Gay or Lesbian Parenting and the Psychological Effects on...

There are hundreds of thousands of children who are in foster care and need a home with a family who will love and care for them. Families lead by same-sex couples are viewed as â€Å"non-traditional households† and these parents raise their children in very much the same ways as heterosexual parents. These children grow with their adoptive families and if their parents have a stable relationship with each other and with their adoptive children, and have great support systems, then it should not be difficult for those children to thrive in the world as children of gay/lesbian parents. Families headed by gay and lesbian parents are just as diverse as families led by heterosexual couples (Thompson 36). The only difference in these families is†¦show more content†¦There is an even larger number of single gays and lesbians who are raising children across the country, and the number of single parents is are not even included in the research conducted on families headed by gays and lesbians (Gilgoff). The youngest generation, consisting of those between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine, are more accepting of gay adoption while the oldest generation, consisting of those over the age of sixty-five, are least accepting of gay adoption. Those who are opposed to gay adoption consider the acceptance of gay adoption by the youngest generation to be an â€Å"erosion of traditional cultural values† (Chittom and Wagner). Same-sex couples do not raise their children any differently than heterosexual couples raise their children. Throughout the adoptive child’s life, the adoptive parents must explain to the child why he/she was adopted, but for gay adoptive parents, explanation of their sexual orientation must also be explained using â€Å"age appropriate language† (Gateway Child Wellfare Information). Recently, research has shown that gay and lesbian parents share the parental characteristics of support, protection, and stability that children need. Sexual orientation should not be problem when adopting children. Children adopted by same-sex couples are more likely to be placed with parents who are patient, dedicated to their children, and have respect for the differences of theShow MoreRelated A Study on Gay Parenting Essay1090 Words   |  5 Pagesa sensitive subject in society for a long time, and in recent years, it has sparked both support and controversy in areas such as legalizing gay and lesbian marriage and various other matters that have arisen surrounding the movement towards equality of treatment and integration into society. One of these matters that has garnered attention is gay parenting. With some states now allowing same-sex marriage or unions, the next step being taken is starting a family. There has been wide speculation intoRead MoreAdoption by Same-Sex Couple s Essay example2061 Words   |  9 PagesAdoption by Same-Sex Couples 19th Annual Robyn Rafferty Mathias Conference I. Introduction In recent years, there has been an increase in same-sex couples applying to adopt children at both infancy and from the foster care system. Although society’s perception of a family normally consists of a mother and father, the times are changing. According to the United States 2000 Census, this societal perception of a normal family, referred to as the â€Å"nuclear family†, only represents less thanRead More Same Sex Parenting and Adoption Essay1902 Words   |  8 Pagesstates have different laws that apply for gay and lesbian adoption, as opposed to heterosexual couples. Several states also have special rules that apply when a child is born into a gay or lesbian partnership. Gay and lesbian couples may sometimes opt to bring a child into their lives through conception and birth as well. For a lesbian couple, this is usually done through a male donor or a sperm bank and having one of the couple become pregnant. Similarly, gay men may use a surrogate mother and thenRe ad MoreEssay about Adoption of Children by Same-Sex Couples1324 Words   |  6 Pagesto consist of a heterosexual couple and their children, but many forms of family life exist in contemporary society. Homosexual people also form family units, either as single parents or as couples, with children, who are included in the family through a variety of circumstances. Many have children who were born in previous families (Johnson Piore, 2004) and many have children who were born in a previous heterosexual marriages. A gay man or lesbian women or couple can enlist the help of a surrogateRead MoreThe Controversy Surrounding Same Sex Parenting1255 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"There is no scientific basis for concluding that lesbian mothers or gay fathers are unfit parents on the basis of their sexual orientation† (Armesto, 2002; Patterson, 2000; Tasker Golombok, 1997). Ever since gay and lesbians have been parents people have questioned how the parents’ sexual orientation impacts child and adolescent development. Opponents of same-sex parents argue that sexual orientation has a negative impact on child development, while proponents argue that the relationship betweenRead More The Debate over Gay Parenting Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesOver the last several decades, gay rights have been a growing topic in the public and in the court rooms. Recently, the debate about gays having the right or ability to parent has become a hot topic, due to the expanding gay community. There are typically two stances taken on the topic of gay parenting: it’s wrong and should be illegal or it’s normal and should be legal. While the norms, stereotypes and debates about gay parenting have varied over the years, today there seems to be a positive consensusRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gay Adoption1643 Words   |  7 Pagesand live life as ordinary people, yet treated as second-class citizens. This treatment by society has significantly limited the basic human rights of these individuals, including parenthood. Should LGBTQ+ be able to adopt children? Do gay parents and guardians effect children negatively? Adoption is a lengthy process of legally accepting responsibilities of a non-biological child. While adoption is usually governed by laws that vary from state to state, but there are also federal regulationsRead MoreThe Center For Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Essay936 Words   |  4 Pagesopposite-sex couples† (â€Å"Psychosocial Adjustment, School Outcomes, and Romantic Relationships of Adolescents With Same-Sex Parents†, 2004). As anticipated, there were no substantial influences between gender and family type for school outcomes or psychological adjustment, and the research found no variances as a function of gender for psychosocial adjustment or school functioning. The Add Health research also examined the student’s romantic relationships, behaviors, and attractions. The participant’sRead MoreThe Rights Of Same Sex Parents2083 Words   |  9 PagesThe well being of children raised by same sex parents has been an issue that has gained major attention in the past few years. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that supports heterosexist and homophobic attitudes and beliefs. It is argued that legalizing same sex marriage will harm the sanctity of marriage and family values. For many of its advocates, same sex marriage is a civil rights issue. For many of its opponents, it is a moral issue. While there is truth to both, there is a failure by societyRead MoreGay Parent Adoption And Same Sex Adoption1851 Words   |  8 Pages Gay parent adoption or same-sex adoption refers to the adoption of children by individuals who prefer romantic partners of the same sex--gays and lesbians. Same-sex adoption is portrayed by the media as being a potentially good thing but with potentially detrimental side effects, most notably for the adopted children. This type of adoption is often made to look as if it might well be done but perhaps should not be for the sake of the children involved. With groups such as the religious right, fundamentalist

Groupthink - 1185 Words

On October 15, 1962, the United States viewed reconnaissance photographs of Cuba and discovered Soviet missiles which were under construction. The next day President John F. Kennedy was informed of the discovery and the President formed a group of twelve advisors to plan and handle the crisis. The advisors met for seven days to plan a strategy on how to handle the crisis and on October 22, 1962, President Kennedy revealed the crisis to the American public and of his decision to surround and blockade Cuba. President Kennedy also made the announcement that the Soviets would need to remove their missiles from Cuba and any missiles fired from Cuba would be considered a direct threat to and attack on the United States. President Kennedy†¦show more content†¦The next change was the change in group atmosphere. The sessions would be devoted to open and frank discussion and the usual rules of protocol were to be suspended (Janis, 1982). A formal agenda was not followed during the ses sions (Janis, 1982). Outside experts were invited to the sessions to give their views and were questioned about their conclusions (Janis, 1982). New advisors were brought in from time to time as visitors, and members of the group would ask these visitors for input during their discussions (Janis, 1982). The third change was the added meetings of subgroups. The Executive Committee was broken into two subgroups to facilitate critical thinking (Janis, 1982). The subgroups would meet separately to come up with a policy decision and would then come back together as one to debate and cross-examine each other’s decisions (Janis, 1982). The last change was the leaderless sessions. President Kennedy would deliberately be absent from the meetings, particularly in the beginning, to avoid influence on his advisors (Janis, 1982). When the President was absent from the meetings either Robert Kennedy or Secretary of State Dean Rusk would chair the meetings and were also instructed to not tr y to direct the group in decisions (Janis, 1982). TheShow MoreRelatedEffect Of Groupthink On Investing989 Words   |  4 PagesFinance 393 Professor Hocter 21 November 2016 Effect of Groupthink on Investing Groupthink is something that influences most things that people do on a daily basis. People use groupthink every single day to make decisions, to confirm their decisions, or even to compare to the decisions that they have already come to. Although groupthink has its distinct advantages in certain situations, there are without a doubt situations in which groupthink can be seen as a hindrance. How companies, and even individualsRead MoreGroupthink: Problem Solving and Groups Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesGroupthink The Challenger space shuttle explosion. The Bay of Pigs invasion. The Korean War debacle (Janis 1-28). These are examples of situations where group communication failed. Group communication involves a shared identity among three or more people, a considerable amount of interaction among these people, and a high level of interdependence between everyone involved (Trenholm 196-97). It is essential to understand group dynamics for a variety of reasons. Everyone participates in groups throughoutRead MoreThe Concept Of Groupthink Was Brought On By Social Psychologist Irving Janis1480 Words   |  6 PagesJacqueline Gavrielova Professor Bernstein SSY 250 02/22/2016 Groupthink: Research Paper The concept of groupthink was brought on by social psychologist Irving Janis in 1972. Groupthink is when a group is required to make a decision, and under that pressure, unifies to make one that can appear as unanimous of that group. The fact that there is a necessity to come up with a solution or an organized decision makes it so some members of the group will simply go along with the view of the majority. TheRead MoreThe Nature Of Human Behavior1319 Words   |  6 Pagesbe more productive than if they were simply working on their lonesome, or that group work in general is always beneficial (Feist, Pool, Rosenberg Stamp, 2016, p. 534). Likewise, this has to do with presence of two phenomenon: social loafing and groupthink that, while not negating all the benefits of group work, clearly disprove the notion that it is always produces positive results both on the individual and the collective level. Social loafing, as defined in Psychology: Evaluating connections, aRead MoreOutline Janis Concept Of Goupthink 2069 Words   |  9 Pageswas the president’s leadership style. ESSAY Outline Janis’ concept of ‘groupthink’. Why, and in what circumstances, is it such a problem for organizations? â€Å"Organizations†¨ are internally structured groups that are located in complex networks of intergroup relations characterized by power, status, and prestige differentials† (Hogg Terry, 2009, p. 121). The ‘groupthink’ hypothesis was introduced by Irving Janis (1972) and provides an explanation for a particular formRead MoreThe Political Process Has Consumed My Time At Columbia Essay1927 Words   |  8 Pageswhat we consider very smart people, often make terrible decisions and how do we minimize these incidences. Janis defined this phenomenon of groupthink as,† the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive in-group that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action† (Groupthink 43). Janis found that in the Bay of Pigs and many other historical examples point to this phenomenon known as Group Think, which leads groupsRead More Groupthink Essay966 Words   |  4 Pages Groupthink nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What is groupthink? There is a simple definition for it, but is it truly that simple? The term groupthink refers to the inclination of group members to have the same opinions and beliefs; it frequently leads to mistakes. It often occurs without an individual being aware of it. Conflict is considered to be a harmful element when related to groups, but conflict is good when considering groupthink because it helps to eliminate the existence of a groupthink.Read MoreEssay On Groupthink1262 Words   |  6 Pagesbefore you start.† A plane crash is bad enough; throw into the mix that the plane crash landed in a vast desert far away from anyone and anything. The team showed great cohesiveness in its ability to get through the groupthink and group shift behaviors. In this paper, groupthink and group shift behaviors will be discussed. This paper will cover points to show how through both behaviors the group will remain cohesive and put aside any individual n eeds and focus more on the needs of the group.Read MoreGroupthink Theory Essay3525 Words   |  15 PagesGROUPTHINK THEORY COMM410 As people, when confronted with a problem where a solution must be found, our ideal situation is to come up with the best possible one. To do this, we ideally gather the most knowledgeable, intelligent individuals into a group and attempt to derive the best solution to the problem. With the collection of these people, one would think that finding the best possible answer to the problem would be a rather simple task. However, what has happened in many situations isRead MoreThe Importance Of Groupthink In Education1767 Words   |  8 Pageslonger questions. This lifestyle of contentedness and stagnation has brought about one of the most dangerous media buzzwords of all time: groupthink. Loosely defined, groupthink occurs when individuals value beliefs held by a group they belong to over individual belief. The danger of this is clear - what happens when the group is wrong? Unfortunately, the groupthink generation does nothing. This group-thinking generation must’ve gotten this lackadaisical attitude from somewhere, and the place to blame

Role of Bangladesh Tourism Industry free essay sample

University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh Course Title- International Financial Management Course Code- BUS423 RESEARCH PROPOSAL Topic- Role of Bangladesh Tourism Industry as an Important Source of Rapid Economic Development— An Empirical Evaluation Submitted to-Name –Rahim UddinDesignation-Course Teacher| Submitted By-Name- Tariqur RahmanId-468461321Department-USB| Role of Bangladesh Tourism Industry as an Important Source of Rapid Economic Development— An Empirical Evaluation 1. Introduction Tourism is treated as one of the worlds fastest growing industries. While travel was once an uncertain and hazardous event but it is now an easily planned and coordinated adventure that has been revolutionized since middle of last century by vast improvements in transportation in general and air transportation in particular, computer technology, and networks of international communication. In many develop and developing countries, tourism has been designed as a leading industry for the purpose of stimulating economic development The World Travel amp; Tourism Council Measures that by 2011, the Travel amp; Tourism economy will constitute: 11. per cent of global GDP, support 260. 5 million jobs worldwide. This is 9 % of total employment or 1 in every 11. 2 jobs (Siddiqi, 2003). Tourism offers immense potential on employment generation, poverty alleviation and maintaining ecological balance. It is relatively modern phenomenon, which plays an intensely important role in the economic development of any country (Kendell 1988, p. 43). According to World Tourism Organization (WTO), it is one of the worlds biggest industries is set to double within 15 years to reach a billion tourists by year 2010. Moreover, The WTO said that the industry at present employs about 212 million people and the figure is expected to rise to 385 million by 2006 (Chamber News, Nov. 1995 p. 4). The contribution of this sector to the GDP of many countries is significant. In China it was 3. 64 % in 1995 followed by Singapore 5. 2% (The Bangladesh Monitor, 1996). In the year 1998, the number of tourists in the USA increased by 1. 4% and income by 2. 1% , in Europe these percentages were 3% and 3. 6%, in the middle East 5. 3% and 6. % and in South Asia 5% and 2. 8% respectively (Madrid AFT 1999 p. 12). The overall economic impact of travel and tourism in South Asia is expected to contribute 4. 8% to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2003, rising to 5. 3% in 2013. The industry is projected to provide employment to about 29 million people (5. 2% of the total) in 2003, and to almost 36 million (5. 4%) in 2013 (ADB, 2003). After a short lull following the September 11 episodes in the USA, global tourist movement has been on the ascending track again. The tourist flow maintained its healthy magnitude in the Asian region though the Afghanistan war and tension between Pakistan and India. In the South Asian region particularly, tourism industry is ever vibrant and growing steadily. With growing international interest in traveling through Asia, tourism industry is taking roots in Bangladesh. (The Daily Star, Feb 1, 2002). 2. Rationale of the Study According to a news of New York Times that Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh will be an attractive destination to most of the Americans to enjoy their holidays from the next years(BPC News, 2006). Infact, tourism in Bangladesh is becoming an emerging issue both for the public and private sector to establish their eligibility for accomplishing a successful business as well as marketing activities development (Akteruzzaman amp; Ishtiaque 2001 p. 107). It is consequently an industry wide economic application, especially when one considers indirect economic imports of such activities. It is one of the important means of foreign exchange earnings and also contributing to correct negative balance of payment. But the share of Bangladesh in the world tourism is very poor. Bangladesh has substantially different of offer in its scenic beauty and cultural heritage. Of course, some archaeological sites-representing Buddhist period-are there in the country. Added to these sites are numerous historical monuments representing Hindu, Muslim and British Periods, Scattered all over the country. However, most of these are still unexplored and unknown. One of the major archaeological sites is Paharpur. It is a small village 5 km. est of Jamalganj in the great Rajshahi district where the remains of the most important and the largest known monastery south of the Himalayas has been excavated. This 7th century archaeological find covers approximately an area of 27 acres of land (w. w. w. bangladeshtourism. org). So for Bangladesh, it should be a matter of great opportunity to develop its tourism sector, which unfortunately has been at low ebb and could not be any significant contributory factor for its na tional development. Japan has a national objective of having 10 million departures a year and almost 80% Japanese travelers travel for pleasure and holidays. But Bangladesh failed to attract this potential market even though Bangladesh has excellent tourist products the Buddhist Stupas and Monasteriesthe main tourist attraction for Japanese tourists. A tourist’s destination to be developed requires development of accommodations and catering facilities. It is found that quality of graded hotel throughout all the tourists’ destinations is not appropriate, and there is an acute shortage of required no. f good restaurants of acceptable standards, providing accommodations and catering services to the tourists is the major task of tourism industry. Unfortunately this sector has not been developed in a planned way (Sikder and Hossain, 1998 p. 173). It is worldwide recognized that Bangladesh is very rich by the natural beauty and panoramic views, what a tourist want to enjoy. But there is lack of effective initiatives, proper management plan, and quick amp; sincere effort of government (Akther, 2001). So, this research is an attempt to evaluate the present condition and prospects of tourism industry which can ontribute a lot to flourish the economy of the country and to examine the problems existed in the said industry, that create great hindrance in the flow of worldwide potential tourists’ and economic development of this country. This research mainly highlights the developmental issue of tourism industry in Bangladesh. Considering the global needs and demand for the development of this industry, the study mainly examines the prospects of this industry in the economic development and various limitations existed in the said industry in Bangladesh.

Economic Performance of Zip Car-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: What are the key drivers of Zipcar's Economic Performance? Answer: There are various drivers, which led the growth of Zip car in terms of their economic performance. One of the key drivers is the inclination of the preference pattern of the customers towards the online service portal. This helped them due to the reason that, Zip car initiated the process of introduction of online portal for their customers to book the cars online. Thus, this caused enhancement of the convenience of the customers, which further attracted them. Moreover, the introduction of latest safety software by Zip car such as installing of black box in car also helped to increase the satisfaction level of the customers (Della-Giustina). Another key economic drivers of is their strategy of rapidly expanding in markets other than Boston. They have rapidly expanded their business in 14 other cities, which helped them to enhance their brand value in the market. Thus, due to their enhancement of their brand value in the market, they are able to attract more investor for funding with having more customer base (Guerriero and Olivito). This factor motivated them to change their business model to enter in different market, rather than operating in a single market. Moreover, having effective management team and determining the market requirement effectively also helped them to enhance their economic performance. This is due to the fact that, Zip car have effectively identified the market requirement, which according to the case study given are having the need of rented car service. According to the reports, there are various probable customers who are in the need of a car but cannot afford it. On the other hand, several customers can afford it but they will need a car for occasional use. Hence, in this scenario, Zip car came up with the business plan of offering cars to the customers in rent for a specific time (Sundararajan). Thus, it provided the customers to have opportunity of having the car at the time of requirement along with not having the need to have their own. Thus, providing the car renting service to them helped Zip car to penetrate the market effectively and in less time. The rapid increase in this type of customers in the market motivated Chase to initiate the policy of entering in other market also. Another factor that has potential impact on the economic performance of Zip car is the environmental factors. According to the data being gathered by Chase, car renting service will also help to reduce the private cars from road in significant number. This is due to the reason that, the more cars will be offered in rent, the less people will go for new cars. Thus, the environmental impact will be less. Thus, with people preferring environmental friendly activities, the economic performance will be positive in future also. These all factors helped Zip car to enhance their economic performance along with changing the business model accordingly. In addition, all these factors also helped them to gain more capital from the potential investors. References Della-Giustina, Daniel E.Motor fleet safety and security management. CRC Press, 2012. Guerriero, Francesca, and Filomena Olivito. "Revenue models and policies for the car rental industry."Journal of Mathematical Modelling and Algorithms in Operations Research13.3 (2014): 247-282. Guerriero, Francesca, and Filomena Olivito. "Revenue models and policies for the car rental industry."Journal of Mathematical Modelling and Algorithms in Operations Research13.3 (2014): 247-282. Sundararajan, Arun. "From Zipcar to the sharing economy."Harvard Business Review1 (2013)

Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation The WritePass Journal

Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation Abstract Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation , total revenues reached USD$ 27.5 billion. This is a 2% growth from its 2011 figure. Based on data for the past six years, the company had the highest growth rate in 2010-2011 at 12%. However, the company experienced a steep decline the following year, with growth rate at only 2%. Table 1. McDonald’s 6 Year Summary (Millions) Dollars in millions, except per share data 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Company operated sales 18,603 18,293 16,233 15,459 16,561 16,611 Franchised revenues 8,964 8,713 7,842 7,286 6,961 6,176 Total revenues 27,567 27,006 24,075 22,745 23,522 22,787 Table 2. McDonald’s 6 Year Percentage Growth Year on Year Percentage Growth 2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 2007-2008 Company operated sales 2% 13% 5% -7% 0% Franchised revenues 3% 11% 8% 5% 13% Total revenues 2% 12% 6% -3% 3% 2.Industry Overview and Competitive Environment McDonald’s operates in the fast food industry, which involves selling foods and beverages for immediate consumption either within the retail premises or as â€Å"take away.† The market may be categorized in to the following segments: QSR (Quick Service Restaurants), Leisure Locations, Mobile and Street Vendors, and Takeaways. In 2011, the global fast food market grew by 6.8%, reaching USD $253 billion in total value. The compounded yearly growth rate from 2007 to 2011 was at 5.2%. QSR is the most lucrative segment, generating over $167.8 billion in revenues; which is equivalent to 66.4% of the total market value (Research and Markets, 2013). McDonald’s, together with other players such as Burger King, dominate the burger segment (Reynolds, 2013). The market is comprised of many independent restaurants, as well as large chain outlets. To a reasonable extent, competition is intensified by the low entry costs and the ease with which already established companies can increase volume or grow outlet numbers. Within the restaurant industry, players focus more on fast food where profitability is dependent on high turnover activities. The degree of price competition is usually high within this industry with many companies, including McDonald’s, focusing on the same target market. Competitors range from fast food restaurants, traditional fish and chips outlets, coffee shops, and other fast food businesses (Brotherton, 2012). Key competitors to McDonald’s are other similarly large and well-established global fast food chains such as Burger King, Wendy’s Co, and Yum Brands. Although it is not actually a fast food chain, Starbucks is also considered as a major competitor of McDonald’s due to its immense popularity, especially in the US. McDonald’s McCafe chains are considered as more of a competitor to Starbucks. Table 2. Profile of McDonald’s Top Competitors Competitor Profile Burger King Corporation  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operates over 12,174 fast food outlets in the US and has others in over 76 countries across the world  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has 1,387 company restaurants as well as 10,787 independent franchises Domino’s Pizza Inc.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The leading pizza delivery firm in the US  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It runs a network of about 8,999 outlets, both franchises and company-owned stores in US’s 50 states and other 60 world countries. Starbucks  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A global coffee company based in the US  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the largest coffee shop chain in the world with over 20,800 stores in 62 countries Wendy’s Co.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wendys/Arbys Group, arose from a merger between Wendys International and Triarc Companies  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wendys/Arbys group is a popular quick service restaurant operator, franchising the Wendys and Arbys brand names within the US and Canada.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The total number of franchises for this group is over 10,000. Yum Brands Inc.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yum runs several branded restaurant chains including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In total, it has over 39,000 restaurants spread in over 125 countries. Source: Key Note, 2012 Figure 1. Market Share of Fast Food Chains in the US (2006-2011) 3. Market Entry Strategy Historically, McDonald’s has experimented with a variety of market entry strategies (Hendrikse, 2008). Currently, some of the outlets are run by the company, while most of them (more than 26,000 outlets) are franchises. McDonald’s franchise arrangements comprise conventional franchise engagements, developmental license arrangements, and foreign affiliates. Of all franchises, the corporation runs 19,279 conventional franchisees, 3,574 affiliates and 3,485 developmental licenses (McDonald’s, 2013). Currently, McDonald’s is one of the biggest franchisors in the world. The company has implemented a comprehensive framework for engaging, training, and monitoring its franchises to make sure that they abide by McDonald’s’ Values, Quality, Cleanliness and Service plans (Moschandreas, 2000). These franchisees are required to pay a fixed fee plus a certain percentage of the generated revenues. They operate basically as independent entities within a national brand structure where they purchase various inputs from the approved contractors and also determine their own prices. The first international market expansion experiment by McDonald’s was to establish an outlet in the Caribbean with limited supervision by the company. After the failure of this first attempt, the firm experimented with a joint venture strategy in Netherlands. In this experiment, the local stores involved replaced the usual McDonald’s menu offerings with based on local preferences. The company decided to abandon its old strategy where stores would be run by local entrepreneurs and instead engaged a combination of both local and expatriate partners (Marketwatch, 2005). Unfortunately, the result was disastrous; forcing McDonald’s to revise its entry strategy. This made way for the second phase of entry, which was centred on adapting versus changing local culture. Despite some initial failures, McDonald’s continued to experiment with market entry strategies in foreign markets. For example, in India, the company established as a 50-50 joint venture partnership. This arrangement was between McDonald’s USA and two other Indian businessmen, Vikram Bakshi and Amit Jatia, who owns Connaught Plaza Restaurants and Hard Castle Restaurants respectively (Gerhardt et al., 2012). The joint venture partnership was different from McDonald’s usual franchise business model but it was seen as the best way to successfully enter India’s highly diverse and complex restaurant industry. 4. McDonalds Global Marketing Strategy The marketing mix is a framework consisting of the basic, strategic components of a firm’s marketing plan. The components are referred to as the 4P’s denoting product, promotion, place, and price (Chon et al., 2012). Marketers decide the right mix to use where they can alter the final product or service offerings to customers by varying the components of the mix. This section analyses McDonald’s marketing mix to find out what the foodservice retailer has done to position its products in the market. 4.1. Product Product is probably the most important element of McDonald’s’ marketing mix. The company has tightly controlled its products’ quality so as to induce demand from the target market (Verma, 2012). With the support of the other elements, McDonald’s has managed to develop a broad product portfolio to attract a broad market segment. The company’s products are planned carefully, considering aspects such as quality, design, shape, brand name, services, size, services, and packaging. McDonald’s also oversees the operations of all its restaurants to guarantee uniformity of standards in product quality and services offered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An important matter when it comes to international marketing relates to how a firm adapts its products across national boundaries. McDonald’s, like many other internationally recognized brands, uses standardization to ensure that its products appeal to a wide audience. This is a very i mportant marketing aspect because the company must ensure that its global brand is preserved. Therefore, McDonalds restaurants across the word offer a substantially standard menu. However, according to Thomadsen (2007), some variations are necessary to make sure that the different needs of consumers in different regions are addressed. As such, McDonald’s has made effort to adapt some of its products to some markets. This is necessary because consumers in different areas have diverse needs, tastes and preferences, and different consumption and buying habits. A good example of McDonald’s adaptation strategy is the Indian market where the company, on top of trying to market its international brand, has made several modifications to its products to make sure that they are suitable for Indian consumers. The Indian market consists of a large number of vegetarians. Therefore, the company found it necessary to modify its product offerings to cater to this market segment. This led to the introduction of vegetarian foods such as McAloo Tikki and McVeggie Burgers. The company has made sure that the separation of the two food categories (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) is maintained. Also, in India where cows are considered sacred, burgers are either fish or chicken in instead of beef (Armstrong Kotler, 2005). McDonald’s constantly innovates its product offerings based on the changing needs and preferences of its customers (McDonald’s, 2013). Additionally, intense price competition increases McDonald’s motivation to differentiate itself from other industry players. Applying a differentiation strategy can help a company to control price competition to some extent (Thomadsen, 2007). It can be surmised that McDonald’s is not a global retailer of exclusively American food because it offers modified menus to suit different regions. The brand and the format are globally consistent; however, certain customer-oriented components like individual menu offerings and service personnel are tailored to suit local preferences. 4.2.   Price Price is another very important element of a marketing mix. This refers to the amount that consumers are required to pay so as to obtain products and services. McDonald’s has always been dedicated to providing quality food products for reasonable prices (Datamonitor, 2012). Therefore, the company has developed a pricing structure to support this objective. Historically, the company has had several value bundling and pricing tactics such as Combo meals, Happy Meals, Family Meals, and others. The dollar menu is one of the most significant price strategies adopted by this firm. 4.3.  Place Another very important element of McDonald’s marketing strategy is place. In general terms, place refers to the mechanisms (distribution, intermediaries or channels), which enable the firm to supply its products to the final consumers (Thomadsen, 2007). McDonald’s has strategically situated its outlets to make sure that customers have easy and convenient access to its products. The best example is the United States where the walking distance to a McDonald’s outlet averages three minutes. In smaller market regions, McDonald’s locates it outlets close to the market centre; while in large markets, it chooses locations which are on the opposite sides of the market. Compared to its closest competitor, Burger King, McDonald’s locates outlets closer to optimal central locations. In a nutshell, McDonald’s is all about convenience (Datamonitor, 2010). 4.4.  Promotion In a marketing mix perspective, promotion encompasses the various marketing communication modes that McDonald’s uses to communicate information about its products in order to generate positive response from its consumers (Mishra, 2009). McDonald’s devotes a vast amount of money to global advertising, with the aim of promoting its image. It has used several advertising formats such as print publications, billboards, radio, television, and the internet. In order to increase awareness and create a lasting image in the minds of its target market, McDonald’s has creatively employed slogans such as: â€Å"It’s a good time for the Great Taste of McDonald’s† â€Å"Food, Folks, and Fun† â€Å"We love to see you smile† â€Å"I’m Lovin’ it† McDonald’s strives to position itself as a fun family restaurant and has implemented several tactics to achieve this goal. A very effective strategy that has enabled the company to differentiate itself from other companies is invention of the Ronald McDonald character. This character was invented to symbolize the company and has become a recognizable figure. The show â€Å"The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald,† produced under the sponsorship of the company, is an outstanding promotional strategy that leaves every kid craving the McDonald’s experience (McDonald’s, 2013). The company also positions itself as a family fun restaurant by setting up play areas in its outlets. With the use of various strategies, McDonald’s has built a strong image. This has greatly helped the company not only to grow but also to stave off the competition (Chon, Pizam, Mansfeld, 2012). 5. McDonald’s Corporation has always been determined to remain ahead of competition. Its international marketing strategy employs several tactics, which has enabled the company to emerge as one of the market leaders in the fast food restaurant industry. The success of a business greatly depends on the effectiveness of the strategies it adopts. McDonald’s’ strategies have proven to be effective as evidenced by the level of success that the company has achieved to date. The initial strategy for the company involved taking standardized American practices to other parts of the country. The initial resistance and failures that it experienced forced the company to change their strategy and instead adapt itself to the different preferences of its target market. References Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2005. Marketing: an introduction. London: Prentice Hall. Brotherton, B., 2012. International Hospitality Industry. Burlington: Routledge. Chon, K.S., Pizam, A. Mansfeld, Y., 2012. Consumer Behavior in Travel and Tourism. Madison Ave, New York: Routledge. Daley, J., 2013. Do you want truffle fries with that? Entrepreneur, 41(1), pp.124-29. Datamonitor, 2010. Mcdonalds Corporation SWOT Analysis. London: EBSCO Datamonitor. Gerhardt, S., Dudley, D. Hazen, S., 2012. Franchising and the Impact of McDonalds. Journal Of Management Marketing Research, 10, pp.1-10. Hendrikse, G., 2008. Strategy and governance of networks: Cooperatives, franchising, and strategic alliances. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag. Key Note, 2012. Fast-Food Home-Delivery Outlets Market Report Plus 2012. [Online] Available at: keynote.co.uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10636/fast-food-%26-home-delivery-outlets/chapter/1 [Accessed 9 March 2013]. Marketwatch, 2005. Company Spotlight: McDonalds Corporation. Marketwatch: Global Round-Up 4, no. 12, pp.78-83. McDonald’s, 2013. Company Profile. [Online] Available at: aboutMcDonald’s.com/mcd/investors/company_profile.html   [Accessed 9 March 2013]. McDonalds, 2013. McDonalds USA Ingredients Listing for Popular Menu Items. [Online] Available at:   Ã‚  http://nutrition.McDonald’s.com/getnutrition/ingredientslist.pdf   [Accessed 9 March 2013]. Mishra, P., 2009. Sales management: Keys to effective sales.. New Delhi: Global India Publications. Moschandreas, M., 2000. Business Economics. London: Thomson. Research and Markets, 2013. Fast Food: Global Industry Guide. [Online] Available at: researchandmarkets.com/reports/564112/fast_food_global_industry_guide [Accessed 9 March 2013]. Reynolds, J., 2013. McDonalds runs ad to knock rival Burger King. Marketing Magazine, 25 January. Thomadsen, R., 2007. Product Positioning and Competition: The Role of Location in the Fast Food Industry. Marketing Science, 26(6), pp.792-804. Verma, H.V., 2012. Services marketing: Text and cases. New Delhi: Pearson Education. Wendys, 2013. The Wendys Company. [Online] Available at:   aboutwendys.com/Our-Company/   [Accessed 9 March 2013].

Obama Stimulus Package Pros and Cons

Obama Stimulus Package Pros and Cons President Obamas stimulus package, the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, was passed by Congress on February 13, 2009 and signed into law by the President four days later. No House Republicans and only three Senate Republicans voted for the bill. Obamas $787 billion stimulus package is a consortium of thousands of federal tax reductions, and expenditures on infrastructure, education, health care, energy and other projects. This stimulus package was to jumpstart the U.S. economy out of recession mainly by generating two to three million new jobs and replacing decreased consumer spending. (See specific Pros and Cons at page two of this article.) Stimulus Spending: Keynesian Economic Theory The concept that an economy would be boosted if the government spent large sums of borrowed money was first set forth by John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), a British economist. Per Wikipedia, In the 1930s, Keynes spearheaded a revolution in economic thinking, overturning the older ideas... that held that free markets would automatically provide full employment as long as workers were flexible in their wage demands. ... During the 1950s and 1960s, the success of Keynesian economics was so resounding that almost all capitalist governments adopted its policy recommendations. The 1970s: Free-Market Economic Theory Keynesian economics theory receded from public use with the advent of free-market thinking which postulated that the merket works optimally when without government inteference of any kind. Led by U.S. economist Milton Friedman, 1976 Nobel Economics Prize recipient, free-market economics evolved into a political movement under President Ronald Reagan who famously declared, Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem. 2008 Failure of Free-Market Economics Absence of adequate U.S. government monitoring of the economy is blamed by most parties for the 2008 U.S. and worldwide recession. Keynesian economist Paul Krugman, 2008 Nobel Economics Prize recipient, wrote in November 2008: The key to Keynes’s contribution was his realization that liquidity preference - the desire of individuals to hold liquid monetary assets - can lead to situations in which effective demand isn’t enough to employ all the economy’s resources. In other words, per Krugman, human self-interest (i.e. greed)occasionally must be prodded by government to facilitate a healthy economy. Latest Developments In July 2009, many Democrats, including some presidential advisors, believe that $787 billion was too small to bolster the economy, as evidenced by the continuing U.S. economic slump. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis admittedon July 8, 2009 about the economy, Nobody is happy, and the president and I feel very strongly that we have to do everything we can to create jobs. Dozens of respected economists, including Paul Krugman, told the White House that an effective stimulus must be at least $2 trillion, in order to replace the drop in consumer and governmental spending. President Obama, however, aspired for bipartisan support, so the White House compromised by adding Republican-urged tax breaks. And hundreds of billions in desperately-sought state aid and other programs were chopped from the final $787 billion stimulus package. Unemployment Continues to Climb Unemployment has continued to climb at an alarming rate, despite passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Explains The Australian News: ... only six months ago Obama was telling Americans that unemployment, then at 7.2%, could be held to a peak of 8% this year if Congress passed his $US787 billion stimulus package. Congress duly obliged and unemployment has galloped ahead ever since. Most economists now believe the 10% mark will be reached before the year is out. ... Obamas jobless prediction would be out of whack by more than four million jobs. As it stands now, he has miscalculated by about 2.6 million jobs. Slow to Spend Stimulus Funds The Obama administration has stumbled in rapidly circulating stimulus funds back into the economy. Per all reports, as of the end of June 2009, only about 7% of approved funds have spent. Investment analyst Rutledge Capital observes, In spite of all the talk we have seen about shovel ready projects, not much of the money has actually made its way into the economy yet... Economist Bruce Bartlett explained in The Daily Beast on July 8, 2009, In a recent briefing, CBO director Doug Elmendorf estimated that only 24 percent of all the stimulus funds will have been spent by September 30. And 61 percent of that will go to low-impact income transfers; only 39 percent is for high-impact spending on highways, mass transit, energy efficiency, et al. By September 30, only 11 percent of all the funds allocated to such programs will be spent. Background President Obamas stimulus package of $787 billion includes: Infrastructure - Total: $80.9 billion, including: $51.2 billion for roads, bridges, railways, sewers, public transportation $29.5 billion for government facilities and vehicle fleets $15 billion for other projects, including $7.2 billion for public broadband, wireless Internet access, $750 million to the National Park Service, $650 million to the Forest Service, and $515 million for wildfire prevention. Education $44.5 billion to local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, with flexibility to use the funds for school modernization and repair $15.6 billion to increase Pell Grants from $4,731 to $5,350 $13 billion for low-income public schoolchildren $12.2 billion for IDEA special education $300 million for increased teacher salaries Health Care $86.6 billion for Medicaid $24.7 billion to provide a 65% subsidy of COBRA healthcare premiums for the unemployed $19 billion for health information technology $10 billion for health research, National Institutes of Health facilities $1.3 billion for medical care for military members, families $1 billion for the Veterans Health Administration $2 billion for Community Health Centers Energy $11 billion funding for an electric smart grid $6.3 billion for state, local governments to invest in energy efficiencies $6 billion for renewable energy, electric transmission technologies loan guarantees $6 billion for the cleanup of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants $5 billion for weatherizing modest-income homes $4.5 billion to modernize the U.S. electrical grid $2 billion for manufacture of advanced car battery systems $400 million for electric vehicle technologies Housing $4 billion to HUD for repairing, modernizing public housing $2.25 billion in tax credits for financing low-income housing construction $2 billion to help communities purchase and repair foreclosed housing $1.5 billion for rental assistance and housing relocation Scientific Research $3 billion to the National Science Foundation $2 billion to the United States Department of Energy $1.3 billion for university research facilities $1 billion to NASA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 BY Wikipedia Pros Pros for the Obama administrations $787 billion stimulus package can be summed up in one obvious statement: If the stimulus works to shock the U.S. economy out of its steep 2008-2009 recession, and stems the unemployment rate, then it will be judged a success. Economic historians persuasively argue that Keynesian-style spending was largely instrumental in pulling the U.S. out of the Great Depression, and in propelling growth of the U.S. and world economies in the 1950s and 1960s. Meeting Urgent, Worthy Needs Of course, liberals also fervently believe that many thousands of urgent and worthy needs... long ignored and exacerbated by the Bush administration... are met by spending initiatives included in Obamas stimulus package, including: Long overdue repair and renewal of dangerously crumbling U.S. infrastructure, including highways and roads, the electric power grid, dams, bridges, levees, water mains and sewer systems, airports, and more; Vital aid to beleaguered local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, plus $300 million for increased teacher salaries Expansion of public transportation systems, building new high-speed passenger rail systems $116 billion in payroll tax relief for individuals making less than $75,000 annually, and for couples jointly making less than $150,000. $40 billion to extend unemployment benefits, and to increase benefits by $25 weekly Increased medical coverage for military members and their families, and $1 billion for the Veterans Administration, which suffered major cutbacks under President Bush Food programs for low-income Americans, including $150 million to help refill food banks, $100 million for meals programs for seniors, and $100 million for free school lunch programs . Cons Critics of President Obamas stimulus package either believe that: economic stimulus spending is doomed to fail, especially when it entails borrowing to obtain the funds to be spent (i.e. deficit spending); or the compromise size or focus of the stimulus bill doomed the measure to be inadequate to pull the U.S. out of the 2008-2009 recession. Stimulus Spending Coupled with Borrowing Is Reckless A June 6, 2009 Louisville Courier-Journal editorial eloquently expresses this con perspective: Lyndon is getting a new walking path between Whipps Mill Road and North Hurstbourne Lane... Lacking sufficient funds, the U.S. will borrow from China and other increasingly skeptical lenders to pay for luxuries like Lyndons little walkway. Our children and grandchildren will have to pay back the unimaginable debt with which we are saddling them. Of course, the fallout from their forebears financial irresponsibility could first consume them in revolution, ruin or tyranny... Obama and congressional Democrats are making an already awful situation exponentially worse... Borrowing from foreigners to build paths in Lyndon is not only bad policy, but ought to also be unconstitutional. Stimulus Package Was Inadequate or Wrongly Focused Lamented liberal economist Paul Krugman, Even if the original Obama plan - around $800 billion in stimulus, with a substantial fraction of that total given over to ineffective tax cuts - had been enacted, it wouldnt have been enough to fill the looming hole in the U.S. economy, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will amount to $2.9 trillion over the next three years. Yet the centrists did their best to make the plan weaker and worse. One of the best features of the original plan was aid to cash-strapped state governments, which would have provided a quick boost to the economy while preserving essential services. But the centrists insisted on a $40 billion cut in that spending. Moderate Republican David Brooks opined ... theyve created a sprawling, undisciplined smorgasbord, which has spun off a series of unintended consequences. First, by trying to do everything all it once, the bill does nothing well. The money spent on long-term domestic programs means there may not be enough to jolt the economy now... The money spent on stimulus, meanwhile, means there’s not enough to truly reform domestic programs like health technology, schools and infrastructure. The measure mostly pumps more money into old arrangements. Where It Stands Congressional Republicans tore into the Obama administration over the economic stimulus plan,... arguing that the White House is mishandling the distribution of the money while overstating the ability of the package to create jobs, reported CNN on July 8, 2009 about a contentious hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. CNN continued, The White House Office of Management and Budget defended the plan, arguing that every federal dollar spent has, by definition, helped to ease the pain of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. A Second Stimulus Package? Obama economic advisor Laura Tyson, former Director of the National Economic Council, said in a July 2009 speech that the U.S. should consider drafting a second stimulus package focusing on infrastructure projects because the $787 billion approved in February was a bit too small per Bloomberg.com. In contrast, economist Bruce Bartlett, a conservative Obama supporter, pens in an article entitled Obamas Clueless Liberal Critics, that the argument for more stimulus implicitly assumes that the bulk of stimulus funds have been paid out and done their work. However, the data show that very little of the stimulus has actually been spent. Bartlett argues that stimulus critics are reacting impatiently, and notes that economist Christina Romer, who now chairs the Council of Economic Advisers, says the stimulus is working just as planned and that no additional stimulus is needed. Would Congress Pass a Second Stimulus bill? The burning, relevant question is: Is it politically possible for President Obama to push Congress into passing a second economic stimulus package in 2009 or 2010? The first stimulus package passed on a House vote of 244-188, with all Republicans and eleven Democrats voting NO. The bill squeezed by on a filibuster-proof 61-36 Senate vote, but only after making significant compromises to attract three Republican YES votes. All Senate Democrats voted for the bill, except those absent due to illness. But with public confidence falling in Obamas leadership in mid-2009 on economic matters, and with the first stimulus bill failing to quell unemployment, moderate Democrats cant be relied on to solidly support additional stimulus legislation. Would Congress pass a second stimulus package in 2009 or 2010? The jury is out, but the verdict, in summer 2009, doesnt look good for the Obama administration.

Reaction essay of The Art of Lying By Gerald Torto

Reaction of The Art of Lying By Gerald Torto - Essay Example Effective lying may be hampered by an emotional relationship between the liar and those he/she knows because they can easily detect behavioral changes when one is lying. Psychopath lairs such as politicians show no guilt when lying and are thus able to convince others that they are telling the truth. There is also a co-relation between the symmetry of the face and the art of lying with psychologists citing that attractive people are easily trusted as opposed to unattractive people. Children who lie and get away with it develop a knack for lying thus becoming pathological liars. People with low self esteem also become habitual liars as they exaggerate facts to appear better than they actually are. It is often almost impossible to detect liars without the help of polygraph or brain printing machines, but common indicators include long pauses while talking, omission of details such as names and places, intensive facial expressions when