Parents and children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parents and children - Essay Example Parents bring children to the world, and they have responsibility to control children’s eating patterns. Thus, parents should educate their children having a proper eating practice as they are most influential people over their children’s health (Xinhua News Agency 1). First, parents have the resemble genes with children. Specifically, the bodies of babies are from their mothers. The most essential part is the face with its main components such as eyes, nose or mouth that are generally similar. It is an innate characteristic that no one could instead of. Besides, the eating habits might be alike. If children’s parents like eating pork, then it’s really possible that their children like that too. According to Parents’ Influence on Children’s Weight-Related Behaviors, Parents who consume fruits and vegetables have children that are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, and parents who consume junk food will more likely have children who do the same (Xinhua News Agency 1). This implies that parents and children have comparable eating behaviors. Children get along with their parents every day, and they imitate and learn many things from parents. For instance, when parents are busy, and they don’t have time to coo k, they might buy junk food for themselves. Children will also eat junk food. If parents don’t limit times buying junk food to children, they will be used to eat them and lead to obesity. Second, parents are the most influential to children because children admire their parents. It was report that among the family members, over 80 percent of children consider their father or mother as the one that influences them most, with 43.1 percent choosing mother and 37.6 percent father (Xinhua News Agency 1).They thought parents know about many things that are from the world; they tell stories and buy gifts to them; they met many people. Besides, once they get fever, parents know which medicine they should eat. All of these behaviors are

Mona Lisa - The Enigmatic Meaning Essay Example for Free

Mona Lisa The Enigmatic Meaning Essay The Enigmatic Meaning They call her â€Å"The Enigmatic Woman,† yet the painting at first glance is quite banal. It looks a lot like any run of the mill portrait with the subject positioned in the center while she sits facing and staring directly at the viewer. Even the colors are boring in this painting with its abundance of earth tones with different mellow shades of faded green, brown, blue, and burnt orange. The picture itself is only 30†x21† which is about double the size of the average college textbook. With all of the hallmarks of a picture that most people would discard, it is quite an enigma as to why the world has been obsessed with the â€Å"Mona Lisa† for over 500 years. In â€Å"Ways of Seeing† John Berger, an art historian and novelist (only a tiny sample of the different ways I could title this Renaissance man), offers his readers a way into understanding the moment captured in paintings, especially mysterious paintings like the â€Å"Mona Lisa.† He suggests that viewers ask questions about and to the painting as way into entering into a sort of dialogue with the artist and his or her subject. By asking the appropriate questions, I was able to get a bit of a grasp on exactly why this enigmatic woman’s gaze has been capturing the rest of the world’s for so long, but I was also left questioning Berger’s theory. Berger encourages everyone with an interest in art to complete this process in order to fight against the â€Å"mystification† of classic paintings, but sometimes mystification is part of the experience of enjoying art and there is merit in that as well. As the title of the essay hints, Berger believes that â€Å"Every image embodies a Way of Seeing† (99 My Italics), meaning that every image also includes the perspective of the artist to the subject. Once a reader can start to grasp where the artist is coming from in relation to what he is painting, then the image may start to make sense. As an example of this process Berger examines â€Å"Regents of the Old Men’s Alms House† by Frans Hals, which is depicted below: Berger contextualizes the pictures by first inquiring into the artist’s social status at the time. During the commission of the painting Hals was â€Å"an old man of over eighty, [and] was destitute† (101). These wealthy men that Hals depicted gave him â€Å"three loads of peat† (101), or rotting vegetation, for this portrait. With those facts in mind, Berger comes to the conclusion that there is a sense of bitterness in the perspective of the painting, which may be why Hals depicted the third man from the right as being drunk. Berger argues that the man’s expression and hat are not necessarily a result of facial paralysis and fashion as art historians argue, but part of the â€Å"drama of these paintings† (102) which in this case is an old pauper struggling with his feelings of these men while trying to stay objective in his depiction of them; therefore, he let a glimpse of the truth out, a glimpse at these regents’ corruption. So, how does one begin to ask questions about the â€Å"Mona Lisa†? Perhaps it is best to start the same way that Berger does, by understanding who the artist was at the time of the painting. According to the Louvre’s official website, (the museum where the painting hangs) the painting is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506. Leonardo da Vinci, the artist, would have been just over fifty at the time. Kenneth Clark from The Burlington Magazine explains that â€Å"after he had lingered over it four years, [he] left it unfinished.† In 1516 the king of France invited him to work on a project. BBC contributor Bob Chaundy believes that da Vinci took Mona Lisa with him to continue working on it until his death in 1519. So what we have is man nearing the end of his life working on a seemingly personal project (since he took it with him everywhere), a project that he felt he never finished. The next obvious question: who is the woman? According to the Louvre, the model was Lisa Gherardini who was by all accounts an average Italian middle-class mother to five children. Her husband, Francesco Giocondo, commissioned da Vinci to paint the portrait as a way to celebrate the new Giocondo home and the arrival of their second son. Essentially, Mona Lisa, My Lady Lisa, is a housewife put on a pedestal. She is arguably the most glorified housewife of all time. With an understanding of the artist and the subject, it is time to ask, â€Å"what is the perspective here?† What point of view was da Vinci trying to give his audience? Knowing the information that I do, it is hard to even suggest that there was an audience for the painting. The accounts suggest that da Vinci painted and gave what he was commissioned to Gioncondo, but he kept one of the original sketches to keep working on. In other words, the Mona Lisa the world knows today was really for da Vinci’s eyes only. The portrait is an intimate depiction perhaps of someone who baffled da Vinci’s sensibilities. Of all the different subjects and models da Vinci painted, it was a middle-class mother who captivated his attention. Perhaps da Vinci could not even wrap his own mind around why she was so enthralling and so spent the rest of his life trying to capture that â€Å"it factor† she seemed to exude. In a sense, da Vinci was trying to capture the feeling of love at first sight, the feeling of being completely attracted to someone and not knowing why. So how does this feeling of awe-inspiring adoration flow over into the other stylistic elements of the portrait? Most people tend to comment on her eyes and her smile, and if you notice, they do not really seem to correspond to each other. If you only look at her eyes and cover her mouth, the eyes give a sense that she is giving a much broader smile than she actually is since the eyes are wrinkled and upturned. The high placement of the cheekbones also lend to this interpretation. The rest of the portrait with the conservative colored clothes and pose do not exude the sense of joviality that the eyes give. Those eyes that seem to contradict the other aspects of the portrait are also paradoxically the focus since many people comment on how Lisa’s gaze seems to follow you wherever you go. Her eyes tell you one thing, and the rest of her tells you another. She feels two emotions simultaneously, and that is mysterious. Many people also tend to comment on the background since it is not based on any real location (BBC). It is almost other-worldly, alien in that sense. In the same way that she can feel two emotions at the same time, it is as if she can be in two places at the same time since she is posed in between two  manmade columns on a balcony; she is simultaneously human and extraterrestrial. The colors of the background also give this sense since they are split into two. The top half is bluish green in its depiction of the sky, water, and trees while the lower half is brown and orange in its depiction of the land. Finally, her equilateral triangle pose really seems to seal this reading, for what is a triangle but the convergence of two opposite points on a single point? Mona Lisa is that point of convergence. She is place where two emotions can converge. She is the place where terrestrial and extraterrestrial converge. She is the point where a mundane housewife converges with an iconoclast of the world. She is the epitome of mystery since she cannot be pinned down to just one thing. Mystery, though, is what John Berger is fighting against. He wants to take what he calls the â€Å"bogus religiosity† (109) that mystifies art out of the equation by giving people the tools they need to make meaning on their own. He believes that art critics and historians mystify by â€Å"explaining away what might otherwise be evident† (103); in a sense they try to confuse interpretations that might be obvious through academic discourse and elitism. But what happens when the point is mystification? When the point of the painting is to leave the viewer confused? Is not there a place for that in art also? If it was not for this mysteriousness that Lisa creates, would anyone care? I think not. â€Å"Works Cited† page deleted

Best Practice And Best Fit Approach In HRM Management Essay

Best Practice And Best Fit Approach In HRM Management Essay 1. Introduction The discussion between promoters of best practice and best fit approaches has sparked widespread controversy in the human resource management (HRM) area. The topic has gained much scholarly attention because it not only addresses a theoretical controversy but also possesses a high degree of practical managerial significance. The essay has the aim to analyse best practice and best fit approaches in HRM of a multinational enterprise. The reader receives insight into Lincoln Electrics organization through a case-study analysis of practical HR approaches serving as a basis for developing practical managerial implications in the last part of the paper. 2. Critical evaluation of best practice and best fit practices in HRM 2.1 Best practice approach The best practice approach claims that certain bundles of HR activities exist which universally support companies in reaching a competitive advantage regardless of the organizational setting or industry (Redman and Wilkinson 2009). Best practice models imply a close connection between HR practices and organizational performance and are often associated with high commitment management (Paauwe Boselie 2003). Empirical research in the best-practice field shows similar groups of HR polices which are especially suitable for maximizing performance irrespective of market and product strategies (Peffer 1998, Guest 2000). Best practice bundles of activities are characterized as mutually compatible HR activities which forge high levels of workforce competence, encourage motivation and introduce a workdesign boosting employee commitment (Maloney and Morris 2005). Based on concepts from expectancy theory (Vroom 1964, Lawler 1971) best practice HR will result in higher levels of quality, product ivity and low rates of absenteeism and wastage (Guest 2000). The best practice approach suffers from a series of limitations. Firstly, when implementing best practice standards organizations run risk of introducing mutually prohibitive combinations like team working and compensation based on individual performance resulting in a deterioration of employee collaboration through overexaggerated competition (Delery 1998 in Redman and Wilkinson 2009). Secondly, high commitment management systems are generally a complex undertaking requiring large inputs of planning and top level management commitment. Thirdly, critics like Milkovich and Newman (2002) argue that best practice HR lacks direct linkages with organizational strategies and is minted by the belief that outstanding high performing human resources will influence strategy. By making HR policy precede corporate strategy an organization risks prescribing standardized sets of one size fits all best practice approaches which will not support the particular needs of employees and be detrimental t o overall strategic objectives (Maloney and Morris 2005). Fourthly, discussions with regard to the appropriate choice of best practice measures resulting from an insufficient research methodology and theoretical definition exist (Marchington and Grugulis 2000 in Redman and Wilkinson 2009). 2.2 Best fit approach The best-fit model is considered as a variant from precedent models of Harvard, Michigan and York and is called matching model for HRM (Sparrow and Hiltrop 1994). It is based on developing HRM policies according to business strategy. Strategy involves planning future activities, performances objectives, and policies towards reaching the corporate aims. HRM strategy should be designed and applied to support the given corporate strategy (Lawler 1995). The best-fit approach questions the universality assumption of the best-practice perspective. It emphasizes contingency fit between HR activities and the organizations stage of development, an organizations internal structures and its external environment like clients, suppliers, competition and labour markets (Redman and Wilkinson 2009). HR policy should be minted by the appropriate context of individual employees and therefore support the overall competitive strategy. Aligning HRM practices to strategies can enable companies to create p otential competitive advantages (Schuler and Jackson 1987 in Redman and Wilkinson 2009). The best fit approach is also subject to sever criticism. Firstly, Boxall and Purcell (2003) criticizes that in a changing business environment companies and their strategies are subject to multiple alternating contingences and that it is merely possible to adjust entire HR systems to new challenges frequently. Secondly, as companies move through their life-cycle HR practices have to be aligned which leads to an alternating treatment of employees which can have a demotivating effect and show inconsistency in corporate culture (Boxall and Purcell 2003). 3. Analysis of Lincoln Electrics HRM approach 3.1 Evaluation: Best practice or best fit approach in certain HR practices 3.1.1 Selection practices For the hiring of its U.S. workforce Lincoln Electronic is applying best practice methods as it pursues a selective employment approach aiming at attracting skilled personnel that can connect to the companies high performance ethic and live up to quality standards. New hires have to pass a three-month probation period and prove their work dedication in trainee programme (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). For the established U.S. operations promoting experienced employees from within can be regarded as an element of best fit approach of aligning HR goals with corporate quality strategy (Lawler 1995). It is coherent with Lincolns strategy of binding the best employees and rewarding them for their long-term achievements with responsibility thus keeping its intellectual capital and ensuring a sustainable competitive advantage in fields of performance, knowledge and quality. In the international management Lincoln made the mistake of relying too much on inexperienced U.S. managers from within a nd only after the disaster of the international subsidiaries started to move from its unitary strategy towards a more responsive best fit approach to external environmental by hiring more internationally experienced external managers in China and Europe which fits the international expansion strategy (Hastings 1999). In its Chinese recruitment it adapts to the Chinese labor market by personally promoting and introducing prospective employees through senior management to identify personalities who can live up to performance, education and quality requirements applying a best fit approach (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). This is in line with common relationship and social network oriented selection practices in China (Warner 2005). 3.1.2 Training practices Lincoln is applying a best fit strategy which aims at enhancing employees abilities, technical and business knowledge through a significant investment in globally recognized best practice training methods (Marchington Grugulis 2000). Examples are a sophisticated trainee program for sales and engineering trainees, constant vocational trainings for experienced workers and regular work certification programs (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). These actions aim at supporting and maintaining the superior efficiency objectives creating core competences compared to industry rivals and a competitive advantage. Lincolns approach to training employees resembles the immersion training conducted by Toyota which also conducts extensive investment in workers qualifications to achieve highest productivity and quality (Spear, 2004). 3.1.3 Reward system The reward system which has been invented by founder James Lincoln is at the core of the successful individual performance working system. In the US, Lincoln employs a highly compensated piece-work system which is linked to individual employee performance based on a multitude of work-related factors (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). The reward system is able to motivate employees for achieving commitment through a remuneration which is at the top of its industry (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). Payment system possesses clear management commitment and is seen as the key for achieving outstanding employee commitment leading to advantages in costs, productivity and quality (Hastings 1999). Group collaboration within the company is created through specific bonus pools which are allotted to work group performance. The bonuses are then distributed to the members of that group according to their quantified relative performance on the semi-annual merit rating based on factors like idea generation, qu ality, reliability, dependability and output (Milgram Roberts 1995). Employees are closely bound to the organization through a long-term stockpurchase plan as part of their remuneration making them entrepreneurs at their workplace (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). Classification of the reward system in one of the HRM approaches is ambiguous. Lincoln invented the individual performance-system as the major component towards developing its employees for becoming its core strength through an unbeatable motivation and quality-drive (Milgram Roberts 1995). This is the utilization of the best fit approach minting HR towards organizational strategic objectives. The performance payment system has proven immensely successful becoming an internal best practice. Empirical studies by MacMillan and Schuler (1984) confirm the success of individual performance- pay with end-of-year bonuses at US bearings company Baimco and at the aviation company PEOPLexpress. For its global operations Lincoln is forc ed to abide by national restrictions in the legal environment (e.g. prohibition of piecework in Germany) and traditional working habits in the socio-cultural environment to align its reward system to local standards (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). In Europe, it is forced to conduct a best fit approach abiding by local regulations and adjust to differing standards of motivation where workers value benefits like vacation over annual bonuses. 3.1.4 Employee participation The best fit approach is also utilized for the field of employee participation. The company possesses an open-door policy where employees can contact management directly. Flat hierarchies with minimal supervisory management lead to very low communication barriers and wide-opportunities for taking responsibility (Milgram Roberts 1995). Due to participation is one of the evaluation criteria for employee remuneration Lincoln has a very high workforce participation rate concerning continuous improvement suggestions. Similar continuous improvement and feedback programs are also pursued by Japanese companies like Nissan in order to enhance productivity (Erstand 1997). That not only encourages idea generation but also directly involves employees in major decisions like the turnaround after the economic crises (Hastings 1999). Although workers are not unionized a very lively participation with the management board takes place through the Employee Advisory Board leading to a very high level of workforce loyalty. The best fit participation approach supports the core competence and sustainable competitive advantage of productivity and innovative quality as major strategic objectives (Pfeffer 1995) 3.2 External and internal factors influencing Lincolns HR strategy 3.2.1 External factors Firstly, the legal environment both in Lincolns domestic market and international markets significantly influences the HR strategy. Regulations regarding the legality of piece-work systems, vacation requirements and working hour limitations force Lincoln to adapt HR practices in all fields elucidated in chapter 3.1. In the U.S. more performance driven and entrepreneurial HR approaches are possible whereas regulations in Europe, Asia and Latin America force Lincoln to adhere to adapt local HR practices (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). Secondly, Lincoln is affected by the cultural diversity of its operations again creating barriers for the introduction of performance driven measures in markets like Western-Europe and China. Whereas in the U.S. traditionally hierarchy is low and employee idea generation is common, Chinese culture is more subversive and critical idea generation practices will fail (Zhu 2005). Similarly hiring and training practices are different across cultures: The U.S. and Europe allow for the application of best practices in recruitment and training. In Asia Lincoln needs to align to the environment of conducting rather relationship oriented hiring and in-depth skill development (Warner 2005). Thirdly, different market maturity and industry-life-cycles between developed and developing markets affect Lincolns HR approaches with differences in hiring, training and workforce participation. 3.2.2 Internal factors The first major internal factor affecting Lincolns HRM is the life-cycle of the respective subsidiary. U.S. and Canadian operations have a historical presence with high levels of employee loyalty, trust, identification with the individual performance culture and a well attuned work organization and low hierarchies (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). Due to recent acquisitions and Greenfield investments in Europe and Asia loyalty and identification with the overall corporate objectives and working ethics is unincisive (Hastings 1999). Lincoln is challenged developing HR-approaches to create employee involvement and implement the performance driven internal values. Especially, immense discrepancies between the subsidiaries international managers and the U.S. headquarters management are major obstacles for the development of globally coherent HRM strategies which can enforce the overall companys performance (e.g. objections against incentive system, language barriers, management philosophies) (Hastings 1999). Lincolns executives do not possess the required international management skills and are very much minted by idealized U.S. practices. 3.3 Practical managerial lessons and broad implications for HRM practices Practical managerial HRM implications which can be drawn from the Lincoln case are the following. Lincolns HRM strategy is based on a best fit approach designed to achieve an optimal vertical fit with the overall corporate strategy with a strong alignment towards the competitive strategic objectives of employee productivity and product quality on the companys domestic American market (Basset 1999). Lincoln is immensely successful on the U.S. market because it matches HR approaches to corporate, competitive and functional level strategy to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Internationally, Lincoln is not able to transfer the U.S. model of best fit to its subsidiaries. Environmental factors like legal requirements and cultural differences make it impossible to use a system which is based on individual performance (Bjà ¶rkman Galunic 2003). Lincoln is limited in fitting its HR approach to what would be best for reinforcing its efficiency and quality driven competitive advantage. The Lincoln case illustrates that in a global context companies are influenced by a multitude of contingences. A universalist HRM approach within a MNC applying a certain bundle of HRM best practices will not render an optimal outcome for the entire organization (Sims 2007). According to Dowling et al (2008) International managers need to take a more detailed approach by identifying individual circumstances of national subsidiaries and fitting HRM strategies to achieve a mutual enforcement between local requirements and corporate strategy. For some a best practice approach might be a superior solution while for other subsidiaries only certain best practice elements (e.g. hiring, training, rewards etc.) might prove to be effective: In Europe Lincoln fails to develop any sort of HRM strategy which can satisfy the environmental requirements and reinforce its competitive differentiation strategy at the same time. Due to a lack of international knowledge Lincolns managers rely on the stat us quo (Hastings 1999). In Europe an introduction of best practice methods with a HPWS would have immediately allowed ensuring better control and performance in the newly acquired international subsidiaries through standardized practices (Maloney and Morris 2005). The best fit approach in Lincolns Chinese subsidiary incorporates lessons learned from the European failure: Lincoln is able to adapt HR strategy to environmental requirements of culture, legal requirements and the market and at the same time introduce best fit approaches in hiring and employee development to support its competitive strategy. The broader implication is that there is no single best way to approach HRM. Companies should design their approach according to elements of best practice and best fit to achieve the best possible outcomes. Studies conducted by Mendonca Kanungo (1994) and Cyert March (1963) show that the adaption of HRM approaches to local international environments is essential for companies leading to and adaption of processes and practices to fit with the local workforce. Successful MNCs like Unilever, Royal Dutch Shell and Nestlà © are those that conduct HRM strategies based on localized requirements incorporating elements from best fit and also standardized best practices (Briscoe Schuler 2004). In this context a localized resource-based HRM approach can be a good possibility to create synergies between internal competences with strategy and performance. 4. Conclusion To put everything under consideration, one can see that best fit and best practice approaches offer companies powerful tools for shaping human resource management processes. The case study has illustrated that an application of one bundle of best practice strategies across all geographies of MNCs, as proposed by Pfeffer (1998), is almost impossible because of regional differences in work-related practices, laws culture and characteristics of motivation. Similarly, sticking to a best fit strategy which is only aligned to the contingency of strategy and a neglect of environmental forces and internal capabilities can lead to a failure of HR in international markets. The case has shown that the concepts of best practice and best fit have to be analyzed and adapted to suit the localized needs of international subsidiaries in order to pave the way to overall global competitive advantages through HR.

Symbols and Symbolism in Siddhartha - The Snake, the Bird and the River

Symbols and Symbolism in Siddhartha - The Snake, the Bird and the River   Ã‚   In Herman Hess's, Siddhartha, Siddhartha's constant growth and spiritual evolution is elucidated through the symbolism of the snake, the bird and the river. As a snake sheds it's skin in order to continue its physical growth, Siddhartha sheds the skins of his past: " he realized that something had left him, like the old skin a snake sheds/ Something was no longer with him, something that had accompanied him right through his youth and was a part of him" (37). In this way Siddhartha leaves his childhood companion, Govinda, and follows the teachings of the Illustrious one. Siddhartha then journeys on alone and feels vulnerable as his past reveals his lost soul, " I was afraid, I was fleeing from myself..." (38). Siddhartha eagerly gathers himself and ventures on to explore alternative religions. He no longer relies on his past, his Samana upbringing and heritage, "Immediately he moved on again and began to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homeward, no longer to his father, no longer looking backw...

Reflective Account Essay

On an occasion at work I was aware of a staff member communicating very negatively, for example sighing and tutting and general negativity. Supervision was due so it was brought into meeting that last had concerned had noticed a change in the person’s general attitude, I asked if there was a specific reason and was told there was not. Although they agreed that they were being negative. We discussed the workload and it was decided it was not that. It was mentioned by the staff member that they were feeling a little unsure of how to deal with a service user who had dementia and was unpredictable and seemed to have taken a dislike to the staff member .We discussed at length the way forward and I arranged for some training in challenging behaviour and dementia. The staff member realised she could not avoid the service user and that if she had mentioned her concerns sooner the problem would not have escalated. She tried to hide her feelings but they were shown in a different way. I agreed to mentor and support the staff member with the service user helping her to find an appropriate approach, the service user was feeding on the negative behaviour of the staff .In a few weeks the situation was improved undoubtedly and the staff member is more positive and no longer showing any sign of negativity. I recorded everything we had discussed and we both signed it. At the following supervision the staff had been on a training workshop and was awaiting further news of more. She mentioned previously that she felt it was a weakness in her that is why she had tried to cover it up but since our discussion and my ongoing support she would never hesitate to mention any concerns she had in the future. I felt that we needed to improve activity at the Centre; the service users are a mixed group (physically and mentally frail) so I needed to find something they could all do and enjoy. I signed myself onto three one day courses with another staff member. The courses were all different but aimed at dementia sufferers. The first one ‘Bringing stories to Life ‘, I thought was going to be about putting together a Life Story, I could not have been more wrong! The ice-breaker at the beginning of the workshop was letter bingo, it involved walking around so I have adapted this so that my service users are seated, we use sets of the 26 letters of the alphabet and the service user chooses a letter and then gives me a word beginning with that letter before answering a quiz question, which I write down and while they are playing two alike trying to match up. I take the words and make up a little story or poem. The feedback from that activity has been very positive. Also from the workshop which involved using props to tell a story I have been able to do this activity several times? Using the props seems to help the quietest of the service user to join in and the feedback discussion afterwards have become very enjoyable to all. The second workshop was about using pictures (not personal) to story tell. Again this activity has been very successful, there was one or two people who were unsure but has we progressed they too joined in. The picture is given to the service user and they are asked open ended questions about it and everything is validated. Before we start we decide who is going to scribe and afterwards that person will firstly read back what as been said and ask if the service users would like to add anything? When everybody is satisfied the scriber will type the ‘story ‘ up and each service user gets a copy , we keep a copy in a folder for all to look at and we also pin a copy too our notice board . The third workshop was along the same line but using senses to make a story/poem, again we have done this a couple of times. We used a bottle of water some soil in a bag, cotton wool, leaves and bubbles, we pass the items around the room one at a time and ask the service user to say the first word they thought of when looking / touching or smelling the item .one thing we came up against was that the service users said the same thing as the previous person, so we are trying to adapt this activity further. From all three workshops I and my staff member redeveloped our armchair exercise which we do daily. We had heard the service users discuss how they were bored with doing the same exercise week after week and listening to the same music disc. So we put together some more upbeat music and sat and compiled our version of seated exercise ,using the same safe exercise taking advice from one of our other services ‘Ageing Well’ who had spent several weeks showing us seated exercise . Of course before we started any of the new activities we had a meeting with all the staff who were going to be involved. We discussed what we had learnt from each workshop and asked for feedback from the staff, some of them felt unsure about using the props and pictures, so me and the staff member who came with me agreed to lead the first one, we arranged a date and agreed on a theme for it and it was decided we would use props for the first one .I was to lead and the staff member was going to scribe. Before we started we went to each service user and asked them to sign a consent form to allow us to take photographs. This would allow another staff to get a little involved with out feeling to unsure .the discussion /feedback with the service users was great ,they were still talking about how much they had enjoyed themselves when they were going home. They were excited when I told them that there would be photographs to look at the following week. I discussed with the staff the following day how they felt about the activity and was pleased they were all positive. I continued to share taking the lead with the staff member who attended the training with me for several sessions to enable the other staff to be able to learn from us. Although with all the activities there is no right or wrong way. That is why we validate everything that is said. The change in the majority of service users is a pleasure to see, even the quietest person as become much more vocal and willing to join in with most of the activities we do. One person in particular who is hard of hearing and registered blind joins in, when in the past he as chosen not to. He still talks about certain themes we have done the story telling to, for example at Halloween we took the opportunity to do this theme, we used pumpkins and plastic spiders, I passed these things around the room and we used ‘The Monster Mash’ song to do some light movement to music before using props to make up a story relevant to the theme. I asked the service user to describe the spider, for example what he thought it was felt like and he got really into it and even had a photograph taken. Since then I have heard him telling others about ‘the day we let him hold the Tarantula ‘and how he danced to ‘spooky music’. Changing what we do and the way we do it as had a very positive effect all the way round. We still do the other activities for example Bingo, dominoes etc.During our action plan meeting we discuss which service users are in the centre that day and adapt our activity to suit, of course what we plan for the day may change if we ask the service users they may want to do another thing so if we can we will accommodate the majority. Usually the day is spent doing group work but if needed we do offer one to one.

The Acquisition of Snapple by Quaker Oats

In an effort to raise the company’s growth rate and avoid a takeover. Quaker Oats, acquired Snapple beverage corporation for $1,7 billion,a price considered by many to be valued a billion too much. Snapple captured a significant loyal following by being an innovator in the ready-to-drink tea. The RTD tea segment of the beverage market was a quick developing area with promising returns ,that’s why it attracted giants like coca cola and Pepsico, who entered the market through joint ventures with popular tea brands.Quaker Oats has known success in the past in the beverage market with the widely popular Gatorade drink and thought it could do the same with Snapple. So in order to repeat the Gatorade success story Quaker officially acquired Snapple on December 6 of 1994. The c. e. o of quaker ,William Smithburg overcome with hubris resulting from his previous success overpaid for the company an estimate of a billion dollar premium despite warnings from Wall Street. By the tim e Quacker aquired Snapple the RTD tea industry was maturing and the competition was rising because of the new independent brands that entered the market.Quacker believed that with its financial resources and experience, it could expand the Snapple brand and through the acquisition establish itself as a leading beverage producer competing with the likes of coca cola and pepsico. Quaker acquired the company by divesting profitable but slow growing pet food and candy businesses. Quaker thought it could create a Snapple/Gatorade combination and planned to exploit the synergies resulting from such combination while improving the efficiency of operations.They wanted to achieve economies of scale by unifying the manufacturing and distribution of Snapple and Gatorade. What quacker failed to realize is what realy made the success of Snapple. The company ,didn’t operate like most beverage producers. Instead of having a company owned plant that handled the manufacturing,Snapple awarded co-pack contracts to independent manufactures and handled the distribution using independent distributors who were allowed to carry different brands of beverages, but had direct access to the stores, restaurants and vending machines in their region.Due to distribution,structure problems and unrealistic optimism about the future of Snapple, quacker had a hard time integrating its new division and had yet to beneficiate from the synergies and economies of scale projected. During the first year as a part of quacker oats ,the Snapple division did not break even and lost an estimated $75 million in1995 sparking the resignation of the president and c. o. o who was in charge of the Snapple unit.The loss in revenue was mainly driven by weaker-than-expected sales and an estimated $40 million dollars to buy back the contracts from the co-packers and other suppliers. During 1996, Snapple slipped to the second place in the ice tea market and despite positive projections by quacker. The unit fai led to achieve any sales gain and sow it sales decline by 20%, resulting in operating losses exceeding the $120 million for that year. By 1997 snapple’s market share slipped to the 3rd place behind lipton and nestea.The company was behind even in production methods and processes. On March 28, 1997 Quacker decided to take a $1. 4 billion write-off and sold the company it purchased 29 months before for $300 million. All this led to a loss in performance for Quacker oatas a company resulting in a takeover by Pepsico in December 2000 in a $13. 7 billion all stock bid. The mismatch of big corporate culture with the one of small entrepreneurial firms didn’t work and what quacker was trying to avoid by purchasing Snapple happened .