the deep pocket coffee shops. Today, even the smallest cafe with the a very little marketing budget can compete. All they need – is a story worth telling and of course, a coffee worth brewing. If they have those, the clients will keep coming back – the main concern is usually getting them there in the first place. Here are some ways that social media can be used to help local coffee shops compete with the big players. Two Tweets and One Sugar As I write this post, twitter has become one of the biggest buzzwords of the year. However, the buzz isn’t unwarranted. Twitter is one of the largest social networking channels in North American consisting more than 15Million accounts. And while its still in its infancy; it provides businesses an unparalleled opportunity to communicate with consumers and current customers in real-time. So what does this mean for coffee shops? It means that they can communicate more effectively than ever with consumers. If that means setting up a search that tracks their brand and sending a simple thank you or going as far as taking a pre-order, so be it. Twitter gives these brands a chance to create a personal connection with their consumers and make their brand worth talking about. By being active in the twitter community an opportunity exists for coffee shops to offer their space for events such as tweet ups. Hosting these live events at your venue not only gaurantee that you’ll be selling your products, but also guarantees some buzz (tweets) about your brand. On top of that, some of these new customers were probably never in your shop in their life; however, because you got involved in twitter and hosted this event you were able to attract new customers to experience your shop. What more can you ask for? I’m glad you asked. How about 1 Blog Latte While blogging can be an important part of a social media strategy, its not worth having if you don’t have a strategy behind it. If your main goal is to develop an online community; it might be in your best interest to blog about different beans or maybe do a Wine Library TV segment – Coffee Style. However, if your strategy is focused around getting more butts in your cafes seats, it might be in your best interest to discuss offers on the blog. As great as a blog can be for an organization it can also be their downfall. A company that views their blog as being a great way to only talk about their brand and how great they are will never find readers. Well maybe they’ll have their spouse and employees; but customers won’t be interested. If you can provide your readers with something of value they will return. I often tell people looking to start a blog to try and offer the three E’s of Social Media. Entertainment, Education or Engagement An Extra Large Facebook Facebook has become the grand-daddy of them all when it comes to social networks. It has recently gone from being a questionable place to have your brand, to a necessity for many companies in the food industry. With its most recent changes to the facebook pages; it has become obvious that brand experience on facebook is back. Brands are now able to create facebook pages with more customization than ever and truly deepen their relationship with their customers. The frazzle-dazzle applications aren’t the only way for a local coffee shop to set itself a part from other stores. It can also use Facebook to promote other content that they have created. This means they can post links to their blog, videos, pictures and even coupons; reaching an audience that may not be present on the other social networking channels. With that said, we can’t forget the meat and potatoes that Facebook was built upon. The ability to get your message out to a number of people is one of the key reasons why businesses have found such success on facebook. Those tweetups we discussed earlier can easily be cross-promoted using a Facebook event. The opportunities available on facebook are great – its up to you, to turn them into something remarkable. Whose your Manager Mayor?! Foursquare is the new kid on the block in the social media world. It will be the most talked about social networking platform for the rest of this year and will definitely be playing a big part in several social media plans. James Hoffman explains on his blog why, You have people competitively visiting you, talking about you. More than that there is a pretty sensible business model in there too, meaning that foursquare could well be around in a few years. Coffee shops seemed pretty quick to embrace twitter, and it will be interesting to see if that experience has soured social media for them, or if they’ll embrace foursquare too. Something tells me that they’ll embrace foursquare like a seat-belt embraces impact. Mayorship – TechCrunch One of my favourite tactics that coffee shops can use in Foursquare is promoting the idea of becoming mayor. The basics behind this tactic is that you tell the consumers that if they become the mayor of your shop they get their beverages for free. Seeing that there is an incentive now for going to the shop more and more – You’ve ultimately created a competition that will keep the people swarming your shop. The whole idea of providing customers with rewards for loyalty has been going on for years. This race to be the mayor however, takes customer loyalty, flips it upside down and turns it into a competition. Lets not get our Mochas in a Bunch With all that said, you must always remember your companies core strategy and goals. These channels discussed above may take a similar route as hi5 or geocities in a few years time. For that reason, it is important to not put all your eggs into one basket. Facebook is already talking about their new function that will be the â€Å"Foursquare Killer.† (Keep your eyes open) Finally, remember that the value you provide your customer in the store will always out weight the value you can provide them with a social networking tool. While its important to do things to get your customers in the door – its just as important to make sure they’ll want to come back.