Workplace Discrimination and Autism Spectrum Disorders

299 Work 31 (2008) 299–308 IOS Press Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: The National EEOC Americans with Disabilities Act Research project Todd A. Van Wierena , Christine A. Reidb and Brian T. McMahon b,? a b Disability Support Services, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, USA Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA Abstract.Using the Integrated Mission System of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the employment discrimination experience of Americans with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is documented for Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The researchers examine demographic characteristics of the charging parties; the industry designation, location, and size of employers against whom complaints are ? led; the nature of discrimination (i. e. , type of complaint) alleged to occur; and the legal outcome or resolution of these complaints.Researchers compare and con trast these key dimensions of workplace discrimination involving individuals with ASDs and persons with other physical, sensory, and neurological impairments. Researchers also attempt to discern whether or not the resolutions of the ASD charges can be predicted using the variables available for analysis. The comparative ? ndings of this study indicate that individuals with ASDs were more likely to make charges of discrimination against Retail industry employers. Persons with ASDs were also more likely to make charges of discrimination when they were younger, male, and/or of Native American/Alaskan Native ethnicity.The predictive ? ndings of this study indicate that the odds of ASD charges resulting in meritorious resolution (i. e. , discrimination determined by the EEOC to have occurred) increase when the discrimination was encountered in Service industries and by larger employers. Implications for policy, advocacy and further research efforts are addressed. 1. Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorders The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is used to refer collectively to the group of disorders that comprise the ? ve speci? c, but related, conditions within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition, Text Revision [3]. These disorders fall under the formal diagnostic umbrella known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs): (1) Autistic Disorder, (2) Asperger Syndrome, (3) Rett’s Disorder, (4) Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and (5) PDD, ? Address for correspondence: Brian T. McMahon, Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, Virginia Commonwealth Universit, POB 980330, Richmond, VA 23298-0330, USA. Tel. : +1 804 827 0917; Fax: +1 804 828 1321; E-mail: [email  protected] edu. Not Otherwise Speci? ed (NOS). Collectively, they are commonly described as autism.The common, or core, characteristics shared by each of the ? ve PDDs generally include varying degrees of impairment in the triad of: (1) verbal and non-verbal com munication, (2) social interaction, and (3) restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior or interests [2,9,33,37,38]. Aside from this common triad, additional functional limitations that can often be associated with ASDs include: hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, self-injurious behavior, motor dysfunctions, arousal/activation issues, cognitive de? iencies (including impairments in abstract thought), and physical/medical features [13, 15,41,51]. Frequently, individuals with ASDs can also have â€Å". . . (1) problems understanding social cues and 1051-9815/08/$17. 00 ? 2008 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved 300 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA facial expressions, (2) dif? culty expressing emotions in conventionally recognizable ways, (3) in? exibility and discomfort with change, and (4) dif? culty adapting to new tasks and routines† [35, p. 163]. It is im portant to realize that people with ASDs vary cross a wide continuum of intelligence, clinical characteristics and abilities [15,16,38,41]. On one extreme, some individuals with ASDs deal with severe impairments and require intensive life-long support. On the other end of the continuum reside individuals who are sometimes referred to as having â€Å"high-functioning autism,† with relatively slight limitations in daily activities. Predicting life outcomes for the population of individuals with ASDs as a whole (merely based on their carrying an ASD diagnosis) is dif? cult because of the very wide spectrum of cognitive, linguistic, social nd behavioral functioning from person to person [21]. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) simply uses the term autism to refer collectively to the ? ve PDDs included in Autism Spectrum Disorder. It de? nes autism as â€Å"neurological disorder[s] affecting the functioning of the brain; characterized by such symptoms as speech an d language disorders and profound differences in the manner of relating to people, objects, and events. † The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is presently unable to report exactly how many people in the U. S. re diagnosed with ASDs. At the moment, more is known about the number of children with ASDs than adults. However, the CDC estimates that the current prevalence rates for ASDs are between two and six per 1,000 individuals [9]. It is known that the diagnosis of ASDs has increased steadily in recent years [9]. Estimating the change in prevalence over the years is dif? cult to do, as the definitions of and techniques for diagnosing ASDs have broadened. However, the conclusion derived from available evidence is that the current prevalence of ASDs is roughly three to four times higher than it was approximately 30 years ago [14].For instance, in 1994, ASDs were the 10th most common disability among individual s age 6–21 years served by public special education programs. By 2003, ASDs had risen to be the 6th most common disability [9]. The reasons for the apparent increase in ASDs are not exactly clear. It may be that the actual occurrence of ASDs is on the rise. However, a more likely explanation for at least part of the increase is the manner in which professionals have been classifying ASDs in recent years [14]. For example, in 1991 ASDs were added as a special education exceptionality within the US public school system [9].ASDs are known to be more prevalent in males than females, but do not seem to be systematically or conclusively linked to ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, educational level or geographic region [16, 53]. ASDs do tend to occur statistically more often than expected for individuals with certain medical conditions, such as Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, congenital rubella syndrome, and untreated phenylketonuria [9]. Also, ASDs are thoug ht to occur sometimes in conjunction with harmful substances ingested during pregnancy, such as thalidomide [9]. 2. Background . 1. Employment challenges It is well known that many individuals diagnosed with ASDs face considerable dif? culty in obtaining and maintaining employment [1,5,8,22,35]. A 1998 study estimated that only 18% of adults with ASDs in the U. S. were employed in some type of work [20]. Furthermore, people with ASDs who do obtain work tend to struggle with maintaining employment. Perhaps because of the social, communicative and behavioral de? cits associated with ASDs, issues can frequently arise in the workplace with coworkers, supervisors, customers, or in the performance of duties [26]. . 2. Need for the study Even though it is well understood that individuals with ASDs experience considerable dif? culties in general with obtaining and maintaining employment, very little evidence-based knowledge has been available for understanding the more speci? c issue of wor kplace discrimination and how it may contribute to the group’s overall employment challenges. To date, a contextualized understanding of the workplace discrimination towards workers and applicants with ASDs has been lacking. Such practical insights into workplace issues re important for the community of working adults with ASDs, their advocates, and providers of vocational rehabilitaiton services. The preponderance of today’s ASD research efforts focus on either childhood issues, or on potential medical cures or prevention of ASDs. There is a substantial need for more research to focus on practical adaptation issues for adults with ASDs [6, 36,44,52]. T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA 3. The National EEOC ADA research project Until quite recently, the majority of disability-related orkplace discrimination studies have tended to focus simply on the hiring preferences or attitudes of employers (or hypothetical employers ) toward individuals with disabilities [17,19,46]. Such studies generally could not examine actual occurrences of discrimination, which are behavioral manifestations of negative attitudes. By and large, they could only offer a perceived notion of workplace discrimination, and not an actual description. Furthermore, studies that attempted to examine Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title I cases of private-sector disability-related work discrimination ere limited to assessing Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) summary statistics at the allegation-level. Because data were limited, such studies did not provide deeper, more contextual, analyses of the EEOC cases [29]. Past studies did not have access to the cases’ ultimate resolutions, as well as other detailed information related to each case. Focusing on frequency of allegations alone may lead to skewed research conclusions. This is because only an approximate one? fth of all allegations made to the EEOC are ev er found to involve suf? cient evidence that disability-related discrimination conclusively occurred [28].Conversely, in approximately four-? fths of all allegations there is insuf? cient evidence for the EEOC to solidly conclude that discrimination took place. However, through an Interagency Personnel Agreement and a Con? dentiality Agreement involving the EEOC, Virginia Commonwealth University obtained the entire ADA segment of the EEOC’s Integrated Mission System (IMS) database. The IMS contains more than two million allegation records involving allegations of employment discrimination. The VCU subset includes all resolved allegations of discrimination made to the EEOC under Title I of the ADA, from July 7, 1992 (the ? rst date the ADA went into effect) to September 30, 2003. The National EEOC ADA Research Project was then developed to better understand the nature, scope and dynamics of employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the U. S. private-se ctor workplace. A number of studies have already been completed by members of the National EEOC ADA Research Project. Most of the ADA Title I studies completed to date have focused on speci? c disability groups, including: asthma [25], cancer [27], cerebral palsy [23], cumulative trauma disorders [4], deafness and hear- 301 ng impairment [7], diabetes [31], dis? gurement [45], HIV/AIDS [10,11], mental retardation [47], missing limbs [50], multiple sclerosis [42,43,49], speech impairment [34], spinal cord injury [30], traumatic brain injury [32], and visual impairment [48]. 4. The IMS data set Because of the unique level of access now made available to the EEOC’s IMS database, it is possible to examine the following contextual information for each case within the study database: (1) demographic characteristics of the Charging Party (i. e. , individual with the disability); (2) the industry and size of the Responding Party (i. e. employer); (3) the U. S. region from which the a llegation originated, (4) the speci? c type of alleged ADA Title I discriminatory allegation; and (5) the speci? c resolution of the case as determined by the EEOC, or by settlement or mediation between the Charging Party (CP) and Responding Party (RP). In this particular study, the research questions are answered by comparing and contrasting the employment discrimination experience of Americans with ASDs to that of Americans with other known physical, sensory, and neurological impairments. From these data, a â€Å"study dataset† was extracted to include only those ariables related to the research questions and to maximize consistency, parsimony, and con? dentiality (i. e. , to protect the identity of speci? c CPs and RPs). The extraction process was guided by the following considerations. The unit of study is an allegation; it is not an individual CP, nor an individual RP. A single CP may bring more than one allegation. Only unique allegations that do not involve recording e rrors or duplications are included in the study dataset. All identifying information regarding CPs and RPs was purged except variables important for this research.Study data were strictly limited to allegations brought under Title I of the ADA. Allegations brought under other federal employment statutes were not considered. Further, state allegations were also excluded to maintain a consistent de? nition of both disability and discrimination. To maintain consistency in de? nitions and procedures among the study variables, only allegations received, investigated, and closed by the EEOC were included. This required the exclusion of allegations referred by the EEOC to litigation for disposition in civil court, federal or state.Allegations of retaliation were excluded because complaints of this nature do not pertain directly to the existence or consequence of disability. 302 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA Only allegations that were closed by the EEOC during the study period, de? ned as July 26, 1992 through September 30, 2003 were included in the study dataset. Finally, open allegations (i. e. , still under investigation) were excluded from the study. This exclusion exists to insure that all allegations in the study dataset are â€Å"closed,† and as such are known to be either with Merit (i. . , decided by the EEOC to have reasonable cause for discrimination) or Without Merit (i. e. , decided by the EEOC to have no reasonable cause for discrimination). The resulting study dataset includes 328,738 allegations of employment discrimination under ADA Title I that were received, investigated and closed by the EEOC during the study period. These were divided into groups on the basis of disability status including the following two: 1. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The primary group of interest for this particular study entails the allegations of discrimination made by individuals who reported having an AS D.The ASD allegations number just 98 (i. e. , 0. 03% of the total number of cases in the study dataset). However, this is the entire population of EEOC-resolved ASD allegations for the study time period. 2. General Disability (GENDIS). The comparison group for this study is a compilation of all allegations made by individuals who reported impairments within the other physical, sensory, or neurological EEOC disability categories (i. e. , allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, back impairment, cancer, cardiovascular impairment, cerebral palsy, chemical sensitivity, cumulative trauma disorder, cystic ? brosis, diabetes, dis? urement, dwar? sm, epilepsy, gastrointestinal impairment, hearing impairment, HIV, kidney impairment, learning disability, mental retardation, missing digits or limbs, multiple sclerosis, nonparalytic orthopedic impairments, â€Å"other† blood disorder, â€Å"other† neurological impairment, â€Å"other† respiratory impairment, paralysis , speech impairment, tuberculosis, and vision impairment). For this particular study, GENDIS excludes ASD cases. The GENDIS allegations for this study number 174,512 (i. e. , 53. 09% of the total number of cases in the study dataset), and are the entire population of such cases resolved by the EEOC uring the study time period. GENDIS was also used as the primary comparison group for a majority of the other National EEOC ADA Research Project studies completed to date that examined various other EEOC disability categories [4,7,10, 23,25,27,30–32,42]. It is important to consider that the individuals who have actually made allegations of discrimination to the EEOC are likely a smaller number than the sum of individuals who have experienced discrimination. It is likely that many instances of disability-related discrimination go unreported to the EEOC. Individuals may not always realize that they have experienced discrimination.Or, they may perhaps be aware of discrimination but do not understand their rights, know how to initiate a complaint, or they are fearful of retaliation. The small number of allegations made by individuals with ASDs (98) could lead one to conclude that workplace discrimination is not a signi? cant problem for these individuals. The under-representation of people with ASDs in the workforce has been previously reported, and it is well known that most discrimination involves currently employed persons. However, many individuals with ASDs may not understand their civil rights or how to exercise them.The underreporting of discrimination would then make this particular study all the more important for individuals with ASDs and their advocates. The small number of ASD allegations also raises a technical concern. For most statistical tests, small Ns increase the risk of type II errors [12,40], or failure to detect actual differences when they exist. Because of the large number of comparisons that were conducted and in order to minimize this ri sk, the ? level was established at a more stringent level; p < 0. 01. 5. Project design and methods 5. 1. Variables The IMS data was transferred to the research team rom the EEOC via zip disk. Data needed to answer the research questions were extracted, coded, re? ned, and formatted in Microsoft Access using the aforementioned criteria. The result was a study-speci? c dataset in which the underlying unit of measurement is the frequency of allegations, a ratio level of measurement. The other variables for this study are detailed in Table 1. 5. 2. Research objectives The ? rst research objective for this study was descriptive in nature and focused on the most prevalent characteristics associated with the ADA Title I discrimination allegations made by individuals with ASD.The second objective was comparative in nature and T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA 303 Table 1 Parameters of Variables CP AGE (ratio measurement) – Years CP GENDER (nominal measurement) – Male – Female CP RACE (nominal measurement) – White – African American – Hispanic/Mexican – Asian – Native American/Alaskan Native – Mixed Ethnicity – Other Ethnicity RP INDUSTRY (nominal measurement) – Agriculture – Construction – Finance, Insurance & Real Estate – Manufacturing – Mining – Public Administration – Retail – Services – Transportation & Utilities – Wholesale – Not Classi? edRP SIZE (interval measurement) – 15–100 employees – 101–200 employees – 201–500 employees – 501 + employees US REGION (nominal measurement) – Northeast – Midwest – South – West – U. S. Territory – Foreign (U. S. businesses operating abroad) ALLEGATIONS (nominal measurement) – Job Obtainment or Membership Issues: * Advertising, Apprent iceship, Exclusion/Segregated Union, Hiring, Prohibited Medical Inquiry, Quali? cations Standards, Referral, Testing, & Training – Job Conditions or Circumstances Issues: * Assignment, Bene? ts, Bene? ts (Insurance), Bene? ts (Pension), Demotion, Discipline, Harassment, Intimidation, Job Classi? ation, Maternity, Promotion, Reasonable Accommodation, Segregated Facilities, Seniority, Tenure, Terms/Conditions, Union Representation, & Wages – Job Maintenance or Preservation: * Constructive Discharge, Discharge, Early Retirement Incentive, Involuntary Retirement, Layoff, Recall, Reinstatement, Severance Pay, & Suspension – Other/Miscellaneous Issues: * Other, Posting Notices, References Unfavorable, & Waiver of ADEA Suit Rights RESOLUTIONS (nominal measurement) – Merit: * Settled with CP Bene? ts, Withdrawn with CP Bene? ts, Successful Conciliation, & Conciliation Failure – Non-Merit: No Cause Finding, Administrative Closure (RP Bankruptcy), Administra tive Closure (CP Missing), Administrative Closure (CP NonResponsive), Administrative Closure (CP Uncooperative), Administrative Closure (Related Litigation), Administrative Closure (Failed Relief), Administrative Closure (Lacks Jurisdiction), & Administrative Closure (CP Withdraws) explored whether or not the characteristics associated with the ASD allegations differ signi? cantly from those of the characteristics associated with GENDIS. The third research objective of this study, predictive in nature, was to explore whether or not the ? al EEOC case resolutions for the ASD allegations could be predicted based upon a function of some of the contextual variables of interest associated with the ASD group. 5. 3. Analysis Data was analyzed to answer the stated research objectives in three primary ways, using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). First, descriptive statistics were used to detail the ASD and GENDIS allegations and various attributes thereof. Second, comparis ons of the various characteristics of the ASD al- 304 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA egations vs. the GENDIS allegations were conducted utilizing Fisher’s exact tests, odds ratios, and t-Tests for independent groups. Third, in an effort to discern whether or not the ? nal resolutions for the ASD allegations could be predicted based upon a function of some of the contextual variables of interest associated with the ASD group, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. 6. Findings 6. 1. Descriptive analysis Based upon the descriptive analysis portion of this study (i. e. , Objective One), it could be said that the pro? le for a typical ASD case entails: (a) a CP who s 36 years old, male and White; (b) a RP in the Retail industry that is either on the large end of the size spectrum (i. e. , 501+ employees) or the smaller end of the spectrum (i. e. , 15–100 employees); (c) origination of the allegation in the Sout hern region of the U. S. ; (d) an allegation that involves an issue of job conditions/circumstances or job maintenance/preservation; and (d) a case resolution that is ruled by the EEOC as non-meritorious. See Table 2 for a more detailed account of the descriptive analysis portion of this study. 6. 2. Comparative analysis Relative to GENDIS, the median age for the ASD roup is younger (36 years vs. 44 years), and is statistically signi? cant (t-Test for independent groups, t = ? 8. 385, df = 86. 134, p =< 0. 000). Allegations in the ASD group are over two times more likely to be made by males than were allegations in the GENDIS group (Fisher’s exact test, p =< 0. 000, O. R. = 2. 30). ASD allegations are over seven and half times more likely than GENDIS to involve CPs who are Native American/Alaskan Native (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0. 001, O. R. = 7. 82). And, relative to GENDIS, allegations from the ASD group are two and a half times more likely to be made against RPs in the Retail industries Fisher’s exact test, p =< 0. 000, O. R. , 2. 52). Statistical analyses revealed no signi? cant differences between the ASD group vs. GENDIS in regards to the regions where allegations originate from, the types of ADA Title I allegations ? led with the EEOC, or ultimate case resolutions decided upon by the EEOC. 6. 3. Predictive analysis Forward, stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to establish the best set of variables predictive of merit vs. non-merit ASD case resolutions. The selection of the predictor variables in the ? nal model progressed via steps while the different ndependent predictor variables were inserted into or excluded from the model, in an attempt to realize the largest increase in R 2 . This course of action revealed that RP size, CP race (Native American/Alaskan Native), and RP industry (Service) contributed the most to the explanatory power of the model (? 2 = 33. 176, p =< 0. 000, df = 3), explaining approxima tely 35. 4% to 48. 9% of the variance in the merit vs. non-merit resolution status of ASD cases (i. e. , Cox & Snell R 2 = 0. 354, Nagelkerke R 2 = 0. 489). However, the ? nal number of cases (N ) included in this model decreased from 98 to 76, because of missing data in a couple of he model’s independent variables. Therefore, desiring to include as many of the ASD group’s relatively small number of cases as possible in the ? nal model, another logistic regression analysis was completed. This new analysis made use of simultaneous entry of only the two statistically signi? cant predictor variables that had been found in the forward stepwise analysis (i. e. , RP size and CP industry [Service]). Thus, the new model (N = 86, ? 2 = 18. 553, p =< 0. 000, df = 2) consists of only RP size and RP industry (Service), which serve as the independent predictor variables and explain approximately 19. % to 27. 5% of the variance in the merit vs. non-merit resolution status of the ASD cases (i. e. , Cox & Snell R 2 = 0. 194, Nagelkerke R 2 = 0. 275). This same process for determining the best predictor variables for a multiple logistic regression model, while attempting to avoid as many missing data cases as possible, was recently utilized within the ? eld of Rehabilitation research [39]. The results of the ? nal model are detailed in Table 3. It could be said that the odds of an ASD allegation resulting in a meritorious case resolution increase when: (1) the allegation is made against a Service industryRP, and (2) as the size of the RP increases (i. e. , number of employees). It was found that ASD allegations that were made against RPs in the Service industry are approximately seven times more likely than all other industries (considered together) to experience merit resolutions (i. e. , Exp[? ]= 7. 013). In conjunction with this, it was also found that for each one-unit increase in a RP’s size (e. g. , moving from the 15–100 employee category, to the 101-200 employee category, to the 201– T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA 305 Table 2Descriptive Analysis of ASD and GENDIS allegations ASD (F) CP AGE: Age (mean years of age) (72) (26) GENDIS (F) 36 years CP GENDER: – Male – Female % % 44 years 73. 5% 26. 5% (95,282) (79,048) 54. 7% 45. 3% CP RACE: – White (60) 61. 9% (108,803) 63. 1% – African American (14) 14. 4% (35,325) 20. 5% – Hispanic/Mexican (11) 11. 3% (12,535) 7. 3% – Other? (12) 12. 4% (15,718) 9. 1% ? Comprised of EEOC categories: Asian, Native American/Alaskan Native, Mixed Ethnicity & Other Ethnicity RP INDUSTRY: – Agriculture – Construction – Fin. , Ins. , Real Est. – Manufacturing (16) 16. 8% – Mining Public Admin. (8) 8. 2% – Retail (22) 23. 2% – Services (18) 18. 9% – Trans. & Util. (10) 10. 5% – Wholesale – Not Classi? ed (18) 18. 9% Indust ries with less than 5 ASD charges are not reported (32,539) 19. 2% (16,051) (18,129) (49,525) (15,741) 9. 5% 10. 7% 29. 2% 9. 3% (21,472) 12. 7% RP SIZE: – 15–100 employees – 101–200 employees – 201–500 employees – 501 + employees U. S. REGION: – Northeast – Midwest – South – West – U. S. Territory – Foreign (33) (13) (9) (34) 37. 1% 14. 6% 10. 1% 38. 2% (56,161) (20,708) (18,507) (72,297) 33. 5% 12. 4% 11. 0% 43. 1% (7) (24) (47) (20) (0) (0) 7. % 24. 5% 48. 0% 20. 4% 0% 0% (18,667) (52,014) (70,404) (32,782) (641) (4) 10. 7% 29. 8% 40. 3% 18. 8% 0. 4% 0% ALLEGATIONS: – Job Obtainment or Membership – Job Conditions or Circumstances – Job Maintenance or Preservation – Other/Miscellaneous (6) (47) (41) (4) 6. 1% 48. 0% 41. 8% 4. 1% (12,047) (90,162) (68,569) (3,734) 6. 9% 51. 7% 39. 3% 2. 1% RESOLUTIONS: – Merit – Non-Merit (29) (69) 29. 6% 70. 4% (38,3 85) (136,127) 22% 78. 0% 500 employee category, to the 501+ employee category, etc. ) the odds of an ASD allegation being resolved with merit increase by over one and a half times (Exp[? = 1. 836). 7. Discussion 7. 1. Education efforts by the EEOC The EEOC distributes training materials to employees and individuals with disabilities concerning ADA Title I issues. Efforts should be focused on educating Retail and Service industry and larger employers in particular concerning the characteristics of and the unique work-related issues of individuals with ASDs. Furthermore, in attempting to educate individuals with disabilities concerning their rights and options to ? le discrimination allegations, the EEOC should consider including focus on individuals with ASDs in a special ense, given that many of these individuals may not be aware of how to recognize discrimination and/or how to take advantage of the EEOC’s resolution services 306 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination an d autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA Table 3 Final model for logistic regression analysis of ASD Merit vs. Non-Merit resolutions Predictor ? SE df Wald – RP Industry 1. 948 0. 627 9. 665 (Service vs. all others) – Responding Party Size 0. 608 0. 218 7. 802 (i. e. , # of employees) Constant ?2. 942 0. 731 16. 195 Model Summary: N = 86 df = 2 ?2 = 18. 553 p =< 0. 000 R2 = 0. 94 (Cox & Snell), 0. 275 (Nagelkerke) ? Signi? cant p Exp(? ) 1 0. 002? 7. 013 95% C. I. for Exp(? ) 1. 397–35. 219 1 0. 005? 1. 836 1. 048–3. 216 1 0. 000 0. 053 at . 01 level (as possibly evidenced in the extremely low number of ASD allegations received by the EEOC to date). 7. 2. Training of ASD support personnel It would be important for personnel who support the vocational efforts of individuals with ASDs (e. g. , rehabilitation counselors, supported employment specialists, etc. ) to understand the unique trends of ASD allegations of ADA Title I discrimination. Compared o many o ther disability groups, ASD allegations are more likely to be made by younger individuals and by males. Employers that perhaps require a special degree of attention when considering ASD vocational issues would include Retail and Service industry employers and larger employers. Rehabilitation professionals also need to know that relatively few ADA Title I allegations are made to the EEOC by people with ASDs, compared to other disability groups, which may possibly mean that individuals with ASDs are especially at risk for not advocating for themselves against employment discrimination.Supportive personnel need to understand that a systems/ecological approach is especially needed in assisting individuals with ASDs to obtain and maintain integrated employment in the competitive, private-sector workplace. The supported employment and positive behavioral support models may be particularly valuable here in assisting individuals with ASDs and their work environments to successfully adapt to each other. After all, it is known that individuals with ASDs can achieve employment success and can be highly regarded by their employers if they receive the appropriate vocational supports [18,22,24].Such vocational supports should include sophisticated and independentlytailored assessment (of both the individual and potential work environments), placement, training, and ongoing support. Based upon the extremely low number of ASD allegations made to the EEOC, it might also appear that a major focus in working with individuals with ASDs would be to assist in increasing their self-advocacy skills. Employers engaged with individuals with ASDs (especially those in the Retail and Service industries and larger employers) also require sophisticated and independently-tailored assistance.Efforts directed towards employers should focus, in particular, on attempting to understand and articulate the workplace’s normative behavioral and communicative standards; educating the employer t o understand how individuals with ASDs may have a dif? cult time meeting these normative standards; helping employers to develop positive frames of reference concerning their employees with ASDs, and assisting employers to develop effective, appropriate, and non-discriminatory responses towards their employees with ASDs. 7. 3. Transition planning to adult working age Individuals with ASDs who ? le allegations of ADATitle I discrimination are more likely to be younger, compared to members of many other disability groups. As discussed previously, this may have something to do with ASDs being lifelong developmental disabilities. Thus, individuals with ASDs enter (and/or attempt to enter) into the adult workforce from day-one with their disability. This is different from some other disabilities that may not be acquired by an individual until later in life or after they have been engaged in the workplace for a length of time. Therefore, long-term transition planning for children and/or y oung adults with ASDs hould include the consideration of avenues by which such individuals can obtain introductory work experience (such as part-time jobs, internship/practicum-style experiences, etc. ) prior to the point that they will be expected to move permanently into the adult workforce. T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA Because individuals with ASDs struggle with social perception/interaction and behavior in particular, they may bene? t especially from guided practice and experiences in learning how to appropriately and effectively perceive and respond within work environments. [10] [11] [12] . Conclusion [13] This study revealed unique issues for ASD allegations of ADA Title I discrimination. As a result of this new understanding, some implications and suggestions were offered, aimed at assisting both individuals with ASDs and their work environments to adapt to each other, so as to prevent issues of discrimination. Perhaps one of the most important and obvious issues noted in this study is the extremely low number of ASD allegations received to date by the EEOC. This might signify that individuals with ASDs are not recognizing discrimination and/or are not aware of their rights and options concerning the EEOC.It is recommended that any further research efforts into the topic of ASDs and workplace discrimination begin by exploring this important issue. [14] References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Autism Europe, Autism and employment, 2003, http://www. autismeurope. org/portal/Portals/0/AE EYPD EMPLOY FINAL ENG. pdf. Autism Society of American, What is autism? , 2006, http:// www. autism-society. org/site/PageServer? pagename= whatisautism. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (4th ed. , text revision), Washington, D. C. : Author, 2000 A. J. Armstrong, B. T. McMahon, S. L.West and A. Lewis, Workplace discrimination and cumulative trauma disorde rs: the national EEOC ADA research project, Work 25 (2005), 49–56. J. Barnard, V. Harvey, D. Potter and A. Prior, Ignored or ineligible? the reality for adults with autism spectrum disorders, The National Autistic Society Report for Autism Awareness Week, (2001). J. P. Bovee, A right to our own life, our own way, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 15(3) (2000), 250–252. F. G. Bowe, B. T. McMahon, T. Chang and I. Louvi, Workplace discrimination, deafness and hearing impairment: the national EEOC ADA research project, Work 25 (2005), 19–25.L. C. Capo, Autism, employment, and the role of occupational therapy, Work 16(3) (2001), 201–207. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Autism Information Center, 2006, http://www. cdc. gov/ncbddd/dd/ddautism. htm. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] 307 L. Conyers, K. B. Boomer and B. T. McMahon, Workplace discrimination and HIV/AIDS: the national EEOC ADA re search project, Work 25 (2005), 37 -48. L. Conyers, D. Unger and P. D. Rumrill, A comparison of equal employment opportunity commission case resolution patterns of people with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities, Journal ofVocational Rehabilitation 22 (2005), 171–178. D. de Vaus, Analyzing Social Science Data: 50 Key Problems in Data Aalysis, London, SAGE Publications Ltd. , 2002. D. R. Falvo, Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability. Sudbury, MA, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005. E. Fombonne, The prevalence of autism, JAMA 283(1) (2003), 87–89. U. Frish, Autism, Scienti? c American 268(6) (1993), 108–114. D. Garcia-Villamisar, D. Ross and P. Wehman, Clinical differential analysis of persons with autism in a work setting: a follow-up study, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 14 (2000), 183–185. W. D.Gouvier, S. Sytsma-Jordan and S. Mayville, Patterns of discrimination in hiring job applicants with disabilities: the role of disab ility type, job complexity, and public contact, Rehabilitation Psychology 48 (2003), 175–181. D. Hagner and B. F. Cooney B. F. , â€Å"I do that for everybody†: supervising employees with autism, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 20(2) (2005), 91–97. B. Hernandez, C. B. Keys and F. E. Balcazar, Disability rights: attitudes of private and public sector representatives, The Journal of Rehabilitation 70(1) (2004), 28–37. P. Howlin and S. Goode, Outcome in adult life for people ith autism and Asperger’s syndrome, in: Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, F. R. Volkmar, ed. , New York, Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp. 209–241. P. Howlin, S. Goode, J. Hutton and M. Rutter, Adult outcome for children with autism, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 45(2) (2004), 212–229. K. Hurlbutt and L. Chalmbers, Employment and adults with Asperger syndrome, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 19(4) (2004), 215–222. D. Koontz-Lowman, S. L. West and B. T. McMahon, Workplace discrimination and Americans with cerebral palsy: the national EEOC ADA research project. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 171–177. J. Kregel, Why it pays to hire workers with developmental disabilities, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 14(3) (1999), 130–132. A. N. Lewis, B. T. McMahon, S. L. West, A. J. Armstrong and L. Belongia, Workplace discrimination and asthma: the national EEOC ADA research project, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 189–195. L. Mawhood and P. Howlin, The outcome of a supported employment scheme for high-functioning adults with autism or Asperger syndrome, Autism 3 (1999), 229–254. M. A. McKenna, Discriminatory practices allegations underEEOC: an empirical analysis of investigated complaints ? led by those who have cancer (Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland), Dissertation Abstracts Internatio nal 66/05 (2005), 1650. B. T. McMahon and L. R. Shaw, Workplace discrimination and disability, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 137–143. B. T. McMahon, L. R. Shaw and D. Jaet, An empirical analysis: employment and disability from an ADA litigation perspective, NARPPS Journal 10(2) (1995), 3–14. 308 [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA B.T. McMahon, L. R. Shaw, S. West and K. Waid-Ebbs, Workplace discrimination and spinal cord injury: the national EEOC ADA research project, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 155–162. B. T. McMahon, S. L. West, M. Mansouri and L. Belongia, Workplace discrimination and diabetes: the EEOC Americans with Disabilities Act research project, Work 25 (2005), 9–18. B. T. McMahon, S. L. West, L. R. Shaw, K. Waid-Ebbs and L. Belongia, Workplace discrimination and traumatic brain injury: the nat ional EEOC ADA research project, Work 25 (2005), 67–75. G. B. Mesibov, V. Shea and L. W.Adams, Understanding Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism, New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001. P. R. Mitchell, B. T. McMahon and D. McKee, Speech impairment and workplace discrimination: the national EEOC ADA research project, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 163–169. E. Muller, A. Schuler, B. A. Burton and G. B. Yates, Meeting the vocational support needs of individuals with Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum disabilities, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 18 (2003), 163–175. B. S. Myles and R. L. Simpson, Asperger Syndrome: A Guide or Educators and Parents, Austin, TX, Pro-ed, 1998. National Institute of Mental Health, Autism spectrum disorders (pervasive developmental disorders, 2005, http://www. nimh. nih. gov/publicat/autism. cfm. S. Ozonoff, G. Dawson and J. McPartland, A Parent’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome & Hig h Functioning Autism, New York, The Guilford Press, 2002. L. J. Phillips and A. K. Stuifbergen, Predicting continued employment in persons with multiple sclerosis, Journal of Rehabilitation 72(1) (2006), 35–43. D. F. Polit, Data Analysis and Statistics for Nursing Research, Stamford, CT, Appleton & Lange, 1996. I.Rapin, Autism, New England Journal of Medicine 337 (1997), 97–104. P. D. Rumrill, R. T. Roessler, B. T. McMahon, and S. M. Fitzgerald, Multiple sclerosis and workplace discrimination: the national EEOC ADA research project, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 179–187. [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] P. D. Rumrill, R. T. Roessler, D. Unger and C. Vierstra, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case resolution patterns involving people with multiple sclerosis, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 20 (2004), 171–176. J. Schaller and N. K.Yang, Competitive employm ent for people with autism: correlates of successful closure in competitive and supported employment, Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin 49(1) (2005), 4–16. A. Tartaglia, B. T. McMahon, S. L. West and L. Belongia, Workplace discrimination and dis? gurement: the national EEOC ADA research project, Work 25 (2005), 57–65. D. D. Unger, Employers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities in the workforce: myths or realities? Focus On Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 17(1) (2002), 2–10. D. D. Unger, L. R. Campbell and B. T. McMahon, Workplace discrimination and mental retardation: the national EEOCADA research project, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 23 (2005), 145–154. D. D. Unger, P. D. Rumrill and M. L. Hennessey, Resolutions of ADA Title I cases involving people who are visually impaired: a comparative analysis, Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (2005), 453–463. D. D. Unger, P. D. Rumrill, R. T. Roessler and R. Stackli n, A comparative analysis of employment discrimination complaints ? led by people with multiple sclerosis and individuals with other disabilities, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 20 (2004), 165–170. S. L. West, B. T. McMahon, E. Monasterio, L. Belongia and K.Kramer, Workplace discrimination and missing limbs: the national EEOC ADA research project, Work 25 (2005), 27–35. T. L. Whitman, The Development of Autism: A Self-Regulatory Perspective, London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd. , 2004. L. Wing, Past and future of research on Asperger syndrome, in: Asperger Syndrome, A. Klin, F. R. Volkmar and S. S. Sparrow, eds, New York, The Guilford Press, 2000, pp. 418–432. M. Yeargin-Allsop, C. Rice, T. Karapurkar, N. Doernberg, C. Boyle and C. Murphy, Prevalence of autism in a U. S. metropolitan area, Journal of American Medical Association 289(1) (2003), 49–55.

Hunger Games Essay Essay

In the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins the characters are put to the ultimate test to survive or end up dead. In dangerous and life threatening wilderness situations, one needs hunting skills, physical strength and mental strength in order to overcome the odds. One needs hunting skills to overcome the odds in a dangerous or life threatening wilderness situation. Peeta mentions Katniss’s hunting skills â€Å"She’s excellent, my father always comments on how the arrow never pierces the body, she this everyone in the eye†. This quote shows that if Katniss is ever starving she can rely on her skills to guarantee her a kill. Katniss also killed a deer with her bow, so she could provide food for her family so they did not starve and die. If you did not have good skills with a bow you would not be able to take down a deer, and if you relied on that for food you would probably starve. Also when Katniss finds the careers supplies she shoots the bag of apples so they fall and trigger the mines. By shooting the bag of apples it shows how accurate Katniss is with a bow, you also need this accuracy for hunting and killing in the games, and real life to guarantee a kill. Along with hunting skills one will need physical strength to overcome the odds in a life threatening wilderness situation. Katniss: â€Å"I’m fast though, and by the time they’ve reached the base of my trunk I’m twenty feet up†. If you were out in the wilderness and you had to climb a tree you would need physical strength like Katniss had. Another example of physical strength, Katniss: â€Å"I can see the muscles ripple in Cato’s arms as he sharply jerks the boys head to the side†. When Cato kills the boy it shows that you will need physical strength if you ever had to engage in hand to hand combat. Along with hunting skills and physical strength you also need to have mental strength. Katniss: â€Å"the Tracker Jackers begin to buzz and I can hear them coming out, back and forth, back and forth, the branch with the nest crashes down through the lower branches†. Sometimes you will just have to push through things, even if they hurt and in the end it will pay off, you just have to want it bad enough. Another example of mental strength is when Katniss is forced to pretend to love Peeta.

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business environment - Essay Example e up with a new image, ‘Beyond Petroleum.’ This and some other campaigns are intended to reduce the bad image the company has developed, that is not very environmentally friendly. The market for petroleum is based on its demand and supply conditions. These conditions are there for every market. The demand and supply help determine the price and the quantity of oil that should be supplied to the world. The major contributor to oil supply in the world is Saudi Arabia. The market in the UK is said to be self sufficient till 2016. The industry produces around two million barrels of hydrocarbons per day. Even though the country is self sufficient, the oil reserves are declining. According to the article ‘Oil, gas and petroleum: Overview,’ (2006) the oil reserves are mainly in the North Sea and off the coasts of Aberdeen, Suffolk, Norfolk, Liverpool and Morecambe Bay. UK is known for its ability to extract oil in larger quantity from the deep sea by using advanced engineering techniques. UK exports oil in its raw form. The country is now focusing of making full use of the existing oil fields instead of looking for new smaller fields. The Oil, gas and petroleum: Overview article (2006) provides us with the following figures, the petroleum industry by itself exists of 200 companies who perform different processes including, refining, distribution and marketing. The basic structure of the market is based on two divisions, retail and commercial. The retail side of the structure includes petrol sold from filling stations while the commercial side includes the government and its agencies, industrial and agricultural transporters, power generators etc. The petroleum industry gives way to thousands of jobs to contractual workers and on a full time basis employs, 150,000 people. According to the Staff Report to the Federal Trade Commission, the industry is controlled by seven companies, five of them are American and the other two are British-Dutch. The American

Fostering Student Success Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fostering Student Success - Research Paper Example g concerns, to wit: (1) all aspects of the issue or problem; (2) what is known, what needs to be known, and how it can become known; (3) what quantitative or qualitative data is needed; (4) who will have the responsibility of obtaining the data about the issue or problem; (5) a formulation of a series of potential solutions to the issue or problem; (6) a selection of the most reasonable solution with supporting rationales; and finally, (7) a definition of how one’s decision will be evaluated. Various cultures have stressed the importance of education in the realm of an ever increasing competitive environment. Qualifications and competencies of individuals are developed with the advancement in theoretical and practical expertise. Higher education poses strategic differences from high school making students virtually insufficiently prepared for its diverse challenges. Fostering student success should therefore be the focus of school administrators to ensure that academic life would prove to be worth every student’s efforts. Students are expected to take accountability and responsibility for their academic performance through prioritizing compliance to requirements. In a book written by Gary L. Kramer (2007) entitled Fostering student success in the campus community, the author indicated several measures to direct students towards the triumphant path. Kramer averred that â€Å"addressing changing student demographics and needs†¦ aligning institutional and student expectations, connecting student-oriented services systemically, organizing and fostering student services for learning, and creating and delivering services for students†¦(are key issues) to achieve success on campus† (Kramer, 2007, xxix). The research aims to proffer issues which focus on the participation and involvement in student study groups as part of organizing and fostering student services for learning. As required, the discourse would provide a discussion of the following issues,

World Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

World Bank - Essay Example The fundamental role of the Bank has undergone various conflicting opinions. Some of the shareholding countries borrow from it while others may provide fund. It is a financial intermediary working for the advancement of the national interest of the countries. The project brings forth the role of World Bank towards the international public policy management in the present scenario. It includes conflict prevention and changing international environment, fighting poverty, the health and food provisions for the poor countries, monitoring various socio-economic conditions, helping for improving global trading, project structuring and its monitoring and much more. World Bank has various international public policies and instruments which are used for the betterment of various countries especially in the conflict affected countries. It works at different levels according to the different phases of conflicts, analyzing them and implementing those into strategies and programs. One of the special measures taken is for poverty reduction and other for the Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS). For the implementation of these policies and instruments the Bank has started for the Watching Brief where normal Bank assistance will not be possible; e.g. Haiti, Somalia, Sudan. It would allow the Bank to maintain minimum level of engagement, to monitor evolving socioeconomic conditions as well as the prospects to change. This would allow the Bank to re-engage with additional activities whenever needed or asked by the countries. (AEA, 2004)1 Another policy adopted by World Bank is the Transitional Support Strategy (TSS). It is a short to medium term Bank assistance strategy for the countries that do not have Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) or the ones that are not still ready for CAS e.g.: Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste while in transition from conflict. The main objective of this policy is peace and recovery along with the needed assistance. With the stages of Watching Brief and TSS the World Bank would be able to assist even under full fledged CAS. These three levels of engagement are set out in OP/BP 2.30 and provide enough flexibility to the Bank for its involvement and assistance. CPR unit has also developed a Conflict Analysis Framework (CAF) to help Bank analyze more systematically while preparing policies, strategies and programs (CPR 2002e).2 World Bank also takes initiatives in project design and its implementation in developing countries. For Example in the recent project assessment for Sri Lanka the lack of sensitivity to any conflict may also constrain World Bank's interventions (World Bank 2003b)3. World Bank and IMF are the world's largest public lenders and help avoiding Great Depression-like economic disasters. But this help comes with strings attached in the form of policy perceptions as "structural adjustment policies". It means across the country privatization of public utilities and publicly owned industries. It focuses resources on growing export crops for industrial countries than supporting family farms for local communities. This has led to serious problems of inequality and environmental destruction in Latin America, Africa and Asia. (WBIMF, 2007) 4

How can SMEs(small to medium enterprises) survive in the highly Essay

How can SMEs(small to medium enterprises) survive in the highly competitive industries that are participating - Essay Example The SME sector adds to the economic growth of a country through employment generation and overall sustenance of the economy locally, nationally and globally. Therefore, survival of SMEs needs to be discussed with high priority on developing such strategies that help in the growth of SMEs at regional, national and global level. The world economy depends to a significant extent on the success of small and medium business, which necessitates the urgency of making an inquiry into the reasons of collapsing of small and medium business firms. The research question motivates analysis of the issue from different perspectives like what efforts the SME entrepreneurs are making for their survival, what guidance and financial help the governments and banks are providing worldwide for the survival of the SME industry and a number of other survival strategies. Curiosity arises on the causes of not surviving in the market place due to the associated risks. SMEs are not fighting a lone battle against odds; active government support is provided to them as they are the backbone of a country’s economy. This is the reason why so much attention is paid to the growth of SME sector in all industries. In comparison to small business, medium enterprises are in somewhat better position; they accept the challenges but small entrepreneurs’ market position is very critical due to high cost of raw material, energy, inflation and lack of ready finance. Taking the example of Canada where small business represents 98% of all business, the government is playing a leading role in clearing the roadblocks to survival and growth of small business and leaving no stone unturned in its efforts for SMEs survival. The government is promoting SME by celebrating Small Business Week 2009 and introducing Canada’s Economic Action Plan, providing the mechanism to small and medium businesses to come soon out of the repercussion

Mango Medley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mango Medley - Essay Example The secret to keeping your customers satisfied is through quality service and product delivery. David. H. Maister, in his book â€Å"The psychology of waiting lines†, argues that satisfaction can assessed through a simple equation (S=P-E, where S-satisfaction, P-perception, and E-expectation). It can, therefore, be that a satisfied customer is a loyal customer. When customers enter a restaurant expecting a certain level of service and perceives the service reviewed to be higher, then they are satisfied customers. The management of any restaurant should, therefore, aim at improving the perceived quality of service as it would have the largest payback (Maister, 1984). Unexplained waits always tend to seem long and boring than explained ones. A reason should, therefore, be given to explain why a given service has been delayed. Customers are also concerned about the environment in which they are seated while waiting. Some customers may not like to wait in very crowded places as it may interfere with their personal conversations. It is important to keep the customers comfortable during their wait. Customer equity is also something that the management should put into consideration. It involves valuing the customer not only in terms of current profitability, but also with respect to the net discounted contribution stream the firm will realize from the customer over time. More emphasis should be put on not only on getting customers to buy their products but maintaining them for long (Zeithaml, Lemon, & Rust, 2001). Mango Medley restaurant has got only two workers. One is in charge of the kitchen and the other taking of orders, serving the customers and clearing of the bills. This divided attention makes service delivery slow especially during weekends and holidays when the restaurant is open for longer and receives more customers. Most

Operations Management (please refer to uploaded file) Essay

Operations Management (please refer to uploaded file) - Essay Example On the other hand, a service supply chain deals with the intangibles due to which little physical inputs are required. Even the number of suppliers in a service-based supply chains are limited to an extent. Raw materials required by the internet service providers are limited to only offices and servers. The costs incurred by the service supply chain are less as compared to the product supply chain (Veronneau and Roy, 2009). Logistics is essential in product-base supply chain as the manufacturing industry highly depends on the transportation of physical goods from one destination to another. If the raw materials are not transferred from one place to another, the supply chain will be broken which halts the operations of the company and the company is forced to use different modes of transportation; land, sea or air. Furthermore, the cost of logistics is quite high depending on the size and weight of the raw material that is being moved (Min and Zhou, 2002). On the other hand, for a service industry logistics is irrelevant as the industry directly deals with the intangibles. The cost incurred by the product-based industry for logistics are utilised by the service-based industry for upgrading servers and for maintenance (Veronneau and Roy, 2009). This upgrade and maintenance allows enhancement in the speed and communication between the clients and the internet service providers. In a traditional product-based supply chain, finished goods are those products that have been completely transformed from raw material to products that are ready to be sold (Simatupang and Sidharan, 2002). For Coca Cola Company, a finished good represents a chilled bottle of coke ready to be served to the customers to meet their demand. In a service industry, a finished good represents quality service to the clients. This means that the customer should be satisfied with the internet

Strategic Management and Marketing for the Luxury Goods Vivienne Assignment

Strategic Management and Marketing for the Luxury Goods Vivienne Westwood - Assignment Example In such context, Luxury Goods Company Vivienne Westwood has been selected sample organization in the paper and study will conduct marketing audit in order to help the sample organization to decide marketing strategy. McDonald and Wilson (2011) suggested that organizations should use both strategic and tactical marketing plan in order design marketing strategy. According to these scholars, strategic marketing includes situational analysis, customer segmentation, and macro environmental audit while tactical marketing plan includes implementation marketing strategies. The paper will follow the mentioned approach while doing marketing audit for Vivienne Westwood. Before going to the main discussion, the study will analyze the business situation and macro environment for Vivienne Westwood in order to create background for marketing audit. Situational Analysis There is no doubt that primary operational hub for Vivienne Westwood is UK and therefore the study will concentrate on macro enviro nmental parameters of UK which can influence business dimensions of Vivienne Westwood. ... ion in UK (British Fashion Council, 2012) The above diagram is showing the rise of luxury consumption expenditure in UK while the following diagram will depict the structure of designer and luxury fashion industry in UK. Figure 2: Industry Structure (British Fashion Council, 2012) It is evident from the diagram that retail luxury clothing and footwear are the primary revenue generating option for designers like Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Mulberry etc. In such context, PEST (Political, economic, social and technological) analysis can be done in order to understand macro environmental aspects of UK. Political Government of UK follows trade policy as directed in NATO or North Atlantic Treaty Organization. However, in recent years the UK government has taken steps as budget cuts (more than 20%) in entertainment, fashion and sports sector which negatively affected growth of fashion and designer merchandises manufacturing sector (British Fashion Council, 201 2). The government has also reduced corporate tax to 23% and such reduction would bound to increase operating margin for fashion retailers like Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Burberry and others. Economic Spending capacity of people is being negatively affected by the trailing effect of Economic recession started in 2008 and Sovereign debt crisis. For example, the industry growth has been dipped by almost 0.2% in recent years (Marketline, 2012). However, British Fashion Council (2012) reported that economic slowdown might have increased cost of manufacturing for luxury retailers like Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Burberry and others but it has hardly any impact on luxury consumption in UK. This divergence occurs due to the fact that generally affluent class purchases luxury products and

Organization Balanced Scorecard Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organization Balanced Scorecard - Assignment Example re is revenue growth by proposing income generating projects, operation on the profit growth and ensuring determining the short term solvency of the company. These objectives are in line with the vision of the company as they ensure which is offering low prices to the consumers. The company makes sure that it capitalizes on the large market by selling its products at lower prices. The need for a balanced scorecard in order to determine whether the company is headed in the right direction in terms of profitability cannot be understated. Therefore, this is done by measuring each objective in the financial sector with a quantified target metric that is associated with it. This process has helped companies understand their position and the weak and strong areas in the organization. In this way, the priority of the objectives can be understood in the organization and therefore, it becomes easier for the management to understand which objective should be implemented first based on its impo rtance. Further, it shows how the different sectors of the company are performing in relation to the vision and the mission of the company. Traditionally most federal agencies measure their managerial presentation by mainly focusing on internal process performances; they also looked at factors such as the number of full time equals that were allotted. However, on the other hand the private sector has always focused on the monetary procedures as their bottom line; this includes return on investment, earnings per share and even market share. It is imperative to understand that alone, neither of the approaches can be able to give stipulation for the full viewpoint of an organization’s routine. However, by ensuring that there is a balance that exists between the internal process as well as results from financial measures, managers can be able to have a complete picture as to whether the company should be able to make improvements. For this reason, the balanced score card was used as it

Democracy and Technology Essay Example for Free

Democracy and Technology Essay While technologies such as the use of internet and e-democracy have made the dissemination of ideas quicker, they have also resulted in the increase in a groups power to manipulate general opinion. The technologies aiding democracy today, such as computers, satellites, radio, telephones and television have undeniably changed the face of modern democracy. What constitute positive spill outs of these technologies for democracy also in some cases have a detrimental effect on it. While it increases the reach among people and nations, enriching both formal and business communication, it also provides these opportunities to fundamentalists to create rumours and channels individuals or a group of people against democracy. However a little caution such as verifying the news from multiple sources will easily reveal these elements and thus the negative influence of misleading a large group of rational individuals can be easily curtailed. The rise in literacy level and the positive trend of e-democracy deepens the process of democracy and empowers the individuals not only to have a say in the election of their government as earlier, but also empowers the citizens to have greater say in the decision making process of the government. With increasing literacy levels, as the citizens become more aware of the power of technology, they will find it easier to organise themselves for pressing on social, economic and political reforms from the government at helm thus ushering a truly democratic era where the citizens role is not only limited to electing their representatives but also to correct them if they are being found negligent in fulfilling their duties. However for this to happen in the future, it should be ensured that technology and their benefits are not limited to a select few in the upper echelons of society and that they are made available to those at the lowest level for complete integration of the masses to the democracy. References Allison, Juliann Emmons. (2002). Technology, development, and democracy. SUNY Press.

specific and general crime prevention approaches and strategies

specific and general crime prevention approaches and strategies In this unit, we will explore specific and general crime prevention approaches and strategies, employed to reduce and control the occurrence of crime in the society. The role of the citizen and the community will be differentiated from the role of the state through the institutions of the criminal justice system. Unit Objectives To appreciate the need for citizen participation. To discuss the role of the Police. To describe the role of Policy Makers. To examine the methods used by the criminal justice system to influence reform and rehabilitation. To analyze at least four approaches to crime prevention employed by the criminal justice system. Readings and Online Resources Reid, Oral (1998) Community Policing: A Philosophical Approach to the Study of Community Building. Reid, Oral. Policing by Consent. The Copper 97 Vol. 1 No. 1 http://www.schererville.org/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=257Itemid=58 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTYIPBoeGaU Session 4.1 Community Crime Prevention Approaches Learning Objectives: By the end if this session the student should be able to: Define the elements of the crime prevention triangle Discuss the elements of the crime prevention triangle Describe the crime prevention triangle Define the roles of the elements in the crime prevention triangle Discuss the participation of the elements in the crime prevention triangle Understand the need for citizen participation. Appreciate the role of individual and community groups in the prevention of crime. Explain the need for the Crime Prevention Practitioners in building a community team Introduction In this session we will examine specific crime prevention approaches intended to highlight the critical role of the citizen, the police and policymakers in their effort to address crime control or reduction both at the local level of the community and the state in general. The Crime Prevention Triangle Figure 4:1 The Community Crime Prevention Triangle Effective crime prevention requires a closer relationship between the police, policy makers, and the community at large. It is necessary for all sides to open lines of communication and work to define their respective roles in such a way that they understand their responsibilities to the overall cooperative effort. The task of bringing these key sectors of the community together is not easy neither can one be effective without the other. The challenge is often that each sector has specific viewpoints that appear to be inconsistent with the needs and expectations of others in the triangle. For instance, the police have traditionally been one of the most closed groups in Caribbean society. This position has been influenced by several factors among which are the following; Police Forces in the region boost a paramilitary in structure; Many of the social and professional problems they encounter cannot be discussed with persons outside their profession; and the nature of police work frequently confines them to persons working within their respective formations. The factors listed all support a growing trend towards police isolation from the people they are intended to serve. On the other hand, most citizens have very limited knowledge of police work. Such views are often further distorted by television programmes that suggest glamorous and unrealistic means of solving crimes and social disorder. Hence a typical citizens impression of the police is associated with issuing traffic tickets, or arresting felons. The citizen is not likely to be in a pleasant mood in either of these circumstances, and frequently learns to associate officers with enforcement and authority. The police spend most of their time dealing with the less desirable elements of Caribbean society inasmuch as they deal with suspects and vagrants on a regular basis, and sometimes tend to associate the uncooperative behaviour of these elements with the general public. It is not uncommon for the police to threat with suspicion volunteers who want to aid in the management of crime. Politicians or policymakers are given labels that hold them up to public scrutiny and ridicule. Views expressed during heated campaigns or unrealistic expectations by the public that an official has the power to wave a magic wand and cure the ills of society have served to strain the relationship between the elected officials and their constituents. All of the above realities show that each side of the triangle has an important part to play in the community crime prevention process but that there are challenges which, if not carefully managed could deepen the divide between each sector. The strength of a triangle depends on strong linkages. If one of these three groups does not participate, the chances for success will be seriously diminished. Defining the Roles in the Crime Prevention Triangle Citizen and Community Participation The need for citizen participation in community crime prevention is critical to the establishment of a crime-free society. Two essential ingredients are a well-trained police force and an informed and cooperative citizenry. It is often the case that too few citizens have made a commitment to actually participation. Participation in community crime prevention efforts is not merely desirable but necessary. Police and crime prevention specialists alone cannot control crime; they need all the help the community can give them. Despite the later there seems to be an irreversible trend, in recent years, towards less involvement by citizens and increased responsibilities being delegated to the police. Increased specialization in various police forces coupled with increased taxation has encouraged citizens to look to the police, as professionals, to assume the responsibility of community safety. Subsequently, calls for service to the average law enforcement agency have increased steadily as citizens looked for assistance, not only with criminal matters but also for a wide range of service endeavours, such as invitations to speak to the wayward boy or girl that failed to comply with house rules, retrieving trapped cats and dogs and transporting mental patients to the hospital for treatment. It would be r easonable to assume that as much as 80 percent of police calls relate to noncriminal conduct as opposed to actual investigation or the apprehension of criminals. Community ranges from isolated individuals to diverse community groups. The levels of expertise vary from novice to accomplished professionals. The motivation to participate is as diverse as the community itself. Yet the secret to changing public attitudes and ultimately behaviour lies within this vast and primarily untapped resource. The following are various levels of involvement in crime prevention efforts with which citizens feel comfortable and choose to identify. It is helpful to first look at the role an individual can play, and then expand the base for involvement to group roles or collective citizen action. The Role of the Individual Practitioners know that a vast majority of a communitys population does not belong to an identifiable group but still participates in a wide range of activities. These citizens have concerns regarding crime and should be reached and encouraged to participate in crime prevention programmes as individuals. A few of the ways an individual can participate include: 1. Contributing volunteer time to programme efforts 2. Being an advocate for crime prevention concepts 3. Reporting suspicious activities to the police 4. Taking initiatives to practice opportunity reduction strategies at home/work and while moving about the community, such as: a. installing secure, deadbolt locks b. providing good security lighting c. trimming shrubbery away from doors and windows d. always locking car doors and windows e. using common sense and awareness when traveling alone f. marking all valuables with a personal identification number g. not carrying or displaying large amount of cash h. avoiding walking alone after dark Activity: Crime Prevention Tips View the Youtube videos below, they offer some useful crime prevention tips for individuals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTYIPBoeGaU Activity 4:1 Collective Citizen and Group Roles: The communitys role is strengthened when group initiatives are added to individual citizen initiatives. If Crime prevention is to be effective in improving quality of life, the role of the community-at-large must be expanded to include supportive efforts from a broad base of existing private sector groups-businesses, industries, churches, etc. within a jurisdiction. Organized groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, P.T.A., Scouts, Girls Guides, Kiwanis, Womens Clubs, and Church Groups lend their support to community crime prevention programming and bring with them an existing pool of volunteer time, talent, energy, and the additional clout and resources of established organizations. They also bring with them the organizational goals, policies, and procedures, resolutions on community issues, and reputation that may or may not precisely fit everyone elses agenda. The role these groups must play is sometimes difficult to define and mobilize, and always difficult to manage. Yet it is vitally important to reach and involve citizens within their own context. The task is to reach people where they are and with the tools they are accustomed to using. This does not simply mean that everyone has to join Neighbourhood Watch Programmes. It does mean that every citizen can participate in crime prevention doing whatever a citizen is a part of-Boys Clubs, a tenants organization, the insurance industry etc. The trick to citizen involvement is to provide them hope within their own familiar environments. The experiences gained in community crime prevention programmes across the Caribbean region have helped define the following points in the community-at- large role: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The community at large must accept the responsibility for organizing a community crime prevention programme. They have the biggest stake-and ultimately they have more to lose than either the law enforcement or policymaker segments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The community must identify committed leadership for an organized crime prevention effort. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The community must provide the necessary resources (time and funds) for the leadership to receive basic crime prevention training. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The community must plan organized training for other volunteers in the program. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The citizens must identify the problems of the community through cooperative efforts with law enforcement agencies, using such tools as surveys, opinion polls, and actual crime data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The members of the community must plan a coordinated approach to crime prevention efforts by designing and matching projects to the interests of various volunteer groups. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The leaders must establish an effective mechanism for outreach and input so various groups know what others are doing. This will help ensure coordination, and is frequently termed networking. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The community group must solicit commitments from various groups supporting crime prevention efforts to ensure programme continuity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The group organizers must provide opportunities for all groups or individuals to participate in the community-wide programmes (while allowing groups to retain their separate identity). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The group organizers must establish an ongoing process of obtaining and assessing project information for evaluation purposes to aid further decision-making. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The organizers must identify and obtain resources to properly fund a sustained crime prevention effort. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The leaders of the crime prevention unit must facilitate the wise use of collective citizen power to influence public policies that promote crime prevention concepts. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The community group must serve as a strong advocate for increased communication between the various segments forming the crime prevention triangle. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The groups must ensure the participation of the media as a partner in the total community crime prevention programme. Community volunteers have learnt much about their role in crime prevention during the last decade. Their role will become even more clearly defined through the next decade as volunteers acquire additional knowledge in organizing and maintaining community crime prevention programmes. Police Participation The attitudes of the citizens towards the police service are generally inconsistent. The police are appreciated when they are needed but often feared because they are perceived as the states representatives of power and authority. The reality is that only rarely is the real nature of the police service broadcast and very rarely is the man inside the uniform understood or known. Yet we understand his role to be critical. What is generally agreed is that when faced with trouble, people expect quick police response and victims want and expect the effective service of a professional. Based on the wide range of service demands there is little wonder that both citizens and police alike are sometimes unclear about the definition of the role of the police in the prevention rather than the detection of crime. The following points are essential: The police are not separate from the people. They draw their authority from the will and consent of the people. The police are the state appointed instruments through which citizens can achieve and maintain public order. Police officers are decision makers and often decide whether to arrest, to make a referral, to seek prosecution, or to use force. Police officers are just as accountable for their decisions as the magistrate or judge is for decisions deliberated for months. The police officer must understand complex cultural and social problems and relationships to be efficient and effective. A police officer is a part of and not apart from: a. The community served b. The criminal justice system that determines what course society will pursue to deter lawbreakers or rehabilitate offenders in the interest of public order c. The government that provides the formal base of authority. The police officer initiates the criminal justice process through arrest of suspects and can be held accountable where they fail to take action. The police are the criminal justice element in closest contact with the public (and therefore are frequently blamed for failures in other parts of the system). The police are helpless to control crime without the cooperation of a substantial portion of the people. The role of the police thus becomes: to anticipate that crime will occur when risks are high, to recognize when a high-crime risk exists to appraise the seriousness of the particular risk to initiate action to remove or reduce the risk. Educational, technical and supportive resource- an enabler rather than a primary doer. The police role in crime prevention strategies should: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Utilize the patrol function to create and maintain efforts to identify and arrest suspects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Serve as a source for public information and training regarding crime prevention programs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Coordinate crime prevention activities in their respective jurisdictions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Share information with the public gathered through police data analysis capabilities concerning the kinds of crime and the methods being used by perpetrators against citizens à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Take initiative to develop organized crime prevention functions within each department Policymakers Participation Many earlier efforts to establish crime prevention programmes carefully skirted the issues of assessing the role of the public sector or seeking to involve the policymakers. This hesitancy was brought about in part because notions of crime prevention were seen as new and untested and hadnt been accepted as a viable response to long-standing social and economic problems. Very few programmes have been able to document specific successes in actually demonstrating a reduction of crime. Additionally, some communities had experiences with receiving political support for crime prevention programmes during the course of a political election, only to be quietly swept under the rug when elections were over and the difficult job of meeting budgets was underway in the face of declining resources. Slowly, isolated experiences surfaced that demonstrated a positive relationship between renew citizen participation in crime prevention/opportunity reduction programmes and a lower residential burglary or vandalism rate in neighbourhoods. Policymakers were willing to take a closer look. Such closer scrutiny led in Barbados to the establishment of the National Task Force on Crime Prevention in June 1996. This agency collaborates with the Royal Barbados Police Force on the analysis of national crime statistics and initiate programmes aimed at reducing crime in selected residential communities. In 1968 in the United States of America, Congress established a legislative priority and provided monetary resources to jurisdictions for mounting crime prevention efforts and funded them through the Justice Department Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA). Activity: A Caribbean Perspective The aforementioned has been the American experience. Can you think of ways this approach can be adapted to match the Caribbean reality appropriate for your country. Post your suggestions in the discussion forum and react to suggestions posed by your classmates. Activity 4:2 As a result of this increased interest by officials in the public sector and the interaction within communities, there is now a more clearly defined role of the policymakers in the community crime prevention process. Practitioners are confident that this role will continue to evolve and clarify over time, but for the present, I offer the following points on the role of the policymaker: 1. Provides leadership in setting public policy that establishes a jurisdiction-wide crime prevention programme. 2. Encourages coordination and cooperation between government agencies to maximize existing resources and avoid duplication of efforts. 3. Develops and adopts building security codes. 4. Actively promotes opportunity reduction practices for public owned properties, such as: a. marking all valuables with property identification numbers b. providing adequate, security lighting c. installing deadbolt locking devices 5. Promotes crime prevention education and training for employees within the public sector. 6. Provides financial support for crime prevention programmes. 7. Publicly supports crime prevention programmes to encourage other groups and individuals to participate. 8. Designates a permanent public agency to serve as an organizational base for crime Prevention programmes. 9. Demonstrates a long-term commitment to crime prevention by passing a formal resolution to sanction the crime prevention programme. 10. Requires accountability of programme efforts. The Crime Prevention Practitioner: Building a Community Team Even after the various elements within a community have a basic understanding of their role and responsibilities in a community crime prevention effort, there still remains vital work to be done in order to establish a promising crime prevention programme in a community. Much effort has been virtually wasted in the past as various groups go about well-meaning attempts to establish programmes for prevention without a coordinated approach. Likewise, a community crime prevention team doesnt just happen. The various elements that exist in your community must be linked together before any game plan can be written. This task requires specific attention. One or more individuals must be identified to play the coaching role and to mold representatives from various sides of the triangle into a working team. These specialists are called crime prevention practitioners. Who are they and what do they do? Practitioners across the country represent a wide cross-section of our population. Some are criminal justice professionals, some are elected officials. Many are business people, school teachers, or civic club volunteers. Crime prevention practitioners sometimes volunteer while others arc elected. In either case, they play a significant role in the community crime prevention process. A profile of successful practitioners would include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ willingness to contribute a significant amount of time to crime prevention efforts à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the enthusiasm to motivate others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ a basic knowledge of the criminal justice system à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ a comprehensive understanding of the concepts of crime prevention and the ability to teach and advise others . . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ capability of assessing skills and resources within the community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the ability to relate to all interested groups and match these interests to the overall program effort à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the expertise to facilitate links that achieve a coordinated approach to programming à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ good organizational skills à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ an understanding of the nature of the political process and the guidance that enables public support to be translated through decision-makers into public policy Above all, the successful practitioner will possess two primary attributes: COMMITMENT to the cause, and the PERSISTENCE to continue the commitment over time in the face of obstacles that are sure to arise. Activity: Mini Investigation Identify and categorize the crime prevention practitioners in your territory. Report your findings to the course coordinator or tutor. Activity 4:3 Summary: In this session we have examined specific crime prevention strategies focused around the crime prevention triangle. In this session we highlighted the critical roles of individuals as a sub-sect of organizations, at one end of the continuum and the community as whole. The role of the police, and policy makers were also highlighted as essential to the construction of good crime prevention policy and practice. In the next session we will look at the role of the criminal justice system in the control of crime and acts of unsocial behaviour.

Essay on Maggi

Essay on Maggi Background Maggi Noodles In the last 20 years we have Just asked 2 minutes of your time. The Brand which clearly comes to mind on first recall is Maggi Noodles. Maggi Noodles is manufactured by Nestle under instant noodles portfolio. It was introduced with Maggi 2 Minute Noodles in India in 1982 when the only place to get noodles was Chinese restaurants. Maggi has undoubtedly has been the lifeline of many teenagers when in home or away from home. Maggi, as a brand, has seen many competitions in its Lifecycle. The brand has also diversified itself with launch of product ranges like soups, tomato sauce, seasoning, cup noodles, various flavours of maggi noodles like atta, rice, mized grains etc. Nestle remains its market leader position with 59.84% of retail sales in India,2009 (Source: Euromonitor International). But its market share is constantly eroded by new entrants like GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health with Foodles,Capital Foods with SmithJones Instant noodles, HUL launching its Soupy Noodles under Knorr B rand umbrella. Brand Identity Kapferers Model Picture of Sender Physique Yellow Coloured Pack, 2 minute Noodles, fast to cook good to eat, Maggi Logo, Healthy Snack between meals Relationship Taste bhi Health Bhi, providing convenient food within 2 minutes with health and hygiene factor, caring and nurturing Reflection Health Conscious individual who is Hard pressed for time, Young and Fun loving, living with family Personality Enthusiastic, simple, uncomplicated, easily accessible, Fun loving, carefree, On the move, busy schedule Culture   Reliable, Innovative, Aspirant Lifestyle for rural areas, Sharing happiness, responsible Self-Image Young, trendy, fun loving, Independent, Healthy inspite of Sedentary Urban Lifestyle Picture of Recipient Stages in PLC Maggi Noodles is currently in growth stage after passing through maturity stage for brief period in mid 1990s. Introductory and Initial Growth Stage Maggi Noodles brand was in introductory and growth stage in 1982 1990s.Maggi took advantage of its early movers advantage in closed economy scenario prevalent in India during 1980s. The brand faced less competition due to few similar products available in the market. Brand Maggi made best use of the time to increase its brand awareness by focussing on product advertisement. The communication which was initially mis-directed towards women was shifted rightly towards children Maggi Noodles sponsored Hum Log, Indias first indigenous soap opera which began telecast on July 7, 1984. Maggi was launched with total advertisement slots of just 5 minutes during the breaks of serial which ran for over 156 episodes. This helped Maggi to establish as a popular breakfast and snack food across the country. This was also one the first instances of introduction of Fast Food in India. Growth Stage Maggi Noodles brand was in their growth stage in 1990s till late 2006 with brief period of declining sales due to faulty product innovation and formulae change from conventional maggi noodles in the form of launch of Dal Atta Maggi Noodles to noodles similar to TopRamen Noodles, noodles from stable of IndoNissinFoodLtd. Maggi was quick to revert back the original formulae to minimize damage. Product: New Product Variants like Atta Noodles, Mixed Grain Noodles and Rice Mania were introduced Source: http://www.maggi.in/maggi_multigrainz_noodles.aspx There was change in packaging for different variants of the noodles and launch of new variants Image Source: http://www.maggi.in/two_minutes_maggi_noodles.aspx Image Source: http://www.maggi.in/vegetables_atta_noodles.aspx Price Price was kept competitive with other launches in the market like Nissins Top Ramen Promotion Maggi was launched in different packages of 50 and 100 gms to increase the consumer base and attract the first time consumers Variants like Cuppa mania was launched to cater to mobile population, office goers Source: http://www.maggi.in/cuppamania.aspx Offering freebies like collectible foreign stamps, other freebies with maggi packs Maturity Stage Post 2009, there has been host of new entrants in the instant noodles market in India. ITC Launched its instant noodles under Sunfeast brand. GlaxoSmithKline consumer health and HUL also introduced instant noodles in 2010. The communication from Maggi has shifted from 2 minute noodles to Taste bhi Health bhi through introduction of variation in instant noodles. The competition has led to gradual fall in market share vis-a-vis other new entrants. New players are innovating in product packaging like launching noodles in circular shape so as to enable users to enjoy their noodles in full length. Market Scenario/Challenges Major challenge is to maintain the market leadership of Brand Maggi in increasing market with varied new entrants having strong market presence in other product variants. To be increasingly viewed as the most preferred snack by new generation Strategy to increase Rural market share through launch of Maggi Rasile Chow targeting low income population Change of consumer taste from taste to health conscious Masala Flavour is the leading flavour in instant noodles in India All new players have also introduced masala flavour in their brand Chicken is the second favoured flavour followed by vegetable and tomato Horlicks Foodles claim to provide five essential vitamins in their noodles which forces the major market players to stress heavily on the health factor associated with their brands HUL Knorr Soupy Noodles claim to be healthy snack between meal for children Need for elaborate Market research for Maggi Brand on attributes like Brand Image, Prefered Price, Taste, packaging, Health, Availability, Ingredients, product variety etc. Steps taken at different stages Extensive media advertising to increase the consumers familiarity with new product launches Wider flavours/varients being offered to cater to wide range of consumers Increased product penetration through availability in supermarkets, hypermarkets and kirana stores Product line extensions and repositioned products launched to engage new and changing consumer demographics Market Research was conducted to understand the General promotional strategies were implemented to increase brand visibility Events Online Maggi recipe Challenge, innovative entries were compiled into e-cookbook Launch of Me and Meri Maggi Campaign enable consumers to share their experience with Maggi and creating a nostalgic effect by letting them share their moments with Maggi . Launching Maggi goodies like Computer Wallpapers and ScreenSavers to increase Brand recall , Website- http://www.maggi.in/ Preity Zinta was roped in for brand endorsement. Maggi was tried to position it as lively brand with zing Summary The Brand Maggi is strongly established as a Family Brand with crisp brand equity in Indian market. The brand has always been known to have the first movers advantage in the portfolios like noodles, ketchups, soups, sauce, etc. The parent brand Nestle has been the strong symbol of family, shelter and warmth which brand Maggi has innovatively capitalized. Evolution in communication Brand Maggi has changed its communication from convenience factors ie Bas 2 Minute to Taste Bhi Health Bhi to stress on health factors along with taste and convenience. There was a shift from TG from women to children as their consumers. To increase the Point of Purchase Sales, Maggi innovated in Shelf placing by placing Maggi in lower shelfs to increase the visibility by Kids who accompany their mothers to shopping. Maggi has launched Chota Maggi worth Rs 5/- to increase product trail. Maggi was positioned as snacks for between meals to boost sales and attract new customers without changing their conservative food habits during meal time. Maggi also introduced contests for posting best recipes to be made with Maggi. The future of noodles sectors seem good with growth in retail sales of 19% in 2010 in value terms and forecasted to grow at12% CAGR over next few years.Being a sector with low entry barrier, the segment share is vulnerable to new entrants like in-house brands of BigBazaar retail chains of Future group, More of Birla Group, Star Bazaar from TataGroup etc. and host of foreign players entering the market lately. Major Noodles manufacturing firms market share: (Source: EuromonitorInternational Report) Figure : Market Forecast for Noodles market in India Recommendations for Brand Maggi Proliferation into untapped rural markets through strong distribution channel available in India Product line extension with variants for varied markets Innovation in Product, packaging and pricing of Maggi Noodles through investment in Market Research Launching health awareness campaigns, publish health information, sponsor health camps etc. to educate the customers about benefits of health foods To engage customers more through evolving mediums like social networking sites etc.This would enable the Maggi Brand Managers to listen to reviews from their customers and improvise any other suggestions if needed.

What´s Ocean Acidification? Essay -- Impacts, Causes, Solutions, Ocean

Introduction The oceans of the earth are a massive part of the natural cycles that make this planet habitable. They regulate global temperatures, absorb carbon dioxide, provide a home for millions of plants and animals that make up various levels of the food chain, and so much more. They are a resource given for us to use and benefit from, however, it is also a resource that needs to be protected. It is the fountain of life for the planet and drastic changes to the makeup of the oceans could be detrimental to life as we know it. Ocean acidification is a problem which has come to light in the last decade, but is becoming increasingly concerning to many scientists (1). In this essay I will attempt to direct your attention to some of the possible and observed impacts of global ocean acidification, present some of the likely causes and suggest possible solutions to the problem. The essay will also deal with the possibility that the evidence can be interpreted differently in order to not implicate hum ans as the primary cause responsible for the observed destruction occurring in the acidified waters. Defining Ocean Acidification Ocean acidification is when carbon dioxide is absorbed into the water of the oceans. This causes a chain of chemical reactions leading to the formation of carbonic acid in the water. (2) Furthermore, many animals in the oceans use calcium carbonate ions to build their shells, however, in the process of forming carbonic acid, these ions are destroyed creating a deficiency in calcium carbonate and preventing these animals from forming their life sustaining and protective shells. (1) The reaction occurs when carbon dioxide, which is heavier than air, sinks in large clouds over the oceans and is absorbed into th... ...gain recognition both by environmental organizations and governments, but also by individuals who need to be aware of the impact their actions and energy usages. Whether it be a new form of energy or an old one refined, continued research and work needs to be done to ensure that we are being good stewards of the earth we have been given to live on. Works Cited http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-ocean-acidification/ One Ocean documentary http://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/WhatsNew.aspx http://www.pnas.org.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/content/105/45/17442.full http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/deadzone.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/noaa-scientists-embark-voyage-asses-ocean-acidification/ http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/6/1019.abstract