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Happiness and Ethics

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More than any other philosophers, Aristotle enshrines happiness as a key purpose of human goal and life in itself. Because of this, he devotes more time and space to the issue of happiness than any other philosopher does before the modern era. He concludes that happiness depends on virtue cultivation. Essentially, this philosopher argues that virtue can be attained by maintaining the mean, which he defines as the balance that exists between two excesses (Ross, 1995). This paper, therefore, will discuss the thoughts of Aristotle about happiness.

There are two understandings of happiness or eudaimonia, one which is comprehensive, and another that is an intellectualist understanding. For instance, eudaimonia is appreciated in the activity of the most divine part of humanity, working in accordance with its appropriateness. According to the philosopher, this is the action of hypothetical consideration. According to the inclusive account, eudaimonia essentially involves not just the theoretical intellect activity, but also the full range of human action and life, in line with the broader practical wisdom and moral virtual excellences. This understanding associates eudaimonia with the human nature concept as composite; that is as including the interaction of emotion, reason, action, perception (Nagel, 1972).

There have been numerous arguments that indicate that Aristotle was more tempted by the intellectualist argument of eudaimonia. One of the best influential works on Aristotle is seen to be the Nicomachean Ethics, where he comes up with a theory of happiness that is even relevant today. In this case, one of the most essential questions that the philosopher looks to answer is what the ultimate purpose of existence of humanity is. Additionally, what is the ultimate end or goal should humankind direct their existence. In all our lives, we have witnessed individuals looking for pleasure, excellent reputation and wealth, but while each of these have some form of value, none of these can take the place of the central good for which humankind should strive to obtain (Aristotle, 2004). To be an ultimate end or goal, an action should be final and self sufficient; that which is at all times desirable in itself and never because of anything else, and it must be achievable by man. Aristotle argues that almost everyone would identify with the claim that happiness is the end, which addresses all of man’s needs (Nagel, 1972).

This definition of happiness utilizes and integrates into its understanding the aspect of good and spirituality, and supreme beings. This is unlike our usual understanding of what happiness is. It is how believe that happiness is reaching at a point or state whereby individuals are content and enjoying their lives to the fullest. With most individuals today, it is easy enough to realize that we want pleasure, money, and honor because individuals believe that these aspects will bring us happiness. The main problem is that happiness in most of our societies is conceived as a state of mind that is subjective. This is so because one might say that he is happy simply because he gets to enjoy a cold beer as a way of relaxing. It is quite different from our understanding of happiness because in most cases we do not see happiness as an end to itself; for Aristotle, however, happiness is a final goal or end that involves the totality of the life of an individual. It can, therefore, never be lost or gained in a short period, like sensations that are pleasurable. Aristotle sees it as the ultimate value of an individual’s life until it ends (Nagel, 1972).

Aristotle argues that if individuals are to stop with the truism, which the highest human good is eudaimonia, then they must enquire into a man’s ergon, since if an individual possesses ergon, then they are good and their good acts as a function of its ergon. The ergon of an individual or a thing is what he or it does that makes him or it what it is. Not everything or everyone has an ergon, but when they happen to possess it, then their good is spelled out by it. The appropriate human ergon, by which excellence in humanity is measured, is that which makes someone a man rather than something else. For instance, men do many great things, but since other living organisms can do the same things equally well, these things do not have anything to do with what makes individuals human (Hughes, 2001).

According to Aristotle, happiness involves attaining, through one’s life course all goods including wealth, health, friends and knowledge that result to perfection of the nature of humans and to the enrichment of one’s life. This requires individuals to make choices, some of which are usually difficult. In most cases, the lesser good promises an individual immediate pleasure, which is usually more tempting. The greater good, on the other hand, is difficult and requires sacrifice. This philosopher’s doctrine of virtue is regarded as the golden man between the extremes of deficiency and excesses. To him, therefore, happiness is determined by the acquisition of a moral character, in which an individual displays a number of virtues such as the virtual of courage, justice, generosity, citizenship and friendship in their lives. These virtues require the individuals to establish a balance or mean between deficiency and excess. A non- virtuous person can, therefore, never be happy (Aristotle, 1980).

On the matters of happiness, I agree with Aristotle more than Plato because Aristotle argues his points more logically in and in a manner that most individuals can identify with; for example, in the case of attaining such goods and virtues as courage, health, knowledge and pleasure as ways of attaining happiness.

References

Aristotle. (1980). The Ethics of Virtue. Oxford University Press.

Aristotle. (2004). Nicomachean Ethics, ed. Hugh Treddenick. London: Penguin. 

Hughes, G.J. (2001). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle on Ethics. London: Routledge.

Nagel, T. (1972). Aristotle on Eudaimonia. Phronesis, 17(3): 252-259.

Ross, Sir D. (1995). Aristotle (6th Ed.). London: Routledge.

Morality And Kant

“All rational knowledge is either material, and concerns some object, or formal, and is occupied only with the form of understanding and reason itself and with the universal rules of thinking, without regard to distinctions among objects”(page 3). Kant uses these thoughts throughout all of his writings; all of his comments, thoughts, and views relate back to this principle. Kant expresses his views on morality, duty, good will, and moral duty through out the “Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals.” I agree with many of Kant’s views of these principles, but at the same time disagree with the extremes he takes in trying to persuade the reader.

The first “proposition of morality” is that you have to have done something to achieve moral worth. On page 14, Kant says that action done out of “vanity or selfishness” is not true moral worth. Kant uses the example of a sorrowful man. Although this man is sorrowful, he still helped others around him. While helping others, he could not accept sympathy from them because he was so preoccupied with his own sorrows. He doesn’t receive anything in return for his help; now, since he is not receiving anything for his help, he has done this act with “genuine moral worth.” He is helping others without even being aware of the effect he is having on them. On page 16 it states, “An action done from duty does not have its moral worth in the purpose which is to be achieved through it but in the maxim whereby it is determined.” This quote is Kant’s second proposition of morality. Kant’s second proposition is a lot like the first. I think what Kant is trying to say that when someone does something, not to benefit him or herself, it is done for “duty.” When I read this I thought of politicians. When a politician is campaigning he promises “lower taxes” and “better health benefits.” Although he may actually try to achieve these things, he is using the hope of the voters to get where he wants to be. This example is against what Kant believed.

The third proposition of Kant states, “duty is the necessity to do an action from respect to law.” The third, I believe, is achieved through the first two propositions. When someone does their “duty” to a country or a city, it is because they respect the laws that were made there. When I hear the word, “duty” I think of being in the army, especially during a draft. When someone gets drafted it is their duty to serve their country. Although some do cross country borders to get away from it, those who respect their country and its laws will serve with pride. Kant believes and knows that doing your “duty” won’t always make you happy; according to him, happiness is a false guide for duty. Kant believes that you should do your duty in life. Kant’s ethical views do not deal with moderation, wisdom, or being happy, but instead it deals with what your duty is, what you are bound to do. Kant’s thought on morality is doing “the duty” even if you do not want to do it. It is about realizing what you need to do and doing it. Kant realizes that doing your duty isn’t always going to be something you enjoy; but that it is not hard to determine whether you are acting selfishly or out of duty.

Kant’s three “propositions to morality” are very well thought out and well developed. I believe that the ideas that Kant has expressed are thoughts that all of us think on a daily basis; we just have a selfish mentality that we all must overcome.

Kant’s three propositions display how he feels about morality and “good-will.” Kant believes in the “moral law.” The moral law is that we act in such a way the maxum of your action can be universal law. A maxum is a rule or standard. Kant knows that his views on ethics and morality can be controversial. Kant states that you have to know what “moral” is before you can become moral. On page 24, Kant uses the example of friendship. He states, “pure sincerity of friendship can be demanded of every man, and this demand is not in the least diminished if a sincere friend has never existed, because this duty, as duty in general, prior to all experience lies in the idea of reason which determines the will on a prior grounds.” I believe Kant is saying that you cannot expect someone to act a certain way when they have never had an example of how they are supposed to work. To Kant, virtue is voluntary in such it comes from good will. Your “good will” is key in doing anything; it!

is the ability to choose what you want to do.

Kant disagrees with the idea of lying. He sees the views that people take on lying, but do not agree with them. Kant realizes that people lie to get out of bad situations, but once you lie, what do you do next? Kant believes that once you drift away from the “principle of duty” that it is bad, and you are being untrue to the rules that you know. Kant says that if one person lies, then that breaks communication between that person and the person they are having a conversation with. Kant believes that when lying you are breaking “moral law.” And you should not use a lie to get yourself out a difficult situation, when most likely you put yourself in that situation to begin with.

Kant has many thoughts about moral duty. He believes that there are four categories that Kant gives moral duty. The first category of moral duty is committing suicide. Kant states on page 38, “for love of myself, I make it my principle to shorten my life when by a longer duration it threatens more evil than satisfaction.” I interpret this as it is better to end your life before you cause any harm to yourself or someone else.

And if you end your own life it may hinder you from completing your duty to your community or to the world. Kant believes that committing suicide is a selfish act, and I agree. The choice of committing suicide not only takes your own life, but it affects your family, friends, and peers. It causes your loved ones to feel pain and they lose the opportunity to spend more time with you. The second of Kant’s thoughts is that it is wrong to borrow money when you know you cannot repay it. This is also a selfish act, especially when you promise the person that you will repay them. “Now this is the principle of self-love or of his own benefit,” states Kant (page 39). If the man were to promise the money would be returned and does not do so, then the trust of the other man towards the borrower will decrease, as his respect will also. Kant’s third category is the cultivation of talents. While reading, I interpreted the passage on pages 39 and 40 to mean that if a person does not use the talents given to them, then they are being selfish. They should be using their talents to improve the community around them. Kant believes that talents are like a piece of metal. If you don’t use your talents, you will loose them; as in metal, if you don’t take care of it and nurture it, the metal will rust and will be useless. Kant’s final thought on moral duty comes from an old prophecy of: help those who are in need. “What concern of it is mine?” states Kant on page 40. Kant knows that everyone has struggles and hardships of his or her own, but some are stronger than others and more blessed, so those who are better off should help those under them. Again, this thought could be a selfish one. Kant knows that people are concerned for themselves and their family and that is all. So, it is a good person who helps others, and that is the person who sticks out and has an impact on the people and community around him or her.

Kant’s ideas and thoughts about morality are much like we are taught in The Bible: “Love your neighbor and even your enemy.” His principles are not uncommon for us today. Although we know how we should act towards others, we do not always do so. Many of Kant’s thoughts were confusing, but I do understood where he was coming from on his main points of morality. While reading Kant, I realized that many of the views I agree with and others I do not. Kant’s four points of moral duty shows his acceptance of many Christian beliefs. The main one being, “put others before yourself.” Also known as the Golden Rule, “Treat others as you want to be treated.” All four points of Kant’s moral duty basically reduce back to this thought. For example, wouldn’t you be upset if a loved one of yours committed suicide? You would be dealing with a lot of pain that you weren’t prepared to deal with. Also, you wouldn’t want to have someone borrow money from you, when they knew that they couldn’t repay it. And using your talents for the good of the community can affect everyone. If you don’t use your talent then someone else won’t use theirs, and the entire community will suffer. And referring to the fourth thought of Kant, if you were in need for necessities that could save your life, wouldn’t you want someone that was able to help you out do it? Of course, everyone needs to help everyone else as much as they can.

Kant knows that his views are controversial, but he tries to show that he can see both points of view. He may feel one way about a certain situation, such as his thoughts on lying, but expresses both sides of the story. I believe that Kant knows exactly what is going on in the world around him and things have not changed much today. I think we should all try to live up to some of Kant’s propositions, I believe it would better our own communities and world.

Bibliography:

More valleys Than Hills: Commodity Prices are Close to the bottom of the cycle

The article More valleys Than Hills: Commodity Prices are Close to the bottom of the cycle criticizes the perception that many international management experts have about the growth of China, the world second largest economy, and America’s highest exporter of products and services (The Economist 1). China is famous as the world’s destination of large exports of metals such as iron ore, copper, and many other metals. Moreover, the country attracts huge amounts of corn and oil. However, many experts are blaming the slow economic growth rate of the country on the low prices of many metals that account for the country’s largest imports. This is noticeable in the decline experienced in the prices of metals especially iron ore in the international market (The Economist 1). The volatile prices of these commodities has decelerated the country’s ability to super cycle commodities, which according to international management experts has led to decreased rate of production and gross domestic product.

However, this argument may be premature, as China has emerged to become an influential player in the management of international exchange of commodities, labor, and resources. Even though the world population is slowing, China’s population increases each year, and this has sustained economic growth in light of falling international metal prices. It is estimated that China’s economy will be 65% bigger in 2014 than six years ago (The Economist 1). Even though the demand of metals such as steel will fall from 3.3% to 3.1% between 2012 and 2018, it is estimated that the amount of steel demanded in 2014 will increase from 45 million tonnes to 50 million tonnes (The Economist 1). However, the prices of metals such as copper, alluminium, zinc, lead, and tin are set to increase in 2014 as many countries in the international market such as America and other emerging Asian economies will increase the demand for metal as they seek to produce commodities for the international market.

The article is related to the discussions made in class about the scope of international management. The article discusses the ongoing debate about the various challenges that face international market players when exchanging commodities, labor, and resources in the global market that have been covered in previous lectures. Many international management experts explain the sluggish growth of many countries such as China on the falling prices of metals such as iron ore, copper, and alluminium as China is the largest importer of the world’s iron ore. However, the article also argues there are various factors whose interplay influences the growth rate of economies. This is because every country exploits its comparative advantage in the global market. Chinas increasing population has sustained its economic growth due to low costs of production, which has balanced the low returns experienced from commodities exchanged in the global market.

In my opinion, China’s large labor supply, which is the country’s comparative advantage over other international players in the global market, has made its economy surmount challenges posed by the global market environment and emerge larger and stronger. The low cost of production due to high labor supply has led to increased production of products and services in the Chinese economy. Many countries that exploit the large labor supply in China provid employment for the country’s large pool of labor, and the declining prices of metals does not affect the country’s rate of production.

Work Cited

S.W. More Valleys than Hill: Prices are close to bottom of the cycle. The Economist, Daily

Chart. January 09 2014. Accessed from

<http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/01/daily-chart-4>

Morality and Religion

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Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Morality and Religion PAGEREF _Toc322867786 h 3Introduction PAGEREF _Toc322867787 h 3Morality and Religion PAGEREF _Toc322867788 h 3Moral Arguments PAGEREF _Toc322867789 h 5What Is Ethics devoid of God? PAGEREF _Toc322867790 h 6Is Morality related To Religion? PAGEREF _Toc322867791 h 7Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc322867792 h 9References PAGEREF _Toc322867793 h 10

Morality and ReligionIntroductionCan humanity be morally upright without inclination on a dogma or God? Can humanity be moral devoid of religion? The response to these queries is an undeniable Yes. Humanity indeed does not require to believe in God a deity or to profess to any religion so as to be morally upright or to perform good deeds. However, believing in a religious entity or God can play a significant role in a person’s moral values, but it is not obligatory. This paper will begin with breaking down what it means to be moral with the description of moral, which is relating to values of wrong and right in conduct, or conformity to a standard of appropriate behavior. In that perspective, a human being can be ethical devoid of belief in God, since it depends on the individual to decide to be moral. Humanity does not of necessity to belong to some religion, so as to have a sense of moral wrong or right. Moral righteousness is innate, and not predicated on mystical faith, since morality is a creation of social, but not religious interaction. Unfortunately, the erroneous idea that humanity cannot be moral devoid of professing belief in God or without professing to a religion is dominant in the majority of societies across humanity. This erroneous idea is largely accountable for lack of advancement in those areas of human existence where religions apply moral authority (Craig & Sinnott, 2004).

Morality and ReligionIs there any interrelation between religion and morality? Ethical obligations are often considered as commands with power behind them. Nevertheless, what is the foundation of that authority? Is it appropriate to declare that the single grounds for them being ethical obligations are that they have been instructed by God? The character of the relationship between morality and religion, whether there is one in any way, is a fundamental concern for religious advocates. According to Alston (2006), be religious and to declare religious allegations is to be devoted to a set of moral principles.

Much religious lingo is the expression of morality and consequently religious advocates have devoted themselves to behavioral norms. This includes abstaining from a number of actions in addition to fulfilling others. However, is the interrelation between morality and religion and morality and God the same thing? Is it conceivable that religious morality is perhaps unrelated the moral instructions of God, or is it feasible to be submissive to the instructions of God devoid of being devoted to a religious moral society? Religious believers might argue that, even if a human being gets away with outrageous transgressions on earth, chastisement would follow him in the eternal life. On the other hand, those who have defied the persuasion to do wrong will be recompensed, and, therefore, even if it is likely to evade earthly punishment it is not in the religious believers’ eschatological interests to do so (Wainwright, 2005). There is a close relationship between eschatology and the issue of religious morality, because hell is customarily associated with chastisement for wrongdoing, whereas heaven with recompense for goodness. This is despite the fact that the majority of most Christians may argue that admittance into heaven is not attained merely by performing good works (Street, 2010).

In contrast, an existentialist viewpoint maintains that, in the event that there is no God to maintain the command of the moral law, subsequently there is no risk of chastisement or promise of recompense, and, therefore, morality is pointless. Effectively devoid of God, everything is permissible, since God assumes the role of the custodian of morality, saving humanity from declining into moral pandemonium. According Dostoevsky, God is the lynchpin of morality and order in society, whereby in the absence of God, all hierarchy crumples, and everything can be permissible. Dostoevsky was troubled by afflictions but unable to discard belief in God since God is essential for morality (Pruss, 2009). Maybe God does not require to essentially being present for Him to be the center of morality, as well as the means of controlling moral conduct, this would mean that the notion of God is sufficient to maintain moral order.

Moral ArgumentsMoral arguments in support of theism include efforts to ascertain the God’s existence from a number of alleged facts concerning morality. Several people are of the opinion that objective moral principles are necessary in order to make sense of some features of human life, for example, and that God is the single possible foundation of such principles. The meta-ethical moral case challenges the existence of objective moral doctrine either necessitates God’s existence or at any rate is best explicated by theism. One version of these arguments alleges that:

If there exist objective moral principles, in that case God exists. 

There exist objective moral principles. 

Consequently, God exists.

The first argument fails since the first hypothesis is baseless. The underlying principle for thinking that objective moral principles require God is the hypothesis that only God can ground the objectivity of morals But, in fact, there seems to be no way that God’s existence can ground moral facts, anymore than it can ground scientific or mathematical facts. The typical objection to the godly command conjecture of ethics demonstrates that the objectivity of morals cannot be grounded in deity (Craig & Sinnott, 2004).

An interrelated epistemological, moral case argues that, conception of the existence of objective moral principles necessitates the existence of God. Other moral viewpoints include the prudential, moral viewpoint. This viewpoint alleges that, humanity should believe in God as well as the afterlife, in order that apprehension of judgment following death will dissuade people from committing acts of immorality (Street, 2010).

What Is Ethics devoid of God?There have been numerous philosophers throughout history who have endeavored to demonstrate that it is feasible to have universal morality devoid of God. Numerous arguments have been presented to sustain this position, and in conjecture, they might be right, although it would depend on what one connotes by the phrase universal. Those in support would declare that, all a person requires to have is an agreement on what is deemed right or wrong behavior. Their position would be; in the event that God is essential for morality, in that case whatever God considers moral is therefore, moral. Consequently, why eulogize God for what His deeds if He could have with equal ease done the contrary and that too would have been considered as equally moral. Secondly, if goodness is a central attribute of God, in that case, God cannot be applied in defining goodness. This would result into circular reasoning in that, if goodness is used in defining God then, God must not be used in defining goodness. Thirdly, if one does not believe in God, then complying with God’s commands will not assist one to resolve any moral problems (Pruss, 2009).

A number of philosophers conclude that the suggestion that a moral law necessitates a divine lawgiver is unsustainable. Other philosophers allege that for God to characterize what is right or wrong is subjective. On the contrary, God is not subjective since He is the foundation of all life and consequently the foundation of all truth. Humanity therefore, has no basis to even comprehend the idea of being arbitrary apart from in reference to an eternal God. Secondly, these arguments fail to distinguish the nature of humanity. If man was not degraded by sin, then humanity would have immeasurable potential to generate from within itself a universal moral system. On the contrary, humanity is corrupted and, therefore, incompetent of fully perceiving what is just. Humanity is incapable of doing what it understands being good. Therefore, the issue of right or wrong has all to do with the foundation of faith, but not merely its substance. No matter how genuinely an individual believes they are right in relation to some moral judgment, the right test is in the foundation of that faith. Therefore, it would be fitting to assert that, God is the single universal, as well as, absolute foundation to all morality (Alston, 2006).

Is Morality related To Religion?Several people believe that religion and morality are fundamentally related, whereby, they may consider this as an argument for the existence of God. One basis why some theists suppose that morality presupposes the existence of God is that their viewpoint appears to grant their lives obvious purpose. According to Christianity, man was created by God in His likeness, in order to fulfill the purpose that He intended for mankind. Christianity developed this fundamental idea into the conception of natural law in order that humanity can see how it should conduct its affairs through working out what its purpose is. The Pope’s disapproval of homosexuality is an illustration of the working of this theory. This approach to morality is controversial since it may be perceived as a poor imitation of morals (Street, 2010).

A different rationalization of the purported relationship between morality and God is the notion that humanity has an obligation to comply with God’s commands, since He is the omnipotent maker, to whom humanity owes its existence. The divine command hypothesis bears an apparent semblance to the natural law approach, but it entails a focus on the commands of God. The most universal opposition to such an approach is that, this approach makes morality appear rather arbitrary. This is insofar as the commands of God would be at best conditionally related to the needs of humanity. Obviously, such a perception is what lies inspires the allegations of numerous persons who allege that atheists cannot y any means be moral. The assumption is that if an individual does not believe that they will be chastised for transgressions, then, there are no grounds to obey morality’s dictates. In this case, then atheists would not have any motive not to steal when they would not suffer any sanction for stealing, whereas the theists would at all times fear the sanctions of an Omni-present God. This entire line of thought is founded on an overly thin understanding of the grounds an individual might have for conducting themselves morally. It supposes that these grounds would require being prudential. This is grounded on the belief that conducting oneself morally is in an individual’s self-interest (Alston, 2006).

Nevertheless people occasionally act morally when they figure out that this would not be in their best interests. Morality is not entirely about self-interest, but also entails sacrificing a person’s self-interest for the sake of the greater good of other persons. Several thinkers have posited that the very reality of a sense of conscience is substantiation for God. Strictly speaking the independence of religion and morality is reasonably compatible with the God existence. It becomes a mater of concern when persons allege that the existence of conscience rationally presupposes a deity to whom humanity owes responsibility. If this is permissible, then God might appear as the sole candidate. Some philosophers such as Newman supported this school of thought, inquiring why individuals would feel culpable if they do not believe they were being monitored (Pruss, 2009).

In particular, the allegation that if humanity developed through evolution, it would not have had a conscience is untrue. It is erroneous to presume that a conscience is an absolute curse from the perspective of evolution. It is also extremely probable that a matured conscience, in its entire characteristics, is not a precise adaptation, but a consequence of humanity’s advantageous cognitive capabilities. What of the allegation that a conscience would make no sense except there is a deity for humanity to be answerable to? There would be two ways to resolve it, whereby firstly to grant for the benefit of the argument that humanity’s sense of conscience assumes that it is answerable to somebody. Secondly is to point out that, there lacks any sound reason to grant that humanity’s sense of conscience presupposes that humanity is accountable to somebody. Once this view is rejected, moral obligations would be based in individual self-interest, or comparable to legal responsibilities (Craig & Sinnott, 2004).

ConclusionMany people in the contemporary world believe that God is unnecessary, and an overbearing task master. They allege that they do not require God to live morally upright, and they have the ability to set their individual rules for living. This means that the contemporary world is obsessed with individual values, whereby what individuals do depends on their individual values. The very conception of basing morality upon individual values means that humanity has bought into the conception of a structure of relativistic ethics. Individual values have substituted the significance of virtue as the pedestal for ethical thought. The world today continues to build an ethical structure based on enlightenment and tolerance with the exception of God. Humanity has tried many approaches to teach this godless variety of morality. However, this paper has demonstrated that there is something erroneous with delinking morality from religion. Morality is better served through religious foundation, rather than an explicitly neutral, atheistic/materialist foundation. It is fitting to mention that morality cannot subscribe to natural law in the sense that the adherence to the natural laws of nature may designate the moral path and what would be regarded as an infringement of the natural law.

ReferencesAlston, W. (2006). What Euthyphro Must Have Said. New Brunswick NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Craig, W., & Sinnott, A. (2004). God? A Discussion between an Atheist and a Christian. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Pruss, A. (2009). An Additional Step in Divine Authority Dialectics. Philosophy and Faith 26 (4) 26-32.

Street, S. (2010). A Darwinian Impasse for Realist Theories on Moral Value. Journal of Philosophical Studies, 127(8) 66-75.

Wainwright, W. J. (2005). Religion & Morality. London: Ashgate.

Case Study: Transforming Data into Information

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Name

Date

Case Study: Transforming Data into Information

This case study focused on producing a report to demonstrate the ability to analyze data both graphically and numerically. The case study was based on the data obtained from the Regional Call Center’s Washington, DC. Regional is a company that provides contract call center services to various companies in the US, including major retail organizations, and banks, among others. As the company’s supervisor and having worked with the company for seven years, I was required to prepare a report describing the calls that the company handled for one of the Regional’s clients. Thus, I was provided with a data file consisting of 57 calls and with the following variables: account number, past due amount, current account balance, and nature of the call.

Therefore, to produce the report, the data were analyzed both graphically and numerically using Excel. For instance, to investigate whether there was a difference in the mean and median current account balance, a bar chart was produced (Figure 1). The results showed that the average current account balance was greater than the median current account balance. Since the mean was greater than the median, then the distribution of the current account balance was positively skewed (Stephanie, 2022). This implies most of the current account balances were equal to or greater than the mean.

Figure 1. Bar chart of the mean and median current balance

In addition, to understand the relationship between current account balance and past due amount, a scatter plot was used (Figure 2). A scatter plot helps a researcher to understand the direction and strength of the linear relationship between variables (“What is a scatter plot and when to use one,” 2020). The scatter plot showed a weak positive linear relationship between current balance and past due. This implies that when the current account balance increases, the past due amount also increases. Conversely, when the current account balances decrease, the past due amount also decreases.

Figure 2. Scatter plot of current balance vs. past due

Moreover, descriptive statistics were computed to further describe the current account balance and past due amount (Table 1). Descriptive statistics are useful in research because they help in describing the fundamental characteristics of the data (Trochim, n.d.). In addition, when combined with simple graphics, they help in gaining insights into the data. Based on the results, the highest current amount due was 323.78. On the other hand, the lowest current amount due was -129.67. The average current amount due was 62.70, while the median was 57.54. Since the mean was slightly greater than the median, then the current amount due data was skewed to the right (positive skewness). The standard deviation was 75.58, which is very large. This implies that there was high variability in the data. This high variance is a good factor that can attract aggressive investors, who are less risk averse. However, the high variance could discourage conservative investors who have less risk tolerance (“Is variance good or bad for stock investors?” 2015). In fact, the coefficient of variation was 1.21, which further supports that the variance was extremely high to attract investors.

For the past due amount, descriptive results showed that the minimum was zero, while the maximum was 386.77. This indicates the highest amount required to make the bank account current again. The results also revealed that the average past due amount was 23.95 and a median value of zero. This implies that the past due amount of data was skewed to the right (positive skewness). The standard deviation was 61.67, which was very high. This high variability could discourage conservative investors with less risk tolerance.

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics (Current Amount Due and Past Due Amount)

Current Amount Due   Past Due Amount  

Mean 62.6982456 Mean 23.9464912

Standard Error 10.010904 Standard Error 8.16830585

Median 57.54 Median 0

Mode 0 Mode 0

Standard Deviation 75.5806676 Standard Deviation 61.6693568

Sample Variance 5712.43732 Sample Variance 3803.10957

Kurtosis 1.99588201 Kurtosis 22.0569587

Skewness 0.56451104 Skewness 4.29303586

Range 453.45 Range 386.77

Minimum -129.67 Minimum 0

Maximum 323.78 Maximum 386.77

Sum 3573.8 Sum 1364.95

Count 57 Count 57

The descriptive statistics for the past due balances were also computed (Table 2). The variable was derived as the difference between the current account amount and the past due amount. The descriptive statistics showed that the maximum past-due balance was 323.78. The maximum value indicates that the past due balance was 323.78 above the current due balance. On the other hand, the minimum past-due balance was -386.77. The minimum value indicates that the worst account was 386.77 below the current balance. The average past-due balance was 38.75. This implies that on average, the bank was above the current balance by 38.75. However, the standard deviation was 86.86, which was very high. This implies that the past-due balance was very unreliable for investors.

Table 2: Descriptive Statistics (Past Due Balance)

 Past due balance

Mean 38.7517544

Standard Error 11.504976

Median 50.79

Mode 0

Standard Deviation 86.8606639

Sample Variance 7544.77493

Kurtosis 11.3810395

Skewness -1.6611254

Range 710.55

Minimum -386.77

Maximum 323.78

Sum 2208.85

Count 57

In conclusion, the results revealed that the average current account amount was higher than the median. This implies most of the bank’s accounts had a current amount equal to or above the mean. However, descriptive statistics indicated that the current amount due had high variance, indicating that there was high variability in the current amount balance for the 57 calls. Regarding the past due amount, the results revealed that the amount was 386.77 above the current amount due. In addition, the mean was higher than the median, indicating that the distribution of past due amounts was positively skewed. This further implies that, on average, the past due amount for most of the calls was greater or equal to the mean. However, the standard deviation in past due amounts indicates that the company was unreliable for investment, especially those that are less risk tolerant. This case study also analyzed the past due balance using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the worst account was 386.77 below the current balance. In addition, there was high variability in the past due balance indicating that the 57 calls were generally unreliable for less-risk tolerance investors.

Moreover, this study investigated the relationship between the past amount due and the current amount due. The results showed a weak and positive linear relationship between the variables. This implies that when the current amount due increases, the past due amount also increases. Conversely, when the current amount due decreases, the past due amount also decreases. Thus, for the company to reduce the past due amount, it should encourage investors to increase the current amount due. In addition, the company should focus on investors who are aggressive investors, who are less risk averse.

References

Stephanie. (2022, January 13). Pearson mode skewness. Retrieved from https://www.statisticshowto.com/pearson-mode-skewness/What is a scatter plot and when to use one. (2020, July 10). Retrieved from https://visme.co/blog/scatter-plot/Trochim, W. M. (n.d.). Descriptive statistics. Retrieved from https://conjointly.com/kb/descriptive-statistics/

Is variance good or bad for stock investors? (2015, April 14). Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/041415/variance-good-or-bad-stock-investors.asp

MRC Rubber Company

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165900” SWOT Analysis PAGEREF _Toc378165900 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165901” Strengths PAGEREF _Toc378165901 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165902” Weaknesses PAGEREF _Toc378165902 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165903” Opportunities PAGEREF _Toc378165903 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165904” Threats PAGEREF _Toc378165904 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165905” PESTLE Analysis PAGEREF _Toc378165905 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165906” Political Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165906 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165907” Economic Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165907 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165908” Social Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165908 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165909” Technological Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165909 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165910” Legal Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165910 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165911” Environmental Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165911 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165912” Strategy and Implementation Summary PAGEREF _Toc378165912 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165913” Marketing PAGEREF _Toc378165913 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165914” Marketing Communications PAGEREF _Toc378165914 h 7

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165915” Sales Strategy PAGEREF _Toc378165915 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165916” Distribution PAGEREF _Toc378165916 h 9

SWOT AnalysisMyanmar is a growing rubber industry player with expectations of production hitting over 95,000 metric tons, which reflects various operations features. With low rubber prices in the country, setting up MRC as a rubber company in the country would gain the benefits of value addition hence increased production (Khaing, 2012). In this SWOT analysis, the prevailing market attributes likely to support and affect productivity for the new production plant are highlighted.

StrengthsThe rubber industry in Burma is currently projected to enjoy an estimated annual growth of 10,000 metric tons, a reflection of 11.8 per cent. A strong production capacity is important in determination of the source of raw materials, which cuts down on the costs of operation as well as assurance of constant production around the year. Locating the business in the Mon State will facilitate production due to its massive interest in the crop. Alternatively, the position of the country as a typical developing nation leaves Burma having a readily available labor market at a low cost than in western countries, which implies that the production cost apportionable to labor is generally lower than in many other parts of the world.

Additionally, Burma has a ready market in the emerging Asian economies like china and India, with Japan also providing sufficient cushion against absorption issues. Equally, political transformation taking place in the country indicates emergence of a stable economy country ready to support business and investment than it did before.

WeaknessesComplete political reforms are not guaranteed as episodes of violence reported in the country hinder meaningful investment improvement. Political difficulties that led to trade sanctions against the country may not yet pave the way for the new order, despite support from China. Low prices for the crop means that, farmers may opt to venture in other types of production such as food crops for higher returns. Additionally, chronic poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of credit may discourage farmers to participate in meaningful production.

OpportunitiesGrowth in production in the recent years would need to be sustained by tapping on the current output to maximize production. Strong but slow recovery indications paint the country in good faith among trade partners, making international trade more promising. International community recognition of Burma’s efforts towards reconstruction presents a lucrative chance for the growth of business at the international level. The majority of the Burmese population is composed of an emerging middle class that holds promise to economic development and consumption.

ThreatsThe main threat of the industry is perhaps declining Chinese economic growth leading to reduced consumption of rubber products in its main market. However, other regional trade partners may step in place of china for instance Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Thailand (Khaing, 2012). The threat of climate change places Burma in a risky agricultural setting, which may influence interests in food and cash crops (Boot, 2012). In addition, unstable economic performance poses a threat to production costs. Despite the relaxing of US and EU sanctions, the economy of Burma remains volatile for investor confidence (Roughneen, 2012).

PESTLE AnalysisPolitical FactorsThe country is experiencing dramatic changes in the political organization and processes, with recent democratic milestone of peaceful elections paving the way for a bright future. Increasing confidence from the international community has led to the easing of trade sanctions slapped on the country on grounds of government abuse of civilian rights. In terms of economic freedoms in the country, investors can for once in a decade and a half find assurances of a civilian regime eventually taking over from authoritarian extremists (Hoag, 2012). Despite the huge difference from a standard global business environment, Burma is making impressive steps towards public-private cooperation balance in development of the economy. Setting up MRC in the country will be based on the current trend of investment flow into the country, with some experts tipping Burma as a competitor to more seasoned business hubs in the region, including Indonesia and Thailand. Assurances of political and business cooperation for instance with the US implies that the Burmese administration will have to continually improve its involvement in development to attract such cooperation. Numerous changes in Burma civil rights have been registered in a very short time, including rise of parliament, freedom of expression and public participation (Shoemaker, 2012).

Economic Factors

As an observation by Shoemaker (2012) on Burma illustrates, the country has an impressive chance for improvement from the downtrodden economic infrastructure. Falling risk levels such as interest rates and inflation show that the country is destined for a brighter future ahead. Incentives currently advanced to investors in the country add investor confidence, which underscores the need for the MRC rubber production to set shop in Burma (DPS, 2006). International community assurances of assistance for the rebuilding of the country show the guaranteed growth setting. As an illustration, Japan wrote off a debt of 3.7 billion US dollars, enabling participation of Japanese infrastructure construction companies accessing opportunities to reconstruct the country. Telecommunication investment opportunity in the country is on an upward trend and the interest from investors in this sector shows the openness that technology flow in the country will support industrial processes. Availability of important resources for the growth of the economy such as oil and gas has attracted investment support steps towards industrialization. These and other impressive economic strides happening in Burma provide assurances of an upward trend in future growth, making it advisable for the rubber MRC project to take the opportunity while these impressive indicators prevail.

Social FactorsAs mentioned above, Myanmar’s features of a developing nation underscores the rising status into a middle level economy, with impressive population demographics supporting business in the country. An active labor market of about 18 million people with an interesting mix of skilled and semi-skilled labor markets available at relatively lower than in the regional economies create an opportunity for setting up MRC production plant. Population growth factors support the development trends in availability of market and labor in the country with current population estimates of about 57.5 million supporting annual growth rates of about 4 per cent (GPS, 2006; Myanmar, n.d.). Increase in government interest in social services such as social security, education and healthcare further support stability of the economy as an investment destination.

Technological Factors

The state of the technological advancement has not been supportive of business until the dramatic turnaround of the socioeconomic and political development began several months ago. Low automation and technological research in the economy has hampered meaningful investment in the country when compared to the other nations in the region. However, a deliberate move by the authorities to accommodate internal innovation and welcome external technology indicate an upward growth in development in the country. At the current information and communication technology rates in the global economy. Burma is poised to benefit from massive inflow of technology at a relatively lower cost than other nations achieved when the technologies were newly introduced in the market. With technology giants such as Japan, South Korea and the US having a keen interest in the country and region, Burma’s rise into technology productivity setting will not take as much time. Investment in the country in industrial projects will therefore find it easier by the day to set up operations that it was a few years back.

Legal FactorsIn terms of preparedness by the country to accommodate business interests witnessed over the last several months, Burma is actively involved in restructuring its legal framework. Several legislations have passed in the country’s parliament that is making tremendous contributions in the socioeconomic and political advancement in the country. As an illustration, the Foreign Direct Investment law was passed in September, paving way for synchronization of the country’s foreign investment policies with globalization setting (Mizzima News, 2012). Business registration bureaucracies in the country prove to hold back operations by businesses with international market interests and the indications sent by such laws sends the appropriate signals to investors since willingness to remove bottlenecks is high in parliament. Challenges to drastic changes in the business legal framework are expected, however, but an increased political participation will eventually settle out differences (Gweri, 2012).

Environmental FactorsThe integrity of the environment in Burma was severely damaged by the military regime, with virtually no legal framework taking care of environmental issues in the country. Few steps were made to control the environmental pollution activities since the British laws in force in 1962 were repealed by the junta (Gutter, 2001). The current difficulty in management of environmental mess created during the military rule could have been avoided if the appropriate legal framework was forthcoming (Rispoli and Strizzi, 2001). Since the political restructuring started in the country, several environmental consciousness enhancement laws and policies have taken place in the country. Natural location and resources that the country enjoys such as vegetation act as sinks for a significant quantity of pollutants, which shield it from extremes of climate change facing the global community (Myanmar, n.d.). Steps towards a responsible environmental regime indicate the appropriateness of the country for a rubber producing plant.

Strategy and Implementation SummaryMarketingAs an amorphous environment without definite competition strategy with regional rubber players, operations in Burma by MRC will need specialized marketing for success to be recorded. The initial step for the marketing functionality of the new rubber business will be characterization of the regional and global markets in order to approach marketing from an informed perspective. Rubber consumption is increasing in Japan, China and India, with supply competition arising from Thai and Indonesian companies. In order to penetrate through the market established by these players, the MRC project will venture in production of diversified products and concentrate on the segment with a high demand for marketing compatibility. To market tires, rubber gloves, rubber moldings and motor vehicle brake parts will require expansive marketing for each product line (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005).

Marketing of tires, brake and other rubber motor vehicle spare parts, in the growing motor vehicle markets in India, China, South America and in Africa will require physical marketing and distribution as well as online marketing. Rubber gloves marketing in all construction works in the country will require marketing functionality with the authorities to facilitate consumption of locally produced products. Rubber moldings will have an online marketing functionality due to the diversified market locally and on the international market. The opportunity of the social media as an emerging marketing platform will be exploited to access regional and international markets using an aggressive marketing campaign. Other online marketing options such as use of mailing lists will also form part of the marketing strategy to consider. A marketing outsourcing concept with rubber market experts such as HJ Ventures will be weighed to cut down on costs of marketing (HJ Ventures, 2012). Such a joint venture may facilitate in studying the market and providing marketing and production diversification insights.

Marketing CommunicationsBurma as an emerging market in next several months in the rubber industry will require MRC’s efficiency in relaying of products information for maximum productivity. In order to facilitate an effective marketing functionality, the 4Ps model will be employed in the MRC marketing strategy (NGFL, n.d.). Communication trends in the market imply that the relaying of marketing information will be internet intensive, by use of electronic messages on television, mobile applications, SMS, blogs and microblogs backed by the social media. Search engine optimization in the marketing communication strategy will be enhanced to ensure that the MRC products find the right market entry. An efficient data collection and monitoring of responses in order to inform marketing decisions will be a central theme in the communication strategy adopted. The integrated system will require harmonization of all relayed messages as well as reconciling it with the customer responses, which can be direct or indirect.

Integration of the relayed messages as well as customer cues in informing marketing and production patterns will be geared towards accuracy and efficiency in the operations of MRC, considering that the market has bigger players offering competition in the market. Marketing communication with respect to different rubber product will facilitate marketing segmentation of the respective performance with an aim of reducing mismatch in operations. MRC will give marketing the attention that it deserves by making sufficient investment in electronic and other marketing media. An efficient system will monitor advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling and social media blogging (MSG, 2012a).

Sales Strategy

MRC will formulate a sales strategy that defines the market in accurate estimations, taking five considerations. Firstly, target markets for the different products identified in the products portfolio will be identified to complement marketing outlook. Newer markets will also form part of the deliberations since the Blue Ocean strategy also encourages creative sales packaging (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005). Secondly, the most readily available and best outreach that the MRC will afford to create sales outcomes will be specified and enriched. In addition, sales operations will require a very professional team with solutions to queries raised by the customers to facilitate establishment of customer loyalty and confidence. Alternatively, orders and inquiries will be effected immediately to avoid losing acquired ground. This implies that the sales and delivery teams will need to perform highly coordinated operations to take care of sales achieved. Finally, constant reviews and monitoring of the sales experience will be facilitated to ensure that the correct results are maintained throughout the sales processes (MSG, 2012b).

In terms of the appropriate review procedures, sales targets set and results achieved will keenly be followed to ensure growth in operations. Management of the details of sales experience will formulate important strategic approach by MRC, including initial cue decoding, creation of contact, information exchange and follow-ups, need identification, scheduled meetings, prospecting for sales, negotiations, sealing deals as well as after sales follow-up (Helbig, 2011). These details will ensure that the initial sales establishment support long-term objectives of the MRC.

DistributionAs mentioned above, the sales and marketing functionalities of the MRC will need close coordination with the delivery system in order to ensure that revenue from orders is not lost. Across the expansive regional and global market space, MRC will have definite supply system that corresponds with current capacity of logistics and network of supply and demand. In order for the company to convert demand into supply outcomes needed for growth, wholesale and retail considerations will be considered (Gaebler Ventures, 2012). Due to the new entry status in Burma, it may not be immediately possible for the company to make an efficient presence on its own.

Wholesale and retail functionalities may be possible at the plant outlet to be constructed and implemented immediately. Supply across country and across the region as well as the global market will require partnerships and joint ventures as mentioned above. Various joint venture opportunities will be effected immediately, supported by agreements on delivery. International orders will be coordinated through shipping companies such as DHL. Online ordering and shopping portal will be integrated with the joint venture with shipping partner of choice. The initial supply targets will first cover the local and regional markets before the larger global market.

References

Boot, W. (2012). “Environmental Crises Threaten Burma’s Economy.” Retrieved from http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/12024

DPS. (2006). “Guide to Invest in Myanmar.” Retrieved from http://www.myanmar.ca/business/request_form.htm

Gaebler Ventures. (2012). “Selling a Rubber Products Wholesale and Manufacturers Business.” Retrieved from http://www.gaebler.com/Selling-a-Rubber-Products-Wholesale-and-Manufacturers-Business-7660.htm

Gutter, P. (2001). “Environment and Law in Burma.” Legal Issues on Burma Journal, 9:1-28

Gweri, R. (2012). “Myanmar: Planned Foreign Investment Law Delayed by Local Business Opposition.” Retrieved from http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/08/28/myanmar-planned-foreign-investment-law-delayed-by-local-business-opposition/#axzz2AkdfuWpL

Helbig, D. (2011). “5 Keys to Successful Sales Strategies.” Retrieved from http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/11/5-keys-successful-sales-strategies.html

HJ Ventures (2012). “Starting a Rubber Product Manufacturing Business.” Retrieved from http://www.hjventures.com/writing/Rubber-Business-Plan.html

Hoag, F. (2012). “Responsible Investment in Burma (Myanmar): An Experiment that Cannot Afford to Fail.” Retrieved from http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/responsible-investment-in-burma-myanmar-53891/

Khaing, A. K. (2012). “Burma’s Rubber Prices Low.” Retrieved from http://www.mizzima.com/business/7664-burmas-rubber-prices-low.html

Kim, W. C. & Mauborgne, R. (2005). Blue ocean strategy: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing

Mizzima News. (2012). “Burma’s Foreign Investment Law Approved by Parliament.” Retrieved from http://www.mizzima.com/business/7967-burmas-foreign-investment-law-approved-by-parliament.html

MSG (2012a). “Integrated Marketing Communications.” Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/integrated-marketing-communications.htm

MSG (2012b). “Sales Management- An Overview.” Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/sales-management.htm

Myanmar (n.d.) “Climate Change Management in Myanmar.” Retrieved from http://www.gwpsea.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=54&Itemid=135

NGFL, (n.d.) “The 4Ps of Marketing- The Marketing Mix.” Retrieved from http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/bus_studies/gcse_m_smidman/unit3/4ps.htm

Rispoli, L. & Strizzi, N. (2001). “Asia’s Foreign Debt: an Evaluation and Strategic Overview.” Ivey Journal on Global Business, (May/June 2001)

Roughneen, S. (2012). “”Commodity Prices, Cronyism Threaten Burma’s Economy.” Retrieved from http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/3928

Shoemaker, R. (2012). “”Burma: Open for Business?” Retrieved from http://thediplomat.com/2012/07/26/burma-open-for-buisness/

Case Study on Leadership: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Author

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Date

Part 1: Leadership Styles of the Two Primary Characters: Mr. Walt Disney & Mrs. Travers

Walt Disney’s leadership style blends the key features of the democratic and authoritative styles. He is a visionary leader who maps the way for his followers and sets expectations, while energizing and engaging them in the process of management. He is also democratic because he shares information with his team of employees about all issues that affect work responsibilities, seeking their opinion and approval before major decisions. He runs his company with a lot of love, evident friendship, and the notable involvement of every employee. For example, in Saving Mr. Banks (Hancock, 2013: 21:03), he insists on being called Walt, and is in first name basis with all of his employees. According to Iqbal, Anwar, & Haider (2015), such leaders inspire confidence in their employees, make them feel valued, and instill a sense of commitment and value in their abilities. The employees understand what Walt Disney desires not just from them but also for the company, in terms of direction, commitment, and how to go about every step of their role and responsibilities. Blanchard, Hodges, & Hendry (2016). The benefits to Disney’s participative and visionary leadership style is realized throughout the battle to win over Mrs. Travers. His ability to engender trust and help in the promotion of cooperation and tea spirit from every employee are beneficial to the company. It is clear from Saving Mr. Banks (Hancock, 2013: 1:05:21) that Disney’s democratic and authoritative styles have allowed the employees to be creative and has led to their growth and development. Walt Disney rarely tells his employees what to do, he leads through sharing his vision, and enabling the employees to be innovative through ideas and implementation of the same. His leadership style gets the employees to do as he wishes but in ways that feel more as if they want to do it. Combined with his authoritative style, he leads his team out of any uncertainty by allowing people latitude and choice on the best ways to achieve company and individual goals.

In Saving Mr. Banks, the character of Mrs. Travers portrays autocratic leadership. According to Iqbal, Anwar, & Haider (2015), autocratic leadership is exhibited in a leader whose style shows individual control relating to all decisions without much input from other members of the team or group. Mrs. Travers shows how autocratic leaders base their choices on their own judgments, interpretation, and ideas without necessarily factoring in the opinion of others, even when the others are experts on a matter that the autocratic leader is not. For example, at the start of the movie, Mrs. Travers, without consultations or taking into consideration the opinion of her lawyer, cancels an important contract and insists on having everything her way (Hancock, 2013: 4:50). She is very detail-oriented and asserts control over every matter, even dictating how she should be addressed by her own lawyer. She is obsessed with being right all the time, lacks empathy and does not seem to read social cues properly. Her leadership style is exerting, assertive, controlling, and she always wants to be in charge of every decision. Her leadership style comes out as a bit delusional, for example when she demands that the proposed film features no red, despite the setting being in London, England where everything from buses to mailboxes are characteristically red. She threatens to cancel the cooperation with Walt Disney if all of her demands are not fully met. She leaves no room for a bargain, even though some of her demands are not very realistic. Overall, Mrs. Travers uses her own beliefs to decide on everything and exercise authoritarian control over others and all situations, a characteristic of the authoritarian or autocratic leader.

Part 2: Leadership Styles of the Supporting Characters

Ralph is an exceptional character in the way he remains bubbly despite Mrs. Travers overwhelming and constantly gloomy nature. He is a ray of sunshine in a very dark day, when his happy and lively persona is pitted against Mrs. Travers uptight and ever-agitated personality. Their differences emerge in a conversation where Mrs. Travers prefers the rain as it is more responsible since it brings life, but Ralph counters this by expressing how happy he is for the sun because it also brings life (Hancock, 2013: 11:31). As a supporting character, Ralph’s servant leadership style allows him to take the weight of Mrs. Travers stubbornness. He helps Walt to soften Mrs. Travers heart, by driving her around without losing his temper, bringing her tea, and joining her in her moment of breaking down on the grass and so on. Although Walt gets to work on softening Mrs. Travers’ position too in one or two instances, Ralph gets the bulk of this task, dong it with so much grace because of how he is as a servant leader, a role that he executes with utmost perfection.

Ralph is a servant leader in more ways than one: he put the needs of others first, shows empathy, listens, is aware of the surrounding, is persuasive, and displays stewardship. Two of his strongest leadership qualities include empathy and fostering healing through spiritual and emotional well-being. Servant leadership allows Ralph to not only recognize but also understand the emotions and feelings that Mrs. Travers is going through. For example, in the film (Hancock, 2013: 32:13), Ralph is able to recognize and understand that Mrs. Travers is not in a pleasant mood. He constantly checks his rare view mirror to check on the emotional condition of Mrs. Travers. He seems to know just what to say to trigger a conversation that takes his passenger away from her own thoughts. He deeply experiences emotions to match those of Mrs. Travers as evidenced by his constant sighs and facial expressions. Because Ralph understand Mrs. Travers so well, despite only knowing her for a short while, his actions are all motivated by a real desire to help her navigate a new country and understand how to cope with the overwhelming demands of making a film. He succeeds as a servant leader by making a friend out of a very unlikely partnership, evidenced in the concluding scene in the film (Hancock, 2013: 1:51:28) where Mrs. Travers lovingly embraces him.

Ralph’s listening skills and awareness allow him to foster a sense of healing. Burch, Swails, & Mills (2015) mention that servant leaders are very good with other people, connecting emotionally and being able to see the world from their point of view. In Saving Mr. Banks, Mrs. Travers is broken, as seen through her constantly complaining and disapproval of almost everything around her. She seems utterly unmoved even in situations where everyone else awes pleasure. Ralph recognizes this and takes on the challenge of being there for Mrs. Travers. He connects to her on an emotional level, insists on calling her Mrs., against her will, and takes on the role of a friend, knowing very well that this may not be reciprocated. By taking on this role actively, Ralph is able to inspire a markedly exceptional level of faith and trust from Mrs. Travers. In the end (Hancock, 2013: 1:51:28), they are happy to see each other, Mrs. Travers smiles and embraces her friend, Ralph, who through servant leadership was able to connect to her, understand her, and even insisted on calling her friend.

Ralph faces a mountain of a challenge in managing to establish a relationship with Mrs. Travers, without showing signs of frustration or anger. Clearly, Mrs. Travers is both condescending, rude, and very opinionated. It is very easy for Ralph to decide to only perform his role as a driver ferrying her from one point to the next. In their first encounter, Ralph’s servant leadership allows him to recognize that Mrs. Travers would not be his conventional client. She slams the partition window shut to keep out Ralph’s bubbly interaction and chooses to remain in her somber mood. This is especially a challenge for Ralph who is keen on establishing a relationship. He uses the foresight of a servant leader to break through the barrier by predicting how Mrs. Travers would act or respond. He relentlessly tries to get her to communicate and is very persuasive. Ultimately, he overcomes the challenge and is able to connect to her on a personal level. It is clear that Ralph is committed to see others grow, and is therefore actively involved in their journey towards the same.

Part 3: Forgiveness and Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is all about forgiveness, not just for the shortcomings of others but also for oneself in a process of healing and being able to overcome emotional and spiritual challenges. In Saving Mr. Banks, the concept of forgiveness is paramount to the entire story. Mrs. Travers is very uptight and prefers to see disappointment in everyone else as a way of coping. She does not understand the concept of forgiveness and is yet to forgive her father who put his own family in a lot of problems from his drinking and poor decision-making. Ralph, on the other hand, is a servant leader who easily forgives. For example, he forgets about the poor treatment from Mrs. Travers and moves on quickly to try and forge a relationship. He is happy to connect to her emotionally even when sometimes it backfires on his face. He chooses forgiveness over resentment, a quality that is uniquely characteristic of servant leadership. In another example, Walt Disney displays qualities of a servant leader where he overlooks al of the misery that making the film Mary Poppins has brought to his company and staff members. He is not bitter against Mrs. Travers but also attempts to understand why she is so difficult, obsessive, compulsive, and controlling. In these instances, I learnt that forgiveness and servant leadership go together. Forgiveness improves every relationship in the film Saving Mr. Banks. Forgiveness allows the Ralph and Walt Disney to tolerate Mrs. Travers, and bring out the best in her in the long run. I learnt that the servant leader desire to honor every relationship that they are a part of, even when the relationship is strictly professional. For example, Ralph does not look at Mrs. Travers as a client but as a friend in need of emotional help. I have appreciated how the film combines the role of servant leadership and forgiveness to bring out the qualities that matter in every relationship.

Ultimately, forgiveness is an important quality in a servant leader because it improves a relationship and fosters a way forward for everyone involved. It allows one to shed off their pride and embrace a spirit of forgiveness, overlooking the shortcomings to focus on the positive. Walt Disney is able to forgive Mrs. Travers, so does Ralph, and others involved in the film. Most importantly, Mrs. Travers forgives herself and her father, a situation that allows her to start enjoying the world.

References

Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016). Lead like Jesus revisited: Lessons from the

greatest leadership role model of all time. Thomas Nelson.

Burch, M. J., Swails, P., & Mills, R. (2015). Perceptions of administrators’ servant leadership

qualities at a Christian university: A descriptive study. Education, 135(4), 399-404.

Hancock, J. Lee, Thompson, E., Hanks, T., Giamatti, P., & Newman, T. (2013). Saving Mr.

Banks. Widescreen. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLywdHpuFY&t=350s” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLywdHpuFY&t=350s

Iqbal, N., Anwar, S., & Haider, N. (2015). Effect of leadership style on employee

performance. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 5(5), 1-6.

Addictions

Name:

Institutional Affiliation:

Millions of people across the world are addicted to drugs and other substances such as alcohol. While persons of legal age can purchase and consume alcohol freely, drugs are prohibited under the law, and anyone caught in possession of even the smallest amounts of drugs is likely to spend some time in jail. In the United States, the majority of drug addicts and drug-associated offenders belong to minority groups, and this has led to oppression of drug addicts without a real solution in sight. Drug addicts are sent to prison and punished in other ways that have led to an exacerbation of the problem rather than a practical solution. The United States has millions of people incarcerated in its prisons and jails across the country, and the majority of these are due to drug-related charges. The criminal justice system and the legislature have been slow to address the drug addiction pandemic, and they would rather maintain the status quo. This paper will examine the statistics on drug addiction in the United States, the factors contributing to the growing pandemic, the oppression of drug addicts and how this has affected their lives.

Statistics

The American Addiction Centers website provides an analysis of valuable statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) on drugs and substance addiction. In the year 2017, 19.7 million Americans 12 years and older struggled with substance abuse. Substance abuse has a high correlation with alcohol abuse, as 74% of those battling substance abuse also struggles with alcohol use disorder. One in every eight Americans battled both alcohol and substance abuse disorders in the year 2017. These numbers are a cause for concern because it is a widespread problem affecting people of all ages and other demographics. The NSDUH also reported that alcohol and substance abuse is highly related to mental health disorders, as 8.5 million Americans experienced the two issues concurrently in 2017 (Thomas 2020).

The United States pursues a prohibitionist stance when it comes to drugs, meaning that persons caught selling or in possession of drugs face criminal charges. By the year 2015, arrests for drug charges averaged 1.3 million annually. 20% of all persons incarcerated in the country’s prions are serving time for drug-related charges, and an additional 1.15 million are on parole and probation for drug-related offences (Thomas 2020). Drug addicts have been the biggest casualties in the war against drugs, which the country has lost on all fronts. In discussing drug addiction, race plays a crucial role, especially when it comes to minority groups, specifically African-Americans. The African-American population accounts for 12.5 percent of substances users in the country, yet they make up thirty percent of all arrests related to drug charges. These high levels have had no effect on substance abuse and addiction numbers which have been on the rise over the years. Black Americans are on average six times more likely to be jailed for drug-related charges as compared to their white counterparts, even with similar charges levelled against them. On average, sixty percent of those serving time for drug-related offences in state prisons are people of colour. This number is even higher in federal prisons, where 80% of persons jailed for drug offenders are either black or Latino. These numbers shed light on the disproportionate effects of the war on drugs on minority groups in the United States.

The systematic oppression of minority groups such as Latinos and African-Americans concerning the issue of drug and substance addiction is due in most part to the criminal justice system, the law-making organs, and law enforcement bodies in the country. Officers have systematically pursued persons of colour in their fight against drugs, and the law supports this. Law enforcement officers are permitted under the law to stop and search any vehicle for drugs, and officers apply this law mainly on persons of colour. Additionally, the criminal justice system has contributed to the oppression of people of colour in drug addiction by handing them disproportionate jail terms. For example, a black defendant in the federal system convicted of a minor drug offence will likely serve the same amount of time (58.7 months) as a white individual convicted of violent crime (61.7 months). Prosecutors also fight for mandatory minimum sentences for black defendants more than white ones, and this has resulted in people of colour accounting for 70% of all mandatory minimum sentences (Thomas 2020). Policymakers at different levels of government have consistently applied harsher laws, especially for low-level drug offences, and this has oppressed many drug addicts.

Theory

The systems theory is the best theory that can be used to explain how the issue of drug and substance addiction is created and maintained. The systems theory asserts that a person’s behaviour is significantly influenced by various factors that work as a system. When it comes to addicts, these factors include family, community, schools, economic class and the government. A majority of addicts develop their problems due to social environments such as peers and family. For example, a child born to addict parents or one who spends a lot of time with addict peers is more likely to become addicts themselves. Addicts could also turn to drugs and other substances to deal with problems in their lives such as poverty, violence, family problems, among others. This translates into an endless cycle of addiction. Addicts are often shunned by their family and community because they are seen as criminals and irresponsible individuals. This sends them deeper and deeper into addiction, and they may turn to criminal activities such as dealing drugs. They will then be arrested by law enforcement officers and sent to the criminal justice system, which puts them in prison. Their addiction is never cause for concern at any point within the system; instead they are vilified and shunned by all parties.

Historical Background

The historical problem that led to the oppression of addicts is the growing use of drugs that prompted President Nixon to declare war on drugs in 1971. different arms of government worked together to fight against the drug menace fast growing across the country, seeing prohibition as the best way to eliminate the consumption and production of drugs in the country. Drugs then became a law enforcement issue rather than the public health issue. Addiction has been a significant problem over the past few decades for various reasons. One of these reasons is that it has encouraged the illicit trade of drugs which has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry globally. Drug and substance addiction has ruined the lives of millions, leading to loss of employment, imprisonment, addiction, physical and mental health problems, and even death (Fellner 2009). Unfortunately, the war on drugs has disproportionately affected minority groups in the country. Although drug addiction affects all parts of the US population, minority groups make up the majority of those incarcerated for drug-related offences.

Life for drug addicts before the oppression was better than it is. For example, laws against minor drug offences such as possession of little amounts of marijuana were less strict. As the years have gone by, the laws have become stricter, and even minor offences get significant jail times. However, President Nixon implemented several draconian laws on drugs that proved oppressive. One of these was the mandatory sentencing laws that require any person arrested on drug offences be given some mandatory minimum sentence. Federal drug agencies control and presence was also drastically increased to improve surveillance and arrest of drug offenders. Since the oppression began, the number of drug-related arrests per year has been growing exponentially, tripling since the 1980s (Provine 2011). The number of arrests from drug possession is six times those from drug sales. The oppression of drug addicts has only grown since the introduction of oppressive drug policies in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, more people have been sentenced to longer jail terms, and the majority of those incarcerated for drug-related charges are from minority groups (Wyatt-Nichol & Seabrook 2016). The macro-component of oppression has also widened its oppressive efforts. Those imprisoned for non-violent drug charges now serve longer prison sentences as public prosecutors fight for mandatory minimum sentences, and judges rule in their favour. The Center for America Progress reports on the unfairness of the justice system to minorities in the war against drugs. For example, African-Americans are four times more likely to be arrested and serve longer jail terms for marijuana possession, than their white peers under similar charges.

Analysis

The macro-components keeping the oppressed population in their current system is law enforcement, the justice system, and drugs policymakers. Law enforcement has been consistent in their unfair bias against communities of colour in the fights against drugs (Fellner 2009). Officers arrest such persons even on the most minor charges, rather than implementing other interventions such as diverting drug users to social services . The justice system is similarly discriminatory to minority groups in the war on drugs. Drug addiction affects all demographics in the country, but users from minority groups have been the largest group of victims in the effort to fight drugs and drug abuse. They are often sentenced to longer terms for similar offences as others. Policymakers on the issues of drugs have also contributed to oppression because they continue to such prohibitionist policies that unfairly target addicts and users from minority groups (Wyatt-Nichol & Seabrook 2016). There are specific factors that encourage these macro-components to maintain status quo in the oppression of drug addicts, specifically those from minority groups. For law enforcement, the primary motivation for oppression is financial. Officers who make more arrests get more overtime pay and this coupled with their historical bias against persons of colour leads to the arrest of more addicts. The judiciary also has similar biases against offenders from minority groups, fanned by pressure from the prosecution and other public bodies.

These macro-component practices affect drug addicts, their families and communities. Addicts sent to jail suffer from even more problems while incarcerated and later when released. They do not get the medical help they need to tackle their addiction, and when they get out of prions, they simply go back to their old ways. After prions, they find it hard to get employment and face discrimination in other social fronts. Their families suffer when their breadwinner goes to jail, and they are left without an income (Coyne, & Hall 2017). This loss of wages could drive such a family into poverty. Additionally, such families face stigma from their society for having addict members. Communities also suffer when addicts get arrested or go to jail because they lose some productive members, and the root causes of addiction also fail to be addressed, which would benefit more members of the community.

The macro-component is quite effective at oppressing addicts from minority groups as the system is biased against such addicts, right from officers carrying out arrests and providing evidence, prosecutors seeking longer and harsher sentences, to judges who eventually sentence the offenders. The macro-component is funded through government mechanisms that allocate billions of dollars to the fight against drugs each year. There is significant social awareness surrounding the oppressive capacity of these macro-components in the war on drugs, spread by statistics from organizations such as the Drug Policy Alliance and documentaries such as ‘The House I Live In’, ‘The War on Drugs’ and others focusing on the failed war on drugs (Gray 2010).

Addiction should be addressed at different micro and macro levels such as family, community and institutional levels. At the family level, an effective social work strategy is to encourage family members, especially parents and guardians, to be on the look-out for early signs of substance abuse and addiction. Most of them are clueless about the problem until it gets out of hand. Social workers should educate families on some things to look out for such as truancy, change in behaviour, and lack of concentration, irritability and withdrawal, especially in young people. Families should also be educated on the resources available to addicts and those struggling with substance abuse (Rolles 2010). These social work strategies at the family level also apply at the community level such as schools, churches and neighbourhoods so that people can look out for their neighbours and others in the community. At the institutional level, some social work strategies include engaging with leadership such as college administration to increase awareness on dangers of drug and substance abuse, offering counselling services and spreading information on services available to those struggling with such problems. When it comes to the macro component of oppression, these should be policy changes and anti-bias training for the relevant bodies. For example, law enforcement officers should be given anti-bias training to address issues of bias against minority groups, as well as alternative ways of dealing with petty, non-violent offenders. The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program is an effective solution where officers refer minor offenders to treatment and social programs rather than arresting them (Fellner 2009).

Reducing oppression and increasing cultural diversity contribute to social equality. Most of the victims in the war on drugs are minorities affected by poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Doing away with oppressive policies against them will promote social equality as they get fair and equal treatment, as well as the help they need for addiction. Addressing the actions of the macro components in promoting oppression will promote the rights and entitlements of the oppressed. All sick people have the right to get treatment, and this applies to addicts. Doing away with Oppressive policies such as harsh and long sentences promote the rights of the addicts. When such people get the help they need, they can lead productive lives, get employed and earn an income and improve their social status in the community. Such events also give addicts, and their families improved quality of life as they get the treatment they need, allowing them to lead normal lives. Addicts and other low-level drug offenders will have a more positive interaction with the community once the oppressive mechanisms are eliminated. They no longer have to be treated like criminals but as people who need medical and social intervention, and this improves interactions with their community. These goals align with principles of social work such as acceptance, access to resources, and non-judgmental attitude.

In conclusion, addiction is a major problem in society today. Millions of people are addicted to drugs, alcohol and other substances. One of the major problems in tackling the issue of addiction is the oppressive policies and laws targeting drug users and other drug offenders. The oppressive organs in the system include the justice system, law enforcement and policymakers. People of colour make up the majority of those convicted for drug-related charges, and consistently receive disproportionately harsher sentences for their crimes compared to other demographics. The country should abandon its prohibitionist policies in favour of decriminalization and addressing the drugs pandemic as a public health issue. The war on drugs has failed on all fronts, punishing addicts for a health condition.

References

Coyne, C. J., & Hall, A. (2017). Four decades and counting: The continued failure of the war on drugs. Cato Institute Policy Analysis, (811).

Fellner, J. (2009). Race, drugs, and law enforcement in the United States. Stan. L. & Pol’y Rev., 20, 257.

Gray, J. (2010). Why our drug laws have failed: a judicial indictment of war on drugs. Temple University Press.

Provine, D. M. (2011). Race and inequality in the war on drugs. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 7, 41-60.

Rolles, S. (2010). An alternative to the war on drugs. Bmj, 341, c3360.

Thomas, S. (2020) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Statistics. American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statisticsWyatt-Nichol, H., & Seabrook, R. (2016). The ugly side of America: Institutional oppression and race.

Case Study: Pet Food Companies Prosper from Pet Humanization

Rongyu Lin

ENGW 3304 Sec 13

February 20, 2020

Executive Summary

The pet food industry acts as one of the most lucrative businesses in the US with the leading pet food company (Mars Petcare Inc.) earning a revenue of over $18 trillion per annum. The pet food industry thrives due to the rising demand for pets as alternative companions for humans. Besides, the humanization of pets, the practice of treating dogs like humans, tends to take the top stage as more people develop an interest in ensuring good health for their pets. Accordingly, this report examines Blue Buffalo as an exemplary pet food company that seeks to generate high-quality pet foods by utilizing fine quality natural ingredients and raw materials. The company specializes in the manufacture of food for dogs and cats to ensure that its clients realize their desired products. Luckily, there is a large and expanding market share for pet food in the US. Thus, this study provides critical information regarding the impacts of humanization of pets in the pet food industry.

Pet Food Companies Prosper From Pet Humanization

Introduction

The pet food industry serves as one of the most lucrative businesses in the current world due to the rising demand for pets as alternative companions for humans. Consequently, pet food companies realize huge revenues. For instance, the world’s leading pet food firm (Mars Petcare Inc.) earns revenue of over $18 trillion per annum (Petfoodindustry.com, n.d.). The company, Blue Buffalo, specializes in the manufacture of food for dogs and cats to ensure that its clients acquire their desired products. A rising global concern on the health and hygiene of pets facilitates the manufacture and sale of pet food of high nutritional value. Since many people find pets as suitable companions, they strive to ensure that they (pets) feed well and stay healthy. This case study examines Blue Buffalo pet food company to determine how humanization of pets affects its operations and eventual revenues.

Company Background

Blue Buffalo is a pet food company with its headquarters in Connecticut, USA. The company attains efficiency and better performance by specializing in the manufacture of food products for dogs and cats only (Brutschy et al., 2012). A family that was caring for their dog called Blue started the firm. The family used natural and quality ingredients to develop healthy and quality food for Blue when it was struggling with cancer (Bluebuffalo.com, 2020). Since its establishment in August 2003, Blue Buffalo has enjoyed significant growth and development by focusing on the generation of high-quality pet products through the use of natural ingredients. Accordingly, Blue Buffalo realized approximately US$1.43 billion in the financial year 2019 (petfoodindustry.com).

Besides, Blue Buffalo concentrates mainly on the American market. Accordingly, Blue Buffalo faces stiff competition from large international firms, including Mars Petcare Inc. and Nestle Purina Petcare and other small companies. As such, Blue Buffalo gains its competitive advantage by embracing a suitable approach to generating exceptionally quality pet foods made from high-quality ingredients, fruits, and whole meats to increase customer loyalty. Moreover, Blue Buffalo relies on the following five production lines to generate its products:

Blue Natural Veterinary Diet where dedicated veterinarians provide therapeutic diets for pets

Blue Freedom that deals with grain-free products

Blue Basics that focuses on the manufacture of foods for pets that are sensitive to some ingredients

Blue Wilderness that deals with grain-free, high-protein, and high-meat products

Blue Life Protection Formula that serves as the main product line, which handles a wide array of breed-specific and functional products and flavors (Duarte, 2019).

Overall, Blue Buffalo relies on a Blue Masterbrand to enhance recognition of its brands by the target market (Duarte, 2019). Accordingly, the company enjoys significant market for its new brands.

Blue Buffalo’s Operating Strategies

Blue Buffalo Manufactures and Sells High-Quality Products at High Prices

Blue Buffalo offers the best quality pet food to gain client loyalty and attract the highest number of customers whose aim is to ensure that their pets remain healthy. The firm sells some of its products at $4 per pound (Martin, 2011). The firm attains its goal and objectives by working under the slogan “Love them like family. Feed them like family.” Specifically, Blue Buffalo is inspired to provide pet foods of high nutritional value and quality to ensure that its clients attain ideal products for their pets. Moreover, Blue Buffalo offers several varieties and brands of pet food to suit the demands and needs of dogs and cats of varied dietary requirements, ages, and breeds. For instance, Crunch the wild, Blue Sizzlers, and Blue Divine Delights are among the company’s latest brands (Petsmart.com, 2020). Also, Blue Buffalo relies on some of the finest natural ingredients and raw materials to manufacture quality pet food. Besides, the organization depends on minerals and vitamins to enhance the quality and value of their products. Luckily, many clients are less sensitive to the price of pet foods because they are more concerned with quality of the products (pet foods) following the rising humanization of pets.

Blue Buffalo Focuses on Functional Pet Foods

Functional foods are fortified products containing lots of valuable components other than the essential nutrients like minerals and vitamins that encourage the wellbeing when consumed regularly (Hasler, 2002). Accordingly, Blue Buffalo incorporates probiotic microorganisms in their products to facilitate useful physiological processes that entail digestion and absorption of nutrients (Boileau, Stojanovic & Sunvold, 2006). Besides, functional pet foods help in reducing the risk of diseases and improving brain functions, thus ensuring that pets remain reliable companions to humans (Di Cerbo et al., 2017). Subsequently, many clients have opted to purchase functional foods for their pets as opposed to conventional foods because they want their pets to remain healthy.

Impact on Company Performance

Similarly, Blue Buffalo is enjoying huge revenues that have been increasing at double digits due to its strategic positioning in the marketplace (Duarte, 2019). The table below presents projected US pet food market size and Blue Buffalo’s revenues. A top-down approach is used to forecast Blue Buffalo’s revenues by focusing on its US market share and the overall projected pet food market in the US (Duarte, 2019).

2017 2018E 2019E 2020E 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E

US Pet Food Market ($M) 31,084 32,448 33,902 35,379 36,897 38,476 40,087 41,819

Blue Buffalo Revenues ($M) 1,275 1,431 1,594 1,371 1,856 1,985 2,084 2,151

YOY Growth 10.9% 12.3% 11.4% 8.6% 7.2% 7.0% 5.0% 3.2%

(Duarte, 2019).

As a lucrative industry, the pet food business attracts massive revenues as illustrated in the table below. The World’s Top 10 Pet Food Companies

Company Country Annual Revenue

Mars Petcare, Inc.United States $18,085,000,000

Nestlé Purina PetCareUnited States $13,200,000,000

J.M. SmuckerUnited States $2,900,000,000

Hill’s Pet NutritionUnited States $2,318,000,000

Diamond Pet FoodsUnited States $1,500,000,000

General Mills (Blue Buffalo)United States $1,300,000,000

Spectrum Brands / United Pet GroupUnited States $820,500,000

Unicharm Corp.Japan $752,650,000

DeuererGermany $721,100,000

Heristo AG Germany $700,000,000

(Petfoodindustry.com, n.d.)

Conclusion

The pet food industry serves as one of the most lucrative industries in the world. The leading pet food firm in the world enjoys over $18 trillion revenue yearly. The growing humanization of pets encourages generation of high-quality products that promote wellbeing of pets. Accordingly, pet food firms like Blue Buffalo thrive by specializing in the manufacture of quality pet foods for specific types of pets. Blue Buffalo uses quality raw materials and natural ingredients to manufacture high-quality pet foods that promote good health and wellbeing of pets. Besides, Blue Buffalo generates functional foods that are highly valued because they attract lots of benefits that include the Prevention of diseases, and better absorption of nutrients by pets. Luckily, many customers are ready and willing to invest heavily in purchasing pet foods of the best quality because they value their pets that serve as appropriate companions in the current era. Fortunately, Blue Buffalo and other pet food companies have a promising future because the large US pet food market continues to grow. Humanization of pets has significant influence on operations of pet food companies and promotes attainment of huge revenues.

References

Bluebuffalo.com. (2020). The Blue Story – It’s all about family. Retrieved 12 February 2020, from https://bluebuffalo.com/why-choose-blue/blue-story/Boileau, T., Stojanovic, M., & Sunvold, G. (2006). U.S. Patent Application No. 11/366,234.

Brutschy, A., Tran, N. L., Baiboun, N., Frison, M., Pini, G., Roli, A., … & Birattari, M. (2012). Costs and benefits of behavioral specialization. Robotics and autonomous systems, 60(11), 1408-1420.

Di Cerbo, A., Morales-Medina, J. C., Palmieri, B., Pezzuto, F., Cocco, R., Flores, G., & Iannitti, T. (2017). Functional foods in pet nutrition: Focus on dogs and cats. Research in veterinary science, 112, 161-166.

Duarte, R. (2019). Blue buffalo-organic pet food (Doctoral dissertation).

Hasler, C. M. (2002). Functional foods: benefits, concerns and challenges—a position paper from the American Council on Science and Health. The Journal of nutrition, 132(12), 3772-3781.

Martin, A. (2011). ‘For the Dogs’ Has a Whole New Meaning. Retrieved 12 February 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/business/05pets.html

Petfoodindustry.com. (n.d.) Top Pet Food Companies Current Data. Retrieved from

https://www.petfoodindustry.com/directories/211-top-pet-food-companies-current-data)

Petsmart.com. (2020). Blue Buffalo. Retrieved 12 February 2020, from https://www.petsmart.com/featured-brands/blue-buffalo/dog-and-cat/#

Dear Rongyu,

I enjoyed reading your case study. I liked how you frame the story, it flows very nicely. In your introduction you effectively describe to the reader what the company does, and the market characteristics. This is very important because it allows the reader to understand the context. You also display the data in a reader-friendly way to the audience.

Your argument is well supported. However, while reading your case, I could only perceive one positive side of the story. You effectively describe how the humanization of pets increases a company’s profits. However, it would be good for the reader to also find a negative result of this, or to show also how new industries (beyond pet food) are emerging from this new trend. In regards to the data, I think that it needs some description after showing (a point in time in which the data is more meaningful, or a finding), rather than just placing it.

I look forward to reading your final draft, good luck!

Best,

Andrea Portilla

Dear Rongyu,

Overall, I think you pick a topic that I would really like to know more about. The data you collected is really good, and it helps bring out your points about the success of Blue Buffalo. I like the flow of your case, and because you are focusing on the success of mostly one company I would consider re-evaluating your research question and mention Blue Buffalo and how this company is making great profits from more people getting pets for companionship vs other companies.

My main suggestion would be looking at your analysis, I like the style you have going with the sub-headings; however, I think you could go more into depth about Blue Buffalo company and its background. If I were you, I would talk a little about the history of this company and how throughout the years their revenues have increased due to more people having pets. On the other hand, I think it would be interesting to focus a sub heading on the company marketing strategy and what have they done to become the number one choice of pet owners.

I think you have a good paper so far, I would just focus on organizing your findings and giving your paper a little more focus on the strategy behind Blue Buffalo to make profits from the growing pet ownership. If you like, I think it would be fantastic if you also look into the psychology of why more people are getting pets even though it is an extra cost for everyone.

Good luck with your final draft,

Andrea Arana

Addison Disease

Name

Institution

Date

Addison Diseases

Addison disease was named after the person who discovered it Dr. Thomas Addison who was British Surgeon. In 1849, he begun to look at adrenal insufficiency although endocrine function was yet to be explained. He discovered and explained the disease from autopsies that he performed on victims that had died from adrenal insufficiency. At that time there was no cure for the disease and those who suffered from it eventually succumbed as often they contracted tuberculosis as well. From then research into the disease were conducted in order to have better understanding of it including its cause by analyzing molecular basis of the disease. This paper delves into explaining the etiology of the disease including its molecular basis.

Addison’s disease is a chronic disease that results when the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient or fail to produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone and for this reason, the disease is at times termed as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolisms. The disease symptoms vary from one person to another. Visual development of the disease is elaborate over time and is often non-specific at first. It affects a number of individuals It affects a number of individuals worldwide and it affects both men and women worldwide (Erichsen, 2009). It is illustrated by uncontrolled weight loss, severs muscle weakness fatigue and low blood pressure, and in other cases the skin may darken. In most cases, Addison’s disease is caused by severe destruction on the adrenal cortex the outer part of the adrenal gland. The damage is often caused by the immune system. The Immune system might attack the adrenal gland causing severe damage to the adrenal cortex.

Addison’s disease is likely to occur among Caucasian European adults and has been found to occur in 140 people per million. The auto immune disease is also highly heritable when compared to other autoimmune conditions as researchers have discovered the prevalence rate of the disease to be in the ratio 160-210 among siblings. The rarity of the disease as well as the strong genetic etiology associated with it is an indication that it may have one or two variants that may confer the disease susceptibility in human beings. Common signs and symptoms of AAD may start at any point of the disease but are most likely to occur between the ages of 30 and 50. Common associated with the autoimmune disease includes nausea, fatigue, low blood pressure, weight loss, dizziness especially when one stands up too quickly, the skin may become abnormally dark in some areas a condition referred to as hyperpigmentation, lips as well as lining inside of the mouth tend to be dark. The disease also results in an imbalance of hormones associated with development of sexual characteristics and thus you may find a woman losing their underarm hairs or pubic hair.

90% of the damage caused to the endocrine organ renders the organ ineffective meaning it will not have the capability to produce sufficient steroids hormones, cortisol and aldosterone and once the levels of the three core hormones reduce, the symptoms of Addison’s manifest. Due to the underproduction of the cortisol hormone and aldosterone, Addison’s disease is otherwise known as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism. Some of the main functions of the cortical hormone include maintaining of blood pressure and the important cardiovascular functions, it also plays a critical role in aiding and balancing the work of insulin in ensuring the sugars are broken down to energy as well as ensuring the immune system inflammatory response is regulate. The hormone is also associated with the regulation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat metabolism. Addison disease is also termed as autoimmune disease because it results from a malfunctioning immune system that produce cells to destroy other glands. The results are the destruction and disruption of other several hormones and hence affecting several other body systems.

Tuberculosis has also been termed as one of the main causes of the Addison’s disease, this is because Tb is a bacterial infection affecting the lungs and may at times affect other organs including the kidneys and in instances where the kidneys are affected then the adrenal glands responsible for important endocrine functions is damaged (Dabrowska, 2012). In many instances the Addison’s disease is also known as Autoimmune Addison’s Disease, it a rare condition and also has high chance of it being hereditary in comparison to other autoimmune conditions. Research demonstrates that the condition has a vivid and strong genetic connection and the characteristic make it possible for the disease to be hereditary. ADD may lead to an adrenal crisis that is often characterized by back pain, leg cramps, vomiting, severe low blood pressure that may lead to shock and abdominal pain. Often the adrenal crisis begins as a result of a stressor such as an infection, a surgery or even any kind of trauma. When the body experience stress, normally the adrenal gland will produce two to three times the amount of cortisol. However, for a person suffering from Addison disease, they have the inability to increase the amount of cortisol produced and thus the body cause to a crisis a condition referred to as addisonian crisis a life-threatening-situation.

Addison disease result when adrenal glands hence the hormone cortisol is not produced in the body as well as aldosterone. Adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system and have a part in production of hormones. Adrenal glands have the outer layer which is the cortex and the inner part which is the medulla. Cortex produce a group of hormones referred to as corticosteroids which include glucocorticoids, androgens and mineralocorticoids (Dalin, 2016). When the cortex becomes damaged it often does not produce adrenocortical hormones and the condition is known as primary adrenal insufficiency. This often leads to the body attacking itself and that is why the Addison disease is referred to as an autoimmune disease. The body begins viewing the adrenal cortex as a foreign object sand starts attacking and destroying it. There is

Adrenal dysgenesis is the development of congenital defects in the adrenal glands. In the normal development of the adrenal cortex, there are multiple genes that are required and if mutation occurs on any of these genes then an adrenal dysgenesis is likely to occur. There are various genes that have been identified to be important in the development of the adrenal cortex and they include nuclear hormone receptor superfamily a good example SF-1, DAX-1 which is the dosage-sensitive sex-reversal hypoplasia gene and ACTH receptor which is the melanocortin-2 receptor gene. When mutations occur in DAX-1, it may result in X-Linked congenital adrenal hypoplasia and hypogonadism (Suntharalingham, 2015). Adrenal hypoplasia is often present in males that have a life threatening adrenal crisis among newborns and hypogonadrophic hypogonadism in adolescent years.

The genetic variants known to lead to Addison’s disease, include those present at particular loci of the chromosomes such as MHC, MICA, CIITA, CTLA4, PTPN22, CYP27B1, NLRP-1 STAT4, GATA3 and CD274. Autoantibodies 21-hydroxylase (21OH-AA) has been identified as a factor that leads to progression of ADD. However, the highest genetic risk has been identified to be on the MHC, Major Histocompatibility region. The formation of 21OH-AA comes the development of Addison’s disease even with the absence of the symptoms and is a marker for the progression of the disease. 210H-AAA has been identified in progression of other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes leading to the conclusion that these diseases may have a common pathophysiology.

SF-1 gene is necessary for the development of adrenal cortex the ventro-medial nucleus as well as the gonads and the gene is as a result of fushi turazu factor-1. SF-1 mutation is likely to result in adrenal insufficiency which eventually lead to Addison’s disease. In trying to establish how SF-1 resulted in adrenal agenesis, a mouse in vivo experiment was conducted and the Nr5al deleted. POR deficiency is a disorder of gonad and adrenal steroidogenesis which tends to affect microsomal cytochrome P450 enzymes (Suntharalingham, 2015). When partial mutations occur on POR t causes partial deficiencies to 21-hydroxylase, steroid 17a-hydroxylase, 17, and 20. Evidence has been presented of both cell-mediated and humoral mechanism which are often directed to adrenal cortex that destroys it. Antibodies get to react with the steroidogenic enzymes often 21-hydroxylse.

ACTH deficiency has been linked to be another cause of the Addison’s disease. ACTH deficiency arises from a decrease in the hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone produced by the pituitary gland. ACTH has been classified as a secondary adrenal insufficiency. Symptoms associated with ACTH include lack of appetite thus the patient is likely to be anorexic, weakness of muscles, nausea, low blood pressure and vomiting. Often concentration of 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids that are produced by the adrenal cortex is often low. The congenital defect at birth characterized by the mutation of T-box 19 (TBX19) gene located on chromosome one and mutation also of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) gene that is located on chromosome eight (Skinningsrud, 2008). When someone has ACTH, later in life they are likely to develop the Addison’s disease. This due to the chronic depletion of the adrenocortical function that results in deficiencies of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids. There are other factors that may result in secondary adrenal insufficiency including tumors in the central nervous system affecting release of hormones and necrosis of the pituitary gland after giving birth a condition referred to as Sheehan syndrome.

Addison disease has been found to have quite a strong genetic component but due to the fact that it is rare the recurrence rate in the family has been said to be at 2%. There are quite a number of disease-susceptibility alleles that have been pointed out that includes three loci linked with organ-specific autoimmunity and they include PTPN22, CTLA4 and MHC. Genetic variation in AIRE locus has also been pin pointed as a predisposing factor to ADD even when protein alteration does not occur (Su, 2008). MHC region on the chromosome 6 has proved to be an important factor for Addison disease in determining the risk of polygenic autoimmune disease. Most researchers have often pinpointed how AAD risk loci tend to vary between different populations and thus more research on the various risk loci needs to be conducted among various populations.

The treatment of Addison disease includes use of medication where one is given hormone replacement therapy thus replacing the levels of the steroid hormones that the body is unable to produce. In treatment of the disease, it involves the replacement of the cortisol which is at times administered in terms of tablets referred to as hydrocortisone or the prednisone. The dosing regimen has to be administered in such a way that it gets to mimic the natural concentration of the hormone cortisol. The quarter amount of a prednisolone may be used for the equal effects of glucocorticoid hormone same as the hydrocortisone. The treatment of the disease is lifelong which means a person with the condition is likely to be on the medication for the rest of their lives. An additional medicine referred to as fludrocortisone may be prescribed as it may be a replacement for the aldosterone that is missing (Bjornsdottir, 2013). On the prognosis, if well managed and one gets to take their medication as prescribed most people with the disease get to live a relatively normal life.

Thanks to research, Addison disease is no longer life threatening as it used to be. There have been drugs and therapies that have been developed that can help a person leave just a normal life. Individuals with ADD do not have to get TB as it used to be. The study of the molecular basis the researchers are trying to look into ways on how genes that resulted in the disease can be suppressed or how they can deal with the mutation hat result in adrenal failure are being modulated for example manipulation of the endogenous adrenocortical stem cell thus enhancing steroidogenesis. These kind of research is what has led to the development of medicines that mimic the hormones produced by the adrenal gland. Although Addison disease is among the rarest form of autoimmune disorders, researchers are putting work into it to look for ways to counter it.

References

Björnsdottir, S., Sundström, A., Ludvigsson, J. F., Blomqvist, P., Kämpe, O., & Bensing, S. (2013). Drug prescription patterns in patients with Addison’s disease: a Swedish population-based cohort study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 98(5), 2009-2018.

Dalin, F., Nordling Eriksson, G., Dahlqvist, P., Hallgren, Å., Wahlberg, J., Ekwall, O., … & Catrina, S. B. (2016). Clinical and immunological characteristics of autoimmune addison disease: a nationwide swedish multicenter study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 102(2), 379-389.

Dąbrowska, Anna Maria, Jerzy S. Tarach, and Maria Kurowska. “Addison’s disease due to tuberculosis of the adrenal glands–case report and review of the literature.” Medical and Biological Sciences 26.4 (2012): 55-60.

Erichsen, M. M., Løvås, K., Skinningsrud, B., Wolff, A. B., Undlien, D. E., Svartberg, J., … & Carlson, J. A. (2009). Clinical, immunological, and genetic features of autoimmune primary adrenal insufficiency: observations from a Norwegian registry. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 94(12), 4882-4890.

Skinningsrud, B., Husebye, E. S., Pearce, S. H., McDonald, D. O., Brandal, K., Wolff, A. B., … & Undlien, D. E. (2008). Polymorphisms in CLEC16A and CIITA at 16p13 are associated with primary adrenal insufficiency. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 93(9), 3310-3317.

Su, M. A., Giang, K., Žumer, K., Jiang, H., Oven, I., Rinn, J. L., … & Chang, A. (2008). Mechanisms of an autoimmunity syndrome in mice caused by a dominant mutation in Aire. The Journal of clinical investigation, 118(5), 1712-1726.

Suntharalingham, J. P., Buonocore, F., Duncan, A. J., & Achermann, J. C. (2015). DAX-1 (NR0B1) and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1, NR5A1) in human disease. Best practice & research Clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 29(4), 607-619.