Depiction of Female Characters in Shakespeare’s Othello

â€Å"It is their husbands’ faults, if their wives do fail†. Othello, a play about race, power and gender is one of the best works of Shakespeare, and highlights few of the major societal issues of his time. On the one side is Othello, who is caught in his racial inferiority, fighting the prejudices his society has heaped upon him. And on the other side is Desdemona, who has transgressed her gender lines to marry the Moor, but is ultimately pushed into the sphere of submission and obedience – the traditional place where a woman should keep herself.We are made to wonder then: Whose tragedy is Othello really about and who was the real victim, Othello for his racial inferiority or Desdemona for her gender? If Othello makes himself appear to be a victim of Iago’s plans, confessing â€Å"nought I did in hate, but all in honor†, then he had too had once made Desdemona his victim. And not Desdemona alone, the other two women in the play, Emilia and Bianca face similar consequences. Emilia is another chaste, obedient and loyal wife to Iago – the malignant conniver, worser than Desdemona, she is never treated as a wife.And the last Bianca is, in fact, a fallen woman – a prostitute. The treatment of women in the play and the assumptions made about them removes the curtains drawn and triggers the single question in the minds of the readers – How true is the depiction of women in the play, and did Shakespeare’s society treat women in the same manner? As a matter of fact, seventeenth century England did not reserve a grand place for women, and feminist writings on women’s deplorable lives have come up mostly during Shakespeare’s time.This paper will study the three women characters and emit some light on the injustice faced by them and how they have been mere projections of male prejudices – they are assumed to be what men think them to be. The protagonist of the play is the beautiful, fair- skinned Venetian Desdemona. As her name would stand to mean ‘ill-fated’, Desdemona proves to be the most-affected victim of Iago, as until Othello comes to smother her, she was unaware of the cruel game played against her. Innocently in love ith Othello, she has been extremely loyal and supportive to her husband. When the play first introduces Desdemona, she is a different person from what she will become in Cyprus. Bold in her approach and almost fearless, she does not resemble the Venetian women of seventeenth century; by leaving her father’s house and marrying the Moor, thus committing miscegenation she takes her first step in redefining her role as a ‘woman’. She confirms Othello’s speech and accepts Othello as her husband.With her cunning, she smartly handles the situation and adeptly performs her â€Å"divided duty† – to her father for â€Å"life and education†, and to Othello for being her husband and companion; she admits her wifely behavior descending from her ‘mother’, who had also once preferred her husband to her father. Her love is not affected by Othello’s racial difference as she could overlook Othello’s physical ugliness and fall in love with the man inside him; she saw Othello’s â€Å"visage in his mind†.She also subverts feminism by unflinchingly asserting her sexuality and her love affair with Othello, and firmly says, â€Å"I did love the Moor to live with him†, and decides to follow him to Cyprus. That is the only time we see Desdemona’s vigor to stand for her defense. The shift of the play from Venice to Cyprus is not just spatial, it also has symbolic overtones. As from then onwards, Desdemona is reallocated to the position she tried to transgress, although in a different form – this time, playing a wife.Without any relatives or acquaintances, in Cyprus Desdemona is all on her own and all the more vulnerable. Her mar riage becomes a scandal, â€Å"not in her failure to receive her father's prior consent but in her husband's blackness. That blackness- the sign of all that the society finds frightening and dangerous- is the indelible witness to Othello's permanent status as an outsider†, and to convince him the truth in Desdemona’s love is impossible. Being a self-fashioner, he is always in need of symbols and signs to believe in Desdemona’s idea about him as her hero.First, her confirmation speech becomes the symbol of her love, then, to continue the trust-game Othello gives her a handkerchief – his ancestral property, received from his mother, who in her turn had received it from an old witch as a blessing to her marital life. The appearance of the handkerchief is believed to be a white cloth with a red strawberry imprinted on it. Symbolically it represents the bedspread of a married woman, with her virginal blood-stains on it, and also becomes the symbol of Desdemona ’s chastity, purity and her loving, civilizing sexual power.With the loss of it she loses Othello’s trust, and as Carol Neely puts it – â€Å"The handkerchief is lost literally and symbolically not because of the failure of Desdemona’s love but because of Othello’s loss of faith in that love†; love is not sustained through symbols and signs but through conviction. This brings out the frail nature of Othello’s love for Desdemona, held not by his heart but by the handkerchief. Othello’s fear of being deceived and cuckolded rises from the flaw that is inherent in him; the self that would never grow out of the uncertainties for being racially inferior looks upon Desdemona as the’ strumpet’.A chaste wife, being killed by her husband because he lacked self-identity and the power to recognize the devil inside him is universally acknowledged as the most appalling crime committed against an innocent woman. Another woman is Emilia, wife to Iago and the only companion of Desdemona in Cyprus. As the play progresses, she emerges from a common maid to a heroic individual. Dismissing Iago’s complains about Emilia’s noisiness Desdemona says: â€Å"Alas! She has no speech†. Desdemona seems right until the middle of the play. Emilia has no existence apart from her â€Å"instrumentality to the plot†.She passes the handkerchief to Iago, unaware of his plans: â€Å"what he will/ Heaven knows not I. / I nothing but to please his fantasy†. Emilia is heard speaking elaborately only in Act IV, scene iii also termed the ‘willow scene’, which stages the conversation between Desdemona and Emilia. In this scene, Emilia comes across as a realist with her ideas like: â€Å"The world’s a huge thing: it is a great price / For a small vice† and when she says that wrong and right are relative terms, and wrongs can easily be transformed into right by the power-wield ers.The most striking words are when she says that a husband is liable for his wife’s infidelity, as their neglect or envy or suspicion egg on the woman to commit treachery. According to Gayle Greene: â€Å"Emilia’s is a perspective to which we wholly ascribe, entrenched as it is in a material reality, but her vision complements Desdemona’s and represents some of the bawdy and toughness that Desdemona lacks†. He further continues saying Emilia’s clarity of ideas can be attributed to her social class: she has never been adulated, she is no one’s jewel and has remained clear-eyed and without illusions.Although she did nurture her husband’s fantasies like Desdemona. However, her previous error, unknowingly committed can be easily forgiven because of her sorority ties with Desdemona. She has not only been a friend in Desdemona’s loneliest times, but also becomes her voice in Act V, scene ii after her death: â€Å"O. the more angel she, /And you the blacker devil! † Like Desdemona, she too faces disillusionment about the man she has tied knots with on realizing Iago’s misdeeds, pronounced by her diversely inflected reiterations of â€Å"my husband†.Desdemona, even on her death-bed made her last attempt to protect Othello from his guilt by replying â€Å"Nobody, I myself† to Emilia’s â€Å"Who hath done this deed? † and spells her last words of loyalty â€Å"Commend me to my kind lord†. Emilia inverts her role as a wife and commits herself to her duties as a loyal maid to her mistress: â€Å"’Tis proper I obey him – but not now. / Perchance, Iago, I will ne’er go home†, until she is abruptly dispatched by a stab from Iago. Of the two women in the play, two are killed by their husbands after being despised as whores; the third woman, Bianca is actually a whore.She survives not through her own endeavor to appropriate herself to fit in th e men’s world, but simply because â€Å"she is not central enough to be pulled into Iago’s plot†. Women here are objects of men’s â€Å"horrible fancies’, fancies which are â€Å"projections of their own worst fears and failings†. They are either silent spectators throughout their lives, never retaliating, or else immediately silenced if they ever make an attempt to over-rule men’s scheme of things.Bibliography: 1. G.K Hunter’s ‘Murdering Wives in Othello’. 2. www.guttenberg.com/Othello 3. www.projectmuse.com/Othello and Desdemona 4. Introduction and Chosen essays from Norton edition.

Death Penalty Essay

Capital punishment or also known as death penalty is the killing of an individual by a state which serves as punishment for committing unlawful actions and retribution on behalf of the victims. Several countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United States have retained this process of executing criminal. Different views regarding this issue have arisen but most people especially those governed by religious sectors have went up against the idea of death penalty. Death penalty has already gained its popularity worldwide. In fact, it was often the theme in any debate or even the usual conversation, thus lead to the emergence of several arguments which are in favor and against death penalty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Implementation of death penalty has several advantages. Death penalty provides closure to the victim’s families. It was very hard for family members of the victim to forget the traumatic experience and recover form the loss of a loved one. In fact there are cases that the relatives of the victim do not recover at all. This sort of closure is a great help for the recovery of the relatives. Life in prison is not enough punishment compare to death sentence which gives finality to the horrifying experience felt by the members of the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In death penalty, justice is better served. The primary principle of justice is that a crime deserves an equivalent punishment. Hence, when someone brutally murders another person, he deserves to be put into death. Just like what the code of Hammurabi have stated, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Implementation of death penalty prevents the crime from happening again. If criminals are not put into death, we are not assured that this kind of person would not do such crimes again. On the other hand, death penalty can execute all criminals but there are cases that implementation of death penalty may include execution of an innocent man. Do you mind an innocent individual will suffer from death? Implementation of death penalty is a good way of obtaining â€Å"justice† but can we call it justice—killing an innocent. Another argument against death penalty is that it is arbitrary and capricious. Implementation of death penalty often favours well-off individuals or people who have money. How about the poor ones? Only the rich are able to afford a highly competent lawyer, thus makes the process unfair. Those accused people who are struggling from poverty cannot pay good attorneys thus making their chances of being acquitted very little. See how unfair it was? Even appealing to court was not possible. There are even cases that convicted wealthy persons pay the judge with a very big amount of money in order to become free of death penalty. Death penalty is geographically contingent which that it depends on state to sate. Maybe for this place, death penalty is not implemented but on others it is strictly performed. Death penalty also is racist and classist in nature. Race really makes a big difference when it comes to the implementation of death execution. For an instance, a black murdered a white victim. The black will executed 4 times than any other races. Still racial discrimination is dominant. That becomes a big problem of implementation of death penalty. One cannot avoid looking at races. Everyone is created equally by a supreme being– God; hence one must receive equal rights and equal opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some will surely say that implementation of death penalty can reduce crimes because of the fear of death. That belief is not true. It is not true due to the fact that some people commit crimes when they are not on the good state of mind. How can they think of fear of death if they cannot think rationally?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We have presented both the pros and cons of death penalty. Death penalty is good in some ways but also awful in some other manner. Every human has different perspective regarding this social issue. Death penalty may be good for some but some would surely disagree with it. What is important is we respect everybody’s opinion. Work Cited Gregory, David L. â€Å"2000.Legal Arguments Against the Death Penalty. 2 April 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   < http://www.vincenter.org/95/gregory.html>. Messerli, Joe. â€Å"November 11, 2007. Should the death penalty be banned as a form of punishment?†. 2 April 2008 < http://www.balancedpolitics.org/death_penalty.htm>.

Immigrant kids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigrant kids - Essay Example This paper seeks to show that consideration for needs of immigrant children is a reason for the government to provide them with public attorneys to represent them so that these children can gain proper legal advice to ensure they get a fair chance of restarting their lives. Most unaccompanied child immigrants come for Central American countries such as Honduras and Guatemala which have over the past few years come to be riddled with violence and insecurity to such an extent that they have essentially become failed states. Children in these countries have ended up becoming the victims of situations over which they have no control and a large number of them have been forced from school and into conducting illegal activities on behalf of the various gangs that have become prominent in Central America. A result has been that many of these children have had their lives taken away and have been forced to grow up too quickly because that is the only way through which they could achieve their survival. One would argue that their choice to come to the United States has, therefore, not been one made out of a need only for the need to achieve economic prosperity, but also to ensure that they are able to rebuild their lives in a manner that allows them to live awa y from the violence and poverty in their home countries (Scott 1). These children have to be treated in a responsible way that ensures that not only are all their immediate needs catered for, especially when one considers that age, but also that they are able to gain legal representation to ensure that they are allowed to build a life in the United States without the fear of being deported back to their home countries. Immigrant children need legal representation in order to make the courts understand that they have not come to the United States willingly but are victims of circumstances. One would argue that unaccompanied child

Characteristics of The Regency Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Characteristics of The Regency Era - Essay Example In the novel, Anne Elliott who plays the leading role in the novel was displayed as an independent woman who believed and could differentiate between right and wrong. The Regency period was also a portrayal of the good faith and the Christian code of conducts. Women in the Regency period were also believed to be uptight and often refrained from showing their emotions.Based on the article, it could be said that the regency period although however, bad as it may seem also had a certain sense of ethics and good code of conduct among people which was easily displayed in their actions. The people respected the women, although this could be taken negatively their ways of living held high standards and code of conducts that we often tend to seek in the current era. The good manners were mostly portrayed among the female gender of the society who were always required to act in a formal manner no matter what whereas this was not expected as much from the male gender of the society.Joannou, Ma roula. Women's Writing, Englishness, And National And Cultural Identity. The Regency period as described in the novel Persuasion by Austen in 1818 shows a period of overindulgence and sexual misconducts. According to Austen, the Regency period existed from 1811 to 1820 which was when the Prince of Wales took over the throne as George IV, this era is popularly known as the period wherein recklessness and exorbitance were at their peak and this was all characterization of George IV himself.

Suicide among young men in the United Kingdom in related to the press Research Paper

Suicide among young men in the United Kingdom in related to the press - Research Paper Example Social phenomenon of various kinds is analysed using evidence to back up claims. Evidence gathering for such purposes needs to be traced out meticulously in order to create a true reflection of the society and its problems. This paper attempts to analyse the social problem of suicide in Great Britain in order to ascertain a particular direction for research. Overlying trends will be identified and any anomalies in social behaviour will be segregated. These social anomalies will be investigated later as â€Å"major memoirs† while this â€Å"minor memoir† will delineate the various resources that could be used to research the identified issue. Moreover, the credibility, relevance and suitability of the sources will be established to present a strong foundation for research. Social Problems Social problems can be seen as any social conditions that produce harm to any segment of the society’s population. Moreover, social problems can also represent various social con ditions and acts that may violate a society’s norms and values. (Eitzen et al., 2009) Social problems can be produced by social psychological behaviour or through implications of the social structure. (Beeghley, 2000) For example if a person is a drug addict then there could be multiple causes for it. One reason could be that the person in question has friends or other social influences that encourage the use of drugs. This reason would constitute the social psychological aspect of the explanation. Another reason could be that the person in question is unemployed, depressed or otherwise repressed by social institutions to an extent that he feels that drug use is the only solution. Such an explanation would constitute a social structural explanation of the problem. Social problems can proliferate if portrayed in such light. Suicide: Social Problem or Private Problem Suicide can be seen as any act initiated by a human being to end his or her own life with complete knowledge and established intent. (Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009) Various reasons can be attributed to suicide including social, biological and other explanations. Perhaps the most significant work on suicide was produced by Emile Durkheim in analysing suicide using scientific methods. However there has been rampant debate regarding the nature of suicide as a personal or as a social problem. The act of taking one’s own life is nonetheless a purely personal problem. The lack of social commentary on any issue tends to make such issues personal. Previously suicide was treated as a purely personal problem. However media spotlight on the issue aided in the transformation of suicide into a social problem in recent years. (Samaritans, 2011) In order to ground things in more concrete reason it is best to analyse the statistics for suicide to form a clearer picture. Suicidal Trends in Great Britain The suicide rates in Great Britain must be traced from official sources in order to guarantee their c redibility. Moreover, suicide rates need to be adjusted for their consistency with population growth. As population levels grow each year, the suicide rates must reflect this growth or suicide rates would seem to keep decreasing each year. The government of Great Britain compiles statistics for suicide as well as other such issues each year. These statistics are available on the official statistics portal of the government better known as the Office for National

Embracing the Concept of Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Embracing the Concept of Democracy - Essay Example The intent of this paper is to lucidly determine these changes that were deemed to embrace the concept of democracy, and whether they actually achieved their intended purpose as expressed by the response of the people. An incident that can be viewed as the genesis of the Russian transformation is the defeat in the Crimean War. It resulted in the sought of scenarios where individuals reassess their own status so as to forge a route forward. Russia has expected to win the war with ease seeing that it had the largest army in Europe but overlooked the morale of the soldiers to fight. The defeat opened channels for reassessments, which were mainly carried out in the 1860s and came to be commonly referred to as the Great Reforms. Realizing the underbelly of the army and the possibility of being attacked in the future, Alexander II initiated a number of reforms.1 One aspect to Russia that stood up in the Crimean War as compared to its enemies was that the country still practised serfdom. The enemies disliked this fact about Russia and Alexander II saw this as an opportunity to commence the reforms that would transform Russia. Ending selfdom was a move supported by the liberal intellectual in the country, but fiercely contested by the landowners. In 1861, Alexander II pushed forward to end the practice, and the country was one of the last to do so in the European continent. â€Å"The new democracy,† as Pobedonostsev refers to it, is nonetheless questionable as it still left so many in suffering whilst it was supposed to do the opposite. 2 As a result of the liberation of the peasants, there was a surge in the number of citizens in the local governments. The peasants now had a voice that was recognized by the government, and this required it to be embedded into the government itself. Initially, the local government was run by the sole representation of the landlords who were viewed in turn as representatives of their serfs. A new form of government referred to as the zemstvos were put into place, it required fair elections to be conducted. Pobedonostsev cites this form of government as ’a fatal error, and one of the most remarkable in the history of mankind.  Ã‚  

Online Alternative Dispute Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Online Alternative Dispute Resolution - Essay Example Dispute resolution is the process of resolving disputes between parties, and there are various methods of dispute resolution, which includes such things as: lawsuits (litigation), arbitration, mediation, conciliation, as well as many types of negotiation. Dispute resolution processes fall into two major types: adjudicative processes, such as litigation or arbitration, in which a judge, jury or arbitrator determines the outcome; and consensual processes, such as mediation, conciliation, or negotiation, in which the parties attempt to reach agreement. Some use the term dispute resolution to refer only to alternative dispute resolution (ADR); of which generally depends on agreement by the parties to use ADR processes, either before or after a dispute has arisen. However, dispute resolution can also take place online by using technology in certain cases. Online Dispute Resolution, a growing field of dispute resolution, uses new technologies to solve disputes. It also involves the applica tion of traditional dispute resolution methods to disputes which arise online.1 There are a vast array of factors, elements, and subordinated issues in this subject matter, and in order to come to a clearer and more knowledgeable understanding on this issue, the following questions must be addressed: 1. What is the definition and scope of application in regards to Online Dispute Resolution 2. What is the importance of the rise of Online Dispute Resolution 3. What are the similarities and differences between Online Dispute Resolution and Alternative Dispute Resolution 4. What are some problems affecting efficiency in regards to Online Dispute Resolution in the shadow of the law 5. What are some problems affecting efficiency in regards to the trust mechanism in the online environment By thoroughly discussing these five questions, we can come to a more intellectual and critical point of view on the subject matter at hand. The aim of this paper is to discuss all of this, as well as any and all key elements and factors in relation to this. This is what will be dissertated in the following. What is the Definition and Scope of Application in Regards to Online Dispute Resolution Online Dispute Resolution is a branch of dispute resolution which uses specific technology in order to facilitate the resolution of disputes between parties. It primarily involves negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or a combination of all three. In this respect it is often seen as being the online equivalent of Alternative dispute resolution (ADR). However, ODR can also augment these traditional means of resolving disputes by applying innovative techniques and online technologies to the process.2 Online Dispute Resolution can take place either entirely or simply partly online and primarily concerns two types of disputes: those that arise in cyberspace and those that arise offline. As Internet usage continues to expand, it has become increasingly necessary to design efficient mechanisms for resolving Internet disputes because traditional mechanisms, such as

Emax electronics uae Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emax electronics uae - Essay Example The product spectrum comprises of photography, IT, audio, mobiles, video, accessories, wellness and fitness, gaming, do-it-yourself, gifting, motor vehicle electronics and navigation, personal care, watches, musical instruments, home solutions, portable and MP3 players, telecom, kitchenware, videos and music, security solutions, home appliances, among many more (Holand and Beall 2012, p.30). This, together with competitive value and unparalleled service, makes Emax one area for every electronics needs. A widely used and comprehensible tool that helps a person to scrutinize the political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological shifts in a business environment is known as PEST Analysis. It aids in comprehending the powers of transformation that a certain business may be exposed to, and thereafter take full advantage of the chances that these transformations present. Emax electronics uses PEST Analysis to adapt and understand its future business environment (Grasser and Meller 2009 , p.7). Transformations in an environment for business can lead to significant opportunities for any organization and at the same time can cause significant threats. For instance, opportunities can emerge from latest technologies that aid in reaching fresh clients, from fresh financing streams that enable an individual to invest in superior equipment, as well as from changed policies of the government that result in new markets. On the other hand, threats can comprise of deregulation which exposes an individual to a shrinking market; intensified competition; or increases in rates of interest which can create concerns if a business is burdened by heavy debt (Grasser and Meller 2009, p.8). Emax electronics has been supported by PEST Analysis to spot its business opportunities as well as being offered advanced warning of substantial threats. Emax’s direction of change within its business environment has been revealed by PEST Analysis. Consequently, it has been able to shape its electronic business so that it operates hand in hand with change, but not against it. Through the use of PEST Analysis Emax electronics has avoided commencing projects, which have a high likelihood of failing for reasons beyond its control. It has succeeded breaking free of some unconscious assumptions when it gets into a new country, market, or region because, through PEST Analysis, it can develop an objective analysis of this fresh environment (Holand and Beall 2012, p.31). The major competitors of E max electronic are other emerging electronic suppliers such as Jumbo Electronics Dubai UAE, Sharaf dj, Emirates Electronics Industries, Abu Dhabi United Electronics, and Carefour. The main advantage that these competitors have over Emax electronics is the fact that they specialize in just a few electronic products. (Ward and Daniel 2012, p.16) With this specialization, their products tend to be deemed perfect by many customers. E max supplying a wide range of products is a setback for them as well as an opportunity of capturing all customers under one roof. It is natural not to be perfect hence even customers will bring out this judgment while purchasing these products (Holand and Beall 2012, p.32). Emax electronics, being a supplier of a wide range of products, might at some point ignore other products and concentrate much on others. This gives

Social Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Insurance - Essay Example The drawback is that government funding also means government control which may not be as efficient as private control. In fact, government spending and legislative work on social insurance in America has been criticized by many who think that social insurance programs such as social security, unemployment insurance, workers compensation and Medicare may not be enough for the needs of future Americans. On the other hand, the current situation of these programs allows the government to distribute goods and services to a lot of people who would otherwise have to go without them. Amendments and changes to the way social insurance programs operate in America have been widely suggested and the government has been pushed to focus on these programs. While the government tries to assure the people that the money they have put into social insurance programs will help them in the future, many individuals believe that the expenses of the government and the current expenditure on the social insurance programs themselves will mean that the trusts guiding the programs will go bankrupt

Underground Economy Essay Example for Free

Underground Economy Essay Every year, economics becomes a hot-button issue for politicians and ordinary citizens across the country. Politicians stake their careers on promises of economic revitalization, and individuals grouse when the forecast for the national economy is less than inspiring. Most economists measure an economy’s health by a variety of factors, such as the Gross Domestic Product, tax returns, poverty rates, and unemployment rates (Koopmans 575). But how accurate are these numbers? And if they are not accurate, then is society receiving a truthful picture of the overall economy? Many scholars stimate that as much as twenty percent of the GDP goes unreported every year (Kacapyr 30-31). In addition, surveys confirm that up to 25 million Americans are leaving large portions of income out of their tax files (Bartlett, â€Å"Going Underground†). In fact, the IRS estimates that an astounding one trillion dollars of income is left out of tax documents every year (Speer 15). Many factors contribute to this disturbing trend, such as crime and questionable business practices. However, one hot-button issue in particular has emerged as a significant factor in underground economy activity. For Texans, illegal mmigration is a little-disputed reality. For the American economy, Texas is an undeniable omen of the devastating impact of the underground economy. The term bears many other names (including informal and shadow economy), and has been defined in numerous ways, including those economic activities that circumvent or evade . . . the tax code and â€Å"unmeasured economic activity† (Priest 2259). The last definition, in its simplicity, best defines the underground economy. When many people think of unreported earnings, they may picture traditional illegal activities such as drug smuggling, prostitution, and gambling. While such activities do comprise a large part of the underground economy, millions of ordinary and otherwise law-abiding citizens participate in the underground economy every day. A 1994 auditor’s report states that, â€Å"The underground economy is not all smugglers. It is hundreds of thousands of otherwise honest people who have withdrawn their consent to be governed, who have lost faith in government (Dawson 18). For example, general laborers who are paid ‘under the table’ are for the most part honest individuals that nevertheless make up the estimated ? of Americans who earn â€Å"unofficial income† each year (Bartlett, â€Å"Going Underground†). What are the reasons for this illicit activity, and what effect does the underground economy exert on the overall economy? One major aid to the underground economy according to most experts is tax laws. Supply-side economics holds that any changes in marginal tax rates will have an important effect on resource use (Gwartney and Stroup 114). In other words, the presence of taxes greatly impact the economic decisions of businesses and employers alike. A big benefit for underground employees is the absence of income tax and social security reductions. In the underground economy, gross income and net income are equal. Employers also avoid costly payroll taxes when they engage in underground activities (Sennholz, â€Å"The Underground Economy†). Data gathered from the Census Bureau seems to confirm the prominence of tax evasion. The group estimates a twenty-five percent non-response rate for questions relating to income (Speer 15-16). Further, a Federal Reserve study found that when the tax burden increased by ten percent, underground activity rose by up to three percent. Self-employment and small business tax rises are particularly linked to underground economic expansion (â€Å"Underground Dwellers,† National Review). Another important determinant of underground participation is unemployment. Numerous studies have found a positive correlation between unemployment and underground participation. Individuals (especially those supporting families) who cannot find a well-paying job often feel that they have no other choice but to work in whatever job becomes available. Such citizens may work underground while still accumulating welfare and unemployment checks (Bajada 281-284). Surveys of inner-cities suggest that a gap does exist between the income reported to social welfare agencies (an average of $10,000/year in one California study) and the â€Å"actual† income level disclosed in confidential questionnaires (an average rise of $5,000/year in the California study). (Speer 16) Illegal aliens represent one prominent group who benefit from underground activities. Immigrants from poorer countries such as Mexico can be illegally paid under the minimum wage and still accumulate earnings significantly higher than if they found work in their home country. Such arrangements benefit both the employees and the employer (who avoids paying minimum wage and benefits) financially (Schlosberg 45- 47). The ramifications of underground economies on the economic picture are enormous. As previously mentioned, statistical data used to calculate the health of an economy can become irreparably skewed by missing underground information. Poverty rates and unemployment rates are overestimated (Bajada 181), which can present an overly bleak forecast for a state’s or country’s future (as evidenced by the American Demographics Index of Well-Being) (Kacapyr 31). In addition, small businesses and firms lose income opportunities because they are reluctant to move businesses into areas hich are deemed (perhaps falsely) as â€Å"poor† (Speer 16), resulting in a loss of revenue for affected regions. In return, the lack of legitimate businesses only stimulates the underground economy. National and state savings rates are also underestimated, which may lead to faulty focus in social welfare programs (Justice and Ng, â€Å"The Underground Labor Force is Rising†). Since these anti-poverty programs make up more than 70% of public aid programs (Paglin 2254), then it is vitally important that the facts and figures which are used to support and implement such programs are as accurate as possible. The programs that do work will lose important funding, due to tax shortfalls (Anderberg, Balestrino, and Galmarini 651). Likewise, the increased burden on taxpayers can create lower morale amongst even more otherwise law- abiding individuals (Bajada 187). For example, when the federal government is forced to raise taxes in order to fulfill missing income taxes, more citizens will become involved in underground activities in order to replenish their own incomes (Gwartney and Stroup 115-116). And the cycle continues. In the world of economics, there are no easy answers. Texas has learned this hard esson first-hand as its own underground economy thrives, largely due to a booming population of illegal immigrants. According to estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center, Texas-based illegal immigrants account for roughly ten percent (1. 6 million out of 11 million) of the overall United States illegal citizen population. Most of these undocumented citizens have settled in seven populous regions, including Houston (Combs, â€Å"Undocumented Immigrants in Texas†). Researchers project that the population of Texas will comprise of over fifty percent Hispanics by the year 2030 (Johnson, â€Å"Texas 2025). Of these fifty percent, a majority will enter the growing workforce of undocumented workers. Many of these undocumented workers arrive from the most education- and poverty-stricken regions of Central America and Mexico (Johnson, â€Å"Texas 2025†). Therefore, most illegal citizens, desperate for secrecy and any money for their disadvantaged families, accept jobs for little income and virtually no benefits. Despite a 1980s state mandate that banned companies from employing undocumented workers (â€Å"The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Texans† 7), Texas continues to be a prolific workplace for illegal immigrants. In addition to its proximity to the Mexican border, the heavy tourism and farming present in the state makes the region an attractive draw for the surplus of service, construction, and field jobs that constitute most undocumented employment. What are the ultimate effects of Texas’ booming undocumented, underground economy? Since the state does not focus on income taxes, most tax losses result from the disadvantaged economic situation most illegal immigrants encounter. Less income itself means less spending and therefore less sales tax—taxes which generate a large portion of state revenues (Bartlett 12). The greatest costs to the state economy, however, are accrued in public assistance. Just as state laws sought to punish employers for hiring illegal immigrants, the United States Supreme Court struck a blow to Texas’ immigrant control efforts by ruling that children of undocumented citizens must be allowed entrance into the public education system. Since this 1982 ruling, the state has spent roughly $7085 dollars per year on each student (including each undocumented student). If reports by the Texas Education Agency are accurate, the annual cost of schooling undocumented students is 957 million dollars (Combs, â€Å"Undocumented Immigrants in Texas†), nearly one billion dollars per year. Healthcare represents another crucial cost of the underground economy. Since virtually all undocumented workers receive no health insurance, these individuals must rely on public health services when they do fall ill or get into accidents. In Texas, most of these services are readily available to anyone—regardless of citizenship status—due to the Indigent Healthcare and Treatment Act. Emergency care, treatment of infectious diseases, immunizations, women’s and children’s health services, and even mental and substance abuse programs can all be obtained by illegal immigrants. The Texas comptroller conducted a comprehensive study at the end of 2006 which highlighted the extreme cost of such services per year. By applying a formula which measured state expenditures against the estimated undocumented population, the comptroller found costs of three and a half million dollars annually in emergency medicine alone. Federally mandated assistance services such as Medicaid netted an additional 38 million dollar cost per year in relation to illegal immigrants. Overall, the comptroller put total healthcare costs based on underground activity at a conservative 58 million dollars. Most of these expenses fall onto local governments and businesses in the private sector, as does the estimated 130 million dollars in annual illegal immigrant incarcerations every year (Combs, â€Å"Undocumented Immigrants in Texas†). The impact of illegal immigration on small business entrepreneurs perhaps highlights the most lasting cost to Texas’ future. A prevalence of underground economic activity steals from and slowly strangles the economy that is ‘above the ground. ’ Consider the plight of one contractor, a man who already charges at rates drastically reduced from those of his competitors. Despite his willingness to adjust to the economic climate and the spirit of capitalism, this legal worker—who compensates all of his employees fully—recently received a dismissal from a potential client that has become all too common: â€Å"I have two other bids here that are half what you’re asking† (McHugh, â€Å"Notes from the Underground Economy†). Documented workers, already struggling in a struggling economy, must face even more obstacles simply because they expect a living wage. The government has done little to address this problem. By the turn of the century, fewer than 1000 employers nationwide were being held accountable for hiring illegal immigrants. If this lax approach to the problem continues, in the United States and in Texas in particular, the dire prediction of Texas State Representative Pete Gallego will transform into a grim reality: â€Å"By the year 2025, if we keep doing what were doing now, Texas will have the economy of a Third World country. †

An Interesting Definition Of Mature Product Marketing Essay

An Interesting Definition Of Mature Product Marketing Essay An interesting definition of mature product market is found in Economics in Business Context by Colin Haslam, Alan Neale and Sukhdev Johal (2002, p.92). As per this definition, a product market reaches maturity when demand for the product is determined by replacement. I will try to elaborate this definition. In a mature product market, there is little or no scope for the further growth of the product. In simple words, the product has been sold to the maximum number of targeted customers. Hence, customers will demand the product only when the previously bought product has to be replaced. Does maturity necessarily lead to deterioration of market? This question can be answered using the concept of cyclicality. Economics in Business Context (Haslam et al. 2002, p.92) further defines cyclical markets as generally mature markets in which volume fluctuates at or around steady pattern of demand. Depending on the replacement period of the product, the product will be required by the customers every few years, months or weeks. During the period when maximum customers replace the product, the demand for the product will be at its positive peak. This period is followed by a period of low sales. Thus, fluctuation in the demand for a mature product makes it cyclical. Some products have longer replacement periods than the others, making them cyclical. For example, a refrigerator may be replaced after every ten years but cold drinks manufactured by Coco Cola or Pepsi are bought by billions of people every day. Therefore, refrigerators may be termed as mature and cyclical. Coco Cola and Pepsi have reached maturity but they are not cyclical. Let me illustrate with the help of a hypothetical example. Consider a product XYZ. Say, I had introduced XYZ in the market in 1990. The replacement period of this product was five years. Using excellent marketing strategy, XYZ had gained popularity amongst the customers by 1991. But, I had not yet sold XYZ to maximum number of targeted customers. I had to maximize my sales as well as confront a new problem; a competitor introduced a similar product called ABC in the market in the year 1992. After a research on XYZ, I realized that the product could be manufactured in a better way, leading to an increase its durability. The replacement period after increase in durability became 8 years. Increase in the durability of XYZ attracted more number of customers. Because it was a very popular product, XYZ reached maturity by 1995. It was sold to maximum number of customers. If I had not increased the durability of XYZ, more number of people would have bought XYZ every few years. Thus, the product was sold to maximum number of customers in its initial years in the market. But later, maturity, increase in durability and competition in the market led to a drop in the sales. After this, the sales reached a positive peak only when the demand reached a peak. And the demand for XYZ reached a peak only when maximum customers replaced the product. If a product like XYZ cannot survive the period of low sales, it may vanish from the market. Is the growth of a product in a mature market possible? Can it reach more number of customers despite the competition and maturity? Can a company that manufactures a mature product increase its revenue drastically? Through his article How Organizations Overachieve and Outrun Mature Markets (2005, p.1) in Ivey business journal, Al Magrath (director of corporate marketing, 3M Canada) says, it is possible. He illustrates the following ways of doing this task with examples: 1. Participate in a different value stream 2. Use technology to invent new sectors 3. Conquer new geographies 4. Extend branding power 5. Elongate your price/value 6. Help value changes in your market and 7. Use high end technology. Some companies also use cost reduction along with the above measures. Cost reduction, extending branding power, using high end technology to upgrade a product or a manufacturing process, acquisitio ns, mergers and asset reorganization form a part of what is called as corporate restructuring. As western automobile markets reached saturation, automobile giants like Chrysler and Volkswagen resorted to restructuring. Volkswagen had concentrated on its portfolio restructuring since early 90s. Volkswagen acquired Skoda in 1991. Volkswagen helped Skoda to emerge out of bankruptcy and Skoda soon became U.K.s best loved car (kn.theit.org 2009). This in turn helped Volkswagen, whose profits were declining around the same time. It gained access to the little penetrated car market of Eastern Europe. In 2009, it acquired 49.9% stake in Porsche. During recession, Porsche plunged into debts. Volkswagen used this opportunity to gain from its rival, who had a respected brand name globally (english.peopledaily.com.cn 2009). And now, Volkswagen is coming up with a strategy to acquire Toyota (in.reuters.com 2010). Even though the car market has matured in western parts of the globe, Volkswagen has been using strategic acquisitions to grow further. The financial restructuring process of Volkswagen, called as ForMotion is well-known. This restructuring process began in 2004. With the commencement of ForMotion, a number of workers lost their jobs. The working hours of most of the workers were extended (www.wsws.org 2006). Downsizing for restructuring had become infamous by then. A number of companies operating in mature market had adopted downsizing. Did the downsizing of its plants work for Volkswagen? Restructuring hurts Volkswagen was the headline of Los Angeles Times on October 28, 2006 (articles.latimes.com 2006). The profit of Volkswagen had plunged by 92% in the third quarter of 2005. Spokeswoman Christiane Ritz said the costs of employee buyouts and a deal with metalworkers union IG Metall to provide one-time payments of 6,279 Euros per person into workers pension funds were booked in the third quarter. But as demand for Volkswagen cars grew, the profit started rising. During the release of financial statements for the year 2005, the group chairman, Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder, revealed the following facts: Profit before tax rose by 58.2 percent to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.7 billion in 2005. Overall, however, the level of earnings we achieved remains unsatisfactory. Hence, the group decided to continue with the restructuring plan (volkswagenag.com 2006). But the true test of any company in the automotive industry was the global recession in 2008. Initially, in 2008, Volkswagen, too, felt the heat of the recession. But 2009 saw Volkswagen emerge as the only survivor in the automotive industry. Portfolio restructuring had helped Volkswagen to work in newer car markets. Even after the financial restructuring, its position was weak in the United States of America. But it proved to be a boon for Volkswagen. VW is coasting through 2009, boosting its share of global car sales to 12% from 9.9% in the first half of the year, reported time.com (2009). If Volkswagen had used only financial restructuring, it may have suffered major losses. It had invested money in financial restructuring, which was yet to be recovered through its profit. During recession, some of the smaller Skoda cars had performed better than the parent brand in the car markets (independent.co.uk 2007). But the cost reduction achieved through the financial restructuring comple mented the portfolio restructuring and Volkswagen survived. Thus, a mixture of restructuring strategies helped Volkswagen in alleviation of harm caused by the recession. The restructuring process surely helped Volkswagen in a mature market. But the sales have started stabilizing again. And this time, Volkswagen has come up with a new strategy. It has begun exploring hitherto unexplored markets. Initially, it was the cheap labour in India that attracted Volkswagen. But now, Volkswagen has set its eyes on the unexplored Indian car markets. Volkswagen began the execution of its plan with the launch of Polo in India. The Indian car market is predicted to be favourable for Volkswagen and is expected to generate additional revenues (thelocal.de 2009). Thus, it is true that restructuring (both financial and portfolio restructuring) has helped Volkswagen to not only survive in a mature market but also emerge as a leader in the automotive industry. But as observed from the study of Volkswagen, corporate restructuring can aid a mature industry only to a certain extent. It may help a company to perform better than its competitors in a mature market. It may also assist the growth of a company through acquisitions. But after a certain point, the company has to look for newer avenues of business. It is evident from the scenario in the automotive industry that restructuring of industries in a mature and cyclical product market is essential. Use of the right kind of restructuring, as in case of Volkswagen, is also important. But to supplement the growth of the product, exploration of newer markets is inevitable.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases :: Essays Papers

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Perhaps the most prominently clashing border in the world is where the world’s super power lays beside a depressed country. The United States and Mexico has formed a very unique border culture where opposites must live together. The border stretching nearly two thousand miles is increasing in growth causing the already prevalent problems of drought, unemployment, pollution and peso devaluation only to engrave themselves deeper into Mexican culture. Now sexually transmitted diseases have added to the complicated web along the border. Sexually transmitted diseases are a threat that faces women of any ethnicity. Even with the increasing number of the various forms of contraception, venereal diseases are still abundant. In the United States, awareness programs implemented in schools and health clinics have produced an increase in having protected sex and therefore a decrease in sexually transmitted diseases. The success has been phenomenal and it has been proven that educat ion is the key for a healthier population. Unfortunately, Mexico has taken nearly the opposite effect. Faced with economic depression, Mexican women are battling teen pregnancy, venereal diseases and HIV infection at an alarmingly higher rate than the U.S. Mexican women have a lack of resources to help them understand the diseases, sexual awareness programs are scarce and ignorance is to blame. Ultimately, it narrows on two causes: the fact that Mexico is poverty-stricken and the cultural beliefs concerning condom use and family planning. The epitome of the American super power versus Mexican’s depressant state is the formation of the maquiladoras in Mexico. Maquiladoras are â€Å"American owned plants that depend on the nimble fingers for rapid assembly of parts that are shipped back to the U.S. (Carnegie Corporation 2)." Parts such as toys, sunglasses, garage door openers are assembled daily. It is advantageous for the U.S. because tiny, cumbersome, tedious work is accomplished by cheap labor. It can be argued that it is advantageous for Mexico as well in the sense that it provides thousands of jobs, but women in the maquilas are sexually harassed, depressed and taken advantaged of. While this report does not focus on the maquiladoras, their behavior must be examined because it is these factories that define and represent the border. Generally, maquila workers have less education, averaging a total of 7.3 schooling years, a low income, averaging $1.

HIV Prevention in Africa :: HIV in Africa

HIV prevention in Africa A continuing rise in the number of HIV infected people is not inevitable. There is growing evidence that prevention efforts can be effective, and this includes initiatives in some of the most heavily affected countries. One new study in Zambia has shown success in prevention efforts. The study reported that urban men and women are less sexually active, that fewer had multiple partners and that condoms were used more consistently. This is in line with findings that HIV prevalence has declined significantly among 15-29 year-old urban women (down to 24.1% in 1999 from 28.3% in 1996). Although these rates are still unacceptably high, this drop has prompted a hope that, if Zambia continues this response, it could become the second African country to reverse a devastating epidemic. This suggests that awareness campaigns and prevention programs are now starting to work. But a major challenge is to sustain and build on such uncertain success. What form should AIDS education take? Peer education A social form of education without classrooms or notebooks, where people are educated outside a 'school' environment but still have the opportunity to ask questions. Most peer education focuses on providing information about HIV transmission, answering questions and handing out condoms to people in a workplace, perhaps in a bar, or where a group of women gather to wash clothes. Most peer educators make contact with their target audience at least weekly and their sessions will usually be in the context of informal discussions with individual people or within a group. Active learning Active learning can sometimes link into peer education, especially when AIDS education is aimed at young people, as one of the best methods of learning something oneself is to teach it to others. Blanket education A general message aimed at the population as a whole. Blanket education usually aims to inform the population about which behaviors are risky and to give them support in changing these behaviors. Targeted education This type of strategy is usually used to speak to social groups who are perceived as being at a high risk of HIV infection. It focuses on risky activities particular to the specific target group. AFRICA ALIVE! January of 2000 kicked off the campaign to literally help keep Africa Alive! in the new millennium. The Mission of the Africa Alive! campaign is to give youth the skills they need to fight against HIV/AIDS. The vision is a new generation of Africans who are HIV/AIDS-free.

Responsibility of the Creator Essay

Responsibility of the Creator Elizabeth Shute May 11, 2011 Literature Mrs. O’Kelly I believe Victor Frankenstein was responsible for his creature’s actions. He had many chances to help but he was a too much of a coward. For example, Frankenstein could have helped Justine but he was too scared to speak up. It was his fault she was in jail and it was his fault she died. She was accused of killing William because Victor’s Monster put the necklace in her pocket. Frankenstein felt responsible for his younger brother’s death when he realized that the monster he created murdered William. Frankenstein started to feel as if he himself had committed the murder because of his role in the monster’s existence. Everything the monster did was Frankenstein‘s fault because he was the creator. Rather then he blaming the monster for his downfall, Frankenstein blamed himself because he created the monster’s life. Victor also felt as if he, himself, murdered Justine because she was executed for a crime the monster committed. Elizabeth was altered by the injustice of Justine’s death, and Frankenstein felt responsible for that alteration as well. The chain of events that the monster set off with William’s murder began not with the monster, but with Frankenstein’s desire to create life. He shows his obsession with creating life when he says, â€Å"†¦I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries which I hoped to make. †1 When the creature was complete he rejected it. He could barely look at the disgusting face which he had brought to life. He even says, â€Å"†¦Breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. †2 The  weight  of remorse about his role in the deaths of William and Justine adversely affected Frankenstein’s mental and physical health. His responsibility for their deaths and whatever other destruction the monster may have wreaked on humanity overwhelmed him. When the monster came to Frankenstein to plead his case and tell his story, Frankenstein realized that he had some obligation to the monster because he created it, in the same way that he bore responsibility for the monster’s actions. Frankenstein was no  longer  simply responsible to humanity for the monster’s actions, but he was also responsible to the monster for his happiness. Being the creator of a life was more responsibility than Frankenstein planned for. The monster called upon Frankenstein to fulfill his obligation of providing for his happiness by creating a  female companion  to keep him company. Out of his  sense of  obligation to his creation and out of fear for his family, Frankenstein agreed to make the female monster. His responsibility to humanity carried greater  weight  than the idea of his responsibility to his creature for the actions of the original monster and the new one he agreed to create. He hadn’t yet realized the full  weight  of responsibility he would bear for the actions of both monsters. Before Frankenstein could marry  Elizabeth, he had to complete his obligation to the monster so that he could be completely rid of him and the responsibility for his actions. As a result, Frankenstein postponed the wedding and took a  trip to England to work without the danger of being discovered by his family. His obligation to the monster was not only to ensure the monster’s happiness, which Frankenstein felt obliged to do as the monster’s creator, but also as a way to protect his family from the monster’s vengeance. Before he completed the female monster, Frankenstein realized the  weight  of responsibility he would bear if together the two monsters destroyed any other  human life  or reproduced, and the thought was just too much to bear. Rather than  deal  with the responsibility for two hideous, superhuman creatures, Frankenstein would rather  deal  with the wrath of one, so he destroyed his work on the female monster. So began the battle between Frankenstein and the monster. Frankenstein was responsible for Henry’s death at the hands of the monster, and this grief rendered him ill for a long time. Frankenstein is once again in the position he found himself with William and Justine’s deaths. He didn’t murder Henry, but his friendship with Frankenstein made Henry susceptible to the monster’s wrath because he used Henry to get back at Frankenstein. Although the Irish magistrate acquitted him, Frankenstein knew that he was responsible for Henry’s death because he had defied the monster’s wishes and the monster repaid him by killing his friend. Frankenstein, feeling responsible for  Elizabeth’s death as well as his father’s, vowed vengeance. The only way to absolve his responsibility for the monster’s actions was to kill him, so that’s what Frankenstein set out to do. He was responsible for the monster’s creation and its actions, and he planned to be responsible for the monster’s destruction as well. Frankenstein never admitted to his family what he had done, never admitted or took responsibility for his actions. He might as well have killed Elizabeth, William, Justine, and Henry with his own hand. The so called â€Å"Monster† only wanted companionship; he did not want to murder those people. The circumstances forced him to commit murder. Frankenstein was the instigator of those circumstances. Victor certainly created something that caused destruction, not only in his own life but in others lives as well. Justine took the fall for Victor, dying for his secret. Elizabeth died because Victor chooses not to create another monster. The monster did not necessarily want another monster-like companion, he just wanted acceptance. Victor brought about his own destruction. Victor’s ability to deal with the real world was almost nonexistent. He had only one friend, Clerval. His choice for a wife was a person he called â€Å"cousin†, but in fact was his adopted sister. Did Victor create this so-called â€Å"monster† to have a friend, the one thing the monster wished for? Victor denied his friendship to the monster, but why? The joy of creating life, the monster, overruled his judgment. He was denying the fact he had committed such a vile act upon humanity. He even says, â€Å"A being whom myself had formed, and eluded with life, had met me at midnight among the precipices of an inaccessible mountain. †3 Victor may have admitted to creating the monster, but he denied that he had driven the monster to commit murder. He needed to admit, not only to himself, but to his family that he was the one responsible for William’s murder. By not admitting this, he allowed his friend Clerval and his wife Elizabeth to be murdered as well. His determination that his secret not be discovered became his downfall. Victor was responsible for every action of his own and for the actions of the monster. Frankenstein’s monster only wanted to be accepted for what he was. The monster needed a friend. Someone he could talk to, someone to love him, and someone to love back. Friendship was not possible. Unfortunately, the human race is very shallow. In the monster’s own words he says, â€Å"†¦they spurn and hate me. †4 We tend to judge the appearances of others, rather than getting to know the person inside. A person’s appearance is only the shell in which they live, it never reflects the person they are. Frankenstein’s monster wanted a friend, not judgment; but even his creator rejected him, not once but multiple times. The second time Victor rejected him he says, â€Å"Devil’, I exclaimed, ‘do you dare approach me? And do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head? Be gone, vile insect†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 5 In the end, Frankenstein didn’t care whether he lived or died. Victor wants the war to end. He has lost every battle he and the monster have fought. I only think that He wished death upon the monster so that the murders will stop. Even in the end Frankenstein was selfish. He did not want anything to stand in the way of science. Had he learned nothing? At least Walton had learned that maybe people should take responsibility for their actions. Walton did let the crew turn the boat around and not face the inevitable, death. Frankenstein made his bed, and now he’s lying in it. In the end, Frankenstein died while the monster survived. So in the end, Frankenstein lost everything. Frankenstein led himself down the path of destruction. He lost his friend, wife, and brother. He was loved by no one. All those whom he had cared about were dead. His experiment had turned him into a shell of hatred and despair. His focus on his creation, led him to a black hole, from which there was no escape. Frankenstein’s ambition did lead to disaster, but he was also the monster with no regard for human life. Now that Frankenstein was in the afterlife, the monster could now end his own life. His quest was over.

Impacts of Motivation in Employee Performance Essay

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Back Ground of the Study The study was attempted to investigate analytically the major causes of employees’ motivation in Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. To accomplish this, the research was considered to take appropriate data that relevant to the problem. Since, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia is the major sector that supports the current development of Ethiopia economy and the five years of transformation plan, so it should be better to take study to identify the major causes that affects of employees’ motivation toward their work and to propose necessary tools of solution to mitigate the problem. This will be at least a solution currently and in the future for the organization. The major initiatives to conduct this study are also one of the researchers is working in Commercial Bank of Ethiopia that observe most of employees are not satisfied or motivated to work. This forced the rest researchers to examine the basic problems of human resource management unable to conduct how frequently motivate emp loyees’ in the existing work place using financial and non financial tools. If this problems not solved, it may affects the image of the organization, belongingness workers etc†¦gradually. Considering this, it should be necessary to conduct study to identify the major causes of employees’ dissatisfaction in their work place that affects motivation, and the drawback of motivation packages relative to the image of the organization and its strategic plan which is to be â€Å"Classic Bank In The World†. To do an extensive study, the researcher performed methodological ways of gathering data pursuant to the problems and objective of the study paper. The employees are one of the vital resources or ingredient that will help organization to achieve its objectives. Employees supply their talents, knowledge, skill and experience towards to the achievement of organizational objectives. To get maximum performance from employees, the organization must have the necessary motivational scheme that encourages employees for better performance. Optimizing performance of employees by motivational factors is challenging and sensitive due to uniqueness of working force which came to organization from different socio-economical background. Performances of motivated employees create high productivity, innovativeness and good attitudes towards the organizations. There is a relationship between motivational factors and some facts of the employees behavior such as performance, turnover, absenteeism, poor attendance, willingness to do more, creativity, flexibility, and commitment to the organization. So motivation has important implications because it affects the individual quality of work, life, and performance. Therefore, managers are expected to have necessary skill on how to motivate employees. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia as a service rendering organization thereby maximizing its profit, its quality of service is highly determined by devotion of its employees. Therefore, the bank has to give importance to the recruitment of educated employees, to staff training and the improvement of workers’ benefit packages. Besides, it has to revise its benefit package with a view to motivating its staff towards greater efficiency and competence. In general, the study was focused on to investigate the real causes of employees’ dissatisfaction at their work place in the Bank and its impacts toward the image, rest of employees’ belongingness. 1.2 Back Ground of the Organization Currently, the Commercial Bank Ethiopia (CBE) has 15 district offices and above 300 branches throughout the country serving as market outlets. As the largest bank and development partner of the Ethiopian Government, the CBE has transferred Birr 1.23 Billion in 2008 1 to the coffers/treasure of the state. In 2005/2006, the market share of the Bank was 24% and 76% for credit extension and deposit mobilization, in that order. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) is the leading Bank in the country. It has over 8,600 employees and close to 2 million accounts holders throughout the country, and total asset of Birr 73.7billion, total deposit and other liabilities of Birr 56.1 billion and outstanding loans of Birr 22.9 billion, and close to 70 years of solid accumulated banking experience. The CBE is in the forefront of the banking industry in meeting the financial needs of the various sectors, sub-sectors and ongoing varied investment projects in the economy. It has diversified credit portfolio with loan facilities extended ranging from farmers’ cooperatives to commercial farmers and large manufacturing and construction project. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia currently has given services for customers such as Deposit, Loan service, foreign currency service etc†¦ The CBE has a vision to be world a worldwide class commercial bank by 2025.It has also set a strategy of exceeding customers and stake holder’s expectation through service excellence and business growth supporting the development efforts in the country. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia currently played a great role for the development of the economy to achieve the million goal of the country. (CBE Public Relations Documentation, 2011). 1.3 Statement of the Problem It is obvious that currently Commercial Bank of Ethiopia is a major blood for the current economic growth of Ethiopia. In order to fulfill this, the company mobilized big amount of foreign and domestic currency to facilitate and support high investment process in the economy. To perform effectively this, the firm should have well developed human resource management tools to enhance the work forces motivation toward their work which help to create loyal and belonging employees in the work area. This has a direct relationship with the service quality level to satisfy the existing and prospect customers. Moreover to introduce new and modern type of working system throughout the organization, there should be also a sound strategy of workers motivation program, which helps to increase workers retention in the bank. Organizations that only focus on its goal, without considering the factors of employees motivation toward their works has become a cause of fragility of the business in the long run. In this essence, employees that are not satisfied in their organization could not be initiated to exert more efforts effectively in the organization, instead they will look for other opportunities externally and vote with their feet by moving their allegiance to competitors, and this will affect the firms in the long run. The outcomes of the research will help the organization to take the necessary corrective measurements in the future and to revise its motivation strategy of employees. Because of the above major problems, the existing employees’ lack confidence on the bank. Moreover, the bank faces problem of employees’ turnover due to lack of effective motivation, this also results in high cost of getting experienced employees and recruiting of new one. Therefore; regarding the above problem, the study attempted to respond the following basic research questions. 1.What is the feeling and attitudes of employees towards to motivational factors used in Commercial Bank of Ethiopia? 2.What are the consequences of job dis-satisfaction in Commercial Bank of Ethiopia? 3.What are the consequences of lack of motivated employees’ performance? 4.What is the effect of motivation on employees’ loyalty to the organization? 5.What kind of action should be taken by the bank to increase employees’ motivation toward work areas? 6.What are the basic factors for employees’ motivation in the work area? Is it financial or non financial benefits? 1.4 Objective of the study Due to lack of effective motivation, most employees are dissatisfied to their work place; this creates desperate work forces that perform their work till to get other opportunities of work in order to get the root of the problem the study set the following objectives. General objective The general objective of the study was to identify the causes and impacts of lack of employees’ motivation and to identify the basic causes of dissatisfaction of employees to ward their work, which aggravated lack of employees’ motivation. Specific Objective †¢To indicate which is the basic factors for lack of employees motivation currently in the bank †¢To show the relation between lack of employees’ motivation impacts and employees’ turnover. †¢To assess the potential consequences of lack of employees’ motivation in the Bank. †¢ To set appropriate recommendation for the problem based on the findings. 1.5 Significance of the study The study identified the major causes of employees’ dissatisfaction, which is a major factor that affects motivation of employees at the work area. The outcomes of the research help to increase employees’ satisfaction at their works that support to increase the service level of customers’ satisfaction. Moreover, increase of work force motivation has also a direct relationship to minimize turnover in the bank. The other advantages of increase of motivation of employees at the work area are enables employees to enhance their loyalty for the organization and at the same time employees’ belongingness increase. This also helps for the reputation of the image of the bank. Employees will increase their efficiency to serve their customers with smiling face. Moreover also; the study provided a hint for other researchers as a reference, and the findings of the study will help to give valuable information for top management to establish new system to increase employe es’ motivation. 1.6 Scope of the study The study considered major causes of employees’ lack of motivation in the Bank especially focusing in the area of Addis Ababa core operation. It scopes limited to study employees’ lack of motivation in Addis Ababa area only, by taking as a population and sample of the existing employees. 1.7 Limitation of the Study The major limitation of the study is constraints of time and collecting appropriate data from respondents since there was few samples unwillingness to return the questionnaires properly. 1.8 Research Methodology 1.8.1 Research Design The study applied the following types of research method to investigate the problems. The research is designed by using both Primary & Secondary data. 1.8.2 Source of Data & Methods of Data Collection The method of data collection carried out by distribution of questioners, which consist of both closed and open-end questioners. The questioners were being the main instrument of primary data collection. The secondary data gathered from different books, literature review, internet and printed materials. 1.8.3Sampling Design & Techniques A sampling technique of random sampling adopted by taking the sample from the selected four city branches and two departments of Manager and non-manager line staff employees of commercial bank of Ethiopia. The total population was taken 200. 1.8.4Methods of Data Analysis Descriptive and explanatory methods of data analysis applied. Test hypothesis for possible interdependence and effect relation ships conducted for easy understanding of trends of some patterns of distribution, table, percentage and interpretation of data conducted based on the response and theoretical concepts. 1.9 Organization of the paper The study paper included four chapters. The first chapter is about the introduction part which contains back ground, statement of problems, objective of the study, significance, methodology of research, limitation of the study and organization of the paper. In Chapter II, Theoretical concepts from internet are included. Chapter III included the important part of the study, which is data analysis and interpretation, this lead to the final Chapter IV, which described the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendation of the paper. CHAPTER TWO 2. LITERATURE REVIEW OF MOTIVATION 2.1 Motivation and Motivation Theory The term motivation is derived from the Latin word movere, meaning â€Å"to move.† Motivation can be broadly defined as the forces acting on or within a person that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of goal-directed, voluntary effort. Motivation theory is thus concerned with the processes that explain why and how human behavior is activated. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). The broad rubric of motivation and motivation theory is one of the most frequently studied and written-about topics in the organizational sciences, and is considered one of the most important areas of study in the field of organizational behavior. Despite the magnitude of the effort that has been devoted to the study of motivation, there is no single theory of motivation that is universally accepted. The lack of a unified theory of motivation reflects both the complexity of the construct and the diverse backgrounds and aims of those who study it. To delineate these crucial points, it is illuminating to consider the development of motivation and motivation theory as the objects of scientific inquiry. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.2 Historical Development Early explanations of motivation focused on instincts. Psychologists writing in the late 19th and early twentieth century have suggested that human beings were basically programmed to behave in certain ways, depending upon the behavioral cues to which they were exposed. Sigmund Freud, for example, argued that the most powerful determinants of individual behavior were those of which the individual was not consciously aware. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). According to Motivation and Leadership at Work (Steers, Porter, and Bigley, 1996), in the early twentieth century researchers began to examine other possible explanations for differences in individual motivation. Some researchers focused on internal drives as an explanation for motivated behavior. Others studied the effect of learning and how individuals base current behavior on the consequences of past behavior. Still others examined the influence of individuals’ cognitive processes, such as the beliefs they have about future events. Over time, these major theoretical streams of research in motivation were classified into two major schools: the content theories of motivation and the process theories of motivation. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.3 Major Content Theories Content (or need) theories of motivation focus on factors internal to the individual that energize and direct behavior. In general, such theories regard motivation as the product of internal drives that compel an individual to act or move (hence, â€Å"motivate†) toward the satisfaction of individual needs. The content theories of motivation are based in large part on early theories of motivation that traced the paths of action backward to their perceived origin in internal drives. Major content theories of motivation are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Alderfer’s ERG theory, Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory, and McClelland’s learned needs or three-needs theory. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.3.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs, which suggests that individual needs exist in a hierarchy consisting of physiological needs, security needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Physiological needs are the most basic needs for food, water, and other factors necessary for survival. Security needs include needs for safety in one’s physical environment, stability, and freedom from emotional distress. Belongingness needs relate to desires for friendship, love, and acceptance within a given community of individuals. Esteem needs are those associated with obtaining the respect of one’s self and others. Finally, self-actualization needs are those corresponding to the achievement one’s own potential, the exercising and testing of one’s creative capacities, and, in general, to becoming the best person one can possibly be. Unsatisfied needs motivate behavior; thus, lower-level needs such as the physiological and security needs must be met before upper-level needs such as belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization can be motivational. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). Applications of the hierarchy of needs to management and the workplace are obvious. According to the implications of the hierarchy, individuals must have their lower level needs met by, for example, safe working conditions, adequate pay to take care of one’s self and one’s family, and job security before they will be motivated by increased job responsibilities, status, and challenging work assignments. Despite the ease of application of this theory to a work setting, this theory has received little research support and therefore is not very useful in practice. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.3.2 Alderfer’s Erg Theory. The ERG theory is an extension of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Alderfer suggested that needs could be classified into three categories, rather than five. These three types of needs are existence, relatedness, and growth. Existence needs are similar to Maslow’s physiological and safety need categories. Relatedness needs involve interpersonal relationships and are comparable to aspects of Maslow’s belongingness and esteem needs. Growth needs are those related to the attainment of one’s potential and are associated with Maslow’s esteem and self-actualization needs. 1.The ERG theory differs from the hierarchy of needs in that it does not suggest that lower-level needs must be completely satisfied before upper-level needs become motivational. ERG theory also suggests that if an individual is continually unable to meet upper-level needs that the person will regress and lower-level needs become the major determinants of their motivation. ERG theory’s implications for managers are similar to those for the needs hierarchy: managers should focus on meeting employees’ existence, relatedness, and growth needs, though without necessarily applying the proviso that, say, job-safety concerns necessarily take precedence over challenging and fulfilling job requirements. (http://wwww.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf). 2.3.3 Motivator-Hygiene Theory. Frederick Herzberg developed the motivator-hygiene theory. This theory is closely related to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs but relates more specifically to how individuals are motivated in the workplace. Based on his research, Herzberg argued that meeting the lower-level needs (hygiene factors) of individuals would not motivate them to exert effort, but would only prevent them from being dissatisfied. Only if higher-level needs (motivators) were met would individuals be motivated. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). The implication for managers of the motivator-hygiene theory is that meeting employees lower-level needs by improving pay, benefits, safety, and other job-contextual factors will prevent employees from becoming actively dissatisfied but will not motivate them to exert additional effort toward better performance. To motivate workers, according to the theory, managers must focus on changing the intrinsic nature and content of jobs themselves by â€Å"enriching† them to increase employees’ autonomy and their opportunities to take on additional responsibility, gain recognition, and develop their skills and careers. 2.3.4 Mcclelland’s Learned Needs Theory. McClelland’s theory suggests that individuals learn needs from their culture. Three of the primary needs in this theory are the need for affiliation (n Aff), the need for power (n Pow), and the need for achievement (n Ach). The need for affiliation is a desire to establish social relationships with others. The need for power reflects a desire to control one’s environment and influence others. The need for achievement is a desire to take responsibility, set challenging goals, and obtain performance feedback. The main point of the learned needs theory is that when one of these needs is strong in a person, it has the potential to motivate behavior that leads to its satisfaction. Thus, managers should attempt to develop an understanding of whether and to what degree their employees have one or more of these needs, and the extent to which their jobs can be structured to satisfy them. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.4 Major Process Theories Process (or cognitive) theories of motivation focus on conscious human decision processes as an explanation of motivation. The process theories are concerned with determining how individual behavior is energized, directed, and maintained in the specifically willed and self-directed human cognitive processes. Process theories of motivation are based on early cognitive theories, which posit that behavior is the result of conscious decision-making processes. The major process theories of motivation are expectancy theory, equity theory, goal-setting theory, and reinforcement theory. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.4.1 Expectancy Theory. In the early 1960s, Victor Vroom applied concepts of behavioral research conducted in the 1930s by Kurt Lewin and Edward Tolman directly to work motivation. Basically, Vroom suggested that individuals choose work behaviors that they believe lead to outcomes they value. In deciding how much effort to put into a work behavior, individuals are likely to consider: †¢Their expectancy, meaning the degree to which they believe that putting forth effort will lead to a given level of performance. †¢Their instrumentality or the degree to which they believe that a given level of performance will result in certain outcomes or rewards. †¢Their valence, which is the extent to which the expected outcomes are attractive or unattractive. All three of these factors are expected to influence motivation in a multiplicative fashion, so that for an individual to be highly motivated, all three of the components of the expectancy model must be high. And, if even one of these is zero (e.g., instrumentality and valence are high, but expectancy is completely absent), the person will have not motivation for the task. Thus, managers should attempt, to the extent possible, to ensure that their employees believe that increased effort will improve performance and that performance will lead to valued rewards. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). In the late 1960s, Porter and Lawler published an extension of the Vroom expectancy model, which is known as the Porter-Lawler expectancy model or simply the Porter-Lawler model. Although the basic premise of the Porter-Lawler model is the same as for Vroom’s model, the Porter-Lawler model is more complex in a number of ways. It suggests that increased effort does not automatically lead to improved performance because individuals may not possess the necessary abilities needed to achieve high levels of performance, or because they may have an inadequate or vague perception of how to perform necessary tasks. Without an understanding of how to direct effort effectively, individuals may exert considerable effort without a corresponding increase in performance. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.4.2 Equity Theory. Equity theory suggests that individuals engage in social comparison by comparing their efforts and rewards with those of relevant others. The perception of individuals about the fairness of their rewards relative to others influences their level of motivation. Equity exists when individuals perceive that the ratio of efforts to rewards is the same for them as it is for others to whom they compare themselves. Inequity exists when individuals perceive that the ratio of efforts to rewards is different (usually negatively so) for them than it is for others to whom they compare themselves. There are two types of inequity—under-reward and over-reward. Under-reward occurs when a person believes that she is either puts in more efforts than another, yet receives the same reward, or puts in the same effort as another for a lesser reward. For instance, if an employee works longer hours than her coworker, yet they receive the same salary, the employee would perceive inequity in the form o f under-reward. Conversely, with over-reward, a person will feel that his efforts to rewards ratio is higher than another person’s, such that he is getting more for putting in the same effort, or getting the same reward even with less effort. While research suggests that under-reward motivates individuals to resolve the inequity, research also indicates that the same is not true for over-reward. Individuals who are over-rewarded often engage in cognitive dissonance, convincing themselves that their efforts and rewards are equal to another’s. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). According to the equity theory, individuals are motivated to reduce perceived inequity. Individuals may attempt to reduce inequity in various ways. A person may change his or her level of effort; an employee who feels under-rewarded is likely to work less hard. A person may also try to change his or her rewards, such as by asking for a raise. Another option is to change the behavior of the reference person, perhaps by encouraging that person to put forth more effort. Finally, a person experiencing inequity may change the reference person and compare him or herself to a different person to assess equity. For managers, equity theory emphasizes the importance of a reward system that is perceived as fair by employees. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.4.3 Goal-Setting Theory. The goal-setting theory posits that goals are the most important factors affecting the motivation and behavior of employees. This motivation theory was developed primarily by Edwin Locke and Gary Latham. Goal-setting theory emphasizes the importance of specific and challenging goals in achieving motivated behavior. Specific goals often involve quantitative targets for improvement in a behavior of interest. Research indicates that specific performance goals are much more effective than those in which a person is told to â€Å"do your best.† Challenging goals are difficult but not impossible to attain. Empirical research supports the proposition that goals that are both specific and challenging are more motivational than vague goals or goals that are relatively easy to achieve. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). Several factors may moderate the relationship between specific and challenging goals and high levels of motivation. The first of these factors is goal commitment, which simply means that the more dedicated the individual is to achieving the goal, the more they will be motivated to exert effort toward goal accomplishment. Some research suggests that having employees participate in goal setting will increase their level of goal commitment. A second factor relevant to goal-setting theory is self-efficacy, which is the individual’s belief that he or she can successfully complete a particular task. If individuals have a high degree of self-efficacy, they are likely to respond more positively to specific and challenging goals than if they have a low degree of self-efficacy. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.4.4 Reinforcement Theory. This theory can be traced to the work of the pioneering behaviorist B.F. Skinner. It is considered a motivation theory as well as a learning theory. Reinforcement theory posits that motivated behavior occurs as a result of reinforces, which are outcomes resulting from the behavior that makes it more likely the behavior will occur again. This theory suggests that it is not necessary to study needs or cognitive processes to understand motivation, but that it is only necessary to examine the consequences of behavior. Behavior that is reinforced is likely to continue, but behavior that is not rewarded or behavior that is punished is not likely to be repeated. Reinforcement theory suggests to managers that they can improve employees’ performance by a process of behavior modification in which they reinforce desired behaviors and punish undesired behaviors. (http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcb/hrm/pdf.fcle/e-motivation). 2.5 People Motivation- Non – financial Notes Most business recognizes the need for non- financial methods of motivation. The main ones are described briefly below. 2.5.1 Job Enlargement Job enlargement involves adding extra, similar tasks to a job. In job enlargement, the job itself remains essentially unchanged. However, by widening the range of tasks that need to be performed, hopefully the employees will experience less repetition and monotony. With job enlargement, the employees rarely need to acquire new skills to carry out the additional task. A possible negative effect is that job enlargement can be viewed by employees as a requirement to carry out more work for the same pay. (http://tutor ). 2.5.2 Job Rotation Job rotation involves the movement of employees through a range of jobs in order to increase interest and motivation. For example, an administrative employee might spent part of the week looking after the reception area of business, dealing with customers and enquires. Some time might then be spent manning the company telephone switch board and then inputting data onto a database. Job rotation may offer the advantage of making it easier to cover for absent colleagues, but it may also reduce productivity as workers are initially unfamiliar with a new task. Job rotation also often involves the need for extra training. (http://tutor ). 2.5.3 Job enrichment Job enrichment attempts to give employees greater responsibility by increasing the range and complexity of tasks they are asked to do and giving them the necessary authority. It motivates by giving employees the opportunity to use their abilities to the fullest. Successful job enrichment almost always requires further investment in employee training. (http://tutor ). 2.5.4 Team Working and Empowerment Empowerment involves giving people greater control over their working lives. Organizing the labour force into team with degree of autonomy can achieve this. This means that employees plan their own work, take their own decision and solve their own problems. Teams are set targets to achieve and may receive and may receive rewards for doing so. Empowerment teams are an increasingly popular method of organizing employees at work. (http://tutor ).

Baskin Robbins Executive Summary

BR is a global chain of ice cream parlors founded in Glendale, California by Burton Baskin and Irvine Robbins, ice cream enthusiast brothers-in-law, whose passion inspired what is now the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops. What was once a selection of 31 flavors—Baskin-Robbins â€Å"31 ®Ã¢â‚¬  stands for a different ice cream flavor for each day of the month—has grown to more than 1,000 in its flavor library. â€Å"We sell fun, not ice cream. Today, Baskin-Robbins is the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty stores, serving over 150 million customers worldwide, but the brand is still guided by the same credos and innovative thinking as its founders. Baskin-Robbins has historically led the industry with innovations such as hand-packed quarts of ice cream, a unique flavor ribbon technique and the use of traditional ingredients such as apple pie and cheesecake. And, Baskin-Robbins continues to introduce new creations that surprise and delight customers – in 2008 the brand launched Soft Serve, making it the largest national chain to offer both Soft Serve and hand scooped ice cream. Additional products include layered sundaes, signature ice cream cakes and a growing line of beverages, including Fruit Blasts, Fruit Blast Smoothies, Cappuccino Blast ® and shakes. Dunkin' Donuts, BR and Togo's, formerly branded together as Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants (ADQSR), now are known as Dunkin' Brands, Inc. The new name comes with a tagline: â€Å"eat. drink. hink. † that headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts. In December, Dunkin' Brands was acquired by a U. S. investment group of Bain Capital, Thomas Lee Partners and the Carlyle Group. They have leveraged the brand equity and success of Dunkin' Donuts to create a name that clearly identifies their business and provides immediate recognition in the global marketplace. The re-branding has created renewed motivation from the teams of talented people involved with each brand and the organization, providing the resources to drive strategic market expansion both nationally and internationally.