The strategy of The Body Shop

â€Å"Business people have got to be the instigators of change. They have the money and the power to make a difference. A company that makes a profit from society has a responsibility to return something to that society.† 1 (Roddick, 1991) This statement, by Anita Roddick OBE, founder of ‘The Body Shop', demonstrates the strong ethical dimension of the company's way of doing business. She opened her first shop in Brighton on March 26th 1976 selling 25 varieties of 100-percent natural skin and hair care products inspired by cultural knowledge from around the world. The company has expanded dramatically since its origins and now has over 1900 stores worldwide. Despite its rapid growth, the strong beliefs and values existent in 1976 remain deeply embedded within the organisational culture. Throughout this writing I will discuss these beliefs and values in the context of corporate strategy and decision-making, and demonstrate how it relates to theoretical frameworks within the corporate strategy field. I will analyse The Body Shop's strategies using these theoretical models, and compare and contrast the models themselves. The strategy of The Body Shop in comparison to other businesses within the cosmetics and toiletries industry was unconventional. Their rapid growth, achieved mainly through franchising, was primarily due to the ‘green' nature of the organisation, prioritising ethical practice over making profits. â€Å"Ever since she started The Body Shop in 1976, Roddick had made a habit of going against the tide of the industry's established business practices.† 2 (Mintzberg, Quinn, Ghoshal, 1991: 447) This quotation reinforces the notion of The Body Shop's alternative approach to strategy. Unlike other companies within the industry, they didn't make miraculous claims for their products; they allowed labels with detailed lists of the ingredients and properties of products to tell customers about each good. This links in with the fact that a major component of The Body Shop's strategy was that they never engaged in any advertising. Throughout history and in contemporary advertising, organisations within the health and beauty sector have constantly bombarded the public with claims and promises associated with their products through the use of adverts and promotions. â€Å"The cosmetics industry makes its money through packaging and advertising, which together are 85 per cent of its costs.† 3 (Mintzberg, Quinn, Ghoshal, 1991: 453) This is a cost that The Body Shop's strategy enabled them to avoid. The business was started with just a $6000 bank loan, and so it wasn't possible to engage in expensive advertising campaigns, moreover, it was against the values of the organisation, who preferred to rely on word-of-mouth and publicity to secure sales. It is said that the initial success of the first store was a lot to do with the curiosity and publicity acquired through a local newspaper article illustrating the fact that it was called â€Å"The Body Shop† and was located close to a funeral parlour. Their strategy exploits the fact that they are a socially responsible organisation, meaning that customers buy their products knowing that nothing has been artificially manufactured and are produced with 100 percent natural ingredients. This unique selling point, together with their prominent beliefs and values, has the affect of providing The Body Shop with a competitive advantage over other firms in the industry. This will be developed in more depth later in the writing. The Body Shop's strong social message is reflected in every aspect of their mission statement. From dedicating the business to the pursuit of social and environmental change, to meaningfully contributing to local, national and international communities in which they trade.4 â€Å"The company is significantly involved in local communities and is prepared to get political and talk about big issues in countries where it does business. No company in the world campaigns at the level we do, or turns their shops into action stations, or challenges the role of business like we do.† 5 (Roddick, 2002) Throughout history The Body Shop has rapidly expanded geographically as well as in terms of their sales and product portfolio, however, in the late 1990s their performance began to suffer. As a result, February 2000 saw fundamental changes to the organisation and management, including substantial changes to the board of directors, and the outsourcing of manufacturing to a company named ‘Creative Outsourcing Solutions International Limited'. Anita and Gordon Roddick became non-executive directors and there were five new appointments to the board, including a new CEO. Despite these changes The Body Shop's performance failed to be rejuvenated, which forced them into more drastic changes. â€Å"In the most recent annual report, Peter Saunders (CEO) commented that the group's objective now was to apply a strategy to drive performance across the global business†¦The single most important priority, he added, was to improve comparable sales performance across stores through effective new product launches.† 6 (‘Mintel', 2003: 137) These new objectives seem to have the effect of diluting the self-proclaimed visions and primary concerns of The Body Shop. It could be said that the current management have somewhat contradicted Anita Roddick's earlier philosophies. â€Å"Too many businesses have gotten distracted with management structures and†¦making money.† 7 (Roddick, 1991) One of the main underlying reasons why they have encountered their current problems is because many companies within the health and beauty industry have noted the success of The Body Shop and are responding to the ever-increasing ‘green consumer' themselves through the release of their own versions of ‘all-natural' products. Examples being ‘Està ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e Lauder Origins', ‘Revlon New Age Naturals', and ‘Clairol Herbal Essences'. Competition erodes profit, and, as a result of the increase in competition, The Body Shop have lost their competitive advantage of being able to supply what others cannot. The strategies of The Body Shop can be analysed using several theoretical models from within the strategy discipline. Situation analysis can be used to determine what advantages BS have, or have had, over their competitors, and can illustrate how The Body Shop was so successful for many years. This theory, termed by Mintzberg as the ‘Design School', was based upon work by Professor Kenneth Andrews and addresses, amongst others, the view that: â€Å"Strategy is concerned with identifying opportunities in the enterprise's external environment which it is better qualified to exploit than its competitors.† 8 (Lilley, 2003) The current situation of The Body Shop was analysed by Mintel and appears in their February 2003 publication on health and beauty retailing in the UK. STRENGTHS * Strong worldwide coverage helps to spread corporate risk. * Well known and well respected global brand. * Franchising has enabled the company to grow at lower cost and lower risk. * Still has strong ethical and environmental credentials. WEAKNESSES * Mature business, with declining like-for-like sales. * Appears to lack the inspiration to re-invent itself. * Vulnerable to imitators. * Franchising reduces level of corporate control. * Rapidly rising rental costs in the UK. * Limited growth opportunities in terms of new geographical regions. OPPORTUNITIES * Still potential to enter new markets in Europe especially Central/Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. * Implementation of strategy to control costs and working capital in order to improve profitability and cash generation. * Development of more pharmacy concessions in Ireland and possibly other markets. * Further development of e-commerce and other non-store channels. THREATS * Strong competition from other innovative and environmentally friendly health and beauty retailers. * Great competition from discounters and grocers' health and beauty offer. * Recent new product launches have yet to produce a positive impact on sales densities. * Continued lack of like-for-like sales growth threatens profitability and the group's scope to expand physically. ‘Figure 1': SWOT Analysis of The Body Shop International Plc. 9 (Mintel, 2003: 144) The above analysis was compiled after The Body Shop's decline in performance – it is clear that all the threats from the external environment are modern occurrences that wouldn't have been an issue during their period of rapid growth in the 1980s. Throughout this time they effectively maintained a portfolio of differentiated products and, perhaps more prominently, a unique and differentiated brand image, which enabled The Body Shop to compete and be successful. â€Å"Product differentiation means that established firms have brand identification and customer loyalties, which stem from product differences, or simply being first into the industry.† 10 (Porter, 1980: 9) The environmentally friendly and ethical practices that The Body Shop claim they dedicate their business to could be described as their core competence within the industry. Even to this date Anita Roddick and the organisation actively campaign in issues such as animal testing, human rights, and protecting our planet. No other business within the health and beauty industry is as heavily associated with ethical and environmental practices as The Body Shop. The core competence of an organisation characterises its whole range, take for example, Sony's ability to miniaturise electronics or Aston Martin's competence in producing flawless motorcars. It is clear to see that The Body Shop's core competence is not only reflected throughout their product range, but is evident throughout all their business activities, from their minimal use of product packaging, to the layout of stores. â€Å"Core competencies and market-led strategy are nowadays the only pathways toward success.† 11 (Sophocleous, 2003) The strategy that The Body Shop employed can be analysed with another useful framework in the field of strategy, namely â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces that Determine Industry Profitability† by Michael E. Porter. This cannot be applied directly to The Body Shop, but can be used to analyse the external environment in which they operated in the past, and how it changed in the late 90s. ‘Figure 2†²: Forces driving industry competition. 12 (Porter, 1980: 4) The main principle behind this model is that the profitability of an organisation is determined by the collective strength of the five forces; in other words, the industry structure directly affects industry profitability. The Body Shop initially operated within a niche market where there were no real competitors offering the same products nor backing the same principles that they were. The threat of substitutes was minimal because if customers wanted all-natural products they would almost certainly have had to buy them from The Body Shop. In relation to the threat of new entrants, initially there was nothing stopping rival firms from competing within the all-natural cosmetics and toiletries sector, however, no other companies actively engaged in the ethical and environmental practices to the extent that The Body Shop did. The barriers to market entry increased in relation to the amount of stores opened by The Body Shop, and during their period of rapid growth, their power within the niche market could have been regarded almost as monopolistic. However, customers who preferred to buy all-natural products but didn't regard it as being entirely necessary could easily have turned to other companies' products within the wider industry, that didn't exercise such dominant views on ethical and environmental issues. The low threat of ‘all-natural' substitution that existed in the earlier stages of The Body Shop, coupled with the fact that the arrival of new entrants was particularly low, provided them with the opportunity to control the prices they charged for their products. The argument becomes more complex when trying to categorise The Body Shop into a particular market. They could be regarded as operating completely within their own sector, but can also be viewed as just another cosmetics company with the advantage of having a differentiated product range and image. â€Å"Differentiation, if achieved, is a viable strategy for earning above-average returns in an industry because it creates a defensible position for coping with the five competitive forces.† 13 (Porter, 1980: 38) To justify this quotation in relation to The Body Shop we must consider them to be in the wider cosmetics industry, which has a high level of competitors. Their differentiation led to customers' increased loyalty in The Body Shop brand, which resulted in a lower sensitivity in price. This had the effect of protecting the company from competition and rivalry. However, as time progressed, other companies intentionally sought to compete directly in the field of environmentally friendly products. The Body Shop was able to gain an advantage over competitors by not utilising traditional distribution channels – for many years they only sold their products through their own shops. This reduced the threat of new direct competition from other companies, as the level of investment required by a new entrant would be extortionate considering they would have to open an abundance of specialist shops. However, to overcome these problems the new competitors emerged using traditional distribution channels, such as through supermarkets and department stores. â€Å"The strength of the five forces varies from industry to industry, and can change as an industry evolves.† 14 (Porter, 1985: 4) The above statement from Porter's work in 1985 is related to the case of the cosmetics and toiletries industry in that the emergence of greater competition in the 90s meant that the strength of the competitive rivalry aspect of the five forces within the industry increased. In addition, customers now have the ability to simply pick and choose alternative brands' all-natural products in confidence – an increase in the threat of substitution. Through the use of Porter's five forces model we can see that the changes in the strength of the forces within the cosmetics and toiletries market have accounted for the recent decline in performance of The Body Shop. In the early days of the company, the threat of like-for-like substitutes and the associated power of customers were relatively low in comparison to the modern day situation. Competitors have increasingly matched the core competences of The Body Shop, and, as a result, the significant competitive advantage that they once had has been reduced. â€Å"Competition in an industry goes well beyond the established players. Customers, suppliers, substitutes, and all potential entrants are all ‘competitors' to firms in an industry.† 15 (Porter, 1980: 6) This quotation by Porter reveals that the five forces model has limitations with regard to The Body Shop case. The Body Shop do not regard their suppliers as competitors; in fact they want to actually financially support their suppliers. This is evident from their mission statement in their aim of balancing the financial and human needs of their suppliers. These more esoteric aspects of The Body Shop's strategy, termed by Anita Roddick as them doing ‘business as unusual', highlights another main drawback of the five forces model, in that it is geared around profit being the primary concern of an organisation and doesn't provide any flexibility or scope for change. The Body Shop's early successes can be partly attributed to the strong customer base they secured due to the general movement in society towards being more environmentally and ethically aware. The framework doesn't deal effectively with this idea of customer preference or changes in trends, nor does it cope with the notion that customers were gained through the fact that they appreciated, and could relate to, the values and beliefs of The Body Shop and their efforts to pursue social and environmental change, and not just because of factors relating to price. On the other hand, the SWOT analysis model is useful for clearly displaying the advantages of an organisation in relation to the market within which it operates, together with the negative aspects of the internal organisation and external environment. As with all theories, however, there are a number of limitations associated with it. All of a business's strengths do not necessarily directly contribute towards providing a competitive advantage, SWOT analysis also has the tendency to take a single dimension of a firm's strategy over-emphasise it. It is difficult to prove which strengths are likely to provide the most benefit to an organisation, and also determine which opportunity should be given more attention to shape the overall strategy of the business in question. The findings of SWOT analysis are greatly shaped by the opinions and perceptions of managers or analysts, meaning that they can be regarded as subjective in nature as opposed to the, perhaps initial appearance of being objective and rationally constructed. â€Å"What we are dealing with here is not the organisation or environment ‘in itself', rather we are attempting to extract and combine the perceptions of these entities that exist in the minds of managers.† 16 (Lilley, 2003) In conclusion, after analysing the strategy of The Body Shop using frameworks from the strategy discipline, it is apparent that SWOT analysis deals well with the unique aspects of The Body Shop's strategy. Although the analysis of The Body Shop's situation is greatly dependent upon personal judgement, their strengths shown in figure 1 give an accurate account of the 25-year success story, which was primarily based upon The Body Shop's core competence in displaying continuous proactive dedication towards ethical and environmentally friendly practices, together with their prime high street and inner-city shop locations, and famous and respected global brand. The reasons for their decline in performance during the late 90s are clearly displayed in the ‘threats' category of the analysis, prominently highlighting the emergence of increased competition from other companies operating within the health and beauty industry, who are reaching consumers through traditional distribution channels and via supermarkets. Michael Porter's model of the five competitive forces is valuable in that it offers a simple, structured analysis of the industry, but is limited in the sense that it's unable to satisfactorily consider the dynamics of markets, for example, the movement of consumer preferences towards environmentally friendly products. It can provide a helpful starting point for further analysis, but simplified versions alone can prove inadequate. It provides an account of how conventional, profit-maximising firms are affected by the structure and occurrences of the external environment, and how those firms can work towards shaping and exploiting the environment to their advantages, but fails to comprehensively account for the successes of unorthodox firms like The Body Shop, who do not, at least in their own claims, follow the usual route of or towards profit maximisation.

Purpose of the Education System Essay

The question posed is â€Å"What should the education system be?† This question cannot be answered specifically because the education system means something different to everyone. The education system is, to an extent, what it should be, which is an institution devoted to the development of the intellect. American education should however, be more than rote instruction of mandated materials. Our children should be taught more life skills along with science and math. Children sit in rows, facing straight, not talking. They select and use educational materials in unison, and watch the teacher write on the board. The droning sound of the teacher’s voice attempts to fill their minds with knowledge. It sounds militaristic because it is. Students remember more of what they are taught if the material is presented in a less formal, more enjoyable atmosphere. School administrators and state agencies set forth guidelines from which teachers must not deviate. The problem is, these administrators are removed from the classroom and tend to forget that children have changing needs. Today’s teachers learn more progressive teaching methods such as portfolio assessment vs. testing, and sitting in groups instead of rows. There are few administrators willing to incorporate these changes into their schools. Education management needs to allow teachers the flexibility to teach their students using whatever methods actually work. There is no reason why children should not look forward to school. For the most part, our education system is devoted to teaching students. There is great concern that students should be prepared to move on to higher stages of education. Tests are given periodically to gauge students’ progress. There is much discussion how improving education and better preparing students for the world. Students do learn, and many excel, but school is still viewed as drudgery by most students. If our education system is to prepare children for the world educators need to look more closely at curriculum. Art, philosophy, history, math, English  and science are all important subjects. They teach us about the world around us and how things work. The social setting of the educational facilities also compels students to learn about society and what is acceptable behavior. However, are we properly preparing our students for the world? Are we teaching life skills like personal finance and relationship dynamics? Can we lower the rate of divorce or the number of poverty-stricken retirees by educating students in these areas? Our education system needs to incorporate fundamental life skills into the curriculum. The focus on education should not stop at the goal to create an intelligent adult. The education system must also attempt to create a responsible citizen, an asset to the community. The American education system is not entirely broken. There are many positive things happening. Progressive teaching methods are being employed and the student is being recognized as more of an individual. America cannot stop here. We need to ask ourselves if the moral fabric of our country can be improved through education. The education system plays a larger role in our lives than any other one thing. The system needs to use this influence to improve society as a whole and people as individuals.

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Machiavelli in practice - Essay Example The success of the quote will be looked at as well. â€Å"A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways.† This quote means that some rulers are stubborn. They feel that their way has worked for years. Their way is right. However as the world changes the ruler is disposed due to his unwillingness to change. Whether a country changes politically, economically, territorially, or otherwise a ruler must be able to rule the changed country. If the ruler does not change to meet the new challenges, the ruler will be overthrown. An example from history about a man never changing is Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler came to rule Germany during an economic crisis. His policy of a greater Germanic race had an underlying policy of war. Hitler wanted to rule Europe as a pure Aryan race with the Slavic peoples as slaves or dead. When the war begin going against Hitler, he refused to change his policies. Hitler could have surrendered, but he did not want to. His vision of conquering Europe blinded him. If he would have changed, Hitler might not have eventually been defeated. Saddam Hussein is another example of a man unwilling to change. Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist. Iraqis that opposed him were put to death or tortured. Hussein invaded Kuwait. Hussein’s goal was to rule Iraq with an iron fist. After the first Gulf War, Hussein was placed under a monitoring system through NATO. He defied the order over and over. Nothing happened for turning away NATO inspectors or continuing down the path he was on. However, after 9/11 the threat of a nuclear Iraq was intolerable to the United States. It was not true, but even the appearance of the threat was unbearable. Hussein did not change with the times. He kept baiting the United States. As a result America invaded Iraq. Hussein was eventually

Saving Private Ryan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saving Private Ryan - Essay Example Spielberg shows this through many close-ups on his eyes, within which the audience sees the emotions and turmoil that exist despite his slow physical progress. Soon the film moves to a landing craft approaching the beaches on SD-Day. This is different from traditional war films in a number of ways. First, all the soldiers look terrified. Second, the very physical effects of this fear and the rough seas - a soldier vomiting - is shown. The soldiers around him do not even seem to notice the soldier vomiting because they are so caught up within their own thoughts and fears. Once the landing craft gets to the beach and opens up, German machine guns essentially eviscerate three soldiers before they even have a chance to move. Again, this is the point of view of the soldier. The audience sees the bloody pieces of the soldiers spattered all over the landing craft and their comrades. The scene continues with the point of view of a soldier struggling to make it up on to the beaches, and shows one of them drowning because he is wearing too much equipment. All of this shows the terror of war, and the easy, almost casual manner with which it takes life. As the scene continues the main character, played by Tom Hanks, essentially withdraws into his own world.

Implementing Food Safety Programs Using the Kurt Lewin Forces Theory Research Paper

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Physical Chemistry Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

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Borrowed Theories guiding practice - Coursework Example This theory is employed in nursing to review and assess individual’s intentions to adopt a health conduct such as the identification and choosing of a contraceptive. In this case, the theory of planned behavior and reasoned action is used in nursing to promote health and prevent a disease. This theory has been used in health promotion model and extensively employed to evaluate exercise conducts of patients, alcohol use and the use of contraceptives (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The determinants of these behaviors are the apparent behavioral control and a plan to execute a behavior. Contingent on each of the conducts, the behavioral control and the relative significance of the plan differ. The plans to carry out an action are determined by the attitudes of the individual towards the behavior (McEwen & Wills, 2014). This theory offers a definition of the components of attitudes towards the behavior. For instance, the attitude of the individual engrosses the beliefs that the person holds towards the behavior and the positive and negative effects linked to engaging in the conduct. For instance, in the behavior of using condoms, an individual’s intention to use a condom may be determined by the social pressures to use it and the prevention of

Teen oriented dating reality shows are undermining the values of our Essay

Teen oriented dating reality shows are undermining the values of our youth - Essay Example Scholars and experts have engaged in thought-provoking debate on the impacts of the reality television programming on the society, with majority perceiving it have negative influence especially on the youth. With emphasis on teen-oriented dating reality shows, this paper seeks to differ with the assumption that these reality shows undermine the values of the youth in society (Bilandzic and Rossler 296). For the purpose of this paper, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette dating reality shows will be the primary example throughout the paper. Contrary to these assumptions, the paper reiterates that dating reality shows actually demonstrate a number of beneficial values to individuals, especially the youth. According to some portion of scholars, claiming that a television show has negative or positive influence over reality is to forgo the x factor. This has nothing to do with the show. The main contributing factor to such perception is what the viewer takes from an experience, similar to the interpretation of the Christian Bible. The presentations may largely vary, but the results will be the same: people will hear what their conscience wants to hear, and proceed to apply those experiences in their lives in ways that benefits them personally. However, this does not make the particular thing good or bad. If our judgment no everything based on their effects on people, then most of what we consider sacred and moral would be bad since religious fervor is the cause of many battles in the past. Just like people, the media can have both positive and negative impacts on the society at the same time. Indeed, the presentation may have some bias on one direction or the other, but the most import ant determinant is the individual doing the viewing (Reiss and Wiltz 364). It is thus important to look and evaluate the types of people watching a particular program before pointing fingers in any directions. In

Energy Drinks and There Effects Essay Example for Free

Energy Drinks and There Effects Essay Have you ever wondered what the side effects were after drinking an energy drink? People buy these types of drinks all the time and they are very popular with the younger groups. They give you a boost of energy but they can also make you sick. There are many different brands of energy drinks on the market the most popular are Red Bull and Monster. People are now mixing these with alcohol which has a serious side effect. There are several ingredients in energy drinks: caffeine, taurine, b vitamins, inositol, ginseng, glucuronolactone, artificial sweeteners, ginkgo biloba, and l-carnitine. The caffeine in these drinks can cause dizziness, jitters, nausea, irritability and nervousness. You can also have an allergic reaction like: a rash, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the mouth, face, lips or tongue. To many b vitamins like vitamin (B3) can cause flushing of the skin. Ginkgo biloba can cause nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations and the l-carnitine can cause headache, diarrhea, sleep difficulty. Why do people buy these drinks? Because they give you an energy boost when you need it. These types of drinks are more popular with the teens and college kids they drink these to give them a boost when they are studying or partying to help them stay awake but when the effects of the drink wears off they feel more tired than they already were. These drinks contain more caffeine then a regular soda a normal soda has 25-40 milligrams of caffeine and the energy drink has 280 milligrams of caffeine. This much caffeine can affect your heart rate and blood pressure. Having this much caffeine in your body can make you heart rate become accelerated. These sorts of drinks can also cause dehydration which is not good on your body. Mixing energy drinks and alcohol has become popular with people. It says that when you mix the two together the energy drinks counteracts the depressant effect of alcohol. Mixing the two causes your body to become more dehydrated than drinking one of the drinks alone. After you drink one or more of the mixed drinks your body wants more and you become more dehydrated. My thoughts about this type of drink are that they are not very healthy and they can cause permanent damage to your body. Why would anyone want to put something like that in there body? For me they are no good and would cause more damage to my heart than there already is and you only have one heart. My own children have tried these energy drinks and the effects they had on them were not pleasant they were full of energy and could not hold still for a minute and when the effects wore off they were too tired to do anything. When they woke up the next day they still felt tired and they said they didn’t feel all the greatest. References: The Health Effects of Energy Drinks-Associated content from Yahoo http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/234299/the _health_effects_of_energy_drinks_pg.

Plan for Outsourcing Payroll

Plan for Outsourcing Payroll This report is aimed at the MD and all stakeholders referencing a proposal for a research project in relation to payroll being outsourced or to bring in house for B W Plant Hire and Sales Ltd A description of the project under research, analysis of good practice in relation to this issue. The identification of key stakeholders. Why the stakeholders would be interested or effected by the study. The key sources from the secondary research The evaluation of the contribution to the study To outline the present findings and inform the stakeholders to act on the results Overview of this research In 2005 there was only 35 people on the payroll, as the company has grown over the years there are now 75 employees, the payroll is outsourced to a local company at a cost of  £4500.00 per annum. In 2010 it was decided to outsource the payroll to save time and money, as there was only one person qualified in payroll. To take the responsibility from the only one person qualified it was decided any person in the accounts office could gather the weekly hours from depot and email to the outsource company. When the reports came back it was checked against the information sent. The correct reports were returned and processed by the office manager. The cost was lower than the company was paying for in house payroll. The software cost was  £1500.00 per annum, the time it took was 2 hours, so it was decided by the MD and the accountants to outsource payroll. In 2014 the payroll was moved to a different outsource at a cheaper rate, as the payroll has grown the cost is now  £5600.00 and growing. The administration of the payroll has become difficult to manage collating the average holiday pay by spreadsheet of the growing number of employees along with the pension information. Correct information is not communicated correctly i.e. national minimum wage increase, apprenticeship wage P32 reports not being sent to the company on time, basically a lack of communication. To start the process of developing a business case to recommend whether to outsource or bring payroll back in house the researcher will conduct a situational analysis to collect information the current system in use, how it works, any overlaps or shortfalls will be noted. When this is completed the investigation of the product ranges and functions available within the budget settings can this begin. The research of the investigation will perceive the benefits and gain evidence of the potential benefits to the company along with the potential costs and show the realistic advantages of outsourcing or in house payroll. There are 4 depots within the company, each depot has a clocking in machine. All weekly paid employees are to clocking and out each day. If an employee goes to a job from home they are to inform the depot manager and have their clock card signed, this is also checked by the tracker information on the vehicle. (It logs the time the vehicle was started) Every Monday morning each depot scans a copy of the clock cards to the Office Manager. As the depot managers, do not check the clock cards for anomalies it falls back on the Office manager to find the relevant information to complete the spreadsheet (appendix 1) As the spreadsheet is keyed it is prone to human error, the depot managers now must add the hours on the clock cards and sign them, they are then checked again by the office manager who then keys them into the spreadsheet. It is again checked by the finance manager. When all the above is complete it is then forwarded to the outsource company by email to collate. Manual tracking in this way is time consuming and prone to human error, resulting in over pay or underpay and time theft. There are deadlines to meet for the weekly payroll, if the correct information is not sent through, there is an element of pressure on the administrator to request the information on time. An image of the formulas used for recording the 12 week average   Ã‚   Good practice Employee costs are the single greatest expense of most Companies. Payroll one of the most important business functions. Payroll is unusually complex. It must be accurate. It must be efficient. It must comply with all the regulations imposed on it at local, national, and international levels. Employee morale and retention is so critical, payroll must do these things while keeping employees satisfied that they will receive their wage with minimal disruption of their workdays. No one-size-fits-all payroll solution exists that solves the very real challenges of managing payroll in todays fast-paced and highly regulated global environment. Establish Discipline and Manage Expectations Ensure that all stakeholders know what to expect from the payroll department. When do, timesheets need to be submitted? Who approves them? Who is notified if an employee goes on leave? When are the monies in the employee`s bank account. Enforce Accountability Make sure all stakeholders are appropriately accountable. Employees need to know what they are responsible for doing; managers likewise. For example, if an employee forgets to clock in the timecard at the beginning of the day, or clock out  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   at the end of the day, who is responsible for making sure that employee is paid equitably for their time?   What are the consequences of failing to be accountable for meeting payrolls requirements? Who absorbs the cost of having to cut a check in midcycle? Alongside this accountability must come transparency-all steps in the process must be visible to the payroll staff. Perform Rigorous Balances and Audits The demand for accuracy in payroll is rigorous. Balancing, auditing, and segregating of duties is critical. These steps are to ensure minimized error rates, this can also help avoid off-cycle payments. There should be separate duties so the person entering timecard data is not the person who balances the number of timecards with the payments going out. (Due diligence) Then yet another person should audit the data to make sure it is correct. Rethink Control and Compliance in the Age of Outsourcing. Both the importance and complexity of payroll, many Companies are outsourcing either part or all the function. How much-or how little-is outsourced varies tremendously from company to company. The issue is control: how much of it does company need over its payroll data? When payroll is done in-house, its easy to integrate the data into other systems, to slice and dice it different ways, and otherwise make it work to provide value to the business. Given that Employee costs are the single greatest expense of most companies, having this kind of flexibility can be enormously helpful when making decisions about labouring sourcing, for example, deciding where and when to open a new depot. Advantages and disadvantages appendix 2 The researcher should be aware or data protection issues surrounding the implementation of outsourcing payroll. The principles of the Data Protection 1998 Act concerning the processing of personal data, the key rights that the Data Protection Act gives to data subjects, the consequences for companies of breaching the Data Protection Act and the key issues that arise in outsourcing transactions because of the Data Protection Acts requirements. The DPA gives comprehensive rights to data subjects in relation to their data. In relation to outsourcing transactions, the most important rights include: Access to personal data. Prevention of certain kinds of processing. By way of court order, rectification, blocking, deletion and destruction. These rights are generally enforceable against the outsourcing company as data controller rather than against the data processor. Where the outsourcing provider handles personal data on its clients behalf, the client as the data controller should include appropriate provisions in the outsourcing contract to ensure the outsourcing providers collaboration. This includes obligations to: Amend, transfer or delete the data as requested by the client. Notify the client of data access requests or complaints that it receives in relation to the clients data and provide the client with full co-operation in relation to such requests or complaints. The outsourcing company should also include an obligation on the data processor to be notified immediately if any of the following occur: Data gets accidentally deleted or corrupted. Data becomes lost. The outsourcing provider becomes aware that the data is processed unlawfully. This is to ensure that the client can take the necessary steps to address the issue, including notification to the ICO and/or the data subjects if required. (Andrew Dunlop and Uwe Nimscheck, Burges Salmon LLP) Stakeholder Analysis The stakeholders are anyone with an interest in the business. Stakeholders are individuals, groups or organisations that are affected by the activity of the business. Consideration for powerful and supportive stakeholders i.e. Payroll, HR and Finance with high levels of interest must be updated on this project. If the project has a good team and consists of highly regarded and motivated people who enjoy change on board it can then by brought to the attention of other stakeholders with enthusiasm this is turn can overcome obstructions from individuals when engaging in research. This adds trust and the belief, into the smooth running of the project, a bonus for when asking for funding.   For this research this is who is affected indirectly or directly. They include: Directors Managers Staff/Employee Payroll Finance Shareholders HMRC The researcher should be aware of the drivers for the introduction of the payroll outsourcing/ in house process. Operational Driver- cost effectiveness through time efficiency Logical Driver improved performance for demanding employees and managers. Transform Driver- key strategic drivers addressed in the company net profit During the analysis, it is essential that the stakeholders are fully informed or involved and understand the current process and the impact of change it will have on their role. The opportunities and threats for each stakeholder should be identified and managed during the process. Do they need to be informed or are they involved see appendix 3 The finance team are key stakeholders along with payroll and HR. finance need to be aware for budgeting and forecasting purposes and the costs involved evaluated correctly and if it is a viable project to implement. Payroll dept. will be collating the data regardless of payroll being outsourced or not, it must be carried out. HR need to be involved for change management. They understand the importance of strategy, culture and values, this would be advantageous throughout the planning and implementation process. The ethics must be considered when exchanging information especially when using emails, confidentially is a must, along with free and informed consent. Stakeholder should remain committed and not alienated from the project. Methods of research Literature defining Primary data This date should be Qualitative and Quantative For companies dealing with employees sensitive personal information for payroll purposes, whether internally or through a third party, it is essential to ensure the right processes and procedures are in place to safeguard the data. See appendix 4 Literature defining Secondary data Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily available from other sources. Such data are cheaper and more quickly obtainable than the primary data and may be available when primary data cannot be obtained at all. The credibility of the method and data must be accessed these factors have a direct influence on the accuracy of the data. The data collected for this research paper is (The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 24, No. 4, February 2013, 704-720). (Payroll and HR outsourcing, I.J.Maise march 2001). (Payroll Outsourcing: A New Paradigm. Princy Thomas and P K Thomas) CIPD factsheet on HR outsourcing 2016) This is referenced at the bottom of the report Meetings with the payroll administrator and the project leader and stakeholders are to be held to discuss the current situation and any issues or ideas for improvement. These meetings are important to establish different perspectives and build commitment to the project. Within these meetings, the researcher can interview the relevant people for their input on the project, this making qualative data. Benchmarking similar size companies outsourcing payroll would also be benefitable. The researcher should investigate the benefits following the implementation of outsourcing payroll before during and after. The researcher should seek advice from providers for insight into current trends available updates and support with reports. All information obtained should be equal and fair to make a fair comparison. Information on Return on investment should also be carried out. If the company chooses to outsource / bring in house this information is extremely important for signing off the project and setting scoring matrix for use when having structured interviews with the providers. Present Findings Different stakeholders will benefit from data being presented in different ways. Directors need detailed reports with a full breakdown on the project including costs and anticipated outcomes. The business case report should be presented as follows Executive summary The key reasons for doing the project The current service provision The key future requirements A summary of the full list of options A summary of the options selection procedure and the options chosen for detailed examination A summary of the comparative findings and justification for the preferred option Highlights of the Implementation Plan A statement to seek approval. Analysis of requirements. The Strategic Overview and Context-Provide an overview of the service or project, including strategic aims, policies and outcomes. Project Objectives-State the policy objectives that the project is required to meet. The Current Service Provision-Analyse the status and the issues with the current service. Options selection and evaluation Evaluation Criteria-State criteria for evaluating the benefits of the various options. Define these criteria in advance of identifying the options to avoid undue influence of the options. Identifying Available Options-State the available options and describe how the various options were identified, what methodology was used and why some options were discarded early (if any). Initial Evaluation and Consolidation-Explain how the shortlisted options were chosen and what options were shortlisted. Detailed Options Analysis-Provide an overview of the evaluation methodology. Benefits Evaluation-Quantitative as well as qualitative benefits for each option should be considered. Cost Evaluation-Discuss the various costing elements that were evaluated. Details regarding the assumptions used and the outcome of the evaluation should be presented. Cost elements typically include the following: Non-recurrent Costs-Describe the non-recurrent costs (or one off cost to establish the option) elements, including the transition cost, and the basis for deriving these costs. Recurrent Costs-Provide a description of costs that will be incurred throughout the life of the project. These costs may either be fixed or variable. Opportunity Cost- Opportunity cost is the cost of the next best foregone alternative to deliver a given option. Whole of Life Costs-Describe and include costs that will be incurred over the life of the project to ensure that the assets originally procured can continue to be delivered to a level of service that provides the required outcomes. The whole of life costs may include activities such as replacement of assets, refurbishing or upgrading specific asset elements. Strengths and Weaknesses Evaluation-Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the options considered. Risk Analysis-Describe the process used for risk identification, risk quantification as well as key observations from this aspect. Detail any findings in a risk register. Sensitivity Analysis-Discuss the findings of any sensitivity analysis carried out to determine how sensitive the outcome of the analysis is to variations in the assumptions. Implementation planning Describe how the chosen option will be delivered and rolled out and the various issues that must be considered. Project Structure and Governance-Detail how the project will be managed and governed. Governance-Describe the chosen governance structure for the project, include information on individuals or positions that are already identified. Project Management-Describe the project management methodologies that will be used in delivering the project, including where available, a high level description of the organisational structure (could be graphical). Implementation Detail-Detail the programme and transition arrangements. Implementation Timing-Include a high-level implementation programme. This could cover single-stage or multi-stage delivery of the project. Present as a Gantt chart. see appendix 8 Transition Planning-Describe the activities and temporary arrangements required during the transitional phase. Constraints, Assumptions, Sourcing and Funding Requirements-Document identified constraints and the major assumptions made which affect the implementation. Sourcing and Procurement Strategy-Describe the chosen sourcing models with reasons why they were chosen and how goods and services will be procured and tracked. Funding Requirements-Describe what funding requirements are required, the timing, source and application/approval arrangements of the funds. Approach to Manage Risk, Communications and Resources Risk Management-Describe the risk management plan with detailed responsibilities and actions. Communications Strategy-Describe the required communications strategy together with what to communicate, to whom and when. Staff Resources-Detail what are the key issues, particularly from a human resources management point of view. This could include both staffing requirements for the project together with any impact caused by the project such as staff re-deployment or reductions/increases. Technical Considerations Describe any technical considerations, which could range from ICT requirements to general or specific engineering requirements. Regulatory Impact Assessment / Business Impact Assessment-Any impact on any regulatory bodies or regulated or third party businesses which could be adversely or positively affected by the introduction of the project should be included. Legislative Considerations-Detail any legislative aspects to the project that could require legislative changes or issue of new guidelines/codes of practice. The Post Implementation Review Process Explain how and when reviews will be carried out to check that the expected benefits have been realised and delivered. Also, describe how to track the benefits and report on them versus the original analysis. Within a company, Payroll is the main area outsourced per Statistics see appendix 5 Large competition and challenging environment has forced companies to focus more on added value and revenue generating core business activities rather than the routine of regular HR practices i.e. payroll most companies outsource payroll for various reasons according including reducing coat and controlling them. according to (Princy Thomas and P K Thomas). According to a study conducted in the US by PMRs payroll outsourcing satisfaction survey, it was found that out of the 215 respondent companies, 119 companies outsource payroll processing to a third party for activities such as tax filing, human resources, time and attendance, benefits administration, workers compensation administration and unemployment compensation administration (PMR, 2003) (appendix 6) Large competition and challenging environment has forced companies to focus more on added value and revenue generating core business activities rather than the routine of regular HR practices i.e. payroll most companies outsource payroll for various reasons according including reducing coat and controlling them. according to (Princy Thomas and P K Thomas). Benchmarking As per the office of national statistic, the government outsource the payroll The following information has been provided in relation to Payroll; We use the Logica payroll system, provided by CGI IT UK Limited. At the last count, in January 2017, there were 3,967 employees supported on the above system. The contract value when last purchased was  £840,000. The contract renewal date is 31/05/2022 We do not provide individual employee contact names to preserve Commercial confidentiality. Please contact us at [emailprotected] Not applicable 16th Feb 2016 Its official. New Research on the outsourcing market 2016-2020 has revealed that payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. The report from Infiniti Research see appendix 5 indicates that organisations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. The in-depth market analysis used inputs from industry experts and covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years, and findings revealed a growth in either an outsourced single process or the entire payroll service to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. The research revealed that organisations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organisations that outsource the same functions.(Global payroll outsourcing market 2016-2020   2016 by   Infiniti Research) Employee Confidentiality and Ethics Mellewigt et al. (2007) explained the importance of trust and its influence on outsourcing relationship. Protection of payroll information is very crucial. Strict internal control measures should be in place to prevent payroll confidentiality breaches, as it will have disastrous effects on any organization. The business case reports accurately the information and informs how the company will function weather in house payroll or outsourced payroll. The information should provide consistent information to all audiences. The strategy to support the business objectives need to be highlighted along with the direct cost of savings benefit. Indirect benefits are often intangible this must be explained in the report, with the relevant case studies and reports to add credibility. I.e. payroll errors have an impact on the trust and morale of the employee by being under/ overpaid this can lead employees feeling less engaged and less motivated along with feeling undervalued. It can have an impact on the payroll administrator by increasing the pressure of mistrust. Employees would benefit by receiving information in an informal way by having a presentation with their managers who would also distribute the newsletter with the information. The newsletter would contain the relevant information which effects the individual. The project manager would also be present at the presentation so as the employees can ask questions without feeling intimidated. The Report for the finance team would consist of figures for cashflow purposes. The information would outline the initial costs, terms of payment, operating expenses, return on investment and budget. The information is to conduct an affordability assessment and prepare for budget and cashflow forecasts. Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020.Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020. Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020.Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020. Payroll outsourcing is the fastest-growing segment of the global human resource outsourcing (HRO) market. Organizations are rapidly adopting payroll services to achieve cost reduction. They either outsource a single process or the entire services to enhance the existing function. Managing payroll in-house involves high costs. Organizations that maintain an in-house team for tasks such as payroll, time and attendance, workforce administration, and benefits administration spend 20% more than organizations that outsource the same functions.The majority of payroll outsourcing functions are related to finance and accounting (FA), human capital management (HCM), and shared service centers. The HR department uses outsourcing services more commonly than any other departments. Technavios analysts forecast the global payroll outsourcing market to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016-2020.The evaluation of the contribution to the study. The HR Function has been trying to reposition itself, the aim is to encourage the function to be more strategic and have less administration tasks and to be more of a business support function and a facilitator of change rather than a guardian of the traditional function of employee welfare. HR are becoming high profile contributors at a strategic level they are well intergraded with the business and demonstrating they are adding value. Although extensive research ha

The Music of Star Wars

The Music of Star Wars The music of Star Wars has become a character of the films much as the characters of the films have become global icons. John Williams contribution to the films (he composed for all six Star Wars films) is among the most widely-known and popular contributions to modern film music. When Williams set out to compose the music for the first film, Star Wars (later re-titled, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) in 1977, he only had one Oscar to his name for the score to the 1975 summer blockbuster Jaws. He utilized a variety of musical styles drawing from the golden age of Hollywood and the scores of Max Steiner as well as the late romantic period of Richard Strauss. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, wanted the feel of the old movie serials like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Williams is credited with reviving the symphonic scores because of his Star War compositions and of using a technique called leitmotiv most often associated with the operas of Wagner and with Steiner-esque film scores. The use of the leitmotiv anchors the characters of the Star Wars original trilogy, which I will discuss in detail. These themes signify the individual characters as well as plot elements, locations, moods and relationships. This use of motifs is the films are strong enough to latch the audience onto the elements of the film while being strong enough to undergo variation and development, which we will see in the development of the sequels from the original film. Star Wars (1977) Principle Motifs Main Title Used in all six films, this is the anthem of the film series. It is recognizable globally and is generally associated with the rebel forces, Luke Skywalker and elements involving heroism and adventure. This theme is heard over the opening crawl and is used as a base for the end credits. Rebel Fanfare Used in all six films as well, this is a short motif used mostly in Episode IV: A New Hope to represent the Rebel Alliance. It is used less in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and brought back but with less frequency in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It uses brass elements to give it the fanfare flavor. Jedi Theme This theme is also titled Binary Sunset in the film score from the scene in which Luke is watching the sunset on Tatooine and contemplating his future in Episode IV. This is the one motif in the trilogy that is consistently developed throughout all three films. The theme represents Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Knights and The Force. In later films, it is used to represent ideas of fate and destiny. It is an uplifting theme and can be heard throughout the trilogy. There are also brief instances of it in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Princess Leias Theme (aka Love Theme) This theme represents the romantic side of the trilogy. It is most often used in Episode IV to represent Leia when she is alone (on the merchant ship in the beginning), vulnerable (when she is about to be tortured for information on the Death Star) or shown on the screen. In subsequent episodes, it is developed into a Love Theme between her and Han Solo. This theme also appears later in Episode III after she is born. Imperial Motif Used only in Episode IV, this motif represents the Empire and Darth Vader for this film (although it makes a cameo when Grand Moff Tarkin, commander of the Death Star, is seen in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith). The music is militaristic and not as ominous as the Imperial March introduced in Episode V. The rhythmic and harmonic aspects are developed into the Imperial March in The Empire Strikes Back. Death Star Motif Introduced in Episode IV, it is a four chord motif that plays when the Death Star is shown or when its place is suggested. It is also heard as a more developed theme when the Star Destroyer hits the second Death Star in Episode VI. Jawa Theme/Droid Theme A playful theme used in Episode IV when the Jawas are introduced and later developed into a motif to represent the droids in Episodes V and VI when R2D2 and C3PO are together. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Principle Motifs Imperial March (aka Darth Vaders Theme) This theme represents the Galactic Empire and, more specifically Darth Vader, starting with Episode V and carrying on through the rest of the films. This theme has achieved an iconic status as representing evil and is used outside of the films to introduce evil (i.e. when Mr. Burns shows up on The Simpsons). Williams retrogrades the theme for the prequel trilogy, embedding it into Anakins theme and his downward spiral to the dark side as well as the rise of the Republic into the Empire. Williams also uses it effectively when Vader dies in Episode VI. Love Theme Developed from Leias Theme in Episode IV, it is heard in Episode V and VI in scenes of romance and when the two characters are sacrificing, including the scene in which Han is frozen and the final moments of Empire when Lando Calrissian is leaving to rescue Han from Jabba The Hut. Yodas Theme This theme is introduced in Episode V and is used throughout the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy. It is mostly associated with Yodas teachings and abilities but can be heard when Luke is utilizing what Yoda has taught him. It is used sparingly in the prequels and mostly for key moments with Yoda. As a side, Williams uses this theme in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial when a little kid is seen in a Yoda costume. Landos Theme (Cloud City Theme) A march that is heard during the Bespin scenes in Episode V. It is used throughout the Cloud City scenes and a variation is used when Luke arrives to save Leia and Han. Return of the Jedi (1983) Principle Motifs Jabbas Theme This is heard in the opening of Episode VI when the scene takes place in Jabbas Palace. It is mostly tuba and is rolling and bulbous. It was added in the special edition version of Episode IV when a young (and much leaner?!) Jabba confront Han Solo in the hanger of the Millennium Falcon. There is also a disguised version of it in Episode I when Jabba officiates the pod race. Emperors Theme An ominous theme first used in Episode VI, and developed more in the prequel trilogies. It represents the Emperor whenever he is on screen. Williams also uses it conspicuously in the victory celebration at the end of Phantom Menace. Ewoks Theme Titled Parade of the Ewoks in the score for Episode VI, it is a light-hearted theme played during scenes in the Ewok village, during the Endor battle and in the end credits. Luke and Leias Theme This theme is heard only twice and only in Episode VI. It links Luke and Leia as brother and sister. It is more mature than the Love Theme and Leias Theme from the previous films. Victory Celebration This theme is used for the victory of the Alliance. In addition to these major motifs, there are minor themes used throughout the series that are used to represent some of the other characters and scenes in the original trilogy. These motifs are generally heard once and not much development took place for further use. Minor Motifs Arrival on Tatooine This is used in Episode IV and then again in Episode I. Tusken Raiders Theme Used when the Tusken Raiders are first introduced in Episode IV and when they attack Luke. Later used when Anakin destroys their camp in Episode II. Throne Room March Used in the original trilogy when Vader is present and later when the Emperor is shown in Episode VI. The final elements of music John Williams wrote for the original trilogy were the pieces that were performed as part of ‘live sequences. Before he became a film composer, John Williams was a jazz pianist going by the name of Johnny Williams. The ‘live elements reflect his earlier musical career with the use of jazz, classical and world music elements. These were: The two songs played in the Cantina on Tatooine entitled, Cantina Band and Cantina Band #2. They were in a swing style and the first tune became popular on the radio after the initial film release in 1977, while #2 could only be heard when Obi-Wan is speaking with Han Solo for the first time. Jabbas Baroque Recital is heard when R2D2 and C3PO arrive to give Jabba the message from Luke Skywalker in Episode VI. Jedi Rocks is also from Episode VI heard in Jabbas Palace just before Leia (disguised as a bounty hunter) brings Chewbacca in for a ransom. This song replaced Lapti Nek, when the special editions were releas ed and it was not included on the re-release of the soundtrack.[1] Max Rebo Band Jams is heard twice in the film, once after Chewbacca is sent to the jail cell and on the sail barge. This song doesnt appear on the soundtrack as recordings of it have apparently been lost forever. The music of the Ewoks is heard throughout Episode VI when Luke and company are in the village and after the battle of Endor. They are titled Ewok Feast, Part of the Tribe, and Ewok Celebration. Sources 8notes.com (2008) Williams, John [Online]. Available from: http://www.8notes.com/biographies/john_williams.asp [Accessed: 11 October 2009] Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. 1997. Producer, Gary Kurtz; director: George Lucas. Lucasfilms, Ltd. [DVD Recording] Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. 1997. Producer, Gary Kurtz; director: Irving Kershner. Lucasfilms, Ltd. [DVD Recording] Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. 1997. Producer, Howard Kazanjian; director: Richard Marquand. Lucasfilms, Ltd. [DVD Recording] Empire of Dreams: The Story of the ‘Star Wars Trilogy. 2004. Producer, Edith Becker; directors: Edith Becker and Kevin Burns. Prometheus Entertainment. [DVD Recording] Williams, John. (2000). Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Ultimate Edition). [CD] USA. Sony Classical. Williams, John. (2002). Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [CD] USA. Sony Classical. Williams, John. (2005). Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [CD] USA. Sony Classical. Williams, John. (1997). Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Special Edition). [CD] USA. RCA Victor. Williams, John. (1997). Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Special Edition). [CD] USA. RCA Victor. Williams, John. (1997). Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Special Edition). [CD] USA. RCA Victor.

The Use of Nuclear Power as a Weapon :: essays research papers

The Use of Nuclear Power As a Weapon August 6th,1945 is not a day to be forgotten.It marks the world’s first use of an atomic bomb, which was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the US Military. Three days later, the USA dropped a second atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki, bringing WW II to an end. In total, more than 140.000 people were estimated to be killed. Although the most memorable effects of the atomic bomb were the mass amounts of death, the development of the atomic bomb has greatly influenced American society and the world. The scientific development surrounding the atomic bomb has been a pivotal point in the world’s history, launching us into the Atomic Age. The cause of building an atomic bomb in the USA was that, on the August 2nd 1939, some scientists wrote to president Roosevelt about the efforts in Nazi Germany to purify Uranium-235 with which might be turned to be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the US Government began serious undertaking known as the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was designed to research and production that would produce an atomic bomb. The first cause of using the nuclear power as an atomic power was that the Americans had believed that Japan would never surrender during the WW II. Japan had occupied the islands on the coast of Pacific and they were cruel to the people living there. As a result, some Americans thought that Japan had deserved to be taught a lesson. Another cause for using the nuclear power, that the bomb costed $2 billion, so it would have been difficult to justify not using it after such a huge financial investment. By 1945, the project had nearly 40 laboratories and factories which employed 200,000 people. That was more than the total amount of people employed in the US automobile industry in 1945.The total cost of the project was $2 billion which is about the equivalent of $26 billion today. The final cause of using the atomic bomb was to show the superiority to the USSR because during the war, the USA and the USSR were fighting for different sides, they were rivals, resulting in showing the world who the strongest of all was, so the USA dropped the bomb. These four events tell us that why the nuclear power used as a weapon and changed the world and the effects of this change felt at all levels: in the world history, on the countries, on human beings and on the scientific development, launching us into the Atomic Age.

World Literature Essay Number Two: -- English Literature

World Literature Essay Number Two: The symbolism of Blood and Water in the play â€Å"Blood Wedding† The two word title of the play â€Å"Blood Wedding† by Frederico Garcia Lorca presents both a contradiction and a concurrence. These themes continue throughout the play, and the two words of the title are used to capture the essence of the contrasting movements of its action. The wedding symbolises the harmony of man and woman, and the continuation of life. Blood too symbolises these things, however it also evokes contrasting feelings of violence, death and destruction. Blood represents the strength of the blood ties in families, and promotes the sense of repeating history which is evident throughout the play, as well as fertility and the cyclical nature of life. Used in another way, the literary references to blood create a sense of destiny, the blood choosing the path of the characters. Blood also represents and is used to express extreme passion in the characters. It also reinforces the violence to which the characters in the play are exposed and take part in. The strongest symbolic use of blood, which is carried throughout the play, is the link it creates between the characters and their ancestors, and the sense of history being repeated. This is evident from the very beginning of the play, when the mother speaks about the death of her husband and her son. She asks herself why a man would be killed just because he â€Å"goes out to his vines or his olives †¦ because they are his passed down to him from his fathers†[1]. The mother is talking to her son, the bridegroom, and so from the beginning we know that his father and brother were both murdered, and thus he is immediately linked by his blood to violence and k... ... It is also introduced in order to provide the light by which the bridegroom and the townspeople may hunt for the bride and Leonardo. The light of the moon is cold, and this light is the mechanism by which the blood is able to be spilled. The moon brings in a surreal aspect to the play in that it is represented by a woodcutter, and has its own purpose and desires. Blood represents three recurring themes in the play â€Å"Blood Wedding†. It creates a strong sense of inevitability of events by symbolising links to the past by family and blood line. It also enforces the idea of the inescapability of fate and the cyclical nature of life and recurring events across generations. It is also used to represent the extreme emotions felt by the characters, and to show the depth of their passion. The final theme is that of violence, which is present throughout the play.

Corporal Punishment :: essays research papers

Corporal Punishment People a few years ago,thought of the only way to punish someone who did a sinister deed was to use corporal punishment.This is meant to enforce pain to someone who has done wrong by hitting them,beating them,strapping them or even whipping them.These are only a few examples of corporal punishment. Why do we have corporal punishment,How do we benefit from it and how do we abuse it?. The most obvious reason for corporal punishment is to castigate one for doing wrong by means of physical abuse expecting the individual to learn from his or her mistake.But we must ask ourselves this question.Is the person benefiting from this or is he or she not only being physically abused but mentally.In some cases corporal punishment psychologically effects ones mind on a long term bases that will stain their memory for a very long period of time. In other cases physical punishment scars and stains the body changing its physical appearance but only on a small scale.Corporal punishment is also used because it is quick and in most cases effective.The mental condition of the person being affected may worsen not only resulting to utter madness but may also result in lack of moral strength.Most people nowadays feel that corporal punishment is not the best answer to enforce restrictions in society as they feel,that pain is not the best solution. Although Corporal punishment has its disadvantages it can also make people aware of the fact that wrong doing results in pain and agony.As more people know the effect of misbehaving,the fewer the mistakes there would be.Michael Fae for example, used a paint canister to spray paint on cars for fun.The result for this action was to be strapped four times on the back.Now he realizes what he has to face if he were to do it again. In the past,corporal punishment was used very often especially in schools.Now corporal punishment is banned from most of the schools around the world because a lot of the people who administer it abuse it.

Foxconn and Apple

Subject: Apple and Foxconn controversy from the eye of the consumer Over the last couple years, Apple and Foxconn have been partaking in poor business methods thus causing them a great deal of deserved criticism. The consumer, must decide whether or not to continue buying from Apple because the consumer is what causes Apple to continue to make new products which results in the poor conditions at Foxconn. Foxconn and Apple violate many ethical, moral and basic human principles. The SituationOver the past several years, Apple's major hardware and development contributor, Foxconn, has received a great deal of criticism over their working conditions and benefits. There are over a dozen Foxconn factories in China, all of which employ hundreds of thousands of people. To this day Foxconn remains the leader in electronic component manufacturing. Since 2010, various accounts of mistreatment of employees have arose, causing many controversies. The most significant to date, are the many reporte d suicides of Foxconn plant workers.In early June, the most recent suicide occurred of twenty three year old man. It was the first suicide since Foxconn agreed with the United States and Apple to improve working conditions (Foxconn Suicide, 2012). Prior to this suicide, there had been over a dozen suicides in direct correlation to the poor working conditions and low pay. Various news reports and documentaries arose in 2012 exposes this supposedly giant scandal. Apple, one of the worlds most prominent developers of consumer electronics, is making numerous attempts to fix the current issues at Foxconn. The move comes after Apple, criticized over working conditions at its sprawling chain of suppliers in China, agreed to an investigation by the independent Fair Labor Association earlier this year to stem criticism that its products were built in sweatshop-like conditions† (Foxconn Suicide, 2012). The next several years will be dedicated to making Foxconn a positively labeled corpo ration thus giving Apple is good reputation back. The Impact on a Stakeholder Group (Consumer) As a consistent consumer of Apple products over the last decade, one can only be disappointed in the decisions made by Apple.Of course the consumers were not directly involved in the poor conditions of the company or the deaths of many workers. In reality, we the consumers, are indirectly contributing to the current issues at Foxconn. We choose to purchase their products, buy stocks and invest our hard earned money into a company that chooses to do things the easy way rather than the smart way. In a report written by the Insider Staff in 2012 called Apple, Foxconn and China: The Cost of Manufacturing, they said â€Å"Think of your iPhone you would as a hamburger—the meat was once part of a living, breathing animal.Its life was taken so you could have lunch. This is the price for the type of life we lead, whether it's the price we pay to buy something once living that's now a packag e of hamburger or the price for a brand-new iPhone. † The iPhone, Macbooks and iPods we purchase were all at one point a collection of parts. Thanks to the many news reports, we realize that these parts are stained with the blood, sweat and tears of the many workers just trying to make a living. The consumer is the most affected party in this scenario. We choose to purchase Apple's new products for lower prices and faster shipping.We demand Apple to make newer products knowing that we will then buy them. Through these actions taken by the consumers, it allows for all the problems occurring at the Foxconn factories to continue. Apple does deserve come credit for the attempts they have made to fix all of the previously stated issues. â€Å"There is no question that Foxconn has been scrutinized because it produces products for Apple. Also a few years ago there were a number of suicides at Foxconn factories, which prompted labor groups to start looking into working conditions the re.Apple sent a team to China, including a group led by Tim Cook, who is now Apple's CEO. Apple also hired the non-profit Fair Labor Association to audit working conditions at Foxconn. The group has said that Foxconn has made progress at reducing workers' hours and improving conditions, and that Foxconn and Apple do make an effort to let students know they can resign from Foxconn and still graduate, and link the jobs they do at Apple with their studies† (Adams, 2012). The Fair Labor Association conducted a two week examination of the company to make sure it was up to date on all laws and regulations.Foxconn has raised all workers salaries by 16 to 25 percent. They have chosen to hire tens of thousands of more workers so that never again would an individual die from working a thirty hour shift. The FLA conducts interviews of over a hundred thousand employees to make sure they are content and have no serious, life threatening issues with Foxconn (Poeter, 2012). They correct step s have been taken to regain Apple's status as an ethical and beneficial company, while also fixing all of Apple's supplier companies like Foxconn. Ethical Dilemmas There were many ethical dilemmas after the Foxconn Apple scandal was exposed.A CNN documentary team went there and filmed the companies average work day. On January 29th the CNN report appeared which displayed graphic images of the Foxconn factory. â€Å"The segment graphically showed the suicide nets and the factory, it showed workers reportedly as young as 12 who worked shifts as long as 12 to 14 hours a day, six days a week. It also reported on the death of one worker who died at work after a shift of more than 30 hours. There's no question these condition approach the emotional feeling of slavery, if not legal definition.What's missing from the conversation is that Foxconn builds electronics products for a wide variety of companies, not just Apple† (Apple, Foxconn and China, 2012). All of the previously stated conditions violate countless ethical laws. In an article called Business Ethics- Issues written by Jim Riley, he says that a business can not claim to be ethical if the violate ethical practices such as child labor, production is sweatshops, violation of basic rights and ignoring health and safety issues. Foxconn violated absolutely every single one of these practices.The employed children to work and had them working shifts just as long as your average adult would. The physical conditions of the company were terrible, people were hardly allowed to eat, grime and dirt layered the floors and people worked countless hours shoulder to shoulder. Some have even chosen to compare it to Nazi death camps and the blood diamond controversies in Africa. Due to the constant allegations and controversies, Apple has taken giant steps towards creating a bright future. Apple sent in a Chief Operating Officer to the Chinese facility.The team interviewed more than one thousand workers along with crea ting a 24-hour care center (Sherr, 2011). Since 2007 Apple has audited 288 supplier facilities and even continues to do so even if it mean no longer working with them. Apple has found 91 underage workers in these facilities and will break off any ties to those who choose to overlook the issue. Apple is working hard to establish a good reputation for itself. They are pushing their supplier factories to follow every ethical and business guideline so that we the consumer can be happy and comfortable with the products we are purchasing.Analysis of Solution/Actions The 7 Guidelines for Making Ethical Decisions are a perfect example of the rules in which Apple and Foxconn decided to disobey. Firstly, the TV Test states that managers should always ask, â€Å"would they feel comfortable explain this to a TV audience? † Going back to Foxconn and Apple the clear and most obvious answer to this question is NO. Apple and Foxconn hid every negative aspect of the company for over two years . It was not until 2012 where CNN was allowed to go in and film the factory.If the numerous child workers, poor conditions and suicides were exposed earlier, this issue may have been resolved by now. Instead Foxconn covered up the scandal and allowed it to grow and infest throughout the company. Secondly, every child was raised by the Golden Rule, treat others they way you want to be treated. From the managers perspective, they chose to get things done rather than doing them the right way. What this means is that managers did not obey any ethical rules, rather they pushed workers to the extreme so that they could make as many products as possible.In conclusion, Apple's and Foxconn's violations were unacceptable. However, Apple has taken the right approach in correcting all of the issues at Foxconn. Whether or not it works, Apple has done all they can. Now it lies in the hands of the stakeholders to continue to or not to buy the companies products. Cited Work Adams, S. (2012). Apple' s New Foxconn Embarrassment. Forbes. Com, 8. Apple, Foxconn and China: The Human Cost of Manufacturing. (2012). Channel Insider, 1-2. Foxconn Suicide: Company Says Plant Worker Jumped From Apartment. (2012, June 14). HuffingtonPost.Retrieved  October  7, 2012, from http://foxconn suicide: Company says plant worker jumped from apartment . (2012, June 14). . Retrieved from www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/06/14/foxconn-suicide_n_1596138. html Poeter, D. (2012). Report: Apple Supplier Foxconn Raises Worker Pay at Chinese Plants. PC Magazine, 1. Riley, J. (2012, 9 23). Business ethics- issues. Retrieved from http://www. tutor2u. net/business/strategy/business-ethics-issues. html SHERR, I. (2011, February 15). Apple Says China Partner Made Changes For Workers. Wall Street Journal – Eastern Edition. p. B5.

Business Culture in Italy

Doing line of credit abroad introduces global agate line people to differences in approaches to problem, billet etiquette and communications protocol. Although these whitethorn non be crucial to lineage proceedings they should not be pink-slipped as unnecessary. Cross cultural consciousness can enhance the potential of the international bloodline persons trip considerably. Let us look at a t propelcated example There atomic number 18 2 traffic people each provision on doing agate line in Italy. two(prenominal) birth similar de contracts. One ignores the mathematical impact of culture and concent strays their efforts on the business proposal.The other also invests age and zilch in the proposal but in addition realises that doing business in Italy is a lot different to doing business in the UK or USA. They look into the business etiquette of Italy, the counsel in which conflicts ar conducted and negotiation styles. niner times out of ten the last mentioned of the two impart mother the advantage. They exit be able to tailor their proposal and demeanour to gel better with the Italian way. In addition, they would endear themselves to the Italian hosts.This sharpen to doing business in Italy is designed as a brief introduction to atomic number 18as business people should take into consideration onwards travelling to Italy. Doing furrow Etiquette Good readiness and courtesy be prized qualities in Italy. When doing business in Italy ensure your conduct is constantly polished. There are etiquettes and protocols for many sociable and business situations, however, it is important to remember that Italians rate considerateness above behavioural stochastic variableulas. When conflux and departing endlessly shake hands. This is valid for both individuals and groups.After doing business in Italy for a period of time and building relationships do not be surprised if you are embraced when being met. This indicates the relationship has reached an intimate level. When doing business in Italy you go forth notice that brusque personal space is left amidst people when interacting. In addition, Italians are a tactile people. Moving away or keeping your distance may be interpreted as cold and unfriendly. If you are familiar with Italian, white plague the polite lei form until a relationship is established, then white plague the more informal tu form.When doing business in Italy, address people using Signor (m) or Signora (f) followed by their surname. Dottore (m) or Dottoressa (f) is used for those who have graduated. When doing business in Italy, dress to impress. It is no coincidence that Versace, Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana are whole Italian fashion houses. Italians like to garner an impression with their clothes. What you wear speaks volumes about the resistant of person you are. Doing commerce Punctuality Italians are usually relaxed about issues relating to time. Being young with a good reason wi ll not have any forbid consequences.However, deliberate lateness is considered sloppy and taking peoples time for granted is simply rude. When doing business in Italy err on the side of care and aim to be punctual. Doing Business Business Entertaining Hospitality plays a report role in Italian business culture. Invitations to lunch and dinner are to be expected when doing business there. At such(prenominal) occasions a small undivided group will usually be present. Each attendee will have a particular interest in your visit. If you plan to host a meal, communicate the most senior Italian strive who you should invite. Dining does have certain protocol in Italy.However, do not vest too a good deal emphasis on this as more time would be spent worrying about etiquette mistakes than enjoying the experience. major(ip) etiquette tips are that the most honoured guest sits at the middle of the table or on the right of the host the host always pays pass dishes to the left keep your natural delivery in the right hand and genital organ in the left and do not answer phone calls at the table. Doing Business Meeting and Negotiations Italians prefer to do business with someone they know. When doing business in Italy, use contacts and networks to introduce you before proceeding to luck up coming upons.To arrange a meeting write, in Italian, first. Follow this up with a phone call, fax or e-mail. The ruff time for meetings is between 10 11 a. m. and after 3 p. m. Avoid idealistic as most businesses will run on skeleton staff payable to holidays. Negotiations can be slow. Demonstrating a experience of urgency is seen as a sign of weakness. At the beginning of a meeting avoid business and concentrate on some small talk. Topics of discussion could complicate Italian culture, food, wine and football (soccer). Italians will take away proposals and analyse them carefully. Be sure to offer as much information as possible in written form for them to take away.A kno wn Italian tactic is to dramatically change demands at the eleventh arcminute to unsettle or test the tractableness of their counterparts. Remain firm. Location Southern Europe, bordering Austria 430 km, France 488 km, sacred See (Vatican City) 3. 2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km Capital Rome Climate predominantly Mediterranean alpine in far uniting hot, dry in southwesterly Population 58,057,477 (July 2004 est. ) Ethnic Make-up Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)Religions predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Islamic immigrant community Government republic The Italian Language Italian is the official language of Italy, and 93% of universe are aboriginal Italian speakers. Around 50% of population speak a regional stress as mother tongue. Many dialects are mutually unintelligible and thus cons idered by linguists as separate languages, but are not officially recognised. Friulian, one of these dialects, is intercommunicate by 600,000 people in the north east of Italy, which is 1% of the entire population. another(prenominal) northern minority languages include Ladin, Slovene, German, which enjoys suitable recognition with Italian in the res publica of Alto-Adige, and French, which is legally recognised in the Alpine region of the Val dAosta. Albanian is utter by 0. 2% of the population, mainly in the grey part of Italy, as too are Croatian and Greek. Catalan is spoken in one city, Alghero, on the island of Sardinia, by around 0. 07% of the population. On the rest of the island, Sardinian is spoken by over 1m, which comes to 1. 7% of the Italian population.