The Qur’an and Islamic Law Do Not Discriminate Against Women Essay Example for Free

The Qur’an and Islamic Law Do Not Discriminate Against Women Essay Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. From the last sermon of Prophet Mohammed The perception of most of the world, except possible the one-sixth of it that follows Islam, is that Islam and Qur’an preached that women must be subservient to men. Everyone turns to a verse in the Qur’an which tells men that they should beat their wives. Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in their sleeping places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. (Shakirs version of the Koran, Quran, 4:34) The verse is used by opponents of Islam to denigrate the faith and even by some of the practitioners of the faith to justify their mistreatment of women, but it may not be being interpreted the way that it should be. Asma Barlas, a professor at Ithaca College and noted scholar of Islam, who identifies herself as a follower of Islam, contends that the interpretation of the verse has been taken out of context and used to portray women in Islam as victims in an attempt to force women of the faith into a position of needing rescuing. That positioning gives women in the Western world a feeling of superiority (Barlas, Southern Illinois University, 2007). The Qur’an instructs people to take God’s Holy Word, The Qur’an, as a whole, she said, and not to pick and choose the verses to follow or not to follow Barlas argues that the Qur’an does not promote the degradation of women. Instead, she said, the Qur’an promotes all humankind equally and is much less mysogonistic than the Bible, the Holy Word of the Christian faith. In her speech at Southern Illinois University, Barlas asserted that she did not speak for anyone other than herself, but her views are shared by many women in Islam. They believe that it is in historic documents used by some Muslim cultures that the Qur’an has been misinterpreted and the mistreatment of women began. â€Å"Again this is not true. Many writers who wrote about womens rights refer to the statement in 4:34 as a sign of the man is above the women in status but it is a misunderstood statement. In 4:34, the expression .. al-rijalu qawwdmuna ala al-nisai. means The men are made responsible for the women, and GOD has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. This expression simply means that God is appointing the husband as captain of the ship. Marriage is like a ship, and the captain runs it after due consultation with his officers. It does not assign inequality but rather assigns duties to avoid conflicts and disputes. (â€Å"Misconceptions in Islam†) The problem is that most people don’t take the time to read the original Arabic or even attempt to find an accurate interpretation of the texts, they simply believe what they are told about what the faith believes. This is part of the problem. â€Å"Nonetheless, if we take sexual/textual oppression seriously, and I believe we must, the issue of how Muslims read, or—as I will arguefail to read, the Quran becomes critical, especially for women. † (Barlas, â€Å"Muslim Women Sexual Oppression†) Unlike Christianity which prescribed women to an inferior status by saying that woman was made from the rib of man, (Ragab 1) Islam teaches that God the creator made them as halves of each other. Neither does Islam teach that man was made in God’s image as the Bible does, (Barlas, SIU) but instead teaches that the difference between God and man is so extreme that people can never understand the nature of God. This is one of the arguments that woman supporters of Islam use to argue that Islam is not nearly as mysogonistic as Christiantiy is. Instead, Barlas and others argue that Islam faith promotes equality between the sexes, even going so far as to outline specific rights of women. For example, unlike Christian women, Islamic women are given a specific right to divorce their husbands and allowed to remarry after a three month period. (Ragab 1). â€Å"Both men and women have equal rights to contract a marriage as well as to dissolve it. The precondition of marriage is merely the mutual agreement by both parties. And unlike Christianity, a woman in Islam can divorce her husband at any time if she feels that she has been dealt with unjustly or even if she is just unhappy with her spouse since marriage is based upon mutual responsibilities toward each other. Islam has also ensured the womans right to remarry pending a three month refrainment period. † (Ragab 1) Islam also promotes the equality of women in that it explitly allows them to work outside the home. Muslim countries have even elected women as prime ministers. Some people even argue that the mistreatment of women in the faith comes not from the religion but from many of the colonial overlords that once ruled countries now considered Muslim. â€Å"Much of the civil law that legislates personal and family matters in Egypt, for example, is directly based on old French law. As a result, an Egyptian man can divorce his wife much more easily than the reverse. Consequently, women often have to suffer long and expensive court procedures and have to prove that they were mistreated by their husbands before being granted a divorce. Often times, laws in Middle Eastern countries, which are legislated and enforced by men, only take bits and pieces of Islamic law and combine them with concocted rules based upon some cultural or foreign practices. † (Ragab 1) Other practices, such as the prohibition against women driving in some Muslim countries, has nothing to do with Islam (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†) â€Å"Why then is Islam portrayed as a religion that oppresses women and puts them in a position inferior to men? Part of that is certainly due to the stereotyped image of how Islamic women are portrayed in western media as an extension of Islam-bashing. A prominent example is the movie Not Without My Daughter in which scores of false and fictitious depictions were made of women in an Islamic country. It is also true, however, that in many so called Islamic countries, women are not treated according to their God-given rights. But this is not the fault of Islamic ideology but rather the misapplication or sometimes the outright denial of the ideology in these societies. â€Å" (Ragab 1) The misconceptions of the treatment of women in Islam are a factor of the historical writing in some sects and the way that Muslim countries have misinterpted the Qur’an (Baslas, SIU). For example, Sunna and Hadith writings claim that women must wear a veil but this is not in Qur’an. â€Å"These books do not represent the words of God in the Quran and on many occasions contradict them. † (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†) But too much of the world has accepted these teachings of the expression of Muslim nations as the absolute truth of Islam. â€Å"This misconception was augmented by some news media that made little effort to correct their understanding before broadcasting their views on this matter. Adding to this misconception are the regrettable practices in most so called Islamic countries or societies where myths, traditions and innovations have won over the true Islamic (Quranic) teachings and where women are traditionally subdued and oppressed. † (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†).

Patient Satisfaction in Chamber Setting

Patient Satisfaction in Chamber Setting Patient Satisfaction in Chamber Setting in Bangladesh measured by Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9 Bangla) Abstract Background: Assessment of patient satisfaction is crucial but there is significant lagging in this sector. Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of health care quality as well as a predictor of treatment adherence. The Good patient-doctor relationship is considered as an integral part of the patient satisfaction. In Bangladesh, this domain is yet to be explored in a large scale. Aim: It was aimed to look into the patient satisfaction level in chamber setting in Bangladesh measured using the patient-doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-9 Bangla). Methods: PDRQ-9 is a short yet excellent tool for assessing the patient-doctor relationship. The data collection was done in private chamber setting by the PDRQ-9 and analyzed. Results: Though the result was not completely in line with the existing literature, the PDRQ-9 was found to a useful and brief measurement tool in the context of the patient-doctor relationship. Conclusion: Large-scale research in this particular aspect of patient satisfaction in future may provide a more succinct result. Keywords: PDRQ-9 Bangla, Patient Satisfaction, Chamber Practice, Doctor-Patient, Bangladesh. Introduction Being as old as the civilization the field of medicine is evolving rapidly [1] but there is a significant lagging in the assessment of patient satisfaction which is considered as equally important as other health measures and a significant indicator of efficiency of health care delivery [2]. As stated by Lender et al. patient satisfaction may be defined as positive evaluations of distinct dimensions of health care [3]. A parallel interaction is present in between patient satisfaction, continuity of care, accessibility of treatment and physician, as patient prefer the availability and accessibility of the same physician. The measurement of patient satisfaction is thus useful is assessing the quality of care and also subsequent health-related behaviors and adherence to treatment, at the same time knowing the patient priorities would facilitate the improvement of patient experience [4,5]. Thus patient satisfaction might be considered as an indicator of institutional performance as well as patient`s wish to become more compliance and recommendation for others, which are all related to the socio-demographic condition, the health status of community and more over Patient-Doctor Relationship [6,7,8]. Patient-Doctor Relationship, a dynamic, vital yet complex interpersonal relationship which has been put under the microscope for quite a long over the century and this mutual relationship is intermingled with the idea of patient satisfaction, compliance with treatment and eventually driving the treatment outcome [9]. Over the time the concept of patient-doctor relationship has evolved a lot and currently, patient-centeredness is the most preferred by the patients hence the health care provider focuses of patient autonomy and more emphasis over patient satisfaction [10, 11, 12]. Despite being widely advocated, the practicality of patient-centered model is yet under consideration on the basis of time constraint in consultation as the physician has to perform the daunting task of providing comprehensive, coordinated yet satisfactory to the patient and above all make sure the accessibility of the care [13, 14]. Whether being psychiatric or non-psychiatric patient it is reported that succ essful and both way, a perfect relationship between patient and physician is crucial for the adherence and better outcome of treatment [15]. For assessing the patient-doctor relationship, a brief, concise yet having excellent psychometric characteristics scale has been developed and validated known as the 9-item patient -doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-9) [14,15,16, 17,18] which essentially evaluates the therapeutic aspect of the patient-doctor relationship based on the perspective of the patient in the primary health care setting [14,15]. PDRQ-9 gives the opportunity to quantify the communication, level of satisfaction and availability in dealing with the physician in regard to patient`s point of view [18]. Initially validated by Van der Feltz-Cornelis et al. this is to be reported that there is internal consistency among the items of the scale [17] and later was to validated by multiple researchers [14,15,16,18]. Bangladesh, a developing country having about 160 million people and achieving the health-related goal of MDG but lacking significantly in regard to conceptual similarity in health services between physician and patients, hence there exists violence against the doctor and lack of compliance with treatment and eventually patient satisfaction [1,9,19-20]. But unfortunately, there is little to be found in terms of literature regarding the patient satisfaction and patient-doctor relationship. So the authors aimed to look into the patient satisfaction level in public hospital and private chamber setting in Bangladesh measured using the patient-doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-9 Bangla). Methods Setting: The data collection procedure was carried out in 3 different hospitals by 3 different physicians. Instrument: The Bangla version of 9 item based Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9) was used as the tool for questioning patients which have 5 points Likert-type scale from 1: not at all appropriate, to 5: totally appropriate. Design and Subject: The study was carried out in the outpatient department of Dhaka Medical College and some private chambers in the city of Dhaka over the period of January 2016 to December 2016 from 214 patients with the Bangla version of Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9) with purposive sampling. The filling out of the questionnaire was totally voluntary and completed by the participant themselves and assistance weas provided to respondents who were not able to understand any question. Patients who were willing to participate and able to understand Bangla were included in the study and patients who were not willing were excluded. After proper collection of data, the analysis was done by SPSS 16 and Microsoft Excel 2010. Data Collection Method: Self-reporting PDRQ-9 Bangla questionnaire and providing assistance when the patient could not understand the questionnaire. Results Table 1 [VM1] Demographic Variables Age Completed years Percent Gender Gender Percent 14-25 29.3 Male 40.2 26-35 26.9 Female 59.8 36-45 20.7 Religion Religion Percent 46-55 10.7 Islam 93 56-65 11.7 Sanatan 7 Mean  ± SD (Range) 37 ± 9.92 Marital Situation Status Percent Residence Area Percent Unmarried 19.9 Urbane 57.8 Married 78.7 Suburban 14.3 Widow 0.5 Village 28 Divorced 0.5 Educational Qualification Status Percent Occupation Status Percent Below SSC 40.9 Student 32.2 SSC 16.2 Service Holder 16.4 HSC 18.8 Business 7.5 Graduation/ Equivalents 12.3 Housewife 23.8 Post graduation 11.7 Others 7.9 Monthly Family Income Taka Percent Family Family Type Percent 1.73 Nuclear 52.8 5000-10000 10.98 Joint Family 45.8 10000-15000 15.03 15000-20000 12.14 20000-25000 13.29 25000-30000 24.28 >30000 21.97 Demographic Picture of the Respondents. In this study, authors considered age, gender, religion, residence, educational qualification, monthly income, marital status, occupation and family type as demographic variables. Age of the respondents was found Mean  ± SD (Range): 37 ± 9.92 (14-65) years; 40.2 % respondents were male and 59.8% female; 57.8% resided in urban area where as 14.3% in suburb and 28 % in village; 78.7% were married and 19.9% were unmarried; 52.8% belonged to nuclear family and 45.8% were from joint family (Table 1). Table 2: Level of satisfaction in regards to item wise responses (n=214) Statistics Q-1 Q- 2 Q- 3 Q- 4 Q-5 Q- 6 Q- 7 Q- 8 Q-9 Mean 4.29 4.35 4.50 4.17 4.44 4.23 4.31 4.28 3.86 Median 5 5 5 4 4 4.5 5 5 4 Mode 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Std. Deviation 0.99 0.99 0.85 0.97 3.53 0.91 1.02 1.06 1.17 Minimum 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Maximum 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 The level of satisfaction among the Respondents. Among the 9-items of the PDRQ-9, there was a general trend of the mean being about 4.17 to 4.50. The lowest mean was found in the 9th question I find my physician easily accessible which was 3.86. I trust my physician the 3rd item had the highest mean of 4.50. The Standard deviation for the items was around 0.99 to 3.53. 5th question My physician is dedicated to help me had the highest standard deviation of 3.53 (Table 2). Table 3: Distribution of responses of PDRQ-9 Bangla items not at all appropriate somewhat appropriate appropriate mostly appropriate totally appropriate Total Item F (%) F (%) F (%) F (%) F (%) F (%) Q 1 4 (1.87) 11 (5.14) 26 (12.15) 51 (23.83) 122 (57.01) 214 (100) Q 2 2 (.93) 16 (7.48) 20 (9.35) 43 (20.09) 133 (62.15) 214 (100) Q 3 3 (1.40) 3 (1.40) 24 (11.21) 37 (17.29) 147 (68.69) 214 (100) Q 4 4 (1.87) 10 (4.76) 30 (14.02) 71 (33.18) 99 (46.26) 214 (100) Q 5 2 (.93) 15 (7.01) 22 (10.28) 71 (33.18) 103 (48.13) 214 (100) Q 6 2 (.93) 6 (2.80) 40 (18.69) 59 (27.57) 107 (50) 214 (100) Q 7 3 (1.40) 17 (7.96) 19 (8.88) 47 (21.96) 128 (59.81) 214 (100) Q 8 6 (2.80) 14 (6.54) 20 (9.35) 49 (22.90) 125 (58.41) 214 (100) Q 9 8 (3.74) 19 (8.88) 58 (27.10) 39 (18.22) 90 (42.06) 214 (100) Distribution of responses. Among all the 9 items and 5 responses, there was an overall tendency of answering the 5th option totally appropriate by the respondents as evident by the frequency ranging from 42.06% to 68.69% which were the highest for all the 9-items. Not at all appropriate had the lowest frequency ranging around 0.93% to 3.74%. Other three options had all most equal distribution though a greater tendency for the mostly appropriate was observed (Table 3). Discussion Patient-Doctor Relationship is a strong indicator of patient satisfaction as well as the predictor of treatment adherence and quality of health care. Patient satisfaction, on the other hand, depends largely on the availability of care and caregiver. Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire-9 (PDRQ-9) is a brief and excellent tool for assessing the quality of patient-doctor relationship on the regards of patient`s experience and therefore a useful instrument for measuring patient satisfaction. Originally developed by Van Der Feltz-Cornelis et al. in 2004 it was based on Helping Alliance Questionnaire of Luborsky (HAQ), a scale that measures the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy [17]. Later, numerous attempts were taken to validate PDRQ-9 in different languages. In Ad ´an et al. validated the Spanish version and Mergen et al. in 2012 validated the Turkish version, in 2014 Zenger et al. validated the German version of PDRQ-9 and in 2016 Arafat validated the Bangla version wh ich was the tool for this particular study [16, 17, 18, 21, 22]. On demographic basis Age of the respondents was found Mean  ± SD (Range): 37 ± 9.92 (14-65) years which was close enough to the Bangla validation study where Age of the respondents was found as mean  ± SD (range): 35.6  ± 10.71 and also with Nigerian version where mean age was 40.12 but not consistent with the German validation where Mean age was 50.58 for men and 50.87 for women and also in this particular study 52.8% respondents belonged to nuclear family and 45.8% were from joint family which also aligned with the Bangla validation study where 52% had nuclear family and 48% belonged to joint family environment [16, 18]. 40.2 % respondents were male and 59.8% female which was not in line with the Bangla version where 62% were male and 38% were female but was close to the Nigerian validation where male sex frequency was 47.6% and the female was 52.4%[15, 18].The origin of the respondents which in this study was 57.8% from an urban area where as 14.3% from suburb and 28 % from the village, but in the Bangla Validation version 64% lived in town, 16% in mini town, and 20% in the village [18]. On the 9-items the Mean was found 4.29, 4.35, 4.50, 4.17, 4.44, 4.23, 4.31, 4.28 and 3.86 respectively which were not consistence with either the original Dutch or later validated Spanish, Turkish, Nigerian or Bangla version [15,17, 18, 22] but the German Validation study showed means of the 9-items which were almost similar to this study[16]. It was seemed to be found that the respondents chose to answer mostly appropriate in this particular study. However, as observed by Arafat SMY most of the people in Bangladesh has the perception that, the role of the physicians here are motivated by financial gain only and thus not fully justified which often lead to violence against doctor as well as the health services providers which do not completely fit with the result of this particular study [9]. Also, the doctor leads a hectic life in this country and the overwhelming number of patients per physician also make it difficult to provide quality and patient-centered care [1]. The overall result of the study might not reflect the picture on basis of the currently available literature in this context. Limitations of the Study The majority of the data was collected from private chamber setting which might have been the cause of a result not in line with the other articles. Moreover, in some respondents assistance was provided to fill out the questionnaire. Conclusion The result from the analysis indicated a better level of satisfaction among the patients which was not quite in line with the premeditated concept of the authors as it did not fall in line with the available data. Despite this fact, the Bangla validated the version of PDRQ-9 was found as a very helpful as an instrument for assessing the relationship between patient and doctor in a very short time and both in public and private health care facility. As the scale bears only patients perspective it was very proficient for measuring patient satisfaction. In a developing country like Bangladesh, future large-scale studies to substantiate the findings of this particular study and further evaluate the patient satisfaction on the basis of patient-doctor relationship may provide a clearer picture. References 1. Andalib A, Arafat SMY. Practicing Pattern of Physicians in Bangladesh. International Journal of Perceptions in Public Health. 2016;1(1):9-13. 2. Linda .MS P, editor. PATIENT SATISFACTION SURVEYS FOR CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS. First ed. 1607 West Jefferson Street Boise, Idaho 82702: 2001. 3. Linder-Pelz S. Toward a theory of patient satisfaction. Social Science Medicine. 1982 Jan;16(5):577-82. 4. Raivio R, Jà ¤Ãƒ ¤skelà ¤inen J, Holmberg-Marttila D, Mattila KJ. Decreasing trends in patient satisfaction, accessibility and continuity of care in Finnish primary health care a 14-year follow-up questionnaire study. BMC Family Practice. 2014 May 15;15(1). 5. Paddison CAM, Abel GA, Roland MO, Elliott MN, Lyratzopoulos G, Campbell JL. Drivers of overall satisfaction with primary care: Evidence from the English general practice patient survey. Health Expectations. 2013 May 30;18(5):1081-92. 6. Konà © Pà ©foyo AJ, Wodchis WP. Organizational performance impacting patient satisfaction in Ontario hospitals: A multilevel analysis. BMC Research Notes. 2013;6(1):509. 7. Jackson JL, Chamberlin J, Kroenke K. Predictors of patient satisfaction. Social Science Medicine. 2001 Feb;52(4):609-20. 8. Rahmqvist M, Bara A. Patient characteristics and quality dimensions related to patient satisfaction. International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 2010 Feb 3;22(2):86-92. 9. Arafat SMY. Doctor Patient Relationship: an Untouched Issue in Bangladesh. International Journal of Psychiatry. 2016 Jul 16;1(1):2. 10. Kaba R, Sooriakumaran P. The evolution of the doctor-patient relationship. International Journal of Surgery. 2007 Feb;5(1):57-65. 11. Ridd M, Shaw A, Lewis G, Salisbury C. The patient-doctor relationship: A synthesis of the qualitative literature on patients perspectives. British Journal of General Practice. 2009 Apr 1;59(561):116-33. 12. Bensing JM, Tromp F, van Dulmen S, van den Brink-Muinen A, Verheul W, Schellevis FG. Shifts in doctor-patient communication between 1986 and 2002: A study of videotaped general practice consultations with hypertension patients. BMC Family Practice. 2006 Oct 25;7(1). 13. Little P, Everitt H, Williamson I, Warner G, Moore M, Gould C, Ferrier K, Payne S. Observational study of effect of patient centredness and positive approach on outcomes of general practice consultations. BMJ. 2001 Oct 20;323(7318):908-11. 14. Porcerelli JH, Murdoch W, Morris P, Fowler S. The Patient-Doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-9) in primary care: A validity study. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 2014 Aug 9;21(3):291-6. 15. Aloba O, Esan O, Alimi T. Psychometric qualities of the 9 item patient doctor relationship questionnaire in stable Nigerian patients with schizophrenia. Journal of Behavioral Health. 2015;4(4):112. 16. Zenger M, Schaefert R, van der Feltz-Cornelis C, Brà ¤hler E, Hà ¤user W. Validation of the patient-doctor-relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-9) in a representative cross-sectional German Population survey. PLoS ONE. 2014 Mar 17;9(3):e91964. 17. Van der Feltz-Cornelis CM, Van Oppen P, Van Marwijk HWJ, De Beurs E, Van Dyck R. A patient-doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-9) in primary care: Development and psychometric evaluation. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2004 Mar;26(2):115-20. 18. Arafat SMY. Psychometric validation of the Bangla version of the patient-doctor relationship questionnaire. Psychiatry Journal. 2016;2016:4. 19. Uddin MS, Ahmed MSR, Arafat SMY. Does mind exist in physicians mind? A brief phone survey in Bangladesh. International Journal of Neurorehabilitation. 2016;03(06):234 20. Arafat SMY, Uddin MS, Chowdhury EZ, Huq N, Chouudhury SR, Chowdhury MHR. Demography and Diagnosis of Patients Received Emergency Medical Service from Two Private Psychiatric Hospital in Dhaka City. Int J Neurorehabilitation. 2016;3(6):240. 21. Mergen H, Van der Feltz-Cornelis CM, KaraoÄÅ ¸lu N, Ongel K. Validity of the Turkish patient-doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ-Turkish) in comparison with the Europe instrument in a family medicine center. Healthmed. 2012 Feb;6(5):1763-70. 22. J. C. Mingote A, B. Moreno J, R. Rodrà ­guez C, M. Gà ¡lvez H, P. Ruiz L. Psychometric validation of the Spanish version of the Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ). Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2009;37(2):94-100. [VM1]Please enter the title of the Table 1. Also tables should be below the mentioned text. Copy the text of table 1 before the table. It goes for every table subsequently.

American Express Quality Management Marketing Essay

American Express Quality Management Marketing Essay Problem Statement- American Express using Quality Management to Excel in a Highly-Competitive Niche Market. Business Executive Exclusive Perks Card from U.S. Express (The BEEP Card) Do we launch with current levels of Business commitment in the field? Organizational Background American Express is a diversified global financal services company that was founded just prior to the American Civil War. It is best known for its business line of charge cards, travelers checks, and in fact, holds about 25 percent of the total credit card transactions in United States, largely because of its perks and programs focusing on American business (Chenault, 2009). American Express does not really sell anything tangible. Yes, they have some merchandise, but their primary focus for the consumer is to get as many American Express cards into the hands of qualified customers as possible. Money is generated through the fees charged to retailers and credit card clearing houses. But, American Express is essentially branded as a service-oriented business topnotch service that customers receive in their interaction with all U.S. Express staff (Bihlmier, 2002). One of the reasons American Express has been so successful to date, despite the ups and downs of the economy, is its focus on customer experience and branding that experience into something that feels tangible, even though it is not tangible. They have done this through enhancement of the customer experience from initial contact through final payment, tagging celebrities for endorsements, and branding the experience (McCarthy, 2005; Davis, 2010; americanexpress.com). Thus, for many businessmen, American Express is more of an experience they can call the company 24/7, 365 days per year in an emergency, have funds delivered or charges authorized by phone; they can received discounts on hotels, car rentals, meals, and even special events. Being an American Express member has its perks. And, with the new BEEP card, specifically designed for that upper echelon of corporate executive, the experience offered will be even more customized and special. Literature Review Even with billions in global assets, however, American Expresss business model is tied to the economic pulse of the business world. As one of the top rated charge cards for business and corporate use, the fiscal crises of the last few years has negatively impacted the company, and in November 2008, American Express won Federal Reserve System approval to covert its operation to a bank holding company, which made it eligible for government subsidies under the Troubled Assets Relief Program, which, at that time consisted of over $127 billion (Lanman, 2008). This troubling trend was serious enough for the Fed to waive its typical 30-day waiting period, and was the result in credit-card holders failure to repay loans at almost twice the rate of 2007. Indeed, one of the major strategic weaknesses of American Express is its tie to the economic health of the global financial markets American Express following the trends by posting several quarter profit declines even with some segments showing upturns. Given the continued volatility in the financial markets, we want to be best positioned to take advantage of the various programs the federal government has introduced. We will [also] continue to build a larger deposit base to broaden our funding sources (CEO Kenneth Chenault, Ibid). American Express is a large enough company, with core values in banking, financial services, travel, and corporate/personal credit and charge cards. They have a Strategic Planning Group that operates consulting services to management of all its business units, and also services as a conduit for executive level recruiting. (American Express Strategic Planning Group). The business model for American Express consists of several major sections, (See Figure 1) with the top grossing centers: 1) Discount Revenue from card transactions (53%); 2) Interest from card member lending services (revolving charge cards) (13%); 3) Fees from cards, travel, and other holding feeds (23% combined) (American Express Summary, WikiInvest). American Express acknowledged that 2008 was a tough year and that they are tied very closely with the spending patterns of businesses and executive cardholders in particular, the dismal performance of both the 2007 and 2008 Holiday seasons in luxury goods. Additionally, the impact of the ENRON, Arthur Anderson, and even Automobile Industry issues may force additional oversight and regulation upon American Expresss financial services division. Tactically, the company has instituted several short- and mid-range solutions to improve its financial volatility: 1) Adjust models in lending to reduce high-risk, cancel certain accounts, reduce lines of credit, and limit new cardmembers; 2) Manage risk to improve profits; 3) Enhancing services for businesses and cardmembers experiencing difficulty in order to prevent defaults (2008 Annual Report, p. 5). Strategically, the company has decided on the actions of: Reengineering Control of costs, cut back spending in every area of the business; increase efficiency and reduce or eliminate activities that were not supporting the companys highest priorities, including the elimination of 10% of the global workforce (7,000 jobs). Benefits of $1.8 billion are expected as a result of this reengineering. Partnerships Forging new Co-Branded partnerships in key international markets, primarily in the Far East and Australia. Signing 13 new partnerships and launching 130 new products with banks that issue American Express-branded cards globally. Servicing Improving servicing aspect and offering more opportunities than competitive products this resulted in earning the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Satisfaction Award. Business partnerships Even in a down economy, partnerships with businesses will continue to help American Express grow its revenue partnering in the B2B aspect will improve the ready income, while continuing to provide greater incentives for additional partnerships. (Ibid, p. 8). American Express has been through recessionary times before, and has emerged even stronger utilizing its core values and strategies. Marketing And Advertising On of the key factors in the improvement of American Express in the market is the continual thrust of its brand. American Express has taken branding to a new level one who has moved from the outmoded mold of 1960s marketing, humorously described in the III Series MADMEN,  [1]  to a more centered approach that makes every employee, essentially, a brand manager: American Express. American Express does not actually sell anything tangible. Yes, they have some American Express merchandise, but their primary focus for the consumer is to get as many American Express cards into the hands of qualified customers as possible. Money is generated through the fees charged to retailers and credit card clearing houses. But, American Express is essentially branded as a service-oriented business top notch service that customers receive in their interaction with all American Express staff (American Express Joe Bihlmier interview, 2002). American Express has done this w ith a few simple, yet very powerful, changes to its business paradigm: Customer Contact Every step of the American Express experience has been refined to be different and competitive from all other credit and charge card companies. Employees are highly trained, speak English in a professional manner, and rather than take the offensive on certain situations, begin the discussion with the customer as the #1 priority. Accuracy of Statement American Express statements are double and triple checked for accuracy, with an ease of back up data available at a moments notice. Since American Express realizes that most use is for business, they have organized their statement into categories that make it easier for the employee to report. Business Cards American Express wants large businesses, and has made it easier for company employees to receive cards and generate only their receipts back to the company. American Express will customize reports, by employee and category, for larger companies accounting management, and for some, even deliver it electronically based on their individual needs. Ease of Disputing a Charge Again, American Express assumes the client is right, and with a simple phone call, will act as an advocate for any unauthorized charges (AmericanExpress.com). Utilizing celebrities as role models Instead of having a celebrity simply pitch a product, American Express has taken two different views of improving its brand using celebrities. The celebrities actually USE the product, their names are printed on the card, and not only are they shown in their particular field of expertise (e.g. Tiger Woods, Robert DiNero, etc.), but the company has ads that play off popular archetypes (e.g. the movie CaddyShack, etc.) (McCarthy, 2005). Differential Branding Now, not only does American Express offer the Gold and Green cards, but a blue and red card, with different cards supporting credit customers (as opposed to charge customers), and the Product RED, which supports the fight against Aids, and other environmental causes. For example, one AmEx commercial shows a sexy model near a traditional Masai warrior; the model holds the RED card and says, It doesnt make you feel so guilty about spending your money! (American Express, 2007). Thus, for many businessmen, American Express is more of an experience they can call the company 24/7, 365 days per year in an emergency, have funds delivered or charges authorized by phone; they can receive discounts on hotels, car rentals, meals, and even special events. Being an American Express member, has its perks (See Appendix A Examples of American Express Branding). American Express seems to excel at creating the strategy from the outside in, rather than the typical product management idea of inside out this strategy has shown an increase in brand recognition, whether or not those consumers utilize the product at present. Thus, that recognition, as the population ages and is able to afford participating in the American Express experience is more of a marketing investment strategy, long-term, than it is a complete short-term blip (Atstiel, 2005). The Problem/Challenge The design and conformance quality are both strategic management issues that, for a company with a demographic like American Express, are vital for the success of their product. For a merchant, American Express is significantly more expensive than MasterCard or Visa, takes longer to be reimbursed, and has less flexibility in discount rates. Instead, it is the very design and conformance (value of the product and the degree to which product promises and specifications are realized) in the marketplace that makes it even worthwhile to merchants. In many cases, corporations use only American Express, and thus their employees are motivated to use that card, typically billed directly to the home office, without the same necessity for reimbursement and TE Expense Reporting. Because American Express already invested in POP materials, already shipped those materials to its list of businesses who accept the card, the key clearly was not whether the marketing folks at Ame rican Express had done their job. They had but only partially for all the collateral in the world is for naught if it is not posted, thrown away, or put into storage. That being said, the metrics of Six Sigma, and the defined error acceptance helped American Express hone in on the root of the problem regarding POP and the research behind it, as well as a means to mitigate the situation. Simply put, the current research was simply not working in terms of identifying the issues surrounding use of the card in small businesses. Opportunities/Recommendations American Express hired a research vendor to call on businesses to uncover what POP materials were being used, why or why not, and how these materials could translate into an increase value relationship for the consumer and business. Unfortunately, the data uncovered by the research vendor was fraught with inaccuracies: from poor call rates to a disconnect in research opportunities that, in fact, worked contrary to the needs of the company in providing a service to its business clients. American Express uncovered two primary causes for this disconnect by shadowing the vendor and putting principles of Six-Sigma into place to find a potential set of solutions. The two primary causes for the unacceptably high uncallable rate for American Express research were a disconnect between time of research and store hours and the ability of the research to identify individual businesses that were in compliance with American Express POP requirements. Both resulted in a loss of time and money, an unacceptable error rate, and considerable redundancy (returning to recheck). However, the research vendor was given the list by American Express. When the business signed up with American Express, they not only listed the type of business (e.g. retail, restaurant, etc.) but also their hours and days of operation. A simple Boolean search would have provided the research firm a sort of appropriate businesses and an adjustment of hours. Six Sigma already asks for statistical checks to be mad e when viewing data, had the methodology been in place within the marketing research area, the initial disconnect would not have occurred. It was not incumbent upon the vendor to know details about the client beforehand. Further, operating in a Six Sigma manner would have put a more robust vetting upon the research project prior to placing it into the field. In addition, the research protocol should have been written so that the purpose of the visit was plain to the vendor analysis of POP. If the analysis was possible without actually visiting the business (e.g. viewing the POP on the door or register), redundancies would have been eliminated (Hayler and Nichols, 2007, 55-9). Still, Six Sigma is a tool, it is not an edict. Like many tools, it is dependent upon two things: 1) How it is used, and 2) The quality of the data. Six-Sigma was originally designed for use by Motorola in the early 1980s. It was put in place in order to not only uncover, but to solve, certain manufacturing processes that were not working appropriately. It improved the company by defining a clearly focus on measurable issues that could be quantified and linked to profitability. It also increased an emphasis on managements commitment to utilizing the strategic planning system to actually implement a cause-effect relationship within the manufacturing model. However, when all the bells and whistles come off, and all the statistical data and measurement are broken down, the model is really a quality improvement template. It is not designed for any subjectivity and often fails to take into account that margin of error is different on divergent products and services (e.g. a surgical instru ment or medical device should have a lower rate of error than a new hardback novel). Further, some of the standards are arbitrary and force management to plug in data (as in the American Express market research). That being said, it is both possible to overanalyze certain ineffectual data; in other words, making certain Six Sigma data more important than it really is to ROI. However, it does effectively help management identify areas of needed improvement, of inefficiency, and of redundancy (Prasad, 2009, 32-40). Conclusions Such market gurus as Warren Buffet continues to invest in American Express and believe that it is a solid company with a solid business plan. American Express does have weaknesses, but because the do not offer tangible products, their success or failure in the marketplace is a result of their continual ability to get consumers and businesses to use their products. They have established a global service sector, they have established an extremely strong brand, they have established recognition that is top within its industry, and almost top in the era of advertising; the perception of the card remains positive; but the company is faced with an uncertain few years while the economic downturn changes globally. Luckily, the company is well-positioned to handle the slowdown, stakeholders seem patient to allow the company to restructure and refocus, and the strategic plan remains solid (Hagstrom, 1997; Evans, 2005). ? Six Sigma is a tool, it is not an edict. Like many tools, it is dependent upon two things: 1) How it is used, and 2) The quality of the data. Six-Sigma was originally designed for use by Motorola in the early 1980s. It was put in place in order to not only uncover, but to solve, certain manufacturing processes that were not working appropriately. It improved the company by defining a clearly focus on measurable issues that could be quantified and linked to profitability. It also increased an emphasis on managements commitment to utilizing the strategic planning system to actually implement a cause-effect relationship within the manufacturing model. However, when all the bells and whistles come off, and all the statistical data and measurement are broken down, the model is really a quality improvement template. It is not designed for any subjectivity and often fails to take into account that margin of error is different on divergent products and services (e.g. a surgical instrument or medical device should have a lower rate of error than a new hardback novel). Further, some of the standards are arbitrary and force management to plug in data (as in the American Express market research). That being said, it is both possible to overanalyze certain ineffectual data; in other words, making certain Six Sigma data more important than it really is to ROI. However, it does effectively help management identify areas of needed improvement, of inefficiency, and of redundancy. In the case of American Express- the Six Sigma model did uncover redundancy and most certainly does point to the need to expand and develop new market segments, thus a nswering the question of launching a new product piece into the marketplace.

Hustler v. Falwell :: essays research papers

Hustler v. Falwell   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hustler Magazine versus Jerry Falwell was a case that involved many key elements. First of all it was a case that examined if a public figure such as Jerry Falwell could collect for emotional damages sustained to him by a parody that was published in an issue of Hustler Magazine. Secondly, did Hustler invade Falwell’s privacy by publishing the contents of the parody? The most important aspect of the case, that was under review, was if Hustler was in accordance with their First Amendment Rights, of freedom of speech, by publishing the parody.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The parody in question was published in an issue of Hustler in a faux advertisement for Campari Liqueur. In the advertisement entitled, â€Å"Jerry Falwell tells about his first time,† Falwell is portrayed as giving an interview. In the fake interview Falwell talks about his first sexual experience, which was with his mother, and describes how he was drunk and the experience took place in an outhouse. The interview also tells how Falwell doesn’t go out in front of the pulpit unless he’s â€Å"sloshed.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The district Court found Hustler Magazine liable for Falwell’s emotional distress and granted him 100,000 dollars in damages. However, the court did rule in favor of Hustler in that they did not invade Falwell's privacy since he was a public figure. They also ruled against Falwell’s libel claim, stating that Hustler did not publish anything that a reasonable person would misinterpret as the facts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The big argument in the case, when it was introduced to the Supreme Court, was if the District Court had deprived Hustler Magazine of their First Amendment rights. Since Hustler was a magazine of nationwide circulation and since Falwell is a national figure Hustler argued that the parody was in no way wrong since any reasonable person would identify it as humor rather than facts. The Court agreed and it found that Falwell should not be rewarded any damages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Chief Justice Rehnquist presided over the case. In his statement of opinion Rehnquist acknowledged that the article wasn’t of the best taste. He also acknowledged that there isn‘t really a good way to distinguish between cases of this nature. His argument of this was since all jurors have different views and opinions that verdicts in cases such as this would be of opinion rather than clearly defined by the law. He acknowledged that not all speech is protected equally by the First Amendment but this case didn‘t possess such speech.

Benefits and Limitations of Distance Learning Essay -- Education Educa

Benefits and Limitations of Distance Learning Distance Learning Defined Technology is restructuring many aspects of education. An example of this phenomenon is distance education. Distance learning is defined as " the practice of educating learners who are separated from the teacher or trainer and each other by space, time, or both" (Moller 115). Distance education occurs in a non-classroom setting when students participate in course discussions, exercises, and receive assessment from the instructor by utilizing technology such as video conferencing, audiographics, CD-ROM, and Web-based media (Welsh 41). Furthermore distance learning programs are becoming increasingly popular at academic institutions and corporations. Most importantly these programs are offering learning opportunities for people that are normally restricted by class time and space (McHenry & Bozik 21). Many educators and administrators are beginning to comprehend the impact of distance learning. In fact the American Council on Education predicts there will be more distance learning classes offered. John Noon writes in Syllabus, ‘Distance learning courses are offering students new flexibility in course and even campus selection, causing many institutions to begin redefining themselves’ (McHenry & Bozik 20). For example the University of Phoenix, a for-profit university, offers distance learning classes to 50,000 students spanning 12 states. Additionally Britain’s Open University will align itself with several universities in the United States and will start classes this year (Markel 208). Thus distance education is ‘currently the fastest growing form of domestic and international education’ (Boling & Robinson 169). Annually corporations sp... ...learning classroom design on student perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 45 (4), 5-19. Langford, D. R., & Hardin, S. (1999). Distance learning: Issues emerging as the paradigm shifts. Nursing Science Quarterly, 12 (3), 191-196. McHenry, L. & Bozik, M. (1997). From a distance: Student voices from the interactive video classroom. TechTrends, 42 (6), 20-24. Markel, M. (1999). Distance education and the myth of the new pedagogy. Journal ofBusiness and Technical Communication, 13 (2), 208-222. Moller, L. (1998). Designing communities of learners for asynchronous distance education. Educational Technology Research and Development, 46 (4), 115-122. Welsh, T., M. (1999). Implications of distributed learning for instructional designers:How will the future affect the practice? Educational Technology, 39 (2), 41-45.

Oedipus Rex Character Analysis Essay

Oedipus, in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, is by definition, a tragic hero. King Laios of Thebes was given a prophecy from the oracle that he would be murdered by his son’s hand, and that his son would marry his wife, Queen Iocaste. When Oedipus was born, King Laios had him taken to Mt. Cithaeron to die, however, the servant who was instructed to take him to the mountain felt pity for the baby and turned him over to a shepherd from Corinth. Once in Corinth, he was raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope, and the prophecy slowly became a reality. Oedipus grew up, believing that he was indeed the son of Polybus and Merope, when a drunken man informed him that he was not his father’s son. In search of the truth, he went to the shrine at Delphi, where he was told of the same prophecy his birth parents already knew, and fled to Thebes, believing the prophecy pertained to King Polybus and Queen Merope. In going to Thebes, he finds that King Laios was murdered in the same area that he had recently murdered a man in. He tells Iocasta of this event, exclaiming that he had â€Å"killed him. [He] killed them all.† (Scene II, ll. 288-289) His curiosity gets the best of him, and he orders – as the new king of Thebes – that the people find out who murdered Laios, and that they report it to him immediately. When a messenger brings the shepherd to the palace, he is told that he was Laios’ son. Oedipus realizes that he has killed his own father, saying, â€Å"Ah God! It was true! All the prophecies!† (Scene IV, ll. 68-70) Iocaste is horrified by this, and flees to her room, where she is later found â€Å"hanging, her body swaying from the cruel cord she had noosed about her neck.† (Exodus, II. 38-39) Oedipus finds her lifeless body, and breaks down, completely hysterical, â€Å"[striking] his eyes – not once, but many times.† (Exodus, l. 52) His entire lifespan is completely full of tragedy. His nobility, his curiosity, his bad choices, the realization of a foretold prophecy coming to life, the death of Iocaste, and the blinding by his own hand, all contribute to the theory of him being a tragic hero. He was born the son of a king, and lived his life king of both Corinth and Thebes – responsible for the people of his land. His curiosity is his biggest flaw, because he can’t leave well enough alone, and goes to great lengths to find out the truth. His choice to kill the man on the road instead of just letting the confrontation go decided his fate. Realizing that he’s murdered Laios even though he’d tried  so hard to prevent the prophecy from becoming a reality was unbearable. Finding Iocasta dead in her room by her own hand was his suffering. Finally, gouging out his own eyes in a hysterical attempt to punish himself was a punishment far beyond the crimes he had committed. These factors alone do not define a tragic hero, but when brought together the way they do in Sophocles’ play, they make Oedipus a tragic hero.

Presentation About Procter and Gamble Essay

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods company headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Its products include foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products.[2] In 2011, P&G recorded $82.6 billion dollars in sales. Fortune magazine ranked P&G at fifth place of the â€Å"World’s Most Admired Companies† list, which was up from sixth place in 2010.[3] Procter & Gamble is the only Fortune 500 company to  issue C Share common stock.[citation needed] Contents [hide] * 1 History * 2 Operations * 2.1 Management and staff * 2.2 Brands * 2.3 Productions * 3 Controversies * 3.1 Price fixing * 3.2 Toxic shock syndrome and tampons * 3.3 Animal testing * 3.4 Other products * 3.5 Logo controversy * 4 Notes * 5 External links| ————————————————- [edit]History William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, emigrated from England and Ireland respectively. They settled in Cincinnati initially and met when they married sisters, Olivia and Elizabeth Norris.[4] Alexander Norris, their father-in-law, called a meeting in which he persuaded his new sons-in-law to become business partners. On October 31, 1837, as a result of the suggestion, Procter & Gamble was created. In 1858–1859, sales reached $1 million. By this point, approximately 80 employees worked for Procter & Gamble. During the American Civil War, the company won contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles. In addition to the increased profits experienced during the war, the military contracts introduced soldiers from all over the country to Procter & Gamble’s products. In the 1880s, Procter & Gamble began to market a new product, an inexpensive soap that floats in water. The company called the soap Ivory. William Arnett Procter, William Procter’s grandson, began a profit-sharing program for the company’s workforce in 1887. By giving the workers a stake in the company, he correctly assumed that they would be less likely to go on strike. The company began to build factories in other locations in the United States because the demand for products had outgrown the capacity of the Cincinnati facilities. The company’s leaders began to diversify its products as well and, in 1911, began producing Crisco, a shortening made of vegetable oils rather than animal fats. As radio became more popular in the 1920s and 1930s, the company sponsored a number of radio programs. A s a result, these shows often became commonly known as â€Å"soap operas.† Procter & Gamble headquarters in DowntownCincinnati, Ohio The company moved into other countries, both in terms of manufacturing and product sales, becoming an international corporation with its 1930  acquisition of the Thomas Hedley Co., based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Procter & Gamble maintained a strong link to the North East of England after this acquisition. Numerous new products and brand names were introduced over time, and Procter & Gamble began branching out into new areas. The company introduced Tidelaundry detergent in 1946 and Prell shampoo in 1947. In 1955, Procter & Gamble began selling the first toothpaste to contain fluoride, known as Crest. Branching out once again in 1957, the company purchased Charmin Paper Mills and began manufacturing toilet paper and other paper products. Once again focusing on laundry, Procter & Gamble began making Downy fabric softener in 1960 and Bounce fabric softener sheets in 1972. One of the most revolutionary products to come out on the market was the company’s Pampers, first te st-marketed in 1961. Prior to this point disposable diapers were not popular, althoughJohnson & Johnson had developed a product called Chux. Babies always wore cloth diapers, which were leaky and labor intensive to wash. Pampers provided a convenient alternative, albeit at the environmental cost of more waste requiring landfilling. Procter & Gamble acquired a number of other companies that diversified its product line and significantly increased profits. These acquisitions included Folgers Coffee, Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals (the makers of Pepto-Bismol), Richardson-Vicks, Noxell (Noxzema), Shulton’s Old Spice, Max Factor, and the IamsCompany, among others. In 1994, the company made headlines for big losses resulting from leveraged positions in interest rate derivatives, and subsequently sued Bankers Trust for fraud; this placed their management in the unusual position of testifying in court that they had entered into transactions that they were not capable of understanding. In 1996, Procter & Gamble again made headlines when the Food and Drug Administration approved a new product developed by the company, Olestra. Also known by its brand name ‘Olean’, Olestra is a lower-calorie substitute for fat in cooking potato chips and other snacks. Procter & Gamble has dramatically expanded throughout its history, but its headquarters still remains in Cincinnati. In January 2005 P&G announced an acquisition of Gillette, forming the largest consumer goods company and placing Unilever into second place. This added brands such as Gillette razors,Duracell, Braun, and Oral-B to their stable. The acquisition was approved by the European Union and the Federal Trade Commission, with  conditions to a spinoff of certain overlapping brands. P&G agreed to sell its SpinBrush battery-operated electric toothbrush business to Church & Dwight. It also divested Gillette’s oral-care toothpaste line, Rembrandt. The deodorant brands Right Guard, Soft & Dri, and Dry Idea were sold to Dial Corporation.[5] The companies officially merged on October 1, 2005. Liquid Paper, and Gillette’s stationery division, Paper Mate were sold toNewell Rubbermaid. In 2008, P&G branched into the record business with its sponsorship of Tag Records, as an endorsement for TAG Body Spray.[6] P&G’s dominance in many categories of consumer products makes its brand management decisions worthy of study.[7] For example, P&G’s corporate strategists must account for the likelihood of one of their products cannibalizing the sales of another.[8] On August 24, 2009, the Ireland-based pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott announced they had bought P&G’s prescription-drug business for $3.1 billion.[9] P&G exited the food business in 2012 when it sold its Pringles snack food business to Kellogg’s. The company had previously sold Jif peanut butter and Folgers coffee in separate transactions toSmucker’s. Procter and Gamble is a tier one sponsor of the London’s Olympic Games 2012 and sponsors 150 Athletes. ——————————————†”—- [edit]Operations As of July 1, 2011, the company structure is categorized into two â€Å"Global Business Units† with each one further divided into â€Å"Business Segments† according to the company’s 2011 Annual Report. Dimitri Panayotopoulos is Vice Chairman of Global Business Units[10] * Beauty segment * Grooming segment * Health Care segment * Snacks & Pet Care segment * Fabric Care & Home Care segment * Baby Care & Family Home Care segment [edit]Management and staff The board of directors of Procter & Gamble currently has eleven members: Robert A. McDonald, Angela Braly, Meg Whitman, Johnathan A. Rodgers, Ernesto Zedillo, Scott Cake, Patricia A. Woertz, Susan D. Desmond-Hellmann, Maggie Wilderotter, W. James McNerney, Jr. and Kenneth Chenault.[11] In March 2011 Rajat Gupta resigned from the board after a SEC accusation ofGalleon Group insider trading.[12] In October 2008, P&G was named one of â€Å"Canada’s Top 100 Employers† by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean’s newsmagazine. Later that month, P&G was also named one ofGreater Toronto’s Top Employers, which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.[13] In May 2011 Fortune editor-at-large Patricia Sellers praised P&G’s board diversity, as five of the company’s eleven current directors are female and have all been on Fortune’s annual Most Powerful Women list.[14] Procter & Gamble is a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of over 400 major companies and NGOs that advocates for a larger International Affairs Budget, which funds American diplomatic and development efforts abroad.[15 ] [edit]Brands Main article: List of Procter & Gamble brands 26 of P&G’s brands have more than a billion dollars in net annual sales, according to the 2011 Annual Report and P&G Corporate Newsroom. Leadership Brands * Ace is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid available in numerous forms and scents. * Always is a brand of feminine care products. * Ariel is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid available in numerous forms and scents. * Bold is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid. * Bounce is a brand of laundry products sold in the United States and Canada. * Bounty is a brand of paper towel sold in the United States and Canada. * Braun is a small-appliances manufacturer specializing in electric shavers, epilators, hair care appliances and blenders. * Cascade is a brand of dishwashing products. * Charmin is a brand of toilet paper sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. * CoverGirl is a brand of women’s cosmetics. * Crest/Oral B is a brand of toothpaste and teeth-whitening products. * Dash is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid. * Dawn/Fairy is a brand of dishwashing detergent.[16] * Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian fashion house. * Downy/Lenor is a brand of fabric softener. * Duracell is a brand of batteries and flashlights. * Eukanuba is a brand of pet food. * Febreze/Ambi Pur is a brand of air fresheners. * Fixodent is a brand of air denture adhesives. * Fusion is a brand of men’s wet shave razors. * Gain is a brand of laundry detergent, fabric softeners and liquid dish soap. * Gillette is a brand of safety razor and male grooming products. * Head & Shoulders is a brand of anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioners. * Herbal Essences is a brand of shampoo and conditioners. * Hugo Boss is a brand of fine fragrances. * Iams is a brand of pet food. * Luvs is a brand of baby diapers. * Mach3 is a brand of safety razor and male grooming products. * Max Factor is a brand of women’s cosmetics. * Mister Clean is a brand of multi-purpose cleaner sold in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. * Olay is a brand of women’s skin care products. * Old Spice is a brand of men’s grooming products. * Oral-B is a brand of toothbrush, and oral care products. * Pampers is a brand of disposable diaper and other baby care products. * Pantene is a brand of hair care products (conditioners/styling aids). * Prestobarba/Blue is a brand of safety razor and male grooming products. * Prilosec is an over-the-counter drug. * Puffs is a brand of facial tissue. * Rejoice/Pert is a brand of hair care products (conditioners/styling aids). * Safeguard is a brand of soaps. * Secret is a female anti-perspirant brand. * SK-II is a brand of women’s and men’s skin care products. * Swiffer is a brand of house-cleaning products. * Tampax is a brand of feminine care products. * Tide is a brand of laundry detergent. * Venus is a brand female hair-removal products. * Vicks is an over the counter medication. * Wella is a brand name of hair care products (shampoo, conditioner, styling, hair color). Most of these brands—including Bounty, Crest and Tide—are global products available on several continents. Procter & Gamble products are available in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Manufacturing operations are based in the following regions: * United States * Canada * Philippines * Mexico * Latin America | * Europe * China (31 wholly owned factories) and other parts of Asia * Africa * Australia| [edit]Productions The P&G production early 1985 to 2007logo used from Procter & Gamble produced and sponsored the first radio soap operas in the 1930s (Procter & Gamble’s being known for detergents—soaps—was the genesis of the term â€Å"soap opera†)[citation needed]. When the medium switched to television in the 1950s and 1960s, most of the new serials were sponsored and produced by the company. The serial The Young and the Restless is currently broadcast on CBS and is still partially sponsored by Procter & Gamble. When As the World Turns left the air on September 17, 2010, The Young and the Restless, became the only soap left that is partially sponsored by Procter & Gamble. These past serials were produced by Procter & Gamble: * Another World * As the World Turns * The Brighter Day * The Catlins * The Edge of Night * The First Hundred Years * From These Roots| * Guiding Light * Lovers and Friends / For Richer, for Poorer * Our Private World * Search for Tomorrow * Somerset * Texas * Young Doctor Malone| Procter & Gamble also was the first company to produce and sponsor a prime-time show, a 1965 spinoff of the daytime soap opera As the World Turns called Our Private World. In 1979, PGP produced Shirley, a prime-time NBC series starring Shirley Jones which lasted thirteen episodes. They also produced TBS’ first original comedy series, Down to Earth, which ran from 1984 to 1987 (110 episodes were produced). They also distributed the syndicated comedy series Throb. Procter & Gamble Productions originally co-produced Dawson’s Creek with Sony Pictures Television but withdrew before the series premiere due to early  press reviews. It also produced the 1991 TV movie A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story, which was co-produced by The Landsburg Company. It also produces the People’s Choice Awards. In addition to self-produced items, Procter & Gamble also supports many Spanish-language novellas through advertising on networks such as Univision, Telemundo, Telefutura, and Azteca America. Procter & Gamble was one of the first mainstream advertisers on Spanish-language TV during the mid-1980s.[citation needed] In 2000, the company’s self care BeingGirl website was launched.[17] In 2008, P&G expanded into music sponsorship when it joined Island Def Jam to create Tag Records, named after a body spray that P&G acquired from Gillette. In April 2010, after the cancellation of As the World Turns, PGP announced they were officially phasing out of the soap industry, and expanding into more family appropriate programming.[18][19] Procter & Gamble also gave a $100,000 contract to the winners of Cycle 1 through 3 of Canada’s Next Top Model, wherein Andrea Muizelaar, Rebecca Hardy and Meaghan Waller won the prize. ————————————————- [edit]Controversies [edit]Price fixing In April 2011, P&G was fined 211.2m euros by the European Commission for establishing a price-fixing cartel in Europe along with Unilever, who was fined 104m euros, and Henkel (not fined). Though the fine was set higher at first, it was discounted by 10% after P&G and Unilever admitted running the cartel. As the provider of the tip-off leading to investigations, Henkel was not fined.[20] [edit]Toxic shock syndrome and tampons Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a disease caused by strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Most people have these bacteria living in their bodies as harmless commensals in places such as the nose, skin, and vagina. The disease can strike anyone, not only women, but the disease is often associated with tampons. In 1980, 814 menstrual-related TSS cases were reported; 38 deaths resulted from the disease. The majority of women in these cases were documented as using super-absorbent synthetic tampons, particularly the Rely tampon created by Procter & Gamble.[21] The Rely tampon was so super-absorbent that one by itself could in fact hold one  woman’s entire menstrual period flow. Unlike other tampons made of cotton and rayon, Rely used carboxymethylcellulose and compressed beads of polyester for absorption. In the summer of 1980 the Centers for Disease Control released a report explaining how these bacterial mechanisms were leading to TSS. They also stated that the Rely tampon was associated with TSS more than any other brand of tampon. In September 1980, Procter & Gamble voluntarily recalled its Rely brand of tampons from the market and agreed to provide for a program to notify consumers. Since the 1980s, reported cases of TSS have dramatically decreased.[22] [edit]Animal testing On June 30, 1999, Procter & Gamble announced that it would limit its animal testing practices to its food and drug products which represents roughly 80% of its product portfolio.[23] The company invested more than $275 million in the development of alternative testing methods.[24] Procter & Gamble has received criticism from animal advocacy group PETA for the practice of testing on animals.[25] [edit]Other products In December 2005, the Pharmaceutical division of P&G was involved in a dispute over research involving its osteoporosis drug Actonel. The case was discussed in the media.[26] In October 2007, a class action lawsuit was filed in the State of Georgia alleging that many users of Crest Pro-Health mouthwash, with the active ingredient Cetylpyridinium chloride, suffered stained teeth and loss of their sense of taste as a result.[27] Procter & Gamble contends that these side effects occur in only three percent of users.[27] The suit seeks to include disclosure warning users of these side effects on product packaging. [edit]Logo controversy Former P&G logo P&G’s former logo originated in 1851 as a crude cross that barge workers on the Ohio River painted on cases of P&G star candles to identify them. P&G later changed this symbol into a trademark that showed a man in the moon overlooking 13 stars, said to commemorate the original 13 colonies.[28] The company received unwanted media publicity in the 1980s when rumors spread that the moon-and-stars logo was a satanic symbol. The accusation was based on a particular passage in the Bible, specifically Revelation 12:1, which  states: â€Å"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a womanclothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of 12 stars.† P&G’s logo consisted of a man’s face on the moon surrounded by 13 stars, and some claimed that the logo was a mockery of the heavenly symbol alluded to in the aforementioned verse, thus construing the logo to be satanic. Where the flowing beard meets the surrounding circle, three curls were said to be a mirror image of the number 666, or the reflected number of the beast. At the top and bottom, the hair curls in on itself, and was said to be the two horns like those of a ram. These interpretations have been denied by company officials, and no evidence linking the company to the Church of Satan or any other occult organization has ever been presented. The company unsuccessfully sued Amway from 1995 to 2003 over rumors forwarded through a company voicemail system in 1995. In 2011 the company successfully sued individual Amway distributors for reviving and propagating the false rumors.[29] The moon-and-stars logo was discontinued in 1985 as a result of the controversy.[30] ————————————————- [edit]Notes 1. ^ a b c d e f â€Å"2011 Earnings Report, The Procter & Gamble Company†. The Procter & Gamble Company. Retrieved May 6, 2012. 2. ^ â€Å"Procter & Gamble board meets amid CEO reports†.Boston Herald. Associated Press. June 9, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 3. ^ â€Å"P&G Ranks 5th Overall, 1st in Our Industry and a â€Å"Green Star† Among Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies† (Press release). Procter & Gamble. March 3, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 4. ^ Dyer, Davis; Dalzell, Frederick; Olegario, Rowena (2004).Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter & Gamble. Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 1-59139-147-4. 5. ^ Wherrity, Constance (February 21, 2006). â€Å"Dial Agrees to Buy P&G Deodorant Brands†. Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York blog. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 6. ^ â€Å"P&G Must Proceed With Caution†. Marketing Doctor Blog. July 10, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 7. ^ â€Å"How To Lea rn From GE and P&G When The World Is About To Change†. Marketing Doctor Blog. June 6, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 8. ^ Horstman, Barry M (October 11, 2005). â€Å"John G. Hankus: He rebuilt P&G – and city, too†. The Cincinnati  Post. Archived from the original on April 5, 2005. 9. ^ Cordieiro, Anjali; Loftus, Peter (August 25, 2009). â€Å"Warner Chilcott to pay $3.1 for P&G’s drug business†. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 10. ^ â€Å"Dimitri Panayotopoulos: Vice chairman†. Pg.com. Retrieved February 15, 2012. 11. ^ â€Å"Board Composition: business leaders, law, American Express†. Pg.com. Retrieved February 15, 2012. 12. ^ â€Å"P&G Views | P&G News | Events, Multimedia, Public Relations† (Press release). Pg.com. December 31, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2012. 13. ^ â€Å"Reasons for Selection, 2009 Canada’s Top 100 Employers Competition†. 14. ^ Sellers, Patricia (May 5, 2011). â€Å"P&G rates an â€Å"A† for board diversity†. CNN Money. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 15. ^ â€Å"U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Global Trust members†. Usglc.org. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 16. ^ â€Å"Dawn†. Dawn-dish.com. R etrieved May 5, 2012. 17. ^ â€Å"Dancing tampons†. Wired. July 26, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 18. ^ Levine, Robert (July 7, 2008). â€Å"It’s American Brandstand: Marketers Underwrite Performers†. New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 19. ^ â€Å"P&G Must Proceed With Caution†. Marketing Doctor Blog. July 10, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 20. ^ â€Å"Unilever and Procter & Gamble in price fixing fine†. BBC News. April 13, 2011. 21. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara; Mikkelson, David (December 31, 2005 December 31). â€Å"Tampax Pearl†. Snopes.com. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 22. ^ Mcpherson, Marianne (March 2005). â€Å"Sexual Anatomy, Reproduction, and the Menstrual Cycle†. Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 23. ^ Canedy, Dana (July 1, 1999). â€Å"P.& G. to End Animal Tests For Most Consumer Goods†. The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 24. ^ â€Å"Animal Welfare and Alternatives†. Procter & Gamble. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 25. ^ Liddick, Don (2006). Eco-terrorism: radical environmental and animal liberation movements. Praeger Publishers.ISBN 978-0-275-98535-6. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 26. ^ â€Å"Collated Media Reports†. Thejabberwock.org. July 7, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 27. ^ a b â€Å"In The Superior Court Of Richmond County† (PDF). Retrieved February 15, 2012. 28. ^ â€Å"Procter and Gamble v. Amway 242 F.3d 539†. U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit. February 14, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 29. ^ â€Å"Procter & Gamble Wins Satanic Civil Suit†. CBS Money Watch. February 11, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 30. ^ Witt, Howard (April 25, 1985). â€Å"Corporate news: Procter symbol succumbs to devilish rumor†. Chicago Tribune. ————————————————- [edit]External links | Cincinnati portal| | Ohio portal| | Companies portal| | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Procter & Gamble| * Official website [show] * v * t * eProcter & Gamble Co.| | [show] * v * t * eComponents of the Dow Jones Industrial Average| | [show] * v * t * ePharmaceutical companies of the United States| | [show] * v * t * eSelected Royal Warrant holders of the British Royal Family| | View page ratings Rate this page What’s this? 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