Analysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis - 948 Words

An Unconscious Reality The psychologist, Sigmund Freud, states that every human has a conscious and unconscious mind. In the unconscious mind it is said the people suppress their hidden feelings which may affect the way they think. Freud says one way humans express their hidden feeling is through dreams. This idea is the foundation for the dream interpretation of â€Å"The Metamorphosis.† Dreams have the capacity to encapture events that never happen in reality. They connect with how people reflect their true feelings about a situation or themselves. Throughout â€Å"The Metamorphosis†, the author, Kafka, uses Gregor’s repressed feelings incorporated with the dull setting and Gregor’s transformation to support the idea that Gregor is dreaming. The story’s main character, Gregor Samsa, is a traveling salesman who works strenuously every day to support his entire family since none of them provide for the family.. However, despite all of his hard work Gregor receives nothing in return from his family for his dedication to them. One day before work Gregor wakes up as a bug which is the first hint that this story is a dream. When describing a dream scenario authors often use dullness and fog to express the setting. One can assume that the narrator wants to portray a dream setting when he says, â€Å"he could have believed that he looked out of his window into a desert in which the gray sky and the gray earth merged indistinguishably† (Kafka 130). The gray is in this quote resembles the hazinessShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 3979 Words   |  16 PagesAustin Day Professor Imali Abala English 357 18 February 2015 The Theme of Alienation in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka in 1915 is said to be one of the greatest literary works of all time and is seen as one of Kafka’s best and most popular works of literature. A relatively short novel; the story explains how the protagonist, Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a vermin which completely estranges him from the world even moreRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 1711 Words   |  7 Pagescertain theme that most readers can relate to. Franz Kafka, a renowned German-speaking fiction writer of the 20th century, uses a unique style of writing that many people believe is a telling of his own life story. In his well-known short story, â€Å"The Metamorphosis†, many similarities and connections can be seen between the main character, Gregor Samsa, and the author himself, Franz Kafka. A major comparison that can be made is the fact that both Samsa and Kafka died slow, lonesome deaths after being inRead MoreA nalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis1873 Words   |  8 Pageswriters take their creative control to emphasize the current state of the freedom and control of the individual. Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, various World War I poems, and Brecht’s Fear and Misery of the Third Reich show the lack of individual freedom and control that people had over their lives during the destruction that occurred in the 20th century. Published in 1915, Franz Kafka wasted no time in starting his discussion about freedom and control through the life of Gregor. After he awakes and realizesRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s Metamorphosis1985 Words   |  8 Pagestruly seen? Does one view one’s external self, or do they see a reflection of past experience? Not many have the value of altruism, but some do. Sometimes altruism can turn extremist though, to the point where it can be a negative thing. In Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor Samsa is a workaholic that randomly one day awakens as a bug. Initially, Gregor sees himself with a condition, and then slowly tries to adapt to his bug transformation. Gregor did not put himself first when heRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 1087 Words   |  5 Pagesmercy were ignored. Franz Kafka’s novella is not about a dictator but it alludes to a person close to Franz that was as close to a dictator that he ever go to. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, is about a young man that wakes up one day and is a vermin and has to maneuver around his home and come to terms with his six itchy legs. It probably sounds like a load of fictitious ramblings that somehow became a classical novel. Wrong! Look a little closer and the secret message Franz Kafka wrote for his fatherRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis1500 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"In the morning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ verminous bug.† In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the opening sentence introduces the main character, event and the setting. Gregor Samsa is one of the only two characters who are addressed by name, this reflects his importance in the story because he is the protagonist and he plays a central role in the lives of his family and friends. Besides introducing the central character, this opening line has a dramatic impact on readers. It draws the reader straight to Gregor Samsa’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis, And Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House1965 Words   |  8 PagesFeminist, and Freudian-argue different outlooks regarding the main characters and their deviance from the standards of society in Franz Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis† and Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House.† The Marxist viewpoint discusses a person’s objectivity in society and how it is affected by outside forces such as money, labor, and power. In Franz Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† the main character of Gregor undergoes several changes that affect the way he behaves and is perceived by people in his lifeRead MoreEssay on Analysis of The Metamorphosis1033 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of The Metamorphosis This story The Metamorphosis is about Gregor, a workaholic, who is changed into an insect and must then deal with his present reality. The hardest part of being an insect for him was the alienation from his family, which eventually leads to his death. In reading the short story The Metamorphosis, (1971),one can realize how small the difference is between Magical Realism and Fantastic. This literature written by the Austrian, Franz Kafka, is often debated overRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The metamorphosis,† is a story by Franz Kafka, published in 1915 is a story divided in three chapters: transformation, acceptance, and the death of the protagonist. There are many interpretations that can form this tale as the indifference by the society that is concerned with different individuals, and isolation pushing some cases to the solitude. Some consider The Metamorphosis as an autobiography of the author, which tries to capture the lo neliness and isolation that he felt at some pointRead MoreAnalysis Of The Metamorphosis1501 Words   |  7 PagesBeveridge, A. (2009). Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Advances in psychiatric treatment, 15(6), 459-461. This brief article is written from the psychiatric perspective, pointing out that Kafka has always been of great interest to the psychoanalytic community; this is because his writings have so skillfully depicted alienation, unresolved oedipal issues, and the schizoid personality disorder and The Metamorphosis is no exception to this rule. While this writer tends to think that psychiatrists should

Comparing Emotions Love And Hate - 881 Words

Comparing Emotions: Love and Hate Emotions come with every thought and action that is had throughout the day. Whether it is an emotion towards an academic class, the nerves of meeting someone new, or even what is felt about the day as a whole; there is always an emotion that is being felt. The two most extreme emotions are hate and love. Most sub-emotions come from these two powerful feelings. Anger, happiness, sorrow, and anxiety can all be results of both love and hate. To most, these emotions seem like contradictory ideas. They have obvious differences to make them appear as opposites but, when broken down, they have a lot more in common than accounted for. Hate and love both contain powerful definitions, passionate emotions, artistic expression, cause and effect of one another, and complexity. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of love is â€Å"a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection.† W hen first read, this term can bring ideas of joy and fulfillment. There tend to be a lot more positive associations with love because of what has been told through movies, society, and personal experience. It is not always realized that many negativities, such as sadness and anger, can be associated with love as well. Hate, on the other hand, is defined by Dictionary.com as â€Å"to dislike intensely or passionately; to feel extreme aversion for.† However, when the word hate is mentioned, it does not have theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Jodi Picoult s The Storyteller1183 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Love can be simply stated to be the desire of the human being to integrate oneself with other selves in such a way that one starts feeling the pain and pleasure of another person as if of one’s own. Hatred can be defined as just the opposite – to derive pleasure in the pain of others, while feeling unhappy seeing others happy†(Singh 1) Emotions, by their very nature, warp perceptions and cloud judgement. Ever seen Star Trek? If you have, then you would have noticed Spock’s whole, unwavering useRead MoreAmerica s Paradoxical Love Hate Relationship With War1374 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper reviews America’s paradoxical love-hate relationship with war and how this relationship influences American warfare through the research and study of the interpretation and analyzation of American military models, policy and goal changes, the use of military technology, â€Å"American way of war,† and the relationship with, preparation for, and appl ication of war. In the two hundred years since 1775, there has been thirty-five years of fighting in what we consider major conflictsRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe918 Words   |  4 Pagesman. He had never wronged me.† Inferring it was a woman, the reader can develop an idea that the old man and narrator once â€Å"loved† each other. The acknowledged hate for the old man’s eye could have been developed from this love. Love and hate are prevailing themes in this short story and Poe uses them to reveal how destructive, the two emotions together, can be. It is not clearly stated what the relationship between the narrator and old man are, but it can be inferred that there was no real threatRead More The Use Of Animal Imagery In Othello Essay1040 Words   |  5 Pages In William Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Othello† the use of animal imagery was evident throughout the telling of the story. Shakespeare explained several characters actions by comparing them to similarities in animals. The characters in â€Å"Othello† were often depicted as having animal-like characteristics. Some characters were even compared to animals by other characters in the play. By defining characters in terms of these characteristics one can get a clear description of what the character isRead MoreThemes Of Love And Hate1443 Words   |  6 PagesLove and hate are both an occurring theme in both Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. In this essay I will be comparing the similarities and differences of the way that the two texts portray the feeling of love and hate. The essay will be divided into different topics that I will be comparing, these following topics will be: death, passion, betrayal and one more. Romeo and Juliet was a play that was written by the famous English poet, playwright William Shakespeare whoseRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe s The Cask Of Amontillado1528 Words   |  7 Pagesgreatly towards the gothic themes of his work, conflicts of love and hate as well as self and the alter ego, have influenced his writing on death and delusional characters. 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In Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare introduces us to Romeo’s passionate desire towards Rosaline through the use of oxymoronRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare963 Words   |  4 PagesSteinbeck once said, â€Å"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.† Without the use of opposites, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet would just be another love story. By incorporating many different dualities into his writing, Shakespeare differentiates his readers the true emotions and identity of every single one of his characters. As Steinbeck compares Summer and Winter, he describes them in a way tha t show they depend on each other. Shakespeare creates The TragedyRead More Comparing the Themes of Wuthering Heights and Of Mice and Men1098 Words   |  5 Pages Comparing the Themes of Wuthering Heights and Of Mice and Men nbsp; nbsp; Wuthering Heights and Of Mice and Men are two novels that were written approximate hundred years apart by different authors living in different time periods. Wuthering Heights, was written by Emily Bronte who lived in England. Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck who lived in California. Although they were written by different authors of different background, time, and place. One could neverthelessRead MoreLiterary Explication: Sylvia Plaths Daddy1201 Words   |  5 PagesConflicting Emotions of Sylvia Plath The speaker in the poem â€Å"Daddy† is someone who both fiercely hates her father but also passionately loves him. When she was younger, she compared her father to a god-like entity—always looking up to him and constantly seeking his approval. Her fierce hate towards her father stems from the deep rooted fear of him. The speaker is torn between these two polar emotions that have been constantly tormenting her and blames them on her unresolved emotions toward her

Gender and body image †Looking at women and men through the life course Free Essays

string(61) " be allowed out later than girls or more trust and leniency\." Throughout our lives we are governed by how we look and act according to society. One of the main leaders throughout history has been which sex a person belongs to. This governs our every aspect in life from a baby, through to adulthood. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender and body image – Looking at women and men through the life course or any similar topic only for you Order Now Opinion changes constantly to whether children should live a certain way and especially act certain ways at different ages and stages throughout life. We are socially constructed from the start of our lives, if a baby wears blue or pink determines societys view of how to treat the child and most importantly whether it is male of female. We are judged in our abilities and skills just by from which sex we belong to. It is one of the most influential factors in life, being male or female. I will be looking at the perceived differences between males and female body image and actions throughout the life cycle, from birth through to old age. One of the first things we notice about a person is which sex they belong to. Today due to changes in societies impressions and opinions on sex and sex orientation, it is generally possible to immediately determine the sex of a person that gives out first impressions and places stereotypes. Every culture distinguishes between male and females and this accompanied by beliefs and psychological and physical behaviours belonging to each sex. It is not a recent act to distinguish differences between the sexes. In pre-industrial Britain children were sent off to work at an early age between 6-7. They were kept apart and designated a job. At this age physicality’s of gender differences would not be differentiated because of no puberty growth in the children causing no differences in physical ability and strength yet girls would be sent to become servants while boys would be trained to be apprentices. In the sixteenth century boys were increasingly sent to boarding school, while girls were mainly kept at home, any small amount of girls who were sent to boarding school were trained for domesticity. Their father or their masters controlled any girls in a family, like an ownership. The males possessed them. Any money that was made was not their own to keep but passed on to their masters or their family for their parents personal use or placed back into the family for food and supplies. Both boys and girls were used for their bodies yet in completely different ways. In the early nineteenth century working class children would be used in working class factories for cheap labour. Boys would follow the men with physical work while girls were sold for prostitution. Girls where not seen to have many uses apart from their bodies or domesticity uses. This treatment of girls continued through the years in society. Towards the First World War girls were not sold for such explicit reasons but used in different ways (Humphries 1977). Families became dependent on the wages of their siblings. With men called to war the children would work to help the families upkeep. Girls would be expected to help their mothers with domestic tasks and to take the role of second mother for their younger siblings. While boys and young men where used for their physical abilities. By the twentieth century psychologists identified that childhood was a vital part of a persons identity. Freud dedicated his life to the study of people and the affect of childhood on their adult lives. Children could be scared for life because of their childhoods. This could explain judgements of people on sex opinions later in lives because of their upbringings, which had forced the stereo types into society. Post war brought the decline of infant mortality and the decline in birth rate. Children where not therefore depended upon for their help with the families income. Adults began to see children as pleasurable company. Children soon became the main focus of life. The division of home from the workplace resulted in an isolation of women and children. The home in middle-class households represented a haven from the competition of the market place and from the public world. Men would stay in the workplace and women and children were kept ‘confined’ and ‘protected’ in the home. This soon broadens from the middle-class household to the working class home. This image of the western family soon became the model norm of the western societies, which influenced many people throughout their lives. Female and male children are segregated and classed as different, which has continued up to the present day. From birth they are given different clothes and toys and are subjected to socialisation. Children were even segregated at school, boys may have been sent to a different school than girls and be taught different curricula. Children now share schooling and have moved closer together in the curricula but in many other ways they are treated differently. Although today boys and girls may study the same curriculum, some subjects are still labelled as being male or female subjects. Increasing anxieties about sexual threat in contemporary society, because of sexual abuse cases, has become increasingly popular; causing boys and girls to be treated differently. Girls are surveyed and controlled more than boys of the same age. Girls and boys are sheltered differently. Girls are protected from the real dangers of society but also the ones, which are possibly fictional, or of an adult’s exaggeration. Girls in particular are sheltered from the real adult world. The sexualisation of adults’ contact with children means girls are seldom allowed to walk alone, or spend much time on their own. This treatment causes girls today to be segregated from society from the start of their lives. This influences the way they live their life and attitudes they have towards their influencing adult guides. When children are allowed out ‘to play’, boys seem to be allowed out later than girls or more trust and leniency. You read "Gender and body image – Looking at women and men through the life course" in category "Life" Although childhood is seen as psychologically influencing on a persons’ life adolescence is both psychologically and physically changing. Adolescence is a time for psychological adjustments to the physical changes in the child’s body. For young girls and women it is normally related with developments of secondary sexual qualities such as breasts, and body hair. When we become adolescence’s we gain legal responsibilities. At the age of 16 a young woman can give consent to sexual intercourse with a man. Before this age a young woman will in the eyes of the law be seen as irresponsible and unable to give responsible consent. Also at the age of 16 a young man and woman may get married however although legally responsible to have a sexual relationship and possibly bare children, the young adults must have parental permission. Their responsibilities are too high to be married from their own choice at this age. The legal view on heterosexual relationships seems a reasonably understandable law, compared to the opinions on homosexual relationships. Homosexual relationships between men are not legal unless both parties are 18, however same sex relationships between two women are legal at any age. It is evident from these figures that young men and women have a different statues in law reflecting different assumptions about masculinity and femininity. Young people become legally responsible for their actions from their age of 10. This makes youth today so much longer than it was many years ago. This extended period in the youth phase causes extensive protection from the parents. One explanation for this could be the increasing choice by children to stay in education for a longer period of time. The number of young people choosing to go into higher education increases because of more opportunities, larger choices in courses and the range of training schemes increases. It is apparent that young people especially women seem to be spending longer being trained and educated, and then having greater uncertain futures because finding full-time work is increasing remote. This is especially apparent for young people because they are most affected by unemployment. Young women have come through time from not being educated to spending more time in education than young men. Government reports have stated that young women do considerably better in school than young men due to a stronger ambition to be successful and ability to concentrate their efforts into studying. It is generally stated that adolescence is a period of stressful experience. However an anthropologist Margaret Mead challenged this. She studied adolescent women in eastern Samoa (1943) and found no evidence of role confusion, conflict or revolt. Suggesting that adolescence was not world-wide and biologically determined but ethnically variable, and that the stresses of this time could be socially determined, and because of confusing status to which, young people find themselves consigned by particular communal forms. It is a wide-ranging protest from adults to complain of adolescent deviant behaviour however this suggests that it is the western societal norms which push adolescents to be seen as irresponsible and problematic to society. Adolescence is a particular distressing time for young women. Trying to conform to societies views of how to behave and to trying to keep their reputation with friends and partners at the same time makes life very traumatic. The behaviour of teenage women is partly the result of being treated differently from boys through their life. As was stated earlier women are seen as more in need of care and protection. Parents ‘police’ their daughters more strictly than their sons. This then is linked to the ideological definition of ‘appropriate behaviour of women’. Sue Lees (1986) has shown how boys control young women in the public eye through threat of labelling them sexually promiscuous. It is expected of young men to copulate but for a young women to continue with the same behaviour would result in such labels as ‘slag’ or ‘slut’ and ‘scrubber’ or an ‘easy lay’. This labelling is less to do with the actual sexual action rather than to the extent to which young women’s behaviour deviates from the normal ideas of femininity. For example a female should not be seen using foul language or rough behaviour as they could be classed as a ‘tom boy’. Sexuality is classed in very different ways. Both sexes are concerned with reputation; the basis on which it rests is very distinct. For boys sexual reputation is enhanced by varied experience boasting to their friends for all the girls they have ‘made’, for a girl reputation is to be guarded. It is to be under threat not merely if she is known to have sex with anyone other than with her steady boyfriend but also if she goes out with several different boys, or dresses in a certain way. To remain a ‘nice’ girl a young woman must suppress any sexual desire, and instead conform to the dream image of romantic love and complete monogamy. This double standard serves to constrain the public and private lives of young women to ensure conformity based on a model of sexuality, which ultimately takes its form from the ideology of the nuclear family. Feminist sociologists’ arguments showed that post ideas that suggestions of femininity and masculinity classed as natural were actually of a social origin. Young people apparently learn roles. Mc Robbie and Garber stated that young women didn’t ‘rebel in the same way which young men did but instead used the ideal romantic fantasy as a form of escapism. Sue Lees (1986), Christine Griffin (1985) and Clair Wallace (1987) have looked into the theory of the role that romantic love fantasies have in young women’s lives. They are apparently not deceived by characters lives portrayed in women’s literature, but actually have realistic ideas of married life. It was also believed that young women have tactics of resistance for example ‘tom boys’ or pregnancy, which are not in the ‘nice’ girl stereotype. They state that an important aspect in young girls lives is their status and independence inside and out of the family that could be achieved by them acquiring a job by themselves. Sharpe (1995) study contrast to an earlier study found that young women interviewed no longer saw marriage and parenthood as their only goal in life. These studies show a change in young women’s views and opinions; however, it causes views of people to think young girls are rebelling against the norms of society because family life is not their first objective in life. The media is one of the most influential aspects to people’s lives. It is used to inform, sell, advise, and help the readers and many other uses. Young women are important customers of media resources. There are magazines, which particularly target young women and influence their lives. The magazines give advise on romance, hygiene and behaviour according to societies rules at the time. 80% of magazines are articles about fashion and appearance pushing young women into a proposed look. They steer young women to see romance as standard and as an ultimate goal in life to have a ‘normal’ steady monogamous relationship leading to marriage and all as typecasts with a male companion. According to these magazines the main interest of their teenage years is in getting a man’. The young women become immersed into the ideology of romance and of ‘falling in love’. Adulthood is associated with taking up full status in society, having sexual relationships, getting married, having children, having a full time stable job, and living in an independent household. When we become an adult we associate it with citizenship status -the right to vote, to take loans, or to enter legal contract we are given responsibility and trusted. This legal responsibility is associated with the turning of age to 18. There are many physical body aspects, which are also associated with adulthood. Such as first menstruation, and first sex. This today is more associated with the teenage years because of younger people having sex earlier and young girls developing into women earlier so the legal opinion of an adult may not be the same as a physical adult. The transition of adolescence to adulthood can be more meaningful for women than young men generally because young women marry earlier, have sex earlier and many other things earlier than men. It is often said than young girls mature earlier than young boys. It is a stressful time for women when the beginning of sexual activity occurs. It is a time of pride and manhood for males while traumatic and cautious for women. Not to be seen on the one side as ‘frigid’ or a promiscuous ‘slag’ on the other (Cowie and Lees 1985; Halson 1991). Marriage, childbirth and parenthood are also parts of adulthood that are given different meanings from men than women. This seems to be because although attitudes are changing in society today women in the main have the foremost responsibilities and usually end up interrupting their careers to care for children. Today it is increasingly popular for single parent families which again is mostly women taking the responsibilities, the majority of about 90% of single parent families are headed by women. Baring children is also seen as hindering a women’s working career and leisure life. The process of pregnancy changes a women’s body, and although both men and women’s bodies change in the life course this can be seen as the biggest change a women can experience. Increased hormones and the gradual growth of the baby stretches and changes the women’s normal body shape. This change, during pregnancy and after can affect a woman greatly because of opinions of what a woman should look like. It is looked upon badly if the bulge during pregnancy is on show when in the public eye. It is a nature event that is seen as part of a women’s’ meaning on earth. However, it cannot be looked upon, only in disgrace. Is it a disgusting view to see a woman pregnant? Or is it disgusting to see a woman out of shape, from societies view of what a woman should look like, as I suspect it could be. Women’s careers are perceived as more intimately tied to their biology and reproductive cycles than are men’s. Men’s bodies are defined by their performance and action in the labour market and public life. Their reproductive functions and their bodies are seldom referred to and are seen as unproblematic. Women’s body shape and reproductive functions are constantly studied and are sometimes referred to as determining their lives (Ussher 1989). In the media it is women’s bodies that are used to sell their products. A car advert will usually at some point show a young stereotype of a woman draped over their product in order to sell it. It is unusual to see a man or even a larger woman used in the same way. Women’s lives are constantly referred to by their menstruation. They are frequently seen as ‘victims’ of ‘ragging hormones’ either because of ‘pre-menstrual tension’ or because of menopause. Each case supposedly causes women to ‘suffer’ from temporary indisposition that can sometimes become ‘insanity’! This then could be the reason why it is used for reasons of moodiness, road accidents and even cases of murder. On account of these biological ‘problems’ women’s lives are intervened with medical attention and even seen as a kind of disease. Women can be recommended hormone replacements therapy and hysterectomies as a solution to menopausal problems and are given special diets or hormone treatment for pre-menstrual tension. Unlike male bodies women’s are somewhat controlled by medical science from the moment of first problems with menstruation or with the need for birth control through to menopausal problems. Some women may never need medical assistance, but most do at some point in their lives. â€Å"Imagine what might have happened in a world with different cultural and moral attitudes towards gender and responsibilities for family planning and children. It is not beyond imagination that we would have ended up with a male contraceptive pill, a medical treatment for male menopause and a classification system of multiple sexes (Oudshoor 1994). One of the most traumatic times in a person’s life is the process of ageing. No person wants to loose his or her looks, shape or mind. For men it is loosing their hair or gaining that ‘beer belly’. For women physical attractiveness is the most important feature and loosing this is a major source of anxiety. Women spend thousands of pounds on creams, potions, dieting, exercise and even plastic surgery. Men today are also increasingly purchasing these types of items but it is generally women that advertising is focused on (Arber and Ginn 1991). It has been questioned what is persona purpose in life? One of the proposed reasons is to reproduce, to keep the population. Men are seen to do this throughout their lives, so women who have therefore passed the menopause could be seen as having no use anymore for their reproductive functions and therefore are uninterested in sex. Doctors are more likely to recommend hysterectomies to women than men. In medical textbooks women’s ovaries are described as ‘shrivelled’ or ‘senile’ metaphors, which, imply they are ‘useless’, or ‘past it’. Women are classified by their biological position in and throughout their lives. Pre-menstrual’ in their youth, ‘pre-menopausal’ in their thirties, ‘menopausal’ in their forties and ‘post-menopausal’ in their fifties, its as though their reproductive organs control women’s lives. Women who have children find themselves defined in terms of their roles as mothers and carers. On the other hand childle ss women are seen as frustrated mothers and somehow incomplete. It is as if a woman’s ultimate goal is to bare children. A childless woman is classed as having psychological inadequacies or a lack of feminine qualities. Today many more women are pursuing careers rather than starting a family, this is seen as selfish whereas men are not exposed to such punishments. It is seen as acceptable for a man to never be a part of a family. Women’s lives are seen as shaped by their biological bodies and the changes these bodies undergo. Men’s lives by contrast are seen as shaped by their achievements. Throughout our lives we are governed by our sex and opinions made by society which label us according to our sex. These labels are started through opinions made from birth, which stay with us until death. How to cite Gender and body image – Looking at women and men through the life course, Essays

MEDEA Analysis Essay Example For Students

MEDEA Analysis Essay A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. ii. Trans. Shelley Dean Milman. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1922. JASON: I ought not to be rash, it seems, in speech,But like the skilful pilot, who, with sailsScarce half unfurled, his bark more surely guides,Escape, O woman, your ungoverned tongue.Since you the benefits on me conferredExaggerate in so proud a strain, I deemThat I to Venus only, and no godOr man beside, my prosperous voyage owe.Although a wondrous subtlety of soulTo you belong, twere an invidious speechFor me to make should I relate how LoveBy his inevitable shafts constrained youTo save my life. I will not therefore stateThis argument too nicely, but allow,As you did aid me, it was kindly done.But by preserving me have you gained moreThan you bestowed, as I shall prove: and first,Transplanted from barbaric shores, you dwellIn Grecian regions, and have here been taughtTo act as justice and the laws ordain,Nor follow the caprice of brutal strength.By all the Greeks your wisdom is perceived,And you acquire renown; but had you stillInhabited that distant spot of earth,You never had b een named. I would not wishFor mansions heaped with gold, or to exceedThe sweetest notes of Orpheus magic lyre,Were those unfading wreaths which fame bestowsFrom me withheld by fortune. I thus farOn my own labours only have discoursed.For you this odious strife of words began.But in espousing Creons royal daughter,With which you have reproached me, I will proveThat I in acting thus am wise and chaste,That I to you have been the best of friends,And to our children. But make no reply.Since hither Iolchos land I came,Accompanied by many woes, and suchAs could not be avoided, what deviceMore advantageous would an exile frameThan wedding the kings daughter? Not through hateTo you, which you reproach me with, not smittenWith love for a new consort, or a wishThe number of my children to augment:For those we have already might suffice,And I complain not. But to me it seemedOf great importance that we both might liveAs suits our rank, nor suffer abject need,Well knowing that each friend avoi ds the poor.I also wished to educate our sonsIn such a manner as befits my raceAnd with their noble brothers yet unborn,Make them one family, that thus, my houseCementing, I might prosper. In some measureIs it your interest too that by my brideI should have sons, and me it much imports,By future children, to provide for thoseWho are in being. Have I judged amiss?You would not censure me, unless your soulWere by a rival stung. But your whole sexHath these ideas; if in marriage blestYe deem nought wanting, but if some reverseOf fortune eer betide the nuptial couch,All that was good and lovely ye abhor.Far better were it for the human raceHad children been produced by other means,No females eer existing: hence might manExempt from every evil have remained.

Health Maintenance Organizations Essays - Managed Care,

Health Maintenance Organizations Throughout history, America has always strived for freedom and quality of life. Wars were fought and people died to preserve these possessions. We are now in a time where we may see these ideals crumble like dust in the wind. Health Maintenance Organizations, HMO's are currently depriving millions of people from quality health acre and freedom of choice. This is occurring because people who are enrolled in HMO's are unable to choose the doctor that they want. Also patients lose the quality of care because HMO's interfere with the health care providers decisions. The Health Maintenance Organization has been proven to"sometimes interfere with physicians' exercise of sound medical judgement and avoid covering necessary medical care, causing members to either pay out of their own pockets or go without" (Schlossman). This means that the insurance company does not really care about you. The insurance company only cares about how much money it has to spend on you as a person and if you need a type of special care that cost money either you can pay for it your self or just go without the care that is needed. This interference often compromises the patients' ability to have freedom of choice in selecting a provider and to get the best quality for their health care needs. This freedom of choice is the ability to choice the doctor that you want as a doctor. Yet instead HMOs pick the doctor for you. All over the United States HMO's have denied patients the medical care which they need. In Charlotte, North Carolina, for example, a boy named Ethan Bedrick was born with cerebral palsy. His doctors said that in order for him to be able to ever walk, he would need extensive therapy. Yet according to HMO policy, patients are only allowed a maximum of fifteen therapy sessions per year; therefore, his health plan said "NO." The HMO said no when a little boy said please help. This proves why HMO's frequently deprive patients of the optimum quality of life. This little boy's future of being able to walk was crushed by an insurance company that was so money grubbing greedy that it could not stretch the rule for this case. Since the boy's therapy is not being paid for the HMOs gets a bonus in their paycheck. They took the money that was supposed to go to the therapy and put it into their pockets. An epidemic has occurred in most senior citizens lives. Since January 1, 1999 440,000 senior citizens have lost their HMO privileges. In essence, HMO's decided to arbitrarily eliminate the senior citizen plan. The sad reality is that many members who subscribed to these particular HMO's for its senior citizens package are out of luck and without medical coverage. For many people over the age of 65 who once had HMO benefits are now scrambling to find a new insurance. There are people like Allen Martin from New York, who is over the age of 65. Due to a severe disease his kidneys do not work. As a result he needs dialysis, (which is when the waste material is flushed out of the body) three times a week. This process is extremely expensive costing hundreds of dollars each time and what was once paid for by the HMO, but now he has to find some way to pay for it on his own. In many cases doctors are unable to tell a patient the limitations of their particular HMO and how it interferes with the ability to provide good medicine. This is called the "gag rule". These gag rules do not allow the doctors to say anything bad or against HMO's. Also the rules restrain doctors from telling the patient certain things that HMO's do not pay for such as special procedures that might benefit the patients condition. Doctors who work with HMO's have to sign a contract. This contract states that a doctor is unable to tell patients certain things. Yet in frequent cases doctors have felt limited by their contract with HMO's. This is because they want to tell patients important facts, but are unable to because of the contract. If the doctor's break this agreement, they stand to lose their contract with the HMO. The Health Maintenance Organization created a situation where patients have lost the ability to select the doctor of their choice. In addition, many plans have something called a "Gatekeeper". The gatekepper is a business man who probibly does not know anything abnout medicine or

Explore reflective accounts of the mentor’s developing role using a recognised framework The WritePass Journal

Explore reflective accounts of the mentor’s developing role using a recognised framework Introduction Explore reflective accounts of the mentor’s developing role using a recognised framework IntroductionDefinition of mentorshipDescription FeelingsEvaluation/ AnalysisConclusion/ Action planEvaluation/ AnalysisReferencesRelated Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to review and explore reflective accounts of the mentor’s developing role, using a recognised framework.   Ely and Lear (2003) suggest that following a mentorship preparation course, a mentor should have sufficient information to increase their knowledge base in relation to a student’s learning needs; the effectiveness of role-modelling and effective learning environments.   The ability to examine and reflect upon issues relating to; course development and facilitation and assessment of learning should also be developed.   In order to achieve such; a portfolio of learning in collaboration with a reflective critical analysis and evaluation of five learning outcomes will be completed: supported by available literature, this will demonstrate the integration of theory and practice.   Burns and Grove (1999) believe that a literature review should contain only current research from the last five years.   However, as both mentorship and the reflective process are evolving phenomenon, it was felt significant to include reference to material, both recent and classic.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although research into the effectiveness of reflection is extremely limited, anecdotally it does appear evident that there are multiple advantages to reflective thinking (Burton 2000). These will be discussed in more detail in outcome 2, but briefly reflection can be regarded as innovative (Pierson 1998), dynamic (Burns and Bulman 2000) and as Burnard (1989) proposes, promotes feelings, thoughts and beliefs to be challenged.   Although reflection is believed by some to be an essential part of professional education and development (Atkins and Murphy 1993), it does however have its critics.   The lack of research into the value of reflection has been noted by Newell (1994) and Macintosh (1998).   Burnard (2005) criticises the point that reflection requires an accurate recollection of an incident.   However, this would not appear to apply during reflection-in-action. To direct the reflective process throughout this assignment, an adapted version of Gibbs reflective cycle (1988) has been implemented.   As the reflective process entails a recognition of an experience and a subsequent description of such (Powell 1989), it is justifiable to incorporate the use of the first person when discussing related feelings.   Hamill (1999) considers the use of first person to be suitable when writing an assignment that requires an element of personal reflection.   He also believes it to be appropriate when developing personal and professional qualities of self-awareness, reflection, analysis and critique. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (2004) guidelines relating to confidentiality, the mentored student will be named Amy.   Throughout the assignment, the author will be referred to as a mentor (although in reality the role was more of an associate mentor since the official requirements for mentorship had not yet been met).   All paperwork and formalities were agreed and countersigned with a recognised ‘mentor’ who had previously undertaken the former 998 course.   This nurse also acted as the authors mentor throughout the preparation course. Definition of mentorship Phillips et al (1996) note a lack of clarity in the term mentorship.   A variety of definitions have been offered for the term ‘mentor’, and so for the purpose of this assignment, a considered clear-cut definition provided by a well-regarded source will be applied. ‘Mentorship is a role undertaken by a nurse midwife or health visitor who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in the practice setting’ (Department of Health/ English National Board 2001a). In a longitudinal qualitative study undertaken by Gray and Smith (2000), it was again revealed that students identified a good mentor as a good role model, encompassing skills such as being organised, caring, confident, enthusiastic and professional.   A bad mentor, however, was thought to have a lack of knowledge, expertise and structure in their teaching, who was unfriendly, unapproachable and intimidating.   Although this study provides an insight into the effects of mentorship on student nurses, it can only really be applied to the small sample size employed, as to generalise to a wider population, the sample must be well-defined (Cormack 2000) Outcome 1 Description I was not on duty on Amy’s first shift; however, the ward manager introduced her to the nursing team, orientated her around the ward and explained the emergency procedures.   During the first week of Amy’s placement, I ensured that time was allocated to discuss all her learning objectives.   These had been set by the school of nursing, by Amy herself, and included objectives that I felt she would be able to achieve during her 9 weeks on the unit.   Although Amy’s allocated placement was specifically the surgical assessment unit, it was agreed that as the qualified nurses rotated between this unit and the main ward, it would be beneficial for her to do the same, thus ensuring consistency of mentorship and also a broader range of experience. The course documents were attained from the link educator, and these were discussed with Amy to ensure all outcomes were appropriate to the course module.   It was agreed that although allocated time would be available to discuss her progress, both Amy and I would state any concerns or difficulties that were identified, as and when they arose. Feelings During this initial interview Amy appeared extremely enthusiastic to learn, and despite having just entering the second year of her training, she seemed knowledgeable in many significant areas of nursing.   Amy’s enthusiasm had a direct impact on my desires to become a good mentor.   Despite feeling extremely nervous that I may let her down by not encompassing the necessary knowledge and experience to assist her through her placement, I felt eager to prove my capability and to learn more about the mentorship process. Evaluation/ Analysis Ely and Lear (2003) state that an initial discussion between the mentor and student should take place at the earliest opportunity, ideally during the first shift of the placement (Gray and Smith 2000).   Phillips et al (2000) believe that the discussions regarding a students assessment, should pre pre-arranged and prioritised, to avoid the student feeling like an added burden.   Time should be spent to ensure a thorough assessment is made, as hurried meetings have been suggested to be of less value (Bedford et al 1993). Price (2005a) states that during this initial interview, the mentor should make it clear that any developing problems or concerns should be addressed as they arise.   He also suggests that this initial interview act as a reference point for future discussions regarding progression.   Neary (2000a) recommends clearly identifying outcomes at this point to aid the relationship between theory and practice.   These objectives should express the needs required by the individual student (Gray and Smith 2000), the learning opportunities that the placement can provide (Stuart 2003) and as Price (2005b) advocates, meet the module outlines set by the school of nursing.   Rogers (1961) maintains that students are more likely to succeed once they have identified, individual needs and feel confident in their ability to achieve them.   He also states the importance of the student feeling comfortable to ask for advice and express their limitations.   Oliver and Endersby (1994) agree, sug gesting that the identification of the student’s individual needs during the initial orientation facilitates their perception of security. A number of authors have suggested the use of a learning contract as part of the continual assessment process and as a guide to learning (Stuart 2003, Quinn 1998, Priest and Roberts 1998).   Ely and Lear (2003) believe the implementation of a learning contract specifying individual evaluative criteria and outcomes, can promote the individual to take control of their own learning.   This contract is thought to provide a structured plan for ongoing formative assessment, therefore assisting the learning process and providing continuity (Wallace 2003). Although this form of self-directed learning does appear to be advantageous (Hewitt-Taylor 2002), Darbyshire (1993) suggests that mentors may find it difficult to gain control over a learning situation. Hutchings Sanders (2001) highlight a study commenced in the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust in 1999, in which a regional project bid was placed to develop formalized, multi-professional learning pathways. The overall aim was to prepare and provide a learning environment that was dynamic and enjoyable and promoted high quality care. A learning pathway was developed in order to ensure equity and consistency in the quality of student practice place. It comprised of three steps: preparation for each placement, induction before each placement and the learning experience.   The study was piloted in 6 clinical areas over 3 months, attempting to evaluate the effectiveness of the model.   A baseline qualitative analysis of the perceptions of service staff and students was completed prior to the study. The results of this were to be compared to a similar evaluation on completion of clinical placements in the pilot areas.   Although suggested that the model will have a positive effect on the quality of the students experience, it was noted that the pilot had not yet been completed, and subsequent results have not yet been published. Conclusion/ Action plan Following the above reflection and analysis, it would appear that most of the issues highlighted in the literature were actually met in the initial meeting with the student.   It is however noted that my area of practice does not typically implement learning contracts unless a student is repeating a placement.   With this in mind, I devised a form of agreement in conjunction with Amy, which would aim to meet her individual learning needs.   This has been included in appendix1. The main presenting challenge was that of a time constraint.   Working on an unpredictable assessment unit, it is very difficult to prearrange a discussion. To overcome this problem, Amy and I agreed to stay behind at the end of assigned shifts and to utilise any ‘quiet’ time that arose during the placement. Outcome 2 Description In order to be an effective role model, I first needed to ascertain how I was perceived by others.   In order to gain an honest insight, I asked my family, friends, and chosen colleagues that I felt would not be afraid to be truthful.   The outcome was that although I was considered caring and enthusiastic to teach others, I sometimes appeared impatient when under stress.   I identified similar attributes when compiling my own list.   With the assistance of my mentor, I compiled a list of self improvements and asked her to observe my behaviour to notice if they were being achieved. Feelings I felt very aware and anxious, that my actions and attitudes would be observed by Amy and possibly imitated in her work.   I was therefore conscious of how I acted in front of her, and realised I needed to remain professional, not only when dealing with patients but also away from the clinical area. Evaluation/ Analysis It has been suggested that nurses should use self assessment and reflection as part of their professional work and learning (Thorpe 2004).   The Department of Health/ English National Board (2001b) profess that qualified staff should provide good role-models for best practice, valuing learning and encouraging reflection.   Boud et al (1998) emphasise the importance of reflection as both a learning and teaching tool, believing it to facilitate the integration of theory and practice and develop a nurses’ capacity to contextualize knowledge to meet patients’ needs.   Burrows (1995) highlights the effectiveness of reflective thinking for both enhancing clinical practice and affirming the value of practice and knowledge-in-action to the profession. Burrows (1995) does however point out that research suggests students under the age of 25 may not encompass the cognitive readiness or experience required for critical reflection.   Although the student discussed in this a ssignment is 34 years old, the majority of pre-registration student nurses are in fact included in this category. The term role modelling has been defined by Bandura (1977) as a process that teaches students to learn new skills from others, that does not involve their personal trial and error.   Donaldson and Carter (2005), consider it to be of such importance, that they advise the value of role modelling to be discussed in the preparation for mentorship module.   Effective role modelling involves competence, enjoying the profession and providing excellent nursing care, and using these qualities when interacting with students and structuring their learning environment (Wiseman 1994).   Murray (2005) lists the behaviours of a positive role model as; listening and responding appropriately, displaying warmth and sincerity, maintaining eye contact and asking questions.   The problems with role modelling, however, can be if the student observes bad practice and consequently mimics such (Charters 2000), or as according to Lockwood and Kunda (1999), if the student feels dampened and de-motivate d when unable to achieve high standards set by a high-achieving, outstanding mentor. Watson (1999) undertook a qualitative ethnographic study to investigate the mentoring experience and perceptions of pre-registration student nurses.   Interviews were conducted within the clinical setting, with 35 students on a common foundation programme, and 15 allocated mentors.   The semi structured interviews, lasting between 20 and 30 minutes, were conducted privately and recorded by the researcher.   The results from the students and mentors were very similar; all saw the mentor’s role as assessor, facilitator, role model and clinical support, although the students identified an additional key role as planning.   This study highlighted some important issues; however, it is not without its drawbacks.   Although a small sample size is often acceptable within qualitative research (Thompson 1999), in order for the results to be generalized Dempsey and Dempsey (2000) explain that the selection of subjects must be thought to be a representation of the target populat ion.   The researcher stated using purposeful sampling, but it was not felt that 35 students at the beginning of their training from 7 ward areas met such requirements.   As the researcher only used one form of data collection (Appleton 1995) and did not ask the subjects to verify the results (Nolan and Behi 1995), the results can not be deemed to hold credibility.   The fact that the researcher undertook the interviews herself, the results could also have encompassed interviewer bias (Carr 1994). Brereton (1995) believes that a mentor’s insight and understanding of the mentoring role is the most effective bridge over the theory-practice gap.   A number of mentorship roles have been discussed by Thompson (2004) including; sharing personal thoughts, feelings and intuitive practice, being aware of own strengths and weaknesses and their effects on others, and being sensitive to a students needs. Conclusion/ Action plan Having read and internalised the literature, I would hope that I am a ‘good’ role model.   To confirm the opinions held by the students, I have encompassed an anonymous questionnaire within the student booklet discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the placement area and feedback regarding their mentor.   I have also learnt to reflect more in and on-action to improve on my own self-awareness and gain further insight into my actions and feelings. Outcome 3/6/7 Description My ward area currently has access to the trust intranet and internet, hospital policies and protocols, a small selection of books and journal articles and a welcome pack, notice board and information file designed and intended for student nurses.   Students also have access to lockers, kitchen facilities and the staffroom.   Whenever possible, a student’s off duty is planned around that of their allocated mentor and associate mentor. Feelings Although I feel that A6 generally meets the needs of student nurses, some of the resources are very out of date, and many of the books have ‘disappeared’ from the unit.   The absence of an allocated teaching room makes it difficult to discuss a student’s outcomes and/ or progress. Evaluation/ Analysis Price (2005a) emphasizes that the learning environment must be fit for practice and conducive to learning.   The ENB DOH (2001a) state that a clinical setting must be planned, structured, managed and coordinated, in order to provide unique learning experiences and opportunities, to enable the development of competencies for professional practice. In a quantitative study undertaken by Hart and Rotem (1995), it was significantly verified that the clinical learning environment has a considerable impact on nurses’ perceptions of their professional development.   The 516 questionnaires returned from across five metropolitan teaching hospitals suggested that; autonomy and recognition, job satisfaction, role clarity, quality of supervision, peer support and opportunities for learning all had an effect on professional development.   The statistical significance of p0.001 would suggest that the results are significant (Couchman and Dawson 1990).   However over a quarter of the questionnaires were not completed in full and for a quantitative study, the sample was still relatively small, and therefore questionable for generalisability to a wider population (Fetter et al 1989). Price (2004) believes a learning environment should address four issues; practical experience, practice resources, an approach to education and learning support.   These have been individually discussed by a number of authors.   The practical experience should provide sufficient supervision, ensure a range of patient/ clients and procedures, implement the nursing process and practices consistent with local protocols, policies and philosophies (Price 2004).  Ã‚   Myrick and Yonge (2002) advise students to work alongside various members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and to seek relevant opportunities from other practice areas to ensure exposure to a variety of clinical experience and expertise. The availability of a variety of resources, including journals, books and relevant articles has been suggested by Stengelhofen (1993).   Oliver and Endersby (1994) recommend access to policies, procedures and protocols, product and department information, health education literature and a list of contact names.   Ely and Lear (2003) advise the implementation of a dedicated teaching area, believing the use of patient day room, staff rooms and nursing stations to be unsuitable for structured teaching.   Mentors should be knowledgeable of learning centres and resources and take the time to inform students of their availability (Myrick and Yonge 2002). Characteristics of a good clinical learning environment are said to include a humanistic approach to students in which they are treated with kindness and understanding and encouraged to feel part of the team (Quinn 2000).   Quinn (2000) also emphasises the importance of an efficient management style, encompassing nursing practice that is consistent with that taught in university.   The National Audit Office (2001) strongly encourages partnerships between the school of nursing and the clinicians applying learning in practice to improve the quality of practice placements. To ensure students are adequately supported, Eaton (1999) insists staff must be dedicated and adequately prepared to undertake the role of the mentor.   The off duty must be carefully planned to coincide a student’s shifts with those of their mentor, and arrangements should be made to ensure other members of staff will ‘look after’ them in their mentor’s absence (Gray and Smith 2000).   Although Landers (2000) suggests that the supernumerary status of students can accentuate their insecurities if they are lacking direction and guidance, Ferguson and Jinks (1994) insist that student allocation should be for the purpose of learning rather than service needs.   Spouse (2001) believes that the ideal situation for learning is an environment encompassing good staffing levels of active learners engaged in problem solving, where there is a knowledge transmission, together with trust and companionship. Conclusion/ Action plan On examining my ward area as a conducive learning environment, the literature appears to support the conclusion that it holds many positive aspects, with staff members attempting to make the student experience enjoyable and informative. During recent weeks, the area was audited by the university as a positive learning environment, with no recommendations given for improvements.  Ã‚   Although this is extremely encouraging, it is felt that there are areas that could be improved.   Following discussion with the ward manager, I have devised a teaching system within the ward, which entails a monthly update of a teaching board and a short presentation for the junior staff members, including students.   This is maintained by the link nurse for each speciality and has received excellent feedback for the two months it has been implemented.   I have also updated the student booklet and have suggested providing the students with these prior to the placement with an invitation for them to visit the unit in advance, should they wish to do so.   The ward manager and I have also ordered a selection of books suitable to the ward area and are now continuously updating the policies and protocols on the ward. Outcome 4 Description As discussed in the previous outcome, my ward area does currently discuss relevant issues and ideas to ensure practice is evidence based.   On gaining a password from the IT department, all staff has access to the trust intranet, and at the discretion of the ward manger, internet access is also granted.   All staff members, including students, have access to the library. This ensures access to a variety of sources of research. Feelings Although relevant and up to date literature is accessible, it is felt it would be beneficial for my ward to hold more recent books and articles on surgical nursing.   Although I do feel that students are relatively well supported in my area of practice, I think they could be more involved in decision making and the planning of patient care. Evaluation/ Analysis Sams et al (2004) identify three largely unresolved problems within the healthcare setting: an existing gap between evidence and practice; unnecessary variations in practice and an increasing cost of healthcare.   They explain that these factors are changing nursing practice from routines and opinions to critical appraisal and practices substantiated by evidence.   In doing so; quality and safety of patient care is ensured through the nurse performing the right thing, the right way, the first time (Caramanica et al 2003).   Sackett et al (1996) describe evidence-based health care as the conscientious utilisation of clinical experience and current best evidence in decision making and patient care.   Evidence-based guidelines have been said to include three sources: clinical expertise, patient preferences and most importantly scientific findings (Hinds et al 2003) Webster (1990) advises clinical staff to keep up to date with current practice to ensure that what is carried out relates to what is taught in university.   Krichbaum (1994) believes student learning in the clinical setting is related to their mentors’ behaviours, including using objectives, providing practice opportunities and asking effective questions.   It has also been argued that teaching methods reflect what the student perceives as most effective (Burnard and Morrison 1991).   Thomson (2004) advises a mentor to transmit their view of nursing into the student’s mind in order for them to understand and evaluate practice from their perspective.   To maximise the benefits of a clinical placement, mentors should teach from the experience the student is having through a combination of a teacher driven approach and the reflective process (Thomson 2004).   The use of reflection has been discussed further in the facilitation of learning, to demonstrate an under standing of concepts, knowledge, skills and attitudes (Dix and Hughes 2004).   Neary (2000a) explains that to reflect in a way that enables them to understand and learn through their experiences, students will need advice and guidance from their mentors. Craddock (1993) suggests teaching students to process information in a way that becomes more meaningful to them, enabling the integration of theory and practice.   Self directed learning has been proposed as an effective method of achieving such, providing a foundation for practice based on evidence (Burnard and Chapman 1990). Students should be encouraged to participate in clinical knowledge by sharing ideas on practical issues, facilitated with time to visit the library (DOH/ENB 2001). Andrews and Roberts (2003) suggested that a mentors’ role was that of support, and to ensure students received adequate teaching within the clinical area, a clinical guide should be employed.   They undertook a study consisting of self-report questionnaires administered to 239 first year students and 450 clinical guides across eight NHS trusts.   They indicated that the students valued the clinical guides’ impartiality, gained further insight into the practice experience and became more proficient in problem solving.   The level of confidence that can be placed in the results is however extremely limited.   Only 65% of students and 21% of clinical guides responded to the questionnaires, the subject’s demographic characteristics were not described (Ryan-Wenger 1992), and no reference was made to the sampling method, (Parahoo 1997) the validity and reliability of the data collection (Mathers and Huang 1998) or the study’s credibility (Carter and Port er 2000). Conclusion/ Action plan Following the above literature review, I now understand the importance of involving a student in the assessment, planning and evaluation of a patients’ care as well as the implementation.   I try to involve students in all aspects of the nursing process, explaining our rationale for all decisions.   I have also implemented a self-directed learning approach, asking Amy to briefly research and feedback issues that have arisen.   She seemed to enjoy, and benefit from this style of learning, and in the process I also gained further insight into current evidence. Outcome 5 Description I used the outcomes set in the initial discussion as a benchmark for Amy’s learning and assessed her competency on how well I thought she achieved these outcomes.   Amy would observe a task, we would research it where appropriate and I encouraged Amy to ask questions.   When we mutually decided Amy was ready, and on gaining the patient’s consent; I allowed Amy to perform a task, such as completing an admission, administering an injection or redressing a wound. Feelings I was extremely nervous of misjudging Amy’s level of competence and consequently allowing her to administer care she was not capable of or restricting her learning. Evaluation/ Analysis Myrick and Yonge (2002) emphasize the importance of assessment and evaluation of a student’s learning in facilitating their experience.   Effective assessment is vital in judging a student’s competence to practice (ENB/DOH 2001a).   Watson et al (2002) noted a lack of clarity surrounding the term competence.   However, the NMC’s (2004) definition describes ‘possessing the skills and abilities required for lawful, safe and effective professional practice without direct supervision’. Rowntree (1987) identifies reasons for assessment as; motivating students, establishing progress and providing feedback, identifying strengths and weaknesses and establishing the level of achievement.   To uphold the reputation of nursing, Price (2005c) considers it vital to assess a learners’ ability to practice in a professional, sensitive and safe manner.   Watson et al (2003) believe that having the competency to practice involves having the competence to learn.   This involves having a positive attitude to learning, taking initiative, recognising learning needs, seizing learning opportunities and understanding how to reflect on; analyse and critique practice.   Benner (1984) advises skilful teaching in the practice setting to ensure students pass through five levels of proficiency from novice to expert. Calman et al (2002) undertook a study in Scotland to determine the methods, preparation of assessors and student views relating to the assessment of students’ practice. A combination of postal questionnaires, review of programme documentation and interviews with key stakeholders were completed.   They concluded that students had little confidence in competence assessment methods, there is a lack of consistency in the training of student assessors in the clinical areas and a limited number of approaches to clinical assessment are used.   Credibility was ensured through presenting the results to the subjects to verify (Nolan and Behi 1995) and by the implementation of a triangulative data collection method (Appleton 1995). Wilkinson (1999) states that to ensure an assessment is reliable; student’s abilities should be consistent and the assessment should be made over a period of time and agreed by others.   Validity can only be assured when a students’ performance involves an integration of cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills (Wilkinson 1999).   A vital part of clinical assessment is direct observation, which must involve sufficient time to observe, an awareness of observer bias and the observer effect, and the incorporation of a checklist (Hull 1994).   Greenwood and Winifreyda (1995) devised a model to aid teaching and assign which the use of direct observation with diagnostic questioning of students.   This elicits a students understanding and performance and should be followed up with constructive feedback including; instructions, revisions, encouragement and guidance.   A study by Watson (2002) supports the use of reflective learning contracts as an assessment tool a lthough this has been criticised on ethical grounds. As no single procedure is adequate for assessing clinical competence, a continuous assessment incorporating a variety of methods should be employed (Neary 2000b). Conclusion/ Action plan On reviewing the literature, I feel that I now have a deeper understanding of the methods of assessing a students’ competence and will attempt to implement such in the future.   I will also try to provide feedback and constructive advice whenever possible to assist a student in meeting their initial outcomes. References Andrews, M. and Roberts, D. (2005).   Supporting student nurses learning in and through clinical practice: the role of the clinical guide.   Nurse Education Today, 23: 474-481. Appleton, J.V. (1995).   Analysing qualitative interview data: addressing issues of reliability and validity.   British Journal of Nursing, 14 (10), 587-590. Atkins, S. and Murphy, K.   (1993). Reflection: a review of the literature.   Journal of Advance Nursing, 18: 1188-1192. Bandura, A. 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(1994).   Integrating what is taught with what is practiced in the nursing curriculum: a multi-dimensional model.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 20: 687-695. Fetter, M.S, Feetham, S.L, D’Apolito, K, Chaze, B.A, Fibk, A, Frink, B.B, Hougart, M.K, and Rushton, C.H. (1989).   Randomized clinical trials: issues for researchers.   Nursing Research, 38 (2): 117-120. Gibbs, G.   (1988).   Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods.   Oxford: Oxford Polytechnic. Gray, M.A. and Smith, L.N. (2000).   The qualities of an effective mentor from the student nurses’ perspective: findings from a longitudinal qualitative study.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32 (6): 1542-1549. Greenwood, J. and Winifred, A. (1995).   Two strategies for promoting clinical competence in pre-registration nursing students.   Nurse Education Today, 15: 184-189. Hamill, C. (1999).   Academic essay writing in the first person: a guide for undergraduates.   Nursing Standard, 13 (44): 38-40. Hart, G. and Rotem, A. (1995).   The clinical learning environment: nurses’ perceptions of professional development in clinical settings.   Nurse Education Today, 15: 3-10. Hewitt-Taylor, J. (2002).   Teachers and students views on self directed learning.   Nursing Standard, 17 (1): 33-38. Hinds PS. Gattuso JS. Barnwell E. Cofer M. Kellum L. Mattox S. Norman G. Powell B. Randall E. Sanders C. (2003). Translating psychosocial research findings into practice guidelines. Journal of Nursing Administration, 33 (7/8): 397-403. Hull, C. (1994).   Assessment in Learning (i) Understanding assessment issues.   Teaching and learning in practice.   Nursing Times, 90 (11): 1-8. Hutchings, A. and Sanders, L. (2001).   Developing a learning pathway for student nurses.   Nursing Standard, 15 (40): 38-41. Krichbaum, K. (1994).   Clinical teaching effectiveness described in relation to learning outcomes of baccalaureate nursing students.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33 (7): 306-316. Landers, M.G. (2000).   The theory-practice gap in nursing: the role of the nurse teacher.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32 (6): 1550-1556. Lockwood, P. and Kunda, Z. (1999).   Increasing the salience of ones best selves can undermine inspiration by outstanding role models.   Journal of personality and social psychology, 76 (2): 214-218. Macintosh, C. (1998).   Reflection: a flawed strategy for the nursing profession.   Nurse Education Today, 18: 553-557. Mathers, N. and Huang, Y.C.   (1998).   Evaluating methods for collecting data in published research.   IN. P A Crookes and S D Davies (eds).   Research Into Practice. London: Baillià ¨re Tindall. Murray, C.J. (2005).   Role modelling as a teaching method for student nurses.   Nursing Times, 101 (26): 30-33. Myrick, F. and Yonge, O. (2002).   Preceptor behaviours integral to the promotion of student critical thinking.   Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 18 (3): 127-133. National Audit Office (2001).   Educating and training the future health professional workforce for England.   London: National Audit Office. Neary, M.   (2000b).   Teaching, Assessing and Education for Clinical Competence, a practical guide for practitioners and teachers.   London: Stanley Thornes. Neary, M. (2000a).   Responsive assessment of clinical competence: part 2.   Nursing Standard, 15 (10): 35-40. Newell, R. (1994).   Reflection: art, science or pseudo-science.   Nurse Education Today, 14 (2): 79-81. Nolan, M. and Behi, R. (1995).   Alternative approaches to establishing issues of reliability and validity.   British Journal of Nursing, 14 (10): 587-590. Nursing and Midwifery Council.   (2004). Code of Professional Conduct. [World Wide Web].   Available:   nmc-uk.org/aFramedisplay.aspx?documentID=201  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   [2005, October 17]. Oliver, R and Endersby, C. (1994).   Teaching and Assessing Nurses.   London: Balliere Tindall. Parahoo, K. (1997).   Nursing Research: Principles, Processes and Issues.   Hampshire: Macmillan Press Limited. Phillips, R.M, Davies, W.B and Neary, M. (1996).   The practitioner-teacher: a study in the introduction of mentors in the pre-registration nurse education programme in Wales: Part 1.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23: 1037-1044. Phillips, T, Schostak, J and Tyler, J. (2000).   Practice and Assessment in Nursing and Midwifery: Doing it for real.   London: The English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. Pierson, W. (1998).   Reflection and nursing education.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 27: 165-170. Powell, J.H. (1989). The reflective practitioner in nursing.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14: 824-832. Price, B.   (2005c).   Assessing a learners’ progress.   Nursing Standard, 19 (48). Price, B. (2004).   Evaluating your learning environment.   Nursing Standard, 19 (5). Price, B. (2005a). Listening to learners concerns and complaints.   Nursing Standard, 20 (5). Price, B. (2005b). Placement goals and etiquette.   Nursing Standard, 19 (26). Priest, H. and Roberts, P. (1998).   Assessing student’s clinical performance.   Nursing Standard, 12 (48): 37-41. Quinn, F.M. (1998). Teaching and Learning in Practice Placements. IN. CM Downie and P Basford.   Teaching and Assessing in Clinical Practice: A reader.   London: University Press. Quinn, F.M. (2000). Principles and Practice of Nurse Education.   4th edition.   Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Rogers, C. (1961).   On Becoming a Person.   London: Constable. Rowntree, D. (1987).   Assessing Students: how shall we know them?   London: Kogan Page. Ryan-Wenger, N.M. (1992).   Guideline for critique of a research report.   Heart and Lung, 21 (4): 394-401. Sackett DL, Rosenberg W, Gray J, Haynes R. and Richardson W. (1996) Evidence-based medicine: what it is and what it isn’t. British Medical Journal, 312 ( 7023): 71–72. Sams L. Penn BK. Facteau L (2004). The challenge of using evidence-based practice. Journal of Nursing Administration, 34 (9): 407-14. Spouse, J’ (2001). Work-based learning in health care environments.   Nurse Education In Practice, 1: 12-18. Stengelhofen, J. (1993).   Teaching Students in Clinical Settings.   London: Chapman and Hall. Stuart, C.C. (2003).   Assessment, supervision and support in clinical practice.   Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Thompson, C. (1999).   If you could just provide me with a sample: examining sampling in qualitative and quantitative research papers.   Evidence Based Nursing, 2 (3): 68-70. Thompson, S. (2004).   Creating a learning environment.   IN. S Hinchliff (ed).   The Practitioner as Teacher.   3rd edition.   London: Churchill Livingstone. Thorpe, K. (2004).   Reflective learning journals: from concept to reflective practice.   Reflective Practice, 5 (3): 409-423. Wallace, B. (2003).   Practical issues of student assessment.   Nursing Standard, 17 (31): 33-36. Watson, N.A. 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The Electoral Systems of Russia, France, USA and China and How the Essay

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Kentucky Fried Chicken - Case Study Example According to the study, increased political turmoil constantly threatens the existence of KFC in it e.g. in Jan 1, 1994; around 150 people were killed in the Mexican province of Chiapas on the Guatemala border when NAFTA went into effect. In another incident of 1998, the peso crisis resulted in recession in Mexico leaving KFC managers with a great deal of uncertainty regarding Mexico’s political and economic future. This has led to KFC approaching investment in Mexico conservatively until the time when greater economic and political stability is achieved. KFC employs the perfect strategies in selecting its man power and operational procedures. For instance, in china it employed managers who speak and write the native Chinese language, and who is also proficient in the restaurant business and understands the needs of the local Chinese customers better. Its employment plan is localized through hiring the locals. All materials and chicken come from the local supply chains thus en suring that the customers and surrounding communities feel as if they are also one big part of KFC’s existence. It also moved quickly to establish itself by expanding its branches to different parts of the countries in which it had started offering its services so as to serve a larger percentage of the population. Creating its own distribution system has ensured that supplies reach the store network at an appropriate time and in good condition. It has also emphasized on extensive staff and management training on preparation and customer relations and logistics which helps it to attract more customers. Since the early 2000s, fast food has been criticized on the links to obesity, negative environmental impact and cruelty records pertaining to animal welfare. KFCs choice of poultry suppliers worldwide has been protested by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) since 2003.

A Case Analysis On Arik Air Nigeria Commerce Essay

A Case Analysis On Arik Air Nigeria Commerce Essay This essay is a case analysis on Arik air Nigeria and will therefore seek to identify the major threats and opportunity in the environment, analyse the strength and weakness of the company, identify the strategic position of Arik air, and suggest a strategy to be adopted by the airline in an effort to sustain its competitive advantage. BACKGROUND Arik Air is Nigerias biggest indigenous commercial airline offering domestic flights to major cities in Nigeria and with an expanding network of regional and international flight operations to major cities in the world (Eze, 2010). Presently, Arik Air flies to 17 Domestic destinations in Nigeria and 8 International destinations (Arik air, 2010: Online). Arik Air Nigeria The companys corporate mission is: To be a safe and reliable airline by selecting and operating new, modern aircraft and by employing the most experienced and efficient staff. (Airkair, 2010: Online) Vision: To make Nigeria proud of its aviation industry (Arikair, 2010: Online) Strategic Intent: Ariks strategic intent is to be the preferred airline carrier of choice in West Africa. (Airk Air, 2010: Online) EXTERNAL ANALYSIS: The external analysis was conducted using PESTEL Framework and Porters five forces as the basic tools (Thompson, 1997; Luffman et al, 1996; Welsh, 2005; Johnson et al, 2009) in an effort to understand the effect of changing environment on Arik Airs operation. The findings based on pestel framework (See Appendix 1) and Posters five forces (See Appendix 2) are as follows: An analysis of the political environment revealed that governments around the world are tightening immigration regulations due to the surge in terrorism the implication of which is a reduction in the number of global traveller thus posing a threat to airline including Arik Air. (Stevermen, 2009; Cartar, 2010). However liberalization and Deregulation efforts are being made in several regions of the world with Asia setting a target for the full liberalization of its skies by the year 2015. This is projected to boost aviation industry performance by creating avenue for fair competition platform between more established airlines and the growing competitors like Arik Air(Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007; Ting, 2008). The rising fuel price is a matter of economic concern in the world, with Aviation fuel price estimated at $85 per barrel (IATA, 2010: online) the implication of which is an increase in running cost for airlines and this poses a high threat to Airlines. However, there is optimism that a global economic recovery is on the way with the world economy expected to grow 2.7% in 2010 (World Bank, 2010: Online) and the aviation industry is forecasted to reduce its loss from $5.8 Billion in 2009 to $2.8 Billion in 2010. (Financial Times, 2010). The World travel tourism council (2010) projects an increase in the number of holiday travellers in 2010 with further growth expected in 2011. The 2010 world cup is expected to boost travel to Africa in 2010 (Eberl, 2010). Percentage change vs. 05-Mar-10 Index* $/b cts/gal $/mt 1 week ago 1 month ago 1 year ago Jet Fuel Price 243.3 89.0 211.9 701.4 3.4% 4.1% 80.3% Source: IATA (2010: Online) source from Platts * 100 in 2000 (87 cts/gal) Impact on this years fuel bill of the global airline industry: New fuel price average for 2010 Impact on 2010 fuel bill $85.5/b +$13 billion Estimated by IATA Source: IATA (2010: Online) With heightened security checks and the introduction of the full body scan at airport, there are concerns over the privacy infringement due to the utilisation of the full body scan. (McDonough, 2010). Arik air is in the traditional full service airline industry offering pre-flight, in-flight, and post flight services to customers and its competitors in the industry include Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirate, Qatar Airline and South African Airways all of which are established airlines with good brand image. An industry analysis revealed as follows (See Appendix 2): there is high competitive rivalry within the industry; barrier to new entrant is high due to the enormous capital required to start an airline; buyers have a high bargaining power due to the various options of airlines available to them and suppliers have a medium bargaining power. INTERNAL ANALYSIS: The internal analysis was conducted through an evaluation of the resource based view of strategy (resources and competencies) (Mahoney Pandian, 1992; Johnson et al, 2009); as well as competitive advantage; value chain and VRIO (Johnson et al, 2009; Thompson, 1997; Luffman et al, 1996) to identify the strengths and weakness of the company. (See Appendix) UNIQUE RESOURCE(S) AND CORE COMPETENCIES (See appendix 3 for the list of tangible and intangible resources of the company) Arik Airs unique resource is its chairman who is an elder statesman in Nigeria with an easy access to finance while its core competencies are its excellent customer relations skill and reliability COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Arik air derives its competitive advantage from a unique merge of low price and quality service. This is based on its vast research and unique understanding of the West African market need for quality service at affordable prices and the support it receives from the Nigerian government and some other West African countries through concession and subsidies which thus reduces its operational cost and affords it a lower price than competitors (William, 2010; Russell, 2008; Abioye Ezeobi, 2008). THE VALUE CHAIN (See appendix 4) An evaluation of Arik Airs value chain activity revels as follows: The Inbound logistics which involve the delivery of fuel for the aircraft, in-flight meals, cleaning of the aircraft in preparation for a flight is outsourced (procurement) through an effective human resource management practice in an effort to reduce amount of people employed by the airline and reduce fixed operational costs. Arik with its strong finance base utilises an integrated ICT technology (Infrastructure/technology) to manage and support its operation by enabling online bookings, ticket purchase and flight check-in in an effort to reduce operational cost of employment. To ensure safety/reliability, a strict maintenance of its fleets is outsourced and an effective human resource management policy is put in place (training and reward) to promote employee commitment and performance (Arik, 2010: Online; Banfield Kay, 2008). Outbound logistics with regard to customers luggage is coordinated and monitored with a technological coding and is outsourced to Sachol to ensure the safety of customers property and to sustain Arik Airs reliability (Airkair, 2010: Online, Sachol, 2010: Online) while an extensive marketing is implemented through the media to promote sales. This enables Arik air to achieve its competitive advantage through a systemic integration of technology (speedy services and reduced operational cost), human resource management (ensures quality delivery of services by employees) and a firm infrastructure to support its primary activities thus enabling the airline to deliver quality services at reduced prices in comparison to competitors. VRIO: The VRIO examines the sustainability of a firms competitive advantage (Johnson et al, 2008); Arik Air offers its low priced fares with excellent in-flight services unparallel to none offered by any Nigerian airline (Eze, 2010) which implies that its services are valuable and rear. However this can be imitated by other airline thus Arik air enjoys a Temporary competitive advantage (Khanna, 2010) In the airline industry the critical success factors are: a good brand image; good quality service; good customer relations; cost effectiveness; Reliability; safety. (Svein Vidar, 2004; Bijan Kenneth, 2005). Judging by the critical success factors in the airline industry, Arik Airs performance is standard in the industry since the airlines services are affordable, safety is given high priority, it offers good customer service, and is reliable. However, theres need to develop the Arik brand beyond West Africa. SWOT ANALYSIS (Kotler et al, 2009) See Appendix 4 Arik airs strengths are its highly skilled workforce with excellent ethical conduct and customer relations (Some of the Best in the industry), the easy access to finance or funding, the airlines fleets of aircraft (mostly new), speed in service delivery and low operational cost while the weaknesses are the brand image (still unrecognised outside west Africa), flights offering to only 8 international destination (Williams, 2010). In consideration of Ariks strengths and weaknesses, the external environment provides opportunities as well as threats for Arik air. The identified opportunities are an increase in earnings due to a projected increase in the numbers of global travellers (World travel tourism council, 2010); expanding the network of flight destination due to the expected liberalisation of skies in Asia and the African continent (Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007; Ting, 2008) However, the threats in the environment include the unstable global fuel price, increased terrorism scare s, continued government subsidy for competitors airlines which reduces the open market competition and the expected mergers in the airline industry which might result in the dominance of a few big airline. Arik Airs plans to increase its market share in Nigeria and West Africa and equally targets an expansion its operation across Europe, North America and Asia but Arik Air is faced with immense industry competition on international destinations from the established airline (Virgin, Bristish Airways, Emirate) and The threats global economic recession which has slowed the expected growth of the airline. The competitive strategy adopted by Arik is the Hybrid strategy (see appendix 4). This strategy allows the airline to maintain its low cost base thus enabling it to compete on low price relative to competitors with sustainable differentiation. However, the low price might impede the airline ability to obtain the maximum returns possible. (Johnson et al, 2009) STRATEGIC OPTIONS: Arik air is experiencing a decline in its projected market growth caused by the increase competition in airline industries; the various strategic options available to Arik Air are evaluated simultaneously below with the aid of TOWS and Ansoff Matrix (Khanna, 2010; Johnson et al, 2009). (See Appendix 5: Tables 3 4): Strategy 1 Strength-Opportunity/Market Development Arik Airs key strengths of easy access to finance and excellent customer service practices can be explored based on the identified opportunity in the macro environment (politics) stemming from the planned liberalisation of skies in Asia and Africa (Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007; Ting, 2008). The strategy option this provides Arik Air is Market Development. The Airline can increase its fleets of aircraft by purchasing additional aircrafts, employing and training additional workforce, and increasing the route options of the airlines to more destinations in Asia and Africa Strategy 2 Strength-Weakness/ Market Penetration Market penetration is another strategic option available to Arik air. By utilising this strategy, Arik air can utilise its strong financial capability to bankroll an extensive marketing exploit to improve the brand image of the airline. This will create awareness for the Arik brand thus, enabling the airline to gain a greater market share in its present markets. However, the heightened competition in the industry poses a genuine threat to this strategy. Strategy 3 Strength-Threat/Diversification The on-going merger in the industry which may result in a few dominant airlines is a threat to Arik air. Arik with its easy access to finance can adopt a related diversification into the budget airline industry (horizontal integration) with the option of acquiring Virgin Nigeria (low cost low frills airline) (Attitude travel, 2010: Online) This will enable Arik air to optimally minimize the threat posed by merger of the more established operators by spreading its risk and making it a formidable competitor. Strategy 4 Weakness -Opportunity/Product Development The weak brand identity of Arik Air outside West Africa is one of the airlines weaknesses. Arik can overcome this weakness by ensuring that the flight experience of its customers remains memorable with an excellence in customer service at all time. The company can equally offer new products such as travel miles accumulation/flyers club membership for its customers as a Product Development Strategy. Strategy 5 Weakness -threat/Consolidation The proposed merger in the airline industry which might result in a few dominant airlines is a major threat to a growing airline like Arik airs weak brand identity; Arik can adopt any option of consolidation (Johnson et a, 2009) to defend its market share by merging with some established airline like Qatar Air or Emirate in order to ensure the sustainability of the business. The problem however is the possible loss of Ariks brand identity sue to such consolidation (Johnson et al, 2009) SELECTED STRATEGY After a thorough evaluation of the strategic options available to Arik air, the most viable option for the airline to adopt is a related diversification of the companys operations into the no-frills airline industry (a form of concentric diversification) (Mintzberg et al, 2003; Johnson et al, 2009). As suggested by Johnson et al (2009), related diversification allows a company to expand by utilising its existing infrastructure, resources, competencies and strengths in a new trade of similar capacity or intricacies. Therefore by this strategy, Arik air can capitalise on its strong financial strength in acquiring Virgin Nigeria (a no frill airline in Nigeria) (Attitude travel, 2010) or may purchase additional aircrafts to its fleets to cater exclusively for the no frills service operations while still utilising some of the companys existing technological infrastructure to cater for online bookings and check-ins (without incurring additional cost of employment). This is because there is evident potential synergy between the new business (a no-frills flight operation) and the core one, based on a common facility, asset, channel, skill, even opportunity. (Mintzberg et al, 2003:124) CONCLUSION To conclude, the introduction/inclusion of the no-frills airline options will afford Arik air no increased workforce requirement (due to the low service requirement of no-frill operations thus resulting in reduced operational cost); spread its market risk; enable greater efficiency, and will give commuters a greater variety to choose from among the Arik brand thus increasing the potential customer base of the airline. The adoption of diversification strategy by Arik air is a sustainable option for the airline due to the fact that there is presently only one no-frills airline in West Africa (Virgin Nigeria) (Attitude travel, 2010) which Arik air has the option of acquiring in order to build its business and booster its market share. However should the option of acquiring Virgin Nigeria not be chosen, Ariks reliability and brand identity in West Africa is sufficient to sustain the success of the diversification exercise thus ensuring Arik airs market growth. APPENDIXES (Appendix 1) PESTEL Analysis Political: Government subsidies for flag carriers: Flag carriers benefit from subsidies and cash injection from the government, relaxed accessed to loans, reduction in airport service and landing fees, subsidies on fuel and fiscal privileges. (The international chambers of commerce, 1995) Employment regulations: Countries differing employment regulations and trade union laws which Scholars have identified to a considerable affect the operational activities of organisations. (Harris et al, 2003; Deirdre, 2005) Immigration: The increasing global terrorism threats is resulting in governments around the world tightening immigration regulations which in turn might result in a reduction in the number of traveller around the world (Stevermen, 2009; Cartar, 2010) Deregulation: The deregulation of the aviation industry will provide an avenue for improved market conditions that will promote growth in the industry and remove the barriers to entry for new airlines thus allowing for effective market competition. (Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007) Liberalization of skies: Asia hopes to achieve a full liberalization of its airspace by 2015 and has put up a round map to achieve that. (Ting, 2008) Economic: Unstable Fuel price: The rising fuel price is estimated to result in a $13billion increase in 2010 oil bill with fuel prices put at $85/barrel. See appendix 1 (IATA, 2010: Online) Global economy recovery: The World Bank projects that a global economy recovery is on the way with a 2.7% growth expected in 2010 (World Bank, 2010: online) the aviation industry is projected to make a loss of $2.8billion in 2010 down from $5.8 billion made in 2009 (Financial Times, 2010) Mergers in the industry: The airline industry is undergoing transformation as airlines are announcing merger plans (Leung, 2010; Clark, 2010) Social: The World travel tourism council (2010) projects an increase in the number of holiday travellers in 2010 with further growth expected in 2011. Furthermore the 2010 world cup is expected to boost travel to Africa in 2010 (Eberl, 2010). There are concerns over the introduction of the full body scan at airport over the privacy infringement (McDonough, 2010). Technology: Terrorism threats, has prompted an increase in security screening in many airports with the introduction of the Full body scan (McDonough, 2010). New Air Traffic Control (ATC) technologies have been developed for commercial airlines one of which is ADS-B. (Karp, 2010) Environmental: In an effort for airlines to go green the International Air Transport Association (IATA) plans to cut CO2 emission by 1.5Million tonnes in 2010. (IATA, 2010: Online) Legal: The international air transport association (IATA) is to sign a data sharing agreement with the EU, US and ICAO (IATA, 2010: online). Furthermore, there are restrictions on mergers and acquisitions in the airline industry. (Appendix 2) Porters 5 Forces Threat of Entry: There is relatively low threat of entry to the industry based on the high capital requirement of starting an airline. Furthermore the airline industry is presently making a loss (IATA, 2010) which makes it unattractive to many investors thus reducing the numbers of possible entrant. Threat of substitute: Substitutes to airline are Trains, Automobiles and Ship. The threat posed by these is relative to the intended destination, time and cost analysis by the customers (Givoni, 2009). For National and Regional travels, these substitutes pose an increased threat to the airline industry due to the cheaper prices they offer with particular reference to travel by automobiles and/or trains. However, this threat is low on transatlantic travels. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Scholars have argued that the present global market condition is tending towards buyers market (Kotler et al, 2009). This is also made evident by aircraft manufacturers seeking the greater participation of airlines in the design of their aircrafts customising. However due to high switching cost in the airline industry, the bargaining power of the supplier is medium. (Kotler et al, 2009) Bargaining Power of Buyer: Consumers have a high degree of options to choose from and this allows them a great bargaining power. (Kotler et al, 2010) Competitive Rivalry: The airline industry is highly competitive and there is prevalent merger going on in the industry in an effort to cut cost and improve efficiency. (Leung, 2010; Clark, 2010) and there is a high exist barrier Fig 3 Porters five forces: Source: Johnson et al (2009: 31) adapted from Porter (1984) (Appendix 3) Table 1 Arik Airs Resources Tangible Resources Intangible Resources Fleets of Aircraft (Physical resources) Buildings (Physical resources) Capital, Shareholders, Bankers (Financial resources) Highly skilled Employees (Human resource) Brand Customer database Business system Source: adapted from Slack et al, 2009 The aircraft fleets are as follows (Arik Air, 2010: Online) Two (2) Airbus A340-542, manufacture date: 2008-2009 with a Seat capacity of 237; Three (3) Boeing 737-800NG, Manufacture date: 2009 has a seat capacity of 148; Six (6) Boeing 737-700NG, Manufacture date: 2007-2008, has a seat capacity of 131-149; Three (3) Boeing 737-700, Manufacture date: 2001, has seat capacity of 124; Two (2) Boeing 737-300, Manufacture date: 1989, has seat capacity of 126; Four (4) Bombardier CRJ-900, Manufacture date: 2005-2007, seat capacity of 74; Two (2) Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, Manufacture date: 2009, has seat capacity of 72; Three (3) Bombardier Dash 8 Q300, Manufacture: 2001-2002, with seat capacity of 50; Four (4) Fokker 50, Manufacture date: 1990, seat capacity of 51; Two (2) Hawker HS 125-800XP, Manufacture date: 2004, seat capacity of 8. (Appendix 4) Table 2 SWOT Internal Origin Strengths highly skilled workforce with excellent ethical conduct and customer relations the easy access to finance or funding, the airlines fleets of aircraft (mostly new), -speed in service delivery and -low operational cost Weakness the brand image (still widely unrecognised outside west Africa) -Limited flight offering to 17 local and only 8 international destination External Origin Opportunities -increase in the numbers of global travellers expanding the network of flight destination due to the expected liberalisation of skies in Asia and the African continent Threats -unstable global fuel price, -increased terrorism scares, government subsidy for competitors -dominance of a few big players due to merger. Source: Adapted from Kotler et al (2009:101) Fig 4 Source: Marketing teacher (2010: Online) adapted from Bowman (1995) (Appendix 5) Table 3 TOWS analysis of Arik Air Nigeria. SW Strategy that use strength to overcome weakness Strategy 2- Market Penetration Opportunity -Increase in the numbers of global travellers expanding the network of flight destination due to the expected liberalisation of skies in Asia and the African continent Threats unstable global fuel price, -increased terrorism scares, government subsidy for competitors -dominance of a few big players due to merger. Strengths -Easy access to finance -excellent customer services -low operational cost Highly skilled workforce SO Strategy that use strength to maximize opportunity: Strategy 1 Market Development ST Strategy that use strength to minimize threats. Strategy 3- Related Diversification (Horizontal Integration) Weakness -weak brand identity -Few flight destination offering WO Strategy that minimize weakness by taking advantage of opportunity Strategy 4- Product Development WT Strategy that minimize and avoid threat Strategy 5 Consolidation Table 4 Ansoff Matrix Existing Product New Product Existing Market -Market Penetration -Consolidation -Product Development New Market -Market Development -Diversification Source: Johnson et al (2009:174) REFERENCES Abioye, O. Ezeobi, O (2008) YarAdua, governors pledge support for Arik [Online] Available from: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2008120422503246 [Accessed; 2nd April, 2010] Attitude travel (2010) African low cost no frills airlines [Online] Available from: http://www.attitudetravel.com/lowcostairlines/africa/ [Accessed: 23rd March, 2010] Bailey, E. (1986) Price and Productivity Change following Deregulation: the US experience. 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