Compare and Contrast Psychoanalytic and Person-Centered...

Running Head: Compare and Contrast Paper Compare and Contrast: Psychoanalytic and Person-Centered Therapies Leslie A. White Central Missouri State University ` The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the differences and similarities associated with Carl Roger’s Client-centered theory and Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory. The focus of the comparisons will fall into the three main topic areas: that of optimal personality development, that of the nature of problem formation, and that of the process of learning and change. The two theorists differ in approach in that Psychoanalytic theory is basically deterministic while Person-Centered therapy is rooted in humanistic and existential philosophies.†¦show more content†¦The superego operates as a moral center and strives for perfection. (Corey, 1996). Person-centered therapy is similar in that it identifies a specific personality structure, the OVS. When behavior is congruent and in harmony with the OVS, there is a movement towards self-actualization and the enhancement of being. When humans consciously or unconsciously behave in a way that goes agains t the OVS, behavior is a detriment to the being and hinders the self-actualization process. The personality structures differ in that Freud identifies three distinct personality structures that divide psychic energy. Freud proposed that the division of psychic energy between the personality structures was a result of the level of frustration or satiation of the id. The progression plays a role in socialization as the person moves through the psychosexual stages. Rogerian theory differs in the major personality structure is the OVS. When humans consciously or unconsciously behave in a way that goes against the OVS, behavior is a detriment to the being and hinders the self-actualization process. The process differs in that the individual discordance with the OVS is a lack of trust toward the inner valuing system, as opposed to a lack of balance between satiation of the id personality structure. The personality structures are similar in that the client must work toward some sense of conscious awareness in order to elicit change in behavior. According to Rogers,Show MoreRelatedmodels and approaches relate to client need, therapeutic context and aims and objectives of the therapy.1106 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Through analysis and evaluation of models and approaches within counselling and psychotherapy therapeutic delivery, explain how models and approaches relate to client need, therapeutic context and aims and objectives of the therapy. Psychotherapists will be educated in various different models and whether they are approaching a client through the concept of observing external behaviours, the Behaviourist approach for example in which a therapist will look to condition new behaviours, or throughRead MoreEssay on Features of the Psychoanalytic and Humanistic Perspectives1557 Words   |  7 PagesFeatures of the Psychoanalytic and Humanistic Perspectives Outline the key features of the psychoanalytic and humanistic perspectives, and briefly compare and contrast their views on conscious experience, a person as an integrated whole, and the role of therapists in arriving at changes. Answer In explaining and predicting animal behaviour, different schools of psychology are of different perspectives; e.g. cognitive approach focuses on the mental processes,Read MoreThree Theoretical Approaches to Conselling2755 Words   |  11 Pages This essay will compare and contrast three theoretical approaches to counselling – psychoanalysis, person-centered therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Underlying assumptions Psychoanalysis assumes behaviours we display when we are adults are rooted in our childhood experiences and CBT assumes behaviour as a learned response. Psychoanalysis links childhood event and associated feelings to current problems which is similar to CBT where many of client’s schemas were created when he wasRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Psychoanalytic and Existential/Humanistic Perspectives4364 Words   |  18 PagesIntroduction This essay is about comparing and contrasting two out of the eight personality theories commonly used to decipher one’s personality. Those two are the psychoanalytic perspective and the existential/humanistic perspective. Both perspectives are equally important as they play a major role in understanding personality in different ways and explaining them as well. Freud’s psychoanalysis helps us to understand the individual’s personality from its early years right up to adulthood whileRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Main Principles in Any Two of the Followingpsychological Therapies: Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy or Humanistic Therapy1584 Words   |  7 PagesPsychology Assignment 1 â€Å"Compare and contrast the main principles in any two of the followingPsychological therapies: psychoanalysis, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy or humanistic therapy.† Over the detritus of centuries, mental illnesses (such as anxiety, depression and personality disorder) have been a major contentious topic, especially in the medieval times in which religion centered, cultural and traditional influenced people deemed these exhibiting symptoms of psychopathology asRead MoreCompare and Contrast Person Centered and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy1269 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and contrast person centered and cognitive behavioural approaches understanding and making use of the counseling relationship Introduction This assignment is an attempt to discuss two different types of therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and person centered therapy and highlight some important similarities and differences between them. Cognitive behavioural therapy John Watson (1957) believed psychology should be concerned with the observable, as behaviour could be measuredRead MoreCompare and Contrast Psychodynamic Theory and Person Centerd Counselling2485 Words   |  10 PagesTitle – Critically compare and contrast two counselling theories Module code- Cg2030 Module tutor – Phill Goss Word count-2500 Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty a client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction and purpose. It is always at the request of the client as no one can properly be sent for counselling.’(CounsellingRead MoreMID TERM STUDY GUIDE Essay16611 Words   |  67 Pagesc. the need for love and belonging d. the need for intelligence 16. The concept of multidimensionality refers to the importance of: (43) a. Recognizing the neighborhood in which one lives b. Considering the most important single feature of the person c. Seeing people for the many aspects of their identity *** d. Interacting in predetermined ways with underrepresented groups 17. Challenges that counselors may face in their work with children from diverse ethnic groups include (www) (43-44) Read MoreEssay on A Critical Review of the Theory of Person Centred5054 Words   |  21 Pages Essay Title A Critical Review of the Theory of Person Centred. Word Count : 4000 A Critical Review of the Theory of Person Centred. In counselling and psychotherapy, it is fundamental aspect for practitioners to use theory as a way of informing the way the work with a client.(McLeod). The goal of this essay is toRead MoreApa Style Lite for College Papers15275 Words   |  62 Pagesfollowed by over a thousand journals in psychology and education. Some colleges and universities have adopted the style for student papers in all fields. It is an old style and partial to tedious detail. Still, its widespread acceptance is in marked contrast to the 2.2 Ragged Margin proliferation of styles in fields where it is not used. For example, authors writing in the field of biomedical research must contend with literally hundreds of different journal styles. 2.2 Indents Where it is required

Blueprinting and Service Marketing Literature review

Essays on Blueprinting and Service Marketing Literature review The paper "Blueprinting and Service Marketing" is an outstanding example of a literature review on marketing. Marketing practices have been around for ages and as per Carratu (1987), they can be traced back to 7000 B.C. But as a concept and as a school of study, its origin is relatively new. Marketing is nothing but a set of activities put together to sell a product profitably using the right mix of product, price, promotion, and place. Till very recently, it had been existing in isolation to the wider business activity and thus businesses were not getting the response they wanted. Most of the earlier concepts in marketing are focused on profits, exchange, and transactions. Thus, the experts tried to overcome these deficiencies by approaching marketing as resource-based or asset-based. Thus now, marketing is being developed these days with a focus on relationships and customers rather than the previous discussions on transactions. (Kotler 1990; Webster 1992). And this change of focus is redefining the domain of marketing as per Sheth, Gardener, and Garett. (1988) and the marketing is returning back to the pre-industrial time of direct marketing in business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets. Thus the relationship marketing is increasingly becoming more and more popular with the experts and industry alike.RELATIONSHIP MARKETINGRelationship marketing involves the interactions and integration of different stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and employees of the organization themselves in the organization’s developmental and marketing activities.(McKenna 1991; Shani and Chalasani 1991). Thus the increased interactions and communications within these groups result in much more closer business relationships between them and enforce cooperation instead of the intense competition and conflict among these different groups. Morgan and Hunt (1994) thus emphasized that mutual cooperation due to usage of relationship marketing concepts leads to highe r value creation and is inherently more useful and profitable to the organization.As per Sheth and Sisodia (1995), relationship marketing helps to enhance marketing productivity by helping organizations operate with efficiency and effectiveness. There are many practices in relationship marketing practices that help organizations achieve effectiveness and these are customer retention or loyalty, efficient consumer response, and the sharing of resources between marketing partners. Thus such marketing practices thrive on close relationships between customer and supplier firms. (Copulsky and Wolf 1990; Goldberg 1988; Katz 1988).Changes in the business markets, technology and many other environmental and organizational factors have contributed to the popularity of relationship marketing practices.  Some of the important ones are presented in this paper.

The Hunters Phantom Chapter 33 Free Essays

â€Å"Stop!† Elena screamed. â€Å"Stefan! Stop it! You’l kil him!† Even as she said it, she realized that kil ing Damon might be exactly what Stefan’s idea was here. Stefan tore at Damon with his teeth and hands, not pummeling him, but ripping feral y, with fangs and claws. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 33 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Stefan, his body in a vicious primal crouch, his canines extended, his face distorted by a snarl of animal fury, had never looked more like a bloodthirsty vampire. And behind Elena as she watched them, that seductive, chil ing voice went on, tel ing Stefan that he would lose everything, just like he always lost everything. That Damon took everything from him and then tossed it carelessly, cruel y aside, because Damon simply wanted to ruin whatever Stefan had. Elena turned and, too frightened by what Stefan was doing to Damon to have any fear left of the phantom, slammed it with her fists. After a moment, Matt and Bonnie joined her. As before, mostly their hands just slid through the phantom’s mist. The phantom’s chest was solid, though, and Elena focused her rage on that, hitting against the hard ice there with as much power as she could. Beneath the ice of the creature’s chest, a rose glowed a rich dark red. It was a beautiful flower, but deadly looking, its color reminding her of poisoned blood. Its thorny stem seemed swol en, thicker than a normal flower’s. As Elena stared at it, the glow deepened and the flower’s petals opened further, swel ing to ful bloom. Is that her heart? Elena wondered. Is Stefan’s jealousy nourishing it? She smashed her fist against the phantom’s chest again, right above the rose, and the phantom glanced at her for a moment. â€Å"Stop it,† Elena said fiercely. â€Å"Leave Stefan alone.† The phantom was real y looking at her now, and its – no, her – smile widened, her glasslike teeth sharp and shiny underneath her misty lips. In the glacial depths of her eyes, Elena thought she caught a chil y but genuine twinkle, and Elena’s own heart froze. Then the phantom turned her attention back toward Stefan and Damon, and, although Elena would never have believed it possible, things got worse. â€Å"Damon,† said the phantom throatily, and Damon, who’d been limp and exhausted, eyes clenched shut, passive under Stefan’s assault, shielding his face but not fighting back, opened his eyes. â€Å"Damon,† she said again, her eyes glittering. â€Å"What right does Stefan have to attack you? Whatever you tried to take from him, you were just fighting against the fact that he got everything – your father’s love, the girls you wanted – and you had nothing at al . He’s a sanctimonious brat, a selfloathing weakling, but he gets everything.† Damon’s eyes widened as if in recognition at hearing his own deepest miseries voiced, and his face twisted with emotion. Stefan was stil clawing and biting at him, but he fel back a little as Damon snapped into action, grabbing him by the arm and wrenching it. Elena winced with horror as she heard the crunch of something – oh, God – something in Stefan’s arm or shoulder breaking. Undaunted, Stefan only grimaced and then threw himself at Damon again, the hurt arm dangling awkwardly. Damon was stronger, Elena numbly noted, but exhausted; surely he wouldn’t be able to keep his advantage for long. For now they seemed fairly evenly matched. They were both furious, both fighting with no reservations. A bestial, nasty snarl came from one of them, shaky, vicious laughter from the other, and Elena realized with horror that she had no idea which sound was coming from who. The phantom hissed with enjoyment. Elena flinched away from her and, out of the corner of her eye, saw Bonnie and Matt step back, too. â€Å"Don’t break the lines!† Alaric shouted from the other side of†¦ where were they now, anyway? Oh, Mrs. Flowers’s garage – the garage. He sounded desperate, and Elena wondered if he had been shouting for a while. There had been some background noise going on, but there hadn’t been a moment to listen to it. â€Å"Elena! Bonnie! Matt! Don’t break the lines!† he shouted again. â€Å"You can get out, but step over the lines careful y!† Elena glanced down. An elaborate pattern of lines in different colors was chalked beneath their feet, and she, Bonnie, Matt, and the phantom were al together in a smal circle in the innermost center of this pattern. Bonnie was the first one to clearly realize what Alaric was saying. â€Å"Come on,† she muttered, yanking at Elena’s and Matt’s arms. Then she picked her way, daintily but quickly, across the floor, away from the phantom and toward their friends. Matt fol owed her. He had to pause on one foot in a smal section and reach with his other foot, and there was a moment when he wobbled, one sneaker almost blurring a blue line of chalk. But he caught his balance and continued on. It took Elena, stil mostly focused on the desperately grappling figures of Damon and Stefan, a few seconds longer to realize she needed to move as wel . She was almost too late. As she poised herself to take that first step out of the inner circle, the phantom turned its glassy eyes upon her. Elena fled, jumping quickly out of the circle and just barely managing to stop herself from skidding across the diagram. The phantom took a swipe at her, but its hand stopped before crossing above a chalk line, and it growled in frustration. Alaric shakily pushed his tousled hair out of his eyes. â€Å"I wasn’t sure whether that would hold her,† he admitted, â€Å"but it seems like it’s working. Now, careful y, Elena, watching where you step, make your way over here.† Matt and Bonnie had already reached the wal of the garage, at a distance from where Stefan and Damon were locked in battle, and Meredith had wrapped her arms around them, her dark head buried in Matt’s shoulder, Bonnie nestled against her side, her eyes as round as a frightened kitten’s. Elena looked down at the complicated pattern drawn on the floor and started moving careful y between the lines, heading not for her other friends but for the two struggling vampires. â€Å"Elena! No! This way!† cal ed Alaric, but Elena ignored him. She had to get to Damon and Stefan. â€Å"Please,† she said, half sobbing, as she reached them, â€Å"Damon, Stefan, you have to stop. The phantom’s doing this to you. You don’t real y want to hurt each other. It’s not you. Please.† Neither of them paid any attention to her. She wasn’t even sure whether they could hear her. They were almost motionless now, their muscles straining in each other’s grip as each tried to simultaneously attack and fend off the other. Slowly, as Elena watched, Damon began to overcome Stefan, gradual y pushing his arms aside, leaning in toward his throat, white teeth flashing. â€Å"Damon! No!† Elena screamed. She stretched out to grab his arm, to pul him off Stefan. Without even looking at her, he casual y, viciously shoved her aside, sending her flying. She landed hard on her back and slid across the floor, and it hurt, the impact jolting her teeth together, banging her head against the cement, white shocks of pain flaring behind her eyes. As she started to get up again, she saw with dismay Damon push through the last of Stefan’s defenses and sink his fangs into his younger brother’s neck. â€Å"No!† she screamed again. â€Å"Damon, no!† â€Å"Elena, be careful,† Alaric shouted. â€Å"You’re in the diagram. Please, whatever you do, don’t break any more lines.† Elena looked around. Her landing had sent her skidding through several of the chalk marks, which were now smeared al around her, smudges of color. She stiffened in terror and suppressed a whimper. Was it loose now? Had she set it free? Steeling herself, she turned toward the innermost circle. The phantom was feeling around itself with its long arms, patting up and down against some invisible wal bordering the circle that kept it contained. As Elena watched, its mouth thinned with effort and it brought its hands together in one spot and pushed. The air in the room rippled. But the phantom did not manage to break through the circle, and after a moment it stopped pushing and hissed in disappointment. Then its eyes fel on Elena, and it smiled again. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† it said, its voice soft with false compassion. â€Å"The pretty girl, the one everyone wants, the one the boys al fight over. It’s so very hard being you.† The voice twisted, its tone changing to bitter mockery. â€Å"But they’re not real y thinking of you, are they? The two you want, you’re not the girl for them. You know why they are attracted to you. Katherine. Always Katherine. They want you because you look like her, but you’re not her. The girl they loved so long ago was soft and sweet and gentle. An innocent, a victim, a foil for their fantasies. You’re nothing like her. They’l find that out, you know. Once your mortal form changes – and it wil . They’l be the same forever, but you’re changing and getting older every day; in a few years you’l look much older than they do – then they’l realize you’re not the one they love at al . You’re not Katherine, and you never wil be.† Elena’s eyes stung. â€Å"Katherine was a monster,† she spat out through her teeth. â€Å"She became a monster. She started out as a sweet young girl,† the phantom corrected her. â€Å"Damon and Stefan destroyed her. Like they’l destroy you. You’l never lead a normal life. You’re not like Meredith or Bonnie or Celia. They’l have chances at normalcy when they’re ready, despite the way you’ve dragged them into your battles. But you, you’l never be normal. And you know who’s to blame for that, don’t you?† Elena, without thinking, looked at Damon and Stefan, just as Stefan managed to shove Damon away from him. Damon staggered backward, toward the group of humans huddling by the wal of the garage. Blood was running from his mouth and streaming down Stefan’s neck from a terrible gash. â€Å"They’ve doomed you, just like they doomed the one they really loved,† the phantom said softly. Elena pushed herself to her feet, her heart pounding hard, heavy with misery and anger. â€Å"Elena, stop!† cal ed a powerful contralto voice, fil ed with such authority that Elena turned away from Damon and Stefan and, blinking as though she’d been woken from a dream, looked out of the diagram toward the others. Mrs. Flowers stood at the edge of the chalk lines, hands on her hips, feet planted firmly. Her lips were a straight angry line, but her eyes were clear and thoughtful. She met Elena’s gaze, and Elena felt calmed and strengthened. Then Mrs. Flowers looked around at the others gathered beside her. â€Å"We must perform the banishing spel now,† she declared. â€Å"Before the phantom manages to destroy us al . Elena! Can you hear me?† A surge of purpose running through her, Elena nodded and moved back to join the others. Mrs. Flowers brought her hands sharply together, and the air rippled again. The phantom’s voice broke off and it shrieked in fury, shoving at the air around it, its hands meeting resistance sooner, its invisible prison smal er. Meredith felt urgently around on the high shelf near the garage door, her hands touching and rejecting various objects. Where had Mrs. Flowers put the candles? Paintbrushes, no. Flashlights, no. Ancient can of bug spray, no. Bag of potting soil, no. Some weird metal thing that she couldn’t figure out from touching what it might be, no. Bag of candles. Yes. â€Å"I’ve got it,† she said, pul ing it off the shelf and dumping probably a decade’s worth of dust from the shelf onto her own head. â€Å"Urgh,† she sputtered. It was a mark of the seriousness of the situation, Meredith thought, that Bonnie and Elena both looked at her, head and shoulders coated in thick dust and spiderwebs, and neither giggled nor moved to brush her off. They al had more important things to worry about than a little dirt. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"First off, we need to figure out what color candle Damon would be.† Mrs. Flowers had pointed out that Damon was clearly a victim of the jealousy phantom as wel , and so would have to take part in the banishment ritual for it to work ful y. Looking at the two vampire brothers stil attempting to tear each other apart, Meredith seriously doubted whether Damon would be participating. Stefan either, for that matter. They were solely focused on inflicting as much damage as possible on each other. Stil , they would have to get the two vampires back to make the spel work. Somehow. Meredith found herself cool y wondering whether, if both Damon and Stefan died, they could safely be counted out of the ritual. Would the rest of them be able to defeat the phantom then? And if they didn’t murder each other, but simply continued to fight, endangering them al , would she be able to kil them? She shoved the thought away. Stefan was her friend. And then she determinedly made herself consider kil ing him again. This was her duty. That was more important than friendship; it had to be. Yes, she could kil them today, even in the next few minutes, if it was necessary, she realized. She would regret it forever if she had to, but she could. Besides, a part of her mind noted clinical y, if things went on as they were now, Damon and Stefan would kil each other, and save her that burden. Elena had been thinking hard – or maybe zoning out, focused on what the jealousy phantom had said to her, Meredith wasn’t sure – and now she spoke. â€Å"Red,† she said. â€Å"Is there a red candle for Damon?† There was a dark red candle, and also a black one. Meredith pul ed both out and showed them to Elena. â€Å"Red,† said Elena. â€Å"For blood?† asked Meredith, eyeing the fighters, now only about ten feet away. God, they were both just covered with blood now. As she watched, Damon growled like an animal and banged Stefan’s head repeatedly against the wal of the garage. Meredith winced at the hol ow sound of Stefan’s skul slamming against the wood and plaster of the wal . Damon had one hand around Stefan’s neck, the other ripping at Stefan’s chest as if Damon wanted to gouge out his heart. A soft, sinister voice was stil coming from the phantom. Meredith couldn’t make out what it was saying, but its eyes were on the brothers, and it was smiling as it spoke. It looked satisfied. â€Å"For passion,† said Elena, and snatched the candle out of Meredith’s hands and marched over, straight-backed and head high like a soldier’s, to the line of candles Alaric was relighting at the edge of the diagram. Meredith stared after her as Elena lit the candle and dripped a puddle of hot wax to stand it upon. Stefan forced Damon backward, closer to the others and their line of candles. Damon’s boots scraped against the floor as he strained against Stefan. â€Å"Okay,† Alaric said, looking at the candles apprehensively, then down at the book. â€Å"Each of us wil declare the jealousies inside ourselves – the weaknesses that the phantom is able to play on – and cast them out. If we real y mean it, if we manage, at least for the moment, to truly and sincerely cast out our jealousy, our candles wil go out and the phantom wil be weakened. The trick is to real y be able to banish the jealousies from our hearts and stop feeding the phantom, and if we al can do it at once, the phantom ought to disappear, or maybe even die.† â€Å"What if we can’t? What if we try to cast out jealousy, but it doesn’t go completely away?† Bonnie asked, her forehead crinkling with worry. â€Å"Then it doesn’t work and the phantom stays,† said Alaric flatly. â€Å"Who wants to go first?† Stefan slammed Damon down viciously onto the cement floor, a howl of anger coming from him. They were only a few feet from the line of candles, and Alaric stepped between them and the row of tiny flames, trying to shield the candles with his body. Celia shuddered as Stefan gave a low, furious growl and lowered his head to bite at Damon’s shoulder. Jealousy kept up a steady stream of venomous chatter, her eyes gleaming. Mrs. Flowers clapped her hands to get everyone else’s attention, her face stern and encouraging. â€Å"Children, you wil al have to be honest and brave,† she said. â€Å"You must al truly admit to your worst selves in front of your friends, which wil be hard. And then you wil need to be strong enough to cast these worst selves of yours away, which may be even harder. But you love one another, and I promise we wil get through it.† A thump and a muffled shout of rage and pain came from a few feet away, and Alaric glanced nervously over his shoulder at the battle behind him. â€Å"Time is of the essence,† Mrs. Flowers said briskly. â€Å"Who wil go first?† Meredith was about to step forward, clutching her stave for comfort, when Bonnie spoke up. â€Å"I wil ,† she said falteringly. â€Å"Um. I’ve been jealous of Meredith and of Elena. I always†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She swal owed, and then spoke more firmly. â€Å"I sometimes feel like I’m only a sidekick when I’m around them. They’re braver than me, and they’re better fighters, and smarter and prettier, and†¦ and taller than I am. I’m jealous because I feel like people don’t respect me as much as they do them and don’t real y take me seriously like they do Elena and Meredith. I’m jealous because sometimes I’m standing in their shadows, which are pretty big shadows†¦ metaphorical y speaking, I mean. And I’m also jealous because I’ve never even had a real boyfriend, and Meredith has Alaric, and Elena has Stefan, and because Elena also has Damon, who I think is pretty amazing, but who would never notice me when I’m standing next to Elena, because she’s al he can see.â₠¬  Bonnie paused again, and glanced at Elena, her eyes wide and shining. â€Å"But I love Elena and Meredith. I know I need to stop comparing myself to them. I’m not just a sidekick; I’m useful and talented, too. And† – she spoke the words Alaric had given them al – â€Å"I have fed the phantom of jealousy. But now I cast my jealousy away.† In the semicircle of candles, the flame of Bonnie’s pink one flickered and went out. Bonnie gave a little gasp and smiled, half-shamefaced, half-proud, at Meredith and Elena. From inside the diagram, the phantom of jealousy snapped its head around and glared at Bonnie. â€Å"Bonnie – â€Å" Meredith started to say, wanting to tel her friend that of course she wasn’t a sidekick. Didn’t Bonnie know how amazing she was? But then Elena stepped toward the candles and shook back her hair, head high. â€Å"I’ve been jealous of other people in Fel ‘s Church,† she declared. â€Å"I saw how easy it was for other couples to be together, and after al Stefan and I – and Damon, and the rest of my friends – have been through, and even after we saved Fel ‘s Church and made it normal again, everything just kept on being so hard and so weird and supernatural. I guess I’ve been realizing that things aren’t ever going to be just easy and normal for me, and that’s been tough to accept. When I watched other people and was jealous of them, I fed the phantom of jealousy. I cast that jealousy away.† Elena smiled a little. It was a strange, rueful sort of smile, and Meredith, watching her, thought that, while Elena had cast out her jealousy, she was stil haunted by regret for the easy, golden life she’d once had ahead of her and that had probably been taken away forever now. The candle was stil burning. Elena hesitated. Meredith fol owed her gaze past the line of candles to where Stefan and Damon struggled. As they watched, Damon heaved and rol ed Stefan under him, leaving a long streak of blood across the floor of the garage. Stefan’s foot brushed the red candle at the end of the line, and Alaric leaped to steady it. â€Å"And I’ve been jealous of Katherine,† Elena said. â€Å"Damon and Stefan loved her first, and she knew them before so much happened to change them, to†¦ warp them out of who they ought to be. And even though I realize that they both know I’m not Katherine and that they love me for who I am, I haven’t been able to forget that they noticed me at first because I look like her. I have fed the phantom of jealousy because of Katherine, and I cast that jealousy away.† The candle flame flickered, but did not go out. Jealousy smirked triumphantly, but then Elena went on. â€Å"I’ve also been jealous of Bonnie.† Bonnie’s head shot up, and she stared at Elena with an expression of disbelief. â€Å"I was used to being the only human Damon cared about, the only one who he would want to save.† She looked at Bonnie with tear-fil ed eyes. â€Å"I am so, so glad that Bonnie is alive. But I was jealous that Damon cared enough to die for her. When I was jealous of Bonnie, I fed the phantom of jealousy. But now I cast my jealousy away.† The golden candle went out. Elena looked almost timidly at Bonnie, and Bonnie smiled at her, an open, loving smile, and held out her arms. Elena hugged her tightly. Other than the grief she felt over Elena’s parents’ deaths, Meredith had never felt sorry for Elena. Why would she? Elena was beautiful, smart, a leader, passionately loved†¦ but now Meredith couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. Sometimes it must be easier to live an everyday life than to be a heroine. Meredith glanced at the phantom. It seemed to be simmering and was now whol y focused on the humans. Alaric stepped around the candles toward the others, glancing back toward Damon and Stefan. Damon had pinned Stefan painful y against the wal behind Alaric. Stefan’s face was twisted in a grimace, and they could hear the scrape of his body against the hard surface. But at least Stefan and Damon weren’t endangering the candles for now. Meredith turned her attention to her boyfriend. What could Alaric be jealous of? If anything, he’d been the focus of jealousy the last week or so. He reached for Meredith and took one of her hands. â€Å"I’ve been jealous,† Alaric said, looking into her eyes. â€Å"Of you, Meredith. And of your friends.† Meredith reflexively arched a brow at him. What did he mean? â€Å"God.† He half laughed. â€Å"Here I am, a graduate student in parapsychology. I’ve been dying my whole life to prove to myself that there’s something more going on in the world than what everybody knows, that some of the things we think of as supernatural are real. And then I come to this smal town in Virginia because there are rumors, rumors I don’t real y believe, that there might be vampires here, and when I get here I find this amazing, beautiful, confident girl, and it turns out she comes from a family that hunts vampires. And her friends are vampires and witches and psychics and girls who come back from the dead to fight evil. They only just finished high school, but they’ve seen things I’ve never imagined. They’ve defeated monsters, and saved towns, and traveled to other dimensions. And, you know, I’m just this ordinary guy, and suddenly half the people I know – and the girl I love – are practical y s uperheroes.† He shook his head, looking at Meredith admiringly. â€Å"I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy. But now I cast my jealousy away. I’l just have to deal with being the boyfriend of a superhero.† Instantly, the dark green candle went out. Sealed in the inner circle, the phantom hissed and paced back and forth in the smal space like a trapped tigress. It looked angry, but not noticeably weaker. Celia spoke next. Her face was tired but calm. â€Å"I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy,† she proclaimed. â€Å"I’ve been jealous of Meredith Suarez.† She didn’t say why. â€Å"But now I see that it’s pointless. I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy, but now I cast my jealousy away.† She spoke as if she were dropping something into the trash. But stil the pale purple candle went out. Meredith opened her mouth to speak – she was clear on what she needed to say, and it wouldn’t be too hard, because she’d won, hadn’t she? If it had ever been a battle anywhere besides her own mind – but Matt cleared his throat and spoke first. â€Å"I have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stumbled over his words. â€Å"I guess†¦ no, I know I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy. I have always been crazy about Elena Gilbert, as long as I’ve known her. And I’ve been jealous of Stefan. Al along. Even now, when Jealousy’s got him trapped in this bloody battle, because he has Elena. She loves him, not me. But, wel , it doesn’t matter†¦ I’ve also known for a long time that Elena and I together don’t work, not for her, and that’s not Stefan’s fault. I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy, but now I cast my jealousy away.† He blushed and careful y did not look at Elena. The white candle went out, sending a long trail of smoke toward the ceiling. Three candles left, Meredith thought, looking at the last steady flames. Stefan’s dark green, Damon’s red, and her own brown. Was the phantom any weaker? From its invisible cage, the Phantom growled. If anything, it seemed to have made the space around itself bigger again, and it was once again pushing at it, seemingly feeling for a weak spot. Meredith knew she had to keep the confessions going. â€Å"I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy,† she said in a strong, clear voice. â€Å"I was jealous of Dr. Celia Connor. I love Alaric, but I know I’m much younger than he is, not even in col ege yet, and I’ve never real y been anywhere or seen anything of the world – the human world, at least – outside of where I grew up. Celia shares so much with him – experiences, education, interests – and I knew he liked her a lot. And she’s beautiful and real y smart and poised. I was jealous because I was afraid she would take him from me. But if she had been able to take him, that would mean he wasn’t mine to keep. You can’t steal a person.† She smiled hesitantly at Celia, and after a moment, Celia smiled slightly in return. â€Å"I cast – â€Å" â€Å"Watch out!† Alaric shouted. â€Å"Damon! Stefan! Stop!† Meredith looked up. Damon and Stefan were staggering across the floor of the garage, past the line of candles, past Alaric, who grabbed at them. They broke out of his hold effortlessly without seeming to even notice his touch, shoving against each other desperately, struggling fiercely. Oblivious to anything but their battle, they were getting closer and closer to the phantom. â€Å"No!† shouted Elena. Damon shoved Stefan backward, and the heel of Stefan’s boot scraped across the chalk outlining the smal circle that contained the phantom – scraped across the chalk line and smudged it, and the circle was no longer complete. With a howl of triumph, the phantom was free. How to cite The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 33, Essay examples

Experiencing Poetry I do not Love Thee Essay Example For Students

Experiencing Poetry: I do not Love Thee Essay Thee Initial response: It seems to me that this poem Is about a girls struggle to come to terms with whom she Is dearly attracted to. Words: The words in this poem were easy enough to understand, some of which were of an older variety of English. Images: In this poem I could feel the inner struggle and frustration of the poets position. Figurative Language: The poem used rhyming every other line to make things flow better and repeated l do not love thee In every stanza as If to make herself believe hat. Emotion: I believe that the poet was trying to express the emotion of pure frustration towards her own Inability to control her emotions towards another. Structure: The poem is organized into five stanzas with every other line rhyming. Meaning: I feel that the poet is trying to convey the meaning that love is frustrating at times and can leave you in a state of mental exhaustion. Publication: The poem l Do Not Love Thee would probably do best in the magazine Families and Friendships. This magazine suggests, Just as the poem does, that love can be a heartache or heavenly. When the poem says l do not love thee! †yet, I know not why It expresses an emotion of frustration, or a lack of self understanding. This magazine seems to be a place that offers guidance to those In this position. The poet also makes a case that love can be a good thing, attraction between two people is made to seem sweet by the words in this poem.

Womens suffrag free essay sample

Answering the opposition EN1420 Jorge Angeles Answering the opposition What was your initial reaction to Limbaugh’s claim that, â€Å"feminism was established so that unattractive women could have easier access to the mainstream of society? My first reaction was that he went a little bit too far with that statement, I think unattractive women and attractive women could have or not have an easier access to the mainstream of society as any men too. What are two of Limbaugh’s main points? The first main point is the fact that women today have more power even though the biological fact that male are the aggressors is true, but women have the power to make decisions when it comes to a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† response. With women having the power, this will confuse men about what is right and what kind of behavior is acceptable when it comes to real rape and real harassment. We will write a custom essay sample on Womens suffrag or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When it comes to real rape and real harassment, people have their own interruptions of both. His sub claim is approached by people who are characterized as normal; male-female conduct as sexual harassment then people not only identifies the relations between the sexes, but interprets true sexual harassment. The other point is that people who define modern Feminism by different perspectives on normal deportment that is said to be harassment, near rape, abuse and disrespect. The feminist support leaders are attempting to make the case that any expression of interest by a man in a woman is harassment. By the group attempting to go with the case will lead to many problems. The sub claim that is presented is that real rape is defined by Rush Limbaugh as if approval is defined and the aggressive male pushes himself on the woman to the point of penetration then it is said to be rape. It is said that most men are not rapists, but militant feminists often try to get their point across with stating the differences. The proof with this claim is that some militant feminists apparently harbor such animosity for the opposite sex that they want to criminalize the process of courtship. How does Limbaugh support these points? Give specific examples here from the text. An example given is the concept of date rape, which the intent of rape which does not have different meanings, but it is to distinguish the serious types of rape within the category of rape behavior that is not rape. A proof described is the young star of â€Å"The Wonder Years,† Fred Savage who at the time was sixteen years old experienced a case with sexual harassment by a former staffer of the show, Monique Long, who claimed that Savage repeatedly asked her to have an affair with him and touched her by her holding her hand. Another case involved was with Jason Harvey who was another actor who had harassed the same woman for two years on the show as a costume designer and at one instance touching her in a sexual way. These proofs show that sexual harassment can be interpreted into many ways. How would you answer Limbaugh’s points if you were arguing for the opposition to each of the two points you have selected? That woman today doesn’t have a lot of power because we live in a planet where in other countries and religion, men are to be believed to be superior to women. Also for the second point women should claim any type of abuses, even if it is a minor incident, to alert me to step away and not to mess with women, even if these types of defenses mechanics could be called by men as feminism. Overall, did you find this essay convincing? Why or why not? I did not find the essay convincing because he needs to strength his argument, I would give more facts and examples to make the argument more interesting to where readers will fully get the interruption of it because it states the evidence, but there is no support to back it up only what he said about feminism earlier which does not give any in-depth information. Also include more information on the women since there was a lot mention about men behavior and what is right, therefore women will not be offended. I found this interesting, but if more information is included then it will really spark the argument.

Notion of Human Rights essays

Notion of Human Rights essays Human rights are a product of a philosophical debate that has been argued since the beginning of mankind. Fueling this debate is the fact that many people have been unsatisfied with the notion that what is right or good is simply what a particular society or ruling elite feels is right or good at any given time. Great philosophers from the past such as Aristotle, Socrates and Thomas Aquinas focused extensively on their definition of human rights, among other ideas, and lead the way for more contemporary thinkers such as John Locke and Martin Luther King Jr. Notions of natural right were introduced by European philosophers such as Aristotle, but is was Aquinas who developed the idea more in-depth. In his Summa Theologica, he stated his belief that there were behaviors that were naturally right or wrong because God ordained it so. Aquinass theory was that God decided what limits should be placed on the human political activity. Centuries later, Thomas Hobbes offered a different view on the divine basis of natural right by describing a State of Nature in which God did not seem to play any role. Hobbes also referred to a natural right, rather than simply natural right. There was no longer just a list of behavior that was naturally right or wrong; Hobbes added that there could be some claim which was derived from nature. In Hobbes' view, this natural right was one of self-preservation. Further reinforcement of natural rights came with Immanuel Kant's writings that reacted to Hobbes' work. Kant argued that a state had to be organized through the imposition of, and obedience to, laws that appli...

Common book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Common book - Essay Example The message was received the same day and it was relatively cheap. Letters and the postal service was another method. There were transistor radios as well, these were new radios that could be carried anywhere. Ans2. Well there was this thing called the teletype. It was a huge machine that could communicate with another machine of its type. Computers started replacing the teletype slowly. I think it was the 80s when the modem was introduced. It used the landline to connect to computers. I am not sure how it worked but you couldn’t call if the modem was in use. It was mostly an office thing. Ans3. Television was a very new thing when I was young. We didn’t get one for a long time but lots of people I knew did get it. It was magical at first. They said that the radio and print will soon become obsolete. We saw so many things on the box like other cultures and world views. It really opened your eyes. Ans4. It has changed it immensely. Letter writing was an art form and sitting down with a nice fountain pen and some good quality paper to write a letter was really something. A lot of effort went into buying postcards and writing those letters. It all meant something. Now its all about instant messaging and instant gratification. You can connect in seconds and its all so cheap. We had to think twice before making a call. Ans5. I wouldn’t say that. You look at the television now or the internet and you can see that it has a lot of good uses. There is information at your fingertips and easy access. Anyone can open a YouTube channel and communicate with millions. But I do know that personal or one on one communication has suffered. Since we put in so much time to talk to someone else, it all meant something. There was heart felt thought behind every

Memoir Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memoir Assignment - Essay Example It was around 10 o’clock in the morning when the accident occurred. While traversing one of the many narrow mountain bends, our bus skidded off the road and plunged down a ravine. I remember screaming in horror before fainting. When I opened my eyes, the first person I saw was my grandmother. She was tying her scarf around my slightly bruised forehead. The badly dented bus was precariously perched against a small boulder on the edge of a thin ledge. I was relieved to find that my grandmother was not injured. She told me how the narrow ledge saved us (there were around 30 people in the bus), breaking the fall of the plummeting bus. There were many injuries but luckily none fatal. Some passengers tried to use their mobile phones, but encountered range problems. My grandmother was magnificent, going around bandaging wounds,comforting people, assuring them that help would come. Some passengers tried to use their mobile phones, but failed due to range problems. Help did come, and sooner that we expected. We later learnt that the driver of a car traveling some distance behind our bus witnessed the accident, and reported it at the nearest police station. A rescue team rushed out to our aid. Fortunately, the ledge on which we huddled was quite near the top (about 150 feet), and we soon heard sounds of cranes and winches being mobilized. Relief and excitement was very much evident among us as everyone started talking or laughing with some even crying. Our joyful celebrations were interrupted by a shrill scream. One of the passengers was an American tourist (we later learned her name was Linda) who was knocked unconscious during the accident. She had returned to consciousness, looked around searchingly, and started screaming that her little daughter Wilma was still trapped in the bus. We tried to tell her that help was on the way and specialized rescue workers would secure the bus soon, but she screamed that it may be too late.

British Olympic Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

British Olympic Team - Essay Example Bill Sweetenham, the national swimming coach, said: "In swimming, we have the worst facilities in the top 20 countries in the world. That's not investment in sport - that's neglect and negligence. None of the 36 British Olympic swimmers trains at a London club" (Londonpoolscampaign.com 2004). Financing sport is an investment made for future. Many promising athletes may not reach the Olympic podium because of need for training facilities of world-class, which are currently in great deficit. There is a certain positive trends in this area: "Under the plans, young children aged between 10 and 16 will be able to apply for grants of up to 20,000 to help fund their training programmes" (The Evening Standard 2004, p.6). Situation described above is a significant subject to the study of the degree lack of facilities has on the overall performance of British Olympic Team. Many of contemporary UK athletes were trained on the base of sport development level achieved in previous years. Therefore their current performance may seem contrasting. However it is extremely important to determine what impact will have the current UK policy of investments in sport on the British Olympic Team of tomorrow. In the light of Olympic bid made for London 2012 it is crucial to find out whether UK has enough facilities of world-class to contain an Olympic capital for the year 2012. The research of the impact the lack of facilities has on the ov... class events and ethically fair and drug-free sport - aims considered by UK Sports as their mission - would help not only to determine whether it needs changes, but also could help to indicate what changes are needed. This proposal gives an insight on how the subject research should be held. Starting from questions' raising it describes methodology, which should be used when conducting the research. Interviewing and questionnaires were chosen as the main sources of data gathering. Additionally a case study of UK swimming could prove useful for demonstrating the results of survey. Implications Implications that should be considered when conducting the proposed research can be divided into two groups: research methods-related limitations and ethics-related considerations. Later on in the proposal both of these groups will be examined with more detail. It is important to stress that if not considered each of these implications could mislead researchers into false outcomes and thus inadequate recommendations on the investment policy. Research question: The research proposed will try to determine what place in the overall success of British Olympic Team, clearly illustrated at Athens is taken by governmental support, or more generally: to what extent does lack of facilities have on the overall success of the British Olympic Team Proposed Methods Design of the Study To answer questions pointed out in previous sections I suggest using a combination of a survey and a case study design. Arguments for using these methods are as follows: survey belongs to descriptive methods of research providing a descriptive information, which enables generalization to be made; surveys gather data at a certain point in time to describe the existing conditions, therefore they are economically

The Business and Financial Performance of Tesco Plc

The Business and Financial Performance of Tesco Plc Introduction and Justification of Research Subject 1.1. Topic Selection Oxford Brookes University allows me to choose a topic for my research project from 20 research subjects relating to different academic disciplines i.e. accounting, marketing, management and I have chosen topic number 8 The business and financial performance of an organization over the three years of period; and select the TESCO Plc as a case study . The business and financial analysis will be based on the data from year ending 2006 to 2008. I will benchmark the financial performance indicators of Sainsbury Plc to make comparative analysis. Comparison of both organizations will be a like-for-like analysis as they both operate in same industry i.e. retail market. The focus of my research will be critically evaluation of financial performance of TESCO Plc and its contextualization into business strategy of TESCO. The subject matter intends to conduct research that will provide external points of view on the financial performance of TESCO from all its stakeholders, i.e. shareholder, Investors, Financial Institutions, Government Agencies, Customers and employees etc.. 1.2. Motivation to Choose This Topic The motivation for me to select the topic of business and financial performance of organization is my prior understanding and academic knowledge on accounting and finance that build during my study of ACCA. I have studied the subject on preparing financial statements, financial reporting, financial information management and performance management control. These all subjects primarily relate to analyse the financial performance of the organization and build my skills in accounting ratio. I find this research project is an opportunity to apply these knowledge and skills in accounting in applied manners on real business scenario. The topic also relates to my professional career objectives as my aim is to pursue my career in field of financial analysts. This research project will be an initial exercise toward my career targets. This research project also builds my managerial skills i.e. research skills to find out appropriate financial information for analyses, interpretation skills to write financial analytical report, integration skills to contextualize the financial data within overall business strategy to conclude the results. 1.3. Reason to Choose This Organization I select the TESCO Plc for my analysis because it is one the biggest retail giant of United Kingdom since 1995 and have become third biggest retailer over the world in 2008. It is operated in diverse territories of the world includes republic of Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, and United State. The TESCO Plc also operates in diverse range of business and products that includes food and drink, clothing, consumer electronics, financial services, telecoms, health insurance, dental plans, retailing and renting DVDs, CDs, music downloads, Internet services, software and petrol filling stations. The profits have been exceeded over  £2 billion over the year 2009. In July 2008, TESCO Plc held 31.6% market share of UK grocery marketing that was 3% higher than the previous year while the major competitor Sainsbury held only 15.9% with increment of 1% over last year. The basic earning per share of TESCO is continuously increasing since 2006 from 19.70%, 22.3 6% 26.95% consecutively. The unique competitive characterizes of TESCO Plc motivate me to pursue research project on this organization. It will provide me the opportunity to analyze its business strategy and financial performance in international context. 1.4. Research Aims and Objectives The objective of research is to critically evaluate the financial performance in relationship with overall business performance of TESCO Plc for the year starting from 2006 to 2008. The study objective is to synthesize business and financial performance to pinpoint the implications of business strategy of TESCO, its effects on financial performance to sustain long term competitive position. The researcher aims to provide transparent opinion around business and financial position of TESCO to its all stakeholders. In order to meet this research objective, I set following research questions to be answered in my analysis. 1.4.1. Research Questions On what critical underpinning TESCO business strategy stands? What is the existing financial position of Tesco Plc? Does the business strategy and financial position support each others? What are the critical factors that impact on business and financial performance? What are the implications for TESCO future growth? 1.5. Overall Research Framework to Meet Research Objectives and to Answer Research Questions 1.5.1. Evaluation of Business Strategy The research project will evaluate the prospects and growth strategy of TESCO where I will analyse retail marketing strategy, its business operations, online retailing, and impact of technology. In order to conduct these analysis:- I will apply the Generic Competitive Strategy model developed by Porter (1980) in my report to analyse the competitive strategy of TESCO Plc. I will apply Ansoff Growth Matrix to analyse the growth strategy of TESCO Plc. 1.5.2. Evaluation of Financial Performance Strategic Analysis I will calculate the financial ratio of TESCO Plc over the three year to analyse the financial position. The ratio analysis will be based in profitability, liquidity, efficiently and investment ratios.. I will also conduct the strategic analysis of TESCO. I will apply SWOT analysis framework that will identify Strength and Weakness of TESCO and Opportunities and Threat within market. I will apply PESTEL analysis I will apply Porter (1985) five forces competitive framework includes rivalry of buyer, supplier, customer and substitute products. Chapter # 2 Information Gathering The chapter describes the research methodology applied for the research report and has been structured into section:- 2.1. Nature of Research Data The nature of data required for research is highly depended upon the nature of research problem and research objective. There are two types of data that can be used in research analysis one is called primary data and second is called secondary data. 2.2.1. Primary Data The primary data is first hand information collected by the research to investigate the research subject. The primary data is collected through personal interview, questionnaires, focus group interviews, observation, case-studies, diaries, critical incidents and portfolios. The primary data once collected become secondary data for others. 2.2.2. Secondary Data The secondary data is information or data that has already been collected or recorded by someone else, usually for other purpose. A lot of information gathered by the government, information pertaining to financial marketing such as stock prices and trading volumes is widely available in financial newspaper or online at various financial portals, annual reports of public companies etc. I used secondary data for my research. This study required the financial information covering the period of three years, marketing plans, future strategy, the information about the influencing factors on financial performance and marketing strategy such as economical, political, social and industry competitiveness etc. The information are only possible to collect by relying on secondary source of data. The collection of primary data on these research variables is needed long time, heavy cost and perhaps impossible to collect. 2.3. Collection of Secondary Data 2.3.1. Annual Public Report of TESCO Plc and Sainsbury I used the annual reports over the past three years of TESCO Plc published. The annual report of TESCO provided me the information related to financial data, organization infrastructure, organization mission and objective, organization achievement and future plan. The annual report contains the message of chairman, chief executive officers and management that will provide me information to understand the business strategy and future plan of the TESCO Plc. I used the annual report of Sainsbury to conduct comparative analysis to evaluate the performance of TESCO. This resource provided information to apply in calculation of financial ratios analysis, describing competitive strategy, growth strategy, and conducting SWOT analysis. I accesses TESCO online from the internet website www.tesco.com and Sainsbury from www.sainsburys.co.uk . 2.3.2. New Papers I used the secondary information source published in newspapers. The both organization are prominent entity of retail grocery industry and reports relates to these organization regular published in news paper. These reports provided me external views to know about the performance of TESCO and helped me to conduct the external analysis (PEST, Porter 5 forces) to identify the key threats and opportunities and internal analysis to pin point the strengths and weakness of TESCO. The Types of newspaper that I have read include:- Financial Time Guardian The Independent The Time Journal of retailing and distribution 2.3.3. Books The books are the traditional source secondary data. The limitation of this resource is that books are normally not provide up to date data and are emphasis on general descriptions. But the books are very useful to understand the concepts and theories that help to follow research methodology and conclude research findings. I used the book particularly to understand research model and analysis applied to my study. This equipped me to critically understand the application of financial ratios, Ansoff matrix model, SWOT Analysis, PEST and Porter Five Forces Analysis. I studied the following book:- Pearce, J. and Robinson, R (2005) Strategic Management Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy Hill, C. W. L., Jones, G. R., (2007) Strategic Management Thompson, A. A. Strickland, J. A. (2003), Strategic Management Mishkin, F. S., Eakins, S. G., (2005), Financial Markets and Institutions Brealey, R. A. (2002), Principles of Corporate Finance 2.3.4. E-Resources I used the resources available at internet that provided me the counter information to evaluate the financial and business performance. One of the limitations of e-resource is that it lacks credibility than books and annual reports but provides independent external opinion in large extent. I accessed the following data in conducting my analysis. Biz/ed: A gateway for primary and secondary business and management information UK focus available at www.bized.ac.uk Directgov. UK government published official statistic available at www.direct.gov.uk RBA Information Service: Business information gateway with links to business, statistical and government country sites. UK Data Archive: Collection of UK focus digital data in social science available at www.data-archive.ac.uk Netmba:- e-resource of management, strategy and finance available at www.netmba.com FT info: company information more than 11000 including financial performance. London Stock Exchange available at www.londonstockexchange.com 2.3.5. Library Research I joined the library of London school of economics that provided me the access to comprehensive list of book and published material around my research subject. 2.3.6. Credibility of Secondary Data As it is said that the secondary data is normally deviates to the research problem as result the credibility of secondary data to use in research is always questioned. To make sure the applicability of secondary data applied the following check list. Where and when the data is collected? Who publish the data? Do the data cover the information I need? Is the information is detailed enough? Do the data follow the definition I apply in my research problem? Are the data accurate enough? 2.4. Research Approach The research approach may be qualitative and quantitative. My research includes both type, it relates to quantitative when analysis and interprets the financial performance of the TESCO with the help of financial ratios and qualitative in nature when investigates business performance of the TESCO with the help of business model of SWOT, PEST, Five Forces, Ansoff Matrix. So the data should be collected in both forms quantitative and qualitative. 2.5. Research Ethics I also considered the research ethics in my report. The research findings are interpreted in a way that provides the foundation to TESCO to know their lacks and impediments in business strategy not in the way to tarnish the image of the TESCO. Moreover only reliable information is includes in analysing the business strategy and financial performance, most of which is published by the Tesco itself. On the other the researcher did not hide or manipulate any information and provide transport fair view of Tesco performance for all stakeholders. 2.6. Business/or Accounting Techniques Applied I have applied the following techniques in my research and analysis Project. 2.6.1. Financial Ratio Analysis to evaluate the performance of Tesco and Benchmarked company Sainsbury I have used ratio analysis. The limitation of accounting ratio is that it is based on accounting reality and ignores the economic realities. It can be easily manipulate by using various techniques such as valuation of stocks FIFO and LIFO method etc. I have used Profitability Ratios Gross Profit Margin Net Profit Margin Return on Capital Employed Return on Equity Liquidity Ratios Current / Woking Ratio Acid Test/ Quick Ratio Efficiency Ratios Debtors Turnover Debtors Days Creditors Days Net Asset Turnover Stock Turnover Stock Days Investment Ratio Earnings Per Share Interest Cover Dividend Per Share 2.6.2 Generic Competitive Model of Porter (1980) I have also applied The generic competitive strategy model develop by porter (1980) . 2.6.2. Ansoffs Product/Market Matrix I applied The Ansoff Growth Matrix to illustrate the growth strategy of TESCO. 2.6.3. SWOT Analysis The SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) analysis has been applied with the help of external analysis of PESTEL (political, economical, social, technological, environment and legal), 5 Forces (customer, supplier, entrance, substitute, rivalry) and internal analysis of financial ratio, organization infrastructure, porter (1985) value chain analysis is applied. The combination of these analysis eliminates the limitation of each other i.e. PESTEL analysis not captured industry competence for this 5 forces Model is applied. Chapter # 3 Interpretation of Results and Analysis 3. Financial Ratio Analysis The financial ratios are illustrated in figures both statistically and graphical of both organizations TESCO and Sainsbury for the period of three year from 2006 to 2008. The short description of each financial ratio is provides with individual ratio and more focus is given to the analyse result in context strategic analysis to conclude rational research findings. 3.1. Profitability Ratio The profitability ratio analysis includes gross profit margin, net profit margin, return of capital employed and return of equity employed. 3.1.1. Gross Profit Margin Comparing the gross profit margins will show the efficiency of the both companies. The gross profit margin was 7.67% in 05/06 which increased to 8.12% in 06/07 the increase in profit is partly due to increased sales revenue and partly due to the fact that company made huge gain of 258m on its pension fund invested in past(I.e. Exceptional Item) which is makes up 7.5% of gross profit. However gain was one off item as the GPM decrease in 07/08 to same level as in 05/06 that is 7.67% another reason for this decrease is high rate of inflation. These results show that the Tesco is struggling in managing cost of production even though sales have increased over three years time interval but the cost of production increased in line with sales. The results are very critical because the Tesco have launched cost effective retail settings Tesco.com, Tesco online and cost control measure i.e. electronic checkout till and efficient supply chain mechanism that it claims directly linked to store shop floor shelves but the financial result are adverse to its claims to reduce cost. Whereas Gross profit margin of Sainsbury is saturated over time period it was 6.64% in 05/06 which increased to 6.83% in 06/07 and gone down to 5.62% in 07/08. The sales revenue was in it is peak in 07/08 the sale increased 3.80% over the year as compare to the production cost which increased to 5.10% which indicates that Sainsbury is struggling to maintain its low cost of production thereby suffering. Overall, on the grounds of reason mentioned above it is clear that Tesco is attaining high gross margin than Sainsbury overall and in all periods 3.1.2. Net Profit Margin The net profit margin was 4.01% in 05/06, which increased to 4.41% in 06/07 the main reason for this is increase in gross profit as these two ratios are directly related to each other. Other reasons are as follow; in the same year, company discontinued one of the J.V operations and dispose its share from one of the associates, which gave rise to profit of $106m, 25m, which makes 5.6% and 1.33% of net profit. These transactions were made partly in order to pay some of the shorterm loan, which decrease finance cost by $25m, and partly to invest in other companies in order to gain the control. As shortterm loans are expensive source of finance reduction in the fiancà © cost supported by increase of 1.3% in net profit. The net profit was increased in 07/08 by 0.09% to 4.50% the main reason for this is increased sales revenue 9.80% over a year. Other reasons being are as follow: corporation tax has reduced 99m over the year due to prior years adjustment i.e. change in tax rate, more deferred tax assets, foreign exchange movements, pension and etc. Another reason being as property related profit increased 96m that makes up 4.5% of net profit. Despite of these all factors the net profit margin is low. It may be due the reduction of profit share with join ventures and payment of insurance claims to customers. Sainsbury net profit over the three-year period has significantly improved. The net profit margin was .36% in 05/06 that improved to 1.89% in 06/07 the reasons in increase are as follow; increased sales revenue, reduction in admin cost, increase in other as well as finance income. However, Sainsbury did not maintain or improved over the year in 07/08, as it was slightly down to 1.84% the main reason for this even though the sales and operating profit was improved but loss in J.V of 2m and increased finance cost of 25m caused it to be lower than previous year. 3.1.3. Return on Capital Employed This ratio is key measure of return. it measures the amount of earnings from capital provided by shareholders and lender. The ROCE was 15.15% in 05/06 that increased to 15.90% in 06/07 as operating profit increased by 13.9% and the capital employed has also increased by 9.7% the increase in the capital employed is due to issue of new share capital, increase in non- current liabilities, and massive Increase in the deferred tax liabilities. Eventhoug capital employed has increased but it did not increase inline with the operating profit that is also another reason for increase in capital employed. The ROCE in 07/08 has declined to 14.02% despite increase in operating profit of 5.1% and increase in capital employed 19.5%. The main reason for increase in the capital employed are as follow; issue of new share capital worth  £3m, which also give rise to share premium of  £135m, share based payment worth  £199 massive foreign exchange and pension gains etc. Increase in the capital emp loyed is not in line with the increase in operating profit however this increase in the capital employed will be beneficial in order to generate more operating profit as it has already started to show its effect i.e. increase in property related profit is classic example. Comparatively Sainsbury ROCE has fluctuated over the three years period. ROCE in 05/06 was 2.89% well below than Tesco but well above than it previous year where it was negative it has improved to 7.59% in 06/07. The main reason as sales have improved over the year and company also saved  £170m admin cost that shows they are managing cost well and capital employed over the year has decreased to  £1082m that is 15.8% mainly due to payments due to Sainsbury bank and other banks. The ROCE in 07/08 has again decreased to 7.06% as the capital employed has increased due to the massive gain from the pension benefits and increase in provision of deferred tax that has to settle in future. Overall, Tesco results are far more better than Sainsbury. 3.1.4. Return on Equity The return on equity is continuously increasing and has increased by 6.2% over three years and is higher than Salisbury but results are still not remarkable. This is mainly because of repurchase of share equity in the market not because of profitability. The Tesco is pursing the policy to buy back the share from the income coming from the release value of properties. 3.2. Market Ratio The market ratio I have used for my analysis are as follow: Earnings Per share, Dividend Per Share and Interest Cover. 3.2.1. Earning Per Share This ratio determines portion of company profit allocated to the each share. EPS is one of most important variable factor in determining the share price. The EPS of Tesco has been increasing since 2006. The EPS is in year 05/06 was 20.07p it has gone up to 23.84p in 06/07 followed by 26.95p in 07/08. Better profits over the years have increased the EPS another reason for increased EPS in 07/08 as Tesco bought its own share which increase EPS by 11.5%. Sainsbury have performed very well over the three years and increase EPS 82% over 3 year as Sainsbury profit has increased significantly over the three-year period due the reason such as increase in gross profit, net profit etc. Sainsbury net profit margin has increased 80.4% over three years period. Overall, The result indicates that the EPS of Tesco share high than industry benchmark. 3.2.2. Dividend per Share The dividend per share of Tesco increases every year since 2006. In the year 2006, the dividend was 8p in the year 2007 9p and in year 2008 10p. It indicates that the increase in Tesco profitability positively impact on dividend per share. Another reason for increase in 07/08 as Tesco buy back its on share which directly impact on ratio. Dividend per share On the other hand paid by Sainsbury are for same 05/06 and 06/07 of 8p but has increased in 07/08 to 10p which clearly indicates that it wants to pay same amount of dividend as per its competitor in order to attracts more shareholder. 3.2.3. Interest Cover Tesco has sustainable proportion of profit to cover interest. This is mainly because of stable external borrowing and realization of growth investment in diverse products and markets. This was 10.27% in 05/06, which increased to 13.28% in 06/07 and decrease to 12.21% in 07/08. the reason for decrease in 07/08 as PBIT increase by 6% as compare to interest paid which was 13.6% The performance is quite better and stable than Sainsbury. 3.3 Liquidity Ratio Liquidity ratio informs the ability of Tesco to meet its short term liabilities and includes current and acid test ratio. 3.3.1. Current Ratio The current ratio of Tesco is increasing over the time and indicates improving ability of Tesco to have liquid funds to repay short term obligation but it is lower than Sainsbury. The performance is better in a way that since 2006 the Tesco have grown 0.09 form 0.52 to 0.61 but still lower than ideal ratio of which is 1:1. Whereas Sainsbury who have declined from 0.88 to 0.66 which indicates that Sainsbury ability to meet its short term obligation is decreasing. Tesco is strengthening its liquidity power. 3.3.2. Quick/Acid Ratio The quick ratio has increase to 0.38 in 2008 from 0.32% of 2007, which was 0.01 low to 2006. The maintenance of cash and banks is almost according to benchmark competitor but need to be strengthened. 3.4 Leverage Ratios The leverage ratio is being applied to measure risk factor of Tesco and these includes total debt equity ratio, long term debt equity ratio and interest cover. 3.4.1. Total Debt Equity The ratios of debt to equity have increased in 2008 to 68% that was 60% in 2006 followed by 59% in 2007. The change is not critical because it is the effects of equity buy back that have decreased the equity value. It is also justifiable because Tesco is enjoying lower cost of debt than cost of equity. It will readjust when the Tesco will launch free share option for its employee. 3.4.1. Long-term Debt Equity The results illustrate similar progress to total debt to equity but more precisely describes the impact equity buy back. The Tesco still have the opportunity to raise fund through external borrowing without critical leverage. 3.5. Efficiently Ratios Efficiency ratio ratios are used to map to performance to mange stocks, debtors and assets of the Tesco. It includes the debtor turnover ratio, stock turnover ratio, debtor days, stock days, creditor days, net assets turnover and fixed asset turn over. 3.5.1. Debtor Turnover Days Debtor turnover and days are directly related to each other i.e. if one goes up second will go up as well vice versa. The debtor turnover was 44.23T in 05/06, which indicate that debtor days were less, 39.52T in 06/07 and in 07/08 36.08T that is reason in 07/08 on average each customer, took 10.12 days to pay debt. The ratio has moving trends over the time. On the other hand debtor turnover of Sainsbury have increase from 05/06 of 58.19T to 86.59T in 2008, which indicates Sainsbury is able to convert its debtors into cash frequently and enjoying having cash benefit as its debtors day have reduced from 6.27D to 4.22D. It is found that Tesco Debtor management need improvement and the debtor days are critical and need to be minimised. Debtors Days Debtors Turnover 3.5.2. Stock Turnover Days These two ratios also directly related to each other as Debtor turnover and days. This ratio informs how many times the Tesco convert stock in to sales revenue. The stock turnover ratio has decreased since 2006 that is reason why stock days for Tesco have increased over the period. As turnover was 24.88T in 05/06, therefore the days were less. It was 20.40T in 06/07 and 17.97T in 07/08, which increases the days to 20.44. Whereas the stock turnover days ratio of Sainsbury is significantly better than Tesco in all years. Inefficient stock control not only increases the storage and handling costs but also waste which impact on overall profitability. Stock Turnover Stock Days 3.5.3. Creditor Days The creditor ratio informs the ability of Tesco to settle its creditors. It is found that the Tesco creditor days are increasing over the year but always less than Sainsbury. In 2006 the creditor days was 28.47 days, in 2007 30.97 days and in 2008 32.90. This will improve the credibility Tesco to purchase competitively than its competitors. Keeping in view of early payment to creditor it can get competitive purchasing price that help it to over good cheaper in the marketing or attain higher margin. 3.2.4.6. Net Asset Turnover The net asset turnover ratio informs Tesco assets ability to generate sales. It is found that net asset turnover ratio is in 2006 is 2.62, in 2007 is 2.56 and in 2008 is 2.38. The ratio has been decreased in 2008. This reflects the impact of heavy investment made by the Tesco on store refurbishment, electronic tills and infrastructure. The performance is almost equal to Sainsbury. 3.6. Evaluation of Future Prospects and Strategy Analysis 3.6.1. Competitive Strategy The Tesco aims to deliver maximum value and choice to customer to attain their life time loyalty. According to my analysis the Tesco is pursing hybrid strategy simultaneously is struggling to achieve low price and differentiation relative to competitors i.e. Wall Mart-ASDA and Sainsbury but influence of low cost is very high than differentiation. It has launched its low cost brand Tesco value, price discount but on the other hand have premium brand i.e. Tesco Finest. The Tesco declares itself as discounter. The underpinning of Tesco competitive is a relentless attitude lowest cost provider of goods and services to be successful in worlds most competitive markets. Porter Generic Competitive Strategy Presentation of TESCO Competitive Advantage Efficiency Quality Competitve Scope Brand Market Low Cost TESCO Differentiation Narrow Market Focus Cost Focus Differentiation 3.6.2. Growth Strategy The Tesco is pursing consistent strategy since 1997, which strengthen its core UK business and help to drive expansion into new product line and international markets. According to the Ansoff Matrix presentation, the Tesco is operating in all three extremes. It has introduced Non food, Tesco online retailing, launched personal finance, Insurance and enter in telecommunication sectors. The have entered into 12 international markets. Ansoff Matrix Presentation of Tesco Growth Strategy Existing Products New Product Existing Market Market Penetration UK Core (Grocery) Product development Non-Food Tesco Online Personal Finance Insurance Telecom New Market Market Development 12 International Markets Diversification The grocery business of Tesco is the largest contributor of its revue to  £51.8bn which is 40% of total sales, Asia 29% and Europe 25%. Intern

Queers, Bums, and Kids in the City of Roses :: Free Essays Online

Queers, Bums, and Kids in the City of Roses Throughout the history of our country it has happened over and over. Development and urbanization come to a small area, city or even an entire region and a new commercial market brings new wealth to a section of people, businesses open up, population increases and everyone is supposedly better off. However, this development and gentrification always seems to alienate a group of society even more than it is already. Portland is a place where that is occurring today, specifically among the queer and homeless communities. However, this does not have to happen; with some changes not only in policy, but in thinking, no one needs to be left behind. The City of Roses is home to half of Oregon’s citizens as well as one of the economic and cultural centers of the west coast. In the past twenty years the area has grown rapidly due to the shift from lumber and manufacturing to technology. The city has a great reputation, so great that Money magazine named it the most livable city in the country, â€Å"Three decades of keen planning have reined in urban sprawl and given rise to a mini-metropolis with short, easy-to-stroll blocks renowned for java joints, brewpubs and bookstores. A superb light rail network and a new streetcar system are helping to make it a cinch to get around. There's loads of culture, from the Portland Art Museum to local rock clubs.† In States of Desire Edmund White gives an amazingly accurate description of the area immediately outside downtown. Up and up we wound on curving lanes past large, comfortable houses set back from the road, the neighborhood I had dreamed of while I pored over my first-grade reader: safe, suburban, sheltered. At any moment I expected Dick and Jane to race by with Spot, as Father stepped out of his Hudson, a smile on his young face and the evening paper under his arm. (71) Yes, it is a great place to live, if you are not a part of certain groups. I grew up in all areas of the greater metro area and loved it. I always felt safe, and even though the weather is notoriously horrible it is easily conceded in exchange for the beauty of the region. Amid all this newfound greatness lies a stark contrast. Portland has one of the highest populations of runaway youth in the country.