The Empire Company Limited

In the Empire Company Limited Case, James Vaux, the associate director at Scotia Capital is the main decision maker. It is his job in September of 1998 to decide on a price at which The Oshawa Group Limited will sell their company/accept a takeover offer at. The Oshawa Group Limited (Oshawa) is a food retail, wholesale, and distribution firm. The Empire Company wants to expand beyond their Atlantic Canada roots; however, there are a few catches. The Wolfe family owns 100% of the voting shares of the company, and not only know the value of their company and expect to receive at least that much, but also a premium on top of that.Greg Rudka is the Managing Director at Scotia Capital; he has extensive background in the history of the grocery industry and was the one who noticed this opportunity as well as the person who assigned James Vaux to his assignment of the value of Oshawa. ISSUES There are two main issues at hand. First, Vaux needs to determine a value for both classes of shares that Empire would be willing to pay to the Wolfe family and Oshawa equity holders to acquire a position in the Oshawa Company without starting a bidding war.The second issue is that Vaux needs to find a way to finance the deal. There are a few minor issues in this case, starting with competition. The grocery industry is very competitive. There are only a few large firms involved in the industry. Of course, there are mom and pop stores all over North America, but they only make enough to live themselves and they are not bringing in the same profits as the major chains, so they are not legitimate threats to Empire. Next, the Oshawa Company’s entire voting shares are owned by the Wolfe family as mentioned above.This will add to the level of difficulty in the purchase or acquisition of Oshawa. Finally, the last issue is that in the grocery industry, it is cheaper to acquire a competitor’s company and chains than it is to open a new store. In other words, horizontal acquisi tions were the primary source of growth on the revenue side for the grocery business. People don’t like change and because of this, creating or changing the name of their â€Å"local grocery store† may upset or disrupt their previous shopping experiences.

Code Noir

Le Code Noir (The Black Code) The Code Noir was a decree passed by King Louis XIV of France in 1685 and ended in 1848. It had a great impact on the sugar industry and trade involving French colonies and territories. The Code Noir contains 60 articles each with its own right and specification. The Code contained rights on slavery, restriction of the freedom of black people, banishment of Judaism, rejecting African cultures and that Catholicism should be the only religion of the colonies. Background The document was encouraged by a favorite minister in the King’s court, Jean Baptiste-Colbert.However, the document remained unfinished due to the minister’s death. Nonetheless, his son succeeded him in completing the source. It was modified and accepted by Louis XIV but rejected by the government. Nevertheless the King’s successor, Louis XV appointed the Code and authorized the law to be passed in the West Indies. The code was considered as a very racial document due t o discrimination of colour and culture. By banning the African traditions, the Mauritian arts such as â€Å"Sega† were created. Layout and PerspectiveThe arrangement of the article is based upon 60 laws. The first decree consisted of Jews being banned from every French region, due to the belief of Jews being the enemy of Christianity. The second law passed was that there should be no other religion other than Catholicism and every resident should be baptized. The documentations continue with the rules of race and eventually come to a point of slavery. The context of this contains the restrictions of black people and slaves. The last article on the document declares laws on taxes and fees.The original script was printed in French and translated into English. The script’s sixty articles are based upon life and death, purchase, religion and treatment of slaves by their lords. The slaves had little benefit from the code namely: * being clothed and fed, * to not work during Sundays and religious holidays * should be baptized in Catholicism * Should be educated in the religion. However the detriments of the verdict were greater, stating that slaves were prohibited from owning any property and had no legal capability.It also oversaw their marriages, deaths, religious traditions, punishments and the extent they had to go to for their freedom. The Code Noir in Mauritius The Code Noir in Mauritius was supposed to act as a justification to the slaves but ended being a Bible claiming the rights of lords over slaves. The punishments were very severe and brutal even abnormal. If a runaway slave was found, his/her ear would be cut off and for the second time they do something wrong, a thigh was chopped off.But the third penalty was the most ruthless of all; they would be stabbed with a hot iron mark on their body namely the Fleur de Lys. The treatments of slaves were that of dogs. Their masters did not give a care if something bad happened to them. Their nutrit ion was limited and therefore the slaves themselves had to cultivate their own food in secret. However, not all masters were like that to their slaves. Some did care for their workers and gave them a proper living by gifting them appropriate clothing and food. AbolishmentSlavery was abolished in France in 1794 and a few decades following that, the Code Noir was also eradicated in 1848. The Code Noir had remained intact for 163 years. Although slavery was obliterated in 1834, the Code Noir stayed for 14 years and then stopped. The slaves who will continue to work would not be referred to as slaves but as apprentices. The Code Noir only had two goals that was: – To give slave owners rights to their slaves – To boost the morality of the slaves Although the Code Noir was not always obeyed and followed, it remained a very important aspect to French Colonies.Legacy Even if the code was removed, the phase of this period was adopted into many books and documentaries. A few of these books have been published in Mauritius specifically, â€Å"Gorges† by Alexandre Dumas. The Code Noir remains a legacy of the French Revolution in Mauritius; nonetheless it depicts the suffering and torture of slaves while working. It also reflects the pain of Mauritius’ ancestors and toilers. The Code Noir serves as an example to our people and a dedication to all those who gave their time and effort into making this island what it is today.

Corporate Social Responsibilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate Social Responsibilities - Essay Example Through a commitment to CSR, organisations play a role in solving economic, social and environmental problems. On the other hand, the internal forces that can contribute to CRS include pressure from shareholders and employees (Alessia et al. 2009). While, external forces contributing to CRS in organisations include consumer demand, government policies, technological advancement and social activism. In the contemporary business environment, the reputation or image of firms depends on the disclosure of their activities to the public. In this regard, CSR reports made available to the public allows internal and external stakeholders to examine the contribution of firms towards CSR activities. The growing consumer awareness has also increased pressure on corporations to publish annual CSR reports (Obserseder et al., 2014). These reports mainly focus on how firms are dealing with societal concerns regarding environmental pollution, climate change and resource depletion. Conversely, while t here is debate concerning the importance of corporate self-reporting, the emergence of international guidelines and standards suggests that consumers are increasingly basing their purchase decisions on such information (Alessia et al. 2009). This paper examines corporate social responsibilities report of three companies that include BMW, Adidas and Shell. In the modern business environment, CSR reports are important because they help to enhance the image of firms in the public domain. Through these reports, firms are in a position to highlight on their business activities. Since the consumers are becoming aware regarding sustainable development, it is in the interest of companies to disclose their CSR activities. Such activities may include, for instance, community initiatives, safety at the workplace, stakeholder engagement, corporate governance and

Evaluate Submission Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluate Submission - Assignment Example The participating students were needed to develop a training prototype. The participants’ aims depend on the outcome of the instructional training; individuals were required to carry out a step by step framework of tasks directed at meeting the objectives and goals of the training (William & Rothwell, 2006). The modified version of the evaluation instrument provides the instructor with an opportunity to evaluate the training materials and the effectiveness of the entire training package by incorporating distinct and measurable outcomes. This method also creates a framework of identifying any flaws in the training program. Consequently, improvements and adjustments to the course curriculum can be implemented based on the results of the training program developed by the participants (Aris, 2000). The failure of participants to effectively provide a framework of the working of the new concepts and theories learnt from the training program would be viewed as a total failure. They should be able to set clear goals and directions as a result of new knowledge earned through the training prototype. Inability on the part of participants to incorporate the steps learnt from the program and be able to achieve desired goals shows the incompetence aspect of the overall framework of the training program. The inability of the participants to put to test and practice what they have gained from the training program is evidence of the flaws present in the training prototype, or the participants may not be able to comprehend the information given to them. The training prototype should be redesigned and the methods used to convey information should be examined and evaluated. Inability on the part of the student to outline some of the theories used in the training program may be as a result of poor reading skills. The training program should ensure participants understand the concepts used and are able to comprehend them. The inability of the students to comprehend the

Gender Roles in advertising Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gender Roles in advertising - Research Paper Example In other words, the cultural breakdown is a symbolism of media that currently lacks restraint in its promotion of important goals and objectives that are helpful to humanity (Adorno & Horkheimer 57). It, therefore, proves hard to find the close relationship between the essence of feminism to encourage the girl-child and making targets for increased profits. Despite the negative events that presently dominate the media in distorting and redefining gender norms to favor corporate firms, a new wave of internet activism tries to debunk these notions to bring ethics and responsibility in information dissemination. Advertising and gender roles have a close relationship in promoting the sale of goods and services while using a vibrant media. This has been attained through the consistent reinforcement of gender norms. It begins by examining the role of gender norms in business especially with the proliferation of various media such as TV, internet and radio among others. It, therefore, allow s the culture industry to thrive based on significant enlightenment because it explores morals and values found within a capitalist economy (Carroll 145). However, while Adorno and Horkheimer condemn the culture industry that has denied society the visibility of gender roles in terms of denying men and women freedom and responsibility, other pertinent factors still emerge. For example, media sources through advertising depict women as beautiful to affirm the notion that sexiness sells particularly when used in billboards, television and the internet. Additionally, the representation of bodies of both men and women evokes sexuality as an interesting game vital in generating more viewers that often translates to increased sales. The trend is escalated by a cyber democracy that blossoms on exaggerated freedoms that include politics attached to personal liberation and warped online ideologies. According to Stuart, the media sources reveal ambiguous meanings and messages that communicate a larger picture when describing the gender norms in the 21st century (Hall 54). America leads in this endeavor by reconstructing scandals and politics around advertisements with the use of political figures such as Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton. Other prominent personalities who have featured in this race of reconstructing gender norms entail Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The idea of gender norms is also evident in advertising through the assessment of complex structures that are echoed in different media forums. This is supported by a media syste m that focuses on the maximization of production through the increase of ads that are sexually stimulating and with mixed innuendos. Such orientation was notable when Kennedy’s handsomeness was given much spotlight in his presidential debate with Nixon in the 60s. The media hype was also observed in Sarah Palin’s offer for a porn movie at $1 million and as an advertising strategy of promoting the Republican’s political fortunes and thus furthering the issue of gender norms. It means the media contributes largely to the representation of heterosexuality as a channel of garnering viewership and sales while also grabbing political attention to sway undecided voters. Sexualization in gender norms also remains the dominant theme in TV advertisements and is therefore, increasing

Animal rights Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal rights - Assignment Example Animals can talk as they talk to their like kind. Just because humans cannot understand them does not mean that an animal should not be able to defend themselves. This may be hard for someone believing animals have no rights to understand. It is important to consider that people who believe that animals have no rights are of a different mind frame then other who do. This can be further explained when discussing poachers. People who hunt an animal that is soon to be extinct obviously do not care about animal rights or the sustainability of humans. When an animal leaves the environment this creates a gap in the food chain. The gap in the food chain creates a problem for other animals. If an individual does not care about animal and human life why should they care about animal rights? It is important to consider the different types of individuals that are against animal rights. There whole outlook on life is different. It is likely that a disagreement with someone on animal’s rig hts is likely to cause a disagreement in other topics of conversation. Since this is likely it is important to bring facts when arguing a certain topic. Facts are important when discussing a topic such as animal rights. Animals Do Have Right Similar To the Rights of Humans There are many different factors to agree upon when discussing why animals have right. As mentioned in the paper by Tibor Machan, animals act in a way that humans do. Animals are able to love, show compassion, and protect. Since animals show feelings similar to humans, why should they deserve less? The answer to that is that they don’t deserve less. They have the right to the same rights as humans. Would this be different if animals were able to speak better and be understood by people? It may be human’s ignorance of animal speech that creates a communication boundary. It is possibly that a human own ignorance towards animals allows for the thought that humans are more superior. This is where I have the strongest argument. There are some people that are able to study animals and communicate with them. Being able to communicate with animals break the barrier and allows other to be shown that the animals have feelings. Animals are no less than a person. Animals are here to protect, provide food, love and obey. Since animals are owned by humans it is the humans right to take care of the animals. Taking care of the animals means sticking up for the rights of animals. Acting in humanly to animals should be punished just like any other wrong act. Animals are alive just like humans. Taking a life from animals for game reasons and testing should be punishable by law. Animals were put on this earth to enable human survival and not to be used in a game or testing. These acts are cruel and it takes a cruel person to perform such acts. It is not just the rights of animals that is important to focus on but the nature of what is right and wrong. As mentioned in the paper, parents teach their children to be kind to animals in some parts of the world and are honored in other parts for killing for fun. That said it is the parent responsibility to ensure that children are taught the correct morals and values that honor life. Being taught to respect animals can lead to the respect of other things in life. It is wrong to think that killing animals for pleasure is okay. This type of thinking is not okay and can lead to other wrong violent behavior. Killing is killing regardless if it is a human or animal. Since it

Marketing Strategy Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Strategy Degree - Essay Example Coca-cola, Kellogg's, McDonald's, Kodak, Marlboro, IBM, American Express, Sony, Mercedes-Benz and Nescafe are generally in the world's top ten brand in the market , and they have reached and retained in such position mainly because of the efforts of marketing and advertising departments ( Stanley, 2003). So exactly what is an advertisement or what can we understand by the term advertisement. Their have been different views regarding the concept of advertisement. According to John Burnett, "Advertisement is a non-personal communication of marketing related information to a target audience, usually paid by the advertiser and delivered through mass media in order to reach specific objective of sponsor". However according to the critic of advertising, Judith Williamson (1978, p.57) states that it's "the most ubiquitous form in which we encounter commercial photography" which means advertising is the 'official art' of the advanced industrial nation of the west. It occupies the newspapers and is covered all over with urban environment, it is highly systematize organization involving many artist, writer and film directors, and consist of a large amount of output of the mass media. Advertisements promote and affect the idea and value which are crucial to a particular economy system. Thus a good advertisement is that, which we should not lose interest in their ideological functions, which is connected to their economic functions (Dyer, 1995 p.2). Another definition by (Longman, 1971) 'Advertising attempts to inform and persuade a large number of people with a single communication'. Therefore in its simple sense the word 'advertising' means capturing the attention to something or telling or advising somebody of something. (Dyer, 1995 p.2). Thus advertising can be seen as a medium for communicating or