Psychology Vocab Essay Example for Free

Psychology Vocab Essay Anal stage: the stage at which children advocate erotic pleasure with the elimination process Archetype: an inherited idea, based on the experiences of one’s ancestors, which shapes one’s perception of the world Altered states of consciousness: conscious level, preconscious level, and unconscious level Amnesia: a loss of memory that may occur after a blow to the head or as a result of brain damage Biofeedback: the process of learning to control bodily states with the help of machines monitoring the states to be controlled Bipolar: a disorder in which a person’s mood inappropriately alternates between feelings of mania and depression Client centered therapy: an approach developed by Carl Rogers that reflects the belief that the client and therapist are partners in therapy Conditioning: a type of learning that involves stimulus response connections in which the response is conditional to the stimulus Central nervous system: Spinal cord and the brain Classical conditioning: a learning procedure in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus Collective unconscious: the part of the mind that inherited instincts, urges, and memories common to all people Consciousness: an individual’s state of awareness, including a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas, and perceptions Compulsion: an apparently irresistible urge to repeat an act or engage in ritualistic behavior such as hand washing Cross- sectional study: research method in which data is collected from groups of participants of different ages and compares so that conclusions can be drawn about differences due to age CS (Conditioned stimulus): a once neutral event that elicits a given response after a period of training in which it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus CR (conditioned response): a response by the conditioned stimulus; it is similar to the unconditioned response, but not identical in magnitude or amount Defense mechanism: Certain specific means by which the ego unconsciously protects itself against unpleasant impulses or circumstances Dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality): a person exhibits two or more personality states, each with its own patterns of thinking and behaving Dependent variable: changes in relation to the independent variable Discrimination: the ability to respond differently to similar but distinct stimuli. 2. The unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their race, ethnic group, age, gender, or membership in another category rather than on the basis of individual characteristics Depression: a psychological disorder characterized by extreme sadness, an inability to concentrate, and feelings of helplessness and dejection Superego: the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and contracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id Dopamine: Involved in learning, emotional, arousal, and movement Eidetic memory: the ability to remember with great accuracy visual information on the basis of short term exposure Extinction: in classical conditioning, the gradual disappearance of a conditional response because the reinforcement is withheld or because the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus Endocrine system: a chemical communication system using hormones, by which messages are sent through the blood stream, EEG (electroencephalograph): a machine used to record the electoral activity of large portions of the brain Extravert: an outgoing, active person who directs his or her energies and interests toward other people and things Electroshock therapy: also called (ECT), an electrical shock is sent through the brain to try to reduce symptoms of mental disturbance Ego: the part of the personality that is in touch with reality and strives to meet the demands of the id and the superego in socially acceptable ways Free association: a Freudian technique used to examine the unconscious; the patients instructed to say whatever comes into his or her mind Formal operations: the person is able to solve abstract problems Fixed ratio schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific number of correct responses is required before reinforcement can be obtained Fixed interval schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific amount of time must elapse before a response will elicit reinforcement Functional fixedness: a mental set characterized by the inability to imagine new functions for familiar objects Genital Stage: Freud’s fifth and final psychosexual stage during which an individual’s sexual satisfaction depends as much on giving pleasure as on receiving it Hypothalamus: regulates the autonomic nervous system Hallucinations: perceptions that have no direct external cause Hypothesis: an assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research Identity crisis: A period of inner conflict during which adolescents worry intensely about who they are Id: in psychoanalytic theory, that part of the unconscious personality that contains our needs, drives, and instincts, as well as repressed material Independent variable: experimenters change or alter so they can observe its effects Imprinting: inherited tendencies or responses that are displayed by newborn animals when they encounter new stimuli in their environment Introvert: a reserved, withdrawn person who is more preoccupied with his or her inner thoughts and feelings than in what is going on around him or her Imitation: The third way of learning Latency Stage: the fourth stage of Freud’s psychosexual development at which sexual desires are pushed into the background and the child becomes involved in exploring the world and learning new skills Long term memory: the storage of information over extended periods of time Longitudinal study: research method in which data is collected about a group of participants over a number of years to assess how certain characteristics change or remain the same during development Lithium carbonate: a chemical used to counteract mood swings of bipolar disorder Maturation: the internally programmed growth of a child Meditation: the focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation Modeling: the process of learning behavior through observation and imitation of others Mnemonic devices: techniques of memorizing information by forming vivid associations or images, which facilitate recall and decrease forgetting Negative reinforcement: increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs Neurosis: One of the most commonly used diagnostic distinctions Oral Stage: Freud’s first stage of psychosexual development, in which infant’s associate erotic pleasure with the mouth Object permanence: Child’s realization that an object exists even when he or she cannot see or touch it Operant conditioning: a form of learning in which a certain action is reinforced or punished, resulting in corresponding increases or decreases in the likelihood that similar actions will occur again Obsession: a recurring thought or image that seems to be beyond control OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder): an anxiety disorder consisting of obsessions and compulsions Oedipus complex: seems more like a literary conceit that a thesis worthy of a scientifically minded psychologist Psychosexual stages: 1. Oral stage, 2.anal stage, 3.phallic stage, 4.latancy stage, 5.ganital stage Psychosocial stages: 1. Trust vs. mistrust, 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt, 3.initiative vs. guilt, 4. Industry vs. inferiority, 5. Identity vs. role confusion, 6. Intimacy vs. isolation, 7. Generativity vs. stagnation, 8. Ego integrity vs. Despair Pre-operational stage: emerges when the child begins to use mental images symbols to understand things Pituitary gland: â€Å"master gland† Psychosis: One of the most commonly used diagnostic distinctions Projective test: an unstructured test of personality in which a person is asked to respond freely, giving his or her own interpretation of various ambiguous stimuli Phallic stage: Freud’s third psychosexual stage, children associate sexual pleasure with their genitals Psychology: the scientific, systematic study of behaviors and mental processes Psychiatry: a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders Psychotherapy: a general term for the application of psychological principles and techniques for any treatment used by therapists to help troubled individuals overcome their problems and disorders Positive reinforce: a stimulus that increases the likelihood that a response will occur again Psychoanalysis: a form of therapy aimed at making patients aware of their unconscious motives so that they can gain control over their behavior and free themselves of self-defeating patterns Reli ability: the ability of a test to give the same results under similar conditions REM sleep: a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, a high level of brain activity, a deep relaxation of the muscles, and dreaming Reinforcement schedule: an important factor in operant conditioning Random sample: One way to avoid a nonrepresentative sample Rorschach inkblot cards: 10 cards with inkblot designs and a system for interpreting responses Self –actualization: the humanist term for realizing one’s unique potential Shaping: technique of operant conditioning in which the desired behavior is â€Å"molded† by first rewarding any act similar to that behavior and then requiring ever-closer approximations to the desired behavior before giving the reward Short term memory: memory that is limited in capacity to about seven items and in duration by the subject active rehearsal Spontaneous recovery: the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after some time has passed Selective attention: Focusing\ on only one detail of many Schizophrenia: a group of severe psychotic disorders characterized by confused and disconnected thoughts, emotions, behavior, and perceptions Separation anxiety: whenever the child is suddenly separated from the mother Superego: the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and contracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id Sensorimotor: the infant uses schemas that primarily involve his body and sensations Surrogate mothers: substitute mothers TAT (Thematic Apperception Test): This test consists of a series of pictures Thalamus: major relay station of the brain Unconscious: the part of the mind that holds mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories of which we are unaware but that strongly influences conscious behaviors UCR (Unconditioned response): an organism, automatic or natural reaction to a stimulus UCS (unconditioned stimulus): an event that elicits a certain predictable response without previous training Variable- ratio schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific amount of time must elapse before a response will elicit reinforcement Variable- interval schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which changing amounts of time must elapse before a response will obtain reinforcement Validity: the ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure Theorists Carl Jung: (1875-1961) believed that people try to develop their potential as well as handle their instinctual urges. He distinguished between personal unconscious and the collective unconscious Alfred Adler: (1870-1937) believed that the driving force in people’s lives is a desire to overcome their feelings of inferiority Sigmund Freud: (1856-1939) believed that our conscious experiences are only the tip of the iceberg, that beneath the surface are primitive biological urges that are in conflict with the requirements of society and morality Erick Erickson: (1902-1994) believed that the need for social approval is just as important as a child’s sexual and aggressive urges Abraham Maslow: (1908-1970) tried to base his theory of personality on studies of healthy, creative, self actualizing people who fully utilize their talents and potential rather than on studies of disturbed individuals Carl Rogers: (1902-1987) believed that many people suffer from a conflict between wh at they value in themselves and what they believe that other people value in them John B. Watson 🙠 1878-1958) psychology should concern itself only with the observable facts of behavior. Said that all behavior is the result of conditioning and occurs because the appropriate stimulus is present in the environment Ivan Pavlov: (1849 -1936) charted another new course for psychological investigation. Demonstrated that a neutral stimulus can cause a formerly unrelated response B.F. Skinner 🙠 1904-1990) introduced the concept of reinforcement. Attempted to show how his laboratory techniques might be applied to society as a whole Albert Bandura: people direct their own behavior by their choice of models. Harry Harlow: (1905- 1981) studied the relationship between mother and child in a species closer to humans, the rhesus monkeys Galen: Identified four personality characteristics called melancholic, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic Alfred Binet: Karen Horney: (1885-1952) stressed the importance of basic anxiety. She believes that if a child is raised in an atmosphere of love and security, that child could avoid Freud’s psychosexual parent child conflict b Lawrence Kohlberg: His studies show how important being able to see other people’s points of view is to social development in general and to moral development of moral reasoning Jean Piaget: Discovered that knowledge builds as children grow. Children develop logic and think differently at different ages Lorenz Konrad: (1903- 1989) became a pioneer in the field of animal learning. He discovered that baby geese become attached to their mothers in a sudden, virtually permanent learning process called imprinting Stanley Milgram: conducted the most famous investigation of obedience in 1963. Wanted to determine whether participants would administer painful shocks to others merely because an authority figure had instructed them to do so James Marcia: main contribution is in clarifying the sources and nature of the adolescent identity crisis Philip Zimbardo: made the Zimbardo experiment Solomon Asch: designed what has become a classic experiment to test conformity to pressure from one’s peers Hermann Rorschach: made the inkblot test   Wilhelm Wundt: he proposed that psychological experience is composed of compounds, much like the ones found in chemistry Phillipe Pinel: Father of scientific psychiatry   Dorothea Dix: Chief spokesperson for reform

Case study McDonalds Business Plan

Case study McDonalds Business Plan In view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. The SWOT analysis revealed that McDonalds has the internal capabilities to enter new market and that external threats make it imperative for the company to enter new markets. In addition, Porters Five Forces Analysis also confirms that McDonalds initiative to expand to China could benefit the company to a large extent. Finally, the PESTEL Analysis also suggest that China is potentially a good new market for McDonalds. 1.0 Introduction A news article by Nicholas (2010) featured McDonalds voluntary recall of tumblers sold in its store. As revealed in the article, the tumblers were sold at McDonalds as part of the promotional tie up with a new film. According to the news article, the tumblers contained cadmium, which is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children (Nicholas 2010). In response to the issue, the Consumer Product Safety Commission called on fast food companies for a stricter and thorough review of domestic and international supply chains in order to prevent products with potentially dangerous elements to reach its stores (Nicholas 2010). Consequently, this issue could add to the list of challenges being faced by the company. To recall, McDonalds has also been held responsible for obesity among children in the US and the UK (Kilkenny, 2010), which may so far be considered as the most disastrous issue facing the company. In view of the issues facing the company, Mc Donalds may find it vital to launch new business initiatives. This paper presents a business plan for McDonalds, which centers on the strategic issues facing the company and on the result of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) Analysis, Porters Five Forces Analysis, and PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) Analysis conducted on the company. 2.0 McDonalds Company: Business Overview According to Adams (2007), McDonalds is a popular destination for fifty million customers every day, making the company one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world. McDonalds is considered as the worlds leading fast-food Company in terms of revenues and number of restaurants. At present, there are about 32,500 McDonalds stores in over 100 countries across the globe, employing a total of 385,000 employees worldwide (McDonalds 2010). The company is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, but its operations span from the United States to Europe to the Middle East and to the Asia Pacific region (McDonalds 2010). McDonalds stores sell a standardized menu, but there are slight variations depending on the country where the store operates. For example, aside from its standard menu, McDonalds sell coconut water in Brazil, rice burgers in Taiwan, and porridge in the UK to suit the local taste of the customers (Adams 2007). The key or standard products served at McDonalds stores include hamburgers and cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, wraps, chicken nuggets, salads, desserts, sundaes, soft served cones, pies, as well as cookies. Furthermore, McDonalds also serves a wide range of beverages including milk shakes, soft drinks, coffee, and flavored tea. In addition, McDonalds also sells breakfast items especially in the US and many international markets, whereby breakfast offerings include muffins, biscuits, hotcakes, and bagel sandwiches. McDonalds markets its products under the following global brands: Big Mac, Big N Tasty, Filet-O-Fish, McNuggets, McFlurry, McMuffin, and the McGriddle s (McDonalds, 2010). McDonalds Head Quarters 3.0 SWOT Analysis 3.1 Strengths Strong Brand: As mentioned in Leong and Lwin (2006) brands are valuable symbols that magnify the image of the company. In the case of McDonalds, strong brands may be considered one of the greatest strengths of the company. As a proof, McDonalds was included in the list of the best global brands in the annual ranking of the Business Week magazine for 2009 (Holbrook, 2009). In relation, McDonalds brand equity for 2009 was valued at around $32,000 million (Holbrook, 2009). As a strong global brand, McDonalds is very well known in the informal-eating out market in almost all countries where it operates. Strong Global Presence: Aside from a strong brand, McDonalds strong global, diversified presence may also be considered a major strength of the company. At present, McDonalds has more than 32,000 stores in key geographic locations, such as, the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (McDonalds, 2010). Furthermore, McDonalds operations span across 118 countries across the globe (McDonalds 2010). Consequently, McDonalds operations tend to be relatively larger compared to rivals. Large Scale of Operation and Product Customization: Given that McDonalds is the worlds largest food service retailing chain, it could leverage on its size to compete effectively in the market. Furthermore, McDonalds has bigger economies of scale in terms of sales or revenues to compete with rivals. For example in fiscal year 2009, McDonalds generated revenues totaling to $22,744.7 million, which is significantly higher compared to the revenues of Wendys ($3,580.8 million) and Burger King Corporation ($2,537.8 million). Low-Cost Foods: McDonalds has been popular in the market due to its dollar menu, which includes fruit and yogurt parfait, cheeseburger, and fries (Dunlop, 2009). McDonalds low cost food has been considered a major strength to the extent that the company still managed to increase sales by 6.8 percent over the previous year in spite of the economic downturn. Aside from the regular menu, McDonalds also sell specialty coffee such as those sold at Starbucks but a lower cost. To illustrate, Huglett (2009) noted that prices of espresso-based coffee sold at McDonalds costs about 75 cents cheaper than Starbucks coffee. Generally, Holbrook (2009) noted that fast food companies flourished even in a struggling economy due to its cheap menu items. Good Community Reputation: McDonalds sponsors the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, which is an integral aspect of the companys corporate social responsibility programs. As part of the program, McDonalds sponsors various community outreach programs that aim to benefit children especially those who come from poor families in various communities where McDonalds operates (Adams, 2009). For example, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile aims to provide free screenings and treatments to children all around the United States (McDonalds, 2010). McDonalds corporate social responsibility program has helped create a positive company image. McDonalds mascot, Ronald McDonald has become a symbol of goodwill among customers, most especially to the children. Progressive External Orientation: As part of the companys commitment to total customer satisfaction, McDonalds offers free Wi-Fi services in over 15,000 stores across the globe (McDonalds, 2010). The free Wi-Fi access is intended to meet the personal and professional needs of McDonalds customers (McDonalds, 2010). 3.2 Weaknesses Health Issues: One of the weaknesses of McDonalds is that its core products were considered unhealthy (Adams, 2009). For example, McDonalds French fries was feared to have more Trans fat, which could cause obesity among consumers. Legal Suits Filed Against the Company: McDonalds is party to several litigations around the world. McDonalds have faced charges of violation of state consumer fraud acts, unfair competition or deceptive trade practices acts, strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud and fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation and concealment, unjust enrichment, and false advertising (Brown, 2003). Additionally, McDonalds have admitted to 20 offenses of illegally employing children aged 15 and 16 at two restaurants in Surrey, UK (Brown, 2003). Furthermore, the company also received more than 2,750 recorded customer complaints of food poisoning a year (Brown, 2003). Consequently, these issues have tarnished McDonalds reputation in the market. 3.3 Opportunities Adding Healthy Food Options: Studies reveal that consumers are becoming more particular of the health implications of their consumption, whereby consumers now tend to demand healthy food options (Taylor, 2006). For McDonalds, this trend could create an opportunity for McDonalds to expand its menu to include healthy food varieties such as salads and fruits. Improving the Transaction and Service Delivery Processes: Improvements in technology provide a way for more efficient ordering and paying processes. Technologies that could improve transactions at fast food restaurants include the following: touch-screen ordering system, which makes order taking faster and more efficient; timing systems, which aims to monitor meal progress and hence ensure that orders are delivered accordingly; reservation systems, which aims to maintain good flow of traffic within the restaurant; inventory management system, which allows restaurants to effectively track supply levels and reduce wastes from over stocking and spoilage; and hand-held point of sale devices, which allows servers to place orders and print checks at the tableside. 3.4 Threats Slowing Economy: As mentioned in Horovitz (2009), businesses, including fast food restaurants are vulnerable to economic downturns. Generally, the economic slow down has negative implications to the business reflected in slightly depressed sales growth of restaurants. Consumer Eating Out Less: Surveys reveal that consumers are beginning to eat out less relevant to the economic downturn. In relation, a survey conducted by the Nielsen Company revealed that about 46 percent of American households have begun to eat out less (Panian, 2010). Increasing Competition: Competition in the fast food industry has intensified over time, thereby putting pressure on McDonalds. McDonalds does not only compete with rival companies in the industry, but also with formal restaurants and easy-prepare meals sold at supermarkets (Zwolak, 2010). Increasing Regulations: The fast food industry is under strict regulation from the government due to health issues associated to products sold at fast food restaurants. For example, some states in the US have required fast food restaurants to print calorie and nutrition information on their menu and at the same time placed restrictions on selling snack food and soda (Hirsh, 2009). 4.0 Industry Analysis 4.1 Size and Growth According to Data Monitor industry report, the US fast food market generated total revenues of $68.2 billion in 2008, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% for the periods between 2004 to 2008. Furthermore, the industry is highly fragmented, with the four top players holding only 35 percent of the available market share (Zwolak, 2010). Furthermore, 48 percent of establishments are small business operators with nine or fewer employees, while the other 52 percent have between 10 and 99 employees. 4.2 Trends The fast food industry is in the mature phase of its industry life cycle (Zwolak 2010). In this regard, growth may still be expected but at a slower pace and has the possibility of reaching saturation point in the domestic market. For the fast food industry, annual growth is expected to be around 2.5% over the next five years (Zwolak, 2010). 5.0 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Buyer Power Buyer power is assessed as moderate to the extent that buyer power within the fast food market is weakened by the fact that while not everyone enjoys fast food, large numbers of people are patronizing fast food. Buyer power is strong as such fast food companies are compelled to offer low prizing scheme. 5.2 Supplier Power Supplier power is assessed as strong to the extent that the supplier market is quite consolidated whereby few supply companies have substantial market shares and have other customers in the cost foodservice sector and in other segments of the profit food sector, hence decreases their dependence on fast food companies. 5.3 New Entrants Entry to the fast food market does not require huge capital outlay, allowing small business owners to establish single, independent fast food outlets. Furthermore, franchising agreements are common in the industry. As a proof, franchisees run the majority of McDonalds outlets in the US. In this regard, there is a strong likelihood of new entrants. 5.4 Substitutes Generally, substitutes present a strong threat to companies operating in the fast food industry. At present, substitutes for fast food include other forms of profit food service, and also food retail such as ready meals or easy-to-prepare meals (i.e., frozen meals) for home cooking. 5.5 Rivalry Rivalry in the fast food industry is relatively strong, given that the industry is highly fragmented. As mentioned before, the top four players in the industry hold only 35 percent of the total market share. 6.0 Business Expansion Plan: Entering New Market In view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. In relation, the Data Monitor market research found that the Asia-Pacific fast food market has posted strong, generating total revenues of $47.1 billion in 2008, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent for the period spanning 2004 to 2008, with the Chinese and South Korean markets having compound annual growth rates of 14.5% and 5.6% respectively. 7.0 PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis will be used to validate the attractiveness of China as the target market for McDonalds. The goal of the PESTEL analysis is to analyze how political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors will interfere with the organization in entering the Chinese market. 7.1 Political Factors China adopts the open door reform policy, which aimed to decentralize the economic system and to attract overseas investment. In this regard, McDonalds would not have difficulties in entering the Chinese market, as the political structure of the economy supports foreign direct investment. 7.2 Economic Factors China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today and growth forecasts for the subsequent years are fairly high. For McDonalds the booming economy and increasing gross and disposable income of the population in China suggest higher revenues in the future. 7.3 Social Factors The population of China was estimated at 1,328,020,000 as of 2008 and is expected to grow at a slower pace, given the one-child policy being adopted by the country. For McDonalds the large number of population in China opens opportunity for higher sales potentials. 7.4 Technological Factors Chinese government has placed significant investments on science and technology, leading to significant improvements in technology in the country. For McDonalds, improvements in technology could offer significant opportunities for businesses in managing different aspects of the business. Companies could leverage on newly introduced software to increase productivity and efficiency. 7.5 Environmental Factors The Chinese government has committed to reducing its carbon footprint in the future. In this regard, stricter environmental restrictions on businesses may be expected. 7.6 Legal Factors The Chinese labor force is highly regulated compared with other countries in the Asian region, whereby regulations are tighter for dismissing workers than on hiring. 8.0 Customer Analysis The target market segment of McDonalds in the new market includes mostly of busy, working people, to the elderly and young. Convenience may be considered as the main factor that attracts busy, working people to fast food as well as to the elderly and the young. Additionally, value for money may be considered as the greatest factor that would attract low to middle income households to fast foods. Finally, the childrens meal offered at McDonalds would appeal to children. 9.0 Competitor Analysis McDonalds major competitors in the international fast food market are: Wendys International and Yum Brands Inc. Focusing first on Wendys International, the company is engaged in the operation, development, and franchising of restaurants, operating a total of 6,645 restaurants in the US and in 19 other countries and territories (Data Monitor, 2009). Same with McDonalds, Wendys also offer a standardized menu, comprised of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as chicken nuggets, chili, baked and French fried potatoes, freshly prepared salads, milk, frosty dessert, floats, and kids meals. In FY 2008, the company reported revenues totaling to $1,822.8 million and net losses amounting to 413.6 million (Data Monitor, 2009). Meanwhile, Yum Brands Inc., similarly develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a system of restaurants. The company operates under five branded restaurant concepts, namely KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, LJS, and AW (Data Monitor, 2009). Yum Brands operates a total of 36,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries. Yum Brands generated total revenues of $11,279 million in the financial year ended December 2008, equivalent to an 8.3% compared to the previous year. 10.0 Conclusion McDonalds is considered as the worlds leading fast-food company in terms of revenues and number of restaurants. However, in view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. In relation, the PESTEL analysis confirms that China is potentially a good new market for McDonalds.

Essay --

Trust is defined in the dictionary as believing in someone. Trust is what everybody in the world desire, or should desire from one another. It is the key part of establishing a good friendship. Trust is what keeps a relationship with family good, and works as a magnet to keep the bond alive. Without trust, there is not friendship, and without friendship, there is no love. Trust is very hard to gain, but very easy to lose. To gain someone’s trust, it might be a very difficult and painful road especially if you love that person. To be told you are trusted is a great feeling, but you should never take advantage of that trust. The second you take advantage of someone’s trust, that relationship will weaken and demolish as a result of distrust. According to my second story, the girl knew that her boyfriend cheated on her and decided to leave the relationship. All the trust that she had in him was destroyed as a result of a reckless action. This story is a good example of the consequences of distrust, and how it affects a relationship. On the other hand, having somebody to trust is a wonderful feeling. It provides us support by enabling us to share secrets, stories, and other events. The feeling of being trusted might possibly be one of the best feelings a person can encounter during his lifespan, it makes us happy and strong. Trust gives us the power to help somebody by having a small talk with them about something they need help with or need advice on. In my fifth story, Stacey failed her math test and she is scared to tell her parents due to the consequences she might encounters. She couldn’t find a good solution to the problem. Her friend Ann passed by her, and started a conversation with Stacey to find out the problem. After Stac... ...shelf and immediately came up to me to ask me why the shelf is empty. I couldn’t blame it on someone else because it is my responsibility. I was given a warning but I learned no to trust anyone. It was a bad experience for me because every person likes to fulfill their job requirements in order to prove something to their bosses, but this time, I fell short because I trusted someone who cannot be trusted. Expectation has a lot to do with trust. I expected my co-worker to do what I told him and by doing this, I trusted him. These two seem to tie into each other. Part of trust is having the expectation that someone will do right and be towards you. It is why you feel safe around them. Trusting that person makes you feel more comfortable in that environment, but for me, I learned to not trust or expect anyone to help me at work because they want to be better than me.

Beneficial Pets Essay -- essays research papers

Would you like to live a happy and productive life? Then get pets! I must admit it is hard to believe that domesticated animals can promote mental and physical health, but many studies have shown that they can. On the other hand, you must find a pet that is compatible with you or with your life style. Maintaining good mental health is crucial for living a "normal" life. Many psychiatrists have found that patients with anger management problems can be calmer with a pet around the house. Sometimes, just the feel of a pet in the house can do wonders on the nerves and eliminate certain aggravation. A significant point that have been brought up by animal right activists is that abuse inflicted on animals is, in many cases caused by frustration caused by an outside conflict. Outside conflicts can be caused by work stress, school, and/or relationships. On the other hand, if you have control of your temper your should have nothing to worry about. I have found that having multiple pets around can be difficult, but with the hard work comes satisfaction and happiness. Personally, I own two birds and six fish; my two birds are in separate cages, so they do not fight or maybe even kill each other! In my fish tank, there is no predatory fish, which would endanger the other fish in the tank. Separating animals that could do harm to each other is a good method for ensuring their safety. In addition, you must remember to spend an equal amount of time with your pets†¦ even your...

Positivism And The Real :: essays research papers

Positivism is a trend in bourgeois philosophy, which acknowledges the orthodoxy towards empirical knowledge of natural phenomena where metaphysics and theology are regarded as inadequate and imperfect systems of knowledge. Positivism, began to rise as the main intellectual movement during the second half of the 19th century in response to the inability of speculative philosophy, witch was indeed Romanticism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the first half of 19th century, the Romanticism brought new views that helped the civilization of that time reach a higher level but it also brought the negative side effects. It brought the chaotic effect that people started in a extremely liberal way to threat the social order in the increasing dispute of 1847 to 1848 which was posed not just by revolutions but by the eruption of an insidious, continually growing, struggle of class against class. The imperceptive economic thoughts, as those in France of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, eloquent if inconsistent writer, denounced the property classifying it as theft. The revolutions of 1848 lead the way for European thinkers to develop new visions for the way of thinking that brought to the idea of Positivism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claude Henri de Saint-Simon, French socialist/philosopher, conceived the idea of a new science of society that would result in the economic and intellectual emancipation of man. Saint-Simon thought that the new idea must be a positive philosophy based on experience and science. Another Frenchman Auguste Comte, who is considered the founder of Positivism, was the first to introduce the term â€Å"positivism.† According to Comte, the new natural sciences indicated that a new social science should be built on observation and experience. Comte also described the human history as a three-staged chronology of progress, with each stage having a different social organization based on the social environment of the time, with action based on different principles at each stage. Those were the theological stage, metaphysical stage and at last the positive era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After its birth in France, positivism continued to spread to England where it obtained a new and better form. In fact, it was in England that the biggest positivist arose. James Stuart Mill, a writer on economy, was one of the main figures in English positivism. In his largely influential System of Logic (1843) Mill introduced the logical positivism that declared: all discoveries of truth not self-evident consist of inductions and the interpretation of inductions. Mill’s theory of logic is based on the laws association.

What Lay Behind the Horrors of the Slave Trade

What Lay Behind The Horrors Of The Slave Trade? In this essay I would be examining what lay behind the horrors of the slave trade. This essay will include the countries that were involved in the slave trade, how they benefited from it and the power they had over the enslaved Africans. The slave trade worked in a triangle, between four continents: Europe, Africa, South America and North America.Slave ships leave ports like London, Bristol and Liverpool for West Africa carrying manufactured goods like guns, alcohol, iron bars, which are traded for African men, women and children who had been captured by slave traders or bought from African chiefs on the West African coast. From Africa a ship full of slaves leaves to America and the West Indies, where they are sold to the highest bidder and that’s where families are separated. Once they have been bought, after that they belonged to the plantation owner.Some refused to be enslaved and took their live, others run away and pregnant woman preferred to have an abortion than to raise their children into slavery. With the money made from the sale of enslaved Africans, goods such as sugar, coffee and tobacco were bought and taken back to Britain for sale. The ships were loaded with produce from the plantations for the voyage back home. For over 300 years, European countries forced Africans onto slave ships and transported them over the Atlantic Ocean but how did the people back in Britain get involved in the slave trade?As the slave trade grew, numerous of people began to get involved or simply benefited from it. Banks and finance houses in Britain began to grow from the fees and the interest they earned from merchants who borrowed money for their voyages. Bristol and Liverpool became major ports for slave ships, handling cargoes they brought back and between 1700 and 1800, Liverpool’s population dramatically rose from 5,000 to 78,000. Others worked in factories that had been set up with the money from the s lave trade.The slave trade also provided various jobs back in Britain, many worked in factories which sold their goods to West Africa, and these goods will then be traded for slaves. Birmingham also included itself by having 4,000 gun makers with 100,000 guns a year People in Britain weren’t the only one who benefited from the slave trade, West African leaders involved in the trade also benefited by capturing and trading Africans to the Europeans because they are the one who got all the manufactured goods that were traded for slaves. The African chiefs were also benefited themselves with all the money that they got from trading Africans.My view is that because of the benefits they had, it means that they were also involved and I think without them the trade wouldn’t of happened because they are the one who captured slave for the Europeans, therefore they made a path for the slave trade to happen. Lastly, the West Indies and the Americans were obviously involved because they are the ones who bought and owned the slaves for their plantations. Plantation owners who used slave labour to grow their crops and the fact that they didn’t have to pay the slave made them vast profits.Often planters retired to Britain with the profits they made and had grand country houses already built for them. Some planter used their money wisely, to become MPs and others invested their profits in new factories and inventions wish helped to finance the Industrial Revolution. I would like to conclude that for me the biggest horrors that lay behind the slave trade is how other African traded their own kind for manufactured goods, how cruelly the Africans were treated on the slave ships and plantations and the power that the Europeans , the Americans, and some other Africans had over the slaves.I also think that the slave trade was unnecessary, but all those four continents that were involved benefited from it one way or another as they all played important roles beca use without one, let say the West Indies and Americans, who would of bought all those slave? Or which plantations would the slaves have worked on? And the slave trade wouldn’t have been so successful or benefiting without one side of the triangle. Or without the slave we wouldn’t have what we have today but I still think the way they treated black people was out of order and shouldn’t had to happen in order for the countries to have wealth.

How Do Evolutionary Psychologist Explain Male-Female in Courtship and Sexuality?

1. How do evolutionary psychologist explain male-female in courtship and sexuality? Evolutionary psychologist explains the male and female behaviors to sex. They explain what a male wants most from a female and what a female is looking for. For instance, like what a male will do to get what he wants out of a female even if it has to get violent. Along with female, females will take time to look for a male to have sexual intercourse with, Evolutionary psychologist studies appears that males are more disposed in many sexual relationship then females.In other words, it means the males generally want sex more often. They tend to look for the youth and beauty in a women because youthful women are more fertility. Males are also more violent and more pushy then females which in some cases leads to rape. They are more sexually jealous and controlling then females because if his mate was having sexual intercourse with another male, he will never be sure if her child will be 100% genetically h is.In the other hands, women are more committed to being in a relationship. They are less sexually active than men. Women tend to focus on his financial resource when searching for a mate. They will also look into his status. The male has to have the ability to provide the support and resources needed for there off springs later in life and also for her. Women are more cautious when it comes to courtship and sexual relationship because they are more dedicated in parenting then the males.