A Report On Architectural Determinism Anthropology Essay

Oxford english dictionary: â€Å" The philosophical philosophy that human action is non free but needfully determined by motivations which are regarded as external forces moving upon the will. † Frequently determinism is related to the ‘will of God ‘ or to ‘fate ‘ . For the psychological theories of behaviorism it is related to the environment environing an being. Watson, Skinner and behaviourism – Watson developed this school of idea, the premiss of which is that â€Å" scientific psychological science should analyze merely discernible behaviour and abandon the survey of consciousness wholly. ( Weiten, p. 6,7 ) The survey of consciousness, since it is non discernible, is more bad and less scientific than the survey of discernible behavior. â€Å" . . .the clip has come when psychological science must fling all mention to consciousness. . . Its exclusive undertaking is the anticipation and control of behavior ; and self-contemplation can organize no portion of its method. † ( Watson, quoted in Koestler, 1967:19 ) Fostering that construct, Watson stated that in the argument between nature and raising, behavior is determined more by the environment and experience ( raising ) than it is by familial heritage ( nature ) . From that theoretical base behaviorists looked to associate open behaviors ( responses ) to discernible events in the environment ( stimulation ) . Using animate beings for such surveies worked more efficaciously than utilizing human topics since their environments could be better controlled and hence there would be fewer variables impacting their behavior. Skinner furthered behaviorism with the rule: â€Å" Organisms tend to reiterate responses that lead to positive results, and they tend non to reiterate responses that lead to impersonal or negative results. † ( Weiten, p.10 ) Given that rule, Skinner went on to demo that he could exercise singular control over the behavior of animate beings by pull stringsing the results of their responses. This was done through conditioning. Conditioning ( Weiten, p. 150-181 ) This is a signifier of larning. Learning is a lasting alteration in behavior or cognition as a consequence of experience. Examples: 1. you cringe at the sound of a tooth doctor ‘s drill 2. you ride a bike 3. a seal juggles a ball on its olfactory organ. Classical conditioning– a stimulation acquires the capacity to arouse a response that was originally evoked by another stimulation. Pavlov ‘s Canis familiaris – ( see Weiten, 1997:152 ) A tone began as a impersonal stimulation – that is, simply a sound. It became a positive stimulation when it was associated with the possibility of nutrient. The presence of the nutrient followed by salivation was an innate association. It did non hold to be learned. Salivation at the sound of the tone was a learned association. It had to be learned. This is known as classical conditioning. Does it use to human behavior? 1. Phobias – eg. a fright of Bridgess created from a repeated childhood experience. ( Weiten, 1997:154 ) 2. Advertising – a merchandise ever seen in association with gratifying milieus or beautiful people. 3. Placeboes – physiological responses. There are other sorts of conditioning than classical ( where the stimulation precedes the response ) . In some signifiers of conditioning the stimulation follows the response. Behaviour, in other words, is conditioned by the outlook of wages after. B.F. Skinner called thisoperant conditioning. â€Å" Organisms tend to reiterate those responses that are followed by favorable effects. † The Skinner Box – ( Weiten, 1997:161 ) â€Å" Although it is convenient to compare support with wages and the experience of pleasance, rigorous behaviourists object to this pattern, because the experience of pleasance is an unobservable event that takes topographic point within an being. † ( Weiten, 1997:164 ) Skinner will merely state that the response is strengthened and this is mensurable by the rate of reacting. Anyone who raises a kid uses operant conditioning. See Weiten pg. 165 If we agree with Watson and Skinner that â€Å" . . . ‘mind ‘ and ‘ideas ‘ are non-existent entities, ‘invented for the exclusive intent of supplying specious accounts † ( Koestler, 1967:21 ) so the lone motive for our actions will come from some signifier of conditioning. In other words, our behavior is determined by external forces. Is one of those external forces architecture?THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR( Jon Lang, Creating Architectural Theory, pp. 100-108 )This construct of conditioning -stimulus-response ( SR ) of classical – has been extended by some to include the reinforced environment. There are four basic places 1. Free-will attack Suggests that the environment has no impact on behavior. 2. Possibilistic attack Perceives the environment to be the afforder of human behavior but nil more. A set of chances upon which action may or may non be taken. Eg. a cup is on the tabular array. I choose to make full it up with H2O or non. It does non do me thirsty. 3. Probabilistic attack Assumes that human behavior is non wholly freakish. The environment does impact behavior but there are many variables. â€Å" Given an person Angstrom with attributes a, B, degree Celsius, set in an Environment Tocopherol with features vitamin Ds, vitamin E, degree Fahrenheit, and with the Motivation for action M it is likely that A will execute Behavior B. † 4. Deterministic attack Implies a simple cause-effect relationship between the environment and behavior. For some this meant better architecture could do better people. Environmental determinism– it is nurture within the scene of our geographical, societal and cultural environments, instead than nature, our heredity, that shapes our values and behaviour. Physical determinism– the nature of the geographic environment determines people ‘s behaviour. There is, for illustration a relation between civilization and clime. Architectural determinism– alterations in the landscaped and architectural elements of the environment will ensue in alterations in behaviour, peculiarly societal behaviour. There are many designers who thought architectural determinism was valid. â€Å" During the 19th century, with the coming of the Industrial Revolution and the large-scale migration of rural workers to the metropolis, many societal critics became cognizant of the strong correlativity between the unpleasant conditions in which people lived and their societal and psychological conditions. It is easy to reason that altering the built environment would alter non merely the life conditions but besides the life style and aesthetic values of the people concerned. The whole societal and beneficent motion of the latter portion of the 19th century, which culminated in the garden metropoliss motion led by Ebenezer Howard ( 1902 ) and the settlement-house strategies, was imbued with the spirit of architectural deterministic beliefs. † ( Lang, 1987:101 )PuginIn 1836, Pugin published his book Contrasts. In it he puts frontward a instance for returning to the Gothic manner of architecture. For him, Gothic architecture represented the revealed truth of the Catholic church. Further, he believed that, â€Å" since Gothic architecture is divinely ordained it is non marked by human imperfectnesss but is an ineluctable world. † ( David Watkin, Architecture and Morality, 1977:19 ) He saw architecture as an instrument for the attainment of societal policy employed to accomplish purportedly ‘moral ‘ terminals. It is here that we can see the beginnings of the relationship between architecture and truth, and so excessively the relationship between that truth and the betterment of the human status. If architecture can be ‘true ‘ so it can besides state a prevarication. This belief runs through The Humanistic disciplines and Crafts motion in England and can be readily seen in the beliefs of such disparate designers as Wright and Corb.LE CORBUSIERArchitecture or RevolutionRevolution can be avoided. He stated that ‘the house machine is healthy ( and morally so excessively ) ‘ ( see p. 13, Towards a New Architecture ) Decoration ( and with it the Renaissance and the Baroque ) was seen as immoral. Hence he looked for pure signifiers. The cone, the domain, the cylinder. These signifiers would travel architecture beyond manner. For much the same ground he found the reason of the applied scientist more to his liking ( p.19 ) Watkin points out that Corb ‘s base in Vers une Architecture is: ‘what is simple, purportedly functional, and mercenary in purpose, visible radiation in coloring material, and instantly intelligible in signifier, enjoys advantages in footings of wellness and morality over other different or more complex solutions. This it must be imposed on society every bit shortly as possible if we are to avoid revolution. † ( p.40 ) Bruno Taut picked up this subject in his book Modern Architecture ( 1929 ) ( see Watkin p 40 ) The same impression held true for CIAM in the 1930s and 40s. â€Å" the public lodging motions in many states were based on a series of premises sing the impact of architecture and urban designs on human behaviour. † The CIAM conferences all â€Å" exhibited a belief that through architectural and urban design all sorts of societal pathologies could be eliminated. † ( Lang, 1987:102 ) This carried through into the work by Oscar Newman and his book, Defendable Space, every bit good. â€Å" The physical environments we have been constructing in our metropoliss for the past 25 old ages really prevent such cordiality and deter the natural chase of a corporate action. † The response to that perceived job is to alter the physical environment. This changed environment can so alter behaviourBibliographyKOESTLER, Arthur.The Ghost in the Machine. London: Pan Books, 1967. LANG, Jon.Making Architectural Theory. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. , 1987. Le CORBUSIER.Vers une Architecture.Trans. By Frederick Etchells, Towards a New Architecture. New York: Praeger Publ. , 1960. WATKIN, David.Morality and Architecture. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1977. WEITEN, Wayne.Psychology: Subjects and Variations( Briefer Version 3rd Edition ) . Pacific Grove, CA, Brooks/Cole Publ. Co. , 1997.

Farewell Speech for a Tenth Standard Student

Esteemed Director Sir, Principal, Teacher’s &; my junior Colleagues. Good Morning to all of you. Now it’s time for the moment in all our lives, the moment when we leave our childhood behind and step into the world to forge our own paths in life. Obviously School days are the most memorable days to everyone. I want to share my feelings and attachment with this school with all of you. Firstly, I am thankful to my parents to join me in such a wonderful School where I got the best mentors and amazing group of friends. With the collective effort of all the staff we are all shaping our future and getting ready to play our role in the society.Your kindness and caring for students is the reason that today I am willing to take any risk with smile and courage in my future journey of life. I especially want to thank all of you for the tender care and affection shown towards us. In last .. (time you spent in the school).. Years my teachers taught me several things. Thank you teache rs, for all that you have taught me – lessons that extended well beyond the four walls of a classroom, for providing me with myriad opportunities for all round development and values in life.Mere saying thanks to the teachers is not enough to express my gratitude. I promise that I will strive to be a successful citizen, so that all my teachers can proudly say that I am the product of the .. (school’s name).. team. Thank you, friends – for all the fun, the hilarious laughter and unforgettable moments shared with me. I wish my friends happy adventures, fantastic new friendships, amazing experiences in the future journey of a lifetime. All my teachers took me under their wings and I was always taken care of. Farewell to Manzanar, written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Japanese American, and James D. HoustonThis is the tough day for me to say my final goodbyes to all of you. Although we may be separated by time and distance nothing will diminish the important role of every one played in my life spent here. In future, a short walk down in to memory lane of my school days will definitely strengthen me to face any situation. All teachers &; friends kindly pardon me if anybody got hurt with my behavior during my tenure in the school. And continue to pour love and blessings towards me. Thank you and goodbye.

The Grafton Group Project

Student Names: Stephen Bray B00037534 Johnny GeraghtyB00020240 Alan LennonB00020051 Emmet Toft B00015911 [pic] Module Name:Strategic Management 2 Lecturer:Mr Liam Bolger Submission Date:29th April, 2010 Word Count:10,413 Table of Contents Background of the company:2 History of the company:3 The Environment7 PESTEL analysis7 Political7 Economic7 Sociocultural8 Ireland population by Age 20069 Technology10 Environment10 Legal10 Key drivers for change10 The Industry11 Porters Five Forces analysis11 Substitute products/services12 Bargaining power of buyers12 Bargaining power of suppliers12 Rivalry/Competition13 Opportunities and Threats14 Opportunities identified15 Threats identified16 Financial Information Analysis17 Analysis of Financial Reports18 Liquidity Ratios18 Profitability Ratios20 Net Profit Margin per Segment20 Earnings per share (EPS)21 Analysis:23 Liquidity:23 Profitability:24 Debt:24 Return on Investment:24 Borrowings:25 problems with accessing credit. 25 Share Price26 Source http:investor/graftongroupplc. com27 Liquidity: Excellent27 Financial Strength:Excellent27 Profitability: Fair27 Growth: 027 Source www. corporateinformation. com27 Outlook for the Future28 Rationalisation measures:29 Plans for 2010:29 Opportunities 2010:29 Group Strengths30 Weaknesses31 Strategic Capability31 Critical Success factors for customers (a sample of but not limited to):33 Corporate Governance35 Grafton Group’s Compliance with the Combined Code36 The Board – who reports to whom? 37 Directors’ Independence and Board Balance38 Performance of the Board39 Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR and Ethics39 Shareholder and Stakeholder Expectations and Influences41 Culture of Organisations and Grafton Group43 Strategic Direction and Corporate level strategy44 Corporate Parent44 The corporate parent as a Synergy manager45 Strategic Drift46 International Strategy48 Table Pre-Merger48 Table Post-Merger50 Traditional reasons for Merger failure51 Through a possible merger Grafton may:52 Strategic Directions53 Market Consolidation54 Market Diversity (Related)55 International strategy – Travis Perkins and Grafton merger? 56 Bibliography59 Plagiarism Disclaimer:60 Background of the company: Grafton Group plc is an independent, profit growth oriented company with operations primarily in the UK and also in Ireland. The Group has strong national and regional positions in the merchanting, DIY retailing and mortar markets. The Group aims to achieve above average returns for shareholders. Grafton’s strategy is to build on strong positions in businesses serving the UK and Irish construction sectors, to develop in related markets, and to grow in businesses with which it is familiar. In Great Britain, Grafton is the fourth largest merchanting business trading from 430 locations comprising 219 Builders Merchanting branches trading principally under the Buildbase and Jackson brands and 211 Plumbers Merchanting branches trading mainly under the Plumbase brand. EuroMix is the market leader in the UK dry mortar market where it trades from a network of nine manufacturing plants in England and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, MacNaughton Blair is one of the leading builder’s merchants in the province where it trades from 20 locations. In the Republic of Ireland, the Group is the largest builders and plumber’s merchanting business trading nationally from 62 branches under the Chadwicks and Heiton Buckley brands. The Group is the market leader in DIY retailing in the Republic of Ireland, trading nationally from 41 stores and is also engaged in the manufacture of mortar, plastics and windows in the Republic of Ireland. Today, in Ireland, Grafton is the largest builders and plumbers merchants and the clear market leader in DIY retailing. In the UK the Group’s merchanting operation is the 4th largest in the market. 2005 turnover was â‚ ¬2. 6 billion and Profit after Tax amounted to â‚ ¬166 million. History of the company: Grafton’s origins date back to 1902 and since then the Chadwick family have played a central role in the development of the business. 1909 William Thomas Chadwick establishes his first business called Chadwicks (Dublin) Limited to supply builders merchants and major building contractors with Irish and imported cement and plaster. Today Chadwicks is the 2nd largest builders and plumbers merchanting brand in Ireland, trading from 31 branches nationally. 1930 William Chadwick acquires control of a small firm engaged in the manufacture of concrete blocks and roof tiles, which his company was supplying with cement. In 1931 Concrete Products of Ireland was registered as a private limited company. Today it is called CPI Limited and is a leading manufacturer of dry mortar in the Irish market. William Chadwick, the Group’s founder, dies at the end of the Second World War, leaving the business to his two sons – Terence and Finton Chadwick. 1965 Concrete Products of Ireland becomes a public company and purchases Chadwicks (Dublin) Limited from the Chadwick family. At the same time Marley Limited increases its holding to 51%. Marley’s relationship with Concrete Products of Ireland dates back to the end of the Second World War when Marley acquired a minority shareholding. 985 Mr. Michael Chadwick is appointed Executive Chairman. 1987 Marley plc decides to concentrate on the manufacture of building materials and as a consequence sold its controlling shareholding in the Group. The Marley shareholding was placed with institutional investors and the Group’s management. The Group opens its first DIY retailing store in the Irish market. 1988 The Group changes i ts name to Grafton Group plc and makes its first UK acquisition, a small heating and plumbing business which gives the Group familiarity with the large UK merchanting market. 990 The Group acquires MacNaughton Blair a long-established and well-known Belfast-based builders merchants. Also during the year Grafton acquires Joseph Kelly & Son (1994) Limited in Dublin, a builders merchanting business which was to become very well placed to serve the needs of the building trade in the centre of Dublin. 1994 The Group’s expands significantly in the UK with the acquisition of Bradley’s and Lumley & Hunt plumbing and heating operations. Total sales in Britain and Northern Ireland increase by 53%, representing 21% of Group turnover. 995 Grafton acquires P. P. S. Mortars – a silo mortar plant based in Glasgow. This business adopts the EuroMix silo mortar business model and technology, which has been successfully developed by CPI, the Group’s Irish concrete products business. Today EuroMix is the leading UK mortar manufacturer with eight plants. 1996 The Group continues its strategic development in the UK with its first acquisition of a builder’s merchanting business – R. J. Johnson, based in Oxford. 1997 The Group continues to acquire in the UK adding a further 14 locations through six small but significant acquisitions and achieves critical mass in its UK operations. This is the Group’s tenth year as an independent public company; a decade of considerable achievement in which sales increased 18% annually and earnings per share grew at an annualised rate of 29%. 1998 UK builders’ merchanting operations expand substantially with the acquisition of British Dredging plc, the first time an Irish company acquires a listed UK plc. This business operates a total of 23 locations incorporating 17 builders’ merchants and six plumber’s merchants. The builder’s merchanting operation is integrated under the Buildbase brand, which was established in 1997 as the trading name for the Group’s UK builder’s merchanting operation. During that year the Group makes another six acquisitions adding a further 19 locations, including the London based Deben Builders Merchants business with 10 branches and A R Hendricks Limited, a heavy side builders merchant trading from five branches. 1999 The Group continues its bolt-on acquisition programme adding a 16 more locations, through eight acquisitions in the UK. Throughout the nineties the Group continues with the expansion of its Irish merchanting and DIY retailing operations and consolidates its position as market leader in both sectors. 2000/2001 During these years, the Group continues apace with its bolt-on acquisition strategy. A total of 24 acquisitions were made during the period, many single branch operations that add value through infilling the Group’s overall network of locations in the UK. 002 This is a record year with a total of 15 acquisitions adding a further 39 branches to the UK merchanting network. These acquisitions included five small chains: Lakes in Derby, BMB in Barnsley, and PDM in Edinburgh, Aizlewoods in Rotherham and JKS Heating and Plumbing Supplies in Manchester. 2003 The Group undertakes its largest ever acquisition thus far – Jackson Building Centres in England adding 18 branches – and makes another significant acquisition with Plumbline, Scotland’s largest independent plumbers merchants with 17 locations. Overall it was a busy year with a further seven bolt-on acquisitions completed, giving a total of nine acquisitions for 2003. Grafton now has 137 plumbers’ merchanting branches trading under the Plumbase brand and 139 builders’ merchanting branches trading principally under the Buildbase and Jackson brands. 2004 The Group completes its 100th acquisition since 1998, averaging more than one per month. A total of 19 acquisitions are completed during the year, another record year for development. Grafton reaches agreement to acquire Heiton Group plc, subject to regulatory approval. 005 In January Grafton completes the acquisition of Heiton Group plc. This business includes, inter alia, the No. 1 builder’s merchanting operation and the No. 2 DIY retailing brand in Ireland and is a good strategic fit with Grafton’s existing operations and consolidates its position as the leading player in the Irish market. Overall Heiton has over 50 trading locations (six in the UK), an average of 1,900 employees and a turnover in excess of â‚ ¬500 million. We can see from this chronological list of their history that Grafton Group expanded greatly from the mid 90’s to 2005. Their growth in the UK market was surged on the back of an economic building boom in Ireland. They now have a much greater market and consumer base to compete in but also face a vastly changed environment. The Environment PESTEL analysis Political †¢ Taxation policy – corporation tax remains at 12. 5% in Ireland. Grafton Group is resident in the state and is liable to Corporation Tax on its worldwide profits. The corporation tax rate in the UK is 21% which is a huge source of competitive advantage for Grafton versus its UK competitors. Government stability – the current Irish government is in place till 2012. The UK is in the build up to a general election which could see a change in the current government and policies. †¢ Government policies towards â€Å"green† initiatives – grant towards homeowners to improve insulation, grants for solar panels and etc. Economic †¢ The UK and Irish economies are in recession leading to a sharp fall in dem and. Consumer confidence has fallen and housing related spending has reduced. †¢ The number of house completions in Ireland is 17,000 units in 2009 which is a fifth of the output during its peak in 2006. Ireland’s stock of empty homes surged 30pc to 345,000 houses in the three years through 2009 as the decade-long property boom collapsed. †¢ Sterling exchange rate weaknesses could lead to lower reported Group earnings on translation of the results of the UK business into euro at the average rate of exchange for the year. †¢ Low Interest rates – the cost of loan repayments is low and for the foreseeable future they should remain constant. †¢ The availability of credit and money is very strict and very few banks are willing to give loans to cash strapped businesses. Unemployment rate in Ireland has increased dramatically, Jan 2008 4. 8% versus Jan 2010 13. 4%. Unemployment rate in the UK has increased but not as dramatic, Jan 2008 5% versus Jan 2010 8 %. Sociocultural †¢ Declining employment and incomes for individuals. †¢ Higher personal taxes – introduction of income levy, the doubling of health and PRSI levies. †¢ A nation of savers, People are now saving more than before and consumer spending has decreased as a result. †¢ An increasing age demographic in Ireland who will require a home in the future. Ireland population by Age 2006 | |Age Group | |Males | |Females | |Persons | | | |0-14 | |443,044 | |421,405 | |864,449 | | | |15-24 | |321,007 | |311,725 | |632,732 | | | |25-44 | |681,988 | |663,885 | |1,345,873 | | | |45-64 | |468,037 | |460,831 | |928,868 | | | |65 years and over | |207,095 | 260,831 | |467,926 | | | |Total | |2,121,171 | |2,118,677 | |4,239,848 | | | | | | | | | |UK population grows to 61. million | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | | | |Technology | |Improvements in technology have led to better supply chain and logistics management. | |Bar-coding of products has impro ved inventory management. |Environment | |Organisations need to be socially responsible with their business activities; negative publicity can have a detrimental effect on| |consumer’s perception. | |A growing consumer awareness of greener behaviour and products associated with having a better impact on the environment. | |Legal | |Health and safety regulations have increased the demand for health and safety products and packaging. | | |Key drivers for change | |These are environmental factors that are likely to have a high impact on the success or failure of an organisation. There is a | |huge level of uncertainty in the current environment but an area we have identified as key is the energy efficient sector. The | |government have introduced policies and measures to address climate change. This initiative has arisen from a UN conference on | |energy for development, which is demanding countries to change their ways for the improvement towards a greener global | |environme nt. There will be a greater demand from consumers to meet those measures and therefore Grafton must satisfy this growing| |demand with energy saving products. | | | | | | | | |The Industry | |Porters Five Forces analysis | |Potential competitors | There is the potential for new entrants in the form of small independent hardware suppliers which are strategically located to entice consumers, ex. A small hardware shop beside the local shopping centre. As we can see from the below graphic many of their outlets are strategically located in and around the big cities as there is a much greater consumer base, ex. Dublin, London, Birmingham. [pic] There is a huge capital requirement required to compete with the Grafton group brands within Ireland and their closest competitors are B&Q (20% market share) and Hombase (17% market share). The location of DIY retailing outlets is interesting as during the boom many of our local towns have seen the emergence of industrial retail parks. In Navan 4 years ago Woodies located in a newly developed retail park just off the N3, before that there was Chadwick’s and a number of small independent outlets in the town. Grafton group have 63% of market share in Ireland, as a result the power of competitive response is very strong in Ireland. However in the UK they are fourth with 10% of market share with Travis Perkins (15%), Jewson (18%) and Wolseley (19%) and as a result their competitive position is much more demanding as they have 3 competitors who are in stronger market position. Substitute products/services We believe the only substitute threat is hire companies, they offer equipment and tools to consumers on a rental basis i. e. per hr, day, week and etc. In the current climate price is a key factor in peoples decisions, therefore consumers may opt to hire equipment for tasks rather than spending vast amounts on equipment that might only be used infrequently. Bargaining power of buyers Grafton’s consumers are powerful because, †¢ Buyers can switch suppliers at no cost. †¢ Buyers purchase from multiple sellers at once, they opt for suppliers conveniently located to the project. Buyers are shopping round for the best value. Bargaining power of suppliers The Grafton procurement process has improved f urther with new internal appointments to lead heavy side and light side purchasing. There was an increased focus on reducing the supplier base and developing closer alliances with key suppliers. This has resulted in greater leverage being achieved from the Group's purchasing scale and improved purchasing terms. The volume of products sourced directly through the warehouse facility in Shanghai continued to increase providing a new sourcing option for the Group's businesses to procure quality products at competitive prices. We can see from the above that the power rests with Grafton; suppliers are keen to meet the demands of their customer as they have a strong foothold in both the UK and Irish marketplace. Rivalry/Competition In Ireland their competitive position is very strong and through consolidation and job cuts they will be better placed than most building supply firms especially the many small independents that are under serious financial strain as the economic property boom which they depended on is long gone. Many independents face closure and Grafton group and its brands will be best placed to take advantage when the economy recovers over the coming years. Competitive rivals are organisations with similar products and services aimed at the same customer groups. When we look at one of Grafton’s brands Woodies DIY and their offerings, we see that they are competing with many different retailers. They offer a product range which caters for all your interior and exterior requirements, ex. Bag of cement, paint, timber, kettles, toasters, lighting, TVs, etc. They compete in a very fragmented industry but what many people don’t realise is Grafton is the parent company and all these separate brands from the consumers perspective competing with one another doesn’t matter as all profits go into the one organisation. Grafton is competing with any organisation who offers interior and exterior household products, ex. B&Q, Homebase (part of Home retail group), Argos (part of Home retail group), Power City, Harvey Norman, etc. From our experiences with Woodies they differentiate themselves from the competition as they offer a complete range of products from their store which means you can get all your needs in the one store. However if you look at the UK operating margin history it was roughly 6/7% over the past ten years versus Irish operating margin history of 11-13%. This means that competition is much stronger in the UK and they must price more competitively in the UK. Opportunities and Threats We can see from the below graphic that their decision to expand its operations in the mid 90s to the UK has been extremely successful with 68% of their turnover coming from the UK. Grafton must now look to the UK with a population of 61 million versus Ireland 4. 2 million as their primary source for turnover and opportunity. [pic] Turnover breakdown Ireland Merchanting |370,167 |19% | |DIY Retailing |247,784 |12% | |Manufacturing |19,891 |1% | |Total |637,842 |32% | In the UK their operation consists mainly of b uilders and plumbers merchanting. THE MARKET ATTRACTIVENESS – BUSINESS POSITION MATRIX (GE and McKinsey Company Model) |HIGH MARKET ATTRACTIVENESS |MEDIUM MARKET ATTRACTIVENESS |LOW MARKET ATTRACTIVENESS | |HIGH BUSINESS | | | | |POSITION | | | | |MEDIUM BUSINESS | | | | |POSITION | | | | |LOW BUSINESS POSITION| | | | Invest Grow = Green Selective Investment = Yellow Harvest/Divest = Red The G. E. Matrix is an extremely useful tool to assist an organisation in exploring its Business Position based on its competitive position and the attractiveness of the markets under the organisation’s consideration Opportunities identified †¢ Demographics – In Ireland 1. 5 million are under the age of 24 and in the UK roughly 15 million are under the age of 30. These people will require a home over the next 5 – 10 yrs and therefore there will be a demand for housing and renovations to suit individual tastes. †¢ Worldwide government energy initiatives – consumers are encouraged to buy more energy efficient products. †¢ Cost reduction – with demand in decline it important that Grafton mange their costs, ex. Supplier costs, staffing, acquisitions etc. Competitors – independents are finding the financial strain to difficult and are been forced to close their operations. Economic recovery will see Grafton best placed in the market. †¢ Markets – economists both here and abroad are saying there is a bottoming out of the recession. This should bring about a stable market place. †¢ Debtors – if debtors are managed tightly it can have a significant effect on cash flow and bad debts can be reduced to a minimum. †¢ Credit – if debtors aren’t paying on time then Grafton need to look at extending credit terms with their suppliers. We think this very possible as the power is very much with Grafton and not the suppliers. Threats identified We believe the biggest threat to Grafton Group is the level of spending available for construction related projects. The demand for building materials continues to fall in Ireland and signs of improvement are slowly beginning to show in the UK. â€Å"The construction industry has now declined for the 34th month in a row, but the rate of contraction is slowing, according to the latest Ulster Bank Purchasing Managers' Index. † â€Å"Though it's great to see the UK construction sector turn the corner after two years of relentless contraction, it's still very early days,† said David Noble, chief executive officer at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. There is now a reliance on the public sector for new work and if they don’t provide the funding for new projects then construction suppliers could be in for a difficult few years. Private investment is very unlikely in the current environment with consumer confidence very low and economic conditions unstable. Financial Information Analysis 2009 2008 Revenueâ‚ ¬1. 98bn â‚ ¬2. 67bn Adjusted operating profitâ‚ ¬26. 2m â‚ ¬118. 6m Operating profit per income statement â‚ ¬4. 9m â‚ ¬99. 2m Profit before tax â‚ ¬13. 6m â‚ ¬64. 1m Free cash flow 171m â‚ ¬212m EBITDA â‚ ¬74. 1m â‚ ¬172. 9m Adjusted earnings per share5. 4c 32. 2c Basic earnings per share 5. 8c 25. 1c Dividend/share purchase 5. 0c 15. 0c Net debt â‚ ¬322m â‚ ¬435m Gearing 35% 50% Analysis of Financial Reports The following is an analysis of the financial reports of Grafton Group plc. We will try to illustrate the current financial situation the group is in compared to previous years and also attempt to analysis the outlook for the future. Grafton’s presence in the construction and raw materials market means they have been very much affected by the economic downturn, in particular the significant slowdown in the construction market and the housing market in both the UK and Ireland. I will use liquidity, profitability, debt and other ratios deemed appropriate as tools to help analyse and diagnose the financial health of the group. I will use a year on year comparison in order to determine the direction in which the group is going and identify any trends. Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio (current assets : current liabilities) 20082009 920,482: â‚ ¬601,987â‚ ¬891,364 : â‚ ¬550,793 1. 53: 11. 62:1 Acid Test Ratio (Current assets less stock : current liabilities) 20082009 â‚ ¬920482 -â‚ ¬331124 : â‚ ¬601987â‚ ¬891364-â‚ ¬265748 : â‚ ¬550 793 1 : 0. 981. 14 : 1 Cash at Bank and Short term deposits (at end of year) 20082009 â‚ ¬301,984â‚ ¬224,834 Profitability Ratios Net Profit Margin (â‚ ¬000’s) 20082009 â‚ ¬64116 / â‚ ¬2672984â‚ ¬13580 / 1979766 2. 4%0. 68% Net Profit Margin per Segment Merchanting 20082009 â‚ ¬2284,484 / â‚ ¬121,921â‚ ¬1686,933 / â‚ ¬39305 5. 33 %2. 33 % Retailing 20082009 â‚ ¬303,071 / â‚ ¬11,790â‚ ¬247,784 / â‚ ¬3274 3. 89 %1. 3 % Manufacturing 20082009 â‚ ¬95621 / (â‚ ¬3159)â‚ ¬50985 / (â‚ ¬5060) -3. 3%-9. 9% Earnings per share (EPS) 20082009 32. 2c5. 4c Gearing 20082009 50%35% New borrowings v old borrowings 20082009 â‚ ¬91. 944 : â‚ ¬579,333â‚ ¬73679 : â‚ ¬536789 1 : 6. 31 : 7. 29 Short term v Long Term finance 20082009 â‚ ¬119,874 : â‚ ¬579,332 â‚ ¬103174 : â‚ ¬536,789 1 : 4. 831 : 5. 2 Analysis: Liquidity: The group has improved its current ratio year on year from 2008 to 2009, this is mainly due to a decrease in current liabilities. This is an encouraging trend for the group. The acid test ratio also shows improvement from 2008 to 2009, this is both a reflection of the improved current ratio and also the work done to try and reduce inventory holding, and reduce cash flow tied up therein and other associated costs. Cash flow was enhanced greatly by tighter management of inventory, debtors, disposal of assets (sale of freehold land, exhibiting the importance of having a strong portfolio of assets) The cash at bank and on short term deposit has been increased year on year from 2008 to 2009 by approximately 34% this is quite encouraging especially in the current environment (and not due to borrowings), as the adage goes â€Å"profit is food, cash is oxygen†. It is fair to say the group has slightly improved its liquidity situation and is more able to meet its outgoings as they fall due. Against the economic backdrop it is quite a good performance and evidence the group are handling the downturn well in a strategic sense. Profitability: Profitability is the biggest challenge facing Grafton due to the economic downturn and slowdown in the construction and housing markets. Net profit fell dramatically from 2008 to 2009 from â‚ ¬64 million to â‚ ¬13. 5 million, this was quite dramatic. Despite being worrying it was not unexpected, with the focus for the year on debt and cost reduction (and reducing capital expenditure and working capital). Merchanting, Retailing and Manufacturing all dropped considerably in profit terms. Margins were also decreased across all operations. Merchanting still remains the highest source of revenue for Grafton (%85 of group turnover in 2008 and 2009, suggesting strong competencies here). The loss in manufacturing outweighs the profit made in retailing, it is the profit made in the merchanting division that the real profit pool for Grafton. (divesting in manufacturing division may need to be considered, bar where synergies exist with other divisions, i. e. mortar manufacturing) As a result earnings per share have fallen dramatically from 32. 2c to 5. 4c, Debt: Through measures taken during the year to reduce gearing, Grafton were able to reduce an already modest gearing of 41 % in 2008 to 35 % in 2009. This is an excellent achievement in the circumstances (and exhibits a strong leadership in Strategic choices, direction, and fit). The net debt was reduced by â‚ ¬113. 1 from â‚ ¬435. 6 million in 2008 to â‚ ¬322. 5million in 2009. The groups current bank facilities are subject to a minimum net assets requirement (â‚ ¬301,984 cash at bank end2009, up from â‚ ¬224,834 end 2008, leaving the Group in a strong cash position). Return on Investment: Return on investment is down considerably from 2008 to 2009 10. 12% to 2. 19%, as profits dipped quite considerably resulting in the dramatic slump. Again this is worrying but not unexpected as the Group were attempting rationalization and consolidation (strong market share results exhibit some success in this regard) Borrowings: The ratio of new to old finance borrowings and ratio of short term to long term finance borrowing both improve year on year (1:6. 3 to 1:7. 29 and 1:4. 83 to 1:5. 2 respectively). Again this shows strong evidence of reducing debt and decreased borrowing. It is fair to say that Grafton is currently In a very challenging operating environment with the downturn In markets seriously affecting their profitability, dividends, and returns. But the Group finds themselves in an improved liquidity position, as well as considerably reducing their gearing, they also greatly increased their cash at bank negating greatly problems with accessing credit. Share Price Irish Stock Exchange Date: 29/04/2010 | Currency: EUR | Code: GRF_u. I |Current Price |3. 52 |Day High |3. 55 |Bid |3. 50 | |Last Closing Price |3. 50 |Day Low |3. 47 |Ask |3. 4 | |Change |0. 02 |Day Open |3. 47 |Year High |3. 59 | |   |   |Volume |28,045 |Year Low |2. 30 | Source http:investor/graftongroupplc. com The latest share price info as at 29/4/10 is encouraging as it shows strong recovery from a year low of 2. 30 to 3. 52 (a year high of 3. 59 has been achieved. The highest share price achieved was nearly 23 in early 2007 which illustrates the decline in the industry, and p uts the company’s current performance into context. The Corporate information. om Wright quality ratings rates Grafton’s investment quality as BBD0 which translates as: Liquidity:Excellent Financial Strength:Excellent Profitability:Fair Growth:0 Source www. corporateinformation. com Outlook for the Future The UK economy has moved out of recession in late 2009 which is encouraging news for Grafton as 68% of its turnover comes from this source. The amount of new house sales and builds are on the increase from a very low level starting which is very encouraging as the merchanting division is Grafton’s real profit pool. The Merchanting market has remained structurally sound despite the downturn and can expect a growth rate above normal trends that Grafton are well positioned to take advantage of. The Irish economy remains in recession but is expected to return to growth by the middle of the year boosted by global growth and improved export conditions. A weak employment situation, low consumer confidence and tight credit conditions make the market conditions in Ireland even more challenging, coupled with the massive drop in new house builds as housing over supply is still a problem. Further rationalisation measures and/or closures in the Irish operations should be considered. Group turnover stabilised from H1 2009 to H2 2009 which is encouraging. The cost reductions and integration benefits in the Merchanting divisions improved profitability in H2 2009. The rationalisation achieved and the increased activity expected form the UK new Housing market means that Grafton are well placed to take advantage of the recovering markets this year. Rationalisation measures: †¢ Employee base reduced in both Ireland and UK †¢ Cost reduction initiatives progressed with significant results †¢ 18 locations consolidated or closed and 10 new locations added †¢ Credit terms from suppliers renegotiated †¢ Improved inventory management †¢ Debtors managed tightly with significant cash generation †¢ Costs rationalized by â‚ ¬80 million in 2009 Plans for 2010: †¢ Further rationalisation costs will be incurred in 2010 Wider product range yielding margin growth †¢ Emphasis on overhead control and working capital management †¢ Attempt to obtain full benefits of integration Opportunities 2010: †¢ Reduced cost base †¢ Market share gains †¢ Competitors failing †¢ Irish Construction close to b ottoming out †¢ Signs of recovery in markets †¢ Positive Demographics †¢ Government Renewable energy initiatives Group Strengths †¢ Highly cash generative streamlined businesses †¢ Significant cash deposits ensures liquidity †¢ No P Banking Covenants -protection from exchange fluctuations now in banking agreements †¢ Strong balance sheet –modest gearing 35% †¢ No material refinancing required before 2011 68% of turnover in UK (increased mortgage lending, & housing sector activity in UK) †¢ Prominent market positions in the UK and Ireland –market share circa 10% and 20% respectively (satisfactory market share performance) †¢ Motivated management teams †¢ Proven strategic record, past experience of managing down cycles †¢ Spread risk †¢ Economies of scope amongst SBU’s †¢ Synergies across SBU’s †¢ Vertical integration achieving efficiencies in merchanting division †¢ Benefits de rived from lower cost base, integration, scale related and Procurement efficiencies †¢ Trading stabilised in second half of 2009 †¢ Trading outlook beginning to improve following period of significant uncertainty †¢ Tight financial control across group Weaknesses †¢ Poor performance in Ireland operations †¢ General economic downturn †¢ Housing market collapse †¢ Sharp Industry downturn Slowdown in Irish construction & housing industry (brought group turnover down 26% to 1. 98bn †¢ Very slow new housing Market in Ireland †¢ Consumer confidence in Ireland hitting retail sales †¢ Continued contraction expected in Irish economy †¢ Manufacturing operations making a loss †¢ Over reliance on Merchanting operations Strategic Capability â€Å"The ability to perform at the level required to survive and prosper. It is underpinned by the resources and competences of the organisation† Johnson, Scholes & Whittington It is clear that Grafton have the threshold competences to meet customer’s minimum requirements, and also the threshold competences to provide the same as they continue to exist (and are in a decent position to go forward). But what are Grafton’s core competencies, (activities and processes that are difficult for competition to imitate), what are their unique resources (difficult for competition to imitate or obtain). And what are the critical success factors for Grafton’s customers (the product features especially valued by customers and therefore the company must excel at). As 85% of Grafton’s turnover comes from their merchanting division this is where we will focus. Some of Grafton’s Brands, Sbu’s and subsidiaries in Merchanting include: Ireland: Heiton Buckley Chadwicks Cork Builders providers Telfords Heiton steel UK: Buildbase Jackson Building Centres Macnaughton Blair Selco Builders Warehouses Plumbase (plumbing) CPI Euromix (mortar) Critical Success factors for customers (a sample of but not limited to): Quality service and products Reliable products services Speed of service National Distribution Online ordering / catalogue. Product knowledge and advice available Simple pricing Self service capabilities â€Å"One stop shop† capabilities Wide selection / availability of products hire services Prompt & accurate delivery of products/services Strong partnership team working capabilities Trade deals/initiatives (bulk buying, relationship development) Unique resources (a sample of but not limited to): Wide network of branches Vertically integrated operations Very experienced management team Backed by strong corporate parent Financial resources (over 300 million in cash) Experience of managing previous downturns Strong Brand equity, profile and Goodwill Ability to leverage position as largest mortar manufacturer National Distribution Network (Civil & Lintels) Core Competences (a sample of but not limited to): Corporate parenting Synergy managing Proven vertical integration abilities Cross SBU linkages Co-ordination of multiple and diverse activities Excellent Financial management First class customer service Mortar manufacturing (no 1 in market) Strong Management at SBU level Strong Value chain Strong Value network Strategic Marketing Autonomy at SBU level Market Development Product development and category management National and local distribution competences The above are some examples of the critical success factors Grafton Group need to excel at for customers, and some of the unique resources and core competences that help them to meet those CSF’s. By building those resources and capabilities that help Grafton deliver value for its customers and help obtain competitive advantage. Corporate Governance What is Corporate Governance? â€Å"Corporate governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goals and between individual and communal goals. The governance framework is there to encourage the efficient use of resources and equally to require accountability for the stewardship of those resources. The aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individuals, corporations and society. † (Sir Adrian Cadbury, UK, Commission Report: Corporate Governance 1992) Ireland’s recent history of corporate governance has been highlighted with the governments bank NAMA, National Asset Management Agency. Builders, bankers and the senior public servants who failed to regulate these sectors are perceived to be getting off scot-free from the crisis they caused. â€Å"Sean Barrett – Irish Times 2nd September 2009 / Page 14 Brian Lenihan has taken action that is costing taxpayers billions of euro that would have not have be en required if Corporate Governance and common sense regulation was adhered to. The bank regulators, a supposed independent body, did not adhere to procedures and turned a â€Å"blind eye† to what was practiced over the last 20 years. â€Å"The state ownership policy should fully recognise the state-owned enterprises’ responsibilities towards stakeholders and request that they report on their relations with stakeholders. Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises, Page 37 (2005) Making the right decisions with all the information without compromising the integrity of the organisation. [pic] Corporate Cartoons, Grinning Plannet Grafton Group’s Compliance with the Combined Code The Board is committed to maintaining high standards of Corporate Governance. The Board is accountable to the Company’s shareholders and this statement describes how it applies the principles of good governance set out in the 2006 FRC Combined Code on Corporate Go vernance which is appended to the Listing Rules of the Irish and London Stock Exchanges. The Board – who reports to whom? The Board of Directors is made up of nine members at 31 December 2008 comprising the Executive Chairman, three other executive Directors and five non-executive Directors. Mr. Anthony Collins, Deputy Chairman, is Senior Independent Director. The Board believes that it has the skills, knowledge and experience required by the scale, geographic spread and complexity of the Group’s operations. The Board routinely meets seven times a year and additionally as required by time critical business needs. There is also contact with the Board between meetings as required in order to progress the Group’s business. The Board takes the major decisions while allowing management sufficient scope to run the business within a centralised reporting framework. The Board has a formal schedule of matters specifically reserved for its decision. This covers the key areas of the Group’s business including financial statements, budgets, acquisitions, major items of capital expenditure and the strategic development of the Group. The Board’s responsibilities also include ensuring that appropriate management, development and succession plans are in place; reviewing the environmental and health and safety performance of the Group; approving the appointment of Directors and the Company Secretary; approving policies relating to Directors’ remuneration and severance and ensuring that satisfactory dialogue takes place with shareholders. The Directors have access to the advice and services of the Company Secretary who is responsible for advising the Board through the Chairman on governance matters. The Company’s Articles of Association and Schedule of Matters reserved for the Board for decision provide that the appointment or removal of the Company Secretary is a matter for the full Board. Directors have full and timely access to all relevant information in a form appropriate to enable them to discharge their duties. Reports and papers are circulated to Directors in preparation for Board and committee meetings. The non-executive Directors, together with the executive Directors, also receive monthly management accounts, various reports and other information to enable them to review the performance of the Group on an ongoing basis. The Board continues to hold the view that there are compelling commercial benefits to the Group and its shareholders in combining the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive and the holding of the combined roles by Mr. Michael Chadwick. The combination of the roles is balanced from a governance point of view by the strong input of the five independent non-executive Directors on the Board and the Board’s committee structure. Directors’ Independence and Board Balance It is Board policy that the Board should include a balance of executive and non-executive Directors such that no individual or small group of individuals can dominate the Board’s decision making. Five non-executive Directors, Mr. Anthony E. Collins, Ms. Gillian Bowler, Mr. Richard W. Jewson, Mr. Roderick Ryan and Mr. Peter S. Wood are considered by the Board to be independent of management and free from any relationship which could materially interfere with the exercise of their independent judgement. The Board has therefore determined all five Directors to be independent. Mr. Collins was appointed to the Board in 1988 and both Ms. Bowler and Mr. Jewson were appointed to the Board in 1995. The length of their service on the Board exceeds nine years and the 2006 FRC Combined Code provides that an explanation be made to shareholders concerning their continued independence. The Board considers that the integrity and independence of these Directors is beyond doubt. All three Directors are financially independent of the Company and have other significant commercial and professional commitments. The Company’s Articles of Association provide that one third of the Directors retire by rotation each year and that each Director seek re-election at the Annual General Meeting every three years. New Directors are subject to election by shareholders at the next Annual General Meeting following their appointment. It is Board Policy that non-executive Directors are normally appointed for an initial period of three years, which is then reviewed. It is also Board Policy that a non-executive Director who has served on the Board for more than nine years will retire annually and will offer him/ her for re-election in any case where it is proposed to exceed nine years. The overall composition and balance of the Board is kept under review. To allow corporate governance to drop in standards allows too many possible problems arise. Directors making short term decisions for their own benefit cannot be tolerated and without strong non-Executive Directors organisations have suffered. E. g. Enron, Independent News and Media. Performance of the Board Grafton Group’s long standing non Executive Directors have been re-elected at many AGMs which proves the confidence of their value to shareholders. At the beginning of the year their share price of building up to their financial report for 2010. When we were given Grafton Group as our project the share price was â‚ ¬2. 70, week of April 12 it is trading at â‚ ¬3. 40/share, an increase of 25%. Their board are doing a good job and have processes in place that do not allow any maverick activities. They tick all the boxes of operating independently of management. Insider dealing is not evident, â€Å"interlocking† does not exist similar to Jim Flavin, member of both Fyffes and DCC. The CEO of Woodies and Atlantic Homecare is Ray Coleman. Some would argue the same CEO of both could lead to conflict but as both have different strategies it make business sense for this to be the case. Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR and Ethics â€Å"The Grafton Group recognises the importance of conducting its business in a socially responsible manner. This is demonstrated in the way we deal with our employees, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we do business. The Group considers that corporate social responsibility is an integral element of good business management. Grafton Group Website â€Å"Business only contributes fully to a society if it is efficient, profitable and socially responsible† – Cannon (1992, p. 33) â€Å"Few trends would so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their shareholders as they possibly can†- Milton Friedman (1962) Grafton Group’s CSR is centred on the following areas. ? The Environment – Reduction of waste that impacts on environment, affiliation to Irish and UK environmental specialists. e. g. Biffpack in UK ? Health and Safety – Adherence to best practice for employees, customers and visitors to their stores Human Resources – Acknowledge the importance of employees to achieve success, reward them accordingly and become number one choice of employment in their field ? Community – Recognise the responsibility to the communities in which they are located, support local charities e. g. donated tools and equipment to Goal following Haiti earthquake in 2009 Grafton Group, we feel, is what all corporations do – tick the box of CSR! Very few Financial Reports had any reference to CSR until l ast 10-20 years. To make them stand out on CSR issues as Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream or The Body Shop do, they would have to incorporate it into their overall business strategy. Would this give them a competitive advantage over their business rival? Would CSR promotion become part of their strategy? Our view is that a company in the industry it serves will be dictated by their consumers as to how important CSR really is. In Grafton Group’s case this will not happen. Their stance on CSR is Laissez Faire to Enlightened Self-Interest. The emphasis is mainly on their shareholder short term orientation i. e. highest profit as possible and adhere to the law at all time. They may worry about how they are perceived such as pension fund investors. They are definitely not a Shaper of Society where they influence society in a better light and not always driven by super profit making e. g. Paul Newman food investment and Niall Mellon Trust. Shareholder and Stakeholder Expectations and Influences The difference in both shareholder and stakeholder expectations is determined largely on the performance of The Grafton Group, history of performance, market in which it trades, promises made and promises previously delivered on. Since they began trading Grafton Group has consistently made profit and grown which has given shareholders a return on their investment. The collapse of the building trade in Ireland and UK has meant a large fall in share price but due to the market’s performance no shareholder could have expected anything else. Bob de Wit and Ron Meyer, 1998 describes the value perspective of shareholders and stakeholders and how, if any, interlink. In summary the difference is that shareholder’s perspectives have an ends, i. e. make a profit and value of company increases. Stakeholder’s perspectives have and ends and a means where profit is a want but not at the cost of something that would be considered unethical. The power that a board such as Grafton Group must withstand can determine whether shareholders or stakeholders have more of an influence on decisions than is healthy. â€Å"Power is the ability of individuals or groups to persuade, induce, or coerce others into following certain course of action. † Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, P160 If an organisation succumbs to the power of an outside influence their control is diluted. Some people within organisations, by right, have more power than other, e. g. the formal power a CEO enjoys. ? Legitimate Power: Power of the position, CEO ? Reward Power: e. g. Manager deciding who gets overtime Coercive Power: who decides on who gets the bad jobs to perform e. g. â€Å" if you do not do this you will not get the other†, bullying style ? Expert Power: This is more a personal power that a knowledge based professional may exercise ? Referent Power: This explains the influential power someone can exhort through charisma or personality traits e. g. Richard Branson of Virgin Group Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, P161 It is interesting that the brand power Woodies and Atlantic Homecare enjoy in the home DIY market sector is a symbol of power for both shareholders and stakeholders. Stakeholder mapping is an interesting way to determine the power and level of interest certain groups have in organisations. | |LEVEL of INTEREST | |LOW HIGH | | |A |B | |LOW |Minimal Effort |Keep Informed | |POWER | | | |HIGH | | | | |C |D | | |Keep Satisfied |Key Players | The level of interest within Grafton group lies mainly with employees, shareholders and Board of Directors. The Key Players are the Board of Directors and Shareholders as they have a vote as to who by and how the company is run. Stakeholders such as government are low in power and would have a low level of interest. Some of the manufacturing Grafton Group are involved in may require them to be socially responsible to the community in which they are located and must keep them informed of any changes that may affect them. They would have a high level of interest but a low form of power. Culture of Organisations and Grafton Group The culture of organisations is largely shaped by the founding fathers. For example Lever Bros. Ltd has a long tradition with social responsibility before it was known as CSR. William Heskeath Lever first established Port Sunlight village to improve the living conditions and well-being of employees of the Port Sunlight Soap factory. This created a culture of CSR which is maintained today. Similarly with the Grafton Group, CEO Michael Chadwick, has been with Grafton Group since he was 23 years of age. The culture of the company is largely a result of his business philosophies and strategies. We asked for an interview but we were declined, we asked for a list of questions to be answered if we sent them to his secretary and this too was declined so it is difficult to get an insight into his business philosophy. The Grafton Group do not apologise for being shareholder oriented in terms of profits in the form of dividends or company value increase. They have not allowed themselves be affected by the current economic climate and do not show any forms of strategic drift. Strategic drift is where organisational strategies develop incrementally on the basis of cultural influences and do not keep up pace with the changing environment in which they trade. Grafton have reacted to the downturn of their business and do not wait for changes to be made as reactionary. Henry Mintzberg has noted that â€Å"strategy is a pattern in a stream of decisions†. If decisions are made as a reaction to their environment it can be too late. Grafton Group’s Board of Directors is long serving and successful, due to this fact they have created a culture of expectancy for shareholders and for themselves to delivery. This behaviour filters through to line managers and front of customer staff (boundary spanners) to achieve success. The success of the past and alignment to environmental change has created a winning culture. They have created a theme around their strategy and have not deviated from it. They operate in Ireland and the UK in markets they understand and do not expand outside these industries. This helps succession planning for managers moving from business units to gain more experience keeping within the core competencies of the Grafton Group. Strategic Direction and Corporate level strategy Strategic Vision is a detailed future oriented vision of the strategic direction that a company is planning to take going forward, that takes into account the competences and capabilities that it both has and needs to achieve to achieve its vision. â€Å" A strategic vision is a road-map of a company’s future, providing specifics about technology and customer focus, the geographic and product markets to be pursued, the capabilities it plans to develop, and the kind of company that management is trying to create† (Thompson & Strickland 2001, P6). According to Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008, the â€Å"Exploring Corporate strategy model is made up of the corporate culture, business ethics, CSR, the strategic position, the strategy in action and strategic choices. Strategic choices encompasses some of the following areas of an organisation †¢ Business Level Choices †¢ International Choices †¢ Evaluation †¢ Innovation †¢ Corporate Level Choices Corporate Parent As we know the Grafton group encompasses many different brands, which is their cash generating and highly profitable business units. Throughout Grafton’s history they have managed to acquire many related business all in an effort to strengthen the group as a whole. Through this vertical integration Grafton have offered themselves many advantages and increased their competitive strength. Grafton’s strategic development has continued to grow with major acquisitions made both in Ireland and the UK such as 1990 – Macnaughton Blair, a Belfast based builders merchant †¢ 1994 – Bradleys and Lumley & Hunt plumbing and heating †¢ 1995 – P. P. S Mortars, silo plant based in Glasgow †¢ 1998 – British Dredging. Grafton were the first ever Irish company to acquire a British plc †¢ 2000-2002 – A total of 39 acquisitions were made, building the groups strength further in Ireland and the UK †¢ 2003 – Jackson Building Centres in England adding 18 branches and plumbline, Scotland’s largest independent plumber merchants. †¢ 2004 – The Grafton group officially makes its 100th acquisition †¢ 2005 – Grafton acquires Heiton Buckley. (www. graftonplc. com) As we can see here, Grafton has had a very strong acquisition based strategy to vertically integrate with all the suppliers and related business in an effort to grow in strength and position and to make themselves a real presence in the Irish and UK markets. However it’s all well and good to acquire all these other business, but what is the point in having them unless you can use them to your advantage. This is Grafton’s role and responsibility as the now corporate parent to all these acquisitions, to turn them from simply business units into strategic business units that will benefit the group as a whole and strategically fit. The corporate parent as a Synergy manager A corporate Parent identifying factors are a large corporate office with a main emphasis on facilitating cooperation across its SBU’s with a continued focus on cost reduction, scale related benefits, closer integration, branch consolidation and brand synergies. As a corporate parent to its SBU’s, Grafton group seeks to enhance value across its business units by managing and instilling synergies across its business units. The backward, forward and horizontal integration of its suppliers of raw materials and competitors has afforded Grafton a strategic advantage. In order to promote synergy management across its strategic business units, Grafton group tries to create the synergies by thinking holistically and viewing the SBU’s as interlinked with a common purpose between such as; ? DIY retailing – Woodies and Atlantic Homecare ? Manufacturing – CPI Euromix, MFP and Wright windows Merchanting – Heiton Buckley, Chadwicks, Cork builders providers and Telford The main point to remember is that the business units should benefit from the corporate parent by the co-operation between them that’s afforded by the corporate centre Grafton Group. A more streamlined UK merchanting business incorporating the Buildbase, Plumbase and Jacksons brands and specialist merchanting businesses is enabling a deeper integration of the overall business. The new structure will result in significant synergies beyond the rationalisation measures already implemented. These arise particularly in procurement, accounting and other central services. A single management team is now in place for all brands operating from a single head office location. Costs continue to be more aligned with sales and the management team works closely with the Group Chief Operating Officer in driving cost reduction, branch consolidation and brand synergies while leveraging scale-related benefits. With regard to synergy management the following questions should be answered: ? Is there common purpose between business units – YES ? Does parent try to achieve co-operation between business units – YES ? Provide central services and resources – YES In 2009 one of Grafton’s management priorities was â€Å"To unlock latent synergies in downturn†. (Grafton Financial results 2009 PP) Strategic Drift This is the tendency for strategies to develop incrementally on the basis of historical and cultural influences but fail to keep pace with a changing environment. (Liam Bolger, lecture notes 2009). Strategic drift is certainly not something that Grafton can be accused of as they react quickly to the economical downturn to keep themselves competitive, especially within the domestic market of Ireland where there core strength lies. Grafton Group has reduced their overall debt from â‚ ¬584 million (2005) down to â‚ ¬322 million (2009). The majority of this occurred in the last 2 years with a reduction of â‚ ¬228 million or 41% (Grafton Group plc final results 2009) Employee base reduced in both Ireland and UK Cost reduction initiatives progressed with significant results †¢ 18 locations consolidated /closed and 10 new locations added †¢ Credit terms from suppliers renegotiated †¢ Debtors managed tightly with significant cash generation †¢ Costs rationalised in 2009 by â‚ ¬80 million Further plans to manage through 2010: †¢ Further rationalisation costs to be incur

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Air Transport Management and Operations - Essay Example The different entities in the air traffic are coordinated through a flight schedule, which often comprises of flight legs between airport locations. In addition, the flight schedule itself defines three other layers of schedules, for example, the aircraft schedule, the crew schedule, and passenger itineraries (Sheehan, 2003). Airport management contributes to the industry’s goals indirectly by directing the efforts of all the employees. This is done by the manager in charge of the airport. In addition, management involves planning, organizing, actuating and controlling, performed so as to determine and achieve objectives by the use of the employees. Managers in the airport industry must think of their actions in advance before implementing them as they can either lead to losses or benefits. Airport operations of controlling different runways and different aircrafts, as well as the safety of the passengers, require some plan rather than impromptu decisions (Tripathi, 2008). Organizing as a major function of the manager requires the coordination of human as well as material resources in the airport. Further, actuating means that the manager should engage in those activities that are aimed at motivating and directing the employees; while controlling means that; managers should try to ensure that there is no deviation from norm or plan. Whenever there is something wrong in the airport, such as economic problems, security threats, and weather disruptions, the managers must take action to remedy the situation. Managers are also required to use the employees and other resources such as finance, and equipments to attain the goals of the industry. For example, a manager who wants to increase the sales in the airport industry should try not only to motivate the employees but also to provide to increase the advertising budget. Advertising will ensure that consumers are made aware of the quality of

Integrating Research Methods with Marketing Decisions Proposal

Integrating Methods with Marketing Decisions - Research Proposal Example It is mostly qualitative and unstructured. Being qualitative in nature, it uses a small focus group instead of a larger population or interviews that are in-depth, or projective techniques. In the focus group method, a small group of people is interviewed on the topic. These people are free to interact with one another. This is a hurdle for the researcher as he has no control over the group. Many times it drifts towards irrelevant matters. The data also gets influenced by others. Another problem is that it is researcher dependent. The questions framed by the researcher lead in one particular direction. Projective techniques are indirect techniques that help understand the underlying beliefs without disclosing the actual aim of the research like word association, sentence completion , story completion, cartoon tests, role play etc. In-Depth Interviews are conducted on one-to-one basis. This helps in getting in-depth information and also to get to the hidden issues. Unlike survey interviews it may not have the same set of questions for all the participants. It is a time consuming process that may get influenced by the bias of the researcher. There are three techniques used in these interviews - One is Laddering, in this the questions start off with the external objects and slowly get to internal attitudes or feelings. Another way is Hidden issue questioning. In this the researcher concentrates on deeply seated beliefs and feelings. Third one is Symbolic Analysis. Here the researcher asks opposite questions and tries to understand their symbolic meanings In-depth Interviews are the best suited way for this research as it will help understand the underlying beliefs and attitudes that form the basis for buying a vehicle. This is the information needed by the company to remodel Taurus.Descriptive research methodDescriptive research gathers data and then interprets it by tabulating and organizing the data. Description is used as a tool in organizing the data. It is very helpful to find out what is the best solution to the given problem with many variables. Once the research question is fixed, the descriptive research method can be decided upon. The methods of data collection could be surveys, interviews, observations and portfolios. Surveys draw conclusion based on the questionnaire and help to identify the factor that needs change.These surveys can be done through written questionnaires or personal interviews or telephone interviews. Interviews are most time efficient and help in getting in-depth information by creating a rapport with t he participants. But it is time consuming and requires a lot of time to be spent in interviewing and in traveling for interviewing. In comparison, telephone interviews are less time consuming and less expensive but there is no visual input. Mailed questionnaire is even faster but has very low response rate and requires a very simple survey design.Observational research methods are based on direct observation that can give lot of

Highschool and American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Highschool and American Government - Essay Example As the discussion outlines representatives and Senators are under an obligation to such persons and corporations, because they provide significant contributions towards election expenditure. In most instances, these individuals and agencies, render direct help to the candidates in their election campaigns. The President may decide whether to ratify or reject a bill and the legislators do not override the decision of the president. They have to respect the call given by the president and act accordingly. From this paper it is clear that the voters in the constituencies of the legislators can also influence the ratification of a bill. It is not possible for legislators to routinely reject the appeals of the voters in their constituencies. Moreover, any representative or senator who persistently goes against the wishes of the voters is at risk of losing in the next election. The personal beliefs of legislators play a major role, while voting for a bill. This is demonstrated by the fact that when Congress members make strong demands regarding some issue, they will not change their stance even if enormous pressure is brought to bear upon them by party members, lobbyists or even the president. If a member takes up a strong stand on some issue, then the voters of his constituency cannot compel him to withdraw from his stand. That is the power of personal belief, which plays a decisive role in the voting process. While casting their vote regarding some issue, legislators on occasion, consu lt experts in that field and this promotes the public good. Nevertheless, corporations and individuals at times, compel legislators to cast their vote in favor of causes that only benefit the former. This could prove to be detrimental to the general public.

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Essay Example As such, he declared that the United States would not send its troops to assist its allies in maintaining peace and stability in their nations. However, he decreed that he would give weapons, as well as, ant other military support to these nations, especially those fighting against communist rule, such as the Peoples Republic of Vietnam. In addition, he ordered a massive number of American troops stationed in foreign countries to return home, whilst strengthening the military power and stability of their governments to enable self-rule after the departure of American troops (Ambrose, 1989). The diplomatic relationship between the United States and the Republic of Vietnam was gross and appalling. The United States and the Vietnamese were at war. In fact, this war claimed over half a million of American troops stationed in Vietnam to maintain peace and establish a stable government. Many of the US soldiers died in military camps as prisoners of war, while numerous other sustained serious physical injuries before they got a reprieve through the call back plan initiated through Nixon’s Doctrines. This angered many citizens against Nixon’s regime. However, the move adopted by President Nixon to pull back American troops from Vietnam, a process termed as Vietnamisation, helped in restoring the public’s trust in his regime. While pulling out the American troops, the president provided the Vietnam government with skills, tools and weaponry, as well as, necessary financial support to set up a strong military squad in their country. This quest was very succe ssful as it enabled the two countries restore cordial relationships, and maintained peace and stability. The president also got local approval from his citizens for his successful efforts of saving numerous American soldiers (Dallek, 2007). The diplomacy rule adopted by President Nixon enabled establishment of peace and harmony within the Southeast Asia. The triple effects of this move also

RPOGRAM ANALYSIS OF FIRE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RPOGRAM ANALYSIS OF FIRE - Essay Example The proposed gym and training area/center will be constructed such that 30% and 70% of it is indoors and outdoors respectively. In terms of design and planning, the program will resemble a military training program from which fire fighters can adapt the same training methods such as rope climbing and tacking hurdles. The application of the site analysis to the community program is to facilitate evaluation of developmental constrains. For instance, while the analysis of surrounding buildings and structures is essential, the topographical characteristics such as terrain are considered. Based on the weather, soil, and available vegetation, the design and construction of the gym and training area/center would rely on this information. From a business perspective, the site analysis will consider how different other variables such as demographics and distribution interact within the area. For instance, the program will make use of a central location from which prospective clients can access the premises. In addition, the dimensions of the gym and the training center will depend on the approximate number of clients within the community. Finally, the site analysis will consider legal aspects of architectural development such as building policies, regulation of private and public structures, and availabi lity space for rental or purchase (Zimmerman,

Proposal argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Proposal argument - Essay Example The purpose of this proposal argument is to evaluate the reasons as to why the physical punishments are not the best ways of handling the problems. This proposal argument explains that something could be missing in our attempt to come up with an upright generation. In addition, it is the missing element that this article sheds light on. Children whose parents use amicable mechanisms of discipline possess extraordinary social skills. Parents should avoid using physical punishment because it increases violent behavior among the youth (Sumner, 132). This paper seeks to explain why use of physical punishment increases violent behavior among the youth. A Deeper Perspective to the Problem A correct support measures put in place are the sources of successful behavior change. The current generation may be carried away by events and this is proved by the fact that most of them often get into trouble due to their uncalled for behavior. A survey carried out by the body charged with monitoring f uture generation established that most of the mistakes carried out by the youths are due to their characters. To be specific 97% of the cases reported are due to the behavior. This is clear proof that bad behavior is fast becoming a problem. The big question is whether are we going to watch the youths fall or are we going to be the straw they clutch on. The fact that these perverse actions always soil their reputations in that they put question marks on their records is another reason as to why we should be on the lookout just to help out a brother who is off track (Gershoff, 539). Current Measures Most of the parents have resorted to physical punishment as the corrective method in their attempts to curb bad behavior. Those kinds of parents beat their children; force them to do things that they are not well conversant with and shout at them with the intention of amending and making the youths reformed. They do not know that more often than not, they are wrecking the child based on m aking things right. Physical punishments have been a major cause of injuries in children some of which have resulted into the physical impairments of the children. What is more worrying is that physical punishments have even led to cases of child deaths. Studies carried out to evaluate the extent at which physical punishments have spread in various regions, found that the habit escalated over time. The actuality that physical punishment is practiced throughout all the regions is clear proof that it is growing into a complication and does not benefit the child in any way. Similarly, it is important to observe that any form of physical punishment however soft it may be may intensify and become worse (Burton, 1447). Physical punishment is unsatisfactory because it increases the extent of aggression among children. It is proven beyond doubt that children, who are exposed to lots of physical punishments, are more likely to be characterized by aggressive behavior towards their coequals. I n like manner, the children may employ the brutal mechanisms in working out their problems and at the same time, they can be inconsiderate towards their own parents. What raises the level of concern higher is the fact that this children may end up being violent in future, thereby being insolent and impolite towards

Fundamental Elements of Kimpton Hotels' Strategy Essay

Fundamental Elements of Kimpton Hotels' Strategy - Essay Example Kimpton has many unique programs like the Global business program, Kimpton In Touch, Kimpton Cares, Women In Touch, Earth care program, LGBT, Shop Kimpton Style etc. The Company also takes pride in its commitment to social responsibility and leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative Earth Care programs. In order to woo ladies, Kimpton had launched the Women In Touch program. Its features include offering comfortable and safe environments, in-room fitness and wellness options and other essentials catered to suit women. The Company is expanding rapidly and among the companies, newest properties are the Hotel Palomar in Washington D.C., which opened in July 2006, and the Hotel Palomar Dallas, which opened in August 2006. Additional projects are underway in Southern California, Texas, Florida and Virginia.   Currently, Kimpton develops, owns and manages more lifestyle hotels than any other company in the United States. Kimpton's unique combination of style, four-star service and fine dining experience along with its constant focus on top line sales and bottom line results; have established the company as the first choice for many businessmen.   The fundamental elements of Kimpton Hotels strategy are care, comfort, style, flavor, and fun. They try to ensure that these five elements are present in all the group hotels that they own. â€Å"Kimpton's signature elements are care, comfort, style, flavor, and fun. These elements come through in everything we do.† 1   As part of these five pillars, all Kimpton Hotels are thoughtfully appointed and managed to help guests maintain and enrich their lifestyles on the road. Each is individually designed to reflect the energy, personality, and pulse of its distinct location, history, and architectural style.

Interstate conflicts Essay Example for Free

Interstate conflicts Essay Introduction: Interstate conflicts are an integral part of the 21st century. The previous century was dominated by two world wars which were extremely violent and the repercussions of which the world is facing even today. It becomes essential to the study the different dynamics of interstate conflicts in order to expedite the processes of conflict management and resolution. There are different actors in a conflict environment and mass media is an important one among them. It is through mass media that conflicts are communicated to citizens. Mass media influences the citizen’s impression and image of the other i.e. the enemy in question. Proliferation of mass media technology has resulted into mediates conflicts. Conflict is continuously hammered upon the audience by various forms of media and hence the need to critically examine the various aspects of media’s role in conflict. This study deals with the most crucial conflict in South Asia i.e. of India-Pakistan. This conflict has shaped the political and economic situation in the sub-continent. Mass media’s role in the India-Pakistan conflict has been much debated by scholars and media n professionals alike. What has not been explored is the possibility of Peace Journalism as opposed to mainstream War Journalism between the two countries. For this very purpose, the researcher has selected a Peace Journalism campaign named Aman Ki Asha (Hope for Peace). The campaign was launched on January 1st, 2010 by The Times of India (India) and The Jang Group (Pakistan) leading media houses of the respective countries. The campaign intends to create an enabling environment by facilitating dialogue between the two governments, encouraging people-to-people contact, thereby contributing to peace between the two countries. The initiative is the first of its kind by print media in the sub-continent. It seeks to satisfy its quest for peace by discussion on all contentious issues between the two countries through mediums like seminars, conferences, cultural festivals and all other forums of people to people contact. The campaign has also committed itself to positive use of print media to promote the benefits of peace and give space to each others point of view on issues of dispute. So far, Aman Ki Asha has organized literary and music fests, editors conferences, trade conferences and strategic seminars to realize its vision. Peace Journalism in the context of India and Pakistan assumes much importance because media in both the nations have been  vehicles to spread hate and animosity. Dissemination of stereotyped images and conventional messages has been at the forefront of media activity in India and Pakistan. During the Kargil War (1999), media contributed to building up of the war hysteria. Thus, media has essayed a by and large negative role when it comes to promoting peace between the two neighbors. Looking at the above mentioned arguments, Aman Ki Asha offers a different perspective on what kind of role can be played by the media in the course of India-Pakistan conflict. It is a Peace Journalism venture launched for the first time in the media history of the two nations. Its critical examination can offer insights into the workings of the Peace Journalism model in current and conflicting times. Moreover, it comes at a time when there looms a constant threat about a nuclear zed conflict in South As ia. Hence, the campaign has been chosen for the study. HEALTH: Use war as a metaphor for disease one which needs cure Incorporate the idea that was is a disease that has afflicted the people of both countries Peace has been used as a metaphor for a healthy state of mind and body. Healthy and progressive relations between India-Pakistan can be established through peace. Intricate connections between war-disease and peace-health have been affirmed by all the articles under this theme. Cooperating on health issues is seen as a possibility of widening dialogue among citizens of both countries. The articles under this theme depict the campaigns stress on cooperation between soft areas like health, IT, education, agriculture, tourism etc. However, there is no specificity on what kind of mechanisms ought to be developed to counter these health threats. There is not much information available in the articles on what kind of health threats do people in Pakistan face and also no commentary about the need to channelize money being overspent on defense by b oth nations on building better health infrastructure. Thus, there is no correlation established between the concept of perceived threat and neglect of peoples issues in both countries. People-to-People contact through sector-wise cooperation has been emphasized repeatedly but questions about its sustainability and impact have not been addressed at all. The styles in which the three articles have been written is starkly different The stand point taken by all the three stories is  pro-peace and pro-cooperation The article dated November 20, 2011 seeks stories from ordinary people on both sides of the border. It talks about ailing Pakistani children being operated in India free of cost It shows that the existing gap between the two nations can be successfully bridged by its common people. There is no exploration of the facet of Pakistanis contributing to Indian medicine and healthcare in any way but the vice-versa has been reported. (1) BUSINESS/ECONOMY: Business/trade has been identified as another important area of cooperation by the campaign. This is evident from the number of articles devoted to the theme. The articles on business identify visa restrictions prevalent between the two countries as the major hurdle for advancement of economic ties. They contain important statements from policy-makers marking a shift in the attitudes of governments on both sides when it comes to trading. Eg: Statement from Pakistani Commerce Minister first to visit India in 35 years. Trading ties with India for Pakistan are a subject of national interest not only for its government and citizens, but also for its military establishment which speaks volumes about the military being an important stake-holder in the political system of Pakistan. The militarys stake in the peace process may lead to an entirely different set of consequences which has not been debated at all. There is also a passing mention about the arrangement of SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade Agreement) but no analysis of how its workings have been hampered by the discord between India and Pakistan. Apart from increasing trade ties, the two nations as mentioned in the articles can also help each other in building institutions of commerce and capacity building of people in the field of business. Enhancing trade tries is not viewed as being restricted to the easing of the visa regime but has been furthered to action oriented cooperation. A possibility to strengthen regional cooperation through SAARC (South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation) has been envisioned. This shows the desire for normalcy not only in bilateral relations but peace for the entire South Asian region items etc the latter granting the same to Pakistan in 1996.(2) POLICY: Kabul river treaty between Afghanistan and Pakistan and how Indias aid to  Afghan developmental projects is creating mistrust between India and Pakistan. This is in consensus to the Peace Journalism model developed by Galtung which says that peace journalism does not restrict the number of parties in a conflict to two and also reports about other parties which may have an indirect or direct influence on the conflict. The article provides a factual and critical analysis to dispel suspicious thinking on part of Pakistan. This is an important component of peace journalism because if threats of conflict are critically analyzed, then they might reveal certain misconceptions and pre-conceived notions.(3) This a very good example of peace reporting and it stands out among the entire lot of articles mainly because it is analytical in nature as opposed to factual reports. One of the characteristics of peace journalism is looking at larger benefits of peace and cooperation, which this article successfully does. It also prescribes peace alternatives for eg: How India can facilitate an Afghan-Pak water treaty to remove suspicions about its role. CULTURE/ENTERTAINMENT: Culture may not seem to be an obvious avenue of cooperation between the two countries but it is an important one because culture has deep influence and impact on people. It is through culture and different forms of mass media that existing stereotypes can be dismantled. India-Pakistan cooperation in the sector of culture is not an institutionalized one. It has grown by itself. Over the time, Pakistani artists have been accepted whole-heartedly by the Indian audience and they have also gained commercially by being a part of the Indian entertainment industry. Their Pakistani identity has not come in the way of their achieving success in Bollywood. They have made a home for themselves in India, says the article, which essentially signifies the transcendence from rigid to flexible national identities in this case. There is a possibility for greater cooperation in sectors of film and music by the way of cross country productions between India and Pakistan. For eg: An India-Pak film festival. This is a very significant article because the Aman ki Asha campaign itself has been a venue for various cultural exchanges between the two countries through which the ability of culture to bring people together is demonstrated. (4) Civil Society and Peace Activists: A number of civil society organizations and NGOs are working to promote peace  and harmony between two nations. They include among others South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Pakistan, Green circle Organization (GCO), Pakistan, Institute for Secular Studies and Peace (ISSP), Pakistan and Aman Ki Asha (Hope for Peace) a joint venture of two daily newspapers of India and Pakistan. (5) Peace between India and Pakistan has been stubbornly elusive and yet tantalizingly inevitable. This vast subcontinent senses the bounties a peace dividend can deliver to its people yet it recoils from claiming a share. The natural impulse would be to break out of the straitjacket of stated positions and embrace an ideal that promises sustained prosperity to the region, yet there is hesitation. There is a collective paralysis of the will, induced by the trauma of birth, amplified by false starts, mistrust, periodic outbreaks of violence, suspicion, misplaced jingoism and diplomatic doublespeak. Tragically, opportunity knocks unheard on doors bolted on the inside. Opportunism, that appeals to atavistic passions, elicits an instant response to every single knock. It is one of history’s ironies that a people who share so much, refuse to acknowledge their similarities and focus so avidly on their differences. We believe it is time to restore the equilibrium. Public opinion is far too potent a force to be left in the hands of narrow vested interests. The people of today must find its voice and force the rulers to listen. The awaam must write its own placards and fashion its own slogans. The leaders must learn to be led and not blindly followed. Skepticism about the given is often the genesis of faith. This skepticism has been brewing. It can be unleashed to forge a new social compact between the people of this region. The media in India and Pakistan speaks directly to the hearts and minds and stomachs of the people. It can help in writing a final chapter, adding a happy t wist to a story that seemed headed for tragedy. It can do so by shaping the discourse and steering it away from rancour and divisiveness. It has the maturity to recognize the irritants and obstacles to peace and will not take a timid stance towards the more intractable and contentious issues – whether relating to Kashmir, water disputes or the issue of cross-border terrorism. It can offer solutions and nudge the leadership towards a sustained peace process. It can create an enabling environment where new ideas can germinate and bold initiatives can sprout. The media can begin the conversation where a plurality of views and opinions are not drowned out by  shrill voices. It can cleanse polluted mindsets and revive the generosity of spirits which is a distinctive trait of the subcontinent. It can help cool the temperature and wean away the guardians from fortified frontiers. It can argue the case for allocating scarce resources where they are needed the most. We believe that this is an intervention whose time has come. We recognize that set backs will occur but these should not derail the process. We will need t o reach out and pluck the low hanging fruit in the beginning before we aim higher. Issues of trade and commerce, of investments, of financial infrastructure, of cultural exchanges, of religious and medical tourism, of free movement of ideas, of visa regimes, of sporting ties, of connectivity, of reviving existing routes, of market access, of separated families, of the plight of prisoners, will be part of our initial agenda.. They talk to each other about food, about music, about poetry, about films, about theatre and about the prolonged absences spawned by lost years. They share anxieties, discuss rising prices, seek advice on their children’s education, gossip about their in-laws, trade anecdotes and laugh at the foibles of politicians. We want to lower the walls so that the conversation continues. We owe our unborn generations the right to rise out of the depths of poverty, and squalour. It is embarrassing to read the statistics confirming our resistance to positive change in the fields of education, health and poverty alleviation. All social indices are s tacked against us and will remain so unless we scatter the war clouds that menace our skies. There are external elements at work in the region that thrive on the animosity between the two neighbours. They have a stake in keeping the region in turmoil. We need to combat them by making them irrelevant. A surge of goodwill and flexibility on the part of civil society and the media will push these forces back by denying them the raw material that manufactures hate. Our subcontinent needs to follow the footprints left behind by the great poets, sufi saints and the bhakts who preached and practiced love and inclusiveness. This is the land of Tagore and Ghalib, of Bulleh Shah and Kabir, of Nanak and Moinuddin Chisti. It is their spirit that will guide us in this journey. The one and half billion people of this region await the dawning of an age where peace, equality and tranquility prevails. This will happen when every heart beats with Aman ki Asha. What Aman ki Asha has achieved so far: Aman ki Asha has brought about a sea change in perceptions about each other among Indians and Pakistanis. Independent surveys in India and Pakistan have shown that as a result of the Aman ki Asha campaign, every positive perception about Pakistan in India has improved, and every negative perception has decreased. Some of the more significant changes in perception include. Before Aman ki Asha was launched only 4% Indians knew Pakistan’s point of view on the Kashmir; after 12 months of campaigning this increased by 425%, to 17%.(6) 1. The terror perception of Pakistan decreased from 59% to 29%. 2. The hope for sustainable peace in our lifetime increased from 13% to 29% 3. The desire for peace amongst Indians increased from 62% to 82% Indians familiar with and following the Aman ki Asha campaign had an approximately 40% more positive perception about Pakistan than those not familiar with Aman ki Asha. By openly and aggressively campaigning forthe resolution of disputes, establishing trade and investment relations and greater people to people contacts, Aman ki Asha has enabled all other stakeholders , NGOs engaged in peace-building, politicians, the business community and civil society leaders – to openly advocate normalization of relations between Pakistan and India far more rigorously than before. (7) Aman ki Asha has brought the business communities of both countries together in their individual capacities as well as the two largest business associations of India and Pakistan the Pakistan Business Council and the Confederation of Indian Industries. By strongly advocating economic collaboration and making presentations to the Commerce Ministry of Pakistan, Aman ki Asha has provided impetus to Pakistans grant of MFN status to India. By providing a platform for an open and honest discussion on contentious issues and giving voice to the strong desire of the people of both countries for peace, Aman ki Asha has given tremendous confidence to both governments to negotiate with an open mind and show flexibility (during his visit to Pakistan, the then Indian Foreign MinisterS.M. Krishna publicly acknowledged that, â€Å"the sea change in the relations between India and Pakistan during the last two years is largely attributable to the efforts of Aman ki Asha and we now share the optimism of Aman ki Asha†). All mainstream political leaders of Pakistan – Mian Nawaz Sharif, then Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani, Altaf Hussain, Imran Khan, Liaqat Baloch – have strongly  endorsed the objectives and the positive contribution of Aman ki Asha. Aman ki Asha has not only captured the imagination of the people of both countries it has drawn wide and vocal support from the international community.(8) Conclusion: From the above analysis, we can conclude that the Aman Ki Asha campaign has focused on events like meetings of elites, dialogues with top level officials, policy makers, and subject experts to stress on sector wise engagement between the two countries. The campaign is an initiative to dismantle stereotypes prevailing in both countries and a subtle critique on the media which relies heavily on nationalistic discourse and demonizing the other. It has provided a scope for voices of peace to be heard and has ventured the path less treaded. It has tried to establish itself as a model of peace journalism by portraying the good work done by people on both sides of the border. The thrust of the campaign comes from the belief that peace can be achieved as a result of cooperation enhanced in different sectors. However, the articles of the campaign do not delve deeper and provide a critical commentary on various peace alternatives that can be made available to India and Pakistan. Certainly, pea ce reporting should be optimistic, but it should also be balanced with the aim of guiding future policy decisions. Many first time initiatives taken up by the campaign have been discussed in the articles (eg: meetings of delegations of subject experts, visit of Pakistan Commerce Minister etc). The campaign has been a platform for elites of the two countries to meet up and exchange ideas. The articles have not covered a single visit of an Indian delegation to Pakistan which may come out as a skewed form of 15 cultural exchange. This is not to conclude that vice-versa exchanges have never taken place. Only they have not been reported in the selected sample for study. The study is limited in the sense of not being able to study the Jang Group of publications for articles about the campaign that have appeared in the Jang newspaper and its other associates. The inability to study the Jang newspaper has been because of the language barrier. The articles in the newspaper are in Urdu. However, future studies can consider including The News International, a daily from Pakistan which has partnered Aman Ki Asha with The Times of India. Studies  including articles from Jang and The News International will be able to provide a more holistic and balanced view of the campaign. Also the paucity of news articles talking about exchanges between common citizens can be attributed to two reasons Since, the campaign is of a continuous nature it may not be possible to deem each exchange and interaction between representatives of both countries as news. Hence, only some which are considered to be important and of news value have been presented in the campaign. Foreign Policy is the domain of the elite and interaction between elites is perceived to be of much more importance than between ordinary citizens to bring about an effective change in the attitudes of policy makers. Despite the lacunae in the articles analyzed, the campaign comes extremely close to the normative prescriptions developed by Galtung for a Peace Journalism model. As has been observed in the data analysis section, all the articles conform to the selected considerations in some or the other way. All considerations may not apply at the same time to a particular article. Through analysis, there has been an attempt to depict the underlying nuances of the documents which may not be quite apparent to the reader. The campaign thus, serves as a Peace Journalism model the first of its kind in the context of India-Pakistan and assumes not just greater importance but also greater responsibility to meet the challenges that lie. References: 1 Patel, T. (2005). News Coverage and Conflict Resolution: Aid or Impediment. Unpublished M.Phil Dissertation, University of Queensland. Australia. 2 http://amankiasha.com/faqs.asp Accessed on February 23, 2012 3 Chattarji, S. (2008). Tracking the Media: Interpretations of Mass Media Discourses in India and Pakistan. Routledge, New Delhi. 4.http://amankiasha.com/joint_statment.asp 5. Alam, I. (2006). Media and Peace in South Asia. Pakistan: Free Media Foundation. 6. Anupama, C. (2007). King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Inidan Cinema. New York: Warner Books. 7. Bhaumik, S. N. (2006). Politics of Indian War Films. Pakistan: South Asian Policy Analysis Network. 8. Holm, A. N. Holm, A. N. (2008). Batting for Peace. Germany: VDM Publishers. Bibliography: 9. Kukreja, V. Singh, M. P. (2008). Democracy, Development and Discontent in South Asia. New Delhi: Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd. 10. Rao, S. (2010). Shah Rukh Khan: Symbol of Indian Secularism. Pakistan: South Asian Journal. (Journal # 29, named: Cinema in South Asia). 11. Saigol, R. (2006). Ideology and Curriculum in India and Pakistan. Pakistan: South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA). 12. Gupta, A. (2006). India’s Soft Power. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal. Page # 50-52. New Delhi: