Development of Nude Photography Essay

The paper attempts to critically examine, albeit briefly, the impacts of socio-cultural structures in the development of nude photography as an art form. It highlights the broad comparison of Asian and Western nude photography by showcasing some leading photographers specializing in nudist photographs. The workings of the social norms and societal structures, including conservative state apparatuses in some cultures, will also be briefly illustrated as far as they affect the form and content of works of the respective artist-photographers. A. Development of nude photography across cultural divide and time Nude photography is a distinct branch of art photography using humans in still position as subjects. Majority of art critics hold the dominant view that nude photography studies the human body and not the person. The latter pertains to portrait photography, which is a significantly different form. As will be illustrated later, this dominant view is being continually challenged, notably Araki Nobuyoshi, a controversial and highly prolific Japanese photographer. Nude photography is dissimilar from erotic photography, which is actually suggestive of erotic and sexual contents. Although there are established criteria in differentiating one from the other, an evaluation of whether a photograph is a valid nudist photo or a pornographic material remains largely with the viewer. More liberal and aggressive photo styles and techniques blur further the already thin dividing line between art and pornography. Nude photography did not develop as one single movement. It began as separate changes in individual preferences of various notable photographers, particularly in the early 20th century. Nudity, however, has been a favorite subject of paintings and sculpture, famously beginning with classical Greek sculptures and Renaissance paintings. Admittedly, artist-photographers in Western countries were the first to explore the use of nude women as subject, owing largely to more liberal atmosphere compared to their Asian counterparts. Some of the leading initiators of the new photography art form were Felix-Jacques Moulin, Edward Weston, Ruth Bernhard and Jerry Avenaim. Asian nude photography developed albeit later than its Western counterparts did. Conservative mores and restrictive culture impeded smoother and faster evolution of nudity as both an art form and content. Societies that were largely dictated by highly formal familial structure did not provide the ideal environment for the rapid development of nude photography. Such situation can be viewed differently, however. On the one hand, the restrictive atmosphere discouraged many promising professional photographers in exploring the use of nude subjects, fearful of being rejected by the society and ostracized in the art community. Since most of the photos were featured in local photo exhibits, they took the limited form of publication, allowing the government to exercise prior restraint measures, such as censorship. The case of Nobuyoshi is particularly interesting, because no less than the literal physical might of the Japanese government, supposedly as a repository of public interest and welfare, prohibited the exhibition and publication of some of his relatively controversial art works. On the other hand, the earlier social restrictions on nudist art photography unwittingly provided also a good breeding ground for defiance, with varying outcomes. Nobuyoshi, aside from being a highly prolific photographer, emerged as a controversial public figure because of his experimentation of nudist photos, sometimes including sado-masochistic contents and strong visual imagery of the human genitalia. Extending the limits of the society is still a powerful weapon of the oppressed. Economic development also came much later among countries in Asia. Most of these countries experienced socio-political upheavals as they strived to free themselves from colonial bondage. They also struggled in eventually demolishing whatever remaining post-colonial structures controlled by local elites who replaced their previous colonial masters. Art, in general, was just one of the tools used by those who wanted to reform their societies. Photography, along with other visual arts, is a powerful medium that could effectively increase the potency of the message reformists want to embed in the public psyche. One study conducted by Willem van Schendel of the University of Amsterdam and International Institute of Social History is particularly enlightening. The study involved a minority indigenous group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a district in Bangladesh. The study reveals how photography was utilized as a potent tool against the localized colonial onslaught by more economically dominant Bangladeshi districts and cities—a grim reminder of the country’s colonial history. It also showcases the adverse impacts of what Schendel calls as â€Å"enforced nudity†. B. Edward Weston and other leading Western nude photographers Edward Weston was an American photographer born towards the end of the 19th century. He was born at the time when the artist community started reviving the Renaissance cultural legacy and reached the zenith of his career as an artist-photographer at the time when the so-called â€Å"Sexual Revolution† was slowly beginning to invade the United States. Weston started exploring photography as an adolescent using a camera given to him by his father. Although born of a family with a relatively strong intellectual tradition, he dismissed the virtue of completing formal education and began concentrating on photography and exploring various techniques that eventually led him to fame. When Weston was already embarking on his photography career, the prevailing art genre was pictorialism. Pictorialist photography is characterized by the suppression of finer details through photo manipulation. Some people called it as the abstract painting version of photography. Photography then was not considered strictly as an art form, unlike the typical paintings and sculptures. Pioneering artist-photographers wanted to emulate the painting as a legitimate art form, hence the manipulation of the photo outputs to mimic abstract paintings. Pictorialism was essentially used as a critical vehicle in the eventual acceptance of photography as a valid art. The leading figure in the said art movement was Alfred Stieglitz, notably starting with his Camera Work publication from 1913-1917. Weston eventually abandoned Pictorialism in favor of straight photography. Together with other notable colleagues, such as Ansel Adams and William Van Dyke, Weston founded the Group f/64, then initially composed of seven 20th century-photographers based in San Francisco, US. The group wanted to offer an alternative paradigm, employing unadulterated and purist version of photos, with subjects usually confined to those naturally existing objects. Western nude photographers were relatively not adversely affected by socio-political upheavals experienced then in less developed societies around the world. They enjoyed more liberal atmosphere, allowing them wider breadth to explore unusual and more controversial subjects. One specific issue, however, hounded Weston, in particular. At the time when he was slowly building his budding career, he was relatively located apart from his fellow photographers, mostly living and exhibiting in New York and other areas in the east coast. At that time, Weston was living in California. Photo reproduction was then still a developing technology, mostly relying on photo templates that required greater task in reproducing them. The state of technology and his physical location provided the fertile ground for the development of his unique ideas on photography. To a certain extent, Weston is considered by art historians as the primary precursor of purist nude photography in the United States. C. Araki Nobuyoshi briefly showcased Nobuyoshi is a leading and highly controversial Japanese photographer born in 1940 in Tokyo. He started his passion in photography when he was employed by Dentsu, Inc. , an advertising company. Soon, he embarked on a more independent career path, submitting majority of his works to leading magazines and other publications in Japan. Nobuyoshi is a seemingly interesting case. Despite living in a much-developed country compared to Japan’s neighboring countries in Asia, he was not exempted from the restrictive government regulating arms, largely influenced by the dominant socio-cultural and moral tenets. In fact, as recent as 1992, police officers raided a photo gallery where his famous book by Nobuyoshi, entitled â€Å"Erotos†, was being sold. Police personnel arrested various people behind the event on obscenity grounds. A year earlier, he was slapped with a 300,000-yen fine because of erotic photos in a photo exhibit titled â€Å"Photo-maniac Diary†. In stark contrast to the repressive state censorship of his works in Japan, â€Å"Erotos† was widely acclaimed in Western countries, with the book’s Austrian publisher expressing shock and utter disappointment. Weston and Nobuyoshi share one specific photo style. Unlike most other nude photographers who remain focused on the body shape and not the person as the dominant subject, Weston and Nobuyoshi took many photos depicting even clearly showing the human face. It was a substantial departure from the prevalent and more careful technique that gives lesser emphasis on the human face, cognizant of the blurry line dividing nude photography and pornography. Nobuyoshi went even further by taking countless photos of the human genitalia, explaining largely why he is both loved and hated by art critics in his own country. Conclusion As elucidated earlier, the evolution of nude photography as another legitimate art form did not come about as a sudden explosion of defiance against the dominant genre in photography. The state of technology in photo reproduction and existing socio-cultural tenets dictated the pace of development of nude photography as an alternative art form. Western countries, with better equipment and more liberal atmosphere, were responsible in the initial appearance of nudist photos as distinctly different from erotic and pornographic materials. Photos of nude women gained wider and smoother acceptance among the literati in these countries. Asian nude photographers have an entirely different experience. As indicated in the case of Nobuyoshi, they were struggling against repressive social structures that were consequently translated into literal censorship of their works by government authorities. Despite the economic boon Japan was experiencing as late as the 1990s, oppressive and conservative structures and mindset had then yet to be demolished and replaced. Bibliography Hirsch, Robert, â€Å"Seizing the Light: A History of Photography. † NY: McGraw-Hill, 2000 â€Å"Nude Photography. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nude_photography â€Å"Pictorialism. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pictorialism van Schendel, William. â€Å"A Politics of Nudity: Photography of the ‘Naked Mru’ of Bangladesh. † Cambridge Journals. http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=100313

Bottled Water Essay

Bottled water is one of the easiest ways for getting â€Å"good† water. Bottled water is every where in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. People think that bottled water is the best option for their health instead of drinking tap water because they say tap water is not completely pure. What they don’t know is that tap water is the same as drinking bottled water because industries like Nestle gives us tap water in plastic bottles. Plastic bottles contain many chemicals that damage our system by giving us different diseases. This increases the risk of people getting diseases while years pass. People don’t research enough about how is bottled water is made and how they are just taking away our money in this type of products. Before watching the video about bottled water, I realized how bottled water affects our system like a person and how it affects our environment. After watching the video I really didn’t drank bottled water because I am an ecologic person. I have always recycled bottles and in my old school I promoted ways to recycle bottles, and why to recycle. I realized all the pollution is going on in the earth and I like to keep it clean. Even if I am the only person who is recycling one person makes some how some difference for the planet to breath at least a little bit. It makes me sad how people don’t care about our planet knowing all the struggles and the lack of resources we now have. I have my personal plastic bottled to refill to drink water. This is some how good for the planet because we can use one water bottled and drink tap water and recycle. If industries like Nestle are giving us tap water in their fancy plastic bottles to make us believe that they are giving us pure water, why not drink tap water if it is the same. In reality, bottled water is just water. Bottle water means garbage, plastic bottles just makes more garbage in the planet and not all of them are recycled as the recycled industries say they are. Most of them end in the Pacific Ocean, rivers, lakes, etc. Plastic bottles besides killing us with their chemicals they also kill animals. This plastic bottles end up in lakes and in natural environments. Fish, birds, and other animals end up eating some how plastic because it is in their environment, this increases the percentage of animals dying in our natural environment; causing endangered animals. It makes me sad how people knowing how plastic bottles or even in my Earth Science class know how tap water is the same as bottled water are the same and they keep buying them. Why not buy your own plastic water and drink tap water if it is going to be the same kind of product and this way we can recycle by using the same water bottle many times, and drinking the same product that industries like Nestle are providing us in bottled water. I hope that with this critical analysis some of my classmates realize how bottled water is bad for their health and how bottled water damage not only us but also our environment. There are many things going on besides bottled water polluting our environment and damage other living animals. Lets no be selfish and take in consideration all of this information. http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/faq/pdfs/fs_healthseries_bottlewater.pdf http://www.rd.com/health/rethink-what-you-drink/ http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/water/wattap.html http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/tapped/

Global Talent Part II Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Talent Part II - Assignment Example I would therefore want to elaborate on your response by suggesting some of these innovative ways. At my organization, we saw that if attracting new talent was going to be difficult, we needed to switch to the idea of retaining talent. This is because Becker, Huselid and Ulrich (2001) finds retention as one of the best ways organizations can nurture talent. In the light of this, we used very simple HR metrics that made it possible to discover ways in which employees could be motivated intrinsically and thus retained. The challenge you faced in your organization is a typical example of what Becker, Huselid & Ulrich (2001) refers to as inefficiency with the HR metric system. This is because your organization was not able to appreciate the need to measuring only what it needed to use. In the long run, it had to pay an undesirable cost of not using what it needed to use at all. With my understanding in research, I find that there are some innovative ways by which your organization could have avoided the inefficiency. First, it was important that you did not start collecting data with the metric till you knew exactly what you needed the data for. This is because Mondore, Douthitt & Carson (2011) asked a question in terms of HR management that â€Å"if it is not broken why fix it?† The essence of this question is that it is always important to first have a background data collection approach that makes it possible to discover loopholes that need to be filled in the organization. With the loopho les found, it then becomes necessary to implement the HR metric in a manner that is profitable to the

Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection Essay

Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection - Essay Example Adults have a tendency of resisting learning when feel the trainer is imposing ideas or information on them. They have to be aware of the benefits they achieve by learning something and the cost of not learning (Cooper and McIntyre, 1996; Hinchliff, 2009). In this case, the presentation was based on the valid needs of the audience. The audience was composed of nursing students who would gain from learning about the BiPAP and Non-Invasive Ventilation. The learning activities were based around real work experiences and the lesson plan contained details of the learning objectives, content, resources, and outcomes. An adult is someone who has a self-concept of his or her own life and is responsible for making life decisions and coping with the consequences (O'neil and Marsick, 2007). Adults develop the need to be seen as being capable of taking responsibility (Rogers, 2002; Hinchcliff, 2004). The trainer should design a self-directed learning situation where the learner is in charge of most of the learning activities. The learning process should incorporate several options for learning such as reading texts and internet resources (Quinn, 2000; Quinn and Hughes, 2007). The presentation had a video that would provide more information on the ventilation mechanisms. Adult learners also apply their experience into the current learning activity.

How children from a divorced family are effected Essay

How children from a divorced family are effected - Essay Example The specific dialogues are taken from the hit sitcom show two and a half men declared as the biggest comedy hit of the last decade by The New York Times. The sitcom is based on the life of Harper brothers; Charlie and Alan Harper and Alan’s son Jake, who is referred to as a half man in the title of the sitcom. After the divorce Alan and Jake move to Charlie’s place forming unique relationships amongst themselves with changing circumstances and behaviors exhibited by these three characters. Alan is a dim wit and weak personality with childhood issues of his own, lives with his brother but has no say in the household matters. He has a tendency to be obnoxious, exhibits vindictive behavior towards her mother and sees his alcoholic sex addicted brother as an inspiration. Jake is a lethargic child with low self esteem and no real ambitions, after his parent’s divorce he spends time with his mother and father but is more influenced by his father and uncle. He has low i ntelligence and no concern for personal hygiene but is aware of the norms prevalent in the house; norms set by Charlie. Charlie Harper is an alcoholic and sex addict on a self destructive pattern, a confident and self righteous person but in a wrong way. He has no respect for the opposite sex and has no desire for a real relationship. In the episode ‘The big pink things with coconut’, Jake is stretched away from his grandmother by Alan as he does not want her to damage the self esteem of Jake something she did to her own children, Alan and Charlie. This shows that the Harper brothers have childhood issues of their own and treat their own mother poorly. In the same episode ‘The big pink things with coconut’, Charlie curses her mother for faking illness and wishes her to die, an extremely disturbing behavior from a son and represents a total breakdown in the relationship. The personality of Charlie Harper is a significant influence on Jake and Alan, who has n o respect for the opposite sex, no concern for his health or the affects he is having on the child due to his abysmal behavior. Jake’s lazy attitude and direction less life is due to his unsuccessful father who married and divorced two women. Using the scenarios in the sitcom the essay investigates and defines the affects single parenting has no children and how they view different relationships. Working Thesis: The sitcom is packed with instances where the child exhibits an unusual behavior towards life, relationships and marriage. Being influenced by the nature and attitudes of accompanying elders the child has a lackluster personality with no goals in life, no respect towards elders and no real want for a healthy relationship. During the past two decades the American family system has experienced significant change from the ideal of nuclear family, the common families seen in America today are single parent families. These single parent families due to one reason or the ot her are headed by either mother or the father and in some cases by grandparents (Coontz). There are many elements that result in to single parenting but dissolution of marriage or divorce is the most common and leaves many psychological effects on the growing child. The life of a single parent and accompanying child can be difficult, besides the obvious economic hardships there are many emotional effects resulting in depression and behavioral instability. According to Stephaine Coontz (1992), children undergoing a parental divorce try to cope up with the mental stress by finding refuge

The rise of freeters and their relationship to the Japanese workforce Essay

The rise of freeters and their relationship to the Japanese workforce and economy - Essay Example The culture of becoming a freeter reached its apex during the economic recession that the country underwent in the 1990s. Japanese companies have always valued their senior workers and prefer them over young graduates. During the mid 1990s, recession was at its peak and as a result, the companies started to become more selective in their recruitment procedures. In the past graduates were trained and promised good employment prospects but after recession, only a few lucky ones ended up with a job while the rest had to face unemployment. The consequence of this was that even though the youth wanted to pursue long-term jobs, they did not get adequate opportunities and a large number of freeters were created. The government also relaxed the company laws allowing large companies to hire part-time employees. This created a huge gap between permanent employees, who enjoyed high pays, promotions and job security and the freeters who worked at relatively low pay scales (Nathan). Freeters have become a growing concern for the companies and the government.

Serotonin Ecstasy Drug MDMA (3-4-methylenedioxymethampheta-mine), Research Paper

Serotonin Ecstasy Drug MDMA (3-4-methylenedioxymethampheta-mine), - Research Paper Example It was termed as a youth epidemic and many cases of MDMA drug abuse were reported among youngsters. Following media reports and fatal cases of MDMA drug overdose, the drug was banned in 1985 in the US. Ecstasy has both beneficial and harmful effects. The question as to whether its benefits outweigh its harmful effects is yet to be answered. Research on the therapeutic benefits of ecstasy in humans is still in progress. The use of ecstasy is illegal and those found with the drug are heavily penalized or even jailed. This paper attempts to understand whether the criminalization and banning of the drug is justified. It argues that the drug can be exploited for various therapeutic uses and that it will do more good if released for public use. The paper further goes on to assert that criminalization of the drug is doing more harm than good. MDMA or ecstasy was first synthesized by Anton Kà ¶llisch in a Merck laboratory in 1912 (Ebitler para. 2). It was an intermediate product used in the manufacture of hydrastinine. It was patented by Merck in 1913 as a slimming agent or appetite suppressor but was not marketed by the company (IDMU para. 1). It was later used by Max Oberlin to induce adrenaline-like effects in animals. By the 1960s, it became known as the love drug because it was effective in inducing a â€Å"sense of empathy† and â€Å"deep introspective thought†, apart from â€Å"heightening the senses† (Ebitler para. 3). The effects of the drug were recorded in a book called Pihkal by Alexander Shulgin, who experimented with the drug himself (Ebitler). He recommended the potential therapeutic uses of the drug to his friend Leo Zeff, who was a psychotherapist. Soon, the drug became popular among psychotherapists for being beneficial in psychedelic therapy and in facilitating better diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric patients,

Globalization, Outsourcing, Off-shoring, and Offshore Outsourcing Essay

Globalization, Outsourcing, Off-shoring, and Offshore Outsourcing Impact on Culture - Essay Example By the first decade of 2000, it had become widespread business practice to contract knowledge reliant work to countries such as India or the Philippines. Now, the number of certain jobs decreases in the United States, but new positions and responsibilities are emerging. Along with risk comes opportunity. Next, we detail how globalization, outsourcing, off-shoring and offshore outsourcing have influenced contemporary culture. The dangers of losing important business skills and dependence upon remote suppliers looms large (Loebbecke, C., Huyskens, C., and Mitev, N.). Team disintegration due to global divisions of labor is problematic. Off shoring has affected job opportunities for graduates of information systems programs. To fill these gaps, American students train to manage offshore operations which has required adaptations of IS curricula globally. Such programs focus on thinking globally but acting locally - a set of independent interrelationships. Finally, we give the modern business person clues to solving the challenge of globalization, outsourcing, off-shoring, and offshore outsourcing.

People Organizations and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

People Organizations and Management - Essay Example 34). Alignment is described as the extent to which the human resource is linked to the business strategy. Capabilities include the talent, resources and information needed to implement the business strategy while engagement is defined as the extent to which people in an organization are committed to the organization. The productivity of the people in an organization and the quality of services offered to customers is influenced by various factors including the extent of team working, the organization’s structure and culture. Team working involves members of an organization working together and complementing each other to accomplish a particular task. When well conceived and implemented, team work offers various advantages which include enhanced creativity, increased employee satisfaction and it offers an opportunity for one to develop and acquire new skills (REF). Moreover, team working enhances the speed with which results are achieved and creates a support network for employ ees which they can rely on. Organizational design also determines the performance and productivity of the people in an organization. Generally, organizations may fall into either traditional or contemporary organization design. Under traditional organizational design, an organization may have simple structure or a functional structure while contemporary design may be team structure, matrix structure or project structure. Moreover, contemporary organizational design may be either lead to autonomous internal units, boundary-less organizations or learning organizations (Chatterjee, 2009, p. 150). Moreover, the human resource in all organizations is influence by the culture of that organization (Chatterjee, 2009, p. 147). Organizational culture is described as the pattern of norms, beliefs, values, attitudes and all those assumptions which may not have been articulated although they determine the way people behave and carry on their daily businesses. It is a system of informal rules gui ding people’s behaviour in an organization (Campeanu-Sonea et al., 2010, p. 328). This paper will make a comparison of teamwork, organizational design and culture of two different firms; Biogenia and Sleepeasy. Biogenia is an international company involved in the production of farming chemicals such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. It has an employee base of 15000 and operates in ten countries. On the other hand, Sleepeasy is a mid-market hotel chain targeting business travellers and tourists. Comparison of approaches to teamwork and team-working at Biogenia and Sleepeasy Given the many benefits accruing to an organization after fostering teamwork, firms always strive to enhance it. However, different organizations use on varied approaches to achieve teamwork as brought out in the case study the Biogenia and Sleepeasy. Grant et al. (2005. p.165) described six approaches that are used in teamwork. These approaches include shared plans, joint intentions, team plans, cooperative problem solving, collective intentions and cooperative subcontracting. In team plan approach; teamwork is based a group of people with an intention of performing a complex task while in joint intentions all the agents in a group have a specific intention which brings them to work together (Grant, et al., 2005, p. 168). In shared plan approach, agents are bound together by a set of intentions. Cooperative problem solving approach to team work is based on an intention to interconnecting different

Raising the minimum age for a driver's license from 16 to 17 in all Essay - 1

Raising the minimum age for a driver's license from 16 to 17 in all states - Essay Example There is a great need of the proper solutions to counter this major problem suffered by almost all nations worldwide. Government should take necessary steps to halt the accidents, either by raising the age requirement to get the driving license or by making institute graduating license a mandatory thing, as teenagers and young children are not experienced enough to take the high level responsibility of being a driver. In most of the countries, parents give permission to their young children to drive and get the driving license at a very early age, despite of having no prior experience or maturity to handle the tough circumstances in case of an accident. This scenario is not suitable as suggested by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the research conducted by the administration, the highest percentage of car accidents occurs at the age of 16 due to the high speed driving. In the same age group, individual car accidents occur mostly and due to the driving failures. Teenagers aging 16 like to take risk in their life and therefore, use of safety belts is something they don’t give due importance when compared with experienced and old drivers. Many researchers are of the belief that it is because of the immature age, instant results, and lack of patience, improper training and low experience in the driving field that contribute to the road accidents and considered to be as the major factors that require changes. It is essential to help young teenagers from becoming the victim of their own lacking. The death toll of 16 year old drivers as studied during 1975 till 1996 was very high and shifting towards upward direction. In 1996, this death rate of young drivers accelerated up to 35% from 19%, found in both men and women drivers. According to Allen Williams, there was a 50% increase in the rate of teenage deaths from improper driving during 1975 and 1996; however, there was a sharp fall in the death rate of individuals ranging

Humanism and the Renaissance + Protestant Reformation Essay Example for Free

Humanism and the Renaissance + Protestant Reformation Essay The later Middle Ages is characterized as a time of great transition and advancement, especially pertaining to areas of politics, economics, art and intellect. A new trend towards the pursuit of new knowledge and ideas first emerged in fifteenth century Renaissance Italy. This new area of intellect marks the emergence of humanism, which essentially came to be the defining characteristic leading up to the Scientific Revolution in the eighteenth century. The Protestant Reformation can be seen as the second catalyst to the Scientific Revolution, which occurred around the turn of the fifteenth century. It was the combination of the expansion of humanism first witnessed during the Renaissance creating the desire for knowledge, greater meaning and ultimate truths, with the power gained on part of the individual during the Protestant Reformation allowing for the pursuit of these new questions and ideas which, at the time, opposed existing knowledge that was universally accepted to be true; this combination ultimately culminated in the methods, principles, knowledge and foundations realized during the Scientific Revolution. The Renaissance is a seen a distinct period of time emerging in the beginning of the fifteenth century, immediately following what is now termed the Middle Ages. First manifesting itself in Italy, it is considered â€Å"a period which witnessed transition from the medieval to the modern age, that is to say, the latter part of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth century† (Bishop, 130).[i] Renaissance literally means â€Å"rebirth,† referring to the rebirth of antiquity, or Greco-Roman civilization. Prior to this, â€Å"the advanced knowledge of the natural world possessed by the ancient Greeks meant little to the Romans, and for a long time that knowledge went into decline,† – this is, until now (Henry, 557).[ii] Many aspects of life were greatly impacted, including areas of politics, economics, art and intellect. This new outlook sparked the initiation of a movement toward greater education. Education was seen as the key to living a prosperous and fulfilled life. In particular, the importance of liberal studies was widely agreed upon. Several key events during this time allowed for the spread of knowledge, creating the â€Å"beckoning toward wider horizons† (Buttimer, 11).[iii] For example, the invention of the printing press encouraged the printing of books, which culminated in scholarly research. Additionally, there was a greater availability to the lay people than ever before; previously, there was simply no access to such information. A historian describes this occurrence: â€Å"alien tongues and races have been drawn together, and have learned once again to understand each other’s speech, and to enter into each other’s thought† (Bishop, 131).[iv] Intellect and education began bringing people together who otherwise would not have ever circulated his or her new ideas and thoughts. Some individuals in particular are credited with the fact that â€Å"the reforms enacted were substantial. At an increasing number of Northern universities, Greek became a regular subject and specialists were hired to teach it. Old Textbooks †¦ were abandoned after having been used for centuries and were replaced with products of humanism† (Nauert, 429).[v] Among the individuals most recognized for their impact on this time in history exists Desiderius Erasmus. Inarguably, Erasmus can be seen as a perfect demonstration of a humanist. â€Å"Erasmus was before all else a scholar and a humanist. He was filled with a genuine enthusiasm for learning† (Bishop, 137).[vi] It was this motivated spirit that drove the culmination of the humanistic movement. Intellect and scholarly research was greatly dedicated to religion. Erasmus â€Å"insisted that the dialectic method of the academic theologians had produced a theological science that concentrated on trivial, abstruse questions of little or no real value to the needs of the church† (Nauert, 431).[vii] This argument became the basis for much of Erasmus’ highly esteemed, accredited work; he was â€Å"determined to defend [his] status as orthodox Catholic† (Nauert, 431).[viii] Soon, modern humanists greatest opposition was the church. Many criticized Erasmus, believing that he â€Å"lacked theological training and hence had neither a legal nor an intellectual right to speak and publish on questions involving theology and the Bible† (Nauert, 431).[ix] Until this point in my discussion thus far, not much opposition has been mentioned. It is very important and essential to note that this new topic of new knowledge created extreme amounts of tension, ultimately culminating in the Protestant Reformation. At the same as scholars such as Erasmus, Bacon and Galileo emerged, â€Å"scholastic theologians arrogantly sat back and issued condemnations,† which greatly hindered the advancement of intellect (Nauert, 431).[x] Clearly established thus far was the recently renewed desire for new knowledge; in response, many new education establishments received great support and ideas began to circulate. In order for the continuing and pursuit of the ever evolving goals of humanists, there needed to be some change that would allow for this. This is one contributing factor to Erasmus’ dedication to reforming the church. Conflicts among humanists and scholars â€Å"reflect[ed] a disharmony that is fundamental,† and furthermore came to define â€Å"the dispute over academic competency and ‘exacerbation of the debate during the Reformation’ as the two forces† behind the matter (Nauert, 432).[xi] By this point in time it was seen as a necessity that religion be transformed. Among several attempts throughout history, â€Å"the Protestant Reformation is the only attempt that was successfully institutionalized† (Bellah, 369).[xii] So much work thus far had been the foundational truth: â€Å"scholastic philosophers and theologians spent long years acquiring the skills of dialectical argumentation and familiarity with the opinions of the past authorities, both ancient and medieval† (Nauert, 433).[xiii] It would take great influence to override these criticisms, but Erasmus laid the foundation for Martin Luther. â€Å"Erasmus’ pains were those of a delicate body and a sensitive and intellectual mind, amid surrounds which were uncongenial and indeed fatal to any humane culture† (Bishop, 135).[xiv] Whereas this was so, â€Å"Luther’s misery arose from the pains and travail of his moral nature in his endeavor to find peace with God† (Bishop, 135).[xv] For, it was â€Å"out of these throes of conscience a great religious movement was to be born† (Bishop, 135).[xvi] It was the combination of the significant influence witnessed having been imparted by Erasmus and Martin Luther that finally instigated the long time coming Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was the main event occurring during the Renaissance that allowed for the institutionalizing of knowledge and new ways of obtaining and exploring it. The defining characteristic concerning the Protestant Reformation is â€Å"the collapse of the hierarchical structuring of both this and the other world† (Bellah, 368).[xvii] It was the leadership of modern intellectuals, or humanists, such as Erasmus and Luther that proved to be a catalyst to the movement: â€Å"Luther by a spiritual declaration of independence in which he boldly cast off, once and forever the ecclesiastical authority of Rome† (Bellah, 370).[xviii] It was the consistency marked by the motivation of the ever evolving humanists, with the newly found sense of confidence toward the ability to influence society that culminated in the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution. â€Å"During the late Middle Ages ,the application of natural philosophy logic to theology transformed it into an analytic discipline. The extraordinary nature of this transformation is manifested when we see the kinds of questions that were routinely discussed in the average theological treatise.†[xix] The humanists’ demands for answers and unceasing attitudes at the time finally paid off. Prior to the Protestant Revolution, the many attempts of humanists to voice their opinion and freely explore their new interests without having to fear the authorities. Historians have â€Å"emphasized human attitudes and values† in this fight for intellectual freedom† (Buttimer, 5).[xx] The Protestant Reformation as a continuation of the beginnings of the humanism movement paved the way for the Scientific Revolution. â€Å"Before science could have reached the stage it did in the seventeenth century, there had to be a widespread use of reason and reasoned analysis. The medieval universities supplied the intellectual context for all of Western Europe. They developed a new approach to nature† (Grant, 420).[xxi] The new religious organization allowed for intellectuals and humanists of the time to truly pursue their ideas that were in opposition to previously existing knowledge that had been universally accepted as being true. Overall this culmination of the split between Church and State, the power granted to the individual due to the Protestant Reformation, and the defining characteristics of humanism during the Renaissance were the leading factors in the birth of the Scientific Revolution. Intellectuals in the seventeenth century soon came to view the world and universe as never before. For example, it was now known that rather than existing in an earth-centered universe, they were in fact living in a sun-centered universe. Famous figures in history existing at this time continued the already established tradition, and were able to impart great influence. These figures include, but are not limited to, Galileo, Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, and Isaac Newton. There emerged a shift from thinking the abstract, such subjects that previous philosophers had once been dedicated to, to pondering and experimenting the physical world around them. Prior to this time, Aristotle, Galen and Ptolemy were relied on for foundations concerning the fields of physics, medicine, and astronomy. Just as there were certain individuals and movements that laid the foundations previously, there are also those researchers who were responsible for the carrying on of life into the Scientific Revolution. â€Å"It remained for Galileo, however, to apply the mean speed theorem to the motion of real falling bodies and to devise and experiment to determine if bodies really fall with uniform acceleration. Thus began the new science of mechanics and the beginnings of modern physics† (Grant, 421).[xxii] Before Galileo was even able to begin his investigations concerning the previous, it was essential that the events and transformations during the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries occurred. More modern discoveries attributed to the seventeenth century and furthermore during the Enlightenment, would have been seriously delayed had this transformation not occurred. People were finally granted the power, and discovered a new found sense of confidence when it came to the pursuit of new kn owledge and ideas. If it had not been for this fight, individuals like Galileo would have had this job to do themselves. It is important to note that the culmination of the Scientific Revolution did â€Å"originate with the great scientific minds of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the likes of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton† (Grant, 421).[xxiii] Furthermore, this historian in particular states that â€Å"although it is possible to insist that the full-blown concept of intertia did not appear before Newton, there can be no denying that Galileo, Pierre Gassendi, and Descartes played a role in opposing the Aristotelian concept that everything that moves must be continuously moved by something else and in suggesting instead that once something was moving perhaps it might simply carry on moving until something else stopped it† (Henry, 554).[xxiv] Several important foundations for the study of nature, and in general life at its core, were products of the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, and ultimately the Scientific Revolution. If it were not for the perseverance of humanists, and their sense of devotion, the advancements included in the Scientific Revolution may have not come for some time down the road. One of the most important outcomes that is still used as a basis today for scientific experimentation is the scientific method. â€Å"The scientific method is such that, whatever the weaknesses of human endeavor, scientific truths will steadily emerge and will come to be recognized and established as a matter of inevitability† (Henry, 555).[xxv] In a way, Henry’s definition of the scientific method can be seen as already applying to the transformation that created it. ENDNOTES: [i] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [ii] Henry, J. H. (2008). Isis. Ideology, Inevitability, and the Scientific Revolution, 99(3), 552-559. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/591713 [iii] â€Å"Geography, Humanism, and Global Concern.† Anne Buttimer. Annals of the Association of American Geographers , Vol. 80, No. 1 (Mar., 1990), pp. 1-33. [iv] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The Sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [v] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 . [vi] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The Sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [vii] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 . [viii] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [ix] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [x] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [xi] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [xii] Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 [xiii] Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method: Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2544524 [xiv] â€Å"Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [xv] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [xvi] Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530759 [xvii] Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 [xviii] Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 [xix] Grant, E. G. (2004). Scientific Imagination in the Middle Ages.

Introduction To Service Industry Restaurants Marketing Essay

Introduction To Service Industry Restaurants Marketing Essay The food service industry continues to grow in volume and revenue every year and typically divides itself into two categories: full-service restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Each individual restaurant is in competition with other food service operations within the same geographical area. The fast food restaurant industry is highly competitive. McDonalds competes with other restaurants through the quality, variety and value perception of food products offered. McDonalds Corporations main competition comes from other fast-food restaurants; most notably, YUM! Brands Inc, Wendys International, Dominos and Burger King. Figure1: The total revenues of the major players in the fast food industry (www.ycharts.com) The figure represents the market share of McDonalds in the fast food industry. McDonalds Corporation (MCD) has company operated and franchise restaurants all over the world. They are the leading global food service retailer by means of over 30,000 restaurants in more than 117 countries, serving about 50 million people every day. Franchising plays a major role in McDonalds system with 26,216 were operated by franchisees (including 19,020 operated by conventional franchisees, 3,160 operated by developmental licensees and 4,036 operated by foreign affiliated markets (affiliates)-primarily in Japan) and 6,262 were operated by the company. Their total revenue in 2009 was $ 23 billion. McDonalds success in the fast food industry stems from their main success factors which are branded affordability, menu variety and beverage choice, convenience and daypart expansion, ongoing restaurant reinvestment and operations excellence. These success factors are used to promote McDonalds brand image, p rovide customers with quality products and differentiate themselves from other competitors like YUM Brands (YUM owns brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver) After extensive research, analysis and valuation, it is found that McDonalds corporation is currently an undervalued company and rated as a Market Outperform and thus I recommend this stock as a Buy. Executive Summary The food service industry is one of high competition; however, McDonalds has been able to obtain the position as the leader in market capitalization with a market capital of $74.6B in 2009. While McDonalds has deployed high amounts of capital, the company manages its asset base with high inventory turnover while also maintaining cost efficiency. Industry Demand Drivers: The market of the food service industry attributes much of its growth to global sales and revenue. Despite tough environment, McDonalds delivered an exceptional year of growth, posted strong sales and increased market share around the world. In 2009, global comparable sales increased 3.8 percent, fueled by solid gains in the United States (+2.6 percent), Europe (+5.2 percent), Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (+3.4 percent), Latin America (+5.3 percent) and Canada (+5.8 percent). Earnings per share for the year increased 9 percent to $4.11 (13 percent in constant currencies), while consolidated operating income increased 6 percent (10 percent in constant currencies). We also returned $5.1 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends paid, bringing our three-year cash return total to $16.6 billion-notably at the high end of our stated target of $15 to $17 billion for the years 2007 through 2009. Globally, McDonalds caters and adapts to different cultures and societies, while still providing them with the same McDonalds experience. With a significant portion of McDonalds sales derived from international stores, foreign denominated sales should generate additional earnings leverage given the weakening of the US dollar against other currencies. McDonalds is well positioned: McDonalds is able to maintain a loyal customer base, and compete with the existing competitors by introducing variation to their menu, such as the Dollar Value Menu. Also, in order to adhere to a more concerned health concise society, McDonalds has implemented holistic approach which consists of High-Quality Choices for customers, Consumer-Friendly Nutrition Information and communicate responsibly. The Happy Meal, which has been a long standing childs favorite, now has options such as fruit instead of French Fries and all white meat chicken nuggets. As for one McDonalds company goals is to adhere to outstanding customer service, strengthens the maintenance of long standing customers, as well as develop new relationships with customers of a new generation. Franchising business model: Within Fast Food restaurants franchise models are common. Franchise models can grow faster using others capital. Franchises have to be pay rent and royalties based on a percent of sales along with minimum rent payments, and initial fees. On the other hand, company-owned models have greater control over pricing, operations and can close underperforming restaurants more quickly. In 2009 the total no of franchised restaurants was 26,216 compared to 25,465 in 2008 and the number of company operated restaurants decreased by 3.6%. The total revenue from franchises in 2009 was $7,286.2 Million an increase in 4% compared to 2008. McDonald Franchises Revenue from Franchises Key challenges and Adaptability Intensity of competition: Competitors of the industry also try to compete with similar products; therefore, leading to price wars. McDonalds created a Dollar Value Menu, in response to competitors such as Wendys 99 cent menu. Overall, the industry has tried various product differentiations in order to accumulate greater market share, but most consumers are drawn to the classics. McDonalds is doing more and more to compete with health focused restaurants like Subway. Nutritionist and other leading experts have been hired to join the McDonalds team in order to ensure that the correct items are added to the menu, while still keeping and improving the classics that they are famous for. For example, the chicken nuggets that we all grew up on are now 100% white meat. McDonalds is flexible in their menu to conform to the changing tastes of society. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In recent years the industry has had a small problem with beef, because of the outbreak of the mad cow disease. This problem raised the cost of beef in Europe tremendously but the cost actually went up around the world because of the beef shortage in Europe. The suppliers that sell to McDonalds have a strong voice also because of the fact that the switching cost for McDonalds as a whole would be so tremendous, so any problems or disputes would be worked out with there suppliers. Comparative Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis helps us analyze the financial trends of previous years and extrapolate those trends into future years for McDonalds and its core competitors within the industry. It is divided into three areas: fundamentals, growth and profitability, and capital structure of the company. Liquidity ratios are used to determine how liquid the firm is, and how it will meet its obligations. This also helps us determine how risky the firm is by determining if the company is employing an adequate amount of liability or risk to generate profit. Profitability ratios give us the perspective profitability of the firm is operating. The ratios will help in accurately valuing the company at its current condition, compare its performance against competitors, and project the future results of the company. Fundamentals of McDonalds (MCD) vs. YUM Brands (YUM) Table 1 Financial Condition Company Industry Average SP 500 Debt/Equity Ratio 0.74 1.82 1.13 Current Ratio 1.4 1.3 1.4 Quick Ratio 1.3 1.2 1.2 Interest Coverage 30.6 18.8 28.0 Leverage Ratio 2.1 3.8 3.8 Book Value/Share 13.12 11.95 22.35 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King and Wendys. Current ratio: Since 1999 McDonalds has experienced a steady increase in their current ratio. The present current ratio of 1.4 is higher compared to industry average of 1.3. This increase shows that McDonalds has more ability to pay off their short term debts from the sale of their currents assets. Overall, McDonalds is in fairly good shape because their current ratio is growing. Receivables Turnover: McDonalds has consistently been well below its competitors YUM with accounts receivables turnover. This means that they arent collecting their accounts receivables as promptly as their competitors. This prevents McDonalds from reinvesting and expanding their restaurants which is a major source of revenue. This also allows for a greater chance of default on their accounts receivables. Asset Utilization: This ratio indicates how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. The return on assets (ROA) ratio illustrates how well management is employing the companys total assets to make a profit. The higher the return, the more efficient management is in utilizing its asset base. McDonalds Asset Turnover has consistently been lower than its competitor YUM since 1999. Debt to Equity Ratio: The debt-equity ratio is another leverage ratio that compares a companys total liabilities to its total shareholders equity. McDonalds has maintained a fairly low Debt to Equity Ratio of 0.74 which means that the company has an efficient amount of equity that can cover the cost of its liabilities compared to Yum of 3.14 or the industry average of debt to equity ratio of 1.82. Book value per share: This is an indication of how much shareholders are paying for the net assets of a company. McDonalds book value of 13.12 is higher than the industry average (11.95) or YUM (3.05) Net Income: The net income for McDonalds suffered a dip of 23% in 2007 but recovered in the year 2008, 2009. The total net income in 2009 was $ 4,555 Million compared to YUM who had a net income of $1071Million Shareholders Equity: Shareholders equity represents the amount by which a company is financed through common and preferred shares. The average Shareholders Equity for MCD is $13,287M compared to YUM who has a $709M. Dividend: MCD has consistently grown in dividends over the years. This is one of the most attractive features of MCD. Comparing the dividends of MCD and YUM, MCD has 25% increase on YTY compared to YUM who has only 14%. Growth and Profitability Table 2 Investment Returns % Company Industry Average SP 500 Return On Equity 34.8 48.2 21.4 Return On Assets 16.2 13.1 7.5 Return On Capital 17.6 15.4 10.0 Return On Equity (5-Year Avg.) 22.7 29.0 16.4 Return On Assets (5-Year Avg.) 11.4 10.1 7.6 Return On Capital (5-Year Avg.) 13.0 12.5 10.3 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Revenue Growth: The global recession has affected the revenue of both the companies. By year 2009 the consumer demand and currency exchanges have helped recover to pre-recessionary levels. EPS and Growth: The portion of a companys profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. Earnings per share serve as an indicator of a companys profitability. The EPS for MCD is 4.11 which have increased from 9% from the previous year while the EPS for YUM is 2.26. The growth of EPS has been fluctuating due to the global economic crises. Profit Margin: A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that has better control over its costs compared to its competitors. MCD has a profit margin of 20% compared to Yum is 10%. Return on Equity (ROE): Return on equity measures a corporations profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. The ROE for MCD is 34.8 which is less than the industry average of 48.2. From the above figure we can infer for 2009 the ROE for YUM is 180%, but this has not been consistent over the years. For a long term investor this is not good. Capital Structure Charts Table 3 Price Ratios Company Industry Average SP 500 Current P/E Ratio 16.4 20.9 22.4 P/E Ratio 5-Year High NA 6.8 15.8 P/E Ratio 5-Year Low NA 3.2 2.4 Price/Sales Ratio 3.21 2.33 2.03 Price/Book Value 5.30 7.11 3.21 Price/Cash Flow Ratio 12.70 11.90 13.80 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Market Capital: Market capitalization represents the public consensus on the value of a companys equity. McDonalds in 2009 had a market capital of $67.3B compared to YUM brand that had a market capital of $16.35B. It also represents the market estimate of a companys value, based on perceived future prospects, economic and monetary conditions. Price to Earnings Ratio: A stock with a high P/E ratio means that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to the overall market, as investors pay more for todays earnings in anticipation of future earnings growth. From the table 2 McDonalds PE is 16.4, which is below the industry average of 20.4. However there are limitations since the ratio depends on the earnings per share. McDonalds earnings per share of 4.24 are above the industry average of 1.43. Price to Book Value: This ratio used to compare a stocks market value to its book value. A lower P/B ratio could mean that the stock is undervalued. From the above figure McDonald has a stable P/B ratio compared to the Yum. From table 3 the P/B ratio for McDonald is 5.31 which is below the industry average of 7.11. Price to Sales ratio: The P/S ratio measures the price of a companys stock against its annual sales. From table 3 we can understand that the P/S ratio for McDonalds is 3.21 compared to the industry average of 2.33. This means that the investor would be paying $3.21 for every dollar of McDonalds sales. Price to Cash Flow Ratio: This ratio compares the stocks market price to the amount of cash flow the company generates on a per-share basis. McDonalds has a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 12.70 which is higher than the industry average of 11.90. Conclusion In our overall analysis of McDonalds Corporation using a variation of methods and models, we have conclusively found that McDonalds is currently undervalued in the market and is a Buy. The Method of Comparables was used, which included such ratios as: Price/Earnings, Price/Book, Price/Sales, and Price Earnings growth ratio valuations. The ratio valuations were calculated by finding the industry average and using a varying of other factors to project an expected share price. The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Price to Book Ratio $ Industry Average of Price to Book value 7.11 Current Book Value of McDonald 13.12 Estimated price of share $93.28 Current Market Price 69.37 Trailing Price to Earnings Ratio Industry Average of Trailing Price to Earnings Ratio 17.9 Current McDonalds earnings per share $4.11 Estimated Market price $73.59 Current Market Price 69.37 Dividends Yield Ratio Analysis Industry Dividend Average (%) 2.73 McDonald Dividend per share 2.2 Expected share price found by dividing McDonalds (Dividends per share)/ (Industry average Dividends yield ratio) $80.50 Current Market price $69.37 Forward Price to Earnings Ratio Industry Average of Forward Price to Earnings Ratio 14.73 Current McDonalds earnings per share $4.11 Estimated price of share $60.54 Current Market Price 69.37 All Data obtained from Yahoo finance on 13/016/2010 From the above calculation the estimated price of McDonald is between $60.54 $93.28. However McDonalds corporation has faced previous law suits on being held accountable for obesity, similarly following the litigation process of cigarettes and tobacco companies. The courts ruled against this issue in McDonalds favor, making this a remote future risk factor. In addition, MCD in its effort to be a more socially responsible corporate citizen, by supporting a healthier society, has developed light and healthy menu items in order to give customers additional eating options and in doing so, broadening the array of its customer base while offering its existing customer base with healthier menu options.

A portfolio of working in business

A portfolio of working in business In this portfolio, I will reflect on what I have learnt and experiences while I am undertaking BSB124, which is Working in Business. I will also look at the area that I would like to improve. I will do this in three sections. First section is about intrapersonal effectiveness and The Big Five Model will be explore and discuss how it assist me for my future career. Second section is interpersonal effectiveness, Belbins Self-Perception Inventory (1981) and SPARK will be discussed. The last section is about organizational effectiveness and networking and mentoring will be discussed. In these three sections, I will explore my own strength and weaknesses. 2. Intrapersonal effectiveness 2.1 The Big Five Model (NEO IPIP) Personalities at work are like cars in the city: They often can keep us from our destination. Pierce J. Howard, The Owners Manual for Personality at Work, 2001. Personality assessment is important in a variety of ways, from education to our future work. Psychologists have found a lot of methods which we can found on the internet or any other places to classify our personality dimension; however, The Big Five Model (BFI) is the one stands out as the most statistically robust. The Big Five Model has five factors which include extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability (or neuroticism) and openness to experience (Costa McCrae, 1992). Extraversion characterizes people who are outgoing, talkative, sociable and assertive; agreeableness characterizes people who are courteous, good-natured, empathic and caring; conscientiousness characterized people who are careful, dependable and self-disciplined; neuroticism characterized people who are anxious, hostile and depressed; and lastly openness to experience characterized people who are imaginative, creative, curious and sensitive (McShane, 2010, p.51). This research is very imp ortant to me because I aim to work as a hairdresser after I graduate from QUT and the Big Five Model can help me to have a better understanding of my own personality and therefore can improve my weaknesses. From the result that I get from the Big Five Model, as refers to the appendix 1, it has shows that I am low neuroticism, agreeableness and openness to experience. This has mean that I am calm, appetite for new ideas and can easily accommodate the wishes and needs of others but I will easily get bored for everything and easily unaware of problem. I personally think that the result is fairly accurate because as what I had experience at the past in BSB124, I found that I can easily accommodate my group members when we have meeting, for example, anytime will do for me to meet them to discuss the assignment we have, however, I will easily felt bored when we met up and will easily unaware some of the problem that my group members have. Therefore, from the Big Five Model, I can explore my intrapersonal strength and weaknesses and this will help in my future work which is hairdresser. From the result I get from the Big Five Model, agreeableness and openness to experience are my intrapersonal strength because as a hairdresser, you must be creative enough to design the hair style and you must also accommodate to your company culture. In fact, not only hairdresser requires agreeableness, most of the jobs also require you to have this personality. However, low neuroticism is my intrapersonal weaknesses. Why? This is because it has a big impact to my future career of hairdresser. As a hairdresser, it requires you to always aware the problem that the customers have. But, according to Costa McCrae (1999), low neuroticism means that insensitive or unaware of problems. This is a big issue because if I am unaware what the customers problem, then I would not be able to become a professional hairdresser. Therefore, I aim to imp rove the weakness that I have to ensure that I can develop my career goals. How am I going to improve my weakness which is low neuroticism? In our next group assignment, I will try to pay more attention to my group members and see whether they need help or not. I will spare no effort to help them. This is one of the opportunities that I can improve my neuroticism. Another opportunity is keep a diary to see whether my weakness got improve or not. 3. Interpersonal effectiveness 3.1 Belbins Self-Perception Inventory Firstly, what is a team? A team is a group of people who work together interdependently to accomplish a goals. Then, what make a good team? According to Belbins self-perception inventory (BTRSPI), a good team must include several important mixes which are plant, resource investigator, co-coordinator, shaper, monitor evaluator, team worker, completer finisher and implementer. These can identifies which roles are you in and therefore you can use the information to know your contribution and weakness. From the result that I get from the BTRSPI, as refers to the appendix 2, it shows that team worker is the best respondent team role for me and resource investigator is the second highest scores which mean that it can be denote as my back-up team roles. The strength of team worker is about helping individual members to achieve and maintain team effectiveness, however, team worker always indecisiveness at moment of crisis. While the strength of resource investigator is exploring new resources, but it liable to lose interest once the initial fascination has passed. The results are somehow accurate but do have a little bit inaccurate. By comparing the result to the previous section, they actually have a little bit of relevance. For example, from the previous section, the result from the Big Five Model shows that I will easily get bored for everything and resource investigator is liable to lose interest. This is very accurate because I do easily get bored and lose interest once the initia l fascination has passed. The reason I feel that this is a little bit inaccurate is because from my opinion, I am not good at helping individual members to achieve and maintain team effectiveness as what team worker state. Therefore, what I think is either this is my strength that I havent discovered yet or the result is a little bit inaccurate. 3.2 SPARK According to SPARK (2010, para.2) group projects arent fair is a frequent student response in higher education. What is SPARK? SPARK (self and peer assessment resource kit) is a tools that enables students to rate their own and their peers contributions. It will then automatically produce two factors which are the self and peer assessment (SPA) and the self assessment to peer assessment (SAPA). According to Spark (2010, para.7), SPA is a weighing factor determined by both the self and peer rating of a students contribution while SAPA is about the ratio of a students own rating of themselves compared to the average rating of their contribution by their peers. My overall SPA is 0.91 and my SAPA is 0.99. 0.91 of SPA is very low which mean that I did not contribute well in my group. This may due to because I did not aware the problem and maybe because I am English second language (ESL) students, therefore they gave me some easy job to do and thus I did not contribute much to the group. As my SAPA score is 0.99, it is slightly lower than 1, but still consider that I rated myself fairly accurate compared to the average rating that I received from my group members. Even though my SPA is low, but the feedbacks from my peers are still positive. For example, Good energy good to work with shows that I can easily accommodate to my group (this result is accurate by compared it to section 2.1); Huey was organized and cooperative throughout the group process. Even though English was not his first language, he successfully communicated ideas and gave a confident oral presentation which effectively conveyed his efforts in developing our presentations re commendations. (Once again, this had shows that agreeableness is my intrapersonal strength.) In my group, most of my group members came from other country, for instance, England, Malaysia and etc. Therefore, we all got a very different cultural background. However, since most of them are good in English, only I am the only one who is English second language (ESL) student, the problems occur when we need to discuss something and provide some new idea because I am poor at communicate by using English. Luckily, my group members are awesome. They help me a lot to finish up the part that I need to do. Therefore, I personally rate them all on SPARK higher than me. I have learnt a lot from the group. One thing that I have learnt from this group is respect. Why I say so? This is because they never discriminate against me even though I am ESL student and they respect me and will ask me what my opinion or ask me to decide something. However, according to Belbins model, I am poor at indecisiveness at moment of crisis. Therefore, most of the times I just ask them to decide. Thus, I learnt respect in this experience and I found that I need to improve my weakness (that is deciding on something and improve my English). As our group is multicultural group, this experience will help me for my career goals because as a hairdresser, you will come across with any type of customer and team members. Thus, I aim to improve my weakness to develop my career goals. 4. Organisational effectiveness 4.1 Networking and Mentoring What is networking? It is actually a system that sharing information and services among individuals or groups. Then why is networking important to everyone? According to Tamowska Singleton (2010), networking can be key to both personal and professional growth, but you have to be diligent about keeping in touch with your contacts and sharing information. There are four types of networking style, which are the loner, the socialiser, the user and the builder. The loner likes to do most things by themselves but they will not worry about other. The socialiser always tries to make friend with everyone they meet but they are not a good listener. The user tends to be collecting the business cards but they will not contact them again while the builder always listens and learns from other people carefully. According to Singleton, Networking is worth Millions. As I am first year business student, I did not have much experience about networking. Therefore, I aim to increase my networking experience by joining the student associations such as Business Advantage at QUT. Thus, I can build up a network with students, colleagues and also professionals before I graduate. What I will do is then keep in touch with them (not like user who just collect the business cards but didnt contact anymore but is the builder who will keep in touch with them and listen to them). This will affect my career as previous stated because as the builder, what am I suppose to do is always listen to the customer and learn new stuff from other people because customer like the hairdresser listen to them. When the hairdresser listen to the customer, they build a network between them and therefore the customer will go back to find the hairdresser again. That why networking is so important for my career. Then what is mentoring? According to Dessler, Griffiths Lloyd-Walker (2004), mentoring involves linking a more experienced member of staff with a less experienced member of staff to enable sharing of experience, knowledge and skills. Mentoring is a very powerful tool that we can share our skills and knowledge to each other, for example, as what I experience in BSB124, my tutor share her experience and her knowledge to me. Mentoring also important for my career because when I graduate and looking for a job, let say I am junior hairdresser, then I will need to find an experience senior hairdresser to share their experience to me therefore I can do the job better. To get mentoring success, I plan to meet my mentor at least every week to share our new knowledge or skills or experience. 5. Conclusion As the conclusion, I have reflected on what I have learnt and experiences while I am undertaking BSB124. In section 2 which is intrapersonal effectiveness, I aim to increase my neuroticism and I had plan on how to improve it. In section 3 which is interpersonal effectiveness, the Belbins model had stated me that I am always indecisiveness at moment of crisis. Therefore I also aim to improve the weakness that I had explored in section 3. Finally, in section 4, I would like to be the builder and I do have some plan to build up my network.

Open Fields :: Descriptive Memories Essays Papers

Open Fields When I think back to the days when I was a child, I think about all of my wonderful childhood memories. Often I wish to go back, back to that point in life when everything seemed simpler. Sometimes I think about it too much, knowing I cannot return. Yet, there is still one place I can count on to bring me back to that state of mind, my grandparents' house. There is something to be said about lying on one's back in an open field hour upon hour, staring up at a vast, blue sky. With no one around and not another house for miles, it is a great place to be alone, to listen. In the country, I can pick up all the wonderful sounds of nature commonly lost amidst the bustle of the city. The wind speaks as it blows across the land, whistling through the trees. Crickets rub their wings in song for anyone to hear. An unseen friend scurries beneath the fallen leaves, as an owl above questions who is there. Heading back towards the house, I soak in all the beauty of the surrounding landscape. There are towering groves of trees, creek beds lined with wildflowers emitting delightful fragrances, and sunsets that astound. Still, I walk cautiously. For all of nature’s beauty, trouble can still take form out here, whether it is running into a slithering snake or stumbling across a prickly thistle. Looking further into the distance, I spot the horses gracefully galloping along, their sleek manes dancing across their powerful bodies. As I pass the pond, I skip a stone across the water and I think about all the "real" stories the pond could tell of the ones that got away. Along side its banks I hear a familiar sound, as the bullfrogs' bellows lead the way for nightfall. The night will bring the cool country air, and with it the thick aroma of the wood-burning stoves. On some evenings, if I am lucky enough, some warm apple-butter jam may even be waiting for me back at the house. Now that I am older, I look for changes. I have grown to expect them. My grandparents will soon be gone, but the memories of the land they live on and I grew up on will always be with me.

Hydrologic Cycle Essay example -- essays research papers

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE The hydrologic cycle is a constant movement of water above, on, and below the earth's surface. It is a cycle that replenishes ground water supplies. It begins as water vaporizes into the atmosphere from vegetation, soil, lakes, rivers, snowfields and oceans-a process called evapotranspiration. As the water vapor rises it condenses to form clouds that return water to the land through precipitation: rain, snow, or hail. Precipitation falls on the earth and either percolates into the soil or flows across the ground. Usually it does both. When precipitation percolates into the soil it is called infiltration when it flows across the ground it is called surface run off. The amount of precipitation that infiltrates, versus the amount that flows across the surface, varies depending on factors such as the amount of water already in the soil, soil composition, vegetation cover and degree of slope. Surface runoff eventually reaches a stream or other surface water body where it is again evaporated into the atmosphere. Infiltration, however, moves under the force of gravity through the soil. If soils are dry, water is absorbed by the soil until it is thoroughly wetted. Then excess infiltration begins to move slowly downward to the water table. Once it reaches the water table, it is called ground water. Ground water continues to move downward and laterally through the subsurface. Eventually it discharges through hillside springs or seeps into streams, lakes, and the ocean...

Slavery :: Slavery Essays

Escaping from slavery in 1838 had to be a treacherous experience; escaping slavery at any time would be! Most slaves couldn’t read or write, but one slave, Fredrick Douglass, broke that barrier and many more. In this particular writing he uses a wide-open state of mind to clearly get his thoughts across. He does this by using a wide variety of diction along with sentence fluency. An example can be seen in every sentence of every paragraph. â€Å"I saw in every white man an enemy, and in almost every colored man cause for distrust. It was a most painful situation; and, to understand it, one must needs experience it, or imagine himself in similar circumstances.† His narrative point of view about slavery, or rather first person experience on slavery, is expressed throughout as he explains slavery as being both life and death. How someone can write with such strong emotion, is beyond me, but Douglass does more than that. He captures and captivates the reader into thinking about and imagining his experiences. Through the use of concrete language, Fredrick Douglass, relates his readers to the life of a slave while at the same time explaining how one could never understand unless he experiences the hardships of slavery on his own. Fredrick Douglass has such a talent at pulling his readers into the writing and making them envision what is happening, that anyone could fall in love with his writing. An example can be found in,† There I was in the midst of thousands, and yet a perfect stranger†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Another common figure of speech found many times within the passage is the use of metaphors. Some are seen in,†I felt like one who had escaped a den of hungry lions†, â€Å"†¦being seized upon by his fellow-man, as the hideous crocodile seizes upon his prey!†, and â€Å"†¦among fellow-men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts.† By using such metaphors, Douglass is helping his readers better imagine his emotions. Each sentence flows fluidly and without imperfection. There are no apostrophes or harsh-sounding words that do not belong or fit among the others. The words fit together perfectly, as do the ideas in order to make a remarkable essay filled with emotion.

Global Warming †the Great Delusion Essay

Matt Patterson argues in â€Å"Global Warming – The Great Delusion† that the alleged scientific consensus surrounding the theory of global warming is based not on fact, but rather on a web of mass hysteria and deceit. Patterson contends that â€Å"In fact, global warming is the most widespread mass hysteria in our species’ history†, and that the beliefs of global warming proponents are the result of their own delusional imaginations and a subconscious apocalyptic yearning toward which masses of people tend to subject themselves. While Patterson worries that what he perceives to be the delusions of global warming proponents run amok could prove to be a legitimate threat to the progress of Man, he argues that there is a growing trend of dissenters to the theory among the scientific community that will break the supposed fever of global warming hysteria. The author begins the piece by drawing a parallel between the actions of global warming supporters and the erratic behaviors of witch hunters and alchemists prior to the 20th century. He claims that Charles Mackay, 19th century journalist and author of â€Å"Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds†, would draw the same conclusions today concerning global warming proponents that he did when observing popular susceptibility towards belief in with hunts and alchemy. In doing so, he attempts to illustrate his point that the proponents of global warming are simply falling prey to the madness fueled by those around them, rather than basing their actions and beliefs on facts or evidence. To support this assertion, Patterson employs a bevy of Devil terms to describe the commonality between the ignorance observed by Mackay toward witch hunters and the ignorance observed by Patterson toward global warming activists. Terms like superstition, guilt, hatred, and apocalyptic yearning all seek to paint global warming believers as a reactionary group acting on impulse over evidence. A rebuttal might point out that Patterson has yet to provide evidence against global warming r discredit the available evidence that supports the theory, and Mackay’s point about humans self-inflicting worries upon themselves might not hold any water if the worry in question was indeed valid and supported by evidence. Patterson continues this assertion into the next paragraph, adding more emotional emphasis by claiming that â€Å"In fact, global warming is the most widespread mass hysteria in our species’ history†. By framing the argument so dramatically, Patterson draws a visible distinction to whom his intended audience may be: those who already agree with his position and are looking for solidarity in their own opinions, as well as those on the fence or who have a neutral opinion on the validity of global warming. By emphasizing the extent of the error of global warming believers to such a degree, Patterson may be attempting to pique the interest of those who have paid little attention to the global warming debate before. Additionally, global warming proponents are grouped into the term â€Å"warmists† in this paragraph, and later referred to as â€Å"climate cultists†. These terms carry a belittling connotation that implies that global warming proponents are members of an extremist fringe group, rather than the majority. A rebuttal of this point might simply note that the majority of climatologists still subscribe to global warming as a viable theory, and Patterson is still yet to present any evidence to support his assertions. The author’s argument continues on to present this perceived hysteria of global warming as not only a potentially viable threat to humankind and the institutions that have enabled it to thrive, but one that is evidently on the decline. Patterson expresses a fear that â€Å"Man will be convinced by these climate cultists to turn his back on the very political, economic, and scientific institutions that made him so powerful, so wealthy, so healthy†. By framing his argument in a way that transitions from highlighting the scientific ignorance of global warming to the policies that such a worldview could impact, Patterson attempts to establish a chain of logic that justifies his concern for global warming as an influence on government. The language used in the sentence (â€Å"climate cultists† trying to convince â€Å"Man†, turning their back on beneficial institutions) also implies to the reader that the proponents of global warming are actively attempting to undermine the institutions that have allowed humankind to thrive in the modern world. This opinion is underlined later in the article, when Patterson contemplates why many â€Å"hope† for climate change catastrophe. At this point, Patterson approaches the core of his argument, wherein he provides what he believes to be sufficient evidence that the idea global warming will soon cease to be a threat to the progress. He argues that the â€Å"fever is breaking, as more and more scientists come forward to admit their doubts about the global warming paradigm†. The use of a fever as a metaphor suggests that the hysteria that surrounds global warming acts as an ailment on society, and as more and more scientists challenge the theory, its credibility – and ultimately its power – is diminished. To support this statement, he cites quotes from scientists expressing reluctance and doubt toward the theory of global warming. Patterson makes sure to mention the alleged prominence of the dissenting scientists and to identify Ivar Giaever as a Nobel Prize winner, in an attempt to bolster the credibility of his sources through the use of God terms. A rebuttal of this point might argue that this is not evidence against global warming, but rather an argument from authority. By citing two examples of scientists dissenting from popular scientific consensus on global warming and asserting them as proof of the untruth of the theory, Patterson ultimately says nothing persuasive in opposition to global warming. Were he able to provide evidence of an increasing trend of scientists rejecting the theory, his argument might gain credibility, but by citing only two singular examples, he gives the reader no reason to believe that this information is indicative of the norm rather than the exception. Perhaps anticipating the counterargument that the majority of scientists still accept global warming as a viable theory, Patterson posits another quote from the group of dissenting scientists, who claim that â€Å"Alarmism over climate is of great benefit to many, providing government funding for academic research and a reason for government bureaucracies to grow. † While Patterson doesn’t expound on this claim, its presence in his article strongly implies that he identifies with the point made by these scientists. He then goes on to dismiss federal mandates related to carbon emissions as â€Å"schemes† meant to undermine the individual liberty of the voters. A rebuttal might argue that these points contradict the primary argument Patterson made at the opening of the article; by heavily implying that global warming proponents cling to the hope of â€Å"climate change catastrophe† mainly as an effort to profit from government funding and to further bureaucratic control, he nullifies his argument based on the quote from Charles Mackay that global warming fear is borne from superstition, Western guilt, and apocalyptic yearning. Overall, Matt Patterson’s article proved to be an unconvincing piece of rhetoric against global warming. He provided astonishingly little evidence to support his argument that global warming was a ridiculous superstition, and relied on two singular examples to demonstrate that scientists were flocking away from the theory. He offered no objective data on climate change and in fact opted out of even delving into the mechanics of the theory, choosing instead to merely assert the apparent lunacy and hysteria of global warming proponents in a shallow attempt to undermine their credibility. This piece may perhaps bolster the confidence of individuals who already deny the claims of the theory of global warming, but it would most likely prove unconvincing to almost any other audience.

Ethical Considerations in Motivated Learning

When students have goals to achieve, the motivation to do more or better goes into overdrive. Goal Theory and Ethical Implications The goal theory of motivation is explained by Such nun (2012) as, â€Å"Goal theory postulates that important relations exist among goals, expectations, attributions, conceptions of ability, motivational orientations, social and self comparisons, and achievement behaviors† (Andersen & Welters, Blundered, Elliot, Maier & Shush, Pinprick, Pinprick & Shush, Whiner, as cited in Chunk 201 2, p. 374). Goals, values, and expectations are roles of motivation within earning as described social cognitive theorists.Goals are set and progress is evaluated, when progress is made toward those goals, an individual's self- efficacy, self-motivation and self-achievement is validated. Goals provide the individual marker points to assess ones progress to mastering the desired outcome or knowledge retention on a particular subject. â€Å"Motivation is goal- directed behavior instigated and sustained by people's expectations concerning the anticipated outcomes of their actions and their self-efficacy for performing those actions† (Bandeau, as cited in Chunk, 201 2, p. 372).The ales of a learner are a key part of this motivation. If they find what they are learning self-satisfying and important they are more likely to be motivated to learn and achieve the goals that have been established. When talking about goals in relation to goal theories it is evident that certain ethical standards may be impacted due to the need of achievement to the final desired outcome. Through achieving goals as an example in social cognitive theory one may have to violate the individual autonomy or safety within the subjects' community.Nagy (201 1) states, There are occasions when psychologists sight have to initiate safeguards to help ensure the autonomy and safety of individuals or communities. † The ethical principles of modern psychologists are to evalua te what ethical standards may be violated in the pursuit of the us abject achieving set goals either through their therapeutic processes or learning processes. Some areas of concern are reflected in individualized role differences, cultural, individual, and vulnerabilities in where access to legal protections and violation of one's personal rights may be threatened.The psychologist is to ensure that other human attributes of the members' immediate society shall not be violated in the pursuit of the subjects goals and should be clearly explained in a therapeutic setting. Achievement Motivation Theory and Ethical Implications The achievement motivation theory is based on the belief that all individuals have needs and go through an unconscious process to attempt to meet these needs (Rayon, 1969). According to Chunk, ‘The study of achievement motivation is central to education and learning' (p. 58). In the achievement motivation theory, individuals strive to be become and remain c ompetent in heir participation in forceful activities. Individuals strive achieve their goals (Whiner, 1975). In learning individuals might strive to be rewarded with good grades for their hard work. The achievement of the grade is what motivates the individual to complete the assignment. The achievement motivation theory has been linked to personality through the desire individuals have to satisfy needs (Chunk, 2012).Contemporary models of achievement motivation theory emphasized the contribution of success expectancy, and an individual's perceived value of the task to be completed (2012). Chunk (2012) tastes, â€Å"Students' initial motivational beliefs center on goals, self-concepts of abilities, and perceptions of task demands† (p. 362). In the self-worth theory of achievement motivation individuals base their achievement in their perception of self-worth based on results of emotional conflicts between hope for success and the fear of failure (Chunk, 2012).An individual i s driven by their anticipation of success and their anxiety of failing. People are driven by their fear of failure and being perceived by others as incompetent and unworthy. Ethical disadvantages to the achievement motivation theory include the low reliability and correlation with other achievement measurements (Chunk, 2012). An individual's perception on the way others perceive them can also be a pitfall in the utilization Of the achievement motivational theory.The cultural background, gender role stereotypes and other ethical issues could alter an individual's perception of their ability to achieve the goals in which they have set. Social Cognitive Theory and Ethical Implications Social Cognitive Theory, developed by Albert Bandeau emphasizes learning based off of social surroundings. As one grows from childhood to adolescence and later in adulthood, there is a heavy influence from family and friends, as well as career setting that mold people into who there are (Chunk, 2010).Band eau stated, â€Å"Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. † (Bandeau, 1971). This explains that one develops skills form observation of others. Bandeau goes on to say, â€Å"Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling from observing others one forms an idea of new behaviors are reformed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. In other words, learning comes from a live model with full demonstration of behavior that is exhibited by others. There are many different ethical dilemmas that can surface in psychological practices with utilization of the social cognitive motivation theory. Kismet (1991) suggested that, â€Å"Studies pertaining to ethical decision making and attitude toward social and behavioral research suggest that certain extra scientific characteristics of researchers may be ass ociated with different stances on ethical issues or may influence the kinds of ethical decisions drawn. Based on the psychologists attitude toward the research could influence the behavior of the participants; engaging in behavior that is deemed unethical. There is always an ethical concern when dealing with biased opinion of psychologists, which can then turned into manipulation to achieve specific results Attribution Theory of Motivation and Ethical Implications In psychology the study of motivation is used to help understand and explain any type of observed change behavior that has occurred in a person.Motivation is usually a valued form of performance since effects that occur from change are typically only temporary (Male, 2004). When a person become slightly motivated to accomplish or perform a task due to a motivation change, this person could latter have very little interest in this task due to another change in motivation. Since motivation changes a channel over and over it becomes difficult to measure and use in psychology (Male, 2004). Primary and basic motives are looked at as hunger, need for drink, sexual, to avoided aggression, pain, and fear.This primary drive of motivation or individuals comes from the basic needs and survival. Secondary individuals typically will look for power, achievement and other specialized motivations. Attribution theory in motivation has been researched in a variety of ways (Male, 2004). Research methods include of electrical stimulation and chemical stimulation in the human brain. This recorded the electric brain wave activity though the use of an electroencephalograph. Lesion techniques are often used to study the portion of the brain that has been destroyed and the subsequent changes have been changed.Attempts to analyze people at psychological level try to understand why people behave in certain ways. Motivation is people could contribute to presence of other in their social world. It is difficult for psychologist t o fully measure what motivates individuals to accomplish secondary motives in their lives making it a high pitfall for psychology use (Male, 2004). Many individuals gain motivation for personal needs and draw motivation from many different areas of life making it hard to measure and test. Conclusion In conclusion, motivated learning has various aspects tied into it.Goals are important for those who are interested in achieving a high level of success. While desiring to reach these goals, students begin to understand that there are steps or tasks to partake in for them to acquire achievement. When students begin to believe how others perceive them, it can cause their motivation to take a left turn. Those who deal with social issues often deal with the influence of the people around them. The motivation to do more has to come from our personal experiences. It can be linked to growing up poor, not have the right people around to guide you, and etc.