Tears of blood

The drink just lies upon the smooth, flat, varnished table where the suns reflection casts an eerie shadow of the ice, cold drink. If you glance closely, the water condensation slowly, slides, straight down the can leaving a puddle of water behind. To you this may seem like an ordinary alcoholic drink, but for one girl it is her deepest fears come true†¦ â€Å"I'm floating†¦I'm soaring†¦over beautiful fresh, green fields and past busy cities. The wind is carrying me to my dreams on the horizon. The world is spinning below me, such beauty from above. I'm floating†¦ I'm soaring†¦ through the soft, duvet of white clouds. The world, in all its pollution, poverty and corruption, is still beautiful. Which means, I'm beautiful behind my scars and faults and insecurities†¦ yes†¦ I am still beautiful.† She sat on the edge of her blue-patched bed, thinking, â€Å"This is my sanctuary†. For those few moments of silence going through her mind, she felt nothing could destroy this utterly perfect feeling. Nothing, nothing could bring her down from her holy, heights of freedom. â€Å"I am air. I am nobody. I am free.† But, to her sudden horror, † What†¦ I don't understand† She started jerking back to the cold, hostility, of real life. † Good-morning to you all, on this fine Thursday. The suns out and the birds are singing. So why not win a chance of a lifetime†¦ 2 weeks in Italy just ring up†¦0800800958†³ She suddenly remembered her dream, and that word, dream, haunts her. â€Å"It was just a dream, everything is only ever a dream.† She thought as she sighed, and looked around to what her life was. A tiny room, with just about enough space to stand up in, but to her that wasn't important this was her sanctuary. She comes up here everyday and locks herself in her room, crying, trying to run away from all the evil and betrayals, which go on downstairs. After a few moments, she slowly managed to drag herself out of bed and stumble into the bathroom. The lingering embrace of sleep pulled down her eyelids as she looks in the mirror. ‘Another morning, another day gone by' she thought. â€Å"TAMICA!† shrilled a woman in her late forties. â€Å"Yes, mother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she replied. â€Å"If you don't bloody hurry up you'll be late for school, and don't expect me to be home when the school rings wondering where you are. By the way, it's your responsibility to make sure your so called father does not leave the house drunk with the car keys and make sure all the back doors are locked when you come back from school, I don't want your father making a show of himself, understood?† â€Å"I'll see, depends init†¦' she replied with a since of insecurity. † What on earth to you mean I'll see, you do what ever I say or do not except food in the evening. It is your fault he drinks anyway.† By that time, she had, had enough. Tamika knew if see opened her mouth anymore she just end up crying first thing in the morning. So she hurried downstairs and walked out the house without any breakfast. With her head down throughout the entire journey from home to school, thinking about how possibly it could be her fault her father drinks himself stupid everyday†¦ Time passed by so fast that before and she knew it, it was three o'clock. She slowly walked through the quiet, dark streets dreading what would happen to her when she got home. As she got closer, and closer before she reached the two lion statues outside what seemed to be a peaceful, loving home. It seemed to her that the lions were protectors of her home. They sit outside day in day out protecting the house from predators, except what they do not know is that the predators are already inside waiting for a piece of innocent flesh. She bravely built up the courage to turn the hard, cold key to open the front door. Then, all of a sudden she could hear the taunt of the piano in the background, and fearful greenish liquid took over her body like adrenaline. It started feet first moving slowly and painfully up her spine, sending shivers to her brain. She opened her eyes, to find broken glass and cutlery all over the kitchen floor, and there in the far distance was her father. He was five foot five with white hair with a big beer belly. From the far distance, he looked perfectly normal but as she took a step closer she could see the cold can of beer in his hand and beside him lay a mountain of empty cans. She looked around at mess†¦ â€Å"I can't take it, I have had enough†¦aaaaarrrrrrggg!† She slowly tried walking towards the stairs, trying ever so hard not to be noticed by the predator. She had to be quiet as a mouse, but at the same time as, sly as a fox. She took one giant leap up. She could feel the stairs changing into what seemed to be an escalator and it was going up! She took a looked up only to find she could see soft duvet of velvet clouds covering the suns rays. This leaded to her sanctuary. She took one long, hard glimpse down at the broken home. Inside her dimly lit room she sat numbly listening to the soft sounds coming from her radio. So much emotions and thoughts were playing through Tamikas mind. All the horrible things her mother said about her to her face and behind her back, and just looking at her father like that everyday, tops it up. Her friend's dogs were better parents then they wear. A small crystal clear tear fell down her left cheek. She knew what she had to do to get ride of such pain and emotion. She went to the cupboard, slowly opened the first draw and hidden on top were no one could see was a dull, dirty, dark brown magnet†¦ but it was not the magnet, which would release all the pain, it was underneath the magnet that was so important. A small, shimmering, sharp blade just lay there. How can such a small object cause such pain in the world? Tamica stared, silently at the blade. With no thought to what she was doing the sharp lustrous edge slid, smoothly into her pale skin she watched absent-mindedly as a steady dribble of cherry red blood drawled gradually down the side of her wrist. As she pushed the blade in deeper, the stream of blood quickly intensified. The surge of anguish caused her to cringe. A chorus of words went through her mind†¦ â€Å"Pain, Pain, go away, Let me smile for just one day, Should that day I never see, Let my blood run cold and free† With each new drop, the circle of blood grew proving that she was serious. There were now six cuts her wrists each as deep as each other, and only millimetres apart. Her blood- stained fingers reached for the once shiny, silver blade, which was now covers in dark blood. She contemplated her next move. She pressed with the strongest amount of force she had inside her. This had given her more blood and pain then the others, but the scars were massive and impossible to conceal. After a few minutes the bloody blade broke through her skin slowly and a new thick red line quickly appeared. A wave of relief gushed through her body and escaped through her disfigured wrist. She laid back closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of complete relief. All her emotions and thoughts cleared. But nevertheless she knew this sensation would be over in a matter of seconds. She would have trouble walking tomorrow, but Tamica never thought that far ahead. As she gazed down at her disfigured limb, she was revolted, repulsed and ashamed that she could do such a thing. Then as she continued to stare another feeling had surface. The feeling of pride. She swiped the area where the blood was now drying and watched in astonishment as fresh cherry red blood drizzled from her open wounds. A renewed sense of relief consumed her. She had been cutting for so long now that she had lost sight of reality. She no longer controlled the blade, but the blade control her†¦

Factors to Consider When Deciding on Which Market Segment to Venture

Question1(a) Factors to consider when deciding on the segments to serve as a market * Population The density of the people in a given place is a very important aspect to consider when segmenting a market . A densely populated area is usually preferred as a destiny to market the product. * Consumer behaviour How a consumer perceives when purchasing or deciding to purchase a product is very vital. * Social classDifferent consumers have different classes . in this case a seller should consider the class of the various consumers before deciding on which segment to choose or segmenting the consumers into certain target group * Attitude towards the product Different consumers have different perspective about the product in different regions ,consumer’s attitudes about the product in place should be factored in when deciding on the market segment * ReligionDifferent consumers have different religions and in this case some may not consume a certain product based on their religion, a g ood marketer evaluates the demographic and cultural factors before venturing and selecting the appropriate market segment. Question 1(b) Message execution style to capture the target markets attention and interest Packaging style How the goods appear to the consumer influences his/her buying decision ,thus how the labels, container appears determines a lot on how the consumer creates interest in that productBrand name Most consumers have become constituent in in purchasing or consuming certain products and they will always look for these products with the brand name they are used to. Clear descriptions How the product description in terms of how it is used ,its ingredients, determines a lot how that product will capture the attention of the consumers. Shapes and sizes Consumers belong to different classes and how the products are broken down into different sizes and shape determines how that product will capture the attention of the buyer PriceMost consumers prefer a quality product with a reasonable cost ,in this case the seller should consider competitors before setting his/hers price inorder to avoid customer loss through higher prices. Question 2(a) Components of the marketing information systems I. Internal reporting system This involves the records of income ,expenditure, creditor or debtors and consumers II. Marketing intelligence This involves getting information from another different person to get to know whether you are performing in the market or not III.Marketing research This involves identification of a problem and finding a solution to that problem IV. Marketing models This involves the use of time series ,linear programming ,analysis of variance ,progression analysis, sensitivity analysis, in trying how the market operates Uses and functions of public relations to organization a) Used to inform consumers about the new product in the market, through public relation consumers get to know about the new product in the market b) Used to teach the c onsumers on how to use the new product in the market .It is through public relation that the consumers are taught how to use the new product in the market. c) Enables consumers to know where and how to get the organizational goods d) Used in link ling the consumer with the organization thus public relation facilities then bringing of the gap between consumers and the organization Importance of public relation to the organization i) Creates good image of an organization. An organizations image is sustained through public relation. i) Public relations enhances the product awareness that is marketing of organizational product is enhanced iii) Public relations enables the establishment of long and lasting relationship with the consumers iv) Creation of trust about the organizational products by the consumers, due to a close relation by the consumers the organization product will be trusted by the consumers Question 3(. a) Product development process a) Idea generationThe product to be d eveloped is established at this very vital stage ,idea generation can be through archives ,business journals or successful entrepreneurs . b) Idea screening The idea found is measured and its viability weighed before further developments Concept development and testing c) Concept development and screening How to create the product and addition of more features to make the product and testing. d) Business analysis The market is analysed whether the product will fit in the market or not? ) Product development The product itself is then developed that is all the features encompassed to the product and forming the final the product. f) Market testing Product is taken to the market may be taken in samples or the product is fully released to the market g) Communication and adoption After testing the market and finding that it is performing ,large volumes of products are then produced for commercialization 3(b) Methods available to a firm to set their advertising budget Cost analysisA firm considers the various media and avenues to be used and the costs to be associated with each the media to be used should not be too costly to the extent of eating on the profits Market analysis A firm measures the available market and conducts a swot analysis thus a firm will play their advertising budget depending on the competitors ability and the general market competitiveness. Target population A firm will set their advertising budget basing on the geographical area of the targeted population Product natureThe nature of the product will have to be put into consideration when planning for the advertising budget, If the product is highly involved or it is a new product then it requires allocation of more funds. 4(a)Role played by the middlemen in distribution of goods Breaking of bulk Some middlemen may modify the shapes and size of the product into flexible and portable items for ease of transportation or storage. Location Middlemen enable consumers to obtain goods easily by avai ling themselves in strategic places convenient to the consumer. Repackaging of goodsMiddle men pack products into desired packages such as containers Disseminating information Middlemen get first hand information about products from the consumers and submit the data to manufacturing firms for marketing research ,and also giving vital information to the consumers about the product(manufacturer) 4(b)New product pricing strategies a) Cost based strategy A marketer will price the product based on the inputs used when manufacturing the product. b) Competitor based strategy A marketer will price his/her goods based on the price of the competitor goods. c) consumer based strategyA consumer is the king/queen of the market and the marketer will price his goods basing on the willingness and ability of the consumer to purchase that product in that price. d)product based strategy a marketer will price his goods based on the nature of the product Question 5a. major influencers on consumers purch ase behaviour 1. Culture the cultural belief and norms of the consumer will influence his /her purchasing behaviour. 2. Social factors such as the family ,age, occupation will influence a lot on how the consumer will purchase the product. . Personal factors such as the attitude and economic status of the individual will influence his/her decision to purchase a product. 4. Phys logical factors like personal attributes will affect a consumers purchasing behaviour 5b stages in a buyers decision making process for a major purchase a) Awareness a consumer should get to know all about the product he/she wants to purchase b) Interest a consumer then develops the interest for the product. ) Evaluation a consumer will then evaluate the product in questions based on various alternatives d) Trial after a consumer has chosen the right product he/she will then put it on trial e) Adoption if the consumers likes the product he/she will then make a purchase question 6. (a)elements of the promotion mix dvertising Refers to any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of ideas,goods and services of an identified sponsor personal selling refers to face to face persuasion of a prospective buyer to buy a product publicity refers to a non paid promotion of ideas ,presentation of products and doesn’t necessarily need an identified sponsor sales promotion refers to activities that stimulates consumer purchasing 6b. trategies that can be used in the stages of the product lifecycle a) Introduction stage it is the initial stage of product development and its characterised by low sales ,low profit or nil profit the marketing strategy to be employed at this stage is the promotional strategy. b) Growth stage there is a steady rise in profits ,increased sales and established market share at this stage the marketer can diversify the product to increase its outlook and market stability. ) Maturity stage at this stage the profits begin to decline as there new entrances in th e market strategy to be employed here is diversification or turn around. d) Decline stage here the sales become completely low or none ,profits diminish and cost of production super cedes the revenue the best strategy to approach as a marketer or marketing manager is withdrawal from the market or diversification.

Black People and Civil War Essay

The civil war ended in 1865 May 10 when the confederates surrendered to the union. After the civil war was over all of the slaves became free. They were call freedman. In some states they were not one hundred percent free though. Even though the slaves became free white people still did not like them and they were very racist to them. In Mississippi they had black codes which restricted blacks to do many things. How did whites attempt to reimpose bondage on their former slaves? The African Amercian’s were not allowed to rent or lease land and if they did they would be sued. The African Americans were not allowed to marry white people. If they did they would be guilty of felony and be sentenced to state jail for life. Whites still needed some labor help so they offered blacks to do some labor work and they would be payed. If the blacks were hired to work longer than a month then both the worker and the owner would have to have a written contract. If the worker quit before the contract was over without a good cause then the worker would have give back all of the money they got payed from the owner which is awful because blacks could get injured and the owner would not care and want the money they payed them back. Even if it was one day before the contract was over, but the owner would have really cruel to have done that. If the worker violated the contract than any white can arrest him and bring the black to jail. Blacks that were under the age of eighteen that did not have parents to provide and take care of them then the original owner can take the minor into their home and be their legal guardian. The owner was not allowed to give the minor cruel punishment. If whites see blacks who don’t come to work, get drunk in public, leave families, or misuse their money earned then they can be fined one hundred dollars and will have to go to jail no longer than ten days. If whites caught blacks over the age of eighteen living with whites or if they don’t have a job then the blacks would be fined fifty dollars and go to jail no more than ten days. The whites would be fined two hundred dollars and they would have to go to jail no less then six months. Blacks got the better deal off of that law, but the meaning was really hurtful to the blacks because the white people would get more in trouble then the black people would. It was like saying they hate blacks, but they hated the whites who liked the blacks more. Blacks were not even allowed to have weapons unless they were in the military, not even a knife. Everyone should have the right to protect their selves and their family. They needed the weapons especially because they just became free and many white people were angry that they became free and may try to harm them. On the bright side it kept them away from revenge on their master or any other enemies. If blacks disturbed the whites in any way from language to violence, trespassing, selling liquor without a license, being a minister of a church without a license, or cruel treatment to animals can be fined ten to one hundred dollars depending on the crime and serving ten to thirty days in jail. This law can be abused and white people could get the blacks in trouble because no one would know if the white people actually felt disturbed they could have been getting them in trouble because they were racist. Where whites successful to reimpose bondage on their former slaves? Yes, whites were very successful. Even though the blacks were free they took away many rights from them. They also made it impossible for blacks not to get into trouble. Abram Colby was beaten by members of the Klu Klux Klan on October 29, 1869. They took him to the woods and whipped him for three hours. The members of the Klu Klux Klan left him there and thought he died. In 1872 he was asked to testify in Washington and he did. He told them the whole story and the the members of the Klu Klux Klan were a lawyer, doctor, and farmers. The Klu Klux Klan killed many blacks during the time. Most of the time they got away with it because the leaders of the Klu Klux Klan were a bunch of high powered white people that were sheriffs,lawyers, and doctors. Where the freed slaves actually free? Overall they were free from slavery, but whites got every single chance they did to get the blacks in trouble with the law. Laws that were very strict that whites could not even abide by them, which was hypocritical. They pretty much took away their chances of becoming successful. The blacks were free from being someones slave. They were not as free as the whites were. Works Cited . N. p.. Web. 5 Feb 2014. . Sterling, D. .

Irans Refusal to Release Iranian Americans Essay

Irans Refusal to Release Iranian Americans - Essay Example It involved the detention of dual citizenship holders, Haleh Esfandiari, Kian Tajbakhsh, Ali Shakeri and Parnaz Azima. This paper will recount the issues involved in this detention and the charges levied against these four Iranian-Americans based on newspaper accounts. It will also detail the reaction of US President George Bush and the rebuttals of Iranian officials. The purpose of this investigation is to determine if the detention is actually an Iranian act of terrorism against the US. According to news reports, the detention of the first of the Iranian-Americans occurred in May 8, 2007 when Haleh Esfandiari was incarcerated in Evin Prison, followed by the arrest of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh on May 11, 2007, who was also remanded to the same facility. Two other Iranian-Americans were also charged, after having been prevented from leaving Iran for an undisclosed period of time. Ali Shakeri, on his way to Europe, was detained on May 8 as well while Parnaz Azima was prevented from leaving Iran when authorities confiscated her passport in January 2007. A brief description of the four detainees follows. "Haleh Esfandiari is the director for the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, in Washington". ("Haleh Esfandiari") She is an expert on Middle Eastern women's issues and democratic development as well as contemporary Iranian politics. She has published numerous papers on the contemporary issues concerning Iran, focusing on the plight of Iranian women. She has a doctorate degree from the University of Vienna and is the recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Grant. She has been prevented from leaving Iran since December 2006 when her luggage and passport were stolen while on her way out of Iran to the airport. ("Haleh Esfandiari") As a social scientist, Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh has published two books, received his Master's degree from University College in London and his doctoral degree from Columbia University. "He is also associated with the Open Society Institute, a non-profit organization promoting public health, humanitarian relief, culture, and local government". ("KIAN TAJBAKHSH, PhD"). Dr. Tajbakhsh worked with the Iranian government on issues of public health in rebuilding communities in the aftermath of the Bam earthquake ("KIAN TAJBAKHSH, PhD"). Ali Shakeri is an Iranian-American businessman connected with Global Estate Funding from Irvine, California who graduated from the University of Texas. He served in the University of California's Center for Citizen Peacebuilding as part of the Community Advisory Board. He is also an active member of the Ettehade Jomhourikhahan-e Iran (EJI) which is working for a democratic and secular republic Iran. Parnaz Azima is a journalist for US government-funded Radio Farda. Not much is available on the career of Parnaz Azima, but Radio Farda has long been a thorn on the side of Iran. A joint project of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), it is a 24/7 radio service broadcasting news about Iran as well as popular Persian and Western music. The radio station's website, in which users can red and interact, had been blocked from access by the

Power Tactics and Sources of Power Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power Tactics and Sources of Power - Assignment Example Charles was trained to take over from the father since childhood, and he portrayed traits of a great Chief Executive. The training through life involved strict and sometimes harsh treatment from his father that hardened him. Their mother, Mary somewhat protected Bill and David, who were twins. David was athletic and competitive and grew up to be the perfect business partner for Charles. Bill, on the other hand, was the jealous type, always picking fights with David since childhood and often losing. He grew up to be a threat to Charles’s peace, taking Koch industries through strenuous legal proceedings. The brothers owned percentages of Koch industries, each with his shares (Schulman, 2014). Both Charles and Bill Koch had power in Koch Industries. Charles’ sources of power included reward power whereby he was handed the mantle of CEO by his father having been trained since childhood. The father had earlier lost hope in his eldest son Frederick, who was mostly involved in art and theater. Charles also had legitimate power in Koch Industries being the legal CEO. Therefore, he was in charge of many key decisions made within the company and also directed management of funds regardless of how happy or angry others would be with the cash distribution. Charles was well educated in terms of business and market and therefore had expert power which saw him, together with the help of other business partners, grow Koch Industries. Bill’s sources of power included the coercive power that he gained by threatening Charles to make Koch Industries public if he did not meet his demands. These threats were tabled to Charles in writing and got him shaken for some time. Bill always wanted liquidity of assets so that he could benefit from the riches he only had in paper. He even tried to convince Frederick, who had lesser shares in the company to join his course. Bill also had legitimate power in that he owned slightly over twenty

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example Stable prices in a long-term run are requirements for moderate long-term interest rates, maximum employment, and sustainable output growth. This is because, when prices are stable, the prices of services, goods, labor, and other materials are usually less affected by inflation. They also provide guidelines for the allocation of national resources and support services, thereby contributing to higher standards of living (Grey, 2002). Additionally, stable prices normally enhance capital formation and savings. This is because when the value of assets are being eroded due to inflation, there is always a need guard the assets against losses. This usually encourages businesses to invest more while households are encouraged to save more (Grey, 2002). The Federal Reserve Banks control the market for balances, which provides the initial link between the economy and the monetary policy. Depository institutions usually hold accounts at the Federal Reserve Banks, and they trade their balances at the federal funds market at a certain interest rate referred to as the federal funds rate (Grey, 2002). The Federal Reserve Banks have significant influence on the federal funds rate via its influence over demand and supply of the balances, at its premises. The Federal Reserve Banks normally set the federal funds rate at a level, which enhances monetary and financial conditions that are consistent with the monetary policy objectives. These banks also manipulate their targets that are consistent with the emerging economic developments (Grey, 2002). Therefore, a slight change in the federal funds rate and expectations about the future targets of federal funds rate can trigger a number of events, which will affect other long-term interest rates, short-term interest rates, stock prices, and foreign exchange of the dollar (Grey, 2002). Changes in these variables, in turn, affect businesses and households’

Job Search Websites Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Search Websites Report - Essay Example Monster.com was the first site to be assessed. This is the site with perhaps the most name recognition of the three, and was a pioneer in the web-based job search engine market. Compared to the other sites, Monster's home page is rather busy and a bit cluttered. This is owed largely to what seems like Monster's attempt to branch out into related services, such as resume writing and a new degree program search engine. Fortunately, the tabbed interface easily cuts through the clutter and allows the user to rather intuitively link to desired tools and features. Although each tab contains some links that are rather nebulous, it is still easy to find the most helpful features the website has to offer. The most critical feature, the simple job search is front and center on the home page, and easily enabled the test search for this study to be run. Entering "software engineer" in te key words field, and choosing Boston, Massachusetts from the location pull down (there was no way to select all of Massachusetts, only specific locations within the state) resulted in a stop screen prompting the user to enter a student loan payoff sweepstakes. Clicking the "no thank you" link took the user to the search results. There were 697 hits organized reverse chronologically in 14 pages of 50 hits each. The hit list included the posting date, position title, company name, and location.

Building an Access Control System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Building an Access Control System - Essay Example In building the access control system, you must follow the four phases of developing the system. This is known as the systems development life cycle. The four phases are planning, analysis, design, and implementation). To help implement the system, the structure system design can be used in representation of the system concept in terms of processes and data representation. According to Techopedia (2012), the definition of structured System design is â€Å" a set of standards for systems analysis and application design. It uses a formal methodical approach to the analysis and design of information systems â€Å"This processes a roadmap for the development of functional specifications of the system. Structured System Design has different categories; these are â€Å"waterfall development and parallel development† In this particular case study, waterfall development can be used in implementing the control access system. The water model process involves System Conceptualization, System analysis, System design and Testing. Planning – this is also referred to as System Conceptualization Consideration of all aspects of the targeted business function / process with the goals of determining how each aspect relates with one another and which aspect will be incorporated in the system Referring from the structured diagram from United States Department of Transportation Transit Security Handbook (1998), the structural diagram below illustrates the equipment and connections required for access system control in the

Middle Earth-from the novel to the silver screen Research Paper

Middle Earth-from the novel to the silver screen - Research Paper Example Perhaps the biggest deletion by Jackson is the scene including the scouring of the shire. In line with this, Valente noted that Jackson’s deletion of this scene might have been due to his, and Tolkien’s love for nature and the Hobbits (36). Nonetheless, the deletion of this scene comes with an emotional appeal to a viewer since they are able to appreciate the fact that the Hobbits beautiful Shire remained intact since the movie might have depicted the destruction in a worse way than the book explained. Hence, the viewer does not go through a position whereby they witnessed the destruction of a beautiful environment that was well maintained by the Hobbits. In addition, Jackson manages to maintain the Hobbits simple way of life throughout the book, which appeals emotionally to the viewers. In this regard, the scouring of the shire in the movie would have come with destruction of a simple way of life. Nonetheless, Jackson did not want to destroy this calm and uncomplicated life since the viewers would not have identified with such an action and would not find the adaptation appealing. Conversely, the scene was long and would not have fitted within the period resulting due to the change in the media. To continue with the depiction of the simple life that the Hobbits lead, Jackson adds something new in the movie in a scene that involves Merry and Pippin, two of the four Hobbits while at the gate of the Isengard. In this regard, Merry told Pippin that he smoked a lot (â€Å"The Return of the King†). While this statement does not have any effect on the overall story told by the adaptation, Jackson continues to show the drinking and pipe smoking nature of the Hobbits (Valente 36). In effect, Jackson wanted to make a... The fascinating perspective depends upon an individual’s taste although most viewers cite the adaptations to movies as more interesting than the novels. On the other hand, there are viewers who will indicate that the movie enhanced their understanding of the novel. Nonetheless, the perspective an individual takes depends on their preferences since movies are a visual medium and movie directors’ attempts in portraying written pieces, thoughts, and events might be challenging. In this regard, some readers of the novel might be disappointed after watching the movies. However, movie directors and producers are always at hand to explain to the viewers that the movies are adaptations, which may delete, add, or change some aspects of the novel in order to make the movie. It is evident that Jackson was able to turn a high fantasy of the 1950s gain the success in the contemporary society. In order to ensure the success, he had to make some alterations from the original text in order for the movie to fit into the visual medium and period. On the other hand, the contemporary society has changed from the society that liked the book by Tolkien in the 1950s. Hence, Jackson appeals to this society by giving the movie a humanly appeal when he highlights the most important aspects of human life such as pity, compassion, and the important role of each person in the society. In addition, the alteration of the characters by giving them a psychological depiction in the adaptation, which is in contrast to the superhero status in the book, makes the movie a success story when compared to the book.

Cantonese opera Essay Example for Free

Cantonese opera Essay Most foreign people know what Bejing opera is, but Chinese national Opera has a long history and 275 species of Chinese operas have been saved, there are a wide range of operas were not extended yet, Cantonese opera is very popular in the south of China, many Chinese people prefer Cantonese opera to Beijing Opera. The biggest difference between Beijing Opera and Cantonese Opera is language, the Beijing Opera use Mandarin, the Cantonese Opera use Cantonese. Cantonese opera is local opera in Han Dynasty is formerly known as drama or Guangdong opera from the Southern Opera. Cantonese opera began to appear in Guangdong, Guangxi from AD 1522 to 1566 (Ming Dynasty Jiajing) included singing, read, hit musicians ,soundtrack, stage costumes, The abstract body performing arts. Each Cantonese opera role has its own unique costumes dress. The initial performance language is Zhongyuan phonological, also called matshed Mandarin. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the intellectuals changed the opera language to Guangzhou language in order to facilitate their revolution, also aimed to make Cantonese understand easier. Cantonese opera ranked into national intangible cultural heritage on May 20, 2006. The UNESCO add Cantonese opera in the human intangible cultural heritage list on September 30, 2009. Cantonese opera originated in the Chinese folk songs which called Qi folk songs, the earliest folk songs can be traced back to the Book of Songs from pre-Qin Dynasty, but this is the common origin of all Chinese opera, such as Beijing opera, Cantonese opera, class opera, Shanghai opera, Shaoxing opera, and Huangmei opera. The stage art style is impressionistic. The scenery is simple, the play provides situational by virtual performance program, or write captions on board like riverside, alpine instead of stage background. Performances who in the city called GD-HK learned drama, opera and movies to improved their performance and made theme reflect contemporary life. Later, people Change falsetto into true voice in Cantonese opera. The men sing like relatively stable, low; women sing like very delicate and mellow. As some Cantonese opera are very favorite in new media, these famous Cantonese opera has recomposed in movies, TV series, dramas, and music. For example, Princess Chang Ping Purple Hairpin Peony Pavilion , Gemini worship the Moon, The Reincarnation of Hongmei mind Butterfly and Red Pear Hanada Baxi Xiangluo Otsuka Red Cherry broken heart A Dry White Begonia Red, A Dream of Red Mansions the Sanxiao marriage White Rabbit Guizhi complain Dou E Yuan (also known as June Feishuang or June Snow ), also included the first national intangible cultural heritage Butterfly Lovers.

Introduction Of Merger And Acquisition Management Essay

Introduction Of Merger And Acquisition Management Essay Acquisition- In this purchases of one company by another in which no new company is formed. The acquisition process is very complex and various studies shows that only 50% acquisition is successful. Governing low- The company act 1956 thus not define the term merger or amalgamation. It deals with schemes of merger or which acquisition are gives in s. 390.394 A,395 , 396 and 396 A. Classification of merger :- Horizontal Merger Vertical merger Market extension merger Product extension merger Conglomeration Congeneric merger Purchase merger Consolidation merger Accretive merger Dilutive merger HP AND COMPAC MERGER Introduction of HP :- It all began in the year 1928 when two electrical engeerning gradutate from standard university called willam Hewlett and David Packard strated their business in a garage in palo alto. In a year time the Hewlett Packard was made and by the year 1947, HP was incorporated. Hp enterprise business formly called TSG is the largest business segment of HP, according for 36% of HPs 2007 revenue , providind service, storage, software and information technology services that enables. The product and services from this organization serve HPbusiness of all sizes in more than 170 countries. Organizational Structure :- HPs operations are organized into seven business segment Enterprise storage and servers (ESS) HP procurve HP services HP software and solutions Personal systems group (PSG) Imaging and printing Group(PSG) HP financial services (HPFS) Corporate Investments. The three business segment ESS , HPS and HP software solution are structured beneath the broader Enterprise Business (EB) group in order to capitalize selling cross selling opportunities and give a solution sale approach across the HP enterprises offering. INTRODUCTION OF COMPAQ Copaq computer corporation is the worlds largest supplier of personal computers and as a result of its acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation in 1998, is the second largest computer firm in the world . The company was formed by two senior managers at Taxes Instrument. The company had come from Compatibility Quality. Position Of HP before Merger. Stocks gradually rase a peak of $74.48 after Fiorina was hired from their value of $ 54.43 the day before she had joined HP, meeting growth targets proved difficult as both the company and industry stabled As a result HP was forced to cut the jobs to ask employees to take unpaid leave. By September 2001, stock value had fallen to less than half of its level when fiorina was hired . so she decided to merge with Compaq. At that time Compaq in a stock transaction is net worth was 2 millio. And positon of Compaq is too good revenue increase. They do merge only for expansion the company. Main reason of Merger To compete with IBM and other companies The combined service business will have 65000 service professionals is 100000 plus for IBM Reduce cost Bolster stock Main aim of merger The main aim of the merger was to enhance the market competition. The newly formed company would be bigger than HP The combined effort would result in a big computer and software services business. The new company would definitely help the management to increase the number of customer in IT sector. HP wanted to enhance their market of computer hardware product. Problem of Merger The merger totally opposed by both the companies. The investment and the other stakeholders though at the company would never be able to have the loyalty of the Compaq customers, if products are sold with HP logo on it. Synchorization of organizations member with each other. Change in the organization which are not accepted by the employees. These are the main problem which come first after merger. The CEO of HP , Fiorina justified that merger by following point: Merger would remove serious competitor in the over supplied PC market of those days The market share of the company is bound to increase with merge. The working unit would double These points helps to unfreezing the employee. Advantages of merger Large the market share in the market and units of production also double. Compete IBM Both the companies would decrease as the internal costs on promotion, marketing and shipping would come down with the merger. New techniques or technology develop Company requires being consistent with creativity, improvement and modification. Advantages to the shareholder are as follow Unique opportunity Stronger company Compelling company Ability to execute Transaction summery Structure stock for stock merger Exchange ratio 0.6325 of HP share per Compaq share Current value approx $25 billion Ownership HP share holder 64% Compaq shareholder 36% Accounting Purchase Expected closing First half of 2002 Burke Litwin Model. BURKE LITWIN MODLE This is second order change. Its a big change for the companies. And all the features of second order change are used in this merger Transformation :- this merger is done on discounting bases. Both the company combine and form a new vision, new name , polices, culture procedure all changes. Redical overhaul :- Everything is change in one time so it si redical overhaul. Revalutionery :- Fiorna CEO of HP come with massive change she is one who ask about merger so, she come with massive cahnge So all features are cover under this merger so, according to me its second order change. In this Merger Transformational Leader is Carly Fiorno CEO of HP company Fiorno announced HPS plan to aquire the Compaq in stock transaction valued at $ 25 billion idea for the merger with Compaq a Houston bas maker founded in 1982 had grow out of a phone conversion between Fiorina and Compaq chairman CEO Michal Capellas IN JUNE 2001. By the first week of September, the merger had been approved boards at both companies. KURT- LEWIN MODEL This model include three points: Unfreezing Movement Refreezing Unfreezing:- for doing unfreezing both the companies firstly establish a sense of unrgency in the organization. Than analyze the organizational change need. So doing unfreezing CEO of HP explain that the need of change that what the company condition and its important for the company to make a change and also introduce what the aim behind the merger as I discusse above.. we can say what the desired state companies want the people of HP and Compaq see the gap what exists and what will exist. Than the people move to reduce the gap and achieved the desiered change. So that in this way both the companies do unfreezing. Movement :- The second step is movement. HP and Compaq really helped their employees and other member for accepting the change and new culture which formed by those two companies. They ask all the advantage of merger to their employees. So that it is easy for employees to move from their position. Employees see the advantages and accept the change and move further. Refreezing :- the third step but not the least is refreezing. So to give again same level of comfort to employees Fiorno arranged the meeting with investor or employee. Give more information regarding the merger. And also given more information to employees that now company will help in future. In meeting she said this company has never been about looking in the real view mirror . But Fiorina strat are as fallow : Tried to change the culture in HP Autocratic management A centralized Approach So, new CEO was Mark Huld come and he take following step. Educating the HP employees and manager to make them for talented. Exploting the possibilities of the merger Took inintaitives to cut down cost and layoff employees. CONCLUSION According this merger is right and good for economy. Basically this merger is need of HP. Fiorina knows that without taking this merger HP faces so many problem. So a very good step and make it possible. In strating she faced problems but afterwards she solved all the problems. But some of their strategies are not good and she resigned in 2005 and new CEO come Mark Hurd taken good step for HP. So in the end conclude this merger faces many up and down. But in the end it successful. And this merger is good for the world. 2ND PART PROCTER GAMBLE P G is American multinational corporation headquatered in downtown , in cin cinnan, quio U.S which manufacturs a wide range of consumer goods . P G was founded by William procter and james ganble in 1837. It is 6th in fortune most advired companies 2010 list. Bob MC Donalds is current CEO and president for the same. Vision of proctor gamble- vision of P G unifies them in common cause and growth strategy of improving more consumers lives in small but meaningful ways each day. It inspires P G people to make posture contribution everyday. Consumer products offered by PG are in areas of pharmaceutical , cleaning supplies, personal care and pet supplies. GILLETTE COMPANTY Gillette is a brand of proctor gamble currently used for safety razors , among other peesaral hygiene products. Based in Boston. It was one od several brands originally owned by Gillette company, a various brands which was acquired by P G in 2005. Their slogan is the best a man can get. The original Gillette in 1995 as a safety razor manufactures. Old Gillette products now Gillette products Disposable blade razor (1902) Trac ii (2 blade razor) Super speed model TT design (1997) trac plus (lubricating razor) Adjustable razor (1958) atra plus Sensored (spring locaded blaids sensor encec sensor 3 MERGER DETAILS On october 1st 2005 , portor gamble finaly purchased the Gillette which resulted merger between the 2 . this merger grateddue would largest personal care and household products campany. intially Gillette company assets were incarnated into a P G linit known internally as global Gillette, in july 2007 Global gillete was discounted and incorporated into proctor gambles Other two main divisions, proctor gamble beauty and procure care. Gillette brand and products were divided between the two accordingly. Merger was financed by 60% of stock and 40% cash cash and P G accured gittelles for US $ 57 billion in stock. -after acquisition Gillette CEO James Kilts became vice -chairmar. 6000 employees were eliminated and given pinkslips which reduced overlapping management positions. PROFILE (POSITION BEFORE MERGER) gillette brand basically caters safety razors in the market. before due merger gillette products razors are not so technological savvy. And an comparatively enterprise with that of other companies. Due to companion company market declined to an intent. Which forced CEO of Gillette to merger with a high profile company like PG to gain good market share in market. PROCTOR GNABLE is a highly profiled company and ranked 79th in fortune global 500 list of world largest compnies . ti basically involved in consumer good services and previsouly also acquired source of the companies. Main reasons for merger- To compete with other companies in the developing countries. The combined companies introduced new innovative products and product line got increased. To gain high market growth. Complementary goods were introduced like PG given their hand in sharing products to complement safety razors etc. This merger is a friendly merger just to grow business. MAIN AIM OF MERGER- the always to enhance the market share of the company and to compete with the competitors. As 2 companies combine will be more satisfying than one alone. PROBLEM FACED WITH MERGER -basically less problem were faced during the merger taken place because the merger is friendly merger between two companies. But initially when the merger news where announced many employees were shocked as companies are good in profits. Some talented employees left their jobs as they not want to work in merged company and many worker were lay-offed . But still company is very cooperative with their employees and given them proper training for the merger. some employees were not adapted the new culture of organization for this proper counseling is imparted to them for easy adaption. KURT -LEWIN MODEL APPLICATION Kurt lewin proposed three stage in change management programmer. Unfreezing (preparing ourselves, other to change) Movement (transition stage) Refreezing (freezing the new change) In case of PG and Gillette merger following stage occurred as follows. It was basically the decision of CEO of Gillette that two companies were will established and project making companies so it come as a shock to all the people when the merger of two companies was announced. Unfreezing stage To carry out this merger successfully a term was made to carry smooth integration which contain employees from various financial areas experienced personnel. A thought due divergence was done before any step was taken for merger of these companies. This special term selected employees (talented) from different departments of Gillette which PG wanted to retain. During this some employees were commenced with the idea of merger some left due job. To filldue gap due company does internal recruitment also based on enterprises of employees. Some valuable employees were not ready to join due merger company so several special packages were given to them. HR managers also worked very well in boosting due morale of employees. I this stage Gillette ensured that each stage the employees were kept informed , they were timely giving due updates and told them due steps clearly the organization is taking for future growth of employees as well as company. Driving forces re-straining forces Faster sales growth and cost saving Several new packages Opportunities for more innovation Dedicated team Capacity addition Merger PG Gillette Leak of news by press and resulting stock fear Difference in organizational structure Job insecurity and layoffs The driving force are so powerful that they overcome restarting force in this merger. MOVEMENT STAGE- Most of the employees were counted as due employees trusted due management a lot. They are confident that management would keep the best interest of the employees in mind. -Training programme- one day session was provided to existing employees from Gillette who joined the merged company. CAREER PLANING-Gillette globally signed a contract with right management consultant to provide career transaction service. In India this project was handled by grow talent. COUNCELING- The leaders born at corporate and institutional head provided tremendous help to their teams, Internal mentors were appointed to guide implies to make right career choice and in dealing with anxiety, handling new friends and family. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT- By helping them to manage change of new job news of family and friends with new colleagues. INTERACTUAL SUPPORT- Preparing employees for improving their marketability salary negotiation and interviews etc . LANDING SUPPORT- By analyzing strengths and skills of employees to determine career decisions, interpersonal skills, time management skill, organizational skills this training is given to every employee of Gillette whether he stayed in the organization or laid off. Due to this career transition supported and enabled employees to face the job market at least 90% of the employees who were being laid off got an offer even before they had left the company. FREEZING:- the employees adapted this change as the company was very cooperative with them. Even people who lay off also got settled down. For this strategic transition Gillette got DMA Erewon innovation award in 2006 also. This deal created by the CEOS created a win- win situation for all stake holders and set a fine example in todays dynamic business environment preparing HR people for taking challenges. BRUKE LEWIN MODEL APPLICATION:- This merger between the two companies P G and Gillette is a second order change with this merger the structure of two companies changed drastically as it is a radical change.. TRANSFORMATION:- due this merger PG AND Gillette transformed as policy, culture and produced all change. REVOLUTIONARY: CEO of Gillette wanted this merger they took the just step of merger between the two for growth and developing country. SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF MERGER: this merger was a grand success because more than a merger its a friendly move by both companies. As it beneficiate both the company due market after the merger increased. In this merger basically innovation was focused rather than scale. It is unique case of acquisition where in innovative company expanded it product line by acquiring another innovative company. It was described as a perfect marriage by some analyst. CEO of PG AG lafley thinks it necessary to overtake close companies especially in developing countries so he acquired Gillette and expanded its product line by adding some shaving products. After this merger the market share of both companies increased tremendously. CONCLUSION:- Merger of PG and Gillette acted as a boom for Gillette as we can see from figure Gillette market share raised up by 71.1% the merger is a perfect marriage of companies which contributed growth, innovations in the product line of the same. Through initially the changes are structured distributed the companies employees but afterwards it benefitted the companies a lot. And market share increased highly after the merger took place. 3RD PART ORGANISATION PROFILE HINDALCO INDUSTRIES LIMITED Hindalco Industries Limited, a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, is structured into two strategic businesses aluminium and copper with annual revenue of US $14 billion and a market capitalization in excess of US $ 23 billion. Hindalco commenced its operations in 1962 with an aluminium facility at Renukoot in Uttar Pradesh. Birla Copper, Hindalcos copper division is situated in Dahej in the Bharuch district of Gujarat. Established in 1958, Hindalco commissioned its aluminium facility at Renukoot in eastern U.P. in 1962 and has today grown to become the countrys largest integrated aluminum producer and ranks among the top quartile of low cost producers in the world. The aluminium divisions product range includes alumina chemicals, primary aluminium ingots, billets, wire rods, rolled products, extrusions, foils and alloy wheels. It enjoys a domestic market share of 42 per cent in primary aluminium, 63 per cent in rolled products, 20 per cent in extrusions, 44 per cent in foils and 31 per cent in wheels. Hindalco has launched several brands in recent years, namely Aura for alloy wheels, Freshwrapp for kitchen foil and ever last for roofing sheets. The copper plant produces copper cathodes, continuous cast copper rods and precious metals like gold, silver and platinum group metal mix. sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, di-ammonium phosphate, other phosphatic fertilisers and phospho-gypsum are also produced at this plant. Hindalco Industries Limited has a 51.0% shareholding in Aditya Birla Minerals which has mining and exploration activities focused in Australia. The company has two RD centres at Belgaum, Karnataka and Taloja, Maharashtra. They have been recognized by the Government of Indias Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). [Exhibit 1] Year over year, Hindalco Industries Ltd. has been able to grow revenues from 121.2B to 193.2B. Most impressively, the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to selling, general and administrative costs from 4.15% to 2.96%. This was a driver that led to a bottom line growth from 15.8B to 26.9B. NOVELIS Novelis is the world leader in aluminium rolling, producing an estimated 19 percent of the worlds flat-rolled aluminium products. Novelis is the world leader in the recycling of used aluminium beverage cans. The company recycles more than 35 billion used beverage cans annually. The company is No. 1 rolled products producer in Europe, South America and Asia, and the No. 2 producer in North America. With industry-leading assets and technology, the company produces the highest-quality aluminium sheet and foil products for customers in high -value markets including automotive, transportation, packaging, construction and printing. Our customers include major brands such as Agfa -Gevaert, Alcan, Anheuser-Busch, Ball, Coca-Cola, Crown Cork Seal, Daching Holdings, Ford, General Motors, Lotte Aluminium, Kodak, Pactiv, Rexam, Ryerson Tull, Tetra Pak, ThyssenKrupp and others. Novelis represents a unique combination of the new and the 5 old. Novelis is a new company, formed in January 2005, with a new velocity, a new philosophy and a new attitude. But Novelis is also a spin-off from Alcan and, as such, draws on a rich 90-year history in the aluminium rolled product marketplace . Novelis has a diversified product portfolio, which serves to the different set of industries vis-Ã  -vis it has a very strong geographical presences in four continents. POSITION OF NOVELIS BEFORE AQUISITION Novelis was always a problem child. It was born in early 2005 as a result of a forced spin-off from its parent, the $ 23.6-billion aluminium giant and Canada-based Alcan. In 2003, Alcan won a hostile offer to wed French aluminium company Pechiney. But the marriage produced an unwanted child Novelis. Both Alcan and Pechiney had bauxite mines, facilities to produce primary aluminium, and rolling mills to turn the raw metal into products such as stock for Pepsi and Coke cans and automotive parts. But the US and European anti-trust proceedings ruled that the rolled products business of either Alcan or Pechiney had to be divested from the merged entity. Alcan cast out its rolled products business to form Novelis. It is now the worlds leading producer of aluminium-rolled products with a 19 per cent global market share. But in the spin-off process, Novelis ended up inheriting a debt mountain of almost $2.9 billion on a capital base of less than $500 million. That was just the beginning of its troubles.The situation is worse now. Though it marginally reduced debt, it made some losses too. On a net worth of $322 million, Novelis has a debt of $2.33 billion (most of it high cost). Thats a debt-equity ratio of 7.23:1. Soon, the unwanted child stumbled into another crisis. Novelis has a simple business model. It buys primary aluminium, processes it into rolled products like stock for soft drink cans, automotive parts, etc., and sells it to customers such as Coke and Ford. But the management took a wrong call on aluminium prices. In a bid to win more business from soft drink manufacturers, it promised four customers not to increase product prices even if raw material aluminium prices went up beyond a point. A few months after Novelis signed those contracts, aluminium prices shot up 39 per cent (between 30 September 2005 and 2006). To these four customers, Novelis was forced to sell its products at prices that were lower than raw material costs. These four account for 20 per cent of Noveliss $9-billion revenues. But the managements wrong judgement led to losses of $350 million (in 2006). For long, Noveliss former CFO Geoffrey P. Batt, former controller Jo-Ann Longworth and the finance team didnt quantify these losses. After the complicated spin-off from Alcan this involved extensive operations in over 35 plants in 11 countries and four continents the finance team also struggled to file quarterly and annual results on time. Many of the numbers it managed to file on time were wrong and were later re-stated. The board stepped in. First, it replaced its CFO and controller (in December 2005). When that didnt help much, it replaced CEO Brian W. Sturgell in August 2006. (It is still looking for a full-time CEO.) There are many more reasons for the distress in Novelis. NEED OF THE CHANGE Post acquisitions, the company will get a strong global footprint. After full integration, the joint entity will become insulated from the fluctuation of LME Aluminium prices. The deal will give Hindalco a strong presence in recycling of aluminium business because as per aluminium characteristic, aluminium is infinitely recyclable and recycling it requires only 5% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium. Novelis has a very strong technology for value added products and its latest technology Novelis Fusion is very unique one and it would have taken a minimum 8-10 years to Hindalco for building these facilities, if Hindalco takes organically route. As per company details, the replacement value of the Novelis is US $12 billion, so considering the time required and replacement value; the deal is worth for Hindalco. SUCCESS OF MERGER Hindalco has undertaken aggressive plans to increase its capacities through capacity expansion as well as by setting up greenfield plants. Hindalco increased its capacity at Hirakud plant by 35,000 tonnes to one lakh tonne. When Hindalco completes its entire project, smelting capacity has increase by about 10 lakh tonnes. Along with smelting capacities, the companies are expanding alumina capacities and setting up captive power plants. Domestic alumina capacity is set to increase by 9.5 million tonnes when all the outstanding projects are completed. In 2007 about 1.23 million tonnes of capacity has come on stream, catapulting aggregate capacity to 4.23 million tonnes. Large alumina capacities have not only feed captive aluminium smelters, but also leave surplus alumina to be exported to lucrative markets like China. Currently Hindalcos production is tied up with clients. Also Novelis has similar contracts with its suppliers. But after 3-4 years it would start the operation of new pla nts. Then it can source excess capacity to the Novelis plants located in south East Asian countries. The merger looks not bad if the current financial valuations are ignored. Also we need to keep in mind that Hindalco is a very aggressively growing company, for it to build infrastructure that can match Novelis is very difficult. PROBLEM FACED BY THE ORGANISATION WHILE MANAGING THE CHANGE Buy- in and commitment from stakeholder: It is not only the C-level management which has to buy-in to the globalization change but staff at all levels. In the aquisiton between Hindalco lmt. And Novelis the people were involved in the operation for off shoring that do not buy into the initiative and influence other team members, creating waves of resistance. It became critical to have a high degree of commitment from leaders and managers to effectively communicate the needs to the off shore. Employee resistance: Any change is bound to attract resistance especially in merger between Hindalco and Novelis because of the politicized negative publicity and hence had a direct impact on the employee productivity. Complacement workforce: The workforce of Hindalco lmt were comfortable and complacement about productivity and customer service cost and therefore resisted to change. KURT LEWIN MODEL Unfreezing: The Unfreezing stage is probably one of the more important stages to understand in the world of change we live in today. This stage is about getting ready to change. It involves getting to a point of understanding that change is necessary and getting ready to move away from our current comfort zone. In this case, both the companies were ready to merge with each other and hence a change was going to be held in both the organization. Novelis is the world leader in aluminium rolling, producing an estimated 19 percent of the worlds flat-rolled aluminium products. Novelis is the world leader in the recycling of used aluminium beverage cans. With industry-leading assets and technology, the company produces the highest-quality aluminium sheet and foil products for customers in high -value markets including automotive, transportation, packaging, construction and printing. But Novelis has always suffered a lot of losses. Hence it needed change its system otherwise it would have to pack up from the market. Hindalco lmt.businesses aluminium and copper with annual revenue of US $14 billion and a market capitalization in excess of US $ 23 billion. It was ready to aquire Novelis because it had a high quality aluminium sheets and even had high technology but the company was going into losses. Therefore, the company had an opportunity to acquire the company and was ready to change and therefore it was following the unfreezing step of kurt lewin model. Change/Transition: Kurt Lewin was aware that change is not an event, but rather a process. He called that process a transition. Transition is the inner movement or journey we make in reaction to a change. This second stage occurs as we make the changes that are needed. People are unfrozen and moving towards a new way of being. In this case as both the companies Hindalco and Novelis were merged together. While the process of Acquisition both the companies had faced a lot of problems. The employees of Novelis showed resistance towards change in the working condition as per the working model of Hindalco lmt. Refreezing In this process simply, when employees minds move from Novelis to Hindalco lmt. then in this case Novelis have done the refreeze procees with employees because this time 2 different people come in one organization for work together that is why Novelis will have to definitately give some compensations, growth plans to their existing employees for

Environmental And European Airline Industry Analysis

Environmental And European Airline Industry Analysis History Ryanair has grown since 1985 with only 25 staff members and a single 15-seat turbo-prop commuter plane flying between Waterford and London. By 2001 there are more than 1500 employees working for Ryanair and more than 10 million passengers are carried to 56 cities in 13 European countries. Nowadays the company is named as the most popular airline on the web by Google and also passed out British Airways to become the UKs favourite airline in United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Mission and Objectives Ryanair does not publish a formal vision or mission statement. Due to the increase of passengers, the company has re-launched as a no frills airline to meet the needs of travelling at the lowest price. It aims to expand its market share, and increase more routes and destinations. Therefore it can become the 1st largest airline and maintain the position in the industry. Reasons for success The reason of Ryanair success because it implements different marketing strategy to make the company survive in the competition and to be able to gain competitive position in the airline market. For example, its no fills strategy. In order to position itself in the marketplace, Ryanair controls own its costs to offer the lowest fares possible and remain profitable. Chapter 2 Environmental European Airline Industry Analysis 2.1 The PESTEL Analysis The Political Factors The Europe Union (EU) has expanded in the past few years, and it will be a big factor affects the direction and strategy planning for Ryanair. And some countries give preferential treatment to companies from their own country, i.e., France government has the policy to support its own national carriers which affects the expansion of Ryanair. The Economic Factors The unstable fuel price is affecting the business. In the face of rising fuel, hedging on future buying of fuel to stable the cost as fuel is a major cost for every airline. Also, the depreciation of US dollars affects Ryanair because customers from United States will cut their orders as US dollars are depreciating. The Socio-cultural Factors The increasing travelling lifestyles become a factor to affect the business of Ryanair. Nowadays people are more enjoy a travelling lifestyle, i.e., graduation trips, backpack trips etc. They love to travel all around the world. Therefore, these people become the major customers for the company. The Technological Factors Technology is rapidly improving means the whole industry is changing, becoming more environmentally friendly and efficient. More effective infrastructure in the airports means that some airports can charge the airlines more for landing there. The Environmental Factors Under the new law, the airline industry has to be more environmentally friendly. Therefore the manufacturers, designers and airline companies have to combat this together to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and less harmful to the environment so its order to comply with EU regulations. The Legal Factors The whole industry is heavily regulated due to laws and they have to constantly adapt to new changes in the law, such as not allowing liquid on board. After 911, the tighten security measure has also affected the business, the government reinforce security, it increases costs, and forcing to push the airline ticket prices up. 2.2 The Five Forces Analysis Competitive Rivalry Ryanair has highly competitive rivalry because the large number of competitors and especially since the airline industry market is completely saturated. There are already many no frills airlines, i.e., easyJet, Monarch Airlines, and Air Berlin etc. If those companies decide to compete on the same basis as Ryanair, there will be a heavy pressure on prices and margins to Ryanair. Suppliers bargaining power The bargaining power of suppliers is high for Ryanair. Price of aviation fuel is directly related to the cost of oil. The costs from one supplier to the other are high because all mechanics and pilots would have to be retrained. Therefore, Boeing is the main suppliers of Ryanair. For those bigger airports where Ryanairs competitors operate, have greater bargaining power. Ryanairs policy is tried to avoid these airports and focus on the regional airports. Buyers Bargaining Power The bargaining power of buyers is medium. As customers are price sensitive to choose Ryanair, they only choose for cheapness not quality. Therefore if the prices are increased or a competitor has a lower price then they will switch to another airline. Threat of New Entrants The threat of potential entrants is low because set up an airline is high capital investment and the risk is high. Also there are some barriers to entry, such as a lot of regulation and the pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is high because of the competition with buses, trains, cars and ferries. These can all substitute the low-cost airlines like Ryanair. 2.3 The Scenario Analysis According to the socio-cultural factors, the market is becoming more competitive because of having the emerging and developing countries, more people want flights therefore more airlines in order to accommodate this and it might decrease the profits in the market share. Furthermore, Ryanair is facing the increasing trade-union pressure in Europe. Some of the countries in Europe have formed a trade-union among each others, thus it gives the pressure for Ryanair to do business in these countries. Chapter 3 SWOT Analysis 3.1 Strengths Ryanair has developed a very well recognized brand name by leading low cost airline. It provides high seat density and high service performance: punctual, high rate of flight completion, low baggage loss, these give a good image of the companys reliability. Ryanair has first mover advantage in strong bargaining power in airport deals and reduces barriers to its entry into new markets and airports. Over 94% of all seats are sold online so the cost of distribution by using internet booking is lower than phone booking, also eliminates the need of travel agents. Furthermore, the single model of Boeing aircraft saves on training, maintenance and supervisory costs. 3.2 Weaknesses Ryanair is based on no frills strategy, it restricted expansion possibility. The long distances of its airport from city centers can become less attractive as markets mature. Over time customers may find this a big inconvenience. Besides, the morale of employee is low. The weakening employee relations are detrimental to success in any services industry. Other weakness of Ryanair is high turnaround would increase the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, therefore the costs will be increased. 3.3 Opportunities As the EU enlargement, there will be a lot of new destinations opened up and complete deregulation of airline industry in all EU markets. During any financial downturns, the new fleet could be leased out to undercut other sources and increase entrepreneurial activities will be a source for economy air travel. 3.4 Threats There are several threats on Ryanair. First, impending legislations for environment protection and customer compensations increase costs. Secondly, the increase in market share at the cost of network airlines could also increase airport service charges which are currently low. Then, traditional airlines are also cutting fares and costs which could affect the market share of Ryanair. Finally, additional fleets may require new terminals and secondary airports which mean Ryanair would need to bear higher cost. Chapter 4 Evaluations Recommendations 4.1 Evaluation There is a point-of-difference between Ryanair and larger airlines such as British Airways (BA). Ryanair is the Europes largest low-cost carrier and provide only basic-level service but BA is a high-class airline company which provides high perceived service, and they focus on difference position and target customers so it is quite difficult for larger airlines to imitate the strategy. More than that, Ryanairs no frill strategy is sustainable for identifying their target customers who are price-sensitive and wish to spend low price to fly safely. 4.2 Recommendations A low-cost image of Ryanair that has become its brand tag will be difficult to erase when it wishes to moves up the value chain, and the upper-middle class economy travellers may seek greater value proposition, not just for low fares. I suggest Ryanair add more routes to their already extensive network and plan for expanding operations into non-European markets in the near future. Furthermore, consolidation and integration would become necessary to grow further in maturing markets which could help Ryanair to offset pressure on its costs and fares. Reference Lists Case Study on Ryanair, the biggest low-cost European Airline (Jan, 2008) [online]Availablefrom [Accessed 21/07/10] Thomas M. Box (2005), RYANAIR (2005): SUCCESSFUL LOW COST LEADERSHIP, [online] Available from [Accessed 20/07/10] Yahoo Knowledge (2007), Assignment for strategic analysis, [online] Available from [Accessed 20/07/10]

George W. Russell (AE Æ),- His Life, Paintings and Impact on Irish Cult

George W. Russell (AE Æ),- His Life, Paintings and Impact on Irish Culture Introduction George William Russell (Æ), poet, painter, statesman and friend of many. George Russell definitely was all of those things. But why is it that I, a visiting student from the far North, takes such an interest in a man who despite his greatness not many people outside Ireland has heard of. When asked about visual arts in Ireland, names like Jack Yeats, Paul Henry and James Barry might be heard but only people with a deep interest in Irish culture will also mention George W. Russell, or Æ as he is more commonly known. But Æ Russell was, and still is, Irish culture, which is what I will try to prove to you with this paper. My first encounter with Æ Russell was when I heard about one of the greatest love stories ever heard, the Irish legend about Deirdre and Naisi. Æ Russell took this tale and made it into a play, the one and only play he would ever write, published in 1901 under the name â€Å"Deirdre†. The mythological tales has always been a keen interest to me and to learn that Æ Russell wrote plays, poems and painted pictures with mythological content, sure was a true excitement for me. But to get a better understanding of what kind of man Æ Russell was and what he had done for Irish culture I embarked on a cultural trip around Dublin. I started off by going to the Oriel Gallery a Clare Street to see some of his paintings. My next step was a visit to 3 Upper Ely Place (behind Saint Stephen’s Green), a place where Æ Russell lived between 1891 and 1898 (1897) and one of two places in Dublin where you still can see an original mural signed Æ Russell. Sadly, a lot of his other murals on Dublin walls has been torn down, taking an important part of cultural heritage away with it. Lastly I visited the Mount Jerome Cemetery (Harold’s Cross) where Æ Russell is buried. All this, together with my own strong interest in mythology, made this cultural â€Å"journey† in Æ Russell footsteps a pure pleasure. George â€Å"Ɔ Russell, the man George William Russell, son and one of three children of Tomas Elias Russell & Marianne Russell (formerly Armstrong), was born in William Street, Lurgan, County Armagh on the 10:th of April 1867. At the age of 11, the family moved to Emorville Avenue in Dublin where in 1880 George Russell enrolled in the Art School on Kildare Street. At the age of 16, George Ru... ... the â€Å"human†. As of today, that favorite of mine goes for about IR £ 8.500 but that in my view is a small price for such a work of excellence. It is also a part of Irish culture as it was 100 years ago; and still is†¦.. 1. â€Å"Neptunes Daughters† (Original size: 16† x 21â€Å") 2. â€Å"A Vision in the Glade† (15 ½Ã¢â‚¬  x 21†) 3. â€Å"Trailing Clouds of Glory† (18 ½Ã¢â‚¬  x 24†) 4. â€Å"Neptunes Angels† (21† x 32†) 5. â€Å"The Young W.B. Inscribed and Dated 1897† (17† x 14†) References: Main Publications: Davis, R.B., 1977, George William Russell (â€Å"AE†). George Prior Publishers, London, England. Denson, A., 1961, George W. Russell (Æ) – A Bibliography. Northwestern University Press, New Jersey, U.S.A. Kain, R.M. & O’Brien, J.H., 1976, George Russell (Æ). Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg, U.S.A. Other publications: Nulty, O., 1989, George Russell – Æ â€ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦at The Oriel’s, 21st Anniversary. The Oriel Gallery, Dublin, Ireland. Smythe, C., 1988, The Descent of the Gods – The mystical writings of G. W. Russell – Æ. By: Michael Arrhenius University: Jà ¶nkà ¶ping International Business School, Sweden. Class: Irish Culture Instructor: Mr. Smyth Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Aungier Street, March 2000.

Personal relationships :: essays research papers

I don’t think that anything brings people together more than mutual hatred, except mutual hatred for each other. I suppose that is why my ex-boyfriends and I still talk to each other, or, I should say, one of my ex-boyfriends, Rob. The other one, Andrew, and I don’t talk at all. I suppose that means we must really hate each other. But the reason we don’t talk is that it still hurts, and that wound runs very deep, I doubt if it will ever heal. The â€Å"blues† is losing someone you love and not having enough money to immerse yourself in drink. And so when I had lost Andrew, Cupid sent Rob along, and he paid for the tab. In short, I am convinced that Andrew is heartless and devoid of having any conviction or remorse for his wickedness. And as for Rob, I am honored to be able to say that, yes, he is my friend, and one of the most amazing people I have ever met.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rob was a Marine. Andrew was in the Army. Their temperaments were just as opposite as the branches of the military they served. Rob was an introverted kind of guy, completely content to sit and read a novel or sit quietly in a theatre. He wasn’t the kind of guy that liked to be the center of attention or draw the spotlight to himself. Andrew, on the other hand, was the most extraverted person I have ever seen. He was the life of the party, always out and about socializing, and loved all the attention than anyone would be willing to give him. Andrew was aggressive, Rob was passive. Even though they were different, they were a lot alike. Which is why, I suppose, I was attracted to both of them. They both had strong leadership skills and the ability to always make me smile when I was sad, console me when I cried, and amuse me with their humor when I needed to be 03 cheered. On my nineteenth birthday, Andrew called at 12:00AM to sing â€Å"happy birthday† to me in a Frank Sinatra style, and Rob telephoned to leave The Beatles â€Å"so they say it’s your birthday† at 2:07AM on my voice mail. They each had their differences, but even their similarities had their own flavor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physically, I would have to say that both Rob and Andrew were enough to put Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp out of business.

Book “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”

John Boyne’s novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjama’s published in 2006 tells the story by using a nine year old boy as the narrator to show the world through his eyes. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a powerful story because it is told from Bruno’s perspective. The novel is set in the years of World War 2 and the colorcast where many Jewish families live their lives in fear of the Hitler and the Germans. Boyne has used many different languages in the novel such as Tone, Literacy Devices and Characterization to show the different features and perspectives from Bruno.The way Boyne describes Shmuel makes the reader really feel remorseful for this boy and the way he is being treated by the soldiers. Boyne Cleverly uses imagery and symbolism to describe Shmuel from Bruno’s perspective. â€Å"His skin was almost the colour of grey, but not quite like any grey Bruno has ever seen before. He had very large eyes and they were the colour of caramel sweets. † (p. 106-107. ) Boyne has impressively used imagery to show and represent people through Bruno’s innocent and naive eyes and really encourages the reader to read on.In the novel the way Boyne uses characterization, helps to show the different characteristics of Bruno and how he represents other characters from his perspective. â€Å"Who’s the fury? † asked Bruno. â€Å"Your pronouncing it wrong† said father pronouncing it correctly. â€Å"The Fury† Bruno said again but failing. (p. 117). Boyne uses this, to describe to the reader that Bruno is a naive and innocent young boy. Boyne uses implied meanings as you may have realised Boyne never mention Hitler but rather says fury and makes the novel really impacts the reader. Boyne uses a lot of one in his novel to express the feelings been told through the story.By the way Boyne has represented the way the soldiers laughed and mocked the children makes the reader leave with a distaste of the soldiers and are remorseful for the children. †But then one of the soldiers lunged towards them and they separated and seemed to do what he wanted them to do all along, which was to stand in a single line. When they did, the soldiers all started to laugh and applaud them. † (p. 37). It shows that the soldiers were horrible people, they pushed and laughed at all the children in the concentration camp and didn’t care one bit if it hurt them.The feeling that you get when you read this book, it is sad and depressing, which can explain why it is a very powerful story. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas heavily impacts the reader in every way, making the novel very powerful. Boyne uses a younger innocent and naive boy, like Bruno, to tell the story by the view of a young child. Boyne uses Bruno as a narrator to highlight the prejudice that causes adults to behave badly and unkindly towards others. Using a naive narrator it confronts the reader about their own beliefs and values. The wa y Boyne cleverly use tone, characterization and literacy devices impacts the story greatly.

Analgesic and Facilitator Pain Assessment

Individual Research Article Critique Presentation Resource: The research study that you selected in Week Two Develop a 10- to 15-minute presentation in which you address the following points (7 pts): †¢Strengths and weaknesses of the study †¢Theoretical and methodological limitations †¢Evidence of researcher bias †¢Ethical and legal considerations related to the protection of human subjects †¢Relationship between theory, practice, and research †¢Nurse’s role in implementing and disseminating research †¢How the study provides evidence for evidence-based practice †¢Identify the following for the research study selected (choose 1 or 2 NOT BOTH): 8 pts. †¢ 1. Quantitative Research Article Critique (Follow the example pp. 433–442 of the text): †¢ a. Phase 1: Comprehension b. Phase 2: Comparison c. Phase 3: Analysis d. Phase 4: Evaluation †¢ 2. Qualitative Research Article Critique (Follow the example pp. 455–461 o f the text): †¢ a. 1. Problem (problem statement; purpose; research questions; literature review; frame of reference; research tradition) b. 2. Methodology (sampling & sample; data collection; protection of human subjects c. 3. Data (management; analysis . 4. Results (findings; discussion; logic; evaluation summary †¢ Format the presentation as one of the following (5 pts): †¢Poster presentation in class †¢Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation including detailed speaker’s notes †¢Video of yourself giving the presentation uploaded to an Internet video sharing site such as www. youtube. com –Submit the link to your facilitator, include a written reference page in APA format †¢Another format approved by your facilitator Pain Assessment in Persons with Dementia: Relationship Between Self-Report and Behavioral Observation Ann L.Horgas, RN, PhD,A Amanda F. Elliott, ARNP, PhD,w and Michael Marsiske, PhDz OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relatio nship between self-report and behavioral indicators of pain in cognitively impaired and intact older adults. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, correlational study of older adults. SETTING: Data were collected from residents of nursing homes, assisted living, and retirement apartments in northcentral Florida. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-six adults, mean age 83; 64 cognitively intact, 62 cognitively impaired.MEASUREMENTS: Pain interviews (pain presence, intensity, locations, duration), pain behavior measure, Mini-Mental State Examination, analgesic medications, and demographic characteristics. Participants completed an activitybased protocol to induce pain. RESULTS: Eighty-six percent self-reported regular pain. Controlling for analgesics, cognitively impaired participants reported less pain than cognitively intact participants after movement but not at rest. Behavioral pain indicators did not differ between cognitively intact and impaired participants. Total number of pain behaviors w as signi? antly related to self-reported pain intensity (b 5 0. 40, P 5. 000) in cognitively intact elderly people. CONCLUSION: Cognitively impaired elderly people selfreport less pain than cognitively intact elderly people, independent of analgesics, but only when assessed after movement. Behavioral pain indicators do not differ between the groups. The relationship between self-report and pain behaviors supports the validity of behavioral assessments in this population. These ? ndings support the use of multidimensional pain assessment in persons with dementia.J Am Geriatr Soc 57:126–132, 2009. Key words: pain; dementia; measurement From the ADepartment of Adult and Elderly Nursing, University of Florida, College of Nursing, Gainesville, Florida; wDepartment of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; and zDepartment of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, G ainesville, Florida. Address correspondence to Ann Horgas, College of Nursing, University of Florida, PO Box 100197-HSC, 101 S.Newell Drive, Room 2201, Gainesville, FL 32610. E-mail: [email  protected]?. edu DOI: 10. 1111/j. 1532-5415. 2008. 02071. x ain, a persistent daily problem for many elderly adults, is associated with physical and social disability, depression, and poor quality of life. 1 Between 50% and 86% of older adults experience pain; 32% to 53% of those with dementia experience it daily. 2 The high prevalence is associated with proliferation of pain-related health conditions in late life, such as osteoarthritis, hip fractures, peripheral vascular disease, and cancer. Dementia complicates pain assessment, because it impairs memory, judgment, and verbal communication. Dementia is associated with central nervous system changes that alter pain tolerance4 but not pain thresholds (e. g. , minimum level at which a painful stimulus is recognized as pain). 5 No empirical evid ence indicates that persons with dementia physiologically experience less pain; rather, they appear less able to recognize and verbally communicate the presence of pain. Findings that cognitively impaired older adults underreport pain relative to nonimpaired elderly people7 and are less likely to be treated for pain than their cognitively intact peers8,9 re? ect dif? culty assessing pain in this population. Self-report is considered the criterion standard of pain assessment. Despite recent studies supporting the reliability and validity of self-report in persons with dementia,7,10 healthcare providers and pain experts recognize that selfreport alone is insuf? cient for this population and that observational pain assessment strategies are needed.In 2002, the American Geriatrics Society established comprehensive guidelines for assessing behavioral indicators of pain. 1 More recently, the American Society for Pain Management Nursing Task Force on Pain Assessment in the Nonverbal Patien t (including persons with dementia) recommended a comprehensive, hierarchical approach that integrates selfreport and observations of pain behaviors. 11 Recently, tools to measure pain in persons with dementia have proliferated. In 2006, a comprehensive stateof-the-science review of 14 observational pain measures was completed.The authors concluded that existing tools are still in the early stages of development and testing and that more psychometric work is needed before tools are recommended for broad adoption in clinical practice. 12 Others, including an interdisciplinary expert consensus P JAGS 57:126–132, 2009 r 2008, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation r 2008, The American Geriatrics Society 0002-8614/09/$15. 00 JAGS JANUARY 2009–VOL. 57, NO. 1 PAIN ASSESSMENT IN PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA 127 panel on pain assessment in older persons,13 have corroborated these conclusions. 4 In particular, these authors highlight the need for more evaluation of observational pa in measures, including validation against the criterion standard of self-report in intact and impaired populations. Almost all research on measuring pain in persons with dementia has focused exclusively on persons with moderate to severe disease. There has been only one published study that compared pain behaviors and self-reported pain in persons with and without cognitive impairment, but it focused on postoperative patients undergoing rehabilitation and acute pain associated with physical therapy. 5 Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-report and behavioral indicators of pain in cognitively intact and impaired older adults with persistent pain. Speci? cally, this study evaluated whether cognitive status (intact or impaired) differentially in? uenced verbal and nonverbal expression of pain. It was hypothesized that self-reported pain would be lower in cognitively impaired elderly people than in those who were cognitively intact but that p ain behaviors, because they are more re? exive and less reliant on verbal communication, would be equivalent in both groups.The relationship between pain behaviors and self-reported pain was also evaluated in cognitively intact elderly people to validate whether behaviors measured are indicators of pain. The following research questions were asked. Does cognitive status in? uence self-reported pain? Does cognitive status in? uence observed pain behaviors? Are self-reported pain and observed pain behaviors related, and is the relationship different in cognitively intact and impaired elderly people? One hundred forty participants were enrolled and completed the baseline interview; 126 (90%) completed the protocol. Attrition analyses revealed no signi? ant differences between completers and noncompleters on demographic, residential status, health, or pain variables. The ? nal sample was predominantly female (81%), Caucasian (97%), and widowed (60%), with a mean age of 83 (range 5 65â⠂¬â€œ98). Thirty-nine percent resided in nursing homes, 39% resided in assisted living, and 22% lived independently in retirement apartments. Participants’ average Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) raw score was 24 (range 5 7–30, median 5 27, mode 5 29). Based on 10th percentile education-adjusted MMSE norms as the cutoff,16,17 64 (50. 8%) were cognitively intact, and 62 (49. %) were impaired. See Table 1 for a description of the total sample and of cognitively intact and impaired subsamples. Groups differed only in residential status (cognitively Table 1. Sample Characteristics, Overall (N 5 126) and According to Cognitive Status Total Sample Cognitive StatusA Intact Impaired (n 5 64) (n 5 62) PValue Characteristic METHODS The University of Florida institutional review board approved this study. Informed consent was obtained from cognitively intact participants and from impaired elderly people’s legally authorized representatives, with assent from persons wi th dementia.Design A quasi-experimental, correlational design was used to investigate pain in older adults with mild to moderate dementia, because dementia status cannot be experimentally manipulated. Cognitively intact elderly people functioned as a comparison group to examine behavioral indicators and self-reported pain in the two groups. If self-report and behaviors were related in cognitively intact persons, there would be some basis to infer that the same behaviors indicated pain in cognitively impaired elderly people. Participants One hundred ? ty-eight older adults were screened for enrollment from 17 assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and retirement communities in north central Florida. Inclusion criteria were aged 65 and older, English-speaking, able to stand up from a chair and walk in place, diagnosed osteoarthritis in the lower body, and adequate vision and hearing to complete the interview. Sex, n (%) Male 24 (19. 0) 12 (18. 8) 12 (19. 4) Female 102 (81. 0) 52 ( 81. 3) 50 (80. 6) Race, n (%) White 123 (97. 6) 63 (98. 4) 60 (96. 8) Black 1 (0. 8) 0 (0) 1 (1. 6) Other 2 (1. 6) 1 (1. 6) 1 (1. 6) Marital status, n (%) Married 37 (29. ) 21 (32. 8) 16 (25. 8) Unmarriedw 89 (70. 6) 43 (67. 2) 46 (74. 2) Education, n (%) ohigh school 11 (8. 7) 5 (7. 8) 6 (9. 7) graduate High school graduate 38 (30. 2) 17 (26. 6) 21 (33. 9) Some college or 31 (24. 6) 18 (28. 1) 13 (21. 0) equivalent College graduate or 34 (27. 0) 18 (28. 1) 16 (25. 8) more Residence Assisted living 49 (38. 9) 28 (43. 8) 21 (33. 9) Nursing home 47 (37. 3) 14 (21. 9) 33 (53. 2) Retirement apartment 30 (23. 8) 22 (34. 4) 8 (12. 9) Analgesics taken 579 ? 1,320 313 ? 699 853 ? 1,708 (in acetaminophen equivalents), mean ? SD Age, mean ? SD 82. 2 ? 7. 3 81. 9 ? 7. 83. 1 ? 7. 6 Number of medical 6. 7 ? 3. 1 6. 6 ? 2. 9 6. 9 ? 3. 4 diagnoses, mean ? SD .93 .59 .39 .84 .001z .02 § .55 . 63 A Cognitive status was computed using the following education-adjusted Mini-Mental State Examination s cores as cutoffs: o8th grade education, 20; 9 to 11 years, 24; high school graduate or equivalent, 25; some college, 27; and college degree or higher 5 27. 16,17 w Unmarried 5 never married, widowed, separated, or divorced. z Chi-square 5 15. 2, degrees of freedom 5 2, P 5. 001.  § t (124) 5 2. 22. SD 5 standard deviation. 128 HORGAS ET AL. JANUARY 2009–VOL. 57, NO. 1 JAGS mpaired elderly people were signi? cantly more likely to reside in assisted living or nursing home facilities). to use in elderly adults than the traditional visual analogue scale. 21 Procedures Participants completed a brief screening interview to con? rm study eligibility and to ascertain cognitive status. Those eligible were interviewed about their pain and completed an activity-based protocol designed to evoke pain behaviors in persons with persistent pain (described in more detail below). Activity Protocol Participants were asked to sit, stand, lie on a bed, walk in place, and transfer between activi ties.Based on previous work, the activity protocol had several strengths for use with this population. First, it simulates performance of basic activities of daily living, thereby enhancing ecological validity of the tasks. Second, it was tested in other studies, and activities were shown to induce pain in persons with osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain, thus providing a naturalistic pain induction method. Third, use of these realworld tasks avoids undue health or safety risks for elderly adults and eliminates potential bias associated with arti? cially induced (e. g. , laboratory-based) pain induction techniques. 8,19 The protocol was simpli? ed by using only 1-minute activity intervals (to reduce complexity of directions and physical demands for frail or cognitively impaired participants) and substituted walking in place for walking across the room and back (to accommodate physical space limitations in residential care facilities where data were collected). Activities were c onducted in random order to minimize order effects, and the entire 10-minute protocol was videotaped. Measures Self-Reported Pain The principal investigator (ALH) or a trained research assistant interviewed each participant in a private session about their pain experience.Pain presence, intensity, locations, and duration were assessed. Pain Presence. Questions from the Structured Pain Interview (SPI)20 were used to assess presence of self-reported pain. During the pain screening interview, participants were asked ‘‘Do you have some pain every day or almost every day (daily pain)? ’’ Pain was also assessed immediately before the start of the activity protocol (‘‘Are you having any pain right now? ’’ (pre-activity)) and immediately after it (‘‘Did you experience any pain during these activities? ’’ (postactivity)).Response choices to all three questions were yes (1) or no (0). Pain Intensity If participants responded ‘‘yes’’ to experiencing pain (daily, pre-activity, or postactivity), they were asked to rate the intensity using a numerical rating scale (NRS). The NRS was presented as a horizontal line with 0 5 no pain and 10 5 worst pain as anchors and equally spaced dashes representing pain intensity rating of numbers 1 through 9. The scale was printed in large, bold font on an 8. 5†³ A 11†³ paper to facilitate use with older adults who may have vision dif? culties. The NRS is considered valid, reliable and easierPain Duration Participants were asked to indicate how long (in months and years) they had experienced daily or almost daily pain. Responses were coded as less than 1 year, 1 to 5 years, 6 to 10 years, 11 to 15 years, or more than 15 years. Pain Locations The pain map from the McGill Pain Questionnaire22 was used to assess pain locations. Participants indicated areas on the body drawing in which they were currently experiencing pain. Total n umber of painful locations was summed. This widely used measure has been validated in several epidemiological studies and has high interrater reliability (average kappa 5 0. 2). 23 Observed Pain Behaviors Pain Behaviors A modi? ed version of the Pain Behavior Measure18 was used to measure behavioral indicators of pain. Based on standardized behavioral de? nitions, occurrence of the following speci? c pain behaviors was evaluated: rigidity, guarding, bracing, stopping the activity, rubbing, shifting, grimacing, sighing or nonverbal vocalization, and verbal complaint. Standardized de? nitions were adapted from previous work,18,19 modi? ed for use in this older, moreimpaired population, and pilot tested in a sample of nursing home residents with dementia. 4 This measure has adequate reliability and validity. 13 Pain Behavior Coding Independent raters, all registered nurses blind to participants’ cognitive status, scored the videotaped activity protocols. Coders completed extensi ve training in coding procedures until intrarater and interrater agreement (with the master coder (PI) and another rater) reached a kappa coef? cient of 0. 80 or greater, indicating good to very good reliability. 25 After coding reliability was attained, reliability checks were conducted on 10% of all videotapes to minimize rater drift.Noldus Observer software was used to analyze digitized videotapes and code pain behaviors (Noldus Information Technology, Wageningen, the Netherlands). The following summary variables were created and used in the analyses: total number of pain behaviors observed, number of times each behavior (rigidity, guarding, bracing, stopping, rubbing, shifting, grimacing, sighing or nonverbal vocalization, and verbal complaint) was observed, and total numbers of pain behaviors observed during each activity state (e. g. , number of behaviors while walking, reclining, sitting, standing, and transferring).Cognitive Status Cognitive status was assessed using the MMS E,26 an 11-item screening instrument widely used to assess general cognitive status in elderly adults. The following MMSE scores served as the cutoffs to classify participants as intact or impaired: less than 8th grade education, 20; 9 to 11 years, 24; high school graduate or equivalent, 25; some college, 27; and college degree or higher, 27. 16,17 JAGS JANUARY 2009–VOL. 57, NO. 1 PAIN ASSESSMENT IN PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA 129 Analgesic Medications Drug data for each participant were coded according to the American Hospital Formulary Service system.All pain medications were identi? ed and converted to acetaminophen equivalents. 8,27 This standardized drugs and dosages to a common metric and facilitated comparison of analgesic dosing. To ensure that only analgesics actually taken would be controlled for, equianalgesic dosages were considered in these analyses only if they were taken within the standard therapeutic dosing window for each drug (e. g. , acetaminophen, every 4â€⠀œ6 hours) before the activity protocol. Data Analysis SPSS, version 15. 0 (SPSS Corp. , Chicago, IL) was used for data analysis.Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square (w2) tests, and t-tests were used to describe sample characteristics and examine group differences. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test relationships between cognitive status, pain intensity, and pain behaviors. Logistic regression was used to predict pain presence. Multiple regression was used to predict pain intensity and number of pain behaviors, with a centered cognitive status–by–pain intensity interaction term to identify group differences; standardized regression coef? cients (b) are reported in the results.RESULTS Self-Reported Pain The majority of participants (86. 5%) reported experiencing pain every day or almost every day. More than 65% reported experiencing pain for more than 1 year ( $ 40% indicated duration of 45 years). On average, participants reported pain in four body locations (range 5 1–25); usual pain intensity was 4. 3 (moderate) on a scale from 0 to 10. Immediately before the activity protocol, 45 (35. 7%) participants reported experiencing pain. Mean pain intensity was rated as 1. 7 (range 5 0–9). After the protocol, 79 (62. 7%) reported experiencing pain during the activities; mean pain intensity was 3. (range 5 0–9). Relationship Between Cognitive Status and Self-Reported Pain Chi-square analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between cognitive status (impaired vs intact) and presence of self-rated daily pain and pain duration at baseline. The baseline pain interview was not always conducted on the same day as the activity protocol, and analgesic use before the interview was not assessed. Thus, initial analyses are descriptive only and do not control for analgesic use. At baseline, 77. 4% of impaired and 95. 3% of intact participants reported experiencing pain every day (w2(1) 5 8. 6, P 5. 003).Cognitively impaired elderly people also recalled shorter pain duration (w2(3) 5 16. 0, P 5. 001) than intact participants, but no signi? cant differences were reported in the number of pain locations. Logistic regression, controlling for acetaminophen equivalents, indicated that cognitive status was not signi? cantly predictive of pre-activity pain presence. Regression analyses, with pre-activity pain intensity as the dependent variable and cognitive status and analgesics as predictors, revealed no signi? cant difference between the two groups (Figure 1). Intact Impaired 16 14 12 Mean values 10 8 6 4 2 0 In te a * t ns y SR 😛 a re- cti v in Pa ng cing ing rbal aint sity pi b l n e ra uar ig Sh op rima Rub onv mp Inte B G R St G N al co ain P rb Ve activ tos 😛 SR b Pain indicators cin g n di g i id ty in ift g a tt Si g g g g g in din kin yin rrin l e n L sf a Wa St an Tr c Activity states Figure 1. Relationship between self-report and observed pain behaviors in cognitively int act and cognitively impaired elderly people (N 5 126). aMean self-reported (SR) pain intensity, controlling for acetaminophen equivalents taken. bMean number of behaviors observed for each pain indicator, controlling for acetaminophen equivalents taken. Mean number of behaviors observed during each activity state, controlling for acetaminophen equivalents taken. 130 HORGAS ET AL. JANUARY 2009–VOL. 57, NO. 1 JAGS At the end of the activity protocol, cognitive status was signi? cantly associated with the reported presence of pain, controlling for analgesics (b 5 1. 2, P 5. 002); cognitively impaired elderly people were less likely to report pain. Impaired participants also reported signi? cantly lessintense pain than intact participants after the activity protocol (3. 8 vs 2. 6; F (1) 5 A 5. 0, P 5. 03).Paired t-tests indicated that pain intensity increased signi? cantly from start to end of the protocol for both groups (Figure 1). Table 2. Relationship Between Self-Reported Pa in Intensity and Observed Pain Behaviors (N 5 126) Total Number of Behaviors Observed Model bA P-Value 1 Pre-activity pain intensity Analgesics taken Pain intensity A cognitive status R2 F 2 Postactivity pain intensity Analgesics taken Pain intensity A cognitive status R2 F Standardized regression coef? cient. R2 5 coef? cient of determination. A Relationship Between Cognitive Status and Observed Pain Behaviors On average, 21. pain behaviors per person (range 5 3–50, median 5 21, mode 5 16) were observed during the activity protocol. ANCOVA models, controlling for analgesics, revealed no signi? cant differences in mean number of pain behaviors observed between cognitively intact and impaired participants (covariate-adjusted means 5 21. 8 and 21. 3, respectively; F (1) 5 0. 08, P 5. 77). The number of occurrences of each of the eight behavioral indicators observed was summed. ANCOVA models, controlling for analgesics and using Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (P 5. 005), revealed no signi? ant differences between cognitively intact and impaired elderly people for any behavioral pain indicators investigated (Figure 1). Of the activity states observed during the protocol, transferring elicited the most frequent pain behaviors (mean 5 13. 4; range 5 2–43). No signi? cant differences were noted between cognitively intact and impaired participants in number of behaviors observed during any of the ? ve observed activity states. Relationship Between Self-Reported Pain and Observed Pain Behaviors Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between elf-reported pain intensity and total number of pain behaviors observed, controlling for analgesics. Before the activity protocol, pain intensity was signi? cantly predictive of the pain behaviors sum score (b 5 0. 27, P 5. 002), but the relationship did not differ between cognitively intact and impaired participants. After the activity protocol, self-reported pain intensity was signi? cantly (and more strongly) related to number of pain behaviors observed (b 5 0. 40, P 5. 000), and the painby-cognitive status interaction was signi? cant (b 5 0. 22, P 5. 008). Thus, postactivity pain intensity and summed behavioral indicators were signi? antly related in intact but not impaired participants (Table 2). DISCUSSION It was found that cognitive impairment diminishes selfreported pain assessed at rest but only when analgesics are not controlled. At baseline, cognitively impaired elderly people were signi? cantly less likely than cognitively intact elderly people to report pain, consistent with reports in the literature,7 but when analgesics were controlled for, these differences disappeared. This ? nding highlights the need to control for analgesics taken when making group comparisons, which to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has not been previously done.The few studies reporting medication use include drugs prescribed or number of doses taken 0. 27 0. 01 0. 09 0. 08 2. 9 0. 40 A 0. 03 . 22 . 18 6. 70 .003 . 99 . 30 . 02 . 00 . 75 . 01 . 000 (regardless of medication class), whereas the current study identi? ed analgesics in the subject’s body during the pain assessment protocol. After the activity-based protocol was completed, selfreported pain intensity increased for both groups, but cognitively impaired elderly people reported less-intense pain than their intact peers. This ? ding supports the usefulness of the protocol to exacerbate pain in those with painful conditions and highlights the importance of mobility-based pain assessments. 12,14 This ? nding held even when the amount of analgesics taken by participants was controlled for in the statistical analysis. Behavioral indicators of pain observed during activities were equivalent across both groups. This ? nding contradicts previous work15 and may re? ect that medication use was controlled for and that the focus of the current study was on persistent pain, as oppose d to more-acute, postoperative pain. This research con? ms that reliance on selfreport alone is insuf? cient to assess pain in older adults with dementia, because the pain experience may be underestimated,11 and supports growing recognition that behavioral observation is a necessary and useful pain measure, particularly in subjects with cognitive impairment. Cognitively impaired elderly people took signi? cantly more pain medication than their intact peers. The difference was approximately 500 acetaminophen equivalents, approximately the dose of one extra-strength acetaminophen tablet. This ? nding, which contradicts previous work,8,9 warrants further investigation.Post hoc analyses indicated that this difference was not attributable to residential status, number of medical conditions, or demographic characteristics. Thus, it may re? ect recent changes in prescriptive practice as a result of heightened focus on pain in older adults with dementia. Another important ? nding is the sig ni? cant relationship between self-reported pain intensity and observed pain behaviors in cognitively intact persons. This ? nding provided support for the validity of behavioral pain JAGS JANUARY 2009–VOL. 57, NO. 1 PAIN ASSESSMENT IN PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA 31 indicators against the criterion standard of self-report, as least in cognitively intact elderly people, and is consistent with other researchers’ ? ndings. 28 Because there is no evidence that cognitively impaired elderly people experience less pain, it is reasonable to infer that pain behaviors are a valid indicator of pain in persons with dementia, although this assumption cannot be directly tested unless biological tests are developed. 12,24 Pain is subjective, and pain behaviors can be dif? cult to interpret, be subject to bias, and lack speci? city. 14,29 It has been uggested that some behaviors may indicate anxiety or generalized distress, not pain, in those with advanced dementia. 29,30 Thus, pain behavio r measurements should be used in conjunction with selfreport, not as a replacement, and in the context of a comprehensive pain assessment. 14,30 Study strengths are that cognitively intact and impaired elderly people participated, thereby facilitating comparison of assessment strategies in persons of differing cognitive abilities, that a careful analysis of analgesics used during the pain assessment was conducted, and that persistent pain was focused on.Most related prior research has included only persons with advanced dementia and postoperative pain. The sample was limited, however, by being primarily Caucasian and by being restricted to individuals with mild to moderate dementia. This was likely because of inclusion criteria requiring that participants be able to rise, stand, and walk. Individuals with severe dementia are typically more immobilized and unable to follow directions, factors that would impair ability to complete the activity-based protocol in this study. Thus, gener alizations are limited, and further study is needed.This study contributes several important ? ndings to the discourse on pain assessment in persons with dementia. First, it was con? rmed that self-reported pain, although still attainable, may be less reliable in those with mild to moderate dementia than in cognitively intact elderly people, depending on when it is assessed. Second, assessment of pain during movement is supported. Cognitively intact and impaired elderly people both showed greater self-reported pain intensity after movement, indicating that static assessment may underestimate pain.Third, results support the validity of behavioral pain assessment against the criterion standard of self-report and provide evidence of an association between summed pain behaviors and self-reported pain intensity. More work is needed to establish scale properties of pain behaviors in relation to pain severity before this approach can be translated to clinical practice. Fourth, ? ndings hig hlight the importance of carefully evaluating analgesics taken when measuring pain, since results indicate that cognitively intact and impaired elderly people with persistent pain are often medicated differently.This ? nding may re? ect a change in prescriptive practice that warrants further investigation. (Dr. Horgas) and a John A. 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