Leader Follower Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leader Follower Communication - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that a leader is expected to be honest, and manage to gain his followers’ trust, as the latter determine if the leader is effective or not. Moreover, followers are in a position to determine whether a leader should be followed or not. Followers are different and hence require different forms of leadership. For instance, new employees may require more supervision compared to experienced employees, while an employee who is de-motivated may require a different form of leadership compared to the motivated employee. The growth of followers is determined by the effectiveness of a leader. Generally, there exist several types of followers, including the effective follower, who is independent and active, the conformist follower who is dependent of the leader but also active, and the alienated follower who is independent but not much of a team player. In addition, there is the passive follower who is prone to resistance and therefore requires a high level of super vision, and the pragmatic follower who is normally stuck in the middle, as he is not sure on his stand and sometimes maximize on their self-interest only. In addition, leadership varies with situations, such that a certain type of leadership may be applicable in one situation but it may not be applicable in another. Leaders and followers differ in that everyone can be a follower but not all can be leaders since leadership is not only a position defined by a state of mind and character. Followership is the willingness to follow a leader or to be led; however, a leader can as well be a follower, as he has to follow his superiors and his followers. For instance, in the case of a flight captain who gives orders to his crewmembers, if the crew does not understand, he goes ahead and teaches them on how to attend to that particular matter, thereby becoming a follower since he reacted to the actions of his followers. In this research, a selection of followers was made from nurses who report to doctors, a clerk who reports to the manager, a personal secretary who reports to the managing director and technician who reports to the head engineer.

Battle of Issus Essay Example for Free

Battle of Issus Essay The Battle of Issus Sometime around 310 BCE an artist by the name of Philoxenus of Eretria created a mosaic (creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored material) of the Battle of Issus that has long been considered one of the greatest artworks of antiquity. Found at the House of the Faun in Pompeii in 1831 the mosaic is composed of about one and a half million tiny individual colored tiles called tesserae. The artwork illustrates the battle in which invading troops led by Alexander of Macedonia defeated the army led by King Darius III of Persia. When looking at the piece the viewer cannot help but be impressed by the psychological intensity of the drama taking place. On the Persian side of the piece the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the prominent figure of Darius shown in his chariot. A look of pure desperation, and perhaps even fear, is etched in Darius’ face as victory slips through his hands. As his steely eyed charioteer turns to rein his horses for a fast retreat to safety Darius stretches out his hand toward Alexander either in disbelief that Alexander has beaten him, or perhaps in grief over the death of one of his â€Å"immortals†. Around him are his Persian soldiers who mill in confusion in the background, their faces filled with fear and determination. On the same side, there are two other figures that are quite notable and demonstrate the artist’s technical mastery. The first is the artist’s depiction of the rearing horse right below Darius which is seen in a three-quarter rear view. The rider, his terror evident upon his face, glances back at the battle as he attempts to control his horse. This kind of depiction is very impressive and is much more accomplished then other similar attempts such as the shading in the Pella mosaic or the Vergina mural (Kleiner 142). The second, perhaps even more impressive, is the artist’s portrayal of the Persian in the foreground who has fallen onto the ground and raises a small shield in a pathetic attempt to prevent being trampled. The man’s terrified face is reflected on the polished surface of the shield moments before the chariot crushes him under its ornate wheels. On the Macedonian side of things the viewer’s eye is of course drawn to Alexander. This portrait of Alexander is one of his most famous. His breastplate depicts Medusa the Gorgon. He leads the charge into battle on his horse Bucephalus, without even a helmet to protect him, and maintains an aura of unshaken confidence in direct contrast to Darius. As Alexander surges forward in a supreme effort he drives his spear straight through one of Darius’s trusted â€Å"immortals† who puts himself between him and the King of Persia. As the impaled Persian collapses to the ground, Alexander fixes his gaze upon Darius in utter hatred. Although the deteriorated condition of the mosaic makes it difficult to distinguish much on the Macedonian side a cavalryman wearing a Boeotian helmet with a golden wreath can been seen behind Alexander. Looking at the mosaic as a whole there are a few important details that grab ones attention. First is the fact that the landscape is very minimal, only one gnarled tree trunk appearing in the background and a few discarded weapons and rocks in the foreground. Secondly, everywhere in the scene men, animals, and weapons cast shadows on the ground. This unusual attention to detail is what enhances the intensity of the piece and gives it an aspect of realism that truly shows the horror and confusion of battle. The viewer cannot help but be drawn into the conflict and become a part of the drama as it unfolds. To me this mosaic is not only a truly great piece of art but also has furthered my understanding of Roman artwork, Macedonian warfare and the emotion in Hellenistic-styled mosaics. It is easy to understand how Roman author and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder concluded that Philoxenus’ depiction of the Battle of Issus was â€Å"inferior to none† (Kleiner 142).

oppertunity costs :: essays research papers

In today’s society, economic decisions made involve the concept of scarcity. There are â€Å"opportunity costs† associated with any choice that you make. In order for an economy to produce more of one type of product, it will be forced to sacrifice units of production of another product. The shifting of resources from the production of one good to another involves increasing sacrifices of the first good in order to generate an equal increase of the second good. This is known as the â€Å"law of increasing opportunity costs.† The economic rational for the law of increasing opportunity costs is that economic resources are not completely adaptable to alternative uses. The opportunity cost of producing a product tends to increase as more of it is produced because resources less suitable to its production must be employed.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prices are a measure of opportunity cost because they provide information about the value of one product in relation to another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shape of the Productions Possibility Frontier, (PPF), illustrates the principle of increasing opportunity costs (Graph 3). As more of one product is produced, increasingly larger amounts of the other product must be given up. In Graph 3, some factors of production are suited for producing both Product A and Product B, but as the production of one of the other brands increases, resources better suited to production of the other must be diverted. Producers of product A are not necessarily efficient producers of product B and just the opposite, so the opportunity cost increases as one moves toward either extreme on the curve of the production possibility frontier. If two products are very similar to one another, the production possibility frontier may be D’Orlando 2 shaped more like a straight line (Graph 2). As an example, let’s say that two brands of wine are produced, Brand A and Brand B. These two brands of wine use the same grapes and the production process is the same. The only thing that is different is the name on the label. The same factors of production can produce either brand equally efficiently. If an increase in production of Brand B goes from 0 to 3 bottles, the production of Brand A must be decreased by 3 bottles. In this case, the two products are almost identical and can be produced equally efficiently using the same resources. The opportunity cost of producing one over the other remain constant between the two extremes

Ethics †Utilitarianism Essay

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that assesses an action as morally right and just if it produces the most amount of net happiness. There are two forms of utilitarianism: act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism is the standard form, which considers all paths of the action that lead to immediate and long-term happiness, as well has the magnitude and how long the happiness will last. Furthermore, if all paths lead to the same amount of net happiness, each path would be just as morally right as the other. It also does not take into account the number of people it affects – it only considers the amount of happiness. To English philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, happiness is pleasure and the absence of pain. He believed that all types of pleasure, if the in same amount, were also equal in quality. However, it is difficult to calculate an amount of happiness. Is the amount of happiness one receives from getting a promotion at McDonald’s the same as happiness one gets from graduating law school? So, John Stuart Mill, fellow philosopher and follower of Bentham’s utilitarian theory, believed that different pleasures have different values. To Mill, physical pleasures are valued less than pleasure that invigorate the mind. Thus, in the McDonald’s promotion and law school degree scenarios, Bentham would argue that they would each render the same amount of happiness, whereas Mill would argue that receiving a degree from law school would render more happiness because it would bring out more possibilities for a career and ultimately increase one’s well-being. In addition to bringing out the most happiness, the utilitarian theory also recognizes that all the possibilities of an action may not bring any net happiness. In these instances, the theory guides one to choose the action that would produce the least amount of unhappiness. There are two major criticisms utilitarian’s face. One is that no one can possibly know all immediate and future ramifications of an action and even if it were possible, it would take too much time in real-life scenarios to practice. A utilitarian would agree that no one can possibly know all consequences of a given situation while defending that the theory is used a guide to maximize happiness. A utilitarian would also note that since people generally know what happiness and one’s well-being consist of, it helps eliminate obvious wrong choices to save time. The second major criticism is that the action itself, though yielding the most happiness, may not be morally right. In these instances, a utilitarian would argue that this flexibility is realistic and can be applied a real-life situation that are not always black and white. In real-life there are often grey areas where one may need to make difficult or seemingly immoral decision, but the end result of the action may bring about the most happiness than an action that was moral. The second form of utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism, is similar to the standard form except that it adapts a set of guidelines, an â€Å"optimal moral code† to determine right or wrong. It is also emphasized in rule utilitarianism that if an action produces the most amount of happiness, yet defies the optimal moral code, it is wrong. Challenger Disaster. In January 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded because the O-rings failed to seal in the booster rocket joints due to low temperatures the day of the launch. Morton Thiokol, Inc. was the manufacturer of the booster rockets and one of Thiokol’s engineers, Roger Boisjoly, found that low temperatures detrimentally affected the seals of the booster rockets. He informed his superiors of his findings, but they were deemed as insignificant. The night before the flight, Boisjoly and his colleagues advised against the launch due to the low temperatures, but their employers ignored the advice and moved forward with the liftoff. All seven astronauts onboard died in the explosion. In accordance with the utilitarian theory, Boisjoly did act morally right. He informed his superiors and NASA of his research findings to avoid failure and reduce the amount of unhappiness – the death of the astronauts. Thiokol and NASA, however, did not act morally right. Though the postponing of the launch was not favorable, it would to allow more time to redesign the seals and most likely avoid the catastrophe. They also could have postponed the launch to a day with optimum temperatures for the seals. Consenting to Sexual Harassment In Vinson v. Taylor, Mechelle Vinson claims that her supervisor Sidney Taylor sexually harassed her. She testified that after a year of working at the bank Taylor made advances on her saying that she â€Å"owed† him for getting her the job. She turned him down initially, but eventually became sexually involved with him for her last three years she was employed at the bank. She claims that Taylor raped her and if she did not submit, she would be terminated. Taylor denied the accusations saying that he has never had any sexual relations with Vinson and that Vinson made advances on him. And in retribution for denying her, she filed charges against him. The courts ruled that the relationship between Vinson and Taylor was voluntary and that the employer was not liable, especially since Vinson to not notify the company. Vinson appealed the case and the Supreme Court then ruled that the advances on Vinson were unwelcomed though voluntary. They did not disclose whether or not the employer was liable for sexual harassment. The rule utilitarian theory applies here in that Courts followed a set of rules to produce an outcome. It’s also a case of what action renders the least amount of unhappiness. Through Vinson’s appeal the court stated that regardless of her willingness to have sexual intercourse with her superior, it was unwelcome. It’s difficult to say what the outcome is since the Court did not state whether or not the employer was liable. Parable of Sadhu In the parable of sadhu, Bowen McCoy makes a 60-day trek with his friend Stephen, a few porters and Sherpas in the Himalayan Mountains. They reach a point of the trip where they must make it over an 18,000 foot pass over a crest to reach Muklinath, an ancient holy village for pilgrims. The take a night’s rest before they make the pass and there are a few groups the are within range; a group of New Zealanders, two Swiss couples and a Japanese hiking club. The next day, the New Zealanders depart for the pass first. Stephen, who is beginning to suffer from altitude sickness, and Bowen begin their journey to the pass when they see one of the New Zealanders carrying an almost naked, barefooted sadhu across his shoulders. The New Zealander leaves him with them exclaiming that he has done what he can and that they should care for him because they have porters and Sherpa guides and that he and his group are moving forward with their trek. Bowen checks his pulse to find that the pilgrim is alive. They wonder why he has hardly any clothes on and why he did not choose the safer route. Stephen and the Swiss couples begin to take off some of their clothing to warm up the sadhu. Bowen does not hesitate to move forward as he wants to make it over the pass and the journey becomes more dangerous as time passes; the ice steps would melt and would make the path slippery. Bowen continues, leaving Stephen, the Swiss, and the Japanese behind. The Swiss catch up to Bowen finds out from them that the sadhu was doing fine and that Stephen is approaching. Stephen is upset with Bowen and asks how he feels about contributing to the sadhu’s death. Stephen tells Bowen that he stayed with the sadhu until the Japanese arrived. He asked the Japanese to borrow their horse to take the sadhu down to the hut, but they refuse and give him food and drink before continuing on. Stephen then asked the lead Sherpa, Pasang, to get a group of porters to carry the sadhu down, but he also refuses because he believed it would exert the porters’ energy and that they would not able to do it before the ice melted into a slippery slope. Pasang encouraged Stephen to continue with the time-sensitive hike and the Sherpas carried the sadhu down to a rock in the sun and pointed out to the hut that was 500 feet away. The last time the Sherpas saw the sadhu, he was throwing rocks at the Japanese’s dog, which had scared him. Though it may seem morally wrong to leave the sadhu and carry on with the journey, Bowman acted correctly according to the utilitarian theory. If he had helped the sadhu get across the pass to Muklinath, where he seemingly came from, Bowman may not have had the energy to do so and risk both of their lives, which would be the most amount of unhappiness. If he backtracked and took the sadhu to a hut for warmth and safety, he would have jeopardized his trip and defeated the purpose of this journey and moreover, the pilgrim may not have wanted to be â€Å"saved† for he was nearly naked and did not chose the safer route. One Nation Under Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is the largest company in retail with nearly 5,000 stores and 140 million shoppers. It continues to grow as they open more and more stores that sell household items at bargain prices. As they expand, they are able to offer lower prices because they can buy in very large bulk quantities and demand better prices from their vendors. Though it seems that everyone would be in favor of this large bargain retailer, who sells consumer necessities at extreme low prices, there are many critics of Wal-Mart’s operation. They stomp out small, local â€Å"mom and pop† shop business and compete with supermarkets, eliminating jobs and disrupting communities. They are also an anti-union establishment, pay low wages and most of their employees do not receive health insurance. Lastly, they are criticized for not carrying certain products like racy magazines such as Glamour or Cosmopolitan. Thus, locals often refuse and dispute the expansion of Walmart in their town. According to the utilitarian theory, Wal-mart is not behaving morally wrong. They are abiding by the laws. Though they may pay low wages and not offer health benefits to part-time employees, they are able to employ 1. 4 million people. Their business also allows consumers to purchase necessities at some of the lowest prices available. Furthermore, the decision to not carry certain products like racy magazine or music with explicit lyrics would outweigh the fact that they carry thousands of household necessities at a bargain. Face Transplant: â€Å"Highly Risky Experimentation† Isabelle Denoire was victim of a terrible incident that left her face, extremely disfigured. Her lips chin, nose were clawed and bitten off by her dog. The events that led up the incident are uncertain. She said that she took meds to help her sleep and that while walking down her hallway on the sleeping medication she stumbled over her aggressive dog that she had just adopted. Her daughter said that Isabelle tried to kill herself and the dog was trying to wake her up after she fell to the ground and lost consciousness. While in the hospital the chairman of the department of Maxillofacial Surgery at Amiens University Hospital, Dr. Bernard Devauchelle thought that she should would be a good candidate for an experimental face transplant that was considered time sensitive because the longer they would of waited the more scar tissue she would have had, which would of made the surgery more dangerous. With consent from Isabelle they partial transplant was done but a wave of criticism came once the news was released. Many in the industry felt that the surgery was too dangerous and other option should have been considered. They thought that Dr. Devauchelle insisted on doing the surgery not because he wanted to do what was best for the client but so that he would get publicity for it. They also believed that he chose the wrong sort of client for such an operation. Since Isabelle had tried to commit suicide she wouldn’t be a good candidate because she might not be able to deal with the cameras and news attention, that it might be more than she can bare and wasn’t mentally strong enough to handle it. According to utilitarianism, an action is right if it brings about as much net happiness as any other action the agent could have performed. I believe that Dr. Bernard Devauchelle did take into account other possibilities before they made their decision to do the partial facial implant. It was a time-sensitive decision his patient needed to make and according to him, she eagerly wanted him to help her so that she could be as normal as possible again. Critics of the transplant dispute that was he did was morally wrong, but ultimately it was Isabelle’s decision. I have learned that all real-life decisions are not just black and white. Some are easy and some difficult and even harder. We all have general innate moral code of conduct and the rule utilitarian theory is one that I relate with the most.

Benefits and limitations of airport security scanners Essay

                  The security and welfare of people is very important in a society. In order to ensure that people are secure and safe, some measures may be employed although they may be controversial. The example of airport security scans represents such a circumstance. The full body scanners are used detect objects that are on the body of an individual for security reasons without requiring the individual to remove their clothes or have physical contact with the device. Statistics indicate that as of December 2013 an estimated 740 scanners (full body scanners) these devices were in use at more than 150 airports in the United States (TSA). They are effective in identifying suspicious objects that a person may be carrying. However, there are concerns whether use of the full body actual really is a necessary precaution or a practice that invades the privacy of travelers.                  The devices are effective in detecting suspicious objects that may be concealed including both metallic and non-metallic objects. As opposed to metal detectors which identify objects that are made of metallic materials, the scanners used in airports detect both metal and non-metallic objects. They uncover objects that a physical pat-down would reveal but fail to be identified by a metal detector such as chemical explosives and plastic explosives. The device therefore performs the function of both a metal detector and a physical pat-down in revealing various dangerous devices at airports. People who have sinister motives or who desire to break the law by moving illegal items through airports would therefore not be able to succeed in perpetuating their plans because of the presence of the scanners. The primary objective of the scanners is hence achieved and safety of passengers as well as national security is secured.                   The fact that it performs the duties of both a physical pat-down and a metal detector means that the device facilitates time saving and is cost effective (TSA). Regardless of the high costs incurred in purchasing and installing it, the device would replace two security guards responsible for physical pat-downs (one guard for each gender). The airport using the device would hence save on wages for two people and less time would be consumed compared to the time used during a physical pat-down.                   Physical pat-downs are considered by various people to be intrusive and full body scanners provide a better alternative that is not as intrusive as pat-downs and that is more thorough. However, since they still examine the body of an individual in-depth, they still make people to feel that their privacy has been invaded. In order to further protect the privacy of people undergoing such scans, screeners are located in a different room from the individual where they can view images without exposing the identity of the person undergoing the scan (Tessler). In addition, security officers entering the viewing room are not allowed to enter with mobile phones, cameras or any gadgets that can take images and store or transmit them (Tessler). Still, fears remain that such images may be stored and used in other platforms such as uploading them to the internet. Authorities provide counterarguments such as the assertion that functions that are responsible for storag e or transmission are not active but rather that they are disabled prior to the installation of these devices in airports. This, though, does not overrule the possibility of technicians managing to enable such functions. Furthermore, it is not quite clear the reason behind inclusion of such functions in the device yet they get disabled prior to installation.                The costly nature of full body scanners is a major limitation that raises the costs of startup for people wishing to enter the aviation industry. Much as they are costly, they fail to reveal objects that are hidden in body cavities and are not capable of revealing objects that are of low density. It is therefore apparent that full body scanner despite of the significant popularity they have gained in combating security threats and illegal practices are incapable of combating drug smuggling that is executed through concealment of drugs in body cavities (Tessler).                   Full body scanners create a potential for harassment or embarrassment of specific groups of people. The device can detect medical equipment that may be connected to body parts such as catheters and it may necessitate further examination to confirm the identity of the object detected (Gartner et al). This would embarrass the victim who would feel that they have been singled out because of their medical condition. Transgender people are also susceptible to such embarrassment as the scanners are capable of detecting prosthetics such as testicles and breasts and the need may arise to further examine individuals whose images indicate the presence of both breasts and testicles as one of the two body features may be an improvised tool to conceal weapons, drugs or other illegal objects or objects not allowed through airport security (Gartner et al). Conclusion                   Full body scanners are recommended to improve airport security and only few loopholes are existent like the inability to detect objects in body cavities. Although much criticism has been directed at the devices, much of it is only based on assumptions and not factual information. On the contrary, the benefits of the device are validated by real life examples therefore full body scanners are largely beneficial. References Gartner M., Heyl M., Holstein A. and Thewalt A. What can the ‘naked’ scanner really see? Bild. 22 July 2010. Web. 8 April 2014 Tessler, Joelle. Airport full-body scanners have benefits, and limits. The Denver Post. 31 December 2009. Web. 8 April 2014 Transportation Security Administration, TSA. Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). 12 February 2014. Web. 8 April 2014 Source document

Only Murder

Only Murder Only Murder Only Murder By Maeve Maddox A reader commenting on Persian Is a Lovely Word wonders about the difference between assassination and murder: Maybe Farsi is a racist word like hashassin is. I mean, why use assassin when the word is only used for VIPs? Why are ordinary people only murdered? Where do we draw the line? Certainly political speech writers, advertisers and religious leaders know how to choose words for emotional impact, but i have to disagree with the notion that murder is somehow a lesser word to describe the act of taking a persons life. The word assassination has a specific meaning that has nothing to do with class perceptions. By VIP I assume that the reader means any kind of wealthy celebrity, for example an actor or a star athlete, and not just a corporate executive, senator, or president. According to this definition, both President McKinley and John Lennon were VIPs, but McKinley was assassinated, while Lennon was murdered. The word assassin derives from an Arabic word. 1531 (in Anglo-L. from c.1237), via Fr. and It., from Arabic hashishiyyin hashish-users, pl. of hashishiyy, from hashish (q.v.). A fanatical Ismaili Muslim sect of the time of the Crusades, under leadership of the Old Man of the Mountains (translates Arabic shaik-al-jibal, name applied to Hasan ibu-al-Sabbah), with a reputation for murdering opposing leaders after intoxicating themselves by eating hashish. The pl. suffix -in was mistaken in Europe for part of the word (cf. Bedouin). Online Etymology Dictionary In English the word has retained its political associations. The most usual targets of assassination attempts are presidents, kings and other high-ranking political leaders. The hope of the assassin is to bring about social change on a large scale by eliminating a person perceived to be not just famous, but powerful. By extension, assassination can apply to a murder committed for ideological reasons. The murder of obscure employees of an abortion clinic could be classed as assassination if the murderer acted from a desire to put a stop to the activities of the clinic. The connotation that assassin has for English speakers may not translate to other languages. French, for example, has two words for murderer: meurtrier and assassin. As far as I can tell, they are used interchangeably. Murder is one of the most dreadful and powerful words in the language. The Old English word morà °or meant the secret killing of a person. Even in a society in which killing was common because of war and the tradition of the blood feud, the word murder was reserved for the most contemptible and horrendous of cowardly acts. Both assassination and murder refer to the deliberate taking of a life, but to me the word murderer carries a stronger emotional punch than assassin. More words to describe deaths resulting from other than natural causes: manslaughter: c.1300, from O.E. mannslà ¦ht (Anglian), mannslieht (W.Saxon), from man (q.v.) + slà ¦ht, slieht act of killing. Etymologically identical with homicide, but in legal use usually distinguished from murder and restricted to simple homicide. homicide: killing, c.1230, from O.Fr. homicide, from L. homicidium, from homo man + cidium act of killing. The meaning person who kills is also from O.Fr., from L. homicida, from -cida killer. execution: c.1360, from O.Fr. execution, from L. executionem agent noun from exequi follow out, from ex- out + sequi follow (see sequel). Sense of act of putting to death is from M.E. legal phrases such as don execution of deth carry out a sentence of death. suicide: deliberate killing of oneself, 1651, from Mod.L. suicidium suicide, from L. sui of oneself Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.What is Dative Case?The Two Sounds of G

The Legal Drinking Age essays

The Legal Drinking Age essays My contention is that legal drinking age should be remained at aged 18. And to begin, Id like to start by asking questions: How many of you had drink, honestly say that youre a responsible drinker. And: What make you more responsible than the person sitting next to you? Is it because youre older or younger or is it because you understand the consequence of binge drinking. People usually say that an 18-year-old has less tolerance compared to a 21 year old. Although it might be true but tolerance doesnt come with age, it comes with realization of responsibility and in the real society there are people that more responsible at aged 16. My first argument is the teenagers should have their rights once they turn 18. And this is the opinion of Ms. Laschon, chief executive officer of Youth Affair Council of WA, she said that Young people in Australia acquire many rights when they turn 18; right to vote, to serve in the armed forces, right to drive and they can also legally purchase alcohol. Therefore, once people are 18, they have equal rights with adults and they also have a right to be treated as adult. Some people think that the eighteens are not mature enough and they need few more years to grown their brain and make a responsible decision, so a 20 year old Australian is considered mature enough to vote and even die for his or her country but not considered as an adult to enjoy beer with the family on Christmas! It doesnt sound right. Since Australia has a trend of drinking age be lowed for many years, do you think that would be a best choice of keeping these teenagers away from alcohol? But to me, its rather a vote to taking away these peoples rights. Its not the age that matter but how to control your selves. If the legal drinking age is now 21 in Australia, Would this change have any effect on the young people? There is some evidence that rising the legal d...

An Introduction to Korsakoffs Syndrome

An Introduction to Korsakoffs Syndrome Korsakoff’s syndrome is a memory disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine, or vitamin B1, in the body. It is usually characterized by amnesia, disorientation, apathy, and confabulation – a condition in which a person reports events that never happened. Korsakoff’s syndrome is commonly associated with prolonged alcohol misuse. Effects of Thiamine Deficiency on the Body Thiamine is critical to the health of living organisms. It serves as a  cofactor  for enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.  These  enzymes  help produce chemicals needed for generating important  molecules  for the body, such as those that help give cells energy and others that are crucial to building protein. Thus, a lack of thiamine can interfere with many of the body’s processes and lead to  cellular death. Although thiamine is essential for the body, the body does not produce thiamine on its own, and only stores a small amount of thiamine (about 30 mg) at one time. The body can deplete this small store of thiamine in only a few weeks if thiamine is not ingested. When combined with alcohol misuse, thiamine deficiency can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb and transport additional amounts of thiamine. For example, liver damage can reduce how much thiamine can be stored in the body. Furthermore, the transport of thiamine through several parts of the body, like the  blood-brain barrier, can be impaired. These sites would then require even more thiamine to function normally. Neuropsychology of Korsakoffs Syndrome Thiamine deficiency affects several brain regions involved in  episodic memory. These areas, which include structures in the  limbic system  such as the  hippocampus, are responsible for the coding, storage, and retrieval of memories related to specific events. Other memory systems can also be affected by thiamine deficiency,  including autobiographical memory, which combines memories of personal experiences (episodic memory) with general knowledge about the world (autobiographical knowledge). Another area that can be damaged is implicit learning, which is the knowledge that one learns without being aware of it, like the motor skills involved in riding a bike. Though researchers have emphasized the role of memory in Korsakoff’s syndrome, its symptoms often include impairments in executive functions, like reasoning and speech, which are associated with the  frontal lobes  of the brain. For example, confabulation – which is a main characteristic of the syndrome – may involve both memory and the frontal lobes. This has led some researchers to postulate that neurotoxicity resulting from alcohol would primarily affect the frontal lobes of the brain, and occur alongside thiamine deficiency, which affects memory – though this hypothesis has been debated. Causes of Korsakoffs Syndrome Though Korsakoff’s syndrome is commonly associated with alcohol misuse, the condition is not necessarily caused by alcohol. Other causes of Korsakoff’s syndrome include poor nutrition, anorexia, and surgical procedures that are performed to induce weight loss – which can lead to a deficiency of thiamine in the body. TheWet Brain â€Å"Wet brain,† or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, describes individuals who develop both Korsakoff’s syndrome and Wernicke’s encephalopathy due to  alcohol misuse. In cases of wet brain, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, which is characterized by imbalance, confusion, and double vision, occurs  first. Wernicke’s encephalopathy occurs suddenly but its symptoms are often reversible with thiamine treatments. Korsakoff’s syndrome occurs more slowly, and its symptoms are typically irreversible. Around 85 percent of individuals with Wernicke’s encephalopathy develop Korsakoff’s syndrome. Theoretical Explanations There are two distinct theoretical explanations for Korsakoffs syndrome: the continuity hypothesis and the dual-process model. The continuity hypothesis for Korsakoff’s syndrome states that there is a continuum of increasingly worsening cognitive and neurophysiological symptoms, such as memory loss, that can result from alcohol misuse. This continuum extends from individuals who are dependent on alcohol but do not have any complications to those with Korsakoff syndrome. This suggests that Korsakoff’s syndrome is a more severe consequence of alcohol dependence, though worse conditions do not necessarily correlate to a more pronounced drinking history. However, studies testing the continuity hypothesis have mostly focused on memory, with little evidence for other impairments that are also observed in Korsakoff’s syndrome. The dual-process model states that cognitive processes like decision-making utilize one of two systems: the â€Å"reflective system,† in which an individual deliberates a decision before making one, and the â€Å"automatic-affective system,† in which someone impulsively acts. The reflective system is associated with the prefrontal lobes, while the automatic-affective system mostly concerns the limbic system. Normally, these two systems work together to ensure that someone is making coherent decisions. However, this balance may be disrupted in someone who is addicted to alcohol. They have a more active automatic-affective system, which leads to more impulsive behavior, and a less active reflective system, which means those impulsive behaviors are less likely to be inhibited. Though this model may be of relevance to Korsakoff’s syndrome, it has mostly been tested on people who have recently recovered from an alcohol addiction and do not have Korsakoff’s syndrome. The model should be validated through further study. Korsakoffs Syndrome Key Takeaways Korsakoff’s syndrome, which is commonly associated with the misuse of alcohol, is a long-term consequence of thiamine deficiency. Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is an essential vitamin for the body to function.The syndrome is mostly characterized by deficits in memory, though it affects other functions of the brain as well.Models have been postulated to explain Korsakoff’s syndrome, but the models still require further study. Sources â€Å"Autobiographical memory.† In Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2008, pp. 893-909.Brion, M., D’Hondt, F., Davidoff, D., and Maurage, P. â€Å"Beyond cognition: Understanding affective impairments in Korsakoff syndrome.† Emotion Review, vol. 8, no. 4, 2016, pp. 376-384.Brion, M., Pitel, A., Beaunieux, H., and Maurage, P. â€Å"Revisiting the continuum hypothesis: toward an in-depth exploration of executive functions in Korsakoff syndrome.† Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 8, 2014.Cornell University. â€Å"Thiamine biochemistry.†Martin, P., Singleton, C., and Hiller-Sturmhà ¶fel, S. â€Å"The role of thiamine deficiency in alcoholic brain disease.†McCormick, L., Buchanan, J., Onwuameze, O., Pierson, R., and Paradiso, S. â€Å"Beyond alcoholism: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome in patients with psychiatric disorders.† Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, vol. 24, no. 4, 2011, pp. 209-216Thomson, A., Guerrini, I., and Ma rshall, E. â€Å"The evolution and treatment of Korsakoff’s syndrome.† Neuropsychology Review, vol. 22, no. 2, 2012, pp. 81-92.

Managing and Leading People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Managing and Leading People - Essay Example The findings from the primary study have been compared with the existing theories of human resource management. The study shows that Fiat follows effective HR strategies that should be emulated by every organization in the globalised world. Fiat, a renowned brand, is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy and also holds considerable market share in the overseas market. Fiat is the abbreviation of ‘Fabrica Italiana Automobili Torino’. The firm manufactures cars that cater to almost all the segments of the market. The company was established in the early years of the industrial revolution, precisely in 1899. Its first production commenced in the year 1900, with employee strength of over one hundred fifty workers. The famous logo of the company was adopted in the year 1904. The logo gained gradual acceptance and is still recognised as a global brand. The company has grown by leaps and bounds and has a significant market share in the automobile segment (Fiat-a, 2010). In addition to cars, Fiat also manufactures tanks, railroad vehicles etc. In addition to Italy, the firm has its production units based in Brazil, Poland and Argentina. The company is also known for its innovations in the field of automobil es. An example in this regard is the â€Å"Centro Ricerche Fiat† (Fiat-b, 2010). This is a unit that has been developed by Fiat and is based in the Italian town of Orbassano. This division deals with research and development in the field of automobile engines and vehicle systems. Innovation is the buzzword in this unit. Some of its notable contributions in the field of research and development are â€Å"Legambiente 2000† (Common Rail Diesel engine Technology). The unit also received the Ferrari technology award for development of the hybrid methane engine. Some other notable achievements of this unit are the creation of multi jet engine and also the design of models like Idea, Punto, Panda and Stilo (Fiat-b,

How WGN changed broadcasting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How WGN changed broadcasting - Research Paper Example (Philip, 1997: pg 76) The WGN is one of the major TV stations based in Chicago and it is basically owned by Tribune Company. The station has a radio station with a transmitter that is located in the Elk Grove in Illinois. The station has been the preferred station by Chicago Cubs, the Northwestern University football besides the men’s basketball team from the same university. The station was found to be favorable for these institutions and sports organization due to the freshness in terms of broadcasting as compared to its peers. The letters that are used to abbreviate the name of the station stand for Worlds Greatest Newspaper which was a slogan that was coined by Chicago Tribune. The station hit the airwaves in 1948 in April on channel 9 from the studios in Tribune Tower in Chicago. The Tribune Company was led into television era with the belief that television was an idea thought necessary to embark on the adventure of America. The TV station was also one of the major stati ons that made first attempts at the production of entertainment series that were to air in the station and some were to be distributed to various other stations far and wide across the country. (Philip, 1997: pg 276). The station was a former associate of CBS and DuMont television networks but they realized they would serve the Chicago based fans better if they operated independently. WGN became one of the first stations based locally to unleash a whole rich menu of live programs that were aired in color. The station also made many significant firsts for example the public appearance in Chicago of President Truman that was televised besides being the first station to show a mobile coverage of a visit to Chicago by General MacArthur. In 1961, this station began airing its broadcast program in a new location from the one initially used center. The new facility was located in West Bradley place in the Northwestern side of Chicago. As they vacated to the new center of broadcast, the sta tion premiered a show for children known as the Bozo’s Circus which went on ahead to become the most famous and largely viewed local production for children in television history. The other form of advancement that the WGN brought on board was that of expanding the news program to cover half an hour, especially the 10th hour news thereby making WGN the first television channel in Chicago to air news for that long. The station was feted in 1966 when the president of WGN at that period Ward Quaal was awarded for bringing about the development of the finest and most independent television channel in the United States. (Ted, 2004: pg 49). The years around 1970 saw the introduction of television talk show when WGN introduced Phil Donahue to the nation and to Chicago specifically as he appeared on the daytime talk show that was moved out of Ohio into the television studios of the WGN. The show introduced a different format in television setting whereby there were to be discussions of current issues such as controversies that surrounded celebrities as they appeared as guests in the studio and were exposed to live audience participation. U. S. farm report also debuted in the station as

International Business Management (Strategic Alliances types) Essay

International Business Management (Strategic Alliances types) - Essay Example Features responsible for success of an alliance are managing co-ordination and trust between partners. Trust develops through various processes as commitment, bargaining and interaction. The alliance must also develop trust between its vendors and customers, this is relational capital. Trust among the customers raises the alliance reputation capital, consequently resulting to alliance success. Alliances are founded on contract and not friendship bases, therefore, each partner is expected to be committed and display its trustworthy. The alliance maintenance must focus on trust between the parties involved and the degree of adherence to set rules and regulations. The partners have the advantage to learn from each other without exploiting each other through resources or capabilities. Knowledge diffuses takes place from one firm to all the alliance parties. In each alliance well defined, rules are set aside to protect the parties from exploitation by the giant partners. The general types of strategic alliances are Joint venture, non-equity alliance, equity strategic alliance and global strategic alliance (Gomes, 2011, p. 53-47). Joint venture alliance involves a long term investment between two or more organisation which benefits all partners. The investment includes funds, resources and facilities which are contributed equally by the associated companies. A classic example of the joint venture is Caltex Company that is formed between the California Standard oil and the Texaco Company earlier known as Texas Company (Mitchell, 2013, p. 77). The petroleum company products are available in more than 60 countries in the Asia, Middle East, pacific region and the Southern Africa. Caltex is a global organisation having its product distributed and consumed in many parts of the world. The companies combined their resources together to create a separate business. Chevron had plenty oil wells but

Critical Evaluation for the Presentation of Research Data Essay

Critical Evaluation for the Presentation of Research Data - Essay Example The nature of a structure implies a need or needs that the structure will have to address. Man’s needs are many. Some of the more basic ones pertain to food, clothing, and shelter. Beyond the basic needs are the need for leisure, recreation, social life, and aesthetics. This is only a small fraction of some of man’s needs. At the same time, architectural design can also come in to define how each of these needs will be addressed. All families need a living room but the living room can be small, large, or very large, depending on how one would define his or her family’s needs for a living room. Further, even if all families may want a specific size of a living room. However, the same living room may be elegant, classy, or simply simple. Take for instance, a shelter or a home. How should a home be designed in a way that the shelter becomes aesthetic and responsive to the needs of a family? Aesthetics have perspectives. The family or the client’s taste can be gothic, roman, modern, conservative, classic, psychedelic or specific taste. They homeowner may be of Latin American heritage, African, European, Asian, French, Chinese, American Indian, Black American, or from another race or ethnicity. Each of the race or ethnic group may have a perspective on aesthetics that project their heritage and the homeowner may want that projected in his home. The family or client may want his home to project specific symbolisms or values. The client may want to project power, wealth, taste, values, culture, and the like. The client may be catholic-religious and may want his home to project his faith: he or she may want to adorn his house with the statues of saints or the Roman Catholic version of the cross. He or she may be a Muslim and may want to reflect his or her faith in the home in a manner that consistent with the faith of Islam. A home is designed to meet the needs of the owner. Will the homeowner be needing a prayer room? A computer room? A lib rary? Will he or she want a social room? How large will the social room be? How many people should it accommodate when space and budget are not constraints? Is there anything in the homeowner’s heritage that suggest how large the social room should be? How many bedrooms? Of course, an architect may directly ask the prospective homeowner for design information. However, what if so many houses will have to be constructed and rows of houses will have to be designed in advance or before they are sold? Further, how could architects design the homes even before the architects meet the potential homeowners? This is the case for many subdivisions wherein houses are designed without the benefit of information on specifications from buyers. On the matter of anticipating the house buyers’ preferences for houses and architectural design, an architect’s knowledge of research is useful as the basis for architectural design. II. Qualitative Research Although, thousands of book s have emerged on qualitative research, the literature usually on describe but not explicit define qualitative research. For instance, Bergman (2008, p. 12) described qualitative research to have the following characteristics and/or assumptions/perspectives: 1. How man would perceive reality or fact is a construction, especially a social construction, and a multiple reality exists. In other words, men would describe the same reality in different ways because each of them would have a specific perspective on reality.

Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Report - Essay Example There have been many incidents reported regarding the struggle of survivors and the lack of government attention on the matter. The lack of food, shelter, medication and capital to begin a new livelihood are the predominant reasons. This report on the cyclone will state scientific data and issues on the occurrence, The extent of damage to life and property , the details of the aid received, the response in terms of aid and statement and intervention of the globe and the Burmese government’s take on the disaster. The report will include valid data regarding the damage to life and the aid sent by the US and the UN countries , reports and news from various renowned papers across the world, and statements of officials, economists, governments , NGO’s and the victims themselves. Extent of damage1.1 : In the report â€Å" Seeking justice for Burma† the author professor Michael A. Newton stated : â€Å"On 2nd and 3rd May 2008 Tropical cyclone Nargis struck Burma battering the 209 kilometer per hour 130(mph) winds at 3.7 meter 12 foot storm surge. IT devastate most of Southern Burma especially the densely populated Irrawady (Ayyerawady) Delta, and the country’s most populous city Rangoon (Yangoon). The U.N estimated that the death toll from the cyclone could be â€Å"in the region of 1, 00,000 or even more† with 220,000 people believed missing. Both figures far surpassed the SPDC’s (State Peace development Council) tally which stands at 84530 dead and 53836 missing.†(Newton 4) The figures given by the professor are right as these were the same figures that were published by the USAID on July 9 2008 in Fact sheet no 24, for the fiscal year 2008. This manipulation or underreporting of numbers by the Government of Burma shows their unwillingness to accept responsibility or take blame for the lack of warning given to the people regarding the cyclone. US Aid 1.2 : The USAID report on

Critical Evaluation for the Presentation of Research Data Essay

Critical Evaluation for the Presentation of Research Data - Essay Example The nature of a structure implies a need or needs that the structure will have to address. Man’s needs are many. Some of the more basic ones pertain to food, clothing, and shelter. Beyond the basic needs are the need for leisure, recreation, social life, and aesthetics. This is only a small fraction of some of man’s needs. At the same time, architectural design can also come in to define how each of these needs will be addressed. All families need a living room but the living room can be small, large, or very large, depending on how one would define his or her family’s needs for a living room. Further, even if all families may want a specific size of a living room. However, the same living room may be elegant, classy, or simply simple. Take for instance, a shelter or a home. How should a home be designed in a way that the shelter becomes aesthetic and responsive to the needs of a family? Aesthetics have perspectives. The family or the client’s taste can be gothic, roman, modern, conservative, classic, psychedelic or specific taste. They homeowner may be of Latin American heritage, African, European, Asian, French, Chinese, American Indian, Black American, or from another race or ethnicity. Each of the race or ethnic group may have a perspective on aesthetics that project their heritage and the homeowner may want that projected in his home. The family or client may want his home to project specific symbolisms or values. The client may want to project power, wealth, taste, values, culture, and the like. The client may be catholic-religious and may want his home to project his faith: he or she may want to adorn his house with the statues of saints or the Roman Catholic version of the cross. He or she may be a Muslim and may want to reflect his or her faith in the home in a manner that consistent with the faith of Islam. A home is designed to meet the needs of the owner. Will the homeowner be needing a prayer room? A computer room? A lib rary? Will he or she want a social room? How large will the social room be? How many people should it accommodate when space and budget are not constraints? Is there anything in the homeowner’s heritage that suggest how large the social room should be? How many bedrooms? Of course, an architect may directly ask the prospective homeowner for design information. However, what if so many houses will have to be constructed and rows of houses will have to be designed in advance or before they are sold? Further, how could architects design the homes even before the architects meet the potential homeowners? This is the case for many subdivisions wherein houses are designed without the benefit of information on specifications from buyers. On the matter of anticipating the house buyers’ preferences for houses and architectural design, an architect’s knowledge of research is useful as the basis for architectural design. II. Qualitative Research Although, thousands of book s have emerged on qualitative research, the literature usually on describe but not explicit define qualitative research. For instance, Bergman (2008, p. 12) described qualitative research to have the following characteristics and/or assumptions/perspectives: 1. How man would perceive reality or fact is a construction, especially a social construction, and a multiple reality exists. In other words, men would describe the same reality in different ways because each of them would have a specific perspective on reality.

Anti-Drinking Campaign in the University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Anti-Drinking Campaign in the University - Essay Example This paper details why a total ban on alcohol cannot work citing developments that occurred during the American Prohibition era as a sample case study. Further, it explains the reasons why Community College Events should be factored in when controlling alcohol use. The next section mirrors on ways or methods which should be adopted to arrest the problem. The last section is conclusion and recommendations. This research proposal aims to achieve to a number of objectives. The overall objective is to demonstrate the importance of reducing and managing alcoholism in the University of Minnesota and how the budget of doing that can be reduced. Casaddy, Flora and Foote observe that community events are sometimes characterized by students and underage youths easily getting drunk because of availability of alcohol. About 50% of alcohol intake at community festivals is done by students or youth. These authors propose alcohol ban or restrictions in colleges or community events by curtailing sal es through policies such as ID checking or reducing the number of servings that are extended to individuals. This is their view ultimately minimizes access of alcohol by students. They further cite studies which shown that in an average event 50% those that are already intoxicated have 80% chance of buying more. Further, this kind of behavior sometimes brings about disruption, vandalism and other anti-social behaviors. In 2004 professional basketball, a number of these behaviors were witnessed with many drunken students throwing beer bottles and cups at players on the court. Thus measures such as stopping alcohol sales at some point are important in mitigating such occurrences.

Hassans Story Essay Example for Free

Hassans Story Essay

The differing historical and sociological views of childhood

The differing historical and sociological views of childhood This essay will highlight how childrens health and the laws to protect them from being exploited by employers through the introduction of Parliamentary Acts have been effective. It has also been important to discover how taking children out of the workforce impacted on society and how it was able to support them. A further issue to be investigated will be how important it was to rescue children from living rough and trying to support themselves which was taken up by Nonconformists such as Thomas Barnardo and how the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) was founded (Cunningham-2006). Another aim of this assignment is to seek out how childrens health has improved through both Government and other organisations intervention. Therefore, what Government Acts were introduced to improve the living standards of the very poor and how they have been updated to deal with the problems of the twenty first century. Another part of trying to improve the lives of all ch ildren has been focused on providing all children with an education that would link into them achieving a better standard of living and being able to make a positive contribute to society. This has been a theme of Barnardos homes since Victorian times (Rose. J 1987) and is still been seen as a necessary goal in the Governments green paper Every Childs Matters (2003) and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS-2007). Therefore this will be the final area discussed in how different historical and sociological views of childhood are linked to the in present day UK. Cunningham (2006) Miller et al (2002)research states that Victorian times saw fifty per cent of recorded deaths in children aged five years old and under, the biggest killers being diarrhoea, whooping cough, measles and small pox. In 1840 it became compulsory to be vaccinated against small pox; a vaccination founded in 1790 by Edward Jenner a country doctor working in a practice in Gloucestershire. He had a chance conversation with a milk maid who had contracted cow pox and she told him that folk lore said that if a person had survived cow pox they could not contract small pox. His vaccine was an important discovery as small pox was the biggest killer in Victorian time; in todays terms it claimed as many lives as cancer or heart disease. During this period ten percent of the population suffered from the disease in rural areas, this rose to twenty percent in towns and cities who contracted the virus and subsequently there was a higher death toll due to overcrowded conditions. The lar gest group was of children, as one in three died. Jenners assertion was that the cow pox protects the human constitution from the infection of small pox (Health affairs, 24 No 3 2005) He called it the Speckled monster (www.Jenner museum.com-30/12/10). In 1853 an act was passed that made it compulsory that all infants under three months were to have the vaccination. If parents failed to have their children immunised they could be ordered to court where they would be fined, property confiscated and finally imprisoned. However, this did not deter some parents across all classes who continued to battle with the authorities until their children were fourteen years old and did not have to have the vaccination. This was because many parents feared that the conditions in which the procedure was carried out were not sterile. Their fears were well founded as there was evidence that other disease were spread e.g. erysipelas, syphilis and scrofula (Baxby, small pox vaccination). Although Jenner gave this vaccination to the world for free, the doctors charged for this service therefore many poor people, who were amongst the most vulnerable, could not afford it. If doctors had not charged for this vaccination, small pox would have been under control a lot soon than it was. (www.History Learning Site.co.uk-30/12/10). However, childrens survival rate did increase as they got older although other health factors came to the forefront. Life expectancy was reduced due to the hazard of death at work, from dust in mines, quarries, barns, mills and bakeries alongside many accidents involving using dangerous equipment. In 1842 the mines act (Maybin.J, 2003) was passed so that no child under ten years old or woman were to work underground in mines but this did not stop them from working above ground where the conditions were not much better. Many acts were also passed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century that tried to control the hazardous, and what proved in many cases the fatal occupation of chimney sweeps or climbing boys as they were called (Cunningham, H 2006). All these previous acts proved ineffective and it took a court case in 1875 about an eleven year old boy, George Brewster who died when sweeping a flue at Fulbourn Hospital in Cambridge. The post-mortem showed that George had suf focated, his head was congested and he had large levels of black powder in his lungs and windpipe. Lord Shaftesbury then put forward another bill to parliament, this time with success. This ended what the Times newspaper called the worst public scandals of the Kingdom. (Strange, K.H, 1982) Other Acts of Parliament were also passed to try and safeguard children in cotton mills and factories over a period of time e.g. 1802 Health and Morals of Apprentices Act and the Factory Act of 1819 (Maybin,J.2003) but no provision had been ordered for these acts to be enforced. Things did not really improve until 1832 when thousands of children and adults marched to York to listen to speakers calling for a ten hour day act. The outcome of this was the 1833 Royal Commission on the Employment of Children in Factories Act (Maylin, J.2003) which said that no child under nine years of age could work in a factory and it also said that the eight hours older children spent at work had to be matched with eight hours of time spent in school until they were fourteen years old. This was supposed to be implicated by inspectors even thought there were only four for the whole of Britain. However, their work did go some way to put into place regulations that refined a system that progressed through the century. This meant that children spent equal amounts of their time in work and in school until 1918 (Cunningham-2006). Although these acts gave children more rights they were also the cause of other problems for society and the policy-makers. The poor law amendment act of 1834 (PLAA) was still in place, which was a problem for certain authorities who had to care for the children as the work they were allowed to carry out was getting more difficult to find. However, factory masters in Northern England and the Midlands needed children to work their machines in these remote sites. This led to the London authorities who were in charge of the poor houses, to take these factories needs as an opportunity to send cartloads of children to these valleys to work. One boy, Robert Blincoe tells of how 80 girls and boys were promised Roast beef and plum pudding ,but instead were forced to work 14 hours a day, were regularly beaten and given insufficient food .( Cunningham, H.2006) Thomas Barnardo became one of the most famous men in shaping childrens history in Victorian Britain. He arrived in London from Ireland in 1866.The city at the time was coping without much success with the effects of the Industrial Revolution. London was over populated had bad housing, poverty, massive unemployment, and an outbreak of cholera had just ripped through the East End of London.3,000 people had died leaving many children without family, homeless and also many were left with terrible injuries sustained from accidents in factories. Barnardo was appalled at the site of these unfortunate children and in 1867 set up a ragged school, so called because of the condition of the childrens clothes, in the East End of London for poor children to receive some basic education. A young boy Jim Jarvis from the mission showed Barnardo round the streets one cold night, children were sleeping on roofs huddled together for warmth. This sight effected Barnardo greatly and he decided to dedicate his time and efforts to helping destitute children. In 1870 Barnardo opened the first home for boys in Stepney Causeway. One evening a boy, John Somers was turned away from the home because it was full. He was found two days later dead from malnutrition and exposure. The home from that day had a sigh which read No Destitute Child Ever Refused Admission. Barnardo opened a home for girls in Barkingside which housed 1,500 girls. The aim of these homes was by the time children left they had a skill to help them make their way in the world and make a contribution to society. Boys learnt a craft or trade, girls learnt domestic skills. Barnardo believed that family life was the best for children to be bought up in. He started the first fostering scheme boarding out children to well to do families; he also started a scheme to board out babies born to unmarried mothers. The mothers worked in service nearby so they could still see their off spring. Victorians looked upon poverty, something t hey had helped to create, as shameful. They believed it came about through vice and laziness. Thomas Barnardo felt that all children, no matter what background they had come from deserved a chance and the best start in life . A philosophy that still inspires the charity today. Even though Barnardo was seen as a benevolent person there were still those who opposed him and tried to undermine his efforts. He was accused of having liaisons with a prostitute, falsifying photographs by dressing children in ragged clothes and miss using funds. All this was unfounded.(Cambridge University 1998) In 1946 The Curtis Report was published it was a national report on children deprived of a normal home life. Children were acknowledged as the nations responsibility. This report was the backbone of the Childrens Act of 1948 which placed local authorities responsible for the care of homeless and those children in need. Another Act that helped to change history and the plight of children for ever is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The Reverend George Staite caused a public stir in writing a letter to the Liverpool Mercury dated 1881 in it he asked Whilst we have a society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, can we not do something to prevent cruelty to children? This statement summed up the callous way the late Victorian era still treated its children. Social attitudes of Victorian people saw a very distinct line between public and private lives. Lord Shaftesbury, who himself had campaigned successfully for the Mines Act of 1842, warned Reverend Staite against trying to help protect children using the legal system. Shaftesbury said the evils you state are enormous and indisputable, but they are of so private, internal beyond the reach of legislation. However by 1884 The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was born. Lord Shaftesbury was given the post of President and the Reverend Benjamin Waugh and Reverend Edward Rudolf were joint honorary secretaries. Waugh lived in Greenwich in London, and after seeing the high levels of child cruelty in the area, wanted to draw public and government attention to the unnecessary suffering of the children. The London Society lobbed parliament hard and succeeded in changing the law through what was called Childrens Charters. These charters reduced the parental powers. The society recognised that most neglect and abuse happened at home. An annual meeting was held in 1889 and the name of the society was changed to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Queen Victoria became patron and Waugh the director. In 1889 the society had thirty two branches across the UK. Inspectors were paid by raising funds. They investigated reports of abuse and neglect usually from neighbours. The public had finally got behind this Act and by 1901 the NSPPC had 250 inspectors and had had over 50,000 complaints. The NSPPC continues to uphold the traditions set in place by its founders; it acts as an independent voice of children and young people to this day.(Hendrick,H.2003) With more children now attending school scientific studies showed that were serious health issues. These studies lead to the 1906 Welfare Act .Until this Act was in place free school meals for children of poor families were suggested but optional so some local authorise did not provide them. By 1914 150,000 children were getting one good meal a day. These studies also paved the way for the 1907Act that meant that all children who attended school were entitled to a free health check. The floor in this Act was that not all children went to school and were still working more times than not to keep their family from poverty. In 1986 a National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) came into effect in the UK and a similar attitude to that of the Victorians recurred with parents having concerns about links between vaccinations specifically the MMR and neurological problems. Research was headed by Dr Andrew Wakefield at the Royal Free Hospital London. The research suggested that there were links between the MMR vaccination and autism in children. It went on to also make possible links to bowel disease. Two reports in1998 and 1999 looked at the evidence from Dr Wakefields team and concluded that firstly there was no evidence to link the MMR to autism or bowel disease and secondly that there was not enough information available to cause concern about the safety of the MMR vaccination. The Department of Health did acknowledge that the final decision was with the parents or guardian of the child but they had no hesitation to advice the use of the MMR vaccine. In 2001 (WHO) the World Health Organisation came out in a report supporting the MMR vaccine (MacLeod-Brudenell 2004). Even though things have improved for children from Victorian times, things are still not ideal for our children of today. Poverty is still a major concern in the 21st century .Three times as many people are living relative poverty compared to 1979. Families are experiencing high levels of divorce, separation and traditional networks decrease(DSS 1999a).These changes have an adverse impact on childrens emotional well-being and physical health. Children who live in families experiencing relative poverty are; less likely to eat healthy, to be breastfeed for any length of time, to do well in school and more likely to have childhood accidents, to have parents that smoke and have parents that suffer from depression. After the death of an eight year old girl ,Victoria Climbie, she was tortured and killed by her aunt and partner. Lord Laming chaired a public inquiry it asked how in the 21st century this little girl could have been failed so miserably. After the Laming Report, a minister for children,. The government published the green paper Every Child Matters.(DfES 2003)The spirit of this paper is positive. This policy outlined the care that needed to be in place to protect our children including the National Service Framework(NSF) for childrens health, Sure Start for families with children under five, improve access to health food, and reduce child poverty.(Miller,L.2002) In conclusion, from Victorian days up to modern times there have been pioneers who developed vaccinations such as Edward Jenners small pox inoculation to Lord Shaftesburys law to protect the chimney sweep boys. However, any changes no matter how well intended have had some serious implications to families ability to survive poverty. Further, even though there were laws to ensure the authorities did take care of the poorest in society, reforms to protect children from working had serious implication to their ability to fulfil their role.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun - Dreams Essay -- English L

A Raisin in the Sun - Dreams Dreams The play A Raisin in the Sun demonstrates the hardships and successes of the members of a black family living in the south side of Chicago during the 50’s. For the Youngers, dreams are life. They are what bring the family together and pull it apart throughout the play. Each member of the family has a particular dream, and each of those dreams is like a wall being built between its owner and various other members of the family. Everyone’s dream straddles the line between selfishness and goodness for the family; however, some, like Walter’s, seem to be pulled more by the gravity of selfishness. Both Mama and Ruth share the same dream, but each has a slightly different reason for her preference. Walter’s dream is the most apparent from the beginning of the play, and he presses his family and himself until he accomplishes his goal. Walter focuses so much on his dream, however, that he leaves no room for his family. One may ask, why is he so intent on his dream? Walter is out to prove something to himself, to his family, and to the world. He needs to show people that he is a man and is responsible. No one ever trusted Walter with anything important as can be seen when he says, â€Å"Ain’t nobody with me! Not even my own mother!† (Hansberry, 85). In all of his life, Walter was not allowed to grow into a man and bear the responsibility of his life and the lives of his family. Mama has always been the head of the family, and Walter never got the chance in his childhood to take responsibility with less important matters; therefore, when he is handed a check for $6500, Walter does what he never had the chance to do before. Walter’s father was a proud man who wanted his family t... ...s possessions in the minds of many people. They can tear apart a family like the Youngers, or they can grasp and control a mind like that of Walter. However, dreams are items not easily left behind, and if they were, what would become of the people who owned them? Dreams make up a part of the life of humans that without, who can say where life may lead a person. Probably nowhere. For without dreams, a human has no ambitions and no desire to make any impact upon the world. Without dreams the human race would be one of idle creatures that desire nothing more than to be like the cockroaches in this play, searching only for the necessities of life between periods of sleep. Maybe that would be better, though, for someone like Walter; after all, what has he done but be a burden upon society? Or will he someday succeed because of a dream, if only through his son?

Diversity in the Early Childhood Classroom Essay

Diversity encompasses all of the differences that people possess as humans. It includes differences in race, language, gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, nationality, abilities, exceptionalities, and geographical placement. Diversity consists of a quality that make individuals dissimilar and that brings to the classroom individuals existence experiences, abilities, talents, character traits, and preferences that enhance individuals being (Pearson, 2000). Children’s individual interests and capabilities, racial and cultural differences, age and gender difference and language differences play a part in classroom diversity. Diversity should be taught starting in the Early Childhood classrooms. The concept of diversity of the early childhood classroom includes the perspectives of multiculturalism and non sexist and antibias education. The classroom differences can also include the social realities that affect children and communities, including availability of economic resources, access to technology, and health and safety concerns. Another full and active participate in diversity are children with disabilities. In a number of the school settings today you can find a growing number of special needs children. These children have disabilities ranging from hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, speech and language difficulties, blindness, deafness, mental retardation, and physical impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act has better equipped society to meet the needs and challenges of special needs children, yet many teachers have little to no special training to deal with these students. The challenge of implementing training and proper classroom settings for special needs students falls on the fact that the school administrators and teachers encounter financial, cultural, and social obstacles. The many different problems that fall underneath the diversity category are growing each year and are becoming a growing factor for early childhood education. Teachers can help with diversity by bringing the positive side of it into the classroom. There are curriculums available that support diversity. Teachers should include classroom materials from many cultures that reflect the diversity within specific cultures as well as other cultures. Books should be chosen that reflect diversity. Teachers should choose books from many cultures to read to your children. Children should be able to see faces similar to theirs in  the books that are shared with them. Books should be examined for authenticity and true portrayals of diverse individuals and groups. Include diverse individuals in wall and room decorations. When children see themselves reflected in classroom materials, they understand that who they are is valued, accepted and deemed important. This simple act can make the difference in how well children are motivated to learn. Teachers should use language with children that demonstrate an acceptance of all cultures. Teacher’s word choices indicate acceptance of and often determine behavior in children. Teachers choose words carefully and avoid those that would convey a negative connotation when none is intended (Faber & Mazlish, 1999). Life is given to words when individuals speak them, and children usually try to live up to adults’ characterizations of them. Teachers can expect the best from all children and communicate that expectation to them in positive and motivating ways. Teachers should consider field trips that are taken and who the guest speakers are. If all field trips are reflective of one culture, students never have an opportunity to see themselves or individuals in their communities as something of value. Teachers can get guest speakers that represent as many diverse individuals as possible. When all speakers come from one group, the message sent to children is that individuals from their particular group have little to share with them. Teachers can look at cultural celebrations and when they are celebrated. Contributions of many cultures should be shared throughout the year and not only at specified times during the year. Each culture has its own beliefs, customs, rituals, religions, and business and academic achievements that make it both unique and great. Celebrate them. Teachers should challenge themselves to learn as much as they can about the children they teach. For many, this may mean moving outside of their comfort zones and exploring different ways of living. This knowledge helps to locate a point of identification with the student and will facilitate teaching and learning. Knowledge about children’s home lives and the ways in which they are being acculturated in this society can help a teacher be more effective in classroom instruction (Greenberg, 2002). This knowledge may also serve as a source of enrichment and enlightenment for all children. Good teachers claim that they do not see color in their classrooms. Teachers should plan to include on a regular basis topics that challenge yourself to think beyond your own way of living. Teachers should choose and encourage reading materials that will better prepare you other teachers and childcare workers to interact with a variety of individuals. These materials can serve as a common experience for them to draw upon in discussions at faculty and staff meetings. Through these discussions, teachers should feel free and open to discuss their own previously held biases and examine ways in which they can become more knowledgeable and accepting of diverse individuals. Choose to include professional faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds when hiring for various positions. It is not enough to talk about valuing diversity and then continue to hire only from within a certain group. Truly understanding diversity means that biases rooted in stereotypes have no place within the work environment. It also means that talents and abilities are recognized in all. Once hired, these individuals should have equal consideration for promotions within the organization. Teachers should establish positive relationships with diverse parents by communicating in ways that make them feel comfortable and accepted. Teachers need to use language that is plain, simple, and easily understood. Open and clear communication is the key in parent interactions. If there is a language barrier get the aid of someone who speaks that language. Learn as much as possible about the family language and culture and include appropriate aspects of that information in classroom instruction. Teachers should invite parents to their classroom to share various aspects of their lives with your children. Allowing them to share information and experiences will send a clear message to all that you value their differences and view them as an asset for your learning community. Their sharing will broaden and deepen mutual understandings with you, the family, and the child. Teachers need to respond to parents’ needs and concerns in an equitable manner, making sure that all voices are heard and not merely those with which you agree or those with which you are most familiar or comfortable. Teachers can choose to show parents that they are an important member of the team that is responsible for educating their child. Children are like little sponges that soak up everything that they hear and see. Children are around two or three years old when they begin to notice the difference among people. Children notice things like being short or tall, long hair or short hair, light skin or dark skin and different eye color. The way that children deal with the changes between people is influenced by what they see and hear at home (Williams, 1972). When the adults at home are speaking out loud about their bias opinions children hear that. The children then think that the adults are right and tend to form the same opinions. For some adults, biased statements are unintentional. The smallest things can spark this including gender statements, â€Å"Tommy, boys don’t play with dolls, they play with trucks. † This is implying that boys should play with boy things and girls should play with girl things. Adults should embrace the fact that boys want to play with dolls and look at it in the way of the child will grow to be a good father. The things people say can be the accelerator for children’s intolerance for certain groups of people or the underlying cause of children’s acceptance of individuals. Children will have a natural curiosity about the differences between themselves and others. This curiosity isn’t yet linked to any positive or negative thoughts about different groups of people (Williams, 2008). Teachers should consider when speaking to children to keep the child’s age and developmental stage in mind. Teachers should use words and descriptions they can understand. If a child asks â€Å"Why are Ming’s eyes funny? † you can respond by saying, â€Å"Ming’s eyes look different because different people have different shape eyes. Ming’s parents are Chinese and many Chinese people have eyes shaped like hers. Eyes can have many different shapes and can look different† (Kupetz, 2008). This type of response shows the child a clear answer that acknowledges the difference and clearly explains it to the child. Successful home-school relations and interactions are essential for positive learning experiences for children and their families. These interactions often determine the level of support that teachers and other professionals receive from parents. Positive home school relations are deeply rooted in teachers’ and parents’ willingness to step outside of their own comfort zones and to try to accept and respect the differences of others. Valuing diversity simply means that people are comfortable with who others are as individuals and are able to accept and appreciate the differences of ourselves and of others. Through valuing diversity, people learn to expect, respect and accept differences from others. By accepting the differences of others, people openly acknowledge and affirm the validity of those differences. Adults understand that all people have a heritage and that heritage is rooted in beliefs, customs and behaviors that shape who individuals are. Through acceptance, people learn to listen to every voice with the same level of interest until each voice is heard and every story is told. Teachers’ demonstration of how they respect differences in others is shown in how they respond to the difference they display. The varying perspectives that individuals bring to the classroom learning environments are assets in effective decision making, teaching and learning. Diversity in the early childhood classroom will teach the children at a young age how to accept each other. Teaching children what diversity is in the early childhood classroom will stick with them throughout their life. Teaching children at a young age how to respect one another will help the future of the world. There is so much hate in the world today. In the news you see children committing suicides over bullying. The community would love to see the future full of understanding that everyone is different and that it is accepted. Teachers want the children of the future to not be involved in hate crimes and by teaching them at an early childhood age the morals of acceptance just might be installed in their minds and hearts. References Faber, A. , & Mazlish, E. (1999). How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks. Greenberg, P. (Ed. ). (2002, October). Bringing Home Into The Classroom. Retrieved from http://www2. scholastic. com/browse/article. jsp? id=3746853 Kupetz, B. , Ed. D. (2008). Do You See What I See? Appreciating Diversity in Early Childhood Settings. In Earlychildhood News The Professional Resource for Teachers and Parents [Diversity in Early Childhood Settings]. Retrieved from http://www. earlychildhoodnews. com/earlychildhood/ article_view. aspx? ArticleId=147 Pearson, C. (2000, January/February). Diversity in the Early Childhood Classroom. The Fountain, (29), 1. Retrieved from http://www. fountainmagazine. com/article. php? ARTICLEID=642 Williams, D. (1972). The Preschool Years, Ages 2-5. In Beyond the Golden Rule (pp. 11-19). Retrieved from http://www. tolerance. org/sites/default/files/ general/beyond_golden_rule. pdf.

Mercedes-Benz Advertising Brief & Strategy

Annual Report 2011. Key Figures Daimler Group 2011 Amounts in millions of euros Revenue Western Europe thereof Germany NAFTA thereof United States Asia thereof China Other markets Employees (December 31) Investment in property, plant and equipment Research and development expenditure thereof capitalized Free cash flow of the industrial business EBIT Value added Net profit/loss Earnings/loss per share (in â‚ ¬) Total dividend Dividend per share (in â‚ ¬) 106,540 39,387 19,753 26,026 22,222 22,643 11,093 18,484 271,370 4,158 5,634 1,460 989 8,755 3,726 6,029 5. 2 2,346 2. 20 97,761 38,478 19,281 23,582 20,216 19,659 9,094 16,042 260,100 3,653 4,849 1,373 5,432 7,274 2,773 4,674 4. 28 1,971 1. 85 78,924 36,458 18,788 19,380 16,569 12,435 4,349 10,651 256,407 2,423 4,181 1,285 2,706 -1,513 -4,644 -2,644 -2. 63 0 0. 00 2010 2009 11/10 % change +91 +2 +2 +10 +10 +15 +22 +15 +4 +14 +16 +6 -82 +20 +34 +29 +24 +19 +19 1 Adjusted for the effects of currency translation, increase in reven ue of 10%. Divisions 011 Amounts in millions of euros Mercedes-Benz Cars EBIT Revenue Return on sales Investment in property, plant and equipment Research and development expenditure thereof capitalized Unit sales Employees (December 31) Daimler Trucks EBIT Revenue Return on sales Investment in property, plant and equipment Research and development expenditure thereof capitalized Unit sales Employees (December 31) Mercedes-Benz Vans EBIT Revenue Return on sales Investment in property, plant and equipment Research and development expenditure thereof capitalized Unit sales Employees (December 31) Daimler Buses EBIT Revenue Return on sales Investment in property, plant and equipment Research and development expenditure thereof capitalized Unit sales Employees (December 31) Daimler Financial Services EBIT Revenue New business Contract volume Investment in property, plant and equipment Employees (December 31) 1,312 12,080 33,521 71,730 21 7,065 162 4,418 3. 7% 103 225 32 39,741 17,495 83 5 9,179 9. 1% 109 358 126 264,193 14,889 1,876 28,751 6. 5% 1,201 1,321 251 425,756 77,295 5,192 57,410 9. 0% 2,724 3,733 1,051 1,381,416 99,091 2010 2009 11/10 % change 4,656 53,426 8. % 2,457 3,130 940 1,276,827 96,281 -500 41,318 -1. 2% 1,618 2,696 913 1,093,905 93,572 +12 +7 . +11 +19 +12 +8 +3 1,332 24,024 5. 5% 1,003 1,282 373 355,263 71,706 -1,001 18,360 -5. 5% 597 1,116 368 259,328 70,699 +41 +20 . +20 +3 -33 +20 +8 451 7,812 5. 8% 91 267 29 224,224 14,557 26 6,215 0. 4% 113 193 0 165,576 15,226 +85 +17 . +20 +34 +334 +18 +2 215 4,558 4. 7% 95 223 31 39,118 17,134 183 4,238 4. 3% 78 212 5 32,482 17,188 -25 -3 . +8 +1 +3 +2 +2 831 12,788 29,267 63,725 12 6,742 9 11,996 25,066 58,350 14 6,800 +58 -6 +15 +13 +75 +5 Daimler Marken Mercedes-Benz Cars Daimler Trucks Mercedes-Benz Vans Daimler Buses Daimler Financial ServicesInnovation and Growth We invented the automobile – and now we are passionately shaping its future. As automotive pioneers, we see it as both motivation and a duty to continue our tradition with groundbreaking technologies and superior products. We do our very best for customers who expect the best, and we live and breathe a culture of operational excellence based on shared values. Our corporate history features numerous innovations and pioneering achievements; they are the foundation and ongoing inspiration for our claim to leadership in the auto ­ motive industry. At the same time, our thoughts and actions are guided by the principle of sustainable mobility.With tailored products, we intend to enter new markets and attract additional groups of customers. Our goal is to lead our industry in terms of unit sales, revenue and profitability – and to do so in all the businesses in which we are active. By means of profitable growth, we want to create lasting added value – for our shareholders, customers and employees, and for society in general. Dieter Zetsche Wolfgang Bernhard Christine Hohmann ­Dennhardt Wilfried Port h Andreas Renschler Bodo Uebber Thomas Weber Contents This Annual Report focuses on the innovative products and services with which we intend to utilize the growth opportunities offered worldwide while making a contribution to the mobility of the future.More details are provided inside, especially on pages 28-69. General information on Daimler and on the year 2011 can be found in the first section of the report. The Group’s financial position, liquidity and capital resources, and profitability are described and analyzed in the Management Report. Other sections provide information on our divisions, the topic of sustainability, corporate governance and the consolidated financial statements. 2 Annual Report 2011 | Contents 1 | To Our Shareholders (pages 4-27) 4 10 14 16 22 24 Important Events in 2011 Chairman’s Letter The Board of Management Report of the Supervisory Board The Supervisory Board Daimler Shares | Sustainability (pages 144-155) 146 148 152 154 Sustainability at Daimler Innovation, Safety and the Environment Human Resources Social Responsibility 6 | Corporate Governance (pages 156-175) 2 | Innovation and Growth (pages 28-69) 30 36 40 46 52 58 62 66 Innovation on a Grand Scale The New Compact Cars The Fascination of Electric Mobility What Will Move Us Tomorrow? Global Success Made by Daimler Customer Care Worldwide The Future Is Our Element The Avant-garde of Future Mobility 158 161 167 169 175 Report of the Audit Committee Remuneration Report Integrity and Compliance Corporate Governance Report Declaration of Compliance with the German Corporate Governance Code | Consolidated Financial Statements (pages 176-251) 178 179 Consolidated Statement of Income Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income/Loss Consolidated Statement of Financial Position Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements Responsibility Statement Independent Auditors’ Report 3 | Management Report (pages 70-127) 72 86 98 105 108 111 112 113 121 Business and General Conditions Profitability Liquidity and Capital Resources Financial Position Daimler AG (Condensed version according to HGB) Overall Assessment of the Economic Situation Events after the End of the 2011 Financial Year Risk Report Outlook 180 181 182 183 250 251 | Additional Information (pages 252-256) 252 254 255 256 Ten Year Summary Glossary Index International Representative Offices Internet | Information | Addresses Daimler Worldwide Financial Calendar 2012 4 | The Divisions (pages 128-143) 130 134 138 140 142 Mercedes-Benz Cars Daimler Trucks Mercedes-Benz Vans Daimler Buses Daimler Financial Services 3 1 | To Our Shareholders | Important Events in 2011 Important Events Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz invented the automobile in 1886. The year 2011 was therefore marked by the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the auto mobile, which started on January 29 with the official celebrations at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. They were followed by various public events, including several organized during the Automobile Summer in Stuttgart.Our employees enthusiastically celebrated the anniversary at numerous parties in the production plants and sales-and-service centers. Following in the footsteps of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, we will reinvent the automobile again and again, thus shaping the future of mobility. And in jubilee year 2011, we created the right conditions for sustainable and profitable growth with a burst of new models and some important strategic decisions. 2011 Q1. 11 25th anniversary of the automobile. On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz changed the world. He applied to the Berlin Patent Office to register his â€Å"vehicle with gas-engine propulsion† under patent number 37435.Daimler starts jubilee year 2011 with official celebrations under the heading â€Å"125! Years Inventor of the Automobile. † Daimler and Toray found a joint venture. Toray Indu stries, Inc. and Daimler plan to jointly produce and market automobile components made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). New C-Class coupe. The two-door has its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2011. It deliberately targets new customers as well as existing ones, and allows a particularly sporty entry into the coupe world of MercedesBenz. The new generation of the C-Class sedan and wagon and the new SLK roadster are also presented in Geneva. Presentation of the Concept A-CLASS in Shanghai.At Auto Shanghai in April, Mercedes-Benz presents the Concept A-CLASS to give an impression of the upcoming new compact class. The proportions of the Concept A-CLASS communicate concentrated dynamism. The car’s expressive lines and surfaces are a key feature of the new Mercedes-Benz design. Supervisory Board appoints Dr. Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt to the Board of Management. Dr. Hohmann-Dennhardt takes charge of the newly created Board of Management area of à ¢â‚¬Å"Integrity and Legal Affairs. † She is responsible for the Legal Department, the Compliance Organization and Corporate Data Protection. New truck brand for the Indian market. In India, Daimler Trucks presents BharatBenz, its fifth truck brand.BharatBenz is the basis for the launch of a new local truck generation, which is to be produced at the new plant in Chennai. Excellent first quarter of 2011. Daimler AG achieved earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of â‚ ¬2. 0 billion in the first quarter of the year (Q1 2010: â‚ ¬1. 2 billion). This very positive earnings development reflects the ongoing upward trend in nearly all divisions. 6 1 | To Our Shareholders | Important Events in 2011 Dividend of â‚ ¬1. 85 per share. At the Annual Meeting in Berlin, the Daimler shareholders vote to pay a dividend for the year 2010 of â‚ ¬1. 85 per share. The total dividend distribution thus amounts to approximately â‚ ¬2 billion. Daimler starts worldwide campaign:  "fairplay. Live values. Create value. This campaign directs the attention of employees and executives to the issues of integrity and compliance. The goal is to develop a shared understanding among all Daimler employees of which behavior is right and which is wrong, as well as to promote a corporate culture of trusting cooperation. F-CELL World Drive reaches Stuttgart. After traveling more than 30,000 kilometers around the globe, three MercedesBenz B-Class F-CELL cars with locally emission-free drive systems cross the finishing line in front of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart in due time. During the F-CELL World Drive, Mercedes-Benz impressively demonstrates the qualities of its fuel-cell vehicles with regard to performance and reliability.Presentation of new Actros. The heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz truck has been fundamentally redeveloped. The new Actros represents more than ten years of work, over 20 million test kilometers and more than â‚ ¬2 billion of investment in developm ent and production technology. Strategic framework agreement with Chinese partner. Daimler AG and Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) sign a strategic framework agreement. A total of approximately â‚ ¬2 billion is to be invested in the joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Co. , Ltd. (BBAC). Record earnings in the second quarter. Daimler achieves one of its best ever quarterly results in the second quarter of 2011.Group EBIT amounts to â‚ ¬2. 6 billion. Q2. 11 7 Q3. 11 Joint venture between Daimler and Bosch. Daimler and Robert Bosch GmbH sign agreements on the establishment of a 50:50 joint venture for electric motors. The company will operate under the name of EM-motive GmbH and will develop and produce innovative electric motors for electric vehicles. Daimler Financial Services starts operations in India. The newly established subsidiary Daimler Financial Services India Pvt. Ltd. domiciled in Chennai offers customers and dealers a comprehensive range of financing and insurance products. Contract volume of more than US$500 million is targeted by the year 2016.Acquisition of Tognum successfully concluded. Daimler AG and Rolls-Royce Holdings plc secure approximately 99% of Tognum’s shares. The combination of the three companies’ strengths and market access will allow Tognum to become a first-class producer of engine systems. Numerous Mercedes-Benz world premieres at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The revolutionary F125! research car allows a glimpse of the emission-free luxury sedans of the not-too-distant future. There are also world premieres of the new B-Class, the Concept B-Class E-CELL PLUS and the SLS AMG roadster. In addition, Mercedes-Benz presents the new M-Class to the general public for the first time.Presentation of â€Å"Mercedes-Benz 2020† growth strategy. By the year 2020, we want to be the number one among the premium manufacturers – in terms of products, brand, profitability and unit sales. We will devel op the production capacities required for our growth so that they are close to our customers and our markets. First truck from Daimler and Kamaz. Daimler Trucks and Russian truck producer Kamaz present the prototype of a jointly developed truck with Daimler components. Daimler and Kamaz will intensify their collaboration in the future, especially on truck cabs. First new Citaro delivered. Trade experts see a great future for the completely revised best-selling Mercedes-Benz city bus.It sets benchmarks above all with its safety concept and its new design. Final approval for truck joint venture in China. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce grants final approval for Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co. , Ltd. (BFDA). Daimler will hold a 50% interest in the joint venture and can thus participate in the growth of the Chinese market for medium and heavy trucks. 8 1 | To Our Shareholders | Important Events in 2011 First Sprinter produced in China. In addition to the Vito and Viano models, whi ch have been successfully produced and sold in China since 2010, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is now also rolling off the assembly lines at Fujian Daimler Automotive Co. Ltd. The Sprinter is the first premium product in the Chinese market for large vans. Closer cooperation between Daimler and BAIC. Daimler and BAIC (Beijing Automotive Group Co. , Ltd. ) agree to extend their wide-ranging strategic partnership. The letter of intent states that both companies will assess further possibilities for technological collaboration and for vehicles with alternative drive systems. Daimler plans sale of EADS shares. Daimler and the German government have agreed in principle that the KfW Bank Group will acquire 7. 5% of the shares in EADS from Daimler. The transaction is to take place in 2012. 50,000 customers at car2go. ar2go, the world’s first fully flexible car-rental service to operate on a per-minute basis, passes the milestone of one million rentals. At the same time, the 50,000th car 2go customer worldwide is registered at the Hamburg car2go shop. New Actros is â€Å"Truck of the Year 2012. † Truck journalists from 24 European countries elect the new Actros, the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz fleet of commercial vehicles, as the best truck of the year. With a total of eight titles, Mercedes-Benz is now the most successful brand in the competition for honors for technological progress. Presentation of heavy-duty Fuso truck with hybrid drive. Fuso presents its first heavy-duty truck with hybrid drive at the Tokyo Motor Show: the Super Great HEV.The first test carried out under real-life conditions show that fuel consumption has been improved by up to 10% compared with conventional trucks with diesel engines. Q4. 11 9 25 years of the automobile and excellent financial results – 2011 stands for both at Daimler. And that pleases us all the more because we promised you a year ago that our jubilee year would be another successful year for your company. We kept our word with: – Group revenue of 106. 5 billion euros, – EBIT of 8. 8 billion euros, which is well above the prior year, – and net profit of 6. 0 billion euros. These aren’t just very respectable results; they are among the best in our history. Our return on net assets of 19. 9 percent was well above our target of eight percent. In short, we created value.And of course, our success will also benefit you: The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose an increase in the dividend to â‚ ¬2. 20 per share at the Annual Meeting. Now what were the key developments in our divisions? At Mercedes-Benz Cars, we set three records in 2011. Never before have we had better unit sales, revenue or EBIT. This was chiefly accomplished on the strength of our Mercedes-Benz brand and its ongoing invigoration through innovative products. Whether the M- or B-Class, the C coupe or the SLS AMG roadster, our new models are all very popular. At the same time , in 2011 we defined our long-term growth strategy: â€Å"Mercedes-Benz 2020. At its center is the extension of our ambition to lead: With the strongest brand and the best products, we aim to be number one in premium-segment unit sales as well – by the end of this decade at the latest. To that end, we need to achieve sustainable, profitable growth and expand our activities close to our growing customer base. 2011 was also a very good year for Daimler Trucks. Worldwide, we were able to increase unit sales and revenue by 20 percent, and EBIT by more than 40 percent. In June, we introduced the new Mercedes-Benz Actros, our most important heavy-duty truck of this decade. It was promptly voted â€Å"Truck of the Year. † In North America, we further strengthened our market leadership in the medium- and heavy-duty segment.And with Fuso in Asia, we increased our unit sales despite the natural disaster in Japan. 10 1 | To Our Shareholders | Chairman’s Letter â€Å" The jubilee year of the automobile was another successful year for Daimler. But we believe we can do even better. † 11 Mercedes-Benz Vans posted unit sales growth of about 18 percent – thanks primarily to the success of the new-generation Vito and Viano. Both models are now available in China, where we also started production of the Sprinter. At Daimler Buses, revenue and earnings decreased due to weaker market demand for complete buses. However, we clearly maintained the leading position in all our key markets.Exceptionally good news also comes from Daimler Financial Services, where three new records were set in 2011: for new business, contract volume and earnings. In addition, we expanded our range of services with the new â€Å"Mobility Services† business unit. Here we are offering innovative service packages with a focus on sustainable mobility. All of this contributed to an excellent performance in 2011. It is all the more remarkable given that general economic risks increased in the second half of the year due to the crisis in the euro zone. In 2012, we will continue to face headwinds in our European markets. However, from today’s perspective, we expect worldwide economic growth of around 2. 5 percent. And global automotive demand is likely to grow even faster in the years ahead.We intend to participate in this growth – and to an above-average extent. 2011 was a successful and important year. But we believe we can do significantly better in the medium and long term; that also applies to our share price. We strive to attain leadership in all our businesses. In doing so, we draw on the strengths of the Daimler Group: – as a full-line supplier of premium cars, trucks, vans, buses and services; – with Mercedes-Benz as our core brand in all divisions; – and as an innovation and technology leader. The combination of these Daimler strengths produces potential that we intend to fully utilize in the coming years . Specifically, we have efined four strategic growth areas: – strengthening our core business in traditional markets, – conquering new growth markets, – extending our leadership in environmentally friendly technologies and in the field of safety, – and developing and implementing new mobility concepts. 12 1 | To Our Shareholders | Chairman’s Letter In all of this, one thing remains clear: A company’s success stands or falls with the skills and commitment of its workforce. The employees of your company are doing a great job; for that they deserve the thanks of the Board of Management. We will continue to systematically promote excellence in the future. One specific target is the development of first-class female and international talent. Integrity is another issue that is gaining importance – and not just at Daimler. What does that mean in a corporate context?In brief, it means that â€Å"make a decent return† and â€Å"make re turns decent† are two sides of the same coin. Integrity is more than just formal compliance with laws and regulations. It is an ethical attitude, a sort of â€Å"internal compass† that keeps us on the right path even in complex business situations. Many events of the past twelve months have confirmed once again that one of the most important â€Å"currencies† is trust – whether it’s in business or politics, in public or private life. Ultimately, Daimler owes its sustained success to its trusted relationships with customers, business partners, employees and neighbors – and of course with you, our shareholders.We would like to sincerely thank you for your confidence in us. We will make every effort in 2012 to justify that confidence once again. Sincerely, Dieter Zetsche 13 The Board of Management Andreas Renschler | 53 Daimler Trucks Appointed until September 2013 Wolfgang Bernhard | 51 Manufacturing and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercede s-Benz Vans Appointed until February 2013 Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt | 61 Integrity and Legal Affairs Appointed until February 2014 Bodo Uebber | 52 Finance & Controlling, Daimler Financial Services Appointed until December 2014 Thomas Weber | 57 Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development Appointed until December 2013Wilfried Porth | 53 Human Resources & Labor Relations Director Appointed until April 2017 Dieter Zetsche | 58 Chairman of the Board of Management, Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Appointed until December 2013 14 15 Report of the Supervisory Board Dear Shareholders, the Supervisory Board dealt in detail with the operational and strategic development of the Daimler Group in seven meetings during the 2011 financial year. In the year 2011, the Supervisory Board performed its tasks as laid down by applicable law, the Articles of Incorporation and its rules of procedure, and continually advised and supervised the Board of Management with the management of the company.Followi ng careful reviews and consultations, the Supervisory Board passed resolutions on numerous business matters for which its consent was required, such as investment and personnel planning, capital changes at companies of the Group, investments and divestments, expansion of production capacities in existing cooperations, and the conclusion of contracts of particular importance for the Group. In addition, the Supervisory Board examined for example whether the risk report, the financial reporting and the annual financial statements were in conformance with requirements. The Board of Management also informed the Supervisory Board about a large number of transactions not requiring the Supervisory Board’s consent and the two boards discussed those matters together, for example, the further development of strategic programs in the various divisions and the status of various cooperation projects.The Supervisory Board discussed the information and evaluations that were material for its decisions and suggestions together with the Board of Management. The Supervisory Board meetings were regularly prepared in separate discussions of the members representing the employees and the members representing the shareholders with the members of the Board of Management. In each meeting of the Supervisory Board, there was a so-called executive session, in which the members of the Supervisory Board were able to discuss topics in the absence of the members of the Board of Management. No member of the Supervisory Board attended less than half of the meetings in the past financial year.The Chairman of the Supervisory Board was regularly informed by the Chairman of the Board of Management about all significant operating developments as well as personnel changes and appointments. Daimler’s business activities continued to develop very successfully during the year 2011. Unit sales and revenues increased in almost all the automotive divisions, in some cases substantially. Earnin gs from ongoing operations were significantly higher than in 2010. The Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans divisions achieved their targeted rates of return already in the first half of 2011. The good business development generally continued in the second half of the year, although earnings were adversely affected by model changes, higher material costs and exchange-rates movements.Daimler is currently making substantial investments, with support from the Supervisory Board, in new technologies, new markets and new products, in order to strengthen the Group’s competitive position for the future. A question of relevance for the work of the Supervisory Board throughout the year 2011 related to the possibility to plan further developments and their stability. The general economic outlook, and in particular the situation in the financial markets, was marked by significant risks and uncertainties. An additional factor in the first half of the year was the hardto-assess impact of the natural disaster in Japan. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board also care-fully monitored the economic situation in China, one of the Group’s key markets.In the euro zone, the high levels of state and public-sector debt became increasingly important as factors causing uncertainty and restricting growth. In general, the Supervisory Board assessed the development during 2011 in absolute terms as positive, and in view of the risk described above, was in agreement with the risk-aware approach of the Board of Management. The Supervisory Board dealt in detail with the development of Daimler’s share price, and discussed at length with the Board of Management about its causes and proposals, as well as the expected impact on the share price of strategic projects. 16 1 | To Our Shareholders | Report of the Supervisory Board Dr. Manfred Bischoff, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.In addition to the usual key financial metrics, the Board of Management regularl y informed the Supervisory Board about important topics such as: – the Group’s profitability, especially in terms of return on equity, and its liquidity situation, – the internal control and risk management system including compliance, – the cost of risk in the financial services business, – the development of commodity prices, especially of raw materials, and – the general economic situation in the main sales markets, in particular in view of developments in the financial markets. The Supervisory Board also dealt with safeguarding the Group’s long-term profitability, fundamental questions of corporate planning including financial, investment, sales and human resources planning, developments in the companies of the Group, revenue developments and the situation of the Group, as well as the ongoing implementation of measures to secure pioneering and sustainable mobility for the future.The latter was dealt with also considering current a nd future requirements under the heading of â€Å"digital life,† with special reference to the Group’s products and services. The Supervisory Board was occupied with these topics going beyond the operating business in close communication with the Board of Management and especially intensively in a two-day strategy workshop, which this year focused in particular on conditions and development opportunities in China in order to properly reflect the special importance of the Chinese market. Cooperation between the Supervisory Board and the Board of Management. All the members of the Board of Management attended all the meetings of the Supervisory Board.In the meetings, there was an intensive and open exchange of opinions and information concerning the position of the Group, business and financial developments, fundamental issues of corporate policy and strategy, and development opportunities in important growth markets. Any deviations from the planning were explained in de tail to the Supervisory Board by the Board of Management. The members of the Supervisory Board regularly prepared for upcoming resolutions on transactions requiring Supervisory Board consent on the basis of documentation provided in advance by the Board of Management. They were supported by the relevant committees, and discussed the actions and transactions upon which decisions were to be taken with the Board of Management.Furthermore, the Board of Management informed the Supervisory Board with the use of monthly reports and quarterly risk reports about the most important performance figures and risks and submitted the interim reports to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board was kept fully informed of specific matters also between its meetings. As required in individual cases, following consultation with the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the members were requested to pass resolutions in writing. In addition, the Chairman of the Board of Management informed the Chairman o f the Supervisory Board in regular discussions about important developments and consulted with him on upcoming decisions. 17Topics discussed at the Supervisory Board meetings in the year 2011. In January 2011, the Supervisory Board dealt with equity-capital changes at subsidiaries of Daimler North America Corporation. In a meeting in February 2011, the Supervisory Board appointed Dr. Christine HohmannDennhardt, an ex-judge at Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, as a member of the Board of Management for the position of Integrity and Legal Affairs, which had been newly created by a resolution of September 2010. As of December 16, 2011, Bodo Uebber was reappointed as a member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Finance & Controlling and Daimler Financial Services.In the presence of the external auditors, the preliminary key figures of the annual company and consolidated financial statements for 2010 and the dividend proposal to be made at the 2011 Annual Shar eholders’ Meeting were discussed in the same meeting. The preliminary key figures for the year 2010 were announced at the Annual Press Conference on February 16, 2011. In another meeting held in February 2011, the Supervisory Board dealt with the annual company financial statements, the annual consolidated financial statements and the combined management report for Daimler AG and the Daimler Group, each of which had been issued with an unqualified audit opinion by the external auditors, as well as the reports of the Audit Committee and the Supervisory Board, the corporate governance report and the remuneration report and the proposal on the distribution of distributable profit.In preparation, the members of the Supervisory Board were provided with comprehensive documentation, some of it in draft form, including the Annual Report with the consolidated financial statements according to IFRS, the combined management report for Daimler AG and the Daimler Group, the corporate gove rnance report and the remuneration report, the annual company financial statements of Daimler AG, the audit report of KPMG for the annual company financial statements of Daimler AG, for the consolidated financial statements and for the combined management report, the proposal of the Board of Management on the distribution of distributable profit, and the drafts of the reports of the Supervisory Board and of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee and the Supervisory Board dealt with those documents in detail and discussed them intensively in the presence of the external auditors, who reported on the results of their audit and were available to answer supplementary questions and to provide additional information.Following the final results of the review by the Audit Committee and its own review, the Supervisory Board declared its agreement with the results of the audit by the external auditors, determined that no objections were to be raised, and approved the financial statements an d the combined management report as presented by the Board of Management. The company financial statements of Daimler AG for the year 2010 were thereby adopted. The Supervisory Board also consented to the proposal made by the Board of Management on the distribution of distributable profit and approved the report of the Supervisory Board, the corporate governance report and the remuneration report in the current drafts.Furthermore, the Supervisory Board approved its proposed decisions on the items of the agenda for the 2011 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. In addition, the Supervisory Board received information on the status of antitrust investigations of European manufacturers of commercial vehicles by the EU Commission and approved an investment framework for the submission of a voluntary takeover bid for Tognum AG together with Rolls-Royce. Finally, the Supervisory Board dealt with topics of Board of Management remuneration and approved the external board positions and sidelin e business activities of the members of the Board of Management as presented in the meeting.Two Supervisory Board meetings were held in April. In the first of those two meetings, which was held straight after the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the Supervisory Board elected Dr. Manfred Bischoff as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board – as previously announced in the election proposal made at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Pursuant to the rules of procedure of the Supervisory Board, its Chairman also chairs the Mediation, Nomination and Presidential Committees. To replace the departing Dr. Manfred Schneider, Dr. Jurgen Hambrecht was elected to the Mediation Committee and to the Presidential Committee. In the place of Dr. Manfred Schneider and Lynton R.Wilson, Dr. Paul Achleitner and Sari Baldauf were elected to the Nomination Committee. In addition, due to the resolution by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting amending the Articles of Incorporation with rega rd to Supervisory Board remuneration, the Supervisory Board decided to amend the wording of the declaration of compliance accordingly, subject to the amended Articles of Incorporation being entered in the Commercial Register. In the declaration of compliance, the explanation of the lack of a performancerelated component of remuneration includes an explanation of the remuneration paid to the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG. With the amendment o the Articles of Incorporation, the existing apportioning model was replaced with an additive model, in order to better reflect the generally increased requirements in particular with consideration of additional activities of Supervisory Board members in committees. In the second meeting in April 2011, the Supervisory Board dealt with the course of business and results of the first quarter, as well as with a status report on the situation in Japan, which had been updated since previously being dealt with in March 2011, in particular the situati on of the Japanese companies of the Group and the local employees after the earthquake, tsunami and reactor accident. In addition, the Supervisory Board granted its consent to the closure of Treasury units in Belgium and to a capital increase for the car joint venture in China, Beijing Benz Automotive Co. , Ltd.In May, the Supervisory Board was informed about the stage of the Tognum transaction and the increase in the price offered. 18 1 | To Our Shareholders | Report of the Supervisory Board In addition to discussing the business development and results of the second quarter, in its meeting in July, the Supervisory Board granted its consent for capital contributions to the German pension plan, for the execution of equity-capital changes at the subsidiary Daimler Trucks North America, and for the expansion of production capacity for the truck joint venture with Foton, a Chinese truck producer. In the same meeting, the Supervisory Board also dealt with the new pension plan and the to pics for the upcoming strategy workshop.Furthermore, it reappointed Wilfried Porth as a member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Human Resources and as Labor Relations Director effective as of May 1, 2012. During the two-day strategy workshop in September, as every year, the Supervisory Board first of all received information on the stage of implementation of the strategic goals set in previous years by the Board of Management for Daimler AG and the divisions. Against the backdrop of the current economic situation, the Supervisory Board discussed the stage of implementation of projects initiated by the individual divisions, the positioning of the Group and its divisions with regard to the competition, and the brand and product strategies.Other key areas of the strategy workshops were: – growth opportunities in the various markets with a focus on China, – analyses of competitors, – status reports on the various cooperations, – the latest t rends in customer behavior, also with regard to the future development of urban mobility and the use of modern media and social networks, – the overall technology and market strategy for safeguarding sustainable mobility, – the technological development of internal-combustion engines, – electric, hybrid and hydrogen drive systems, – specific requirements placed on such drive systems in important markets, in China for example, – management capacities and other human resources issues, especially in specific growth markets, and – other strategic topics. In December, the Supervisory Board dealt in detail on the basis of comprehensive documentation with the operational planning for the years 2012 and 2013. This included discussion of existing opportunities and risks and the Group’s risk management. The Supervisory Board also decided on the financing limits for the year 2012 and dealt with a progress report on EADS and the planned sale of 7 . 5% of the shares in EADS to the KfW banking group.Other matters discussed in the December meeting included corporate governance and Board of Management remuneration. Corporate governance. Although the German Corporate Governance Code was not amended in the period under review, the Supervisory Board was continually occupied with the standards of good corporate governance, including the green paper of the European Commission on that subject. An important precondition for effective cooperation in the Supervisory Board in the sense of good corporate governance, in addition to the members’ prioritized specialist expertise, is their diversity to adequately reflect the Group’s size and internationality in terms of nationality, gender, ethnic origin and experience.In connection with future proposals on candidates for election to the Supervisory Board, the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG pays attention to internationality and balance, especially with regard to gender, and see s this as a contribution to strengthening Daimler’s claim to leadership in the automotive industry. With the election of Petraea Heynike, the Supervisory Board has achieved a proportion of 20% female members representing the shareholders, which is at least to be maintained and if possible increased in the coming years. The members of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG are obliged to disclose potential conflicts of interest to the entire Supervisory Board and not to participate in discussing or voting on topics which could lead to a conflict of interest. There were no indications of any such potential conflicts of interest in 2011.In its meeting in April, the Supervisory Board decided on an amendment to its rules of procedure. The Code’s suggestion that the maximum possible appointment period of five years should not be the rule with first-time appointments to the Board of Management will be complied with in the future: First-time appointments – and only those à ¢â‚¬â€œ will generally be made for three years only. In its December meeting, the Supervisory Board updated and amended the wording of the rules of procedure of the Supervisory Board and its committees, and approved the declaration of compliance with the German Corporate Governance Code pursuant to Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG).With the two exceptions explained in the declaration, all the recommendations of the Code have been complied with and continue to be complied with. 19 The Supervisory Board last arranged for an externally moderated efficiency review to be carried out during the year 2010, thus fulfilling the requirement to carry out a regular review of its efficiency in accordance with its own rules of procedure and the German Corporate Governance Code. The results of the efficiency review indicate very good cooperation within the Supervisory Board and with the Board of Management. There was no indication of any need for fundamental action or changes. However, some suggestions were made, which will be put into practice.Corporate governance at Daimler is described in detail in the Corporate Governance Report on pages 169 ff and in the Remuneration Report on pages 161 ff of this Annual Report. Personnel changes in the Supervisory Board. After the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 13, 2011, a member representing the shareholders, Dr. Manfred Schneider, stepped down from the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG. As proposed by the Supervisory Board, Petraea Heynike was newly elected as a member of the Supervisory Board repre ­ senting the shareholders with effect as of the end of that Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Dr. Manfred Bischoff and Lynton R. Wilson, whose periods of office also ended at the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, were reelected.The election proposal of the Supervisory Board to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting was based on a recommendation made by the Nomination Co mmittee and a corresponding resolution by the members of the Supervisory Board representing the shareholders. Personnel changes in the Board of Management. In a meeting in February 2011, as mentioned above, the Super ­ visory Board appointed Dr. Christine Hohmann ­Dennhardt, an ex ­judge at the German Federal Constitutional Court, as a member of the Board of Management for the position of Integrity and Legal Affairs, which was newly created by resolution of September 2010, for a period of three years as of February 16, 2011. Bodo Uebber was reappointed as a member of the Board of Management responsible for Finance & Controlling and Daimler Financial Services for a further three years as of December 16, 2011.In the Supervisory Board meeting in July 2011, in line with the new regulation on periods of service for reappointments, Wilfried Porth was reappointed for another five years as a member of the Board of Management responsible for Human Resources and as Labor Relations Direc tor as of May 1, 2012. Audit of the 2011 financial statements. The financial state ­ ments of Daimler AG and the combined management report for the Company and the Group for 2011 were duly audited by KPMG AG, Wirtschaftsprufungsgesellschaft, Berlin, and were given an unqualified audit opinion. The same applies to the consolidated financial statements for 2011 prepared accord ­ ing to IFRS, which were supplemented with additional notes.In the presence of the auditors in a meeting in early February 2012, the Supervisory Board discussed the preliminary key figures of the annual company and consolidated financial statements for 2011 and the dividend proposal to be made at the 2012 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. The preliminary key figures for the year 2011 were announced at the Annual Press Conference on February 9, 2012. In another meeting in late February 2012, the Supervisory Board dealt with the annual company financial statements, the annual consolidated financial stateme nts and the combined management report for Daimler AG and the Daimler Group, each of which had been issued with an unqualified audit opinion by the external auditors, as well as the reports of the Audit Committee and the Supervisory Board, the corporate Report on the work of the committees The Presidential Committee convened four times in 2011.It dealt primarily with corporate governance topics and ques ­ tions of remuneration, as well as personnel matters of the Board of Management. As in previous years, compliance targets constituted part of the individual target agreements of the members of the Board of Management. The Audit Committee met seven times in 2011. Details of those meetings are provided in a separate report of this committee (see page 158 ff). The Nomination Committee convened twice in 2011. Among other matters, it prepared a recommendation for the Supervisory Board’s proposal on a candidate for election to the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG representing the share ­ holders.The proposal gave due consideration to stipulations regarding the structure, orientation and qualification profile of the members of the Supervisory Board representing the shareholders and to corporate governance requirements. As in previous years, the Mediation Committee, a body required by the provisions of the German Codetermination Act (MitbestG), had no occasion to take any action in 2011. The chairmen of the committees informed the members of the Supervisory Board about the activities of the committees and their decisions, in each case in the Supervisory Board meeting following such decisions. 20 1 | To Our Shareholders | Report of the Supervisory Board governance report and the remuneration report, and the proposal on the distribution of distributable profit.In preparation, the members of the Supervisory Board were provided with comprehensive documentation, some of it in draft form, including the Annual Report with the consolidated financial statements accor ding to IFRS, the combined management report for Daimler AG and the Daimler Group, the corporate governance report and the remuneration report, the annual company financial statements of Daimler AG, the audit report of KPMG for the annual company financial statements of Daimler AG, for the consolidated financial statements and for the combined management report, the proposal of the Board of Management on the distribution of distributable profit, and the drafts of the reports of the Supervisory Board and of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee and the Supervisory Board dealt with those documents in detail and discussed them intensively in the presence of the external auditors, who reported on the results of their audit and were available to answer supplementary questions and to provide additional information.Following the final results of the review by the Audit Committee and its own review, the Supervisory Board declared its agreement with the results of the audit by the externa l auditors, determined that no objections were to be raised, and approved the financial statements and the combined management report as presented by the Board of Management. The company financial statements of Daimler AG for the year 2011 were thereby adopted. The Supervisory Board also consented to the proposal made by the Board of Management on the distribution of distributable profit and approved the report of the Supervisory Board, the corporate governance report and the remuneration report in their current drafts.Furthermore, the Supervisory Board approved its proposed decisions on the items of the agenda for the 2012 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Appreciation. The Supervisory Board thanks all of the employees and the management of the Daimler Group for their personal contributions to the successful year 2011. Special thanks are due to a longstanding member of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Manfred Schneider, who stepped down in April after many years of close involvement a nd exceptional personal commitment to the Group. Stuttgart, February 2012 The Supervisory Board Dr. Manfred Bischoff Chairman 21 The Supervisory Board Dr. Manfred Bischoff Munich Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Fraport AG Royal KPN N. V.SMS GmbH – Chairman UniCredit S. p. A. Voith GmbH – Chairman Erich Klemm* Sindelfingen Chairman of the General Works Council, Daimler Group and Daimler AG; Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG Dr. Paul Achleitner Munich Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Bayer AG RWE AG Allianz Investment Management SE – Chairman Allianz Global Investors AG Sari Baldauf Helsinki Former Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Networks Business Group of Nokia Corporation Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Hewlett-Packard Company F-Secure Corporation Fortum OYj – Chair woman Dr.Clemens Borsig Frankfurt am Main Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank AG Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Linde AG Bayer AG Emerson Electric Co. Prof. Dr. Heinrich Flegel* Stuttgart Director Research Materials, Lightweight Design and Manufacturing, Daimler AG; Chairman of the Management Representative Committee, Daimler Group Dr. Jurgen Hambrecht Ludwigshafen Former Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Deutsche Lufthansa AG Fuchs Petrolub AG – Chairman Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG Petraea Heynike Vevey Former Executive Vice President of the Executive Board of Nestle S. A. since April 13, 2011) Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Schulich School of Business Jorg Hofmann* Stuttgart German Metalworkers’ Union (IG Metall), District Manager, Baden-Wurttemberg Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Robert Bosch GmbH Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Dr. Thomas Klebe* Frankfurt am Main General Counsel of the German Metalworkers’ Union (IG Metall) Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Daimler Luft- und Raumfahrt Holding AG ThyssenKrupp Materials International GmbH Gerard Kleisterlee Amsterdam Former President and CEO of Royal Philips Electronics N. V. Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Vodafone Group Plc. – Chairman De Nederlandsche Bank N. V. Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Dell Inc.Jurgen Langer* Frankfurt am Main Chairman of the Works Council of the Frankfurt/Offenbach Dealership, Daimler AG 22 1 | To Our Shareholders | The Supervisory Board Ansgar Osseforth* Sindelfingen Manager Mercedes-Benz Research and Development; Member of the Works Council, Sindelfingen Plant, Daimler AG until November 30, 2011 Valter Sanches* Sao Paulo Secretary of International Relations of Confederacao Nacional dos Metalurgicos/CUT Stefan Schwaab* Gaggenau Vice Chairman of the General Works Council, Daimler Group and Daimler AG; Vice Chairman of the Works Council, Gaggenau Plant, Daimler AG Jorg Spies* Stuttgart Chairman of the Works Council, Headquarters, Daimler AG Lloyd G.Trotter Plainville Former Vice Chairman General Electric; President & CEO of the General Electric Group’s Industrial Division; Managing Partner, Founder, GenNx360 Capital Partners Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: PepsiCo Inc. Textron Inc. syncreon Holdings Ltd. syncreon. US Holdings Inc. syncreon. US Inc. Dr. h. c. Bernhard Walter Frankfurt am Main Former Spokesman of the Board of Management of Dresdner Bank AG Other supervisory board memberships/directorships: Bilfinger Berger SE – Chairman Deutsche Telekom AG Henkel AG & Co. KGaA Uwe Werner* Bremen Chairman of the Works Council, Bremen Plant, Daimler AG Lynton R. Wilson Toronto Chairman of the Board of CAE Inc. ; Chancellor of McMaster University Retired from the Supervisory Board: Dr. Manfred Schneider Leverkusen Chairman of the Supervisor y Board of Bayer AG (retired on April 13, 2011)Committees of the Supervisory Board: Committee pursuant to Section 27 Subsection 3 of the German Codetermination Act (MitbestG) Dr. Manfred Bischoff – Chairman Erich Klemm* Dr. Jurgen Hambrecht Dr. Thomas Klebe* Presidential Committee Dr. Manfred Bischoff – Chairman Erich Klemm* Dr. Jurgen Hambrecht Dr. Thomas Klebe* Audit Committee Dr. h. c. Bernhard Walter – Chairman Erich Klemm* Dr. Clemens Borsig Stefan Schwaab* Nomination Committee Dr. Manfred Bischoff – Chairman Dr. Paul Achleitner Sari Baldauf * Representative of the employees 23 Daimler Shares The spread of the sovereign-debt crisis and growing uncertainty about ongoing economic developments caused high volatility in the capital markets. Daimler’s share price fell significantly during the year 2011.In view of a repeated increase in net profit, the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board propose a higher dividend of â‚ ¬2. 20 per share (prior year: â‚ ¬1. 85). 1. 01 Development of Daimler’s share price and major indices End of 2011 End of 2010 11/10 % change -33 -15 -17 +6 -17 -24 Daimler’s share price (in euros) DAX 30 Dow Jones Euro STOXX 50 Dow Jones Industrial Average Nikkei Dow Jones STOXX Auto Index 33. 92 5,898 2,317 12,218 8,455 259 50. 73 6,914 2,793 11,578 10,229 341 Turbulent year on global stock markets. Stock markets continued their very volatile and disparate development in 2011. Against the backdrop of positive economic developments and encouraging company results, the upward trend of the previous year at first continued at the beginning of 2011.A number of negative factors such as the worsening debt crisis in the euro zone, the violent conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East, the natural disaster in Japan and growing fears of inflation then led to sharp falls in share prices in March. However, following good quarterly results of companies in Europe and the United States, stoc k markets recovered quickly and reached their peaks for the year in May. After moving sideways for several months, share prices generally declined at the beginning of August due to the weaker economic outlook. The exacerbating financial crisis in Europe and the downgrading of the United States’ creditworthiness raised market fears of a renewed recession during the autumn.As a result, the markets remained very volatile. The index of the most important stocks in the euro zone, the Dow Jones Euro STOXX 50, fell significantly, especially in the second half of 2011, and lost 17% over the full year. Germany’s main index, the DAX, lost 15%. In the United States, the Dow Jones climbed by 6% over the year. The Nikkei index in Japan closed 2011 down 17% compared with a year earlier. Volatile development of Daimler’s share price in 2011. Automotive stocks made a positive start to the year 2011. Our share profited at the beginning of the year from good unit sales in Decembe r and the encouraging data from the US truck market.Daimler’s share price peaked for the year at â‚ ¬58. 46 on January 18. This was followed by a phase of consolidation. Growing uncertainty had a disproportionately strong impact on the price of cyclical stocks such as Daimler’s. Nonetheless, our share price remained at the level it had reached at the end of 2010 until the end of July, despite negative factors such as the debt crisis in Europe, the natural disaster in Japan and the conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East. Share prices then fell significantly in August. This phase saw strong selling but only a weak propensity to buy. In that trading environment, economically sensitive automotive stocks suffered sharp losses.Although good unit sales were reported during the summer break, investors – especially in the United States – remained very risk averse and reduced the proportion of what they regarded as risky 1. 02 In euros Net profit Key figu res per share 2011 2010 11/10 % change +24 +24 +19 +9 -33 +7 -4 5. 32 5. 31 2. 20 38. 77 33. 92 58. 46 29. 16 4. 28 4. 28 1. 85 35. 62 50. 73 54. 87 30. 35 Net profit (diluted) Dividend Equity (December 31) Xetra share price at year end 1 Highest 1 Lowest 1 1 Closing prices 24 1 | To Our Shareholders | Daimler Shares European stocks in their portfolios. But, benefiting from the positive development of the German stock market and the publication of good third-quarter results in line with market expectations, Daimler’s share price climbed again significantly in October within a very volatile environment.The repeated increase in uncertainty about a resolution of the euro crisis caused the stock markets and automotive stocks to fall again temporarily in November. During this phase, the price of Daimler’s shares reached its low for the year of â‚ ¬29. 16 on November 23. After a brief recovery, our share price remained flat in December and closed the year at a price of â ‚ ¬33. 92 on December 30. ? 1. 01 Our share thus fell by 33% over the full year, which is a weaker performance than the Dow Jones STOXX Auto Index (-24%) and the DAX (-15%). Daimler’s market capitalization at the end of 2011 was â‚ ¬36. 2 billion. In the first several weeks of the year 2012, Daimler’s share price climbed significantly. Dividend of â‚ ¬2. 20. ? 1. 2 The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting to be held on April 4, 2012 that in view of the good business development the dividend should be increased from â‚ ¬1. 85 to â‚ ¬2. 20 per share. The total dividend payout will thus amount to â‚ ¬2,346 million (prior year: â‚ ¬1,971 million). Broad shareholder structure. ? 1. 07 Daimler continues to have a broad shareholder base of approximately 1. 0 million shareholders. The number of shareholders remained stable compared with 2010, so there was no continuation of the trend of fallin g shareholder numbers that occurred in previous years. There was a steadily growing demand for our shares from private investors during the second half of 2011, mainly in Germany. Kuwait Investment Authority holds 6. 9% of Daimler’s shares and the Renault-Nissan Alliance holds 3. 1%.Aabar Investments PJS, Abu Dhabi (Aabar), notified us in October 2011 that its Daimler voting rights had fallen below the notification threshold of 5% and amounted to 4. 99998% at that time. This was caused by a slight increase in Daimler’s share capital due to the exercise of stock options. In February 2012, Aabar notified us that the number of Daimler shares it physically owned had decreased to approximately 32. 7 million, equivalent to a shareholding of 3. 07%. In connection with the respective shareholding notifications, Aabar also informed us that it has the right to redelivery of the difference between the approximately 32. 7 million shares it physically owns and the 96. 4 million sha res it originally acquired. In connection with its shareholding, Aabar entered into a series of financing transactions.As of 1 February 2012, the new rules pursuant to the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) require separate incremental disclosures of certain elements of these transactions, which lead to double-counting with respect to parts of Aabar’s total shareholding. Together with shares lent to third parties in connection with financing transactions for which Aabar has a right of redelivery, Aabar still holds 9. 04%. BlackRock Inc. , New York, informed us in August 2011 that it had exceeded the 5% notification threshold as defined by Germany’s Securities Trading Act (WpHG) and that its Daimler voting rights amounted to 5. 7% as of August 11, 2011. Capital Research and Management Company of Los Angeles, which notified us in May 2010 that it held 3. 1% of our shares, is still above the 3% notification threshold stipulated by the WpHG.The treasury shares held by Da imler at the end of 2010 (approximately 0. 2 million shares worth about â‚ ¬7 million) were used during the year under review to satisfy the claims of former AEG shareholders from arbitration proceedings. In total, institutional investors hold 67% of our share capital and private investors hold 20%. Approximately 69% of our equity are in the hands of European investors and approximately 19% are held by US investors. ? 1. 08 1. 03 In euros 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 Daimler share price (high/low), 2011 1/11 2/11 3/11 4/11 5/11 6/11 7/11 8/11 9/11 10/11 11/11 12/11 1. 04 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 Share price index 2/31/10 2/28/11 4/29/11 6/30/11 8/31/11 10/31/11 12/31/11 Daimler AG Dow Jones STOXX Auto Index DAX 25 1. 05 Key figures End of 2011 End of 2010 11/10 % change Share capital (in millions of euros) Number of shares (in millions) thereof treasury shares Market capitalization (in billions) )of euros) Number of shareholders (in millions) Weighting in share index D AX 30 Dow Jones Euro STOXX 50 Long-term credit ratings Standard & Poor’s Moody’s Fitch DBRS 3,060 1,066. 3 0 36. 2 1. 0 3,058 1,065. 6 0. 2 54. 0 1. 0 +0 +0 -100 -33 0 The weighting of Daimler shares in major indices decreased during 2011 due to the negative development of our share price.In the German DAX 30 index, our stock was ranked in seventh position with a weighting of 5. 93% at the end of the year (end of 2010: 7. 51%). ? 1. 05 In the Dow Jones Euro STOXX 50, Daimler shares were represented with a weighting of 2. 26% (end of 2010: 2. 88%). Daimler shares are listed in Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Stock-exchange trading in Germany in the year 2011 amounted to 1,728 million shares (2010: 1,492 million). In addition, Daimler shares are increasingly traded on multilateral trading platforms and in the over-thecounter market. Substantially increased participation in employee share program. In March 2011, eligible members of the workforce were once again able to acquire e mployee shares.A price incentive that was granted for the first time and bonus shares helped to increase the number of participants to 32,200 employees, who acquired a total of 610,300 shares (2010: 19,400 employees acquired 350,700 shares). Annual Shareholders’ Meeting approves management’s proposals with large majorities. Our Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 13, 2011 at the Berlin International Congress Center (ICC) was attended by approximately 5,100 shareholders (2010: 4,700). With 43. 3% of the share capital represented at the Annual Meeting, shareholder representation (attendance plus absentee votes) was higher than in the prior year (40. 3%). In the voting on the items of the agenda, the shareholders adopted the recommendations of the management with large majorities.The shareholders