Organizational Culture at Lincoln Electric - 686 Words

Introduction: Motley Fool (2013), a multimedia financial company named Lincoln Electric to be the eight best companies in America. It is a phenomenal achievement to maintain the company’s ranking for several years. This implies that the organizational structure and culture should play a tremendous role in the Company’s continuous success and progress. This essay assess the assess the culture and different trends followed at Lincoln Electric Organizational Culture: Business dictionary defines Organizational Culture as the ‘values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization’. It can also be seen as the values that show people what is appropriate and what is not (Becker, 2006). Lincoln Electric: Founded in 1865 by John C. Lincoln, the company is known in today’s world for its high worker productivity. The secret behind this extra ordinary success lies in the company’s founding philosophies and established policies over the year. The term ‘Organizational Culture’ was not even in practice when the company established its unique policies like reducing working hours, paid up life insurance, health benefits, social activities, paid vacations, and the pension plans. These measures not only motivated the employees but also helped build trust and partisanship. In Charles G. Herbruck’s words â€Å"... these were expressions of mutual respect for each person’s importance for the job to be done.† It can be assumed that Lincoln ElectricShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1439 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The Lincoln Electric Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of welding machines and electrons. Lincoln employs 2,400 workers in two U.S. factories near Cleveland, OH and approximately 600 in three factories located in other countries. (The Lincoln Electric Company p. 1.) The main focus of this paper is to analyze the organizational culture of this company, by doing so, I will point out the different features, the rules and norms, beliefs and philosophies and the systems implementedRead MoreOrganizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1107 Words   |  5 PagesThe Culture of a Company, or the Organizational Culture like it is mentioned in Principles of Management, has gotten a new dimension for me in terms of importance to assure the success of a company. This Organizational Culture is based on a series of values that are defined and established by the founder of a company for instance, which has a deep relation with his ethics and moral values. Therefore, the first factor to outline would be what the culture of a company shows, that can describe alreadyRead MoreAnalysis Of Lincoln Electric Organizational Culture1036 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Lincoln Electric organizational culture Lincoln Electric was founded at the end of the 19-th century by John C. Lincoln. He was a talented engineer who invested 200 dollars in his product electrical motors. Soon he was replaced by his younger brother James F. Lincoln, and the founder of Lincoln Electric dedicated his time to engineering activities and inventions. James F. Lincoln was a different type of inventor. He was a good manager with the nice strategic point of view over manufacturingRead MoreThe Organizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1035 Words   |  5 Pagesthe story of Lincoln Electric Company I’ve come to the Conclusion that their organizational culture they practicing is People-oriented culture. Because the company values fairness, supportiveness and they respect individual rights. There is a greater emphasis on expectation of treating people with respect and dignity. All the founders of the company had a great deal of continues influence on the positioning of the company today, form John C. Lincoln to James F. Lincoln. John C. Lincoln started itRead MoreOrganizational Culture At Lincoln Electric Company Essay957 Words   |  4 PagesOrganizational Culture at Lincoln Electric The Lincoln Electric Company, a manufacturer of welding equipment and supplies, was founded in 1895 by John C. Lincoln as a manufacturer of electric motors. In the early years of the 20th century, James F. Lincoln joined his brother’s company and by 1914 replaced John as the company head, allowing the latter to concentrate his efforts on scientific investigations. In those early years, James F. Lincoln implemented a number of programs and initiatives withRead MoreThe Organizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1016 Words   |  5 PagesThe Organizational Culture of the Lincoln Electric Company The Lincoln Electric Company is one of the largest manufacturers of welding machines and electrodes in the world. With about 2,400 employees in the USA and near 600 workers in other countries. The Lincoln management plan is well known for accomplishing the highest worker productivity. His founder Mr. James F. Lincoln died in 1965, leaving a profitable and reliable company. As a president of the business, he invigorated a committee that wasRead MoreThe Impact Of Organizational Culture On The Lincoln Electric Company892 Words   |  4 PagesThrough my reading about LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY I can see that organizational culture played an important important role in success of this company. All main elements that form Oranizational culture represented in THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY, that what made this company prospered and thrived in its activity through the applying The P-O-L-C Framework effectively. I can discern the aspects of influence of oraganizational culture in manging this co mpany towards higher levels in output through theRead MoreOrganizational Culture And The Lincoln Electric Company1212 Words   |  5 PagesORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY The success of a business is intimately tied to the success of its culture. To understand better how organisational culture is created and maintained we will examine one of America’s most successfully managed companies, the Lincoln Electric company. We will examine many aspects of the company that contribute to its culture, such as the influence of the company’s founders, the golden rule, the incentive management plan, the performance appraisalRead MoreOrganizational Culture And The Lincoln Electric Company1303 Words   |  6 PagesORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY The success of a business is intimately tied to the success of its culture. To understand better how organisational culture is created and maintained we will examine one of America’s most successfully managed companies, the Lincoln Electric company. We will examine many aspects of the company that contribute to its culture, such as the influence of the company’s founders, the golden rule, the incentive management plan, the performance appraisalRead MoreAnalysis Of Lincoln Electric Company Of Cleveland Ohio Usa S Organizational Culture877 Words   |  4 PagesLincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio USA`s organizational Culture is exceptional and has earned it the acolade of being the best managed manufacturing company in the whole world. I will explore and attempt to identify culture aspects of Lincoln Electric from several issues such as; the continuing influence of founders of the company, the golden rule, the incentive management plan,the performance appraisal system, how people communicate in the organization, the merit pay plan, the bonus plan

The Hunger Games And The Greek Myth Of Theseus - 1030 Words

Research Paper Final Draft: President V.S. Minotaur In both the Hunger Games and the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, children were used as sacrifices to make the Capitol and/or Minotaur seem unbeatable. Children were offered as sacrifices to make the Capitol/Minotaur seem unbeatable. In the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur as punishment for displeasing Crete, seven youths and seven maidens were periodically sent into a labyrinth containing a Minotaur which was half man and half bull. This cycle doesn?t end until Theseus volunteers to go into the labyrinth and kill the Minotaur. Theseus is successful in killing the beast and becomes the epic hero of this story. In the Hunger Games, children were sent into an arena to kill each other as sacrifices this was a symbol of the capitol?s power. Once a child reached the age of twelve their name was entered into the mix for the Hunger Games, a fight to the death broadcasted on live TV. Katniss?s twelve-year old sister Prim gets picked and Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and the other district twelve tribute, Peeta are the last two survivors and defy the Capitol by trying to kill themselves at the same time. At the last second they are stopped and both come out of the arena victorious. Once in the labyrinth, there was no escaping, much like the Hunger Games, the only way out was to be the last living tribute. Katniss talking to Peeta says, ?Careful, there?s a force field up ahead? (Collins, CatchingShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1352 Words   |  6 Pagesbook the Hunger Games came out with a bang when it first hit theaters or the shelves of the bookstores. It was dubbed as one of the best films or books to read, interestingly enough it was a remake of the stories or myths most people heard when they were younger, but modernized and turned into a collage of all the best roman and Greek stories. Suzanne Collins brilliantly combined the Greek and Roman influences to make the movie/book unforgettable. By using stories from the romans and Greeks, to theRead MoreTheseus vs. Katniss: The Hunger Games versus Greek Mythology1599 Words   |  7 Pageschoose to borrow from the rich mythology of the ancient Greeks. Suzanne Collins has been asked on numer ous occasions where the idea for The Hunger Games originated. She readily admits that the characters and plot come from Greek mythology and more specifically, from Theseus and the Minotaur (Margolis 30). One familiar with both both stories can easily recognize the identical framework upon which each of these stories are built. Both Theseus and Katniss Everdeen, Collins’ heroine, volunteerRead MoreAn Comprehensive Tour Guide Experience962 Words   |  4 Pageswere standing in and through that and after that. It was a very comprehensive tour guide experience. So throughout our lives we basically heard about war. As a child Suzanne like to read about Greek and Roman mythology. Her favorite was Theseus and the Minotaur. Collins sums this up for us exposing what Theseus and the Minotaur is about. â€Å"As punishment for displeasing Crete, Athens periodically had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete, where they were thrown into the labyrinth and devouredRead MoreComparing the Dystopian Elements in Suzenne Collins The Hunger Games and George Orwells 19841377 Words   |  6 Pageselements in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games echo those in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four Dystopian literature adheres to certain conventions; the theme of a dystopian future typically encompasses a severely repressed society, with socio-political dysfunction and class stratification. Themes of surveillance, censorship and personal independence have been established by authors such as George Orwell, and are recurrent throughout 2008 novel â€Å"The Hunger Games† by Suzanne Collins, although OrwellianRead MoreHunger Games Hamlet1658 Words   |  7 PagesThe Hunger Games Hamlet There are 2 main themes within Hamlet the Hunger Games. These being the idea that they are both being watched and therefore having to be insecure about themselves and what they say. The other is the theme of fatherhood and loss. Shakespeare’s feelings are very much portrayed throughout the whole of Hamlet, he gives the impression he is slightly bi-polar as his mood contrast so much. His feelings reflect on Hamlets behaviour. This led to Hamlet being one of the greatestRead MoreGreek Mythology : The Little Mermaid, And Of Course, Hercules1879 Words   |  8 Pagesin my mind that incarnates Greek mythology are: The Little Mermaid, and, of course, Hercules. Heracles has so many films dedicated to him, but this film is a special case, because it is made for kids. To start off, I did enjoy The Little Mermaid, mainly because I love Disney, but seeing in the eyes of someone who has study Greek Mythology, it didn’t disappoint too much. That is mainly because The Little Mermaid is not a movie that is mainly based off of some myth, like Hercules, but it did incorporateRead MoreDetailed Summary on Greek Mythology by Edith Hamilton Essay7051 Words   |  29 PagesENTRY I Part I Ââ€" Section I I-THE GODS The Greeks believed that the Earth was here before the gods; the gods did not create the universe, instead the universe made the gods. So the heaven and earth were the first parents, after them came the titans, and following them came the gods and goddesses. The titans were known to be big and of great strength. The one titan who over-ruled the rest was Cornus, also known as Saturn. He reigned until Zeus- his son dethroned him. Zeus was amongst the twelve

Single-sex education free essay sample

Single-sex education has been growing in popularity since 2002; (Novotney 2011) however, considering gender differences and the development for students, there is no space for single-sex education to continuously grow compared with coeducation; here are three main reasons in consideration of mode of teaching, psychology and physiology: Proponents of single-sex education make mode of teaching arguments, arguing for coeducation provide various curriculum that is not suitable for the other gender. They believe curriculum design should be set aiming at one gender in single-sex schools. According to single-sex. org, the single-sex education creates many unprecedented opportunities that do not exist in the coed classroom: teachers can employ one strategy in the all-girls or all-boys classroom, which do not work well in the coed classroom. (singlesexschool. org 2013) Robert Kennedy states the faculty at single sex schools understand how their students learn. (Kennedy 2013) They adapt their teaching styles to either gender’s specific needs. There are other advantages as well, for instance, a single sex school is homogeneous, so this can simplify planning events and activities as the school only have to consider boys or girls as the case may be. The problem comes straight after. Coeducation proponents firmly insist on that this one-gender-aimed thought is not fully convincing enough, and much evidence can be taken to prove it cannot hold water. First, the single-sex education supporters exaggerate the distinction between the two genders. The American Council on Education states that there is less academic disparity between male and female students overall, (Stanberry 2013) so there is no necessity to build single-sex schools at all. Second, there are not enough teachers receive training. Kristin Stanberry states the reality is that few educators are formally trained to use gender-specific teaching techniques. (Stanberry 2013) This situation suggests the one-gender-orientation strategy is impractical. The benefit for being taught in coeducation is that students can gradually form a set of balanced moral values, especially about love affairs. Guardian indicates that teachers and parents of co-ed students can fully take advantage of the presence of both boys and girls in the same class to explain the differences between male and female, and help them to understand the correct moral messages. (Guardian. org 2009) For example, information like premarital sex is morally unacceptable, and how it can be avoided. It is easier for students to see how these phenomena are close to them, regardless of their sex. What’s more, in this way students can hear what the opposite sex say, and acquire an understanding of different opinions. This difference inspires them to discuss more and think more deeply of these matters. Moreover, dating and marriage involve both sexes. Only the opposite sex in the discussion of these matters can it provide a more variable and more in-depth insight for students to think over. In the course of these discussions, students can gain a set of moral values that is both correct and acknowledged by themselves, and they will be willing to follow them. Single-sex education advocates a bunch of benefits for students in psychological aspects in different aspects. From heterosexual attraction and distraction, Seamus put forth his theory in his book The role of single-sex and coeducational instruction on boys attitudes and self-perceptions of competence in French language communicative activities, he represents people who state that girls or boys are easily a distraction to each other, and at the same time, students do not act more age-appropriate in coeducation school, especially boys, so single-sex education is their best choice. According to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, boys do not need to show off their macho side to impress any girl ever since no girl existed in boy-exclusive classroom, and that does not indicate that the boys lack lessons in masculinity; (Morgan 2009) on the contrary, this experience is likely to aid them in understanding their masculinity, and there are a larger number of male models to come into effect in this process. From social activities and participating situation, Vaughn Thompson, who resigned from the Young Scholars Academy in the Bronx indicates that kids in single-sex schools are more likely to participate activities because they are surrounded by classmates who are their brothers or sisters. (Martin 2012) In this sense, these factors can let students have a comparatively free atmosphere and be themselves. From gender stereotypes, single-sex education supporters meditate to place their hope on eliminating gender stereotype. Robert Kennedy, former About. Com guide, states that the conventional thinking is coeducation can break down gender stereotypes, but that did not always happen. (Kennedy 2013) He states the proponents of single sex education argue that boys in coeducational system are less likely to take courses in the arts or advanced academic subjects, because they do not feel like being as a nerd. Similarly, girls avoid the sciences and technology subjects, because they do not want to appear to be tomboys; however, single-sex education eliminate this worry, for instance, greatschool. Org states girls do not have to under the pressure to compete with boys in male-dominated subjects such as math and science. (Stanberry 2013) Boys, on the other hand, can more easily pursue traditionally feminine interests such as music and poetry. These factors are blandished by single-sex education supporters to announce their triumph. Nevertheless, those psychology appearances simplify the problem, and it is shortsighted for they only care about students’ current psychological feelings, but ignore the consideration of short-term and long-term development and social human communication, especially in the aspect of opposite gender: As for short term, coeducation inspires students to have a healthier and comprehensive gender atmosphere. According to Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, it states that boys and girls all benefit much from coeducation. (blogger 2013) Students perform happier in coeducation schools, compared to single-sex schools. Recent research has found that classrooms with a more egalitarian social structure and more cross-gender friendships experience reduce levels of aggression and bullying, which is suitable for coeducation school. According to Mr. Squires, a freelance from eudblogs. org, indicates that boys and girls have different strengths and different interests in various subjects. (Squires 2012) If boys and girls are studying together, they will have the best opportunity to introduce their different experiences and views to each other, and eventually reach a win-win situation, for example, if a girl knows a lot about women rights and a boy knows many things about male sports, they can communicate with each other and learn from each other in a natural environment day by day. This Action helps both boys and girls to understand and enjoy each other’s interest, which is useful for them to understand the opposite feelings and thoughts, resulting in a considerate character. As for long term, it is a preparation for students’ future. Wong Wing Yin Jennifer states that coed schools provide the suitable environment for students to develop the interpersonal skills before they join in the labour force in future. (Jennifer 2010) People always say that school is a miniature of society, and there are males and females in society, which likes the situation in coed schools. Males and females are crucial members in every society. There is no way to avoid contact with the opposite gender, and it is essential for people to learn the proper way to interact with others so that people can develop healthy relationships with people around, and increase efficiency. A single-sex school cannot provide such environment for students to communicate to opposite gender. This may lead to the development of negative response to the approach of the opposite gender. For example, a boy who studies in a boys’ school may be too shy to communicate with a girl because he does not know how. He states it is the accumulated experience from interacting with the opposite gender and observing others interact with the opposite sex that enables people to adapt to and be able to communicate with others, whether male or female. This is a vital advantage of studying in a co-ed school. Except psychological aspects, there is another thing single-sex education supporters argue. In coeducation schools, boys do well in Math and Physics, while girls Arts and Literature. Single-sex education supporters believe that contributes to physiological factor, or more exactly, brains’ differences between two genders. The American Psychological Association states that according to a 2007 pediatric neuroimaging studies published on NeuroImage led by a team of neuroscientists from the National Institute of Mental Health, different brain regions develop in a different sequence in the brains of girls and boys. (Amercian Psychological Association 2011) Using 829 brain scans gathered over two years from 387 subjects from 3 to 27 years old, researchers found several remarkable differences. (Bandettini 2013) The occipital lobe shows rapid development in 6 to 10-year-old girls, while boys show the largest growth in this region after 14 years old. Another study published on Developmental Neuropsychology has shown disaccord in language processing between the sexes as well, concluding that the language areas of the brain in many 5-year-old boys look similar to that of many 3-year-old girls. (Glozman 2013) Amy Novotney, a researcher belonging to American Psychological Association, states single-sex education advocates use brain differences as evidence for the benefits of separating boys and girls in the classroom, holding the idea that there are distinct physiological and developmental differences between boys and girls, which leads the two genders to take various studying styles. (Novotney 2011) People employ the evidence related to brain differences to demonstrate that boys and girls do not synchronously develop, and thus coeducation is not suitable for this two genders together. Coeducation advocates strongly against the above theory, announcing although there are indeed many studies suggesting small physiological differences in male and female brains, there is a lack of specific evidence that how these differences matter to learning level and how close is this factor related to at the individual level, for example, according to Psychological Bulletin, a meta-analysis of 242 studies conducted between 1990 and 2007 examines gender differences in math performance, and it finds that girls perform as well in the subject as boys. This study, which is convincing for it includes so many test samples and covers such long time, indicates that brains’ differences cannot lead to apparent result differences in learning level. (OShea 2010) From the arguments above, people can clearly see the furious discussion between the two sides, and coeducation schools are better schools for three reasons. Coeducation schools win because it carefully considers many factors, including short-term and long-term benefits, students’ future development and among other things. All these factors can well help students to adapt to and cope with society’s demand, which beyond what single-sex can do.

P Global Expansion free essay sample

Introduction of the case: De Cesare, president of Max Factor Japan and GLT member on the Beauty Care GBU, is to present an analysis of SK-II’s potential to become a truly global brand. There are 3 alternatives for SK-II’s global strategy: To build on the brand’s success in Japan, tap into China, or expand SK-II into Western Europe. If PG chooses to focus on Japan, it is possible that they might achieve national brand recognition. However, to become a truly global brand, it is necessary that SK-II enters new markets. assignment satisfaction key help desk Yet, we must bear in mind that there are significant risks in PG’s first-ever proposal to expand a Japanese brand into foreign markets. These risks are magnified by the vast differences in consumers, distribution channels, competitors, and the political, social and economical systems across borders. Furthermore, PG’s global organization was currently undergoing a major restructuring program, O2005, which might deter SK-II’s plans. We will write a custom essay sample on P Global Expansion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This paper seeks to discuss the merits of Japan as a lucrative market for SK-II and weigh the benefits of entry vis-a-vis the risks and related costs. In light of obstacles and limited growth, this paper will also examine the prospect of SK-II to develop into a major global brand by tapping into foreign markets. We will discuss the China and Western Europe market separately, and evaluate our plans accordingly. Lastly, we will conclude by showing how our plans would be implemented and integrated in PG’s newly reorganized global operations. Background of PG Japan PG‘s entry and expansion into Japan started off rough. Up to the mid-1980s, PG Japan had been a minor contributor to PG’s international growth. In 1984, twelve years after entering the Japanese market, PG’s board reviewed the accumulated losses of $200 million, the ongoing negative operating margins of 75%, and the eroding sales base-decreasing from ? 44 billion in 1979 to ? 26 billion in 1984. With this negative outlook, PG considered exiting Japan. Durk Jagerr, the country’s new GM, analyzed the causes of PG failure in Japan. He then made radical changes in market research, advertising, and distribution. This resulted in a 270% increase in sales. Just as it was starting to have a positive outlook, the Japan’s â€Å"Bubble Economy† burst in 1991. PG’s entry into the new category of beauty care worsened rather than improved the situation. In 1994, the Japanese beauty business lost $50 million of sales. Organization 2005 (O2005) When Durk Jager became CEO in January 1999, he implemented the Organization 2005the proposal for global growth. This was the most dramatic change to PG’s structure, processes, and culture in the company’s history. Implementing O2005 would promise to bring 13% to 15% annual earnings growth and would result in $900 million in annual savings starting in 2004. Item| 1995| 1996| 1997| 1998| 1999| Gross Profit| -| 5. 41| 6. 4| 4. 44| 10. 3| Table 1: Growth rate of Gross Profit As seen from Table 1, gross profit did grow quite significantly by 10. 3% in 1999, only 6 months after implementing O2005. PG’s income statement therefore supports Jager’s optimistic forecast of future 13-15% annual growth earnings. Figure 1: Trend Analysis for Current Assets and Long-Term Assets As se en in Figure 2, PG’s plant, property and equipment have been rising over the past 5 years, with a significant increase in year 1997. On the other hand, current assets (i. e. cash) have been declining, with a considerable decrease in year 1997 as well. It is highly possible this is due to cash used (decrease) to invest in capital (increase). In 1998, current assets finally increased for the first time in 4 years. This could explain how an increase in investments (on fixed assets) to produce new products, especially with O2005, eventually reaped positive returns with a more than proportionate increase in sales (cash and accounts receivables). Figure 2: PG’s Timeline Most importantly, with O2005, the organization would become more alert and responsive to issues. It would be possible to anticipate or predict trends in various markets by having a global view. For instance, if Japanese consumers decrease their demand for one of PG’s products, it can anticipate that other countries with similar culture may follow this trend. This would also allow PG to launch new products quickly without the hindrance of autonomous national subsidiaries. Moreover, global business unit would be able to maintain product margins across country boundaries. Having a strong global control of its products, PG would be able to use similar marketing campaigns in countries within a geographic region thus reducing marketing costs. Financial Ratios for PG| Column1| Current ratio| 1. 7| Net working Capital| 597,000,000| Total Debt Ratio| 0. 63| Cash Coverage Rate| 13. 67| Total Assets Turnover| 1. 19| Profit Margin| 0. 099| Return on Assets| 0. 117| Return on Equity| 0. 312| Table 2: Financial Ratios of PG in Year 1999 As seen in Table 2, PG is doing very well overall. It is relatively able to meet short term debt obligations. It has quite a substantial amount of net working capital which allows development (in Japan) and expansion (into China and/or Europe) of its business. It is also unlikely that the company will face problems with debt load as its financial leverage is not high. With its cash coverage ratio being very high, it is fairly safe if PG chooses to increase its financial leverage to help sustain growth and expand its business. Its moderate ability to generate sales from each dollar of asset is also reflected it its low profit margin, which highlights PG as a company that base its sales on volume rather than on profit. As for PG’s profitability relative to its assets, it is difficult to comment as it depends largely on the industry’s average, which is not given in the case. ROE too, should be compared to other firms in the industry. As PG’s ROE seems considerably sound, earnings must be reinvested to increase stockholders’ wealth and thus, SK-II presents PG the opportunity to do so. SWOT Analysis for SK-II Strengths The greatest strength of SK-II is Pitera, the unique ingredient found only in SK-II products. It was apparently developed by a Japanese monk who noticed how the hands of workers in sake breweries were kept young looking. The fact that SK-II has gained exclusive access to this â€Å"miraculous† ingredient allows them to charge premium prices and still generate demand for their products. To further justify their premium pricing strategy, they value-add their product by emphasizing on its packaging. For example, the SK-II Foaming Massage Cloth was packaged â€Å"in a much more elegant dispensing box† than Olay. Also, SK-II’s technological expertise in developing its product and showcasing detailed scientific product performance data was able to effectively convince Japanese women, who â€Å"took a much more scientific approach to their product reviews†. Weaknesses However, this scientific approach could go against them when dealing with Western Europe. They may not believe the collated results, but prefer hearing of more personal testimonials of the wonders of SK-II. Their premium pricing strategy could also be seen as a weakness as many would not be able to afford it. Also, its tedious multi-step skincare regime might deter lazy consumers from trying its product line. Lastly, with the need of beauty counsellors’ analysis and advice, and the full skin care regimen, it would be ineffective for SK-II to advertise through giving out samples to persuade stubborn consumers. Opportunities This creates opportunities for SK-II to advertise through their very comprehensive and prestigious beauty-counsellor segment which breaks down into training counsellors, as well as counter design and equipment installation. To support these investments, they used TV advertising to show the effectiveness of SK-II which boosted its product awareness and sales tremendously. With Japanese women being the highest users of beauty care products in the world, the opportunities for SK-II to continue expansion in Japan are huge. In addition, research showed that there is â€Å"a worldwide opportunity in facial cleansing†. With SK-II’s success in Taiwan and Hong Kong, SK-II has a ready opening to tap into nearby China. On top of that, there is a possibility of bringing this brand into a large Western market. This presents SK-II three main global opportunities to make its brand an international one. Threats Nonetheless, SK-II must be fully aware of strong brand competitors in the industry like Shiseido in Japan, and Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Chanel and Dior in Europe. Possible lost of exclusive access to the ingredient Pitera could also result in SK-II’s downfall. Japanese Market Build on SK-II brand success in Japan With its phenomenal achievement, SK-II should continue to build on its brand success in Japan. There are numerous benefits to be gained in the Japanese market. According to Exhibit 10, the retail sales of the skin care product in Japan are 6,869 million, which is more than anywhere else in the world. Also, being a premium, high-margin brand, potential growth in sales could bring more profits than any other of PG’s regular products, such as toothpaste and shampoo. In fact, it is estimated that one loyal SK-II customer in Japan will spend about $1000 a year on the brand. Most importantly, there is substantial room for growth, as Max Factor Japan only claims less than a 3% share of a $10 billion beauty market. Apart from economical benefits, the Japanese customers are the world’s leading consumers of beauty products and Japanese women had by far the highest use of beauty care product in the world. Since they already have the skin care practices of a four- to six-step regimen, which SK-II relies on, there is no need to invest in the educating the Japanese consumers. In addition, following the success of the foaming massage cloth, it offers a great opportunity to tap into PG’s extensive technological resources, leveraging on the existing brand name and image to extend SK-II’s product line and expand into new product offerings, whilst targeting new market segments. For example, new product lines such as anti-aging and skin-whitening products can be added to the SK-II range. Furthermore, Japan’s demanding consumers and tough competitors will create an important environment that is conducive for leading-edge and innovative ideas. Thus, this will lead to PG having greater initiatives and discoveries in the cosmetic and skin care industry. Another substantial benefit of the Japanese alternative would be the low investment. In comparison to a new market entry, there would not be a need for large funding in new infrastructure and distribution channels, or in the training of beauty counselors and other personnel. Moreover, the emergence of operational synergies through the cooperation of SK-II’s technology and marketing teams, who developed an innovative beauty imaging system (BIS), also supports the prospect of developing the home market which fits with de Cesar’s vision of the brand. By installing modified BIS at SK-II counters and having beauty consultants to give an accurate and credible analysis of skin diagnosis and counselling process, customers’ loyalty will be built. Hence, there is tremendous potential for growth for SK-II in its home market and thus it is strongly advisable to further expand SK-II in Japan. Why should SK-II enter foreign market? Despite SK-II ability to generate significant operating profits, this high-end product had little visibility outside Japan, even within PG itself. With its success in Japan, SK-II has the potential to enter foreign market as SK-II is able to meet the global desire to achieve soft, moisturized, clean-feeling skin. Apart from that, according to Exhibit 9, there is a $10 billion worldwide prestige skin care market which SK-II can tap in. Thus, there is a huge global market opportunity for SK-II. Another factor is that although the Japanese alternative involves lower risks compared to entering foreign markets, there are still a number of issues that have to be considered. First, as a well-established brand for beauty products, SK-II is also characterized by intense rivalry with strong competitors such as Shiseido. Furthermore, with the very demanding consumers and highly innovative competitors, any slowdown in RD or major setbacks in launching products could lead to a significant disadvantage for the company. Considering the other premium brands that had already entered the market, delaying the release would mean having to face greater competition in the future and having to forfeit the first mover advantage. Hence, it is favourable that SK-II to enter the foreign markets. Which foreign markets to enter? The China Market Entering the Chinese market is one option. The Chinese market is widely predicted to become the second largest market in the world. The prestige beauty segment is growing at 30 to 40% a year and virtually every major competitor in that space is already there. However, this does not mean that entering the Chinese market would guarantee profits. The right segment should be targeted in the Chinese market first. Basically, there are three Chinas-rural China, low income urban China, and sophisticated, wealthy China concentrated in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. This market size is as big a target consumer group as in many developed markets. Especially in China where people are more attracted and loyal to products that are introduced first, it is important to enter the Chinese market now so as to reduce the loss of the first mover’s advantage. If the movement into the Chinese market is delayed, the battle for those elite will be lost to the global beauty-care powerhouses that have been there for three years or more. Another advantage of entering the Chinese market now is that the expected sales by having a few counters in Shanghai (sophisticated, wealthy China) would amount to $10 to $15 million in sales over the first three years, by which time they expected the brand to achieve breakeven. However, because of the large income gap among the Chinese in China, it is difficult to target the rural China and low income urban China with the SK-II products. Many argued that targeting an elite consumer group with a niche product was not in keeping with the objective of reaching the 1. 2 billion population with laundry, hair care, oral care, diapers, and other basics. After all, the four step regimen of SK-II-a-three month supply-could cost more than one months salary for the average woman working in a major Chinese city. Furthermore, Chinese consumers may not be ready for SK-II. Olay had succeeded only by educating its customers to move from a one-step skin-care process-washing with bar soap and water-to a three-step cleansing and moisturizing process. SK-II further relied on having women develop a four- to six-step regimen, something which the people may not adapt to. Finally, the Chinese market presented numerous other risks from the widespread existence of counterfeit prestige products to the bureaucracy attached to a one-year import registration process. SK-II would probably incur high cost too because of the import duties of 35 to 40%. This meant that even if P;G squeezed its margin in China, SK-II would have to be priced significantly above the retail level in other markets. Despite the possible disadvantages and risks that may be incurred when entering the Chinese market, it is still very advisable to enter the Chinese market mainly because it is a huge market. This entry into the Chinese market would be more successful after SK-II’s further expansion into the Japanese market as it would have developed a more reputable brand name. The consumers in China would thus be gain confidence in the product. Most importantly, the China team calculated that because of the lower cost of beauty consultants, selling SK-II in China could still be profitable. See Exhibit 12 for cost estimates. ) The European Market Besides the Chinese market, it is also possible for SK-II to expand into the European market. Unlike China, Europe had a relatively large and sophisticated group of beauty-conscious consumers who already practiced a multi-step regimen using various specialized skin-care products. This makes it easier to bring SK-II into the European market as people a re more incline to accept the product. Whats more, the fine fragrances business was beginning to do quite well. In the United Kingdom, for example, its own 25-person salesforce was on track in 1999 to book $1 million in after-tax profit on sales of $12 million. Even though selling brands like Hugo Boss, Giorgio, and Beverly Hills’ sales approach and trade relationship was different from the SK-II model in Japan, it was a major asset that could be leveraged. Furthermore, it is likely that SK-II provided the fine fragrance business a way to extend its line in the few department stores that dominated U. K. distribution in the prestige business. There is also a hope to achieve sales of $10 million by the fourth year in the U. K. market. However, given the intense competition, a loss of $1 million to $2 million may need to be absorbed annually over the period as the startup investment. Besides a potential loss during the startup investment period, a bigger challenge would be introducing a totally new brand into an already crowded field of high-profile, well respected competitors including Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Chanel and Dior. While TV advertising had proven highly effective in raising SK-IIs awareness and sales in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, the cost of television-or even print-made such a method too expensive in Europe. And without any real brand awareness or heritage, SK-IIs mystique may not be transferred to a Western market. There is also a possibility that a significant group may not be willing to adopt the disciplined six- to eight step ritual that the devoted Japanese SK-II users followed. Also, countries like France and Germany, where prestige products were sold through thousands of perfumeries, makes it impossible to justify the SK-II consultants who would be vital to the sales model. Therefore, there is a higher risk of bringing SK-II into the European market before the Chinese market as SK-II is an Asian brand. The brand has been proven successful in countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that consumers in China will be more receptive to its product as compared to consumers in the western market. As seen from Figure 3 and 4 below, although China has the least retail sales so far, its market is growing at a rapid pace. Thus, there is a lot of potential in China and SK-II must act fast as mentioned earlier to gain a portion of the growing pie. Although Western Europe has the largest retail sales in the industry, it must be noted that it has a whole region consisting of many countries, thus including a much larger number of people who contribute to their high sales as compared to a single country like Japan. Therefore, building on its success in a homogeneous culture like Japan would be an easier and probably more effective initial step to creating SK-II as a global brand. Furthermore, as seen in Figure 5 below, Japan is the most ready market for SK-II as it has a high percentage that already frequently use facial lotion, which is SK-II’s key selling product. On the other hand, China has a long way to go in changing their skin care habits and practices and SK-II will need to put in a lot more effort in trying to get the Chinese to do so. Figure 5: Skin Care and Cosmetics Habits and Practices Table 3: Evaluating Criteria Customer Criteria| Japan| China| Europe| Usage and Habit| * High| * Low| * Moderate| Maturity| * High| * Low| * Moderate| Market Criteria| Japan| China| Europe| Market Size| * 5 * Largest| * 3 * Smallest| * 4 * Large| Potential size and growth| * 3 * Smallest| * 5 * Largest| * 3 * Unsure| Experience| * 5 * Already familiar with SK-II in Japan| * 3 * Some experience with Olay| * 3 * Some experience with Lipfinity| Pricing| * 5 * Recognized as a prestige brand * Loyal customer base| * 3 * High import duties VS low labour costs * Relatively low income| * 5 * Already exposed to expensive beauty products| Competition| * 5 * Shiseido| * 3 * Prestige product line target niche market | * 5 * Many existing well-known brands| Distribution| * 5 * Specialised stores with consultants| * 4 * Similar selling experience with Olay * Adapt knowledge| * 3 * Mass distribution * Consultant approach may not be feasible| Financial Criteria| Japan| China| Europe| Initial Investment Expected Losses| * Small * Most in RD| * Quite high * Focus on training| * High * Cost of advertisement| Sales| * Very good * $150m| * Good * $15m| * Fair * $9m| Implementation of the expansion in Japan To expand SK-II product line, they would need to tailor products to meet the consumers’ demands so as to provide customization. SK-II would have to increase their budget for research and development to understand the innovative needs of their consumers such as the SK-II foaming massage cloth. To create this competitive edge among competitors, SK-II would have to create major improvements in their product line. SK-II should also be marketed through channels of the department stores as the provisions of counter counsellors create a form of personalization for SK-II products. In addition, it gives consumers a personal touch and greater understanding to the products. Thus this also enables them to understand the needs of consumers and hence promote brand switching. With additional personnel, the next step would be for the global business unit to ensure that company strategies are aligned amongst all levels of hierarchy to continue to utilize the building blocks of competitive advantage: superior innovation, quality, customer responsiveness, and efficiency. Implementation of the expansion in China Since SK-II products are considered as a high-end product due to its price premium, the target segment for this market would be the sophisticated, wealthy China concentrated in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. In addition, the prestige beauty segment is growing at 30 to 40% a year, thus this gives SK-II an opportunity to expand their products in the area. SK-II should price their products higher yet maintain both quality and standard for their products thus adding value for their products so that consumers will not feel that they are over paying for the products. The customer services and personnel create an additional value in which it is not easily replicated by competitors and thus can also keep SK-II competitive in the industry. To add, they should also implement the counters and train beauty consultants to market their products as it can also increase customization and personalization. Since SK-II will be targeting the high end consumers, creating a personal touch for these consumers would be important so as to add brand loyalty and decrease brand switching of these consumers. It is highly recommended that SK-II experiment with a few counters in Shanghai, and if successful, to expand to more counters in other major cities. This is mainly because SK-II still faces some resistances from entering the market. Thus it would be good, if other affluent brands go into the market to reduce resistance before SK-II enters the market full on. Implementation of expansion in Europe Europe had a relatively large and sophisticated group of beauty-conscious consumers who already practiced a multi-step regimen using various specialized skin-care products. Therefore, this gives SK-II an opportunity to expand their range of products as SK-II at current is having woman rely on a four to six step regime on their moisturizing process. In Europe, beauty products were sold primarily to mass distribution outlets, brands like Hugo Boss, Giorgio, and Beverly Hills to department stores and Boots, the major pharmacy chain, its sales approach and trade relationship was different from the SK-II model in Japan. However, this can serve as an asset that could leverage SK-II’s products as distributing their products in department stores can be in line with the small scale entry of SK-II. To add, SK-II can also implement trained beauty consultants at the department store counters to market their products as it can also increase customization and personalization. This can give consumers a personal touch and build favourable consumer first impression. Another advantage of having trained personnel would be the increased level of interaction with the customers and thus can also increase brand loyalty and promote consumers to switch from other brands to SK-II. SK-II Japan’s activity of product in China and Europe Culture As mentioned earlier, Jager toured PGs sites worldwide and he concluded that P;Gs sluggish 2% annual volume growth and its loss of global market share was due to a culture he saw as slow, conformist, and risk-averse. Thus, it is necessary to prevent such culture dilution in China. Also, Jager revolutionized the organization to take greater risk and speed and gave a green light to the Leadership Innovation Team to implement a global rollout of two radically new products. Therefore, to reduce employee inefficiency, SK-II China should adopt a similar culture of SK-II Japan to innovative teams who can create radical new products. Advertising SK-II Japan experimented with TV advertising featuring a well respected Japanese actress in her late 30s. In three years SK-II’s awareness ratings rose from around 20% to over 70%, while sales in the same period more than doubled. Building on this success, management adapted the ad campaign for Hong Kong and Taiwan, where SK-II had quietly built a loyal following among the many women who took their fashion cues from Tokyo. In both markets, sales rocketed, and by 1996/97, export sales of $68 million represented about 30% of the brands total sales. Similarly in SK-II China and Europe, we recommend that they make use of this advertising strategy to generate sales for their products. This is mainly because celebrities are role models in which consumers can easily relate to and thus by using celebrities as their endorsers, they can create a favourable brand image and also slowly build brand loyalty among the consumers. Moreover, fans of the celebrities will also promote brand switching as they feel affiliated to the brand Conclusion | Feasibility| Sustainability| Japan| | | China| | | Europe| | | Japan is the most feasible market because of current success. It is also the most sustainable in the long run because of the ready segment for SK-II’s skincare products as well as the already well-established structure. Entering China is slightly less feasible because of the consumers’ lifestyle. China also poses various barriers of entry that might affect SK-II’s profit margin and ability to sustain in the future. However, China’s skincare market is growing at the fastest rate, thus have the greatest market potential for SK-II to grow. Europe is the least feasible of the three mainly because of the strong competition in the skincare industry. However, Europe is a sustainable market if SK-II is able to create a favourable brand image to the Europeans as they already have a thorough skincare regime and large market segment. It was mentioned earlier that De Cesare was to present an analysis of SK-II’s potential to become a truly global brand. Our group, having analysed the case, decided that further expansion into the Japanese market should be the primary step taken. While doing this, P;G could settle China’s import registration process, train beauty conselors and educate the public. Some beauty technology developed in Japan could be transferred when entering the Chinese market. SK-II should penetrate Europe last of all as significant risks involved in entering foreign markets simultaneously, especially given that P;G’s global organization was in the midst of the bold but disruptive O2005 restructuring program. Since the brand will then be operating in various countries, it is crucial that a overall brand manager is assigned. This would improve communication across the various countries. A contingency plan must be drafted to fall back on in case the global expansion fails. This is why priority should be given to the Japanese market lest SK-II is unsuccessful in becoming an international brand. 2010: Diversify into cosmetics market that contain Pitera to gain larger market share 2000: Continue to build on Japan’s success Figure 6: Forecasted Timeline for SK-II During 2000: Invest in R;D; Expand SK-II product line; Settle China’s procedures and train counselors 2006: Withdraw product if banned substances used in production of SK-II in China; Re-enter only when problem is rectified 2005: Enter Europe 2001: Enter China

Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essays

Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essays Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essay Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essay Labor development is the work gained from any individual through threatening and non voluntarily avidity of such individual. In the epoch of capitalist economy, the workers were treated merely like trade goods that used to bring forth things. In such capitalistic environment, the labours were exploited at work by non paying them the worth they are working and heightening their ain net income. But after the coming of globalisation, labours are now treated as the resources for the company who are the most outstanding plus for the organisation. But still the labour faces development is the signifier of less paid, labour trafficking, workplace development, domination, kid labour, menaces, physical injury, limitation, debt bondage etc ( Fact sheet: Labour development, 2009 ) . Company Background ( Wal-Mart ) : History: Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 with the gap of its first shop at Rogers, Arkansas as retail shop for all the consumer goods so as to do the consumer goods at individual shop ( Heritage ) . With the airy leading of Sam Walton, it got incorporated in 1969 and was able to merchandise in New York Stock Exchange by 1972. Through the attempts of invention and leading, Wal-Mart has grown as the universe s largest Discount Department shops and named as the World s Largest Public Corporation by Revenue by the 2010 Forbes Global 2000. With the enlargement and strategic confederation scheme of the company, Wal-Mart successfully installed its China imported merchandises to all over the universe with highly successful in UK and South America though unsuccessful in South Korea and Germany. It is researching its image of the taking transnational company in the whole universe through its enlargement scheme to take the competitory advantage of the planetary market. In the procedure of suc h enlargement, company is be aftering to supply its merchandises and services to the consumers of Middle East specifically in UAE as it is considered as the best hub for trade all the universe ( Our Narrative ) . Location A ; Number of Employees: Wal-Mart serves more than 200 million times client daily as per the demand of the client whether it is retail mercantile establishment or online or through nomadic and other pass oning devices. It operates its operation in 27 states under more than 69 streamers to supply its services to the planetary clients. The gross revenues for the financial twelvemonth of 2012 histories for $ 444 billion while it employs 2.2 million employees world-wide and now it is be aftering to beef up both the place of the company as a taking Multinational company and the Economic development of UAE ( Our Narrative ) . Undertaking Aims: Our undertaking aims at researching the construct of Exploitation of Workers with particular mention to the Wal-Mart Company. The Exploitation of the Workers has been explored by concentrating on the Business Perspective, Government Perspective and the Social Perspective associated with the construct. Furthermore the undertaking aims at acknowledging and researching the importance of Good Corporate Administration to the concern organisations like Wal-Mart in this concern sphere. Undertaking besides includes the account of put to deathing the corporate societal duties by the companies and the fiscal benefits gained by them due to the same. The function played by Government and Society which motivates the company to execute its corporate societal duty. At last the undertaking suggested the rules of Good Corporate Governance. Part I Business Position: Point of View of Wal-Mart about Exploitation of Workers: Wal-Mart is one of the most awful users of workers in world. Wal-Mart has extended its impact to parts of the development scenario where workers are in copiousness and constricts the life out of its human resource for the net income maximization. Wal-Mart has faced about 5000 civil suits yearly for the misdemeanor of human rights and workers development. Wal-Mart considers its workers as the factor of production and simply trade good which is responsible to heighten the organisational production and productiveness. The development of workers in the Wal-Mart can easy be seen systematically through following points: Inadequate sum of rewards, wages and other human resource benefits to employees. Overtime services from the workers without their willingness and off-the-clock labour. Activities against the trade brotherhood. Gender biasness at the workplace particularly against the adult females. Using illegal human resource by the manner of third-party contractors ( Lane, 2010 ) . Attitude of Wal-Mart towards Social Duty: The Wal-Mart CSR scheme aims to salvage money and live better for the clients. In relation to CSR Wal-Mart follows every twenty-four hours low costing scheme so as to assist the clients save their money, stretching their payroll checks and supply the better living criterion for the households. The work of the organisation is non merely limited to the clients but it extends the benefits for the whole community around the universe. The organisation perceives itself as the responsible and the timeserving to convey out the differences that matter a batch for the social sustainable development. Issues such as environment saving, hunger battle, poorness, and Women authorization, healthy and low-cost nutrient are perceived as the duty by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart follows its CSR by committed towards the undermentioned attempts: Environmental Sustainability. Hunger and Nutrition. Women Economic Empowerment. Diversity and Inclusion. Ethical Sourcing. Veterans and Military Families ( Global Responsibility ) . Fiscal Benefits of a Corporate Social Responsibility for Wal-Mart: The fiscal benefits of put to deathing the corporate societal duty to Wal-Mart include assorted benefits including the good corporate and market image and enhanced workers trueness. The fiscal benefits are as follows: Effective executing of Corporate Social Responsibility helps in increasing the production and productiveness of the Wal-Mart which finally leads to increase in gross revenues and net income of the company. Corporate Social Responsibility public presentation helps Wal-Mart in heightening its retail merchandise and services distinction which can carry through the demands of clients with augmented quality and full value for illustration: trade carnival, macrobiotic goods etc. By executing its corporate societal duty, Wal-Mart can diminish its cost of runing the concern operations. For illustration: Wal-Mart can acquire the goods and services from the providers at lowest cost as most possible extent, and through enhanced employees trueness it has to incur low cost in the procedure of enlisting and keeping of employees and decreased the cost of employee turnover. Corporate Social Responsibility will be helpful in the successful execution of the concern undertakings and the enlargement of concern units at maximal locations, globally. For Example: The instance of Wal-Mart vs. Target in which Wal-Mart often faces difficult legal challenges when seeking to turn up new retail shops and has been incapable to come in some market finishs, despite expensive and comprehensive legal struggle, where Target has achieved entry, like Manhattan, New York. Corporate societal Responsibility will enable Wal-Mart to hold enhanced entree to the good-humored relationships with all the stakeholders including spouses, clients, providers, and sellers, employees which finally helps in diminishing the hazard associated with legal and regulative mulcts. The benefits of put to deathing Corporate Social Responsibility includes good market and trade name image and healthy dealingss with the stakeholders which finally helps in carry throughing the organisational aims of net income and wealth maximization, along with assorted ends, mission and vision achievement ( concern instance for corporate societal duty ) . Pressure on the Business Organization ( Wal-Mart ) from Society and Government: Wal-Mart and other companies of US are being enforced to follow the CSR by the authorities and society within the organisation so as to hold sustainable development in environment and the economic system. US authorities has adopted CSR under US Corporate Dialogue in 1984. In 2006, the expressed political determination was taken by committee to forbear the binding statute law on CSR rules. Assorted multi stakeholders forum and social association enforced the organisations to follow CSR for the sustainable development of the state. But still the CSR ever remains as the voluntary scheme of the company. The US authorities and society ever tries to adhere the company with the CSR ordinances so that the misleading of the clients and other stakeholders can be avoided. Rigorous ordinances have been passed by the statute law for maintain the CSR specifically related to societal jurisprudence, labour jurisprudence and the environmental jurisprudence ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Government Perspective: Point of View of Government sing Exploitation of Workers: Exploitation of workers was being practiced by the communistic types of authorities but under the democratic authorities, Exploitation of workers is against the labour Torahs and the human rights as per US authorities norms. The workers should be treated as the worlds and non the trade goods. Government has obligated assorted rigorous legal duty and even punishments for such illegal and social abusing patterns ( Mickels, 2009 ) . How it regulates Business and Society to see Social Duty: The US authorities has enforced CSR norms within the companies through US Dialogue Code 1984 and amendment in the rules in 2006 through which it makes the organisation accountable to describe the human rights and environmental maltreatments within the company and guaranting to describe every bit minimal as they can do. The companies are bounded to follow the rigorous human rights and environmental norms and failure to such norms leads to punishments for such companies ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Influence on Governments from the Business Organization and Society: However the authorities constabularies have bounded the US companies to purely follow the CSR and the human rights against the development of labour but still following CSR is yet kept as the voluntary action in the custodies of the companies and hence most of the companies avoid to follow such duty towards environment. However Wal-Mart and other planetary MNC s follow the CSR on the precedence footing to guarantee the sustainable development of the environment and the state ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Society Perspective: Point of View of Society about the Exploitation of Workers: Society believe that the development of workers as the communistic activity which is used to rule the labour against their human rights. They are threatened to make the work without effectual wages, torment at the workplace and fondness which is wholly non accepted by the society. Through such evil patterns, hapless become poorer and rich become richer which brought down the instability in the society and the economic system. Child labour, sexual torment, human trafficking are the parts of development of labour which are considered as the expletive on the society ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Criticism of Society towards the Business Organization ( Wal-Mart ) and the Exploitation of Workers in general: The social norms purely consider the development as the strong discourtesy against the human rights and the social norms. Assorted Social signifiers and associations have adopted sustainable corporate constabularies though a theoretical account in 1994 known as the three P s theoretical account stands for Peoples ( Human Rights ) , Profit ( Efficiency ) , Planet ( Environment ) . This ternary bottom line concern theoretical account helps to keep the transparent and just concern patterns within the society ( Mickels, 2009 ) . The Influence of the Business Organization ( Wal-Mart ) and Government to the Attitude of Society: Under the influence of the social norms and the governmental duties, the Wal-Mart is following the CSR efficaciously sing the CSR as its ain planetary duty. The attempts of Wal-Mart for CSR comprises of following subparts: Environmental Sustainability. Hunger and Nutrition. Women Economic Empowerment. Diversity and Inclusion. Ethical Sourcing. Veterans and Military Families ( Global Responsibility ) Part II The Impact of external forces on the organisation ( Wal-Mart ) : Technology: Technology plays a really outstanding function in the successful executing of concern operations of the Wal-Mart ; the recognition of success of Wal-Mart is decidedly goes to the proper use of engineering. Technology is an of import external factor which poses both positive and riotous impact on the employee s behaviour and organisational development. Technology systematically helps in streamlining the concern procedures and makes the work easier and comfy, qualitative for employees but the procedure of larning refering to the use of new and latest engineering while keeping the productiveness may be hard and nerve-racking for Wal-Mart. Technology helps the Wal-Mart in beef uping its retail concatenation and holding competitory advantage over others. The elements in the rapid debut of new engineerings leads to make assorted jobs to the Wal-Mart viz. changeless demand for new preparation and development plans, betterment in the concern operational procedure and records care. Technologi es like unfastened sourcing, nanotechnology, and collaborative computer science have a important influence on the concern operations of Wal-Mart, New Technologies have unpredicted effects for the society when they are utilised into extended usage for commercial net income, Wal-Mart should carefully and efficaciously analyze merely the impact of engineerings on its theoretical account of concern strategically, along with the jeopardies imposed by engineering on people including all the stakeholders ( Basker, April 2007 ) . Competition: Wal-Mart faces tough competition with all the parallel retail trade names non merely in the UAE but besides globally. It faces competition in footings of merchandise and services distinction, market cleavage, market placement, aiming the clients, pricing schemes, promotional schemes like price reduction, free offers and strategies, advertisement, gross revenues publicity, famous person indorsement in the publicity of the merchandise and services etc. But the toughest signifier of all the competition is the pricing competition, Wal-Mart is one of the most prima retail trade names globally and it charges really high cost for the merchandises and services and therefore faces competition with the lower cost trade names ( Donald, 2009 ) The Organization ( Wal-Mart s ) Management: Retrenchment: The twelvemonth 2006 noticed the most of import retrenchment for the Wal-Mart since it carried out its planetary enlargement in the early 1990s, in an effort to resuscitate the growing of gross revenues and net income. Wal-Mart, the planetary largest retail merchant, acknowledges licking in its long term venerable operations to perforate efficaciously the retail market of Germany. On July 30, 2006, the Wal-Mart declared that it was manus over its operations in Germany to the Metro AG, a German retail merchant trade name. Wal-Mart had been trying to make its German shops more good commercially for eight old ages. Wal-Mart provinces a pretax loss pertaining to the gross revenues amounting $ 1 billion. Wal-Mart had ab initio declared in May 2006 that it would sell its 16 retail shops in the South Korea ( Donald, 2009 ) . As a portion of its retrenchment scheme ; Wal-Mart besides applied the cost film editing and salvaging policies to the human resource of the organisation. In a amalgama tion with Massmart, one of the taking retail trade name concatenation, Wal-Mart retrenched 503 employees in the twelvemonth 2010 ( June 2010 ) . Employment Discrimination: Equally per as the values and beliefs of Wal-Mart are concern, they are govern by the positions of Sam Walton on which the foundation of the company is based i.e. the regard for every person . It aims at put to deathing concern operations with non favoritism in the procedure of employment. Wal-Mart purposes at making a corporate civilization of common trust and respects which encourage an optimistic work environment. It means that it aims at handling all the stakeholders with the courtesy and equity in all the concern minutess and communicating. Wal-Mart is committed at prolonging a diverse work force and comprehensive work environment. Harmonizing to the values of the company, Wal-Mart will non bear any favoritism associated with the employment and determinations of employment or in the concern minutess on the footing of age, gender, colour, race, caste, credo, faith, lineage, disablement, nationality, relationship position, ethnicity or any other lawfully secured position. It doe s non know apart with its associates, human resource, clients, providers and other stakeholders. But on the contrary there are assorted facts and figure which revels the information sing the favoritism in the employment conditions by Wal-Mart. The first and first issue associated with the employment favoritism is the gender biasness. Almost 2,000 adult females in 48 provinces files civil suits against Wal-Mart, kicking about the employment favoritism associated with the wage and publicities in comparing to male employees ( Non-Discrimination ) . The Principles of Corporate Administration: The importance of Good Corporate Administration in the success of the organisation can barely be overemphasized. It plays a really important function in keeping reciprocally affable dealingss between f the direction and all the stakeholders. The Principles of Corporate Governance are as follows: Principle 1: Fit house foundations for Management and Supervision: In order to hold a Good Corporate Governance, concern organisations should explicate and pass on the accompaniment functions and duties of board of managers and direction. Principle 2: Form the board in order to added value: Organizations should set up a board with effectual size, composing, and trueness to efficaciously dispatch its responsibilities, functions and duties. Principle 3: Endorse Ethical and Accountable procedure of Decision Making: Ethical and accountable determination doing leads to smooth operation of concern operations and guarantee Good Corporate Governance. Principle 4: Maintain Reliability in Financial Reporting of the Company: Honesty in presenting true fiscal facts and figures helps in constructing common trust with all the stakeholders which is a gateway to Good Corporate Governance. Principle 5: Communicating all the needed Information Timely and Impartially: Companies must concentrate on unwraping all the information concern with its operations to all the stakeholders. Principle 6: Value the Shareholders Rights: Companies must value and esteem the stockholder s rights and ease them by supplying entree to the rights. Principle 7: Effective Identification and Management of Risk associated with the Business: Companies must make a sound hazard direction system of hazard in order to hold effectual supervising and pull offing internal control. Principle 8: Compensate reasonably and faithfully: Business Organizations should determine that the degree and foundation of wage is equal and rational and that its association with public presentation is clear and effectual. Principle 9: Promote the Human Resource s enhanced Performance: Companies should place, promote and acknowledge the outstanding and expected public presentation of the employees, board of managers and direction in the organisation. Principle 10: Identify and acknowledge the legal benefits of Stakeholders: Business organisations should acknowledge all the legal duties of all the valid stakeholders and put to death them consequently ( Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations, March 2003 ) . Decision: The Exploitation of workers in the concern organisations is the most rising issue of the today s cut pharynx competition, in order to last and accomplish the net income maximization aim in this tough competition companies exploits their work force blindly. Exploitation of Workers leads to interrupt the common trust and trueness between human resource and the organisation which finally affects the production, productiveness, profitableness and long term growing and sustainability of the concern. If the concern organisation s production gets affected it will finally impact the market and clients and society s demand for merchandises and services. If the society is non satisfied with the trade and commercialism activities so it will finally impact the stableness of authorities and the economic development of the state. So in order to forestall the aforesaid issues and ensures the sustainable development concern organisations should implements the rules of Good Corporate Governance and e xecutes their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

A Brief History of the Tower of London

A Brief History of the Tower of London If you watch a British entertainer on their home soil make a joke about the Royal Family, youll probably see them follow it up with a quip like oh, they’ll take me to the Tower! They dont need to say which tower. Everyone growing up in the mainstreams of British culture hears about The Tower, a building as famous and central to the national myths of England as the White House is to the myths of the United States. Built on the north bank of the River Thames in London and once a home of royalty, a jail for prisoners, a site for executions and a storehouse for an army, the Tower of London now contains the Crown Jewels, guardians nicknamed Beefeaters (they arent keen on the name) and legend securing ravens. Dont be confused by the name: the Tower of London is actually a huge castle-complex formed by centuries of addition and alteration. Described simply, the nine hundred-year-old White Tower forms a core surrounded, in concentric squares, by two sets of powerful walls. Studded with towers and bastions, these walls enclose two inner areas called wards that are full of smaller buildings. This is the story of its origins, creation and the near continual development which has kept it at the center of an, albeit changing, national focus for nearly a millenia, a rich and bloody history that easily attracts over two million visitors every year. Origins of the Tower of London While the Tower of London as we know it was built in the eleventh century, the history of fortification on the site stretches back into Roman times, when stone and wooden structures were built and marshland reclaimed from the Thames. A massive wall was created for defence, and this anchored the later Tower. However, the Roman fortifications declined after the Romans left England. Many Roman structures had their stones robbed away for use in later buildings (finding these Roman remains in other structures is a good source of evidence and very rewarding), and what remained in London was likely foundations. Williams Stronghold When William I successfully conquered England in 1066 he ordered the construction of a castle in London, using the site of the old Roman fortifications as a base. In 1077 he added to this stronghold by ordering the construction of a huge tower, the Tower of London itself. William died before it was completed in 1100. William needed a large tower partly for protection: he was an invader attempting to take over a whole kingdom, one which needed pacification before it would accept him and his children. While London seems to have been made safe quite quickly, William had to engage in a campaign of destruction in the north, the Harrying, to secure that. However, the Tower was useful in a second way: the projection of royal power wasnt just about walls to hide in, it was about showing status, wealth and strength, and a large stone structure that dominated its surroundings did just that. The Tower of London as Royal Castle Over the next few centuries monarchs added ever more fortifications, including walls, halls and other towers, to an increasingly complex structure which became referred to as The Tower of London. The central tower became known as the ‘White Tower’ after it was whitewashed. On the one hand, every successive monarch needed to build here to demonstrate their own wealth and ambition. On the other hand, several monarchs had need to shelter behind these imposing walls due to conflicts with their rivals (sometimes their own siblings), so the castle remained nationally important and a military keystone in controlling England. From Royalty to Artillery During the Tudor period the use of the Tower began to change, with visits from the monarch declining, but with many important prisoners held there and an increase in the use of the complex as a storehouse for the nation’s artillery. The number of major modifications began to decline, although some were spurred on by fire and naval threats, until changes in warfare meant the Tower became less important as an artillery base. It wasnt that the Tower was any less formidable to the type of people it had been built to defend, but that gunpowder and artillery meant its walls were now vulnerable to new technology, and defences had to take markedly different forms. Most castles suffered a decline in military importance, and instead transformed into new uses. But monarchs were looking for different sorts of accommodation now, palaces, not cold, draughty castles, so visits fell. Prisoners, however, did not require luxury. The Tower of London as National Treasure As the military and government use of the Tower declined, parts were opened up to the general public, until the Tower evolved into the landmark it is today, welcoming over two million visitors annually. Ive been myself, and its a striking place to spend time and muse on the history its seen. It can get crowded though! More on the Tower of London The Tower of London Ravens: Ravens are kept at the Tower of London, in part to fulfill the demands of an old superstition†¦ this article explains why.The Beefeaters / Yeoman Warders: The Tower of London is guarded by people called Yeoman Warders, but they’re better known by a nickname: the Beefeaters. Visitors to the Tower should keep an eye out for, what by modern standards, are their unusual uniforms.

Site Management and Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Site Management and Safety - Assignment Example Construction workers often fall from height and lose their life, this is also the leading safety hazard, it is the duty of the architect, client, engineer, site manager and quantity surveyor to ensure that there is proper harness in place, it should be checked properly so that such fatalities can be avoided. Motor vehicle crash is another very dangerous construction site hazard, this can be avoided by following the paths laid in the beginning of the project, the architect is responsible for doing that. Everyone involved on a construction site must ensure that they wear their protective equipment this has helped save many a life in the past and will save more in the future. â€Å"The workplace must be a safe environment. If we all show good practice in the workplace, a lot of industrial accidents can be avoided.† (A Safe Working Environment) Pinpointing Roles Role of an Architect: Design Role: Several fatal accidents occur should the design of the building be wrong, an architec t must meet the client on a regular basis to discuss and have the design approved. There are several local zoning and planning laws which an architect must comply with. Construction Role: An architect prepares and issues site instructions, these instructions are extremely important when it comes to safety, these safety instructions are then followed by the workers and the other important members involved in the construction. Roles of Other Members: The day-to-day running of a construction project is looked after by the site manager, he should ensure that all the workers comply with the safety instructions given to them. Site manager is also responsible for conducting safety and health checks to ensure everything goes on smoothly. Site managers these days are actively involved in communication which again is very essential. â€Å"A construction engineer is a vital player in the construction business. They must survey the area in which the construction will be taking place, estimate costs involved, submit proper paperwork, inform others involved and take part in the planning.† (Duties of a Construction Manager) To conclude it is very fair to say that the architect, client, engineer, site manager and quantity surveyor must work in unison to avoid fatal accidents, this will only happen when active communication between them takes place. Part 2: Different management styles and techniques yield different results, the following section of the paper will juxtapose different management styles and their impact on the results. The behavior of the site team will also be closely analyzed and a suitable conclusion will be drawn at the end. It is extremely important to understand the role of a project manager, a project manager is the one who is almost completely responsible for the success or the failure of a particular project, the way he motivates and communicates with the other people working as a team on a construction site matters the most. The planning, organiz ing and the controlling are more often than not done by a project manager. Desirable results can be achieved should the project manager gain support of the team members working at the site. Support of the team members can be achieved by following the following important steps: Following

The Religion of Ancient Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Religion of Ancient Egypt - Essay Example Ra was one of the main gods in Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian people worshiped Ra because the Sun (Ra symbolized the Sun) was concerned as the main source of life in Ancient Egypt; Ra was known as the ancestor of pharaohs, and the worship of Ra and a pharaoh as his son was sacred for ancient Egyptians; Ra was concerned as a founder of life on the Earth, so Egyptians worshiped Ra as one of the main gods among many others. This paper will support these three causes of the Sun God Ra worship. . The Sun (Ra symbolized the Sun) was concerned as the main source of life in Ancient Egypt: â€Å"The daily cycle, as the sun rose, then set only to rise again the next morning, symbolized renewal and so Re was seen as the paramount force of creation and master of life† (Ra). Ra symbolized eternal life cycle for ancient Egyptians; sunrise, zenith and sunset were associated with birth, life and death. Ra always was given birth in the morning (as a scarab beetle), rode on his boat across the sky in the day, and died in the evening: â€Å"At sunset, he is swallowed by the goddess Nut, who gives birth to him each morning again as Khepri. Therefore, the cycle continued with birth, life and death† (Ra).... .Ra was said, in fact, to be the direct ancestor of the kings of Egypt, and in certain hymns was even addressed as a dead king" (Egyptian religion). In honor of pharaohs such giant architectural masterpieces as pyramids were erected, and the worship of pharaohs was directly connected with that of the Sun God Ra. Pharaoh was the earth embodiment of Ra who provided his power over the nature: "While the king ruled earth, Re was the master of the universe so they were of the same nature and were in effect a mirror image of each other" (Ra). Egyptian pharaohs erected pyramids and temples in honor of Ra - they tried to underline their connection with Ra. The cult of Ra was transforming through the Egyptian history, but it was always associated with pharaohs: "Beginning with the Middle Kingdom (2134-1668 BC), Ra worship acquired the status of a state religion, and the god was gradually fused with Amon during the Theban dynasties, becoming the supreme god Amon-Ra" (Ancient Egyptian Religions ). Heliopolis was the main center of Ra worship during the New Kingdom - it was the time of the greatest development of Ancient Egypt and the cult of Ra as the main god of Egypt. So, ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra as the symbol of king power, and the highest development of the state was associated with the power of pharaoh and Ra as his embodiment. Ra was concerned as a founder of life on the Earth, so Egyptians worshiped Ra as one of the main gods among many others. Cosmological views of ancient Egyptians gave Ra one of the leading places in the pantheon of gods "The early Egyptians believed that he created the world, and the rising sun was, for them, the symbol of creation" (Ra). They believed that Ra created the Earth, haven and all creations on the planet. 3. As was

Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Drunk Driving Essay Driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol is one of the most dangerous things you can do. There is a mass of research evidence to show that driving performance and reaction times are seriously affected by alcohol. Our law in Georgia states, that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds . 10%. Georgia observes a per se law. (Craft) If you drink and drive, you are not only a danger to yourself but also to your passenger, other road users and pedestrians. In fact, every 30 minutes, someone in this country dies in alcohol-related crash. Every 30 minutes! And last year alone more than one million people are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down body reactions and the working of the brain. Each year drunk driving is responsible for about 25% of these deaths. The risks of drinking are alcohol-related accidents and violence. The effects of alcohol are poor coordination and slurred speech, double vision, decrease of self-control loss of consciousness and death. There are legal consequences due to drinking also. The more a person drinks, the more their ability to make important decisions becomes impaired. After just one drink, a driver can lose their ability to perform the tasks necessary to drive a car. At a certain point, a driver will become illegally intoxicated and can be arrested for attempting to operate a motor vehicle. In every state on out country there is a legal limit to how much alcohol you can have in your body if you are driving. If you drink and drive you can lose your drivers license and even go to jail. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. More than 5,000 young people die every year in car crashes and thousands more are injured. Drivers who are 16 years old are more than 20 times as likely to have a crash, as are other drivers. There are two main reasons why teens are at a higher for being in a car crash and lack of driving experience and their tendency to take risks while driving. Teens drive faster and do not control the car as well as more experienced drivers. Their judgment in traffic is often insufficient to avoid a crash. In addition, teens do most of their driving at night, which can be even more difficult. Standard drivers education classes include 30 hours of classroom teaching and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training. This is not enough time to fully train a new driver. Teen drivers are more like to be influence by peers and other stresses and distractions. This can lead to reckless driving behaviors such as speeding, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and not wearing safety belts. There is no safe amount that you can drink and still drive. Even one drink can influence your driving offences. Nowadays, drunk driving has become driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired, driving while under the influence, operating while under the influence (impaired, intoxicated, or whatever), and in many states, one can be convicted of DUI even though the police didnt even see you drive. (JMD) It is often too late by the time they seek help. They face losing their license; having embarrassing court appearances, press coverage and heavy fines. Many are just ordinary people who have a few social drinks, get behind the wheel and then get pulled over by the police. Such as Henri Paul that thought he was not too drunk to drive. However, evidence proves otherwise in this report that states, French pathologists drew five separate samples: blood from directly above the heart; also urine, eye fluid, bile and hair. These showed: a. A blood-alcohol level of about 180 milligrams per 100 mil. equivalent to eight or nine scotch whiskies, which is three times over the legal limit in France. b. A little over 20% carboxyhemoglobin, which is inhaled carbon monoxide. c. Traces of two drugs, the antidepressant Prozac and Tiapridal, a drug used to treat alcohol addiction; the Prozac taken regularly since May that year, and the Tiapridal since July. So try to manage your life so that you do not drink and drive. If you go out for a drink, try to go somewhere that you can reach either on foot or by public transportation. Think about sharing the driving on different days with a group of people so that you can take turns at driving. If you do drink even though you meant not to, and you went out with your vehicle, consider taking a taxi or take a Saferide home and leave your vehicle behind. (Saferide) This is a whole lot cheaper than getting prosecuted! Work Cites Craft, Stephen. Interview with Winde Rovira. A ttorney at Law licensed in Georgia and Alabama. 8 March 2000 Saferide. http://www. baddpage. com/saferide. html JMD. DUI Help Website (2000) all rights reserved by jmd-ent. com http://www. dui-help. com/index1. html Bartram, John. The Mysteries Surrounding Princess Dianas Death http://dianaconspiracy. homepage. com/.

hamlet :: essays research papers

Hamlet Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading Hamlet, I have realized that some of Shakespeare’s original play must be abridged for our production. After careful analysis I have decided that of the four soliloquies in the play we should only include two of them. I have discovered that two of these soliloquies are not that important in understanding the meaning of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to see which two we should include or omit we have to summarize all four soliloquies. The first one, which begins â€Å"O that this too, too sullied flesh...†, is an emotionally violent speech. Hamlet wishes he were dead, complains that suicide is a sin, and describes the world as useless and disgusting. He then talks about his father, comparing him to Claudius. He calls Claudius a half-man half-beast creature. The second soliloquy, which begins â€Å"O what a rogue and pleasant slave am I...†, Hamlet compares himself to a mythical character named Hecuba and wonders what the latter would do in his situation. He then accuses himself of being a coward who can’t even avenge his father’s dead. He also calls himself an idiot before devising a plan to remedy the situation. â€Å"To be or not to be...† (third soliloquy) is basically a debate on life and whether it is worth living. Hamlet here questions death and says that all men fear death. Hamlet ends here by saying conscience makes cowards of us all for when we think of the consequences of an action we do not take it. And finally the fourth soliloquy which begins â€Å"How all occasions to inform against me...† is an expression of Hamlet’s shame and amazement that others can act when he himself can’t. Hamlet here realizes that he can’t escape from his destiny and has a sense of feeling of what is about to happen to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After paraphrasing all four soliloquies a decision has to be made as to what to include. The two which should be included are the first and third ones. The first one should be included because it allows the audience to hear Hamlet’s innermost thoughts. This speech sets precedence for the rest of the play. In this speech Hamlet expresses his grievances toward the people he is supposed to love. It is an outpouring of a man in deep distress. It not only puts Hamlet in confusion but the audience which has to decide if Hamlet is crazy or not as the play develops. The third soliloquy should also be included because it is the most famous speech in all of the English language.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 18

Elena came back to the real world slowly, fighting it all the way. She sank her nails into the leather of Damon's jacket, found herself wondering briefly if removing it would help, and then her mood was shattered again by that sound – a sharp, imperative knock. Damon raised his head and snarled. We are a pair of wolves, aren't we? Elena thought. Fighting nail and tooth. But, another part of her mind supplied, that isn't stopping the knocking. He warned those girls†¦. Those girls! Bonnie and Meredith! And he'd said not to interrupt unless the house was on fire! But, the doctor – oh, God, something's happened to that poor, wretched woman! She's dying! Damon was still snarling, a trace of blood on his lips. It was only a trace, because her second wound had really been healed just as thoroughly as the first, the one across her cheekbone. Elena had no idea how long it had been since she had pulled Damon to her to kiss this cut. But now, with her blood in his veins and his pleasure interrupted, he was like an untamed black panther in her arms. She didn't know whether she could stop him or even slow him down without using raw Power on him. â€Å"Damon!† she said aloud. â€Å"Out there – those are our friends. Remember? Bonnie and Meredith and the healer.† â€Å"Meredith,† Damon said, and again his lips peeled back, exposing terrifyingly long canines. He still wasn't in reality. If he saw Meredith now, he wouldn't be frightened, Elena thought – and, oh yes, she knew how her logical, thoughtful friend made Damon uneasy. They saw the world through such different eyes. She irked him like a pebble in his shoe. But right now he might deal with that unease in a way that would leave Meredith a savaged corpse. â€Å"Let me go see,† she said, as the knock came again – couldn't they stop that? Didn't she have enough to deal with? Damon's arms merely tightened around her. She felt a flash of heat, because she knew that, even as he restrained her, he was holding back so much of his strength. He didn't want to crush her, as he could if he used a tenth of the power in his hard muscles alone. The wave of feeling that washed over her made her shut her eyes briefly, helplessly, but she knew she had to be the voice of sanity here. â€Å"Damon! They could be warning us – or Ulma may have died.† Death got through to him. His eyes were slits, the bloodred light from the kitchen shutters throwing bars of scarlet and black across his face, making him look more handsome – and more demonic – than ever. â€Å"You'll stay here.† Damon said it flatly, with no idea of being a â€Å"master† or a â€Å"gentleman.† He was a wild beast protecting his mate, the only creature in the world that wasn't competition or food. There was no arguing with him, not in this state. Elena would stay here. Damon would go to do whatever needed to be done. And Elena would stay for as long as he thought necessary. Elena truly didn't know whose thoughts these last were. She and Damon were still trying to untangle their emotions. She decided to watch him and only if he really got out of control†¦ You don't want to see me out of control. Feeling him snap from raw animal instinct to icy, perfect mental dominance was even scarier than the animal alone. She didn't know whether Damon was the sanest person she had ever met or just the one best able to cover up his wildness. She held her torn blouse together and watched as he moved with effortless grace to the door and then, suddenly, violently, wrenched it almost off its hinges. No one fell; no one had been listening in on their private conversation. But Meredith stood, restraining Bonnie with one hand, and with the other hand raised, ready to knock again. â€Å"Yes?† Damon said in glacial tones. â€Å"I thought I told you – â€Å" â€Å"You did, and there is,† Meredith said, interrupting this Damon in an unusual attempt to commit suicide. â€Å"There is what?† Damon snarled. â€Å"There's a mob outside threatening to burn the whole building down. I don't know if they're upset about Drohzne, or about us taking Ulma, but they're enraged about something, and they've got torches. I didn't want to interrupt Elena's – treatment – but Dr. Meggar says they won't listen to him. He's a human.† â€Å"He used to be a slave,† Bonnie added, wresting free of the chokehold that Meredith had on her. She looked up at Damon with streaming brown eyes, hands outstretched. â€Å"Only you can save us,† she said, translating the message of her gaze aloud – which meant that things were really serious. â€Å"All right, all right. I'll go take care of them. You take care of Elena.† â€Å"Of course, but – â€Å" â€Å"No.† Damon had either gone reckless with the blood – and the memories that were still keeping Elena from forming a coherent sentence – or he had somehow overcome all his fear of Meredith. He put a hand on each of her shoulders. He was only one and a half or two inches taller than she was, so he had no trouble holding her eyes. â€Å"You, personally, take care of Elena. Tragedies happen here every minute of the day: unforeseeable, horrible, deadly tragedies. I do not want one happening to Elena.† Meredith looked at him for a long moment, and for once didn't consult Elena with her eyes before answering a question involving her. She simply said, â€Å"I'll protect her,† in a low voice that nevertheless carried. From her stance, from her tone, one could almost hear the unspoken addition, â€Å"with my life† – and it didn't even seem melodramatic. Damon let go of her, strode out the door, and without a backward glance disappeared from Elena's sight. But his mental voice was crystalline in her mind: You'll be safe if there is any way to save you. I swear it. If there was any way to save her. Wonderful. Elena tried to kickstart her brain. Meredith and Bonnie were both staring at her. Elena took a deep breath, automatically sucked for a moment back into the old days, when a girl fresh from a hot date could expect a long and serious debriefing. But all Bonnie said was, â€Å"Your face – it looks much better now!† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said, using the two ends of her blouse to tie a makeshift top around her. â€Å"My leg's the problem. We didn't – didn't finish it yet.† Bonnie opened her mouth, but closed it determinedly, which from Bonnie was a display of heroics similar to Meredith's promise to Damon. When she opened it again it was to say, â€Å"Take my scarf and tie it around your leg. We can fold it sideways and then tie a bow over the side that got hurt. That'll keep pressure on it.† Meredith said, â€Å"I think Dr. Meggar has finished with Ulma. Maybe he can see you.† In the other room, the doctor was once again washing his hands, using a large pump to get more water into the basin. There were deeply red-stained cloths in a pile and a smell that Elena was grateful the doctor had camouflaged with herbs. Also in a large, comfortable-looking chair there sat a woman whom Elena did not recognize. Suffering and terror could change a person, Elena knew, but she could never have realized how much – nor how much relief and freedom from pain could change a face. She had brought with her a woman who huddled until she was almost child-size in Elena's mind, and whose thin, ravaged face, twisted with agony and unrelenting dread, had seemed almost a sort of abstract drawing of a goblin hag. Her skin had been sickly gray in color, her thin hair had scarcely seemed enough to cover her head, and yet it had hung down in strands like seaweed. Everything about her screamed out that she was a slave, from the iron bands around her wrists, to her nakedness and scarred, bloody body, to her bare and rusty feet. Elena could not even have told you the color of the woman's eyes, for they had seemed as gray as the rest of her. Now Elena was confronted by a woman who was perhaps in her early-to mid-thirties. She had a lean, attractive, somehow aristocratic face, with a strong, patrician nose, dark, keen-looking eyes, and beautiful eyebrows like the wings of a flying bird. She was relaxing in the armchair, with her feet up on an ottoman, slowly brushing her hair, which was dark with occasional streaks of gray that lent an air of dignity to the simple deep blue housecoat she was wearing. Her face had wrinkles that lent it character, but overall one sensed a sort of yearning tenderness about her, perhaps because of the slight bulge in her abdomen, which she now gently laid a hand on. When she did this her face bloomed with color and her whole aspect glowed. For an instant Elena thought this must be the doctor's wife or housekeeper and she had a temptation to ask whether Ulma, the poor wreck of a slave, had died. Then she saw what one cuff of the deep blue housecoat could not quite conceal: a glimpse of an iron bracelet. This lean dark aristocratic woman was Ulma. The doctor had worked a miracle. A healer, he had called himself. It was obvious that, like Damon, he could heal wounds. No one who had been whipped as Ulma had could have come round to this state without some powerful magic. Trying to simply stitch up the bloody mess that Elena had brought in had obviously been impossible, and so Dr. Meggar had healed her. Elena had never experienced a situation like this, so she fell back upon the good manners that had been bred into her as a Virginian. â€Å"It's nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Elena,† she said, and held out her hand. The brush fell onto the chair. The woman reached out with both hands to take Elena's into hers. Those keen dark eyes seemed to devour Elena's face. â€Å"You're the one,† she said, and then, swinging her slippered feet off the ottoman, she went down on her knees. â€Å"Oh, no, ma'am! Please! I'm sure the doctor told you to rest. It's best to sit quietly now.† â€Å"But you are the one.† For some reason, the woman seemed to need confirmation. And Elena was willing to do anything to pacify her. â€Å"I'm the one,† Elena said. â€Å"And now I think you should sit down again.† Obedience was immediate, and yet there was a sort of joyful light about everything Ulma did. Elena understood it after only a few hours of slavery. Obeying when one had a choice was entirely different from obeying because disobedience could mean death. But even as Ulma sat, she held out her arms. â€Å"Look at me! Dear seraph, goddess, Guardian – whatever you are: look at me! After three years of living as a beast I have become human again – because of you! You came like an angel of lightning and stood between me and the lash.† Ulma began to weep, but they seemed to be tears of joy. Her eyes searched Elena's face, lingering on the scarred cheekbone. â€Å"But you're no Guardian; they have magicks that protect them and they never interfere. For three years, they never interfered. I saw all my friends, my fellow slaves, fall to his whip and his rage.† She shook her head, as if physically unable to say Drohzne's name. â€Å"I'm so sorry – so sorry†¦.† Elena was fumbling. She glanced back and saw that Bonnie and Meredith were similarly stricken. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I heard your mate killed him on the street.† â€Å"I told her that,† Lakshmi said proudly. She had entered the room without anyone noticing her. â€Å"My mate?† Elena faltered. â€Å"Well, he's not my – I mean, he and I – we – â€Å" â€Å"He's our master,† Meredith said bluntly, from behind Elena. Ulma was still looking at Elena with her heart in her eyes. â€Å"Every day, I will pray for your soul to ascend from here.† Elena was startled. â€Å"Souls can ascend from here?† â€Å"Of course. Repentance and good deeds may accomplish it, and the prayers of others are always taken into consideration, I think.† You sure don't talk like a slave, Elena mused. She tried to think of a way to put it delicately, but she was confused and her leg hurt and her emotions were in turmoil. â€Å"You don't sound like – well, like what I'd expect from a slave,† she said. â€Å"Or am I just being an idiot?† She could see the tears form in Ulma's eyes. â€Å"Oh, God! Please, forget I asked. Please – â€Å" â€Å"No! There is no one I would rather tell. If you wish to hear how I came to this degraded state.† Ulma waited, watching Elena – it was clear that Elena's least wish was to Ulma, a command. Elena looked at Meredith and Bonnie. She couldn't hear any more noises of yelling outside on the street and the building certainly didn't seem to be on fire. Fortunately, at that moment, Dr. Meggar wandered in again. â€Å"Everybody getting acquainted?† he asked, his eyebrows working in opposition now; one up, one down. He had the remnants of a bottle of Black Magic in his hand. â€Å"Yes,† Elena said, â€Å"but I was just wondering if we should be trying to evacuate or anything. Apparently there was a mob – â€Å" â€Å"Elena's mate is going to give them something to think about,† Lakshmi said with relish. â€Å"They've all gone to the Meeting Place to resolve the stuff about Drohzne's property. I bet he'll bash a few heads in and be back in no time,† she added cheerfully, leaving no doubt as to he was. â€Å"Wish I was a boy so I could see it.† â€Å"You were braver than the boys; you were the one who led us here,† Elena told her. Then she consulted Meredith and Bonnie with her eyes. It sounded as if the commotion had moved on elsewhere, and Damon was a master at getting himself out of commotions. He might also†¦need to fight, to rid himself of excess energy from Elena's blood. A commotion might actually be good for him, Elena thought. She looked at Dr. Meggar. â€Å"Will my – will our master be all right, do you think?† Dr. Meggar's eyebrows went up and down. â€Å"He'll probably have to pay Old Drohzne's relatives a blood price, but it shouldn't be too high. Then he can do what he likes with the old bastard's property,† he said. â€Å"I'd say the safest place for you right now is here, away from the Meeting Place.† He went on to enforce that opinion by pouring them all glasses – liqueur glasses, Elena noted – of Black Magic wine. â€Å"Good for the nerves,† he said and took a sip. Ulma smiled her beautiful, heartwarming smile at him, as he took the tray around. â€Å"Thank you – and thank you – and thank you,† she said. â€Å"I won't bore you with my story – â€Å" â€Å"No, tell us; tell us, please!† Now that there was no immediate danger to her friends or to Damon, Elena was eager to hear the tale. Everyone else was nodding. Ulma flushed a little, but began sedately, â€Å"I was born in the reign of Kelemen II,† she said. â€Å"I'm sure that means nothing to our visitors but much to those who knew him and his – indulgences. I studied under my mother, who became a very popular designer of fashions in fabrics. My father was a designer of jewelry almost as famous as she was. They had an estate on the outskirts of the city and could afford a house as fine as many of their wealthiest customers – though they were careful not to show the true extent of their wealth. I was the young Lady Ulma then, not Ulma the hag. My parents did their best to keep me out of sight, for my own safety. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ulma – Lady Ulma, Elena thought, stopped and took a deep sip of her wine. Her eyes had changed; she was seeing the past, and trying not to upset her listeners. But just as Elena was about to ask her to stop, at least until she felt better, she continued. â€Å"But despite all their care†¦someone†¦saw me anyway and demanded my hand in marriage. Not Drohzne, he was just a furrier from the Outlands, and I never saw him until three years ago. This was a lord, a General, a demon with a terrible reputation – and my father refused his demand. They came on us in the night. I was fourteen when it happened. And that is how I became a slave.† Elena found that she was feeling emotional pain directly from Lady Ulma's mind. Oh, my God, I've done it again, she thought, hurriedly trying to tune down her psychic senses. â€Å"Please, you don't need to tell us this. Maybe another time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I would like to tell you – you – so you will know what you have done. And I would prefer to say it only once. But if you do not wish to hear it – â€Å" Politeness was warring with politeness here. â€Å"No, no, if you want – go ahead. I – I just want you to know how sorry I am.† Elena glanced at the doctor, who was patiently waiting by the table for her with the brown bottle in his hands. â€Å"And if you don't mind, I'd like to get my leg†¦healed?† She was aware that she'd said the last word doubtfully, wondering how any one being could have the power to heal Ulma like this. She was not surprised when he shook his head. â€Å"Or stitched up, rather, while you talk, if you don't mind,† she said. It took several minutes to overcome Lady Ulma's shock and distress that she had left her savior waiting, but at last Elena was on the table and the doctor was encouraging her to drink from the bottle, which smelled like cherry cough syrup. Oh, well, she might as well try the Dark Dimension version of anesthetic – especially since the stitching was bound to hurt, Elena thought. She took a sip from the bottle and felt the room reel around her. She waved away the offer of a second sip. Dr. Meggar undid Bonnie's ruined scarf, and then began to cut off her blood-soaked jeans leg above the knee. â€Å"Well – you are so good to listen,† Lady Ulma said. â€Å"But I knew you were good already. I will spare us both the painful details of my slavery. Perhaps it's enough to say that I was passed from one master to another over the years, always a slave, always going down. At last, as a joke, someone said, ‘Give her to Old Drohzne. He'll squeeze the last use out of her if anyone can.'† â€Å"God!† Elena said, and hoped that everyone would attribute it to the story and not to the bite of the cleansing solution the doctor was swabbing over her swollen flesh. Damon was so much better at this, she thought. I didn't even realize how lucky I was before. Elena tried not to wince as the doctor began to use his needle, but her grip on Meredith's hand tightened until Elena was afraid she was breaking bones. She tried to ease the grip, but Meredith squeezed back hard. Her long, smooth hand was almost like a boy's, but softer. Elena was glad to be able to squeeze as hard as she liked. â€Å"My strength has been giving out on me lately,† Lady Ulma said softly. â€Å"I thought it was that† – here she used a particularly crude expression for her owner – â€Å"that was leading me to death. Then I realized the truth.† All at once radiance changed her face, so much that Elena could see what she must have looked like when she was in her teens and so beautiful that a demon would demand her as a wife. â€Å"I knew that new life stirred within me – and I knew that Drohzne would kill it if he had the chance – â€Å" She didn't seem to recognize the expressions of astonishment and horror on the three girl's faces. Elena, however, had the feeling that she was groping through a nightmare, on the edge of a black crevasse, and that she would have to keep groping in the dark, around treacherous, unseen fissures in the ice in the Dark Dimension until she reached Stefan and got him free of this place. This casual reference to abomination wasn't the first of her steps around a crevasse, but it was the first she had recognized and counted. â€Å"You young women are very new here,† Lady Ulma said, as the silence stretched and stretched. â€Å"I did not mean to say anything out of place†¦.† â€Å"We're slaves here,† Meredith replied, picking up a length of rope. â€Å"I think the more we learn the better.† â€Å"Your master – I've never seen anyone so quick to fight Old Drohzne before. Many people clucked their tongues, but that was all most dared to do. But your master – â€Å" â€Å"We call him Damon,† Bonnie put in pointedly. It went right over Lady Ulma's head. â€Å"Master Damon – do you think he might keep me? After he pays the blood price to – to Drohzne's relatives, he will get first pick of all Drohzne's property. I am one of the few slaves he has not killed.† The hope in the woman's face was almost too painful for Elena to look at. It was only then that she consciously realized how long it had been since she'd seen Damon. How long should Damon's business be taking? She looked at Meredith anxiously. Meredith understood exactly what the look meant. She shook her head helplessly. Even if they had Lakshmi take them to the Meeting Place, what could they do? Elena bit back a wince of pain and smiled at Lady Ulma. â€Å"Why don't you tell us about when you were a girl?† she said.