The Competitive Elements Of Illovo Malawi Business Essay

The Competitive Elements Of Illovo Malawi Business Essay Critically assess the strategic context within which your firm operates using any conceptual framework, which you think is appropriate, and explain which are the most important general business trends and competitive elements. Which of these should strategic decision makers in the company of your choice consider the most and why? Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd is a subsidiary of a South African company Illovo Sugar South Africa. Illovo Sugar Malawi is the countrys largest sugar producer. There are two other companies that have just set up within the previous two years, however, they can not be acknowledged as of yet as they are yet to commence operations. Illovo sugar is a large multinational company that spans across six African countries that include Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. They are the largest sugar producers within each respective country that they are present in. Illovo Sugar operates through subsidiaries within each of the mentioned countries. When we analyse to total volume of sugar produced amongst all the facilities that Illovo owns, it shows that they are the largest producer of sugar within the African subcontinent. Illovo Sugar is listed on the Johannesburg Stock exchange and on the Malawian and Zambian Stock Exchange respectively (as subsidiaries). The majority ownership of Illovo Sugar, 51% of it, belongs to a FTSE 100 Company Associated British Foods Plc. Illovo Sugar Malawi, along with its other subsidiaries within Africa, have shown year on year consistent growth for the entire Illovo Group in Africa, it is this level of performance which has labelled Illovo the largest sugar producer in Africa. PESTEL Analysis: I will now outline a PESTEL analysis for Illovo Sugar Ltd, within which I will cover all the political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects that affect Illovo Sugar. Political: Political stability within Malawi has been an issue for Illovo Sugar Malawi during 2012. The autocratic rule of the former president came to an unexpected end when he died due to cardiac arrest. This meant that Illovo had to form new connections with the new president (former vice president) who had her own political party. Doing so, it would give Illovo access right to the top of the tree; it could therefore exercise this communion whenever it needed to. When the government attitude is looked upon, due to the economical problems in Malawi, the extreme lack of forex has led to many problems and it has crippled the economy. The current regime is on the move to increase exports in order to generate the much-needed forex, this being a direct presidential initiative. Due to Illovo Sugar Malawi being one of the top exporters within Malawi, it is therefore one of the favourable organisations directly from the offices of the president. Corrupt governments usually impact organisations when they make decisions at firm levels. The impact of corrupt ministers and even presidents in some cases prove to be a vital political problem to a large company such as Illovo Sugar. In this case, as far as it can be noted, it seems that Illovo Sugar Malawi has steered away from being influenced by such people or governments. Economical: Malawi is currently enduring one of the harshest conditions related to its economy. It has literally crippled, from being the second fastest growing economy in the world in 2008, it has fallen at such an alarming rate, at the expense of the autocratic rule of the former president who despised the western donor countries. It led to intense shortages of forex within Malawi, and with Malawi being a predominantly importing country, it crippled many sectors and inflation started to rise at an alarming rate. The biggest cause for concern is the devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha it will increase costs from all aspects for Illovo Malawi, however, due to the floatation of the currency within the international markets, it will therefore obtain better prices for its commodity on the international market. Credit availability and interest rates are also a problem for Illovo Sugar Malawi. The credit is available but due to liquidity shortages of the Malawi kwacha, the Reserve Bank of Malawi has put high interest charges on credit facilities. Due to this problem, Illovo Malawi will take out as little credit facilities as its needs in order to avoid high interest charges  [1]  . When the overall industry growth is analysed, it can be compared, volumetrically, that Illovo Sugar Malawi has continued to grow despite all the problems it faces. It continues to be the largest contributor to the Illovo Sugar Group at 39% of its overall operating profit  [2]  . Therefore, the industry continues to grow and the prospect for the future for Illovo Malawi looks good in terms of an economical aspect. Social: Illovo Sugar Malawi operates two relatively large facilities within Malawi. They employ approximately 5400 people fulltime and around 4500 seasonal employees. They provide employment to local Malawians with added benefits as part of their corporate citizenship scheme. Illovo Sugar Malawi also works hard in maintaining their corporate social responsibility image. They have built schools and medical centres within the local communities. Every employee has access to medical and educational care, with his or her dependants included too. Apart from this, they provide housing to over 4500 people with amenities such as running water, electricity and waste management services  [3]  . Apart from the above, Illovo also carries out other social acts of charity in the form of donations to hospitals and of aid to relief victims of natural disasters within Malawi. Apart from maintaining its own sugarcane growing facilities, Illovo plays a socially responsible role when it comes to purchasing sugarcane from local smallholder farmers. They account for up to 13% of Illovo Malawis total raw material volume  [4]  . Technological: Illovo Sugar, as mentioned is the largest sugar producer in Africa, therefore they are bound to keep their technological mind-set at its peak performance. In the current world, technology is known for making processes much simpler and carried out faster and efficiently. In regards to plant and machinery at Illovo, which is the core of the entire business, they will pay the highest attention to new technological entrants within the market. Efficiency, cost saving and speed is what drives any manufacturing business and it is the same with Illovo Malawi. New process technologies within this line of business can rapidly give the edge over competitors and Illovo can utilise this to their advantage. If a new technological concept is trialled on one site, if proven to be successful, provided all factors are considered, they can easily apply this to all their sites and reap the benefits. Illovo grows their own sugarcane and technological advances in farming methods are constantly advancing, therefore they are always developing and making the entire process easier in order for the stakeholder to gain maximum benefits, i.e. maximum output of raw material. Environmental: Illovo Sugar Malawi consumes a lot of electrical power, in order to be environmentally efficient, they use the waste material known as bagasse to generate the needed levels of electricity. The bagasse is a bio-renewable fuel source and it helps to keep the environmental impact of the entire operations at a minimum. In this way, Illovo is also totally self sufficient in terms of electricity supplies. Illovo also controls all wastewater from the sugar making process; it treats and recycles the water for use in its cane growing operations  [5]  . Both sites of Illovo in Malawi annually plant new trees in order to counteract environmental degradation and soil erosion that may be caused during the farming stages  [6]  . As a by-product of the sugar making process, various alcohols can be extracted from the process. Illovo Malawi therefore contributes to fuel alcohol distilleries in Malawi and they produce ethanol, which is an alternative bio-fuel. Legal: Health and Safety is one of the legal challenges that Illovo faces. They run a large health and safety campaign in order to prevent any incidents. They continue to influence the mind-set of all its employees on the various health and safety aspects to be safety conscious. They also design safety programmes for the wider communities spread across the two estates thereby increasing safety awareness and improving safety habits. General Business Trends: Within Malawi, Illovo operates on two tremendously large sites that are situated within the southern and northern districts of Malawi respectively. Illovo Sugar Malawi Produces, on average, 300000 Metric Tons of Sugar within the two sites combined. Almost 60% of this is sold within Malawi itself due to the high demand throughout the year. The remaining 40% is supplied to neighbouring markets, with Zimbabwe being the largest buyer. Through the remaining 40%, it either ends up within the European markets or within the local regional countries, i.e. Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda  [7]  . Illovo Sugar Malawi is the highest contributor within the entire Illovo group, by virtue of its operating profit. When analysed, it is the third largest out of six subsidiaries in terms of volumetric sugar production, however one can only come to the conclusion that Illovo Malawi is fetching better prices for its refined, non refined and speciality sugars within the international market. The percentage of internationally supplied sugar is expected to increase from 40% and valuable markets such as the EU are showing high potential due to good prices being achieved. According to the 2012 Annual report, market conditions were considered by strong demand from European importers who recognise Malawis quality standards and ability to deliver contracted consignments on time. (Annual Malawi reports 8). Competitive Elements: Identifying the competitive elements of Illovo Malawi will show that it has two main elements that prove to also be two valuable advantages over their rivals. The quality and standards of the products that are manufactured by Illovo Malawi are second to none, as mentioned above; it is one of the main factors upon which the European customers look for and value. Due to the differences between quality standards in Africa which are lower than European and worldwide standards, Illovo can easily sell the highest quality goods within the European and north American market and obtain high prices while at the same time sell medium quality products which in the African region are regarded as the top quality, it therefore puts them in a sort of win-win situation. The second element that gives Illovo Malawi a competitive advantage is the logistics system it has. As mentioned above, European buyers value commitments more than anything else. Receiving their shipments on time is of utmost importance when they are competing in strong markets where time and money play the most crucial goal. Abiding to their commitments is therefore the elements that gives Illovo Malawi the advantage in this scenario. Question 2: Identify the stock of internally developed assets, resources and competences in the company of your choice. In your view, how do these compare with the companys most immediate (maximum 3) competitor firms in the industry? Do they or do they not allow your firm to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, and in which areas? Answer: Illovo Sugar Malawi has various assets that include two large sugar mills in the northern and southern districts of Malawi. Along with the two high capacity sugar mills, they also own their own sugar plantations at both respective sites. According to the 2012 annual report for Illovo Sugar Malawi, their valuation of property, plant and machinery stands at 8.6 Billion Malawi Kwacha and their sugar plantations are valued at 10.1 Billion Malawi Kwacha. When we look at the total area that has been leased from the government of Malawi for 99 years amounts to 34,250 Hectares approximately. When we analyse the resources of Illovo Sugar Malawi, we can split it and analyse it via financial, physical and human resources. Financial resources: Illovo Sugar Malawi is listed on the Malawi stock exchange and this plays a vital role when it comes to attracting investment or capital into the company. Apart from attracting investment, if Illovo were to increase production or output, they would require the financial resources to be able to meet that strategy. Financial resources therefore play an important role in aiding the overall strategy that the company may be implementing. If the strategy requires additional funds to be raised, Illovo Malawi would easily be able to raise the needed funds, simply due to the investment returns that current investors are receiving, it will seem like the most viable investment to new and potential investors. Therefore it can be said that the attractiveness of this particular market is high as can be seen from the continued year-on-year growth at Illovo Sugar Malawi. Human resources: Human resources play a vital role in any strategic decision that the company makes, since it is this very workforce that will endeavour to accomplish the strategy that it has set out to achieve. Human resources also identifies all the skills-base of a business, the skills it possesses through its workforce and whether or not they are sufficient enough to meet the strategy. When it comes to analysing the human resources at Illovo Sugar Malawi, upon reading the profiles of the senior management from the annual report, it is easily noticed that experience is a key denominator amongst employees at Illovo. Illovo employees have vast knowledge and experience, that is absolutely vital to this industry and it is highly possessed at Illovo. It is these vital factors that allow Illovo Malawi to perform at it level best and this is shown via its continual growth and the financial profits it achieves. Illovo also maintains a high business morale and reputation that it strives to maintain, as Africas largest sugar producer it has to have an immense reputation that allows it to dominate markets and give it an edge over its competitors. Apart from this, employees at Illovo also possess vast amounts of experience when analysed. The experience varies from business through to manufacturing, refining, farming and other key tasks within the business. People within each sector will possess varied amounts of experience that help it add value within the entire business. Illovo firmly believes in maintaining an employee development programme which will prove to be highly important in regards to the future sustainability of the business, it has therefore setup staff training programmes to further develop their technical skills. (Malawi report 8). According to Prahalad and Hamels work, they mention the following Core competencies are the glue that binds existing business. They are the engines for new business development  [8]  . In regards to competency at Illovo, the first major achievement that is being accomplished is the quality of the products manufactured. High quality products will meet high quality standards set by international regulatory authorities and Illovo Sugar Malawi is currently producing such products that continually meet the stringent requirements. It is this level of competence that attracts the right customers for its product; it therefore serves high profile customers who are willing to pay the price for value added high quality products manufactured by Illovo. The prices and profits therefore obtained from such customers help Illovo to grow year-on-year. It is the above reasons that give Illovo an edge over its competitors, they strive to produce high quality products, which therefore give them increased revenues as compared to their immediate competitors, and this is also the reason as to why Illovo Malawi is the leading contributor to Illovo groups operating profits. Illovo Sugar Malawis two competitors are small firms that have recently set up in Malawi. They have sugarcane plantations of both 850 (planned 5000) and 200 hectares respectively. Limphasa Sugar Corporation, the first and direct competitor will likely become the number two producer of sugar in Malawi and with an export market already lined up to be supplied, they are awaiting final installations and plan to produce 90,000 tons of sugar a year at full capacity, however upon analysing Illovos operations, its highly doubtful that they will achieve that level at such an early stage as they will not have enough sugarcane. The second competitor Mtalimanja Sugar Corporation have only 200 hectares of sugarcane and they are only a small producer, which also aims to support smallholder farmers. Mtalimanja has recently run into problems and they are awaiting engineers to fix their plant at the moment. Therefore, when we analyse the two direct competitors of Illovo Malawi, it is fair to say that Illovo is miles ahead in terms of production of sugarcane and sugar based products. They are fully capable of handling large volumes in both categories and that it would take a good number of years for their competitors to catch up to them. However, this does not guarantee that there are not any threats towards Illovo, if their competitors produce high quality products they will find themselves competing for customers. However, for the current outlook, its fair enough to say that Illovo still maintains the number one spot in the market and due to its experience and the strategies it sets out to achieve, it keeps itself ahead in the market. Conclusion: Upon further reading within the group report, Illovo group clearly outlines that their primary strategic objective is to improve earnings and remain as the market leader. Their secondary aims included increasing sugar production to 1.8 million tons, increase domestic market presence and increase revenues by sales to higher priced markets  [9]  . (main report 8).Increasing capacity and output at Illovo Malawi will help it to producer larger volumes which will help it serve higher priced markets better and obtain better prices and increase profits. References: (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.10. 2 (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.10. 3 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.12. 4 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.7. 5 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.12. 6 (2012) Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd Annual Report. [report] Malawi: Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Ltd, p.12. 7 (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.10. 8 Prahalad, C. K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The Core Competence of the Organization, Harvard Business Review, (5). 9 (2012) Illovo Integrated Annual Report. [Report] South Africa: Illovo Sugar Ltd, p.8.

Differences Between Buddhism and Christianity Essays -- Concept of Si

People who come from different areas may have same cultures and language while people who come from different countries may eat different food. However, people who live in the different places may have different religions. Two different religions that have a certain differences are the Buddhism and Christianity such as lifestyle, beliefs, and vies on universe. Although the Buddhism and Christianity could share similarities in some ways, the differences between them are more significant. As we can know, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islamism are the three largest religions all over the world. They all play a very significant role in our life. Nonetheless, Christianity and Buddhism are the largest population around the world. Through our religious distribution map around the world, there are seven billion followers who believe in Buddhism while twenty billion followers who believe in Christianity around the world. Moreover, Christian population are the 31.5% of the world population, in the meantime, Buddhists are the 7.1% of the world population around the world. In China, there are lots of people who believe in Buddhism because they think that Buddhism which can bring their fortune and safety. That is a only one reason Buddhism which plays a large population in China's population. Historically, Buddhism are largely distributed to some Asian areas like China, Thailand, and Japanese. Buddhism descend from ancient India, the creator is Sakyamuni. Historically, the Buddhism is established around the 700 Before Christ era. Sakyamuni gives speeches to the local people. Gradually, Buddhism is spread to all around the world. As author illustrates in his writings," The history of Buddhism spans almost 2,500 years from its origin in India wi... ...m. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2006. Print. Mishra, Pankaj. An end to suffering: the Buddha in the world. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. Print. Kipp, Laurie F., Leigh Eric Schmidt, and Mark R. Valeri. Practicing protestants: histories of Christian life in America, 1630-1965. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. Print. King, Sallie B.. Socially engaged Buddhism. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2009. Print. Smith, Huston, and Philip Novak. Buddhism: a concise introduction. New York: Harper SanFrancisco, 2003. Print. Conze, Edward. Buddhism: its essence and development. Birmingham: Windhorse, 20011951. Print. Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro. An introduction to Zen Buddhism. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1991. Print. Dumoulin, Heinrich. Christianity meets Buddhism. La Salle, Ill.: Open Court Pub. Co., 1974. Print.

Compare of the Poets Present Emotions in the Poems In Paris With You and Ghazal

In these poems, the poets use a range of techniques to present feelings and emotion from the point of the speaker. Ghazal is in the style of a traditional Persian love poem, which puts forward powerful imagery and metaphors, in an attempt to summarise the emotion of love, while In Paris With You is a playful attempt to woo a previous lover in a more informal, colloquial way. Ghazal, as mentioned before, is written like a love poem. However, one may consider it an example of role reversal- unusually; it is written from the point of view of a woman, not a man.Although it is not a sonnet, the form of poem is a Ghazal- this is a type of song, of mystical love poetry: we can thus compare it to a sonnet in the way that love is explored as a theme. It is structured in rhyming couplets- these can be described like poems themselves, as they capture the speaker’s strong feeling of attachment. These also contain refrain words, which help to drive in the points being made, such as â€Å" me†, which forms part of the weak rhyme scheme.The love in the poem can be seen in the first stanza- â€Å"If I am the grass and you the breeze, blow through me/ If I am the rose and you the bird, then woo me†. These examples of natural imagery mean we can see how the idea of the speaker and the person they address being together is beneficial- in fact, drawing from the imagery, we could go further and say that the idea is a natural (good) thing. Another emotion present is longing. This is the feeling of desperation to be with the other person talked to.Focusing on the language used, Ghazal makes extensive use of metaphors to explore the relationship between the speaker and the person they feel love for. Many of the metaphors are in the form of pairs of items or objects that complement each other, reflecting the way in which the speaker sees the relationship. For example, â€Å"what shape should I take to marry your own, have you- hawk to my shadow, moth to my flame â €“ pursue me? † showcases the idea that the speaker is willing to transform to suit the other, in â€Å"†¦what shape†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This could also be a cue to the reader that the writer is perhaps lacking in some confidence..Another example is â€Å"If you are the rhyme and I the refrain don’t hang/ on my lips, come and I’ll come too when you cue me†: using enjambment to keep the poem flowing like a song. Also, the two sides of a relationship are likened to being like the â€Å"rhyme† and â€Å"refrain†, which suggests a sense of the two people being one unit together. This refrain could be the word â€Å"me†: because it appears so frequently in comparison, it could be a representation of the lover showing inferiority to the one she loves, and desperation. In Paris with You is a poem with a theme of longing also.The speaker is this time a man recounting a relationship he had moved on from. Perhaps this could have been partly due to a certain partiality to drinking alcohol, which we are told about in â€Å"And I get tearful/when I’ve had a drink or two†. â€Å"I'm on the rebound† shows that it must have been rather long-term, if he is describing a recovery from it. Unlike Ghazal, which is less clear about the outcome, In Paris with You suggests that the relationship is a reality. The poem, unlike Ghazal, is made up of two stanzas of about 5 lines, which deal with the run-up to the situation, and then a longer one in the middle,.It could be argued that this represents a pause for thought, as then the mood, or tone, of the poem changes, as in the next two stanzas, the speaker focuses on enjoying the present, such as â€Å"that crack across the ceiling/ and the hotel walls are peeling/ and I’m in Paris with you†, which shows that the speaker does not care for the surroundings when he is with the woman he loves. Indeed, this could be described as the summary of the poem, o r meaning- us being together is far more important than being in traditional romantic and beautiful locations, such as the Notre Dame (more beautiful than romantic), which he promptly tells to â€Å"sod off†.In terms of language, the opening is not like Ghazal’s in the respect that it starts with the negative â€Å"but†, to discourage the person he is talking to from â€Å"talk(ing) to me of love†. This is an opportunity to recognise the colloquial nature of the poem, such as the use of the phrases â€Å"an earful†, and â€Å"sod off to sodding Notre-Dame†. This contrasts heavily with the more formal, overwritten tone present in Ghazal. We can also see this as the speaker makes words to carry on his rhyme scheme, such as â€Å"wounded/ marooned†, which brings a playful nature.Similarly, the final stanza draws heavily on the phrase â€Å"in Paris with you†, to show the importance of being with the person he wants to be with, and then â€Å"am I embarrassing you? † is used to add to the teasing nature of the tone. Looking to the tone, which we have just looked at, I believe that another emotion brought forward is playfulness, in the way that more orthodox methods of seducing people are turned down in favour of just being with each other, albeit in a way that uses references to â€Å"embarrassing† ideas about romance, and love poems.In conclusion, the two poems Ghazal and In Paris with You deal with the same topics of love and longing, using techniques such as imagery, contrast, and metaphor achieve these pictures, but the latter feels more like a pastiche to the first in the way that its colloquial and abrupt humorous tone is a juxtaposition to the comparatively formal of the first.

Free Essays on Exemplum

Exemplum There once was a farm, and the owner of the farm was named Charles Rogers. His farm wasn’t very big, but he loved that farm. Mr. Rogers was a kind man. He was in his late 50’s and enjoyed spending his days maintaining his farm. One day he went to feed his animals, Thunder, who is a horse; Cluck Cluck, who is a hen; Spots, who is a cow; Curls, who is a sheep; and Pinky, who is a pig. When he got to the feeding pen, Spots was waiting for the food. As Mr. Rogers was pouring the food, Spots showed her appreciation and gave him a great â€Å"BBBBAAAAAAA.† Mr. Rogers said, â€Å"You’re welcome, Spots.† After a few seconds, Mr. Rogers turned around with a look of curiosity on his face. He exclaimed, â€Å"That was the weirdest ‘MOO’ I have ever hear!† Soon after, Curls walked in and gave a great â€Å"MOOOOOOO† because of his joy to see the food. As more animals started to arrive, Mr. Rogers started to notice that all of the animals had forgotten who they really were. As a result, Mr. Rogers had no choice but to call the town veterinarian. After a few hours had passed, she finally arrived. Once her car pulled up to the farm. She saw Mr. Rogers being pulled by Pinky with loud horse noises. Mr. Rogers let go of Pinky’s rope and slid strait into his white fence. In all the commotion, Shelly, the veterinarian, rushed to help Mr. Rogers to his feet. Mr. Rogers thanked shelly for her assistance. Shelly asked, â€Å"What is going on here?† â€Å"I really don’t know Shelly. I just went to feed the animals, and they were acting like this,† replied Mr. Rogers. â€Å"HMMMMMM very interesting,† replied Shelly. â€Å"There is only one method I can think of for this cure.† Next, she gathered all the animals together. She firmly said, â€Å"Alright; Now we were going to sing.† Mr. Rogers in curiosity asked, â€Å"but shelly how would this help?’ â€Å"If they don’t know who they are we have to teach them who they are,† said Shel... Free Essays on Exemplum Free Essays on Exemplum Exemplum There once was a farm, and the owner of the farm was named Charles Rogers. His farm wasn’t very big, but he loved that farm. Mr. Rogers was a kind man. He was in his late 50’s and enjoyed spending his days maintaining his farm. One day he went to feed his animals, Thunder, who is a horse; Cluck Cluck, who is a hen; Spots, who is a cow; Curls, who is a sheep; and Pinky, who is a pig. When he got to the feeding pen, Spots was waiting for the food. As Mr. Rogers was pouring the food, Spots showed her appreciation and gave him a great â€Å"BBBBAAAAAAA.† Mr. Rogers said, â€Å"You’re welcome, Spots.† After a few seconds, Mr. Rogers turned around with a look of curiosity on his face. He exclaimed, â€Å"That was the weirdest ‘MOO’ I have ever hear!† Soon after, Curls walked in and gave a great â€Å"MOOOOOOO† because of his joy to see the food. As more animals started to arrive, Mr. Rogers started to notice that all of the animals had forgotten who they really were. As a result, Mr. Rogers had no choice but to call the town veterinarian. After a few hours had passed, she finally arrived. Once her car pulled up to the farm. She saw Mr. Rogers being pulled by Pinky with loud horse noises. Mr. Rogers let go of Pinky’s rope and slid strait into his white fence. In all the commotion, Shelly, the veterinarian, rushed to help Mr. Rogers to his feet. Mr. Rogers thanked shelly for her assistance. Shelly asked, â€Å"What is going on here?† â€Å"I really don’t know Shelly. I just went to feed the animals, and they were acting like this,† replied Mr. Rogers. â€Å"HMMMMMM very interesting,† replied Shelly. â€Å"There is only one method I can think of for this cure.† Next, she gathered all the animals together. She firmly said, â€Å"Alright; Now we were going to sing.† Mr. Rogers in curiosity asked, â€Å"but shelly how would this help?’ â€Å"If they don’t know who they are we have to teach them who they are,† said Shel...

Did Truman simply want the black vote Essays

Did Truman simply want the black vote Essays Did Truman simply want the black vote Essay Did Truman simply want the black vote Essay Essay Topic: Best Worst American Stories When Harry Truman came to power in 1945 his policies were very much associated with black civil rights, in this assignment we must establish whether he simply just wanted the black vote or whether there were underlying reasons for his association and his appealing to the black voters. Truman was born and raised in the state of Missouri which had a large white population and a small black population, it would have been unusual for Harry Truman not to be a racist. The environment he grew up in was very racist and his own ancestors had owned slaves, many of the blacks in the state of Missouri were also previously slaves. Previous to 1944 Truman did not need the black vote to win, no need to court the black vote. Roosevelt in 1944 was looking for a vice president, Truman got the position and for the first time had to appeal to the whole of the USA, therefore he had to court the black vote. It was possibly the first time that the black vote actually accounted for something (franchisement- the right to vote). Then in 1945 when President Roosevelt died, Truman became president, at first he was not helpful to blacks. In 1948 the presidential election was held and it was then that Truman really pushed his civil rights policies, possibly to win the black vote. To win the election he needed to secure at least 270 votes. There are 538 votes in the Electoral College and the candidate who wins the vote in each state receives all of the electoral votes assigned to that state. Each state has a number of Electoral College votes equal to the number of senators it has plus the number of members of the House of Representatives it has (which is dependant upon the population of the state). New York, Illinois and Michigan were the three most important (northern) states in the election process because they had a large black population. It was these three black communities which Truman needed to convince to vote for him, in order for him to become president, they were the deciding states as it were. His rival was Strom Thurmond a republican, who was an overt racist whereas Truman was a democrat. His plan was flaw proof, by offering civil rights to the blacks in the Dixie-southern states and those in the two most important northern states would win him the presidency. This action shows the great influence that Trumans policies had on the black voters. It cannot be argued that in no means can it possibly be due to his need for the black vote, the fact is it was to do with votes. In the election Truman carried an unprecedented two-thirds of the black vote. He did however lose the Dixiecrat vote, which was probably significantly as large as the black vote. However this does not entirely explain his support for civil rights, there were a number of other factors which played a part in his support. In 1945 the cold war took place, an ideological conflict between the USA and the USSR followed. Both super powers were involved in a global power struggle and both had the potential to control the entire world. The USA believed the whole world should adopt their capitalist system and at the same time the USSR believed the world should adopt their communist system. In 1945 the USSR and Mongolia were both communist run countries but between 1945 and 1948 Poland, Czechoslovakia, Eastern Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia and China were a new list of countries that Russia had liberated forced to become communist, in the global power struggle. Americans became terrified that the world would become communist and that they would be swamped. Americans did not want to be part of a communist country because it would mean all their wealth would have to be shared, industry would be state-owned not privately owned and elections would be a one-party dictatorship with all candidates belonging to the communist party. The Americans embarked upon a red witch hunt an attack on all communist countries. Truman firmly believed that equality was vital in maintaining Americas moral standing in the Cold War world. So Truman may have been eager to gain equality for all Americans, to stand tall against the USSR, in the global power struggle. Truman may have also been backing black civil rights for the sole reason to protect the Americans national reputation conscience, he believed that there should be an end to lynching, the poll tax and inequality in education and employment. It was clear that he was motivated by the desire to do what was best for America, alongside the other factors which contributed to his policies. Truman was a racist but tried to be fair. He did not seek social equality for blacks but he wanted legal equality, which he saw as a black mans basic right, because he is a human being and a natural born American. It was clear he was still representing the Missouri voters. He was especially horrified by the attacks on black servicemen returning from World War II, the worst occurred in the Deep South where Negro soldiers had just returned from overseas and were dumped out of army trucks in Missouri and beaten Truman remarked that these stories turned his stomach. His opinion on education for blacks was that if they were better educated that it would benefit the economy and in turn help all Americans, he told black democrats of this belief. His ideas were deliberately misrepresented. His advocacy for equality of opportunity was interpreted as miscegenation and integration, which was unprecedented. Integrated political meetings, which he conducted in southern states, caused serious violence. Idealism was an important element in his actions, this was seen when he put his life on the line. When The Ku Klux Klan surrounded a several thousand strong crowd, at a meeting but dared not attack because 100 armed blacks stood alongside them. Truman recognised that regardless of race the respect for the law was at sake. In the case of a white person being violent towards a black person, in whom they were not punished led to the belief and idea that the law was more lenient on the white community. Therefore it was likely that the whites would abuse the law and lose all respect for it. Also those whites, who saw little help for those black people being attacked, would lose their trust in the law to support them in times of need. The nation would lose pride in their justice system. However, privately Truman would still refer to blacks as niggers, his sister even claimed that Harry is no more for nigger equality than any of us. This paints a different picture to how he was regarded by his public. The question being analysed has a very open ended answer, as it is quite possible that President Truman was motivated by the black vote, respect for the law, humane repugnance at racist attacks, personal veracity and his insight into what was good for his country at the time and its proclaimed leadership of the free world against communism, which veered Truman toward support of greater equality for blacks. However, ultimately he supported civil rights so strongly, it could be claimed that it was simply to win the black vote and as a result gain power of the country that he had been brought up in. the definitive reward, which he longed for, a famous name all around the world and a place in history. Still there remains to be strong enough evidence to prove that Trumans motivation was not purely political. Therefore Trumans association with black civil rights was not totally motivated by his want for the black vote but as a result of a combination of reasons.

The Basque Region Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Basque Region Issue - Essay Example Many regions that have been facing problems of disparity and other internal conflicts; and have been constantly demanding secession and independence. This victory of Kosovo have spurred them no to become more forceful and focussed no obtaining their demands. One such region is the Basque region, which lies between France and Spain. The region has been the victim of constant internal strife, owing to the invasions and the constant struggle for recognising their independence and freedom from external interferences. The Basque region comprises the Basque population, who are very historically and culturally bound. In fact, they had been a part of the Roman civilisation and are, therefore, tribes with rich heritage value. However, as the years passed by, the region came under conflicting situations with Spain. "The Basques had been some of the fiercest opponents of Franco's Nationalist troops during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. During Franco's 40-year rule, he punished the region for its opposition. He declared two provinces "traitor provinces." Franco believed in one, unified Spain and opposed any kind of regional diversification. Franco,  like  many before him, had found  it difficult to suppress this proud nation  and the  movement for an independent  Basque  homeland  began in  the late 1950s.  The separatist group, ETA, began its violent campaign 10  years later.  While support for an independent  homeland  remain  strong, it is by no means overwhelming. Many Basques  are happy with the large degree  of  autonomy  they have  been  granted by the  central  government in Madrid.

An evaluation of the training programme and how it effects performance Literature review

An evaluation of the training programme and how it effects performance at debenhams -westfield - Literature review Example The study relates the concept of performance management and training implementation to Debenhams, in regards to the manner in which it applies the training methods and how it affects the company's competency and performance rate. Performance is defined as being able to finish a task that is measured against certain standards such as completeness, accuracy, speed and cost. In a contractual agreement, performance can be regarded as a completion or fulfillment of an obligation, which unbinds the person from the liabilities within the signed agreement (Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2008). Most define performance as the act of accomplishing a task and producing an outcome in line with the objective. Others believe that as long as a result is presented, it is an acceptable performance as it is; and if the objectives are not met, the rate of performance is not at par as projected. Performance cannot be evaluated through the outcome alone, as results are triggered by actions that cause it. Asid e from the efforts made to produce a result, other aspects that can affect the outcome can be both external and internal factors (Institutional Management in Higher Education, 2009). Assessing performance by means of the results alone is not appropriate. There are several objectives imposed by the management that can be utilized as constructive means to evaluate the result, but appraising a performance solely on results reflects a company’s poor policy. Other variables that either have an indirect or direct effect towards the result must also be accounted for; as such influences can have severe impacts on the outcome (Torrington, et al, 2008). Performance Management Performance management includes two different kinds of management. One aspect of evaluating performance is through the expert opinion of an analyst, who would be responsible in monitoring the performance of the company as a whole. The other method in which career efficiency can be assessed is through the constant appraisal the managers of its employees in meeting the company’s objectives. This includes assisting employees in reaching goals and expectations, thus ensuring that the company would perform better as a whole (Porter, Bingham & Simmonds, 2008). The organization of the employees’ performance varies per individual. In general, it comprises planning and establishing objectives, and presenting feedbacks and reviews. Proper management also includes commendations through rewards for high performers, and opportunities for one to become skilled at one’s chosen discipline. Management of employee performance is more ideal if the goals are reliable and consistent (Bloisi, 2007). This implies that the management must present a clear way in disseminating information regarding the expected quality of work at present and in the future. Planning the objectives also constitutes classifying the employer’s prospect of his personnel, so as not to seem broadsided during the course of assessing criteria in performance development (Porter, et al, 2008). Planning and setting objectives and goals in a company is one of the critical components of performance management, as it offers an a fair and proper evaluations system in which employees can undergo proper training, workshops and seminars necessitate to increase one’s aptitude and proficiency (Porter, et al, 2008). An ideal performance manag