The Bell Jar

Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest The bell jar and one flew over the cuckoo's nest can be linked considerably. Both novels are set in 1950†² America post the ‘cold war' an era where conformity and obedience is a norm and anything that impairs it isn't seen as a benefit to society. Both novels explore themes such as paranoia, suspicion and mental health. The Bell Jar has a significant opening with the first sentence that mentions the execution of the Rosenbergs â€Å"It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted theRosenbergs† The opening immediately foreshadows the expectations that arrive in the novel in addition how society at the time behaved and based assumptions on. The fact that the sentence first opens with the description of electrocution has a major impact as the electrocution is a chilling topic that Esther has to encounter throughout the novel, as the subject of electrocution has been deliberately made important in the first chapter it reflects Es ther's severe perception of the subject its self.Furthermore in chapter 1 It is assumed that paranoia and suspicion also have an mportant role in the chapter â€Å"Goggle-eyed headlines staring up at me on every street corner† the suggestion that society segregated members for having a view point and opinion on controversial topics, and the fact members had to conform if not there will be raised issues and suspicion. In comparison the opening chapter of One flew over the cuckoos nest also starts with paranoia and suspicion â€Å"They are out there† this condemns the audience to question who and what Is out there, a ideology that 1950's America was secluding Individuals on opinions and mental health.Both of the novels are written in first person narratives which directly parks us Into the state of mind of the characters allowing us to ponder and take upon their Imagination to perceive the world as they do such as the striking Imagery we receive. â€Å"l felt as though I were carrying that cadavers head around with me on a string, Ilke some black, noseless balloon stinking of vinegar† this Imagery puts the reader In the position that we start to realise that death Is forever following Esther and It Is a reoccurring threat to her and the Idea of her not conforming.Through her first person narrative we are able to place our self's In her position and see the world from her eyes. In comparison to one flew over the cuckoos nest It Is also written In the first person narrative through the eyes of a mental health patient, similarly to the Bell Jar we are placed Into a mind of a patient that Isn't condemned as ‘sane' so therefore has a significant Impact on the questioning In what Is normal or not.The Bell Jar By rzerroukil self. Furthermore in chapter 1 it is assumed that paranoia and suspicion also have an One flew over the cuckoo's nest also starts with paranoia and suspicion â€Å"They are out there† this condemns the audience to q uestion who and what is out there, a ideology that 1950's America was secluding individuals on opinions and mental health.Both of the novels are written in first person narratives which directly parks us into the state of mind of the characters allowing us to ponder and take upon their imagination to perceive the world as they do such as the striking imagery we receive. â€Å"l felt as though I were carrying that cadavers head around with me on a string, like some lack, noseless balloon stinking of vinegar† this imagery puts the reader in the position that we start to realise that death is forever following Esther and it is a reoccurring threat to her and the idea of her not conforming.Through her first person narrative we are able to place our self's in her position and see the world from her eyes. In comparison to one flew over the cuckoo's nest it is also written in Bell Jar we are placed into a mind of a patient that isn't condemned as ‘sane' so therefore has a sign ificant impact on the questioning in what is normal or not. The Bell Jar Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest The bell jar and one flew over the cuckoo's nest can be linked considerably. Both novels are set in 1950†² America post the ‘cold war' an era where conformity and obedience is a norm and anything that impairs it isn't seen as a benefit to society. Both novels explore themes such as paranoia, suspicion and mental health. The Bell Jar has a significant opening with the first sentence that mentions the execution of the Rosenbergs â€Å"It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted theRosenbergs† The opening immediately foreshadows the expectations that arrive in the novel in addition how society at the time behaved and based assumptions on. The fact that the sentence first opens with the description of electrocution has a major impact as the electrocution is a chilling topic that Esther has to encounter throughout the novel, as the subject of electrocution has been deliberately made important in the first chapter it reflects Es ther's severe perception of the subject its self.Furthermore in chapter 1 It is assumed that paranoia and suspicion also have an mportant role in the chapter â€Å"Goggle-eyed headlines staring up at me on every street corner† the suggestion that society segregated members for having a view point and opinion on controversial topics, and the fact members had to conform if not there will be raised issues and suspicion. In comparison the opening chapter of One flew over the cuckoos nest also starts with paranoia and suspicion â€Å"They are out there† this condemns the audience to question who and what Is out there, a ideology that 1950's America was secluding Individuals on opinions and mental health.Both of the novels are written in first person narratives which directly parks us Into the state of mind of the characters allowing us to ponder and take upon their Imagination to perceive the world as they do such as the striking Imagery we receive. â€Å"l felt as though I were carrying that cadavers head around with me on a string, Ilke some black, noseless balloon stinking of vinegar† this Imagery puts the reader In the position that we start to realise that death Is forever following Esther and It Is a reoccurring threat to her and the Idea of her not conforming.Through her first person narrative we are able to place our self's In her position and see the world from her eyes. In comparison to one flew over the cuckoos nest It Is also written In the first person narrative through the eyes of a mental health patient, similarly to the Bell Jar we are placed Into a mind of a patient that Isn't condemned as ‘sane' so therefore has a significant Impact on the questioning In what Is normal or not.The Bell Jar By rzerroukil self. Furthermore in chapter 1 it is assumed that paranoia and suspicion also have an One flew over the cuckoo's nest also starts with paranoia and suspicion â€Å"They are out there† this condemns the audience to q uestion who and what is out there, a ideology that 1950's America was secluding individuals on opinions and mental health.Both of the novels are written in first person narratives which directly parks us into the state of mind of the characters allowing us to ponder and take upon their imagination to perceive the world as they do such as the striking imagery we receive. â€Å"l felt as though I were carrying that cadavers head around with me on a string, like some lack, noseless balloon stinking of vinegar† this imagery puts the reader in the position that we start to realise that death is forever following Esther and it is a reoccurring threat to her and the idea of her not conforming.Through her first person narrative we are able to place our self's in her position and see the world from her eyes. In comparison to one flew over the cuckoo's nest it is also written in Bell Jar we are placed into a mind of a patient that isn't condemned as ‘sane' so therefore has a sign ificant impact on the questioning in what is normal or not.

Summary of “Deep Intellect”

In â€Å"Deep Intellect† author Sy Montgomery makes his case in showing that octopuses are intellectual invertebrates. Scientists believed that octopuses were unintelligent brainless creatures. However new studies have amazingly revealed just the opposite. Studies now show that octopuses are intelligent, emotional and have individual personalities. Montgomery talks about his encounter with an octopus, Athena, at the Aquarium in New England and the different studies that prove that octopuses are intelligent. Octopuses are invertebrates that touch and taste with the thousands of suckers that are on their eight arms.A study by Alexa Warburton although problematic revealed that â€Å"California two-spots quickly learned which side of a T-maze offered a terra – cotta pot to hide in† (page 3). The octopuses appeared to intentionally not cooperate by jumping off the mesh while being scooped out of their tanks. Scientists measure intelligence by brain size and counting n eurons. Octopuses have about 130 million neurons in its walnut size brain and amazingly three-fifths of their neurons are in its arms. The intelligence of octopuses also includes the ability to change colors and shapes to hunt and to escape predators.Scientists believe that octopuses are colorblind but new evidence proposes that they may see with their skin. A study by Jennifer Mather shows that octopuses can employ foresight and even plan. Mather observed an octopus choosing rocks to place in front of its home to feel safe before going to sleep. Another study by Roland Anderson reports an octopus playing with a pill bottle as a toy. The octopus was blowing water to move the pill bottle from one end of her tank to the other. Anderson states that â€Å"Only intelligent animals play – animals like crows and chimps, dogs and humans† (page 5).In a study by Bill Murphy octopuses opened locks on boxes to get food and they used different strategies showing individuality. One octopus was so eager to get the food that he broke the outer box and then squeezed into the inner box. Roland Anderson also proved in a study that octopuses remember familiar humans. In this experiment one person would just feed the octopuses and another person would touch them with a briskly stick. After a few week, the octopuses would shoot water at the person that touched them with the briskly stick at first sight. However when the octopuses saw the person that fed them they would move toward that person.Scientists have noticed that octopuses and humans have eyes that are almost the same. Humans and octopuses eyes have transparent corneas, regulate light with diaphragms and focus lenses with a ring of muscle. Based on the research data octopuses are unsocial creatures that have a short life span. They have evolved into intelligent and emotional creatures that have individual personality. Scientists today still know very little about the intellect of octopuses. To understand the m ind of these eight arms wonders, scientists must rethink the way they examine the nature of the mind.

Economies, Markets and Strategic Decisions Coursework

Economies, Markets and Strategic Decisions - Coursework Example The area of the corporation includes trade agreements, taxation policies, tariffs and duties among other areas. The report seeks to examine one of the countries in the G7 industrial economies carefully (G20, 2015). Although the G7 industrial economies are of countries that have been perennial economic powerhouses, there have been emerging economies that have sprung out rapidly. Some of the economies that have grown rapidly in the recent years include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The countries are as BRICSA or tiger countries. Over the last decades, the BRICSA countries have grown rapidly causing ripples to some of the developed nations. Among the drivers that have led to the emergence of the countries includes innovation in the technological sector. The report carefully examines economic factors that have spurred the growth of the economies are also carefully considered (G20,2015). Finally, the report also features macroeconomic performance, international trade and international trade and investment over the last five years of one of the open economies. The free economy is not part of the G7 group neither is part of the BRICSA countries. The open economy consists several countries that include Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia among other countries (G20,2015). The U.S. economic was among the economies that worst hit by the recent global financial meltdown. Most of the world economies were stagnated following the eruption of the global financial crisis that adversely affected most countries. Over the last five years, significant economic changes have been made following the adoption of workable economic policies. The systems have seen the economy recovery from its shackles. Although proper measure have been put ensure full economic recovery issues such high unemployment rates

Iran's Collection Capabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iran's Collection Capabilities - Essay Example This complex part came first followed the simpler version a year later. The cyber-weapon was discovered in a short period signifying Iranian CYBERINT capability. Stuxnet’s was designed to enhance speed and breakage.2 The effect of this was countered by ‘Protection systems’ that checked the abnormal process threatening the health and environment processes.3 In Natanz, Iranian authority established a unique system. The system was meant to offer protection and sustenance to the uranium enrichment. This used unreliable and obsolete equipment, the IR-1 centrifuge.4 The IR-1s is a weighty and critical protection system of the Iranian enrichment program without which the program would be vulnerable and useless. However, the IR-1 centrifuge the centrifuge at Natanz has slowed enrichment of centrifuge, but it is more reliable from attack than its predecessors are.5 Langner, Ralph. "The realprogram to sabotage Irans nuclear facilities was far more sophisticated than anyone realized." Foreign Policy. November 19, 2013. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/11/19/stuxnets_secret_twin_iran_nukes_cyber_attack (Accessed April 20,

Answer Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answer Questions - Essay Example Thirdly, servant leadership is a way of improving loyalty, diversity, and all-inclusive decision-making process. The workers feel indebted to hardworking leaders, which will lead to loyalty and hard work. Similarly, the workers will feel appreciated especially when they are engaged in decision-making. It is noted that there are two sets of servant leadership. In the first set, the employees are rewarded when they accomplish the set goals in the organization. This is a recurrent process, which enhances the productivity of the workers. This requires constant participation of both leaders and employees to evaluate the progress and performance (Nahavandi, 2006). This has been proven to record immense improvement at the work place. The constant communication and interaction enhances employee-leader relations. With such a relation, there will be positive changes at all the times. Secondly, there is the leadership style where leaders are obliged to intervene when there is a problem. In such times, the leaders involve the workers in looking for a prudent solution to the incumbent problem. With such processes, the workers feel engaged in the running of the organization. Personally, this leadership style should be appreciated in ensuring immense performance. In conclusion, servant-leadership style has been in use around the world with proven success. One of the fundamental benefits of this type of leadership is long-term outcomes, which are positive. It is an opinion that this can be used in enhancing organizational culture, which will improve the organization’s

Average Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Average - Essay Example The median’s advantage is that the extreme values do not affect the result as much as the mean. Moreover, there is only one answer and it is useful in comparing sets of data (Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center , n.d.). The disadvantage of the median is that it is not very popular. In the example given, the data is best represented by the mode which is $1. The mean may not be representative of the data because of an extreme value, $14 which will affect the result of the computation. When one sees the word â€Å"average†, it is important that one check if there are any extreme values in the data set because this will show whether the â€Å"average† is really representative of the data. If one is to ask a researcher for a mean, median or mode, one would request for the mean because among the three measures of central tendency, one believes that it is the most reliable and usually representative of the data set. However, if there are extreme values, it would also be helpful to compute the median and mode. Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center . (n.d.). Measure of central tendency. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from regentsprep.org:

Referencing Skills and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Referencing Skills and Ethics - Essay Example Sloman(2010) has pointed out that "Oligopoly occurs when just a few firms between them share a large proportion of industry"(Sloman, 2010, p.135). It is evident from the above definitions that in oligopoly market conditions, the firms are interdependent and hence the decisions taken by one firm about the price and output of their product may affect other firms in the oligopoly setup. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is one best example for oligopoly. On the other hand, monopoly is a market condition in which a person or an enterprise has sufficient control over a particular market, service or product. For example Microsoft has immense control over the operating system market all over the world and they control around 90% of the OS market worldwide. In other words they have monopolized the OS market and they can determine the price of their product without considering the factors like competition. This paper briefly compares oligopoly with monopoly Firstly, an oligopoly maximizes profits by producing where marginal revenue equals marginal costs (Ison and Wall, 2007, p.150). Moreover, Riley (2006) has mentioned that barriers to entry are high in oligopoly market and â€Å"the dominant firms in the long run would maintain supernormal profits† (Riley, 2006). It is possible for small firms to operate in the proximity of the oligopolistic market, but none of them would be able to make any impacts on the market price and output. On the other hand, in a monopolistic market, it is impossible for small firms to operate because of the total supremacy of the monopolistic firm in the market. Consider the case of Microsoft. No other firms, big or small, so far able to compete with Microsoft because of the absolute monopoly enjoying by Microsoft. Negbennebor & Willis (2001) has pointed out that â€Å"there are many barriers to entry in oligopoly market such as economies of scale, patents, access to

PR & Corporate Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PR & Corporate Communication - Essay Example There are various lines of thoughts that can be induced from this performance based on the views by the stakeholders. The communication of such information to the public and the perception of stakeholders have various implications on PISA, such as brand building, perception of the product, value of the program, trust and awareness of the program (Gehrt, Moffitt & Carlos 2010). This essay will focus on three frames that have been brought forward by education stakeholders in the UK. These are, first, the PISA results are contributed by the outstanding performance of UK in history. Secondly, the performance is viewed as dismal because of the continued average performance. Finally, the results are viewed as wrong and do not represent the actual state of education in the UK. Before addressing these frames, let us look at the objectives of this PR and corporate communication strategy. This PR and corporate communication strategy endeavours to facilitate the communication of information relating to the performance of United Kingdom in the global education quality ranking. The stakeholders in education have mixed reactions to such performance. The mode in which this information is communicated influences the response by these stakeholders. Therefore, a focus will be given to the opinions raised by the stakeholders. In particular, it shall focus on the influence of history on the current performance. Secondly, it will try to bring out results as a low stoop for the United Kingdom and lastly, it shall look at the results as flawed and does not represent the state off education in UK. The strategy also endeavours that information is passed to the audience in a clear and unbiased way. In addition, it will facilitate the incorporation of the concerns of stakeholders in the education sector such as the government, parents, students, and educators among others. Next, the role of the stakeholders has been put into

Emerging economy that has a low labor productivity Essay

Emerging economy that has a low labor productivity - Essay Example There are many ways one can use to measure labor productivity. These range from the infrastructural capital, advanced technology through human capital. This paper is however concerned with human capital which is crucial in determining the productivity of the labor forces. The term labor productivity may be understood in the context of the total output per employee within a set timeframe. For instance, we can say the total production for every worker per day or per hour. As said before, some factors determine the productivity of the labor forces. Initially, Brazil has been growing economically since its independence. Brazil had hit a high output for every worker in early years of between 1960 and 1970s. In the years that followed from 1990 to early 2013, the production per workers contributed to over forty percent of its GDP. However, the trend is not the same in current years as there are factors that are contributing to its continued low labor productivity. Factors such as poor company management have been blamed for the current low productivity in Brazil (Baer, 2001). Despite most of the corporations in Brazil being well run, they are not managed efficiently leading to reduced productivity. Another factor is high taxes that make it hard for companies to employ a good number of trained and skilled employees. As a result, business owners resort to hiring less-qualified relatives at the expense of running their firms with well trained and adequately skilled personnel. This significantly affects labor productivity as poor skills cannot efficiently produce a great part of the total expected output. One of the motives for employing unqualified family members and relatives is to reduce the possibility of being sued for lack of the observance of labor laws (Baer, 2001). Further, other than the preceding, companies are protected by the government making it hard to face

Insurance in a risky world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Insurance in a risky world - Essay Example Flood insurance reduces the fear to purchase a house in flood risk areas since it covers one building and all his or her property against damage that flooding can cause. This paper is a report to a friend who is thinking of buying a house on Trent Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1LQ, but is worried about the likely cost and availability of buildings insurance to cover the risk of flooding (Liedtke 2007, P. 7). The aim of the report is enlightening her about the factors to consider whether to buy an insurance cover and the factors that may affect the availability and likely price of insurance against flood risk in the next three years. There is no need to worry or fear buying a house on Trent Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1LQ. This is because one is able to buy an insurance cover for his or her house and its contents. The insurance cover is advantageous since it will cover a number of flooding events such as a canal or a river bursting its banks, sea flooding caused by high tide or storms, and ground or surface water flooding caused by heavy rains. It is acknowledgeable that flooding results in damage and loss of properties, forcing people to incur unexpected costs, replacing the damaged and the lost properties. Although buying a house on Trent Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1LQ is a risk, the insurance covers almost all these costs when flooding occurs. According to Kunreuther and Michel-Kerjan (2007), the insurance sector is playing a vital role in regards to flooding and addressing the challenges faced by both the insurers and insurers when dealing with the effects of climate change on risk management strategies (p. 3). According to The Money Advice Service (2014), there is no need to worry buying a house in a risky world since the insurance sector covers various costs due to flooding. Such costs include repairing, restoring, and drying out your households, replace or replace your damaged belongings and

Route 66 and of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Route 66 and of Mice and Men Essay John Steinbeck wrote many novels, including Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. In the book, Of Mice and Men, he mentions the historic Route 66. A short summary of â€Å"Of Mice and Men,† background information, and the correlation of Route 66 and The Grapes of Wrath will describe how the two are related. First, in the book Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George travel from ranch to ranch looking for jobs as ranch hands. There is a problem with Lennie and a woman at the ranch of Weed, so he and George go to a new ranch. When they arrive, they meet Curley, Slim, Crooks, Curley’s Wife, and others. They help out around the ranch while getting paid. Lennie and George do not spend their money because they have a dream house they are saving up for. Lennie always talks about â€Å"Tending the rabbits† and the great times they will have when they get the house. The other ranch hands hear about this plan and want in. Unfortunately, Curley’s wife was a whore and tried to get on Lennie, even after he killed his puppy, thinking that it would bounce off the ground. Lennie likes soft things, like mice and soft fabrics, so when Curley’s wife offered for Lennie to touch her hair, he grabbed on and didn’t let go. She started screaming so Lennie choked her. After George found out that Lennie killed her, he realized that he would have to go to an asylum where he would be probed and tested because of the mental disabilities he had. George had to shoot him and go on his way. Next, the Historic Route 66 played a great role in American history, especially during the Great Depression. This route was made of dirt and rocks, and stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. It crossed a lot of the Midwest, Great Plains, and the Southwest. Historic Route 66 does not exist anymore, but highways and other paths can be taken to get a feel of the distance and scenery. Following, John Steinbeck, in his 1940 novel Grapes of Wrath, chronicled the migration along Route 66 of thousands of farmers leaving the Dust Bowl of Kansas and Oklahoma during the Great Depression, trying to reach a better land in California. Steinbeck posited the road as an almost hostile force, draining money, energy, and enthusiasm from the optimistic Okies. In Of Mice and Men, the highway that George walks to after Lennie is dead is the famous Historic Route 66. In conclusion, Route 66 was a major part of both John Steinbeck’s novels and the American history of the Great Depression. It helped many migrant farmers get to a better life in California and shaped our nation for years to come.

Effect of the Recession on Sustainable Development

Effect of the Recession on Sustainable Development Sustainability has been on the lips of everyone involved in the construction industry for the last 10 years. However, the issue of Sustainability arouse first in a Report named Our Common Future. This then prompted the need for the conference in Brazil (1992). Discussed in this conference were the core principles of sustainability being; Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs Greene, D. (1997) Both Sustainability and the Recession are both terms in which have a range of meanings and attitudes. As the issue of Sustainability is being used more and more in the construction industry is recent years it is imperative to try and pin point exactly what sustainable commercial construction is. It is also paramount to determine just exactly what the recession is and show just how they have affected each other. In recent years, we have had two previous recessions, one being in the 1980s and the second one being in the early 1990s. This is the third recession that the country has been in, in as many decades. In June 2008, the country officially entered the third recession, of which we are still in today, Sustainability has become more of a problem in recent years due to the major issue of the recession. Sustainability needs to be addressed and identified and it is important that it is done within one of the largest industries, if not the biggest, being the construction industry. In my research I will hopefully try to clarify the terms, sustainable commercial construction and the recession and show how each one has affected the other. Keywords Sustainable Commercial Construction; Recession; Introduction One of the main priorities for the construction industry and any construction company are to produce Sustainable Commercial Buildings. As everyone knows, the country has been hit by a recession with the construction industry being hit the hardest. It is important to define exactly what Sustainable Construction in commercial buildings is and exactly what the recession is and see just how the recession has affected Sustainable Commercial Construction 1.2 Aim In this dissertation I aim to investigate exactly what the recession is, exactly what sustainable development is and I aim to show the audience just how each one has affected each other 1.3 Project Objectives To define the recession To define sustainable construction To determine just how the recession and sustainable construction have been affected by each other. What barriers or influences encourage or deter companies to build Sustainable Commercial Buildings. 1.4 Proposed Structure 1.4.1 Background First of all the research will define both the recession and will also define sustainable construction and go on to look at how they have been affected by one another. The research should then go on and look at what barriers or influences encourage or deter companies to build Sustainable Buildings. 1.4.2 Collection of Results The collection of results will be accomplished using professionals who are currently working in and around the construction industry. Results will be collected with information regarding their views on whether Sustainable Construction has been affected by the Recession and other information regarding Sustainable Construction. 1.4.3 Analysis The results collected from my interviews will then be analysed so that an outcome can be gained to answer the investigation objectives pointed out earlier. They will also be analysed to show a comparison with past research relating Sustainable Construction and the Recession. 1.4.4 Final Analysis The final analysis is the last part of the research, like a conclusion it will assess the data to check and make sure that all aspects of the investigation have been covered. The investigation will then be checked to make sure it cannot be improved and revisited. Sustainable Commercial Construction and the Recession Scope of the Chapter This section of the dissertation will determine the definition of Sustainable Commercial Construction and will also try and determine just exactly what a recession is. 2.2 The Recession In June 2008 the United Kingdom officially entered the recession that we are still in today. The main area that has been affected in this country and many other countries is construction, which has been hit massively. Companies and businesses right across the board are being affected from big names such as Balfour Beatty, the Kier Group down to small independent companies. Any sort of work is few and far between nowadays with every company accepting any sort of work no matter how small or big it is. I feel that this topic as it will show you past the commercial side of the recession. Everybody knows that the country is in the recession, but not that many people know exactly what a recession is and what damage it can cause to the economy and the country. It has a massive knock on affect right the way down the board and I believe that if we are going to get out of the recession quickly and efficiently people need to know how to adapt and work with it. The recession is not very well understood for one simple factor: There is not a universally agreed upon definition. There is a standard newspaper definition of a recession is a decline in the gross domestic product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters. There are 4 quarters to the year and each one lasts for approximately 12 weeks. This definition is not popular with most economists for two main reasons. Firstly, this definition does not take into account changes in other variables such as unemployment rate or consumer confidence. Secondly, by using quarterly data this definition makes it difficult to pinpoint when a recession starts to when it ends. The second definition is from the Business Cycle Dating Committee (BCDC). The committee provides a better way to find out whether or not there has been a definition as they determine the amount of business activity in the economy by looking at, employment, industrial production, real income and whole-sail retail sites. The past 20 years has been a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable and basically, we are living beyond our means. Before anyone knew anything about this current recession, one part of construction that was on the rise was sustainable development. It is rumoured that one of the key factors in which the recession was brought on is that companies were being too selfish in that they were thinking about the short term rather than the long term. Some unsustainable business practices were concerned about profiteering and not focused enough on balancing profit with social and environmental targets. With the current economic crises being the way it is, companies are rarely willing to spend money on anything but essentials to their business. The credit crunch has virtually halted all new development and with falling land prices, affordability has become more important than ever, thereby highlighting development costs and the increased expense of complying with sustainable standards. Ultimately crucial issues related to sustainable development such as healthcare, education, affordable access to food, water, energy and responsible harvesting of natural resources are being affected as the crisis deepens. The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. The need for Sustainable Commercial Development is too great to be ignored. Even in this recession and the state that the economy is in it is absolutely paramount that we as a country, continent and as a human race continue to develop sustainably. Instead of businesses thinking of their short term future, they now need to be thinking about their long term future. Instead of reeling in the cash straight away, we need to hold out and wait for the return from sustainable buildings and development all round. The sooner people and companies realize this, then the sooner the construction industry will have left the recession and will be planning for the future and sustainable development wont be a thing upon which businesses sigh about doing, it will become the first thing they think of. 3.0 Sustainable Buildings Sustainability in building was completely unknown up until around the late 1970s. The idea only came about in reply to the energy crisis and people concerned about the environment. There are not many people in this country or the world in fact who will not have heard the word sustainability but the vast majority of them will not understand what it means. According to Holmberg and Sandbrook (1992) there now appears to be 70 definitions in circulation. However, out of these 70 or so definitions that are circulating there is no definite, set definition of sustainable building but according to Kirby et al (1995) the definition which is commonly deemed as the most accurate or the official one is the Brundtland definition (WCED 1987) development that meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Although, Brundtland did make this definition, it is an adaption of a previous definition made by Lester Brown. Lester Brown however defined a sustainable society, rather than sustainable development. He defined a sustainable society as one that is able to satisfy its needs without diminishing the chance of future generations. (Charles J Kilbert 2008) It is easy to see the comparisons between the two definitions made firstly by Lester Brown and secondly, the Brundtland definition. Although the Brundtland definition is the most common and widely used, it doesnt define sustainable construction, only sustainable development. According to Dickie and Howard (2000) they describe sustainable construction as the contribution of construction to sustainable development. This definition from Dickie an Howard (2000) is very simple, but explains a lot, anyone would be able to understand it. ORiorden (1985) commented on the difficulty of describing sustainability, describing its definition as Exploration into a tangled conceptual jungle where watchful eyes lurk at every bend. This description of how hard and elusive it is to describe correctly what sustainability just shows you how vague and confusing defining sustainability can become. sustainability is like plumbing or air conditioning its a general attitude you apply to a building. It doesnt create its own architecture but it informs the way architecture is produced Slavid, Ruth (1998) uses this definition and its obvious that there are not only different definitions but also different meanings to the definitions. According to Addis, B and Talbot, R (2001) Sustainable development is about achieving economic and social objectives while minimising adverse environmental impacts This definition comes from the e-journal; Sustainable construction procurement: a guide to delivering environmentally responsible projects by Addis, B and Talbot, R (2001). As you can see all the definitions on this page and the previous page all define sustainable construction, development or sustainability on the whole, and they are all pretty much nothing like each other. Although there have been many definitions of sustainability for example that from the World Congress of Architects (1993) Sustainability means meeting our needs today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Even though all the definitions above are different you can see a definite trend between them. I believe they are all loosely based on that from the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. This report is commonly known as The Brundtland Report. Some people may believe that having no definition for sustainable development could be an issue because how are people meant to implement and deliver sustainable development and in this case sustainable construction if an official definition has not been agreed. 3.1 Case Study To help what is understand what is involved in Sustainable Commercial Construction, a case study will be used. Whitecross High School, Hereford, England Owner: Herefordshire County Council Address: Three Elms Road, Herford, Herefordshire Architect: Haverstock Associates Building Services Consultant: Couch Perry Wilkes Contractor: Stepnell LTD Figure 1 Image of Whitecross High School, Hereford, England Whitecross High School in Hereford was primarily designed where energy / sustainability was high priority for the client. The gross internal floor area of the school is 9160m2 and was built for approximately 900 students. The brief for the project contained stringent sustainability requirements, and this became the key driver for the design process. Sustainable features of Whitecross High School: High mass and thermal insulation levels with low air permeability rates Excellent air quality and summertime temperature control Heat recovery ventilation 90% efficient Very Low annual energy consumption Sustainable solutions provided within PFI cost framework Natural materials used throughout construction Hazardous materials excluded from the building specification Following the case study, we can see at the Whitecross High School that not only is there sustainable energy solutions in this sustainable building but there have been solutions designed in the buildings. For example the excellent air quality and summertime temperature control system means that other expensive and unreliable systems would not be needed, saving time and money on the sustainable building. You can tell by the number of definitions and the lack of agreement of an official definition about the subject of sustainability and sustainable construction is confusing and complex. The main disagreement is apparent around how to implement sustainable construction what systems actually make a sustainable building, sustainable. 4.0 Research Approach 4.1 Scope of the Chapter This chapter of my dissertation will outline the research methods used to complete my dissertation. It will compare the two different types of research and will also show why I have chosen my specific method. 4.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Research When researching for any type of information there are different methods that can be used. There are two principal strands of data collection methodologies and strategies which are distinctly different. (Bryman 2004) Quantitative research involves the use of structured questions where the answer are predetermined, this research is done over a large number of respondents and is statistically valid while qualitative research is about collecting and analysing data interpreting what people say or do for instance a questionnaire. The very nature of the dissertation, the different types of information needed in order to achieve the objectives and the resources that are actually available like time implications for instance affects what types of research methods will be used. To gain a wider perspective about sustainable development and about the current recession period, it is always a good idea to do some research within the public, using both primary and secondary research. There are many different types of research that you could do, some of which are quantitative and qualitative approaches. Usually research methods and styles are not mutually exclusive although only one, or a small number of approaches, will normally be adopted due to resource constraints on the work. The different approaches focus on collection and analysis of data rather than examination of theory and literature. Quantitative approaches normally seek to gather factual data, studying relationships between facts and how such facts and relationships accord with theories and the findings and of research carried out previously. Qualitative approaches seek to gain and understand peoples perceptions, both as individuals and as groups. This research looks at peoples beliefs, understandings, opinions and views etc are investigated. The data is detailed and rich in content because the data gathered may be unstructed, but will be in their raw form. If you do use this method of research you would have to be willing to be highly laborious, involving transcripting interviews etc. The researchers are likely to be closely involved in all stages of the work in a more active way than usually is acceptable in quantitative studies. Features of Qualitative research Features of Quantitative research Difference in respect to: Quantitative Research Qualitative Research The aim is a complete, detailed description. The aim is to classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed. Underpinning philosophy Rationalism: That human beings achieve knowledge because of their capacity to reason (Bernard, 1994) Empiricism; the only knowledge that human beings acquire is from sensory experiences (Bernard, 1994) Researcher may only know roughly in advance what he/she is looking for Researcher knows clearly in advance what he/she is looking for. Approach to inquiry Structured/ rigid/ predetermined methodology Unstructured/ flexible/ open methodology Recommended during earlier phases of research projects Recommended during latter phases of research projects Main Purpose of investigation To quantify extent or variation in phenomenon, situation, issues etc. To describe variation in a phenomenon, situation, issue etc. The design emerges as the study unfolds All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is collected Measurement of variables Emphasis on some form of either measurement or classification of variable. Emphasis on description of variables Researcher is the data gathering instrument Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to collect numerical data Sample Size Emphasis on greater sample size Fewer cases Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects Data is in the form of numbers and statistics. Focus of inquiry Narrows focus in terms of extent of inquiry, but assembles required information from a greater number of respondents Covers multiple issues but assembles required information from fewer respondents Subjective individuals interpretation of events is important ,e.g., uses participant observation, in-depth interviews etc. Objective seeks precise measurement analysis of target concepts, e.g., uses surveys, questionnaires etc Dominant research value Reliability and objectivity (value-free) Authenticity but does not claim to be value- free Qualitative data is more rich, time consuming, and less able to be generalized.ÂÂ   Quantitative data is more efficient, able to test hypotheses, but may miss contextual detail. Dominant research topic Explains prevalence, incidence, extent, nature of issues, opinions and attitude; discovers regularities and formulates theories Explores experiences, meanings, perceptions and feelings Researcher tends to become subjectively immersed in the subject matter. Researcher tends to remain objectively separated from the subject matter. Analysis of data Subjects variables to frequency distributions, cross-tabulations or other statistical procedures Subjects responses, narratives or observation data to identification of themes and describes these Communication of findings Organisation more analytical in nature, drawing references and conclusions, and testing magnitude and strength of relationship Organisational more descriptive and narrative in nature Figure 2 Table adapted from www.wilderdom.com and Kumar (2005) The features of qualitative and quantitative research methods along with the differences in the two methods can be seen in Figure which has been adapted from www.wilderdom.com and Kumar (2005) The table shows the two different research methods that can be used and their advantages and disadvantages. It shoes the features of both Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research. 4.3 Research Design There are several different ways that the research for this project could be undertaken and when looking at the most suitable method. There are three major factors that are the most significant amongst the others that need to be taken into account. They are; Reliability Replication Validity These three factors that have been identified are all issues that could affect the consistency, therefore the reliability of the data for my dissertation 4.4 Approaches to date collection 4.4.1 Interviews Interviews have been described by Kumar (2005) as being person to person interaction with specific purposes. There are two main types of interviews and these can be seen in figure below taken from Kumar (2005, page. 123) Interview Styles Unstructured Structured Flexible interview structure Rigid interview structure Flexible interview contents Rigidy interview, rigid interview contents Flexible interview questions Questions and their wording Figure 3 Diagram showing the two possible interview techniques The advantages and disadvantages of interviews have been identified in the table below. Advantages of Interview Disadvantages of Interview ÂÂ   More appropriate for complex situations Can be expensive and time consuming Interviewing has a wider application Interviewee could be bias Questions can be explained Quality of information may deteriorate Good for in depth information Quality of interviewee may be poor Face to face interaction Quality of data could differ on interaction Figure 4 Advantages and disadvantages of the interview 4.5 Research Proposal Because of my dissertation, and what it is involving, it was not feasible for me to produce any quantitative data as the majority of the general public will have very limited or no information whatsoever about my chosen subject. Therefore my research method was a set of self designed research questions used to gather honest and first hand information, about the effects the recession is having on commercial sustainable construction. The purpose of this interview based approach was to abstract through questions the information needed to answer the research question. Tesch, (1990) defines qualitative research as Intensive study of one individual or a group as an entitiy, through observation, self-reports and any other means. In this case the individual was interviewed alone, yet was also grouped together in order to distinguish any inter related experiences. 4.6 Sampling It is clear that to get the best information possible, a wide range of professionals needs to be used. I therefore opted to use professionals from different backgrounds to interview. The professions in which I used are; Building Surveyor Life Cycle Director Commercial Sector Director Senior Design Manager The reason for selection of the professionals is that hopefully I can gain an insight into the different views on the set of self designed questions that have been prepared for them. I was careful in choosing the professionals in which I did. I wanted to gain the best information possible to obtain the best results for my dissertation. I decided on choosing professionals who are well established in their different fields and have a wide vocabulary of knowledge, and in some cases, have plenty of experience. 4.7 Interview Design I decided in order to gain the best and most accurate information it would be best to have a structure interview. Therefore I would take a set of pre determined questions into the interview and asked to the professionals. The advantages of such a structured interview would be that each and every one of the professionals would be asked the same questions then a better analysis could be gained as their responses are all to the same questions 4.8 Summary The above chapter covers the whole process of collecting data and the means for it to be compiled. 5.0 Data Collection Activities 5.1 Scope of the Chapter This chapter in hand looks at the activities that took place in order for me to successfully collect the data. The data collection activity covers what was completed to collect the resulting information and the processes that have taken place. The following chapter should show the results collected, which be analysed according to the objectives. 5.2 Data Collection The only source of data collection was conducted using structures interviews. The interviews were recording on different days, but in the same week as I deemed it important as it would give me the most accurate information. The professionals all gave a good sample of answers to the questions given to them. The interviewees were of a high professional level and of high standard. 5.3 Interview Results I considered it was important to correctly select the amount of the actual questions I would be asking. This was for the simple reason that it would give me the best and most accurate answers about sustainable commercial buildings, the recession and whether or not they have had an effect on each other. Independant Variables I deemed it necessary to find out the age of the interviewees, the years of experience they have in the necessary feild and more importantly what their profession was. Age of the interviewee Figure 5 shows the age of the participants Amount of experience in current profession Figure 6 shows the amount of experience each interviewee has What profession the participants are in Figure 7 shows the profession of the interviewees 6.0 Data analysis 6.1 Scope of the chapter In this chapter I will critically analyse the results that were compiled from the interviews that were undertaken. The results will assess the impact that the interviews have had upon the research completed, and will compare or contrast findings. The way in which I will be analysing the interviews is by looking at each question, explaining each of the results and from there, I will be analysing them. Question 01 Analysis Do you utilise in-house staff rather than specialist consultants? Results You can see from the transcripts that the interviewees have answered the question, with different opinions. Interviewee 1 and Interviewee 3 both say that they use both in-house and specialist consultants. Interviewee 3 then goes on to say that the main reason they are using in-house staff rather than specialist consultants is that they are much much cheaper. Interviewee 2 and Interviewee number 5 both have the same sort of answer. They both said that they try to use specialist consultants rather than in-house staff in their companies. Interviewee number 2 explained it was because contractors are seeing the need for specialist advice that can help them differentiate in a competitive market; to have an edge and make sure they win the tender. Interviewee number 4 however, said that in his company they try to utilise the in-house staff as much as possible but because the company in which he is employed by is fairly small company compared to the Balfour Beattys, Carillions and other such companies.. Analysis From this question, I have a mixed bag of answers to whether companies use in-house staff or specialist consultants. Because of the varied answers, I believe that some companies are doing better in the recession than other companies and still can afford the specialist consultants. I also believe from the answers that some people believe it is more important to gain the specialist knowledge than it is to use in house staff as they believe using in-house staff hinders your chances of winning a contract when tendering for it so having the best knowledge possible is key. Questions 02: Analysis Has the amount of contractors being tendered to changed since the recessional period started? Results I can see from the transcripts there is a popular answer to this question. Interviewee numbers 3, 4 and 5 all agree that there has been some change in the amount of contractors being tendered too. Interviewee 1 the Senior Design Manager is alone when saying that there has been no change. He explains because Balfour Beatty is a big big company they have a local supply chain in every major area. He explains that at Balfour Beatty they use contractors that they have had previous relationships with because you get better quality out of them. Interviewee number 2 is also alone with his answer. He states Tender lists are long, but I am not too sure at the moment if this is better or worse than before.. At the moment, he is unsure as to whether having long tender lists is better or worse than before. He then goes on to state a main problem with long tender lists is that contractors dont want to spend money on sustainability advice if they only have a low win probability. Analysis There is a common answer among the professionals about the amount of contractors being tendered too. The two Building Surveyors and the Life Cycle Director all believed that there has been some change since the recession started. This tells me that the building surveyors definitely believe that there has been a significant change in the amount of contractors being tendered too. The Senior Design Manager (Interviewee 1), whom I believe is the professional with the most experience, is completely alone with his answer. This in my opinion is because he works at one of the largest construction companies in Europe. Although the recession would still have had an effect on Balfour Beatty, I believe they would not nearly be as affected by is as some of the smaller companies in the industry. The Commercial Sector Director (Interviewee 2) doesnt really give a definitive answer to the question; he just states that the tender lists are long. Question 03: What financial arrangements have been put in place depending on sustainability? Results When asking this question you can see from the transcripts that there was a very popular occurrence of and around the term BREEAM Excellent Interviewee numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 all mentioned the word BREEAM. Interviewee 1 said I think if affected by the recession but its actually probably a very positive time for us he also went on to say if you look at commercial projects whoever is building a commercial project has got to think about their tenant and tenants often look for; is it a sustainable building? So it is actually a marketing tool that we are using now you know to give us an advantage against our opponents so sustainability rath

Colgate Competitor Analysis

Colgate Competitor Analysis It all began in 1806, when soap was commonly made at home; William Colgate had the genius idea to start selling individual portions of starch, soap and candles. This business was born on Dutch Street, in New York City, from where he delivered his merchandise to all customers, an innovative approach at the time. By 1817, the first Colgate advertisement appeared in a New York newspaper, and several years later, they expanded and established a factory in New Jersey, an indication of their growing success. This company was passed down from son to son, each and every one of them striving for integrity and quality in every aspect of the business. Concepts such as Colgate people were a way of managing, not just a team, but a family. This concept was first introduced by the founder and is still used today. Throughout the years, Colgate was an innovator, always developing new products. They were able to forecast market trends before the competition and develop strong brand equity through merg ers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. The first merger was with Palmolive Company, a soap company as well. Together, they created the first scented soaps, perfumes, and essences. In 1872, Colgate introduced toothpaste in malleable tube similar to the one we know today. Superior merits gave this convenient and simple brand the prestige to successfully tap into several different markets. In 1900, they won an honorable award for their premium soaps and perfumes at the Worlds Fair, which was conducted in Paris. In 1906, the 100th anniversary pronounced the success of over 800 brands, multiplying considerably in the years to follow. The years to come involve Colgate starting to think globally, by doing so through a subsidiary in Canada, quickly followed by operations in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The development of new brands begins going rapidly, and what seems to be like one influential brand after the other is constantly bombarding the market. Many cleaning products are established such as Ajax and Soupline, which was first popular in France and is now sold in 54 countries around the world. The Palmolive dishwashing liquid was introduced in 1966 and can now be found on rack of your local grocery store. Irish Spring, Caprice hair care, and Protex, are brands that you are also probably aware of, proving to still be successful to this day, and can be found in over 70 countries. In 1976, they even acquired a leader in dog food named Hills, which shows to what extent they were confidently conquering the world horizontally with this wide variety of products. In 1983, one of todays extremely popular pr oducts, the Colgate Plus toothbrush, is launched. So many are sold annually that if you lined them up end to end, they would circle the globe 16 times. (Colgate Website) Soon after,a joint venture is made with leading oral care companies in Hong Kong. Acquisitions are made buying Murphy Oil Soap, Mennen,  Kolynos Oral Care, popular in Latin America, Gaba, prevalent in Europe, and they most recently bought Toms of Maine, a US based natural toothpaste. By 1989 the annual sales were surpassing 5 billion dollars, and by 1997, Colgate Total toothpaste is recognized as the market leader. With sales today surpassing the 15$ billion benchmark, Colgate continues to be a strong player in todays oral care market. Moreover, the company also conducts triple bottom line practices, reaching for success while targeting benefits for people, profits, and the environment. They have a You Can Make A Difference Program, which distinguishes the Colgate people for their grand efforts. Furthermore, they established Colgates HIV/AIDS initiatives in South Africa. As for performance and profit, they have been ranked in Business Week and GovernanceMetrics International Inc. as having the top Oral Care products. Concerning sustainable practices and respect for the environment, they contributed in a 40% decrease in water use, a 22% reduction in C02 emissions, and was the first of its industry to use recycled material in Europe. Market Industry and Market Analysis With over 24% category share in 2009, Colgate-Palmolive maintained its position as a world leader in oral care followed by Procter Gamble Co with 19.9% of company shares, and GlaxoSmithKline Pc with 9.9% (GMID company shares) (appendix with company shares graph). A significant reason why Colgate benefits from the highest market share in the oral care category is due to it high level of product development. They constantly launch new and innovative products, which gives them a competitive advantage in the market, and this is a big part of the companys strategy driving profitable growth. For example, in 2009 the company introduced the Colgate Wisp which was the first disposable mini-toothbrush with a breath freshening bead that allows the user to have a clean, fresh mouth with no water or rinsing. Due to their strong product development capability and focus on innovation, Colgate-Palmolive is in a position to continuously upgrade its product line regularly, thereby increasing custome r loyalty and revenues.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Another reason why Colgate has been able to acquire such a high market share is because of its high focus on marketing, leading to strong brand equity. Their marketing strategies involve offering products based on consumers needs and communicating the benefits though methods like free sampling as well as the Internet. Using this approach worldwide has been successful in increasing sales but also in acquiring a larger size of the overall category of the market. A further reason why the market share is high is because the brand enjoys a strong level of consumer recognition. Therefore, they have the possibility of gaining leverage in new markets and maintaining loyalty of existing customers.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   In addition to being a global leader in terms of company shares, Colgate Palmolive Co also has the highest brand share in oral care, with Colgate possessing 19.8% in 2009. The Colgate brand is followed by the Braun Oral-B brand having 9% of the market and then by Crest obtaining 6.4% of brand shares in that same year (GMID- product development) (appendix with brand shares graph). Other smaller but still significant competitors that Colgate-Palmolive faces in the oral care category include Johnson Johnson Inc, with their Listerine brand accounting for 6.4% of brand shares, followed by the Unilever group with Signal that has 4.1%, and finally GlaxoSmithKline Pc who owns the Aquafresh brand with 3.3% of brand shares.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It is important to note that although the Colgate brand is experiencing growth year after year, the oral care is a mature category with limited room for innovation. Even though there are some growth opportunities, because oral care accounts for around 63% of Colgate-Palmolives beauty and personal care revenue, it is highly exposed to a slump in this category. In addition to being a mature category, the oral care products are facing a higher level of competition from private labels, which again hinders the profitability of the category. The increasing purchase of private labels is largely due to the decreasing spending power, which is caused by the high level of unemployment in many sectors since the economic downturn occurred. With a minimal cost per purchase, maintaining a high level of brand equity allows Colgate to remain competitive versus lower cost rivals. It also prevents recently established firms from gaining ma rket share. With the threat of private label, Colgate increased their effort towards innovation and branding by promoting the fact that they are the most recommended brand by dentists. This has helped Colgate fight the competitive pressures they are facing in the market. Not only does Colgate face increased competition from low-market brands but also from their major competitors such as Procter Gamble oral care products, who are also looking to expand globally in more perspective markets. Therefore, it is primordial for Colgate to continue investing in product development catering to customer needs, in order to face their increasing competition.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   There is also the issue of counterfeiting oral care products which is posing a significant threat to the company in terms of revenue loss. In 2009 thousands of tubes of fake Colgate toothpaste were recalled. This had a negative effect on customer satisfaction since purchasers of the authentic Colgate could stop buying this brand in the future believing that it is inferior to other brands and therefore decreasing customer retention (Datamonitor).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Despite the significant threats that Colgate faced in the oral care category, the company intends to remain in a market leading position and continues to have globally recognized brands by seeking opportunities allowing them to do so. For instance, Colgate had begun taking advantage of the economic and population growth with developing and emerging economies such as Brazil, India and China. Each of these economies show very high growth prospects in terms of demand in the upcoming years for consumer goods like oral care products. For instance, it is expected that between 2009 and 2014, Brazil will be the fastest growing market in oral care by accounting for 20% of the global growth, followed by China with 18%, and India with 9%. Although Colgate-Palmolive dominates oral care in Brazil, China and India with 44%, 26% and 38% of market share respectively, it is essential for the company to maintain and increase its presence in these economies in order to reap the benefits of this growth rate (GMID-product development) (appendix with market presence graph). However, they have already begun facing strong competition from their rivals PG and Johnson and Johnson in these countries. Local players in India and China have also begun gaining importance in their individual markets. Domestic companies such as Yunnan Baiyao in China, and Dabur in Japan, have begun offering herbal/natural oral care products and there is a growing demand for them. Since Colgate is one of the most valued and recognized brands globally, they are in a good position to take advantage of this market and further increase their market share. Competitive Analysis of Oral Care in the Canadian Market In the Canadian market, as of 2009, Colgate-Palmolive was the second leading company, with 18% of the market share in the oral care sector, after PG who possessed 34%, and just before Johnson and Johnson, who owned 17% of shares (Euromonitor) (Appendix oral company shares 2005-2009). In terms of company shares by brand in Canada, in 2009, Crest led the oral care category with 18.6% of shares, followed by Colgate Total with 7.8%, Listerine with 7.1%, and Braun Oral-B with 6.4%. Refer to appendix xx for oral care brand shares.Nevertheless, during that same year, Colgate was a leader in the sales of toothpaste with 42% of the value share (with Colgate Total accounting for a total of 21.5%) followed by Crest with 30.2% (Appendix toothpaste brand shares). The third company was SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare Inc (SBCH), whose 13% market share was largely due to the introduction of Sensodyne in 2007, which was very popular in the Canadian market. In reaction to this, Colgate launche d a similar toothpaste in 2009 for sensitive teeth called Colgate Pro Relief, which was clinically proven to deliver instant and lasting relief from sensitivity. Another significant rival in the oral care category in Canada is Johnson and Johnson whom, aside from having a big presence in toothbrushes and denture care, was the leader in mouthwash/dental rinses with its Listerine brand, holding 52% of the value share in 2009. Not far behind was Scope (PG) with 26%, and Peroxyl (Colgate) in fifth place with less than 1% share (mouthwash/dental rinses shares appendix).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   When looking at PG, Colgates main competitor, their portfolio of brands in oral care category is highly diversified with Crest toothpastes and toothbrushes, whitening strips; Oral-B toothbrushes, and Scope mouthwashes/dental rinses. Also, like Colgate-Palmolive, PG continuously invest in strong marketing and advertising in order to maintain excellent brand image and brand awareness in the Canada. Therefore, in order to remain competitive and gain greater market share in the Canadian market, not only will Colgate need to continue to invest heavily in marketing, but a large amount will also have to be allocated towards innovation and product development. Knowing this, the company has recently introduced a multitude of new products including Colgate 360 ° ActiFlex, Colgate Max White, the re-launch of Colgate Total toothpaste and many more. Even though Colgate faces fierce competition in the Canadian market, there are many opportunities for them to exploit in order to gain market share. For instance, it is expected that tooth whitener products will be increasingly profitable, with a CAGR of 4% from 2009-2014 (Euromonitor). In addition, a CAGR of 3% is expected during that same period for manual toothbrushes, mouthwash/dental rinses and dental floss (Oral Care- Canada). Due to the increasing number of elderly people in Canada, it is expected that the denture care products will grow at a CAGR of 3% from 2009-2014.   It is essential for Colgate that they take advantage of these relatively high growth rates in Canada for the different oral care products, in order to acquire new customers and retain those who have been loyal to this day. Canadian Consumer Profile Being part of such a competitive market, Colgate aims to deliver maximized customer value to the market, offering a multi-product segment strategy. Colgate has identified all ages with any economic backgrounds as their target market, with the most focus on the baby boomer generation. There is an increasing growth of older demographics with low rate of childbirth, and this has had a direct impact on Colgate products. This shift resulted in a larger demand for oral care products that helps tooth discolouration, tooth sensitivity, and gum problems. The baby boomers usually have the highest disposable income, and they demand additional health benefits. This allows Colgate to position this segments products at a premium price. With this strategy, Colgate had 19.1% of sales from sensitive toothpastes in 2009, illustrating a profitable customer focus. As well, the recession in 2008 allowed Colgate to further focus their sales towards baby boomers. Due to the recession, the number of profess ional tooth whitening surgeries fell, which caused an increase in the demand for whitening toothpastes. Colgate, offering a wide variety of whitening toothpastes, was able to increase their sales in this sector, with sales of $78.2 million, which consists of 38.9% of their sales. It is also forecasted that the demand for tooth whiteners are to increase by 4% from 2009 to 2014. Not only is Colgate targeting baby boomers, but it is also targeting children to capture a long-term relationship with this age group as 6.8% of sales are from childrens toothpastes. For low to middle class consumers that are price-sensitive, Colgate offers traditional toothpaste. They comprise about 6.9% of their total sales. For quality-conscious consumers, Colgate offers wide variety of complete care toothpastes 18.2% of the sales. Colgate continues to increase brand recognition in this mature market to increase retention and loyalty by consistently offering a variety of products that best suit any customers needs. Strategy Product With over 20 different toothpastes, 11 different toothbrushes, 5 different childrens products, 10 different tooth whitening, and 10 different oral care specialties available in Canada, Colgate has successfully gained customer loyalty (see Appendix 1.1). This variety of products illustrates that Colgate has used a needs based segment strategy to attract every customer with different tastes. To list a few examples, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Reliefs feature of plugging and sealing open dentin tubules intends to gain interest from adults and elders whose sensitivity levels are much higher than other consumers. Moreover, Colgate Max Fresh mainly targets young adults with their different flavors and protection from bad breath. On the other hand, the idea of Colgate SpongeBob SquarePants Battery-Powered Toothbrushes was innovated to attract children, but it also was created with gentle bristles to protect their gums. From these following examples, it is obvious to note that Colgate is recognizi ng and understanding clients needs by providing the right products for each age group, which is a key factor when trying to increase loyalty and retain customers. Colgate continues to increase their value by positioning their products in all sectors of the market; from toothpastes that has no animal ingredients to attract vegetarians, or toothpastes that reduce the speed of the development of tartar above the gum line, to toothbrushes that are price-conscious or designed to remove odour-causing bacteria. By providing such a variety of products, they are preventing competition and substitution. Another factor that helped Colgate gain high awareness was through innovative packaging. For example, when Colgate was trying to penetrate the already existing whitening toothpaste market, they decided to come up with new premium packages matching their idea of creating sparkling and dazzling smiles. The toothpaste had a holographic package to catch attention. In order to make sure of this package, they used lead users strategy, where they gained a positive reaction, and therefore decided to launch the new product with this innovative packaging. Another example involves the launch of Colgate Max Fresh toothpaste in a unique clear tube. This new packaging was created for user convenience, so that the users know how much is left in the tube, notifying them when to replace it. With the slogan, find the right products that are best for you, Colgate strives to provide satisfaction to their consumers by supplying them with a range of products that meets their needs. In 2011, the company pl ans to continue innovation to meet consumer needs by introducing new products such as the Colgate Total Gum Defense, Colgate MaxClean SmartFoam toothpaste, Colgate 360 ° Surround, and Colgate Triple Action manual toothbrushes (http://investor.colgate.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=545863ReleaseType=Earnings)/ Promotion In order for Colgate to maintain its value in this competitive market, Colgate spent a total of $1,534 million in 2009. This expenditure was largely involved with the promotion of new, growing, and maturing products. When launching a new product, such as Colgate 360 toothbrush, their advertising objective was to be informative and persuasive. They used advertising, sales promotion, as well as the publicity approach, including advertising through cable T.V., consumer magazines, providing product samples, and utilizing point of purchase. Furthermore, they used lead user strategy, which helped create great word-of-mouth. (dentist recommended brand) Even though promoting new products is important, Colgate believes that it is also crucial to continue advertising the existing products in the maturity stage. Rather than promoting in order to be informative, objective for products in this stage involve successfully reminding the consumers in order to create greater retention. Reminding the consumers is essential since this helps consumers acknowledge Colgate products existence and availability, while preventing them from switching to their competitors. Through using the pull strategy, Colgate has invested a great deal of their revenue to sales promotion, personal selling, and direct marketing. By using extensive mass marketing, consumer promotion at point of purchase, and organizing special events where they aim to build one-on-one relationship and increase net marketing contribution. Pricing Colgate-Palmolives oral care subdivision offers a variety of toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouth rinses and dental floss. These products are characterized as being low priced, requiring minimal buyer effort, and are subject to mass distribution and promotion by the producer. Typically with these sorts of low-involvement products, price plays the most significant role in the decision-making process. However, recent consumer trends suggest an added perceived value of certain oral hygiene product attributes, in particular the newly launched whitening, sensitive, and total care products, which now account for over 76% of the value share of toothpastes in 2009. With price being the most flexible of the four marketing mix elements and changes in consumer trends, Colgate has developed dozens of different brand extensions at different prices ranging from $1.685 (per 100ml) to $5.871 (per 100ml) to reflect these changing demands (see appendix for further detail). Colgate therefore is primarily e mploying value-based pricing for these products as production costs do not significantly vary. Colgate has been particularly successful in doing so as people tend to be reassured when they buy a more expensive hygiene product, for they make the assumption that it is the best possible thing they can do for their teeth. However, with families and consumers tightening budgets and reducing consumption as a result of the continuing harsh economic climate, it will become harder for manufacturers such as Colgate to continue to raise prices for most oral hygiene products, even advanced formulations, as consumers will readily switch to similar competitors or private label brands. Toothbrushes, on the other hand, face different consumer behaviors. Despite the economic climate, Colgate has employed a similar value-based pricing strategy in its toothbrushes by introducing improved manual toothbrushes that are claimed to be superior to its basic predecessors, and therefore carry a higher price t ag. Colgate manual toothbrushes sold at a variety of retailers range from $1.99 to $5.99. This strategy has been particularly successful as Canadian consumers have developed loyalty to their brand of toothbrush for they sense a more significant difference between the regular and improved toothbrushes, thus dissuading many from switching or trading down, thus increasing consumer lifetime value and profitability. Colgate is also catering to more health conscious but price-sensitive consumers by increasingly introducing affordable electric toothbrushes. Distribution Being low priced, and requiring low consumer effort, Colgate products must be mass distributed and accessible to most if not all Canadians. Colgate employs an intensive distribution strategy aimed at a maximum market coverage which supports the application of product replenishment based on pull strategies, as these come closest to reflecting true consumer demand. Research suggests supermarkets are the largest distribution points for toothpaste as well as other oral care products, followed by mass merchandisers and drug stores. With that in mind, it would simply not be efficient for Colgate to sell directly to small distributors, therefore Colgate products often go through at least one wholesaler before reaching the shelves of our supermarkets. Colgate does however, directly sell to some of the larger retailer chains such as Wal-Mart, who purchase in such large volumes that it is more efficient to do so. Colgate therefore operates in what is called a parallel distribution network in w hich some retailers are forced to buy through a mass distributor while others are not. However, Colgate is working closely with small shop owners and local wholesalers through Joint Business Plans to ensure greater availability of Colgate products, as well as to provide the right assortment of products with the best visibility on the store shelves. Prior to distribution, while Colgate products are produced around the world, use of contract manufacturers is very limited as more than 90% of products were made in Colgate facilities. Colgate does concede however that the use of contractors often allows to optimize their supply chain capabilities, deliver innovative technologies, increase speed of delivery, and especially increases flexibility which is key in a rapidly changing marketplace. Three-year globalization contracts with their main suppliers enabled a reduction of the supplier base from 11 to 4 suppliers. For a key toothpaste ingredient, the supplier base was reduced from 7 to 3 to help achieve record savings and cost reductions. With optimized supply chain logistics and control over the manufacturing process, Colgate products are quick to move from their respective factories to stores all throughout Canada. In five years, Colgate managed to cut its time from product concept to retail shelves by 50%. Results Colgate-Palmolives CEO, Ian Cook, claims that his firm will continue to perform well given the current competitive and economic challenges and are committed to investing and growing our business and expanding our strong market positions (A-R 2009). Interestingly enough, Colgate-Palmolives company shareholders equity has bounced back from a ten year low, in millions, of 350 in 2002 to 3,116 as of 2009. Colgate-Palmolive (C-P) has clearly proven itself as a successful and innovative company year after year with solid financial results and consistent growth. In fact, the company claims to have obtained significantly superior results versus the SP index and the average of selected competition over the last 25 years. C-P obtained 3328% versus 2833% growth among competitors. Against the SP index the results are even greater compared with a 969% return to shareholders (Colgate TSRG). In Canada, Colgate-Palmolives launch of Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief has been quite successful. It is now th e number one selling SKU and the firms number one competitor has reacted with deep discounting, though Colgate maintains that they have taken market share away once the subsidies cease. They plan to invest and grow while still seeking to further already strong market positions. Operating revenue has increased for Colgate Palmolive steadily over the last 5 years. Although revenues from fiscal year 2009 were virtually unchanged from 2008, operating cash flow was up over 43% in 2009. The firm has consistently maintained its gross profit as a percentage of sales above the 50% threshold, reaching close to 60% in both 2009 and 2010. In addition, diluted earnings per share have seen 65.5% growth from 2004 to 2009. EXPLAIN WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN As of C-Ps last quarter, North America formed approximately 19% of sales and unit volume grew 3.5% and 4.0%. Operating profit increased 22%. Although the 2010 annual report and official audited results have yet to be released as to date, fiscal year 2010 worldwide sales were $15,564 million, up 1.5% versus full year 2009. Operating cash flow in 2010 was lower by 2% to $3,211 million, a considerable drop compared to the aforementioned 43% increase in 2009. However, North America remains sluggish, where operating profit decreased 8%. Reported sales gains were 2%, with a 3.5% increase in volume while accepting 2.5% increase in coupons and promotions. C-Ps free cash flow, before dividends, does however remain very strong; consistent with 2009 it exceeded 100% of net income. Net income and diluted EPS for fiscal year 2010 were $2,203 million and $4.31, versus $2,291 million and $4.37 in 2009. From the Statement of Cash flows, in is clear C-P has been increasingly using debt to increased capital. Proceeds from issuance of debt having increased approximately 3.5 billion and 231.4 % from 2007-10 with net cash used in financing activities also increased 45.5%. Capital expenditures have remained consistent since 2007. Despite increases in net income, depreciation and amortization have remained steady over the last 5 years, with no unusual increase or decrease. Total assets are also virtually unchanged from 2009 to 2010. In their 2008 annual report, Colgate stated that they spent over $1.6 billion marketing its products around the world. In other words, Colgate is spending an amount nearly equal to the book value of its equity capital, which accounts for about 11% of total sales, every year on marketing its products. This is evidently a significant amount of capital that will be creating value for the firm in future business. For a competitor to replicate this company, C-P clai ms that they would have to spend multiples of this amount to establish and develop the relationships that they have acquired over many years. They claim that the same is true for certain general, administrative, and research and development expenses; all of which are being expensed as incurred. In evaluating the firms results, it is thus imperative to include the intrinsic value of marketing efforts. Recommendations According to oral care forecasts in Canada, Colgate should definitely continue to maintain its position as a domestic leader in toothpaste since it represents the highest level of sales in the Canadian market. This can be done successfully by developing new products and affectively marketing each one respectively. Colgate should then focus on manual toothbrushes because they have the second highest level of sales, followed by dental rinses, tooth whiteners and then denture care, which do in fact show growth but at more modest levels of sales. Secondly, while basic products provide the necessary means of oral care, more expensive value-added products provide convenience and comfort to the consumers ready to pay higher prices, such as babyboomers. People usually tend to be reassured when they buy a more expensive product, because they feel assured that its the best possible thing they can do for their teeth. In addition to new product development, companies will focus on marketing and advertising support of their existing brands. Colgate should continue to remain on the high end scale of the oral care industry and maintain position in the high end category. Moreover, with respect to the Canadian market, they should invest more heavily in the mouthwashes considering that they have no market share while sales are the third highest in the oral care category after toothpaste and toothbrushes. As previously mentioned, the toothpaste market is generally not price sensitive and brand loyalty plays an important role in majority of the customers. Currently nearly 97% of the population in developed countries uses at least one variety of toothpaste. This gives marketers virtually no space to expand the market with new users. Consequently, adding or increasing value to the product is the preferred alternative. Technological progress made in recent years altered the toothpaste segment and made innovation a driving force. New advancements have led to the launch of a variety of high-priced, value-added multifunctional products in several oral care categories such as toothpastes and toothbrushes. Whitening toothpastes and products offering multiple functions are driving growth in the dentifrices segment. Currently, for major toothpastes, averting tooth decay is not sufficient, therefore guaranteeing benefits such as fresher breath, healthier gums and whiter teeth. More comprehensive products such as Colgate Total have strengthened Colgate-Palmolives market position substantially. Technological advancements in recent years have altered the toothpaste segment to one that offers additional benefits besides just fighting cavities. This made manufacturers roll out products with a lot of additional features that were not available previously. Over three-fourths of net sales come from outside United States, so in future years strengthening market position worldwide will be integral to triumph over the competition. In addition, the considerable revenues from international operations are key to sustaining the firms value proposition, as product innovation has revitalized the oral care market in recent years. To ensure future success Colgate must continue to invest in product in

Moving to America in The Third and Final Continent by Jhumpa Lahiri :: essays research papers

RR - â€Å"The First and Final Continent† Rude Awakening Everyone has been there. Upon completing the interview process, you have just been hired for a job that will change your life as you know it. Besides learning the tricks of the trade, you also must learn to work with people who have different views and backgrounds. As days turn into years, you have adjusted to the job and people and reflect back to when you first started and conclude, â€Å"It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.† In the short story, â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† by Jhumpa Lahiri, a young man has to deal with life in America. Originally from India, he moves to London to continue his education and later accepts a position at MIT in Boston, Ma. Throughout the story he reflects back to when he first came to the United States and is content with how it has turned out. As the story begins, a young man who has recently married, moves to Boston to start his new job. His first night is spent at â€Å"the YMCA which is within walking distance to MIT† (150). He is unable to sleep because of the intolerable noises such as â€Å"sirens and flashing lights [that] heralded endless emergencies, and a succession of buses rumbled past, their doors opening and closing with a powerful hiss, throughout the night† (150). However, as days go by he adjusts to the noise and begins to search for a decent place to live. He finds a home on a quiet street that is renting a room for $8.00 a week and develops a relationship with his landlord, Mrs. Croft. With the help of her daughter Helen, he discovers she is over 100 years of age and supported her family alone by giving piano lessons for over 30 years. However, his stay is shortly lived because he is awaiting the arrival of his new wife Mala. The couple moves into another apartment and begin their new life together. In the beginning, it starts of rocky because their marriage was arranged by his older brother. â€Å"[He] waited to get used to her, to her presence at [his] side, at [his] table, and in [his] bed, but a week later [they] were still strangers† (150). Moving to America in The Third and Final Continent by Jhumpa Lahiri :: essays research papers RR - â€Å"The First and Final Continent† Rude Awakening Everyone has been there. Upon completing the interview process, you have just been hired for a job that will change your life as you know it. Besides learning the tricks of the trade, you also must learn to work with people who have different views and backgrounds. As days turn into years, you have adjusted to the job and people and reflect back to when you first started and conclude, â€Å"It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.† In the short story, â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† by Jhumpa Lahiri, a young man has to deal with life in America. Originally from India, he moves to London to continue his education and later accepts a position at MIT in Boston, Ma. Throughout the story he reflects back to when he first came to the United States and is content with how it has turned out. As the story begins, a young man who has recently married, moves to Boston to start his new job. His first night is spent at â€Å"the YMCA which is within walking distance to MIT† (150). He is unable to sleep because of the intolerable noises such as â€Å"sirens and flashing lights [that] heralded endless emergencies, and a succession of buses rumbled past, their doors opening and closing with a powerful hiss, throughout the night† (150). However, as days go by he adjusts to the noise and begins to search for a decent place to live. He finds a home on a quiet street that is renting a room for $8.00 a week and develops a relationship with his landlord, Mrs. Croft. With the help of her daughter Helen, he discovers she is over 100 years of age and supported her family alone by giving piano lessons for over 30 years. However, his stay is shortly lived because he is awaiting the arrival of his new wife Mala. The couple moves into another apartment and begin their new life together. In the beginning, it starts of rocky because their marriage was arranged by his older brother. â€Å"[He] waited to get used to her, to her presence at [his] side, at [his] table, and in [his] bed, but a week later [they] were still strangers† (150).

The Late Middle Ages Essay -- History, The Dark Ages

The Middle Ages, often referred to as the Dark Ages, was regarded to be a time of despair, disease, and death. Just as the name the â€Å"Dark Ages† suggests, this period of European history seemed to be surrounded by darkness and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the majority of people only see this side of the Middle Ages when, in fact, the Middle Ages was a much more important era. Especially during the late Middle Ages, one can find a change in orthodox social structure, political instability mostly concerned with succession to the throne, and economic changes and how those changes went hand in hand with the change in society. After certain demographical changes and turning points such as the Hundred Years’ War, Europe began to transform drastically thus threatening traditional Europe. Therefore, unlike popular belief, the late Middle Ages was a time when absolute monarchy began to die and when social structure seemed to be flipping upside down due to drastic changes in economic practices. Politics in the late Middle Ages is best described as instable due to competition for succession and power. The most significant event during this time period was the Hundred Years’ War, basically a territorial conflict and competition for succession between the king of England and the king of France after the Capetian monarchy crumbled. (Spielvogel 281) After the Hundred Years’ War, Europe was put under a period of adversity in terms of their political stability. In England, â€Å"Parliament increased in prominence† and even the king came to â€Å"rely on Parliament to levy new taxes.† (Spielvogel 285) The English monarch no longer had absolute power; he had a â€Å"commitment to levy no direct tax without Parliament’s consent.† (Spielvogel 285) In France, absolu... ...came ever so popular during the Renaissance period. Although many people regard the Middle Ages only as a period in history when time seemed to stop and all advancements seemed to be put on hold, it proves to be a vital piece of European history. Results from the Hundred Years’ War and other territorial or succession disputes crumbled centralized monarchy and gave birth to political administrations that can be seen present day, such as the Parliament. Additionally, the Black Death brought shortage of population and labor thus allowing peasants to grow in value and lords to fall in importance. Economical patterns began to change direction and encouraged the peasants to continue climbing up the social ladder as lords no longer had the power to do whatever they pleased. Accordingly so, the late Middle Ages proved itself to be a turning point towards modern Europe.

Interpreting the Actions of Nicholas DeGenova: :: Essays Papers

Interpreting the Actions of Nicholas DeGenova: While speaking at an anti-war teach in, Columbia Professor, Nicholas DeGenova called for a â€Å"million Mogadishus† and an American loss in Iraq, which has led to a controversy over his future employment at the university. Although some may consider this hate speech, there is a thin line between that and infringing upon a professor’s freedom of speech. As students at Syracuse University, we realize that this could have potentially occurred at our school, but still do not advocate firing Nicholas DeGenova. According to the Faculty Handbook of Columbia University and the guidelines of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), DeGenova is protected by his rights as a citizen and as a professor to free speech even if it does go against popular opinion. However, the statements made were no doubt offensive especially in a time of war, which is why we feel that DeGenova should be reprimanded, but definitely not fired. First and foremost, as a citizen, Nicholas DeGenova, is protected under the First Amendment of U.S. Constitution. This provides that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances†(â€Å"Amendment I†). Furthermore, DeGenova definitely had the right to assemble and speak out in the anti-war teach-in although it angered many. In addition, under the Columbia University Handbook and the guidelines of the AAUP, as a professor he â€Å"may not be penalized by the University for expressions of opinion or associations in their private or civic capacity; but they should bear in mind the special obligations arising from their position in the academic community†(â€Å"Academic Freedom†). The AAUP and Columbia University only outline punishment for when â€Å"immediate harm to the faculty member or others is threatened by the faculty member’s continuance†(â€Å"Procedural Recommendations†). Since none of these codes that DeGenova must follow call for firing in this type of situation, his employment at Columbia University cannot be terminated on these grounds. While DeGenova abided by the laws that govern him as a professor and as a citizen, we still feel that he should be reprimanded.