TransitionTheoryAfafIbrahimMelesis

My goal was to help hem stay as independent as possible so they could remain in their own living environment as well as reduce hospitalizing and improve outcomes for the company worked for. Started to incorporate some of the concepts used in the Transition Theory but more specifically the work of Mary Anally and Janet Van Cleave who developed the Transitional Care Model from the University of Pennsylvania. By implementing the role of a transitional care nurse, I was able to support my patient's with tools and information they needed to help them stay healthy enough to remain in their own home.FAA Abraham Miles is a reorient nurse sociologist, educator, theorist, and researcher that began her nursing career in her native Egypt in the sass's (Alligator, 2014). FAA Miles first developed Transition Theory while working on her doctorate in the mid sass's and further developed it over the next three decades while working as a nurse educator and researcher. She conceptualized the idea of Tr ansition Theory as it applies to nursing practice while working on her idea of role supplementation.Her theory is described as having four types of transition- developmental, situational, health/illness, and organizational Mà ªlà ©es, Sawyer, Im, Hollering-Messiahs, & Schumacher, 2000, p. 17). FAA Miles Transitions Theory is used as its theoretical basis for the University of Pennsylvania center call Transitions and Health, directed by Mary Anally (Alligator, 2014). Was first introduced to transitional care at a nursing conference attended to seek ways to improve outcomes for our chronically ill older patients and to keep them at home instead of being admitted in the hospital or nursing home.Often times a patient who is chronically ill is admitted to the hospital over multiple episodes of care for an exacerbation of an illness along with other commodities. Once the patient is stable, they are discharged to home with a plan of care that does not reflect their needs, goals, learning style, or literacy level (Anally & Van Cleave, 2010, p. 459). Usually nobody is involved in developing the discharge plan from his family or in the teaching of new medications prescribed. There may even be possible dietary changes that need to be made by the patient.I am sure the hospital does an exceptional job managing their acute medical episode but they do not have time to address the â€Å"root cause† of their multiple, recent hospitalizing (Anally & Van Cleave, 2010, p. 459). Most patient's do not understand what was discussed with them while inpatient. They just want to go home and will say they understand just to be able to do just that. They may not have the means to get to the pharmacy to get their new medications or they may not be able to afford the new medication. There are so many variables that can occur and that is why a transitional nurse may be beneficial.According to Anally & Van Cleave, the Transitional Care Model (ETC) provides comprehensive discharge pl anning and home follow-up care for chronically ill, high risk older adults admitted to the hospital for common deiced conditions. A transitional care nurse, who is usually master-prepared, follows patients from the hospital to their homes, providing evidence-based services aimed to meet the patient and family goals, improve health outcomes, and stop usual patterns of going to the emergency room for non- emergent needs (Anally & Van Cleave, 201 0, p. 60). The transitional care nurse focuses on increasing the patient and family ability to manage the frequent transitions in health that characterize chronic illness trajectory (Anally & Van Cleave, 2010). In relation of person, transition theory takes into inconsideration that all people are unique and will interpret their transition in different ways. The nurse must be able to assess how the patient perceives their change and develop therapeutics geared toward their perception, assessing for feedback along the way (Chick & Miles, 1986). This can be achieved by using the Transitional Care Model as a guideline. The home care agency worked for decided that I would follow our patients with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder with commodities and Medicare was their primary insurance. My role as the ruinations care nurse was to be the primary coordinator of care to assure that there was continuity of care throughout the next thirty days (episode of care) and readmission would be avoided.When a patient of ours was admitted to the hospital, I would visit the patient to do an in-hospital assessment and speak to the discharge planner to let them know what my role was once the patient was discharged. Once the patient was home, I would make home visits every week for the first two weeks and then follow- up phone calls the third and fourth week. Also was available by phone if they needed me anytime in between. My first home visit consisted of helping them fill out a personal hea lth record which included current medications, medical conditions, emergency contacts and so forth.This is when I would discover if they really understood what medications they were supposed to be taking and if they knew the reason why they were taking it for. Most patients had no clue why they were taking medicine for what medical condition or they were not taking the medication as prescribed by their physician because they did not think it was that important or they could not afford it. Sometimes the patient was taking the same medication but the deicing was labeled differently from different pharmacies. Ad the time to explain what each medication was and what it was used for. Was also able to resolve any medication discrepancy from the discharge instructions for the patient. We would call the physician's office together so it gave them a sense of well-being and gave them control of their own health which is a positive outcome according to Melanie's transition theory. The second h ome visit usually consisted of education regarding their diagnosis and which â€Å"red flags† to be aware of pertaining to their illnesses.Socioeconomic status, education bevel, and cultural beliefs all affect potential health related outcomes (Mà ªlà ©es et 2000). It is important as a nurse to be mindful of how to present information in a way that the patient will understand and be willing to make the changes needed to remain a healthful person. Emphasis on early identification of â€Å"red flags† and how the patient and/or family responds to the symptoms is a way to achieve positive outcomes and avoid readmission (Anally & Van Cleave, 201 0, p. 461).Contact is made via a telephone call instead of a home visit for the third and fourth consultation. This is the time hat would answer any remaining medication questions, discuss the outcomes of their recent follow-up appointment with either their primary care physician or specialist, help them make an appointment with t heir physicians if they have not already done so, and reinforce when or if the patient would need to seek medical treatment. Often times, the patient and or family felt comfortable with their health goals because they were a part of making them which made them feel more accountable.Even though would not be following up with them on a regular basis they knew they could contact me and I would help them in any way I could. While in my role as the transitional care nurse, felt I made a difference in the company by improving outcomes and patient satisfaction. It was very rewarding to be a part of the patients health experience but in a different way than I was before. I witnessed a transition or change in the patients attitude towards their health because they were made to be a part of the process not just a person with an illness who did not know anything.Unfortunately, due to zero reimbursement from insurance companies, the transitional care nurse position was eliminated. The Transitio nal Care Model is a good concept but more research deeds to be done so insurance companies can see the value in such a program. Ms. Melanie's Transition Theory has been applied to many different nursing research projects that apply to distinct populations undergoing change (Alligator, 2014). Through the nursing research that is being performed at the university of Pennsylvania where Ms.

Capabilities in the Workplace Bangles Pvt. Ltd.?

Abstract: A business is likely to flourish when it makes best use of its core competencies, organization capabilities, and increases its capacity. This paper describes a firm, Bangles Pvt. Ltd, which is headquartered in UK and is looking to expand into the Asian market via its online store. The paper discusses the core competencies the firm has along with its organizational capabilities which will help the firm in making this expansion successful. Introduction: Bangles Pvt. Ltd is an online business based in the United Kingdom and run through social media sites, the company’s own personal website, and through other buying/selling websites such as eBay and other portals. The business originated in 2006 after the owner finished her Arts degree from a local college and decided to use her expertise in her own small enterprise. Initially she took the responsibility of production herself and began to produce highly colourful, intricately designed, handmade bangles on order. However, as business began to boom she hired two other designers to help her with the production in 2007 and currently employs 10 people to produce bangles in the ranges of collections titled casual/everyday bangles, semi-formal bangles, bridal bangles, and exclusive designs. The company basically operates upon an order service in which customers either send their orders in the inbox on sites such as Facebook or fill out order forms on the company’s own personal website. The sites are full of colourful albums full of designs of various bangle creations which are updated regularly and articles targeted towards different target audiences regarding how to use the bangles and other fashion tips (Bangles Pvt Ltd, 2014). While the company instantly began to gain steady business and maintained a commendable reputation, the company is currently facing a number of issues as it plans to expand further into other markets and has also recently begun to supply bangles in Asia via the owner’s relatives and friends who live there. The Asian market shows high potential for the company as the use of bangles is highly widespread in many Asian countries and the designs of the bangles support Asian cultural traditions while adding a contemporary touch to what is traditionally worn by Asian women. However, this will add an additional burden upon the employees at Bangles who are already over-absorbed in producing bangles for current customers. The owner i s slightly worried that if the brand is not managed properly by the distributors she appoints (friends and relatives), which may cause a detrimental impact upon the company’s name and future prospects (Bangles Pvt. Ltd, 2014). Thus, it is essential for her to ensure that the operations and delivery processes in Asia are properly conducted and reliable. There is also danger that her products will end up in the retail market in Asia if no controls are implemented and may be sold to customers in bulk. The owner of Bangles also needs to ensure that her employees in Asia conform to company policy and are highly cooperative with her and her UK-based employees. She needs to maintain decorum with her employees and coordination with respect to meeting customer demand and responding to customer preferences. This paper will outline the company’s main core competencies, organizational capabilities, and capacity-building tools which can help Bangles solve its current expansion prob lems in the Asian market. The paper will then conclude by providing recommendations as to what the organization needs to further develop and commenting upon its managerial practices while summarizing the main points made in the paper. Core Competencies, Organizational Capabilities, and Capacity-Building: Core competencies are the unique qualities or strengths that a firm has which differentiate them from their competitors and are difficult to replicate. They are a source of competitive advantage for a firm and enable the firm to perform efficiently and effectively in a particular area relative to their competitors (Gupta, 2013). Bangles Pvt. Ltd has several core competencies which strengthen the firm and result in increased business. One of the core competencies of Bangles Pvt. Ltd is the diversified workforce, which consists of close friends and students of the owner who originate from different countries and are able to provide Bangles with unique and original ideas for bangle designs. Thus, the aesthetic appeal of Bangles’ products suits the modern tastes of consumers in the UK, India, Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Nigeria as the designers of Bangles originate from the countries mentioned. Another core competency of the firm is the owner’s personal involvement in the business and the fact that the owner provides customers with a personalized service and is highly interactive with the customers. Additionally, the owner also provides a customized service to customers who wish to get their own bangles designed at an affordable price. Also, the owner’s large social circle and connections with people in Asia who can help in expanding and managing the business is also a core competence as the owner will not have to associate with unknown parties in order to achieve expansion into Asia. The organizational capabilities of the firm are the manner in which people are managed in a firm in order to gain a competitive advantage (Grafton, Lillis, & Widener, 2010). The organizational capabilities of Bangles include the owner’s excellence in human resource management as she has been successful in motivating employees since the business’s inception. The owner’s charismatic leadership style and the informal organizational culture of th e firm help the employees remain comfortable and united with one another. The owner also attempts to organize the employees in the organization through the use of various communication tools including a personal group on WhatsApp, an intranet which enables the employees to interact with one another, and through the use of video conferencing when applicable (Bangles Pvt Ltd, 2014).The business’s strong internal associations and the fact that all of the designers in the firm are educated, trained, and experienced in the field of arts and crafts enables the firm to perform faster and more efficiently in order to quickly meet customer demand. The lack of misunderstandings between employees and the close connection between employees and the owner also serves as a source of competitive advantage and enables the work to be done quicker. The organization is currently working on capacity-building as it has previously increased its capacity by purchasing three small machines, which hel p cut the thread and sew on the beads for intricately and delicately designed bangles. Using these machines has sufficiently increased the capacity of the firm and Bangles has been able to complete more orders than it previously had. The company has recently tried division of labour and instead of asking one designer to complete a full pair of bangles, they have tried to break down the tasks and let one worker complete a portion of an order while the others complete other portions. This has shown commendable results recently as capacity has slightly increased. In order to solve the problems arising from an expansion into the Asian market, Bangles must use its core competencies, organizational capabilities, and capacity-building tools to its advantage. The owner can use the core competency of having a diversified workforce to be able to accurately meet the aesthetic demands of customers in Asian countries. Moreover, the owner needs to use her social connections in order to appoint a reliable manager in Asia who will help in the distribution of Bangles’ products and also manage the brand image of the firm. The owner can make use of the firm’s strong communication network to set up a system in which she communicates with customers in Asia herself or responds to their messages as soon as possible if there is a difference in timings in order to provide them with a personalized and customized service where applicable. Thus, to efficiently manage business in Asia, the owner must make use of her charismatic leadership style to constantly remain in touch with employees and the manger in Asia and ensure she is updated upon changing trends. The owner must also have a rigid plan towards crisis management in order to ensure that she is able to solve such problems without increasing hassle and confusion and risk in damaging the brand’s reputation. The owner can also extend the intranet to include employees in Asia and to ensure that she communicates wit h them personally in order to ensure that they are familiar with the organizational culture and are absorbed into the enthusiasm of being a part of the organization. These are the strategies that the firm can use by making use of its existing core competencies and capabilities. However, the firm may also need to enhance other departments in order to efficiently compete in the Asian market. Conclusion and Recommendations: It is evident that the firm has numerous core competencies and organizational capabilities which enable the firm to efficiently compete in the market and which can be used to its advantage in expanding into the Asian market. However, the firm may consider increasing its efficiency and capacity by hiring additional designers in Asia who can produce the bangles there and ship them to customers easily and without additional cost. Moreover, the firm may also hire additional staff in the UK to ensure that there is always someone available online to cater to customer queries and demands. In order to appropriately achieve this, Bangles may also consider giving its staff training in customer service and managing across cultures. Hence, the firm’s core competencies of a diversified workforce, strong social connections, and the owner’s personal involvement in the business serve to be highly beneficial while organizational capabilities of a strong communication network and informa l organizational culture are redeem high benefits. References Bangles Pvt. Ltd. (2014) Facebook Page [online] Accessed on: February 20, 2014 Available at: https://www.facebook.com/bangles Grafton, J., Lillis, A. M., & Widener, S. K. (2010). â€Å"The role of performance measurement and evaluation in building organizational capabilities and performance.† Accounting, Organizations and Society. Vol. 35(7) pp. 689-706. Gupta, R. K. (2013). â€Å"Core Competencies for Business Excellence.† Advances in Management. Vol. 6 (10). pp. 712-723

Nursing - Healing Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing - Healing Hospital - Essay Example Finally, the paper will include some of the biblical aspects that back up healing hospital concept. To begin with, these components include safety, respect, compassion, trust, and creating of positive results in people’s lives and health. Healing hospital involves a concept whereby a progressive or continuous loving care chain is executed throughout the entire organization using kindness and skills from every caregiver. This happens even with the leaders and is done to patients and sometimes vice versa. Workers, in health institutions are obliged to envelop or seal the spirit of real love, integration, selflessness, and compassion when handling their patients and co-workers. A point to note is that caring does not involve staff to patients alone, it also exists among the workers or staff members themselves. Spirituality begins from the top leaders to the upper management, middle management employees, and down to the normal or subordinate members. In order to successfully deal with patients and give them enough care, the staff must possess passion, a necessary and one of the core values for handling patients with enough affection and professionalism (Chapman, 2007). Passion for an individual is having passion for the passion fully irrespective of his or her disadvantages, shortcomings or mistakes. Passion for another person or patient should involved being passionate about the personality of the individual from their spirit, body and even their minds and thoughts. In considerations to all these healing components, love appears to be the fundamental or core area of healing in any hospital or health related institution. Finally, spirituality also has a great influence on the patients involved in healing process. It has a positive effect since the body, spirit and mind all work together to attain a common goal, which is ensuring health and rational personality within a person. There are several challenges affecting the process of healing hospitals. To begin with, very few people fail to comprehend spirituality due to its spirituality and many view it as a complex word in the hospital healing context. The description and definition of spirituality is always considered at the individual level and observed as innate in character. It becomes a challenging task to discover and understand someone’s beliefs in spiritual matters. Psychologically, spirituality is developed when a person is born. It always depends on the a person‘s immediate environment. Therefore, it always becomes a tough decision to influence or convince a person into believing in a given spiritual concept being introduced (Chapman, 2007). Comprehending another person’s emotions is also a hindrance and a challenge to the success of hospital healing. One may be very emotional and radical in his or her beliefs but does not show these characters until he or she is provoked. Coming up with an environment where stress has been minimized. Creation of a good envi ronment for hospital healing has also been proven to be a core hindrance to hospital healing process or efforts. Poor physical environmental condition within the hospital vicinity undoubtedly hinders hospital healing among patients and staff members as well. For instance, when the hospital is located in an area where air quality is low, the probability that patients will get healed and recover from their illness will almost be negligible. This not only affects

Choosing an existing company, write a BUSINESS REPORT which recommends Essay

Choosing an existing company, write a BUSINESS REPORT which recommends a marketing strategy and tactics for a new product or bra - Essay Example The demographic profile chosen for the products of Soul Mate are boys and girls both aged between two to eighteen. The name itself presents the affection towards the kids. The company is in the market for the last four years. The primary markets are USA and Canada. The lion part of the revenue comes from the US market. The company is one of the most innovative toy making companies in the market. The sell their products through exclusive Soul Mate stores across The USA and also through some selected retail outlets in US and Canada. The company is relatively new in the segment. However, it is privileged with the 15 percent market share in US toy market. The main successful formula of the Soul Mate is the best quality products with best service in the industry. Soul Mate is having a successful journey for the last four years in USA and now it is planning to show its supremacy in the international lucrative markets like India and Brazil. Vision of the Soul Mate: The Vision of the company is to be one of the ethically acclaimed leading innovative toy manufacturing companies in the world. Mission of the Soul Mate: The mission of the Soul Mate is to provide high quality products and services to the prospective customers to gain the trust and distribute the knowledge and happiness among the kids. Soul Mate wants to become the soul mate of the kids for ever so kids can cherish their beautiful childhoods. SWOT analysis: Strength: Soul Mate is full of ambition and lust to achieve. The company is having a name which connects to the heart of the kids. The company is there in the market for more than 4 years. It is having its own retail outlets where they sell their products exclusively. The company is equipped with well trained research team who are monitoring the new trend in the market. And the main strength is the trust it has built among the kids and the real buyers that is the parents. They have the old toy replacement policy with the exchange with new one which works as a big strength of the company. Weakness: Weakness is a factor which is most of the time invisible but it is visible after something goes wrong. However, the main weakness is the product range. It is having a product range which is not too long. The product range is consisting of spy gadgets, board games, dolls and scale models and video games. They don’t focus on the cars and remote controlled toys. Opportunity: Toy market is not saturated and few big names are there in the industry, so the opportunity is there to be grabbed. Soul Mate has a promising future plan to focus on the unexplored lucrative markets like India and Brazil where people are having high spending habits but they don’t get quality products. Opportunities are waving hands toward the Soul Mate, it just has to react over it. Threat: The product life cycle of a toy is not too long. And with the passing of time the formation and psychology about the toys are changing very fast. Extinction is one of the main threats. The company needs to be innovative to survive among the highly competitive business world. However, the interactive website is a big problem solver for the Soul Mate Where Kids can Play Demo Games and may be some free online games which would be licensed under Soul Mate. Product line and the depth and breadth of the line: The product line of the Soul Mate is not too long.

UN Millennium Development Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UN Millennium Development Goals - Essay Example le progress have been achieved with regards to gender equality in primary and secondary education and most regions of the world including the developing countries have equal enrollments of boys and girls in primary and secondary education institutions (Sweetman, 2005). The case of tertiary and advanced education is different because there is a marked gap between the enrollments of boys and girls in higher education institutions, particularly in the developing world. Poverty, marginalization, food insecurity, armed conflicts and disease are the various different reasons of such trends of disparity in male and female higher education. The Gross Enrollment Ration in tertiary education institutions in Africa is 4.8% for women and 7.3% (Nwonwu, 2008). Financial issues are one side of the picture; there are many cultural and religious issues which are barring women for acquiring education and in some of the regions women eager to acquire education are subjected to violence. Education is one sector, gender disparity can also be observed in other spheres of life as well. Most of the developing countries have a very meager female population having paid jobs. The recent global recession has further aggravated the situation because the unemployment rates for women which rose up during recession did not fall down during the economic recovery of 2009-2010 however the unemployment rates for men fell down significantly (World Bank, 2011). Lack of representation of women in the legislative and administrative bodies is an issue being faced by the developed as well as the developing world. The target of equal representation of women in the legislative bodies of the world is still far from being achieved, according to 2011 UN report on MDG, the women shared only 19.3% of the total parliamentary seats in the world (United Nations, 2011). Education indicators in the United Arab Emirates show that the women are getting a remarkable share in the educational institutions but disparity

Mass Murderer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mass Murderer - Case Study Example When looking at the case of Charles Manson, one could begin to list a myriad of reasons for his crimes, starting all the way at the beginning of his life. Even in his younger years, Manson was subjected to crime, and went in and out of several different protection camps until he was finally sent to the National Training Schools for Boys in Washington D.C. His turn to crime can be traced back to his unstable family life, his mother was a drunk and he may never have known his real father. He lived between family members, and even at one time in his life was sold by his mother so she could get some alcohol. His uncle had to go take him back, and thus began Manson's movement in and out of family homes, as well as the prison and rehabilitation crimes schools he would go in and out of for the next years of his life. Manson's life of crime only continued, as his criminal behavior in jail kept him in prison until March 21, 1967. Upon his release then, he had spent less than his thirty two years in various prisons across the country. However, for Manson, his worst crimes were still yet to come. They could easily be foreshadowed by his previous record of crime and unwillingness to cope with the law. If one simply was to glance at this past record, it is not a surprise that Manson turned out the way that he did. Now that Manson was out of jail, he was able to amass alm... and always being shuffled in and out of homes and schools, I feel Manson did not grow up as he should, and suffered from a lack of a stable conscience. As he continued to grow, this is evident through his massing of a "Family", as it would later be called, and the gruesome murders that would later be carried out on his command. As his Family continues to grow, his supports became even more loyal to him. A huge Beatles fan, Manson preached to his followers that mass murders were to come, and that riots between blacks and whites due to racial tension were due to break out at any time. However, it was Manson's family themselves who broke out the murders, and in an odd way brought Manson's teachings to life. Although it is uncertain if Manson committed any of the murders himself, it is for sure that he ordered them and played a pivotal role in what happened the nights of all the murders. After all of these murders, Manson would be sentenced to death on seven counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. Manson was just recently denied parole again, and is not up for parole until 2012. His case is often connected with the counter culture of the time, and Manson may be one of the most infamous murderers of this age. Throughout his whole life, Manson never really stood still. Being brought up in a shaky, unstable environment, and having to go through all those prisons at such a young age, and even having a lack of strong role models, all seem to compact into the idea of what he turned into. He seemed to somewhat loose touch with right and wrong, possibly because he never really was taught what right and wrong was. I believe that these reasons all strongly weighed on Manson, and ultimately made him become who he turned out to be. If Manson had had a better childhood, been

Auditors independence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Auditors independence - Essay Example Auditor independence is a term which truly umbrellas many different matters, and which thus must be understood fully and thoroughly in order to be understood properly altogether. Basically, in order to understand the meaning of auditor independence you must first understand the fact that basically the professional independence of auditors has truly been held responsible for that of the many corporate collapses and financial debacles that have taken place worldwide, and that this explains the essentiality of understanding the importance of the independence factor in the auditing sector. Independence is generally understood to refer to a mental state of objectivity and lack of bias. They are totally opposed against the new ruling and voiced many of the same concerns that were seen from other CPA's. He expressed concern that the regulation of the new rule cannot be sufficient by itself. It's also necessary that public investors-the users of financial reports-perceive that the numbers ar e right. These are basically and for some places entirely restricted because they give the appearance that when auditors provide these services to audit clients they are acting as an advocate for the audit client. Brown goes on then to even further illustrate this point by showing that in Canada we are looking at the SEC's proposal closely and extensively and "will formulate our regulatory response partly on your experience. It is truly and absolutely a key factor that the audit committee identifies independence violations, because they are on the front line and are closest to the action. The creation of these principles was due to increasing concern that auditors were not remaining totally independent when performing the audit. Other times the consulting professionals will have little or no interaction with auditors especially in large firms. If firms miss their earnings expectations even by a slim margin the result is an immediate decrease in stock prices. Furthermore, the last no n-audit service that is restricted to audit clients is expert services. The initial concept of auditor independence, which arose during the 19th century, was based on the premise, primarily British in origin, that a principal duty of professional accountants and auditors was the oversight of absentee investments in the existing and former colonies of the British Empire. During this period, a relatively small number of accounting firms could perform audits for a relatively large number of entities. Professional accountants and auditors could render reports on the financial performance of different entities and could work for different investor groups. The concept of auditor independence during this era did not conceive of auditors as advocates for audited entities; British investors explicitly forbade auditors from investing or working in the businesses that they audited. At the same time, as long as auditors maintained their primary loyalty to the investors back home, the scope of professional a

Stages and Spheres of Discipleship Research Paper

Stages and Spheres of Discipleship - Research Paper Example The spiritually dead do not consider Christ. They do not consider Christ as their lord and savior. They are the unsaved and not born again people in the society. The spiritually dead do not believe in god. To them, the bible is just a bunch of myths. Christians are intolerant and homophobic people to God and they need to develop patience. Religion is a crutch for the weak individuals and such take chances in god.1 They do not differentiate between the right and wrong and they consider what might be right for one person to be right for another person. For them, the truth is just relevant for the one who perceives it. The spiritually dead do not consider the existence of hell and consider many ways a person can get to God. They consider themselves good individuals, and when they die, everything will be okay. Ephesians two 1-5 â€Å"God due to his great love for us and his rich mercy make us alive makes us alive with Christ even when we are dead in transgression."2 These individuals just know the Christ as their lord and savior. They are in the stage to learn the way God taught his disciples. They are described as infant babies filled with many questions and with many curiosities. The spiritual infants consider it necessary to go to church regularly to learn more about Christ. The spiritual infants need to pray and read the bible regularly. They consider it not necessary to need anyone else in their lives apart from themselves and Jesus. However, the infants are faced with dilemmas; they consider Jesus to be the solution of their problem. They will tell you that they were saved recently, but they still have problems in their lives. Peter 2:2-3 peter a servant and apostle of God says, â€Å"To those who have received Gods righteous and Jesus Christ as their savior, Grace and peace be abundant upon them through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and God. The divine power of God will give them everything they need.†3 The spiritual children

Lack of Diversity in Prison Staff Research Paper

Lack of Diversity in Prison Staff - Research Paper Example As a result of their study, Nicholas and Mary (1993) were able to find quite a lot of likenesses and differences in the perceptions of work in prison among the staff members which were influenced by their gender. In order to enhance workers’ motivation for work, it is imperative that their gender based requirements are taken into consideration and the policies are designed accordingly. Women bring diversity in work force in terms of gender. Benefits obtained from this variation in the corrections profession can only be maximized by paying heed to the perceptions of women along with men. There are several obstacles in the way of providing jailed students with education that is effective as well as consistent with their individualistic needs. The environment within prison is a result of the strict requirements of security. Prisoners are locked up, and are monitored all time. They are counted and are carefully supervised. These traits of the culture prevalent in jails impose a lo t of difficulties in the way of learning for imprisoned students. Too many restrictions do not leave any supportive element in the environment in a jail for studies. The prison staff places much more stress on punishing the imprisoned children than encouraging them to change their habits for the better. This behavior of the prison staff plays a big role in marginalizing education in jail. This is the fundamental reason why education and learning is seen by many imprisoned students as something beyond the allowable limits. Most of the education provided to imprisoned students is of the most basic level. In a vast majority of cases, these students are provided with little to no higher education at all. Education and learning, in general, is understood by both the staff working in a prison and the imprisoned lot as an â€Å"elite† task (Watts, 2010). In his research, Watts (2010) made an attempt to explore the hindrances commonly experienced by students in the way of gaining hig her education when they are imprisoned in a conventional jail setting. The research was particularly focused on studying the various practical and organization specific limitations encountered by the educators while they tend to provide the imprisoned students with education in a completely non-conventional and dangerously absurd learning environment. Watts (2010) particularly found that one-to-one teaching method greatly enhances a student’s capacity to learn in the sort of environment that is conventionally cultivated in jails. With the changes in the demographics in United States, the programs offered in jails which are directed at the rehabilitation of the imprisoned people have been heavily affected. According to the information recorded by the US Census, the population of minority in jails would transform into a majority till 2010 (Marshal, 2001). Female inmates in prison that used to be a minority in the past are readily increasing on a yearly basis as a result of the reflection of United States in the imprisoned population. Only over the course of one decade ending 2001, the population of

Probate Code Essay Example for Free

Probate Code Essay There is significance in property being classified as probate or nonprobate property in terms of the need for probate, creditors’ claims and payment of federal estate and state estate and inheritance taxes is that. If property is classified as probate then that means that it is the decedent’s property that is subject to estate administration by the personal representative. It also means that the probate property is subject to creditors’ claims and federal and state death taxes. Nonprobate property is not subject to probate because it cannot be transferred by will or inheritance. The nonprobate property goes straight to the named beneficiary or to the surviving joint tenant(s) or partners. Nonprobate property is part of the decedent’s gross estate for federal and state death tax purposes; it is subject to federal and state estate taxes and state inheritance tax. 27. Joint tenancy is different from both tenancy in common and a tenancy by the entirety. Joint tenancy is different from tenancy in common because joint tenancy is the ownership of real or personal property by two or more persons with the right of survivorship; whereas, tenancy in common is the ownership of an undivided interest of real or personal property by two or more persons without the right of survivorship. In a tenancy in common, each person has the right to hold or occupy the whole property in common with the other co-tenants, and each is entitled to share in the profits derived from the property. Unlike a joint tenancy, when a tenancy in common dies, the decedent’s interest goes to an heir or as directed in a will. Joint tenancy is unlike tenancy by the entirety. Tenancy by the entirety is a form of joint tenancy with the right of survivorship available only to a husband and wife. It cannot be terminated by one joint tenant’s inter vivos conveyance of his or her interest. Neither one of the tenants by the entirety can transfer the property or sever the tenancy by the entirety without the consent of the other spouse. 28. There are four unities required for the creation of a joint tenancy. Those unities are: unity of interest, unity of title, unity of time, and unity of possession. For unity of interest to exist, each tenant must have an interest in the property identical with that of the other tenants; the interests must be of the same quantity and duration. For unity of title to exist, the tenancy must be created and the tenants must receive their title from a single source, e.g., the same will or deed. For unity of time to exist, joint tenant owners must receive or take their interests in the property together, i.e., at the same time. Finally, for unity of possession to occur, each joint tenant must own and hold the same undivided possession of the whole property held in joint tenancy. 29. An ancillary administration is necessary if at death the decedent-testator owns any real property in a state other than his domiciliary state, and any tangible personal property in another state. The purpose of ancillary administration is to dispose of and distribute that portion of the decedent’s estate located in a state other than the decedent’s domiciliary state. 30. Community property is all property, other than property received by gift, will, or inheritance, acquired by either spouse during marriage that is considered to belong to both spouses equal in the nine community property states and Alaska if community property is elected. Things that would not be community property includes property received by gift, will or inheritance that are acquired by either spouse during marriage, property individually owned by the husband or wife before their marriage, property that is currently separate property and is traded, replaced, or sold for other property and becomes â€Å"new† separate property, and lastly, social security, railroad retirement, and veteran’s benefits.

An Ethical Evaluation Of The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Religion Essay

An Ethical Evaluation Of The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Religion Essay The Middle East is perhaps the most important region in the world. For followers of the three monotheistic faiths, it contains several holy cities, with the most important being Jerusalem. The violence in the region, specifically in Israel-Palestine, makes it difficult for observers of these religions to worship as they please. There have been many efforts to resolve the conflict begun in the first half of the twentieth century, from peace talks to international laws. However, nothing seems to have helped. The solution needs to be one that benefits all in the region and is ethical. It is impossible, however, to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the current definition of ethics being used ethics of obligations, rights, and claims. Instead, a new ethics of fairness and forgiveness needs to be followed. Memory also needs to experience a shift from a focus on vengeance to a focus on remembering justly. Terms Defined In order to better understand the terms used by different groups examined within this paper, it is necessary to define basic terms and indicate in which ways they will be used. Israel will be used when referring to the present country of Israel. This does not include the occupied territories and is limited to the present day land. Eretz Israel will be used when necessary to describe the historically Biblical land of Israel. Any other forms of Israel discussed will be defined by the year or another trait. The occupied territories (OT) as a term will be used when discussing both the West Bank and Gaza Strip or, in different time periods, any of the lands Israeli forces occupied. If this is the case, the year will be given as well as a geographical description. During the Six Day War in 1967, for example, the Sinai Peninsula would also be an occupied territory. The West Bank was conquered by Israeli forces during the 1967 Six Day War and have been in relative control of the territory ever since. Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning yet more Israeli settlements within the West Bank. However, international organizations such as the United Nations believe the continued settlements to be illegal.  [1]  The Gaza Strip was controlled by Egypt until the 1967 war, when Israeli forces invaded and conquered it. In 1994, the Palestinian Authority (the governing body of the occupied territories) took political control of lands in the strip not being used by Israeli arme d forces or settlers. East Jerusalem was taken over by Israeli forces during the Six Day War. According to UN Resolution 181, Jerusalem is supposed to be an international city, with a special international regime which shall be administered by the United Nations.  [2]   Fundamentalism is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as a type of militantly conservative religious [and/or political] movement characterized by the advocacy of strict conformity to sacred texts.  [3]  To the American public, this term generally is associated with Islamic fundamentalists. Within any religion, however, there can be different groups of fundamentalists. Islamic fundamentalists often restrict themselves to very literal interpretations of the Quran, their main holy text, and the Hadith, a book about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic fundamentalists are often associated with Islamism. Not all Islamic fundamentalists are Islamists, but generally speaking, all Islamists are Islamic fundamentalists. Islamists want a religious state, with Islamic law, or Sharia, replacing secular laws. Islamists also promote the notion of pan-Islamism, or the unity of all Muslims, and the elimination of non-Islamic influences, such as western ideals, practices, and more.  [4]  For many, this means waging a holy war against outsiders, known as a lesser jihad in mainstream Islam. Jewish fundamentalism is a little more difficult to explain. Gush Emunim is an example of one such group. Zionism is the notion that the Jewish people need to reestablish their homeland in Israel. After the founding of Israel, Zionism evolved into the thought that the Israelis have the right to occupy the entire land of Israel. For some, this means Eretz Israel. There are Zionists who support the state of Israel without religious views coming into play. These are not usually fundamentalists. Zionist fundamentalists are those who use religious viewpoints to support an extreme Zionist cause one that usually involves the occupation of lands in Eretz Israel and the expulsion of all non-Jewish people from Israel, specifically Muslims. The Current Problem with Ethics in the Middle East The area of ethics is difficult to define. The average person tends to believe that it involves laws and/or religions. However, ethics can be better defined as standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.  [5]  Religions and philosophies do serve as moral compasses for many individuals, but people who do not subscribe to any particular religion still can be ethical and moral. Ethics can be situational or static, and, like other values, can be compromised. Ethics is also involved in notions of justice. While ethics deals with notions of right and wrong, justice utilizes ethics and law in order to come to a fair conclusion regarding specific cases. Highly publicized viewpoints on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, such as those presented by groups like Hamas, often cite a problem of retribution and justice when discussing relations with groups on the other side. There is too much of a focus on achieving justice, or retribution, for past actions. For many, this justice is a requirement for future peace negotiations. However, retribution is not always the right way to achieve a just end nor is it always an available option. There is also a problem with the use of rights. Each group to be evaluated claims the other has no right to exist, whether it is through their actions or ideologies. Israel should not exist, say those who agree with Hamas and Hezbollah, because the inhabitants had no right to occupy the land held by the Palestinians. They believe that they are defending their homelands against Israeli invaders and use this to justify their actions. Many Israelis believe that groups such as Hamas have no right to exist because of their ideological and physical attacks against Israel. These groups create a security problem for Israeli citizens, so Israelis believe any actions against the Palestinians are justified. The problem with claiming that one group has more of a right to exist in an area than another is that rights are very tricky: Rights are, in the words of the legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin, trumps over all other claims. They can also become barriers to compromise and to peace, since it is more difficult sometimes impossible to give up rights than to give up mere preferences of other claims.  [6]   Current peace-seeking groups do try to address some of these problems. Gush Shalom, for example supports a Right of Return for Palestinian refugees where the Israeli government will help to set the Palestinians up in Israel, or even another country. Palestinians can also choose another method of compensation. However, until the work of groups like Gush Shalom can become more mainstream, it does not seem like the above problems can be rightly addressed. From the current ethical standpoint, no one can win. The Middle East has been in turmoil for many years and, as a result, thousands of lives have been lost in the violence. There can be no justice, in the traditional sense of the word, for these victims. There is no way to muddle through the claims on all sides to determine exactly who started what first, or to get retribution for all those who have hurt and suffered. Justice can only occur once we alter our current stance on justice. Presentation and Evaluation of Group Ideologies Each of the following groups has been chosen because of their fundamentalist ideologies and their popularity among the common people within their countries. Hamas has gained political power in the Gaza Strip, giving them legitimacy amongst people residing there. However, their link to terrorism as a result of their ideological beliefs has limited the ability of other countries to recognize Hamas right to lead. Hezbollah faces a similar problem within Lebanon, on a more violent scale. Gush Emunim is the only group to have virtually ceased to exist, except in acceptance of ideology. The beliefs of this group have now become the norm for many living within Israel. Hamas was founded in 1987 and grew out of Egypts Muslim Brotherhood. The next year, however, Hamas published their charter one that began to separate itself from the nonviolent message of the Muslim Brotherhood.  [7]  The group slowly turned into a combination of Islamic fundamentalism and Palestinian nationalism.  [8]  The organization gained power through its extensive social programs. The bulk of their current budget goes to schools, healthcare, soup kitchens, and other social services. Since coming to power in the Gaza Strip in 2006, Hamas has consistently attacked Israel and other Palestinian groups who recognize Israels right to exist through media and physical means. Hamas charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamist state in its place.  [9]  It is only this, they believe, that will cease the colonization and western influences in Middle Eastern lands. Hamas refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist. This combined with terrorist links have caused several countries to refuse to recognize the right of Hamas to lead. These counties have since ceased all funding and support. Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political group in Lebanon created as a result of the 1982 invasion of Lebanese lands by Israeli forces. Hezbollah won popularity within Lebanon through their social programs. Their political leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has a very religious background, but does not serve as the religious leader.  [10]  Hezbollah sees the destruction of the Israeli state and the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state as a long-term goal.  [11]  More immediate goals include the establishment of an Islamist state within Lebanon and the expulsion of western powers and influences.  [12]  The main idea is that an Islamist state is the only one which an outside western force will not be able to invade and take over.  [13]  Hezbollah sees violence as a method to bring about the change that they seek. The group itself is quick to point out, though, that they have moved to a less violent and imposing platform based on political action instead of terrorism.  [14 ]  Hezbollah has indeed taken to involvement in political life within Lebanon. It remains a minority group within the Lebanese Parliament. In August of 2008, the Lebanese Parliament approved a national unity cabinet, giving Hezbollah veto power with eleven of thirty seats.  [15]   Both Hamas and Hezbollah have taken extreme positions against Israel. These groups have resorted to violent means in order to get their point across in the past, and continue to do so today. Ironically, these actions have only gotten these groups condemned by international organizations. Violence causes more problems for the people they are trying to help as well as harming others unnecessarily. Hamas has focused too much on their claim to the land which now makes up Israel. From a logical standpoint, there is no way to de-establish Israel and give what Hamas would consider ample justice or retribution. Founded in 1974, Gush Emunim subscribes to an extreme form of Zionism, which calls for Israeli control over Eretz Israel. The group is theological in nature, though this does not make it exclusively religious. The Jewish people have been chosen by God, according to the Bible. The goal of Gush Emunim is to establish settlements in the Palestinian territories in order to eventually regain control of the lands given by God, as well as to promote this goal among others. For members of this group, there is no room for compromise, and to give up the control of any part of Eretz Israel would be blasphemy and a sin against God.  [16]   Gush Emunim began to set up settlements in the occupied territories in the mid to late 1970s. Due mainly to ideological issues, the settlements ended up facing a large amount of resentment and problems with the nearby Arab settlers. They asked for the Israeli government to step in and, eventually, the government felt as though it was forced to do so due to public opinion and violence around the settlements.  [17]  Gush Emunim then set up more settlements in order to reach its goal. To further complicate peace talks and other negotiations in recent years, former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been purported to be a big supporter of Gush Emunim.  [18]   Gush Emunim focused too much on the right of the Israeli people to rule over all of Eretz Israel and not enough on the possible consequences of their actions. While they did come close to achieving their goal, supporters of Gush Emunim forced the government into an awkward position and ended up alienating Palestinians. Using religiously-related rights to these lands also put outside groups in an awkward position. Who is the United Nations to say that God did not give all of Biblical Israel to the Jews? Movements for Peace The following groups have been chosen for their peace-achieving efforts in the Middle East. Gush Shalom is a predominantly Jewish organization, having starting in Israel. The International Solidarity Movement is Palestinian-based. However, like other peace-seeking groups, members of both organizations come from a variety of places. Both groups support the Palestinian struggle. However, the connections between the International Solidarity Movement and possible terrorism are pushing people with the potential to make a difference away. Founded in 1993, Gush Shalom is a very well known peace movement group active within Israel.  [19]  The group is extremely concerned with the treatment of the Palestinian people. They recognize the problems caused by Israeli forces and focus on creating a partnership between the two countries in order to have a more prosperous future. The groups main goals are related to ending the occupation and bringing peace to the region. Unlike other groups, Gush Shalom recognizes the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees, allowing each refugee to choose freely between compensation and repatriation to Palestine and Israel, and fixing by mutual agreement the number of refugees who will be able to return to Israel in annual quotas.  [20]  Even more than that, Gush Shalom has proposed that Israel could help set up Palestinian refugees in another country.  [21]  No one within the organization is paid for their work, as all involvement with Gush Shalom is voluntary.  [22]  The o rganization has won several awards for its efforts to bring peace to the region. The group also works closely with the Palestinian Liberation Organization. This relationship even led to a draft of a peace agreement between the two organizations.  [23]  In this agreement, a two-state solution was discussed, wherein the border of the Palestinian state was defined as the lines of the cease-fire agreement of June 4, 1967.  [24]  A council would be established for Israelis and Palestinians to rule Jerusalem, the capital of both states, together.  [25]  This was first brought up by the United Nations.  [26]  The most interesting part of this document is how Gush Shalom handles the refugee problem. As mentioned before, Palestinian refugees have a choice between staying in Palestine, moving to Israel, or establishing lives in another country.  [27]  A truth commission of historians would be established, whose report on the major problems in Israel and the occupied territories would eventually placed in the textbooks of both countries.  [28]   From an ethical standpoint, Gush Shalom is pushing a new, radical point of view. Other peace groups advocate for the equality of Palestinian peoples and the establishment of a two-state solution. However, this is the only public organization that has made it a priority to investigate the problems inherent in the Middle Eastern conflict and publish them for future Israelis and Palestinians to read about and learn from. Gush Shalom is also one of the only Israeli-based groups petitioning for a Right of Return for the Palestinian people. They recognize the need for massive negotiations and compromise in order to achieve peace. If political groups can take the ideas and positions given here by Gush Shalom, peace could be possible. The biggest problem standing in the way of politicians and groups is how to get elected in Israel while running on this kind of platform. The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) was founded in 2001, with the express mission of assisting the Palestinian people in gaining support for their cause, as well as offering a degree of protection and a way to voice their opinions.  [29]  The ISM promotes nonviolent forms of fighting the occupation, like protesting, marching, and documenting problems between Palestinians and Israeli armed forces (IDF).  [30]  Perhaps the most important part ISM plays is the assistance they give to Palestinians during emergencies, like escorting ambulances through checkpoints.  [31]   In recent years, there has been some controversy over ISMs possible support for suicide bombings. There have been several poorly worded documents in which ISM leaders and other ISM-related people have seemingly supported suicide bombings carried out by Palestinians.  [32]  There have also been some connections to terrorists.  [33]  However, ISM states that they oppose the tactic of suicide bombings, especially those that have been carried out against civilian targets. We dont however think that it is a more brutal tactic than dropping a bomb from a fighter plane on a civilian-occupied apartment building, firing a tank shell down a crowded city street, or placing dynamite in a family home. They are all brutal and repulsive acts.  [34]   ISM also goes on to say that suicide bombings are simply weapons of desperate people who just do not have access to other weapons. While they believe these bombings are reprehensible, it is, in their opinion, an understandable move by an oppressed people fighting for their basic rights.  [35]   While this group is doing very real things to help the Palestinian people within the occupied territories, it is also far too focused on being anti-Israel. There are not a lot of occasions where the ISM and Israeli groups can work together, because of the problems within the ISM handling publicity issues. The poorly worded documents and possible ties to terrorism referred to above have a lot to do that. Despite ISM issuing statements to counter these claims, there are still a lot of concerned people and organizations who are leery of being involved with ISM. ISM workers also face a lot of danger, and many have been killed as a result of their work mostly by the IDF.  [36]  Because of these problems, it is also difficult to say, from an ethical standpoint, how helpful this organization is. It does provide helpful services to Palestinian farmers, like help with harvesting and protection from the IDF. However, there are just too many warning signs for this group to be fully embrace d. A Change in Ethics Evaluating the situation in Israel-Palestine using the current system of ethics does not work. The ethics of rights, obligations, and duties, brings with it too many questions and too many opportunities for disagreement and exclusion. Rights bring up claims which cannot necessarily be disputed or worked with. Obligations and duties require more of a direct acknowledgement of wrongs one group has perpetrated against the other. Unfortunately, in this conflict, there just is no way to keep score. Details of conflicts are too murky in most cases to concretely say which party started what problem. With that in mind, how can it be determined which party owes the other more? This task would be so time-consuming and tedious that there is no way it would benefit those currently in the situation. And so, the world must find a different way of viewing the ethics of this conflict. In his book, The Prophets, Abraham Heschel comes to the realization that there is a better form of ethics, one based not on obligations but instead on fairness. This is based on his unique understanding of the link between justice and righteousness. In essence, they are separate ideals, though they are linked: Righteousness goes beyond justice. Justice is strict and exact, giving each person his due. Righteousness implies benevolence, kindness, generosity. Justice is form, a state of equilibrium; righteousness has a substantive associated meaning. Justice may be legal, righteousness is associated with a burning compassion for the oppressed.  [37]   Justice, then, is more concrete and straightforward. It is something that is currently rewarded, but instead should be automatic.  [38]  However, it can be misused and corrupted.  [39]  This corruption can lead to a perversion of justice, where oppression is rampant.  [40]  Righteousness is needed to help keep justice pure. It involves the quality of a persons character.  [41]  Righteousness is what helps to give justice a more personal touch, moving from a notion of retribution to one of satisfaction and assistance. Justice involves the claims of one person or group and the responsibility of another person or group to answer that claim.  [42]  This works because of the sense that each person in a community is tied together.  [43]  What one person or group does to help another also helps the community as a whole. Righteousness is what helps people to give to the community and to assist each other. In the traditional sense of the word, justice requires retribution jail time, fines, or other punishment to fit a crime or wrong-doing. However, there are situations in which the classic notion of retribution is unthinkable or improper. If one of the parties has died, it becomes more difficult to seek justice for him or her. It is also difficult to handle justice when there are too many conflicting stories to produce proper retribution. Both of the above occur in the Middle Eastern conflict. As exemplified in the story of Cain and Abel, sometimes options other than punishment must be explored: Cain, slaying his brother, does not receive the punishment he deserves. Though justice would require that Abels blood be avenged, Cain is granted divine pardon and protection.  [44]  Here, in a situation where retribution may have been understandable, God instead decides to forgo this form of justice for one of protection and forgiveness. Forgiveness does not dictate that retribution be gi ven for an action, but instead requires a surrendering of grudges and anger. It should be personal and conditional: We may forgive the criminal; is it right to forgive the crime? I may forgive a wrong done to me; but do I have the right to forgive a wrong done to others? Unconditional forgiveness may be found in Pandoras box, a fine incentive to vice. Anger is a reminder that man is in need of forgiveness, and that forgiveness must not be taken for granted.  [45]   When this is applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the real importance of this distinction takes shape. An outside entity cannot fix the conflict, or bring it to an end. It is not the place of the United Nations or other countries to forgive the Israelis and/or the Palestinians. In order for peace to occur, a Palestinian may have to forgive the Israeli people as a whole for wrongs done to them in the past, just as an Israeli may have to forgive the Palestinian people. Does this forgive the crimes themselves? Absolutely not. Does this justify what has occurred between the two parties? Again, the answer is no. However, it is only with this mindset of starting anew that the people involved in this conflict can move beyond past actions and start to look ahead into the future. According to Heschel, then, justice does not have to involve retribution. His ethics of justice involve fairness, righteousness, and forgiveness instead. Using righteousness, Heschel acknowledges the necessity for a personal touch to how justice is carried out. Forgiveness gives us the idea that it is acceptable to forgive a wrong instead of seeking retribution, and that it is a God-like quality. Forgiveness does not dismiss the wrongs committed, but simply clears both the aggressor and victim of some level of guilt and pain. Heschel worries a lot about the misuse of justice. When the human factor is removed from consideration, the compassion that righteousness brings into the equation is gone and no real justice can be had.  [46]  Righteousness must accompany any form of justice, because There are many ways of evading the law and escaping the arm of justice. Only a few acts of violence are brought to the attention of the courts. As a rule, those who know how to exploit are endowed with the skill to justify their acts, while those who are easily exploited possess no skill in pleading their own cause. Those who neither exploit nor are exploited are ready to fight when their own interests are harmed; they will not be involved when not personally affected. Who shall plead for the helpless? Who shall prevent the epidemic of injustice that no court of justice is capable of stopping?  [47]   Israelis, then, can be seen to be the skilled exploiters, while the Palestinians do not possess a real ability to fight for themselves. The international community does not help out, unless their well-being is threatened. The United States will hold peace talks, but beyond that, little governmental help is offered to the Palestinians. What the Palestinians need is a prophet of sorts, someone to voice the problems they face. Where Can the Alternate Understanding Be Seen Today? Former President Jimmy Carter could be the Palestinians prophet. He was instrumental in bringing about a more peaceful period in the Middle East when he hosted the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978. In the end, three different conclusions were made. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank were to be given the opportunity to rule themselv

Aging Nurse workforce Essay -- Employment, Nursing Worforce, Retiremen

A variety of conceptual frameworks were used to research the aging nursing workforce. The theoretical model of Organizational and Personal Factors and Outcomes, developed by Schaefer and Moos (1991), was one context used during this review of literature. This framework suggests that the personal system as well as work stressors affect the association between the organizational system and work morale and performance (Atencio, Cohen, & Gorenberg, 2003). This model suggests that the individual system as well as work stressors influence the relationship involving the organizational scheme and work morale and performance. Occupation stressors combined with organizational and individual system factors induce coping responses and the result of retaining the older nurse (Schaefer & Moos, 1991). Another theoretical model used was the Conceptual Model of Intent to Stay by Boyle et al. (1999). This model describes four variables that shape a nurse’s plan to stay in employment. These variables consist of leadership characteristics, nurse characteristics, system characteristics, and work characteristics. The primary concentration for this model was to research the influence that leadership uniqueness has on a nurse’s intention to stay employed versus retiring. The outcomes showed that control over nursing practice, situational stress, and the manager characteristics had implicit effects on older nurse intention to remain employed (Cranley & Tourangeau, 2005). Karasek and Theorell’s Demand-Control Model (1990) was an additional conceptual framework noted in the review of literature on the ageing nursing workforce. This representation implies that intense job strain and decision-making opportunity contributes to work tension and lead... ...parture from the nursing profession or retirement from the line of work. Several key elements have been established throughout the research that lead to theses nurses feeling the need to retire and include: burnout, physical demands, mental health, linkage to the organization, hours worked, organizational culture, work intensity, and fiscal requirements. Organizations are beginning to establish evidence-based strategies in an effort to retain older registered nurses. Human resources are beginning to formulate policies and procedures to meet the needs of these aging nurses, which focus on their safety, stress levels, preferred work setting, schedule, and job satisfaction. The ability to delay retirement of these nurses or creating career paths that help facilitate a transition to a different work setting could help ease the shortage of nurses in the next decade.

Amelia Earhart :: Biography Biographies

Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart is one of the worlds greatest aviators, heroes, women, and all around person. She wasn't afraid of the things people said about Women not being aviators. She broke the stereo type boundaries and let the world know that she was not afraid of being a one of the best aviators of our time. Amelia was born in her grandparents house on July 24,1897. Her Father Edwin Earhart was working for a law practice in Kansas city during this time. Amelia didn't know that 2 1/2 years later she would have a sister named Muriel with the nickname Pidge. Amelia and Pidge were born into a life of privilege through their grandparents. They both attended a private school and took pleasure in their life of leisure. There grandfather was not impressed, though, with his son in law Edwin, the girls father. He apparently failed to live up to his father in laws social and financial expectations. Her Mother and Father moved to Des Moines in 1905 leaving the girls with their grandparents. The girls moved back to their parents in Des Moines in 1908. Amelia saw her first airplane when she was ten years old at the Iowa State fair. In her words she said "It was a thing made of wire and not all that interesting..."She took more interest in the Hat that she purchased at the fair. It would be almost ten years until Amelia's interest in aviation would unfold. Amelia father was promoted in 1909 and their conditions of living improved greatly. But Edwin had begun to drink and soon it became apparent to Amelia that her father was a drunkard. It also became apparent to family and friends. Finally in 1914 Amelia, Pidge and her mother left her father and he was fired and went to live with some friends in Chicago. There social life dropped and they became a subject of pity. Amy took money out of a trust fund to support Amelia and her sister through a prepatory school for collage. Amelia decided to train to become a nurse and served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment until the Armistices in November 1918.In her words she said: "There for the first time I realized what the World War meant."She also told about the horrible things that she saw like men without arms or legs, blind men, and even Paralyzed men. In the fall of 1919 Amelia enrolled as a pre- med student at Columbia University .

The Key Into Ketogenic Diets :: Health Fat Weight Loss Dieting Essays

The Key Into Ketogenic Diets Come on now...we have all done it. You know the feeling. You are walking down an aisle in the supermarket craving â€Å"bad†. Instead of going for the Oreo cookies you feel are loaded with fat, you opt for the Snackwells Fat Free Devils Food Cake Cookies and feel like you are a saint for making the least harmful choice. You feel great...that is until you get home, open the package, eat one cookie, then two...then in a matter of minutes the whole box has been consumed. But you think, its not that bad...no fat!!!! But, what about everything else in that box In the last couple of decades, dieting trends have astronomically increased. The average dieter has trained his or her ears and eyes to react to the word ‘fat’. Low fat, reduced fat, fat free- these are all words that until recently have set alarms off ringing in the typical dieter’s head. Recently, new vocabulary, such as ketogenic, ketosis, and low carbohydrate have stepped into the dieter’s world and questioned, or rather challenged, the ‘fat’ free method of dieting. So, after you have devoured the entire box of ‘fat’ free cookies perhaps you will ask yourself....WHAT ABOUT THE CARBOHYDRATES Ketogenics...Low-Carbohydrate...Ketosis...what does all this mean? Ketogenic diets, often called low-carbohydrate (low carb is slang), seem to be the latest diet trend. There are many different forms, all varying in different degrees. Ketogenic diets focus primarily on the limited intake of carbohydrates in the food pyramid. In order to clearly understand ketogenic diets, one must start with the basics-what are ketones and where are ketones found and produced What are ketones Ketose is any sugar that contains a ketone group. Ketone bodies are the normal physiological defenses in starvation. Ketone bodies are normal products of lipid and pyruvate and found within the liver. When an impaired or absent carbohydrate intake occurs, the body increases its production of ketone bodies and metabolizes them as an energy source. Ketogenesis, which is the production of ketone bodies occurs in ketogenic diets, resulting in a ketotic state( Miller-Keane 1997). So, â€Å"when the requirement for glucose cannot be met by other means, the tissues of the body rely increasingly on ketone bodies as an energy source† (Volpe 1983).

Visionary Mr Mineka Wickramasingh Essay

Brief background on CBL (Munchee) It was the visionary Mr Mineka Wickramasingha in 1960 who wanted to expand his family business from the chocolate market. It was at the same time that CARE looked at sources of nourishment for the poverty stricken. It was a substitute of a biscuit that Mr Wickramasinghe proposed looking to expand on those lines. At that time the market leaders were Maliban. They were the ones who were awarded the contract. Due to lack of space, CBL was first launched at Dehiwela in his own premises to produce a high protein biscuits for schools. From this footing Munchee, has marched forward to capture 80% of the market of the local market. For over 40 years the brand has developed a certain nostalgia that is irreplaceable by any other brand. The taste is enjoyed young and old alike. There vision is to become the number one biscuit in Asia. Product portfolio CBL now produces various food items which have become house hold names in Sri Lanka. CBL expansion is not only with biscuits to which consumers are more familiar, they also have chocolates under brand name ‘Ritzbury’ since 1990s. The other brands are Tiara and Lanka Soy. There are numerous subcategories under each product. There are jellies, soya base products, cereal products, herbal porridges, soups and much more. Sub Categories under the Munchee brand Sweet biscuitsCrackers Puffs Savory Biscuits Cream Biscuits Marie Cookies Assorted HerbalWafers These are premium and hand-moulded chocolates. They come in boxes and slabs. Can be as a coated biscuits or wafers or beans or candy bars. It is in different flavours, type, and size. Sub Categories Chocolate Coated Biscuits Chocolate Slabs Miniature Caterers RangeChocolate Coated Beans Chocolate Coated Balls Chocolate Coated Candy Bars Specialty ChocolatesChocolate Coated Wafers Soft sponge cake made to perfect texture and taste Layer Cake Portion Cake Butter Sponge Cake Swiss Roll Company performance Ceylon Biscuits is of undisputable quality. CBL has shown a growth both in sales and profit for the last 5 years. Revenue had doubled from Rs.1.9 to Rs 5,2 Billion by 2005. Group turnover grew by 48% that same year. Net profit that year was Rs.533 Mio. This was the highest recorded profit for this company. CBL profit gradually grew, as it caught on to an international market. By 2011 sales revenue has grown by 25% in comparison to 2010. The overall profit margin was around 9% for the recently past five years. If ever the company saw a small decline it was due to industrial unrest. This biscuit is spread over 95,000 retail outlets all around Sri Lanka. CBL exports to 36 international destinations. It has been able to spread it’s fame in South Asia as well. Some of the countries of export are USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, China, India, Maldives and even the Middle East countries. The annual export revenue is about US $ 4 to 5 million. CBL has many awards for its entrepr eneurship. These awards are Exports in the Gold Category, Product Brand of the Year for four consecutive years, Anugu International Food Fair award. The daily production is around 150 tons. The annual production is around 45,000 tons. The company’s labor force is about 3,500. Company sustainability relies on strict norms on quality, texture and taste. For this it uses the latest technology, innovative marketing, research and development. The three C analysis There are three phases that need to be carefully scrutinized in order get a total overview of the product. Customer analysis Of the main brand Munchee, the customer analysis will be done on a sub category -Marie widely known as â€Å"Tikiri† Marie –or Munchee Tikiri Marie. It is a small sized biscuit. The market segment chosen were children. Presently it is packed in a ‘keep fresh pack’ sold at a economical price. The advertisement that was done on a range of media was presented in the most attractive way, backed by lyrics that set a smile on the lips of any child. It was later that Maliban put a Marie range into the market. But by then Munchee Tikiri Marie had taken the market by storm. Competitor analysis There has been great potential for a children’s biscuit in the market. CBL had limited resources, especially in production technology which restricted revenue. It was the consumer preference that motivated CBL to keep producing the Marie Biscuit. At one point in time 50% of the production was Marie. Yet, the company was unable to raise profits. Maliban held strong to its position. No advertising, trade promotions or merchandising was able take over the market share that Maliban held. Maliban Marie has an unique flavor that was unmatchable. Volume market share (Total Biscuit Market-February 2005) Communication analysis This is a (B2C) nature of business. The company has used campaigns such as Tikiri Marie scholarship program.-Munchee Tikiri Shishyadara. Expansion programs worth Rs. 500 million – Rs. 300 million for state of the art plant. It was known as â€Å"Plant 6† from Italy. CBL went to war using all types of media from TV, newspaper, radio, magazines, even websites to introduce a new Marie. There was a series of advertisement for Tikiri Marie- from ‘Kohomada Tikiri Mole’ to the first day in school. All campaigns had been embarked under their corporate moto-‘A crowning success’. This was CBL communication approach of tacking Maliban. Target market for Munchee Tikiri Marie The brand â€Å"Munchee† has not only spread over domestic market but also the export market. Munchee is now exported to over 36 countries. Munchee can be seen in Gourmet Shops in Australia, supermarket like Wal-Mart, K-mart worldwide in countries like UK, Germany , Italy , Middle-East , Canada and Japan. South East Asian region is spread over 11 countries. When Munchee is target marketed in this area, it must be the same target market as of the other South Asian countries. It is the high quality, texture and taste that captivate any child in any country. Because of this CBL must ensure that they do not loose the perception of ‘a biscuit for children.’ As it is not being partnered by any company as it was in UK the brand name can prevail. Here CBL needs to position its product, thus no private label will be needed either like NTUC of Singapore and Supreme brand in China. Segment for Marie Geographical segmentation-South Asia, Europe, America, UK Demographical Segmentation – Age, taste, texture, income Behavioral segment- instant, nutritious Product positioning of Marie Brand Identity vs. Competition (Source- AC Neilson) Premium quality, Innovative and value for money brand available at arms length of desire. Scope of this Integrated Marketing Communications Plan It looks in to objectives, strategies, and tools in communication used to successfully bring about integrated marketing. The plan will discuss ways to launch a program to communicate product. Marketing objective Increase the sale of Munchee Buiscuits. CBL is looking to increase sales by 5% within the next two years. With this to increase the market share by 5% at the end of the second year. Increase the company profile while enhancing the product among the target market. Munchee also wishes to strengthen Brand image among South East Asian countries as a healthy, nutritious biscuit. Communication Objective Awareness program to reach 20% of target market through television, newspaper advertising and web promotions. At least 5% the target market must purchase the product. Issues and Challenges The target market may have other preferences in biscuits. This entirely depends on texture, flavor, taste, shape and size. Thus the promotions/advertising will have to be attractive, creative and innovative in order to reach the hearts and minds of South East Asian Children. Situational analysis Current problem facing product * The target audience may not be reached. * They may prefer other biscuits. * Difficult to build brand loyalty in the food industry. Identifying target * The target market is chosen taking taste and nutrition in to consideration. * Targeting people who looks for low price but has to be of quality. Selecting a Market to Target South East Asia Geographic segmentation Children of the age 1-16 , Middle class Demographic segmentation Target market Instant, nutritious Behavioral segmentation The target market that has been chosen is of the geographical location of South East Asia region among a demographic target of children between the ages of 1-16. In modern South East Asia food in freely available for purchases for people who are one the move. This biscuit provides nutrients that are good for children and is an easy snack in a keep fresh pack. It is instant food for hungry youngsters. Positioning through Marketing Strategies * Introductory price * Chance to taste Competition Product Comparison There are companies like DIMOs that offer discounts to Government servants but no company has offered it to Bankers. AMW is the first to get into this program. Barriers to Entry * The awareness in low. * Banks have tied with other automobile companies, on a separate basis for their leasing requirements and the staff gets their vehicles also leased through those companies. * Buyers may go for second hand as the economic situations are tough. Competitor Differentiation | Chery QQ| Micro Panda| Features | Small hatch back with comfortable interior, Three Cylinder – DOHCMPI – 12V – Petrol 812 CC engine ‘Chery’ is imported from China and marketed in Sri Lanka by David Peiris Motor Company| Micro car, Volvo tech, 1300 cc engine. Made in Sri Lanka. Comes with and without air bag.| Target Market| Working professionals| Working professionals| Strengths | Low price, Brand backing | Made in Sri Lanka| Weakness | Small range of customers, No discount| Small range of customersNo discount| Consumer Behaviour – problems faced in addressing communication message There is nothing extraordinarily attractive about the AMW Maruti. But the interior is appealing. It is economical on the fuel. There is a one year warranty on the car. These are some of the aspects in regards to the car that a consumer will look at. Then the consumer is going to look at the company that selling the car. Associated Motor Ways Ltd is one of the oldest automobile conglomerates in Sri Lanka. They are the sole distributors of Suzuki vehicles in Sri Lanka and are affiliated with several brand names in the motor industry such as Nissan, Yamaha, and Goodyear. Addressing the problems with the vehicle such as no extra ordinary beauty about the vehicle or that there is fume emission from the vehicles which is hazardous to the external environment, what AMW concentrates on is the interior of the car and how economical it is. The Maruti is good on fuel. The size makes it easy to handle. This car is val ue for money. Branding Bankers are likely for a discount program where the vehicles are leased giving a bank loan. Maruti is likely to stay in the minds of the buyer due to features of the vehicle, the interior and the engine capacity in relation to the other brands of this same model which where given under competitor analysis. The Maruti is a more durable and dependable brand. Position statement This promotion is available only for bankers that are permanent in their jobs and the loan facilities are available. Any other financing will not be permitted. The discount is available for all colours of Maruti. Promotion The promotion is done within Colombo and its near suburbs. For this promotion 50% of the budgeted funds are allocated. This was first circulated to family and friends, for the word of mouth is the cheapest and the best way of promoting a discount program. Gradually as the awareness starts to increase it will be circulated among banks, first on a personal basis to call whose contacts can be acquired. Then the leasing managers or the staff managers in charge of staff leasing will be approached. Depending on the geographical location, banks will be approached in regards to the promotion. Once the approval has been obtained by the management, posters will distribute to main branches. These are known as power position advertising. The dealership logo will be indicated in the poster. A list of the eligible staff members will be collected and a web based mailer will be sent out to them. Permission will be acquired to post the promotion on an intranet facility that is accessible only to the relevant bankers of the targeted bank. A car may be sent out to the main branch for display. Once the initial promotions have been done in and around the main branches where web may not be the best promotional attribute a news paper advertisement will be posted. The news paper will carry a pictureous depictation of the car with a Brand Ambassador. The Brand Ambassador can be a cricketer or any other sportsman who is working in a bank indicating that this is the best leasing offer ever. These adds will have to run every often and it must be made sure that the adds are not too small to see. It may be preferable to advertise in a Sinhalese paper when thinking of promoting the discount program among the suburbs. There has to be creativity, innovation and an even flow for an advertisement to catch the eyes of the reader. A Saturday or Sunday paper is preferable as people have more time than on a weekday to read the paper. Television can be used as last resort. This is expensive but can be the most influential method of advertising. This is a sure a way of information gathering for viewers. The television adds usually have a lasting impression on the viewer. This is a sure way of assuring results for IMC. There are many highly watched channels of those the cheapest but the most effective can be used. The TV add can play between programs. The programs after which the add will be aired will have to be carefully chosen. It will need to depend on viewer’s discretion. The advertisement can go on for a period of 6 months at least. The web based marketing is another method by which advisement can be done. This is the most modern method. Some of the websites frequently visited by banke rs are Facebook, ESPN, Google, YouTube, Digg.com, Myspace, and Perezhilton.com. The most popular of them all is Facebook, Google, and Youtube. All these websites focus on online advertisements. Websites like Facebook taps a large audience. This not only enables promoting to bankers but also lets others know the car sale. This is a good way to get other companies to tie up with the dealership of AMW. Communication Tactical Calendar | Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Aug| Sep| Oct| Nov| Dec| Poster| | | | | | | | | | | | | News paper| | | | | | | | | | | | | TV| | | | | | | | | | | | | Web| | | | | | | | | | | | | Display| | | | | | | | | | | | | Budget The largest potion that is 50% of the budget is for promotion. Of the 50% promotional budget 30% will be allocated for television commercials, the remainder 20% for news paper, posters, display and web. The remainder 50% will be allocated for Brand Ambassador and miscellaneous expenses. The total allocation for the budget is Rs. 2,000,000/- Measurement system Implementation Controls Monitoring, review and control will be done by the dealership company with the collaboration with the bank that is leasing the vehicle. The review to be done on a monthly basis. Progress against targets to be analyzed. For this a marketing plan has to be drawn out. A target market needs to be chosen and a pilot project done before, the discount program is advertised. Once the dealership feels that this can be a successfully implemented then monitoring has to be undertaken. This has to be done carefully. Gap analysis done on a regular basis. Correction actions need to be taken if there is no progress within the first three months of advertising. Dealership may go back to the drawing board and redo the marketing plan again. Quality Assurance Around this time the company was receiving a number of complaints regarding its biscuits – breakages, poor taste, quality etc. Rather than ignore the issue, CBL decided to place an emphasis on investigating the cause of the complaints, and took corrective action, including formula changes, to reduce the high number of returns at the time. Setting up better procedures for packing, product handling and transportation, the company prepared for its future growth. It conducted daily taste tests of its own products and organized regular taste panels to compare its products with those of its competitors’. It also methodically documented the specifications of all products being manufactured – knowledge that had previously been passed on through practice and word of mouth. As the demands on the Quality Assurance department began to rise, the company decided in 1996 to seek ISO certification Today, quality assurance remains an area of particular pride for Munchee. The depa rtment plays a critical role in product testing and development of production process controls and systems. High hygiene standards for toilet habits and hair, together with regular swab tests of employees are strictly enforced. Every shipment of incoming materials is tested for quality and those that fail are rejected. Following a complaint, products are collected from customers and subject to laboratory analysis. In 2004, CBL received HACCP certification for food safety together with SLS certification for its biscuits23.. With these in hand CBL became the only confectionary company in Sri Lanka to acquire all relevant quality certifications for its line of business i.e. SLS, ISO 9001:2000, ISO 1400124 and HACCP. Product Development Product development also became an area of increased focus. While CBL had begun operations with a line of distinctive biscuits, along with some generics. However, in the recent years the push for higher turnover had resulted in innovation playing a secondary role. Some of the biscuits that had made Munchee distinctive, were neglected in favor of more mass consumer products. CBL began formulations and potential improvements to flavor and quality. The company also began to actively investigate and keep up with new technologies and machinery by participating regularly at trade exhibitions and through membership in industry associations. Distribution Around this time CBL took the decision to rethink its methods of distribution and undertook to overhaul its sales and distribution efforts in favor of a much bolder plan. Up to this point the company had depended almost completely on wholesalers to sell its products as a hassle free means of managing its distribution efforts. As a result, while CBL had the logistic and cost advantages of maintaining a lean sales team, the company suffered due to its dependence on the enthusiasm of its wholesalers to push its products. CBL decided to bite the bullet and invest heavily in its sales force. It expanded its distribution reach, increasing its number of distributors, changed the demarcation of sales regions into much smaller areas for more intensive sales efforts and recruited the regional and senior sales personnel required to cope with this new direction. 5.4.4 Customer Intimacy With the changes to its sales force, CBL was forced to face up to the fact that it was very removed from its consumers. The company recognized that it had been paralleling the moves and decisions made by Maliban rather than acting on real consumer insights. CBL’s focus had been very much â€Å"product centric† – concentrated on improvement of its formulation and production technology. It developed its products in isolation and once developed attempted to market them. Little attention had been paid to market research, even on an informal basis. Moreover, CBL began to understand that its customer was a new, youthful generation whose tastes and style were very different from the consumer of the previous ten years. Beginning in 1996, the Board itself acknowledged this changed attitude by beginning to go to the field on a regular basis to a top down attempt to gauge market perceptions and trends. The newly developed sales force provided feedback from consumers and distributors and the company took the further step of setting up a separate subsidiary to plan its marketing activities and to become more responsive to market needs an gaps. The holding company became primarily responsible for improving product quality and procedures. 5.4.5 Image Building CBL also recognized that in order to grow it had to become a better known name as a company. Partly as a result of its multiple brand names, CBL itself was relatively unknown as a corporate entity. Embarking on a campaign to raise the profile of the company, CBL engaged the services of a consultant, and set out to gain greater corporate recognition for itself among both consumers and the business community. The public’s lack of knowledge of the breadth of the company’s activities was hindering its activities as a holding company, particularly for purposes such as tapping the capital market. With the help of its consultant, CBL set about establishing a public image for itself. This was done primarily through the print media. Every week or so, an article regarding the company and its various corporate activities and Latest initiatives, including its export plans and CSR, appeared in the newspapers. Competitiveness Behaviour The Biscuit Wars Around 1995, CBL had hit a wall in terms of increasing its turnover. Limited by its existing production technology and consumer tastes, t its highest growth opportunity lay in the Marie biscuit market. While CBL’s Marie25 biscuits now made up 50% of total production, the company was unable to meaningfully increase its sales and market share of the Marie category. It had attempted a variety of marketing activities including extensive advertising, merchandising and trade promotions, but was still not able to take sufficient market share away from Maliban. The Munchee Marie biscuit was at this time essentially a knockoff of Maliban’s Marie and used very similar packaging. However, despite much effort and testing, eBL was not able to exactly reproduce the Maliban Marie flavor. Although market share was a (then) respectable 10% and despite fervent urgings from its own sales team to the contrary to be more like Maliban, CBL decided that the time had come to change tactics and be different in order to try to break through the turnover barrier. The Tikiri Marie Campaign Munchee hit on the winning concept of launching its own Marie as â€Å"Tikiri† Marie – a petit sized Marie biscuit – using an aggressive campaign entitled â€Å"Tikiri Mole†, to bring the little biscuit to the attention of consumers. The campaign targeted children with the use of attractive advertising and proved a real turning point in Munchee’s growth and image. The biscuit was so successful that the smaller sized Tikiri Marie became the number one Marie biscuit in the Sri Lankan market, with a phenomenal 50 per cent of Marie market share and eventually forced the giant Maliban to acknowledge Munchee as a significant market player by playing copy cat and resizing its own Marie. 7 Part of Munchee’s success with Tikiri Marie stemmed from Maliban’s complacency and its failure to react to this attack on the Marie category. The Tikiri Marie campaign brought into effect other changes at CBL such as the introduction of Munchee’s â₠¬Å"keep fresh pack, which ensured better product freshness. Following its success with Tikiri Marie CBL expanded the use of the fresh pack to the entire Munchee biscuit range. The company also commenced a Tikiri Marie scholarship program for school children in 1997 entitled Munchee Tikiri Shishyadara which it continues to this day. Now in its eighth year, the program provides 120 deserving children with scholarships of Rs. 1000 per month for one year with fresh applicants being selected annually. By 1998, the cumulative effect of the changes made through the 1990’s, resulted in CBL achieving a 30% market share of the biscuit market (up from 20% at the start of the 1990s) and topping the Rs. 1 billion turnover mark. This was a major milestone for CBL, both internally and externally. The company was becoming better known, both to consumers for its brands and quality products and to the industry for its investments in good technology. CBL reinforced this reputation by committing to a Rs. 500 million expansion program – Rs. 300 million of which was spent on a large state of the art plant from Italy. â€Å"Plant 6† as it was known, was CBL’s largest capacity plant thus far with five lines that could handle both hard and fermented dough. This action by CBL sent a strong message, to its staff and associates, about CBL’s optimism and confidence in the company’s future growth commercialization of this new plant, CBL planned to introduce a new range of biscuits to tackle Maliban head-on. 6.1.2 The Lemon Puff Battle CBL’s next strategic attack on Maliban came in 2001 with its Lemon Puff. The Munchee Lemon Puff had a solid 30% market share but as was the case with Marie, failed at growing sales further as a â€Å"me too† product. CBL decided to re-Launch Lemon Puff, by promoting it as a sandwich biscuit with a higher quantity of lemon cream. The campaign was heralded by an intensive television campaign directed at capturing the attention of a new market. What the company did not reveal in its advertising was that the cracker itself had been vastly improved, through a new formula and upgraded technology. It was in fact a noticeably better overall sandwich biscuit than Maliban’s Lemon Puff rather than just being a look alike with more cream. Going against the advice of its advertising company, Munchee replaced the traditional yellow packaging, synonymous with the Lemon Puff category, with a white wrapper. The superior moisture and odour barriers of the new metalized wrapper com bined with the new pillow pack technology, which used only two seals to achieve increased air-tightness, better preserved the crispness and freshness of the sandwich biscuit. This had been a problem that had plagued both companies’ puffs for decades. Consumers who tasted the Munchee Lemon Puff for its extra cream (not enough cream was a complaint associated with both Lemon Puffs for years) were pleasantly surprised and rapidly switched loyalty to the Munchee Lemon Puffs. Thus Munchee demonstrated that it was in touch with tastes of its consumers and used their feedback to improve its biscuits. The impact of the product changes were felt immediately. Munchee’s market share in puffs went up from 30% to over 50% within a mere four months following this relaunch, and grew the entire puff category from 12 to 16%. As a result, Maliban’s share of Lemon Puff which had been a staggering 70% plummeted to 29%. By now Munchee had 45% of the local biscuit market and was vyin g with Maliban for market leadership. CBL’s next big challenge was clear – take on Maliban in the cream cracker market. Despite Munchee’s success at growing its sales, Maliban still had nearly 75% of the lucrative cracker market while Munchee was at a meager 23%. The Maliban cream cracker was well accepted and entrenched in the market. CBL had to find a way of breaking through with an innovative cream cracker to take on this market. 6.1.3 The Cream Cracker Assault The following year, in 2002, CBL re-Iaunched its cracker as a â€Å"Super† Cream Cracker, enriched with vitamins in a bold campaign, with live broadcast of two music shows held simultaneously in Colombo and Anuradhapura before massive crowds As they had done with the Lemon Puff, CBL used a new metalized pillow-pack with a contemporary look to break away from the traditional solid red â€Å"Maliban† packaging synonymous s with cream cracker and re-formulated the cracker to deliver a crisper and tastier product. The Munchee strategy of delivering a superior quality product that convinced consumers to switch brands proved a success and the results were phenomenal. Cracker sales grew, expanding its own market not merely taking over competitor share. Growth in sales nearly tripled and Munchee’s market share in cream cracker immediately doubled to 40%, reaching 50% the foHowing year. Today, of the total cream cracker category, which makes up 20% of the total domestic b iscuit market, Munchee owns a 60% share. Super Cream Cracker accounts for 30% of the company’s turnover, with a profit margin of over 25%. Munchee continues to fight aggressively for market share. Its most recent marketing campaign entitled â€Å"Podi Badaginne† targets the large 500 gm pack market, previously serviced by loose crackers. The focus is to use the cracker as a substitute for a full meal for chummary factory workers who are already provided with two meals from their work place. The company has again demonstrated its knowledge of customer needs and changing trends and lifestyles in Sri Lanka as the record 128% growth of this heavy use pack from 2004 to 2005 shows. Business Expansion Beginning from the 1990’s, CBL began looking at other areas in the food and confectionary industry to expand its businesses activities. 6.2.1 Ritzbury One of the first areas CBL explored was one naturally complementary to its existing line of business: chocolate. At one time, the company had produced chocolate for Nestle and had some exposure to Nestle’s chocolate operations. Launched in 1991, Ritzbury chocolates began with chocolate coated (enrobed) biscuits. The company went through much teething pain in developing the right quality chocolate for its use. It struggled to develop a workable formulation – one that tasted good while withstanding the melting and rancidity caused by the tropical Sri Lankan weather. Ritzbury gradually developed its market by first growing its range of coated biscuits, then expanding to chocolate candies and hand made chocolates, and only recently moving into the traditional â€Å"slabs† – the largest market category. The company’s strategy is to provide innovative eye-catching products to its consumers and thus differentiate from its competition. Ritzbury’s first entry was Chunky Choc (chocolate covered biscuits sandwich with butterscotch cream filling), followed by Chit Chat (chocolate coated wafer with hazelnut cream) and Chocolate Fingers (chocolate coated â€Å"finger† biscuit). A nother innovation for Sri Lanka was Pebbles (brightly colored, sugar coated chocolate candies). The Ritzbury range includes Nik Nak, (chocolate coated vanilla cream wafer), Go Nuts (colored chocolate coated peanuts), Choosy (liquid chocolate stick) and Choco-La individual nuggets. Although it started out originally as a poor number four, Ritzbury recently beat Kandos (Ceylon Chocolates) to the number two spot in the chocolate market. However, at 21 % vs. 42% Ritzbury has only half the market share of market leader Edna and a long way to go to become number one. Further, Edna has itself shown to be very aggressive and quick in bringing out innovative products to the chocolate market. Ritzbury for its part, offers over 60 differentiated items, at the full range of price points and with a dedicated sales force certainly provides its consumers affordability and access. Despite being a small local brand, it offers consumers a complete range of chocolates and chocolate coated products and for other products frequently provides comparable alternatives to more expensive imported products. Examples are Pebbles as an alternative to Smarties, Chit Chat to Kit Kat and Go Nuts to M&Ms. Yet, apart from the hand molded specialty chocolates and coated biscuits products, the company has yet to fully convince local consumers that the quality of its slab range is on par with that of imports or Kandos. By 1997, following its first biscuit war and having grown its market share in the biscuit market to a respectable 30%, CBL began to focus on sales of Ritzbury. One hindrance to improving growth CBL realized was the then single chain of distribution it used for both biscuits and chocolates. In practical terms what this implied was that once a retailer had gone through purchases of the more established Munchee list of biscuits they would have little money left for Ritzbury chocolates. Ritzbury sales were materially affected and it became evident that an alternative would have to be sought out. One option was to increase the breadth of the CBL range in order to afford to maintain a second line of distribution. 6.2.2 Pancho Snacks With this in mind, CBL decided to enter the snack food market in 1998 under Ritzbury. Named Pancho, this snack range was made up primarily of extruded snacks. However, despite the company’s sustained efforts with Pancho and the separate sales force, the impulse buy snack market proved a disappointing arena for CBL. Despite the introduction of two products under a new line named Catch Me together with a re-Launch of Pancho in 2000, the company found that it could only succeed in this market with a near continuous stream of promotions. Although CBL persevered in snack foods for nearly five years, it was eventually forced to close up this operation and admit failure. With the aim of an expansion of its range still in mind, CBL next entered a completely unfamiliar food market. In 2000 due to its own financial difficulties, Yanik Incorporated, an investment bank, was selling its 79% stake in Soy Foods (Lanka) Limited, a public listed company manufacturing textured vegetable protein (TVP) nuggets. Soy Foods was a loss making number four player in the market but had pioneered a number of soy products under the brand Lanka Soy. CBL seized this opportunity to expand its range, encouraged by its present Managing Director who had experience in the soya area. CBL purchased the stake in Soy Foods at Rs.9/share and took over operations in September 2000; by 2002 the company had been successfully turned around and had become a viable entity. This was the success story that CBL had been searching for. The Soy Foods line allowed CBL to maintain a dual distribution network, one for its biscuits and another for chocolates and soy. The effects of this isolation of chocolate sales from biscuits were immediate and notable. By 2002 Ritzbury had made impressive inroads into its competition and grown market share to over 15%. 6.2.3 Lanka Soy In 2000 when CBL bought over management of Soy Foods (Lanka) Ltd. from Yanik it was a loss making company. Despite being the pioneer in the local soy market, Lanka Soy was at the time selling only 50% of the volumes of the market leader Raigam, with a 15% market share. The company’s growth was stagnating in a rapidly growing market, and many smaller competitors were cashing on its market with lookalike products. The ambitious strategy set out for a turnaround of the company was to aim to make it not merely profitable but the market leader. CBL decided that not only was it necessary to grow Lanka Soy’s market share, through a fresh look and product, it was going to grow the total product market through a change in positioning. Thinking very innovatively, the company decided what was needed was to position soya not just as a vegetarian food, but as a more economical substitute for the protein content of a main meal. Touting advantages such as convenience, price and the lack of freezer requirements together with newly introduced catchy features suc h as interesting shapes and flavors, a whole range of new branded soy products were launched under the Lanka Soy umbrella. Given that at the time, chicken flavored soya was the most popular soya product the company decided it would introduce interesting flavors to accompany new presentation efforts. In order to take the competition head on, it improved the taste of its traditional range, while also increasing its product range. It developed not one but a range of chicken flavors, under the brand Chikosoy, consisting of tandoori, masala, roast and chilli chicken flavors. For the traditional vegetarian market, it introduced the Vegesoy range a further four flavors of mushroom, hot and spicy, Chinese chop suey and Indian rasam. But its piece de resistance was a completely new entrant – Malusoy. This range of not merely fish but also seafood flavors truly tapped into a very strong local preference for seafood. Malusoy comprised spratts, devilled prawns, cuttlefish and ambul thiya l flavors. Packaging for the four new sub brands was done using a range of appealing eye-catching colors, with a unique logo designed for each. Advertising again interestingly was carried out individually on a sub brand basis. For example, Malusoy used a two column poster conveying the advantages over canned fish. The company also took the extra step of providing a sauce sachet to provide a one step cooking process. Emphasis was placed to introduce the cooked product to consumers by way of cookery demonstrations and street promotions. In particular, Malusoy was aimed at areas with little coastal access. Sales efforts were overhauled, re-demarcating a network to reach 35,000 outlets with designated representatives for supermarkets, catering and restaurant sectors. The results were strong. By early 2002 Lanka Soy’s market share had jumped to 25% hitting 30% and market leadership a year later. Malusoy to eBL’s surprise turned out to be Lanka Soy’s front runner in sales. The strategy to offer consumers, as a household, their daily main dish at a price less than half the price of canned or fresh sea food was highly successful. Within 24 months Malusoy sales exceeded 500,000 packets a month, making up over 14% of the total soy market. Due to the sudden launch of many interesting products at the same time Lankasoy established itself as trend setter and frontrunner of the soya product market. 6.2.4 Tiara Cakes eBL’s next expansion was within the local confectionary business -the lucrative Rs. 4 billion plus local cake market. eBL’s main biscuit and chocolate operations had traditionally taken place at its home factory located along with its head office in Pannipitiya. However in 2002, the company invested Rs. 1.5 billion to set up eBL Foods International (eBL Foods), a Board of Investment (BOI) approved company in Rannala, about one hour away. Awarded a 10 year tax holiday, eBL Foods has a mandate to manufacture bakery products and chocolates – the former includes a new line of cakes under the brand name Tiara. The new venture commenced operations in September 2004 with a new line of â€Å"portion cakes† – individually wrapped sponge layer cakes, marketed under the Tiara sub brand Okay, The product line also includes swiss rolls. CBL Foods boasts a state of the art plant intended primarily for cakes and a â€Å"Clean Room,,33 to guarantee freshness for a shelf life of up to eight months. Due to production constraints faced elsewhere however the 110,000 square foot modern facility also includes manufacturing and packing for chocolates, wafers and biscuits – the latter including both hard and soft dough. CBL expects that its group tax slab will come down to 32.5% as a result of CBL Foods’ tax advantaged status and the shifting of these manufacturing of chocolates, wafers and biscuits, which previously came under Ceylon Biscuits’ tax slab. The company uses a formula to determine profit and is taxed at the preferential rate of 15% on its export. 6.2.5 Other Snacks In 2004, CBL invested Rs. 50 million to acquire a 60% stake in Cecil Food (Pvt) Limited (Cecil Food) – an organic manufacturer of dehydrated fruit products, fruit juices, desiccated coconut and cashews primarily for the export market. Though the company had been in existence for 10 years and exported to 20 countries, it was facing financial difficulties. CBL brought to Cecil Foods the financial strength and management experience that it needed, while the founder retained a 25% stake. CBL’s main interest in Cecil Food was its exposure to rural agriculture and its export and local market potential. The company presently exports to countries including the US, UK, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Malta, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. Armed with CBL’s financial backing the company has overcome its working capital needs. CBL’s infusion of capital has enabled the purchase of new equipment and is now looking at expanding sales to tap the local marke t. Cecil Foods also has a 100% owned subsidiary Cecil Fruit Canneries which concentrates on natural fruit juices for both the domestic and export markets. CBL intends to launch this range to the domestic market by introducing a line of fruit juices in novelty pouches. Export Markets CBL has also set its sights on growing its revenues through tapping sales in overseas markets. Although CBL had been exporting biscuits from inception, around 1997, the company began to export regular container loads to the United States, Canada, Australia and India, while also investigating at lucrative export markets such as the Middle East. India became a particular focus, with the company beginning its own marketing effort there. By 2000 CBL was also exporting to the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Sweden, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Fiji Islands and the Maldives. Although the export sector took a long time to stabilize, export orders now go out to 36 countries, exceeding Rs. 110 million in value (USD$ 1 million) in 2004/5. Exports to the UK, Middle East and Canada are mainly to the so called ethnic markets catering to the Sri Lankan diaspora, but in other countries demand is slowly establishing into in the established biscuit market through chain distributors. While most e xports are under private labels – that it, outsourcing for foreign biscuit companies – CBL has managed in some instances to establish its own brand. This is particularly the case in Australia where the company has taken the additional step, as it did in India, of setting up its own marketing effort by establishing a company representative as market manager. Australia is now the main export market for CBL, having overtaken the United States. CBL also enjoyed some recent success making inroads into western Africa. 6.3.1 Entry into India There are four accepted methods for a company to enter a foreign market: exports, licensing, joint ventures and direct investment, which often represent an evolution in the degree of interest the company develops once it is present in the market. Beginning with straightforward exports from the mid 1990s and early exports of containers to India in 1999 CBL took the next step in developing the Indian market by investing Indian Rupees 3.6 crores (36 million) to purchase Parry’s Confectionary based in Pondicherry, about an hour from Chennai. Setting up a 100% owned subsidiary Ritzbury India, CBL began manufacturing operations for the first time outside Sri Lanka. The acquisition provided CBL with a six line 350 ton a month manufacturing plant. The company entered the Indian market with the Munchee and Ritzbury brands, for distribution in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While the chocolates were manufactured in Sri Lanka, most of the Munchee range was baked in India. CBL produced nine varie ties of biscuits including Marie, Glucose biscuits and several creams at the Pondicherry plant. This manufacturing base in India proved to be both a blessing and a distress to CBL. On the one hand, it became a strong negotiating tool for CBL at a time of labour unrest. CBL was able to take a tough stance, threatening closure and the moving of its entire manufacturing operations to its base in India. However, on the other hand, distribution arrangements provided by Parrys proved to be less than satisfactory. The company began a losing battle in trying to distribute its products. Revenues were far below expectations and Ritzbury India further faced a number of detrimental tariffs in South India. Despite a Free Trade Agreement with India, and a reduction of duty to 3%, the state sales tax in Tamil Nadu was increased by 8% for imported goods effectively nullifying any duty concessions. Following a second acquisition in India, CBL decided to completely dispose of its Chennai operations a t a loss, dissolving Ritzbury India. In 2003 CBL heard about the sale through court auction of Bakemans, once the third largest biscuit manufacturer in India with a market share high of 13% of the total Indian market. Outbidding its Indian competition in July 2004 CBL successfully acquired the assets of Bake mans at a cost ofRs .. 300 million. Along with the premises the company also gained six biscuit lines from the acquisition, two of which it chose to bring to Sri Lanka for installation at CBL foods to allay its present capacity constraints. Based in Patiala in the state of Punjab, CBL set up CBL India with plans to commence commercial production in the near future, using one biscuit line. Having recruited Bakemans former CEO, who had been directly involved in the company’s rise to its one time number three position, CBL has ambitious plans for India and its manufacturing operations there in the future. Tentatively speaking of a â€Å"Munchee-Bakemans† brand name, CBL aspires to become number three in India within two years of operations and have the same type of success at retail that Dilmah has achieved in India CBL’s challenge in I ndia is to find a mass consumer line of biscuits similar to Marie and Cream Cracker in Sri Lanka. Glucose biscuits are an area that the company will have to examine, given their present popularity in India, but to compete with established players such as Parle-G and Britannia, CBL will need both a reliable distribution network and an attractive proposition for the Indian consumers to give it a try. The use of the Bakeman name, which would certainly aid the latter, is presently an issue. If CBL is able to use the Bakeman brand name in some form it will cut down market establishment time considerably. CBL’s strength is that it has the innovation to develop a product to suit this market and it has proved in Sri Lanka that it has the quality and taste to convince consumers to switch to its brand. What remains to be seen is whether it will have sufficient insight into the Indian market to correctly select what that winning product and distribution strategy should be. Other Indian Ventures In 2004 CBL entered into an agreement with Ferrero of Italy to distribute and undertake manufacturing on Ferrero’s behalf. Ferrero is the world renowned producer of Nutella, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher and Mon Cherie brands of chocolate and another family owned business. Presently the agreement entails the manufacture of boxes for Tic Tac, Ferrero’s signature mini mint, intended to be extended to the manufacture or finishing of the mint pill also. CBL distributes Ferrero Rocher’s foil wrapped boxed chocolates, Nutella and Tic Tac for Ferrero in Sri Lanka and India. Manufacturing commenced in August 2005, packing pills imported from Australia into the boxes. Distribution is intended for Sri Lanka, Africa, India and Pakistan. The linkup with Ferrero is another example of CBL’s chairman’s dynamic personality and relationship building skills. Following initial contact in India, CBL’s directors visited Ferrero’s head quarters in Alba, Italy, which Ferrero reciprocated with a visit to Sri Lanka. The company has expressed an interest in using Sri Lanka as a base for South Asian activities, moving its present activities from India, convinced of CBL’sabilities as a business partner. CBL in turn hopes the association will expand its knowledge base through contact with the 60 year old Italian family business. Business Unit Contribution Biscuits Turnover from Munchee biscuits, the biggest contributor to group turnover, grew 30% in the financial year 2004/5 and early results for 2005 show this trend continuing. Past years sales have grown at a similar overall pace, although specific products have shown even higher growth rates at times of changes and innovation. Profit margins on biscuits range from 20-25% with products such as Super Cream Cracker, Tiffin and Chocolate Puff being the most profitable. Biscuit sales are presently constrained primarily by production capability, with demand strong and the company intending to increase its production lines in 2005/6. To try to keep up with demand, CBL has brought down two lines already from its recent acquisition in India and plans to import a new 2 ton per hour machine from Italy, expected to be installed in early 2006. Group Performance While CBL’s overall growth has been strong over the past five years with revenues more than doubling from Rs. 1.9 to Rs. 5.2 billion over the period, profit increases have been even higher due to various tax benefits. In 2005 CBL’s group turnover grew 48% to Rs. 5.2 billion and net profit after tax grew 63% to Rs. 533 million, the highest ever in the company’s 36 year history. Sales surpassed the previous year across all areas of biscuits, chocolates, Soya and exports. The tremendous bottom line growth clearly indicates the contribution accrued from CBL Food’s tax advantaged status. In comparison the 2004 figures were 11% top line and 23% bottom line growth. On average, overall profit margin has been near 9% over the five year period. This is taking into account FlY 200112 which differs due to both the industrial unrest that CBL faced for two months of that financial year as well as the exhaustion of the tax benefits afforded by the 1988 Investment Tax Allowance. The company’s latest earning per share figure (EPS) is an astonishing Rs. 53.12 and more impressively has grown from Rs. 36.75 in 2003. This EPS figure reflects the extraordinary growth that CBL has experienced over the last 10 years. EPS in the late 1990’s was actually in the Rs. 3000 range on the company’s original ordinary share capital of Rs. 390,000 (made up of 39,000 Rs. 10 shares). Path Forward Ceylon Biscuits faced with production capacity constraints for its biscuits, as demand has grown well beyond forecasts. It has adopted the following three pronged approach to increase capacity: a) bringing down two biscuit lines from India from its Bakemans operation for immediate capacity expansion, b) importing a brand new large capacity plant from Italy and c) future capacity expansion of its Indian manufacturing operations. CBL’s future growth will come from increasing exports of its established products and diversifying by leveraging its domestic logistics and distribution capabilities to market its other products. The company is also increasingly open to looking at new opportunities, an example being manufacturing for Italian chocolate maker Ferrero. The company’s core competencies for the future will be investment in technology, financial strength, sales and marketing competency and focused management. Key challenges will be dealing with its production restrictio ns and becoming able to compete on a global basis by 2007. CBL’s greatest test will be when the Indo Lanka FTA final phase permits Indian biscuits to be imported duty free beginning 2007. CBL intends to examine becoming listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange over the next few years. Since the desire for listing does not seem to be driven by financial needs only, it is still unclear what CBL will gain from this step. The company wishes to formalize its procedures in order to firm up its financial transparency and professionalize its organization structure and operations to ensure future continuity and success. There is a sentiment that going public will enforce the discipline required to ensure this. CBL is well poised with a business model to ensure ongoing value creation. It has spent time building strong brands that have future earnings potential. The brands have proven their competencies in that they have been replicated across new markets with success. However there are some concerns that need to be explored. Managing export markets Export marketing could be more aggressive – the model adopted by Munchee for Australia of establishing a marketing office seems the proven route to establish and develop key markets. We see some amazing possibilities for synergies for CBL in inviting someone of the caliber of Merrill 1. Fernando Chairman Dilmah to its board, perhaps even offering Dilmah some equity in an export division or forming a separate export company, who could help with establishing relationships with some of Dilmah’s retailers and distributors in Australia. One way or another, the use of a different model to fast track export market expansion is advisable. 5. Managing Indian market entry This is the second greatest challenge facing the company. India is an amazingly dissimilar market to Sri Lanka despite certain cultural similarities. It is fragmented with over 15 million retail entities, the largest number in the world. The organized retail sector in India is only 3%. However, over 51 % of its population is under 25 years of age and the fastest growing sector is the retail high-end supermarkets -expected to grow over three fold in the next five years (from US$8 billion to US$25 billion). Beginning with three malls in 2003, India had 25 by 2005 and is building 200 more. The pace of change is phenomenal. It makes sense to enter this high-end retail Focus on core competencieslRefocus on Sales and Marketing CBL’s passion for quality, capacity to build brands and technological and production innovativeness are great competencies to be retained. Skills like marketing and sales are always unstable. Such skills are in demand, pressures are great and often new challenges are looked for in different cycles of growth. No proper product management system or category management is in place. It is important to have some depth to the marketing department. And while CBL’s success speaks volumes for the capabilities of its current Director of marketing there is a need for a diversity of approaches and opinions so that marketing efforts do not grow stale. Key mid level appointments need to be made. Customer intimacy! Product leadership / Managing brand TOM In spite of CBL making all the right moves, and succeeding in achieving higher scores than Maliban in most of the consumer research categories (see chart below), Munchee is still behind in brand Top-Of-Mind (TOM) recall. This is despite Munchee having strong market noise levels in share of voice and especially with the competition making so many mistakes. Part of the gap between Munchee and Maliban in â€Å"top of mind recall† can be explained by the long history of Maliban as a market leader, and that it was the dominant player for a very long time. Part of the gap between Munchee and Maliban in â€Å"top of mind recall† can be explained by the long history of Maliban as a market leader, and that it was the dominant player for a very long time.