Interracial dating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interracial dating - Essay Example There has been an increase in the number of interracial relationships and marriages, as people from different races interact freely and form great friendships. More than five decades ago, interracial dating was unconstitutional, especially concerning the relationships between black people and white people. This was due to racism, segregation and the fact that some people held some primitive notions that insinuated that black and white people were biologically incompatible. They thought that interracial dating and marriages would lead to interbreeding, therefore, blemishing their pure race. In the modern day society, globalization has forced people to travel to new places, experience new cultures and interact with new ethnicities. This has led to a steady increase in interracial dating (Alderman 4). Even though many stereotypes concerning interracial dating continue to exist, there is a lot of significance in the practice, as this essay will demonstrate. Firstly, interracial dating plays an important role in bringing different ethnic groups together. In my opinion, interracial dating is significant in increasing cohesion between rival ethnic groups. Take the example of African Americans and the Caucasians people. African Americans had been segregated and treated unfairly in the past. They had to deal with many atrocities committed against them during the slavery era. When they got their freedom, they decided to narrow down the pre-existing knowledge gap in the education field and occupational fields. Many years later, African Americans have been able to work and school with the Caucasians. Although many African Americans feel that they are not presented with equal opportunities as their Caucasian counterparts, a significant number of Black people have dropped the excuses and competed effectively in every educational and occupational field. As a result, they have worked and interacted with Caucasian colleagues and sometimes developed intimate relationships.

Organizational Changes within the National Health Service Essay Example for Free

Organizational Changes within the National Health Service Essay 1. Discuss and debate the organizational changes within the National Health Service and examine how these have influenced care delivery. At the start of the NHS, a mediation model of management subsisted where the role of the manager facilitated health care professionals to care for the patient. Medical staffs were extremely influential and controlling in determining the shape of the service, at the same time as managers were imprudent and focused on managing internal organizational issues (Harrison et al. 1992). After the 1979 general election, there was originally little change to the National Health Service (Klein 1983). Though, poor economic growth, together with growing public expenditure, slowly brought about changes. Influenced by the New Right ideologies, a more interventionist, practical, style of management in the health service emerged. This efficiently changed the role of managers from one of imprudent scapegoats for existing problems, to agents of the government (Flynn 1992). Managers became the means by which government control over NHS spending was increased (Harrison and Pollitt 1994). The impulsion for this change arose from the 1983 Griffiths report (NHS Executive 1983), an assessment by the government health advisor, Sir Roy Griffiths. Within this report, four specific problem areas were recognized: the limited management influence over the clinical professions; a managerial stress on reactivity to problems; the significance placed on managing the status quo; and a culture of producer, not consumer, orientation (Harrison et al. 1992). The power of the Griffiths Report (op. cit.) was to challenge and limit medicines sovereignty in the health service, and over health care resources. certainly, nurses were simply referred to twice throughout the document. Through its attention on organizational dynamics and not structure, the Griffiths Report proposed main change to the health service. General Managers were initiated at all levels of the NHS. In spite of Griffiths original intention that it was simply cultural adjustment that was required, there were instantaneous and considerable structural and organizational changes in the health service (Robinson et al. 1989). Post-Griffiths there were escalating demands for value for money in the health service (DoH 1989). Efforts to extend managerial control over professional autonomy and behavior so continued throughout this intense period of change, and terminated with the NHS and Community Care Act (DoH 1990). From the re-organizations that taken place during this period, the NHS was rationalized to conform more intimately to the model of free enterprise in the private sector. This reformation was shaped by the belief that greater competence could be stimulated through the formation of an internal and competitive market. The belief that the health service was a distinguishing organization was disputed. The principles of economic rationality linked with business organizations were applied extensive to the operation of health service. The services requisite were determined, negotiated, and agreed by purchasers and providers through a funding and constricting mechanism. In this, trust hospitals and Directly Managed Units supplied health care provision for District and General Practitioner fund holders. There has since been a further shift in the purchaser base from health authorities to local commissioning through primary care groups and, more lately, through the Shifting the Balance of Power: The Next Steps policy document (DoH 2001b), to Primary Care Trusts. Through such recognized relationships, purchasers have turn out to be commissioners of services and the idea of the internal market has become the managed market that recognizes the more long-term planning of services that is required. Rhetoric of organization and health improvement underpins service agreements now made. The NHS is not simply a technical institution for the delivery of care, but as well a political institution where the practice of health care and the roles of health care practitioners imitate the authority base within society. The hospital organizational structure is an influential determinant of social identity, and thus affects health care roles and responsibilities. Though, through the health care reforms the medical staff and, to a lesser degree the managers, appeared to be defense from the introduction of general management into the health service. This has resulted in health service delivery remaining stoutly located within a medical model, and medical domination unchallenged (Mechanic 1991). It is the less authoritative occupational groups, including nursing, that have felt the major impact of such reforms. The NHS organizational changes aimed to convey leadership, value for money, and professional responsibility to managers at all level of the health service. These alterations were intended to reverse the organizational inertia that was limiting growth and efficiency in the system. Though originally aiming a positive impact on the service, these radical ideologies led to tension at the manager-health care professional boundary (Owens and Glennerster 1990). The prologue of the internal market in the NHS meant to present a more neutral and competent way of allocating resources, through rationalization and depersonalization. The new era of managerially claimed to be a changing force opposing customary health professional power (Newman and Clarke 1994), and persuasive professionals to offer to organizational objectives (Macara 1996). The contradictory models of health care held by managers and health care workers improved ambiguity over areas of responsibility and decision making, somewhat than clarity as anticipated (Owens and Glennerster 1990). The contending ideologies and tribalism between the health care groups were more unequivocally revealed. The introduction of markets to health care exposed a dichotomy for health care professionals. Medical and nursing staffs were requisite to report to better managerial officials, yet reveal professional commitment to a collegial peer group. This was challenging, mainly for medical staff that understood medical influence and the independence of medical practice, but did not recognize managerial ability. In many of the commentaries addressing this, the majority pragmatic resolution to addressing this situation was to distinguish that professional independence exists but together with, and limited, by managerial and decision-making control. The Griffiths Report (NHS Management Executive 1983) considered the doctor as the natural manager and endeavored to engage medicine with the general management culture through the resource management inventiveness. This requisite medicine to clinch the managerial values of collaboration, team work and collective attainment through the configuration of clinical management teams: the clinical directorate. On the contrary such working attitudes were in direct contrast to medicines principles of maximizing rather than optimizing, and of autonomy not interdependence. It is fascinating that even in todays health care environment; there have been sustained observations that medical staffs do not supervise resources or clinical staff in an idealistic way. in spite of this, there has been little effort to undertake a methodical and broad review of the organization of medical work. This is in direct distinction to the experience of nurses, whose working practices and standards persist to be cr itiqued by all. Early on attempts made by managers to bound medical authority led to doctors adopting countervailing practices so as to remain independent and avoid organizational authority. Such practices, taken to keep their clinical independence, included unrestricted behaviors in admitting patients or deciding on explicit patient treatments (Harrison and Bruscini 1995). These behaviors rendered it hard for managers to intrude on medical practice, and therefore restricted the impact of the health care reforms. Immediately post-Griffiths there was some proof that introduction of general managers had, to a small extent, influenced medical practices. Green and Armstrong (1993) undertook a study on bed management in nine London hospitals. In this study, it was established how the work of managerial bed managers was capable to influence throughput of patients, admission and operating lists, thereby ultimately affecting the work of medicine. however, attempts made by managers to organize medicine were self-limiting. Health care managers were not a colossal, ideologically homogeneous group and lacked a strong consistent power base (Harrison and Pollitt 1994). Managers did not fulfill their remit of exigent the medical position in the health service and evade the responsibility for implementing repulsive and difficult decisions (Harrison and Pollitt op. cit.). The management capability of medicine persists to be challenged by government initiatives including the overture of clinical governance (DoH 1997). In this, the Chief Executives of trusts are held responsible for the quality of clinical care delivered by the whole workforce. An optimistic impact of this transform may be to provide opportunity for an incorporated organization with all team members, representing an interdependent admiration of health care (Marnoch and Ross 1998). on the other hand, it might be viewed as simply a structural change to increase the recognized ability of the Chief Executive over the traditional authority of medical staff: a further effort to make in-roads into the medical power base. Current years have demonstrated sustained commitment from the government towards modernizing health care (DoH 2000b). This has integrated challenging conventional working patterns and clinical roles across clinical specialties and disciplines. certainly medicine has received improved public and government scrutiny over current years. This has resulted in a shift of approach from within and outside the medical profession. The accomplishment of challenging the agenda for change in health care will be part-determined by medicines capability to further flex its own boundaries, and respond to the developing proficiency of others. 2. Identify and critically explore the changing role of the nurse, within the multi disciplinary team, examining legal, ethical and professional implications. The impact on nurses of the post-Griffiths health service configuration has not been so inconsequential. Empirical work has demonstrated that execution of the Griffiths recommendations led to the removal of the nursing management structure. This efficiently limited senior nurses to simply operational roles (Keen and Malby 1992). The implementation of the clinical directorate structure, with consultants having managerial accountability over nursing, further reduced nursings capability to effect change. Prior to 1984, budgetary control for nursing place with the profession. The 1984 reorganization distant nursing from nursings own control and placed it decisively under the new general managers (Robinson and Strong 1987, p. 5). As the notions of cost inhibition and erudite consumers were promoted, audit and accounting practices assumed a significant position in the health service. It was nurses who, encompassing a considerable percentage of the total workforce and linked staffing budget, found themselves targets for public and government analysis. Nursing maintained some strategic management functions within the new management structures, but these tasks were mostly limited to areas within the professional nursing domain. Nurses have been seen as pricey and potentially upsetting factors of production: channels through which costs can be lessened and administration functions can be absorbed (Ackroyd 1996). Caught in the crossfire of managerial changes that were originally targeted at medicine, nursing has been placed subordinate to management (Robinson and Strong 1987). In spite of debates on the impact of health care changes, there is consent on one issue. The structural and organizational changes in the NHS since 1991 have re-fashioned unit management teams and unit management responsibilities. This has resulted in the improved involvement of these teams in the stipulation of the service. It has required a diverse way of thinking about health care and new relationships between clinicians and managers to be developed (Owens and Glennerster 1990). The nineties are set to become a vital period in changing the ways in which health care is delivered, not just in terms of the potential re-demarcation of occupational boundaries between health care occupations, but as well in terms of the broader political, economic and organizational changes presently taking place in the NHS. It is asserted that traditional demarcations between doctors and nurses, seen as based on ever more unsustainable distinctions between cure and care, are becoming blurred and that the new nursing causes a threat to the supremacy of the medical profession within health care (Beardshaw and Robinson 1990). though, there is an element of wishful thinking about this and, indeed, Beardshaw and Robinson (1990) rage their optimism with an identification of the continued reality of medical dominance. They see the threat to medical supremacy as one of the most problematical aspects of the new nursing, largely as claims to a unique therapeutic role for nursing must essentially involve a reassessment of patient care relative to cure. In Beardshaw and Robinsons view, the degree to which doctors will be willing to exchange their conventional handmaidens for true clinical partners, or even substitutes, is one of the most significant questions posed by the new nursing. In the wake of the Cumberlege Report on Community Nursing (DHSS 1986) and World Health Organization directions concerning precautionary health care, there appeared the very real view of the substitution of nurses for doctors in definite clinical areas-particularly primary care in the community, through nurses creating a central role in health encouragement, screening, counseling and routine treatment work in some GP practices (Beardshaw and Robinson 1990). Though, a current evaluation of the impact of present reforms in the NHS on the role of the nurse in primary care is more distrustful concerning the future shape of the community nursing role. If the way to determine the extent of nurses challenge to medicine is in terms of the conflict it provokes, then there positively is proof of medical resistance to recent developments in nursing. Doctors reaction to the Cumberlege Report on neighborhood nursing (DHSS 1986), which suggested the appointment of nurse practitioners, revealed that there were doctors who strongly resisted the initiative of nurses acting autonomously (Delamothe 1988). On the other hand, the General Medical Services Committee and the Royal College of Nursing agreed that decisions concerning appropriate treatment are in practice not always made by the patients general practitioner and recognized that nurses working in the community are effectively prescribes of treatment (British Medical Journal 1988:226). Discussions relating to the proper arrangements desired to hold the prescription of drugs by nurses are taking place, on the grounds that nurse prescribing raises issues linking to the legal and professional status of both the nursing and the medical professions (British Medical Journal 1988:226). This suggests that renegotiations relating to the spheres of competence of doctors and nurses are on the agenda. None the less, the General Medical Council (1992) Guidelines remain indistinct on nurse prescribing and other forms of delegation of tasks under medical privilege to nurses, stating that it has no desire to hold back delegation, but warning that doctors must be satisfied concerning the competence of the person to whom they are delegated, and insisting that doctors should retain eventual responsibility for the patients, as improper delegation renders a doctor liable to disciplinary proceedings. Renegotiations around the division of responsibilities between doctors and nurses are taking place very carefully and to a large extent on a rather extemporized basis, given the volume of letters requesting advice and clarification received from GPs by the General Medical Council. The focus in much of the nursing literature seems to be on the challenge of the new nursing to the old nursing posed by nursing reform, somewhat than on the challenge to medicine. One doctor (Mitchell 1984) has complained in the pages of the British Medical Journal that doctors have not been told what the nursing process is about. Paradoxically, the nursing process is in fact derived from the work of an American doctor, Lawrence Weed, who pioneered the problem-oriented record for hospitals in 1969. This changed the way in which patient information was collected and stored by instituting one single record to which all health professionals given. Though the nursing process, which was part of this innovation, crossed the Atlantic to Britain, the problem-oriented record did not. Mitchell (1984) has argued that the medical profession must oppose the nursing process and give it a rough ride on the grounds that medical knowledge should precede nursing plans to remedy the deficiencies of living activities which are, he insists, consequential upon the cause and clinical course of disease. He also accuses nurses of enabling a pernicious dichotomy between cure and care, relegating the doctor to disease and inspiring the nurse to the holistic care of the individual, and suspects that the nursing process is less a system of rationalizing the delivery of care than a means of elevating nurses status and securing autonomy from medical supremacy.

Homelessness Causes and Effects

Homelessness Causes and Effects Homeless People What would it be like to be homeless? Imagine not knowing where you will sleep tonight. On a practical level, how would it feel not to have a bath for weeks and to wear dirty clothes every day? I think most of us would agree with the line from John Payne’s poem Home, Sweet Home: â€Å"Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home†. Yet thousands of people in the UK have no home of their own. We have all seen people asking for money, who seem to have all their possessions in a plastic bag, and nowhere to go. Although these people who are sleeping rough in doorways are the most visible, homelessness also includes those who are placed in hostels, bed and breakfast or other temporary accommodation, or local authority housing. It is difficult to understand how people become homeless and research shows that they are all ages, from all areas and backgrounds. There are charities that support the homeless and Centrepoint is a national organisation that focuses on young people. It provides emergency night shelters and short stay hostels. Their research shows that more than 80% of the young people who turn to Centrepoint for help are homeless due to family breakdown, abuse or eviction. Some young people become homeless following the death of a parent. It seems a double blow to be bereaved and homeless. However, often these vulnerable young people find themselves sleeping rough before seeking help. Many of these 16 to 20 year olds have no qualifications or means of supporting themselves financially. I feel that if our society wants these people to become self-sufficient, it is essential to offer help in the form of housing, and assisting them to either return to school, or to gain qualifications through training programmes to improve their chances of finding worthwhile employment. Tragically, many homeless young people are â€Å"befriended† by drug addicts or encouraged into prostitution. For those who have run away from home as a result of abuse, one wonders how bad their home circumstances must have been if they would prefer to face the risks of addiction and sexually transmitted disease. Of course it is not only young people who become homeless. Older people can face homelessness when they lose their jobs and are evicted from their homes because they cannot pay the rent. Sometimes these people have physical or mental health problems as well. Unfortunately in some circumstances these people either have no family, or their families are unable or unwilling to help them. Single homeless people are not a high priority for housing assistance and are therefore more likely to be sleeping rough, huddled under a bridge, trying to keep warm with newspapers. Other homeless people are ex-offenders. They have paid for their crime and yet they find themselves unable to find a job and therefore without resources. It is sad that many people coming out of prison have nowhere to go and may eventually end up in prison again. Often these people have been exposed to drugs in prison and will resort to dealing as a means of making money. Anyone is capable of turning to crime out of desperation, ending up harming others in an attempt to steal money. If people become homeless as a result of family breakdown or employment problems, should we not as a society make a stronger effort to help these people? Homelessness and having no money creates a climate for crime which is what we want to prevent. One of the ways of preventing it could be to offer more support to people before they find themselves homeless. For example, young people could have anonymous safe places to go to if they are in abusive situations. They should know that there is at least one adult at school who they can talk to, or a number they can phone. Although there are charities offering phone line assistance, it is not sufficient. The people who receive the least sympathy, it seems, are the mothers with small children. Although they may not be sleeping rough, these families are often in very cramped accommodation and they cannot really make it feel like a home. If they are fortunate enough to be given council housing they are often envied or disliked by others and made to feel that they have been given something they do not deserve. However, we do not know their circumstances and they may have been the victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence. It would be far better for them and their children to be in a safe place than to risk further violence. Homelessness is a problem all over the world. Places affected by flooding and earthquakes suddenly have thousands of people whose homes have been demolished and who have no possessions. Places in Africa that experience severe drought conditions force people to try to find food elsewhere. Unfortunately the result is often groups of homeless people who are starving.According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people worldwide have no housing whatsoever. This becomes a serious Human Rights issue and although we might like to think it is mainly a problem in the developing countries, the truth is that in first world countries such as the UK and United States, the number of homeless is growing. Although it is helpful to donate to charities who offer help, or to give people food, more needs to be done. Adequate housing needs to be available and we have to change our attitude towards people who may be in dire circumstances through no fault of their own. Bibliography Capdevila, G HUMAN RIGHTS: More Than 100 Million Homeless Worldwide http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=28086 Payne, J Clari; or, the Maid of Milan: an Opera. London: John Miller, 1823. See http://www.poetry-archive.com/p/home_sweet_home.html Pleace, N and Fitzpatrick, S (2004) Centrepoint Youth Homelessness index http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/documents/Centrepoint_YorkResearch-report.pdf

Essay --

There is an epidemic that is sweeping society that is visible and difficult not to notice; Obesity. Obesity can be called many things by many people. Some people in our society refer to obesity as an epidemic or a disease or a fat person’s problem. Obesity can be labeled many things by many people but there is a general consensus that obesity is a national problem. A person who is obese can be singled out by an employer to pay higher health insurance premiums solely because he or she is obese. The implication that an obese person is put into a separate category from a non-obese person can strengthen the stigma that obesity has on the society. Obesity in society impacts everyone from increased healthcare costs, a person’s overall physical and mental health and the stigma that being obese carries. Society’s problem with obesity is not solely for the children and adults who are overweight, but for every person to help find workable solutions to stop the overall hea lth epidemic that obesity causes. The cost of being obese affects not only the person who is obese but also health care providers, employers and insurance companies. There is a financial strain that is felt throughout society because of the increase of health care costs, health insurance premiums and earning potentials of obese workers that affect the society now and in the future. A person who is obese will â€Å"incur almost $40,000 in additional lifetime health care costs† than a person who is not obese (Davlglus, 2005, p. 98). The numbers associated with the cost of obesity are staggering. Individuals who are obese will spend about $1,500 more in health care and $600 more in prescription drugs than a person who is not obese (Guarino, 2013). The cost of obesity not only aff... ...ividual person and to the society have far reaching effects on the economy as a whole and the obese individual. The physical and mental health of an obese person is not only a concern for the individual but to society. When a group of people are inflicted with diseases directly related to obesity it is time for society to step up and demand a change in how we treat obesity related illnesses and not make obese individuals ashamed to seek medical treatment. The views society has on an obese person does not help foster positive and encouraging feelings but encourages social stigma against the obese. The cycle of health care and health and views on the obese all work together in this epidemic. One part of the obesity problem cannot be solved or addressed without it effecting another area and the problem of our society and nation to work together to find a solution.

Acquisition of Reebok by Adidas, M&a Deal in the Sports Industry

This report presents a brief summary of the M&A deal and the performance of the Adidas-Salmon Group and the Reebok International which are the top players after Nike, in sportswear market. Mergers and Acquisitions is an extreme matter of concern in the corporate world since last few decades. M&A can also be considered as a main vehicle which drives towards direct investments, either domestic or foreign. With motives of achieving greater efficiency and effective strategies, most of the companies had gone through at least one M&A activity at least once in a lifetime.This report contains theories regarding Mergers and Acquisition and is focused on the Cross-border M&A (Adidas- A German company and Reebok- an American company). It includes the acquisition process and presents the motives behind the acquisition of Reebok by Adidas. The report also includes the analysis to identify whether synergy (Value of (Adidas+ Reebok) > Value of Adidas+ Value of Reebok) has been achieved or not. I t can be identified through performance measurement and evaluation.The analysis of the company’s annual reports and the reviews in various websites contributed to determine whether the company is able to achieve its target objectives. Table of Contents S. N. Title Page No. 1. Introduction1 2. Literature Review2 a. The need of Merger2 b. Due diligence3 2. 2. 1 Legal and regulatory issues3 2. 2. 2 Tender offer3 2. 2. 3 Empirical Evidence4 2. 2. 4 Strategies of Adidas & Reebok 4 3. Methodology5 4. Discussion5 a. Synergies achieved5 4. 2 Financial Analysis6 4. 3 Targets and Achievements: Post merger evaluation7 . Conclusion and Recommendations9 References10 1. Introduction Corporate Restructuring is the process of reconstructing the operational, financial, legal and other structures of an organization in order to achieve the organizational efficiency, technological advancement, market expansion, profit maximization and obtain the competitive advantage over others. Mergers and Acq uisitions (M&A), which is one of the major corporate restructuring methods and started in US, has become a global practice for over 100 years.With the increase in globalization concept, most of the companies around the world have undergone through one among the following three types of M&A. Vertical merger which includes the combination of the forms operating in the different levels of the same industry differs from the Horizontal merger where the two combined firms operate in the same business activity. Conglomerate, the third type is rather unique as it involves the combination of firms of different industry. For a detailed analysis of M&A activity, I have chosen an acquisition ofReebok (an American sportswear company) by Adidas (a German sportswear company) and evaluating its performance and the various stages of the M&A activity. Adidas-Reebok acquisition is categorized under horizontal Cross-Border M&A whose main objective is to present the group as a market leader in the field of sportswear. The rate of M&A activities seem to be increasing day by day. However, the success rate of these mergers is very low. This is because of the lack of ability to achieve the synergy, which is obtained as a result of increased competitive advantage.So, the report is based on evaluating the various aspects of Adidas-Reebok performance to draw the conclusion whether the integration is successful to meet the target objectives or not. 2. Literature Review With an aim to drive competition and growth in the sports market, there was significant presence of the M&A activities since late 1990s. In 1997, Adidas acquired the Salomon Group for $1. 4 billion. In 2003, Nike acquired Converse for $305 million and in 2004 Reebok acquired The Hockey Company for $330 million. In 2005, the Adidas-Salmon Group acquired Reebok for $3. billion and in 2008; Nike acquired Umbro Plc for 285 million.Many analysts have identified that the companies major objectives and targets of M&A activities ha ve not successfully achieved in most of the cases. Timothy and Mark (2007) point out the major of failure as cultural aspects of mergers that are poorly dealt with and mention that successful mergers are based as much on emotional reactions and energized behavior. Bjorkman, Stahl, and Vaara (2007) also discussed the role of cultural differences on the capability transfer for cross-border acquisitions. . 1 The need of Merger According to the data obtained by Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association International in 2004, Nike was the leader in American sportswear with market share of 36% leaving Reebok and Adidas the second and third position with 12. 2% and 8. 9% respectively. And America alone counts for almost 50% of the total global sportswear market. So, it was an important opportunity for Adidas and Reebok to have a combined competitive strength over the leader Nike, a famous brand in its fashion, status, colours and combinations.Besides that, Adidas was facing a tough competit ion with the fourth largest sports brand Puma, which compelled it to take the growth strategy through acquisition with Reebok. Puma had already disclosed expansion plans through acquisitions and entry into new sportswear categories So, for a successful merger, the challenge was to integrate Adidas's German culture of control, engineering, and production and Reebok's U. S. marketing- driven culture. Also, the core competencies of the combined companies seem a major strength than the individual competencies. Adidas Core Competencies |Reebok Core Competencies |Combined Core Competencies | |–Technology |– Trend Identification |– Adidas technology with Reebok design | |– Customer focus |– Ability to market to a niche segment |– Adidas sports with Reebok women’s market | |– Brand recognition |– Women’s shoe design |– Adidas shoes with Reebok apparel | |– Supply chain |– Design expertise |– Ad idas global strength & Reebok US strength | |– Collaboratively competitive |– Celebrity relationships | | 2. Due diligence 2. 2. 1 Legal and regulatory issues: Any M&A process should face through the regulatory bodies before they are granted the permission. There are various antitrust authorities which will examine and restrict the merger activities that create the monopoly in a particular market. Some of these authorities are the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in USA, the Competition Commission in the UK, the European Commission in EU and the Federal Cartel Office in Germany. Adidas, being the German company had successfully passed the regulatory check and was approved by both the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission to acquire Reebok on $3. 8 bn.As Reebok was targeting mainly in the American youths where as Adidas was targeting the European professionals and these brands had different pricing positions, EU concluded that this integration would not signif icantly affect the competition in the sports market. 2. 2. 2 Tender offer Tender offer in M&A is a general offer made by any acquirer company to a target company either publicly or directly to the shareholders to grant their stocks in the price which is higher than the present market price. After analyzing the market value of Reebok, Adidas has offered the buying of Reebok’s share with 34. 2 percent share premium. A written consent between Adidas and Reebok was established mentioning all the legal obligations. 2. 2. 3 Empirical Evidence The once in a lifetime opportunity’, as mentioned by Adidas-Salomon AG Chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer, came into reality after the deal was closed on Jan 31, 2006, which provided the new Adidas group with an increased Capital of around â‚ ¬9. 5 billion ($11. 8 billion) in the global athletic footwear, apparel and hardware markets. Adidas-Salmon group paid $ 3. 527 bn to Reebok as total value of the Reebok shares calculated at the ra te of $59. 0 per share. They had paid 34. 2 % share premium. The share price of Reebok had rose by 30% after the acquisition.Hainer added, â€Å"The brands will be kept separate because each brand has a lot of value and it would be stupid to bring them together. The companies would continue selling products under respective brand names and labels. This is considered as the major strategy to keep the existing brand values and customers safe, protecting their brand loyalty. 2. 2. 4 Strategies of Adidas & Reebok The two companies came to the M&A deal with some of the very important strategies that lead to the growth and expansion of the market and the product portfolio along with the shared technology. The acquisition helped the new group to double the sales in America (U. S. $3. 9 billion) and also Reebok to increase its sales in Europe from the Adidas’s strong brand recognition and market expertise. Both the groups are creating the greater job opportunities with the well expe rienced and world class employees. They are selecting their top most employees into a new group for more effective business operation.This will help them to establish themselves as top most global brand from their strength (improved R&D systems with award winning cutting-edge technology, trend-setting street wear and classic design) with a strong presence as qualitative and wide ranged sports products. The combined group showed stronger presence among various teams and athletes such as David Beckham, Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and also the top sports events like FIFA World Cup 2006 and Olympics 2008 to increase the global visibility of both the brands. 3. Methodology The report is based on academic knowledge gained during the course and the further research done on various websites.This includes the company’s website, various reviews and other academic sources available in the internet. After introducing about the M&A process, the literature review was done from t he past papers about Cross-border M&A and the management report on Adidas-Reebok M&A. The official website of Adidas group was used as the major source of annual financial report and performance measurement report, which helped to analyze the success of the integration in terms of sales revenue and other performance measurement indicators. After the detailed study of the case, the report contains few recommendations which might help the company to increase its profit and ultimately achieve its target objectives. 4. DiscussionThe success and failure of the M&A can be accessed from the perspectives of shareholders, managers and employees as the interests of these groups do not coincide (Sudarsanam, 2003). The report below contains analysis from different perspectives. 4. 1 Synergies achieved: The combined group had achieved the synergies based on each other’s competitive strength. Operating synergies affect the operations of the combined firm and include economies of scale, inc reased pricing power, and higher growth potential (Damodaran, 2006). As a geographical and demographical category, Reebok got chance to benefit from its partner Adidas which has expertise in European market.Similarly, Adidas benefited from Reebok expertise in American and Asian markets especially the youths and women. The new group had the wide range of products with continuous brand development by sharing R&D technologies. The synergy in distribution channel can be obtained through distribution and operation efficiencies. They have obtained 40% synergies in marketing, sales and distribution through selective diversification of channels and the optimum utilization of distribution capacity. Hadfield (2006), in his article quotes the statement of Steve Bonomo, the head of recruitment of Adidas, who says that the Adidas-Reebok acquisition has reduced the global recruitment cost by 30-50 percent.This reduction in expenses will help to increase the profit to some extent. Through global s ourcing and using economies of scale, they have been able to achieve 20% operations synergies. 4. 2 Financial Analysis: After the integration the management structure was reformed with the reduction of unnecessary branches and departments. They also agreed to share the cost incurred in production technology, distribution and back operations. The Reebok switching from pre-order in bulk amount to pay as you go system results the instant cash and uniform production and distribution of goods. The Annual financial report of Adidas group shows the sharp increase of sales revenue after the acquisition process.As the official deal was signed in Jan 2006, there is the dramatic rise in the sales from Dec 2005 to Dec 2006 resulting very high sales revenue of the combined group than it used to get during the individual sells. There is a continuous increase in sales even though the market was hit by the economic crisis during past few years (shown in the graph). The fact that the Adidas group fa ced serious decrease in sales of Reebok goods in Europe because the company decided to shut down some of the retail branches was very noticeable. But there was huge increase of the sales of Adidas products in America, which ultimately offset the losses, incurred in the group and ultimately led the company towards profit. [pic] Source: Adidas-group. com/ annual report 4.3 Targets and Achievements: Post merger evaluation Targets |Achievement | Description | |Environmental |75% |The environmental targets and strategy for climate change and carbon emissions | |sustainability-Group achievement| |have been developed as a whole but the group-wide strategy covering the entire | | | |value chain has remained. | |Environmental sustainability- |50% |The cross- brand group was formed to support all the Adidas brands but the full | |Product | |implementation of the prepared guidelines is in due. |Environmental |100% |Launched the internal Company Initiatives to promote environmental assessments | |Sustainability-Properties | |and awareness, reviewed the in-house ‘Think Green Guide’, established the | | | |environmental management systems but still remained to get ISO 14001 | | | |certification by the end of 2010. | |Supply Chain Systems |75% |As a member of Fair Factories Clearinghouse Compliance, Adidas group fully | | | |review the integrity of the data. Also, launched new Environmental guidelines to| | | |provide health and safety guidelines to the employees.But remained due about | | | |50% of the task to implement upgraded Key Performance Indicator to measure the | | | |company’s performance and also the sustainable compliance monitoring | | | |methodology. | |Global Economic Crisis |100% |Provided several updates on company’s website about risk and supply chain | | | |consolidation. Also provided guidelines on managing employees’ redundancies and | | | |layoffs in appropriate manner. |Stakeholder Engagements- |50% |Highly accepted th e concept of marketing and sourcing strategy but couldn’t | |Internal | |obtain better cotton materials for quality and performance testing. | |Stakeholder Engagements- |100% |Broad engagement with the governments and key stakeholders which assist in | |External | |decision making and also collaboration with different brands, suppliers and | | | |other industry actors. | Source: – Adidas. com, annual report, 2009 5. Conclusion and Recommendations The M&A itself is a complex and risky process both in terms of making a deal and in achieving the target objectives. It is also difficult to identify the exact determinants of the success or failure of the M&A.So, the conclusions are met on the basis of the grounds that a researcher considers, but this might be insufficient to other researchers who consider the broader areas. The analysis carried out under the case of Reebok acquisition by Adidas group shows that the new group is able to increase its sells through the restruct uring process. But even performance measurement report of the company highlights some of the issues where the company was unable to achieve the target objectives. The major target to lead the market ruler, Nike has not yet been achieved. The market positions of these two brands have remained constant. In contrast, it has a biggest threat of its following competitor, Puma to have integration with Nike and drop down the market share of Adidas group.

World View

Using the concept of a ‘world view', identify some of the beliefs and attitudes, particularly to education and learning that you bring to your learning now. Reflect critically on how your worldview has been shaped by factors such as your gender, age or community. In your answer refer to Hobson (1996) and Samovar and Porter (2004) from the SSK12 Reader, and Chapter 1 in A Guide to Learning Independently (Marshall and Rowland, 2006, 1-18). The world view I hold in regards to education and learning is that it is a privilege made available to all of us within Australia. I believe that education is the key to the world. Education is the foundation of life. Everything in life revolves around education and learning. In this essay I will explain to you why I think education is a privilege and that education is an essential part of life. The factors that shaped this world view of mine are my family, age, gender and community. Firstly I will define they key term â€Å"World View† Hobson (1996, p 2) defines it as â€Å"the set of beliefs that we hold and through which we organise our understanding of ourselves and our understanding of others† an other way of defining world view is the way Samovar and Porter (2004, p 1) say that it is an â€Å"overarching philosophy† meaning an overall view. So my world view is formed because of these factors I am in my twenties, I am female, I live in Australia and I come from a family where education is highly valued as it is the key to success. My age impacted my world view towards education and learning. In 90’s at secondary school there was a lot of emphasis on completing your high school certificate (Year 12) and moving onto university learning. I did not however follow this philosophy of going to university. I always knew though that there were many options available to me, if later I wanted to return to study. I did know that I still needed to gain more education so that I could gain employment in a field of my choice. I chose to become a hairdresser and had to gain a Cert III in Hairdressing at a TAFE institution. I excelled in this learning environment and knew that knowledge meant power. I have that knowledge still with me now as I enter into university learning that knowledge means power. This knowledge will provide me with the power to continue my learning to better myself as a person. Having a baby and becoming a mother changed my life, it also made me realise even more so the importance of education and learning. Watching the way my son learnt new skills intrigued me, I wanted to learn more about educating children. This interest led me to explore my options about returning to study. There were so many options now that were not available when I finished school. I decided that I would enrol in a distance course a Bachelor of Education Early Childhood, so that I could still stay home with my child while he was in the most important stage of his life. When learning skills from me, would mean that his foundations for life would be set. I believe that I am privileged to have the opportunity to return to study, to change my career and also to increase my knowledge on education as knowledge is power. Family is the major contributing factor to my world view. My family always regarded education as a major priority and we all agreed that Education is the foundation for life. I believe now that I am a mother I can see even more so the truth behind what I believe and what my family believe about education. I know that providing my child and children in general with the best possible education while they are young will give them a good foundation to base the rest of there life on. Everything in life is about learning, from learning how to walk and talk, to learning to drive a car we are learning in every facet of our lives continually. Within my family, community and culture I believe gender is no barrier, when is comes to education and learning. In some cultures though, woman are seen as being not equal to that of a man. I n the Islamic world view women are definitely seen as a slave to a mans needs. In Samovar and Porter (2004, p1) they quote Bianquis. T. 1996) they see this point as well â€Å"Generally speaking woman as an individual was subordinated to man both Quran and the Hadith. God created woman from a fragment of a man’s body that she might serve him†. My mother was my role model that woman can be educated professionals, and she always instilled in me that woman can do anything a man can. My mother rose up above the notion of her time in the 70’s that woman were to stay home and run a household. So as a result of this I always k new that throughout my education being female would not be an issue. I believe that yes we are privileged to be able to gain a quality education irrespective of our gender. A belief I have is that education is the Foundation for life. If you stop and just think about your life you soon realise that everything you do in life is learnt. Everything we know today stems from education and learning. Just think about all the new drugs that are created to cure diseases, all this brilliance come from educated people that are learning about these diseases in order for them to create these miracles. They are using there educations in the best possible way by helping the people of the world. This is why I believe that education can change the world. What I bring to my learning now is that I understand where education stems from and that is the key and the foundation for life. I have had an up bringing that fostered learning and that is why I am now continuing to study and gain a degree in education. With this degree I will be able to teach Australia’s young children the foundations of learning. We all learn in different ways but we as human being are continually learning and thinking every minute of every day. The following quote from Marshall and Rowland (1996, p10) is proof of what I am saying â€Å"All of us are living and thinking subjects†¦Everybody both acts and thinks. The way people act or react is linked to a way of thinking, and of course thinking is related to tradition. † With this said I believe that yes thinking is a critical part of learning. The most important beliefs and attitudes I hold towards education and learning make me a better and more independent student. It is a privilege that here in Australia any body from anywhere in the world can come and gain an education. Education is a key to the world; anything can be achieved if you have the right education. Education is the foundation of life. Education and learning can even make the world a better place. My world view is shaped around these factors my age, gender community and most importantly my family. It is such a privilege that we are given the opportunity to learn. Education and learning is the way forward to the world being a better place!