Learning Experiences 5 (Personal Training) Essay

Learning Experiences 5 (Personal Training) - Essay Example The supplements are made available in form of tablets, capsules, bulk powder, or liquid. (Cheryl, 2007) Bluebonnet’s Maxi Two Formula is a higher potency, two-a-day, multivitamin, and multimineral dietary supplement in a caplet and is formulated with highly efficient patented Albion chelated minerals and popular carotenoids, such as natural beta-carotene and FloraGLO lutein from 100% natural marigold extract. (Bluebonnet) This is a family of multivitamin and mineral formulas designed specifically to address the nutritional needs of women. It provides a healthy response to sports injuries or surgery, muscle tears and pulls, sinus activity, joint mobility and fluid retention. Some ingredients are present in both the multivitamin formulas and in the same form such as vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, and B6. However, some of the ingredients are present in both the formulas but in different forms such as B12 and D as dibencozide and ergocalciferol respectively in Maxine, Daily Multiple for Women and as cyanocobalamine and cholecalcifero in Bluebonnet’s Maxi Two Formula (With iron). Mineral composition in Maxine is higher than in Bluebonnet in order to meet its dietary needs. Some ingredients such as phytase, black pepper, lactase, protease, and vanadium in Maxine are not present in Bluebonnet Vitamins, minerals and herbs are put together to sufficiently meet the needs of the user, for example, garlic, zinc and Echinacea are put together with vitamins C and B since they have the ability to resist infections. Mixing together minerals, herbs and vitamins also help achieve multiple desired results such as mixing beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin C, and E and chromium results in body protection and improved metabolism. (Walker, 2006) The variance in different multivitamin formulas results from the level of research done on the producing company and the fact that some ingredients can also be used as substitutes for each other with mild deviation from

Body soul destinction Essay Example for Free

Body soul destinction Essay Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul. Discuss. Humans appear to have both a body and a mind, the body which is related to physical movements and appearances. And the mind which relates to feelings and emotions, qualia. Many philosophers therefore make a distinction between the mind and body, the dualist view that a person is made of two separate substances. On the other hand, some philosophers take a monist/ materialist view that the mind and the body are the same substance. This is a contentious area of philosophy, and has created a debate known as the mind, body problem. Such philosophers as Plato take a dualist view and try to offer evidence to suggest a distinction between the body and soul. Plato saw the body and soul as two separate entities. The soul that most closely resembles the divine and immortal. While the body resembles the human and mortal, which is endlessly changing and can be broken down. Plato was not trying to suggest the soul was perfect as it joined the body which it is inhibited by, however, he explains that by taking care of the soul the person can develop knowledge. Plato used evidence such as the world of the forms. He suggested that by taking care of the soul and ignoring physical pleasures the soul can return to the word of the forms when the body dies. The evidence of Platos theory can be seen everyday. For the body to survive it must meet its basic needs such as food, reproduction and physical pleasure. On the other hand for the mind to be stimulated it has other needs that are met through deep thought and learning. However, there is a flaw to Platos theory, how can you have two completely different substances that are the same thing? Platos theory suggests the body and soul can work together to achieve a higher level of existence, but if the body and soul are completely different there is no evidence to suggest they would be compatible. Another dualist, Aquinas took a more religious view of dualism. He believed that the body and soul were separate and described the soul as that which animates the body or anima. According to Aquinas, the soul operates independently of the body. Aquinas believed the only things that are divisible into parts decay. The soul is not divisible and therefore on this basis of Aquinas argument it is able to survive death. However, through the link with a particular human body the soul becomes an individual so even when the body dies the soul that departs has an immortal existence. Evidence for religious views on the soul come from the bible. Within the new testament, there are stories of Jesus resurrection that suggest dualism. Within one particular story Jesus disciples are walking to Emaus. Along the way they are joined by a man, it is only when they arrive at Emaus and offer the man a place to eat and stay that he reveals himself as Jesus. This supports the dualist view as firstly, it proves that the soul is immortal and lives on after death, and secondly that the soul is separate from the body as the man who claims to be Jesus appears to be unrecognisable implying he has a different physical appearance. For Christians this will act as firm evidence that there is a body soul distinction, however for those who are not Christian the evidence may not be so reliable. Cartesian duality formed by Rene Descartes, describes the mind and body as being separates and is based on the phrase I think therefore I am. Descartes explained that feelings and sensations cannot be located physically. He accepted that everything non physical is in the mind and therefore must be distinct from the body. The mind according to Descartes is non spatial and is distinct from material and bodily substances. He suggested that everything has characteristics and that the mind and bodys characteristics are different therefore hey must be separate. For example a property of the mind may be consciousness, whereas the body has more aesthetic qualities such as height breadth etc. Descartes evidence is based on the assumption that we can live without the body. He concluded that the body has the job of performing physical activities however, it is the mind that contains our identity. For Descartes the mind is I, that we can live without the body as the mind makes us who we are. Descartes took the religious view that after our death the soul is able to continue and be with God. A mans soul is that to which the pure mental properties of a man belong. Richard Swinburne developed a dualist view based on the soul being indestructible and indivisible. Swinburne suggested that is a logical possibility for a person to exist after the body dies, as the soul lives on. The soul according to Swinburne is linked with mental processes and activity and its independent from the body. Evidence for Swinburnes theory comes from near death experiences. In many instances people have claimed to have had near death experiences whereby their hearts have stopped during surgery and yet they have reported detailed accounts of what happened during the time they were clinically dead. For some this is evidence for consciousness, however if the body and soul is one entity this would be impossible. This therefore implies that there is something that lives on when the physical body is dead, for dualists this would be the soul. On the other hand although the details of the experiences seem to be accurate there is no proof that the experiences may not be caused by another physical phenomena. On the other hand Dawkins, a biological materialist would disagree with the opinion that the soul and the body are separate substances. Dawkins bases his theory on evolution and genetics. He would reject any concept of an eternal soul and therefore rejects dualism. Some of Dawkins work includes the selfish gene and the blind watchmaker Within these he rejects any idea of the religious view of dualism and within the selfish gene he explains that humans are a lucky accident and that all life is opportunistic and humans are merely genetic mutations with the need to mindlessly replicate. Dawkins does not deny human dignity and accepts the complexity of human life to be able to contemplate the origins of human life. The evidence for Dawkins theory of biological materialism is based on DNA. Dawkins explains DNA as a code of instructions that is made up of millions of strands of genetic information. Genes according to Dawkins program who a person is, and it is DNA that singly creates what a person looks like as well as their personality. For Dawkins both the mind and body are controlled by the DNA and therefore he suggests that there is no need for a soul. Although Dawkins theory is based on empirical evidence and it has been proved that certain genes decide certain parts of a persons characteristics there is yet no proof to suggest that genes make up the whole of a someones personality and therefore it could be seen that there may be something else, this may be the soul. John Hick has formed a view of religious materialism. He stated that humans are one composite being, one substance. His theory the replica theory he realised from a religious point of view the problem was continuity. In life after death how can someone be the same person without their body. Therefore Hick suggests that there must be some kind of replica. This replica is the same person however, whilst they cannot exist at the same time. According to Hick at the same time that when a person dies a replica of them is created by God. This is a way of preserving personal identity after death. The evidence for religious materialism is based on the resurrection of Jesus. Some accounts during the new testament describe Jesus after the resurrection and was recognised by followers before ascension. From a religious view this is evidence for the replica theory as it appears that Jesus died and when he came back had the same physical appearance as well as the same personality. Identity theory puts forward a materialist view of the soul. Identity theory is against behaviourism and suggests that the mind and the brain are in the same place. In the brain, consciousness is generated as well as the other physical processes we link with the brain such as movement. Evidence for this is put foreward in the philosophy files. Within the book and analogy explains how if you were to look in the brain you would be able to locate an area that is stimulated and that thoughts must be generated in this area. We already know only 10% of the brains capacity is used consciously and therefore it is a logical assumption that our mind is located within the brain. An analogy for this is that a woman can be a mother, a daughter and a sister etc. The same person can have many functions, it is therefore the same for the brain which as well as having the functions we already recognise such as controlling physical activity, speaking and controlling bodily functions it can also control the mind. Overall, although religious philosophy offers an explanation for the body soul distinction it is based on little empirical evidence. For those who already follow the religion it may fit in with their beliefs however, for those who are atheist of follow another religion the evidence that it uses makes little logical sense. Such dualists views as Plato where the assumptions are based on everyday life may be more appropriate, however there is still little empirical evidence to prove the theory. On the other hand materialists put fore ward convincing arguments based on scientifically testable theories i.e. Dawkins. But neither arguments yet put enough evidence fore ward to either prove their views or disprove that of others. Therefore the statement Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul may be considered as correct, however there is not yet enough evidence to suggest that religious views of dualism cannot be true.

The impact of armed conflict in Nigeria

The impact of armed conflict in Nigeria Many countries in sub-Saharan region in Africa have been plagued with ethnic and religious conflicts. Nigeria has not been immune to such conflicts. The country has and continues to witness high levels of ethnic and anti-sate violence. Ever since independence from Britain in 1960 the African nation of Nigeria has been torn apart by wars, violence and ethnic conflicts. This paper centers on the effect of such conflicts on Nigerian women with a focus on the conflict in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State. The city has continually been rocked by brutal and relentless riots in 1994, 2001, 2008 and most recently in January 2010. These conflicts have brought about extensive destruction of lives and properties. Most significantly, the conflicts have brought about gross human rights violations perpetrated against civilian populations, particularly women and children who apparently make up the most vulnerable group. Considerable work has been done regarding women and armed conflicts. Much of this work has been done by institutions concerned with human rights violations, particularly violations against women. Unfortunately, much of this work has focused on sexual violence against women and has largely ignored other important aspects of violations against women. The purpose of this paper is to consider and highlight a range of ways in which women are affected by armed conflicts (in addition to sexual violence). Using responses from interviews conducted with women who have experienced the most recent conflict in the capital city of Jos in Nigeria, we argue that there is a wide range of ways in which women are affected by armed conflict. For example, armed conflict exacerbates inequalities. These inequalities continue even after the conflicts cease. Our findings show that women experience economic hardships during and after conflict. Furthermore, women are excluded from peace building initiatives that take place during and after armed conflict. Keywords-Armed conflicts, ethnic conflicts, human rights violations, religious conflicts, and womens rights. INTRODUCTION The frequency of conflicts leading to violence and extensive destruction of lives and property especially since the early 80s in many countries of the world can, without exaggeration, be traced to many factors. Some of these factors are political, economic, ethno-religious conflicts and land boundary issues. Most of these conflicts are often presented as either ethnical or religious in nature, and oftentimes both. However these research findings indicate that the underlying fundamental factor that facilitates such ethno-religious conflicts revolves around prevailing economic and political crisis. This is the basic podium for most of the recurring predicaments. Unfortunately, ethno-religious conflicts remain the political, economic and social legacies of three decades which involves perceived marginalization, mal-governance and disrespect for the constitution. The greedy and selfish ways in which the Nigerian political leaders embarked on, in acquiring power at all cost, has overturned the true federal constitution negotiated by the founding leaders. This reveals some of the primary basis for the violent crisis in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria. BACKGROUND In 2001, a major crisis occurred in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State in the northern part of Nigeria, leading to the destruction of properties and loss of lives. There was also another crisis in 2004, 2008 and the most recent in 2010. The causes of these conflicts are seen as political, ethno-religious and indigenes settlers dispute. In most cases, it is tough to describe the Jos crisis from just the ethnic perspective without observing the political, economic or religious aspect. They are not mutually exclusive. The recurrent crisis in Jos especially the one that occurred in 2010 left a fatal impact on the society. Many people including women and children were killed. The 2010 Jos crisis recorded the highest casualty of women and children in comparison to the previous ones. About 500 women lost their lives in unpleasant circumstances while other women lost their husbands and children as well as their means of livelihood. It is rather unfortunate and unlikely that the leadership of the present government will be able to take the bold step to make required constitution changes to douse the festering ethno-religious tension and violence in many parts of the country. Nigeria is a complex society with a wide variety of religious and cultural allegiance and susceptibility. The least one could do is to come to terms with the reality of the multi-religious status and thus recognize and ensure that the rights of all Nigerians are equally protected. The city of Jos had deadly riots in 2001, 2008 and 2010, and the communal/religious crisis that erupted in Jos (Plateau) in 2001 still causes a lot of clashes in the State till date. It was shocking to many Nigerians that had nursed the notion that Jos was a safe haven for most Christians from other ethnic nationalities who fled from the States dominated by the Islamic Sharia laws. We also observed that most of the conflicts are located in urban areas, and that mostly women and their children suffered the most. Those not killed during the conflict are left to feed and fend for themselves and their children. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Many of these contestations between indigenes and settlers result in violence. As noted, Jos and most of the towns in Plateau State in 1994, 2001, 2004 in which the Beroms, Afizere and others who claim to be indigenes oppose the Hausa/Fulani tribes who are regarded as settlers from the era of the colonial masters who mostly came in to Jos town as miners and merchants. Jos Crisis: A crisis triggered by inequality. It can easily be traced to the deep inequalities in the society. In 2004, a state of emergency was declared in Plateau State (of which Jos is the capital) after which over 200 Muslims were killed in the attacks by Christian militia. In the November 2008 crisis, over 340 people were killed and properties worth billions were burnt when Muslim opposition supporters went on the rampage over alleged election irregularities after they had heard their candidate to head a council had lost to a Christian. In January 2010, being the most recent crisis, more than 500 people were killed mostly women after the Christians protested the construction of a mosque in a Christian area, and after Muslim protesters attacked a Catholic church. It is ironic that such catastrophic and bloody encounters have occurred in Jos, a city which derives its name from an acronym for Jesus Our Saviour. Perhaps, the origin of Jos a former enclave for colonial missionaries and its geographic location aptly described by some as a de facto fault line separating Nigerias mainly Muslim northern part from its mainly Christian southern region. Nigeria is a country of strong prejudice between indigenes and non-indigene natives and settlers, the Nigerian constitution even empowers this ethnic affiliation by giving credence to the State of origin and likewise some political appointments are based on ethnic and state of origin. The crisis in Jos is not immune to the State of Origin contraption the Christians are the natives, while the Muslims are the settlers. Hence the belief remains that the natives are threatened by the increasing population and prominence of the settlers. The natives are neither too keen to share their lands with the settlers nor offer their hands in partnership on the political outfit. The settlers on the other hand, feel cheated and threatened too by the natives whom they feel have failed to recognize them politically and socially despite having co-existed for decades. The fact that the two are on the opposing sides of the religious divide certainly does not help. The cumulative effect of these factors the aftermath of cultural and societal inequality is what has been happening in Jos over the years. METHODOLOGY: This research work is based on qualitative analysis methods. The principle method used is structured in-depth interviews conducted within and outside the conflict zones. Reports were drawn from rural dwellers and persons affected by the conflict including women and youths were interviewed at different times. Reports from government commissions inquiry and other investigation by setup groups were also utilized. The report of the Plateau Peace Conference 2004 was very useful for this paper. Reports from assigned committee at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution after visits to the conflict town were also very useful for this journal work. Some other researchers from the field who were also staff of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies similarly gave their report from the field work. Newspaper reports, textbooks and the web were also consulted for the completion of this paper. ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY In general, the political instability engendered by frequent communal disputes riots, armed confrontation and breakdown of law and order cannot be attractive for local or foreign investors. Jos, as it is right now from what we physically observed remains a ghost city with houses, market places, factories and company burnt down to ashes. We had met with and interviewed a business tycoon, Alhaji Busari who was a car dealer and narrated his ordeal amidst tears. He said how can this Jos riot be a forgotten incident to me when I practically lost all what I have worked and lived for in life in just one day. Billions of Naira was burnt down, the showroom where cars are parked for display was burnt down to ashes and all the cars on display were destroyed and burnt by the rioters. IMPACT OF THE CRISIS ON WOMEN Gender is thus a socially constructed identity through which roles are assigned at different levels and which can differ according to culture and can be changed by circumstances such as conflict. While the entire community suffers the dire consequences of armed conflict and terrorism, women and girls are particularly affected because of their status in society and their gender. Parties in conflict often rape women with impunity sometimes using systematic rape as a tactic of war and terrorism. A youth activist remarked as follows: The conflict inflicted psychological and emotional pain on both genders. However, the plight of women was particularly pronounced. There was the case of about twenty women and girls captured by the Boghom people and taken to a village called Kangyal in Kanam Local Government Area. The women and their daughters suffered the worst form of sexual abuse as their captors took turns on them every evening for three months. When they were eventually rescued, five of them were pregnant and tested positive to HIV/AIDS test. THE IMPACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN This also has to do with violation of human rights of women, in such situation as experienced by women of all ages, who suffer displacement, loss of homes and property, involuntary disappearance of close relatives, poverty, family separation, disintegration and those victims of acts of murder, terrorism, torture, sexual slavery. These spell out the prevailing human right violations and policies of ethnic cleansing in the war-torn and occupied areas. These practices have created inter alia a mass flow of refugees. Such women and children become refugees that no longer have homes or houses over their heads i.e. they become internally displaced persons. According to the research findings, women make up the highest group of casualties. The picture above shows women in Abuja carrying pictures of dead women and children. Mostly women and children constitute about 80 percent of the millions of refugees around the world. Other refugees including internally displaced persons are deprived of their properties, goods and also deprivation of their right to freedom of movement to return to their homes for fear and insecurity. The degree of insecurity and disorientation was identified when the Institute for Peace and Conflict researchers went to the refugee camps in Bukuru, Jos (a south Local Government Area of Plateau State) and were told that thirty-one pregnant women at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps were delivered of their babies at different camps. Reports from their spokesperson in charge of women in the IDP camps said in an interview that the women who gave birth were earlier taking refuge at the police stations and premises of Bukuru central mosque before they were later taken to another house which was converted to serve as a temporary maternity. Out of the 31 women that put to bed only two babies did not survive. However, the two mothers were in very good conditions. In a newspaper report, one of the nurses in charge of the maternity centers created mentioned that some bullets were removed from some of the pregnant mothers bodies who were shot during the crisis and they had to undergo some operations to stitch them. THE WOMEN WELFARE: Feeding and Clothing Lack of nutritious food in the camps is due to their population, although some Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) have visited some camp grounds to enhance the supply and distribution of food stuffs and clothing. Different groups have surfaced to donate generously for the refugees. Other repulsive experiences include: Snake bites in the bush while attempting to escape High rate of widowhood Loss of children Premature births due to fear and pressure Mothers abandoning newly born babies due to lack of funds and inability to survive Forced marriages This picture shows some illustrations of the impact of the conflict on women in Wase, Yelwa-shendam and Langtang south local government in Jos. In an interview, Vonnan Dashe, president of the Gani community development association, on 5th November 2004 mentioned that, Women were subjected to violence and hardship because they had to worry about the fate of their children. Some of their children actually got killed and others were wounded while others were raped by the attackers. They were not only physically harassed but also sexually abused and degraded. It was also gathered from our research team that apart from the fact that women were raped, they were also divorced by their husbands, which facilitated a worse emotional stressful and painful condition. The resort to divorce by men whose wives had been sexually abused was a means of dealing with the humiliation acquired from the conflict. EQUAL RIGHTS Even though women were affected greatly by the conflict in obviously negative way, they have been unable to set up networks and support groups to enhance their empowerment in the aftermath of the conflict. This includes the ability to participate in politics and decision making forum. Most of their voices are heard through the voices of men or proxy groups. Women make an important but often unrecognized contribution as peace educators both in families and in their societies. In addressing armed or sectarian conflicts, an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programs should be promoted so that before decisions are taken an analysis is made of the effects on women and men respectively. Action should be taken to promote equal participation and opportunities for women in government both at the Federal, State and Local Government levels. There were hundreds of women mostly dressed in black that took to the streets of Nigerias capital city of Abuja and also the central city of Jos in rallies against the Jos massacre. They subsequently demanded that the government put the necessary infrastructure in place to improve on the protection of women and children. This research journal reveals to a large extent how women are streamlined in the policy making groups, politics and in general, all activities. Yet it has not told the whole story, the impact of conflict on women is too profound to be narrated. Most times, they live with the pain, agony, discomfort and under oppression for the rest of their lives. A lot needs to be done, the bridge that cuts across religious, ethnic and cultural is to have women group work together. However they will need to be empowered through capacity building and enhanced controlled communication before such roles can be played. Women need to be equally represented in organizations so as to be able to contribute adequately in matters and issues that have to do with protection of women and their children during and after such conflicts. CONCLUSION It is clear from all the above that women must be involved in matters that has to do with the protection of women and their children. They must prove to the community that they are also relevant and that equality should be practiced when matters that has to do with them comes up especially in politics and decision making. Women should be courageous and exhibit fearless independence in spite of all odds especially where human right issues are involved. Women are meant to bear the image of the community. In political matters, women should not shy away from their right and their voices must also be heard. In all, this must be the new wave. The culture must evolve.

Service Learning in College Essay -- Essays Papers Education Teaching

Service Learning in College Service learning provides college students with a whole new method of learning. This type of learning provides a student with an experience outside of the classroom in their area of concentration. Emily Knab, a college student at the University of Miami, has experienced service learning and found it very beneficial in her area of interest. Emily is studying education and wants to become a teacher in the future. She performed her service learning at an elementary school, focusing her attention on the third grade. She shadowed the teacher and completed many of the tasks that she would normally do. The students found Emily to be very helpful and respected her as if she were their real teacher. Emily stated that, â€Å"Service learning strengthened, increased, and developed my knowledge in education.† Service learning brings together the needs of the people within the community and gives students the chance to work with those needs (â€Å"Service Learning,â₠¬  par. 10). Field experiences combined with service learning activities is an essential part of growing academically (LaMaster 1). Service learning brings together student, community, and teacher through performance and education. Service learning has a growing history in the United States. The Native American people are the sources of community service. It was a part of their ethics that helping one another was the right thing to do (Wade 23-4). Helping one another was one of the only means of staying alive back when the native people were located around the United States. One of the largest steps in the expansion of service learning would have to be the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps with the leader... ... Douglas J. Simpson. To Serve and Learn: The Spirit of Community in Liberal Education. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1998. 21-33. Frederickson, J. Patricia. â€Å"Does Service Learning Make a Difference in Student Performance?† The Journal of Experiential Education Fall 2000: 1-12. Knab, Emily. Personal interview. 29 Oct. 2001. LaMaster, J. Kathryn. â€Å"Enhancing Preservice Teachers Field Experiences Through the Addition of a Service Learning Component.† The Journal of Experiential Education Spring 2001: 1-8. Wade, C. Rahima. Community Service-Learning: A Guide to Including Service in the Public School Curriculum. New York: State University of New York Press, 1997. 19-46. â€Å"What is Service Learning?† Service Learning: The Home of Service Learning on the World Wide Web 22 Oct. 2001 .

Mcdonald’s franchisee

McDonald’s Corporation is leading global foodservice retails with more than 30,000 local restaurants by serving 52 million people in more than 100 countries per day. Besides more than 70% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. The corporation founded by Ray Kroc and it is continued with McDonald’s vision with global brand image. McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants supply and selling of like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. It also offers salads, fruit, snack wraps and carrot sticks. The company suits American way of life. And it is globally expanded and has many international markets. The decision of McDonald’s franchises restaurants depends of the selection of candidates and the management in that country where the restaurant is located makes it locally. McDonald’s restaurant – it is an best opportunity to own the restaurant. While selecting the organization seeks the individuals who have business experience with capability of undertaking multiple business units. At present that company has more than 2400 Owner/Operators outlets thereby growing the business and making money. Two options available to have the Franchise with McDonald’s Corporation. Purchase of EXISTING RESTAURANT from McDonald’s Corporation or from a McDonald’s Owner/operator OR purchase of NEW RESTAURANT. Initial down payment is required to have franchise. 40% of the total cost is required for New Restaurant and 25% of total cost for existing restaurant required. The down payment can be accepted cash, securities, bonds, debentures, vested profit share etc. The total cost varies from restaurant to restaurant. However $250,000 non-borrowed personal resources required. The remaining balance should be payable by the buyer with a term of not more than seven years. During the term of franchise, the buyer has to pay the fees to the McDonald’s in the type of service fee i.e. 4% which is based on restaurant’s sales performance and Rent which is also based on monthly sales. Training also provided to the buyers between 9 to 24 months. McDonald’s give training to the franchisees and others at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. It is also expected that average revenue per store is $633,000. .   Recently McDonald’s issued circular that the initial franchisee fee is $45,000. it is also estimated that the initial investment required for a traditional restaurant ranges from $730,750 to $1,549,000. UFOC In the United States, all Franchisee agreements fall under the jurisdiction of a state and federal laws. Hence Franchisers are required by the Federal Trade Commission to have a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC). While going for franchise, ensure that it is complied with UFOC i.e. Uniform Franchise Offering Circular. It is a legal document and necessarily to be used in the United States. The Franchisers must give a UFOC to franchisees at least 10 business days before any contract is signed and before any money transaction between each other. The documents contains every information about a franchiser and includes the following: 1.The Franchiser, its Predecessors and Affiliates 2.Identity and Business Experience of Key persons 3. Litigation history 4. Bankruptcy 5. Initial Franchise Fee 6. Other Fees and Expenses 7. Franchisee’s initial investment 8. Restrictions on sources of products and services 9. Obligations of the Franchiser 10. Territory 11.Trademarks 12.Patents and Copyrights 13.Obligation to the Franchisee to participate in the actual operation of the financial business 14. Restrictions on goods and services offered by the franchisee. 15.Renewal, Termination, Repurchase, Modification and/transfer of the franchise agreement 16. Public figures 17. Earnings claims 18.List of Franchise outlets 19.Financial statements 20. Contracts CONCLUSION McDonald’s allows giving the franchises to the US applicants and well as non-U.S. applicants who are outside of the U.S. The McDonald’s franchise can be taken by any type of persons like individuals i.e. proprietorship, companies, partnership firms etc. The McDonald’s Corporation business model is different from other fast food chains. The other fast food corporations will collect only Franchise fees, supplies, and percentage of sales. But the McDonald’s Corporation collects rent also besides others. The Franchise agreement with McDonald’s indicates that the corporation owns the properties on which most McDonald’s Franchises are located. REFERENCE: 1.http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/about/mcd_faq/franchising.html 2. http://www.mcfun.com/ 3. www.entrepreneur.com 4.http://www.franchiseprospector.com/franchising-trends/mcdonalds-franchise-profile.php 5. http://www.goldlawgroup.com/McDonalds-Franchises.html   

Consumer Behaviour Essays

Consumer Behaviour Essays Consumer Behaviour Essay Consumer Behaviour Essay KAIZEN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MARKS: 80 COURSE: EMBA SUBJECT: CONSUMER BEHAVIORE N. B: 1} Attempt all the questions 2} All Questions Carries Equal Marks Name: Varsha Vasantrao Sawalkar Ref. No: KP00610-20407 ____________________________________________________________ _______________________ SECTION A ( Each question carried 12 Marks ) 1. You are the brand manager of a new line of light weight autofocus, economically priced digital cameras. Describe how an understanding of consumer behaviour will help you in your segmentation strategy and promotion strategy. What are the consumer behaviour variables that are crucial to your understanding of this market ? 2. Gillette, an established market leader in shaving products, is planning a foray into skin care products for men. How can the company use stimulus generalisation to market these products ? Can instrumental conditioning also be applied in this marketing situation ? How ? 3. Which of the stages of the family life cycle would constitute the most lucrative segment/segments for the following products and services? (a) Dominos pizza (b) Mobile telephones (c) Mutual funds Justify your answer. 4. What do you understand by extensive problem solving, limited problem solving and routinised response behaviour ? What kind of decision process can you expect in the following cases and why ? (a) Purchase of a greeting card for a close friend. (b) Purchase of an after shave lotion/moisturiser. 5. Write short notes on any tree of the following : (a) Factors likely to increase prepurchase search for information (b) Economic model of buyer behavior (c) Howard Sheth Model (d) Post purchase dissonance (e) Trait theory of personality SECTION B Read the case study given below and answer the question at the end of the case. A PRODUCT FAILURE AT SATURN (Marks-20) Saturn is attempting to create committed customers. Saturn, a division of General Motors, advertises around the theme : A different kind of company. A different kind of car. Thought Saturn cars cost only $10,000 to $16,000, the firm attempts to provide its customers the same level of service and consideration typically associated with expenstve luxury cars. Its stated objective i5 to be the friendliest, best-liked car company in the world The company states : Were going to do more than what the customer expects, and in the long run, I think it will enhance our image. Saturns attempt to build an image of a high-quality car built by skilled, caring workers and sold in helpful, nonpressure dealerships, had received two small tests in its first two years. In one, it had to recall and replace 1,836 cars that had received improper coolant. In another, it had to repair 1,480 cars with faulty seat-back recliners. In the second case, the firm made a TV commercial showing a Saturn representative flying to location to fix the car of a resident who had purchased it in the first year of its launch. However, in 1993 Saturn began receiving reports of a wire short-circuiting and causing a fire. Thirty-four fires (no injuries) were reported. Saturn faced a dilemma. A recall would involve 350,000 cars and a direct expense of as much as $ 35 million. Any negative publicity associated with the recall could seriously depress sales. Saturn had yet to break even and General Motors was under serious financial pressure. Saturn managers decided to deal with the problem in a manner consistent with its company objective described early. It quickly notified all purchasers of the affected cars and asked them to contact their dealers to have the defective wire replaced at no charge. The dealerships extended their operating hours, hired extra personnel, arranged door-to door pickup and delivery, provided free car washes, and often provided barbecues or other festivities. All the repaired cars had a courtesy card placed inside that said : Wed like to thank you for allowing us to make this conection today. We know an event like this will test our relationship, so we want to repeat to you our basic promise that everyone at Saturn is fully committed to making you as happy a Saturn owner as we can. According to Steve Shannon, Saturns director of consumer marketing, the decision to handle the recall in this manner was simple : The measure of whether we are a different kind of company is how we handle the bad times as well as the good. Were trying to minimize the inconvenience and show that we stand behind the cars, so that our owners dont lose faith in us or the cars. How have consumers responded to the recall? Mrs. K, a customer, learned of the recall from friends w ho had heard of it on news reports before she received her letter from Saturn. She took her car to the dealer who served her coffee and doughnuts during the 24-minute repair. Her response: I expected this would be my first bad experience with Saturn. But it was so positive, I trust them even more than when I purchased the car. Questions :(a) Describe the evaluative process followed by the consumers and do outcome that Mrs. K , went through. (b) Evaluate the manner in which Saturn handled the recall. What options did it have? (c) How will publicity about the recall affect Saturns image among non-owners ?