Thursday, August 27, 2020

Disappearing Frogs

Why are Frogs vanishing far and wide? Around the globe, frogs are declining at a disturbing rate because of dangers like contamination, ailment and environmental change, which makes them the main markers of biological system changes. Numerous Frogs all around the globe are evaporating in light of the fact that the fast changes in the earth are executing them. Additionally frogs, and all creatures of land and water, might be touchy markers of water quality since they assimilate gases and synthetic compounds straightforwardly through the skin. Disappearing frogs could be an early admonition of genuine water issues in nature. In spite of the fact that organisms and living space demolition have been ensnared in the vanishings, the frogs’ issue boils down to one issue: Amphibians are amazingly touchy to changes in their condition. Amphibians’ physiology and complex water-and-land life cycle open them to more natural changes than most creatures, and however they have endure atmosphere changes previously, the present changes are quickening too quickly for frogs to keep pace. Additionally, frogs’ eggs have no shells, presenting incipient organisms to expanded UV-B radiation levels, which can cause destructive transformations. Contamination has tainted the water frogs flourish in and worldwide environmental change is causing more elevated levels of irresistible illnesses. What should be possible to ensure compromised frogs? Now and again, nothing extremely viable. There are various species that currently live just in deliberately controlled zoo or lab situations, and it could possibly be conceivable to reintroduce them into nature. Much of the time, others believes it's smarter to focus on sparing living spaces and letting their imperiled creatures of land and water endure or die in the wild than to get the rest of the creatures and keep them in a cutting edge ark with expectations of a later chance to reintroduce them some place. Some portion of the explanation is that environmental change is adjusting territories in manners that we can't anticipate well indeed, with the goal that conditions that may be perfect in a specific spot may be transient. In the United States, an informal Partnership for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation educates private land proprietors with respect to things they can do to ensure frogs and other living things, for instance, fencing off only a piece of a lake where cows drink.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Negative Economic Impacts of Tourism Essay

There are many concealed expenses to the travel industry, which can have negative monetary consequences for the host network. Frequently rich nations are better ready to benefit from the travel industry than poor ones. While the least evolved nations have the most pressing requirement for money, business and general ascent of the way of life by methods for the travel industry, they are least ready to understand these advantages. Among the explanations behind this are huge scope move of the travel industry incomes out of the host nation and avoidance of nearby organizations and items. Spillage The immediate salary for a zone is the measure of visitor use that remaining parts locally after duties, benefits, and wages are paid outside the region and after imports are bought; these deducted sums are called spillage. In most comprehensive bundle visits, about 80% of travelers’ consumptions go to the aircrafts, lodgings and other worldwide organizations (who regularly have their home office in the travelers’ home nations), and not to neighborhood organizations or laborers. What's more, huge measures of pay really held at goal level can leave again through spillage. An investigation of the travel industry ‘leakage’ in Thailand evaluated that 70% of all cash spent by voyagers wound up leaving Thailand (through remote possessed visit administrators, aircrafts, inns, imported beverages and food, and so on.). Evaluations for other Third World nations extend from 80% in the Caribbean to 40% in India. Of each US$ 100 spent on a get-away visit by a vacationer from a created nation, just around US$ 5 really remains in a creating nation destination’s economy. The figure beneath shows how the spillage occurs. There are two primary ways that spillage happens: Import spillage This regularly happens when voyagers request guidelines of gear, food, and different items that the host nation can't flexibly. Particularly in less-created nations, food and beverages should frequently be imported, since nearby items are not up to the hotel’s (for example tourist’s) measures or the nation basically doesn’t have a providing industry. A significant part of the pay from the travel industry consumptions leaves the nation again to pay for these imports. Theâ average import-related spillage for most creating nations today is somewhere in the range of 40% and half of gross the travel industry income for little economies and somewhere in the range of 10% and 20% for generally progressed and expanded economies, as indicated by UNCTAD. Fare spillage Global partnerships and enormous outside organizations have a significant offer in the import spillage. Regularly, particularly in poor creating goals, they are the main ones that have the vital money to put resources into the development of the travel industry framework and offices. As an outcome of this, a fare spillage emerges when abroad speculators who fund the retreats and lodgings return their benefits to their nation of starting point. A 1996 UN report assessing the commitment of the travel industry to national salary, net degrees of livelihoods or gross outside trade, found that net profit of the travel industry, after derivations were made for all important remote trade uses, were considerably more huge for the business. This report discovered critical spillage related with: (an) imports of materials and gear for development; (b) imports of buyer merchandise, especially food and beverages; (c) repatriation of benefits earned by remote financial specialists; (d) abroad limit ed time uses and (e) amortization of outside obligation acquired in the advancement of inns and resorts. The effect of the spillage differed significantly across nations, contingent upon the structure of the economy and the travel industry. From the information introduced in this examination on the Caribbean, St. Lucia had an outside trade spillage pace of 56% from its gross the travel industry receipts, Aruba had 41%, Antigua and Barbuda 25% and Jamaica 40%. Source: Caribbean Voice Enclave the travel industry Nearby organizations regularly observe their odds to acquire salary from travelers seriously decreased by the formation of â€Å"all-inclusive† excursion bundles. At the point when voyagers stay for their whole remain at a similar journey boat or resort, which gives all that they need and where they will make every one of their uses, very little open door is left for neighborhood individuals to benefit from the travel industry. The Organization of American States (OAS) completed a review of Jamaica’s vacationer industry that took a gander at the job of the all-inclusivesâ compared to different sorts of settlement. It found that ‘All-comprehensive inns create the biggest measure of income however their effect on the economy is littler per dollar of income than other settlement subsectors.’ It additionally reasoned that all-inclusives imported more, and utilized less individuals per dollar of income than different inns. This data affirms the worry of the individuals who have contended that all-inclusives have a littler stream down impact on nearby economies The journey transport industry gives another case of financial enclave the travel industry. Non-waterway travels conveyed some 8.7 million worldwide travelers in 1999. On numerous boats, particularly in the Caribbean (the world’s most famous journey goal with 44.5% of voyage travelers), visitors are urged to invest the greater part of their energy and cash ready, and chances to spend in certain ports are firmly overseen and limited. Other negative effects Foundation cost The travel industry improvement can cost the nearby government and neighborhood citizens a lot of cash. Designers may need the legislature to improve the air terminal, streets and other foundation, and perhaps to give tax reductions and other money related preferences, which are expensive exercises for the administration. Open assets spent on financed foundation or tax cuts may decrease government interest in other basic regions, for example, instruction and wellbeing. Increment in costs Expanding interest for essential administrations and products from travelers will regularly cause cost climbs that adversely influence neighborhood occupants whose salary doesn't increment proportionately. A San Francisco State University investigation of Belize found that, as an outcome of the travel industry advancement, the costs for local people expanded by 8%. The travel industry improvement and the related ascent in land request may significantly expand building expenses and land esteems. In addition to the fact that this makes it increasingly hard for neighborhood individuals, particularly in creating nations, to meet their essential every day needs, it can likewise bring about a predominance by pariahs in land markets and in-movement that dissolves monetary open doors for local people, in the long run undermining inhabitants. In Costa Rica, near 65% of the lodgings have a place with outsiders. Long haul visitors living in second homes, and the alleged luxury vagrants (wealthy â or resigned individuals and liberal experts moving to alluring goals so as to appreciate the environment and serene rhythms of life) cause value climbs in their new homes if their numbers achieve a specific minimum amount. Monetary reliance of the nearby network on the travel industry Enhancement in an economy is an indication of wellbeing, be that as it may if a nation or area gets needy for its monetary endurance upon one industry, it can put significant worry upon this industry just as the individuals required to perform well. Numerous nations, particularly creating nations with little capacity to investigate different assets, have held onto the travel industry as an approach to support the economy. In The Gambia, for example, 30% of the workforce depends straightforwardly or in a roundabout way on the travel industry. In little island creating states, rates can run from 83% in the Maldives to 21% in the Seychelles and 34% in Jamaica, as indicated by the WTO. Over-dependence on the travel industry, particularly mass the travel industry, conveys critical dangers to the travel industry subordinate economies. Financial downturn and the effects of catastrophic events, for example, hurricanes and tornados just as changing the travel industry examples can devastating ly affect the nearby the travel industry part. Regular character of employments The regular character of the travel industry makes financial issues for goals that are vigorously subject to it. Issues that occasional laborers face incorporate occupation (and in this manner salary) frailty, ordinarily with no assurance of work starting with one season then onto the next, challenges in getting preparing, business related health advantages, and acknowledgment of their experience, and unacceptable lodging and working conditions. Other industry impacts influencing the travel industry Monetary emergencies, similar to the Asian emergency that hit Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia a couple of years prior, can be destroying to inbound the travel industry streams. The monetary unrest set off a sharp fall in the travel industry streams to influenced nations during 1997 and 1998. In the Philippines, the emergency and the transitory conclusion of Philippine Airlines influenced inbound appearances altogether as there was a decay of practically 3.3% in 1998. Financial Effects †Positive The travel industry makes occupations, both through direct work inside the travel industry and in a roundabout way in segments, for example, retail and transportation. At the point when these individuals spend their wages on merchandise and ventures, it prompts what is known as the â€Å"multiplier effect,† making more employments. The travel industry likewise gives chances to little scope business undertakings, which is particularly significant in provincial networks, and creates additional assessment incomes, for example, air terminal and lodging charges, which can be utilized for schools, lodging and emergency clinics. Financial Effects †Negative Fruitful the travel industry depends on building up an essential framework, for example, streets, guest focuses and lodgings. The expense of this generally falls on the legislature, so it needs to come out of assessment incomes. Employments made by the travel industry are regularly occasional and ineffectively paid, yet the travel industry can push up neighborhood property costs and the expense of products and ventures. Cash produced by the travel industry doesn't generally profit the nearby network, as some of it spills out to immense worldwide organizations, for example, lodging networks. Destinatio

Friday, August 21, 2020

How to Write a Personal Essay About Yourself

How to Write a Personal Essay About YourselfWriting about yourself can be very enlightening, but how to write a personal essay about yourself? You want to know the pros and cons. When writing about yourself you should give special attention to your personality. This personal essay is about you and your experiences, and your thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.In life we are more than our opinions; we have certain things that we want to say, and that we want to write about. As writers, it is very important to remain objective, as this is the key to a successful essay. A lot of times we use our passions, our exuberance, and our talents to express our thoughts, and in the process make them a little less accurate. One can get a little unprofessional by putting words into his or her mouth without a second thought.If you are starting a personal essay on yourself, always remember that you do not have to find a way to prove to others what you believe. Remember that everybody wants to be hea rd, and they want to be noticed. This is how you become the person that you are. So keep it simple, avoid using anecdotes, too many details, and to use your imagination is the best thing that you can do. The more authentic you are, the better your essay will turn out.Think about your emotional experience first. How did you come up with these ideas? Did you discover something from studying a book that you found useful? These are all good questions to ask yourself.Now, we can start to look at how to write a personal essay about yourself by finding the right topic. To write about yourself, you should think about what is most meaningful to you. Be specific, but do not get carried away. For example, if you are writing about your favorite food, talk about what your favorite part of eating it was.For example, if you want to write about the special event in your life, think about what you did for this event and who was there. Some of these examples might include going out to dinner with a f riend, going to a baseball game, or getting a haircut. Take the time to come up with at least 10 things that you would consider to be special events.When writing a personal essay about yourself, always be sure to remain neutral. It is not necessary to be involved in a debate about any particular topic. You can take the time to discuss these topics, but do not include them in your essay. While this is true when writing about a political or religious issue, it is a different story when writing about your own life.To write about yourself in the correct way in a personal essay you must write with great care and commitment. The more thorough and involved you become, the more accurate your results will be. Always be mindful of the originality of your piece, and remain open to the idea that it could be a revelation for other people.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

20th Century Philosophy - 1064 Words

This week’s paper we were to research and identify three prevailing philosophical perspectives at work during the 20th Century. To begin I will research the history of a few new tendencies in contemporary philosophy. Then I will discuss the Tom Rockmore interpretation of such tendencies. Tom Rockmore is Professor of Philosophy and a McAnulty College Distinguished Professor, Dr. Rockmores current research interests encompass all of modern philosophy, with special emphasis on selected problems as well as figures in German idealism (Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Marx) and recent continental philosophy (Heidegger, Habermas, Lukacs). He is continuing to explore the epistemology of German idealism as well as the relation between philosophy and†¦show more content†¦The most practical of analytical philosophy also included Moore, and Carnape. The American (neo) pragmatism philosophy is a philosophical movement that was given systematic terms by Charles Sanders Peirce and William Ja mes and later taken up and revamped by John Dewey. Pragmatists stress the practical purpose of knowledge as a way for acclimatizing to reality and controlling it. Pragmatism concur with empiricism in its emphasis on the importance of experience over a priori reasoning. However the truth had customarily been discussed in terms of communication with reality or in terms of coherence pragmatism embraces that truth is to be sought in the process of verification. Pragmatists translates ideas as means and plans of action rather than as images of reality; more specifically, they are recommendations and anticipations of possible conduct, hypotheses or forecasts of what will result from a given action, or ways of organizing behavior(Answer,2010) Between the continental and the analytic philosophy, being the two most significant tendencies, barely any debate was taking place; this was due to the lack of knowledge, contempt, and mutual lack of attention. In spite of this, the situation is changing slowly: especially American philosophers like Taylor, Nagel, Rorty and others converse subjects in which until recently onlyShow MoreRelateda bridge to the 18th century715 Words   |  3 Pagesthat experience is only that of the 20th century. 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Although the Pro gressive ideal was presented by numerous Progressive authors of differentRead MoreThe Classical Theory And Scientific Management Essay1998 Words   |  8 Pagesprinciples for businesses to apply towards their goals. It was born in the late 19th century due to the rise of the Industrial Revolution. The main aim was to increase organisations productivity and reduce cost (Russ, n.d.). Bureaucracy and scientific management were the constituents of the classical management theory. Although the ideas of classical theorists have been widespread all over the world in the 20th century, many people argue that they are sort of old fashioned currently and out of date.Read MoreThe Modern Gro SS Es Schauspielhaus1489 Words   |  6 Pagesbuildings are how they strive to replicate the goals and ambitions of their architects and patrons in a way beneficial to society as a whole. 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Friday, May 15, 2020

The Most Powerful Body of the United Nations

The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful body of the United Nations. The Security Council can authorize the deployment of troops from United Nations member countries, mandate cease-fire during conflict  and can impose economic penalties on countries. The United Nations Security Council is composed of representatives from fifteen countries. Five of the Security Council members are permanent members. The original five permanent members were the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of China (Taiwan), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and France. These five countries were the primary victorious countries of World War II. In 1973, Taiwan  was replaced by the Peoples Republic of China on the Security Council and after the fall of the USSR in 1991, the USSRs spot was occupied by Russia. Thus, the current five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France. Each of the five permanent members of the Security Council has veto power over any matter voted upon by the Security Council. This means that all five permanent members of the Security Council must agree to endorse any measure for it to pass. Nonetheless, the Security Council has passed more than 1700 resolutions since its founding in 1946. Regional Groupings of UN Member Countries The remaining ten non-permanent members of the total membership of fifteen countries are chosen based on various regions of the world. Almost every United Nations member country is a member of a regional grouping. The regional groupings include: The Western European and Others GroupThe Eastern European GroupLatin American and Caribbean GroupThe Asian GroupThe African Group Interestingly, the United States and Kiribati are the two countries which are not members of any group. Australia, Canada, Israel, and New Zealand are all part of the Western European and Others Group. Non-Permanent Members The ten non-permanent members serve two-year terms and half are replaced each year in annual elections. Each region votes for its own representatives and the United Nations General Assembly approves the selections. The division among the ten non-permanent members is as follows: Africa – three members, Western Europe and Others – two members, Latin America and ​the  Caribbean – two members, Asia – two members, and Eastern Europe – one member. Membership Structure Current members of the United Nations Security Council can be found on this listing of Security Council Members. There has been controversy over the composition of the permanent members and the veto power for decades. Brazil, Germany, Japan and India all seek inclusion as permanent members of the Security Council and recommend enlargement of the Security Council to twenty-five members. Any proposal to modify the organization of the Security Council would require the approval of two-thirds of the United Nations General Assembly (193 UN member countries as of 2012). The presidency of the United Nations Security Council rotates on a monthly basis alphabetically among all of the members based on their English name. Since the United Nations Security Council must be able to act quickly during times of international emergency, a representative from each Security Council member country must be present at all times at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Laws Of Our Society - 980 Words

The laws of our society at its best do not depict equality to every substantial entity that graces the land of the United States of America. The turmoil that is documented and/or reported that flourish our different media outlets, struggles in people day to day lives, or the great strain against indivisibility or a simple liberty or justice for all. Everyone will not always agree if ever. Some may choose to be belligerent with their voice—where others may bid for peace. Perhaps is it greener on the other side—may be it is—may be it is not. The effects of law on society vary from topic to topic. The topic may rub some the wrong way, may stem as a voice for others, or it may be just another conversation for many. â€Å"†¦the U.S. Supreme Court†¦show more content†¦Those who believe that there is â€Å"Final say-so God† awaits judgment amid their last breathe on this side of the spectrum. The land of the living has many majorities. These majorities have a right to stick together and demand for a sought after equality. Many may express that this present time warrants the welcoming of same sex marriage, but with the majorities a fight is sure to be ensued. â€Å"†¦ Americans are deeply divided -- and often deeply ambivalent -- on the subject of same-sex marriage. Regardless of the public s feelings about same-sex marriage, it appears the controversy is here to stay. A flurry of gay marriage lawsuits is being filed across the country, and more are sure to come (Kiefer 2003).† The flurries ar e beginning to freeze. The tone is set. Many same sex marriages are concealed. The concealing of these marriages is not limited to the fails of a normal marriage. There is no special divorce package. If children are involved, child’s support is granted to the one who has the full custody—that is if there is not a joint custody. The same goes for alimony as well. The fore-mentioned are only negative attributes, but the effects that are greatly appreciated are the benefits that same sex marriages qualify for which are as follows: insurance, pensions, shared estates, bills, and the list goes on. â€Å"In 1996,

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Summarized Solutions for the Creative Writers

Question: Describe about systematic evaluation of the problem at Creative Writers and development of Solution Approaches to the problems. Answer: Systematic evaluation of the problem at Creative Writers Creative Writing is writing that is different from an academic, journalistic, typical professional, or particular forms of writing (Morrish). Creative Writers is an innovative organization that is preparing customized educational materials for the industry purpose. The preparation of the educational materials comprises of several systematic steps (Ashby, Michael and Kara Johnson). Recently, this innovative organization of teaching materials has begun to face several problems that result in the breakdown of the overall process of production. The problem faced by the whole group includes: In the first step, the production staff is facing problem while completing the initial document since they are not getting enough time for that. An analysis of time requirements is done and which states that the preliminary modules that are given to the production staff comprise of a lot of errors on them. The time required to correct the errors occurred in the previous step results in late delivery of the modules (Coduto and Donald P). The efforts that are given to correct the errors are not sufficient enough and becomes unsuccessful. All the previous problems result in forcing the module writers to complete the task in a hurry. The Beta test findings in a virtual rewrite of the entire module by the module author forcing them to start the process over again. The method of producing the booklets is another critical concern of the Creative Writers as they do not have the high-speed equipment for producing the brochures. The entire process of copying and stapling the booklets consumes enough time (Stachowiak, Gwidon, and Andrew). Development of Solution Approaches to the problems Creative Writers need to implement software engineering in their industry to overcome the problems occur during preparation of educational module (Morrish). Before preparing the educational modules, Creative Writers need to follow a well-defined, clear rules, procedures, and setups. Firstly, one of the Creative Writers Staff needs to communicate with the client about their requirement in the educational module. In the second step, the developer needs to examine the requirements by referring to the available database and by taking interviews of the clients and designers for preparing a better educational module. After gathering the requirements, the developers need to develop a rough plan for starting the development of the educational module. In the next step, the developers need to fix a manual of their program and need to choose the best model suitable for their educational module (Wankat, Phillip, and Frank). Then the developer requires concentrating on the designing part by getting the thorough knowledge of analysis and requirements. After that, the developer needs to focus on the coding part of the development of the educational module. The developer requires testing the overall module for verifying the errors or critical problems occur during the development of educational module (Kapp and Karl M). Creative Writers may also follow certain software development paradigms like Waterfall model, Iterative model, Spiral model, V-model, and Big Bang model for overcoming the problems they are facing during the preparation of educational module for different industries. For overcoming the problem of producing the booklets, the production staff of Creative Writers needs to implement Xerox IntegratedPLUS Finishing Solution, which enables them to copy and staple plenty of brochures. This technology can increase the throughput about 30% more, reduce the errors, cost by removing the delays of the manual process, and can complete the production of booklets of variable length (Coduto and Donald P). Memorandum To: The management of Creative Writers From: Date: 03-02-2016 Subject: SUMMARIZED SOLUTIONS TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OF THE STAFFS OF CREATIVE WRITERS. To overcome the problems Creative Writers need to follow the below-mentioned solutions. The developers of the educational module need to communicate with the client for understanding the requirement for developing that module and needs to investigate the condition by referring the available databases and by conducting interview sessions with the clients. After gathering the requirements of the clients, the developers need to prepare a rough sketch for starting the preparation of the educational module. In the next step, the developers need to set a manual of their proposing plan and need to choose the best model suitable for their educational module. Then the developer needs to design and code for the production of the module. The developer needs to concentrate on testing the already prepared module, so that if any further changes are required then it can be done. They can use Waterfall model, Iterative model, Spiral model, V-model, and Big Bang model for overcoming the problems. For overcoming the problem of producing the booklets, the production staff of Creative Writ ers needs to implement Xerox IntegratedPLUS Finishing Solution, which enables them to copy and staple plenty of leaflets. CC: Attachments: References Ashby, Michael F., and Kara Johnson.Materials and design: the art and science of material selection in product design. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2013. Coduto, Donald P.Foundation design: principles and practices. Prentice Hall, 2015. Kapp, Karl M.The gamification of learning and instruction: game-based methods and strategies for training and education. John Wiley Sons, 2012. Morrish, Ivor.Aspects of Educational Change (RLE Edu D). Routledge, 2013. Stachowiak, Gwidon, and Andrew W. Batchelor.Engineering Tribology. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2013. Wankat, Phillip C., and Frank S. Oreovicz.Teaching engineering. Purdue University Press, 2015.

Monday, April 13, 2020

Jack Jenkins Essays (310 words) - Christianity, Catholic Theology

Jack Jenkins Christian Theology Discipleship 1 st Hour February 9 th , 2015 Part #1 Our church is named Mosaic. The church is in Birmingham, Michigan. Our church believes that the universe was formed at Gods command. We believe that what is seen is not made out to be visible, Jesus speaks through it. God exists and rewards those who seek him. God's love is unconditional and he has a perfect plan for our lives. God perfects our faith in him and with joy, we encounter the cross. Marriage should be honored by all and kept pure. We want the people t our church to live life free from the obsession of money. We believe that they should give the money back to God for what he has blessed them with. We believe that Jesus is the same today that we will be tomorrow and forever. Our statement of faith is Hebrews 11:1- "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see." Our purpose is to have a Christ loving and full hearted worshipping church. We want to evangelize to outward places out of the community and to help families in need. We want to make sure kids are the focus of our ministries so we can have a good foundation of the Mosaic church. That leads to our strategic vision statement. This is to start youth ministries to bring kids closer to God and start the foundation of our church so we aren't just focusing on adults and leaving the children of the church in the dust. In conclusion , the Mosaic church is here to do everything for the glory of God and to reach out to places in need and to build a strong foundation, starting with the children of the church.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Researching French-Canadian Ancestry Genealogy

Researching French-Canadian Ancestry Genealogy Even if you cant read French, tracing French-Canadian ancestors can be easier than many people expect due to the excellent record keeping of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada. Baptisms, marriages,  and burials were all dutifully recorded in the parish registers, with copies also sent to civil authorities. This, along with the incredibly high rate of French-Canadian records preservation, offers a much greater, more complete record of people living in Quebec and other parts of New France than in most other areas of North America and the world. In most cases, French-Canadian ancestry should be fairly easily traceable back to the immigrant ancestors, and you may even be able to trace some lines further back in France. Maiden Names Dit Names As in France, most French-Canadian church and civil records are recorded under a womans maiden name, making it much easier to trace both sides of your family tree. Sometimes, but not always, a womans married surname is included as well. In many areas of French-speaking Canada, families sometimes adopted an alias, or second surname in order to distinguish between different branches of the same family, especially when the families remained in the same town for generations. These alias surnames, also known as dit names, can often be found preceded by the word dit, as in Armand Hudon dit Beaulieu where Armand is the given name, Hudon is the original family surname, and Beaulieu is the dit name. Sometimes an individual even adopted the dit name as the family name and dropped the original surname. This practice was most common in France among soldiers and sailors. Dit names are important for anyone researching French-Canadian ancestors, as they necessitate searching the records under several various surname combinations. French-Canadian Rà ©pertoires (Indexes) Since the mid-nineteenth century, many French Canadians have worked to trace their families back to France and, in doing so, have created a large number of indexes to various parish records, known as rà ©pertoires or repertories. The vast majority of these published indexes or rà ©pertoires are of marriage (mariage) records, although a few exist which include baptisms (baptà ªme) and burials (sà ©pulture). Rà ©pertoires are generally arranged alphabetically by surname, while those that are organized chronologically usually include a surname index. By exploring all of the rà ©pertoires that include a particular parish (and following up in the original parish records), one can often take a French-Canadian family tree back through many generations. The majority of published rà ©pertoires are not yet available online. They can, however, often be found in major libraries with a strong French-Canadian focus, or libraries local to the parish(s) of interest. Many have been microfilmed and are available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and Family History Centers throughout the world. Major online repertoires or databases of indexed French-Canadian marriage, baptism and burial records include: BMS2000 - This cooperative project involving over twenty genealogical societies in Quà ©bec and Ontario is one of the largest online sources of indexed baptism, marriage, and burial (sà ©pulture) records. It covers the period from the beginning of the French colony until the end of the XXth century. The Drouin Collection - Available online as a subscription database from Ancestry.com, this amazing collection includes nearly 15 million French-Canadian parish and other records of interest from Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and many U.S states with a large French-Canadian population. Indexed too! Church Records As in France, records of the Roman Catholic Church are the single best source for tracing French-Canadian families. Christening, marriage and burial records have been carefully recorded and preserved in the parish registers from 1621 to the present. Between 1679 and 1993 all parishes in Quà ©bec were required to send duplicate copies to the civil archives, which has ensured that the majority of Roman Catholic parish records in Quà ©bec still survive to this day. These baptismal, marriage and burial records are generally written in French (some earlier records may be in Latin), but often follow a standardized format which makes them easy to follow even if you know little or know French. Marriage records are an especially important source for immigrant ancestors to New France, or French-Canadian Canada because they usually document the immigrants parish and town of origin in France. The Family History Library has microfilmed the majority of Quà ©bec Catholic registers from 1621-1877, as well as most civil copies of Catholic registers between 1878 and 1899. This collection of Quà ©bec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1900 has been digitized and is also available for viewing online for free through FamilySearch. There are a few indexed entries, but to access most records youll need to use the browse images link and go through them manually.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Vacation with Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean Research Paper

Vacation with Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean - Research Paper Example that had mainly been known for lard production and exportation by the Spanish became a profitable center for the sugar trade (â€Å"Background Notes: Jamaica†). In 1831, however, slave revolts all but demolished the sugar business, devastating many plantations and estates (Koss 179). In 1834, slavery was abolished, and currently Jamaica exports not only sugar and rum as its main products but bananas, coffee, and citrus fruits (â€Å"Background Notes: Jamaica†). The economy of Jamaica has suffered in the previous years due to recessions, with over 20% of the country living in poverty as of early 2011, up from 9.9% in 2007 and 16.5% in 2009 (Thame). Though the percentages are steadily rising, it is important to remember that things such as production conditions are causing this, such as the high cost of doing business in Jamaica, high taxes, and other factors (Thame). Tourists should not let themselves be put off by this and avoid Montego Bay, as there is still plenty tha t a traveler would not want to miss out on! Montego Bay, known as the â€Å"second city† of Jamaica, has known both good times and hard times in its history. It was in Montego Bay that Columbus first landed, calling it the â€Å"Gulf of Good Weather† (Koss 178). It was in Montego Bay that most trading took place, and until the slave revolts, enjoyed a bustling business with many ships coming in and out of its harbor (Koss 178). It was in and of itself the setting for the slave revolts in 1831, and its courthouse was used for retribution against those unlucky enough to be on the losing side of the rebellion, once it had been quashed by local militia (Koss 178). The sugar trade declined until the developments of both the banana trade and the tourist trade in the late 1880s, when a sanitarium was built and... Vacation with Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean As an added bonus, while traveling on the cruise, there are always things to do aboard ship, thereby eliminated the (sometimes) boring in-between travel time between destinations, alongside the fact that most of everything is usually included in the cruise package while aboard ship (though it is always advisable to check with not only a travel agent, but with the cruise line directly, and ask for a concrete list of what is and is not included before boarding.) Included in this package will be stops at Montego Bay, Jamaica, the island of Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. Whether the main point of the journey is sun and surf, tourist traps, ancient ruins or simply some time away, each destination is sure to delight and charm every traveler into wanting to return. Visitors should be wary in taking the approach to the Caribbean of â€Å"seen one island, seen them all.† Without a doubt, something different can be had at every stop, for every visitor. In Montego Bay, Jamaica, sample a wide variety of cuisine, or stop at a local roadside shack for a patty-snack while touring the historic district. Once at Grand Cayman Island, take the time to play with the sea turtles or stingrays, do some snorkeling, and take a tour of the Tortuga Rum Factory. Round out the day with duty-free shopping, making sure to give everything a good look. After debarking at Cozumel, the Mayan ruins and botanical gardens will delight any nature lover and history enthusiast, as long as time is planned for accordingly.

Friday, February 7, 2020

Sustainability In Emerging Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainability In Emerging Economies - Essay Example Most have reduced poverty levels to greater lengths, but at a cost to the environment. They have contributed to global warming by engaging in unsustainable efforts which is a threat to global environmental sustainability (Hansen and Wethal 2014: p 3). In this case study, the researcher focused on a firm, Bunge Limited, to show how they adopted the zero deforestation policies in a bid to ensure food security for a growing population in a sustainable manner. Bunge Limited is one of the largest agribusiness firms in the world. The company is one of the largest suppliers of global commodities. However, in its efforts to feed the world the firm severely impacts the environment through deforestation on agricultural development (McIntyre). The concerns about the effects on the environment prompted the firm to adopt a raft of measures that were sustainable to the firm and the environment (LOUCHE and HEBB 2014: p48). The selected state is Kenya found in Africa. Bunge Limited will partner with the Kenya Forestry Services (KFS). Bunge will source seedlings from the KFS and plant in the tropical zones of the Mount Kenya forest. The area receives adequate rainfall that is appropriate for various species such as the Cupressus lusitanica and Grevillea robusta. The area is inhabited by the Ameru to the south and some western parts of the mountain, the Agikuyu to the east and north (Johannson and Project, 1995). The project is estimated to take three months. However, sustaining a project in an emerging economy faces challenges due to social-economic and even political differences. In this case, the six principle of project sustainability will be used to ensure the project is beneficial to the members of the society and it lasts. The first principle is to maintain and to enhance the quality of life of the resident. Bunge Limited is concerned with tree planting, and the benefits accrued with trees are

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Dissociative Identity Disorder Essay Example for Free

Dissociative Identity Disorder Essay The syndrome commonly known as Multiple Personality Disorder but now called Dissociative Identity Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 198) might be thought of as a recent phenomenon. The diagnostic literature shows the definition of multiple personality as evolving significantly over the editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the DSM-1, these behaviors were called dissociative reaction, (American Psychiatric Association, 1952), which came to be called hysterical neurosis, dissociative type in the DSM-II (American Psychiatric Association, 204). In each of these, multiple personality was not seen as a distinct disorder but was grouped with somnambulism, amnesia, and fugue states. Only in the DSM-III does Multiple Personality Disorder appear as a separate diagnostic category, with a definition of this behavior. This disorders defining features were argued to be the existence within the individual of two or more distinct personalities, each of which is dominant at a particular time (American Psychiatric Association, 257). The DSM-IIIR of 1987 gave nearly identical defining features as the existence within the individual of two or more distinct personalities or personality states (American Psychiatric Association, 269). The defining features evolved further in the DSM-IV where this behavior pattern came to be termed Dissociative Identity Disorder. Its features became the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 484). This subtle change is significant; distinct personalities were no longer seen as existing within the person or as a part of the person, but the behaviors displayed different states or identities. This definition is less organismic and more behavioral-environmental in theory than earlier versions. With the readers extrapolation, the personality is variable behavior or as topographical subdivisions of behavior, occasioned by discriminative stimuli and controlled by reinforcement contingencies. Here, the personality is showing more variability than that of the average or normal individual; the individual lacking one coherent personality displays a personal repertoire of behaviors which is very diverse, with large variability in the relationship between antecedents and responses. The antecedents, that is, people, places, events, and so forth, of the individual in question occasion more responses of an idiosyncratic nature which are maintained by reinforcement contingencies unique to that individual. Along t his approach, one writer took the new definition to mean that the individual displaying these behaviors could no longer be described as having more than one personality. Instead, the person should be viewed as having less than one whole, coherent personality (Sapulsky, 95). Similarly, Kohlenberg and Tsai (82) observed that these individuals may have not developed all the characteristics of a stable, single personality. History Multiple personality was first recognized and described by the French physician Pierre Janet the late 19th century. In the year 1982 psychiatrists were talking about â€Å"the multiple personality epidemic. Yet those were early days as multiple personal ¬ity became an official diagnosis of the American Psychiatric As ¬sociation only in 1980. Ten years earlier, in 1972, multiple personality had seemed to be a mere curiosity. â€Å"Less than a dozen cases have been reported in the last fifty years. † You could list every multiple personality recorded in the history of Western medicine, even if experts disagreed on how many of these cases were genuine as the word for the disorder was rare. Ten years later, in 1992, there were hundreds of multiples in treat ¬ment in every sizable town in North America. Even by 1986 it was thought that six thousand patients had been diagnosed. After that, one stopped counting and spoke about an exponential increase in the rate of diagnosis since 1980. Clinics, wards, units, and entire private hospitals dedicated to the illness were being established all over the continent. Maybe one person in twenty suffered from a dissociative disorder. Clinicians were still reporting occasional cases as they appeared in treatment. Soon the number of patients would be ¬come so overwhelming that only statistics could give an impression of the field (Modestin, 88-92). Public awareness of the disorder increased in contemporary times after a case was the subject of The Three Faces of Eve (1957). In the 1980s and early 90s, such factors as recognition of child abuse, public interest in memories recovered from childhood (whether of actual or imagined events), allegations of so-called satanic ritual abuse, and the willingness of many psychotherapists to assume a more directive role in their patients treatment, led to what came to be regarded as a rash of overdiagnoses of multiple personality. Causes The cause of multiple personality is not clearly understood, but the condition seems almost invariably to be associated with severe physical abuse and neglect in childhood. It is believed that amnesia the key to formation of the separate personalities occurs as a psychological barrier to seal off unbearably painful experiences from consciousness. The disorder often occurs in childhood but may not be recognized until much later. Social and psychological impairment ranges from mild to severe. The fairly-necessary-condition evolved together with the characterization of multiple personality disorder (MPD). According to Cornelia Wilbur and Richard Kluft, â€Å"MPD is most parsimoniously understood as a posttraumatic dissociative disorder of childhood onset. † Here the childhood onset and the presence of trauma are not parts of an empirical generalization or a statistically checkable fairly-necessary-condition. They are part of the psychiatrists` understanding of multiple personality disorder, part of what they mean by â€Å"MPD. † There is nothing methodologically or scientifically wrong with this. I warn only against having it both ways. There is a tendency (a) to define the concept â€Å"MPD† (or dissociative identity disorder) in terms of early childhood trauma, and (b) to state, as if it were a discovery that multiple personality is caused (in the sense of fairly-necessary-condition) by childhood trauma (Horton and Miller, 151-159). Moreover, child sexual abuse became part of the prototype of multiple personality. That is, if you were giving a best example of a multiple, you would include child abuse as one feature of the example. The connection between abuse and multiplicity became stronger and stronger during the 1970s, just when the meaning of â€Å"child abuse† moved from the prototype of battered babies through the full range of physical abuse and gradually centered on sexual abuse. As a point of logic it is useful to see how concepts are used to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. Those sounds highly figurative, but consider this. In a 1986 essay Wilbur wrote, â€Å"In discussing the psychoanalysis of MPD, Mershkey (330) pointed out that childhood trauma is central and causal. † In fact he ended his prize winning essay by posing some questions. He said that in recent previous reports of multiplicity â€Å"childhood trauma is central and causal† (327-340). The connection between multiple personality and real, not fantasized, child abuse was cemented in clinical journals throughout the 1990s. By 1992 there were vivid musterings of data about the relationship between incest and multiple personality. Philip Coons (299) had stated in his classic 1994 essay on differential diagnosis of multiple personality, he wrote that â€Å"the onset of multiple personality is early in childhood, and is often associated with physical and sexual abuse. At that time no child multiples were known. But the hunt was on. The first in what is now a long series of books of contributed papers about multiple personality had a fitting title: Childhood Antecedents of Multiple Personality (311-315). Prevalence The number of different personalities per MPD patient has shown a substantial increase since the 19th century. During the 19th century, most cases involved only two personalities. Since 1944, however, almost all cases have involved three or more personalities. Modern cases average from 6 to 16 personalities per patient (Coons 305). For instance Modestin (89) reported that 44% of 74 MPD patients each had more than 10 personalities and 8 of these patients had more than 20 personalities each. North, Ryall, Ricci, and Wetzel (2003) plotted the mean number of MPD per patient as a function of year, between 1989 and 2000. In 1989, the average MPD patients manifested just fewer than 10 personalities; by 1999, MPD patients displayed an average of just under 25 personalities per patient. At the present time, MPD appears to be culture-bound syndrome. The explosion of cases since 1970 has thus far remained largely restricted to North America. The diagnosis is very rarely made in modern Europe, despite its turn-of-the-century prominence as a center for the study of MPD. It is also very rare in Great Britain (Modestin,90). Modestin (92) surveyed all of the psychiatrists in Europe concerning the frequency with which they had seen patients with MPD. Depending on how it was calculated, the prevalence rate ranged between . 5% and 1. 0%. More interesting, Modestin noted that 90% of the respondents had never seen a case of MPD, whereas three psychiatrists had seen each seen more than 20 MPD patients. Hence, the frequency of multiple personality has been debated over time. There were some descriptions of these behaviors early in this century, but from the 1920s to the early 1970s, there was a surprising dearth of cases (Spanos, 145). Kohlenberg (138) termed it relatively rare while other reports saw it as very numerous in number; more cases were reported from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s than in the previous two-hundred years. The tremendous increase in reported cases has occurred almost exclusively in North America (Spanos, 147). This behavior pattern is rarely reported in Great Britain, France, and Russia; no case has ever been reported in Japan (Spanos, 160). In both North America and Switzerland, most diagnoses are made by a small minority of professionals while the vast majority of professionals rarely if ever see such a case (Modestin, 90-91). The dramatic increase in the reported numbers of cases has been attributed to differing factors. Possibly, cases which were undiagnosed in previous decades are now being diagnosed because of greater awareness of this condition; it has also been proposed that the condition is now being overdiagnosed in individuals whose behaviors are readily suggestible (American Psychiatric Association, 94). It is probably safe to conclude that the prevalence of Dissociative Identity Disorder is in dispute at this time; some may also dispute the validity of this diagnosis as the DSM-IV, unlike earlier versions of the DSM, does not provide any diagnostic reliability information (American Psychiatric Association, 99). Diagnosis On balance, with the behaviors labeled Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID hereafter, the variability between behavioral repertoires is very high, possibly so extreme that the repertoires do not compose one stable personality (Sapulsky, 64). The person himself or herself may even report being a different person, complete with a different name or identity. Although the behavioral variability is more extreme here, it is still on a continuum with the average person; we all can exhibit several personalities and there are circumstances under which any person might claim to be a different person (Sackeim Devanand, 21). Among the behaviors correlated with a diagnosis of DID, self-report is less controlled by public, environmental events and more controlled by events which are private to the person providing the self-report (Kohlenberg Tsai, 139). The most apparent question is: What type of experiences could account for this extreme behavioral variability, in the self-report of being a different person, with differences in sex, age, race, physical appearance, and so forth. Some writers report that this disorder may only become apparent to a professional or others when different people attend meetings, interviews, or therapy; that is, the same individual attends but with a different self-report of identity, memories, and personality (Sackeim Devanand, 25). In so doing, individuals displaying these behaviors can receive a great deal of reinforcing attention from professionals for engaging in these behaviors. Individuals displaying behaviors correlated with a diagnosis of DID may be reassured of no further abuse and may be encouraged to try to be themselves in as many ways as they can. The different self-reports and personalities become a source of gratification (self-reinforcement) for the formerly abused victims and the professional alike (Spanos, 153). The danger here is that a person with degrees of behavioral variability could be shaped iatrogenically to reporting to be a divergent person by professionals zealously looking for this disorder (Merskey, 329) To quote one skeptic, the procedures used to diagnose MPD often create rather than discover multiplicity (Spanos, 153). Pain complaints, paralysis, blindness, and so forth, also consist of a self-report of a private event. Each of these may be accompanied by publicly observable events such as wincing, reluctantly moving, reporting or appearing to be unable to move or see ( Skinner) Both the self-reports and the public evidence for these differences are under stimulus control of the different personality repertoires in cases of these behaviors. When such an individual displays a specific personality, the self-report of pain or other symptom comes or goes with the other behaviors. Originally, the public signs of pain were authentic afflictions in the past as the result of abuse; months or years later, such indications could be self-produced, rule-governed behavior as part of the personality repertoire. These pains and related behaviors could be reinforced and shaped into a real affliction by well-meaning others as the verbal behavior acquired differential stimulus control of operant pain behavior. The rep orts of pain and related behaviors can persist as operant behavior maintained by its consequences in the absence of the original painful stimuli (Bonica and Chapman, 732). As for the reports in the literature of allergic and other responses being present in some personalities and not others, these too can potentially be accounted for via verbal behavior mechanisms. There are reports that individuals can develop rashes, a wound or a burn or other physiological symptoms in response to anothers verbal suggestions, that is, under hypnosis, although it has been argued that many of these symptoms are likely self-inflicted when observers are not present (Johnson, 298). Actual reports of hypnotically induced dermatological changes are difficult to substantiate; such effects are difficult to produce and are not as common an occurrence as often reported (Johnson, 302). These reports are not all due to the acts of the person showing the symptoms; instead, these symptoms may be due to an interaction of verbal behavior and conditioning mechanisms. Verbal behavior can also facilitate the development of stimulus control via respondent or operant conditioning (Skinner). If an experimenter were to flash a light in your eyes and then shock you, the experimenter would expect you to come to recoil to the light after some number of such pairings. If the experimenter were to tell you that he or she was going to shock you after every light flash, then it would be expected for you to recoil to the light sooner. Relating this to the differential presence of symptoms is not a big leap. Here, the individuals who display the divergent personalities have self-instructed and subsequently conditioned themselves to display symptoms when performing different behavioral repertories. Over time, the symptoms may come under the stimulus control of the emotions displayed, in addition to the persons verbal behavior, and appear spontaneous to the person himself or herself. To support the argument for conditioning mechanisms producing somatic symptoms, Smith and McDaniel (69) showed that a hypersensitive cellular response to tuberculin was modulated by respondent conditioning. Individuals can also exert control over a variety of autonomic functions as diverse as dysmenorrhea to seizure activity, via biofeedback . Treatment From the foregoing assumptions, therapy for persons displaying the behaviors in question must consist of extinguishing a reasonable share of the behavioral variability in the repertoire and reinforcing behavioral stability and generalization; literally, to shape one personality. Kohlenberg (138) reported being able to increase the frequency of specific behaviors composing one personality of an individual who exhibited DID-like behaviors by differential reinforcement of that personality. When placed on extinction, these behaviors returned to baseline frequencies. Other techniques might involve the client role-playing and rehearsing several social interactions and experiencing some situations expected to produce normal emotional behaviors. Kohlenberg (139) reported success at reintegrating the personalities in a dual personality individual by teaching assertiveness skills via role playing. Caddy (268) also used assertiveness training and shaping in reintegration. The therapist might videotape client s as they behave, to use for feedback and in shaping and instructing more cohesive behavior. There might also have to be a way of teaching the client to engage in more social-referencing, or seeking public feedback in more instances of what is acceptable behavior. Whereas you or I might ask, Did you see (or hear) something? when we are unsure of seeing or hearing, individuals whose behaviors are consistent with the label of DID may have to learn to ask, Am I still behaving as me? The therapist could not answer this question alone but family members and significant others could. This process would have to continue until the person reports being the same individual with the same experiences, and has less observable variability in his or her personal repertoire. Even if a therapist were to try to undertake such an intervention, and most would probably not, this process could be long and arduous, due to the multiple sources of control that would require adjustment, and the possibly well-meaning sabotage by those who attend to and reinforce the variability. Indeed, based on this account, control of the behaviors in this pattern would be difficult for anyone to establish. Even the therapist who encourages variance is not exerting control unless unpredictable behavior is the target behavior. As a result, these individuals may have been and will likely be in therapy for years (American Psychiatric Association).

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Global Manager Essay -- Business Management Studies

The Global Manager The rapid growth of globalization has created a boundary less organization. To manage such an organization, there is a need for a global manager, one who manages across distances, countries and cultures. Considered by some authors to be a myth, wider research, readings and understanding suggest its existence. There are certain criteria which define a global manager, which are truly essential to successful manage in the international context. These managers are invaluable to the organization as they provide the competitive edge. However, there has been shortage of such global managers due to the recruitment of such managers only from the home country of the organization. This is created a limited pool of next generation managers. With the changing trend, organizations have been emphasizing on the recruitment of managers from home country and third nation country. Women, too, are being considered. The major challenge facing global organizations is attract and retain such global managers. In view of some authors, such as, Christopher A Barlett and Sumantra Ghoshal[1], â€Å"there is no such thing as a ‘universal’ global manager, rather there are 3 groups of specialists: business managers, country managers, and functional managers and there are top executives at corporate headquarters, who manage the complex interactions between the 3.† According to Yehuda Baruch[2], there is â€Å"no such thing as a global manager†, because â€Å"the examination of a wide possible characteristics indicates that there seems to be no distinct set of individual qualities that constitute such a manager.† With globalization becoming a basic economic reality, national boundaries have become insignificant. As a result,... ...ompeting in the global marketplace†, 3rd ed, McGraw-Hill/Irwin - Dessler, G. (2003), â€Å"Human Resource Management-CAPS†, 9th ed, Pearson Education, New Jersey - Ball, D. A., P. L. Frantz, J. M. Geringer, W. H. McCulloch, Jr., M. S. Minor (2004), â€Å"International Business: the challenge of global competition†, International ed, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York - Kramar, R., P. mcgraw, R. S. Schuler (1997), â€Å"Human Resource Management in Australia† 3rd ed, Longman, Australia - www.gwsae.org/executiveupdate/2002/September/success.htm - www.ccl.org/cgi-bin/print/printpage.pl --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Barlett, C.A., S. Goshal (2003), â€Å"What is a global manager†, Harvard Business Review, v 81, pg 101 [2] Baruch, Y. (2002), â€Å"No such thing as a global manager†, Business Horizons, v 45, pg 36

Monday, January 13, 2020

Ben & Jerry Case Analysis

Strategic Analysis of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Can B&J Serve a Double Scoop of Being Green and Making Green? ESM 210 Professor Delmas Final Paper November 21, 2000 Alex Tuttle Vicky Krikelas 1 BEN & JERRY’S ICE CREAM Table of Contents INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. MARKET DESCRIPTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. FIRM DESCRIPTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. THE MISSION STATEMENT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 1 1 2 GENERAL CORPORATE STRATEGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 STRATEGY ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Five Forces Model of Competition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Key Succ ess Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 STRATEGIC CONSISTENCIES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 STRATEGIC DISCONNECTS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 UNILEVER ACQUISITION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 BIBLIOGRAPHY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Figures FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5. ANNUAL REVENUES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 ANNUAL RECYCLING†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 PORTER’S 5 FORCES MODEL †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 SWOT ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 KEY FACTORS OF SUCCESS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 2 3 INTRODUCTION Ben & Jerry’s is an innovative leader in the super premium ice cream industry. The company blends a commitment to provide all natural, high quality ice cream with a commitment towards social activism and environmental responsibility. This report will analyze both the company’s environmental strategy and general corporate strategy in order to identify the consistencies and disparities (if any) between these strategies and to determine whether a â€Å"green† company such as Ben & Jerry’s can sustain a competitive advantage.We will also discuss the potential impacts on the company’s strategic vision in light of the recent acquisition by Unilever. Our analysis will focus on examining the strengths and weaknesses of the environmental and general corporate strategies in light of its internal resources and external competitive and non-market forces. MARKET DE SCRIPTION Ben & Jerry’s operates in the highly competitive super premium ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet business.Super premium ice cream is generally characterized by a greater richness and density than other kinds of ice cream and commands a relatively higher price. The company’s two primary competitors include Haagen-Dazs (a member of the Ice Cream Partners organization) and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Company, which introduced its Godiva and Dreamery super premium ice cream line in the fall of 1999. Other significant competitors include Healthy Choice, Nestle and Starbucks (SEC Report, 1999). FIRM DESCRIPTION Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. the Vermont-based manufacturer of super-premium ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, was founded in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, by childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with a modest $12,000 investment. The company is now a leading ice cream manufacturing company known worldwide for it s innovative flavors and all-natural ingredients made from fresh Vermont milk and cream (www. benjerry. com). Manufacturing of all Ben & Jerry’s frozen dessert products occurs in the company’s three plants located in Vermont.The company distributes ice cream, low fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and novelty products nationwide as well as in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, restaurants and other venues. Outside of Vermont, the products are distributed primarily through Dreyer’s and other independent regional ice cream distributors. Unilever, a multinational food and personal products company recently acquired Ben & Jerry’s in spring 2000. The Ben & Jerry's Board of Directors approved Unilever's offer of $43. 60 per share for all of the 8. million outstanding shares, valuing the transaction at $326 million (www. lib. benjerry. com, October, 2000). Under the terms of the agreement, Ben & Jerry's will operate separately from Unilever's current U. S. ice cream business. There will be an independent 4 Board of Directors, which will focus on providing leadership for Ben & Jerry's social mission and brand integrity. Both co-founders will continue to be involved with Ben & Jerry's, and the company will continue to be Vermont-based. THE MISSION STATEMENT Ben & Jerry’s adopted a three-part mission statement formalizing the company’s business philosophy.According to the company’s home page (www. benjerry. com), the mission statement is as follows: Product Mission: to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all-natural ice cream and related products in a wide variety of innovative flavors made from Vermont dairy products. Social Mission: to operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in the structure of society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life of a broad comm unity: local, national, and international.Economic Mission: to operate the company on a sound financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value to our shareholders and creating career opportunities and financial rewards for our employees. Underlying this mission is the determination to seek innovative ways of addressing all three components, while holding a deep respect for employees and the community at large. GENERAL CORPORATE STRATEGY Ben & Jerry's corporate strategy strives to implement the three integrated missions described above: developing a high-quality product, achieving economic growth and profitability, and incorporating social activism.The general corporate strategy can be characterized as a focused or market niche strategy based primarily on product differentiation and quality production. Although focused differentiation strategies target a narrow buyer segment, this strategy helps Ben & Jerry’s gain a strong competitive advantage as it can offer consumers something they perceive is appealingly different from rival competitors—innovative super-premium ice cream flavors that taste better and consist of all natural, high quality ingredients.In addition to differentiating its product from other ice cream competitors, Ben & Jerry’s general strategy combines several other key components, including fostering a company image of social activism, creating brand loyalty, franchising the company to aid economic growth, and developing creative advertising campaigns. Product Differentiation One means of gaining a competitive advantage is through the use of a differentiation strategy to provide a better product that buyers believe is worth the premium price (Thompson and Strickland, 1998).Since higher quality ice cream generally costs more than the economy and regular types of ice cream, Ben and Jerry’s has incorporated product differentiation in its general corporate strategy in order to command a higher price. The use of all- natural, high quality 5 ingredients and the innovative flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream illustrates the strategic use of product differentiation to gain a competitive advantage in the ice cream market.Quirky flavor names such as Chubby Hubby, Wavy Gravy, Phish Food, and Chunky Monkey also set Ben & Jerry’s apart from the traditionally-named ice cream products of rival companies. Furthermore, the use of recycled materials and dioxin-free (unbleached) paper in product packaging contributes to the uniqueness of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and helps keep its costs down. Socially-Conscious Company Image Ben & Jerry’s strives to be an independent, socially-conscious Vermont company that supports local dairy farmers.Several examples illustrate how Ben & Jerry’s implements this corporate strategy. For instance, the company donates 7. 5% of pretax profits to philanthropic causes through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, community action teams, and through corporate grants (http://www. hoovers. com). The company also donates free ice cream during public events and community celebrations in the Vermont area, and contributes a percentage of the profits earned from ice cream sold in Vermont retail stores to fund local charities (SEC Report, 1999).Furthermore, the company has ensured the long-term viability of its own key suppliers, the Vermont dairy farmers, by executing a strategic decision to pay more than a specified minimum price for its dairy ingredients (SEC Report, 1999). Brand loyalty Developing brand loyalty is another strategic move to strengthen competitive advantage. Ben & Jerry’s has made substantial efforts to gain a favorable reputation and image with buyers through its frequent promotional campaigns (i. e. , Free Cone Day), donations to social causes (i. , Ben & Jerry Foundation), and the use of eco-friendly products, as discussed below under Environmental Strategy. This strategy has proven successful; the 1999 Har ris Interactive Poll regarding buyer perception of corporate reputability ranked Ben & Jerry’s first in the â€Å"social responsibility† category and fifth overall (SEC Report, 1999). Small-Scale Growth and Franchising The economic mission of the company (to achieve profitability, increase value to shareholders and create career opportunities) is implemented through Ben & Jerry’s strategy for small-scale business growth.Ben & Jerry’s has maximized profitability by initially starting small and slowly building an ice-cream business over time (Spolsky, 2000). Ultimately, the success at the small-scale required the company to shift its corporate strategy toward the establishment of several franchised â€Å"scoop shops† throughout the nation and Europe. As of 1999, there were approximately 164 scoop shops in North America (SEC, 1999). These scoop shops serve as a major employment resource and a source of revenue for non-profit groups.In addition, Ben & Jerry’s gains a competitive advantage through franchising by expanding market share, increasing revenue and publicizing the company’s brand name using minimal amounts of startup capital. As shown in Figure 1, Ben & Jerry’s has achieved substantial, yet gradual, growth in revenues since 1993. Marketing Strategy According to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) annual report, Ben & Jerry’s use of natural ingredients, high product quality, periodic introduction of new flavors, focus on grass- 6 roots community involvement and the â€Å"down home† local image are essential elements of the company’s marketing strategy.The company’s Waterbury ice cream factory is the single most popular tourist attraction in Vermont. In addition, the company is well known for it’s creative television advertising and public relations campaigns. The use of innovative online marketing and web-based promotions with Yahoo have further emphasized this image and strengthened brand name recognition (SEC Report, 1999). Ben & Jerry's Annual Revenue: 1993-1998 225 $ (in millions) 200 175 150 125 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Year Figure 1. Annual Revenue for Ben & Jerry’s: 1993 to 1998. Source: Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report.CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY In 1992, Ben & Jerry’s became the first publicly held company to adopt the CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) principles as part of its environmental strategy (Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report). CERES is a non-profit coalition of interest groups working in partnership with companies towards the goal of corporate environmental responsibility worldwide. This involvement with CERES is evidence of the company’s dedication to protecting the environment and insurance that consideration is made to the environment when managing and operating its business.The CERES principles are as follows: †¢ Protection of the Biosphere 7 â € ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Reduction and Disposal of Wastes Energy Conservation Risk Reduction Safe Products and Services Environmental Restoration Public Outreach and Education Management Commitment Audits and Reports Ben & Jerry’s believes that â€Å"businesses should be among the leaders in the social change necessary to repair and prevent the damage that the human race is capable of inflicting upon natural cycles through everyday corporate, national, international, local and personal practices† (ibid).By integrating the CERES principles into the company’s overall goals, Ben & Jerry’s strives to develop a comprehensive environmental strategy that conforms to its mission of making an exemplary product, earning a fair return, and serving its community. Ben & Jerry’s environmental goals as a company are to minimize its negative impacts on the environment, promote sustai nable farming and safe methods of food production that reduce environmental degradation, and use its business as a medium for environmental and social change.In order to accomplish this strategy there are numerous policies and activities that the company is executing, or has plans to execute in the near future. By analyzing Ben & Jerry’s environmental strategy within the framework of the Principle Strategy-Implementing Tasks, as outlined in Chapter 9 of Crafting and Implementing Strategy (Thompson and Strickland, 1998), we can effectively examine the steps the company is taking to best achieve its goals. These actions are visible in all aspects of the company and are proof of the company’s commitment to its environmental strategy.There is an ever-present culture within Ben & Jerry’s of environmental awareness and interest in company greening. In implementing its strategy, Ben & Jerry’s has worked to ensure that every employee is involved and that values a re shared throughout the company. Within the management structure of the company, efforts are made to make sure that the Board of Directors and CEO are fully informed about pertinent environmental issues and are fully responsible for environmental policy. In addition, the company considers demonstrated environmental commitments when selecting Board members.As the founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield continue to provide strong environmental leadership that is crucial to effective implementation of the company’s environmental strategy. There is significant dialogue within the chain of command of the company. At each manufacturing site in Vermont there is an Environmental Coordinator who is in charge of operating and monitoring environmental activities. These coordinators meet with the Manager of Natural Resource Use on a monthly basis. Through this dialogue, nvironmental strategies for company-wide and site-specific compliance and operations are made. The Manager of Natural Resource Use reports to the Senior Director of Operations who in turn reports to the CEO (ibid). This flow of information ensures that every decision-maker is aware of environmental issues and considers these factors when running the business. 8 There is also a significant employee environmental awareness and education campaign within the company. Programs such as the company-wide Environmental Awareness Week promotes employee knowledge of environmental issues.During orientation, new employees are introduced to the environmental policies of the company by the Manager of Natural Resource Use (ibid). In addition, there are employee-led groups called Green Teams that work on company-related projects like recycling, composting, and writing â€Å"eco-facts† for the company newspaper (ibid). This activism and knowledge-share that is built into the company network contributes to the success of its environmental strategy by enabling company personnel to better carry out their strate gic roles.In addition to this internal communication, the company also uses various strategies to build public interest and awareness in environmental issues. This succeeds in not only promoting the goals of the company, but also in adding to the competitive advantage of the company by gaining public support and loyalty. Ben & Jerry’s website has a plethora of information on its environmental policies, activities, and accomplishments. The importance that the company places on these issues is shown by the fact that some of this information is highlighted on the home page (www. benjerry. om, 2000). Other tools the company uses for disseminating information to the public are the publications of the Annual Report and CERES Report, as well as position papers on dioxin and rBGH at their scoop shops. In addition, the company puts on an annual festival encouraging public awareness of environmental and social issues (CERES Report, 1998). In order to be successful in implementing its e nvironmental strategy, Ben & Jerry’s has established many strategy-supportive policies company-wide. These are detailed in the company’s 1998 CERES Report. These policies apply to all U. S. ocations and international locations under the company’s direct ownership. The Manager of Natural Resource Use continually updates them whenever new technologies, concerns, or standards emerge. Examples of these include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Beginning in 1997, all uncontaminated waste oils from its plants are re-refined by a certified handler to be reused. In 1994 the company created a list of approved environmentally friendly cleaning and office supplies that is continually updated when appropriate. Scoop shops are built with environmentally sound material, such as tiles and countertops made of recycled materials.The â€Å"Contractor’s Handbook† contains environmental requirements for all outside parties working at Ben & Jerry’s sites. Another area that is crucial to ensure that environmental strategies are achieved is in the allocation of resources to strategy-critical activities and the institution of best practices for continuous improvement. The company puts a lot of energy into exploring opportunities for waste reduction, recycling, and energy use. In addition, the company tracks the cost and impacts of all waste and energy use associated with the production process.Using a system of integrated environmental tracking tables the company reports on solid, hazardous, wastewater, and dairy waste production, energy use, and recycling. This information is used to identify trends and set 9 goals. As a result of this work the company has demonstrated continual improvement in its solid-waste recycling, rising from 35% in 1995 to 53% in 1998. Figure 2 shows the amount of waste the company has recycled between 1995 and 1998. In 1998, a Packaging Innovation Group was created with a goal reducing waste from ingredient packaging (ibid. ).In 1997, the company conducted a project to develop a pint container that would be more environmentally sustainable and compostable. The company invested hundreds of man-hours to analyze sources of chlorine-free paper for their â€Å"Eco-Pint† (ibid. ). The release of this product is in direct line with the company’s environmental strategy and presents a major step forward in its goal to develop a compostable, non-toxic container. Annual Recycling at Ben & Jerry's Tons of Solid Waste 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1995 1996 Year 1997 1998 Figure 2. Annual Solid Waste Recycling at Ben & Jerry’s between 1995 and 1998.Source: Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report. Ben & Jerry’s realizes the importance of community participation and accountability. Consistent with its environmental strategy, Ben & Jerry’s uses its business as a means of promoting environmentalism, small-scale agriculture, human rights, and economic justice. This is achieved through C orporate Giving to organizations like Natural Resources Defense Council and the Vermont Land Trust, the establishment of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation which funds non-profit social and environmental organizations across the United States, and Community Actions Teams.These teams are made up of Ben & Jerry’s employees who organize annual major community projects in their area and provide grants to various community-based organizations. All told, Ben & Jerry’s donates approximately 7. 5% of its pre-tax profits annually (ibid. ). 10 Another means by which the company seeks to achieve its environmental strategy is through management of its supply chain. Ben & Jerry’s is consistently working to purchase ingredients and other inputs from environmentally and socially responsible sources. The company has a Vendor Certification Program in which 80% of its suppliers were enrolled by the end of 1998 (ibid. . As part of the assessment process, Ben & Jerry’s eval uates the environmental competencies of potential suppliers and considers this information when determining whether or not to do business. In addition, Ben & Jerry’s only purchases dairy supplies from family farmers who pledge not to treat their cows with rBGH, because of the adverse effects it has on sustainable agriculture (ibid. ). By working with its suppliers, Ben & Jerry’s attempts to ensure that its environmental goals are shared throughout its supply chain. This leads to a more effective implementation of its overall strategy.STRATEGY ANALYSIS An analysis of the external and internal forces shaping the ice cream industry is necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of Ben & Jerry’s current (and prospective) corporate and environmental strategies. We will utilize several analytical tools to characterize the strengths and liabilities of the industry and the effectiveness of the company’s strategy, particularly through the use of the Five For ces Model of Competition, the Sixth (Non-Market) Force analysis, SWOT analysis, and the key factors of success.Five Forces Model of Competition In order to identify and assess the strength of external competitive forces on the ice cream industry we utilized a common analytical tool, Porter’s Five Forces Model of Competition, which is based on the following five factors: rivalry among competing sellers, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers of key inputs, substitute products and potential new entrants to the market (Thomas and Strickland, 1995). Figure 3 summarizes the competitive strength of these forces on the ice cream industry.Rivalry Among Competing Sellers The principal competitors in the super-premium ice cream industry are large, diversified companies with significantly greater resources than Ben & Jerry’s; the primary competitors include Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs. Rivalry can be characterized as intense, given that numerous competitors exist, the cost of switching to rival brands is low, and the sales-increasing tactics employed by Dreyers and other rivals threatens to boosts rivals’ unit volume of production (SEC Report, 1999).Buyers The power of buyers is relatively high because buyers are large, consisting of individual customers, grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants nationwide and globally. Since retailers purchase ice cream products in large quantities, this gives buyers substantial leverage over price. In addition, there are many ice cream products to choose from, so the buyers’ cost of switching to competing brands is relatively low. In order to defend against this competitive force, a company’s strategy must include strong product differentiation so that buyers are less able to switch over without incurring large costs. 1 Suppliers The suppliers to the ice cream industry include dairy farmers, paper container manufacturers, and suppliers of various flavorings. Such suppliers ar e a moderate competitive force, given that the ice cream industry they are supplying is a major customer, there are multiple suppliers throughout the nation to choose from, and many of the suppliers’ viability is tied to the wellbeing of large, established companies such as Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs. Therefore, the ice cream suppliers have moderate leverage to bargain over price.Substitute Products Many substitutes products are available within the dessert and frozen food industry (cookies, pies, Popsicles, cake). The ease with which buyers can switch to substitute products is an indicator of the strength of this competitive force. Since substitute products are readily available and attractively priced compared to the relatively higher priced super-premium ice cream products, the competitive pressures posed by substitute products are intense. Companies that enter the super-premium market, therefore, must adopt defensive strategies that convince buyers their higher priced produc t has better features (i. . , quality, taste, innovative flavors) that more than make up for the difference in price. Potential New Entrants The barriers to entry within the ice cream industry are moderate due to the brand preferences and customer loyalty toward the larger and more established rival companies. Other obstacles to new entrants include strong brand loyalty to established firms and economic factors, such as the requirement for large sources of capital, specialized mixing facilities and manufacturing plants.In addition, the accessibility of distribution channels can be difficult for an unknown firm with little or no brand recognition. Although Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield successfully launched their ice cream business from a gas station with modest funding and staff, they had to initially rely on a rival company’s distribution channels (and later on independent distributors) in order to gain a stronger foothold in the market. Figure 3. Porter’s Model of t he Five Competitive Forces S ubstituteProducts Many S ubstitute sBuye rs S trong le rage ve Largenum rs be Rivalry Among Competing Sellers Many large established rivals S upplie rs Mode le rage rate ve Ne Entrants w Mode Barrie to rate rs Entry 12 As discussed above, several competitive forces on the ice cream industry are relatively strong, suggesting that it is a difficult industry to be competitive in. However, Ben & Jerry’s implementation of a differentiation strategy has helped the company effectively defend against these forces and gain a competitive advantage.The use of higher quality ingredients and ecofriendly packaging has created a unique brand image that helps develop brand loyalty and beat rival competitors to the market. The company’s social activism toward the community and use of innovative flavors also help insulate the firm from the strong bargaining power of buyers since rival firms and/or products are relatively less attractive. Similarly, Ben & Jer ry’s product differentiation strategy also allows the company to fend off threats of substitute products that don’t have comparable features.The company’s differentiation strategy also mitigates the threat of potential entrants due to high buyer loyalty for a superior product. The moderate threat posed by suppliers is tackled by two other facets of the company’s strategy: ensuring the viability of suppliers by paying premium prices for raw materials, and redesigning the distribution network to gain more control and reduce reliance on rival distribution channels. The â€Å"Sixth† Force (Non-Market Forces) Industry Regulations Ben & Jerry’s is subject to regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Vermont Department of Agriculture.In response to stringent labeling criteria for healthoriented foods, the company made changes in its labeling regarding its low fat/low cholesterol products (SEC Report, 1999). FDA regu lations may potentially affect the ability of the company, as well as rival firms in the ice cream industry, to develop and market new frozen dessert products. However, given that Ben & Jerry’s is already in compliance with the FDA, it is unlikely that such regulations will have a significant impact on the company’s operations.Other regulatory forces include potential RCRA liability due to the company’s generation of hazardous materials during the manufacturing process. However, Ben & Jerry’s is currently exempt from these hazardous materials regulations since the level of hazardous materials generated is below the threshold for requiring a permit; indeed, by staying small and maintaining regulatory compliance, the company gains a competitive advantage over larger companies that may have to meet stricter regulations or be more susceptible to non-compliance.Public and Stakeholders Public and stakeholder concerns over health and nutrition and environmental pollution exert a strong force on the ice cream industry. The heightened consumer awareness and demand for low-cholesterol or low-fat foods can force companies to respond with ingredient substitutions and differentiated product lines to stay in business. Similarly, the increasing consumer trend toward supporting eco-friendly product packaging and all-natural, organic ingredients can cause ice cream companies to revise their strategies.Ben & Jerry’s, with it’s commitment to providing all natural ingredients, a low-fat ice cream line, and chlorine-free paper for example, is in a better position to attract those consumers who are willing to pay more to get more. Given Ben & Jerry’s proactive strategic approach, the company can effectively insulate itself from these public pressures and enjoys a significant competitive advantage over those companies that resist incorporating socially progressive or eco-friendly values into their strategies. 13SWOT Analysis Another m eans of analyzing the strategies of the company is by examining the strengths and weaknesses of its internal resources, and then exploring the external threats and opportunities facing the company. By developing a clear understanding of these factors, we can evaluate where the company should go from here. Figure 4 identifies these forces for both the general corporate and environmental strategies of Ben & Jerry’s. Based on our analysis, we feel that much of the company’s internal strengths and external opportunities lie within its environmental strategy.This gives further evidence to suggest that the environmental and corporate strategies are well integrated, and that this integration is crucial to the future success of the company. Figure 4. SWOT Analysis of Ben & Jerry’s Strengths Product Differentiation Brand Name & Image Creative Advertising & Promotion Innovation Environmental Leader Threats Image Deterioration Increased Competition Shift in Buyer Preferenc es Loss of Sales to Substitutes Bush Presidency Conflicts with Unilever Weaknesses Dependence on Outside Distribution High Cost Financial Instability Geographic LimitationsOpportunities Growing Consumer Environmental Interest Geographic Expansion Market Diversification Alliances Key Success Factors A successful strategy incorporates the company’s efforts to be competent on all of the industry’s key success factors and to excel on at least one factor (Thompson and Strickland, 1998). In the highly competitive super-premium ice cream industry, the key factors of success include product 14 differentiation, a strong distribution network, brand loyalty and clever advertising.As shown in Figure 5, Ben & Jerry’s excels in these (and other) key factors, and has a particular expertise on product differentiation to gain a competitive advantage. Product Differentiation All-natural ingredients Innovative flavors High quality Brand Loyalty Favorable reputation with environmen tally-aware consumers Access to Distribution Network use of independent suppliers and existing channels Social Activism Corporate philanthropy Ben & Jerry’s Fund Eco-friendly Product Dioxin-free pint containers Recycled materials Hormone-free dairy supplyClever advertising Free ice cream samples Grassroots and local image Figure 5. Ben & Jerry’s Key Factors of Success. STRATEGIC CONSISTENCIES According to the Ben & Jerry’s Mission Statement, the goal of the company is to integrate product quality with economic success and social responsibility. One of the key strategic factors that successfully links these three missions together is the differentiation strategy. In this respect, the environmental and general corporate strategies are very much in tune with each other.Differentiation not only increases the competitive advantage of Ben & Jerry’s, but it also leads to environmental excellence in the operation of the company. By focusing its attention and ener gy on recycling, energy efficiency, and product innovation, Ben & Jerry’s can reduce its impact on the environment while at the same time reducing product cost. This is being achieved through the work of the Packaging Information Group that focuses on reducing the incoming packaging which adds to the waste stream, and the production of the compostable â€Å"Eco-Pint. † These and other actions help build a competitive advantage within the market.By using allnatural, rBGH-free ingredients and dioxin-free containers, Ben & Jerry’s can also attract environmentally minded consumers to its products, thus increasing market share. At the same time, this practice helps protect the environment and support family-farming and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this differentiation strategy has the versatility of providing a better product that can attract customers, command a higher price, and protect the environment, thus satisfying the three integral parts of the company ’s mission and both the corporate and environmental strategies.In order for this environmental differentiation strategy to be sustainable there needs to be a willingness among customers to pay for environmental quality, credible information about the company’s environmental attributes, and insulation against imitation. The company’s steady 15 growth in revenue over the last few years shows that the customer base is there and that they are more than willing to pay a premium price for a superior quality product. Ben & Jerry’s addresses the latter two issues through its informative website, external audits, and constant innovation creating unique, hard to imitate flavors and products.Another way in which the environmental strategy and corporate strategy are consistent with each other is in the area of regulatory compliance. As a result of the attention Ben & Jerry’s pays to the environmental risks associated with its production process, and the effort s made by the company to ensure that negative impacts to the environment from its business operations are minimized, Ben & Jerry’s has had very few compliance issues and has never been issued any penalties by Federal regulators (1998 CERES Report). In addition to the environmental benefit from such compliance, there is a beneficial impact on the business as well.By minimizing operational costs, the company gains a potential competitive advantage over competitors with less stringent environmental controls that may face compliance issues. Overall, the company’s environmental strategy and general business strategy are well integrated. By focusing on differentiation, which is in large part due to environmental policies and programs, the company gains a competitive advantage over its rivals. As the company grows and increases its annual profits, more money can therefore be donated to social and environmental causes through its various giving channels.Ben & Jerry’s ha s positioned itself so that its success is highly dependent on its environmental image, therefore the two strategies are intimately linked. There are, however, some disconnects between strategies. There are a few instances where environmental goals take a back seat to company profits. Examples of these disconnects are described in the next section below. DISCONNECTS BETWEEN STRATEGIES Although the mission of the company is to temper economic growth with environmental responsibility, during our research we discovered several ccasions in which company profits clearly outweighed the desire to be as environmentally proactive as possible. For example, Ben and Jerry’s currently packages its Peace Pops inside a plastic wrapper and paper board box. This change was in response to a belief that sales had been declining due to customer disapproval of its original packaging, which consisted solely of a plastic wrapper. This change has led to an increase of packaging materials by 152,000 pounds annually (ibid. ).This is in direct conflict with the company’s policy on waste reduction and illustrates the priority given to company profits over environmental concerns. Similarly, an effort to introduce an organic line of desserts, which would have been more in line with its environmental strategy, was abandoned due to economic costs. Another example of a â€Å"disconnect† is in the company’s energy use. Ben & Jerry’s recognizes that its operation, like any industrial process, is energy intensive. However, as of 1998, the company had no formal policy on energy use and conservation (ibid. ).While the plants and scoop shops make attempts to be energy efficient, the company relies on non-renewable sources of energy for its production processes, instead of using green energy that would be less damaging 16 and more consistent with its environmental policies. Although not expressly stated, it seems that economic cost is once again superseding sustain ability. While Ben & Jerry’s works to reuse and recycle as much of its waste as possible, it is the policy of the company to send any hazardous waste that cannot be recycled to a hazardous waste incinerator to be handled.Although this may be the most economical method of treating hazardous waste, it is not necessarily the most environmentally sound disposal technology, and directly contradicts the company’s environmental goals. In keeping with the corporate strategy of maintaining a local, down home image, many sacrifices to the environmental strategy are made. The most glaring disconnect is in the national distribution of the product from a single state. Manufacturing in Vermont requires extensive shipping of its products; this is a highly energy-intensive process.In 1998, emissions from the distribution of its products totaled over 113,000 pounds for carbon monoxide, 15,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 7,000 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,600 tons of carbon dioxide, and 400 pounds of particulate matter (ibid. ). This tradeoff illustrates an inherent inconsistency between the corporate and environmental strategies of the company. While these disconnects do occur, we feel that Ben & Jerry’s has done an excellent job in integrating its business and environmental strategies and balancing profitability with environmental protection.UNILEVER ACQUISITION AND IMPACTS ON STRATEGY Ben & Jerry's strategy will likely shift towards larger-scale economic growth in response to the recent Unilever acquisition of the company in April 2000. Ben & Jerry’s emphasized that this acquisition will allow the company to create an even more dynamic, socially positive ice cream business with global reach (www. lib. benjerry. com). In addition, the financial backing of a larger and established company will strengthen Ben & Jerry’s competitive advantage with respect to the five forces, particularly the threat of competition from rival firms.According to the co founders, â€Å"neither of us could have anticipated, twenty years ago, that a major multinational would some day sign on, enthusiastically, to pursue and expand the social mission that continues to be an essential part of Ben & Jerry's and a driving force behind our many successes. But today, Unilever has done just that. While we and others certainly would have preferred to pursue our mission as an independent enterprise, we hope that, as part of Unilever, Ben & Jerry's will continue to expand its role in society† (ibid).The agreement between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s ensures that the current social mission of Ben & Jerry's will be encouraged and well-funded, which will lead to improved performance in this area; and an opportunity has been offered for Ben & Jerry's to contribute to Unilever's social practices worldwide. According to Richard Goldstein, President of Unilever Foods of North America, Unilever feels that â€Å"Ben & Jerry's has a significant opportunity outside of the United States. Unilever is in an ideal position to bring the Ben & Jerry's brand, values and socially responsible message to consumers worldwide.Much of the success of the Ben & Jerry's brand is based on its connections to basic human values, and it is our hope and expectation that Ben & Jerry's continues to engage in these critical, global economic and social missions† (ibid). Based on the nature of this agreement, Unilever is pledging to uphold Ben & Jerry’s mission of 17 integrating product quality with economic performance and social responsibility. Therefore, we do not expect that Ben & Jerry’s environmental strategy will change, except that more innovations can possibly be made with the augmented financial and human resources.In addition, the social and environmental mission of the company will have the opportunity to be applied on a more global scale. As far as the preservation of the company’s corporate strategy, Unilever’s gl obal presence and greater access to distribution channels will allow for Ben & Jerry’s to continue to expand internationally, thus increasing market share, profitability, and competitive advantage. Potential threat to Ben & Jerry’s success as a result of the Unilever acquisition are the negative public perception of the company (i. e. elling out), loss of consumer support and brand loyalty. This can be mitigated through marketing strategies geared towards alleviating public fears and ensuring that the underlying goals and policies of the company will remain intact. RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION Based on our analysis, we believe that the corporate and environmental strategies are appropriate and well integrated. While there are some disconnects between the two strategies, overall it is clear that the company strives to achieve economic success and environmental responsibility.Up to now, Ben & Jerry’s has been successful at maintaining this balance. The primary con cern is how well the company can insulate itself from future competition that could threaten its position as a leader in the super premium frozen dessert industry. In light of the threats identified in the SWOT analysis, we recommend that Ben & Jerry’s implement the following suggestions: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Protect its public image in light of the recent acquisition by Unilever by maintaining its current position as a market-leader in environmentally and socially responsible business practices.Continue cost-cutting efforts through implementation of further waste reduction, energy conservation, and recycling programs. Draft a formal written policy on energy use. Frequent product innovation and diversification to address threats of substitute and imitation products and meet changing consumer preferences (i. e. lactose-free ice cream, all organic line of frozen desserts, cookies) Continue franchising scoop shops to increase its market reach a nd withstand growing competition, both nationally and internationally.As the company grows, there will be greater waste generation and distribution-related emissions – increase the development of cleaner manufacturing, disposal, and distribution technologies to ensure that the company continues to stay in compliance. Develop additional manufacturing plants and distribution centers outside of Vermont to reduce distribution costs, cut down on distribution-related emissions, and increase production volume of the company. If George W.Bush becomes President, there could be a relaxation of environmental regulations and attitudes, thus leveling the playing field and eroding Ben & Jerry’s competitive advantage over firms that may be less environmentally responsible. The 18 †¢ company needs to continue to focus on its differentiation strategy to retain its edge and bolster customer loyalty and support. Continue to work with Unilever to ensure that Ben & Jerry’s rema ins an independent subsidiary with its social and environmental values firmly in place. Protect itself from assimilation into the multinational corporate identity.In conclusion, our analysis has illustrated that a company can be competitive without sacrificing its environmental goals and strategies. Through differentiation, Ben & Jerry’s has established itself as both a leader in product quality and environmental responsibility. The challenge will be for Ben & Jerry’s, after being acquired by a multinational conglomerate, to demonstrate that it is still possible to maintain its uniqueness and proactive environmental strategy. So can Ben & Jerry’s continue to serve up a double scoop of being green and making green?Stay tuned for the next flavor of the month. 19 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Environmental Report, 1998. Securities and Exchange Commission Annual Report for Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Form 10-K, 1999. Spolsky, Joel, â€Å"How to Grow a Business,† http://www. fool. com, August 4, 2000. Thompson, Arthur A. Jr. , Strickland, III, A. J. Crafting and Implementing Strategy, Text and Readings, 10th edition. Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1998. www. hoovers. com www. benjerry. com www. lib. benjerry. com Substitute Products Many S ubstitute s 20