Irans Economy: SWOT Analysis

Irans Economy: SWOT Analysis Strengths: Location between the Middle East and Central Asia, with access to the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea Iran is the eighteenth largest country in the world The economy of Iran is the twenty-fifth largest in the world by GDP (nominal) and the eighteenth largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity (PPP) world’s second largest proven oil reserves, after Saudi Arabia, world’s second largest proven gas reserves after Russia It is OPECs (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) 2nd largest oil exporter and is an energy superpower. Subsidy reform has cut domestic consumption of oil and gas and provides more for export Oil and gas aside, Iran is rich in other resources and has a strong agricultural sector Easy Access to markets of neighboring countries Iran has one of the highest urban growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60% TSE (Tehran Stock Exchange) has been one of the worlds best performing stock exchanges in recent years. The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) gives some protection to foreign investors and relatively good terms for the repatriation of profits Although stifled in the years since the revolution, Iranians are known for their entrepreneurial skills, which is potentially a strong pull for foreign investors. excellent reverse engineering capabilities and technical innovation A large army including elite units two thirds of Irans population under the age of 25 Young, motivated and active work force Iran is a diverse country, consisting of people of many religious and ethnic backgrounds Iran is home to one of the richest artistic traditions in world history and encompasses many disciplines, including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stonemasonry. Existing historical tourist attractions for improving regional tourism The culture of Iran is a mix of ancient pre-Islamic culture and Islamic culture Weaknesses: One product economy (economic growth only rely on oil and gas industry) Little international or multinational involvement. International sanctions make investment and financing transactions difficult. International sanctions discourage foreign oil companies from bringing much needed technical knowledge and equipment to maintain oil output levels. International Sanctions are eating into Iran’s oil revenues, increasing the chances of severe social unrest. International sanctions in banking system, means that the sector is underdeveloped and under-competitive After a concerted effort to reduce public debt in recent years there are signs that it is once again rising Iran has only a few allies in the region Foreign firms are unable to own hydrocarbon resources in Iran Unfavorable contract structures limit profitability for foreign investors. Inability of controlling exchange rates Limited financial or operational freedom Lack of infrastructures in different economical parts The beginning of the countrys subsidy reform program has lowered its growth prospects and accelerated inflation. Progress on privatization front remains slow despite some recent encouraging signs Structures of state-run firms are inefficient, which slows down the production process. Strict government control is highly restrictive to innovation Lack of funds in commerce and agriculture section Lack of transportation vehicles traditional production methods due to lack of advanced technologies Bureaucracy constricts entirely state-run industries. Poor research facilities (despite ability to reverse-engineer). Decision making ultimately rests with the Supreme Leader Iran has one of the poorest human rights records in the region Opportunities: There is a possibility of regional dominance in the short term due to the country’s size and influence The gas sector is underdeveloped and there is considerable room to maximize this source of revenue. government subsidized foundations that dominate Iran’s non-oil economy Any normalization of relations between Iran on one hand and the USA and its allies on the other could provide the impetus for a huge reform of the banking sector. The government has granted a number of licenses to new private banks in recent years; these private banks are growing far faster than their state-owned counterparts. A growing population, combined with a shortage of housing, provides opportunities for investment in residential construction. Widespread deployment of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques could significantly boost output. Considerable untapped gas export potential US setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan have given Iran an opportunity to assert greater strategic influence in the region Iran still has option to resolve nuclear crisis diplomatically Iran retains support in the international community, notably from China and Russia, which both oppose sanctions. Opportunities for export if restrictions are lifted. A growing realization that international assistance may be required to develop industry could see further involvement in the future. Being neighbor with underdeveloped countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan Good climate for agriculture and providing the base for expanding of these products Having young, motivated and active workforce Having border markets provide basis for crossà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ border interactions Existing special economical region and providing the base for economic growth Having major productive benefits in mine and industry sections Having good universities and colleges to improve professional work force in the region Expanding native culture of region and country to other neighboring countries Threats: Lack of privatization will continue to stifle the industry. Concentration on high-profile programs will detract from more essential ground forces research. Ongoing tension over Iran’s nuclear program raises the prospect of further US and UN Security Council sanctions Ethnic tensions are on the rise High youth unemployment. A decline in world oil prices would have a considerable impact on the economy. There is a serious risk of capital flight due to fears of conflict or sanctions. UN and EU sanctions on Iran pose a significant threat to the participation of foreign firms in the oil and gas sector. Non-performing loan ratios are dangerously high; there are serious concerns over the solvency of state-owned banks over the long term. Government-mandated lending to poorer Iranians at low interest rates means that banks have limited control over their lending policies. UN, US and EU sanctions on Iran’s banking and energy sectors are making it difficult for foreign companies to undertake financial transactions with Iranian entities, and risky to invest in the hydrocarbons sector. The risk of internal political instability Long-term fall in domestic oil production Changes in OPEC/national energy policy Strong regional competition Political issues make procurement decisions extremely slow. Slow pace of development. Inefficient workforce acts as a further drain on resources Not having enough infrastructures for expanding different economical sections Safety threats and consequently less investing Religious and tribal networks Immigration of professional workforce Having unsuitable weather like 120 day sand storm Lack of advanced technologies

Macro and Micro Environment Analysis of McDonalds

Macro and Micro Environment Analysis of McDonalds 2. Literature Review This section provides a broad picture of the dissertation that includes setting up the arameters and limits to the field of inquiry going into the research. Its aim is to identify key ideas, marketing theories applicable and marketing case studies that impinge upon the area of this investigation. It makes an effective starting point leading into the introduction and the background of the dissertation. 2.1 Macro Environment Analysis of McDonalds The analysis is done using a top down approach where first the Macro Environment and then the Micro environment has been examined, in which McDonalds operates. 2.1.2 Internal Anlaysis Internal Analysis is done using Value Chain analysis. The term ‘value chain was used by Michael Porter (1985) in his book â€Å"competitive advantage; creating and sustaining superior performance†. Brown (1997),â€Å"described value chain as a tool to disaggregate a business in to strategically relevant activities†. In McDonalds case, the key value adding activities are inbound logistics, operation, outbound logistics, marketing sales and service. McDonalds logistics function is to buy food on behalf of its operator (franchisee) and arrange delivery in to their restaurants. McDonalds logistics includes; the procurement and shipment of raw materials in to suppliers, the procurement and shipment of finished goods between the suppliers and the distribution centres, together with the warehousing at each distribution centre, the ordering and the delivery to restaurants of all food, packaging and operating supplies. To improve its logistics operation, McDonalds combines a number of food-processing plants dedicated to its operation only. The establishment of â€Å"food towns† consisting of a distribution centre and a bakery, a meat plant, a sauce plant and a chicken plant, gives McDonalds competitive advantage. The supporting activities that can be identified are procurement, human resources development and technology. McDonalds uses electronic procurement system. It had set logistics trends for restaurants with its online ordering system. It was noted that more than 12% of McDonalds franchisees ordered food supplier electronically. Revamping its supply chain with software and technology made it easy to respond quickly and efficiently to customers needs. With the online ordering system, McDonalds had a return on investment of 23.2% in 2008. However, the human resource development at McDonalds is excellent. McDonalds uses a high-engagement approach to improving both their operations, leadership pipeline and employee satisfaction with their career growth. Every management staff at McDonalds receives training at one of the regional training centres and at the national centre, Hamburger University in East Finchley. Training all employees to work in one best way (quick-service culture) made McDo nalds to gain customers loyalty continuously leading to a competitive advantage. 2.1.3 External Anlaysis PEST analysis is applied for an in depth understanding of macro environment in fast food industry where McDonalds operated. Kotler (1998) claims that PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. POLITICAL The operations of McDonalds are affected by the government policies on the regulations of fast food operation. Currently government are controlling the marketing of fast food restaurant because of health concern such as cardiovascular and cholesterol issue and obesity among the young and children in the country. Governments also control the license given for open the fast food restaurant and other business regulation need to follow such as for a franchise business. Good relationship with government in giving mutual benefits such as employment and tax is a must for the company to succeed in any foreign market. McDonalds should also protect its workers by ensuring all the hiring, compensation, training or repatriation is according to UK and European Labour Law and the Middle Eastern Labour Laws as stipulated. ECONOMICS As a business entity, McDonalds need to face a lot of economic variables outside its company or its macro environment. Dealing with international sourcing for its material McDonalds should be aware on the global supply and currencies exchange. Remember, McDonalds import most of its raw material such as beef and potatoes due to local market cannot supply in abundant to meet the demand of its product. Any upside of currencies especially dollar will be impacting its cost of purchase. Working on the local country, McDonalds must face government regulations on tax of profit where it gains from the operation and other tax such as entertainment and restaurant service tax. Each country may have different scale or types of tax available and McDonalds should follow the regulation if it wants to continue the operation. As a franchise, McDonalds should also pay certain percentage of the revenue to the parent company in United States. The economic condition and growth of the country also is an important indicator to the demand of products that McDonalds offered. As the food priced slightly above normal foods, not many people will have the income range to consume the products. Moreover if the economy is bad and income percapita is affected, the demand of McDonalds product will certainly going down. On the other hand the good economy also means disposable income is more and people can spend more on more expensive food at fast food restaurant. SOCIAL/CULTURAL The changing lifestyles of Malaysia due to development of Malaysian economy should be also taking into consideration. While more people are able financially to eat at more expensive outlet such as fast food restaurant, they have higher expectation. They want to have quality in services and more conveniences that can differentiate one restaurant from another. Young urban consumers want technology in their life and facilities such as credit card payment, wireless internet, cozy and relaxing ambient place, and other attraction for their hangout and eating. All these needs should also be taken into consideration. There is not much difference between cultural and the purchase of products in a single country but for different countries cultural sensitivity should be upheld. For example in India people (Hindu) do not take beef, Muslim countries do not take pork, German like beers, Finnish like fish type of food menu, Chinese like to associate food with something good (for ex ample prosperity), Asian like rice and Americans eat in big-sized menu. So far McDonalds has shown good efforts in localization of its menu to suit local taste but it should constantly survey and learn about local culture to better understand and design the best product for them. TECHNOLOGY For a fast food restaurant, technology does not give a very high impact on the company and it is not a significant macro environment variables. However McDonalds should be looking to competitors innovation and improve itself in term of integrating technology in managing its operation. For example in inventory system, supply chain management system to manage its supply, easy payment and ordering systems for its customers and wireless internet technology. Implementation of technology can make the management more effective and cost saving in the long term. This will also make customer happy if cost savings results in price reduction or promotional campaign discount which will benefits them from time to time. LEGAL As a certified fast food operator, there are many regulations and procedures that McDonalds should follow. For example is the Halal certification that becomes a concern to Muslim consumers. McDonalds should protect its integrity and consumer confidence by ensuring all materials and process are as claimed or must followed. Other legal requirement that the business owner should follow as stipulated in laws are such as operating hours, business registration, tax requirement, labor and employment laws and quality environment certification (such as ISO) in which the outlet has been certified. The legal requirement is important because the offenders will be fined or have their business prohibited from operating which can be disastrous. ENVIRONMENT As one of world largest consumer of beef, potatoes and chicken, McDonalds always had been critics for world environmentalist. This is because high consumption of beef causing the green house effect by methane gasses coming from the cows ranch. Large scale plantation has effect the environment and lost of green forest opening for plantation activities. Vegetarian environmentalist criticizes the fast-food giant for cruelty to animals and slaughtering. In Japan, once McDonalds want to introduce whale burger causing uproar because whales are endangered species. Before using paper packaging, once McDonalds also had been criticized for being insensitive to pollution because using polystyrene based packaging for its foods. Imagine millions of people purchase from fast food operator and how is the impact to world environment by throwing away those hard to recycle packaging. Our world is getting concern on environment issue and business operating here should not just care for prof it, but careful usage of world resources for sustainable development and care for environment safety and health for our future generation. Critics and concern from all public or activist should be review and support if necessary to ensure we play our social responsibility better. 2.2 Market Position McDonalds is operating in a very competitive market. In order to maintain on the top position of the competition, it is important to understand the companys industry environment to be prepared for actions. Porters 5 Forces is a useful model for analysing the industry environment, it identifies five competitive forces that shape every single industry and market. Supplier Power If suppliers have strong bargaining power, competitive pressure will be greater (Pearce and Robinson, 2004). McDonalds works in partnership with most of their suppliers to protect the quality of their foods and minimise the bargaining power of suppliers. Buyer Power Consumers buying power in the food market is high. With the continuously changes in tastes and the increased concern in healthy eating, companies in the food market has to make changes and improvements to satisfy its customers. Otherwise there is a high possibility in getting bad publicity and lost in profit. Threat of Substitute The threat of substitute is high in the fast food market due to the strong competition and the increasing amount of ready to eat foods. Customers have many choices other than McDonalds, and ready to eat meals are cheaper and convenient. Competition The competition in the fast food market is very high. McDonalds has to compete with strong competitors like Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wendy and KFC. Threat of Entry The threat of new entrant is low in the fast food industry because of the amount of competition with the big players in the market. New entrants will not likely to win due to lack ok economic of scale. The fast food industry is highly competitive. Taking one step further from the internal analysis, in this chapter, external analysis was done so as to determine where McDonalds I positioned in the market, given the intensive rivalry. PESTLE is used to gather data for completion of this analysis. From the data using PESTLE, swot analysis is done to determine how McDonalds strong market position as the largest foodservice and fast-food retailing chain in the world is bolstered by robust all-round growth witnessed by the company. By analyzing PEST and SWOT an understanding of overall of the companys power and how it can grow, is established. This was done keeping the focus on Western European Market and the Middle east. Hence the impact of European Regulations and turbulence caused by ter rorism and Iraq war is also taken as a significant point as part of analysis. Porters five forces model is used as the tool to analyse the market competition in the European and the middle east market. The existing rivalry in the industry is already strong although McDonalds is in a dominant market position. The above analysis helps to conclude MCDonalds competitive advantage and its uniqueness to gain broad target in the aforementioned markets. 2.3 : Marketing Strategy and Mix Every organisations need to identify their strategic aims to be able to have a direct focus of what and when to achieve it within a given time. This is usually based on the organisations limited resources and capabilities. As (Barney 1991), â€Å"stated an organisation could extend their limited resources and capabilities through organisational learning, sharing, generation of knowledge, redeployment of existing resources in an effective and efficient ways†. In this section, the strategic aim of McDonalds is discussed. This is used for evaluating the way it has implemented its objectives and the effectiveness of the global and local marketing strategies. This was important to fully understand its market and environment in order to evaluate its right marketing plans and the adopted strategies. After analysing the market and environment of McDonalds, this chapter focuses on the plans and strategies adopted by the company to overcome its weaknesses and avoid the threats. It uses various survey results to determine the effectiveness of its marketing mix. In the year 2003, when, McDonalds had been having problems on losing market share, reducing profit and bad publicity, the company started aligning their global system around a common mission with a common set of customer focused goal oriented actions. It was called â€Å"McDonalds Plan to Win† which was to put the companys concentration on the five drivers of exceptional customer experiences Product, People, Place, Promotion and Price. This plan was aimed to increase profits by improving its services to increase customers. These 5 variables are also known as the Retail Marketing Mix or the 5 Ps. They are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. This cha pter discusses and evaluates the way McDonalds has established its revitalisation plan in the European and the Middle East markets. While doing the research on the five Ps, McDonalds relationship marketing is also examined, that is viewed as an asset and the companys marketing goal is to attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships. Then there is an argument on whether the combination of five Ps with the relationship marketing is enough to stay on the competition or is there any other areas to be focussed as well. In the aspect of marketing sales McDonalds adopted the concept of 7ps of marketing mix formulated by McCarthy (1975) and Gilligan Fifield (1996). These 7ps includes; product, place, price, promotion, people, process, physical. With these 7ps McDonalds was able to create a uniformity of items that taste the same in different countries. McDonalds realises that although there is cost savings in standardisation but success can be achieved by being able to adapt to a specific environment. It has a pricing strategy that enables it to cope with a particular market. In setting price, McDonalds looks at the elasticity of demand for its product in response to price. Considering the diverse range of culture, custom in different countries, McDonalds has localised its marketing communication strategy using different promotion and advertisement. For instance McDonalds uses the England footballer Alan Shearer as a logo to advertise its hamburgers in the UK and in France its uses Fabien Barthez, t he French international goalkeeper. Obviously, McDonalds uses a number of styles to attract customers. After analysing the market and environment of McDonalds, this chapter will be focusing on the plans and strategies adopted by the company to overcome its weaknesses and avoid the threats. In the past few years, McDonalds has been having problems on losing market share, reducing profit and bad publicity. In the year 2003, the company have aligned their global system around a common mission with a common set of customer focused goal oriented actions. It is called â€Å"McDonalds Plan to Win† which was to put the companys concentration on the five drivers of exceptional customer experiences Product, People, Place, Promotion and Price. This plan was aimed to increase profits by improving its services to increase customers. These 5 variables are also known as the Retail Marketing Mix or the 5 Ps. They are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. (Please refer to appendix 2 for further information on the 5 Ps) Product The following are the strategies applied by McDonalds on their Products: To satisfy customers desire for premium products at affordable prices. More choices on the Happy Meal such as fruit options and milk for the kids. To address the desire for foods that fit into todays lifestyle. McDonalds has added new choices like meal-size salads, fruit options and sandwiches in order to fit the increased concern on health eating. McDonalds is controlling the quality of the foods by working in partnership with its suppliers and to work closely with food experts to ensure the quality is in the highest standard. People The following are the marketing strategies adopted by McDonalds on its People: Speeding up service by simplifying the restaurant environment for their staff and customers. Ensuring the restaurant staffs are focused on being friendly, as well as fast with hospitality training. Providing cost-efficient, relevant training for their world-wide workforce. There are more than 1.6 million people worldwide working for McDonalds. McDonalds has placed emphasis on the training and development of its employees, aiming to provide career opportunities for people to achieve their potential. McDonalds has five commitments to their employees, which are: Respect and Recognition Values and Leadership Behaviours Competitive Pay and Benefits Learning, Development and Personal Growth Resources to Get the Job Done Place McDonalds has over 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It opens in places where has high consumer flows such as high street, shopping malls, train station, airports, retail parks, gas stations, and even schools. Freestanding restaurants are positioned so that customers are never more than a few minutes away by foot in the city or by car. The following are McDonalds strategies on Place: To make the environment the gold standard for cleanliness. They have recalibrated their standards and are consistently enforcing them. McDonalds has added additional service to customers by providing Wi-Fi accessibility in some of the restaurants so customers can stay connected to the internet while enjoying their foods. Giving customers more reasons to visit McDonalds by adding more products offering such as coffee and to locate in the right place. Relocating, renovating and rebuilding some of the restaurants to give McDonalds a fresh edge. Promotion Every year McDonalds spent huge amount of money on promotion. The company has been trying to maximise the impact of the advertising spending and broaden their reach through public relations and by placing adverts in media well beyond the traditional prime-time network television format. The objective of spending so much money on promotion is to build brand loyalty and bonds of trust. The following are the strategies: The new creative brand direction â€Å"Im Lovin It!† is designed to connect with customers around the world, especially young adults, moms and kids. It has became McDonalds signature brand voice in 119 countries, generating awareness figures as high as 96% in some parts of the world. Appealing to young adults with relevant advertising. McDonalds is bringing top creative teams from around the world to gather ideas, study trends and find inspiration to create world-class advertising. Price McDonalds has a rigorous pricing process that is used to determine the price for that particular market in each country. The reason is to be able to offer affordable prices to customers and also to be profitable for the company. The following are the process which sets out the basic framework that allows the company to set localised pricing: Selecting the price objective Determining demand Estimating costs Analysing competitors costs, prices and offers Selecting a pricing method Selecting a final price (www.mcdonalds.com) 2.4 : Performance Measurement Quality is an important issue in services due to the features of inseparability, intangibility and perishability. That which can not be stored and is intangible cannot be checked for defects before ‘delivery to customers. In addition each individual involved in the exchange process brings with them varying levels of expectations and levels of satisfaction in addition to the unpredictable nature of human beings. It is this dominant role of human interaction in services that shape customers expectations and create difficulties in understanding and implementing quality initiatives (Behara Gundersen (2001)). Officially McDonalds names three elements in their strategy to be the worlds best quick service restaurant: People (being the best employer), Customers (providing them excellence) and System Growth (for owners/operators, suppliers and company). ‘McDonalds has always been a franchising Company and has relied on its franchisees to play a major role in its success. McDonalds remains committed to franchising as a predominant way of doing business. Approximately 70% of McDonalds worldwide restaurant businesses are owned and operated by independent businessmen and women, our franchisees. Usually, McDonalds offers franchises to poor performing restaurants in order to sustain profitability. Advertising is used to differentiate McDonalds products from competitors and as a means of branding: Advertising Spend in 2001 amounted to  £39m (KFC:  £14m, Burger King:  £8.6m, Pizza Hut:  £7.4m). Furthermore, McDonalds is involved in various high profile sponsorship schemes (e.g. major Sponsor of FIFA World Cup, ‘gold sponsor and official restaurant of the Olympic Games) that secures them favourable PR. Recently McDonalds acquired Boston Market Chicken restaurants, the Donatos pizza chain and Chipotle Mexican Grill. In the UK, it purchased the Aroma coffee chain and 33% of Pret A Manger. This demonstrates that McDonalds has diversified into other segments of the fast food/ convenience /take away market. McDonalds is the worlds largest food service organisation. It has the greatest market share of the breakfast, lunch and dinner market and holds 67% of the UK Burger Market. McDonalds golden arches are the worlds biggest brand with higher awareness than Coca-Cola. McDonalds is constantly introducing new products, usually for a limited period of time. This is because management recognise that consumers like variety as well as a continuation of good products such as Big Macs and Cheeseburgers. Also, they are well aware that if McDonalds has too many products running at the same time then the speed of customer service will deteriorate. However, McDonalds has not introduced healthier products in response to growing concerns about obesity. It is difficult to evaluate the extent to which McDonalds fulfils customers demands. In the 2001 consumer survey conducted by Sandelman Associates, McDonalds was ranked as last out of 60 chains for taste. Statistics that describe McDonalds cleanliness are not available and therefore the achievement of this objective is difficult to examine, but anecdotal evidence suggests that suitable policies are in place to meet that objective. Customer service quality is difficult to assess but it is renowned for being quick. 2.5 : Ethical Criticism Ethical behaviour has come up as one of the most important aspect of any organisation. By ‘Doing the right thing internally and externally, businesses created a good working atmosphere, while also benefiting society and the environment. However many ethical issues are subjective and based on ones values and beliefs. As a result, they are often difficult to enforce and easy to neglect. The result of this is that ‘when the costs are added up, the social balance sheet contains enormous debts to society (McEwan, 2001). This chapter discusses the ethical issues that McDonalds have been facing over a period of time and how effectively it addressing its corporate social responsibility. The 2008 corporate social responsibility report has been critically evaluated and based on that it is determined, whether much of its efforts are just descriptive or has been realistic. It uses various results from the data set based on the primary and secondary research to determine the effectives. It is the notion of an organizations ‘debts to society, which led to the branch of ethics known as ‘corporate social responsibility. This refers to ‘the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic expectations placed on organizations by society at a given point in time (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2000). This theory of responsibility to society is based around two headings, stated by Wells (1998). Social Responsibility deals with ‘the purposes for which companies should act (Wells, 1998), and Corporate Responsibility is the ‘liability attached to a company for actions done in its name (Wells, 1998). On 2002, McDonalds published its first Corporate Responsibility Report and this was followed up with an updated version in 2004. Neverthless many critics of McDonalds still believe that this, like many Corporate Responsibility Reports, is simply a medley of generalities and assumptions, that do not provide hard metrics of the company, its activities or its impacts on society and the environment (Hawken, 2002), and is ‘peripheral to the core interests of an organization (Strategic Direction, 2002). Consequentially, there is a need to analyse the claims made towards McDonalds, and whether they have been resolved within the two Corporate Responsibility Report. The incident which has done the most damage to McDonalds ethical reputation was the ‘McLibel trial, where the company expected a quick conclusion to its action against activists who had distributed a pamphlet, Whats Wrong with McDonalds?. Instead it ran for two and a half years and became the longest ever English trial , upon its completion in June 1997 (McSpotlight.org: The McLibel Trial, 2005). One of the main ethical criticisms consistently faced by McDonalds over the last 30 years relates to the food offered in its stores. Critics claim that McDonalds is a major contributing factor to the ver-increasing levels of obesity in the UK and European countries. Medical studies show that ‘waistlines are expanding faster in the UK than in any other European country†¦with 1 in 5 adults dangerously overweight (Walsh, 2003), while in 2001 it was reported that 300,000 deaths a year in the U.S. are related to obesity compared to 400,000 through cigarette smoking (McMans Depression and Bipolar Weekly, 2004). McDonalds contribution is a result of the unhealthy nature of fast food. For example, a meal of a Big Mac and medium fries would provide you with ‘910 calories, as well as 46g of fat, 13g of which are saturated (McDonalds.com, 2005). Considering the fact that this is half the Recommended Daily Allowance for a female adult, it is clear that McDonalds does not meet U. S. dietary requirements. Apart from obesity, ‘diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer are related to a diet high in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). The impacts of a McDonalds diet were clearly shown in Morgan Spurlocks controversial film ‘Super Size Me, where he ate nothing but McDonalds for one month. Although this was an extreme example, the impacts on Spurlock were dramatic. ‘Spurlock gained 25 pounds, raised his cholesterol by 60 points, dropped his libido and turned his liver into pate (McMans Depression and Bipolar Weekly, 2004). He also experienced headaches and depression, and actually became addicted to the products. The impact of a McDonalds diet on children is also a major ethical concern, as an increasing number of children are faced with obesity problems. ‘Every month, 90 percent of the children between 3 and 9 in America visit a McDonalds (Schlosser, 2001). McDonalds has been cri ticised for exploiting children with advertising. They have traditionally aimed themselves towards children with collectable toys in ‘Happy Meals, as well as colorful advertising campaigns and promotions in schools. Most criticized is the use of the Ronald McDonald clown character, which has been seen as a ‘cynical exploitation of children to use a clown to drum up business (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). These marketing tactics contribute to the increasing unhealthy diet of many children. Stakeholders in a corporation may not only be human because animals are also seen as an important part of society and deserve the same treatment as humans. McDonalds has been criticized for the way it treats animals before they are killed and turned into fast food. ‘The corporation is the worlds largest promoter of meat-based products, the largest user of beef and the second largest user of chicken (McSpotlight.org: McDonalds and Animals, 2005), and thus is faced with the usual claims aimed at slaughterhouses. It is claimed that ‘chickens were crammed into sheds with less than one square foot of space per bird and no daylight (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). As a result, ‘44% had leg abnormalities and other health problems (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). This treatment was not just reserved for chicken but also other animals involved in McDonalds fast food products. 40% of piglets were held in indoor breeding units, and half had tails docked for no apparent reason (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). Ethical criticism is also aimed at the methods for killing the animals. ‘14% of chickens received pre-stun shocks, which caused undue stress, while 1% (1,350 per day) were decapitated before being stunned (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). As well as social ethical issues, corporations must also consider environmental ethics, which means treating natural resources not just as commodities, but as part of the ecological whole. It is important because it affects the image of the company and consumers perceptions. For example, ‘a Wall Street Journal poll in 1991 claimed that 53% of people avoided purchasing a product because of environmental concerns about a product or manufacturer (Hawken, 2002). The most famous environmental issue is the suggestion that McDonalds has destroyed hundreds of acres of Brazilian rainforest to make way for large-scale cattle ranching. This not only removes a valuable natural resource, but also has an impact on global warming, as the rainforest is an essential mechanism for the absorption of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. McDonalds also ‘annually produces over a million tons of packaging used for just a few minutes before being discarded (McSpotlight.org: Environment, 2005). Traditionally a number of ozone depleting gasses were used in polystyrene foam packaging. In the 21st century, McDonalds uses almo

Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Edgar Allan Poe Structure Structuralism

Edgar Allan Poe Though an innumerable amount of interpretations of any given text might be drawn from a variety of perspectives, a structuralist analysis of two of Poe’s works help place their symbols within a theme related to myth and heroism. Peter Barry attempts to define structuralism succinctly by narrowing it down as â€Å"the belief that things cannot be understood in isolation—they have to be seen in the context of the larger structures they are part of†; he goes on to add that â€Å"meaning is always an attribute of things, in the literal sense that meanings are ATTRIBUTED to the things by the human mind, not contained within them† (39). One might attempt to further narrow this idea (ironically) by quoting the famous line, â€Å"Everything is relative,† which is to say, all reality is contingent upon the perceiver. The context in which that reality is being perceived becomes the point of interest, so that, in regard to literature, â€Å"there is a constant movement away from the interpretation of the individual literary work and a parallel drive towards understanding the larger, abstract structures which contain them† (Barry, 40). The question becomes not what, but how. It is interesting, then, to further define the crux of this theory in search of what conclusion a modern structuralist reading of a pre-structuralist author, namely Edgar Allan Poe, might yield. Structuralism itself is defined as â€Å"modern† but through its own origins â€Å"following the widely discussed applications of structural analysis to mythology by the anthropologist Claude Là ¨vi-Strauss† can be attributed to relatively recent intellectual movements, which then reflect back on the writings of Poe, perhaps evidencing inspiration for the theory in the firs... ...l and follows its progression panel by panel. Works Cited Baldick, Chris. â€Å"Structuralism.† OXFORD CONCISE DICTIONARY OF LITERARY TERMS. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. 245-246. Barry, Peter. â€Å"Structuralism.† BEGINNING THEORY: AN INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY AND CULTURAL THEORY. 2nd edition. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002. 39-60. Coogan, Peter M. â€Å"The Secret Origin of the Superhero: The Origin and Evolution of the Superhero Genre in America.† AMERICAN QUARTERLY. Vol 55, Iss. 4. College Park, December 2003. 801 Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart.† RETELLINGS: A THEMATIC Literature Anthology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. 404-407; â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Classroom handout (SUNY Potsdam, Fall 2005, LITR 300, Dr. McNutt). 463-467.

Leadership and Change :: Management

Leadership and Change Management Introduction The gap between designing a new organization on paper and bringing it into reality is the domain of organization change and development. Kurt Lewin, a famous social psychologist, once wrote that a social organism becomes understandable only after one attempt to change it. It often happens that management's awareness for a new organization design emerges only after the start of an intensive change process. And even if it were possible for an omniscient manager to develop a master blueprint before introducing organization change, it is doubtful that other employees would readily accept the new design or have the required skills for making the design work. For these reasons, managers need to be as skillful at handling the question of how to introduce change as they are in diagnosing what needs to be changed (Adams and Spencer, 1986). This essay focuses on large-scale organization change, not on individual or small groups. The latter are obviously essential building blocks to organization change, but do not assure that a larger organizational unit will itself be transformed. Attention to additional variables beyond the individual and group is required in any organizational change, including such dimensions as multiple levels of authority, relationships between departments, environmental forces impinging on the organization, the climate of the organization, and the nature of the work flow that moves across departmental boundaries. In this paper I will discuss the concept of leadership as I have understood from my experience of what I have seen in a professional service firm. I will also discuss the change management process and my role in it. Objectives Of Organization Change If one were to "step back" after observing a number of organization changes, a variety of goals would seem to be present. These goals may be explicit and written down, or they may be implied by the actions of management. On the surface, the most common goals can be categorized under such labels as higher performance, acceptance of new techniques, greater motivation, more innovation, increased cooperation, reduced turnover, and so forth. Organizational changes are frequently directed at one or more of these general goals. Underlying these more obvious goals are usually two overarching objectives: Changes in an organization's level of adaptation to its environment, and Changes in the internal behavioral patterns of employees. Organizations are continually struggling to adapt themselves better to their external environment. Because the management Leadership and Change :: Management Leadership and Change Management Introduction The gap between designing a new organization on paper and bringing it into reality is the domain of organization change and development. Kurt Lewin, a famous social psychologist, once wrote that a social organism becomes understandable only after one attempt to change it. It often happens that management's awareness for a new organization design emerges only after the start of an intensive change process. And even if it were possible for an omniscient manager to develop a master blueprint before introducing organization change, it is doubtful that other employees would readily accept the new design or have the required skills for making the design work. For these reasons, managers need to be as skillful at handling the question of how to introduce change as they are in diagnosing what needs to be changed (Adams and Spencer, 1986). This essay focuses on large-scale organization change, not on individual or small groups. The latter are obviously essential building blocks to organization change, but do not assure that a larger organizational unit will itself be transformed. Attention to additional variables beyond the individual and group is required in any organizational change, including such dimensions as multiple levels of authority, relationships between departments, environmental forces impinging on the organization, the climate of the organization, and the nature of the work flow that moves across departmental boundaries. In this paper I will discuss the concept of leadership as I have understood from my experience of what I have seen in a professional service firm. I will also discuss the change management process and my role in it. Objectives Of Organization Change If one were to "step back" after observing a number of organization changes, a variety of goals would seem to be present. These goals may be explicit and written down, or they may be implied by the actions of management. On the surface, the most common goals can be categorized under such labels as higher performance, acceptance of new techniques, greater motivation, more innovation, increased cooperation, reduced turnover, and so forth. Organizational changes are frequently directed at one or more of these general goals. Underlying these more obvious goals are usually two overarching objectives: Changes in an organization's level of adaptation to its environment, and Changes in the internal behavioral patterns of employees. Organizations are continually struggling to adapt themselves better to their external environment. Because the management

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout history, man has been fascinated by the thought of flying among the clouds. But recently it seems that man is slowly starting to come back down to earth and complete aviation-required tasks with two feet firmly on the ground. As impossible as it may seem, aeronautics and aviation are doing something almost unfathomable: letting airplanes fly without a pilot. This amazing feat is being done through the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These spectacular aircrafts are revolutionizing the aviation industry by using incredible technology and the brightest minds from all around the globe. Many prestigious aviation companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin, (to name a few) have led the way in the design and development of UAVs. Even though UAVs are seen as very modern and futuristic, the concept of flying without a pilot has been thought of for long time. (â€Å"Brief† 1) The idea was first tested during the United States Civil War, when both the North and South attempted to put explosives in a hot air balloon, and make them drop on the other side’s camp. The idea of using hot air balloons was used again in World War II by the Japanese, who attempted to bomb the United States by using wind to guide the balloons. During WWII, the U.S. had a more successful attempt at producing a UAV, a prototype called, â€Å"Operation Aphrodite.† (â€Å"Brief† 1) But it was the development of cruise missiles that paved the way for UAVs. The aeronautics company, Chance Vought Aircraft, is the company that took the first step in p roducing UAVs by proposing the idea of putting landing gear onto missiles. One of the first, full-functioning UAVs is the Firebee. The Firebee was designed by Ryan Aeronautical Company and u... ...form surveillance as well as artillery missions (â€Å"Production† 1). Other countries with UAV programs include North Korea, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Japan and Australia, to name a few (Wilson J.R). UAV technology is available to not only industrial superpowers, but also to smaller countries. Unmanned Aircraft are the future of aviation. When people think that the most advanced and best models cannot be topped, they are surprised to find that what they thought was the best, is merely a stepping stone of a field with tons of potential. UAVs are keeping humans safer but are also doing jobs that, without them, would be hard for humans to do. UAVs are the result of the most advanced technology known to mankind being put into an aircraft. With so many advanced models of UAVs already, it is amazing to ponder about what the future of UAVs will hold.

Children’s ASPIRIN Essay

In 1986, FDA adopted a preliminary rule requiring aspirin manufacturers to add warnings to product labels about the possible association between aspirin use and the development of Reye’s syndrome. The permanent rule became final in 1988, and the labeling reads: Children and teenagers should not use this medicine for chicken pox or flu symptoms before a doctor is consulted about Reye’s Syndrome, a rare but serious illness. Until now, some questions about the relationship between aspirin and Reye’s syndrome still remain. Although figures show that 90 to 95 percent of Reye’s syndrome patients in the United States have taken aspirin during a preceding viral illness, it is estimated that less than 0. 1 percent of children having a viral infection and treated with aspirin develop the syndrome. Are other factors involved? Apparently so. Reye’s syndrome has always been a puzzling disease and the research on possible causes has been hampered because no one can come up with a simple specific diagnostic test for the syndrome. The waters are further muddled by the existence of at least 19 viruses, including the chicken pox and flu viruses, which cause infectious illnesses that can precede Reye syndrome development. Some experts have proposed that Reye’s syndrome develops from the interaction of a viral illness, genetic susceptibility to the disease, and exposure to chemicals. Soumerai, Ross-Degnan, and Kahn (1992) tell the story of the virtual disappearance of Reye’s Syndrome over a short period. Their narrative shows how debate in the scientific community and the health policy community was played over media outlets. The attention over both professional and, particularly, public communication channels were closely associated with the decline in disease incidence. They make a convincing case that the decline was not primarily associated with the timing of declared changes in policy or particular recommendations made to physicians, or even with the warnings placed on aspirin bottles. Rather, the decline followed immediately on increased coverage on these issues in the mass media. This is sensible, because much use of aspirin was independent of visits to physicians, and thus would be most sensitive to sources of change in public knowledge. Although there are no empirical studies that determine the link of aspirin and Reye’s Syndrome, Bayer should take this controversy seriously by doing research about it in order to finally lay this issue to rest. If Bayer proves that there is indeed no link between RS and Aspirin, it will be a positive feedback for the company and it will surely gain more support from the consumers. 8. ) What is the product strategy that Bayer is using as far as the placement of aspirin globally? Would you suggest something else? Since the early 80s, Bayer’s Children’s ASPIRIN business had been continuously falling downwards spiral. This scenario occurred when the US medical community suggested that there is an associated link between the consumption of children’s aspirin and the occurrence of a dangerous condition in children known as Reye’s Syndrome. Though the link was never proven, Bayer acted responsibly to the public relations crisis by self-imposing a worldwide ban on all promotion and advertisement of Children’s ASPIRIN in 1988. In the years that followed, Bayer had not fully reconsidered its strategy for Children’s ASPIRIN, nor had it considered introducing other analgesic products for children. For years, Zander had wanted to conduct a brand audit to determine the future of ASPIRIN in the children’s segment. But the project always fell behind something more pressing; given this new wave of publicity, it seemed like the time for the audit was now or never. Incidentally, with the decline within the children’s segment, there had been new discoveries opening other business opportunities. In 1985, the medical profession revealed that aspirin is effective in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. As the prevention market developed, Zander and other managers at Bayer realized that an increasing percentage of Children’s ASPIRIN sales went to prevention. This was due, in part, to its lower cost but also to the lower dosage recommended for prevention (81–100 mg. compared to 325–500 mg. in adult aspirin). Unfortunately, the percentage of sales of Children’s ASPIRIN accounted for by the prevention market was unclear. In the creation of awareness of a pharmaceutical that generated additional sales, transferring market from ethical drug to over-the-counter (OTC) status is a strategy to increase market share and sales over the product life cycle of the drug. This strategy is one means of prolonging—and possibly increasing—sales revenues of the drug as generic copycats arrive on the market upon patent expiration. The value of the brand to the consumer differentiates otherwise identical and competing products. In placing the product globally without the aid of advertising, it is best to market through word-of-mouth of happy consumers who had found the product as effective. Also, producing empirical studies that disprove the link of Reye’s Syndrome could also thwart the past scare and would increase the credibility of the corporation. However, the combination of direct selling to doctors and direct advertising to consumers is expected to become the predominant global strategy of pharmaceutical companies in both ethical and OTC categories in the future. References Bayer Website. Buchanan, L. & Merker, C. K. (2002). Bayer AG : Children ’ s Aspirin. In A. A. Thompson, A. J. Strickland, & J. E. Gamble. Crafting and Executing Strategy -The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 14th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin). Soumerai S. B. , Ross-Degnan D. , & Kahn J. S. (1992). â€Å"Effects of professional and media warnings about the association between aspirin use in children and Reye’s syndrome†. Milbank Quarterly, 70( 1), 155-182.

A Discussion on the Thoughts and Philosophies of Pericles

IntroductionIt is innate among kinds to be fascinated by the dissimilar things that they peculiarly see roughly them (Durant, 1986, 10). It could non be denied then that finished the years, this finical trance within the antithetical elements that could be seen in the charit suit suitable-bodied environment actu onlyy verit competent into the many discoveries and inventions that man existences produced (Sternberg, 1989, 31). Through vent civilization of homo, it could be notice that the plenty were neer contented with what they already conk or what they take already accomplished. This is in p artistryicular certain in terms of experience and technology as well as in arts and books (Ambuel, 2006, 15). It is hence undeniable that state recreate the things that atomic number 18 already existent within their aver parliamentary procedure. The fact that they lead already been able to see what they could do regarding a certain type of field (Cooper, 1997, 18), they intend to steady do let on the net duration that they deal with the same invention. Yes, mankinds never get tired of reinventing everything there is in the environment. Why is this so?Human intuition has al sorts been tell by philosophers as the primary factor that makes the valet being different from that of the some other God-made creations. The populace cap mightiness to innovate their own achievements to even better results for the hand over generation to see, has particularly remark them to be those who ar competent of reinventing themselves to be able to evolve from generations to generations. (Corlett, 2005, 17)To discuss this particular fact further, take an example of the adult male lit. It is overwhelming enough to see that the decree straight off is already flooded by the many informations that be presented to mankind through and through the printed pages of literature. More than that, the emergence of internet technology has paved the way even for critic writers to make mention of their persuasions to the earthly disturbance for them to be appreciated and particularly affect others opinions as well (Cooper, 1997, 10).Literature forward was primarily defined as an art of writing that espo holds certain rules that argon set enough to keep its standards within the unmingled range of reading. However, when the different generations along with the historic events covered the homo generations development (Ambuel, 2006, 15), the art of literature became bingle of the major fulfill by which military man intended to express their suasions and their predicaments ab start the things that atomic number 18 going on in the atomic number 18a. As a result, much and much batch joined the bandwagon of writing and began to sh be their thoughts to the world with regards the rationalises that primarily concern the valet golf-club today. (Bakalis, 2005, 17)This particular progress in literature has primarily been fur ther fueled by the democratic arrangement of the major governments around the world, giving a chance for the exemption of compassionate expression. It is through this that pot became more(prenominal) aware of the world around them, they cared more than ever with the political agendas, the social recognizes as well as other informations that concern their interests (Cooper, 2005, 16). True, the changing situation in the society and the demand towards progress requires that human apprehension be perfected in a way that it particularly caters to the necessitys of the inbuilt humanity. The human brains world power to store and restructure informations that were accepted by it through the years of an individuals life is particularly a test copy that the application of humanity intelligence operation could relieve be perfected as generations are quiet to come along. (Allen, 2006, 18)In the same vagary, two the philosophers Plato and Pericles believed that humans are indeed capable of being highly involved with developments as they are certainly given the high-mindedness of becoming the best at anything. They subprogram their instinct accompanied by their need of fulfilling what they particularly opt to find out about life as a satisfaction to their curious minds (Sternberg, 1989, 14). Although two philosophers believed in this particular through, they did direct different approaches in presenting the lawfulness about their claims (Cooper, 1997, 13). To understand the issue better, the thoughts and philosophies of both Pericles and Plato shall be discussed within the paragraphs that follow in two separate presentations.The Thoughts of PlatoPlato has been wide cognise in the human news report of ism as the establisher of the western culture. His taking over on the position left by Aristotle and Socrates has n singled him to be among the close to skilful battalion who have lived in human history (Corlett, 1997, 25). His special skills in lite rature and the mind boggling explanation of human philosophy has particularly allowed him to become peerless of the most sought after philosophers of the world. As a philosopher, Plato has been known for his susceptibility to validate his claims through mathematical pattern of assumptions as he present his ideas through his writings (Corlett, 2005, 27). The possibilities and the calculation of how the human mind reacts to certain situations has been noted to be among the best expertise of Plato himself.As nonpareil of the foundations of human philosophy, Plato contributed so much on the knowledge of people at present. Plato has been known for the presentation of his thoughts through the use of dialogues. The conversations among people have been utilized by Plato as a way by which he could convey his ideas to the people. Moreover, the said dialogues discussed different issues of human elements that could noticeably be utilise to explain the different difficulties that could be considered when the composition about human behavior comes into attention. (Durant, 1986, 31)Among the consequential issues that his dialogues mainly cater to are that of the begin and news relationship, the truth behind the human substantiallyism, and the qualification of humans to perceive the truth from illusionary imaginations (Bakalis, 205, 93). On the first issue cited herein, the relation of father and son have always fascinated the mind of Plato as he tries to position the connection among the father and the son as both grow further towards maturity. Among the answers he commonly opt to discuss is that of the ways by which the values that the father implies on the son contribute to the personal growth and being of that particular individual. Most likely, Plato has long been essay to identify how the elements of fatherhood rattling charm the acceptance of different individuals of the teachings, thus applying them as values for themselves to learn from and later o n apply in their own systems of alimentation.The secant issue presented is on the realism of the human population. This particularly points out to the ability of humans to use their reasoning and their intelligent perspicaciousness of the things that they hear, they see, and they observe, thus defining on which one is actually true and which one is on the other hand speculative. True, people have this particular ability of knowing what is real from what is not. However, the reasoning behind such ability is somewhat complex, and this is what actually moved Plato to identify the factors that affect the human judgment on such elemental factors in the human society.The third topic of attention is that of the originative abilities of humans. True, humans enjoy the fact that they are able to imagine different things as a part of their intellectual capabilities. When sprightliness down and depressed, people usually use their capabilities of imagining things to at least ease them from the truths of their present situation. However, although many consider imagination as gift, it could not be denied that the human ability of coming back to reality could still help them set their decision on which one is the real situation differentiating it from the imaginary elements that they themselves have created in their minds.(Ambuel,2006, 15)Through these thoughts, Plato also tried and true to imply on his writing the idea on the real world, whereas he refers to the present system of things to be provided a shadow of the real world, referring to the people at present as those who are living in an imaginary world. True, this thought might seem quite perplexing at some point. However, if closely sight, it could not be denied that the situation is quite obvious. It all boils down to the reality of the people. Because of the fact that humans are less able to become rea inclinationic with who they are, they are then then living their lives in an unrealistic world that make s it even harder for themselves to zap back into the real life that they ought to face. This is in correspondence to the doubts of humans as to why they are at times in trouble of determination what they really want out of living on earth.The Thoughts of PericlesPericles has been known to be among the list of the most successful ancient politicians of the human history. This is most likely because of the skill that he himself has faced during his rule in Athens. pull down when he was still on his way in being inspired in becoming an icon of the public, he knew that the tariff that he was about to take was not that easy to fulfill (Corlett, 2005, 48). This is when he was actually able to take into consideration the perceptiveness that he must gain with regards the philosophical make up of humankind. Dealing with people of different individualities naturally urged Pericles to search in an in-depth way on the beliefs and the elements that contribute to human behavior and developmen t. Hence, he has also be fascinatingly interested in human philosophical education.As he progressed in the learning, he himself has been urged to bring out the best among the people that he led. Particularly referring to the ability of humans to speak out their minds for others to hear their thoughts, he implied amongst his people the importance of ones ability to at least freely speak off their minds to the public (Cooper, 1997, 18). This, match to him, is one of the most important rights a person could have, a certain process by which an individual would be able to experience the reality of life that he is supposed to live with.ConclusionYes, it is indeed true that the human intelligence continues to grow through the years of its history. With the contributed foundation by those who have led the way in consciousness the human capability of thinking and playacting upon what they believe in, the human society today is now more confident in what they believe in, more expressive of their thoughts and more imaginative on their ways of veneering the truth of their lives.From the discussion presented above, it could be observed that Plato particularly proffered on discussion the soak factors that contribute to the continuous improvement of human intelligence. Moreover, the said thought has been mainly found by the philosopher through explaining his claims using the different dimensions of math and human philosophy. Constantly referring to the ability of the mind to imagine and to bring its thought back to reality has noted Plato as one of the most remarkable philosophers who were able to unlock the truth behind human imagination. On the other hand, Pericles has been mostly concentrate on the ability of humans to dispense their thoughts and actually affect the society that they are living in. It is through their freedom of speechmaking their thoughts off to the public that they are able to make the necessary changes that they ought to contribute to their co mmunities.Certainly, if observed closely, Percles and Platos belief on the capabilities of humans to use their capabilities well explains how the human intelligence is actually used in the systems by which the human civilization progresses towards modernity. As people are able to imagine and air their thoughts to others, they are able to make different, at times even great changes to the societies that they are living in. The thoughts of the two philosophers as discussed herein could be noted as one of the most important influence that they both have left the human society.REFERENCESRobert J. Sternberg. (1989). vade mecum of Human Intelligence. Cambridge University Press.Allen, R.E. (2006). Studies in Platos Metaphysics II. Parmenides Publishing. ISBN 978-1-930972-18-6Ambuel, David (2006). Image and mental image in Platos Sophist. Parmenides Publishing. ISBN 978-1-930972-004-9Bakalis, Nikolaos (2005). Handbook of Greek philosophy From Thales to the Stoics Analysis and Fragments, Trafford Publishing ISBN 1-4120-4843-5Cooper, John M. & Hutchinson, D. S. (Eds.) (1997). Plato end Works. Hackett Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0-87220-349-2.Corlett, J. Angelo (2005). Interpreting Platos Dialogues. Parmenides Publishing. ISBN 978-1-930972-02-5Durant, Will (1986). The allegory of Philosophy. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-69500-2.Lawrence S. Cunningham and John J. Reich. Culture & Values A SURVEY OF THE HUMANITIES, volume one/one-sixth edition, Library of Congress Control topic 2005923993.