The premier food

The premier food EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report aims to critically appraise various internal and external factors which contributed to the success of Premier Foods grocery division restructuring programme. Examples of effective change management disciplines are integrated throughout the project to achieve a successful business strategy. Although, no matter how effective and efficient you plan for change, risks are inevitable. The report aims to identify the key risks associated with the restructuring plan and identify the possible effects on human, physical and cultural resources. In the latter stages, the report will come to a close, highlighting the main points which the author believes has had an influence on the entire grocery divisions restructuring process. ORGANISATIONAL OVERVIEW Premier Foods has been established as the UKs leading food manufacturer, specialising in many known consumer brands such as OXO, Quorn, Hovis, Batchelors and Branston Pickle. Its estimated that 99.4% of the UK population buy at least one Premier Food product each year and a total of 43 million people, eat a leading brand food product every two weeks. Therefore, current turnover is estimated at  £2.6 billion and the company currently employs 17,000 people at 60 manufacturing sites around the United Kingdom and Ireland. Although, these figures would have been unrealistic without Premier Foods  £460 million acquisition of Campbells UK and Irish market share in August 2006. In March 2007, Premier Foods also captured RHMs market share for  £1.2 billion and therefore, turnover figures increased dramatically from  £760 million to the current turnover figure of  £2.6 billion. In 2008, Premier foods had successfully undertaken a comprehensive restructuring programme, which was deemed extremely complex in the UK. The aim was to radically transform the Grocery Division, which would drive the business through lower costs and higher technical standards. Premier Foods wished to implement the following key changes: The eradication of eight manufacturing sites between September 2007 and December 2008. Five core sites would increase the number of consumer brands manufactured. Capability and capacity are critical. The transfer of more than 1500 consumer brands and 2000 materials (136,700 tonnes). Capital Investment of  £47 million, of which  £19 million would need to be delivered in savings. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLAN REASONS BEHIND THE CHANGES External Market Pressures The United Kingdom has one of the fastest growing food and drink markets in the world (UK Trade Investment Services, 2009). The food and drink sector alone generates sales estimated at  £70 billion and significant growth areas lie in value added products i.e. ready meals or Non-European recipes. Recent studies had estimated the UKs organic sector at  £1.2 billion a year and the chilled food market a staggering  £7 billion. Therefore this accounts for almost 60% of the overall European chilled food market. However, in the East Midlands, food manufacturing is rapidly expanding. 15.1% of the UKs food produce is manufactured here and over the forthcoming years, this figure is expected to increase by 40%. Food companies such as NOM, an Austrian Diary Producer, have taken decisions with the help of the UK government (Trade and Investment) to expand into the UKs rapidly expanding food markets. Therefore, it was imperative that Premier Foods assess the external market and plan for radical change. Premier foods understood that the UK food market is highly competitive, demanding consistent product quality and reliable supply whilst seeking more competitive pricing and innovative new products (Premier Foods, 2010). The company had a policy to, generate economies of scale to reduce production costs in order to support promotional activity, investment in building brand awareness with the consumer and new product development (Premier Foods, 2010). Over the years, Premier Foods had marginalised its market position through organic and inorganic growth. Through this initiative, the company has strengthened its competitive position by undertaking various initiatives in order to boost efficiencies and minimize costs (Just-Food, 2010). During 2009, Premier Foods excelled it strategy of developing growing branded sales and expanding gross margin through the benefits of consumer scales and insights. The company recognised the need to continually develop this through 2010. In this period, the company wishes to deliver efficiency savings over and above the synergies already delivered in 2009. The benefit strategies of 2009 were particularly absorbed by inflation (Input Costs) and by tougher consumer and trading environments. Therefore, this allowed promotional costs to rise and the company are to remain cautious in the 2010 shortfall. Nevertheless, the company has the desire to challenge market growth rates and developed the strategy of identifying particular categories and brands they can push most. This new strategy splits consumer brands into, Drive, Core and Defend. Premier Foods represent Drive categories as the consumer brands which will inherit the most market investment i.e. Hartleys, Quorn, Ambrosia etc. However, Premier Foods agree that cooking sauces / accompaniments, desserts and cakes would have immediate success rates within the consumer market. A company statement had concluded that although the cake category was in decline over recent years, lunchbox, ready-to-eat sweet snacks or treats are proving extremely popular. In theory, taking advantage of this opportunity would eventually start a trend, where Premier Foods would target other popular categories. In other words there is ample room for additional market growth. Bearing this in mind, the company is still confident in delivering a three year market strategy in demonstrating the company is moving in the right direction, ability to make profits and increases in the UK / Ireland market share. Internal Pressures Organisational Reform By successfully developing an external market strategy plan, Premier Foods needed to radically transform the entire business, which would be a rationale for its success. The first phase was to conduct a review of all the manufacturing sites to identify their capabilities, infrastructure and skill base. This activity was conducted in the first three weeks by a small group of senior management. The site review allowed senior management to develop viable options and allowed the initial steps towards a cost benefit analysis. Once satisfied with this, a presentation was developed for the companies board and an agreement was passed to take the initial work to a full business case. A larger team, comprising representatives from each in scope sites, was formed and a clear consensus regarding the optimum option was quickly reached (Wilkinson, 2010). The agreement of the business case, allowed all main stakeholders to be involved within the development. The main intention was to secure a unanimous agreement on the final proposal. Fortunately, agreement was reached within six-weeks of the business case and provided a solid rationale for delivery of the restructuring programme. However, part of the business case recommended the closure of six manufacturing sites in the United Kingdom and two in Ireland. There would be a period of twenty-one months, in which a mixture of consumer brands would be manufactured over five expanded sites. By now, people including stakeholders, board directors, managers etc knew which consumer brands would move from one manufacturing site to another, the expected costs of the entire restructuring programme, target delivery points and detailing the benefits that would occur across the entire organisation. The output of this work also demonstrated the overall level of benefits that could be achieved and provided a baseline for delivering the programme (Wilkinson, 2010). Therefore, market strategy developments, extensive cost cutting exercises, combined with effective efficiency strategies developed a recipe for success. BUSINESS STRATEGY PLAN Rationale In July 2003, Premier Foods were initially floated on the London Stock Exchange with a business strategy of: Development within consumer focused brands. Development through effective consumer relations. Cost Reduction strategies and business simplification. Parallel to this, there was spotlight within the UK and the desire to acquire Great British brands. The integration of these, would rapidly contribute to further strategies based on scale. However, the main aim was to expand company competitiveness with other British food manufacturers, whilst still improving company returns to the shareholders. Premier Foods anticipated that corporate responsibility is a strategic priority that should be parallel to the overall business objectives. The company ensured that responsible business practice should be a fundamental operation of the business and place in the core of the corporate responsibility strategy of, doing the right thing. Premier Foods adopted a business strategy which analyses current issues and attitudes. This allows the company to anticipate any trends which could hamper the business. This business strategy has been untouched and still currently forms the central core of the companies aspirations. Due to the rapid growth of the company, the individuals and the manufacturing sites involved in the restructuring programme had very different cultures and people who came from different work backgrounds. Therefore, there was different levels of understanding in both project and programme management processes. Although, to implement an effective restructuring process, an effective change management strategy had to come into operation and to get an overview; there are five key principles that are extremely important: (Briggs, M., 1995) Individuals tend to react differently to change. Everyone has a desired need, which should be met. Change tends to involve a loss or reduction in something. Realistic targets and expectations. Fears need to be dealt with. Bearing this in mind, Premier Foods had to be open and honest about the entire restructuring strategy. The company were open and not too overoptimistic in theory. In other words, the company set realistic targets and deliverance dates. Project Management Strategy To improve how the company manages large or small scale projects, Premier Foods embarked on integrating a new project management process. Currently, there were various project management systems integrated across the entire organisation and the proposal was to have one standard system based upon Prince2. Prompt, would be the system which Premier Foods integrated across the entire organisation and benefits in Prompt allowed Premier Foods to manage and initiate projects in each work stream. Work stream managers were responsible for this and would manage project teams, to complete any work as necessary. Resource Management Strategy To increase flexibility and reduce project delivery risk, interdependencies between specific work streams and projects were minimised. Time scales and achieving key delivery dates were crucial in this process. However, to support this, Premier foods ensured a structured organisational programme was in place and at the same time, avoided the utilisation of common resources. On the other hand, the company sourced resources at the work stream level, through process of common procurement approach. This allowed work streams to progress at a constant level, whilst having the ability to maintain an overview of contract resource usage and ability to view potential competing priorities at an early stage. Environmental Strategy Due to recent European legislations in place, there are pressures within industry to curb the amount of carbon dioxide produced in the manufacturing of consumer goods. Premier Foods is committed to supporting the UK Governments position on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol (Premier Foods, 2010). The company has a Five Star Environmental Award Scheme in structure, which was rolled out to all manufacturing sites in 2009. The scheme is a benchmark ensuring energy usage, waste, water usage and carbon dioxide emissions are carefully monitored (Wilkinson, 2010). Scheduling Milestone Management Strategies The original business case recommended a tight delivery timescale and was substantially dictated by the seasonality of transferring food categories. In other words, the transferring of a food line had a set delivery date. If the opportunity was missed then the company would have to wait to the next available opportunity i.e. desserts are more popular in the winter and therefore move production to the summer. At different intervals during the project, there was the requirement to assess the restructuring programmes ability to deliver within the target timescales. Whilst towards completion of the programme, various groups of people needed to be coordinated around specific milestone dates. Therefore, Premier foods had to ensure a sufficient scheduling and milestone management programme was in operation. Programme Assurance, Change Control and Scope Management Strategies The scope of the restructuring programme was controlled within overall programme approvals through the formal initiation of projects and associated funding in each work stream (Wilkinson, 2010). Each element within the restructuring programme had strict parameters to adhere too and were closely monitored i.e. funding and timescale delivery. However, if parameter changes were necessary, agreement would have to be obtained through steering committees, by the change control process. Information Communication Strategies Due to a large number of individuals being involved in the restructuring programme, an effective communication strategy was implemented to ensure information was circulated both internally and externally. Therefore, to ensure employees fully understand the strategic approach, Corporate Responsibility Road shows, were presented at all manufacturing sites to Senior Management teams. This ensured that they were aware of the long term sustainability goals and could effectively brief all employees about the planned changes in the company i.e. maintain involvement and commitment to employees whose job role were becoming redundant. Regular meetings with key external stakeholders ensured that the company advised them on any major changes, ensured the company was on the front foot and most importantly, minimised any potential damage to corporate reputation from any foreseeable redundancies (Wilkinson, 2010). Moving food production from one manufacturing site to another, impacts both the suppliers and customers. Therefore, both had to understand the changes which were being devised and reassured that supplies in a particular food category were managed effectively i.e. there was sufficient stock in the warehouses, while the transfer of a particular food line was being made. Quality Management Strategy Quality Consumer Brands Although moving manufacturing lines from one site another is relatively a straightforward process, ensuring the quality of the produce is critical. The company initiated a quality protocol which ensured that an individual product would move to a new location, meeting all necessary standards. Therefore, ensuring you protected the consumer experience was fundamental to the programme. This operation was strictly controlled and managed centrally. This ensures that the steering committee could monitor the quality control process and highlight any problem areas. Quality Control Premier Foods technical and commercial teams ensured that resources were utilised where required. Food tasting panels were utilised to ensured product matching and consumer testing in more severe cases. This ensured that the companies acquisitions of additional food brands were protected from other manufacturers. Efficient Supply Chain Management Peer review stage gate processes were introduced to ensure decisions were made appropriately. Individual project managers would check a list of criteria leading up to a Go / No Go decision. Review teams were constituted from all areas of business, ensuring there specialist area was implemented to high standards. Supply change management and independent business activities were amalgamated into one process, to ensure risks to the business and customer service levels were understood and managed appropriately. Issue Management Strategy Dealing effectively and efficiently with issues was seen as a competitive advantage for whole organisation. Individuals could identify any issues, at any point with the restructuring programme. Once identified, the responsible manager or line manager would deal with the issue. If required, an issue could be escalated to high level through steering committees for example. Alignments between, operational business, programme delivery and benefit achievement, demonstrated clear ownership and responsibility of the programme (Wilkinson, 2010). Therefore, issue management procedures could be reduced, as the result of effective communication forums and clear governance routes (Wilkinson, 2010). Therefore, the delivery of the restructuring programme within, target timescales, benefits and customer service constraints demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach (Wilkinson, 2010). Health and Safety Strategy Premier Foods, employed 16,000 employees across 60 manufacturing sites and they recognise that our employees are our single most valuable asset and we strive to be an employer of choice in areas which we operate (Premier Foods, 2010). Health and safety was a critical aspect in the programme, ensuring a safer manufacturing environment and safety improvements within plant and machinery. Strict guidelines were put in place and key initiatives were presented to line managers in workshops to ensure that risk assessment and risk management initiatives were enforced throughout the company. Value Engineering Approach The value engineering approach was utilised throughout project delivery dates, operational design and high safety food standards. By scrutinising the entire project build i.e. capital costs, then positive decisions could be made. Likewise, a change control mechanism was in place to acquire a cycle of positive feedback. Therefore, changes could be made prior to management decisions. Feedback from the value engineering approach was shared across the entire restructuring programme, in the ability to deliver efficiencies i.e. value for money. PROJECT RISKS Human Physical Impacts As quoted by the Boston Consulting Group (2010), Premier Foods restructuring strategy was one of the largest and most complex restructuring of food manufacturing in the UK. Risks are inevitable with a restructuring strategy the size of Premier Foods and precautions need to be put in place to counteract any eventualities. To begin, risks begin with the agreement of all the key stakeholders within the company. If by any means the stakeholders were unable to come to a unanimous decision, then the entire restructuring process could be in jeopardy. The key to its success would be to present an excellent business case, identifying the key drivers and reasons behind the change. Whenever there are redundancies, it can be a devastating blow to the surrounding area, local economy and families. It may happen because a work place is closing down or because few employees are needed for work of a particular kind (Holland, et al, 2008). In this instance, part of Premier Foods restructuring programme involved closing eight manufacturing sites and distributing current food categories over five existing sites. Senior Management closed a site based upon a number of factors i.e. site throughput. The aim was to improve productivity, lower costs and increase profits. Nevertheless, redundancies were inevitable at this point and the key was to maintain the companies reputation to avoid scrutiny. A reputation of a company is its important and valuable asset. A positive one may bring many benefits to a company, when a negative one may significantly harm it (Westcott, 2005). Although it was a devastating blow, the company would have to ensure all employees were treated in the best possible interests. Fortunately, the company offered generous redundancy packages and liaised with the local councils to ensure all redundant employees would have help getting back into employment. Once the workforce has been restructured, logistics and the redistribution of resources are crucial. The overall business challenge was to redistribute; 1500 products, 2000 materials, build new facilities, transfer 51 manufacturing lines, put a 2.5 million pallet stock build in place to maintain customer supply and complete 1800 line trial activities (Premier Foods, 2010). Besides this, the company needed to maintain both the company image and the customer service performance of a demanding business. Keeping the consumer supplied was at foremost importance, as there was the possibility of loosing contracts with some of Britains major brand stockists i.e. Tesco, ASDA, Sainsburys. As well as ensuring the survival of major cultural brands that have been produce for generations i.e. Hovis. Likewise, due to the rapid growth of the company, individuals and manufacturing sites that were affected by the restructuring programme had very different cultures. Cultural Impacts Culture, is seen as a pattern of beliefs and expectation that are shared by an organisations members (Schwartz, et al, 1981). These factors tend to produce norms which, powerfully shape the behaviour of individuals and groups in the organisation (Schwartz, et al, 1981). Culture, intends to concentrate upon the nature of these expectations. Taking Premier Foods into context, the individuals involved have been told various incentives which are behind the grocery divisions restructuring process. Therefore, the company have the responsibility to deliver their business strategy and individuals are right to dispute whether company expectations are being met i.e. Do they promise what they wish to deliver in the short-term and long term future? There is the risk that Premier Foods simply do not deliver and again, elements including corporate image could be affected. Likewise, the individual and manufacturing sites involved, originated from different work backgrounds. There were different levels of understanding in both project and programme management processes. Although, its good when an organisation is built around people who have different ethics i.e. the ability to share ideas to improve an organisations structure, the problem is getting everyone to agree upon a particular thing and ensuring people work upon a standard level. The key is to ensure everyone has good understanding of both principles, to ensure the restructuring programme is at minimum risk as possible. If not, then conflicts can arise (behavioural factors) and the restructuring programme could have major issues. Generally, it doesnt work if one individual has a strong understanding in one area and a weak understanding in another. Other Potential Risks The organisational restructuring programme was also surrounded by other critical integration projects, which were being implemented at the same time. Some of these included the integration of key administrative functions i.e. Human Resources and Finance. In the marketplace, the company itself faced soaring food cost inflations, as well as the impact of a major economic recession. Human and physical resources were thinly spread and significantly challenged during this tense period. In other words, it was either make or break time and fortunately, the gamble succeeded in the end. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary On a generic scale, the implementation of the entire restructuring programme was a complete success, taking the size and complexity of the programme into consideration. From research, the author identified the main critical elements for change. To begin, the author believes that Premier Foods wishes to be the leading competitor in the UK food market, to compete with other competitors. Once this is established, there maybe future business development plans to expand and compete with the European Food Market or on an International Scale. However, current infrastructure could not cope with future expansion and therefore, major internal reform was needed to improve the quality of food produced, the quantity of food produced and overall manufacturing costs. Although there were harsh reforms in the workforce for example, this allowed the company to focus on long-term developments and improve profits. In the short-term, this allows major shareholders to gain a healthy return in investments and can continue to provide investments for the future. Recommendations Taking the following into contention, no major improvements are needed. The Premier Foods restructuring programme demonstrates high professionalism, within a large strategic scale. All project delivery points were delivered on time and within budget. Although, a possible thought to consider is cultural differences. Current levels of project and programme management were at different levels between individuals and the manufacturing sites involved. Offering solutions that allow everyone to have the same level of knowledge may be advantageous. Nevertheless, its good when people have different ranges of knowledge and experience. This allows people to express their own interpretations, leading to new ideas. REFERENCES Boston Consulting Group (2010) Premier Foods. Available at: http://www.bcg.com/2010. (Accessed: 15th February 2010). Briggs, M. (1995) Change Management: Five basic principles and how to apply them. Available at http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/changemanagement.html. (Accessed: March 2nd 2010). Holland, J., Burnett, C. (2008) Employment Law. Revised Edition. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Just Foods (2010) Just Foods website. Available at: http://www.just-food.com/store/product.aspx?id=60647. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Premier Foods (2009) Premier Foods website. Available at: http://www.premierfoods.co.uk. (Accessed: 20th February 2010). Schwartz, H., Davis, S.M. (1981) Organisational Dynamics. 1st Edition. New York. AMACOM UK Trade Investment Services (2009) UK Trade Investment Services website. Available at: http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/Food--drink/en-GB-list.html. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Westcott, J (2005) Corporate Image. Available at http://docs.google.com/viewer. (Accessed March 4th 2010). Wilkinson, R. (2010) Premier Foods Guest Lecturer Grocery Manufacturing Consolidation Programme. Available at http://elp.northumbria.ac.uk (Accessed 25th February 2010). BIBOLOGRAPHY Boston Consulting Group (2010) Premier Foods. Available at: http://www.bcg.com/2010. (Accessed: 15th February 2010). Briggs, M. (1995) Change Management: Five basic principles and how to apply them. Available at http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/changemanagement.html. (Accessed: March 2nd 2010). Guardian News (2010) Premier Foods. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2010/feb/16/premierfoods (Accessed 15th February 2010). Holland, J., Burnett, C. (2008) Employment Law. Revised Edition. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Just Foods (2010) Just Foods website. Available at: http://www.just-food.com/store/product.aspx?id=60647. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Kotter, J. (1995 2002) Change Management. Available at http://www.businessballs.com/changemanagement.htm. (Accessed March 1st 2010). Premier Foods (2009) Premier Foods website. Available at: http://www.premierfoods.co.uk. (Accessed: 20th February 2010). Schwartz, H., Davis, S.M. (1981) Organisational Dynamics. 1st Edition. New York. AMACOM UK Trade Investment Services (2009) UK Trade Investment Services website. Available at: http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/Food--drink/en-GB-list.html. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Westcott, J (2005) Corporate Image. Available at http://docs.google.com/viewer. (Accessed March 4th 2010). Western Mail (2010) High Beam Research, Premier Foods hails sales rise as Hovis takes 25% of market, 1, pp. 1. International Newspapers, Local Markets Li-Z [Online]. Available at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-219048662.html (Accessed March 4th 2010). Wilkinson, R. (2010) Premier Foods Guest Lecturer Grocery Manufacturing Consolidation Programme. Available at http://elp.northumbria.ac.uk (Accessed 25th February 2010).

Sigmund Freud :: essays research papers

Sigmund Freud When I was 10th grade in Korea, I took a psychology lecture for the first time in the academy. That time, I was come into some psychologists and lots of theories about psychology. At the beginning, it was very strange and difficult to learn. But as time passed by, I had more interests about the psychology especially Sigmund Freud, who was a very intelligent psychoanalyst. Sigmund Freud has many theories on how people develop. His most influential theory to the development of the human mind was his five psychosexual stages. Freud's belief was that children were done developing after they finished going through puberty. The stages started with infants describing this as the oral stage, or the sucking stage. The anal stage deals with the one and two year olds. This age group is starting to potty train. After this stage the three through five year olds go through the phallic stage. The child focuses on the genitals, as they discover it is enjoyable. Freud's fourth stage is the latency stage, including children six to twelve years. This is when their sexual interests are put on the back burn. The last stage is the genital stage. Children going through puberty have a time of sexual reawakening. Other theorists criticized him by saying that there was more to development than sex. They also said a person does not stop developing after they turn eighteen. Freud did develop another theory that many author's have described in their literary works which included the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id, Ego, and Superego dealt with how the mind worked conscientiously and unconsciensously. It also described the behavior of the human body and why we do the things we do. Freud's behavior theory begins with the subject of the Id. The Id part of your brain is what you are born with. All babies are influenced by the Id. They live in an all unconscious world. Little do they know what it right or wrong. In an adult this is the pleasure seeker of the person's behavior. Your instincts are what you act on and sometimes this may show the bad side of the person. The next part of Sigmund Freud's behavior theory is the Ego. The ego is the balance between the Id and the Superego. This part of the brain is the reality check. The Ego helps you deal with the outside

Monopoly and American Dream

Monopoly: Reinforcement of the American Dream Many board games are used to bring in family, friends, and even strangers to come together and socialize. What many people do not know is that sometimes these games teaches our society the values, skills, and social statuses in each individual’s life. Video games such as Medal of Honor or Call of Duty teach young teens (even children), the American pride of being a soldier. Board games such as Life teaches individuals about life in general or what is expected by society when children move on to be adults (go to college, have a job, have kids, get married).I’ve decided to examine the Monopoly board game, where it teaches a variety of values, skills, and social inequalities. Some good aspects about the Monopoly game are the teachings of real life accounting. A player learns how to budget their money and makes decisions on what to spend. There are even taxes, such as luxury tax and income tax. Mastilak (2012) states that  "Monopoly involves investing money into a financial enterprise, developing a strategy, making investment decisions, paying expenses, collecting revenues, and competing with other similar enterprises. † Monopoly teaches individuals the value of the American Dream.It is supposedly said that everyone starts off in the same social conditions and everyone has equal chances to climb the social classes. In the game, every player starts off with the same amount of money. In life, everyone is born with the same opportunities among your peers. For example, individuals born in a low social class have the same amount of chances to reach the higher social statuses. To reach a high social class, individuals have to invest themselves in the American dream, so that one-day individuals will own a house, have money, have luxurious items, and â€Å"live happily. The Monopoly game incorporates the American dream elements into the game. The paper money obviously represents money, the houses and h otels represents real estate; luxuries are included in the game as well, such as a jet plane, a limo, a yacht, and a bullet train. Even household luxuries such as water and electricity are included. The game is based on competition; the winner is clearly the wealthiest. The game represents corporate culture, where the game is about winners and losers, it’s about greed and it’s about being heartless. Players are suppose to use every way to get their wants, even if it means hurting their family and friends.For example, if a player lands on another player’s spot, the player has to find a way to pay for landing in the spot, even if it means that the player doesn’t have the money for it. Monopoly also teaches players the rules of social engagement. Taking turns, following the rules, and fair play are general norms of social engagement (Glasberg, Nangle, Maatita, and Schauer 1998). Glasberg, Nangle, Maatita, and Schauer also bring out a good observation when pl ayers noticed the political socialization. They stated that since unknown players made up these games, the players did not debate or negotiate the rules.What I’ve noticed about the game is that the square that says â€Å"In Jail†, â€Å"Just Visiting†, the price of the estates are relatively cheap. This reinforces the idea that people who are in jail are most likely people from bad neighborhoods. It can also mean that the estates are cheap because it’s next to a jail and it brings down the value of the estate. While on the other hand, the estates near the â€Å"Go To Jail† square are significantly higher on prices. The way I interpreted this is that higher security is placed among valuable estates. It’s like in life; people with the money can afford to buy security cameras or high security equipments.Or it can mean that higher securities are placed around rich neighborhoods. Another square, called the â€Å"Free Parking† represents lu ck. The way I interpreted the â€Å"Free Parking† spot is the chances of winning the lottery, or in the case of the game it is to take all the money piled in the middle of the board game. There are many Americans who play the lottery, hoping to beat against the odds to win a vast amount of money. If the game were to be played different, for example some players start of wealthy while other players start off poor, the real life application may be accurate.A professor from Pennsylvania State University tested 50 students with the poor and rich elements. As suspected, the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. According to the article Classroom Monopoly Game Shows Rich Often Get Richer, 20% of the people control 40% of the wealth and 20% splits 1%. The remainder divides the middle 59% in the United States. It’s just really interesting that how easy it is for players to adjust to the power of money and how accurate it is sometimes. For example, it was very interesting that a student stole $100 from a neighbor because the student was poor.That’s how it is in some places; people have no other choice but to steal for survival. Monopoly does have many useful skills such as accounting and money investments. However, the board game does reinforce American values, it incorporates the lemets of the American Dream and the corporate culture as well. Even if the game is played differently, these values remain the same and some players even become greedy and heartless (do anything to win, even if it means hurting friends or family). It’s very interesting, it taught me new ideas, and made me think of games that they are not always as it seems.Works Cited 1. Classroom monopoly game shows rich often get richer. (1992, Feb 22). Journal Record. Retrieved from www. search. proquest. com 2. Glasberg, D. , Nangle, B. , Maatita, F. , & Schauer, T. (1998, Apr). Games children play: an exercise illustrating agents of socialization. Teaching Sociology, 26( 2), 130-139. Retrieved from www. jstor. org 3. Mastilak, C. (2012): First-Day Strategies for Millennial Students in Introductory Accounting Courses: It's All Fun and Games Until Something Gets Learned, Journal of Education for Business, 87(1), 48-51. Retrieved from www. ebscohost. com

Saint Johns Community Service - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1041 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/05/28 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Community Service Essay Did you like this example? For my community service project I chose to volunteer at Saint Johnrs Womenrs shelter in Sacramento. Through my volunteering hours I helped serve the women dinner and set up the tables for their dinner. My first day volunteering I found that I was extremely nervous, for the work itself and to see women in poverty. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Saint Johns Community Service" essay for you Create order Once I was directed to the kitchen and instructed on what I had to do my nerves calmed down. When dinner time arrived I was sad for what I found. Not only were these women in bad shape but many of them had 2 to 4 children with them. They were kind and extremely thankful for the work I was putting in. I found that many of the people I was serving were girls my age who seemed to have run away from abusive situations. This fact hits close to home for me and was the reason I chose to volunteer at a womens shelter in the first place. I felt that the work I was putting in was a very good thing, everyone was so grateful to my mom and I as we gave them their food. After I volunteered I had questions, how is Sacramento helping our homeless population? How many homeless does Sacramento have? And what can I do to help? These are three questions that I chose to research after my time at Saint Johnrs. It turns out that according to the Sacramento Bee Sacramento Countys homeless population rose 30 percent between 2015 and 2017. This is a sad fact that I believe needs to be further addressed in our schools. Privileged schools like Granite Bay allow us to live in a bubble. Kids that go to our school are unaware of the poverty happening in our own backyard. I lived in Downtown Sacramento in 7th and 8th grade and was able to watch the homeless population rise in that short time. Volunteering at Saint Johnrs allowed me to see what happens to people as they are experiencing homelessness. Saint Johnrs program is targeted towards women who are experiencing homelessness due to an abusive situation. It allows the women to live in a safe place with meals and rooms. They accept volunteers through the week not only to serve dinner but to take care of children and serve breakfast. This program and many others should be brought up in schools as places that kids need to go. Helping our community was something that wasnt brought up until senior year, I think that it would improve the quality of many peoples work if students were required to do a small amount every year, then this amount could be increased slowly allowing kids to get used to volunteering each year. By forcing kids to volunteer once their senior year it turns this great project into a job for many of my peers. This project broadened my horizons, I plan to continue to volunteer with Saint Johnrs as frequently as I am able. I enjoyed seeing the smile on the womens faces when they were able to get their food. It goes to show that the little things are really what counts. For kids in our school I think this project has a great lesson to teach. I had only volunteered once before this project, my stepmother worked at Brighton Preschool my freshman year of high school so I had the opportunity to volunteer in her class. I had a lovely experience playing and teaching the kids. Looking back now that I have volunteered somewhere with poverty stricken families I can see the sharp contrast between the preschoolers that went to Brighton vs the kids in Saint Johnrs. The kids in Saint Johns seemed to be quieter, they were more excited for their food when the time came to eat, and they were less picky about what they were eating. When the kids at Brighton were served there was always many complaints about what was on the menu that day. There was almost always a breakdown at meal time, and they were not as thankful for their food. It makes me sad to think that the kids in Saint Johnrs will grow up not knowing when their next meal is. No child should go hungry. Above are pictures of the Saint Johnrs dinner services, when we serve dinner they get protein, carbs, vegetables and a fruit. I enjoyed meeting the other volunteers during my time at Saint Johnrs as well. One woman who was volunteering told me her story, she used to be in the Saint Johns program but was able to pull herself out. She now has a job and volunteers for Saint Johnrs on the weekends to repay them for helping her and her children. Kids in America today dont understand that there is such poverty in our country. We see on our phones that there is poverty in other countries but rarely acknowledge the poverty in our own backyard. By bettering our own country we are bettering ourselves. Another benefit to this project is that it allows kids to gain more experience in case we need references for job applications. There are so many benefits that are apparent to volunteering. I may have donated my time to Saint Johnrs womens shelter but volunteering for the humane society, volunteering to build a home for a family, or giving back to those who lost their home in Paradise are all amazing volunteering opportunities. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change peoples lives, It allows you to play a role in someone elses life. Helping people who may not be able to help themselves is an amazing quality to gain. Volunteering is a way of giving back to your community while developing important social skills, and gaining valuable work experience all at the same time. Overall my experience with this project was extremely fulfilling. I was able to meet people that I otherwise never would have met. I felt that being in the positive environment was rejuvenating. As well as meeting new people I was able to help people in less fortunate situations as me. I enjoyed feeling productive and helpful. This project taught me many good lessons and has pushed me to try to vo lunteer regularly from now on.