Coca Cola's Global Business Strategy Research Paper

Coca Cola's Global Business Strategy - Research Paper Example The company was established in 1886 and the flagship brand spread all over the world. The company runs its business in the areas of manufacturing, retailing and marketing soft drinks, beverages and non-alcoholic syrups across the world. The company sells around 500 brands in 200 countries across the world catering to 1.7 billion customers per day. A total of 1,46,200 employees have been engaged by the Coca Cola Company all over the world in order to run its business of manufacturing, retailing and selling of soft drinks, beverages and syrups in different countries. The company earned revenues of slightly over 48 billion dollars with an operating income of close to 11 billion dollars in 2012. The business of Coca Cola is largely supported by the supply chain and logistics management of the company. The drinks and beverages manufactured by the company in its factories are distributed to the wholesalers and retailers, franchisees of the company, etc. The franchisees, agents and retailer s sell the products of Coca Cola in the regional markets all over the world. Some of the renowned brands of Coca Cola include the Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Valpre, etc (THE  COCA-COLA  COMPANY 1). In order to deal with the areas of risk in the supply chain, the company adopts global business strategies to distribute its products in several countries. Research Methodology The research methodology adopted for this study on the company background of Coca Cola Company and its supply chain strategies to distribute its products in the international boundaries have been explained as follows. This is a secondary research conducted with the use of existing data. The data and required information on the company and its strategies to distribute the products in the international boundaries in an efficient manner have been collected from electronic sources, company’s official website and from the books on logistic management of the company. The data collected from the company is relia ble and have been qualitatively analyzed to determine how the company addresses the areas of risk and achieves efficient distribution of its products in order to meet the international demand of its products. Analysis and findings In order to deal with the risks of supply chain that includes agency cost, delay in delivery of the products due to intermediate players, conflicting interest with the distributors, Coca Cola Company undertakes global business strategy to distribute its products internationally in order to meet the global demand. The company operates a franchisee based distribution network throughout the world. The franchisees undertake contracts and agreements with the Coca Cola Company for retailing of the drinks, beverages and syrups manufactured by the company (Stock and  Lambert 45). The franchisees are given the responsibility for distribution and sale of the products for the particular region. The supply chain interruptions, malicious tampering of products, transp ortation delays are the areas of risk for the company. In order to address the areas of risk, the company adopted the global strategy of replacing existing logistics with an

Types of Ownerships Essay Example for Free

Types of Ownerships Essay I am going to investigate and describe two contrasting organisations. I will clearly identify their main purpose and type of ownership. My two chosen organisations are Oxfam and McDonalds. These are two organisations are good examples because they are different in their purpose, type of ownership, size and scale. Description of Oxfam organisation Oxfam was founded in 1942 in Britain as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working together in 98 countries with partners and allies around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. There are 15 member organisations of the Oxfam International confederation, based in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Quebec, Spain and the United States. Oxfam operates in tertiary sector. Oxfam’s Purpose The purpose of this organisation is to help poor people around the world. Oxfam concentrates on five interlinked areas of work which are: emergency response, development work, campaigning for change, advocacy and policy research. Oxfam works with thousands of local partner organisations and with people living in poverty striving to exercise their human rights and assert their dignity as full citizens and take control of their lives. Oxfam and type of ownership Oxfam is a not for profit charity. Charity is commonly used to describe an organisation that facilitates charity benefiting people in need. It also often refers to the act of giving money, time or resources to others without expecting reciprocation. The term not for profit means that a not for profit organisation is a type of organisation that does not earn profits for its owners. All of the money earned by or donated to a not for profit organisation is used in pursuing the organisations objectives.

Essay --

Another reason why sugar harms the body is that a calcium deficiency leads to osteoporosis. Sugar will steal calcium from the blood stream; however, if there is not enough calcium in the blood stream, the sugar will then pull vital calcium from the bones. The calcium taken directly from the bones causes them to be weak and fragile, which unmistakeably leads to osteoporosis (((APPLETON, 23))). Osteoporosis is a bone disease that plagues many Americans. The best way to counteract osteoporosis is to drop sugar from the diet completely. Americans on average do not have a proper calcium-phosphorus ratio and sugar simply creates more havoc for the human body. Because of an imbalance of nutrients, important enzymes of the human body are disrupted. The human body is full of small chemical reactions called enzymes. These enzymes enable cells to function properly and efficiently. One important role of enzymes is that of metabolism. Metabolism is a digestive process that relies on properly functioning enzymes. The enzymes that control metabolism need a proper balance of nutrients in order to function properly. However, the enemy, sugar, once again causes harm. Sugar negates these nutrients, leaving the enzymes weak and ineffective. An increased amount of sugar in the body decreases the effectiveness of enzymes, therefore decreasing metabolism. A decrease in metabolism causes food to be digested and absorbed at a slower rate. A weak metabolism leaves the human weak as well. The enzymes that are responsible for metabolism are negatively affected by sugar. Due to a slowed metabolism, allergies can result if food is not properly digested. The enzymes in the small intestine are greatly affected by sugar. Sugar makes the digestion process slow... ...foreign invader. Common autoimmune diseases are Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type one diabetes, and hyperthyroidism, to name a few (((CAMPBELL, PG 184))). These diseases distress all to many Americans because they appear because of an overload of sugar. The endocrine gland is greatly inhibited by the increase in sugar. The body regulates the affect of sugar on different minerals by the endocrine system. It is an automatic process that occurs in the body be specialized organs, or glands. Processes such as respiration, heartbeat, digestion and elimination of food, body temperature, and balanced body chemistry rely on properly functioning endocrine glands (((APPLETON, PG. 27))). Without these automatic processes occurring properly, the human body will decay rapidly. Sugar greatly inhibits the endocrine gland, which in turn annihilates the human body.

What can neuropsychologists learn by studying individuals with damaged brains?

Introduction One of the best ways to learn about the normal functioning of the brain is to study how it functions when it is damaged (Rosvold, Mirsky, Sarason, Bransome et al., 1956). This paradigm for research in neuroscience involves comparing the neural functioning and performance on cognitive tasks of normal controls to that of patients with brain damage (for example, Fellows and Farah, 2003). Studies of localised brain damage can have especially important implications, since the impaired functional area is likely to be associated with that location in the brain containing the lesion. Though this is just one paradigm used in mapping the functional areas of the brain, other methods involve using only healthy participants and studying the pattern of neural activation during specific tasks designed to stimulate different cognitive faculties. But by comparing the functioning of healthy individuals to patients with brain damage it has been possible to distinguish very specific areas of the brain b ased on their functional purpose. Purpose of specific areas is either based around sensation and perception, information processing, memory or executive decision-making. This essay will examine some of the most pertinent findings gleaned from studies of brain damaged patients and elaborate on the avenues for future research in this context. The review of literature will proceed in a systematic manner evaluating the function of various brain areas through examination of the effects of lesions in these areas, as well as elaborating on the limitations of the methodologies employed. There are many ways in which the brain can be damaged, but the factor that seems more important in determining the effects of brain damage rather than how the brain damage occurred is the location of the damage. Evidence for this comes from reviews such as Ommaya and Genarelli (1974) who correlated clinical and experimental observations with the location of lesions in the brain. This essay will now proceed by analysing the effects of brain damage in different functional areas and the neural correlates of these effects. Brain damage can have a diverse range of effects depending on the region that is damaged, including disturbances in emotion, attention, memory and executive decision-making (Brewer and Perret, 1971). Prominent in this field of research are studies such as that of Robinson, Kubos, Starr, Rao and Price (1984) who studied patients with stroke lesions in various locations in the brain. Their findings showed a greater incidence of depression in individuals with anterior lesions on the left cerebral hemisphere. The inverse was true of right cerebral lesions, with posterior lesions leading to more depressed mood. This suggests that the location of lesions has an effect on the form that mood change takes following a stroke. To generalise further from this, different areas of the brain are differently responsible for emotional regulation and the cerebral hemispheres are oppositely arranged with regard to the operation of emotion. This research however was purely correlational, and therefore s uggests nothing of the mechanism behind the effect, and in fact cannot imply cause and effect at all between observations. Also, only depression was taken into account, measured with standard instruments for gauging levels of the disorder. This methodology misses a potential wealth of nuanced information on the subtle temperament changes that surely accompany mood disorders following stroke, qualitative methods could perhaps have uncovered more, and future research is needed to investigate other aspects of mood effects of brain damage. Brain damage can also profoundly affect memory in various ways as well as affecting mood and demeanour (Graham and Hodges, 1997). The effects of brain damage on memory are as variable as the forms of memory itself. The empirical research into this area has elucidated not only the effects of brain damage but also the processes by which different kinds of memory are encoded, stored and retrieved and the structures primarily involved. This is possible through deduction based on the pattern of impairment in a particular patient in relation to their specific lesion (Graham and Hodges, 1997). In the case of working memory, research has shown that even patients with mild brain damage show a tendency towards enhanced activation of circuitry associated with information-processing when tested on the same working memory tests as controls (McAllister, Sparling, Flashman, Guerin, Mamourian and Saykin, 2001). This kind of research has elucidated the structures and pathways associated with working memory, but it cannot rule out the possibility that these areas of the brain are involved in multiple pathways necessary for other cognitive processes. This is perhaps only a fraction of the information which could be extracted by study of working memory circuitry and how it functions in conjunction with the rest of the brain. Although this research has highlighted areas relevant to working memory it says little about the processes involved or how the brain functions as a whole in this function. In addition to working memory, damage in different areas has been shown to affect long-term memory which will now be explored. Research into dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as well as patients with frontal lobe damage has uncovered information about the encoding and storage of long-term memory (Graham and Hodges, 1997). Graham and Hodges (1997) investigated the role of subcortical structures in the formation of new memories through the study of patients with degradation of hippocampal structures (Alzheimer’s patients) as compared to those with comparably spared hippocampal structures but atrophy in neocortical areas (patients with semantic dementia). Their findings show that patients with spared hippocampal structures had greater recall for recent memory than more distant memory, whereas patients with Alzheimer’s disease showed the opposite pattern. These observations have helped to establish the pathway via which short-term memory passes into long-term memory, and thus has important implications of our understanding of the storage of memory in the brain. This study does provide strong evidence for the proposed conclusion, although the specific mechanisms by which short-term memory is transferred and stored between regions remains mysterious. Indeed, the actual location of long-term memory storage itself remains mysterious. It seems likely then that this process is not as simple as is proposed here. Of course not all stimuli are represented the same way in memory, some are emotionally charged. This essay will now explore how research into brain damage has helped the understanding of emotional activation in the brain. Emotional memory and functioning is another area in which study of brain damage can supplement valuable information. It is well known that the amygdala plays a large role in the experience of emotion, so it follows that Cahill, Babinsky, Markowitsch and McGaugh (1995) found that memory for emotionally charged stimuli and events was impaired in patients with damage to the amygdala, whereas memory for neutral autobiographical events and experimental stimuli was within the normal range. The benefits of research on brain damaged patients can perhaps best be seen in this area because of the rarity of patients with selective lesions localised in the amygdala (Adolphs, Tranel, Damasio and Damasio, 1994). Although research into the function of the amygdala in healthy participants successfully revealed that it is involved broadly in emotion (for example, LeDoux, 2003) research into the rare cases of localised damage to the amygdala (with normal functioning elsewhere) have enabled researchers to add clarity and specificity to this statement. Adolphs et al. (1994) discovered that the amygdala functions with a social dimension as well as an emotional one. Specifically, it is essential for the recognition of emotion (especially fear) in other people, but it is not necessary to discern individual identity from faces. This shows a clear contribution to the knowledge base from studies of brain damage; the constraints were added to the general statement that the amygdala is simply involved in emotion. It would have been difficult to discern this information from examining only the activation patterns in the brain and behavioural functioning of healthy participants, as the lone influence of the amygdala could not easily be isolated from the rest of the brain without it being removed. Necessarily though, such studies lack a certain ecological validity because the observations are naturally limited to such a low number of cases due to the rarity of localised amygdala damage. Anoth er important functional area brain damage can influence is cognition and executive decision-making. By studying patients with frontal lobe damage it has been possible to determine the role it plays in cognition, problem-solving and decision-making. In procedures such as the Wisconsin card-sorting test, participants can be accurately assessed for frontal lobe damage based on how well they can sort the cards into categories and their flexibility in doing so with shifting classification criteria (Stuss, Levine, Alexander, Hong, Palumbo, Hamer and Izukawa 2000). This task can even be used to distinguish the location of the damage within the frontal lobe by varying the amount of specificity in external direction. The fact that cognitive functioning can so accurately reflect the location of damage in the brain shows again the opportunity for mapping brain functions based on data collected from patients with impaired functioning in specific areas. This kind of test has particularly good reliability since the test thoroughly assesses cognitive decision-making with the absence of activation in only one very specific area. A criticism must be that the task is probably quite dissimilar from anything the participants are likely to perform in their daily life; it is contrived to be carried out under experimental conditions, and therefore the results may not be as valid as they appear in naturalistic situations. Although the accuracy with which the test can distinguish the specific location of damage gives it criterion validity. This concludes the review of research into the influence of brain damage on functional ability and demeanour. This essay has presented research on the effects of damage in various locations within the brain on behaviour, sensation, memory and cognitive processing. The contribution to knowledge of the purpose and integration of various regions in the brain have been discussed, the general conclusion being that it would be difficult to gain the same insight into the specific role of structures and the form of neural pathways without the study of patients with localised brain damage. Other paradigms exist in neuroscience, but studying the pattern of impairment in patients with localised brain damage compared to controls provides perhaps one of the best ways to assess the function and contribution of that particular damaged area. There are of course confounding variables though such as the way the damage occurred, and individual differences in participants. References Adolphs, R., Tranel, D., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. (1994). Impaired recognition of emotion in facial expressions following bilateral damage to the human amygdala. Nature, 372(6507), 669-672. Brewer, C., & Perrett, L. (1971). Brain Damage due to Alcohol Consumption: An Air?encephalographic, Psychometric and Electroencephalographic Study. British Journal of Addiction to Alcohol & Other Drugs, 66(3), 170-182. Cahill, L., Babinsky, R., Markowitsch, H. J., & McGaugh, J. L. (1995). The amygdala and emotional memory. Nature, 377(6547), 295-296. Fellows, L. K., & Farah, M. J. (2003). Ventromedial frontal cortex mediates affective shifting in humans: evidence from a reversal learning paradigm. Brain,126(8), 1830-1837. Graham, K. S., & Hodges, J. R. (1997). Differentiating the roles of the hippocampus complex and the neocortex in long-term memory storage: Evidence from the study of semantic dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychology, 11(1), 77. LeDoux, J. (2003). The emotional brain, fear, and the amygdala. Cellular and molecular neurobiology, 23(4-5), 727-738. McAllister, T. W., Sparling, M. B., Flashman, L. A., Guerin, S. J., Mamourian, A. C., & Saykin, A. J. (2001). Differential working memory load effects after mild traumatic brain injury. Neuroimage, 14(5), 1004-1012. Ommaya, A. K., & Gennarelli, T. A. (1974). Cerebral concussion and traumatic unconsciousness correlation of experimental and clinical observations on blunt head injuries. Brain, 97(4), 633-654. Robinson, R. G., Kubos, K. L., Starr, L. B., Rao, K., & Price, T. R. (1984). Mood disorders in stroke patients: importance of location of lesion. Brain, 107(1), 81-93. Rosvold, H. E., Mirsky, A. F., Sarason, I., Bransome Jr, E. D., & Beck, L. H. (1956). A continuous performance test of brain damage. Journal of consulting psychology, 20(5), 343. Stuss, D. T., Levine, B., Alexander, M. P., Hong, J., Palumbo, C., Hamer, L.., †¦ & Izukawa, D. (2000). Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in patients with focal frontal and posterior brain damage: effects of lesion location and test structure on separable cognitive processes. Neuropsychologia, 38(4), 388-402.

Devry of Crystal City, VA.

This scenario involves Cassie and Bill. The both have experience in Project Management however Bill a lot more experience than Cassie does. Bill last project was late and over budgeted so Cassie a little bit skeptical about his overall knowledge but yet she is still willing to list to him. I am the third person brought into this meeting and I will discuss different avenues of approach to fix these issues. I will also explain the different elements identified as well as how I feel that they should be addressed. ABSTRACT: I posted these comments: Bring both managers together and discuss all the current and future risk factors * Establish a budget that will help each manager understand the short and long term affects * Make a chart of how and when the possibilities of risks are most vulnerable * Ensure that everyone practices trial and error to ensure management and employers are privileged to the risk factors. * Capture previous projects and study their history of risk matrix and match both to see if you are following the right procedures or decreasing risk factors * Always double check everything your team has covered as a whole to ensure the proper risk measure have been implemented The students comments had several opinions, however they basically agreed that all projects should have a list of plans and these plans should cover overall risks. these risks should be realistic and within your primary budget. You should break down the project into quarters and each quarter should be budgeted according to your requirements. Now I do understand that issues come up and project are prolonged or over budgeted initially but as a good project Mason 3 manager, you should plan for mishaps even if they don't occur. I would suggest that you write down all the potential issues and make adjustments as needed. For instance Liza Nicholas, wrote that she liked the idea of utilizing WBS because it allows personnel to actually see the breakdown of all the requirements. I do agree that when specific tasks are written down along with short and long term goals. This general information is helpful and needed when projects are costly and extensive. You should always cover the previous projects and decide which risk assessments were deemed to be refined. There will always be some mistakes, but my overall objective is to minimize risks and make sure your project as safe as possible. Team members and employees should discuss the potential risks and put together a plan to ensure that everyone knows the outcome in case risks impact the project's timeline. It is important to follow your timeline and make sure your costs match those dates. CONCLUSION: The overall idea is to make sure that the project managers are detailing risk plans and following the guidance from previous mistakes. Plans should be to the point and cultivated by the environment along with extensiveness of the project itself. Management should be monitoring each project and ensuring that everyone does what is needed to ensure safety and maintain funds for each project. As a third party member, I would like to ensure that all Mason 4 employees and staff will know and understand their risks in each project and actually know the appropriate actions to take in case of an immediate response or actions is needed.

Free Essays on Sex Education In Public Schools Destroys Ignorance

, it is about learning how we grow, reproduce and change over the years. It also includes a positive view of sex and the safety involved on sexuality. Regarding to the importance of sex education, I want to state that I strongly agree that high schools must provide young people with adequate sex education because young people should be better educated on this subject to destroy the ignorance of it. Sex education in high schools helps young people to be more prepared for life changes such as puberty, menopause and aging. Sex education can develop skills and self esteem to help students enter adolescence. It helps them in knowing that the sudden few changes are okay and normal. For example, girls would not get shocked, panic and afraid at their first menstruation once they already had the knowledge about it. Young people can also learn to appreciate and recognize their own sex: bodies just as good, beautiful and special as other God's perfect creations. Moreover, it delivers confidence on them to value themselves and others. Sex education helps them understand the place of sexuality in human life and loving other people. They will learn to enjoy their sexuality, behave responsibly within their sexual and personal relationships. Teens are usually very curious to know all new things that come up to them especially abstract things such as sex. Despite that, sex ... Free Essays on Sex Education In Public Schools Destroys Ignorance Free Essays on Sex Education In Public Schools Destroys Ignorance The choice of sex education is between the parents and the youth. Sex is a natural part of life, and when questions arise, they can be discussed in a matured way without condoning certain behavior. Relying to that, we realize that sex education is important to be inserted in a person's life. Therefore, sex education in high schools is very necessary for youngsters to acquire information, form attitudes, beliefs and values about identity, relationships and intimacy. Sex education also encompasses sexual development, affection, body image and gender roles. In other words, it is about learning how we grow, reproduce and change over the years. It also includes a positive view of sex and the safety involved on sexuality. Regarding to the importance of sex education, I want to state that I strongly agree that high schools must provide young people with adequate sex education because young people should be better educated on this subject to destroy the ignorance of it. Sex education in high schools helps young people to be more prepared for life changes such as puberty, menopause and aging. Sex education can develop skills and self esteem to help students enter adolescence. It helps them in knowing that the sudden few changes are okay and normal. For example, girls would not get shocked, panic and afraid at their first menstruation once they already had the knowledge about it. Young people can also learn to appreciate and recognize their own sex: bodies just as good, beautiful and special as other God's perfect creations. Moreover, it delivers confidence on them to value themselves and others. Sex education helps them understand the place of sexuality in human life and loving other people. They will learn to enjoy their sexuality, behave responsibly within their sexual and personal relationships. Teens are usually very curious to know all new things that come up to them especially abstract things such as sex. Despite that, sex ...

Robert F (Bobby) Kennedy. Includes a poem on R.Kennedy by Ron Wilson

Robert F (Bobby) Kennedy. Includes a poem on R.Kennedy by Ron Wilson Robert Francis ("Bobby") KennedyRobert F. Kennedy was born in 1925 in Brookline Massachusetts , and wasraised with traditional family values. He was a true patriot, with a strongsense of nationalism. While Attending Harvard University, he saw that hiscountry needed his help, so he put his undergraduate studies on hold toserve his country's Navy in World War II. When he returned home, hefinished his Bachelor's degree at Harvard, and received an LL.B. from theuniversity of Virginia Law. In 1951 he served as Attorney to the U.S.Department of Jjustice, but in 1952 he resigned to manage his brotherJohn's senatorial campaign.In 1953, he served as assistant counsel under Senator JosephMcCarthy's permanent investigators subcommittee. He resigned in 1956because he didn't agree with all of Senator McCarthy's ideas and methods.He then in 1957 was elected to be chief council for the Senate Rackets'Robert F. Kennedy, Cabinet Room, White House, Wash...committee. During that time he exposed mofia f igureheads such as JimmyHoffa and Dave Beck. He seemed to be obsessed with dismantling theMofia. Under his brother's administration, he continued his attack on theMofia. Robert Kennedy had no sympathy for the mob, nor did he care thathe was being criticized by the media for his "harsh measures" such as hisextensive use of wiretaps .In 1964 he resigned as Attorney General to subsequently gain a Senateseat from New York. While being a Senator, his views on governmentslightly changed. He was now paying more attention to the needs of thepoor minorities, and was criticizing the involvement of the United States inthe Vietnam War.In March of 1968, he announced that he would be running forPresident on the Democratic ticket. His charismatic personality appealed tovoters of all ethnic backgrounds and...

A Quick Introduction to Homeschooling

A Quick Introduction to Homeschooling Homeschooling is a type of education where children learn outside of a school setting under the supervision of their parents. The family determines what is to be learned and how it is to be taught while following whatever government regulations apply in that state or country. Today, homeschooling is a widely accepted educational alternative to traditional public or private schools, as well as a valuable method of learning in its own right. Homeschooling in America The roots of todays homeschooling movement go way back in American history. Up until the first compulsory education laws about 150 years ago, most children were taught at home. Wealthier families hired private tutors. Parents also taught their own children using books like the McGuffey Reader  or sent their children to a dame school where small groups of children were taught be a neighbor in exchange for chores. Famous homeschoolers from history include President John Adams, author Louisa May Alcott, and inventor Thomas Edison. Today, homeschooling parents have a wide range of curriculum, distance learning programs, and other educational resources to choose from. The movement also includes child-directed learning or unschooling, the philosophy made popular starting in the 1960s by education expert  John Holt. Who Homeschools and Why Its believed that between one to two percent of all school-age children are homeschooled -   although the statistics that exist on homeschooling in the United States are notoriously unreliable. Some of the reasons parents give for homeschooling include concern about safety, religious preference, and educational benefits. For many families, homeschooling is also a reflection of the importance they place on being together and a way to offset some of the pressures - in and out of school - to consume, acquire, and conform. In addition, families homeschool: to fit into parents work schedulesto travelto accommodate special needs and learning disabilitiesto provide gifted kids with more challenging material or allow them to work at a faster pace. Homeschooling Requirements in the U.S. Homeschooling comes under the authority of individual states, and each state has different requirements. In some parts of the country, all parents need to do is notify the school district that they are educating their children themselves. Other states require parents to submit lesson plans for approval, send in regular reports, prepare a portfolio for the district or peer review, allow home visits by district employees and have their children take standardized tests. Most states allow any competent parent or adult to homeschool a child, but a few demand a  teaching certification. For new homeschoolers, the important thing to know is that regardless of the local requirements, families have been able to work within them to achieve their own goals. Educational Styles One of homeschoolings advantages is that it is adaptable to many styles of teaching and learning. Some of the important ways in which homeschooling methods differ include: How much structure is preferred. There are homeschoolers who set up their environment like a classroom, right down to separate desks, textbooks, and a blackboard. Other families rarely or never do formal lessons, but dive into research materials, community resources and opportunities for hands-on exploration whenever a new topic catches someones interest. In between are homeschoolers who place varying amounts of importance on daily sit-down desk work, grades, tests, and covering topics in a particular order or time frame.What materials are used. Homeschoolers have the option to use an all-in-one curriculum, buy individual texts and workbooks from one or more publishers, or use picture books, nonfiction, and reference volumes instead. Most families also supplement whatever they use with alternative resources such as novels, videos, music, theater, art, and more.How much teaching is done by the parent. Parents can and do take on all the responsibility for teaching themselves. But other s choose to share teaching duties with other homeschooling families or pass it along to other educators. These can include distance learning (whether by mail, phone, or online), tutors and tutoring centers, as well as all the enrichment activities available to all children in the community, from sports teams to arts centers. Some private schools have also begun opening up their doors to part-time students. What About Public School at Home? Technically, homeschooling does not include the ever-increasing variations of public schooling that take place outside of school buildings. These can include online charter schools, independent study programs, and part-time or blended schools. To the parent and child at home, these may feel very similar to homeschooling. The difference is that public-school-at-home students are still under the authority of the school district, which determines what they must learn and when. Some homeschoolers feel these programs are missing the main ingredient that makes education at home work for them the freedom to change things as needed. Others find them a helpful way to allow their children to learn at home while still meeting the requirements of the school system. More Homeschooling Basics Homeschooling FAQWhat Homeschooling Really Looks Like5 Quick-Start Tips10 Positive Reasons to Homeschool

Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method with Focus on Research Proposal

Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method with Focus on Network Intrusion Detection Systems - Research Proposal Example 107). These correction techniques need to be initiated through diverse ways of detection and existing digital computation methods. Alongside these mechanisms, the following paper analyzes deviation from original forms of information that can secure any computer network (Singh and Kaur, 2007, p. 109). Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method Network intrusion detection systems are computerized systems able to reveal infringements in computer network systems (Nakkeeran, Aruldoss and Ezumalai, 2010, p. 52). Irregularity detecting systems are grounded on infringement of networks. When the networks face anomalies, the detection system creates a standard traffic paradigm. This system is used as an approach of determining deviation from original formats of data to altered ones. Under the anomaly detection, the Fuzzy Gaussian mixture and modeling strategy is employed to detect abnormalities in computer network systems. The Probability Distribution technique stood for network i nformation in multidimensional aspect gaps. The limits of this mixture are approximated to deploying fuzzy c-means of abnormalities within digitized techniques. Even though this approach is accurately tested by researchers, results have proven the mechanism more effective than other quantization techniques (Nakkeeran, Aruldoss and Ezumalai, 2010, p. 55). ... Among infringement detection methods that are automated, vector quantization in anomaly recognition might prove to be inexpensive from a capital’s perspective (Azer, El-Kassas and El-Soudani, 2006, p. 2). Therefore, vector quantization is considered most appropriate for resource limited and improvised computer network systems. Anomaly Detection systems can also employ a game approach means to perceive deviation of changed data streaming through various computer networks. Computerized detection is mainly employed to conclude future anomalies within a precise network. Game approaches focus on the prediction of any upcoming abnormalities in computer’s network systems (Azer, El-Kassas and El-Soudani, 2006, p. 6). Traffic patterns have been affiliated with the conditional possibility distribution of the nature of the anomalies in a computer network (Sobh, 2007, p. 119). Given the nature of data processing from the past, anomaly detection systems use similar distribution stat es that currently exist. This way, system updates will reinforce the protection of data and communication systems. Infringement in computer networks requires recognition of any deviation in the transformation of data from one form to another while streaming through the network. When a monitored traffic experiences anomalies, it becomes marked or labeled should there arise a possibility of extremely low levels of security encountering high levels of threat. Cases that are more preventive include technical methods that engage specification-based anomaly mechanisms (Sobh, 2007, p. 119). Legitimate system behavior faced chronic demerits that certain networks encounter and obtained from similar entry-grounded systems, whilst significantly elevated digitized assistance is needed (Portnoy,

Report about the National Transportation Safety Board Essay

Report about the National Transportation Safety Board - Essay Example In cases of suspected criminal activity, certain other federal agencies might get involved in the investigation process. Meticulous reporting is done and recommendations are issued at the end of any investigation as it is the primary goal. NTSB also undertakes specialised research on transportation safety to create new knowledge to make effective recommendations. NTSB also engages in safety advocacy by issuing safety alerts for the public and transportation providers. For instance, recommended actions to â€Å"prevent aerodynamic stalls at low altitudes† (NTSB, n.d.) is for the pilots and technicians, while various alerts regarding highway safety addresses the public. These could be accessed on NTSB website and appear to be highly useful. Another key division of NTSB is its Transport Disaster Assistance (TDA) division that functions as a coordinator after any transport accident in order to provide various support services to the victims and their families. To name a few, TDA coordinates forensic services, counselling, translation and interaction with foreign governments. TDA acts as the coordinator between those who respond to an accident and those affected, that is the state and federal agencies or volunteer organisation and the respective transport carriers. It also helps in planning disaster assistance. Throughout the period of investigation, TDA serves as the information source for the

Medical Law and Ethics by Bonnie Fremgen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical Law and Ethics by Bonnie Fremgen - Essay Example There would be more fitness training institutes and gymnasiums all over the town instead of hospitals which are more in number. People would be healthy and wealthy working hard for personal and professional success. Presuming this kind of society would be more ideal place to live. Government may take out more number of policies keeping in mind Hygeia model of heath care. The society would be devoid of poverty, grief and dismay. There would be no legal and moral obligations with Hygeia model of preventive health care. If at all any legal obligations are there then they might be on some preventive medicines which may cause little damage to health. Hygeia model of preventive health care is ethically strong and ideal form of health care so there no question of ethical obligations arising on Hygeia model. Imagine even after taking every care to prevent all kinds of diseases de to some accident a person has fallen ill or got damaged his body then there would be no specialized doctors and medical assistance to operate on a patient because in Hygeia model of health care more importance is given to prevention rather than medication after a disease has struck. Even worse there would be no advanced medicines available to the diseased. Although Hygeia model of health care is an ideal one but when we get into detail there might be more number of problems associated with it.

Intermediate accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intermediate accounting - Essay Example Houston and Brigham (2009) state that, the outcome of the evaluation determines whether investors and other external users of financial information decide to retract or extend financing to the organization. The shareholders level of commitment to the organization may also fluctuate based on the outcome of the evaluations. There are several categories of ratio, each designed to assess a different aspect of an organization’s performance. The five categories are; liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, asset activity ratios and debt ratios. Liquidity ratios assess the ability of a business to convert its current resources into cash and payoff the company’s current obligations (Houston and Brigham, 2009). They include the quick ratio, also known as the acid test, the current ratio, cash coverage ratio and liquidity index. Quick ratio evaluates the ability of a company to fulfill any short-term obligations with assets that can be converted into cash quickly (Houston and Brigham, 2009). A quick ratio greater than 1 is an indication that the firm is able to liquidate all of its accounts. Current ratio examines the ability of a company to pay off its financial obligations in one year (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Current ratio accounts for current assets like account receivables and the company’s liabilities like account payables to help the manager understand the solvency of the company. A ratio lying within 1.5 and 3 indicates strong financial performance (Houston and Brigham, 2009). A current ratio of less than one is an indication that the firm might not be able to meet all of its financial liabilities if they are needed to be paid at the same time (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Current ratio that is relatively high and may indicate that the company is resting on a huge amount of money, rather than spending it in the company. Current ratio provides

Management and Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management and Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Again, the relationship between a company’s business structure and cultural parameters throw light on the performance potential of the company. The structural pattern of small business units is generally flat owing to the reduced hierarchy levels between the employees and owner of the company. However in case of big concerns the structural system attains a much complex pattern with the creation of several functional departments. It signifies a specialized performance pattern of the business unit. The difference in the organizational structures is also closely associated to the degree of control exercised over the people or employees in achievement of organizational objectives. The different organizational structures underline the nature and extent of responsibilities entrusted on the employees which also calls for rendering of rewards and punishment. Similarly the employees working together in groups design the organizational culture and cite the norms and ethics of the compan y. The cultural system of a company is flexible and is decided between the mutual understanding of the upper and lower management levels depending on circumstances and situations. Both the structural and cultural parameters work together in designing the norms of business leadership for efficient performance of the organization (Rollinson, 2008, pp.4-5). ... The set of organizational values also indicate the behavioral and communicating patterns of the employees with external interested parties like the customers, government and similar other interest groups. Further the existence of organizational culture helps in encouraging the people to work in a group network in order to achieve organizational objectives. The behavior and attitudes of the group of people working closely with each other are governed by the cultural parameters set by the company which in turn helps in the fulfillment of business objectives. On the other hand the group dynamics of the different individuals are also governed by the system of organizational structure. The system of organizational structure governs the level of interaction between the people at different organizational levels in order to achieve business objectives. The structural parameters of an organization help the employees to coordinate with each other and also to communicate in an effective manner with other hierarchies. This renders a sense of support to them to work more effectively in fulfilling business goals (Jennifer, 2009.p.6; Mullins, 2008, pp. 66-70). Organizational Culture and Leadership Organizational leadership centers on the maintenance of the core values and business philosophy of the concern as distinct from other companies performing in the external environment. These core values and visions upon which a business functions are formulated through the development of organizational cultures. Development of organizational cultures also enhances the ethical and loyal parameters in the behavioral patterns of the employees within an organization. These organizational

Intermediate accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intermediate accounting - Essay Example Houston and Brigham (2009) state that, the outcome of the evaluation determines whether investors and other external users of financial information decide to retract or extend financing to the organization. The shareholders level of commitment to the organization may also fluctuate based on the outcome of the evaluations. There are several categories of ratio, each designed to assess a different aspect of an organization’s performance. The five categories are; liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, asset activity ratios and debt ratios. Liquidity ratios assess the ability of a business to convert its current resources into cash and payoff the company’s current obligations (Houston and Brigham, 2009). They include the quick ratio, also known as the acid test, the current ratio, cash coverage ratio and liquidity index. Quick ratio evaluates the ability of a company to fulfill any short-term obligations with assets that can be converted into cash quickly (Houston and Brigham, 2009). A quick ratio greater than 1 is an indication that the firm is able to liquidate all of its accounts. Current ratio examines the ability of a company to pay off its financial obligations in one year (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Current ratio accounts for current assets like account receivables and the company’s liabilities like account payables to help the manager understand the solvency of the company. A ratio lying within 1.5 and 3 indicates strong financial performance (Houston and Brigham, 2009). A current ratio of less than one is an indication that the firm might not be able to meet all of its financial liabilities if they are needed to be paid at the same time (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Current ratio that is relatively high and may indicate that the company is resting on a huge amount of money, rather than spending it in the company. Current ratio provides

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic - Essay Example Technological advent has propelled the demand for the fuel around the world irrespective of the price of the same. On the other hand, being a natural resource with exhaustible limits, the fuel cannot be exploited boundlessly. The present research attempts to evaluate the trends in the demand and supply volumes of the commodity. Objectives and Research Questions Rationale behind the policy measures undertaken by different economic agents revolves around the profit that they are likely to yield as a result. As oil is regarded as one of the most important raw materials and hence is a decisive factor behind profit generation, it is highly important to keep a track in the price fluctuations of the same. Purpose of this study will be to analyse the gap between demand and supply of oil during 2000-2005 which justifies the price fluctuations of the commodity. In cases of excess demand, prices are likely to soar high in contrast to situations of excess supply. Thus a suitable research questio n in this case will be to assess the association between policies and availability of oil in the market. Factors determining demand and supply of oil Factors affecting demand of oil Firstly, globalisation has increased the demand of various nations for crude oil which has added to the already high demand for the same. Nations undergoing a period of transition pose a high demand for oil which is regarded as an essential raw material for production. As they are almost always in a rush to improve their economic growth rates, their demand for the fuel is proportionately high. A good example is that of China which has multiplied its demand for oil post the advent of the new millennium, due to similar issues (Energy Information Administration, 2005). Secondly, speculations about political turbulence in the producer nations or chances of stringent ties with their customer nations could lead to hikes in the present demand of oil as the latter want to store more and more reserves of the same . Similar could be the situation when there are possibilities of exchange rate system depreciating in the importing economy. In other words, economies rising high on inflation are likely to demand less of the fuel. Although they might be the consequences of political disruptions, the consuming nations often end up purchasing large stocks of the fuel hence raising its present demand (Pirog, 2005). Lastly, demand for oil is highly dependent upon the availability of other substitute fuels such as coal or natural gas. Regions, which are rich in these resources or could trade them at cheaper prices, attract a lower demand for oil. Moreover, stringency in OPEC policies is also a reason behind the aggregate demand for the fuel. Factors affecting the supply of oil Firstly, the supply function of oil is positively related to the market price of oil in the past. A low market price is of little incentive for the producers who invest lower sums in building refineries and discovering oil mines, to maintain high volumes of future crude oil supplies (Allen, 2005). In addition, higher the market rate of interest is, lower will be the long-run supply of oil in the market as investors will be less attracted towards borrowing and would rather prefer to deposit their money in safe locks (Spann, 1979). Natural catastrophes could prove to be hazardous

Light intensity Essay Example for Free

Light intensity Essay The set up of the circuit is simple as shown above. The 12-volt lamp is set up in a simple circuit. Then in a SEPARATE circuit, the light dependent resistor is connected to the Multimeter, which shows the resistance readings. If I did connect the LDR in the same circuit, I would almost certainly fry the LDR, and ruin the experiment! I want to keep the distance from the lamp to the LDR the same. I have decided after testing the system, to put the LDR directly under the lamp. This makes me get the best readings for the earlier voltages when the bulb is dim. It also helps to cancel out any other light, which will obviously get in the way more, the further the LDR is from the bulb. I will find out how much this effects the results in the preliminary practical. I will needed to keep the bulb at a set height, perhaps 2cm above the LDR. During the preliminary practical, there are many things I can do to get the optimum results. That includes keeping the distance and height the same, but also taking the correct resistance reading. You can set the resistance readings on the Multimeter to different levels of accuracy. If you dont have a large enough setting, the dial will display one. I will then go down one until I get a suitable answer. I may even have to change the accuracy settings during the preliminary practical, if they become too inaccurate. My independent variable is voltage (potential difference). I will be finding out how the intensity of the light effects resistance of the LDR. I will be going up in gaps of 2 volts, up to 12 or 14 volts, giving me seven readings. I need to make sure I get two, preferably 3 sets of good results, to iron out anomalies, getting a better overall average. Some small errors could creep in when reading off the Multimeter. The resistance readings will start to fluctuate slightly. I will take the best reading I can by waiting until the Multimeter stays on one number. The more accurately I set the Multimeter, the harder this is to do. Of course, this is only an initial method. The preliminary practical will give me a good feel of the equipment, and where things could go wrong. I will be able to change things for the final practical. Preliminary Work I will need to undertake a preliminary practical for many reasons. A preliminary is very good for helping me get a feel for the equipment. I will do it to find out how much resistance there is without the lamp being turned on, to see what effect other light has on the LDR. I will also see if this changes when the LDR is out in the open. From this, I can decide where I will put the LDR in the final experiment. To start with, I will have the LDR directly under the lamp, so as little light as possible gets to the LDR. A second thing I will probably do, is slowly increasing the voltage until a noticeable difference is shown on the LDR. I will also get a good feeling of what I expect to happen in the actual main practical, and where I will be getting anomalous results. I may also be able to predict trends, and alter my graphs. I will only take readings at a few voltages. I may take readings at 4 volts (the lowest reading), 8 (a middle reading), and 12 (the highest reading. These are all of some use, as they will give me an estimate of the trends, and by finding the highest and lowest readings, the range. I will also need, in my preliminary practical, to take down the conditions that the practical is taken in. I will need to make the experiment as fair as possible, so I will need to see where all the extra light is coming from, so I can regulate that in my main experiment, and also things like the vertical distance from the LDR to the lamp.

Leadership theories and organizational culture

Leadership theories and organizational culture The topics of leadership and organizational culture have attracted considerable interest from both academics and practitioners. In modern World Leadership is taken as the most influencing factor of an Organization. Leaders are those people who make the organization move through definite path towards the success. As the other topics in the field of Organizational Environment, there are numerous numbers of studies and very relative theories on Leadership. The established study of Leadership includes. Trait Theory Group and Exchange Theory Contingency Theory Path-Goal P1. Leadership Theories and models Trait Theory This theory is all about the traits present in a person. The main objective is to recognize those traits which can produce a good leader. As per the ancient scholars The leaders are born not made. A theory called The Great Person Theory gave the right way to more realistic to the trait approach. This says that these traits are not totally in born but a mixture of nature and nurture means that the factors like Physiology, Society, and Economics have a great impact on the trait of a person which can make him a great leader. Group and Exchange Theory These theories have its root in social psychology. It says the leaders must have followers. And they must have some positive exchange between them i.e. Benefits, Rewards and Costs. A recent study indicates that the leader and followers both affect each other in a great impact. Relevant to the Exchange view an approach are there, Leader-Member Exchange approach is in discussion, these says that Leader treats subordinate differently. In precise the both develop a dynamic relationship which affects the behavior of the both. Contingency Theory This can be treated as the extension of the trait theory which deals with the situational aspect of leadership. Numerous situational variables were identified but no solid theory could be formulated. Fred Feeler test the hypothesis, he had formulated from the previous data findings. He develops a contingency model of leadership effectiveness. This contains the relationship between Leadership style and Favorableness of the situation. There are some dimensions: The Leader Member relationship. The degree of the task structure. The Leaders position and power. Source: www.scribd.com As per this theory the trainers is taught to diagnosis the situation to change it at optimization leadership style which match the situation. Some of the ways are as follows: Spending more informal time with the follower. Discuss task structure with them. Raise the position power Path Goal Theory This theory has been derived from the motivational theory. The path goal theory attempts to explain the impact of the leader behavior has on subordinate motivation, satisfaction and performance. These are of four major types. Directive Leadership Participative Leadership Achievement oriented Leadership Using these for types on the situational factor the leader attempt to influence subordinates perception and motivation. In other word the leader attempts to make the path to the goal for the subordinate as smooth AS possible. But the leader must depend on the situational variables present. We were been discussing the traditional theories there are some other theories which has immerged most recently: Charismatic Transformational Autocratic Transactional Are some important of theories which are in discussion. Charismatic Max Weber the Sociologist described his charismatic authority as resting on the devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordaised by him,. Among the webaris tripartite classification of authority charismatic authority is one and has acquired wide usage within the sociologists. This leadership is based on the leaders ability to communicate and act in ways that reach group on a basis, touching way, to inspire and motivate. To identify the characteristic of a charismatic leader is difficult but this level of communicating is so powerful to touch the heart of followers emotionally. To be a charismatic leader its difficult and even impossible for some leaders but its true that charismatic character is not essential for being a effective leader. Hence to rely on charisma may be a problem, in succession. Transformational Theory:- Transformational leadership can be defines as a leadership approach that engenders change in individuals and social systems. It explores valuable and positive change in the group with the target of developing the followers in to leaders. Through a variety of mechanism transformational leadership enhance motivation, morale and productivity of the followers by integrity the followers sense of identity to the objective of the organization. The theory was first implemented by James Mac in 1978 in his descriptive analysis on political leaders and now this theory had been given attention in organizational psychology. Burns described the theory as a process in which the leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level of morale and motivation, He tried to described that the differentiation between management and leadership are due to character and behaviors. The theory is not based on give and take policy but target changes that are required within the organizational character. Individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation are the four elements of full range of leadership. INSPIRATIONAL MOTIVATION Autocratic This leadership style is one of power and despotism, same to a dictatorship. In the administration of a country this type of leadership is found mostly. Adolph Hitler is a historical example of the disadvantage cruelty of an autocratic leadership style. An autocratic leader just order his followers and expect that they should obey his orders and dictation, This leadership style is suitable where the leader should take decisions in emergency, But this type of leadership style are breaking down now -a-days due to some rapid or environmental and organizational changes., While promoting fresh directions and is not connected with position, then in this case there is no better style than the autocratic in some time during emergency when the work should be done either by hook or crook and no other options are suitable. Transactional Theory This is a term that is used to inquire the interactions between the leaders and the followers of an organization. The leaders focus on a series of transactions. Here the leaders and followers exchange benefits in consequence of rewards and benefits to reach the company objectives. The transactional leaders believe that people can be only motivated by reward or punishment. The targets are set by the leaders and throws to the followers and when the followers reaches the targets they are rewarded and for failure the followers are seriously punished. The leaders are so cruel that they set the targets but are not sure that the resource is available or not. In this type of leadership the reward and punishments are subject to performance of the follower. Taking in consideration of its limitations still this type of leadership is popular to some managers and mainly toward the management end of the scale. Transformational leadership is a selling style but transactional leadership is of telling style. Hence- The transactional leaders must know how and by what to motivate their followers. To ensure their followers that they properly understands the reward system and the way out of receiving the reward. A consistent exercise of reward and punishment systems must be followed Constructive feedback throughout the systems must be provided Timely insurance of reward and recognition system. Situational Leadership theory This model is developed by Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard that relates four different leadership styles to the subordinates confidence and the ability to achieve their targets. Now a days most of the leadership programs suits for developing leadership styles within the followers with their strength and weaknesses. But the situational theory is not dictated by the leadership style of managers. Rather its idea is to be successful in the existing environment with the style that is suitable to achieve the objectives. The successful managers are manager who make use of multiple leadership styles to cope up with the dynamic environment according to the desire of the organization. According to this theory the manager must decide which leadership is suitable for achieving the targets after the setting of goal. Style should change when it is required to lead the follower for goal achievements. P2. Impact of leadership Styles with in the Organization Importance of the Leadership-Performance Relationship During the past four decades, the impact of leadership styles on organizational performance has been a topic of interest among academics and practitioners working in the area of leadership. The style of leadership adopted is considered by some researchers to be particularly important in achieving organizational goals, and in evoking performance among subordinates Despite the widespread recognition of the significance and value of leadership, when studying the leadership literature, it is remarkable that the concept of leadership lacks consistency and agreement. Most of the leadership literature confuses the definition of effective leadership by failing to make clear distinctions in some definitions, such as between leaders and non-leaders, effective and ineffective leaders, as well as overlooking the definition of the levels of leadership Further, there has been limited research that has specifically addressed the relationship between leadership behavior and organizational performanc e. Despite these oversights, it is widely believed that leadership creates the vital link between organizational effectiveness and peoples performance at an organizational level Substantial numbers of management scholars have debated the effectiveness of leadership styles and behaviors In addition, much prior research has examined the assumed leadership-performance relationship, but it has examined a restricted number of leadership paradigms. This implies that different leadership paradigms could affect performance differently, depending on the context. Thus, when researching the leadership-performance relationship, the context needs to be taken into account and more paradigms need to be considered. Moreover, there are methodological problems with most existing studies. The majority of field studies have been cross-sectional in design, and the common-method bias often has been a problem when performance has been Measured. Link between Leadership and Organizational Performance Several reasons indicate that there should be a relationship between leadership and performance. The first reason relates to practice. Todays intensive, dynamic markets feature innovation-based competition, Price/performance rivalry, decreasing returns, and the creative destruction of existing competencies. Scholars and practitioners suggest that effective leadership behaviors can facilitate the improvement of performance when organizations face these new challenges Understanding the effects of leadership on performance is also important because leadership is viewed by some researchers as one of the key driving forces for improving a firms performance. Effective leadership is seen as a potent source of management development and sustained competitive advantage for organizational performance improvement. For example, transactional leadership helps organizations achieve their current objectives more efficiently by linking job performance to valued rewards and by ensuring employees have the resources needed to get the job done . Visionary Leaders create a strategic vision of some future state, communicate that vision through framing and use of metaphor, model the vision by acting consistently, and build commitment towards the vision. Some scholars suggest that visionary leadership will result in high levels of cohesion, commitment, trust, motivation, and hence performance in the new organizational environments. According to Mehra when some organizations seek efficient ways to enable them to outperform others, a longstanding approach is to focus on the effects of leadership. This is because team leaders are believed to play a pivotal role in shaping collective norms, helping teams cope with their environments, and coordinating collective action. This leader-centered perspective has provided valuable insights into the relationship between leadership and team performance. Some researchers have started to explore the strategic role of leadership, and investigate how to employ leadership paradigms and use leadership behavior to improve organizational performance. The reason for this is because intangible assets such as leadership styles, culture, skill and competence, and motivation are seen increasingly as key sources of strength in those firms that can combine people and processes and organizational performance. Previous research leads to the expectation that leadership paradigms will have dir ect effects on customer satisfaction, staff satisfaction, and financial performance. However, in general, the effects of leadership on organizational performance have not been well studied, according to House and Adytas review. House and Adyta (1997) criticized leadership studies for focusing excessively on superior-subordinate relationships to the exclusion of several other functions that leaders perform, and to the exclusion of organizational and environmental variables that are crucial to mediate the leadership-performance relationship. A further problem with existing leadership research is that the results depend on the level of analysis. House and Adyta (1997) distinguished micro-level research that focuses on the leader in relation to his or her subordinates and immediate superiors, and macro-level research that focuses on the total organization and its environment. Other scholars also suggest that leaders and their leadership style influence both their subordinates and organizational outcomes. Selection of Leadership development Initiatives The models and competency frameworks detailed in the previous section are, in most cases, used as a basis for the development of leadership and management development provision within organizations as well as appraisal and performance review. It is beyond the scope of this report to offer a detailed review of the associated programmers and the range of leadership and management development initiatives available, however, we would like to introduce a number of approaches that we feel are particularly interesting in the manner in which they seek to develop the behaviors, skills and attitudes of leaders. National and International Learning Experiences: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Development Assignments (Lancaster University Management School) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transformational Thinking (Manchester University) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Study Tour to Canada (Kings Fund) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Duality Leadership Programmed (University of Birmingham) Action Learning Sets (Nelson and Peddler) Modular Programmes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Experienced Chief Executives Development Programmed (Kings Fund and Lancaster University Management School) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drive for Results (Manchester University) Leadership programs at wipro Wipro is the 1st PCMM level SEICMM level certified global IT services organization. It is global one of the largest product engineering and service support service provider with product/service differentiation. The company delivers comprehensive research development services, IT solutions, Information system outsourcing, and package implementation service world wide. the company is also having market share in niche market segment of clients product and lighting. Azim Premzi is the chairman of wipro technologies. Leadership qualities of premzi are based on the i10 model of leadership. P3. Assessment of the Leadership Style Premjis one of most achievements is creating sincerely management culture that is fruitful to work even under a high competitive pressure. Two core principles have been established that are instrumental in building proper structure of his leadership team at wipro:- Within the organization the chairman is not the King, he should share authority and responsibility with his subordinates. Believing in zero politic culture with hugging the honesty and openness of the subordinates. P4. Future Requirement of leadership Program For tracing wipros effort globally some steps are taken by the chairman- Azim Premji for the practice of leadership style:- Defining the Leadership qualities within the organization is a biggest problem as it refers so many things to so many people. To be an aggressive team leader and in the same time to bring about harmony within the organization is really challenging, For this Eight leadership practices are identified at Wipro:- Thinking Strategically Orientation of the Customer Commitment should be aggressive and trustworthy Thinking and Acting globally Crucial self confidence Commitment to excellence in operations Team working are an added advantage Building future is a ladder to future growth of the company as well as the within culture. Measurement of Leadership qualities in Global competitive context:- Wipros leaders are integrated with global thinking and acting working in a team increase the motivating and bonding factors and hence increase in productivity. P5. Proposal that are designed to meet specific requirement Wipros Leadership qualities at a Glance:- Leadership quality Earlier Now Strategic Thinking Focus was on the domestic players and only address was on local competitive forces Now focus is on Global game, changes and competitors Working in Team Main focus was on face-to-face interactions and morale in location basis But now the focus is on virtual teams that work asynchronously across date time Zones. Hence we can say that the company always studies the business environment for clues that have a direct impact of leadership strategies. Composition of leadership for a Global organization:- Due to the Global presence of wipro it is difficult to manage cross cultural and multinational work forces for his reason wipro has infused its senior management with leaders from home nations itself. This ensures that these leaders are adapting in their own nations and can understand the business quickly. Relevant Modification of the People Process:- The ongoing process of hiring, training development, compensation, are affecting the operations of Global scale. For this the company has modified the people process have a complete vision of leadership. For this reason the recruitment team must be certified with a standard, trainings are conducted overseas to have engagement with the field force. Development of Leadership Talent within the Wipro: On a regular basis the employees are trained to develop leaders. Premji have initiated to create and explore development program adjacent to the lifecycle way of leadership development. P6. Leadership development Program of Wipro For horning the leadership capability five programs have been developed by Premji within the organization:- Entry Level Program:- This is for the freshers (Entry level employee). New leaders Program: For the 1st time managers this program are developed to make aware of teams building, situational leading and coaching each other. Leader Program of Wipro: This are for the manager of manager those are willing to manage the team directly. Business Leaders Program: This are for General Managers covering the important attributes of finance and environmental scanning. Strategic Leadership Program: This is for chief executives for designing and developing strategies globally. Lifecycle Leadership Program Competency based performance appraisal Objective Setting WIPRO LEADER WLO 360 degree Early Opportunities Meet your people Program CSS customer output HR Review Planning The Leadership Development Frame work of Wipro Findings Prior to the examination of associations between leadership style, organizational culture, and performance, a phase of data reduction was necessary. The construction of meaningful indices was initiated by the use of principal components analysis with Varian rotation. Factor analysis was deemed necessary since it was considered prudent statistically to ascertain whether the adopted measures of organizational culture and leadership style captured differing dimensions of culture and style. The principal components analysis of items pertaining to organizational culture and items relating to leadership style were conducted individually. It was not necessary to delete items from the analysis due to lack of variation or because of problems of interpretation. A clear case study of wipro is described at a glance to show the different situational leadership style that is being used in the organization for the proper team work and development of future leaders.

Analysis of Presentation on Nature as Female :: Gender Sex Female Male Essays Papers

Analysis of Presentation on Nature as Female I found the presentation on Nature as Female to be very interesting, because the topic asks as many questions as it answers. The question of why nature is gendered, I believe, is inextricably rooted in language. Language determines everything our experiences, our perceptions, our beliefs, and our desires. In a class I took last term we spoke about Lacan and his theory about language determining our desires, and it made sense to me, because you cannot desire what you cannot name. In the same way, language determines our beliefs about the world. In an anthropology course I took, there was a study about this Navajo tribe that demonstrated a profound understanding of quantum physics, without ever having been taught it. The linguists believed that this was because of their language. Their language determined their perception of the world, and thus allowed them to understand it in a vastly different way then people who speak English or French, for example. The example that was given to try to explain the difference was that instead of calling grass "grass", the Navajos would call it "growing green that reaches up to the sky". In their process of naming it as such, their concept of grass is different than our concept of grass. Do you understand the difference that language can make, just in how things are named and described? Another example that was given was how Chinese children displayed far greater mathematical understanding compared to English speaking children, and the disparity was traced back to language. The argument here is that language determines our conceptualization of numbers. In English, we say ten, twenty, thirty†¦etc. The word "twenty" gives no indication that it means "two tens". In Chinese, however, the words do give this indication (one-ten, two-ten, three-ten†¦etc). Language is so innate in us that we forget its power. But realizing how language exerts itself over everything, it is easy to understand how our conceptualization of nature as female has come to be. Our concept is a result of our language, which determines our understanding of the world. In the English language there are gendered words, which necessarily influence our belief about what they signify. Thus we say "mother nature" and without a second thought we understand nature to be female. In just that one word "mother", nature becomes conceptualized for us as female. Thus, our understanding about nature is based on this belief.

Itm †Organizations, Management and the Networked Enterprises

In 2008, ICT (Information and communication technologies) sector of the Canadian economy totaled $59. 2 billion Cellphones, delivery service, social medias, internet advertising are growing and growing Three changes 1) emerging mobile digital platform (iphone, bb, netbooks ) 2) growth of online software as a service and 3) the growth in â€Å"cloud computing† where more and more business software runs over the Internet > organizations can rely more on telework, remote work and distributed decision making, think decentralization, firms can outsource more work, and rely on markets rather than employees to build value. It also means that firms can collaborate with suppliers and customers to create new products or make existing ones more efficiently. Thomas Friedman world is now â€Å"flat†, Internet and global communications had greatly reduced the economic and cultural advantages of developed countries. Digital firms: most of significant business relationships (with customers, suppliers, and employees) of an organization are digital. Core business process are accomplished through digital networks spanning the entire organization or linking multiple organizations. Key corporate assets- interellectual property, core competencies, and financial and human assets are managed through digital means. Time shifting ( 24/7) and space shifting (globally accomplished) are the norm There is a growing interdependence between a firms information systems and its business capabilities, changes in strategy, rules, and business processes increasingly require changes in hardware, software, databases, and telecommunications. What the organization would like to do depends on what its systems will permit to do. Six strategic business objectives: 1) OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE- improve efficiency and productivity to achieve higher profitability. Eg Walmart,linked supplier, stocking just-in-time 2) NEW PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND BUSINESS MODELS ( which describes how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth). Eg: Ipod/apple/itunes deliverying music 3) CUSTOMER AND SUPPLIER INTIMACY- satisfied customers will return purchasing more and engaged suppliers lowers costs. Eg: Mandarin Oriental in London, England hotel record the preference of customer and store data to program the room conditions as desired. Nygard suppliers are informed expecting just-in time delivery, inventory is near zero as storage cost. 4) IMPROVED DECISION MAKING- using real time data from the marketplace when making decisions. Eg: Trimac, uses a dashboard project 5) COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES: achieving one or more of these business objectives. Eg: Toyota Motor Company high level of efficiency and quality. TPS( Toyota Production System) focuses on organizing work to eliminate waste, make improvements, optimizing customer value, producing vehicles based on what customers actually ordered. 6) SURVIVAL- because they have to keep up with the industry and business- Eg: all banks had to implement ATM machines IT(Information Technology): all hardware and software that a firm needs to use in order to achieve its business objectives. ( hadware, software, programs, applications) Information systems are complex and can be best understood by looking at them from both a technology and a business perspective. It’s a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization as well as help analyzing problems, visualize complex subjects and create new products. It contains information (data-raw unprocessed fact- that have been shaped into meaningful and useful) about significant people, places and things within the organization or in the environment surrounding it. Eg: supermarket checkout counters scan data from bar codes that can be totaled and analyzed to provide meaningful information. Four activities in information system to produce information: 1) Input: captures or collects raw data from the org of external environment 2) Processing: converts raw input into meaningful form. 3) Output: transfers processed information to people or activities that will be used for 4) Feedback: output that is returned to appropriate members of organization to help them evaluate or correct the input and processing stages. computers provide equipment for storing and processing information *computer programs or software’s are sets of operating instructions that direct and control computer processing information systems literacy- technical dimensions of a system computer literacy- knowledge of information technology MIS(Management information Systems) deals with behavioural and technical issues surrounding the development use and impact of information sys tems used by managers and employees in a firm. Dimensions: )ORGANIZATIONS: pyramid with upper levels of hierarchy consisting of managerial, professional and technical employees and lower levels operational personnel (authority and responsibility levels) -senior managemet: long- range strategic decisions about products and services and ensures financial performance of the firm -middle management: carries out programs and plans of senior management Knowledge workers: engineers, scientists, design products or services and create new knowledge for the firm -operational management: responsible for monitoring the daily activities of the business. Data workers: secretaries or clerks, assist with paperwork at all levels of the firm Production or service workers: produce the product and deliver the service. Major business functions: Sales and marketing, Manufacturing and production, Finance and accounting, Human resources. Culture-fundamental set of assumptions, values and ways of doing things that has been accepted by most of its members 2) MANAGEMENT: make sense, make decisions, formulate action plans to solve organizational problems. They must exercise responsible leadership. They must do more than manage what exists, by creating new products and services and re-creating organization from time to time. 3)INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY(INFRASTRUCTURE): one of many tools managers use to cope with change, which provides foundation or platform on which the firm can build its specific information systems. computer hardware- physical equipment used for input, processing and output activities in an information system. Includes computers of various sizes including mobile devices, various input output and storage devices, and telecommunication devices that link computers together. Computer software- detailed, preprogrammed instructions that control and coordinate the computer hardware components in an information system Data management technology- consists of the software governing the organization of data on physical storage media Networking and telecommunications technology- consists of both physical devices and software, links the various pieces of hardware and transfers data from one physical location to another. A network links two or more computers to share data or resources, such as a printer. The internet (a business necessity and a competitive advantage) is a global network of networks that uses universal standards to connect millions of different networks with more than 1. 4 billion users in more than 230 countries. Intranets- internal corporate networks Extranets private intranets extended to authorized users outside the organization . World wide web> service provided by Internet that uses universally accepted standards for storing, retrieving, formatting and displaying information in a page format on the Internet (web pages). g IS are part of a series of value-adding activities for acquiring, transforming, and distributing information that managers can use to improve decision making, enhance organizational performance, and , ultimately increase firm profitability complementary assets: assets required to derive value from a primary investment- organizational and managerial capital Important organizational investments: supportive business culture that values efficiency and effectiveness, an appropriate business model, efficient business processes, decentralization of authority, highly distributed decision rights, and a strong information system development team. Important managerial investments: strong senior management support for change, incentive systems, that monitor and reward individual innovation, an emphasis on teamworl and collaboration, training programs, and a management culture that values flexibility and knowledge Important social investments: internet, supporting internet culture, educational systems, network and computing standards, regulations and laws and the precense of technology and service firms. IS are sociotechnical systems but are composed by machines devices and hard physical technology that require substancial social, organizational and intellaectual investments to make them work properly Technical Approach: Management Science, Computer Science Operations Research Behavioural approach: Psychology, Economics, Sociology Socio-technical approach: the performance of a system is optimized when both the technology and the organizational mutually adjust to one another until a satisfactory fit is obtained.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Implications for Head Start Families

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS2 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Implications for Head Start Families Introduction Abraham Maslow was a prominent theorist that played a role in the formation of humanistic psychology. Maslow worked on a theory that would accommodate human motivation. The concept that behavior is motivated primarily by a person’s desired to fulfill a specific need. He proposed that is was our inner nature that we had basic needs that we strive to meet. Then as those needs are met we move to the next level and continue to strive to â€Å"actualize,† doing what one is fitted for.I chose to research Abraham Maslow because his Hierarchy of Needs directly aligned with the challenges Head Start Families are currently facing. His Hierarchy is a great tool to assist staff with the identification of family needs and goals. When meeting with families this past year the decline in the economy, unemployment and inflation have had major impact on the ability of families function in our communities. Some of the top issues they are dealing with include: poverty, hunger, and unemployment, finances, time, and fear, lack of transportation, inadequate housing, substance abuse, and language barriers.As we work with families and children it is important to determine where they fall in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and assist those families in accessing services to meet those needs. Biographical Information Abraham Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 1, 1908. He was the son of poor Jewish immigrants from Russia. They migrated to escape the harsh conditions and socio-political turmoil. His father, Samuel Maslow, was a cooper and his mother, Rose, was deeply religious. Abraham was the eldest of seven children and was expected to care for the younger MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS3 hildren. Maslow’s family was not intellectually oriented and quite poor. Since they had suffered so much in the past, Abraham’s fathe r pushed him to succeed in life, even in areas that were of no interest to him. This caused problems within the home, especially since Samuel regarded his son as ugly and stupid. Abraham grew up with no friends to play with and his father made him study long hours. He spent much of his time in the library and found solace in books. His childhood was unhappy and lonely. His mother complained about her ugly son, his skinny body and his general appearance.He was self-conscious about his physical appearance even to the point that he would avoid entering a subway car so that the rest of humanity wouldn’t have to look at him. Over time his hatred for his mother grew into a generalized dislike for everything she stood for, including Jewish religious practice. His hatred for her continued to grow so much that he refused to attend her funeral. Abraham was close with his uncle throughout his lifetime since his parents had practically alienated him. In later life, he eventually reconcil ed with his father.After graduating from high school, Maslow enrolled in the City College of New York. He was taking legal studies in addition to his undergraduate studies as his father desired. He hated it, so after three semesters, in 1926 he transferred to Cornell. Again he had trouble, dropping out because of grades and the high cost of tuition. Maslow rebelled; he changed his field of study to psychology and married his first cousin, Bertha Goodman. Eventually Maslow ended up at the University of Wisconsin where he earned is BA in 1930, MA in 1931, and Ph. D. , 1934 (Emrich, n. d. ).In 1928, when Abraham Maslow married Bertha Goodman, his first cousin and longtime sweetheart, he stated his life began (Emrich, n. d. ). The couple had two daughters, Ann and MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS4 Ellen. They remained happily married until his death in 1970. He died of a heart attack. Career At the University of Wisconsin, in graduate school, Maslow studied under the supervision of Ha rry Harlow. Harlow was famous for his experiments with baby rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. Maslow wrote his doctoral dissertation on the relation between sexual conduct and dominance hierarchies in monkeys.He was never enamored with laboratory psychology. He went on to Columbia University as a Carnegie fellow where he worked with Alfred Adler, one of Sigmund Freud’s colleagues. Those days were spent in testing and measuring child and adult intelligence and their ability to learn. Between 1937 and 1951, Maslow was a faculty member at Brooklyn College. During that time he published several articles, on Human Motivation, higher and lower needs, and actualizing people . In 1947, he suffered a heart attack and was forced to take medical leave. He and his family relocated to California.He headed a division of the Maslow Cooperage Corporation, supervising men repairing wine barrels for a local winery. After he recuperated, he returned to Brooklyn College. In 1951, Abraham M aslow went to Brandeis University to serve as Chairman of the psychology department. He held this position until 1969. In 1969, Maslow accepted a resident fellowship with the Laughlin Foundation and moved to Menlo Park, California. He led a life of semi-retirement allowing him to write. Ill health plagued him until he died on June 8, 1970. Theory Early in his career and while working with monkeys, Maslow noticed that some needs take precedence over others.If you are hungry and thirsty, you can go weeks without food, but MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS5 you can only go without water for a couple of days. Thirst takes precedence over hunger and breathing takes precedence over both. Maslow took this idea and created his hierarchy of needs which he laid out in a pyramid of five layers. At the base of the pyramid are the basic needs or physiological needs, which include breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The next level is safety needs. These are security o f body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health and property.The first two steps are important to survival and once these are met the person attempts to accomplish more. The third level is the need for love and belonging. After individuals have taken care of themselves physically they are ready to have a relationship with others. They are ready for friendships, family and sexual intimacy. The fourth level is esteem and achieved when individuals are comfortable with what they have accomplished. They have self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others and are respected by others. At the top of the pyramid is self-actualization.This is reached when a person reaches a state of harmony because they have reached their full potential. Very few people ever reach this level. Maslow also talked about how we can regress to a lower need level under stressful conditions. He even proposed that we may become fixated on a set of needs when we have significant problems (i. e. ex treme hunger as a child†¦as an adult we have to keep the pantry full). Summary and Conclusions Summary Implications for Future Research I think since Maslow was still writing and publishing at the time of his death he intended to continue his research.He would have tested his theory and validated it in the real world. The following areas are possibilities for future investigation: 1. As technology continues to develop, investigate and identify new and emerging areas of human need, comparing to Maslow’s Hierarchy. 2. Cross cultural studies to investigate human needs across cultures. 3. Studies to investigate human needs in a variety of contexts (i. e. living in poverty, trauma/war survivors, or refugees). 4. Apply his theory to contemporary experiences (i. e. Katrina, Jaycee Dugard, Enron families, etc. ). 5.Investigate consequences of extreme deprivation or gratification, on human behavior over time. Maslow 13 References Kenney, C. T. (2008). Father Doesn't Know Best? Pa rents' Control of Money and Children's Food Insecurity. Journal of Marriaqge and Family, 654-669. Parker, M. N. (2010). How adequately are food needs of children in low-income households being met? Children and Youth Services Review, 1175-1185. Vanessa R. Wight, K. T. (2010). Who Are America's Poor Children? Examining Food Insecurity Among Children in the United States. New York: National Center for Children in Poverty.

The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children: Parental Viewpoint

O Springer 2009 Journal of Business Ethics (2010) 91:299–311 DOI 10. 1007/s10551-009-0084-2 The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children: Parental Viewpoint ABSTRACT. The children’s market has become significantly more important to marketers in recent years. They have been spending increasing amounts on advertising, particularly of food and beverages, to reach this segment. At the same time, there is a critical debate among parents, government agencies, and industry experts as to the ethics of food advertising practices aimed toward children. The present study examines parents’ ethical views of food advertising targeting children.Findings indicate that parents’ beliefs concerning at least some dimensions of moral intensity are significantly related to their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions of food advertising targeting children as well as the perceived moral intensity of the situation. KEY WORDS: parents, children, ethics, food advert ising The children’s market has become signi? cantly important to marketers (McNeal, 1998). Many marketers spend millions of dollars on advertising to reach this growing segment (Jardine and Wentz, 2005). More speci? cally, food and beverage companies in the USA spend an estimated US $10–12 billion targeting hildren and adolescents (McKay, 2005). According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, children are exposed to more than 7,600 commercials on candy, cereal, and fast food in any given year (Kotz, 2007). The effects of advertising on children have been highly debated among various groups, including parents, researchers, industry experts, and government agencies. One of the primary debates has been the potential impact of food advertising directed at children. A variety of institutions are involved in this debate. Some of these organizations such as public advocacy groups criticize the food companies and elevision networks concerning the increased amounts spent as well as the types of promotional efforts targeted Aysen Bakir Scott J. Vitell at children (York, 2007). Furthermore, statistics provide substantial concern about obesity, showing that approximately 50% of elementary-school children and 80% of teenagers will battle obesity during their lifetime. There is also debate among practitioners on advertising practices directed at children, with even marketing professionals indicating concern about advertising targeted at children. When interviewed, 35% of them consider the general ethical and moral tandards in the industry to be ‘‘lower than in the past,’’ with 40% believing that these standards are about the same (Grimm, 2004). Thus, only 25% believe the standards are improved. Some companies have already started taking actions to deal with criticisms and even with government warning. In Europe, soft-drink companies have developed self-regulatory measures to stop advertising junk food and to help tackle child obesity. To avoid stricter laws, soft-drink companies have pledged to stop marketing towards children under 12 years old. The companies also have pledged to limit soft-drink sales at schools (Wentz, 005). Other countries in Europe, however, have been taking an even stricter stance on regulations; for example, starting in 2005, Ireland introduced a ban on celebrities who appear in food and beverages targeted at children (Jardine and Wentz, 2004). Furthermore, some companies have also responded to government calls by promoting active lifestyles when targeting children in food ads. McDonald’s, in the UK, ran a campaign that featured Ronald McDonald and used animated fruit and vegetable characters which were called Yums. These characters urged children to eat right and stay active (Jardine and Wentz, 2004).Given all these statistics showing the potential impact of food advertising targeting children, parents 300 Aysen Bakir and Scott J. Vitell are concerned over whether or not marketers have been conducting ethical practices in promoting their products. However, this issue has not received signi? cant attention in the marketing literature. This paper attempts to ? ll this apparent gap by examining parents’ ethical views of food advertising targeted at children. In doing so, it also examines the potential impact of parents’ attitudes toward food advertising and toward the use of nutrition information on their thical judgments and behavioral intentions. Marketing ethics and advertising to children Advertising to children has long been one of the most controversial areas of marketing. The debate ranges from whether or not it is even ethical to advertise to children and includes the types of advertising practices that might be considered ethical. At the center of this debate is food advertising targeted at children. The impact of advertising to children has been shown in previous studies (Goldberg and Gorn, 1974; Gorn and Goldberg, 1977). Findings include the fact that low-income children exposed to a commercial just nce had favorable attitudes towards the advertised product (Gorn and Goldberg, 1977). Furthermore, these authors found that exposure to television ads among 5- and 6-year-old children directly in? uenced breakfast food and snack preferences (Goldberg et al. , 1978). Finally, exposure to advertisements has also been shown to in? uence the frequency of snacking among children (Bolton, 1983). Advertising has been criticized for promoting materialism, persuading individuals to buy things they do not need, and providing false or misleading information (Pollay and Mittal, 1993). Parents’ concerns toward the impact of advertising directed at hildren have risen signi? cantly in the last decade (Hudson et al. , 2008). These concerns have also been expressed by academicians (Moore, 2004). However, only a limited number of studies have examined ethical issues aimed at the children’s segment (Ahuja et al. , 2001; Hudson e t al. , 2008). Despite these increased concerns and the ensuing debate, parents’ ethical views of food advertising targeting children have not been examined in the marketing literature. Ethical judgments and behavioral intentions Understanding how parents view and make decisions about ethical issues targeted at children is important to marketers.Several factors might in? uence ethical decision-making, including situational factors (Hunt and Vitell, 1986) and individual differences (Hunt and Vitellm, 1986; Jones, 1991). Ethical (or unethical) behavior is in? uenced directly by the ethical judgments and behavioral intentions of the individuals. An individual’s ethical judgment is de? ned as ‘‘the degree to which he or she considers a particular behavior morally acceptable’’ (Bass et al. , 1999, p. 189). Ethical judgments have been considered a central construct in several ethical decisionmaking models (Dubinsky and Loken, 1989; Hunt and Vitell, 1986; Jones, 1991).These decision-making theories provide an understanding of how an individual’s behavioral intentions and ethical judgments are relevant to making decisions in situations involving ethical issues; for example, the theory of reasoned action suggests that individuals act in a manner consistent with their attitudes. On the other hand, other factors might cause individuals to develop behavioral intentions that might be inconsistent with their attitudes (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Past research has also shown that individuals are more likely to state their behavioral intentions if they perceive the situation as ethical (Bass et al. , 1999).Furthermore, Hunt and Vitell (1986, p. 9) de? ned behavioral intentions as ‘‘the likelihood that any particular alternative will be chosen. ’’ The authors also suggest that ethical judgments would impact the individual behavior through behavioral intentions. Overall, ethical judgments and behavioral in tentions are important constructs to gain insights regarding advertising directed at children. Attitude toward food advertising As noted, research examining parents’ attitudes toward advertising, particularly to food advertising, directed at children is limited. Past studies examined the relationship between family communication atterns and parental reactions toward advertising (Rose et al. , 1998), and parental involvement The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children and authoritative parenting and attitude toward advertising (Carlson and Grossbart, 1988). Only one study examined the relationship between attitude toward food advertising and parental styles (Crosby and Grossbart, 1984). The authors found differences regarding attitudes toward food advertising based upon parental styles, with more authoritative parents being more concerned about children’s food advertising as compared with more permissive parents.Governments and health advocates in different countries are trying to introduce stricter regulations on food advertising targeting children since they blame marketers for increased levels of childhood obesity. In France, food marketers are faced with choosing between paying a 1. 5% tax on their ad budgets to fund healthy-eating messages or else adding a health message to commercials. In Canada, one-third of children between 2 and 11 years old are overweight and some marketers are promoting healthy lifestyles for children. Given the different proportions of childhood obesity problems from ne county to the next, multinational food marketers such as McDonald’s now have differing strategies in each country based on how they must undertake this global challenge (Jardine and Wentz, 2005). Clearly, advertisers have been questioned about their ethical standards. Although there is increased discussion among parents regarding the potential impact of advertising and concern about how ethical (or unethical) advertising practices are towards children, this issue has not been adequately researched. Since the relationship between parents’ attitude toward food advertising and ethical judgments and behavioral intentions f the advertising tactics targeted at children has not been examined in the marketing literature, this study focuses on those parental perspectives. Therefore, based upon the previous discussion, it is hypothesized that: Parents’ attitude toward food advertising will be positively related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. H2: Parents’ attitude toward food advertising will be positively related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children. H1: 301 Attitude toward use of nutrition information Concerns about children’s nutrition include multiple actors. Some of these concerns are centered on nutrition de? ciencies in children’s diets due to economic factors, poor eating habits, and inadequate nutrit ional knowledge of parents. The government has taken several steps to deal with children’s nutrition problems by being involved in school lunch programs, regulation of children’s advertising, and nutrition education in schools (Crosby et al. , 1982). Research has also shown the positive impact of parental in? uence and nutrition education (Grossbart et al. , 1982). Parents’ attitudes toward the use of nutrition vary from one parent to the other.Furthermore, parents, particularly mothers, wield a signi? cant impact on children’s consumption of a balanced diet and exposure to a variety of foods. Previous research has shown that mothers who endorsed nutrition information had more positive attitudes toward nutrition and expressed more concerns about food advertising targeted at children (Crosby et al. , 1982). Therefore, it is further hypothesized that: Parents’ attitude toward the use of nutrition information will be positively related to their ethica l judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. H4: Parents’ attitude toward the use of nutrition nformation will be positively related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children. H3: Moral intensity Jones (1991) de? nes moral intensity as ‘‘the extent of issue-related moral imperative in a situation’’ (p. 372). Furthermore, he suggests that ethics-related contexts vary with their level of moral intensity. Jones (1991) identi? ed six categories (magnitude of consequences, probability of effect, temporal immediacy, concentration of effect, proximity, and social consensus) of the moral intensity construct. The ? rst four items refer to the various dimensions of harm the action might cause.More speci? cally, magnitude of consequences refers to the cumulative 302 Aysen Bakir and Scott J. Vitell harm (or lack thereof) the action might cause. Probability of effect refers to the likelihood that the action will caus e harm (or lack thereof). Temporal immediacy refers to ‘‘the length of time between the present and the onset of consequences of the moral act in question (shorter length of time implies greater immediacy)’’ (Jones, 1991, p. 376). The concentration of effect refers to the number of people who would believe that the action would cause harm (or lack thereof). Proximity is the ‘‘feeling of nearness social, cultural, psychological, or physical)’’ (Jones, 1991, p. 376) that the individual has for those affected by the action in question. Finally, social consensus is the extent of the feeling that action taken is good (or not). Moral intensity is a multidimensional construct that measures the moral intensity of the situation. Ethical decision-making process must be in? uenced by the perception that the potential action has a moral or ethical facet that needs to be evaluated (Barnett, 2001). For marketing practitioners, studies have shown that perceived moral intensity affects the perception of ethical problems in various situations Singhapakdi et al. , 1996a; Singhapakdi et al. , 1999). Furthermore, past studies also have shown that moral intensity in? uences behavioral intentions of the individuals in ethics-related situations (Robin et al. , 1996; Singhapakdi et al. , 1996a). Also, Hunt and Vitell (1986) suggest a theoretical link between intentions and ethical judgments. Therefore, moral intensity would also be expected to in? uence ethical judgments. The relationship between moral intensity and ethical judgments and behavioral intentions has also been empirically shown (Barnett, 2001; Vitell et al. , 2003). Thus, it is hypothesized that:Parents’ attitude toward moral intensity will be positively related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. H6: Parents’ attitude toward moral intensity will be positively related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertisi ng targeted at children. H5: contexts (e. g. , Singhapakdi et al. , 1996c; Singhapakdi et al. , 1999). Forsyth (1980) suggests that idealism and relativism can be considered as individual differences that might impact individuals’ judgments of moral issues. Idealism measures an individual’s acceptance of universal moral absolutes. This construct focuses on the assumption that, if ight actions are taken, this will lead to desired outcomes. On the other hand, relativism measures individual’s rejection of universal moral tenets (Forsyth, 1980). Therefore, the conceptualization of these constructs might suggest that individuals who are more idealistic would be more likely to have higher ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. Previous research provides some support for these relationships (Singhapakdi et al. , 1996c). Relativism is de? ned as a belief that moral standards are relative to one’s culture or society. Forsyth (1992) also indicates that relati vistic individuals might ormulate their decisions based on skepticism and evaluate situations based on other than ethical principles. Furthermore, relativistic individuals evaluate what is right or wrong based on the speci? cs of the situation (Park, 2005). Forsyth (1992) also indicates that idealism and relativism are not contrary concepts, but rather independent of each other; for example, an individual might have high scores both on idealism and relativism, which indicates that the person might simultaneously accept absolute moral rules and yet also evaluate the alternatives available based upon the speci? c situation and its possible onsequences. Therefore, parents would evaluate each of the advertising tactics directed at their children on a situation-by-situation basis. Since food advertising directed at children has received signi? cant attention recently due to the health concerns of children and increased obesity rates (York, 2007), speci? c types of advertising tactics suc h as potentially developing unhealthy eating habits might be received more negatively due to their apparent impact on children. Therefore, it is hypothesized that: Parents’ idealism will be related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at hildren. H8: Parents’ idealism will be related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children. H7: Idealism and relativism Idealism and relativism have been used to measure moral philosophies in various marketing-related The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children Parents’ relativism will ethical judgments of the geted at children. H10: Parents’ relativism will behavioral intentions of targeted at children. H9: be related to their food advertising tarbe related to their the food advertising Method Sample The survey was sent to parents at several schools ocated in the Midwest. The researchers contacted the schools and got permission to send the survey to paren ts at the schools that agreed to participate in the study. The number of schools that participated in the study provided signi? cant diversity in terms of economic background. The majority of the sample included educated and employed middle-income families. Of the 1,020 surveys sent, 189 surveys were completed, for a response rate of 18. 52%. Of the 189 surveys, 28 surveys had missing data for individual questions. Among the respondents, 78% were mothers and the rest of were fathers. Table I isplays the complete demographics of the respondents. Procedure Once the school principals gave permission, the researchers contacted the teachers from kindergarten to eighth grade. The teachers in each grade sent the questionnaires home to parents with the children. Once the parents ? lled out the questionnaires, the children returned the completed questionnaire to the schools. Measures and reliability The dependent variables were behavioral intentions and ethical judgments. The independent var iables were moral intensity, idealism, relativism, attitude toward food advertising aimed at children, and ttitude toward the parents’ use of nutrition information. 303 TABLE I Demographics of the respondents Variable Parent Mother Father Age of the parent 29 years old or under 30–39 years old 40–49 years old 50–59 years old Education level of the parent High-school degree Some college degree College graduate Some graduate study Graduate degree Household income (US $) 100k Work status of the parent Working full time Working part time Not working No. of children One child Two children Three children Four children More than four children % 78. 1 21. 9 4. 8 48. 9 39. 8 6. 5 5. 4 19. 4 38. 7 5. 4 31. 2 12. 2 14. 5 26. 6 3. 9 22. 8 67. 9 17. 1 15 18. 7 42. 2 27. 3 7. 5 4. 3 Moral intensity This scale measures parents’ attitude toward moral intensity in a given situation. This construct was developed by Jones (1991) and includes six dimensions. However, the scale used to measure the construct was developed by Singhapakdi et al. (1996b). Responses were measured by a seven-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The harm dimension included three variables: magnitude of consequences, temporal immediacy, and concentration of effect. The other two items were proximity and social consensus.The reliability of the harm scale was 0. 85 for the 304 Aysen Bakir and Scott J. Vitell ?rst scenario, 0. 91 for the second scenario, and 0. 86 for the third scenario. Idealism and relativism This scale measures the extent of individual’s acceptance of moral absolutes, whereas the relativism scale measures the extent of individual’s rejection of universal moral principles. The two scales were developed by Forsyth (1980). The ten items for each scale were measured utilizing a seven-point Likerttype scales, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The reliability of the scale was 0 . 83 or idealism and 0. 84 for relativism. Attitude toward food advertising This scale measures parents’ attitudes toward food advertising directed at children. The scale is adapted from a Carlson and Grossbart (1988) study and includes six items. The parents’ extent of agreement was measured by a ? ve-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The reliability of the scale was 0. 80. Attitude toward use of nutritional information This scale measures parents’ use of nutritional information. The scale was originally developed by Moorman (1998) and includes four items.The parents’ extent of agreement toward the use of nutritional information were measured by a ? ve-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The reliability of the scale was 0. 82. Scenarios This study utilized three scenarios to measure parents’ behavioral intentions and ethical judgments relative to speci? c situations. Ethical judgments and behavioral intentions were then measured by using a seven-point Likert scale asking the respondents the extent they agree/disagree with the questions. For measuring ethical judgments, the following statement was used, ‘‘I consider the action taken to e very ethical,’’ whereas for measuring behavioral intentions, the following statement was used, ‘‘I would be likely to take the same action in this situation. ’’ Therefore, a greater degree of agreement with the action taken indicates that the respondents had higher ethical levels of behavioral intentions and ethical judgments. At the end of each scenario, the action taken by an advertiser was presented. The scenarios focused on addressing some of the current advertising practices used to target children. The ? rst scenario addresses the use of ‘‘advergames’’ targeting children. Children are playing these games n the Inter net in a branded context. The games provide product-related information and even ask children to contact their friends. The second scenario focused on some of the highly debated advertising practices at schools. A food company sponsors programs at schools and child care centers. During visits, the company provides entertainment with well-known characters and exposes children to samples of their potentially unhealthy food products. The third scenario centers on a candy and cereal company who is considering selling books that spotlight the client’s brand. Children can play and learn counting by using sugar-? led sweets and cereals. The books use the company’s brand as an example in their plays and counting. The scenarios were pretested. The results indicated that most respondents believed that the actions taken by the advertisers in all of the scenarios were unethical. The majority of the respondents also indicated that they disagreed with the actions taken in the three scenarios. Data analysis and results The hypotheses were tested separately for each of the three scenarios. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. H1 measured whether parents’ attitude toward food advertising is ositively related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. The three scenarios tested did not indicate signi? cant differences. The ANOVA results were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 836, p < 0. 926; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 933; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 724. Thus, parents’ attitude toward food advertising was not related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. H2 measured whether parents’ attitude toward food advertising is positively related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children.Again, none of the three scenarios resulted in signi? cant differences. The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Ch ildren 305 TABLE II ANOVA analysis: scenarios 1, 2, and 3, dependent variable: ethical judgments Variable Moral intensity: Moral intensity: Moral intensity: Idealism Relativism Attitude toward Attitude toward Scenario 1 p Value harm consensus proximity food advertising use of nutrition Scenario 2 p Value Scenario 3 p Value 0. 000 0. 095 0. 288 0. 206 0. 200 0. 926 0. 093 F(7, 152) = 26. 835 0. 000 0. 037 0. 772 0. 166 0. 006 0. 933 0. 822 F(7, 158) = 11. 334 0. 000 0. 000 0. 255 0. 633 0. 60 0. 724 0. 127 F(7, 160) = 21. 468 TABLE III ANOVA analysis: scenarios 1, 2, and 3, dependent variable: behavioral intentions Variable Moral intensity: Moral intensity: Moral intensity: Idealism Relativism Attitude toward Attitude toward Scenario 1 p Value harm consensus proximity food advertising use of nutrition Scenario 2 p Value Scenario 3 p Value 0. 000 0. 000 0. 091 0. 732 0. 162 0. 854 0. 223 F(7, 153) = 18. 707 0. 000 0. 002 0. 539 0. 186 0. 036 0. 643 0. 116 F(7, 157) = 17. 721 0. 000 0. 005 0. 809 0. 567 0. 081 0. 554 0. 004 F(7, 160) = 16. 315 The ANOVA results were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 8. 707, p < 0. 854; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 643; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 554. Thus parents’ attitude toward food advertising was not related to their behavioral intentions relative to the food advertising targeted at children. Tables II and III display these ? ndings. H3 measured whether parents’ attitude toward the use of nutrition information is positively related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. The three scenarios tested did not indicate signi? cant differences. The ANOVA results were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 35, p < 0. 093; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 822; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 127. H4 measured whether parents’ attitude toward the use of nutrition information is positively related to their behavioral intentions relative to the food adverti sing targeted at children. There were no signi? cant differences regarding the ? rst two scenarios, but there were signi? cant differences on the third scenario among parents’ attitude toward the use of nutrition information and its relation to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children. The ANOVA esults were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 18. 707, p < 0. 223; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 116; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 004. H5 measured whether parents’ attitude concerning moral intensity is positively related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. Moral intensity was measured by three separate dimensions: harm, social consensus, and proximity. There were signi? cant differences on the harm construct among three scenarios. The ANOVA results were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 836, p < 0. 000; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 000; 306Aysen Bakir and Scott J. Vitell and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 000. Furthermore, there were signi? cant differences on the social consensus construct for the second and third scenarios. The ANOVA results were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 836, p < 0. 095; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 037; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 000. Finally, there were no signi? cant differences on proximity among three scenarios. The ANOVA results were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 836, p < 0. 288; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 772; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 55. Thus, overall H5 was at least partially supported. H6 measured whether parents’ attitude concerning moral intensity is positively related to their behavioral intentions relative to the food advertising targeted at children. Parents’ attitude toward the harm and social consensus dimensions indicated signi? cant differences among three scenarios. The ANOVA results for harm were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 18. 707, p < 0. 000 ; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 000; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 000. The ANOVA results for social consensus were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 18. 707, p < 0. 00; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 002; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 005. On the other hand, parents’ attitude toward proximity did not indicate any signi? cant differences among three scenarios. The ANOVA results for proximity were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 18. 707, p < 0. 091; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 539; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 809. H7 measured whether parents’ idealistic moral philosophy is related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. Parents’ idealism was not signi? cantly related to their ethical udgments. The ANOVA results for idealism were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 835, p < 0. 206; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 166; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 633. H8 mea sured whether parents’ idealistic moral philosophy is related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children. Again the results were not signi? cant. The ANOVA results for idealism were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 18. 707, p < 0. 732; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 186; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 567. H9 measured whether parents’ relativistic moral hilosophy is related to their ethical judgments of the food advertising targeted at children. H10 mea- sured whether parents’ relativistic moral philosophy is related to their behavioral intentions of the food advertising targeted at children. H9 and H10 were partially supported. Parents’ relativism was signi? cantly related to ethical judgments and intentions for the second scenario. The ANOVA results for idealism were: scenario 1: F(7, 152) = 26. 835, p < 0. 200; scenario 2: F(7, 158) = 11. 334, p < 0. 006; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 21. 468, p < 0. 060. Th ere were no signi? ant differences among parents’ relativism regarding the behavioral intentions for the ? rst and the third scenarios. The ANOVA results for relativism were: scenario 1: F(7, 153) = 18. 707, p < 0. 7162; scenario 2: F(7, 157) = 17. 721, p < 0. 036; and scenario 3: F(7, 160) = 16. 315, p < 0. 081. Discussion This paper examined parents’ views of the ethics of food advertising targeted at children. The marketing literature, surprisingly, has not examined this topic. This study attempts to ? ll this gap by examining how parents view various types of food advertising directed at children. Children as consumers have ecome signi? cantly more important to marketers in the last decade. Marketers have heavily promoted their products to this segment and spent millions of dollars on advertising to reach this segment (Jardine and Wentz, 2005). Food advertising represents a signi? cant portion of all advertising spending for marketers while food advertising targete d at children has received signi? cant criticism from both parents and public policy-makers. The ? ndings of the study provide interesting insights. Parents were asked to respond to three different scenarios outlining various food advertising strategies directed at children.Furthermore, parents’ ethical judgments and behavioral intentions were measured for the three scenarios. One of the independent variables was parents’ attitude toward food advertising. The ? ndings indicated that parents’ attitude toward food advertising did not affect their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions concerning speci? c food advertising directed at their children. One of the reasons for not ? nding a signi? cant relationship might be due to the measurement of other food advertising practices targeted at children in the scenarios that was not included in the The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children cale measuring attitudes toward food advertising. This ? nding provides important implications for marketers which might indicate that parents evaluate speci? c food advertising targeted at children independently of their potential views on general food advertising directed at children. Thus, marketers who are cognizant of the potential harm of advertising to children might still be highly regarded by consumers even if the consumer, in general, has negative or skeptical views of advertising to children. Parents’ attitude toward the use of nutrition information displayed interesting ? ndings.The third scenario, in particular, focused on speci? c implications of a food product that might have unhealthy eating implications for children. Parents’ attitude toward the use of nutritional information for this scenario was related to their behavioral intentions. On the other hand, there were no signi? cant relationships between an attitude toward the use of nutrition and ethical judgments of food advertising targeted at children for any of the scenarios, including scenario 3. Parents might have not perceived using well-known characters to distribute food company products at schools and child care acilities to have any potential harm. The lack of a relationship between an attitude toward the use of nutritional information and ethical judgments of food advertising targeted at children should be considered on a scenario-by-scenario basis; for example, for the ? rst scenario, it might be that parents did not really think the advergames and the use of well-known characters to distribute food company products at schools and child care facilities presented any potential unethical practices. Particularly, advergames are new promotional tools used on the Web to attract adults and children within a branded context.Advergames are somewhere between advertising and computer games and include product-related information from the companies with the use of games or part of a game (Nelson, 2002; Mallinckrodt and Mizerski, 2007). Past studies also suggest that advergames might be more persuasive for young children than traditional advertising (Oanh Ha, 2004). Parental awareness of advergames targeting children needs further investigation in future research. Future research should also examine how parents use nutritional information in their food purchase decisions to have a better understanding of the relationship between attitude 307 oward use of nutrition information and ethical perspectives regarding food advertising. Moral intensity signi? cantly affected parents’ ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. This ?nding offers signi? cant implications for marketers and public policy-makers. Parents indicated concerns regarding the potential harm of various food advertising targeting children in the three scenarios. It is important that marketers should be more careful when they create their advertising tactics targeting children. It might also be that more regulations might be needed to address parent al concerns regarding the potential effects of food dvertising. The moral intensity measure of proximity was not signi? cantly related to the ethical judgments and behavioral intentions of parents. Proximity measures the ‘‘feeling of nearness (social, cultural, psychological, or physical)’’ (Jones, 1991, p. 376) that the individual has for those affected by the action in question. It might be that parents considered the action taken unethical whether the results affected their friends/relatives or not. The ?ndings relative to social consensus and its effect on their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions were signi? cant, in most instances.Thus, parents did consider what others might think about a speci? c situation when forming their ethical judgments and intentions. The ethical perspectives of idealism and relativism also provide some insights regarding parents’ ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. Findings indicated that there is no s igni? cant relationship between parents’ attitude toward idealism and their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. Parents, in this study, may not have perceived the scenarios as situations that should carry universal moral absolutes. On the other hand, parents’ attitude toward relativism signi? antly affected their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions but only for the second scenario. Relativism might be more likely to in? uence opinions on a situation-by-situation basis. The second scenario in particular expressed potential unhealthy effects on children. Therefore, parents might have perceived this scenario as involving questionable ethical practices. Our study has some limitations. Although parents were instructed to ? ll out the questionnaire individually or as a couple, we could not verify whether or not they communicated with each other. This raises the 308 Aysen Bakir and Scott J.Vitell possibility of a potential demand artifact. Secondly, although survey methods provide important information on individuals’ perceptions and beliefs, qualitative methods would bestow more detailed information on parents’ perceptions and attitudes. Future research should focus on more qualitative techniques to have a deeper understanding of perceptions and attitudes. Third, our ? ndings provide insights only from parents in the Midwestern USA. These ? ndings are not yet generalizable to other cultures or subcultures. Understanding parents’ perspectives on advertising directed at children is important.Future research should focus on a more detailed parental perspective to uncover how parents make judgments on whether advertising directed at children is ethical or not. Qualitative studies might provide more in-depth understanding. Uncovering these issues might minimize the discrepancy between parents and marketers. The debate on the effects of food advertising targeted at children has intensi? ed in the last several years among academicians, public policy-makers, and marketers. Companies need to respond better to the food-related debates in society, particularly to those related to healthy eating and ethical food marketing.In conclusion, our ? ndings assist both research and theory in the children’s advertising ? eld. With the increasing prominence of ethics in business/ marketing research, this study presents important ?ndings that advance our understanding of the potential antecedents to the ethical decision-making process for parents in situations involving advertising directed toward their children. We trust that the results generated by this research can be successfully used to guide future ethics research projects in this growing ? eld. Appendix A: scenarios Scenario 1 A food company whose products are, in part, argeted at children is planning to use ‘‘adver- games’’ (online games in which a company’s product or brand characters are featured). It is also consi dering encouraging children to contact their friends about a speci? c product or brand as part of their new advertising campaign. The company is considering using the internet, rather than more traditional media such as television, due to the highly debated relationship between aggressive food advertising and increased obesity among children. Action: The company decided to use Internet advertising for their new campaign. Scenario 2An advertising agency recommended that their client sponsor programs at schools and visit child care centers. These sponsored programs would make a ?nancial contribution to each school and child care center. During these visits the company would provide entertainment with the company’s wellknown characters and provide a sample of the company’s food products to children. If they do this, children who are less than 5 years old would be introduced to a range of products that might be considered ‘‘unhealthy. ’’ Action: T he sponsor decided to conduct these visits to the child care centers/schools and provide a sample of their products.Scenario 3 A candy and cereal company is considering selling books that spotlight the client’s brand. These children’s books provide content on ‘‘counting and playing. ’’ Children can play checkers with various fruit-? avored candies and can learn to count using various forms of calorie and sugar-? lled sweets and cereals. The books use the company’s brand as an example for the ‘‘counting and playing’’ content. Action: The candy and cereal company decided to sell these books to children. The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children Appendix B: scale items 309 APPENDIX B continued Moral intensity 4.The overall harm (if any) done as a result of the action would be very small Harm 2 The action will harm very few people, if any Harm 3 The action will not cause any harm in the immediate futu re Proximity If one were a personal friend of the person(s) harmed, the action would be wrong Social Most people would agree that the action is consensus wrong 5. Harm 1 6. 7. 8. Idealism 9. 1. A person should make certain that their actions never intentionally harm another even to a small degree 2. Risks to another should never be tolerated, irrespective of how small the risks might be 3. The existence of potential harm to others is always rong, irrespective of the bene? ts gained 4. One should never psychologically or physically harm another person 5. One should not perform an action which might in anyway threaten the dignity and welfare of another individual 6. If an action could harm an innocent other, then it should not be done 7. Deciding whether or not to perform an act by balancing the positive consequences of the act against the negative consequences of the act is immoral 8. The dignity and welfare of people should be the most important concern of any society 9. It is never necessary to sacri? ce the welfare of others 10.Moral actions are those which closely match ideals of the most ‘‘perfect’’ action 10. Attitude toward food advertising 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 2. 3. There are no ethical principles that are so important that they should be part of any code of ethics What is ethical varies from one situation and society to another Moral standards should be seen as being individualistic; what one person considers to be moral may be judged to be immoral by another person There is too much food advertising directed at children Advertisers use tricks and gimmicks to get children to buy their products Advertising to children makes false claims about utrition content of food products There is too much sugar in the foods advertised to children Advertising teaches children bad eating habits Advertising directed at children leads to family con? ict Attitude toward use of nutritional information Relativism 1. Different types of moralities can not be compared as to ‘‘rightness’’ Questions of what is ethical for everyone can never be resolved since what is moral or immoral is up to the individual Moral standards are simply personal rules which indicate how a person should behave, and are not to be applied in making judgments of othersEthical considerations in interpersonal relations are so complex that individuals should be allowed to formulate their own individual codes Rigidly codifying an ethical position that prevents certain types of actions could stand in the way of better human relations and adjustment No rule concerning lying can be formulated; whether a lie is permissible or not permissible totally depends upon the situation Whether a lie is judged to be moral or immoral depends upon the circumstances surrounding the actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 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