Outline and evaluate biological explanations of aggression Essay Example for Free

Outline and evaluate biological explanations of aggression Essay The biological explanation of aggression suggests that aggression is caused by genetics, brain structure or bio-chemical influences hormones such as testosterone and neurotransmitters such as serotonin. It includes only biological factors ignoring environmental, psychological and social factors which are better explained by of the social-psychological explanation. The first theory linking genetics to aggression was Court-Browns research study. Sandberg was the first to identify the 47 XYY karyotype. Normally every human has 46 chromosomes 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. When a male, has an extra Y chromosome the 47th chromosome it makes them XYY and this would be a genetic disorder. Court-Brown conducted a longitudinal study on 314 males with XYY chromosome and suggested that males with this chromosome would be better hospitalised due to an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviour. Many institutions took on this idea without further research and as a result many males where hospitalised. This would support the biological view that genetics can cause a person to become aggressive as Court-Brown provided evidence for this, however after further research he further retracted his comments as much of it was based on assumption. Further research into the XYY karyotype found that the only thing that the extra chromosome affected was physical characteristics such as increased height and it did not affect aggressive behaviour in any way. Theilgaard also did research comparing XYY to XY and XYY males. She used thematic apperception tests (TATs). She compared prison inmates to the general population. She found that although XYY males were more likely to give aggressive interpretations of the images this did not mean that they would perform aggressive acts in real-life situations. So this would go against what Court-Brown found. Court-Brown used a lab experiment to conduct his study. A lab experiment is prone to confounding variables because there may be other factors that may influence the outcome of the result. A lab experiment also lacks ecological validity because it is set in an artificial setting and it would be hard to extrapolate findings to real life settings. This would make the study invalid. Also Court-Brown did not operationalize aggression. Many people view aggression in many different ways from verbal aggression to physical aggression. So what kind of aggression did the males show? As aggression was not clearly defined this could lead to inaccurate results. Therefore Court-Browns research would be hard to rely on as it is hard to measure aggression in a uniform way. Theilgaards research also had some short-comings She used a TAT test to measure aggression within her sample. TAT tests have no empirical validity as they are just images, by describing what is in a picture the participate wont be acting aggressively they are merely stating/interpreting what they see, therefore the use of TAT tests does not show the XXY male is aggressive in real life situations and findings should be treated with caution. Overall the genetic approach is heavily reductionist as it does not include other approaches such as social and cognitive approaches. It just assumes that genetics are the main cause of aggression. However by being reductionist it could lead to further psychological research into the area and this might produce more insights into the theory. The genetic theory also over-emphasises the importance of nature and ignores nurture completely. They may be other factors other that genetics that play a role in aggression for example, a persons up-bringing may cause them to act aggressively or the type of culture they belong to may also play a part so to improve its explanation the genetic theory could input some of these ideas into the theory. Another theory from the biological approach which suffers similar problems like reductionism and determinism is the hormonal/neurotransmitter approach. The approach argues that high levels of the hormone testosterone lead to aggression while low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin lead to aggression. Wagner et al. did research which supported the link between aggression and testosterone. They castrated mice and found that levels of aggression decreased and that there was also a drop in male typical behaviours such as biting. When the mice received testosterone injections levels of aggression started to increase. This would support the view that levels of testosterone can lead to aggression. Another study in this area was by Harrison, he gave male participants aged 20 -56 testosterone injections and then gave them a frustrating game to play. He noted that aggression did increases in all of the men but to differing extents. Furthermore affects were mainly psychological and there were few physical affects.

Protecting the Polar Regions From Melting Ice

Protecting the Polar Regions From Melting Ice Should We Protect Environment from Climate Change in The Polar Regions? Kiwoong Lee Thesis Statement: We should protect environment from melting ice in the Polar Regions because if the glaciers of Polar Regions keep melting, we will lose the earth’s ecosystems. These days, reckless destruction of nature by human being has brought ecological catastrophe. For this reason, the Earth has gotten many problems such as destruction of the environment. Melting ice in the Polar Regions is the most important among other problem. Many people are not particularly concerned about melting ice in the Polar Regions because it is too huge. A lot of people out of apathy increase the problem that present the Polar Regions condition. Causes of melting ice in the Polar Regions are destruction of the environment. Thus there are several phenomena like greenhouse and increase carbon dioxide. This situation bring bad thing that increase the temperature, rapid sea-level rise and destroy wildlife habitats. We should protect environment from melting ice in the Polar Regions. Glacier is that polar and alpine regions of the compressed stack of them are a long time ago to move lower by gravity and weight. Ice shelf ice is made up by large chunks of ice. 10persentage of the entire area of ice in Antarctica are labeled as ice shelves. The present Arctic condition is not good because of climate change. â€Å"The Arctic is one of the places where conditions are changing the fastest of any climate system in the world,† says Edward Blanchard-Wriggles worth, a UW doctoral student in atmospheric sciences. â€Å"Current trends are so strong that it takes five years to establish a new mean† (Science Teacher 16). The Arctic is melting so many animal lose their habitation because the Arctic is made up enormous masses of ice. Thus many Polar animals can move possible. However according to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), North Pole glaciers are melting down very quickly. They are losing their resting area so several kinds of animals is die from a drowning accident. And global warming is also contributing to the rise in sea levels by melting the glaciers of Polar Regions, and inhabitants of coastal area are losing their homes. Some scientists predict the area could be largely ice free in sum mer within years. In response, the Antarctica is not different from the Arctic. The Antarctica is more serious than the Arctic because Antarctica is a continent of land, surrounded by seas. â€Å"Melting at the base of Antarctica’s fimbul ice shelf is driven by warm surface water, as well as intermittent pulses of warmer, deeper water ( Brown 143). Why is melting the natural and anthropogenic factors are factors. The Earth’s axis of rotation is about 20.5 degrees, this is now always constant, but gradually changes to that. Earth’s orbit is an ellipse rather than a circle, do not schedule too. In other words, changing the amount of incoming solar energy the Earth’s temperature may increase did not. Anthropogenic factors are global warming. Of course not cause global warming, environment al issues, but it is not melting because of environment pollution. Melting of glacier is caused by factors that did environmental problem. Global warming emissions from human sources of gree nhouse gas such as water vapor, carbon solar rise in global temperatures is as a result. â€Å"The research involves the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers on the West Antarctic ice sheet, two of the five largest glaciers in Antarctica. Those two glaciers are important because they drain a large portion of the ice sheet. As they melt from below, they also gain speed, draining the ice sheet faster and contributing to sea level rise. Eventually that could lead to global sea level rise of as much as 6 feet, though that would take hundreds to thousands of years† (Vince Stricherz). It is serious situation because melting of Antarctica is getting faster and faster. Now the Antarctica area is remaining 40persentage of the previous area. Global warming is the biggest cause of melting ice in the Polar Regions. It is kinds of environment pollution. Thus what is the global warming? It means that Earth’s average temperature is about 15degree in the ground to maintain controlled from solar radiation energy. Over the past 20 years, there were 0.5degree a rise in temperature but the mid-21st century predicts 1degree a rise in temperature. This is called global warming. The global warming generates to increase carbon dioxide. Increased carbon dioxide not only warms the climate but it also dissolves in sea water making it more acidic. The global warming has been made, as increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb radiant energy released to outer space. This is the greenhouse of short-wavelength, which come from outside as the greenhouse effect is long wavelength of light reflection off from the surface, but passage is by absorbing the light of the internal temperature. Carbon dioxide can be called as a main ca use of the greenhouse gases, but Chloro Fluoro carbons, nitrogen oxides, and methane gas are also other causes of them. Due to destruction of the Antarctic ozone, global warming continues to accelerate, so that the glaciers are being melted at the high speed. Because ozone is the thing made by sunlight, the ozone density over the South or North Pole is lower than other latitudes, especially circulation of atmosphere in the winter stratosphere of the southern hemisphere makes a circle around the South Pole. This circulation of atmosphere prevents the middle stratosphere’s air containing lots of ozone from flowing into the center of the South Pole. This phenomenon is similar to that the eye of typhoon is separated from the outside. At the air of Antarctic stratosphere separated in this way, formation of ozone stops during winter without solar energy. Therefore, climate changes; and ecosystem is destroyed gradually. Increased carbon dioxide is one of the problems causes of melting ice in Polar Regions. Carbon dioxide has increased by 1.5ppmv every year; and it seems that the rate of increase also has risen noticeably since 1980. In other words, average degree alteration of the concentration of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was in less than 10% before industrialization for one hundred thousand years, but almost increased by 30% in two hundred years, compared before with after industrialization after 19th century. As the change of the world population, economy, technology, and social trend, it is expected that the concentration of greenhouse gases will be changed considerably for many years to come. According to forecast of PCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), regarding Carbon dioxide which influence mostly on the atmosphere, under a condition that the world population becomes double by 2100, and that economic growth rate be retained 2~3%, seventy hundred million tons of total carbo n dioxide emissions in 1990 will increase by two hundred million tons in 2100; the concentration in the atmosphere will be more than double by 2030, more than three times by 2100. Moreover, if the carbon dioxide emissions freeze like the level of 1990’s, the time when the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is double can be postponed, but it was reported that the concentration will increase continuously for next two centuries. Due to this growth of carbon dioxide, the air temperature already increased by 0.3~0.6degree from 1860’s to 1990’s; sea level also grew 10~25cm. Furthermore, it was expected that this changes is getting more noticeable exceedingly, compared with earlier 1900. In accordance with IPCC’s prediction, the air temperature will have increased by 1~3.5degree averagely; sea level will have grown by 15~95cm approximately from 1990 to 2100. Given that the air temperature changed in less than one degree for ten thousand years before industrialization, it can be said that this seriousness of the climate change caused by global warming is so big. As trade winds is getting weaker, the sea surface temperature in the middle pacific ocean near the equator is higher than the normal temperature (23~27degree); so that it is known that the frequent occurrence of El Nino phenomenon is also deeply related to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Depending on whether preconditions is realized or not, there might be a change of accuracy of results; but as this abnormal temperature and the growth of sea level are significant changes, numerous changes that a human-being has never experienced can be brought down by destroying the physical and ecological balance which have been retained so far. As global warming and carbon dioxide are increasing, glaciers have collapsed from every quarter. The melted ice is flowing into the ocean at transcending speed. The reason why sea level grows is that glaciers are white; white color reflects heat very well, so that the heat which the glaciers absorb will be decreased if the glaciers are melted. Therefore, thermal expansion happens because seawater absorbs the heat. For instance, if all of the Antarctic glaciers melted, sea level would increase by 60m. However, this old great ice wall has withstood offenses of global warming many times. Few years ago, scientists thought that the glaciers were so huge and dense that it was not too dangerous forthwith. Nevertheless, according to recent research, it can be predicted how high sea level becomes by simple calculation. The ocean will be wide with a growth of sea surface temperature for next one hundred years. If the entire world mountain glacier melted, sea level would increase more than 30cm . Thus, it is predicted that sea-level will increase by about 1m for the next one hundred years. It seems that the increase is not very noticeable, but more than one hundred million people are still living in lower than 1m’s sea level altitude. Many cities should invest an astronomical expense to establish a line of shore defense. According to climate change receive threat the Polar Regions ecosystem. Animals and microbial receive the highest damage. For example, polar bear lost their rest area as glaciers disappear. The polar bear will die out because it is getting more difficult for them to hunt prey. The microbial in Antarctica not differ because they decrease their number of an individual. If food chain is broken by environment, the Earth ecosystem will have a great damage. In conclusion, the Polar Regions is damaged their ecosystem by people out of apathy. We should protect from climate change in Polar Regions because our place to find peace is on the road to extinction. So that’s problem we will solve in the future. Many people participate to protect from climate change in Polar Regions. There is some several remedy such as conserving electricity, planting a tree in order to reduce carbon dioxide and using transportation, etc. we can protect our hands. We should have interest in this problem. Works Cited â€Å"Arctic sea ice (Headline Science: Current News in Science Research)(climate change and the condition to the Arctic sea ice).† Science Teacher. 78. 8. (2011):16-16. Print. Brown, Culum. â€Å"Climate Change: Why Antarctica is melting.† Nature. 487. 7406. (2012): 143-143. Print. Melbourne-Thomas, and Andrew Constable. Etc. â€Å"Testing Paradigms of Ecosystem Change Under Climate Warming in Antarctica.† PLoS ONE. 8. 2. (2013):1-9 Print. Philip L. Munday, Mark I. McCormick and Nilsson Goran E. â€Å"Impact of Global Warming and Rising CO2 levels on Coral Reef Fishes: what hope for the future?† Experimental Biology, 13 August 13: 1. Web. 1 June 2014. Vince Stricherz. â€Å"Tropical Sea Temperatures Influence Melting in Antarctica† LexisNexis Academic. 6 June 2011: 1. Web. 29 May 2014.

Cross-Dressing in Shakespeares Twelfth Night and As You Like It Essay

Cross-Dressing in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and As You Like It In Shakespeare's plays Twelfth Night and As You Like It both of the lead female characters dress as men. Both plays are comedies and the change in gender is used as a joke, but I think it goes much deeper. A woman can become a man, but only if it is not permanent. The affect of the change cannot be too great because she must change back to female once everything is settled. They are strong female characters, but must become men to protect themselves and ultimately solve the problem of the play. In the book Desire and Anxiety: The Circulation of Sexuality in Shakespearian Drama Valerie Traub calls the characters, "the crossed-dressed heroine who elicits and enjoys multiple erotic investments" (Traub 17). They can only acts this way when they are dressed as men. They return to their passive and nonsexual ways when they change back to women's clothing. In both plays the women are not in their own lands, Viola being shipwrecked on a strange land and Rosalind being banished from the cour t and wandering in the forest. Both women disguise themselves as men for protection. On the way to the forest Celia says to Rosalind, â€Å"Now go we in content/ To liberty and not to banishment† (1.3.137-138). Liberty in this line is the freedom they get overcoming the restrictions of a female role (Erikson 22). Dressing as a man is the way the women protect themselves, but as the plays progress the roles they play as men begin to influencing their actions and attitudes. The definition of a man by what he wears is so strong that in Twelfth Night Orsino still refers to Viola as her male name Cersario even after he learns she is a woman and decides to marry her. "Cersario, come/ F... ...e roles are right. Men are manly taking care of their women by marrying them and women are in their correct roles under their husbands. Works Cited Erickson, Peter. Patriarchal Structures in Shakespeare’s Drama. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985. Greenblatt, Stephen general ed. Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, and Katharine Eiasman Maus eds. The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997. Orgel, Stephen. Impersonations: The Performance of Gender In Shakespeare’s England. Cambridge: University Press, 1996. Traub, Valerie. Desire and Anxiety: Circulation of Sexuality in Shakespearean Drama. London: Routledge, 1992. Notes: More of the definition of a female’s role in Shakespearean England can be found at http://drama.pepperdine.edu/shakespeare/romeoandjuliette in the essay Female Sovereignty in Renaissance England.

Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam? Essay -- essays research

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Q. Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In April of 1956 the last remaining French troops would leave Vietnam. After over 200 years of influence and rule, the French at last realized that the occupation and control of Vietnam was an unreachable goal. In consideration of the many blunders (both militarily and political) , and the outright ignorance of the French high command, any efforts to stabilize Vietnamese nationalism and to maintain french rule over Vietnam were thwarted. Thus the French were defeated by an inferior force, and the question of how such an anomaly could occur lies within the 200 years of rule, and the many mistakes made through out way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To completely understand how France could be defeated by a simple army of Vietnamese peasants, one must first acknowledge a brief history of the Franco-Vietnamese relationship. French Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam in 1634, in hopes of bringing over â€Å"souls† to the catholic church. The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and many locals opposed the presence of the French. By the mid 1700's France would sign a treaty with the Vietnamese gaining protection for the Jesuits in return for French assistance in helping the Vietnamese fight their Chinese invaders. With the rest of Europe carving up the world in the mid 1800's, France now looked to Vietnam as an extension of its Empire. A successful invasion of Vietnam in 1859 gave the french control over Saigon. The invasion was in response to the murder of French Catholics, and looked to be for a time a just cause. However it was just a cover story for the French to settle in and eventually rape Vietnam of it’s raw materials and its culture. Thus from 1861 to the birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890, French troops would conquer most of what is modern day Vietnam to their own discretion. The discretion of the French must be noted as racially bias. The term â€Å"white man’s burden,† best describes the presence of the French in Vietnam from the period of 1890-1939. Essentially the french believed everything about them was superior to the Vietnamese. Culture, language, religion, and race. This would not settle to well with many Vietnamese, however things would turn worse for the French with the outbreak of WWII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like to argue that the tr... ... the Viet Minh. However by April it was clear that the French forces were losing the battle, and it was now it was clear that the French were putting their last remaining efforts in to Dien Ben Phu. It was an all or nothing situation. The French high command had hoped that Giap would throw his army in to the will of the occupying French forces and in the end be forced to retreat and regroup with a battered down weak force. However this was not the case and by May 7th the remaining French forces at Dien ben Phu will surrender. Peace talks between the French and Viet Minh open up in May of 1954. The agreement at Geneva would once again split Vietnam in to two. The North would be a pro Communist government at Hanoi led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South a pro democratic government backed by the United States out of Saigon. By 1956 the last remaining French forces would leave Vietnam, and a new struggle would begin in the South. The beginning of the American War in Vietnam was just around the corner. The Viet Minh had defeated a major European power, however it would be another 20 years before the reunification was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam? Essay -- essays research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Q. Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In April of 1956 the last remaining French troops would leave Vietnam. After over 200 years of influence and rule, the French at last realized that the occupation and control of Vietnam was an unreachable goal. In consideration of the many blunders (both militarily and political) , and the outright ignorance of the French high command, any efforts to stabilize Vietnamese nationalism and to maintain french rule over Vietnam were thwarted. Thus the French were defeated by an inferior force, and the question of how such an anomaly could occur lies within the 200 years of rule, and the many mistakes made through out way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To completely understand how France could be defeated by a simple army of Vietnamese peasants, one must first acknowledge a brief history of the Franco-Vietnamese relationship. French Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam in 1634, in hopes of bringing over â€Å"souls† to the catholic church. The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and many locals opposed the presence of the French. By the mid 1700's France would sign a treaty with the Vietnamese gaining protection for the Jesuits in return for French assistance in helping the Vietnamese fight their Chinese invaders. With the rest of Europe carving up the world in the mid 1800's, France now looked to Vietnam as an extension of its Empire. A successful invasion of Vietnam in 1859 gave the french control over Saigon. The invasion was in response to the murder of French Catholics, and looked to be for a time a just cause. However it was just a cover story for the French to settle in and eventually rape Vietnam of it’s raw materials and its culture. Thus from 1861 to the birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890, French troops would conquer most of what is modern day Vietnam to their own discretion. The discretion of the French must be noted as racially bias. The term â€Å"white man’s burden,† best describes the presence of the French in Vietnam from the period of 1890-1939. Essentially the french believed everything about them was superior to the Vietnamese. Culture, language, religion, and race. This would not settle to well with many Vietnamese, however things would turn worse for the French with the outbreak of WWII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like to argue that the tr... ... the Viet Minh. However by April it was clear that the French forces were losing the battle, and it was now it was clear that the French were putting their last remaining efforts in to Dien Ben Phu. It was an all or nothing situation. The French high command had hoped that Giap would throw his army in to the will of the occupying French forces and in the end be forced to retreat and regroup with a battered down weak force. However this was not the case and by May 7th the remaining French forces at Dien ben Phu will surrender. Peace talks between the French and Viet Minh open up in May of 1954. The agreement at Geneva would once again split Vietnam in to two. The North would be a pro Communist government at Hanoi led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South a pro democratic government backed by the United States out of Saigon. By 1956 the last remaining French forces would leave Vietnam, and a new struggle would begin in the South. The beginning of the American War in Vietnam was just around the corner. The Viet Minh had defeated a major European power, however it would be another 20 years before the reunification was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Student Democratic Party Platform Essay -- Political Science Politics

Preamble As we look back upon the 20th Century we see the birth of American prominence. The century is marked with glorious American achievements ranging from the birth of the Space Age to the development of the Information Age. Now, as we venture through the new millennium, the potential of further American prosperity is enormous. At times this journey will be a perilous quest, but with valiant leadership this nation shall flourish. Only the Democratic Party is prepared to guide America towards this future. Under the watchful guidance of President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party, America is finally moving in the right direction. In 1996, we, the Democratic Party, adopted and enacted a platform that has reinvigorated the American spirit of opportunity, responsibility, and community within our national character. Along with the hard work and determination of the American public this nation has achieved an unprecedented level of prosperity. Currently, the American economy is on a record setting pace that is continuously strengthening our economic security. The level of unemployment in America is at a record low. Almost every able-body American is on the job working towards their American dream, and we, the Democratic Party, will not be satisfied until everyone can enjoy their American dream. Through Democratic leadership the quality of life in America has vastly improved. America’s education system is improving, the environment is cleaner, families are healthier, and our streets are safer. Today, any American can claim that their lives are better off than they were 8 years ago. All across America the success of the Democratic Party platform can be seen. But we want more. The Democratic Party is determined to giv... ... first two years of college are free at any State or City University. This will result in a stronger economy and nation because as a whole society, we are strengthening the knowledge of our youth. A substantial amount of Americans are without health insurance. We propose tax credits for small businesses that provide health insurance, retirement benefits, and employment and internships to students. We also propose that tax credits be given to businesses that practice clean air and environmental safety. We believe that our youth is a key concern of the nation and we need to set certain measures to make them feel safe and secure as Americans. A measure that we feel that needs to be taken is to raise taxes on such products as cigarettes and guns. The Democratic Party believes in helping American families economically and socially through more equitable tax benefits.

ALDI Business expansion through training and development Essay

Aldi (short for Albrecht Discounts) is a globally operating and expanding discount retailer with over 8,000 stores all over the world. The company was founded in 1913 in Germany by two brothers. In 1960 the former Albrecht KG was separated in Aldi Sued and Aldi Nord. The headquarters are located in Essen (Aldi Nord) and Mà ¼lheim an der Ruhr (Aldi Sued). Both companies still have a friendly relation and use the same brands occasionally but operate independently. Aldi Nord operates in Denmark, the Benelux countries, France, the Iberian Peninsula and Poland. Aldi Sued makes its business transactions in countries including Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, USA and Australia. In Austria and Slovenia Aldi is represented by Hofer KG. Overall Aldi is one of the world’s biggest grocery chains. The sales strategy is well known as they offer the opportunity to buy cheap and good/fresh food. The main focus is on key markets in Europe, North Am erica and Australia. Store layouts are simple and opening hours focus especially on the busiest times of the day. The retailer is a specialist in food, beverage and household items but within the years the portfolio was extended. The company acts now among other things for example, as travel agency. Many of the offered products are own brands. The number of other brands is limited to a maximum of two for an item. Therefore it is possible to keep the shops smaller and to sell a larger quantity of a specific brand. The slogan â€Å"Spend a little, live a lot† reflects the strategy of Aldi. In a nutshell to keep prices low they are not taking effort on presenting their variety of goods. Worldwide main competitors of Aldi are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., METRO AG and Lidl Dienstleistung GmbH & Co. KG. Particular Austrian competitors are Zielpunkt, Norma and Penny. The strategy of the mentioned chains is similar. They are all driving their main business in the food industry as they are primarily competing on price in order to increase their market share. Main customers are bigger families, housewifely people and people with less income. The marketing mix of every business is different. Aldi focusses on providing high quality products that are cheaper alternatives to famous brands. Moreover, the advertising strategy is very simple and cost saving. Apart from a weekly newsletter of  special offers Aldi is not advertising at all. Primarily this low price grocery chains arose due to the increasing population and economic challenges. Therefore it was necessary to construct bigger plants which resulted in fewer and larger firms. This had a negative effect on farmer’s return and all of a sudden people started to concern about the products they were consuming. Aldi was very hard affected by these changes and implemented sustainable products. Now they offer especially in the diary product sector regional goods. Certainly important to mention is the simple organization structure of Aldi. The very flat management hierarchy allows leaders to get their people known. At Aldi managers should be open for new ideas, improvements and it is common to involve all employees in decision making. They represent a philosophy of promoting and supporting talents within the organization. Consequently the performance of each employee is recognized easier. As the responsibility is increasing within promotions it is essential to support a transparent and effective decision making system. Subsequent the discretion of the Aldi organizational chart. On the very top of the management is the Vice President followed by several Directors like Director of Warehousing & Transportation and Director of Administration. The District Managers are directly reporting to the Director of Operations and are leading the individual Store Management Teams. The number of Store Employees is based on the frequency of customer visits. Worth to mention is also financial situation. The revenue of Aldi was not published until 2000. Since 2001, Aldi Nord publishes its numbers in the Federal Gazette. Sales in Germany in 2010 amounted to 22.5 billion euros. Furthermore the worldwide turnover was 52.8 billion euros. Aldi Nord and Aldi Sued are completely family owned. The capital is very solid and Aldi has no liabilities. Aldi Nord owns all logistic centers. Leased objects are increasingly replaced by own objects. Aldi Sued also owns almost all buildings and land but had to borrow money for further expansion properties. So they left the path of total independence. The return on sales constitutes between 3 and 3.7 % in 2010. The core values and principles that the brothers founded are still important for decision making today. These are presented from the management team as follows: Consistency – leads to reliability. We mean what we say. We are consistent in our dealings with  people, product, price and all other aspects of our day to day professional life. Simplicity – creates efficiency, clarity and clear orientation within our organization as well as for our customers. Responsibility – stands for our commitment towards our people, customers, partners and the environment. It also includes principles such as fairness, honesty, openness, service orientation and friendliness. Aldi places great emphasis in efficient human resource development. In the daily sales business they try to keep everything simple and cheap. This can only be realized with an increase of company’s performance. Furthermore it demonstrates how the training and development program ensures that their employees have the required skills. First of all the goal is to identify training needs in order to be prepar ed for the future. It is mandatory to plan both, the number of workers and specific skills and requirements. The company can then recruit new staff and is furthermore able to ensure that training and development programs are ready when needed. Training needs are identified through constant monitoring of the company’s performance. Aldi expands rapidly and therefore it is necessary to recruit more than 4,000 people within the next 12 months. Therefore the retailer follows the strategy to offer industry-leading salaries to make sure that they also attract the best candidates. Clear and detailed job descriptions help the Human Resource Department to find people with the right set of skills and competencies. Moreover there is process of interview and assessment where managers will find out if the applying person fits. After the most suitable candidate is recruited the training period starts. Depending on the position different trainee programs are offered. For example as a district manager you have to participate in a nearly one-year long training. This program is divided into several different phases where knowledge and skills are being strengthened. Furthermore the new recruits learn about the philosophy of Aldi and its expectations of them to make them feel part of the family. The training and development continues throughout the career with internal and external training seminars. Besides the effect of higher business efficiency training can enhance and motivate staff. Promotions are quite encouraging as personal growth and development is very much appreciated and supported. On the one side Aldi expects an immediate contribution to the business but on the other side they provide special trainings to help developing their careers within the company. Over  85% of Aldi Directors are recruited within the company. They start after school or college and work themselves u p into the general management. Additionally, they offer also an international Expatriate program. This is especially for experienced District Managers who want to learn more about the business in an entirely different culture. Aldi is looking for individuals who are willing to develop themselves further. What is more is that Aldi offers an internship of 10 weeks. During this period interns are given real responsibilities and they have the opportunity to show their competencies and skills. This work placement is for students in undergraduate or graduate programs and is well paid. Internships are very common in such big companies as they offer options for both, the company and the intern. The company has the chance to test the employee for a few weeks and can then decide to offer high potentials a permanent position. However, this is also an advantage for temporary employees because they do not have to sign a permanent contract. Furthermore, Aldi uses on-the-job trainings to continue the training of the employees. T his form of education is taking place in the working environment. Skills are improved by dealing with daily challenges and employees get the chance to learn through re-equipment and materials. Another advantage is that feedback is given right after the accomplishment of the task. Besides also Aldi benefits by saving costs as they don not lose working time and a specific training is although provided. In a nutshell, on-the-job training is very economical. There are four different forms of providing on-the-job trainings: Coaching: The trainee will be trained by a senior employee. These coaches are providing instructions to the trainees to improve their knowledge about the daily work processes. Even though coaching is often used wrongly as a synonym for mentoring. Mentoring: Is characterized by a strong communication between the trainee and the mentor. The main role of a mentors is to guide and help the trainee. Additionally communication. Compared to coaching the relationship of these two parties is more personal. Job rotation: Means that employees are moved within different positions just for a planned period of time. As a result they should be able to gain a wider variety of knowledge and learn about the processes in other departments. „Sitting next to Nellieâ€Å": Is a training very special technique where skills are provided by working alongside to a colleague. This method is very popular. It shows much more  efficiently than reading or studying a written documentation. At Aldi the training follows the principle â€Å"tell, show, do†. First of all the process is explained by the manager followed by a demonstration. Subsequently the trainee has to conduct the task and the manager observes. All kind of positions follow this structure. Prospective area managers get the possibility to become acquainted with different departments. Thus the trainees understand how each department and processes relates to each other. In the trainee period of one year they are supported from an area manager and they get the possibility to represent the branch manager for four to six weeks. In addition to on-the-job trainings Aldi provides off-the-job trainings as well. As indicated, these trainings are taking place away from work. Whereas on-the-job training is very specific, off-the-job training transfers more general skills which are transferable and therefore can be used in many parts of the company. Aldi uses this kind of development for courses covering: Hiring Techniques: Recruitment, interviewing and selection Employment law Influencing skills Performance reviews (appraisals) Aldi Management System (how to develop and performance manage people) Off-the-job training shows positive outcomes like motivated staff and greater staff productivity. Moreover it provides employees with better skills and Aldi profits from improved customer service. Beside these positive aspects it must be admitted that off-the-job training creates higher payroll costs. These additional costs are shown in payments for the trainings organization, the training itself and absenteeism which has to be covered from other employees. Aldi decides whether on-the-job or off-the-job training is more suitable for the given aspect of training. In general the different internal and external training seminars accompany employees through their whole career. Aldi defines learning and growth as a career-long process where there is always an opportunity for more. An example for the combination of internal and external training is Aldi’s apprentice scheme. Beside the regular apprenticeship the trainees are studying for an NVQ (national vocational qualification) in Retail Apprenticeship. When the traineeship ends after 3 years the apprentices  gained Level 3 – advanced qualification. Due to the growth of Aldi, trainees have good opportunities to be promoted. Fully trained have the possibility to acquire a position as a deputy manager or assistant store manager. The next step on their career ladder is to become a store manager. All these forms of training provide employees with work-related knowledge and skills that are needed to carry out their jobs. Besides on-the-job and off-the-job training there is another possibility to educate the employees of a company. Development is similar to training as it supports personal growth and improves skills which are directly related to the job. Furthermore, employees gain qualifications and which results in a higher value in the job market. At first glance it looks as if companies do not benefit from development, but they do in every way. Beyond employees can be used more flexible. Additionally they are able to take over more responsibility. Moreover, people are considered to be an important member of the business. Hence, the company cares about the performance and capabilities of employees, which enhances motivation. Aldi is greatly aware that further development of employees increases the change of losing high potentials. Due to better knowledge people are more likely to leave as other companies often promise better career objectives. Nevertheless Aldi is conscious of this risk but in order to remain competitive they prefer to invest in human capital. As this food retailer has a lot of subsidiaries it is possible to offer its employees relocation to different international countries. This helps to develop all-round expert ise and motivation. At first, strengths and weaknesses of each employee need to be identified. Next step is to help them to improve their skills. To support this process Aldi launched an appraisal form. In this special system the manager and the employee evaluate the past and current performance. According to this process it is easier to decide which development is necessary or useful for the individual. A very important procedure is also the personal goal setting. At Aldi managers and employees work very close together to find the right targets. The discounter also tries to attract especially university students. Students have the possibility to prove their theoretical knowledge during a one year long working experience. They enjoy the first time to be part of a company. Moreover Aldi benefits greatly from this system. If the students are doing well they usually get a permanent job offer. In this  case no further recruiting process is needed and subsequent time and money can be saved. In a nutshell Aldi puts great emphasis on training and development. Even though the company does not have a human resource department, it is rewarded with number 6 in â€Å"The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2013†. 85% of all directors have been recruited within the company this shows that the firm has a strong policy for internal recruitment. So promotion is permitted to every employee. Another factor of success is that staff is recruited from schools or colleges. The appropriate on- or off-the-job training guarantees that recruits are well-trained and lays the foundation of the employees’ careers. The retailer’s global competitor Wal-Mart has a similar training and development strategy. Wal-Mart uses a training and development system inspired by Nike. The difference to Aldi is the e-training process, which is a web-based training concentrating on selling skills and product knowledge. Besides all these positive aspects some valuations of former employees on the internet tell another story. Zeit online reports that discounters like Aldi are fallen into disrepute and try to clear their names as good employers with training and development offers. On the one hand former employees are largely satisfied with Aldi’s further development, but on the other hand they claim that the promised prospects for promotions and career are rare. To guarantee that every employee gets equal career development opportunities, we would suggest a development account like Fraport AG uses. Fraport is the operator of the airport Frankfurt and organizes staff development with the so called Q-Card (qualification card). The Q-Card is a credit account for further development, which gives each of the 13,000 employees the chance to redeem â‚ ¬ 600 per annum for personal development. If the development credit is not consumed, it expires on their own responsibility. All in all, Aldi has an effective way to train and develop staff. Open communication of the career prospects brings orientation for recruits and employees. The flat management hierarchy combined with career possibilities enables the staff to take over responsibility. Training ensures well-trained employees and promotion is open to all staff. In respect of staff development Aldi deservers number 6 of the 100 Graduate Employers 2013. Primarily, people associate Aldi with cheap products, but hardly anyone knows that they care about their employees especially in staff development. (2739 words) Reference List: http://www.aldi.com/?aldiurl=true https://corporate.aldi.co.uk/en/responsibility/our-people/everyone-achieving-their-best/ https://www.hofer.at/ http://www.aldi.de/

Leaders Creating Value in Organizations

Leadership in today’s world has a vital role for organizations in achieving and maintaining long-term success, to create sustainable values and to improve the quality of business. Without good leader any activity is doomed to survive in changing environment. Only purposeful leader with clear vision and openness to diversified world can effectively achieve goals, creating and keeping up certain values. Actually, leadership is about â€Å"understanding people, and mainly about the process of getting people all pointing and acting in the same direction. It is about listening, and making a real connection with the followers. It implies unique vision, making strategic choices, and designing and enabling an organization to conduct business.† (Leader Values)   In short, leadership has evolved to the creation of a culture around a shared vision and value system based on certain principles. Creating a vision that encompasses the ultimate goal of the organization gives direction to the purpose, processes, and employees. Through communicating this vision, the leaders are able to tie in the vision to the work processes, constructing a solid structure to bring focus to the organization’s goals. A clear vision creates an environment of support from lower management and as well as their subordinates. In other words, leadership can be defined as a way to influence others ideas. Values represent a leaders standards and what exactly a leader represents. Leadership has stood the test of time as a way to influence other actions, thoughts, and ideas. The primarily purpose of leadership is to create goals to follow and live by. Values play a central part of a leaders psychological makeup. Values are an important component of the moral reasoning process. Values also serve to organize attitudes, which are general and enduring positive or negative feelings about some person, object, or issue. Leaders value the relationships they hold with their co-workers and employees. A leader sees his or her relationship with others as the window to how effective they are at leading.   If they have good relations with others, then that reflects how they operate and who views them as valuable.  Ã‚   Although many leaders can have the wrongful impression that they are the ones that make things happen and that is untrue.   The realization that the leader does not know everything is an attribute that makes them a better leader.   A leader that is humble creates an environment that is relaxed and warrants the creation of better work and products from other employees. Trust of the leader among employees becomes a major responsibility in the office when leading others.   It is impossible to lead people who think that you are not trustworthy. A good leader knows that they must earn the trust of their co-workers rather than expecting it to be handed to them with their position within the office.   Leader must also give full support to his employee base in times of prosperity and ruin.   Employees must have a sense of confidence in their leader when decisions are to be made and operational changes that affects them as a whole. Effective leader is also good listener and communicator.   I think that employees find a grave difference between hearing and listening.   Listening involves taking time to understand not only the problem but also the details surrounding the situation that is occurring. A good leader is cultivated through hearing the troubles of employees at a deeper and more personal level.   Employees are conscientious that their leader take the time to know intimate details about them and this increases their loyalty and motivation to reach higher levels of productivity. This relationship also improves the work environment and enables employees to commit to their jobs, the corporation, and to their leader. Appreciation is another value-creating activity and is an esteem-builder that is irreplaceable by any other means.   It energizes people, and it makes them want to exceed their goals and commit to a lasting relationship to a particular company.   By creating a supportive atmosphere, it aids the overall productivity of the employees because they feel successful when the corporation succeeds. It is vital for leaders to â€Å"conduct their work in an ethical manner to earn and maintain the confidence of team members, colleagues, employees, employers, clients and the public† (Gray and Larson, 550). Leadership integrity must be firmly grounded in the company’s values and integrated into individual employee values.   Leaders must build a company culture based on its core values and supported by a storehouse of stories, by telling your people what the organization stands for, what it is trying to achieve and what is in it for them.   The changing world calls for leaders who will react openly to the introduction of new cultural identities and diversities and who will face ethical issues responsibly. â€Å"Leadership comes from within us, in the sense that deeply held values and principles provide the road map for the way we lead, and the way other people respond. Whether the leader is a person of impeccable moral fiber, or quite disreputable, it is always their personal value system that sustains them in their quest.† (Leader Values) First of all, we must realize, understand and communicate our own value systems, and must focus on balancing the interests and concerns of others, helped by understanding their value systems. This is a precondition to enable others to recognize, understand and then follow any leader’s activity. In conclusion, it is clear to see how many difficult characteristics a leader must possess, making the importance of the leadership role irrefutable.   Much like sheep needing a shepherd, a group needs a leader to guide them in the right direction.   In order to be classified as a leader, one must have a sense of drive, leadership motivation, integrity, self-confidence, and knowledge of the business.   It is with these characteristics that a true leader can accomplish the ever-important aspiration of getting a group of people to work with each other towards a goal and create sustainable value in organization. References:  §Ã‚   Leader Values. 4 E’s in Short. Leader Values Website, 2004 Gray, Clifford F.; Larson, Erik W. Project Management – The Managerial Pr