Part Four Chapter I

Lunacy 5.11 At common law, idiots are subject to a permanent legal incapacity to vote, but persons of unsound mind may vote during lucid intervals. Charles Arnold-Baker Local Council Administration, Seventh Edition I Samantha Mollison had now bought herself all three of the DVDs released by Libby's favourite boy band. She kept them hidden in her socks and tights drawer, beside her diaphragm. She had her story ready, if Miles spotted them: they were a gift for Libby. Sometimes at work, where business was slower than ever, she searched the internet for pictures of Jake. It was during one of these trawling sessions – Jake in a suit but with no shirt, Jake in jeans and a white vest – that she discovered that the band was playing at Wembley in a fortnight's time. She had a friend from university who lived in West Ealing. She could stay over, sell it to Libby as a treat, a chance to spend time together. With more genuine excitement than she had felt in a long time, Samantha managed to buy two very expensive tickets for the concert. When she let herself into the house that evening, she glowed with a delicious secret, almost as though she were coming home from a date. Miles was already in the kitchen, still in his work suit, with the phone in his hand. He stared at her as she entered, and his expression was strange, difficult to read. ‘What?' said Samantha, a little defensively. ‘I can't get hold of Dad,' said Miles. ‘His bloody phone's engaged. There's been another post.' And when Samantha looked nonplussed, he said with a trace of impatience, ‘Barry Fairbrother's Ghost! Another message! On the council website!' ‘Oh,' said Samantha, unwinding her scarf. ‘Right.' ‘Yeah, I met Betty Rossiter just now, coming up the street; she was full of it. I've checked the message board, but I can't see it. Mum must've taken it down already – well, I bloody hope she has, she'll be in the firing line if Bends-Your-Ear goes to a lawyer.' ‘About Parminder Jawanda, was it?' asked Samantha, her tone deliberately casual. She did not ask what the accusation had been, first, because she was determined not to be a nosy, gossiping old bag like Shirley and Maureen, and secondly, because she thought she already knew: that Parminder had caused the death of old Cath Weedon. After a moment or two, she asked, sounding vaguely amused, ‘Did you say your mother might be in the firing line?' ‘Well, she's the site administrator, so she's liable if she doesn't get rid of defamatory or potentially defamatory statements. I'm not sure she and Dad understand how serious this could be.' ‘You could defend your mother, she'd like that.' But Miles had not heard; he was pressing redial and scowling, because his father's mobile was still engaged. ‘This is getting serious,' he said. ‘You were all quite happy when it was Simon Price who was getting attacked. Why's this any different?' ‘If it's a campaign against anyone on the council, or standing for council †¦' Samantha turned away to hide her grin. His concern was not about Shirley after all. ‘But why would anyone write stuff about you?' she asked innocently. ‘You haven't got any guilty secrets.' You might be more bloody interesting if you had. ‘What about that letter?' ‘What letter?' ‘For God's – Mum and Dad said there was a letter, an anonymous letter about me! Saying I wasn't fit to fill Barry Fairbrother's shoes!' Samantha opened the freezer and stared at the unappetizing contents, aware that Miles could no longer see her expression with the door open. ‘You don't think anyone's got anything on you, do you?' she asked. ‘No – but I'm a lawyer, aren't I? There might be people with a grudge. I don't think this kind of anonymous stuff †¦ I mean, so far it's all about the other side, but there could be reprisals †¦ I don't like the way this thing's going.' ‘Well, that's politics, Miles,' said Samantha, openly amused. ‘Dirty business.' Miles stalked out of the room, but she did not care; her thoughts had already returned to chiselled cheekbones, winged eyebrows and taut, tight abdominal muscles. She could sing along with most of the songs now. She would buy a band T-shirt to wear – and one for Libby too. Jake would be undulating mere yards away from her. It would be more fun than she had had in years. Howard, meanwhile, was pacing up and down the closed delicatessen with his mobile phone clamped to his ear. The blinds were down, the lights were on, and through the archway in the wall Shirley and Maureen were busy in the soon-to-be-opened cafe, unpacking china and glasses, talking in excited undertones and half listening to Howard's almost monosyllabic contributions to his conversation. ‘Yes †¦ mm, hmm †¦ yes †¦' ‘Screaming at me,' said Shirley. ‘Screaming and swearing. â€Å"Take it bloody down,† she said. I said, â€Å"I'm taking it down, Dr Jawanda, and I'll thank you not to swear at me.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ‘I'd've left it up there for another couple of hours if she'd sworn at me,' said Maureen. Shirley smiled. As it happened, she had chosen to go and make herself a cup of tea, leaving the anonymous post about Parminder up on the site for an extra forty-five minutes before removing it. She and Maureen had already picked over the topic of the post until it was ragged and bare; there was plenty of scope for further dissection, but the immediate urge was sated. Instead, Shirley looked ahead, greedily, to Parminder's reaction to having her secret spilt in public. ‘It can't have been her who did that post about Simon Price, after all,' said Maureen. ‘No, obviously not,' said Shirley, as she wiped over the pretty blue and white china that she had chosen, overruling Maureen's preference for pink. Sometimes, though not directly involved in the business, Shirley liked to remind Maureen that she still had huge influence, as Howard's wife. ‘Yes,' said Howard, on the telephone. ‘But wouldn't it be better to †¦? Mm, hmm †¦' ‘So who do you think it is?' asked Maureen. ‘I really don't know,' said Shirley, in a genteel voice, as though such knowledge or suspicions were beneath her. ‘Someone who knows the Prices and the Jawandas,' said Maureen. ‘Obviously,' said Shirley again. Howard hung up at last. ‘Aubrey agrees,' he told the two women, waddling through into the cafe. He was clutching today's edition of the Yarvil and District Gazette. ‘Very weak piece. Very weak indeed.' It took the two women several seconds to recollect that they were supposed to be interested in the posthumous article by Barry Fairbrother in the local newspaper. His ghost was so much more interesting. ‘Oh, yes; well, I thought it was very poor when I read it,' said Shirley, hurriedly catching up. ‘The interview with Krystal Weedon was funny,' guffawed Maureen. ‘Making out she enjoyed art. I suppose that's what she calls graffiti-ing the desks.' Howard laughed. As an excuse to turn her back, Shirley picked up Andrew Price's spare EpiPen from the counter, which Ruth had dropped into the delicatessen that morning. Shirley had looked up EpiPens on her favourite medical website, and felt fully competent to explain how adrenalin worked. Nobody asked, though, so she put the small white tube away in the cupboard and closed the door as noisily as she could to try and disrupt Maureen's further witticisms. The phone in Howard's huge hand rang. ‘Yes, hello? Oh, Miles, yes †¦ yes, we know all about it †¦ Mum saw it this morning †¦' He laughed. ‘Yes, she's taken it down †¦ I don't know †¦ I think it was posted yesterday †¦ Oh, I wouldn't say that †¦ we've all known about Bends-Your-Ear for years †¦' But Howard's jocularity faded as Miles talked. After a while he said, ‘Ah †¦ yes, I see. Yes. No, I hadn't considered it from †¦ perhaps we should get someone to have a look at security †¦' The sound of a car in the darkening square outside went virtually unremarked by the three in the delicatessen, but its driver noticed the enormous shadow of Howard Mollison moving behind the cream blinds. Gavin put his foot down, eager to get to Mary. She had sounded desperate on the telephone. ‘Who's doing this? Who's doing it? Who hates me this much?' ‘Nobody hates you,' he had said. ‘Who could hate you? Stay there †¦ I'm coming over.' He parked outside the house, slammed the door and hurried up the footpath. She opened the front door before he had even knocked. Her eyes were puffy with tears again, and she was wearing a floor-length woollen dressing gown that dwarfed her. It was not at all seductive; the very antithesis of Kay's scarlet kimono, but its homeliness, its very shabbiness, represented a new level of intimacy. Mary's four children were all in the sitting room. Mary gestured him through into the kitchen. ‘Do they know?' he asked her. ‘Fergus does. Somebody at school told him. I've asked him not to tell the others. Honestly, Gavin †¦ I'm about at the end of my tether. The spite – ‘ ‘It isn't true,' he said, and then, his curiosity getting the better of him, ‘is it?' ‘No!' she said, outraged. ‘I mean †¦ I don't know †¦ I don't really know her. But to make him talk like that †¦ putting the words in his mouth †¦ don't they care what it's like for me?' She dissolved into tears again. He felt that he shouldn't hug her while she was wearing her dressing gown, and was glad that he had not, when eighteen-year-old Fergus entered the kitchen a moment later. ‘Hey, Gav.' The boy looked tired, older than his years. Gavin watched him put an arm around Mary and saw her lean her head against his shoulder, mopping her eyes on her baggy sleeve like a child. ‘I don't think it was the same person,' Fergus told them, without preamble. ‘I've been looking at it again. The style of the message is different.' He had it on his mobile phone, and began to read aloud: ‘†Parish Councillor Dr Parminder Jawanda, who pretends to be so keen on looking after the poor and needy of the area, has always had a secret motive. Until I died – â€Å"‘ ‘Fergus, don't,' said Mary, slumping down at the kitchen table. ‘I can't take it. I honestly can't. And his article in the paper today too.' As she covered her face with her hands and sobbed silently, Gavin noticed the Yarvil and District Gazette lying there. He never read it. Without asking or offering, he moved across to the cupboard to make her a drink. ‘Thanks, Gav,' she said thickly, when he pushed the glass into her hand. ‘It might be Howard Mollison,' suggested Gavin, sitting down beside her. ‘From what Barry said about him.' ‘I don't think so,' said Mary, dabbing at her eyes. ‘It's so crude. He never did anything like that when Barry was -‘ she hiccuped ‘- alive.' And then she snapped at her son, ‘Throw that paper away, Fergus.' The boy looked confused and hurt. ‘It's got Dad's – ‘ ‘Throw it away!' said Mary, with an edge of hysteria in her voice. ‘I can read it off the computer if I want to, the last thing he ever did – on our anniversary!' Fergus took the newspaper off the table and stood for a moment watching his mother, who had buried her face in her hands again. Then, with a glance at Gavin, he walked out of the room still holding the Gazette. After a while, when Gavin judged that Fergus was not coming back, he put out a consoling hand and rubbed Mary's arm. They sat in silence for some time, and Gavin felt much happier with the newspaper gone from the table.

Publix

Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 A Retailer‘s Steady Growth Strategy: Should Publix Stay National Or Go Global? Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, (E-mail: [email  protected] edu), Nova Southeastern University Erica Franklin, (E-mail: [email  protected] edu), Nova Southeastern University ABSTRACT Publix Super Markets, Inc. is a Florida-based grocery chain which has over 120,000 employees and annual sales in 2005 of $20. 7 billion. Presently, Publix serves over one million customers every day and is one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world.Publix is one of Florida’s premier supermarkets and has responded to most cultural trends in the grocery market-organic foods; natural foods, health foods, ethnic ingredients, prepared meals, etc. Publix has enjoyed great success in the grocery industry and has expanded in many states. With the advent of globalization affecting almost every industry, the supermarket/food retailing in dustry has joined the trend. Domestic and international food retailers across the globe have begun to internationalize at a rapid rate and open operations around the world.However, as you will see, the growth of supermarket chains beyond their home countries has been done mostly by European and Asian companies. With the exception of Wal-Mart, few U. S. food retailers have expanded abroad. Currently there are no plans for Publix to expand internationally but this case seeks to examine the possibilities of Publix making a step toward going abroad and highlights the various factors in the global environment that may directly or indirectly affect the company. INTRODUCTION A of August 2006, Publix was operating 833 stores. Publix operates 642 stores in Florida, 164 stores in Georgia, 37 stores in South Carolina, 27 stores in Alabama, and 13 stores in Tennessee. Publix carries items ranging from food products to personal care and household goods. The company also has their own line of pri vate label goods that span the same spectrum. To better cater to their market and expand operations, Publix has also created new concept stores for its different target markets, Greenwise and Publix Sabor.The Greenwise store features organic produce and natural foods; Publix Sabor caters to the large Latin-American population in Central and South Florida and carries food products highly-demanded by these consumer. Publix has also moved into the restaurant business through their equity investment in Crispers, the fresh salad and sandwich meal concept-restaurant. In addition to the restaurant subsidiary, Publix Supermarkets Inc. , also owns seven other subsidiaries: 1) Publix Alabama, LLC; 2) PublixDirect, LLC; 3) Publix Asset Management Company; 4) Publix Tennessee, LLC; 5) Real Sub, LLC; 6) Lone Palm Golf Club, LLC; and 7) PTO, LLC.In 2001, Publix began online operations for its consumers for home delivery of groceries. However, its Broward County, FL and surrounding areas pilot pro grams failed to meet revenue and profit goals; so Publix Direct discontinued operations in August 2003 just short of two years after it was launched. The core of Publix‘s operations is the belief in doing everything for the customer. The company holds a superior belief that success lies in customer value and employee appreciation.They developed a policy of Customer Intimacy, which means that their guests need an intimate, professional, thorough, consistent, and disciplined method of serving customers that has become a normal way of doing business. See Table 1 for an evolution of Publix‘s growth since its inception. COMPANY EARNINGS In terms of financial success, in some years, Publix has outperformed the S&P 500 Index and the customer Peer Group Index with regards to return on investment. The Peer Group includes A&P, Albertson‘s, American Stores, Bruno‘s, Food Lion, Giant Foods, Hannaford Bros. , Kroger, Safeway, Smith‘s Food & Drug, Weis Markets, and W inn23Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 Dixie. Publix announced their 2005 annual results on March 2nd, 2006. Their sales for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005, were $20. 6 billion. Net earnings for 2005 were $989. 2 million, compared to $819. 4 million for 2004 (Publix Announces 4th Quarter, 2006). Dividends for 2006 were $1. 00 up from 70 cents in 2004 and 40 cents in 2003, which shows that the efforts of Publix‘s associates to increase earnings via customer value enabled the firm to return an even higher profit to its private stockholders.The 2003 dividend was 40 cents per share, up from 33 cents per share in 2002. Publix CEO Charlie Jenkins Jr. expressed his thanks and appreciation to the firm‘s workers for their performance that helped increase value to customers and, as a result of which, ensured good financial results for the year. Year 1930 1940 1944 1950 1957 1959 1963 1971 1973 1974 1975 1980 1984 1986 1987 1 990 1992 1993 1994 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 Table 1 – The Publix Spirit Over The Years Accomplishments First Publix Super Market opened in Winter Haven, Florida.First store known as the ? marble, tile and stucco food palace? built in Winter Haven, featuring such revolutionary retail concepts as air conditioning, wide aisles, and electric-eye doors. Publix bought the 19-store chain of All American Food stores in Lakeland and moved the headquarters to Lakeland. New 70,000-square foot grocery warehouse built in Lakeland. Today this warehouse occupies over 2,000,000 square feet. Publix Employee Federal Credit Union opened in a Lakeland warehouse. Publix opened its first store in Miami and bought seven stores.Publix opened the Southeast Coast Headquarters and Distribution Center in North Miami. Two stores opened in Jacksonville. Publix opened the Bakery Plant and constructed the Produce Distribution Center in Lakeland. Publix sales passed $1 billion annually. Publix open ed Distribution Center and Division Office in Jacksonville. Publix Employee Stock Ownership Trust (ESOT) started this year. Publix celebrated 50 years of shopping pleasure. Dairy Processing Plant opened in Lakeland. Checkout scanning implemented chain-wide.It was during the early 1980‘s that Publix started being open on Sundays. Publix sales passed $3. 23 billion. According to Progressive Grocer, Publix‘s 2. 36% before tax net was the highest of top ten super market chains, 2 ? times better than Safeway – the industry leader. Publix opened its first Food and Pharmacy stores in Orlando and Tampa. Publix opened its Dairy Processing Plant in Deerfield Beach. Publix had 400 stores and 74,000 associates in Florida. Publix announced their expansion plans to Georgia and South Carolina.Implemented a company-wide Quality Improvement Process (QIP) and Work Improvement Now (WIN) tools for fact-based decision-making and employee empowerment. Sales were $8. 66 billion. Publix implemented a chain-wide Customer Intimacy program. Publix has sales of over $12 billion and 120,000 associates. Almost 600 stores in four states. Publix was ranked 132 on the Fortune 500. Charlie Jenkins Jr. replaced his cousin Howard as CEO of the company. Publix began opening stores in Nashville Tennessee. Publix makes initial investment in Crispers restaurant chain Publix develops ? oncept-stores‘-Greenwise & Publix Sabor ; Sales equal $20. 7 billion Publix stock splits one to five. Publix opens walk-in medical clinics at select grocery locations in Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Publix further expands with 6 new store openings between June and August: Huntsville, AL; Atlanta, GA; Jacksonville, FL(2); Sebastian, FL; Palm City, FL. Howard Jenkins, previous CEO of Publix, has been quoted in the past commenting on his company‘s dedication to customer value, ? Publix people have been working hard, preparing for an even grander vision of our future.Earlier in this dec ade, we committed ourselves to a mission to become the premier quality food retailer in the world. We introduced our own quality improvement process and later adapted a discipline of Customer Intimacy, which is helping us to listen more effectively to our customers. All of these initiatives have engaged the resourcefulness of thousands of associates from every area of our company. Together we are discovering powerful new methods for delivering customer value.? 24 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 THE COMPANY Volume 3, Number 4A key differentiating factor in Publix‘s success formula can be attributed to the philosophy of its founder, Mr. George W. Jenkins who stated that ?†¦ some companies are founded on policy. This is wrong. Philosophy, the things you believe in, is more important. Philosophy does not change frequently †¦ and is never compromised †¦ we attempt to adapt a philosophy in such a way as to allow ordinary people to achieve the extraordinary †¦ to reach higher†¦ to look upon average with disdain.? The philosophy of caring for people has been embedded in Publix‘s corporate culture throughout its stores.Publix associates understand that they are not just in the grocery business but also in the people business. Therefore, taking care of associates, customers, suppliers, and community members is important to Publix people and the communities which they serve. Publix‘s Mission Statement very clearly states that Publix is passionately focused on customer value. Publix is committed to satisfying the needs of their customers as individuals better than their competition. Also, research shows that the majority of supermarket shoppers shop and visit supermarkets on a weekly basis.So, building a relationship with customers is a necessity as opposed to a luxury in order to stay aware of their needs and expectation. Publix associates are encouraged to interact with their customers on an hourly basis. Publix associates constantly attempt to keep their fingers on the pulse of the customer in order to get immediate and local feedback. One of the District Managers in the Central Florida region used to encourage, and in some cases require, his department managers to learn at least two customers‘ names, every day through face-to-face introduction and interaction.This is important because Publix employees serve their own communities and through this face-to-face interaction they can better determine customers‘ needs, wants, and desires faster than any research firm could ever do. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS At Publix, everything they do revolves around pleasing the customer; this is why they have enjoyed the kind of success they have had since the 1930's. Bill Fauerbach, Vice President of the Miami Division, said ? only we can give our customers a reason to shop elsewhere.?The President of Publix, Ed Crenshaw, during his first year in the office introduced four success driv ers for the company. The four drivers are: knowing the business, knowing the product, knowing the customer, and continuously training people. As a result, every department implemented different means of doing a better job with these four success drivers. A philosophy of employee appreciation has been embedded in the culture of the organization; so when the upper echelons visit retail stores, especially during appreciation week, they make it a point to personally see and thank every associate.One obstacle Publix is faced with is strong competition in the supermarket industry. For example, Wal-Mart, now the #1 retail grocer in the world, is opening major supercenters throughout Florida. However, Publix is not willing to concede their customers to the competition. As long as they take care of their customers better than anyone else, they will do well. The new generation of Publix leaders understands that complacency is their number one enemy; therefore they continue to focus and improv e on factors which have made them successful in the past.They further understand that delivering superior customer value is a race without a finish line in today‘s fast-paced world. Therefore, they never lose sight of caring for people, delivering quality products and service, and excellence in everything they do. They understand that people need recognition and sincere thanks for their hard work and commitment to the company. Publix has invested heavily in developing an internal professional development curriculum to develop associates‘ skills and help them assume greater responsibility and leadership roles at Publix.Most employees begin working for Publix at a young age and tend to stay there after college. While a college education is very important for leadership and management positions, Publix provides many continuous development opportunities and on-the-job training for their associates. The philosophy of Publix is not just to satisfy and delight customers one tim e; customers must be satisfied, delighted, and excited every time they visit or shop at their store. Publix associates are taught that customers are their most valued assets whom must be welcomed, cherished, and appreciated.Publix associates understand that if they cannot satisfy customer‘s requirements and meet their demands, the customer will cease to do business with them and may shop with other retailers. They remember that if they, as Publix associates, don‘t offer a great shopping experience for their customers then someone else will. Therefore, besides discussing many other valuable concepts, all retail associates are taught the 10-Foot and 10-Second Rules to help them quickly acknowledge customers. The 10-Foot rule states that one must acknowledge all customers that are within ten feet 25 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007Volume 3, Number 4 of one‘s surroundings and the 10-Second rule states that these customers must be acknowledg ed within ten seconds of entering into the service counter area or the 10-Foot zone. Research in the supermarket industry indicates the factors that affect customer loyalty: ? ? ? ? ? The largest percentage of customers (68%) leave if they perceive an attitude of indifference. Some customers (14%) leave because they feel they can find better quality products and services elsewhere. Customers (9%) shop elsewhere because they think your prices are higher than your competitors.A few of the customers (5%) become friends with people who work for a competitor and take their business there. Some customers (3%) leave because they move to a different area. Publix Associates are also encouraged to use their daily observations, customer feedback, survey evaluation, and other data to improve their jobs, better serve their customers, and make Publix a better place ? where shopping is a pleasure. Publix teaches the principle of ? deliver plus 1%? which states that you must consistently meet your customers‘ shopping needs and then exceed their expectations by improving your service one percent.They believe in positively surprising the customer by over-delivering on what customers value. This principle further states that when you make a promise to a customer, you must be consistent and deliver all the time. It means before exceeding your customers‘ expectations, make sure you are satisfactorily meeting their needs. And if you promise any extra services, make sure you deliver as promised. Finally, Publix rewards top-notch service by implementing an awards program which shows associates how much management values their efforts to provide delightful service to customers.Delightful Service Awards are given for customer service that is over and above the minimum standards listed on the Observation Sheet for the area. Associates are expected to provide great customer service as part of the job requirement. The awards are given to associates who make the extra effort to delight customers who shop at Publix. To receive a Delightful Service Award associates must provide delightful service to a customer in a way that is formally recognized by either the customer, by a ? mystery shopper? who is purposely appointed by district management, or by a member of the store management team.Associates are trained and encouraged to set personal goals for themselves with regards to better serving customers and exceeding their expectations. They are asked to find out what they can do to increase and improve their personal commitment to customer intimacy. They are encouraged and rewarded for setting goals to increase their awareness of customers as well as customers‘ wants and needs. It is through these types of programs and committed people that Publix is able to offer its employees an environment ? where working is a pleasure? nd its customers an environment ? where shopping is a pleasure.? Publix associates‘ success with customers originates from the ir belief that no sale is final or complete until the meal is eaten and fully enjoyed. Then, they have made a positive and lasting impression. Publix‘s guarantee, which every associate is aware of, reads that ? we will never, knowingly disappoint you. If for any reason your purchase does not give you complete satisfaction, the full purchase price will be cheerfully refunded immediately upon request.?These are not just words to live by but they are moral imperatives for retailers which have made Publix the successful and innovative giant it is today. According to Howard Jenkins, member of the Publix board and retired CEO, ? growth is the end result of a simple equation. As each of us continues to please our customers, more customers will look to Publix for their shopping needs. We must never lose sight of exactly what those needs are.? Keeping their sight on the changing needs of their customers and effectively filling those needs have paid big dividends for Publix‘s cons istent growth and achievement over the years.As a result of the its continued efforts to grow through providing superior customer service and developing and retaining content employees, Publix was once again announced in 2005 a ? 100 Best Company to Work for? by Fortune magazine. Publix also received its 13 th award by Fortune Magazine as a ? Most Admired Company.? CURRENT TRENDS IN THE GLOBAL GROCERY INDUSTRY As the business world becomes smaller and firms look to expand their reach globally, managers are faced with the task of developing and implementing plans to make the next step to take their firm into the international arena. As 26Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 companies in other industries such as electronics, clothing, and food service have taken their companies abroad, a new trend has begun to emerge within the last decade—grocery chains and supermarkets expanding their companies internationally. The company leading t his trend is Wal-Mart which has expanded mostly to Europe and Latin America. However, this trend has been limited to foreign supermarkets expanding into the U. S. market such as Aldi, Tesco, and Famima. American grocery stores have not been very prevalent in the expansion of the industry globally.Tesco and Famima are looking to bring smaller scale grocery retail stores to the U. S. mostly concentrated on the West Coast in California. Famima, the Japanese grocer will offer Chinese and Japanese items which would be sure to please ethnic food seekers. There are a variety of reasons why some U. S. firms have been prompted to expand abroad. The main reason is because of competition in the form of consolidations of grocers. There are a variety of methods firms in the grocery industry use to reach the global market, the most popular being via acquisitions of smaller stores in the host nation.WalMart and IGA have both expanded their global reach through acquisitions. Tesco has expanded thei r company through the use of joint ventures, acquisitions, stand-alone operations and start-up concepts. Within the grocery industry, traditional grocers are beginning to stock items that normally do not dot the landscape of a grocery store such as non-food items and traditional retailers of non-food items are starting to sell food products. U. S. Grocery stores and supermarkets thinking of expanding abroad also have to contend with the food retailers in the host nations of both local and foreign firms.For example, hypermarkets are well known throughout Europe and Africa and sell lots of goods ranging from home improvement products to frozen foods; a small U. S. supermarket may have trouble competing with this type of store in an overseas market. Also Wal-Mart has introduced their concept grocery ? Neighborhood Center? stores in the U. S. which sell only food products; their strategy abroad involves the large supermarkets, which compete with the local hypermarkets. So not only does a small U. S. grocer have to compete with a local firm, it must compete with other foreign, mainly American firms as well. The rapid growth and development of ? upercenters? as evidenced by Wal-mart‘s grocery industry ascendancy is testament to the viability of hybrid formats (i. e. , grocery and general merchandise). Supercenters‘ sales exceeded $100 billion in 2000 (half of which was accounted for by the grocery side of the store). In another example, domestically, Wal-Mart has begun to add new organic food products to its shelves to attract more upscale buyers that would normally attend specialty organic markets or upscale supermarkets. In addition, the legendary furniture producer Ikea has recently decided to expand it specialty-foods segment and will begin selling the items in its stores.The firm has always sold food products and even operates a few restaurants. Retailers also are starting to develop new concept stores which bear the name and likeness of the parent store but cater to a particular ethnic group or food trend. Publix has their two chains, one Latin-oriented and the other organicoriented. Wal-Mart has also developed and expanded their ? Neighborhood Market? limited grocer concept. Over 20,000 new items are hitting the market every year and understanding the value of each product to each customer is no easy task.Therefore, the value of understanding, anticipating, and determining consumer preference cannot be overestimated. Changing effectively is a matter of keeping up with the demands of consumers, offering more value for the customer‘s dollar, being competitive, and creating raving fans. For example, Publix offers readymade meals which are a growing trend abroad, especially in Asia. Other countries view American brands as a welcome addition to their market place. For example, Japan is a large importer of foreign food supplies and a report out of Sweden recently found Japan as a viable market for foreign investment in food products and supplies.Food safety is becoming a major issue in the grocery industry. According to a Better Homes and Gardens panel study, only 20% of the panelists were very confident that the food they buy is safe to eat. Global activist group Greenpeace, has joined two other coalitions-True Food Now and GE-Free Markets-which are trying to convince two supermarket operators in California to stop using genetically engineered ingredients in their private label food lines. According to NBC Dateline investigation, seven of the nation's largest grocery store chains, operating more than 7000 tores in nearly every state, admitted to re-dating meats and fish after they had reached their original â€Å"sell-by† date. In the food retailing industry, leaders are paying more attention to ensuring that food products are safe and produced in a clean environment. According to the corporate quality assurance lab coordinator at Publix, their associates are constantly looking at all the risk factors associated with food quality, as well as food safety, while attempting to eliminate them. Firms in any industry operating abroad and at home must also be aware of health risks.The ever publicized, bird-flu, can affect how companies conduct operations. In one move, Publix announced that in case of a bird-flu epidemic in America, it would think about providing curbside delivery of goods to customers. In light of the health risks present to retailers and 27 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 their food supplies, supermarkets must also craft procurement strategies to ensure the products selected to be sold in their stores are free from exposure to such elements prior to being stocked on the companies‘ shelves.Natural disasters also play a role in food safety as well. When a natural disaster strikes, cities and neighborhoods are often left without electricity and as a result, food establishments are not able to store their peris hable items because of the risk of spoilage and making customers sick. To counter this problem, Publix has prepared all of its South Florida stores for hurricane disasters by installing generators in these stores as part of its ? Business Recovery Program.?This move is seen as a way for the company to remain open during the aftermath of a storm and continue to serve their customers by hopefully reducing lost perishables inventory and helping to ensure that spoiled and tainted food products are not sold to their customers. Today‘s customers are increasingly more concerned and vocal about the quality and nutrition of the food they purchase. According to research, 70 percent of women and 54 percent of men say they consider nutrition to be an important factor in their consideration of food purchases. Once a niche category, organic foods are becoming increasingly mainstream as small, egional organic food-producing companies have been acquired by major manufacturers. Today‘s n utrition-conscious supermarket shoppers are checking labels as never before. The Food and Drug Administration is requiring that trans fat (trans fats are found in foods ranging from partially hydrogenated oils to fried foods, cookies, pastries, dairy products and meats) content appear on all food labels as of January 1, 2006. Finally, some manufacturers are considering the idea of offering ? functional foods? which are fortified with a growing number of popular herbs, vitamins, hormones and other healthy additives.The days of preparing complete meals at home are becoming a distant memory for most working people living in the United States and other developed nations. Today‘s time poor shoppers are opting for prepared foods such as precut produce, cooked dinners, and prepared takeout foods. Also, 77. 4 percent of the respondents purchase prepared foods to eat at home and 49 percent of those who eat at home said they do so because they are more careful about what they eat. It ha s been said that over 40 percent of all consumer spending on food is for meals that are eaten away from their homes.EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING GLOBAL EXPANSION Economic. The economy of the country affects companies if they decide to expand abroad and how they operate. The countries‘ monetary and economic policies could be discouraging to international investment such as currency controls; unstable exchange rates; high external debt, etc. A retail establishment might be affected by unstable currencies which could leave some customers unable to buy the companies‘ products and could hamper repatriation of profits back home. The type of economy a country operates under can also have an impact on foreign firms.For example, command, communist, socialist or market-oriented economies also pose different challenges to the multinational firm, and policies of these various economies will in effect determine companies‘ direction. Socio-cultural. Elements in the f oreign socio-cultural environment will affect decisions to locate abroad. There are various cultural norms that influence consumer behavior, company policies, marketing and product selection such as religion, ethnic norms, etc. The firm must look at new social and cultural trends in the global and country-specific environment and how they affect the market.Some social trends that have emerged in the food industry are healthy foods, organic and natural foods and gourmet take-out. Supermarkets wishing to expand abroad also must take note of regional and country preferences of the consumers in the host nation. What is normally for sale in the home market may be significantly different in the host nation; even more so than the differences in regional areas of the home country. Change is constant and ubiquitous throughout the supermarket industry because customers are becoming more knowledgeable and demanding.In today‘s market-based economy, customers want a variety of ethnic foods that are made with quality ingredients and represent their culture; therefore quality service must be aligned accordingly with the best prices in order to deliver superior value. Political/Legal. One of the biggest factors affecting expansion abroad is the level of political risk of a country and its legal environment. The level of political risk involved and its resultant effect on foreign firms are often taken into consideration before a company decides to locate in a foreign market. A new government may expropriate or nationalize 28Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Volume 3, Number 4 foreign owned property or all of the companies in a particular industry often with detrimental results to the foreign firm. Also governments sometimes pose through their legal system investment restrictions on foreign firms seeking FDI in their countries. This ranges from disallowing 100% ownership by foreign firms in the host country; mandatory joint venture or strategic alliance agreements; and even restrictions on the building of manufacturing or distribution facilities in the new country. Demographic.This particular factor in the external environment relates to ? who will your customers be Will the same demographic segment targeted by the firm in its home country be present in the host nation, such as income, gender, age, education? Are these consumers accessible? Is there a need or want for the firm‘s particular products? For example, will a traditional supermarket with middle class consumers at home have a large demographic base in a village where poorer customers buy produce from open-air markets? How will the characteristics of the intended target group affect operating strategy?All of the questions must be answered and will directly affect the strategy that a company will take when expanding abroad and even will affect the country of choice for the firm. Technological. The firm needs to look at new trends in the industry or related in dustries that will have an effect on their expansion and operations at home and abroad. There is in fact rapid technological innovation in the food-retail industry that companies are starting to take notice of and adopt. Technology which allows customers to be their own cashiers and checkout their own groceries have been around for many years.However, it is only recently that some food retailers are toying with its implementation as a strategic tool to enhance their competitive position and offer better service to the time-impoverished customer. This is because self-checkout technology, which allows shoppers to scan their own items, offers savings to both the shopper and the retailer along with an added convenience. Self-checkouts can serve only a segment of the market which wants to scan their own groceries and have a debit card to pay for their groceries. Check-out efficiency has also been improved by widespread use of debit and credit card payment systems.CONCLUDING REMARK Publix ‘s history shows that they bought seven Grand Union stores in Miami in 1959 and 19 All American stores in 1945 to expand their market share in the Florida market. According to Publix leaders, currently there are no specific plans for mergers or acquisitions. However, they are not against the idea of acquiring another company that fits Publix‘s culture and philosophy. An executive commented that ? If the right opportunity came up we could acquire another company†¦ we may or may not find another company we like†¦we believe in internal growth, building our own stores.?The supermarket industry is becoming increasingly concentrated as large regional chains such as, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, and Albertson‘s dominate their markets Publix‘s current strategy is to steadily grow from within and expand the Publix culture throughout its stores across different states in the United States. If they choose not to go abroad, they better be fully prepared to compet e with global firms that will be planning to invade their market in the coming decades. One must ponder on a strategy of Publix going abroad to gain new market share and to gain the relevant experience to compete with global competitors.Or, Publix can simply prepare to protect its territories from foreign retailers that will be competing with them in the United States. What should Publix executives do and how should be they proceed if they are to maximize the value of their stockholders in the long-term? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Is Publix ready to go abroad? Defend your statement selection as thoroughly as possible. Do Publix managers and employees have the experience to compete in global markets? Discuss. What route if any should Publix take to expand abroad? (Think about joint-venture, strategic alliance, licensing, manufacturing, greenfield, etc. If international expansion is not feasible at this time, develop some alternative solutions to Publix growing successfully am id global competitors. Beyond product selection, what other aspects of Publix‘s operations may be affected by going abroad? What other factors in the firm‘s external environment may affect international expansion for Publix? Is it better for Publix to go abroad and compete in new markets or simply prepare to compete with global retailers that will be coming into the neighborhood? 29 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Exhibit 1 – Stages of Internationalization Volume 3, Number 4Foreign Sales Office Domestic Sales Direct Exporting Foreign Manufacturing Subsidiary Amount of Involvement in the Foreign Country Exhibit 2 – Consolidated Earnings Publix Super Markets, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Earnings Years ended December 31, 2005, December 25, 2004 and December 27, 2003 2005 2004 2003 (Amounts are in thousands, except share outstanding and per share amounts) Revenues: Sales$ Other operating income Total revenues Costs and expenses : Cost of merchandise sold Operating and administrative expenses 20,589,130 155,681 20,744,811 18,554,486 131,885 18,686,371 16,760,749 126,120 16,886,869 5,059,680 4,231,402 13,577,740 3,869,791 12,275,132 3,613,759 Total costs and expenses Operating profit Investment income, net Other income, net Earnings before income tax expense Income tax expense Net earnings Weighted average number of common shares outstanding Basic and diluted earnings per common share based on weighted average shares outstanding 19,291,082 1,453,729 74,293 22,716 1,550,738 561,582 $ 989,156 7,447,531 1,238,840 35,311 20,860 1,295,011 475,628 819,383 15,888,891 997,978 21,926 27,185 1,047,089 386,156 660,933 172,039,137 176,775,733 184,112,742 $ 5. 75 4. 64 3. 59 30 Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 Exhibit 3- Consolidated Comprehensive Earnings Publix Super Markets, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings Years ended December 31, 005, December 25, 2004 and December 27, 2003 2005 2004 (Amounts are in thousands) Net earnings Other comprehensive earnings (losses) Unrealized (loss) gain on investment securities available for-sale, net of tax effect of ($8,484), $419 and $3,174 in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively Reclassification adjustment for net realized gain on investment securities available-for-sale, net of tax effect of ($1,692), ($1,348) and ($800) in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively Comprehensive earnings $989,156 819,383 Volume 3, Number 4 2003 660,933 (13,510) 668 5,055 (2,695) $972,951 (2,147) 817,904 (1,274) 664,714REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. Appleson, G. (2006, August 14). Grocery chains blur retailing lines as they bottle Wal-Mart. Knight Ridder Tribune, P. 1 Awbi, A. (2006, June 16 Tesco Shifts Focus as foreign business booms. Food & Drink Europe. com. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. foodanddrinkeurope. com/news/ng. asp? id=68453. Klintenberg, H. (2003). Japanese Food Market Consumer Market Characteristics, and the foreign entr y situation from a Swedish Perspective. Gotenborg, Dept. of Human and Economic Geography. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. handels. gu. se/epc/archive00003058.Ikea to move into specialty grocery market. (2005, July 11). Food & Drink Europe. com Retrieved August 24, 2006 from http://www. foodanddrinkeurope. com/news/printNewsBis. asp? id=61218 Jackson, J. (2006, April 6). Experts discuss bird-flue response: Publix plan for curbside delivery is an example of how business for the worst. Knight Ridder Business Tribune. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from ProQuest. Mujtaba, B. G. (April 2007). Cross cultural management and negotiation practices. ILEAD Academy Publications; Florida, United States. ISBN: 978-0-9774211-2-1. Website: Ileadacademy. com. Mujtaba, G. B. Johnson, W. , (2004). Publix Super Markets Inc. : Achieving Customer Intimacy. Case 15; pages 375-392. In William Johnson and Art Weinstein‘s book entitled Superior Customer Value in New Economy. Second Edition. CRC P ress. Orgel, D. (2002, June 17). U. S. Supermarket Operators need a foreign policy. Supermarket News. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from ProQuest Database. Pint Sized Imports. Progressive Grocer (2006, May 15). 8, p. 18. Retrieved August 21, 2006 rom ProQuest Database. Publix. (2006, March 2). Publix Announces 4th Quarter and Annual Results for 2005. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from www. ublix. com. Publix. (2006, April 13). Publix Announces Annual Dividend. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from www. publix. com. Publix. (2006). Publix website visited on August 21 2006 at http://www. publix. com 31 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Journal of Business Case Studies – Fourth Quarter 2007 13. 14. 15. Volume 3, Number 4 16. 17. Publix plans natural prototypes. (2005, May 13). South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. bizjournals. com/southflorida/stories/2005/05/09/daily52. html. Grocer to add flavor with Hispanic themed stores. (2005, March 7).South Florida Busin ess Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. bizjournals. com/southflorida/stories/2005/03/07/daily5. html. Ideal Media, LLC. (2006). Restaurant Business: Street smarts for the entrepreneur. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www. restaurantbiz. com/index. php? option=com_content&task=view&id=13355&Itemid=93. Publix. (2006). Publix Super Markets Inc. Annual Report to Stockholders: The Character of Publix. Publix (2006, February 6). Publix and the Little Clinic to open walk-in medical clinics. Retrieved September 16, 2006 from www. publix. com NOTES 32

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Effective Discipline Without Physical Punishment Essay Example for Free

Effective Discipline Without Physical Punishment Essay Contrary to what generations of parents have experienced in their own childhood, physical punishment is not an effective method to use when rearing children. Parents should become educated in other strategies that are non-physical and more effective in curbing misbehavior in children. Positive effective methods would include using timeouts, reasoning, logical consequences and reparation. In its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline means to instruct a person to follow a particular code of conduct, while the purpose of discipline is to develop and entrench desirable social habits in children. These habits are what will enable children to become productive members of society in adulthood. For children discipline is a set of rules, rewards and punishments to teach self-control. Punishments should never do physical, mental or emotional harm when dispensed. Kohn (2005) teaches us that when a major infraction occurs, parents should apply a consequence that has enough symbolic value that it convinces the child not to repeat the offense. Discipline is one of the most important elements in rearing children. The ultimate goal is to foster sound judgment and morals so the child will develop and maintain self-discipline throughout the rest of their life. Through proper discipline, children learn how to function in a family and society that is full of boundaries, rules, and laws by which we all must abide. Effective punishment can enable children to learn self-control and responsibility of their own behavior. Many experts, including The American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] (1998) believe that effective punishment consists of both punitive and non-punitive methods, but does not involve any forms of physical punishment. The punishment set forth by the parents should be effective enough that it reduces the need for more punishment, and decrease the repeat of the offense. An imperative key we learn from Ross (1993) is that the focus be on the misbehavior and not on the punishment. The punishment set forth by the parent or guardian should change the misbehavior in the child, thereby decreasing the chance of any repeats of he misbehavior. A second key from Ross (1993) informs us that parents should keep in mind that part of reprimanding for misbehaving is also reminding children of what is behaving correctly. For the child to learn right from wrong, they need to be informed of what is right. This follow through is as important as the punishment. Building a Foundation To build and maintain a foundation for discipline to become effective, parents will need an assortment of components. The AAP (1998) informs us that there are four key components needed that are essential. First needed is a loving and supportive relationship between the child and parent. Second is a positive proactive system to support desirable behaviors. Third, is a non-combative approach for dealing with the misbehavior. Last, is consistency, parents will need to be consistent in using disciplinary techniques on a regular basis. Should parents fail to discipline a misbehavior or fail to support a desirable behavior upon each occurrence, then the child can receive a mixed message on what is right or wrong. Each of these components relies on one another to become successful as a whole (AAP, 1998). Effective Discipline Methods  Respectful communication between the child and parent is another component. However, this behavior will need to be taught to children as explained by the AAP (1998). Parents can accomplish this by modeling respectful communication themselves. From a young age, the child will begin imitating those that are surrounding them. Thereby the parents modeling the behaviors they seek to have in their children, can accomplish two components in a single effort. In addition, when communicating parents should be specific with their child, rather it is praising for a desirable behavior or correcting a misbehavior. Essentially, parents need to give correction without direction. They should also avoid using abstract language; and state in age appropriate terms that the child will understand. This will avoid confusion on the child’s part on what behavior was incorrect and why it was. According to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health Human Development [NICHD] (2001), for correction through discipline to have a lasting effect, it must have reforming value. Parents will need to be prepared to deal with each misbehavior in advance by having clear defined strategies of effective discipline to use. For success, it is imperative that each punishment given fit the misbehavior. Some of the most effective punishments are also the most time consuming for a parent. Keep in mind though the rewards are by far greater when seeing the child moving through each developmental stage with ease, largely due to the parents continued use of effective discipline. The most commonly used discipline method is isolation or more informally referred to as a time-out for toddler discipline. This consists of temporarily separating a child from an environment where the inappropriate behavior has occurred. The Nemours Foundation (2008a) explains that the theory behind a time-out is that children are frightened by their own lack of control thus leading to a tantrum. Moreover, when given the chance to regain self-control on their own in a quiet place free of distractions, learn to develop internal self-control. Again, follow through is needed, where the parent will explain what the misbehavior was to the child to increase the chances of fewer occurrences in the future. An infrequent punishment to be applied for a misbehavior would be depravation. To deprive or refuse a child a privilege has to equal the severity of the misbehavior. Moreover, children should learn that privileges come with responsibility and be earned. A privilege that is of value to the child, such as watching television or playing with friends, would be a privilege to remove. An example of a mismatch would be a depriving a toddler their favorite television program for a month for forgetting to pick up their toys. The infraction does not equal the punishment; the length of time is too long for the age of the child. An important point for parents to remember when using this method of discipline with very young children is that toddlers generally have very short memories as recommended by Ross (1993). So when a privilege is taken away from a child for two or three days the child may forget about the punishment the second day. Grounding is a form of punishment usually for older children and teenagers that restricts their movement inside and outside of the home. However, bear in mind that extended periods can backfire, causing the child to feel persecuted or picked on and starting a negative retaliation cycle. Many experts including author Kohn (2005) suggest compounding grounding with other alternatives that would allow them to earn a reduction in the grounding period. Likewise, depending upon the nfraction that occurred parents could also increase the severity of grounding by restricting the child from certain privileges in the home as well as outside of the home, like no television or phone calls. Another effective discipline tactic is reparation. Reparation is an active punishment, meaning the child will need to work off the infraction before allowed to do anything else. While working off the infraction the child will have time to reflect over the incident and the subsequent consequence. An example would be an extra chore not normally done by the child, like washing the windows versus picking up their room. Reparation also takes supervision from the parents, where deprivation does not. The Nemours Foundation (2008b) however believes that, of the two, reparation is the more effective of the two punishments. Another effective discipline for older children and teenagers would be the use of logical consequences. This provides opportunities that allow children to make decisions on their own, and incidentally learning to weigh the consequences of their actions. This discipline practice offers both a discipline for the misbehavior and a great building block for children, teaching them to think ahead of instant gratification. Using logical consequences does require some creativity, time and energy on the part of the parents. The net gain is worthwhile because it effectively teaches children lessons in behaving in socially acceptable ways and in becoming a mature, responsible adult. An example would be allowing the child to work off an infraction and because they have done such a good job without complaining, you have given them five dollars. Next, allow the child to make the decision either to use the money to pay off a previous debt to the next-door neighbor for having broken their window or to use it for ice cream later with their friends. When the child chooses to pay off the debt, the parent would give high praise and possibly an additional reward for making such a mature decision. Logical reasoning and positive reinforcement work very well together in producing the desirable results wanted in teenagers. NICHD (2001) points out that a child can learn, that mistakes are an inevitable part of life and that it is not so important that they made a mistake but that they take responsibility to correct the mistake (Nemours Foundation, 2008b; NICHD, 2001). Praise and intangible rewards are a great practice to use when rewarding desirable behavior. Positive reinforcement through praise is something children will receive not just from their parents but also from their teachers, friends and eventually their employer and co-workers. The NICHD (2001) emphasizes that children are more responsive to positive statements; however make sure your compliments are truthful. Children, like adults, will see through false flattery. Reinforcement should also be age-appropriate. Expecting a teenager to change their behavior by rewarding them with stickers is likely to be ineffective. The flip to positive reinforcement is satiation. Satiation is the term used to describe a situation of a reinforcement losing its effectiveness. For example, if a child is receiving sweets as reinforcement, it is likely that after an extended period of time they will tire of the candy thus losing effectiveness. Satiation can also occur if too much reinforcement is being used, as pointed out by the Nemours Foundation (2008b). An example would be, earning up to ten minutes of playtime a day might serve as reinforcement for a longer period of time, versus being given the opportunity to earn an hour of play time. Examples of positive reinforcement for younger children would be hugs, special time, unique privileges, etc. , for encouraging good behavior (Nemours Foundation, 2008b; NICHD, 2001). Corporal Punishment and the Negative Effects The most disconcerting form of punishment is physical punishment. Physical punishment has negative effects, both mentally and emotionally on every living being in this world. Moreover, when physical punishment is applied to children for a misbehavior it severs no reforming valve. A child’s mind will not understand the context to what is right or wrong. They will only know pain, fear, and the fear will grow and overshadow logical reasoning. When a parent strikes a child, they are communicating to the child that they are bigger, stronger and entitled to be violent. When the child grows up, they will feel that they are entitled to act the same way. Parents who use physical punishment as a method of correcting a misbehavior are instilling fear in the child vs. sense of right and wrong. Sanders, Cann and Markie-Dadds (2003) inform us that parents who are at risk of abusing their children are more likely to have unrealistic expectations of children’s capabilities. Physical punishment sends a mixed message to children and reinforces aggressive behavior. According to Vittrup and Holden (2006), when parents model aggressive behaviors by spanking, they reinforce the idea that physical aggression is the way to get what you want. Parents can break away from using physical punishment as a discipline method. It is possible for well-intentioned loving parents to get angry enough with their children to use physical punishment like spanking or slapping. However, this is a slippery slope for parents. Parents see the instant result when the child is three from a spank on the butt and will be quicker to use this method again to achieve the same results, as they grow older. Parents may only mean for the spanking to be a punishment, however many experts state that it is more accurately used as a means of releasing the parents own anger and frustration. Although these parents are well aware that the purpose of discipline is to teach, the danger of using physical punishment repeatedly and abusing the child becomes greater. The AAP (1998) maintains apart from suffering physical pain, the child will also feel as though there is something wrong with them (instead of something wrong with their behavior). This can create resentment, rejection and humiliated. All of which can lead to body and self-image issues in the child later in life. Any form of physical punishment is traumatic and parents should take heed before striking a child. According to the Severe (1996) as well as many other child development experts, physical punishment can provoke violent thoughts in a childs mind and possibly teach them that violence is an acceptable behavior in a relationship. Author Vittrup and Holden (2006) tells us that repetition of physical punishment can make the child immune against it and then it will not even work as a temporary correction method. The AAP (1998) points out that, discipline should be based on expectations that are appropriate for the age of the child, and it should be used to set reasonable, consistent limits while permitting choices among acceptable alternatives. Discipline teaches children moral and social standards. The APP (1998) contends discipline should also protect children from harm by teaching what is safe while guiding them to respect the rights and property of others. Although verbal explanations may help older children understand their punishment, reasoning is ineffective if children are incapable of understanding the explanation. According to Nemours Foundation (2009c), children younger than 18 months are typically unable to apply the context of the reasons for punishment, therefore their overwhelming desire to explore heir environment makes punishment less effective. In the moment of an incident and those immediately following, parents can feel a mix of emotions and they will need to separate their anger before they impose a punishment. The best advice from the Nemours Foundation ( 2009c) to a parent in the heat of the moment during an incident of misbehavior is for the parent to take time to cool down. Telling the child to go to their room will thereby give the parent time to calm down and rationally think over the incident before dispensing with a punishment. The parent can then avoid lashing out in anger or fear. When the parent is clam enough, they can then engage the child and talk over the incident, explaining the why of the misbehavior and what the child’s punishment will be. According to the Vittrup and Holden (2006) yelling, threatening, scolding, and spanking are not considered effective punishments. As these reactions release the parent’s anger, however they have little long-term effect on correcting the misbehavior, and are primarily a release valve for the parent’s frustration. Physical punishment is also a leading cause in the destruction of the trust bonds between parents and children. Some researchers, including authors Kohn (2005) and Severe (1996), have maintained that corporal punishment actually works against its objective (obedience); since children will not voluntarily obey an adult, they do not trust. Children subjected to physical punishment will grow resentful, shy, insecure and or violent. Once the bonds of trust are in question by the child, the entire foundation parents built to form effective discipline in children will be destroyed. Since the core of the foundation is a loving caring environment with trust, the child will feel incapable of trusting the parent in the future. Conclusion Parenting professionals and organizations including the NICHD (2001) are participating in an ongoing effort to change traditional parental use of physical punishment for a means of discipline to more effective non-physical methods. While a major purpose of discipline is to develop desirable social habits in children, the ultimate goal is to foster sound judgment and morals so children will develop and maintain self-discipline throughout the rest of their lives. Children raised in a way that stresses positive non-physical discipline will understand their own behavior better, show independence, and respect themselves and others. These children will then carry forward the non-violent methods of effective punishment onto their children and the cycle will keep repeating for future generations. In many cultures, parents have historically had the right to use physical punishment when appropriate in discipline. However, legislation in some countries has changed in recent years, particularly in continental Europe. Domestic corporal punishment has now, been outlawed in 25 countries around the world, beginning with Sweden in 1979. The United States is not one of these countries; however, through means of education we can evolve and join their ranks. To borrow from Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American Human Rights Activist, character is higher than intellect. It is the choices we make in the moment of the incident and those immediately following that determine our character and set an example for our children to follow.

Impact of Working Time Directive on Employment Relations

Impact of Working Time Directive on Employment Relations Working Title: Enough Hours in the Day? The Impact of the working time directive on the regulation of employment relationships within the UK and France. Research Question: What is the working time directive? How does it purport to effect employment relationships? Will it be implemented in the United Kingdom? How does France deal with it? What are the reasons the UK have such a conservative approach? Literature Review: The review is centred on the Working Time Directive and thus will build on a direct reading of this from primary sources such as the copy on europa.eu.int, this will be complemented by secondary sources such as those of Cooke Hey (1998), Ramsey (1994) and the House of Lord’s Select Committee on the European Union’s response to the Working Time Directive. In attempting to build up a more sophisticated and rounded understanding of the ideas and theories that inform working time in general and the working time directive in particular I will use sources such as Figart Golden (2000), Fagan (2001) and direct readings of the reports of the European Commission on Working Time including the outcome of the current review of the Working Time Directive Opt-Out. A detailed critique with wider European policy will be effected in particular using commentaries on EC Law and it’s emphasis on trade and industry concerns. In reviewing the current situation within the UK I will use reviews of the Working Time Regulations 1998 in particular drawing on Christie (1998), the Income Data Service’s Guide to Working Time (2002) and Rankin et al. (1999)’s excellent guide to the operation of the Regulations within the UK and the changes that they brought to the existing law. I will then review the current position within France, there are numerous sites through which to do research, I can certainly use Figart Golden (2000)’s section on French Working Time and although slightly dated Carley (1991)’s review will help get an understanding of French policy and how it has changed towards working time. There are also numerous academic articles on the web such as those on the Transport News Network website (www.tnn.co.uk), French Law Sites such as www.triplet.com and articles by Sarfati (1999). Further research will be required on this issue in particular looking at pressure groups and governmental responses. In doing this I’ll try and use French language sites such as www.35hh.travail.gouv.fr , www.medef.fr and trade union sites. Obviously these will be supplementary and will require translation. In reviewing the policy objections of the UK to the abolition of the opt-out we will draw on primary sources such as the DTI ‘s recent consultation paper on Working Time (http://www.dti.gov.uk / er / work_time_regs /) as well as the work of pressure groups such as the TUC, Transport General Workers Union, Employer’s Organisation for Local Government and other major employers that would be effected by a change such as Alfred McAlpine. These will give me statistics and sophisticated points of view which I can then critically assess in light of more academic work on working time such as Articles by Christie (1998), Grisenthwaite (1997) and Wynn (2000). We will contrast these to the positive experience of the French in its implementation of a fixed working time week. A detailed critique of the two positions will be required with more academic sources from the journals and books will be required. Further research is required to uncover academic work on the policy arguments in France, whilst Sarfati (1999)’s arguments do shed some light on the issue there is most definitely a need for more detailed research. I believe that research into journals such as the International Company Commercial Law Review and the European Law Review will reveal more information about the arguments. This will be on top of the substantive law information I extract from the sources mentioned above. In concluding I will attempt to draw together the policy stances and implementation methods of the two countries to develop a more holistic understanding of whether there is significant social differences to justify the diversion or whether there can be a unified theory of working time that can be agreed not just in the European context but in the worldwide sense. There will need to be more research done on this issue along the avenues of looking at pressure groups in America (such as the Canadian / American ‘Take Back Your Time’ initiative) and other countries building on the work in Figart Golden (2000) Methodology: There will be some reviewing of primary sources but the work will be academic and theoretical and therefore will largely draw on scholastic secondary sources as I have detailed above. Bibliography: Carley, Mark Working time in Europe : the duration and flexibility of working time in 17 European countries from European Industrial Relations Review Eclipse Group / 1991 Cooke, Peter Hey, Liz – Implementation of the Working Time Directive 1998 ICCLR 164 Christie, David A Brief History of Working Time 1999 SLT 315 Fagan, Collette Gender, employment and working time preferences in Europe Office for Official Publications of the European Communities / 2001 Figart, Deborah Golden, Lonnie Working Time: International Trends, Theory Policy Perspective Routledge / 2000 Grisenthwaite, Michael – Time Runs out on the UK Government for implementing the ’48-hour working time directive† ’ 1997 ICCLR 107 House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union The Working Time Directive : a response to the European Commissions review The Stationery Office 2004 / 9th Session 2003/2004 Income Data Service Working Time 2002 / London: Income Data Service Ramsey, L – The Working Time Directive 1994 EurLR 528 Rankin, Claire, Phillips, Annelise Warren, Martin Working Time Regulations 1998 : a practical guide London Stationery Office / 1999 Sarfati, Hedva – The 35-hour week legislation hotly debated in France www.newwork.com Wynn, Michael Derogations In The Working Time Regulations 2000 CL 166 http://www.dti.gov.uk / er / work_time_regs /) www.tnn.co.uk www.triplet.com www.35hh.travail.gouv.fr www.medef.fr europa.eu.int Signed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9th June 2005 Date Rec’d.Supervisor:

How does Geography Affect Foreign Policy?

How does Geography Affect Foreign Policy? Plays Geography a vital role in International Relations? Is geography only refers to oceans, lands, animals, plants, atmosphere or more else? It has been a relation between geography and the historic progress of the states? These were some of the questions that came to my mind during the research. The purpose of this essay is to analyze which is the relationship between geography and International Relations, in order to achieve this goal; I focus on certain time periods to understand its relationship. First, I will start to explain the key concepts that I will use in this paper; these concepts are geography and International Relations. International Relations is the study of human interactions through national borders and the factors that affect those interactions. As one of those factors that affect mans interactions, are geographical factors. When we refers to Geography, it means the study between the Earth and its characteristics and is divided into two main branches-Human geograp hy and Physical geography. Geography not only means lands, oceans, animals, plants, it also refers to population, settlements, social traditions, human migration, economic activities etc. During many years those geographical features have impacted on international actions. Geography has been an essential tool for examining International Relations. It has been developed and tested as a tool of politics for centuries. During the prehistory, the cultures settlements were based on geographic areas that allowed them to develop sustainable economies; such as rivers valleys, which were lands very fertile and provided them to develop transport and communications, If the geographic space resulted insufficient for their survival, they conquered other territories and annexed them to the original one, or also they could lose it by the action of other cultures motivated by the same causes. Moreless geography was deeply important in understanding the first forms of social organization and its int eractions with other civilizations. During Ancient area, philosophers such as Hippocrates, Hecateus, Parmenides, and Aristotle focused on the effects of climate on mans political culture. They believed different climates created differences in civilizations and in the military characteristics of nations, for example, the more extreme the temperature differences, the more warlike the society. 1 While in the 19th century some scholars especially in German schools but also American schools started to explain the dynamic complexity of human geography. Its proponents felt that the political boundaries and political structures which existed in the world were the product of natural laws. Thus, international relations were thought to be subject to and the product of the operation of these laws 2. They created a science to explain the relationship of geographical features and politics called Geopolitik ( German). A pioneer of this theory was Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1905) who said that the geographical features and natural conditions and especially those big spaces play a important role in states and individuals life, and the society depends in the territory they live and it is determined by natural laws. Also Friedrich Ratzel inspired the theory of the living space (Lebensraum) which is the territory supposedly that requires an state to obtain its survival and self-sufficiency. Thi s was the major political idea of Adolf Hitler during World War and an essential element of the Nazi ideology. It means to have extra space for the welfare and growth of the population and to achieve a superior country; this idea was basically a motivation for the expansionist policies of Germany. During the Mid-20th century, geographers like Rudolf Kjellà ©n, Sir Halford Mackinder and Karl Haushofer pointed out the influence of geographical factors on the relations of the power units in the international system. This classical theory had a significant impact on shaping policy from Imperial British strategy to U.S. Cold War strategy. An example of this classical theory was the term of heartland, introduced by Sir Halford Mackinder (1861-1947) which explained some conflicts of the period: World War II and Cold war. Mackinders notion of geopolitics can be summed up in his saying: Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland, Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island Who rules the World-Island commands the world 3 The World Island, in turn, is a single slab of land whose all corners can be reached with simple and reliable transport. The railroads and the combustion engine would allow very rapid and even more efficient transportation, that could now surpass the mobility of sea power, tipping the scales in favour of land power. The World Island also contains more population and more of the resources a modern (at the time) economy needs. 4 this world island was considered Eurasia, which include the continents of Europe and Asia. Therefore, Cold War was a conflict enough to present a real evidence of the heartland theory. At that time, Soviet Union was the one who was ruling the heartland, it controlled Eastern Europe and as a result was in a position of threat or influence around the whole world. Also in there were located the major oil resources, a key resources of that period to develop military power, and as I said before, the world island was reached with simple and reliable transport, but they need sufficient oil resources to develop an efficient transportation. As result British foreign policy and U:S:A foreign policy was toward this major potential threats. Therefore its main objective during this period was lo limit the expansion and influence of the Soviet Union. Finally, the end of communism, post-communist states started to develop its economy and created stables institutions. This region became one of the most powerful economies; some scholars began to analyze its political and economic results and considered that the geographical proximity to the West has exercised a positive influence on the transformation 5 of this powerful community. Geography was a tool in the EU decision-making process. Currently geography stills playing an important role on international relations. In the 21th century International Relations have facing other issues, making that some geographical factors lose their relevance. Topography, climate, and natural resources affect political outcomes during the first decades. During the 19th territory was a key element but with globalization territorys view has changed. Now, new theories have tried to give explanation, to subjects like the Iraq War, the emerging markets of China and India, the nuclear issues of Iran and No rth Korea, the different allegiance of regions: APEC, ASEAN, MERCOSUR, the conflict between Israel-Palestine, the oil reserves, Climatic Change, the water supplying among others. Geography shapes states attitudes and constraints political decisions. Currently Foreign Policy has been influence by geographical features like: human immigration, population growth, economy activities, food security, water and energy supply, environmental issues. My conclusion is that every nations geography affects its view of itself and it s view of the world. This essay tests that geography gives insights into the political dynamics. Geography is a permanent feature that has impact on human interactions. Each period of time has been influenced in different ways by geographical factors. We cannot exclude geography to understand internationals relations, modern geography is not longer only physical aspect it is also about human organization of the earth surface, and there is still more situations left that can explain the relationship of geography and international relations and its important role in this field.