Abnormal Psychology Assignment

The textbook also explains four mechanisms that help people deal with adversity and foster a good mental health and defines good mental health as the presence of cognitive, social and emotional functioning. Early Childhood From the individual level, the textbook gives several examples of risk factors. Was lucky enough to not have any behavioral, socio-emotional, cognitive or biological risk factors that were present in the earlier years Of my life that I am aware of. However, my younger brother was diagnosed with a learning disability.Although it didn't affect me directly, some of my friends teased my brother and in turn, affected the way thought about myself in relation to my family. In the family domain, I was raised in a dual-parent household. The textbook states that a single parent household is a risk factor. My parents rarely fought and they have a loving relationship to this day. I would like to say that this is a protective factor. Having the support of both of my parents rea lly fostered my self-esteem and my sense of well-being. This became very evident in middle school when I struggled with my friendships.My parents were always there to support me. When I was very young, my parents were unemployed for a few years. As a protective factor to offset the employment and no income, my parents were able to monitor me and I excelled in my academics for most of my childhood. My parents immigrated to Canada one year before I was born. They were fearful of what would happen when China was given back control of Hong Kong in 1 997, which is where my parents are from. Therefore, they came to Canada to avoid the politics and start a new life for themselves.Coming to a democratic country was a big change for them as well as any children they were going to have. I have grown up without the same pressures and rules that may have been imposed if my parents had stayed in Hong Kong. My self-esteem may have been hindered drastically and may have been more afraid to speak o ut on certain matters because of the way the government is run. The fact that politics is no longer a worry in my early childhood significantly reduced the amount of stress I would've felt had been living my parents' home city.The textbook mentions democracy as an example of a protective factor in the socio- political level. The school system in Hong Kong is also much more stressing on a child even from an early age. Everyone is very competitive in Hong Kong and I'm not sure that would have enjoyed growing up in that type of environment as the pressures to succeed would have been a lot to handle. Was able to develop in a relatively low-stress environment until high school. Mid-childhood Throughout elementary school, I had many friends, which created a great environment for me to develop the skills that were necessary to my social functioning.A presence of social, cognitive and emotional functioning are factors that are part of the definition of mental health. As I moved to middle sc hool, maintained a small group of friends who were positive role models or me. Through the later years however, I was unable to connect with my peers. Some of them had different interests and some even went as far to abuse substances. This particular risk factor is delinquent peers. I never partook in these interests because never needed to turn to substance abuse to get through school and I wasn't interested in the same things as everyone else was.I enjoyed learning and the middle school I attended fostered my cognitive functioning. Because I didn't follow the norm, another risk factor was present in my life; peer rejection. Towards the end of middle school, I ad few friends whom I could trust and was quite shy. I was bullied because of my ethnicity and also because of the fact that I came from a less wealthy background than my peers. This in turn affected my self-esteem and is a large factor in a person's mental health. Although my self-esteem around my peers was not great, I was quite confident in my cognitive and academic abilities. As given many opportunities for personal growth such as being put into a special advanced math program. This helped me lessen the impact of risk factors that I encountered in the peer and school domain. Community articulation also played a huge part in why my self-esteem was still positive. Was involved with extra-curricular outside of school, which allowed me to distance myself away from the risk factors I encountered at school. I had another group of friends could depend on for being positive role models and to foster positive peer relationships.My parents continued to monitor me because they understood that I was going through a tough time with friends in middle school. Because of these factors, they asked me if I wanted to attend the high school in my neighborhood. By moving schools, this allowed me to completely start over and virtually eliminate the risk factors that came with attending this middle school. Early adolescen ce During high school, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and develop resilience to many risk factors because I had found new friends who fostered a positive school climate and positive peer relations.My friends in high school actually cared about school and would encourage me to do my best. They also got me involved in many extra-curricular at school. We connected on many different levels and I was able to enjoy life more without having the terrors that had in middle school and improve upon my social connections. The ability to enjoy life and social connections are two positive mental health components that are defined by the Canadian population Health Initiative (pig. 473).Towards the end of high school, my grandmother was diagnosed with mild depression after my grandfather committed suicide. Both of them were struggling with a mental illness. My entire family was unaware of the mental health condition that my grandfather was in after he was diagnosed with cancer. This put huge stress on my mothers mental lath as well as my own as care dearly for both my grandmother and my grandfather. Currently, grandmothers mental illness is another risk factor that is present in my life. My grandmother is incapable of taking care of herself due to her severe arthritis.My mother took on the administrative work to get her moved to a care facility but our entire family puts a lot of time and energy to see her. This has put stress on everyone including myself. She does not show many signs of improvement and still struggles With mild depression. Current When came to university, I moved out of my parents' home and into a accidence. My apartment mates were my peers at the time. They were delinquent peers and I mostly kept to myself at home. I like to keep things quite neat and the state of our apartment was too much for me to handle.My apartment mates would come home late at night, which would often disrupt my sleep due to the high noise level. To offset the amount Of str ess I experienced, I turned to community involvement. Got involved with Foot Patrol, Winter Carnival and the Chinese Student Association. This allowed me to distance myself from the risk factor because I would be spending less time t home. All the extra curricular involvement enhanced my self-esteem and self-efficacy and had the opportunity to develop myself as a person and grow.The friends met through community involvement had great future aspirations and would always encourage me to plan for my future. This is another protective factor. At the time, I was still unsure of what stream of business wanted to focus on. The uncertainty was a major stress factor in my life but I recently decided to pursue marketing. Next 5 Years will have student loans to pay off which is a significant stress. Also face he task to find a place of my own because I will be moving out.I'll have to move to a different neighborhood and make new connections with the people around me as well as the peers that h ope to meet when start working at a full-time job. My parents have started saving for their retirement and that puts enormous stress on my mental health because they will no longer be able to support me. This is a huge change as for most of my life as I was used to being cared for financially. To offset these stress, I will continue to participate as an active member in the community. This will help o strengthen my relationships with my peers and continue to provide me opportunities for growth.Community participation is a very important part of my life and I hope it will continue to be. It develops a person's cognitive, social and emotional functionality, which in turn leads back to a positive mental health. The personal growth that I've seen in myself gives me a positive outlook on my mental health and life in general. In order to offset the stress that will encounter, I will maintain my current friendships and attempt to create new ones. Will also maintain the strong family legisl ations have developed over the past few years.

Is Helmut Newton’s Photography Artistic or Pornographic? Essay

Abstract Photography is a very interesting media to convey messages, feelings and opinions, and leaves a wide range of styles and methods how to do so. The photographer Helmut Newton developed a way to show his own imagination of reality and express his feelings, which is criticised by many people, for as some do not see the art in his work. They rather accuse it to be pornographic. By looking at the development of his work over time and the true meaning of his pictures, the legal side of publishing these pictures and the reproaches of his so called greatest enemy, the feminist Alice Schwarzer, I tried to show how the question whether Helmut Newton’s work is artistic or pornographic is related to a created war between sexes, the battle between Newton and Schwarzer. Whilst there are many books about photography, I only could find a few information about Newton’s work, mainly taken from his own autobiography, for as public places, such as libraries did not had any material. I guess this is because of the context of his work. Nudity does not seem to be at its right place in a public library. However, I was willing to research Newton’s work in detail at first hand, when I for example went to one of his exhibitions. But this all just showed me how interesting this topic is. For as I only see the artistic material in his work, others totally exclude it from the art-section. This seemed to be a matter of opinion, a matter of choice. My conclusion therefore is based on the fact, that people have their own right to decide what is pornographic, without being influenced by others. (283) Background Information Helmut Newton was born on Sunday, 13. October 1920 in Schoeneberg, Berlin as a son of a wealthy button manufacturer. His father enrolled him in the American School of Berlin, but he was expelled because he chose to dream about photography, swimming, and girls instead of completing his schoolwork. Later on in 1936, Newton started working on his career as a photographer and became an apprentice at the studio of the famous and well known Berlin photographer Yva, whose real name is Elsie Simon. He completed his placement after two years. Because of the great pressure of the National Socialists on the Jewish society, he left Germany in 1938 to go to Singapore, where he accepts a position as a photojournalist for the Singapore Straits Times. However, he was fired two weeks later due to incompetence.1 After spending a couple of years in Singapore without work, trying to â€Å"sleep himself† through life, he lost any professional ambition. He had indifferent opinions about photography . In 1940, being only 20 years old, he got carried off to an Australian internment camp. As there was a change of government, he left the camp and after he was discharged from the army, Newton first changed his name from â€Å"Helmut Neustaedter† into â€Å"Helmut Newton† and then opened a small photography studio in Melbourne. In 1948, Newton married the actress June Brunell, which started in 1970 her own photography career under the name of Alice Springs. Newton began contributing fashion photos to French Vogue in 1961 and continued to do so for twenty-five years. During this time, he also was a regular fashion contributor to Linea Italiana, Queen, Nova, Jardin des Modes, Marie-Claire, Elle, and American, Italian and German Vogue. Introduction Helmut Newton recently had an exhibition in the NRW-Forum, Dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½sseldorf, Germany to celebrate his eightieth birthday. It was called Helmut Newton-Work and it included his 200 favourite pictures from the three most important areas – fashion, nudes and portraits- from his last forty years of work, but arranged by his wife, June Brunell, who is said to have a major impact on Newton’s photography. As his work has fascinated me over several years and I had shown great interest in this photographer from the moment I first saw his work, for me the pictures presented in the exhibition were unbelievable fascinating and they held my attention for ages. I looked at every detail and interpreted them and made up my own little stories, to find out what lies behind these pictures. They really impressed me and inspired me, giving me lots of ideas I would like to try out in photography myself. Photography is a great method to mediate and convey messages, ideas and emotions. For as I know that to give a photo the right expression you have to be talented and skilled, I can say that Helmut Newton is one of the most talented photographer, as he creates such an extensive and controversial work. However, I should add that, from what I have read of Helmut Newton himself, I am disgusted by him, his character and his beliefs, but this does not change my opinion about his work as I am still fascinated by his pictures. I am thrilled of the way he uses his surrounding to create this famous and special atmosphere in his pictures and often caught myself wishing to be set into pose by him one time. People’s opinions however, tend to be different when it comes to Newton’s work. Some people, mainly women, feel offended by his pictures or at least are not happy about the idea Newton uses to mediate his massages. I went to the exhibition with my mum and afterwards we both argued about which of these pictures should be allowed to be published and which should not, and we certainly did not come to an agreement where the line is, that should not be crossed. â€Å"The phenomenon Newton would be not conceivable without the women’s movement.† (Bild) The women’s movement has developed and grown during the period of Helmut Newton’s career. Now feminist criticism is established in universities, in parts of the media, and in the minds of many people in everyday life. Whilst I really enjoy Helmut Newton’s work I am aware of feminist criticism of it. Many of them title his work as voyeuristic and pornographic. It is in the context of these ideas and theories that I need to work out my own thoughts. â€Å"This woman cannot run away, not even before Newton’s fantasies.†2 (Alice Schwarzer) There have been many writers and commentators on Helmut Newton’s work, but I have decided to focus on the writing of Alice Schwarzer, whose words are quoted above. For me, these anti-Newton writings represent the best known and most extreme reaction against the photographer’s work, especially in Germany. Is Helmut Newton’s photography artistic or pornographic? This is my research question. My hypothesis and thesis and argument is that Helmut Newton’s work is not pornographic. My belief is that the answer to this question lies with each individual. Therefore, I will argue that the photographs are not pornographic for me. However, Alice Schwarzer made it very clear, that they are indeed pornographic to her, and it is also clear that she would like to persuade me and all her other readers to take the same view. For me, I am not interested in trying to persuade others what to think, but simply, in exploring my own responses to the work. In this way, I feel that I am close to Helmut Newton’s own point of view in that his art is made for himself. Main Body / Development Pictures can influence the perception of the true reality better and more effective than words. This concept was already followed by the Old Testament picture prohibition, which consists of the commandment â€Å"Thy shall not make for yourself an idol3†. However, this did not mean, that there was no allowance for art, as the religious started to use symbols (such as the white dove symbolises the Holly Spirit) to make their point. Pictures transport messages and raise emotions. And in our modern media society the dependence of simple visual perception and its power increases. The actual meaning of a picture, however lies rather in what kind of different details in the photo cause different feelings in our selves than just its outer look. That is why the meaning and the emotional message is dependent on the person who is looking at the picture, as the personal perception and the experience of life play a major role in deciding what we observe as reality. This person then may decide, whether the artwork he or she is looking at is artistic or not. Deciding on whether something is artistic, we first have to define the word art. Although today there is no universally accepted definition of art4, I would define art as an imitation of reality and an expression of what the artist feels. An artistic arrangement, design etc. therefore looks attractive and has been done with skill and imagination.5 Our interest in art involves aesthetic evaluation, which might be positive or negative. Not just the viewers but also certain artists have different opinions of what is beautiful and artistic and how it should be expressed. Although Newton does not want to be seen as an artist (â€Å"this fine-art crap is killing photography, in my vocabulary, art is a dirty word.†6), looking at my definition of art and his statement â€Å"I use what God gives me, but arrange the world the way I like it.†7 would prove him wrong, as God gives the reality and Newton’s feelings arrange his own world. It is said that an artist develops his own style through a creative reputation. For the artist therefore a sure measurement of achievement is, when the work produced continues to stay in our minds even a long time after we first got into contact with the works surface charms. There are many people, that see these surface charms as a barrier from looking deeper into Newton’s photographs. For them, his pictures still cause accusations of sexual voyeurism. In today’s life, nude pictures involving any kind of human being whether black or white, young or old, stand in the shadow of political and moral disapproval it could never hope to support. But why criticising and abusing Newton’s work as voyeurism, if it is said that distance generates mystery and enchantment?8 Though it is not just Newton’s own work that bashes people, but more or less his influence, the influence on the viewer, the outside, the society. Newton is said to be one of the best fashion photographers of his time. He often surprises us with work that goes far beyond what an magazine editor would require. It all began in Paris in 1961, when he started his career at the French Vogue. It is a well known fashion magazine for women, that often shows the way women are looked at. A few years later, the simple fashion photos became more taboo-braking as he used implications of bestiality9. One example of this is the series he produced in the American Vogue in 1975. There, women with metal chains were presented in leather cloths, the reputation of fashion being clean and light was destroyed by a single picture series showing dirt and dark colours on the skinny bodies of the female models. Although the women were so powerful illustrated, they had a sense of submissiveness to the viewer. These pictures were telling a story; a story that was different from mind to mind. It was different to what people were used to. This was not just fashion photography anymore. It was new and it was created by Newton. Fashion photography started in the early 20th century and is said to create an image of the society, reflecting the reality and creating an important role that women play in it. It is used to sell the product that it displays, using the agency of temptation and the desire they inspire. From the start, fashion photography had close similarities with portraiture and it was not clear, where the dividing line between these two categories laid. But as no other photographer did, Newton succeeds in overshooting these lines between fashion and portraiture, combining it with nudity and nearly dissolve these lines, so that there is no clear difference anymore. It is not simple to classify a picture of Newton’s to a particular genre, as it often happens that a fashion photo is nude, a nude is fashion and also portrait at the same time. It seems like Newton really enjoys playing with these genres, making it not clear to the viewer which one it belongs to. These created images constantly e voke contradictions. Real and artificial, feminine and masculine, subject and object, nude and dressed, are just some of them. (PICTURES) Women that are once dressed and then undressed again, in the same situations and poses, great, large images of nude women executed in series (such as the â€Å"Big Nudes†, â€Å"Naked and Dressed†, â€Å"Domestic Nudes†) – he developed an infinitive repertoire. Infinitive are also the different poses and situations the models are shown. No other photographer has ever shown the female body in so many different ways, though with the help of unusual material, leaving many imaginary situations, desires and stories, which do all evoke and express his life (and ours) in a miraculous way. This is not typical and certainly not required in fashion photography, however, it is what makes Newton’s work so unique over the past time and compared to other artists work. Therefore we can say, that Newton has always been much more than a fashion photographer not only, because he created this own unique style but also because he insists that concept is more important than cloths.10 He became one of the most famous star photographers in every way. Politician, actors, artist – everyone wants to be set into pose by the master of the oppressive fantasy. He portrayed people from every kind of political and aesthetic matter: Helmut Kohl in front of the German oak, Gerhard Schroeder in front of a brick wall, Andy Warhol in bed and Anthony Hopkins with an evil but mystical look. For me all these different pictures show that he is definitely a figurative artist who has the skill of using the medium of photography to create a unique imaginative world. (PICTURES) A remarkable change to the view of fashion photography happened in the years between the sixties and eighties. In this decade years of extreme creativity and productivity were created and it was during these years that the unique originality of Helmut Newton’s vision took shape, that is to always try to find a new concept of beauty. In his tending to be aggressive and provocative photos, Newton reached the point where he displayed the difference between the sexes to such an extent that many parts of the society, mainly feminists, titled him with the presumption of misogyny and grouped together to make a clear stand against him. Although Newton always tried to imagine and visualise women exactly as they are. He seems to be interested especially in presenting those women that are not following but leading themselves, women, that desire and love whomever and whenever they like, most important in whatever way they like. He shows women that have command upon their own bodies and ar e free and willing to present them in this powerful way, that he is most famous for, women who are both responsible and willing.11 Newton insists on the question: â€Å"How do we see the women?† Definitively, he has already left his answer for the world. The phenomena Newton would also not be considerable without the women’s liberation. Looking at Newton’s work from the beginning, one can see that parallel to his development of photography in the past forty years, the women rights and therefore their self-confidence has also changed. Women became more self-confident and independent and claim their rights of their own body. This development is visible in the art work of Newton. Whereas the women in Newton’s photos from the 70s and the beginning of the 80s look less confident with their eyes slightly to the floor looking bashful into the camera, the women of the 80s and 90s radiate self-confidence. A development that Newton could not influence. Looking at that perspective, one could see Newton’s work as a mirror of our time, reflecting the past and the history. (PICTURES) Accused of treating them like objects, called misogynous, porno-chic or perverted, the photographer has never been afraid of crossing the frontiers between moral and aesthetic and in his way, reinvent concepts such as the feminine, eroticism, sexuality and power. Ironically, it is the feminine side, that accuses and dislikes Newton and his work the most, although it is him who seems to command and admire women to a great extend, just as he wants the viewer to admire and love them. The war between the sexes (PICTURES) One woman became very famous because she raised her voice against this man, that uses the power of popularity and might to present his fantasy, feelings and thoughts in a way that no one else has done before, using the female body to illustrate all sorts of situations. Here, we are talking about a war between the sexes, a war that has not found an end yet. It is an continues back and forth in propaganda and cross propaganda between the most famous photographer, Helmut Newton, and the most famous German feminist Alice Schwarzer. It is she who accuses him of supplying propaganda material to this war of sexes, giving higher doses year after year. Alice Schwarzer was born in1942 in Wuppertal, Germany. She lived with her grandparents, who took great care of her. It is said that she had the best relationship with her granddad, that she had ever had with a man. In 1970 she became a member of the Paris women’s liberation (Mouvement de Liberation des femmes, MLF). After she moved back from France to Gerany, she then became a liberal author until the 26.January 1977 were she found EMMA. EMMA is a bi-monthly magazine that comes out the last Thursday of every even month. It is available in every German-speaking country at large news-stands. Read by about 120.000 people EMMA is the only magazine for women published by women in Europe. Until now, Schwarzer is still its editor-in-chief and publisher. She has written many books and articles, where she mentioned the work of Helmut Newton, where she asked other women to stand up for the women’s right and especially, to stand against this so-called voyeuristic photographer, Helmut Newton. One article is directly written about Newton’s work. It was published in EMMA 6/1993 and also in Schwarzer’s book â€Å"Alice in the men’s world – an interim balance†12. In this article, Alice Schwarzer definitely makes her point and opinion clear. There is no sympathy to Newton, no admiration, not a single positive statement. She lists every point that she can mention in a negative way and finds interesting methods to relate his voyeuristic, sadistic and pornographic work to Newton’s past. It happens in her article, that she draws the readers attention to the fact, that Helmut Newton is descended from a Jewish family and that his first photography teacher, the by him admired and famous Yva (whose rea l name was Else Simon), was later murdered in Ausschwitz. She relates this fact to his alleged sadistic and black fantasy and is shocked that any respect and honour and pride is missing to what has happened to the Jews in the second world war. She says that his fantasy world is full of offenders in uniform or pinstripes and victims, that have the meaningful expression of being strong. Tall, blond girls, shiny black slaves and greedy mistress, that wait for their masters to get broken down. Basically she is not wrong in saying this as he indeed said in his autobiography, that he was fascinated by the domina and prostitutes and the dark atmosphere that surrounds them at the time he was living in London (1957). But Schwarzer does not only want to explain what sort of women, in her opinion, Newton presents, but she wants to build a connection between his passion for cruel, dominating but beautiful women and his past, the fact that he is Jewish and grew up in a time where pictures were made to produce propaganda. Hitler used posters and pictures to show the Germans whom they shall like and whom they should not pointing at the Jews and declaring them as bad. These pictures showed Jewish people, looking like criminals, explaining the German nation that this is how the people look like that can be ridiculed, carried off and killed. This equation forms a courageous thesis. But, however, you can feel her anti-sympathy for Newton, as she is stunned about the phantasm Newton publishes, where no picture is the product of a better one, only showing the tortured view in the own chasm13. She has the opinion, that Newton’s pictures do not disturb but confirm the existing relations in a world of violence, war and torture. Newton’s pictures are comparable with the fantasy of men and the awe with which the male imagination regards all women. He shows the insecure men a strong, powerful and demanding woman, and these pictures do not ask â€Å"productive questions† but give straight answe rs to the modern society – therefore they are pure pornography (Schwarzer). Pornography, that is what Schwarzer sees in Newton’s work. Pictures, that are made by humans of humans, have an effect of their social and psychological reality – where it does not matter whether it is a pornographic, racist or anti-Semitic picture.14 According to the law, however, representations are only pornographic, if they cause sexual state of arousal to the viewer and at the same time go beyond the agreed limits of the social values to the sexual sense of decency.15 This would mean, that this paragraph serves to the general feeling for decency but not for the safety of the women’s dignity. A point that makes Schwarzer despair. Over and over again she makes that clear. But not only through words, speeches, written articles and books, but also through legal movements she raises her voice to emphasise the importance of this topic. In 1978, Alice Schwarzer sued the German magazine Stern for offence against à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½823 BGB16, that says â€Å"Who offends intentionally or negligently the life, body, health, freedom, ownership or any other right of another in any way, is obligated to compensate the victim for the arised damage†. It was simply the publication of some of Newton’s pictures, (In July 1977 the Stern published a picture showing a naked female backside placed on a bike’s saddle; in March 1978 a naked woman on the beach, covered with sand on the decisive parts of the body; and in April 1978 it was the publication of a picture showing a black female, naked, holding a microphone in her hand, however, being tied up in heavy, metal chains) that caused Schwarzer and many other women to go to court and to sue the Stern. The statement of claim of Schwarzer’s side said, that not only the way and manner of the presentation, but also the summery shows that there is a simple system behind it: The representation of women as an instrument of power. Schwarzer had the opinion she had deciphered a global, male conspiracy, based on a â€Å"gentlemen’s agreement† not to see women as actors but as objects of male controlled art. She also accused Newton to be the leader of this egoistic and little-caring male party, for as not many are as talented and as cold at the same time as he is. However, Schwarzer lost the conflict. The judge saw no conclusive element in Schwarzer’s allegation, more or less because the plaintiffs could not be in force of the personal violation of own law. Women as a group are not able to be collectively insulted, so the judge. The plaintiffs should present their concern to the legislator, as he went on. And that is what she followed the next few years. Her aim is to gain a law against the production, spreading and possession of pornography. In other words: The censorship of Pornography. She demands more rights for women, the right for women to stand up against the pornographic representation of women by artists such as Newton, to stand up for the dignity of (wo-)men with all strengths, because pornography is the propaganda for the degradation of women and has nothing to do with morality (Schwarzer). Following that concept, at the end of the 1987, EMMA got the Anti-Porn-Campaign started under the name PorNO, led by Alice Schwarzer. Being a representative of this campaign means you have to agree with Mrs Schwarzer’s opinion that pornography does support the violence on women and children, as pornography displays women in a humiliated position or rather as pornography is the humiliated act against women. It gives a picture of women that are human beings of second rank, born to be victims, just good enough to be used, taken, raped, and tortured. According to EMMA17, pornographic pictures and movies give rise to the pressure and constraint for women to give themselves away to this humiliation. But the actual centre of the campaign against pornography lies in the argument that â€Å"Pornography causes violence†. And it is so much more than just the expression of the brutality as a whole. To strengthen her thesis, Schwarzer always follows the same pattern when writing her articles. Although still seen morally wrong, women who show their body for published pictures or sell sex are still allowed to continue their trade. Schwarzer asks the women why this has been allowed to continue and gives a straight and simple answer: men. Conclusion Is Helmut Newton’s photography artistic or pornographic? Working on this research question whilst looking at the developed war between Newton and the feminist Schwarzer was really interesting and had taught me many things I had not known before. I have to say it was difficult criticising Newton’s work from the perspective of Schwarzer, as I do not share her opinion. Studying the feminist view on Newton’s work did not hold me away from the belief that his work is fantastic and by all means artistic indeed. Though I do understand what causes Schwarzer’s anxiety, I still do not agree with how she tries to persuade others to acquire her opinion and do not see any value in her argument. However, I respect her opinion for as my belief is, that every individual has to decide on his or her own whether Newton’s work is artistic or pornographic. Art is just the presentation of the visions and fantasies, emotions and thoughts of an artist and should not be doubt by outstanding people, for as I think that Newton only shows the forbidden desire, no one else dares to talk about, whether male or female but still captures in his/her mind. â€Å"I use what God gives me, but arrange the world the way I like it.†18 (Helmut Newton) Appendix The following pictures are added for the reader of this written piece to decide for his or her own whether Helmut Newton’s photography is pornographic or artistic. (PICTURES) Bibliography * Helmut Newton, Autobiographie, 2002, Bertelsmann Verlag * Helmut Newton – Work, Taschen * John L. Tomkinson, The Enterprise of Knowledge, 1999, Leader Books S.A. Publications * Longman Dictionary of contemponary English, Third Edition * Alice Schwarzer, Alice im Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nnerland – eine Zwischenbilanz, 2002, Kiepenheuer&Witsch * EMMA: 1. EMMA 12/1987 2. EMMA Sonderband 5 3. EMMA 06/1993 4. EMMA 07/1978 * World Wide Web: 1. http://www.rpadel.dircon.co.uk/rp_helmut_newton.htm 2. http://www.uol.com.br/modabrasil/london_link/english/helmut 3. http://www.aliceschwarzer.de/content/c1052749630440.html 4. http://www.rpadel.dircon.co.uk/rp_helmut_newton.htm 5. http://www.freitag.de/2000/49/00491501.htm 6. http://www.aliceschwarzer.de/textevon/kernthema_4,html Pictures taken from various websites, but mainly from the google-picture-gallery. Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the help and support of the following people: John Rolfe – for his great help in supervising and supporting me during my study Max van Sambeck – for his information about the legal rights EMMA – for giving me some information about their work and about Alice Schwarzer Regina von Kempis-Kà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ster – my mom, for travelling to Dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½sseldorf with me to see Helmut Newton’s exhibition Helmut Newton-work 1 http://www.temple.edu/photo/photographers/spring03/photographers/heatherprice/newton/biography.html 2 http://www,aliceschwarzer.de/content/c1052749630440.html 3 Bible, Exodus 20,4 4 John L. Tomkinson, The Enterprise Of Knowledge 5 Longman Dictionary of contemponary English 6 http://www.rpadel.dircon.co.uk/rp_helmut_newton.htm 7 http://www.rpadel.dircon.co.uk/rp_helmut_newton.htm 8 Helmut Newton, Autobiografie 9 http://www.rpadel.dircon.co.uk/rp_helmut_newton.htm 10 www.uol.com.br/modabrasil/london_link/english/helmut 11 Helmut Newton – Work, Taschen 12 = â€Å"Alice im Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nnerland – eine Zwischenbilanz† (Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 2002) 13 â€Å"Alice im Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nnerland – eine Zwischenbilanz† (Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 2002) 14 Alice Schwarzer, EMMA 12/1987 15 German law, $184 StGB Strafrechtliches Gesetzbuch (=Criminal/Penal Civil Code) 16 German law, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½823 Bà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rgerliches Gesetzbuch (=Civil Code) 17 EMMA Sonderband 5, page 6f 18 http://www.rpadel.dircon.co.uk/rp_helmut_newton.htm Show preview only

Influence of family on children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Influence of family on children - Research Paper Example The reason behind the role of families in influencing children is explained by the attachment theory. This theory suggests that children derive most of their emotional resources from their interaction with their family members and obtain knowledge and/or awareness regarding the working models of relationships based on the type of ties they develop with their parents. It has been claimed by various researchers that one of the key reasons why families have a strong influence on the children is the fact that the children are strongly attached to their caregivers during their initial years and their relationship with their caregivers is known to affect the manner in which they react to external stimuli and interact with their peers and those around them (Spodek and Saracho, 2006). The structure of family also is one of the several key factors that play a key role in influencing children. According to the family instability perspective - a sociological theory, it is suggested that children of divorced or separated parents have a strong negative impact on the children. The instability hypothesis suggests that the structure of a family shapes the children’s' view of the real world outside their families and help them in adjusting with their external environment. Children of separated or divorced parents are known to face difficulties in coping with cohabitation. It has been observed that households with low socio-economic backgrounds tend to influence their children by instilling some crucial skills. which may prove to be helpful to them in adapting to different work environments. This includes gaining critical skills which may help them shape their creativity and foster a sense of initiative which is imperative for professionals and white-collar workers. Such families deliberately instill values such as obedience to authoritative figures since it is perceived as a critical skill, based on their own personal experiences (Sigelman and Rider, 2011). Research have indicated that children who grow up in divorced households are typically devoid of the conventional parenting i.e. receiving attention and care by their parent, usually fathers, who are

Equity Premium Puzzle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Equity Premium Puzzle - Essay Example Equity premium is meant to cushion stock investors against the risk of losing their investment portfolios (Siegel and Thaler, 1997, p. 195). However, variations in gain between government bonds and stocks are quite vast and yet government bonds also bear some risk especially the risk associated with inflation (Ben-Haim, 2006). People invest their money to benefit from the gain in the value of their assets. However, many people continue to invest in government bonds where there is such small gain than in stock. This has resulted to a dilemma to the economists who have been unable to understand why many people still prefer government bonds despite the huge returns in stocks as compared to bonds (Siegel and Thaler, 1997, p. 192). The investment decision is influenced b perceived risk, investors’ ability to bear risk, investment period, investor satisfaction and utility behaviour. As stated earlier equity premium is the difference in gains between stocks and risk-free assets such as governments’ bond or security bills. The government bonds are believed to bear no risk while ordinary stocks are rated as the most risky venture (Glyn, 2006, p.153). Due to this perception of risk, many people opt to invest their money in government securities where they have guarantee for small gains rather than investing in stocks with prospect for enormous gains but bearing vast risk. Equity premiums are meant to shield investors against enormous threat associated with the perceived loss on investment in the stocks (Siegel and Thaler, 1997, p. 195). This variation is too huge hence economists have never come into consensus as to why people continue to invest in government bonds which normally have low yields compared the stocks. The economists have assumed that investors must have immense risk evading attitude (Ben-Haim, 2006). This is because in the real sense people would invest in stocks which have higher probability for gigantic returns than gains in bonds value. Ho wever, since people would want to keep away from risk of any form, they opt to invest in bonds where they have a better chance to gain than in stocks. The economists have also doubted whether stocks truly bear any equity premium, and whether the real gain from the investment reveal value equivalent to the equity premium (Siegel and Thaler, 1997, p. 193). If this is true then what makes investors fail to invest in stocks which bear gigantic equity risk premiums? The investors’ decisions on what type portfolio they should purchase are either influenced by personal factors or market factors (Ben-Haim, 2006). This has also raised concern over the existence of equity premium puzzle. In Siegel and Thaler (1997, p. 193), the dilemma regarding the investor’s decisions could only be a matter of individual taste and preference which cannot be influenced by the market conditions. This difference in gains between risk-free bonds and stocks investments is explained by economists us ing economic yardstick replica (Siegel and Thaler, 1997, p. 192). To determine this variation economists use â€Å"standard equilibrium model† in which the individual’s willingness to utilize resources vary from one period to another, when the risk deterrence attitude remains unaffected The gauge used in this approach is the comparative risk deterrence factor named A. Therefore, the hypothesis was that a decline in utility by 1% should result to an increase in marginal value of the income of the

Soccer and Basketball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soccer and Basketball - Essay Example The paper will examine the use of the ball in the two sports, the number of players and their positions, the roles of the sports and their durations. Soccer and basketball are among the two most popular sports in the world. While basketball had always been a favorite American game, it was only recently that soccer became a favorite American pastime. This is probably due to the fact that basketball originated from the US while soccer has its origins in Europe. The present craze over football can be attributed to the influence of the World Cup. Although both games have the same objective of getting the ball into the goal post in soccer and the net in basketball, there are many other similarities and differences between the two sports. Although leather balls are used in both soccer and basketball, there are several differences between them. The two sports are different in the type of balls they use and the ways they use the balls. The soccer ball’s circumference is 27-28 inches while the basketball’s circumference in the NBA is 29.5 inches. The ball used in soccer is a thickly-padded and smooth with black and white pen tagonal sections. However, basketballs are orange with thin symmetrical lines. The primary rule in soccer is that players are not allowed to use their hands. Only the goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands. In addition, soccer players can use their heads and their trunks of their bodies. They must try to kick the ball into the opposing team’s goal post by moving the ball without touching it with their hands. If a player touches the ball with his hands, then the other team gets a free kick. On the other hand, basketball is a game where â€Å"two teams of players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground† (Basketball Basics, 2011). Basketball players dribble with their hands. If basketball players touch the ball with other parts SOCCER AND BASKETBALL – A COMPARISON 3 of their bodies, then it is considered a foul. Basketballs can be advanced by bouncing it while running, walking or passing it to a teammate. If a playe r kicks the ball in basketball, the referee blows the whistle and the other team gets the ball. Therefore, each game uses different parts of the body and the objective in both sports is to outscore the opponents. The only way to score a goal in soccer is by hitting the ball across the goal line and every goal is worth a point. Conversely, in basketball, each goal is worth two points. Points are scored by shooting the ball into the opponent team’s net. In both soccer and basketball, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Both soccer and basketball are considered team sports as there are several people playing the games at once. While soccer has eleven players in a team, basketball has five who are allowed to play at one time. However, a soccer team can have 50 players on the roster but a basketball team can only have about 12 and 15 players. In soccer, the players are divided between four positions: defenders, forwards, midfielders and goal keepers. Usually each team has 2-3 defenders or fullbacks who try to block the opposing team’s players from scoring. They play closest to their goal post that their goalkeeper defends. Conversely, forwards play closest to the opponent’s goal post which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. There are normally three forwards who play in front of the rest of the team and are responsible for a team’s scoring. Their primary function is to score goals for their team. The 2 –

Genogram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genogram - Essay Example I became overweight as a child and still as an adult. However, my weight never impaired my abilities to function as I have always had many friends. My aunts and uncles on my father’s side exhibit symptoms of poor diet and low activity. Perhaps learning this behavior was modeling others in my family. Yet I have always considered myself to be a happy individual. This pattern was not something I notice until I performed a geneogram. My sister and I both had our first child at a young age. I believe genetics placed an increase stress on both of our pregnancies. My mother, sister and I all carry the gene that is associated with the development of sickle cell. My mother currently suffers from this disease. Knowing that this disease is present in the primarily females in my family brought an increased stress on both mine and my sister’s pregnancies. My niece was later born suffering from sickle cell. My maternal grandparent’s first child died shortly after birth. However, the cause of death was never quite known in full. In further my stress levels were elevated during pregnancy as I had began my second year of college. During this time period I was told that my daughter suffered from Down syndrome. This was concluded through an ultrasound. Due to my religious background I decided that I would not participate in an amniocentesis test or terminate my pregnancy as this is what the doctor advised. A mira culous blessing occurred when I delivered my son via c-section to discover that he did not have down-syndrome, or any form of a disorder. Instead I had a healthy baby that was perhaps the greatest blessing in my life. Perhaps I am most thankful for the religious upbringing my family provided me. If it were not for these religious beliefs I may not have had the greatest blessing in my life, my son. Further examination of my geneogram demonstrates the strong genetic tendencies towards diabetes exhibited in my paternal genetic composition. The genetic tendencies

Singapores Energy Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Singapores Energy Diplomacy - Essay Example Being an economy with almost no natural resources, the country Singapore is more exposed to the threat of rising energy cost . This threat actually affects the national economy in a huge way. For that reason it is very crucial for the country to take necessary steps so that the energy efficiency is increased. In the month of October, 2002, at the Energy Forum, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Mr. Raymond Lim mentioned that the country would be projecting a three-phase response to combat the energy challenges . The first step, which was proposed by the deputy minister, stated that the industry base of the country should be strengthened by the up gradation and improvement of the oil-refining sector of the country . The first statement also focused on the development of the supporting functions for these oil refineries. The supporting components include promotion of e-business, proper supply-chain and logistic management, a development in the fiel d of information science and promotion of international oil trading. In his second recommendation the deputy minister stressed on the fact that for a country like Singapore, fighting against the energy crisis is important to develop a hub for alternative energy sources . The high-end alternative energy plans, which Mr. Lim proposed, were fuel cell technology and hydrogen economy. These technologies include test-bedding, manufacturing of the system for producing fuel cells and eventually marketing these products.The third and the final proposition focused on the liberalization and the improvement of energy efficiency of the country and also optimizing the usage of the un-renewable energy sources.

Parenting Tips Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Parenting Tips - Essay Example Most parents are still using traditional and outdated parenting skills to raise their children. These skills have proved to be ineffective. For a parent to be good, there are a number of tips that he or she needs know. This paper, therefore, looks at good parenting tips and what makes a good parent. Good parenting tips An effective and very essential tip for good parenting is showing love, not only for the children, but also among the parents. Children do always feel better when they are brought up with parents who love each other. Parents should, therefore, work hard on their love first so as to build a loving family. They should avoid engaging in activities such as dishonesty, alcoholism and domestic violence that might make them unhappy, stressed up and frazzled. It is important for parents to know the fact that children do always copy several stuffs from their elders. Therefore, they need to be the best role model for happiness and healthy adulthood (Swindol 94). Parents need to ensure that their marriage is strong enough to bring the family together. Children need both parents for better development. Therefore, marriage that experiences divorce and separation cases will negatively affect the development of children. In order to practice good parenting, it is essential for parents to put their marriage first before anything else. Parents can strengthen their marriage by developing trust between themselves, being honest to one another, loving each other and being able to sacrifice for better development of family relationship (Swindol 150). Therefore, good parenting is about having happy marriage that children will be pleased with and use the observed partnership as a model for their relationships in future. Another tip for good parenting is ensuring that quality time is given to children. Many parents do always believe that spending a lot of time with their children will interfere with their development and even make them docile (Sukh 17). Creating time for children is very essential for their development. Many parents who are working do always find it hard to create time for their children. Majority of these parents do believe that good parenting is about giving children a lot of cash, which is not true. Good parenting is about creating enough time for the children. No matter how hard the condition might be, parents should ensure that they create time for their children so as to give them their tender care and love. Sukh argues that the stronger the relationship among parents and their children, the better opportunities for effective parenting (18). Sukh highlights that children like being close to their parents and no excuses or any kind of explanation will convince them about the absence of their parents (19). Availability of parents makes children develop powerful sense of worth. It also makes children to understand that they are loved. Parents’ availability makes children know how they are loved. The sense of being loved o r wanted is very essential for children’s psychological development (Sukh 19). Therefore, as a good parenting tip, parents should try their best to always have quality time with their children. How to be a good Being a good parent can be attained in a number of ways. As a parent, it is essential to avoid criticizing children and instead, praise them always. Praising children normally makes them strong and confident in everything they involve in. Confidence can be developed among children by avoiding

Role Model Essay Example for Free

Role Model Essay Dr King is my role model because he fought to change my history. Dr King didn’t only want to see a change happen for his self and others but also for his family. He had a wife Coretta and four children; these were the people who he wanted to see change happen for the most. After King’s death is family wanted to keep his legacy alive because they knew he stood for a good cause. According to the article A king family tribute â€Å"Family and friends remember Dr. King as a role model and dedicate themselves to his mission. Watkins, Dr. Kings niece, has assembled their writings and excerpts from their speeches. All pay tribute to his spirit, abiding faith and dedication to the cause of civil rights, and they affirm their own commitment to following the path he walked, as his nephew, Derek B. King, states. Kings fathers remarks are excerpted from his autobiography. Dr King is my personal role model because is stood for what he believed in. Dr king helped shape my worldview because through his hard work he’s shown me that nothing worth fighting for comes easy. I think a lot of people look over the fact that Dr King wasn’t just trying to change the race problem it stood of many different social issues. In the article Martin Luther King Jr conception of freedom and radical democracy the author states that â€Å"king came to believe that the civil rights struggle needed to expand beyond just racial desegregation in this country, He began to raise his voice against racism militarism, and economic exploitation around the world†. This is another reason why I look up to him because he didn’t only focus on one hing that needed to be changed so saw the importance of these issues and wanted to change them. Dr. king had a career as a pastor which is why I feel he never gave up believing in what he thought was right. The article Martin Luther King cover story gives background on his life â€Å"King was a preacher who spoke in biblical cadences ideally suited to leading a stride toward freedom that found its inspiration in the Old Testament story of the Israelites and the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ. Being a minister not only put King in touch with the spirit of the black masses but also gave him a base within the black church, then and now the strongest and most independent of black institutions†. Like Dr King I believe that everyone should have the right to freedom and equal rights ; However, I don’t know if I could have endured the things that Dr king had to. Once Dr King was thrown in jail because of his protest, I think if I knew I could go to jail because I was protesting I wouldn’t protest. On the other Dr King who have pathed the way for me to be able to use my freedom of speech. I would want to be brave and stand for what I believe in for myself and my family just as King did. Reference MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. A King Family Tribute. (2012). Kirkus Reviews, 80(24), 222. Orosco, J. M. (2001). Martin Luther King, Jr. ’s Conception of Freedom and Radical Democracy. Journal Of Social Philosophy, 32(4), 386-401. White, J. E. (1998). Martin Luther King. (Cover story). Time, 151(14), 160.

Group members documents Essay Example for Free

Group members documents Essay When I compared with my group members documents, we had the same format of explaining only the bits that were different was that how much information each one had included. Also I found that I did not included a telephone number whom to contract if the candidate is not satisfy with the result. This was lacking from my document as we though it is very important to give feedback if the candidate arent happy with the company. We chose Chelsie letter because her letter stood out among us and she also explained in detail why the candidate was rejected in a very polite way and thanking the candidate twice one in the beginning and the other at the end. Also the fact that she has broken down into paragraphs explaining on the matter fact that why the the reason of not being successful. She has also stated that the company likes the candidate potential but there was another person who suited the best position so therefore she has explained that the candidate will be kept in a file informing when a vacancy arise the company will inform the candidate. By this it gives a little hope or a chance for the candidate that the company likes the candidate and they do not want to loose a potential candidate so therefore they kept the candidate to a hold position. Which I think will be easier for the company later on because they do not need to go through the interview process again when wanting to recruit a staff. The use of short simple paragraph also makes us choose her document. In the rejection letter it has included a brief summary of why the candidate is rejected and wishes the candidate best of look in the future for further career. For the induction programme I believe my document has included all the necessary information that needs to be included in an induction document. I included a logo and picture of the staff members. This is because it will help enhance the look of the document as well as represents the company staff which in a result it will look interesting to read and candidate know the company dress code. The company follows the legal legislation as ASDA employ all kind of people to give everyone an equal opportunity to work in the company. Which you can see in the picture. I used bold and bigger font size for the main heading as it will make it stand out from rest of the document. Furthermore, I also used bullet points so that it makes a lot easier for the candidate to read and understand not only that they will be able to see it quicker and get the main points without having to read thoroughly which leads to less time consuming. I divided the parts into sections such as what the first day will include and the second day etc. Which will be helpful for the candidate to know before hand as they can get to prepare earlier. When comparing my document with my group members I found out that all of us had quite a similar documents. Only the layout and designs of the documents were different making it easier for us to choose. Taking it consideration about that we chose Arry document because we felt his document was very professional. This is because he has used text box and simple language with short paragraphs and bullet points to make it easier for the reader to read. Also dividing each of the information into three bits makes it more helpful to understand because it sates what each paragraph represents. The most important part that made us choose was that he included a time table for the candidate to follow which is very useful because it allows the candidate to follow what will be held in that day and it is less likely for the candidate to get lost in the place. For the motivational package again I believe in my document I have stated all the information that needs to be in a motivational document. Again in the document I included a logo and a picture of the company main managers and supervisors. Which makes the document look attractive. I have included all the financial and non financial benefits that the company offers to the candidates. For example I have included them in using bullet points and in short paragraphs explaining in brief summary what each benefits counts and what candidate are able to get. When comparing my document with my group members I think that my document is lacking with so many different points. For example I do not have a front cover for the motivational document which now I think it is important to have as it reflects the overall page of the document. I have not stated a brief summary about what benefits candidate can get and how they can apply to. I have just stated some and the very popular benefits. I also havent included all the benefits that the company offers to the candidate which in result candidate wont be able to know all their benefits which I think it is a very serious matter to take action on to the company if they do not fully explain the benefits. There are many things that I need too improve in order for my document to look professional as good as my group members document. For the motivational package I personally think that I have created the worst document and it is not created to a high standard level among all other previous documents I have produced. I believe that is why for my motivational document it was not chosen by the group members as my documents information were too many missing. So therefore, for the final document we chose Chelsie document. This is because her document is the best among us. Such as she has a massive detail about the motivation as how to encourage staff to work harder to earn the benefits that the company offers to them. We believe that the whole point of the motivational package is to encourage staff to work hard. Her document is well structured in informing the full summary of the benefits the candidate are entitle to which makes it very informative. The use of short and simple paragraph makes it even look better as you can quickly read and get the information fast and its quite straight forward. The rest of our document has also got the relevant information but not that detail like Chelsie. So therefore we chose Chelsie document for the final version of our group document.

The Aims Of Writing A Literature Review Education Essay

The Aims Of Writing A Literature Review Education Essay What is review of the literature? A literature review is a write-up that aims to review the critical aspects of current knowledge on a particular topic. Its an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. Most often associated with science-oriented literature, such as a thesis, the literature review usually precedes a research proposal, methodology and results section. The purpose is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and form the basis for future research that may be needed in the area. A good literature review is characterized by: a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style; proper use of terminology; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic. It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries. Besides enlarging your knowledge about the topic, writing a literature review lets you gain and demonstrate skills in two areas Information seeking: the ability to scan the literature efficiently, using manual or computerized methods, to identify a set of useful articles and books Critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of analysis to identify unbiased and valid studies. A literature review must do these things Be organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question you are developing Synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known Identify areas of controversy in the literature Formulate questions that need further research A literature review is a piece of discursive prose, not a list describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another. Its usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory. You are not trying to list all the material published, but to synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your thesis or research question If you are writing an annotated bibliography, you may need to summarize each item briefly, but should still follow through themes and concepts and do some critical assessment of material. Use an overall introduction and conclusion to state the scope of your coverage and to formulate the question, problem, or concept your chosen material illuminates. Usually you will have the option of grouping items into sections-this helps you indicate comparisons and relationships. You may be able to write a paragraph or so to introduce the focus of each section How to do a literature search? Defining the topic In order to begin your literature review you must first define your research question. What is the purpose? What does it mean? What are the key words? Are there other words which could be used, such as synonyms, variations in spelling? What do you already know about the topic? What is the scope? Compiling a list of keywords Analyzing the topic of an essay question or research topic usually involves making a list of keywords or phrases. You will need to include all the key concepts or ideas contained within the essay or research question. It might be useful to include alternative ways of phrasing and expressing concepts and ideas. Think about both general terms and very specific terms for broadening and narrowing your search. The keyword or phrase is the basic unit of any search. You may find it helpful to consult subject dictionaries and encyclopedias, or a textbook glossary for the common terminology of the subject area. The use of an index and/or thesaurus is also advisable to establish the useful terms. Identifying Resources Information is available in a number of formats. It is important for you to understand the significance of various formats so that you know what will best suit your information requirements. Books Reference Materials Journals Conference Papers Dissertations Internet Indexes/Abstracts Printed Electronic Databases Government publications Thesis Putting tables and figures If you found the table or figure in a source, or if you developed the information in the table or figure from a source other than your own primary research, you must cite the full source just below the table or figure, and again include the full source in your list of references at the end of the thesis. Table number and headline is always mentioned on top of the table. Figure number and headline is mentioned at bottom of the figure. The source reference below the figure/table should be in a smaller font, in a bracket, in italics. Like this: Table 4: Numbers Unemployed in Co. Roscommon, 2000 2004 Electoral District Male Age range Female Age range Total (Source: Jones, D. 2004. Impact of unemployment in rural areas of Connacht 2000 2004. Dublin: Folens, p. 56.) Figure 4: Air Supply in Burma (June 1944 to April 1945) (Source: Jones, D. 2004. Environmental Concerns. Dublin: Folens, p. 56.) 2. Bibliography Formats Each citation in a bibliography has to describe a resource in enough detail that someone can go to a library (or out on the net, or to a bookstore), and see it for themselves. Imagine going to a bookshop and saying, Hi. I need that book on World War II. You know, the one that mentions Hitler? Thats why the specifics-formats, titles, authors, dates, etc.- are important. Writing the assessment: What do I need to reference? When you are writing your assessment, be sure to type in reference information as you add in the ideas of other authors. This will save you time and will ensure that you reference all sources properly. Whenever you use someone elses ideas or words, you must put in a reference. The only exception to this rule is when the information you have read somewhere is common knowledge or public domain information. For example, you would not need to include a reference if you stated in an assignment that Shakespeare wrote plays and sonnets in Elizabethan times. You must always reference the following (i) Direct quotations this is when you copy another authors material word-for-word. You should show the reader that it is a direct quote by placing the material in inverted commas. Traditionally, double inverted commas have been used () but it is now acceptable, and preferable to use single inverted commas (). Sometimes it is difficult to avoid the direct quotation as the authors words may precisely describe the point you are trying to make. However, do try to avoid the overuse of direct quotations; try to paraphrase the authors work where possible. Please note that when you use direct quotations, you must reproduce the authors words exactly, including all spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, and errors. You may show the reader that you recognise an error and that you are correctly quoting the author by placing the term sic in brackets after the error. (ii) Paraphrasing this is when you take another authors ideas and put them into your own words. You are still copying someone elses work, so you must reference it. You do not need to use inverted commas when you paraphrase, but you must clearly show the reader the original source of your information. 1. INTERNET RESOURCES In the easy-come, easy -go world of the free internet, dates and addresses are particularly important. Two dates are required: the date that the material was published or updated, and the date on which you actually used it. The address, or URL, of the site must be complete. This means including the access-mode identifier (e.g., http, ftp, gopher, telnet, news) as well as the path and file names. The address should also be enclosed in angle brackets . For an entire web site the bibliographic form is : Author or Creator of site. Title of Site. Date of site. . Date you used the site. The entry will look like this: Hsu, David. Chemicol Periodic Table. 2005. . September 6, 2007. For an article within a web site the bibliographic form is : Author of article. Title of Article. Title of Site. Date of site. . Date you used the site. The entry will look like this: U.S. Department of State. Sudan. Background Notes. March, 2007. . September 10, 2007. For online newspaper magazine articles , the bibliographic form is Author of Article. Title of Article. Title of Magazine or Newspaper. Complete date. . Date you used the site. The entry will look like this: Jamieson, Alastair. Chinas Toy Story Turns Nasty After New Recall. The Scotsman. September 6, 2007. . September 12, 2007. 2. â‚ ¬Ã‚  REGULAR BOOKS A regular book usually has just one author, and comes in just one volume. The bibliographic form is Author. Title. Place: Publisher, Date. The entry will look like this: Hammond, Jeff. Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing. PA: Rodale, 2005. When there are two authors, the bibliographic form is First Author (last name first), and Second Author (first name first). Title. Place: Publisher, Date. The entry will look like this: Angeletti, Norberto, and Alberto Oliva. In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the Worlds Most Famous Fashion Magazine. NY: Rizzoli, 2006. When there are three or more authors, the bibliographic form is First Author (last name first), et al. Title. Place: Publisher, Date. The entry will look like this: Bos, Samone, et al. Go!: The Whole World of Transportation. NY: Dorling Kindersley, 2006. Books with an anonymous or unknown author The University Encyclopedia (1985) London: Roydon 3. COLLECTIONSâ‚ ¬Ã‚   EDITED BOOKS A collection is a book (or set of books) that contains works by many different authors-like an edited book or proceeding, an encyclopedia, an Opposing Viewpoints book, or an anthology of short stories or poems. You usually use just one or two parts of it in your paper and the bibliographic form is Author of the Part. Title of the Part. Editor (or Compiler) of the Collection. Title of the Collection. Vol. # (if present). Place: Publisher, Date. The entry will look like this: Cohen, Steve. Snowboarding. World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 17. IL: World Book, Inc., 2003. Tatum, Becky L. Studies Have Not Established a Link Between Rap Music and Youth Violence. Gerdes, Louise I., ed. Media Violence, Opposing Viewpoints. CA: Greenhaven Press, 2004. If you use several different works from the same anthology, you neednt cite each separately. The bibliographic form for citing an entire collection or anthology is: Editor (or Compiler) of the Anthology. Title of the Anthology. Vol. # (if present). Place: Publisher, Date. The entry will look like this: Nelson, Marilyn. A Wreath for Emmett Till. MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 4. â‚ ¬Ã‚  NEWSPAPERSâ‚ ¬Ã‚   MAGAZINES When citing an article from a print copy of a newspaper or magazine, the most important thing to put down is the complete date. The bibliographic form is Author of Article. Title of Article.Title of Magazine or Newspaper. Complete date, Edition (if present): page number(s). The entry will look like this: Randall, Lisa. An American Physicist in Italy. Discover. July, 2007: 56. LeBlanc, Emma. Refugees Tell NH Woman Their Stories. New Hampshire Union Leader. September 10, 2007, State Edition: A1. 5. JOURNALS The conventions for listing journal articles are similar to books, but note the extra information required in the example below and apply this to all journal article listings. Muller, V. (1994) Trapped in the body: Transsexualism, the law, sexual identity, The Australian Feminist Law Journal, vol. 3, August, pp. 103-107. Journal article with both volume and issue number Muller, V. (1994) Trapped in the body: Transsexualism, the law, sexual identity, The Australian Feminist Law Journal, vol. 3, no. 2, August, pp. 103-107. 5. NON-PRINTMEDIA If the item is not print-based (like a film on DVD or VHS, an MP3 file or audio CD, or a set of slides), the bibliographic form is Producer or Director. Title. [Format] Place: Distributor, Date. The entry will look like this: Hampton, Henry. Eyes on the Prize II. [VHS] VA: PBS Video, 1993. Lansing, Alfred. Endurance: Shackletons Incredible Voyage. [MP3] OR: Blackstone Audio Books, 1991. May, Robert, and Steve James. The War Tapes. [DVD] NY: Docurama, 2007. Paschen, Elise, and Rebekah Presson Mosby. Poetry Speaks: Hear Great Poets Read Their Work from Tennyson to Plath. [CD] IL: Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2001. 3. How to avoid plagiarism Scientific Misconduct and Plagiarism: Many people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character Albert Einstein In centuries of reading, writing, experimenting and hypothesizing, a persons work will inevitably incorporate and overlap with that of others. However, occasional overlap is one thing; systematic, unacknowledged use of the techniques, data, words or ideas of others is another. Your work has to be carried out honestly and objectively without bias and the results should be reported truthfully. Deviations may occur from the ideal due to ignorance or, at times, they may be willful deceptions. These deviations from the ideal, willful or otherwise, constitute what is known as scientific misconduct. While various types of scientific misconduct have been identified, those that comes to notice usually include fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, cyber-plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and duplicate publication. It is desired that all students should be made aware of these. This note defines plagiarism and sets guidelines. What is Plagiarism? Failure to acknowledge other colleagues scientific work-their ideas, language, or data. Verbatim copying of passages without citing the original contributor, rewording of ideas, paraphrasing, and even total reproduction by simply changing the authors names and trying to pass the material as ones own. Unauthorized use of ideas or unique methods obtained by a privileged communication, such as a grant or manuscript review. Passing off retrospective studies as prospective ones or deliberately omit references to earlier works. How Plagiarism can be detected? One of the important responsibilities of a reviewer is detection of plagiarized text due to his/her familiarity with published material in his/her area of interest. Technology has made it possible to carry out checks for sentences that are copied from previously published articles. There are dedicated web sites available that provide information on plagiarism ( www.plagiarism.org ) and software to detect plagiarism has made it easier for reviewers and editorial staff of journals to detect copying (www.ithenticate.com, www.writecheck.com and www.turnitin.com ). We have recommended to you the VIPER software. Dos and Donts of Plagiarism Some simple tips to be followed to avoid plagiarism are: Take short notes from the source and then write back in your own words without looking back at the original source. Attribute references to any information or idea you are using from other sources, even if you are not directly using it. describe all sources of information Give acknowledgments to the original source by quoting author details at the end of the statement. Give details of the original source by providing footnotes . Use quotation marks wherever required If you are paraphrasing, credit the original source For extensive quotations, obtain permission from the publisher of the original work Obtain permission for use of published drawings or other illustrations Dos and Donts of Research: DO: Make sure you know what question youre trying to answer. Look at all kinds of sources before you narrow in on the ones that will be most useful. Read and digest. Give yourself time to do this. Think critically about what youve just read and how it directly relates to the question. Evaluate what youve got, the holes in your research, and where you need to go from here. Keep a running annotated bibliography going, sorting facts by source or marking your notes with a coding system so as to remember where individual facts came from. Divide your thesis into sections before you begin researching. Make sure you devote energy and time to finding information about all the topics you want to tackle. Remember that the beginning of a thesis presents existing knowledge on a topic, whereas towards the end of a paper, you present your own thoughts. Use a variety of sources. Journals, books, e-books, newspaper and magazine articles, legitimate web sites, and course books can all be good sources, but which ones you use will depend on your topic. Talk to your professor about his or her expectations and ideas for sources. Talk to other students about their strategies for mapping out the research ahead. DONTS: Stuff so much information into your head at once that you cant remember what you learned and where you learned it from. You will lose sight of the point of the research project. Cite Wikipedia. Wikipedia is good for getting general information, but find an absolutely reliable source for your citations. Plagiarize. Learn what constitutes plagiarism and how to use sources responsibly. Dos and Donts of Internet Research The internet provides a rich resource of information and data however; there is great risk in using this all-too accessible resource. Self-regulating resources like Wikipedia and Google- or yahoo-search readily provide us with answers to just about any question we may pose. But which is it the right answer? And, is it the right answer? The very accessibility of online information makes it risky and often questionable. You need to be more vigilant of the veracity and reliability of your sources when acquiring information from the internet. To ensure that your information you have got is sound, one can do several things: Use more than one source, particularly for important things; this will give you a wider range of material from which to discern accuracy and reliability. Verify your sources and preferably cross-reference to measure out objective truth vs. bias. Try to use primary sources (original) vs. secondary or tertiary sources (original cited and open to interpretation); the closer you are to the original source, the closer you are to getting the original study.

Cellular Functions Essay -- Biology Biological Essays

Cellular Pathways Several principles govern metabolic pathways in the cell:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Complex chemical transformations in the cell do not occur in a single reaction, but in a number of small steps that are connected in a pathway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Each reaction is catalyzed by a specific enzyme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Metabolic pathways is catalyzed by a specific enzyme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  D. Many metabolic pathways are compartmentalized, with certain steps occurring inside an organelle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  E. Metabolic pathways in organisms are regulated by the activities of a few enzyme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obtaining Energy and Electrons from Glucose   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most common fuel for living cells is the sugar Glucose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cells trap energy while metabolizing glucose   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If glucose is burned in a flame, it readily forms carbon dioxide, water, and a lot of energy----but only if oxygen gas(O2) is present. The balance equation for this combustion reaction is:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2 ---- 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ENERGY (HEAT AND LIGHT)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This same equation applies to the metabolism of glucose in cells, except that metabolism is a multi-step, controlled series of reactions, ending up with almost half of the energy captured in ATP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three metabolic processes play roles in the utilization of glucose for energy: GLYCOSIS, CELLULAR RESPIRATION, AND FERMENTATION.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Glycosis is a series of reactions that begins the metabolism of glucose in all cells and produces the three-carbon product pyruvate. A small amount of the energy stored in the glucose is released in usable form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Cellular Respiration occurs when the environment is aerobic (contains oxygen gas , O2), and essentially converts pyruvate to carbon (CO2). In the process, a great deal of the energy stored in the covalent bonds of pyruvate is released and trapped in ATP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Fermentation occurs when the environment is anaerobic (lacking in O2). Instead of energy-poor CO2, relatively energy-rich molecules such as lactic acid or ethanol are produced, so the energy extracted from glucose is far than under aerobic conditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Redox reactions transfer electrons and energy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a.Reaction in which one substance transfers one or more electron... ... in glycolysis. This molecule then passes through the rest of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle,where its energy is extracted in NADH and ATP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Lipids are converted to their substituents, glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol is converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphate, an intermediatein glycolysis, and fatty acids to acetate and then acetyl CoA in the mitochondria. In both cases, further oxidation to CO2 and release of energy of energy then occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Proteins are hydrolyzed to their amino acid building blocks. The 20 amino acids feeds into glycosis or the citric acid cycle at different points.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Catabolism and Anabolism are Integrated   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glucose is an excellent source of energy. Polysaccharides and fats have no such catalytic roles. The level of acetylCoA rises as a fatty acids are broken down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Allostery regulates metabolism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the respiratory chain are regulated by allosteric control of the enzymes involved. The main control point in glycolysis is the enzyme PHOFRUCTOKINASE. The main control in the citric acid cycle is the enzyme ISOCITRATE DEHYROGENASE, which converts isocitrate to ketoglutarate..

Habeas Corpus and the Use of Military Tribunals Essay -- American Hist

Habeas Corpus and the Use of Military Tribunals In America Under the Threat of Terrorism Introduction It was on this date one hundred forty two years ago (April 25, 1861), that President Abraham Lincoln sent a letter to Lt. General Winfield Scott authorizing the suspension of â€Å"The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus† . Lincoln had been president for less than two months and was facing, what was up to that time and arguably may still be the greatest threat to the survival of the United States since the Founding Fathers launched this â€Å"Great Experiment†. Only eleven days earlier Major Robert Anderson, the commander of the federal garrison at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, had to surrender the fort to the Confederate Army. Lincoln was reluctant to issue such an order but had done so as he faced the very real possibility that the Maryland legislature would convene and â€Å"[t]ake action to arm the people of that state against the people of the United States† . Thus began the first of several occasions in our nation’s history where a president when faced with a â€Å"clear and present danger† to our national security has had to balance fulfilling his oath to â€Å"[p]reserve, protect and defend the Constitution†¦Ã¢â‚¬  with the â€Å"privilege† to have any detainment reviewed by a judge or magistrate of competent jurisdiction. Problem Statement How far may law enforcement officials go in compromising civil liberties to enhance national security? What does the Constitution say with respect to the suspension of the civil liberties in times of national emergency? How has the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the constitution with respect to the suspension of habeas corpus? Few citizens would disagree that national security is a legitimate function of government. First and foremost, our national government is responsible for the protection of life, then liberty. The most ardent champions of the Bill of Rights concede that it would be foolish to treat civil liberties as inviolable when the lives of innocent thousands are at stake. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, dissenting in a free speech case, gave these words of warning regarding civil liberties: â€Å"[T]he choice is not between order and liberty. It is between liberty with order and anarchy without either. There is danger that, if the Court does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will c... ...lue – Freedom. Or it can be an indictment of our fear if we abrogate the liberties so much cherished and so dearly paid for. Bibliography Rehnquist, William H. All the Laws But One, New York: Alfred P. Knopf, 1998 Black’s Law Dictionary. Abridged Seventh Ed., p. 569, West Group, St. Paul, MN (2000) Garret, Buck "The Unconstitutionality of Time Limits Placed on The Great Writ," Prisoner of War in America - http://www.nov.org/garret.May97.htm Rembar, Charles. The Law of the Land: The Evolution of Our Legal System, pp.141 -156, Simon and Schuster, New York, (1981) Kleinfeld, Joshua. "The Union Lincoln Made", p. 24, History Today, Vol. 47, Nov 1997. Authorities and Cases Cited U.S. Constitution, Article 1,  § 9 Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1 (1949) Ex Parte Milligan, 71 U.S. 2 (1866) Ex Parte Quiran, 317 U.S. 1 (1942) Ashcroft, John. Statement to the Press re: The Capture of Jose Padilla, July 10, 2002 Padilla v. Bush, et al., 233 F. Supp. 2d 564 (S.D.N.Y. 2002) Padilla v. Rumsfeld. 233 F. Supp. 2d 564, No. 02 Civ. 4445, 2003 U.S. Dist. (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 11, 2003) Padilla v. Rumsfeld. 233 F. Supp. 2d 564, No. 02 Civ. 4445, 2003 U.S. Dist. (S.D.N.Y. Apr.9, 2003)

Aditya Birla Retail Ltd – Introduction of de Study

CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY Retailing in India is receiving global recognition and attention and this emerging market is witnessing a significant change in its growth and investment pattern. It is not just the global players like Wal-Mart, Tesco and Metro group are eying to capture a pie of this market but also the domestic corporate behemoths like Reliance, K K Modi , Aditya Birla group, and Bharti group too are at some stage of retail development. Reliance, announced that it will invest $3. 4 billion to become the country's largest modern retailer by establishing a chain of 1,575 stores by March 2007. The last couple of years have been rosy for real estate developers and the retailers are finding suitable retail space in prominent locations. The industry is buoyant about growth and the early starters are in expansion mood. There is increased sophistication in the shopping pattern of consumers, which has resulted in big retail chains coming up in most metros; mini metros and towns being the next target. Consumer taste and preferences are changing leading to radical alteration in lifestyles and spending patterns which in turn is giving rise to new business opportunities. Companies need to be dynamic and proactive while responding to the ever-changing trends in consumer lifestyle and behavior. Retailing consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, or by post, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be individuals or businesses. In commerce, a â€Å"retailer† buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the end-user. Retail establishments are often called shops or stores. Retailers are at the end of the supply chain. Manufacturing marketers see the process of retailing as a necessary part of their overall distribution strategy. The term â€Å"retailer† is also applied where a service provider services the needs of a large number of individuals, such as a public utility, like electric power. Shops may be on residential streets, shopping streets with few or no houses or in a shopping mall. Shopping streets may be for pedestrians only. Sometimes a shopping street has a partial or full roof to protect customers from precipitation. Online retailing, a type of electronic commerce used for business to consumer (B2C) transactions and mail order are forms of non shop retailing. Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products. Sometimes this is done to obtain necessities such as food and clothing; sometimes it is done as a recreational activity. The retail industry in India is currently growing at a great pace and is expected to go up to US$ 833 billion by the year 2013. It is further expected to reach US$ 1. 3 trillion by the year 2018 at a CAGR of 10%. As the country has got a high growth rates, the consumer spending has also gone up and is also expected to go up further in the future. In the last four year, the consumer spending in India climbed up to 75%. As a result, the India retail industry is expected to grow further in the future days. By the year 2013, the organized sector is also expected to grow at a CAGR of 40%. 1. 1 OBJECTIVE OF ORGANISATIONAL STUDY * To understand the role and relevance of retailing for business and economy. * To understand the different departmental functions associated with Aditya Birla Retail Ltd. Understanding the importance of store location for a outlet * To Study the Consumer Behaviour of MORE outlet 1. 2 METHODOLOGY This organization study is the mixture of theoretical as well as practical knowledge. Also it containsideas and information imparted by the guide. The secondary data required for the organization study was collected from various websites and books of reputed authors. The organizatio nal study started with sorting all the raw data and arranging them in perfect order. To add value to the organization study and to understand the practicality of etailing business, I have visited various MORE stores Kerala. 1. 3 LIMITATION * The study was conducted within different outlets of Cochin city, so the findings are restricted to some outlets only. * The method used in this Organization study for collecting the information is very time consuming and slow. * The major limitation was that some of the outlet managers, staff and customers were busy with their work. CHAPTER 2 INDUSTRY PROFILE INDUSTRY PROFILE Retail is not only an important aspect of the economic structure but very much a part of our lives . Although trading of goods have been in existence since the olden days . It is only in the recent past that the buying and selling of goods have become more of format and a brand dominated activity . The traditional form of independently owned businesses co-exist along with the organized retail. Organized retail has emerged in a big way since 2000 onward and with that we are witnessing the emergence of new forms of retailing. Aditya Birla Retail Limited is the retail arm of Aditya Birla Group, a USD 28 billion Corporation. The Company ventured into food and grocery retail sector in 2007 with the acquisition of a south based supermarket chain. Subsequently Aditya Birla Retail Ltd. expanded its presence across the country under the brand â€Å"more. † with 2 formats Supermarket ; Hypermarket. Supermarket Conveniently located in neighbourhoods, more. supermarkets cater to the daily, weekly and monthly shopping needs of consumers. The product offerings include a wide range of fresh fruits ; vegetables, groceries, personal care, home care, general merchandise ; a basic range of apparels. Currently, there are over 600 more. supermarkets across the country. Hypermarket More. MEGASTORE – is a one-stop shopping destination for the entire family. Besides a large range of products across fruits ; vegetables, groceries, FMCG products, more. MEGASTORE also has a strong emphasis on general merchandise, apparels ; CDIT. Currently, nine hypermarkets operate under the brand more. MEGASTORE in Mysore, Vadodara, Aurangabad, Indore, Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Vashi. Aditya Birla Retail Limited. currently has an employee strength of over 11,000. Key functions are headed by professionals with vast retail experience in India ; globally. Quality ; Value through own labels: Aditya Birla Retail Ltd provides customers a wide choice of products under its own labels. The objective is to provide quality products at attractive price points to customers. Since quality of the products is of prime importance, stringent quality norms have been set and are followed. All manufacturing partners are the best in their class. TYPES OF RETAIL FORMAT * Convenience store * Chain of stores * Franchise * Speciality store * Departmental store * Supermarket * Hypermarket * Shopping mall * Shopping plaza * Factory outlet 2. 1 ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY Retail is India's largest industry. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the India's GDP and around eight per cent of the employment. Retail sector is one of India's fastest growing sectors with a 5 per cent compounded annual growth rate. India's huge middle class base and its untapped retail industry are key attractions for global retail giants planning to enter newer markets. Driven by changing lifestyles, strong income growth and favorable demographic patterns, Indian retail is expected to grow 25 per cent annually. It is expected that retail in India could be worth US$ 175-200 billion by 2016. The organized retail industry in India had not evolved till the early 1990s. Until then, the industry was dominated by the un-organized sector. It was a sellers market, with a limited number of brands, and little choice available to customers. Lack of trained manpower, tax laws and government regulations all discouraged the growth of organized retailing in India during that period. Lack of consumer awareness and restrictions over entry of foreign players into the sector also contributed to the delay in the growth of organized retailing. Foundation for organized retail in India was laid by Kishore Biyani of Pantaloon Retails India Limited (PRIL). Following Pantaloon's successful venture a host of Indian business giants such as Reliance, Bharti, Birla and others are now entering into retail sector. Retailing is the most active and attractive sector of last decade. While the retailing industry itself has been present since ages in our country, it is only the recent past that it has witnessed so much dynamism. The emergence of retailing in India has more to do with the increased purchasing power of buyers, especially post-liberalization, increase in product variety, and increase in economies of scale, with the aid of modern supply and distributions solution. Indian retailing today is at an interesting crossroads. The retail sales are at the highest point in history and new technologies are improving retail productivity. though there are many opportunities to start a new retail business, retailers are facing numerous challenges. A number of factors are driving India's retail market. These include: increase in the young working population, hefty pay-packets, nuclear families in urban areas, increasing working-women population, increase in disposable income and customer aspiration, increase in expenditure for luxury items, and low share of organized retailing. India's retail boom is manifested in sprawling shopping centers, multiplex- malls and huge complexes that offer shopping, entertainment and food all under one roof. But there is a flip side to the boom in the retail sector. It is feared that the entry of global business giants into organized retail would make redundant the neighbourhood kiryana stores resulting in dislocation in traditional economic structure. Also, the growth path for organized retail in India is not hurdle free. The taxation system still favours small retail business. With the intrinsic complexities of retailing such as rapid price changes, constant threat of product obsolescence and low margins there is always a threat that the venture may turn out to be a loss making one. MANAGEMENT TEAM OF ADITYA BIRLA RETAIL LTD * Thomas Varghese, CEO – Aditya Birla Retail Ltd. * Russell Berman, CEO – Hypermarket * Satendra Aggarwal, CEO – Supermarket * Atul Daga, Head Finance * Ramesh Mitragotri, CPO * Manoj Krishnan, CIO * Shiv Murti, Chief Merchandising Officer * T V. Venkataraman, Head – Internal Audit * V. Gopalakrishnan, Head – Quality 2. GROWTH & PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY Retailing is emerging as a sunrise industry in India and is presently the largest employer after agriculture. In the year 2004, the size of Indian organized retail industry was Rs 28,000 Crore, which was only 3% of the total retailing market. Retailing in its present form started in the latter half of 20th Century in USA and Europe and today cons titutes 20% of US GDP. It is the 3rd largest employer segment in USA. Organized retailing in India is projected to grow at the rate of 25%-30% p. a. and is estimated to reach an astounding Rs 1,00,000 Crore by 2010. The contribution of organized retail is expected to rise from 3% to 9% by the end of the decade. The projection for the current year ie 2005 is Rs 35,000 Crore. In India it has been found out that the top 6 cities contribute for 66% of total organized retailing. With the metros already been exploited, the focus has now been shifted towards the tier-II cities. The ‘retail boom', 85% of which has so far been concentrated in the metros is beginning to percolate down to these smaller cities and towns. The contribution of these tier-II cities to total organized retailing sales is expected to grow to 20-25%. In the year 2004, Rs 28,000 Crore organized retail industry had Clothing, Textiles & fashion accessories as the highest contributor (39%), where as health & beauty had a contribution of 2%. Food & Grocery contributed to 18% whereas Pharma had a contribution of 2%. Globally, the retail industry has grown at a brisk pace with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7. 77% during the period 2001-2006. The growing expanse of the top global retailers has ensured globalization of the industry; however the opportunity for growth of organized retail is immense in countries such as India, S. Korea, and Vietnam etc. where organized retailing is still at an ascent stage. The Indian retail industry has witnessed a massive transition during the last few decades. The Indian retail has grown at a CAGR of 11. 2% during the period FY04-FY07, with food and grocery accounting for the major share. Despite the industry being dominated by the unorganized retailers, the organised retailing revenues have soared at a CAGR of 19. 5% during the period FY04-FY07. The apparel & footwear segment occupies the major share in the organised retail pie. The Indian retail industry has strong linkages with the economic growth and Development of the economy. It is primarily characterized by its hierarchical growth structure, high working capital requirements etc. The factors such as rising urbanization, growing consumer class, growing per capita expenditure, greater interest evinced by the Venture capitalists / Private equity firms in the industry etc. have been driving the growth of organised retail. The growth of modern retailing has led to the emergence of varied formats such as Departmental stores, Supermarkets etc. In addition, few other formats such as rural retailing, E-retailing, luxury retailing etc. too have found favours with the Indian retailers. Each format being distinct from the other, the viability of their operations depends upon various factors such as average footfalls, sales per sq. ft etc. However the numerous licensing requirements as compared to other countries have proved to be a bottleneck in the growth of Indian retailing. We have identified further requirements, advantages and disadvantages associated with the organized as well as unorganized retailing in India. On the basis of a detailed analysis incorporating the experience of other retailing locations across the globe, We feel that the co-existence of the organized and unorganized retailing in the Indian context cannot be denied. To estimate the size of the Indian retail industry and the penetration levels of organized retail in the urban and rural Indian markets for the period FY08-FY11, we have evolved an industry model incorporating three different scenarios i. e. Optimistic , Most Likely & Pessimistic. We expect that with the growing reach of modern retailers in the rural and urban reas, the penetration level of organized retailing would continue to grow, thereby resulting in the organized retail growth, surpassing the growth of total Indian retail during the period FY08-FY11. The Indian retail though largely dominated by the unorganized retailers has witnessed a massive transition in the last decade. Of the total retail sales, the food & grocery segment constitutes the major chunk. H owever in case of organized retail, the apparel & footwear segment stands as the major contributor. With varied segments of retailing i. e. Food & Grocery, Clothing & Footwear, Furniture & Furnishing, Jewellery, Beverages . The Indian population is whooping 1 billion with 75% of the people living in villages and small towns. It is only natural that the agricultural sector is the biggest employer with its contribution to GDP pegged at 26. 7%. Retail is India’s larges industry after Agriculture with around 20% of the economically active population engaged in it and generation 10% of our country’s GDP. The growth of the efficient small store culture can be attributed to the 6 million villages distributed across the length and breadth of the country. The 12 million retail outlets in India are the highest in the world, and cater to the purchase need of its pole. It is interesting to note, that the Urban Population although just 25% of the total, is an astounding 250 million in size and is growing at a healthy rate of 7% per annum. The chief driver of growth in the retail sector has been the consumer, with the spending increasing at an average of 11% per annum. The Core and the Lower middle have increased their share in the Growth 2. 3 FACTORS AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY * Demographic * Psychological Environmental * LifeStyle DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS Demographic factors are unique to a particular person. They are objective, quantifiable and easily identifiable population data such as sex, income, age, marital status etc. It also involves identification of who is responsible for the decision-making or buying and who is the ultimate consumer PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS Psychological factors refer to the intrinsic or inner aspects of the individual. An understanding of consumers’ psychology guides the marketers’ segmentation strategy. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Environmental factors cover all the physical and social characteristics of a consumer’s external world, including physical objects, spatial relationships, the social factors , customers, reference groups, social class . The environmental factors influence consumers’ wants, learning, motives, which in turn influence effective and cognitive responses and among other things the shopping behaviour of the individual. LIFESTYLE Lifestyle refers to an individual’s mode of living as identified by his or her activities, interests and opinions. Lifestyle variables have been measured by identifying a consumer’s day-to-day activities and interests. Lifestyle is considered to be highly correlated with consumer’s values and personality. An individual’s lifestyle is influenced by, among other things, the social group he belongs to and his occupation. For example, double-income-no-kids (DINKS) families in metros shop very regularly at the super malls because of the limited time at their disposal and they also look for entertainment while shopping on weekends. At the same time, they are higher spenders than, for e. . , single-income families. A study by imagesfashion. com highlights that Indian working women have to balance their wardrobe collection based on requirements of different occasions related to professional workplace or family gathering. CHAPTER 3 COMPANY PROFILE COMPANY PROFILE Aditya Birla Retail Limited is a part of the Aditya Birla Group. The Group has named it ‘More’. It offers prod ucts such as fruits, vegetables, grocery, frozen food, bakery, homecare, personal care and pharmacy. It also provides FMCG products and house brands. Aditya Birla Retail Limited has acquired Trinethra to assist it in creating a retail stronghold in south India. Trinethra, with its own chain of stores, will enable the company to expand its operations all over the country. The roots of the Aditya Birla Group date back to the 19th century in the picturesque town of Pilani, set amidst the Rajasthan desert. It was here that Seth Shiv Narayan Birla started trading in cotton, laying the foundation for the House of Birlas. Through India's arduous times of the 1850s, the Birla business expanded rapidly. In the early part of the 20th century, our Group's founding father, Ghanshyamdas Birla, set up industries in critical sectors such as textiles and fibre, aluminium, cement and chemicals. As a close confidante of Mahatma Gandhi, he played an active role in the Indian freedom struggle. He represented India at the first and second round-table conference in London, along with Gandhiji. It was at â€Å"Birla House† in Delhi that the luminaries of the Indian freedom struggle often met to plot the downfall of the British Raj. Ghanshyamdas Birla found no contradiction in pursuing business goals with the dedication of a saint, emerging as one of the foremost industrialists of pre-independence India. The principles by which he lived were soaked up by his grandson, Aditya Vikram Birla, our Group's legendary leader. | A formidable force in Indian industry, Mr. Aditya Birla dared to dream of setting up a global business empire at the age of 24. He was the first to put Indian business on the world map, as far back as 1969, long before globalisation became a buzzword in India. In the then vibrant and free market South East Asian countries, he ventured to set up world-class production bases. He had foreseen the winds of change and staked the future of his business on a competitive, free market driven economy order. He put Indian business on the globe, 22 years before economic liberalisation was formally introduced by the former Prime Minister, Mr. Narasimha Rao and the former Union Finance Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. He set up 19 companies outside India, in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Egypt. Interestingly, for Mr. Aditya Birla, globalisation meant more than just geographic reach. He believed that a business could be global even whilst being based in India. Therefore, back in his home-territory, he drove single-mindedly to put together the building blocks to make our Indian business a global force. Under his stewardship, his companies rose to be the world's largest producer of viscose staple fibre, the largest refiner of palm oil, the third largest producer of insulators and the sixth largest producer of carbon black. In India, they attained the status of the largest single producer of viscose filament yarn, apart from being a producer of cement, grey cement and rayon grade pulp. The Group is also the largest producer of aluminium in the private sector, the lowest first cost producers in the world and the only producer of linen in the textile industry in India. At the time of his untimely demise, the Group's revenues crossed Rs. 8,000 crore globally, with assets of over Rs. 9,000 crore, comprising of 55 benchmark quality plants, an employee strength of 75,000 and a shareholder community of 600,000. Under the leadership of our Chairman, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the Group has sustained and established a leadership position in its key businesses through continuous value-creation. Spearheaded by Grasim, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Indo Gulf Fertilisers and companies in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Egypt, the Aditya Birla Group is a leader in a swathe of products — viscose staple fibre, aluminium, cement, copper, carbon black, palm oil, insulators, garments. And with successful forays into financial services, telecom, software and BPO, the Group is today one of Asia's most diversified business groups. MR. KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA CHAIRMAN, THE ADITYA BIRLA GROUP Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla is Chairman of the US$ 28 billion Aditya Birla Group and India’s first truly multinational corporation. An iconic figure, Mr. Birla holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional boards. MANAGEMENT The Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited, is the Group's apex decision making body and provides strategic direction to Group companies. Its Board of Directors comprises:| | * Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman * Mr. S. Aga * Mr. D. Bhattacharya * Mr. S. K. Jain * Dr. S. Misra * Mr. S. Misra * Dr. B. K. Singh * Mr. K. K. Maheshwari * Mr. Vikram Rao * Mr. Ajay Srinivasan 3. 1 FUTURE PLANS OF THE ORGANISATION After acquiring south based Trinethra and plans to buy Pyramid Retail, the Aditya Birla group doesn’t want itself to be left behind in the race for getting their pie in the pecializ retail market. Instead of tying with Tesco, Carrefour, Woolworth, they have decided to go all alone. They plan to open 172 hypermarkets and supermarkets starting from Pune. While Subhiksha is mainly into neighbourhood stores, Future Group has a strategy of having single brand outlets to multi-brand seamless malls, similarly Reliance Retail has started with Fresh stores and Reliance Digital to be followed by opening up of hypermarkets and pecialized stores. Birla’s business style is perceived to be a little conservative, and they are investing Rs. 9,000 crores in this venture which will enable it to establish a pan-India footprint. The retail venture would be aided by the group’s companies like Madura Garments (a key component of retail sales), IDEA cellular (for technical and communication requirements of stores), financial services (for providing consumer loans on its goods). Organised retail sector’s growth is expected to be rapid, thus making it a valid and natural choice for AVB group to diversify in this sector. But, competition and late entry may somewhat derail the company’s retail growth rate to the overall industry rate. The sector may also face hurdles as owing to non-clarity of FDI in retail, foreign chains have postponed their plans of entry into India. â€Å"Our Mission is to Change the Way People Shop. We Will Give Them More. † 3. 2 PRODUCT ; SERVICE PROFILE At more. for you are committed to deliver quality ; value to our customers and have a range of private label brands as well as commercially branded products, offering – 100% satisfaction on the quality of the products ; services offered. ore. for you hosts a range of private label brands across various categories that follow stringent quality norms, and are available in attractive prices and packaging. Our premium products give you the opportunity to enjoy the difference and quality that is equal to or better than the market's leading brands, but at competitive prices. Recently our private label brands recei ved the coveted â€Å"The Most Admired Private Label† Golden Spoon award at the Food Forum India. We offer a wide range of assortment of over 4000 products, ranging from fresh food to beverages, grocery to household care products. Our range covers everything, from day-to-day essentials to traditional favorites, from delicious treats, to healthy alternatives. To ensure the freshest supply of fruits and vegetables for you, we have built direct linkage with the farmers. MORE provide some private labels also, More. label Food Brands : †¢Feasters †¢Kitchen's Promise †¢Best of India HYPERMARKET HYPERMARKET Apparels – Men/ Women Bakery Beverages Books and Audio ; Video Computer ; Accessories Do it yourself Auto Accessories Electronics FMCG Products Footwear Frozen ; Dairy Products Fruits ; Vegetables Furniture General Merchandise Apparels – Men/ Women Bakery Beverages Books and Audio ; Video Computer ; Accessories Do it yourself Auto Accessories Electronics FMCG Products Footwear Frozen ; Dairy Products Fruits ; Vegetables Furniture General Merchandise Bakery Beauty Concepts Beverages Basic Apparels Cutlery ; Cookware Fruits ; Vegetables Frozen ; Dairy Products FMCG Products Grocery Home Care Products Home Needs ; Home Upkeep Home Decor Products Personal Care ; Cosmetics Processed Food Ready to Cook/Prepared Food Bakery Beauty Concepts Beverages Basic Apparels Cutlery ; Cookware Fruits ; Vegetables Frozen ; Dairy Products FMCG Products Grocery Home Care Products Home Needs ; Home Upkeep Home Decor Products Personal Care ; Cosmetics Processed Food Ready to Cook/Prepared Food Following is the range of products offered by MORE stores to its customers. There are various products and services offered by MORE supermarket and hypermarket. SUPERMARKET SUPERMARKET SERVICES For customers additional benefit, Consumer Finance on electronics products such as: †¢Friendly Return ; Exchange Policy. Hassle free Return ; Exchange policy at more MEGASTORE. 3. 3 MARKET PROFILE OF THE ORGANIZATION Birla group instead of setting up its own retail outlets apart from their own Madhura garment outlets, are trying to enter into the retail business by acquiring already established retail chains. The company is mainly concentrating to establish its foot in Southern India than competing with others in most affluent metro and northern regi ons. To start with Birla group acquired Trinethra Super Retail chain that mainly operated in Andhra Pradesh with some presence in Kerala and Karnataka. Trinethra started retail business much before anyone could imagine the growth of the sector as it is today. Trinethra started in way back 1986 in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad had revenues of Rs 250 crores from its 172 stores which are mostly the size of Reliance Fresh groceries stores [2,500 sft – 3,000 sft]. Apart from its grocery retail chain, Trinethra has also brought online shopping portal Fabmall to the fold of AV Birla group. Birla’s acquiring march does not stop here. The company is planning to acquire Piramid Retail and Niligiris. The latter will give Birla Retail, pan south-India presence. They are also planning to open 172 hypermarkets and supermarkets starting from Pune. Apart from operating two hypermarket stores under the umbrella brand name of â€Å"More.. for you† at Mysore and Vadodara, the retail arm of the group operates around 670 supermaket format, neighbourhood food, grocery, and general merchandise, stores across the country. These stores include the erstwhile stores of Trinethra retail chain, which after the acquisition were also rechristened as ‘More’ stores. More, under the stewardship of its new CEO Thomas Varghese, an old Birla hand, who was roped in after the Sumant Sinha, has taken several initiatives to revamp the operations of the loss making chain. Some of the initiatives include: Close some of the non performing stores. Take a re-look at the design, positioning and merchandise offered by the retail chain. Focus more on large sized stores. The retailer will set up hypermarts of 30,000 to 40,000 sq. ft. spce each. Aggressively expanding the retail network;add 200 Supermarket stores and 12 Hyper Ymart stores in 2009- 10. Renegotiation of property rentals for almost all leased properties with their landlords. The rents in some cases have come down by 30 to 40 percent. Introduction of private labels, mostly in fast moving consumer products category, to increase share of private labels to 40 per cent in the next 4 to 5 years. Look for earning rent from ’shop-in-shop’ opportunities. Recently, ‘Dial for Health’ wellness retail chain owned by Zydus group has inked an agreement to set up such outlets in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Look for a financial partner. â€Å"We are not looking at a strategic partner. We will be happy to have a financial partner. We have received lots of preliminary interest from investors. We would be open to this idea,† said Kumar Mangalam Birla. Some private equity firms like Warburg Pincus are believed to have shown interest equity stake in the company. Aditya Birla group, incidentally, also operates 340 apparel stores across the country of brands like Louis Phillippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Esprit in the lifestyle and value fashion segments. These stores are operated by Madura Garments Lifestyle ; Retail and Peter England Fashions ; Retail, which are part the group’s flagship company Aditya Birla Nuvo. The garments business, which clocked Q4 turnover of 273. 3 crore (2008-09) and a nett loss of Rs. 82. 2 crore during the quarter, has also embarked on several measures to stem the rot, including closure of 30 stores that will save around Rs 100 crore a year COMPANY’S VISION To consistently provide the Indian consumer complete and differentiated shopping experiences and be amongst India's Top retailers, while delivering superior returns to all stakeholders COMPANY’S MISSION To deliver superior value to our customers, shareholders, employees and society at large. COMPANY’S VALUES 0 Integrity 1 Commitment 2 Passion 3 Seamlessness 4 Speed COMPANY’S MILESTONES The Aditya Birla Group, India's first multinational corporation, traces its origins back to the tiny village of Pilani in the Rajasthan desert, where Seth Shiv Narayan Birla started cotton trading operations in 1857. Today, the Group's footprint extends to 25 countries and its revenues are US$ 28 billion. We retrace the highlights of this remarkable journey, starting from the present: 2011- Retail Icon Award 2010- Most Admired Retail Face of the Year 009- Reid & Taylor Awards 2008 – The President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil conferred the much coveted Rotary International Polio Eradication Champion Award on Mrs. Rajashree Birla in an elegant function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Delhi), attended by the Chairman, select Rotarians and WHO officials 2007- The Aditya Birla Group was honoured with the India Today Group's Readers Digest Gold award in recognition of the work t hat truly exemplifies the highest values of society as well as those of Reader's Digest. 2006- Hindalco in a joint venture with Almex USA Inc. Hindalco awarded the Greentech Safety Silver Award for its outstanding safety performance during 2005-06. 2005 -Indian Rayon re-christened as Aditya Birla Nuvo. 2004 -Board reconstituted with Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla taking over as Chairman. .2003 -Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Group, is selected as Business India's Businessman of the Year – 2003. 2002 -The Grasim board approves an open offer for purchase of up to 20 per cent of the equity of L;T, in accordance with the provisions and guidelines issued by the Securities ; Exchange Board of India Regulations, 1997. 001 -Grasim acquires 2. 50 crore shares — representing just over 10 per cent of the equity — in L&T from Reliance Industries Ltd. 2000 -Indian Rayon acquires Madura Garments and selected overseas brand rights, taking the Group to the top of the league in the branded apparels sector. 1999 -A joint venture with financial services major Sun Life of Canada is inked, as part of the overall restru cturing of the Group's financial services business. 1998 -The Group forms a 50:50 joint venture company with Tembec Inc. of Canada, called A. V. Cell Inc. , to supply pulp for the Group's VSF operations. 996 -To honour the memory of the late Aditya Birla, a new corporate logo – Aditya, the rising sun – is launched. 1995 -The Group enters the telecommunications sector through a joint venture with AT&T (USA). 1994 -The Birla Growth Fund is renamed Birla Global Finance Limited, as its span of operations expands.. 1992 -Thai Epoxy and Allied Products commences production of Epoxy Resins in Thailand. 1991 -Pan Century Oleochemicals commences production of fatty acids and glycerine in Malaysia. 1990 -Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla gets actively involved in the Group's operations. 989 -Thai Peroxide commences manufacturing of hygrogen peroxide solutions in Thailand. 1988 -The government liberalises the petroleum industry. The Aditya Birla Group enters into a joint venture with Hindu stan Petroleum Corporation Ltd to set up a three-million-tonne refinery, Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), at Mangalore, Karnataka. 1987 -Indian Rayon is renamed as Indian Rayon and Industries Limited (IRIL), to reflect its wide horizon of activities. 1986 -The Birla Growth Fund is set up to finance industrial equipment, plant and machinery and consumer durables, as well as for stock market operations. 985 -India's first gas-based fertiliser plant in the private sector – Indo Gulf – goes on stream at Jagdishpur, UP. 1984 -Thai Polyphosphates and Chemicals commences production of sodium phosphates in Thailand. 1982 – Indo Bharat Rayon is established. It is the first producer of Viscose Staple Fibre in Indonesia. CHAPTER 4 DEPARTMENTAL PROFILE FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENT OF THE ORGANISATION * HR AND TRAINING * PROJECT AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT * COMMERCIAL AND ACCOUNTS * ADMINISTRATION * IT * LOSS PREVENTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT * MARKETING * SUPPLY CHAI N 4. 1 FUNCTIONAL AREAS IN BUSINESS In a large organisation, it is usually easier to identify separate functional areas because people work together in departments. Each department carries out the tasks that relate to its particular area. The purposes of functional areas- The main purpose of functional areas is to ensure that all important business activities are carried out efficiently. This is essential if the business is to achieve its aims and objectives. In addition, specific areas will be responsibility for supporting specific types of aims and objectives, 4. 1. 1 HR AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT The human resources (HR) and training function- HR is responsible for recruiting new employees and ensuring that each vacancy is filled by the best person for the job. This is important because the recruitment process is expensive and time-consuming. Hiring the wrong person can be costly and cause problems both for the individual and the firm.. HR aims to ensure that the business retains good, experienced staff. Analysing staff-turnover figures will show the rate at which people leave the organisation The department includes-Human resources functions such us: Advertising job vacancies * Notifying staff of promotion opportunities * Receiving and recording all job applications, arranging interviews and notifying candidates of the result * Sending a contract of employment and other essential information to new staff * Arranging staff training and encouraging continuous professional development * Monitoring the working conditions of staff * Checking health and safety and keeping accident records * Recording sick leave and reasons for absence * Carrying out company welfare policies, e. g. long-service awards and company loans Advising managers on the legal rights and responsibilities of the company and its employees * Keeping records of grievances and disciplinary actions and their outcome * Monitoring the terms and conditions of employment, including wage rates * Maintaining staff records * Liaising with staff associations or trade unions which represent the workforce 4. 1. 2 PROJECT AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT The field of commerce, business development comprises a number of techniques and responsibilities which aim at attracting new customers and at penetrating existing markets. Techniques used include: †¢Intelligence gathering on customers and competitors †¢ Generating leads for possible sales †¢Advising on, drafting and enforcing sales policies and processes †¢Follow-up sales activity †¢Formal proposal and presentation management and writing †¢Business model design †¢Account planning and performance monitoring †¢Proposition development and campaign development The department includes:- 1). Business research – gathering, studying, analyzing information This is one of the main functions of business development department. Team of analysts, statisticians and experts work at regular studying and monitoring of external environment – clients, industry, market, company's image, macro economy etc. in order to find potential opportunities and determine their feasibility, expediency and prospect, to analyze different scenarios and support elaboration of business development strategies. 2) Short-term and long-term business planning When certain business opportunity is defined and well-grounded it should be discussed with specialists of concerning departments and company management. Information obtained by business development department is a background for elaborating of short-term and long-term business plans. When opportunity and objectives are considered and agreed with all participants of the process the plan of opportunity realization can be developed and development project initiated. As a result of cooperation of a cross-department team the plan is elaborated into specific tasks that can be assigned to executers and controlled by specialists of business development department, so they can be aware about progress of development plan realization. ). Collaboration with other departments One of the functions of business development department is to give recommendations and consultations regarding questions of development of other departments and general company organization. For effective performance of this function good internal communications should be established. Analysts from business development department should be able to share and discuss documents , tasks and projects with specialists from other departments. 4. 1. 3 COMMERCIAL AND ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANTS Management accountants perform three functions. Scorekeeping-accumulate data and report reliable results to all levels of management Attention-directing-make visible opportunities and problems on which managers need to focus Problem-solving-conduct comparative analysis to identify the best alternatives in relation to the organization’s goals FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANTS They are concerned with the preparation of the statutory accounts. All outlets must provide a Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account each year, and most produce a cash flow statement as well. The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an entity that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions. Financial statements prepared for this purpose meet the common needs of most users. Financial statements do not provide all the information that users may need to make economic decisions since they largely portray the financial effects of past events and do not necessarily provide non-financial information. A credit controller- Finance staff support the accountants by keeping financial records, chasing up late payments and paying for items purchased. Use computer accounting packages to record financial transactions and prepare their accounts as well as spreadsheets to analyse financial data. Finance departments prepare the payroll and pay staff salaries 4. 1. 4 ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT Senior administrators carry out a wide range of tasks, from monitoring budgets to interviewing new staff for their departments. Routine administrative tasks include opening the mail, preparing and filing documents, sending emails and faxes. Others require more creativity and flexibility, such as arranging travel or important events, from staff meetings to visits by foreign customers. Administrators also deal with external customers who judge the business on the way their enquiry is handled. Administrative function includes:- * Collecting, distributing and dispatching the mail * Storing and retrieving paper and electronic records * Organising meetings and preparing meetings documents * Responding promptly to enquiries * Preparing documents using word processing, spreadsheet and presentation packages, such as PowerPoint * Researching information Sending and receiving messages by telephone, fax and email * Making arrangements for visitors. * Making travel arrangements * Purchasing supplies of office stationery and equipment * Making arrangements for events, such as interviews or sales conferences 4. 1. 5 IT DEPARTMENT The Functions are: * IT department carry out strategically important projects which are intended for impro ving of company's IT infrastructure. Such projects are performed by IT specialists of different professions and are controlled not only by IT department managers, but supervised by company management as well. IT department supervisors fulfill the technological management according to their duties and business supervisors control the financial, time and strategic part of the project and need to be in touch with project performance. * System administrators perform a number of periodical tasks which are required for stable and effective work of IT systems and for informational security. * Ensuring that the network infrastructure is up and running, applying operating system updates, patches, and configuration changes, performing backups and restores, hardware monitoring and troubleshooting, etc. . 1. 6 LOSS PREVENTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT Functions performed in this department are: * Frequent checking of stock * Provides security against man made loss theft (Alarm system) * Lo ok after the arrangements in the warehouse * They are concerned with the returning of the expired products 4. 1. 7 MARKETING DEPARTMENT Marketing is all about identifying and meeting customer needs. Many businesses consider this so important that they are said to be marketing led. In this case, everyone in the organisation is trained to put the ustomer first from the production worker, who has to produce high quality goods, to the accounts clerk, who must respond to a customer enquiry promptly and accurately. Marketing function includes:- * Carrying out market research to obtain feedback on potential and existing products and/or services * Analysing market research responses and advising senior managers of the results and implications * Promoting products and services through a variety of advertising and promotional methods * Obtaining and updating a profile of existing customers to target advertising and promotions appropriately Producing and distributing publicity materials, such as catalogues or Brochures * Designing, updating and promoting the company website 4. 1. 8 SUPPLY CHAIN DEPARTMENT Supply chain department function include: †¢ Supply Planning and Sales ; Operations Planning (S;OP) †¢ Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP) †¢ Supply Chain Operations – Warehousing ; Transportation †¢ Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) †¢ Purchasing †¢ Imports ; Exports 4. 2 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF ADITYA BIRLA RETAIL LTD Chairman Chairman CEO CEO SUPERMARKET SUPERMARKET HYPERMARKET HYPERMARKET REGIONAL HEAD REGIONAL HEAD ZONAL HEAD ZONAL HEAD TERRITORY MANAGER TERRITORY MANAGER CLUSTER MANAGER CLUSTER MANAGER STORE MANAGER STORE MANAGER SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR CSA CSA CHAPTER 5 SWOT ANALYSIS 5. 1 STRENGTH * Pattern of consumption changing along with shopping trends. * A Growing population will translate to move consumers. * Consumer spending increasing at 11% annually. * Paradigm shift in shopping experience for consumers pulling in more people. 5. 2 WEAKNESSES * Shortage of quality retail spaces at affordable rates. Government regulations on development of real estate(Urban Land Ceiling Act) * Need to provide Value for Money-squeezing margins * Lack of industry status.. * Footfalls not a clear indicator of sales as actual consumers lower in number. * Lack of huge investments for expansion. 5. 3 OPPORTUNITIES * Increasing urban population * Increase in consuming middle class population. * Social factors like dual household income has enhanced spending power. * Spends moving towards lifestyle products and esteem enhancing products. * Average grocery spends at 42% of monthly spends-presents a huge opportunity. Increase in use of credit cards. 5. 4 THREATS * Personalized service offered by other stores. * Unavailability of qualified personnel to support exponential growth in stores * Differentiate taxation laws hindering expansion. * Competed stores * Lake of development infrastructural needs * Dissimilarity in consumer groups * Shortage of trained manpower * Low retail management skill CHAPTER 6 FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION 6. 1 FINDINGS * The current contribution sector of retail sector 14% and its expected to climb up in the coming years. The different depts. of Aditya Birla ltd are functioning smoothly * Understood the factors regarding the location of business outlet. * Consumers generaly not satisfied with product range. They need more variety of products. 6. 2 SUGGESTIONS * People generally search for the product on offer so the high margin product should be up fronted that means those item should be in such a way that it easily catches customers attention and generate impulse purchase. * Some of the measures taken by Loss and Prevention department are not applicable. The IT Department should provide solutions for basic problems to the store managers in outlets. * New outlets should be open at convenient locations. * The outlet should introduce new and attractive promotional offers. * The retail outlet should new products range. * The outlet should have enough parking spaces for vehicles. 6. 3 CONCLUSION Through my ORGANISATION STUDY and job responsibilities I handled in the organization, I came to a conclusion that the company should provide information to stores to concentrate more on the fruits and vegetables section as it is perishable in nature and has a short shelf life. The company should be flexible to adapt to the changes which occurs in the retailing industry. Store should take more care on promotional activities because all other retail stores are giving more promotional activities than More. Most people are not aware about the seasonal offers in More stores. BIBLIOGRAPHY SOURCES OF DATA 1. RETAIL MANAGEMENT BY S. G SHARMA 2. INTERNET SITES www. info. com www. morestore. com